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Jackson shines brightest

 
Published March 21, 1997|Updated Oct. 1, 2005

Minnesota senior guard Bobby Jackson said his team doesn't really have any stars.

Hey, Bobby.

Look in the mirror. Your reflection is awfully bright.

Jackson scored a career-high 36 points, including four in the first overtime to force a second overtime in which he added five, as the top-seeded Golden Gophers hung on to beat Clemson 90-84 Thursday night in the Midwest Regional semifinals at the Alamodome.

The Gophers (30-3), ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press poll, play the winner of the UCLA-Iowa State game Saturday for the chance to advance to the Final Four.

Their only other trip to the final eight was in 1990. They lost to Georgia Tech's "Lethal Weapon 3" attack of Dennis Scott, Kenny Anderson and Brian Oliver 93-91.

"Bobby's the Big Ten Player of the Year; he was a second-team All-American," Minnesota coach Clem Haskins said. "But tonight, he played like a first-team All-American."

Jackson, defying the ache of cramps, played 49 of the 50 minutes and was pressed into handling the point-guard duties for the final 17:10 after Eric Harris apparently separated his right shoulder. Harris spent the rest of the game on the bench with an ice bag draped over the shoulder.

Oh, by the way, Jackson ran the offense, scored and defended despite having four fouls.

"It was hard, but I just had to be smart," Jackson said. "(Harris is) our leader, and I knew I had to be the leader of the team when he went out. Somebody had to step up."

For a while, the Gophers appeared ready to become the first No.

1 seed to fall in the tournament.

Clemson (23-10) fell behind by as many as 15 twice in the first half as Minnesota hit an amazing 13 of its first 15 shots behind Jackson and junior forward Sam Jacobson. But Clemson rallied in the second half.

"They showed who they are and why they are here," Clemson coach Rick Barnes said of his players.

The No.

4-seeded Tigers, who struggled the last month of the season, had said they thought many folks believed their 16-1 start, which included a win against defending national champion Kentucky, was a fluke.

"They never quit," Barnes said.

With 8.2 seconds left in regulation and his team clinging to a 72-70 lead, Minnesota guard Quincy Lewis drew a foul and missed both free throws. John Thomas scooped up the loose ball under the basket but lost it to Clemson forward Greg Buckner.

Buckner raced up the middle of the court and dished off to forward Tony Christie at the three-point arc. Christie drove the lane for a buzzer-beating layup to force overtime and make the Clemson contingent among the 29,231 euphoric.

"Coach told us to push the ball up the floor fast, and that was the shot we got," Christie said.

It was his lone shot of the game.

"Sometimes we over-coach," Haskins said, explaining that he had stressed to his team before the missed free throws that it should stop the three-point shot. "We got out of position and gave them an easy basket."

And the momentum.

The Tigers, who beat Kentucky and Duke in overtime this season, took control immediately at the start of the extra period.

Buckner, who finished with 22 points to pace five Tigers in double figures, opened the overtime with a three-pointer. After a pair of Minnesota free throws, senior guard Merl Code hit a three-pointer, and Buckner followed with a jumper for an 80-74 lead with 3:07 left.

Minnesota forward Courtney James scored inside, and Jackson forced a second overtime when he hit consecutive driving layups in the final 1:22.

"When we were down six, we knew we had to do something," Jackson said. "Luckily, the lane was open. I couldn't believe the lane was so open. I think they relaxed too much when they were up six."

Clemson also committed two turnovers in the final moments that allowed the Gophers to tie it and even afforded them a chance to win, but Jackson's last-second shot bounded off the rim.

"I really can't say why it slipped away," Buckner lamented. "We had a chance to win it and dropped the ball."

Lewis started the second overtime with a stickback, and after Buckner hit a free throw, Jackson hit only his second three-pointer of the game to give Minnesota an 85-81 lead with 3:55 left.

With the shot clock winding down, Jackson swished an off-balance jumper for an 87-81 lead with 42 seconds to go, all but sealing the win.

Haskins said Harris' injury is "serious enough to cost us a chance at the national title."

"If Eric Harris can play we've got a great chance to represent the University of Minnesota and the Big Ten at the Final Four," he said.

Harris was hurt while running into a screen. Haskins said it wasn't a dirty play, although he thought the Clemson player should have been called for a moving screen.

"That's a hard play, not a dirty play," he said. "Eric Harris just didn't see it coming."

The officials earned their paychecks in the game.

The teams combined to commit 56 personal fouls. Minnesota went 34-of-45 from the free-throw line, and Clemson was 25-of-35.

"Overall it was a well-officiated basketball game," Haskins said.