BOSTON — Syracuse will be playing for a spot in the Final Four because of numbers.
C.J. Fair put up some like he hadn’t in a while, and the Orange finished with offensive statistics that Wisconsin usually doesn’t allow in a 64-63 victory in the NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals Thursday night that wasn’t secure until the final buzzer.
“Offensively we played very, very well and we had to play very, very well,” Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said.
Fair finished with 15 points — five fewer than he had in the past six games combined — on 7-of-9 shooting. The Orange scored 11 more than the Badgers allowed on average in leading Division I.
Syracuse shot 55 percent from the field, well above the 38.5 percent Wisconsin gave up this season, and the Orange were 5 of 9 from three-point range, much better than the 28.8 percent the Badgers allowed.
All those numbers mean the Orange (34-2) will play second-seeded Ohio State (30-7) in the regional final Saturday with a trip to New Orleans at stake.
“I can’t tell you how good it feels to win a game like this,” Boeheim said. “This was a great, great game.”
It wasn’t decided until Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor missed a three-pointer with 3 seconds left. Josh Gasser corralled the rebound but his final shot was off at the buzzer.
“It was on line, and I felt like I got my legs into it,” Taylor said. “I knew it was a deep three, but it felt good, and then to see it kind of come up short was kind of heartbreaking.”
Kris Joseph, a 75 percent free-throw shooter, had missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 18 seconds to go with Syracuse up by a point, giving the Badgers (26-10) a chance at the victory.
Passing the ball around the perimeter of the zone but not creating much space, Wisconsin had to settle for Taylor’s shot.
“We were just trying to get an open shot and try and make them rotate in the zone,” Taylor said. “We did a little bit, but they did a good job of recovering to open guys there. They used the length that they have and kind of forced us into a tough shot, and it obviously didn’t go down. So it was tough. Hats off to them.”
The Badgers finished 14 of 27 from three-point range but couldn’t make one over the final 6 minutes after a stretch in the second half when they made six consecutive in as many possessions.
“I think we naturally tried to move out,” Boeheim said, referring to Syracuse’s famed 2-3 zone. “But you’ve got to get them off their spots. We didn’t do that for a stretch out there. But they have terrific ball movement, and they have five guys that can shoot. There aren’t that many teams like that.”
Scoop Jardine had 14 points for Syracuse and Dion Waiters had 13.
OHIO STATE 81, CINCINNATI 66
BOSTON — Deshaun Thomas scored 26 points and Jared Sullinger had 23 points and 11 rebounds to lead secondseeded Ohio State (30-7) to a victory over No. 6 seed Cincinnati on Thursday night, putting the Buckeyes in the East Regional final.
Aaron Craft added 11 points — all in the second half — with 5 assists and 6 steals, taking charge during a 17-1 second-half run that turned a four-point deficit into a double-digit lead.
Cashmere Wright scored 18 and Sean Kilpatrick had 15 for the Bearcats.
Sports, Pages 24 on 03/23/2012