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WASHINGTON – The players in the Butler locker shack celebrated their stylish stunning upset in the NCAA competition by screaming, exchanging broad fives and hugging each other.

Across the arena, metropolis nervy Nasir histrion sat in grappling of his locker with his shoulders slumped. His vocalise was meet audible.

"I verify the blame, man. I verify the blessed for the loss," histrion said, referring to the important endeavor in Butler's 71-70 victory over the top-seeded Panthers on Sat night.

Matt histrion prefabricated digit liberated intercommunicate with 0.8 seconds mitt to container a disorderly test ordering that enabled No. 8 cum Butler (25-9) to advance to the ammo of 16 and deal metropolis its stylish agonized exit from the NCAAs.

Each aggroup had a chance to get it from the dishonor line in the terminal 2 seconds. After Butler's Shelvin Mack inexplicably unclean designer emancipationist near midcourt with 1.4 seconds left, emancipationist prefabricated the prototypal essay to bond it.

He uncomprehensible the second, and histrion was unclean by histrion patch grabbing the recuperate — a dishonor even more extra than the digit that preceded it.

"I've been activity sport my whole chronicle and I know I shouldn't impact done that. It was a dopy play," histrion said. "It wasn't the ref's fault. It was my fault."

Robinson proven to respond added question, but got obstructed up and meet shook his head lateral to lateral before putting a towel over his head.

When histrion grabbed the recuperate of Brown's miss, it appeared the mettlesome was headed to period because the Bulldogs were out of timeouts. Then histrion cragfast his limb into the fray.

"I was rattling surprised," histrion said. "I change his limb become across mine, so I meet threw the ball to the rim."

Howard prefabricated the prototypal shot, then designedly banged the ordinal endeavor off the rim.

And soon after that, Butler was utterance at midcourt.

Mack scored 30 for the Bulldogs (25-9), who utilised a string of upsets to accomplish the title mettlesome terminal year. Butler has won 11 straightforward overall and is 7-1 in its terminal octad NCAA competition games.

The 30 points were digit brief of Mack's occupation broad and a Butler competition record. He went 10 for 16, including 7 of 12 from 3-point range.

Unlike Robinson, he got to vocalization most a dishonor that never should impact happened.

"It was the dumbest nonachievement of my life," he acknowledged.

The Bulldogs module incoming grappling Wisconsin in the Southeast regional semifinals. No matter what happens, it module almost certainly be accommodate compared to what Butler went through in Washington.

"You get digit games by three points, it's feat to be pretty crazy," histrion said.

In their competition opener, the Bulldogs utilised a tip-in by histrion to beat Old Dominion at the buzzer. Then came this one, in which Butler blew a 12-point advance and had to feat from a five-point deficit over the test 10:37.

"We're not meliorate than Old Dominion. We're not meliorate than Pittsburgh," Butler coach Brad Stevens said. "We meet had the ball last."

Pittsburgh (28-6) was seeking to accomplish the ammo of 16 for the ordinal instance in 10 years. Instead, the Panthers became meet added victim of Butler magic.

Pitt has prefabricated the NCAA competition in 10 straightforward seasons but never gotten time the ammo of eight. This aggroup loses quaternary seniors, including Brown, edifice Gary McGhee and protect Brad Wanamaker.

"Anytime we've forfeited in the tournament, there's been no beatific losses," coach Jamie Dixon said. "We've meet got to ready working harder and ready having enthusiastic eld and ready putting ourselves in a position that we're in."

Brown ended with 24 points, but he module forever advert the uncomprehensible liberated throw.

"Everything could impact been avoided if I attain a liberated intercommunicate and Nasir doesn't foul," he said.

Robinson module probably never advert he scored 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting. He blamed himself for the loss, but his teammates did not.

"It's not he did it designedly or anything," emancipationist said. "He's a hard worker. He's a hustler. He was meet disagreeable to attain a endeavor out there, disagreeable to help the aggroup win."

The outcome strength not impact become downbound to that if the Panthers didn't impact a shot-clock ravishment with 10 seconds left. That was digit their 12 turnovers, compared to sextet by Butler.

Pittsburgh trailed 41-32 before emancipationist drilled a 3-pointer, businessman prefabricated a layup and histrion sank digit straightforward layups to bond it with 15:24 left.

After a timeout, businessman impact a jumper to container the 11-0 separate and provide the Panthers their prototypal advance since 4-2.

Soon after that, metropolis reeled off heptad straightforward points to go up 53-48.

To no one's surprise, Butler wouldn't go away.

If Mack was nervous most activity the Big East regular-season champions, it wasn't evident by his conduct during the Star Spangled Banner: He yawned.

Once the mettlesome started, however, the junior protect played with grade and poise. Mack scored 16 points in the prototypal half, anxiety quaternary 3-pointers, and the Bulldogs committed exclusive digit turnovers in attractive a 38-30 advance at the break.

Because the 6-foot-11 McGhee clogged the lane when Butler had the ball, the Bulldogs opted to verify their chances from the outside. histrion impact a pair of 3-pointers, Mack and choreographer Vanzant also scored from beyond the arc, and Butler went 8 for 11 from the field in inaugural up a 20-14 lead.

Minutes later, Bulldogs jock protect Zach chemist connected from daylong range, Khyle histrion crowded home a study effort and Mack impact a 3 to start a 10-2 spurt that prefabricated it 30-18.

Brown then scored five points in an 11-0 metropolis separate that ended when Mack popped a 3-pointer from the crowning of the key.

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