SAN FRANCISCO -- For 40 frenzied minutes, JD Notae, Jaylin Williams and Arkansas played a maddening, muscular style on both ends that took Gonzaga out of its game -- and right out of the NCAA Tournament far earlier than these Zags expected.
Notae scored 21 points despite missing 20 shots and the determined, fourth-seeded Razorbacks dashed the No. 1 overall seed Bulldogs' title hopes with a 74-68 win in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night.
``We've been disrespected the whole year, so it's just another thing for us,'' Williams said. ``We saw everything they were saying, we felt like they were dancing before the game. That was disrespect for us. We just came into the game playing hard and we had a chip on our shoulder. Every game we do.''
When the buzzer sounded, Notae tossed the game ball into the air in triumph, while Williams flexed and roared near midcourt. Coach Eric Musselman made his way into the stands to find his mother, Kris, for a celebratory embrace as she watched her well-traveled son coaching the Razorbacks in person for the first time.
After a throwback performance from the program that once promised ``40 Minutes of Hell,'' it was pure bliss for these Hogs.
Notae finished with six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocked shots for the Razorbacks (28-8), who reached the Elite Eight for a second straight year and will face Duke in the West Region final on Saturday.
Drew Timme scored 25 points but couldn't rally the normally high-scoring Bulldogs (28-4), who for the second straight season were favored to win that elusive national title but couldn't match up with an athletic, scrappy foe. Gonzaga had been undefeated last year before losing to Baylor in the national title game.
Gonzaga senior point guard Andrew Nembhard of Aurora, Ont., had seven points and three assists.
VILLANOVA 63, MICHGAN 55
SAN ANTONIO -- Jermaine Samuels scored 22 points and Villanova controlled Michigan and centre Hunter Dickinson to earn a Sweet 16 victory over the Wolverines.
Samuels' 8-of-13 shooting performance, much of it coming on tough drives through Michigan defenders and around center Hunter Dickinson, carried a Wildcats offense that had long stretches of misfiring on 3-pointers.
Samuels battled Dickinson on both ends of the court, and challenged the big man every time he had the ball to divert shots or force outlet passes.
``I just wanted to stay mobile and move,'' Samuels said. ``He's a phenomenal player, so he's going to get great looks at the basket. But that I have teammates behind me gave me all the confidence I needed.''
The second-seeded Wildcats (28-7) advanced to the South Region final to play No. 5 seed Houston. It's the deepest run in the tournament for Villanova since coach Jay Wright won the second of his two national titles in 2018.
The loss ends a turbulent season for the Wolverines (19-15) and coach Juwan Howard, whose team squeaked into the tournament field only to shine in the first two rounds. Howard was suspended for five games late in the season for hitting a Wisconsin assistant during a postgame handshake line.
Michigan guard Caleb Houstan of Misssissauga, Ont., had five points and two rebounds.
HOUSTON 72, ARIZONA 60
SAN ANTONIO -- Jamal Shead scored a career-high 21 points and Houston beat top-seeded Arizona to move within one win of a second straight Final Four.
With Taze Moore getting into early foul trouble after his 3-pointer for a 5-0 lead in the first two minutes, Shead and Kyler Edwards were both on the court nearly the entire game for the fifth-seeded Cougars (32-5). Edwards, the Texas Tech transfer who played in the 2019 national championship game for the Red Raiders, had 19 points with five 3-pointers.
Houston plays second-seeded Villanova in the South Region final on Saturday in San Antonio, which is about 200 miles from the UH campus.
Terry had 17 points for the Wildcats (33-4), while Pac-12 player of the year Bennedict Mathurin of Montreal had 15 and Christian Koloko 10.
With Arizona losing, just two Canadians remain in the tournament heading into Sweet 16 Games on Friday -- Wisconsin centre Zach Edey of Toronto and Providence guard Matteus Case of Pickering, Ont.
DUKE 78, TEXAS TECH 73
SAN FRANCISCO -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski moved within one win of his record-setting 13th trip to the Final Four in his farewell season thanks to two late baskets by Jeremy Roach that helped seal the Blue Devils' win over Texas Tech.
Roach's two shots were part of a 7-0 run as the steady sophomore came through in the clutch for a second straight game to send second-seeded Duke (31-6) into an Elite Eight matchup against Arkansas.
Paolo Banchero led Duke with 22 points, Mark Williams scored 16 and Roach added 15 as the Blue Devils held off third-seeded Texas Tech (27-10) and gave Coach K his record 100th NCAA Tournament victory. Krzyzewski announced last June he would retire after this season.
Griffin's two free throws with 12.9 seconds to play gave Duke a 77-73 lead. Adonis Arms then missed a 3-pointer and Krzyzewski gave an emphatic fist pump.
Bryson Williams scored 21 points to lead Texas Tech and Kevin McCullar added 17. Kevin Obanor had 10 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double in six career tournament games.
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