The first eight bids for the Sweet 16 within the men’s NCAA Tournament might be locked up Saturday, whereas the ladies’s match winds up the primary spherical.
Furman and Princeton took the sports activities world by storm Thursday with upsets of No. 4 Virginia and No. 2 Arizona, respectively. Both are in motion once more. The 13-seeded Paladins began the men’s motion with a loss to No. 5 San Diego State. The 15-seeded Tigers will face tigers of a distinct stripe in No. 7 Missouri at 6:10 p.m. ET (TNT).
On the ladies’s aspect, No. 1 seed Indiana was in motion after high seeds South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Stanford took care of enterprise on Friday. The Hoosiers kicked off Day 2 of the ladies’s first spherical with a 77-47 win towards No. 16 seed Tennessee Tech, which beat Monmouth in a First Four sport on Thursday.
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MEN’S TOURNAMENT: Complete scores and schedule
Follow the insanity: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT: Complete scores and schedule
No. 1 Kansas leads No. 8 Arkansas at half
The Jayhawks entered halftime with a 35-27 lead over the Razorbacks, however Kansas followers collectively held their breath when Dajuan Harris Jr. went down with an ankle harm. He hobbled to the locker room with 3:07 left within the half after touchdown awkwardly on his proper foot whereas contesting a shot. He had 4 factors, whereas Jalen Wilson leads the crew with 9 factors.
Arkansas’ Anthony Black turned his ankle early within the sport, however returned after getting his ankle re-taped. He has two factors and Ricky Council IV has a game-high 10 factors.
Both groups are struggling from the 3-point line. Kansas was 1-for-7 from past the arc, whereas Arkansas was 1-for-9.
Women: No. 12 Toledo 80, No. 5 Iowa State 73
In the second 12-5 upset of the day, the Rockets of Toledo used 48% taking pictures to knock off fifth-seeded Iowa State 80-73. Toledo advances to play Tennessee on the Lady Vols’ residence flooring Monday.
Five-foot-10 guard Quinesha Lockett — fittingly nicknamed “Lockett the Rocket” — scored 24 factors and grabbed 13 rebounds within the win, and Jayda Jansen added 17 factors on 6-for-13 taking pictures. Iowa State star Ashley Joens, a perennial All-American, completed with 23 factors and 13 rebounds, however her crew went simply 13-for-30 on layups and couldn’t get well after being outscored 23-13 within the second quarter.
Toledo constructed as a lot as a 16-point lead within the second half because the Rockets picked up their first NCAA Tournament win since 1996.
Women: No. 2 UConn 95, No.15 Vermont 52
Aaliyah Edwards did a bit of little bit of every part in UConn’s 43-point win over Vermont. She completed with a career-high 28 factors, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and two blocks. Caroline Ducharme added 12 factors off the bench.
The Huskies managed the boards, outrebounding the Catamounts 43-19, and had 14 free throw makes an attempt, in contrast with Vermont’s two. UConn shot 61.9% from the sphere, in contrast with the Catamounts taking pictures 33.3%.
Men: No. 4 Tennessee 65, No. 5 Duke 52
Tennessee’s Olivier Nkamhoua was on hearth within the second half, scoring 23 of his 27 factors after halftime. He entered Friday’s matchup taking pictures 31.3% from 3-point vary however went 3-for-3 from past the arc to increase Tennessee’s lead within the second half. Nkamhoua put an exclamation level on the win with a put-back dunk with 1:16 left.
“They didn’t let me play in the first so I had to get my action in the second,” Nkamhoua mentioned after the 65-52 win.
Turnovers had been the story of the sport for the Blue Devils. They dedicated 15 turnovers that led to 18 factors for the Volunteers. Tyrese Proctor led Duke with 16 factors. Dereck Lively II had 11 rebounds, however didn’t try a shot the complete sport. Jeremy Roach, who was in foul hassle a majority of the sport, completed with 13 factors.
Women: No. 12 FGCU 74, No. 5 Washington State 63
The nation’s chief in 3-pointers per sport wanted solely 5 treys — Florida Gulf Coast averages virtually 12 — to tug off one of many greatest upsets of the ladies’s first spherical, topping fifth-seeded Washington State 74-63.
This is the second 12 months in a row that No. 12 seed FGCU beat a 5 within the first spherical (final 12 months Virginia Tech fell sufferer to the Eagles). FGCU shot a scorching 56% from the sphere and dominated the paint (50 to 26) within the win.
