Kyan Evans received a match high 23 points with six 3 points because No. 12 Frö Colorado State increased its winning line to 11 matches with a 78-70 victory over the fifth-seeded Memphis in an NCAA tournament West region first round on Friday at Seattle.
Nique Clifford added 14 points, eight returns and six assists for Rams (26-9), who advanced to a second round of matchup on Sunday against the fourth-seeded Maryland. Jalen Lake also chipped in 14 points and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson counted 12.
Colorado State went 11 out of 30 from 3-point interval and limited one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country to 6 out of 23 behind the arch. RAMS also forced 16 sales to help overcome Memphis 41-34 Rebounding advantage. Colorado State had 13 offensive returns.
Dain Dainja scored 22 points and took 12 returns for Tigers (29-6), which was eliminated in the first round for the second time in three seasons. Colby Rogers and PJ Haggerty added 18 points. Haggerty, who was average 21.8 points per match, scored only 7 out of 23 shots.
No. 1 Florida 95, No. 16 Norfolk State 69
Walter Clayton Jr. got 23 points and streets built a large early lead on the way to dismiss the Spartans in Raleigh, NC
Alijah Martin added 17 points, Thomas Haugh had 13 and Alex Condon 12 for Florida (31-4), who pushed his winning line to seven matches. Gators will meet Uconn in the second round on Sunday.
Christian Ings published 16 points, Jaylani Darden had 15 and reserve Chris Fields Jr. Racked up 14 for Norfolk State (24-11). The Spartans shot 2-for-14 on 3-point attempts.
No. 4 Maryland 81, No. 13 Grand Canyon 49
Julian Reese had 18 points and nine returns and Derik Queen had 12 points and 15 returns when Terrapins rolled past Lopes in Seattle.
Terrapins (26-8) has won 16 of its last 17 first rounds of NCAA tournament from 1997 and will meet No. 12 Seed Colorado State (26-9) in the second round on Sunday.
Tyon Grant Foster had 23 points, but the rest of the starters were combined for only 15 points for WAC champion Grand Canyon (26-8), who applied for a second victory in a row after hitting the fifth seed Saint Mary’s 75-66 a year ago.
No. 8 Uconn 67, No. 9 Oklahoma 59
Solo Ball received 14 points and Alex Karaban provided 10 of his 13 points in the last 11 minutes to help the twice defeated master Huskies survive against The Sooners in Raleigh, NC
It was a spell-long Tussle for Uconn (24-10), but Huskies won its 13th line in NCAA tournament games that extend over three seasons. Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points and seven returns. Karaban also ended with seven boards.
Jeremiah fears having received 20 points and Jalon Moore had 13 points and seven returns for Oklahoma (20-14). Fear, a beginner who was generally imagined as a potential selection of the NBA draft, did not talk about their future after the match.
Midwest region
No. 3 Kentucky 76, No. 14 Troy 57
Otega Oweh had 20 points and three teammates made in double numbers when Wildcats pulled away during the second half to defeat the Trojans in Milwaukee.
Kentucky (23-11) meets sixth-seeded Illinois (22-12) in the second round on Sunday in Milwaukee. Wildcats led 35-27 in half and then took the control with a 16-point run halfway through the second half.
Koby Brea, Andrew Carr and Brandon Garrison each had 13 points for Kentucky. Marcus Rigsby had 17 points, and Sun Belt Player of the Year Tayton Conerway added 12 for Troy (23-11), who appeared in the tournament for the first time since he was no. 15 Frö 2017.
No. 6 Illinois 86, No. 11 Xavier 73
Will Riley scored 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 20 points and 10 returns to take on Illini to a victory over the Musteers in Milwaukee.
Illinois (22-12) goes on to a Sunday second round game against third seeded Kentucky. Kasparis Jakucionis added 16 points, 10 assists and nine returns and the cold Boswell put up 15 points for Illini, which had a 45-25 edge on the boards.
The Daily Swain had 27 points and eight returns while Ryan Conwell and Dayvion McKnight had 12 points per piece for Musteers (22-12).
Southern Region
No. 2 Michigan State 87, No. 15 Bryant 62
Coen Carr came from the bench to produce 18 points and nine returns when the Spartans defeated Bulldogs in Cleveland. Michigan State will meet No. 10 Seed New Mexico in the second round on Sunday.
Jase Richardson delivered 15 points and three Holloman contributed 14 for Michigan State (28-6). The Spartans controlled the boards and surpassed Bulldogs 54-29 and had a 31-6 advantage on other chance points.
Rafael Pinzon led Bryant (23-12) with 21 points, and Earl Timberlake threw in 14.
No. 3 Iowa State 82, No. 14 Lipscomb 55
Milan Momcilovic had 20 points, Curtis Jones dedicated 17 and Iowa State rolled past Lipscomb in Milwaukee.
Iowa State (25-9) will meet Sixth-Seeded Ole Miss in the second round on Sunday. Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey each scored a 10 point for Iowa State, who played without starter Keshon Gilbert, who was explained for the tournament with a groin injury.
Jacob Ognacevic, Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year, had 18 points for Lipscomb (25-10), whose only other NCAA tournament was 2018. Gyasi Powell added 11 points for the bisoners.
