The Latest on the NCAA Tournament (all times Eastern):
6:20 p.m.
Gonzaga is relying on the outside shot to start the West Regional final against Xavier.
The top-seeded Bulldogs have taken seven of their first eight shots from behind the 3-point line in the opening minutes. They made three of them, including two by Josh Perkins, to take an early 12-10 lead over the Musketeers.
Gonzaga made just four 3-pointers all game in the Sweet 16 win over West Virginia. The Bulldogs were shooting just 29 percent from 3-point range in the NCAA Tournament before today.
Xavier has done all its work closer to the basket, with all seven shots coming inside the arc and five of them at the rim.
- Josh Dubow reporting from San Jose, California
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6:10 p.m.
With fan favorite Arizona eliminated in the Sweet 16, there are plenty of empty seats at tip off for the West Regional final between top-seeded Gonzaga and No. 11 seed Xavier.
The Wildcats had the biggest contingent on hand Thursday night but lost 73-71 to the Musketeers, leading to the big blocks of empty seats in the top level of SAP Center.
- Josh Dubow reporting from San Jose, California
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4:40 p.m.
Either Xavier or Gonzaga is about to earn its first Final Four berth in school history.
Gonzaga and Xavier are both making their third appearances in regional finals Saturday, but neither school has ever advanced beyond that stage. They face off Saturday in the West Regional in San Jose, California.
Oregon is meanwhile seeking its first Final Four appearance since its 1939 national championship. Oregon faces Kansas in the Midwest Regional championship at Kansas City, Missouri.
In each of its previous two regional final appearances, Gonzaga lost to the eventual national champion (Connecticut in 1999, Duke in 2015). Xavier lost to Duke in a 2004 regional final and fell to UCLA in a 2008 regional championship.
Oregon lost to Oklahoma in a regional final last year.
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