11th-seeded Dayton reaches South final

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Like a red and blue blur, the Dayton Flyers were pressing and passing, shooting and scoring. The waves never seemed to stop coming, with 10, 11 and then 12 players giving them quality minutes.

An exhausted and foul-plagued Stanford simply couldn't keep up.

The underdog Flyers -- an 11 seed in this South Region -- are now in the Elite Eight for the first time since 1984 after an emphatic 82-72 victory over Stanford on Thursday night.

"We had 11 guys score in the game and from top to bottom, we kept coming and coming," Dayton coach Archie Miller said. "The way they shared the ball and moved the ball ... it was a true team effort. It's nice that on the biggest stage, we acted like ourselves."

Jordan Sibert scored 18 points and freshman Kendall Pollard added a season-high 12, as Dayton (26-10) made sure this one wasn't particularly close after slipping by in the first two rounds. The 6-foot-4 Sibert was spectacular, slashing to the basket and draining 3-pointers, to help the Flyers lead for almost the entire night.

Dayton showed its depth early, using a dozen players in the first half to wear down Stanford.

"They were relentless," Stanford coach Johnny Dawkins said. "That's the best way I can put it."

No. 10 Stanford (23-13) had the superior post play, but it wasn't enough. Chasson Randle led the Cardinal with 21 points, but shot 5 of 21 from the field. Dwight Powell added 17 and Stefan Nastic -- who fouled out with more than five minutes left -- had 15.

Dayton, the last remaining of the six Atlantic 10 teams in the field of 68, plays the winner of UCLA-Florida on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four.

Sibert finished 7 of 12 from the field, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. He had plenty of help, including from Pollard, a 6-foot-6 guard who continually got to the basket and helped the Flyers stretch their lead in the first half.

"People have been doubting us and not giving us a lot of credit," Sibert said. "I know these guys. I know what coach wants. We all want to win. At the end of the day we all want to be considered winners."

Pollard was averaging two points per game, but Miller didn't hesitate to give him big minutes once he got hot.

"This guy's a big-time winner," Miller said. "He's not afraid of anything."

Devin Oliver scored 12 points and Matt Kavanaugh added 10. Dayton's bench had a 34-2 scoring advantage over Stanford.

The Flyers were good in just about every facet, shooting 48.3 percent (28 of 58) and dishing 19 assists on 28 field goals.

Florida 79, UCLA 68

Florida is back to where its last three seasons have ended.

Michael Frazier II hit five 3-pointers and finished with 19 points as the Gators beat UCLA to reach its fourth consecutive NCAA regional final.

The Gators (35-2) also extended the best winning streak in school history to 29 straight in reaching the South Regional final. The tournament's overall top seed will play 11th-seeded Dayton on Saturday night for a trip to the Final Four.

Scottie Wilbekin added 13 points for Florida. Casey Prather had 12 points, and Dorian Finney-Smith had 10. Kasey Hill had 10 assists.

UCLA (28-9) was back in a regional semifinal for the first time since 2008 under first-year coach Steve Alford. But the Bruins just couldn't match Florida's physical defense or outshoot the Gators.

Florida shot 50 percent for the game (29 of 58), including 59.3 percent in the second half. UCLA finished 42.2 percent (27 of 64) shooting in only their fifth game scoring under 70 points this season. The Bruins were a cold 1 of 12 beyond the arc in the second half.

Jordan Adams led the Bruins with 17 points, Kyle Anderson had 11 and five assists with nine rebounds. Travis Wear added 14.

Frazier showed off the Gators' shooting skills. He had hit only 3 of 13 beyond the arc through the Gators' first two tournament wins but went 5 for 6 against UCLA.

The Gators led 36-30 at halftime and clicked on a different level in the second half. They hit their first six shots and eight of their first 10. Every time UCLA tried to make a run, Florida answered. First, it was Frazier hitting consecutive 3-pointers as UCLA pulled within 43-39.

When the Bruins pulled within 56-55 on a layup by Norman Powell midway through the half, Finney-Smith hit a jumper for the first of 10 straight points. The Gators had UCLA running up and down the court so much that Adams couldn't even hit the rim with a jumper despite having an open look at the basket.

Wilbekin finished off the run with a three-point play that had the Gators solidly in control, up 66-55 with 5:34 left.