No. 6 Ole Miss 71, No. 11 North Carolina 64
Sean Pedulla had 20 points and Dre Davis added 15 when the rebels removed, Heels’ second half for a victory in Milwaukee.
Ole Miss (23-11) advanced to the second round on Sunday against third seeded Iowa State (25-9), which rolled past 14-seeded Lipscomb. North Carolina, who was beaten with 22 early in the second half, closed within 66-64 at RJ Davis’s three-point game with 1:09 left. Pedulla counteracted with a 3-pointer from the top left to make it 69-64.
At their next possession missed, Heels takes a 3-pointer and Pedulla a couple of free throw to drive the lead to 71-64 with 34 seconds left. RJ Davis had 15 points and Ven-Allen Lubin 14 for Ta takes Heels (23-14), who shot 38.1 percent from the field and made only 5 out of 24 attempts from 3-point intervals (20.8 percent).
No. 10 New Mexico 75, No. 7 Marquette 66
Donovan Dent scored 21 points to lead four Lobos in double figures when New Mexico eliminated the Golden Eagles in Cleveland.
Nelly Junior Joseph added 19 points and seven returns for Lobos (27-7). Tru Washington contributed 12 points, and CJ Noland came from the bench to chip in 11.
David Joplin played in defeat for the Golden Eagles (23-11), pumped in a game high 28 points and went 6 out of 10 from the 3-point bow. Marquette converted only 24 out of 59 shots from the field (40.7 percent) and was exceeded 36-30.
East region
No. 1 Duke 93, No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s 49
Star Freshman Cooper Flagg scored 14 points in his return to Action after missing two-plus games and Blue Devils blew out the mountain climbers in Raleigh, NC
Tyrese Proctor scored 13 of his 19 points during the first half, Caleb Foster sacked 12 points from the bench and Khaman Maluach added 11 points for Duke (32-3).
Arlandus Keyes came from the bench to get 15 points for Mount St. Mary’s (23-13), who won a first four matchup against American on Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.
No. 2 Alabama 90, No. 15 Robert Morris 81
Mark Sears scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half to help Crimson Tide keep the colonials in Cleveland.
Mouhamed Dioubate finished with 18 points and 10 returns and Clifford Omoruyi had 17 points for Alabama (26-8), who advanced to Sunday’s second round to Meet No. 7 Frö Saint Mary’s.
Sears, who also pulled out 10 assists, made 11 out of 13 free throw and triggered a late 11-1 wave at Crimson Tide after the colonials briefly took the lead late in the second half. Amarion Dickerson received a gaming high 25 points and added nine returns for 15-seeded Robert Morris (26-9).
No. 4 Arizona 93, No. 13 Akron 65
Jaden Bradley recorded 19 points and six returns to help wildcats rolling to a victory over Zips in Seattle.
Trey Townsend added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and gathered eight returns, and Carter Bryant had 12 points and three blocked shots for Wildcats (23-12), which will play Fifth-seeded Oregon in Saturday’s second round. Caleb Love registered 10 points and seven returns and KJ Lewis also received 10 points for Wildcats.
Tavari Johnson made all 13 of his points during the first half for Akron (28-7), which lost in the first round of the NCAA tour for the third time for four seasons. The zippers are profitless in seven attempts all the time. Nate Johnson also got 13 points for Zips, but he was only 1 of 9 from the field. Shammah Scott added 11 points for Akron, who saw that a seven-game winning line ended.
No. 5 Oregon 81, No. 12 Liberty 52
Jackson Shelstad scored 17 points on 7-of-11-shooting to help the ducks hide the flames in Seattle.
Nate Bittle contributed 14 points and 10 returns and Keeshawn Barthelemy added 10 points for Oregon (25-9), who never dragged when he won for the ninth time in the last 10 games. Oregon will play fourth-seeded Arizona on Sunday for a place in Sweet 16.
Zach Cleveland had 10 points, six returns and six assists for Liberty (28-7), who lost for just the second time in the last 13 games.
No. 7 Saint Mary’s 59, No. 10 Vanderbilt 56
Gaels collected from a sluggish offensive start and a deficit in the second half of 12 points to increase Commodores in Cleveland.
Gaels (29-5) fell behind 39-27 just before the first media timeout of the second half when Vanderbilt’s Tyner Tanner joined a 3-pointer. Saint Mary has chipped away at the deficit during the following eight minutes, but began a 16-4 driving. Jordan Ross led Gaels with 15 points, while both Mitchell Saxen and Luke Barrett finished with double doubles.
Vanderbilt (20-13) went 8-AV-26 from 3-point intervals during the day. Jason Edwards, who finished with a gaming high 18 points, ended just 2-of-9 beyond the arch.
No. 9 Baylor 75, No. 8 Mississippi State 72
Robert Wright III scored 19 points when the bears rolled late in the first half and kept on defeating Bulldogs in Raleigh, NC
VJ Edgecombe provided 14 points in its first NCAA tournament game, Langston Love published 15 points on 7-for-12-shooting and Norchad Omier collected 12 points and 10 returns for Bears. Ninth-seeded Baylor (20-14) meets top-seeded Duke in the second round on Sunday.
Josh Hubbard fell four 3-points and pumped in 26 points to keep the eighth-seeded Mississippi State (21-13) in battle. Claudell Harris Jr. Had 13 points, Riley Kugel delivered 11 and Keshawn Murphy added 10.
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