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 Curry scored 25 of his 30 points in the second half and Davidson staged a remarkable comeback behind their star sophomore to stun mighty Georgetown 74-70 on Sunday in the second round of the Midwest Regional.
Curry missed 10 of his first 12 shots but stepped up at crunch time for Davidson, which trailed by 16 points with 15 minutes left. He had the go-ahead basket, a key 3-pointer, and then hit five of six free throws in the final 23 seconds in a performance that left the Hoyas, and everyone else, stunned.
No. 2 seed Georgetown was shooting 71 percent from the field early in the second half and led 48-32 before a stunning collapse under the weight of 20 turnovers and Curry's dominance.
Jason Richards added 20 points and kept Davidson (28-6) in it early when Curry was missing everything.
Jessie Sapp scored 14 points and Jonathan Wallace finished with 12 for Georgetown (28-6), which lost despite shooting 63 percent from the field.
Davidson, which hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1969 before Friday, advanced to face Wisconsin on Friday in Detroit.
Georgetown, the nation's stingiest defensive team, came in allowing only 57.6 points per game and 37 percent shooting. That defensive prowess was on display early.
With waves of different defenders fighting through screens, Curry looked exhausted, and Davidson appeared spent.
Georgetown built a big lead and then started making mistakes. Ineffective 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert picked up his fourth foul by pushing off in the post. It was one of a series of turnovers that allowed Davidson to get back in it.
When Georgetown's defense finally lost Curry, he buried a 3-pointer from the right wing. He then fed Andrew Lovedale for a layup to make it 50-48 with 8:47 left.
After picking up his fourth foul with 4:15 left, Curry scored on a nifty scoop shot in the lane and hit a deep 3 to give Davidson a 65-60 lead with 2:56 left.
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It led to a roar from the partisan crowd. Not only was Davidson playing 160 miles from campus, but North Carolina fans adopted the in-state school ahead of the Tar Heels' later game against Arkansas.
Davidson was now getting the breaks, too. Curry, son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry, had a 3-point attempt partially blocked, but it landed in Lovedale's hands for a layup to make it 67-60.
The Hoyas' comeback bid was foiled by Curry's free-throw shooting, allowing Davidson to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 24 in the most improbable fashion.
As the final seconds ticked down, the baby-faced Curry jumped at midcourt, did a chest bump with Richards and was mobbed by the rest of his teammates.
Then, the team gathered in front of the band and sang Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," which had become the theme song during Davidson's memorable season. The Wildcats hadn't been a player in the NCAA tournament since Lefty Driesell led them to two regional finals in the 1960s.
Georgetown could only look on, stunned at its second-round exit a year after reaching the Final Four under coach John Thompson III.
[Associated Press; By MIKE CRANSTON]
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