Kyan Evans and favored No. 12 seed Colorado State beat short-handed Memphis 78-70 in March Madness
SEATTLE (AP) — Kyan Evans made a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead No. 12 seed Colorado State past fifth-seeded Memphis 78-70 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Nique Clifford, the Mountain West Tournament MVP, had his quietest scoring night in a month, finishing with 14 points, eight on free throws. He added eight rebounds and six assists for the Rams (26-9), who extended their winning streak to 11 games and advanced to face either Maryland or Grand Canyon in the second round on Sunday.
This 12-over-5 result was no shocker, with Colorado State a 2 1/2-point favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Coach Penny Hardaway's Tigers (29-7) were not at full strength, with veteran guard and third-leading scorer Tyrese Hunter sidelined by a left foot injury.
Dain Dainja had 22 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis, ending the season with his third straight double-double. PJ Haggerty, the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, finished with 18 points.
Jalen Lake pitched in with 14 points for Colorado State and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson scored 12.
The Rams took control to start the second half. Seven playres scored in the first eight minutes as Colorado State turned a five-point deficit into a six-point lead.
Clifford, who made just two field goals in the first 27 minutes, hit a turnaround jumper with 13:38 left to give the Rams a 52-50 advantage. The next time down the court, he found Bowen Born for an open layup to make it 54-50. The Tigers did not get within one possession the rest of the day.
Record setter
Haggerty converted a transition layup with just under four minutes left in the first half to break the AAC single-season scoring record — previously held by Kendric Davis — with 746 points.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
UConn Makes Personal Announcement About Dan Hurley on Thursday
UConn Makes Personal Announcement About Dan Hurley on Thursday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. UConn wrapped up the 2024-25 season with a 24-11 overall mark and a 14-6 Big East record, placing third in conference play. Advertisement The Huskies, under seventh-year head coach Dan Hurley, entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 8 seed and narrowly fell to Florida, the eventual national champion, by a 77-75 margin in the second round. Despite not defending their national title, UConn remains at the peak of college basketball, on and off the court. On Thursday, UConn Men's Basketball took to X to celebrate that "Andrea Hurley was honored earlier this week with the Saint Clare Award at the Franciscan Life Center Sports Banquet. A tremendous honor for the First Lady of UConn Basketball!' This post, while brief, highlighted a personal milestone for Coach Hurley's wife, Andrea Hurley. The Saint Clare Award, presented at the 39th Annual Franciscan Sports Banquet and Silent Auction on June 3, recognizes women who embody Christian values through athletic involvement and community service. Advertisement Hurley has been lauded for weekly visits to Hartford Children's Hospital, her work with Make-A-Wish Foundation and her support of the Husky Ticket Project, which provides tickets to underserved youth. UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley and Jayden Ross (23).© David Butler II-Imagn Images Hurley has long been a fixture behind the scenes of the Huskies' program. A graduate of Seton Hall, she met Dan (Hurley) while both were students, marrying him in 1997 and raising two sons: Danny and Andrew, the latter of whom was on UConn's 2023 and 2024 championship teams. Following the 2024 title, Dan opted to sign a six-year, $50 million extension with UConn that runs through 2029. Related: Duke Announces Exciting News on Cameron Boozer's Dad Related: 6-foot-11 College Basketball Recruit Makes Final Decision This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Auburn Sends Message to Bruce Pearl Assistant After Big Career Announcement
Auburn Sends Message to Bruce Pearl Assistant After Big Career Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Under Bruce Pearl's guidance, the Auburn Tigers finished with a 32-6 overall record and a 15-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play last season, earning the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reaching the Final Four for the second time in program history. Advertisement Along the way, Auburn captured the Maui Invitational title, secured its sixth SEC regular-season crown and was ranked No. 4 in the AP poll by season's end. As the team prepares for another deep run in 2025-26, Pearl announced on Friday that Ian Borders, a key member of his staff since 2018, would be elevated to assistant coach for the men's program. Shortly after, Auburn took to X to celebrate the milestone, posting simply, "Much deserved 👏" in recognition of Borders's steadily expanding role. Borders arrives at his new role with a well-rounded resume. A 2007 graduate of the University of Louisville, Borders added two more degrees from Western Kentucky (2010, 2015) and completed a master's in sport management at Florida State in 2017. Advertisement He started in coaching as an assistant at South Oldham High School (2010-15), then moved up to the Division I ranks as a graduate assistant under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State (2015-17) before taking on video coordination duties at Little Rock (2016-18) and Auburn (2018-23). In his first season on The Plains, Borders oversaw video operations during Auburn's magical run to the 2019 Final Four, where the Tigers became the only school to knock off Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina in consecutive NCAA Tournament games. Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Donnan-Imagn Images He then transitioned to Director of Scouting and Recruiting, where he helped Auburn compile three straight 25-win seasons (2018-2021). Advertisement In his new capacity as assistant coach, Borders will add player development, scouting and recruiting duties to his portfolio. By rewarding a coach who has labored behind the scenes for seven seasons, Pearl reinforces a culture of loyalty and earned opportunity. Related: UConn Makes Announcement About Dan Hurley's Wife on Thursday Related: Duke Announces Exciting News on Cameron Boozer's Dad This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Super Bowl-Winning Coach Gets Name Dropped in New Lil Wayne Song
Super Bowl-Winning Coach Gets Name Dropped in New Lil Wayne Song originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Music fans likely all rushed to their devices on Friday, as Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne released what was the sixth of "Tha Carter" series. His 19-track album titled "Tha Carter VI" features from notable artists such as BigXthaPlug, MGK, Kodak Black and 2 Chainz among many others. The New Orleans rapper who many felt was snubbed from performing at this past year's Super Bowl LIX between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in the Big Easy has always been known for being a lyrical genius. While he's a New Orleans native and a well-known Green Bay Packers fan, Wheezy shouted-out Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay in one of his new songs, "Welcome to Tha Carter." Shortly after name-dropping former NBA star Metta Sandiford-Artest formerly known as Metta World Peace and Ron Artest, Wayne threw in McVay's name while alluding to one of his (Wayne's) personal favorite hobbies. "Smokin' that bomb L.A. like I'm McVay," said Wayne. Aside from being a music icon, Wayne is a huge sports junkie. He has made appearances on ESPN's "First Take," Fox's "Undisputed," and even won an episode of the iconic ESPN show "Around the Horn." As for McVay and the Rams, they came up a couple of plays short of playing in the Super Bowl this past season, and are hoping that with a new addition like All-Pro receiver Davante Adams, they can rectify their shortcomings in 2025. While McVay is likely appreciative of the bar from Wayne, he is also presumably focused on the team's upcoming minicamp in Maui. The Rams open up preseason play on August 9 against the Dallas story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
