The first round of the NCAA Tournament is a lot all at once. 32 different basketball games over the course of 48 hours. We've taken a handful of the best games and recapped them for the average fan who can't make the time commitment to watch all that basketball.
Gonzaga over FDU
Score: 87-49
Gonzaga had this game from the jump, only allowing 17 first-half points while pouring in 53 of their own. A 22-8 Bulldog assist advantage meant more ball movement and open shooters, and the Zags shot 53 percent from the field and 43 from three. The Bulldogs were led by forward Rui Hachimura and the all-around play of guard Zach Norvell Jr., who had 13 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.
Next up for Gonzaga: vs. Baylor (No. 9 seed)
Murray State over Marquette
Score: 83-64
Ja Morant is for real. He finished with the first triple-double (17 points, 16 assists, 11 rebounds) in the NCAA tournament since Draymond Green in 2012 while leading Murray State to an upset over the No. 5 seed Marquette. Marquette was led by guard Marcus Howard, who finished with a game-high 26 points.
Next up for Murray State: vs. Florida St. (No. 4 seed)
Florida over Nevada
Score: 70-61
Despite nearly blowing an 18-point lead in the second half, the Gators hung on to beat a very athletic Nevada team. Kevarrius Hayes led Florida with 16 points, and the Gator defense held Nevada to 34.5 percent shooting from the field and 20.8 percent from the three-point line.
Next up for Florida: vs. Michigan (No. 2 seed)
Minnesota over Louisville
Score: 86-76
No Cardinal could hang with Minnesota big man Jordan Murphy, who scored 18 points and grabbed six rebounds. Minnesota guard Gabe Kalscheur made five threes and tallied in 24 points of his own to lead the Golden Gophers to a first-round victory over Louisville.
Next up for Minnesota: vs. Michigan State (No. 2 seed)
Duke over North Dakota State
Score: 85-62
Duke got off to a slow start in their first game as North Dakota State worked hard to make the score 31-27 at half, Duke leading by a small margin. Nevertheless, Zion Williamson, considered by most to be one of the greatest players in the college game, came out on fire in the second half, pushing Duke to a blowout win to continue their tournament run.
Next up for Duke: UCF (No. 9 Seed)
Washington over Utah St.
Score: 78-61
Washington was led to a 78-61 victory over Utah State by their big man, Noah Dickerson. In an unparalleled performance, Dickerson scored 20 points, was six for six at the free throw line, had 12 rebounds, two steals and a block. The rest of the Washington team also stepped up to force 21 turnovers and comfortably win their first game in their first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2011.
Next up for Washington: North Carolina (No. 1 Seed)
Wofford over Seton Hall
Score: 84-68
Three words: Wofford can score. Terrier guard Fletcher McGee scored 24 points, hit seven threes, and broke the NCAA record for most 3 pointers made in a career. Three other Terrier’s scored double digits and Wofford shot their way to a 84-68 victory over Seton Hall.
Next up for Wofford: vs. Kentucky (No. 2 seed)
Iowa over Cincinnati
Score: 79-72
Despite trailing by as much as 16 points in the first half, Iowa shot their way back to defeat Cincinnati 79-72. The No. 10 seed Hawkeyes shot 50 percent from 3-point range, and big man Luke Garza tallied in 20 points to lead the Hawkeyes to victory.
Next up for Iowa: vs. Tennessee (No. 2 seed)
Oklahoma over Ole Miss
Score: 95-72
No other way to put this game other than Oklahoma simply couldn’t miss. Shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line, Oklahoma led to a 50-point first half that Ole Miss simply couldn’t come back from. The Sooners’ starting five accounted for 79 points, and look to make some more noise as they face the No. 1 seed in the round of 32.
Next up for Oklahoma: vs. Virginia (No. 1 seed)
Virginia over Gardner-Webber
Score: 71-56
Virginia avoided a second consecutive 16-1 upset, but not without a scare, after falling behind 28-14 to Gardner-Webber in the first half. The second half would be a different story, as Virginia would outscore Gardner by 21 in the second half and hold the Bulldogs to just 32 percent from the field. Virginia guard De’Andre Hunter led all scorers with 23 points on 9/16 shooting from the field.
Next up for Virginia: vs Oklahoma (No. 9 seed)
UC-Irvine over Kansas State
Score: 70-64
UC-Irvine simply can’t lose. Their upset over Kansas State extends their win streak to 17 games. After a tight game throughout, two huge late 3-pointers by guard Evan Leonard sparked the deciding run that allowed the Anteaters to take control and pull off the upset.
Next up for UC-Irvine: vs. Oregon (No. 12 seed)
Oregon over Wisconsin
School: 72-54
Wisconsin had an awful shooting night during the second half of their most important game of the year, and Oregon had other plans. Oregon shot 54 percent from the field, 50 percent from three, and 81.8 percent from the line to outscore the Badgers 47-26 in the second half to extend their win streak to nine games. The Ducks were led by a group effort, as guard Payton Pritchard and forwards Louis King and Paul White combined for 50 points.
Next up for Oregon: vs. UC Irvine (No. 13 seed)
Liberty over MS State
Score: 80-76
In a stunning upset, the No. 12 seed Liberty toppled the No. 5 seed Mississippi State 80-76. In the end, Liberty’s ability to stay calm under pressure, their excellent free throw shooting and a stellar performance by junior Caleb Homesley, who scored a career-high 30 points, carried the Flames to their first victory ever in a NCAA tournament.
Next up for Liberty: Virginia Tech (No. 4 seed)
Other Games:
UCF defeats VCU by a final score of 73-58 -- will face Duke (No. 1 seed)
Virginia Tech defeats St. Louis by a final score of 66 - 52 -- will face Liberty (No. 12 seed)
Maryland defeats Belmont 79-77 -- will face LSU (No. 3 seed)
LSU defeats Yale 79-74 -- will face Maryland (No. 6 seed)
Florida State defeats Vermont 76-69 -- will face Murray State (No. 12 seed)
Buffalo defeats Arizona State 91-74 -- will face Texas Tech (No. 3 seed)
Texas Tech defeats Northern Kentucky 72-57 -- will face Buffalo (No. 6 seed)
Michigan defeats Montana 74-55 -- will face Florida (No. 10 seed)
Villanova defeats St. Mary's 61-57 -- will face Purdue (No. 3 seed)
Purdue defeats Old Dominion 61-48 -- will face Villanova (No. 6 seed)
Tennessee defeats Colgate 77-70 -- will face Iowa (No. 10 seed)
North Carolina defeats Iona 88-73 -- will face Washington (No. 9 seed)
Auburn defeats New Mexico State 78-77 -- will face Kansas (No. 4 seed)
Kansas defeats Northeastern 87-53 -- will face Auburn (No. 5 seed)
Ohio State defeats Iowa State 62-59 -- will face Houston (No. 3 seed)
Houston defeats Georgia State 84-68 -- will face Ohio St. (No. 11 seed)
Kentucky defeats Abil. Christian 79-44 -- will face Wofford (7 seed)
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