Some win, some push, some lose on K-State

It could have gone either way. Jacob Pullen's second free throw hung on the edge of the rim, briefly appearing as if it would fall off. But it dropped in, and Kansas State pulled off a miracle.

What was arguably the most suspenseful game of the NCAA Tournament also was a point-spread result of enormous intrigue.

Pullen scored 28 points, and every one meant something as the Wildcats beat Xavier 101-96 in double overtime Thursday night.

It was late when the West Regional semifinal in Salt Lake City finally ended. But everyone in a Las Vegas sports book holding a ticket on either team was wide awake and sweating.

"Kansas State was definitely supported by the betting public," Las Vegas Hilton sports book director Jay Kornegay said.

Another easy winner. No doubt about it.

The Wildcats opened as 4-point favorites this week, and the line slowly climbed to 4½ and then to 5. At Coast Casinos and the Golden Nugget, it closed 5½.

Depending on what number you bet, the result was a lucky win, a push or a terribly excruciating loss. And if you bet Kansas State on the money line or at minus-4 and also bet Xavier at plus-5½, the ending was perfect.

I was on Kansas State, so the outcome was great. But we've all been on the other side of it, too.

The game went to overtime only because Musketeers guard Terrell Holloway was fouled while throwing up a 30-footer with five seconds remaining. Holloway made all three free throws to tie.

At the end of the first overtime, Xavier's Jordan Crawford sank a tying 35-footer with four seconds remaining.

Then in the second overtime, Pullen made every clutch shot. He hit a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left, and after Holloway made two free throws, Pullen dropped two more from the line -- the second one an edge-of-the-rim cliffhanger.

The Wildcats went up five on Denis Clemente's two free throws, allowing the Musketeers time to hit a shot and cover the spread. But Xavier missed two 3-point tries, the second almost banking in, and the buzzer sounded before the Musketeers could score on the rebound.

Amazingly, Kansas State got the win and, for most, the cover.

The bettors on Kentucky, an 8½-point favorite, didn't need to get so lucky in a 62-45 victory over Cornell. An upset appeared possible when the Big Red raced to a 10-2 lead, but Kentucky closed the first half on a 30-6 run.

Before that Cinderella got shot down, though, another pulled off a stunner.

Butler, a 6-point underdog, upended No. 1 seed Syracuse 63-59, giving CBS play-by-play man Gus Johnson, the voice of the NCAA Tournament upset, plenty to shout about. The Bulldogs led by 10 at halftime, trailed 54-50 late and rallied to close the game.

"Almost every parlay out there included Syracuse," Kornegay said. "It was a case where I think the resume of Syracuse, the Big East champ, influenced most of the bettors.

"The only game that was pretty balanced action was Cornell-Kentucky. Out of all the matchups, you probably wouldn't have figured that."

Kornegay said most bettors sided with Washington. But there was no suspense as West Virginia, a 4-point favorite, used a dominant second half to hammer the Huskies, 69-56.

The wagering could be pretty evenly split today on Ohio State-Tennessee, Baylor-Saint Mary's and Michigan State-Northern Iowa.

The last game to tip will feature more one-sided betting on Duke as an 8½-point favorite over Purdue. Since the season-ending injury to star Robbie Hummel, the Boilermakers have gotten by on defense and toughness.

Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith give Duke more firepower.

"Everybody has been betting against Purdue since Hummel went out," Kornegay said. "That's a scary game because it's the last game of the Sweet 16. As the last game on the board, all the parlays that are alive at that time most likely will be going to Duke.

"I don't know what's going to happen in the game, but I can say most of the books, if not all the books, are going to need Purdue."

The bettors who needed Kansas State got a gift, an unforgettable game with a point-spread decision to match.

Contact sports betting columnist Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.