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USA Today
28-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: Texas Tech vs. Florida odds, picks and predictions
The No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders (28-8) and the No. 1 seed Florida Gators (33-4) meet Saturday at Chase Center in San Francisco for an NCAA Tournament West Region Elite 8 game. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:09 p.m. ET (TBS/truTV). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Texas Tech vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. The Gators, ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, are back in the Elite 8 for the first time since 2017. Florida lost 77-70 to fellow SEC school the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Elite 8. Prior to that, it topped the No. 11 Dayton Flyers in 2014 as a 1-seed, advancing to the Final 4. Florida is 1-4 SU in the past 5 trips to the Elite 8. The Red Raiders, ranked No. 9 in the Coaches Poll, are making their first trip to the Elite 8 since 2019, when it was a national runner-up to the Virginia Cavaliers . It topped the No. 1 Gonzaga Bulldogs 75-69 to punch its ticket to the Final 4 that season. Texas Tech made a historic comeback Thursday night against the 10th-seeded Arkansas Razorbacks, yet another SEC opponent. The Red Raiders were down as much as 16 points in the second half, posting the second-largest comeback in Sweet 16 history with the 85-83 OT win over the Razorbacks. G Christian Anderson paced the Red Raiders with 22 points, including 3 triples. While TTU has won all 3 NCAA Tournament games to date, it is just 1-2 against the spread (ATS), while the Over is 3-0. The total has gone high in 7 of the past 8 games since March 1 in the regular season. The No. 1 Gators routed the Maryland Terrapins 87-71 in San Francisco, easily covering a 6.5-point spread as the Over (156.5) cashed. The Over is perfect (10-0) in the past 10 games for the Gators. Florida G Alijah Martin, instrumental in the FAU Owls' miraculous 2023 Final 4 run, notched 14 points with 3 triples, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. He was one of 6 Gators with at least 10 points, as G Will Richard also had 3 successful makes from behind the arc, enroute to 15 points. Florida's cover over UMD was its first of the NCAA Tournament. Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+ Texas Tech vs. Florida odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 6:11 p.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : Texas Tech +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Florida -300 (bet $300 to win $100) : Texas Tech +240 (bet $100 to win $240) | Florida -300 (bet $300 to win $100) Against the spread : Texas Tech +6.5 (-105) | Florida -6.5 (-115) : Texas Tech +6.5 (-105) | Florida -6.5 (-115) Over/Under (O/U): 156.5 (O: -110 | U: -110) Texas Tech vs. Florida picks and predictions Prediction Florida 85, Texas Tech 73 Florida (-300) will cost you 3 times your potential return, and that's way too much risk for not nearly enough reward. Even as part of a multi-leg parlay, including the No. 1 Gators sucks a lot of the value out of your ticket. Unless you have a profit boost, it's a good idea to leave Florida off of your betslip. AVOID, and look to the spread instead. FLORIDA -6.5 (-115) is better play laying the points. If Texas Tech comes out flat like it did early on against Arkansas, the Red Raiders are going to get steamrolled by the Gators. The Red Raiders shot just 41.0% (34-of-83) from the field for the game, and a dismal 25.0% (8-of-32) from behind the arc. The good news is that TTU outrebounded Arkansas with a plus-12 margin, while turning it over just 8 times. The Gators were peerless against the Terps, though, going 50.0% (30-of-60) from the field, and 39.3% (11-of-28) from the perimeter, overcoming 17 turnovers. That's because Florida used its sized for a 42-20 rebounding margin. If the Gators can take better care of the ball, we might get a rout here. OVER 156.5 (-110) is the lean based on Florida's recent trends. The total has gone high in 10 consecutive games for the Gators. The Over is also perfect in the postseason for the Red Raiders (5-0), although we needed overtime to get across the finish line in the Sweet 16 game against Arkansas. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
Miami Herald
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Derik Queen, No. 4 Maryland set sights on top-seeded Florida
