#1 Baylor vs. #16 Winthrop
Baylor comes out and takes care of business in the First Round. They get the 18 point win against Winthrop. Teague has 17 points and 8 rebounds for the Bears.
#8 Saint Mary’s vs. #9 Rutgers
Saint Mary’s and Rutgers have another classic back and forth game in the NCAA tournament. Saint Mary’s escapes with the 3 point win thanks in large part to their clutch free throw shooting. They shot 22-26 from the line as compared to just 8-16 for Rutgers.
#5 Ohio State vs. #12 Stephen F. Austin
The Buckeyes have their hands full in the 1st Half from the Lumberjacks. However, their defense tightens up and they hold Stephen F. Austin to only 19 points in the 2nd Half. The Wesson brothers have a combined 24 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists.
#4 Louisville vs. #13 Vermont
The Cardinals pull away in the 2nd Half to get the 81-72 win. They have 4 players in double figures and get 17 points from Jordan Nwora, despite him going just 5-18 from the field. They will play Ohio State in the next round.
#3 Michigan State vs. #14 Bradley
Down goes another 3 seed! Bradley gets the huge upset as they take down the Spartans 78-67. The Braves hold off the Spartans comeback in the 2nd half, despite losing their 15 point halftime lead. 14 seeds must of gotten some of Michael Jordan’s “Secret Stuff” from Space Jam before the tournament started this year.
#6 Virginia vs. #11 Cincinnati
The Bearcats go on a 16-2 run with 5 minutes to play to defeat the Cavaliers 69-61. Cumberland helps lead the charge against the defending champs with 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.
#7 Illinois vs. #10 USC
Illinois and USC treat us to the first overtime game of the tournament! Cockburn hits what looks to be the game winner for Illinois with 1 second left. But Rakocevic for USC hits the jumper with 1 second in regulation. Illinois hit some clutch free throws to close the game in OT.
#2 Creighton vs. #15 Little Rock
Creighton flexes its muscles with the 97-65 win. Both Alexander and Zegarowski have 21 points, while Ballock hits 5 threes. Time will tell if the rest for Creighton or the momentum for Illinois carries over to their Round of 32 game.
