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Evans, Colorado State Upset Memphis to Advance
Kyan Evans scored a game-high 23 points, including six 3-pointers, as 12th-seeded Colorado State extended its winning streak to 11 games with a 78-70 upset of No. 5 Memphis in Seattle. Nique Clifford filled the stat sheet with 14 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Jalen Lake and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson added 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Rams hit 11 of 30 from beyond the arc and forced 16 turnovers, helping to counter Memphis’ 41-34 rebounding advantage. Dain Dainja paced the Tigers with 22 points and 12 boards, while PJ Haggerty and Colby Rogers added 18 each. Memphis was just 6-for-23 on 3-pointers and exits in the first round for the second time in three years.
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No. 1 Florida Cruises Past Norfolk State
Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points as Florida built an early lead and coasted to a 95-69 win over No. 16 Norfolk State in Raleigh. Alijah Martin added 17 points, while Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon combined for 25.
Christian Ings led the Spartans with 16 points, but Norfolk State shot just 2-for-14 from three. The Gators, now winners of seven straight, face UConn in the second round.
Maryland Dominates Grand Canyon in Seattle
Fourth-seeded Maryland dismantled No. 13 Grand Canyon 81-49 behind Julian Reese’s 18 points and Derik Queen’s 12-point, 15-rebound double-double. The Terrapins dominated both ends, holding Grand Canyon to minimal offense beyond Tyon Grant-Foster’s 23 points.
Maryland has now won 16 of its last 17 NCAA Tournament openers and will face Colorado State in Sunday’s second round.
UConn Rallies Late to Oust Oklahoma
Defending champion UConn used a late push to beat No. 9 Oklahoma 67-59 in Raleigh. Solo Ball scored 14 and Alex Karaban added 13, including 10 in the final 11 minutes, to guide the Huskies. Tarris Reed Jr. chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds.
Freshman Jeremiah Fears posted 20 points for Oklahoma, which stayed close until UConn’s late surge extended its tournament win streak to 13 games.
Kentucky Pulls Away from Troy in Second Half
No. 3 seed Kentucky defeated No. 14 Troy 76-57 in Milwaukee, using a 16-0 second-half run to take control. Otega Oweh led the Wildcats with 20 points, while three others reached double figures.
Marcus Rigsby paced Troy with 17 points. The Sun Belt champions were in their first NCAA Tournament since 2017.
Illinois Advances Behind Balanced Attack
Sixth-seeded Illinois outpaced No. 11 Xavier 86-73 with a strong offensive showing. Will Riley scored 22, Tomislav Ivisic posted a 20-point double-double, and Kasparis Jakucionis flirted with a triple-double. Illinois owned the boards with a 45-25 edge.
Dailyn Swain’s 27-point effort wasn’t enough for Xavier, which fell behind early and couldn’t recover.
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Michigan State Overwhelms Bryant
Coen Carr came off the bench with 18 points and nine rebounds to lift No. 2 Michigan State to an 87-62 win over Bryant in Cleveland. Jase Richardson and Tre Holloman combined for 29 points. The Spartans dominated the glass, out-rebounding Bryant 54-29.
Rafael Pinzon scored 21 for the Bulldogs, who trailed early and never recovered.
Iowa State Rolls Without Gilbert
Third-seeded Iowa State handled No. 14 Lipscomb 82-55 despite missing starting guard Keshon Gilbert. Milan Momcilovic led the way with 20 points, and Curtis Jones added 17. Iowa State will face Ole Miss in the next round.
Jacob Ognacevic, the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year, posted 18 points for Lipscomb, which was making just its second NCAA appearance.
Ole Miss Fends Off Tar Heels Rally
No. 6 seed Ole Miss held off a furious rally by No. 11 North Carolina to secure a 71-64 victory. Sean Pedulla scored 20, including a clutch 3-pointer late, and Dre Davis added 15 points.
The Tar Heels closed within two points late but shot just 5-of-24 from deep. RJ Davis had 15 points in the loss.
New Mexico Stuns Marquette
Tenth-seeded New Mexico took down No. 7 Marquette 75-66 in Cleveland. Donovan Dent scored 21 points, and Nelly Junior Joseph added 19 and seven rebounds. CJ Noland and Tru Washington also hit double figures.
David Joplin scored 28 for Marquette, but the Golden Eagles were outmatched on the glass and shot just 40.7 percent overall.
Duke Dominates in Flagg’s Return
Star freshman Cooper Flagg returned with 14 points as No. 1 Duke crushed No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s 93-49 in Raleigh. Tyrese Proctor led the Blue Devils with 19 points, and four others reached double digits.
Mount St. Mary’s, which won a First Four game earlier in the week, was outmatched from the start.
Alabama Survives Robert Morris Scare
Second-seeded Alabama got 22 points from Mark Sears, including 19 in the second half, to hold off No. 15 Robert Morris 90-81. Mouhamed Dioubate added 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Amarion Dickerson scored a game-high 25 for Robert Morris, who briefly led in the second half before Alabama closed strong.
Arizona Rolls Over Akron
Jaden Bradley scored 19 points as No. 4 Arizona dismantled No. 13 Akron 93-65 in Seattle. Trey Townsend added 16 points and eight rebounds, while five Wildcats scored in double figures.
Tavari Johnson led Akron with 13 points, but the Zips dropped to 0-7 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
Oregon Handles Liberty with Ease
Oregon dominated No. 12 Liberty 81-52 behind 17 points from Jackson Shelstad and a double-double from Nate Bittle. Keeshawn Barthelemy added 10 points for the Ducks, who will meet Arizona on Sunday.
Zach Cleveland led Liberty with 10 points, six boards, and six assists.
Saint Mary’s Rallies Past Vanderbilt
Saint Mary’s erased a 12-point second-half deficit to edge No. 10 Vanderbilt 59-56. Jordan Ross led the Gaels with 15 points, while Mitchell Saxen and Luke Barrett each had double-doubles.
Jason Edwards led all scorers with 18 points for Vanderbilt, but the Commodores couldn’t hold off the late charge.
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Baylor Holds Off Mississippi State in Tight Finish
Robert Wright III scored 19 points to lead No. 9 Baylor to a 75-72 win over No. 8 Mississippi State in Raleigh. VJ Edgecombe and Langston Love added 14 and 15 points, respectively, while Norchad Omier contributed a double-double.
Josh Hubbard scored 26 for Mississippi State in a losing effort, hitting four 3-pointers to keep the Bulldogs close down the stretch.
