Creighton 85, DePaul 81 (2OT)
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s dominant 32-point performance led second-seeded Creighton past 10th-seeded DePaul in a double-overtime thriller. The Bluejays rallied from an 11-point deficit late in regulation and survived a 9-1 run by DePaul in the first overtime. Layden Blocker led DePaul with 25 points. Creighton advances to face third-seeded UConn in the semifinals.
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St. John’s 78, Butler 57
RJ Luis Jr scored 20 points, and Aaron Scott and Aaron Scott added 15 each as top-seeded St. John’s cruised past Butler. The Red Storm controlled the game from the start, with Butler unable to recover after falling behind early. Patrick McCaffery led Butler with 16 points. St. John’s moves on to the semifinals.
Marquette 85, Xavier 81
Ryan Kalkbrenner’s heroics included a 32-point performance, pushing second-seeded Creighton past resilient DePaul in two overtimes. After a frantic back-and-forth battle, Creighton secured the victory late in the second overtime, setting up a semifinal clash with UConn. Layden Blocker (25 points) nearly led DePaul to an upset.
No. 1 St. John’s 78, Butler 57
RJ Luis Jr scored 20 points to power top-seeded St. John’s to a comfortable win over Butler. The Red Storm never relinquished control after building an early lead. Aaron Scott and RJ Luis Jr combined to ensure St. John’s advancement to the semifinals against Marquette. Patrick McCaffery’s 16 points led Butler, whose season came to an end.
Marquette 78, Butler 57
Kam Jones scored 16 points and Stevie Mitchell added another 16, as fifth-seeded Marquette secured a semifinal berth with an efficient second-half shooting performance (61.3%). Marquette’s balanced scoring overcame Butler, who struggled to contain the Golden Eagles’ offense. Ryan Kalkbrenner starred for Creighton in a separate thrilling quarterfinal matchup.
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UConn 73, Villanova 56
Alex Karaban scored 15 of his 18 points in the second half, knocking down two pivotal 3-pointers as third-seeded UConn pulled away decisively from sixth-seeded Villanova. Liam McNeeley added 12 points for the Huskies, who dominated defensively, holding Villanova to 20.8% shooting in the second half. Villanova’s Liam McNeeley scored 12 points, while Wildcats star Woova scored 25 points in defeat. UConn advances to meet Creighton in the semifinals.