It was a big letdown for Washington State, which only a couple weeks in the past received the varsity’s first-ever Pac-12 championship when the Cougars knocked off UCLA within the convention match championship. FGCU did a terrific job locking up WSU star Charlisse Ledger-Walker, who completed with simply 5 factors earlier than fouling out with 5:25 to play.
Four Eagles scored in double figures, led by guard Sha Carter, who had 24 on 10-for-13 taking pictures. She additionally grabbed 6 rebounds.
Women: No. 9 Miami 62, No. 8 Oklahoma State 61
The Hurricanes edged out a 62-61 win over the Cowgirls on Friday and it was a dramatic end. Oklahoma State’s Anna Gret Asi knocked down a fast three with 5.3 seconds left within the sport to convey the Cowgirls inside one, 62-61. Miami was hit with a five-second violation and turned the ball over whereas making an attempt to inbound the ball. Oklahoma State’s Naomie Alnatas missed a jumper that might have received the sport because the clock expired.
The Hurricanes outscored the Cowgirls 42-24 within the second half to erase a 17-point halftime deficit, which is tied for the fifth largest comeback in NCAA match historical past. It was a crew effort for Miami with 4 starters in double digits, led by Haley Cavinder’s 16 factors, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Duke and Tennessee in low-scoring defensive battle
The Blue Devils and Volunteers are discovering a troublesome time discovering the bucket as Tennessee leads 27-21 at halftime.
Tennessee is taking pictures 33% and closed the primary half on a 14-2 run and Duke, who’ve additionally dedicated 11 turnovers is doing barely higher, hitting at a 36 p.c clip.
Dariq Whitehead leads Duke with eight factors, whereas Santiago Vescovi is pacing the Volunteers with eight factors.
Women: No. 3 Ohio State 80, No. 14 James Madison 66
No lead is protected when Ohio State is taking part in.
The third-seeded Buckeyes rallied from 16 factors right down to beat 14th-seeded James Madison 80-66. It’s the seventh time this 12 months Ohio State has received after trailing by double digits, together with a record-setting comeback towards Indiana within the Big Ten match semifinals when the Buckeyes erased a 24-point deficit.
Big Ten freshman of the 12 months Cotie McMahon had 18 earlier than fouling out to guide 4 Buckeyes in double figures. Ohio State additionally received an enormous sport from Jacy Sheldon, who was taking part in simply her fourth sport – and making her first begin – after lacking a lot of the final three months with a foot harm. Sheldon had 17 factors, 9 assists and 4 steals.
The loss continued the streak of futility for 14 seeds within the girls’s match.
– Nancy Armour
Women: No. 4 Tennessee 95, No. 13 Saint Louis 50
Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston mixed for 39 of the Lady Vols’ 95 factors in a first-round win over the Billikens. Horston (8 rebounds) was two level shy of a double-double. The 45-point win marked Tennessee’s largest margin of victory of the season and the Lady Vols improved to 25-0 within the first spherical of the NCAA Tournament at residence.
Brooke Flowers, Saint Louis’ all-time chief in blocks, added 5 extra to her profession whole Saturday, along with 17 factors and 9 rebounds in her final collegiate sport. The Billikens collectively shot 3-for-20 from 3-point vary, had 20 turnovers and had been outrebounded 39-28.
San Diego State 75, Furman 52
San Diego State is heading to the Sweet 16 after utilizing a suffocating defensive effort to close down Furman, ending the Paladins’ Cinderella run within the second spherical.
The Aztecs advance to the South Regional in Louisville, Kentucky to face the winner of Alabama and Maryland, making their first Sweet 16 look since 2014.
Micah Parrish had 16 factors for San Diego State, who shot 50 p.c and outrebounded Furman by 16 because the Paladins had no reply for the Aztecs and their inside sport. Darrion Trammell had 13 factors, Lamont Butler scored 12, and Matt Bradley chipped in with 10.
Jalen Slawson, the Southern Conference Player of the Year, had eight factors and two rebounds earlier than fouling out with 10 minutes left. Mike Bothwell led Furman with 15 factors. The Paladins shot 32 p.c, together with 6-26 from three-point vary.