SAN FRANCISCO -- Florida's Todd Golden hopes a visit to his old coaching grounds will be just a brief stopover on the Gators' way back to the center of the college basketball stage. Meanwhile, Maryland hero Derik Queen makes the trip to the West Coast with the opportunity to grow his profile on a national stage. Those two forces come together Thursday night, when the top-seeded Gators (32-4) face the No. 4 Terrapins (27-8) in an NCAA Tournament West Region semifinal at Chase Center. Golden was the head coach at the University of San Francisco from 2019 to 2022. In his final season there, the Dons won 22 games and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 24 seasons. "It's kind of icing on the cake to be able to go out there," Golden told the Gainesville Sun. He added that seeing "a lot of friends and family and people that will kind of support our program as adopting the Gators out west will be awesome." More awesome for the Gators would be a pair of victories vaulting them to their first Final Four since 2014. They have not had a longer stretch without reaching college basketball's final weekend since their first appearance in 1994. "The time was now for us to take that next step," Golden said Sunday after Florida eliminated two-time defending champion UConn 77-75 in the second round in Raleigh, N.C. "Being in the Sweet 16 is a great step in the right direction. To get there, the Gators will lean heavily as usual on Walter Clayton Jr., the team's leader in scoring (17.9 ppg) and assists (4.2). Clayton scored 23 points against the Huskies, including 13 in the final eight minutes. He made two crucial 3-pointers down the stretch. "My teammates, like I said, they give me the ball and put trust in me to be able to shoot those shots," he said. Maryland's trust in Queen, a true freshman who was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and is projected as an NBA lottery pick in June, only heightened after he demanded the ball on the Terrapins' final possession, then put in a nearly impossible fadeaway bank shot from the far left wing to beat No. 12 Colorado State 72-71 on Sunday. Terrapins coach Kevin Willard said Queen's personality is just as important to his group as his numbers -- 16.2 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, both team highs. "He has an infectious personality," Willard told The Athletic. "He's never in a bad mood, always smiling. Every time you walk away from him, you're like, that's the best kid in the world. You just want to give him a hug." Hugs will be widespread with a Maryland victory. The Terrapins have not been to the Elite Eight since 2002, the season of their only national championship. They are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. "It's very rare nowadays, where these kids have this unbelievable pressure, but he's just always in a good mood, always a great teammate," Willard continued. "He's a generational talent and a generational kid, and you just don't see that (combo) very often." Make no mistake, though. Queen can be as forceful with his teammates as he can be with his opponents when the needs arise. With Maryland down a point and the game on the line, Queen demanded to Willard in the huddle that he "give me the mother (bleep) ball." Willard does have other options. The starting group (dubbed the "Crab Five" as a play on Michigan's "Fab Five" freshman of the early 1990s and Maryland's famous sea-food dish) have started every Maryland game since Nov. 19. All five -- Queen, Ja'Kobi Gillespie (14.6), Rodney Rice (13.9), Julian Reese (13.3) and Selton Miguel (12.0) -- average double-figures in scoring. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
March Madness: UConn vs. Florida odds, picks and predictions
The No. 8 seed UConn Huskies (24-10) and the top-seeded Florida Gators (31-4) meet Sunday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh for an NCAA Tournament West Region second-round game. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the UConn vs. Florida odds, and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions. The Huskies threw a blanket on ninth-seeded Oklahoma in the first round Friday, limiting the Sooners to 32.1% shooting (17-for-53) in a 67-59 win and cover as 6-point favorites with the Under (147) cashing. The 2-time defending champs held Oklahoma to just 17.6% (3-for-17) from behind the 3-point line, too. UConn G Solo Ball scored a team-high 14 points, while F Alex Karaban was good for 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 38 minutes. The Huskies weren't terribly efficient from the field, hitting 42.9% (24-for-56) and just 24.0% (6-for-25) from downtown. That's going to have to pick up dramatically against the top-seeded Gators Sunday. Connecticut has won and covered 13 consecutive NCAA Tournament games. In addition, it is 6-1 straight up (SU) in the past 7 games, and 5-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past 6 outings. The Under is 6-0 in the past 6 games, too. Florida barely broke a sweat vs. No. 16 seed Norfolk State Friday, winning 95-69. However, the Gators were unable to cover as 28.5-point favorites as the Over (153.5) hit. G Walter Clayton Jr. led the way with 23 points, including 4-for-9 from downtown, while G Alijah Martin had 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting. The Gators have won 7 in a row, going 6-1 ATS in the span. Plus, the