Rock chalk: Kansas beats Duke in overtime for Final Four trip

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Sophomore Malik Newman scored a career-high 32 points Sunday as the Kansas Jayhawks outlasted Duke 85-81 in overtime to win the NCAA Midwest Regional title.

Newman, named as the region’s Most Outstanding Player, scored all 13 points for the Jayhawks in overtime, leading Kansas to its 15th Final Four.

The champions of the Big 12 Conference will take on Villanova in the national semifinals on Saturday in San Antonio at the Alamodome.

The win was sweet for a Kansas team that had been knocked out in the regional finals in each of the past two seasons.

It is Kansas’ first trip to a Final Four since 2012, in New Orleans. That year, the Jayhawks lost to Kentucky in the finals.

Kansas won its last championship in 2008 in San Antonio with an overtime victory over Memphis.

NCAA Final Four

Semifinals/Saturday

Loyola-Chicago (32-5) vs. Michigan (32-7), 5:09 p.m., TBS
Villanova (34-4) vs. Kansas (31-7), 7:49 p.m., TBS

Championship game/Monday, April 2

Semifinals winners, 8:20 p.m., TBS