Alabama’s Brandon Miller anticipated to play vs. Maryland: report
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama ahead Brandon Miller is anticipated to play towards Maryland, an individual with data of the scenario instructed The Tuscaloosa News on Saturday. The individual was granted anonymity as a result of they weren’t approved to talk publicly about Miller’s standing.
Miller performed solely 19 minutes within the win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday and didn’t rating . He is coping with a groin harm suffered within the SEC Tournament ultimate.
The SEC participant of the 12 months, who has been within the headlines due to his involvement in a capital homicide case, was held out of live apply drills Friday, Alabama coach Nate Oats mentioned. “I think knowing Brandon and how tough he is, physically, mentally, I think he’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”
— Nick Kelly, The Tuscaloosa News
Women: No. 1 Indiana 77, No. 16 Tennessee Tech 47
Sydney Parrish led the Hoosiers to a 30-point win over the Golden Eagles with 19 factors, eight rebounds and one steal. Indiana had two different starters in double digits: Grace Berger (17 factors) and Yarden Garzon (12 factors).
But the star of the present was the Hoosiers’ protection with 11 blocks and 7 steals in entrance of a crowd of 14,000 followers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana. “It’s such an advantage having a sixth man,” Berger mentioned of the house crowd.
Tennessee Tech was held to eight fourth-quarter factors. Maaliya Owens had a team-high 17 factors.
San Diego State seeking to cease Furman’s Cinderella run
San Diego State is 20 minutes from the Sweet 16 because it leads Furman 39-25 at halftime in second-round motion within the South Region.
The Aztecs took management with an 18-1 run, holding Furman with no discipline purpose for greater than 10 minutes. The Paladins shot 33 p.c, together with 2-of-11 from 3-point vary, within the first half.
Micah Parrish has 14 factors off the bench for SDSU, whereas Furman’s Jalen Slawson has eight factors and two rebounds.
– Scooby Axson
Ranking Saturday’s video games
Saturday’s winners earn a spot within the Sweet 16, and the eight video games characteristic a number of the greatest groups and gamers in school basketball. Three No. 1 seeds are in motion, and the highlight is on first-team All-Americans Jalen Wilson of Kansas and Alabama ahead Brandon Miller, and probably Houston’s do-everything guard Marcus Sasser.
Here’s the checklist of Saturday’s eight video games ranked by how watchable they’re.
- No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 5 Duke (2:40 p.m. ET)
- No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 8 Maryland (9:40 p.m.)
- No. 7 Missouri vs. No. 15 Princeton (6:10 p.m.)
- No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 8 Arkansas (5:15 p.m.)
- No. 1 Houston vs. No. 9 Auburn (7:10 p.m.)
- No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Northwestern (8:40 p.m.)
- No. 2 Texas vs. No. 10 Penn State (7:45 p.m.)
- No. 5 San Diego State vs. No. 13 Furman (12:10 p.m.)
– Scooby Axson
Bill Self out once more
Kansas head coach Bill Self won’t coach within the crew’s second-round sport towards Arkansas on Saturday, the varsity introduced. Self continues to get well from a coronary heart catheterization, which brought on him to overlook the Big 12 match. The 60-year-old Self did attend the Jayhawks apply on Friday, however principally sat and watched.
Assistant Norm Roberts will as soon as once more function performing head coach for Kansas. He coached the Jayhawks to a 96-68 win over Howard within the first spherical.
The defending nationwide champions will tip off towards the Razorbacks at 5:15 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
Did that actually occur?!?!
In case you missed it Friday evening (although we will not think about how), Purdue turned simply the second men’s No. 1 seed to fall to a 16 because the bracket expanded to 64 groups in 1985, when Fairleigh Dickinson shocked the nation with a 63-58 upset.
If there’s a winner moreover present Fairleigh Dickinson gamers and first-year head coach Tobin Anderson — to not point out each single FDU graduate and fan — it’s in all probability Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who’s not the one coach to lose to a No. 16 seed. Yikes. Talk a few membership you don’t wish to be part of.
But maybe the largest winners are followers of school hoops. That we’ve now seen two 16-seeds beat 1-seeds within the final 5 years is proof that parity continues to develop in men’s school basketball, which makes the NCAA Tournament extra unpredictable and in the end, extra enjoyable.
