Sports

Marquette snatches win from Davidson

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Bob McKillop stepped out of the quietest locker room in America Thursday, looked an old friend in the eye, and softly exhaled, “My goodness.”

The Davidson coach then stepped into the glare of a CBS/Turner camera crew. His star forward, Jay Cohen, bent over, his hands on his knees. Teammate Nik Cochran placed a hand on Cohen’s back.

A team manager sat on the tile floor in the hallway, eyes closed. A foot-high stack of mini pizzas sat untouched on a training table.

Every team comes into the NCAA Tournament knowing the next loss is the last loss of the season. But this last second, 59-58 loss in the second round of the East Region, in which the Wildcats coughed up a five-point lead with 41 seconds left, with Marquette’s Vander Blue making a layup with one second left, this loss …

Davidson’s 17-game win streak, the longest in the nation — over. The careers of seniors JP Kuhlman, Cohen, and Cochran — over. The chance to play for the right to go to the Sweet 16 — over.

“We chase dreams together,’’ said McKillop. “We were inches away from continuing that magic carpet ride.’’

Inches and 41 seconds.

The Wildcats (26-8) led 56-51 with those 41 seconds left. Marquette (24-8) is the worst 3-point shooting team in the NCAA field of 68. Davidson, which was in the double bonus, was the best free-throw shooting team in the nation this season.

Blue, a 29 percent 3-pointer shooter, hit a 3-pointer, making it 56-54. Cochran, the best foul shooter in America, converted two free throws that barely tickled the nets. Jamil Wilson, a 36 percent 3-point shooter, hit another 3 for Marquette.

It was 58-57 with 11 seconds left. No problem. Inbound the ball, get it to Cochran, the human free-throw machine, and the game would be over.

Cohen inbounded to De’Mon Brooks, the Southern Conference player of the year. Brooks spotted Cochran alone in the front court. As Marquette’s double team closed in, Brooks threw a lead pass.

It didn’t have to be Montana to Rice, it just had to get there.

But the pass was long. Cochran tried to chase it down, but stepped out of bounds with six seconds left.

“We came out the second half, had the momentum from the start,’’ said Brooks. “One play.’’

Blue, who on March 9 made a hard drive right and lofted in a layup off the glass in the Garden to beat St. John’s, 69-67 in overtime, took the ensuing inbounds pass at the top of the key and drove left.

“We knew exactly what he was going to do,’’ said Davidson associate head coach Jim Fox. “It never should have come to that.’’

But it did. Blue’s layup dropped in with one second left.

Davidson called a timeout. Cohen was to inbound the ball, and throw a three-quarters court pass. Four Wildcats were stretched across the foul line at the far end.

“I still did have hope when that ball was in the air,’’ said Cohen.

Hope floated across Rupp Arena. But Blue intercepted it. The horn sounded. The magic carpet ride was over.

“To be up like we were and then for them to hit some crazy shots down the stretch and for us to lose the ball, how did it happen?’’ said Kulman. “It happened so fast.’’

Afterwards, McKillop said it was his toughest loss in a 40-year coaching career that began in 1973 at Holy Trinity.

“I try to put it in perspective and think about other people who are in pain that they can’t control.’’ he said. “I try to think about the good things that are happening in my life.’’

McKillop sighed again. “My goodness,’’ he said.