SALT LAKE CITY — Exhilaration triumphed over exhaustion. Destiny trumped desire.
For the second time in four years, a mid-major is going to the Final Four. Except this mid-major, Butler, also is going home.
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs upset a tenacious albeit tired No. 2 Kansas State team 63-56 in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final yesterday at EnergySolutions Arena to become the first team to make it to the Final Four — which is being held in their hometown of Indianapolis.
Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler’s storied homecourt, is about 5.5 miles from Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the Final Four.
“I think it would be just as cool if we moved [the Final Four] to Hinkle, though,” said Butler coach Brad Stevens.
“I’d be all for that right now.”
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs next will face the winner of today’s Midwest Region final between No. 5 Michigan State and No. 6 Tennessee, meaning a 5 seed or lower will play for the title for the first time since Indiana, also a No. 5, lost the 2002 final to Maryland. No fifth seed or lower has won the title since No. 6 Kansas did so in 1988.
The Bulldogs (32-4) extended the nation’s longest win streak to 24 straight by getting pitbull tough when it seemed as if the game was slipping away.
Butler led the first 35 minutes against a Kansas State team (29-8) that needed double overtime to beat Xavier late Thursday night, but the Wildcats summoned a 16-5 run to take their first lead at 52-51 with 4:49 left. Butler, however, countered with a 12-4 run to punch its ticket home. Kansas State became the fifth straight team to win an NCAA Tournament game in double overtime only to lose its next game on one day of rest.
Gordon Heyward (22 points, nine rebounds), the region’s Most Outstanding Player, made two free throws to give Butler a 54-52 lead. Then he made a great catch of an alley-oop pass from Shelvin Mack in laid it in for a 56-52 edge. Kansas State never regained the lead.