— Lindsay Schnell and Paul Myerberg
Sisters might face off in second spherical with Saturday wins
Lior Garzon’s preliminary pleasure throughout Sunday’s choice present was over Oklahoma State receiving No. 8 seed within the NCAA girls’s match reverse No. 9 Miami (Fla.). It took the junior ahead lower than a minute to appreciate not solely had been the Cowgirls dancing, they had been heading to Bloomington, Indiana, the place her youthful sister, Yarden Garzon, is a freshman guard for No. 1-seed Indiana.
At their respective colleges by the use of Ra’anana, Israel, the Garzon sisters by no means mentioned the potential for ending up collectively within the bracket previous to Sunday, however they knew it might a minimum of be in play. Indiana tip-off towards Tennessee Tech at 11:30 a.m. ET, adopted by Oklahoma State-Miami at 2 p.m.
Thursday’s reunion on the crew lodge marked the primary time the sisters have seen one another since Yarden visited Stillwater, Oklahoma over winter break.
“I’m really excited to watch her play,” mentioned Lior, who averages 11 factors and shoots 43% off the bench.
As for the potential for an Indiana-Oklahoma State second-round matchup — and Lior was fast to level out they nonetheless need to win their first-round video games — it might mark the primary time the sisters have gone head-to-head since they performed in a membership sport shortly earlier than Lior left for the United States.
— Brian Haenchen, Indianapolis Star
Princeton partying prefer it’s 1996
No. 15 seeded Princeton dominated inside and threw the South Region into chaos with an upset of Arizona.
Maybe this wasn’t precisely like when the Tigers pulled off a memorable upset of UCLA in 1996, after they had been seeded 14th and beat the third-seeded and defending champion Bruins 43-41. There was extra offense and given how widespread upsets are actually, it in all probability didn’t shock as many individuals. But it’s nonetheless an enormous deal. And it’s the simply the second match win for Princeton since that sport. The Tigers beat UNLV within the first spherical in 1998.
— Lindsay Schnell
What’s a Paladin?
Princeton may need pulled off the largest upset Thursday, however 13-seeded Furman’s downing of No. 4 Virginia was a enjoyable (until you are a Cavaliers fan, after all) begin to the 2023 men’s NCAA Tournament.
It’s been an extended look ahead to Paladins men’s basketball followers. It was greater than 40 years since Furman was final within the match, and over 45 years since its final March Madness win.
The American Heritage College Dictionary defines a Paladin as a “paragon of chivalry” or “a heroic champion.” A Paladin was additionally one of many 12 legendary friends or knightly champions in attendance on the courtroom of Charlemagne, or Charles the Great, within the eighth century.
— Jordan Mendoza
Alabama’s greatest opponent could also be exhaustion from endless chaos
The athletics director issued a press release at halftime. The most scrutinized 20-year-old in basketball couldn’t make a shot earlier than finally going to the bench to relaxation a sore groin. The walk-on no one had heard of earlier than Wednesday evening threatened to sue the New York Times. And the coach is dropping his thoughts on each dribble for 2 straight hours of a sport he didn’t come near dropping.
In different phrases, it was simply one other day in Alabama basketball.
— Dan Wolken
Houston ruins title hopes by taking part in Marcus Sasser earlier than he was prepared
That backfired in spectacular style.
Just 5 days after Marcus Sasser strained his groin within the American Athletic Conference match semifinals, he was again within the Cougars’ beginning lineup Thursday evening. For a first-round sport towards a No. 16 crew.
In a shock to just about nobody, Sasser did not even make it to halftime. Now top-seeded Houston won’t make it to the second weekend, not to mention to the Final Four in its hometown.
— Nancy Armour
Final USA TODAY Sports coaches ballot
Houston entered the NCAA Tournament with the No. 1 rating within the USA TODAY Sports coaches ballot, regardless of its loss within the American Athletic Conference championship sport simply previous to the disclosing of the brackets on Sunday.
The Cougars, who had been taking part in with out main scorer Marcus Sasser within the loss to Memphis, retained 21 of 32 No. 1 votes to stave off second-ranked Alabama. The Crimson Tide obtained eight firsts after profitable the SEC title in spectacular style on Sunday.
Houston dealt with Northern Kentucky in its first-round sport, whereas Alabama routed Texas A&M Corpus Christi in its match opener. The Cougars conflict with No. 9 seed Auburn on Saturday, whereas the Crimson Tide tackle 8-seed Maryland.
— Eddie Timanus
