WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Darned if Butler didn’t do it.
Again.
Matt Howard’s free throw with eight tenths of a second remaining lifted the Horizon League champion Bulldogs over top-seeded and third-ranked Pittsburgh, 71-70, and back into the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet Sixteen.
It is the second year in a row Coach Brad Stevens Bulldogs have eliminated a No. 1-seeded Big East champion. Last year they upset Syracuse.
Howard’s free throw capped a bizarre finish to this Southeast Regional third-round game at the Verizon Center that saw two fouls in the final two seconds, one by Butler’s Shelvin Mack and one by Pitt’s Nasir Robinson.
And all that came after Andrew Smith had given Butler a 70-69 lead with 2.5 seconds left on a pass from Shawn Vanzant.
Mack’s foul near midcourt sent Panther Gilbert Brown to the line. Gilbert was, at best, going to only be able to throw up a desperation heave. Mack admitted later “it was the worst foul in Butler history.“
Brown made the first to tie it, but missed the second. Howard, who had another amazing night in making plays if not shots -- he was 5 for 15 -- grabbed the rebound.
Nasir inexplicably fouled him. After a delay when the officials checked the time, Howard made the first free throw and intentionally missed the second. Pitt was not able to get a shot off.
So Butler (25-9) is bound for New Orleans and its third Sweet Sixteen berth in five years. They will play the winner of Wisconsin and Kansas State.
Mack’s foul was the only blemish on an incredible night. He finished with 30 points. Howard added 16 and six rebounds.
“This was the craziest basketball weekend of my life,” said Mack, referring to Butler’s last-second win over Old Dominion on Thursday.
Given the two calls by the officials, the coaches were peppered with questions but they didn’t take the bait. Pitt’s Jamie Dixon took the high road.
“We will never talk about the officials in a negative manner,” Dixon said. “We’re not going to blame the officials.”
Brown’s last free throw miss marred an otherwise big night. He led Pitt with 24.
Pitt (28-6) shot 56.5 percent from the field and outrebounded Butler 33-22. And still lost.
In fact, Butler led by as many as 12 points in the first half and eight at halftime. The Panthers came back to take a five-point lead in the second half but Butler never lost its poise.
“These guys don’t fold,” said Stevens. “They are Bulldogs in every sense of the word.”