Over is on an 8-0 run. Florida has won 13 of the past 14 with a 12-2 ATS record, while the Over is 11-3. Florida is No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports Men's Basketball Coaches Poll, while UConn is unranked. Stream select live college basketball games and full replays: Get ESPN+ UConn vs. Florida odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Saturday at 10:11 p.m. ET. Moneyline (ML) : UConn +375 (bet $100 to win $375) | Florida -500 (bet $500 to win $100) : UConn +375 (bet $100 to win $375) | Florida -500 (bet $500 to win $100) Against the spread (ATS) : UConn +9.5 (-110) | Florida -9.5 (-110) : UConn +9.5 (-110) | Florida -9.5 (-110) Over/Under (O/U): 151.5 (O: -105 | U: -115) UConn vs. Florida picks and predictions Prediction UConn 73, Florida 69 UCONN (+375) is worth a look for the opportunity to nearly quadruple up on your initial wager. It won't be easy to show top-seeded Florida (-500) the door, but if anyone can, it's 2-time defending champ UConn. The Huskies have won 13 straight NCAA Tournament games, and they won't go easily. UCONN +9.5 (-110) is worth a play if you're a little more conservative, and not willing to roll the dice on a bit of a long-shot. The Huskies know how to heat up at the right time, proven by their consecutive NCAA Tournament game win streak. Florida is a tremendous team, but it showed some vulnerability in losses at Georgia (by 5 points Feb. 25) and at Tennessee (by 20 points Feb. 1). The Gators can be very good, but sometimes they can also completely disappear. They turned it over plenty against Norfolk State, committing 12 miscues. That won't do against the 2-time defending champs. Florida needs to bring its 'A' game. Just don't wager more than 1½ units between the 2 plays — the UConn ML and the UConn spread. UNDER 151.5 (-115) is the play, but we're going against the trends for the Gators. They've cashed Overs in their last 8 outings. For UConn, though, the Under has cashed in 7 in a row with the Huskies limiting their opponent to 66 or fewer points in 5 of their last 6. Plus, in last season's NCAA Tournament, UConn cashed Under in all 6 games. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook. College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group: Alabama / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Duke / Florida / Florida State / Georgia / Iowa / Kentucky / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / UCLA / USC / Washington / Wisconsin / College Sports Wire / High School / Recruiting
Reuters
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
NCAA Tournament roundup: No. 12 Colorado State stuns No. 5 Memphis
March 22 - Kyan Evans scored a game-high 23 points with six 3-pointers as No. 12 seed Colorado State increased its winning streak to 11 games with a 78-70 victory over fifth-seeded Memphis in an NCAA Tournament West Region first-round game Friday at Seattle. Nique Clifford added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Rams (26-9), who advanced to a second-round matchup Sunday against fourth-seeded Maryland. Jalen Lake also chipped in 14 points and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson tallied 12. Colorado State went 11 of 30 from 3-point range and limited one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country to 6 of 23 from behind the arc. The Rams also forced 16 turnovers to help overcome Memphis' 41-34 rebounding advantage. Colorado State had 13 offensive rebounds. Dain Dainja scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Tigers (29-6), who were eliminated in the first round for the second time in three seasons. Colby Rogers and PJ Haggerty each added 18 points. Haggerty, who averaged 21.8 points per game, made just 7 of 23 shots. No. 1 Florida 95, No. 16 Norfolk State 69 Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points and the Gators built a big early lead on the way to dismissing the Spartans in Raleigh, N.C. Alijah Martin added 17 points, Thomas Haugh had 13 and Alex Condon 12 for Florida (31-4), which pushed its winning streak to seven games. The Gators will meet UConn in the second round on Sunday. Christian Ings posted 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 rebounds and Derik Queen had 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Terrapins rolled past the Lopes in Seattle. The Terrapins (26-8) have won 16 of their last 17 first-round NCAA Tournament games dating to 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 combined for only 15 points for WAC champion Grand Canyon (26-8), which was seeking a second consecutive first-round win after beating fifth seed Saint Mary's 75-66 a year ago. No. 8 UConn 67, No. 9 Oklahoma 59 Solo Ball scored 14 points and Alex Karaban provided 10 of his 13 points in the last 11 minutes to help the two-time defending champion Huskies survive against the Sooners in Raleigh, N.C. It was a game-long tussle for UConn (24-10), but the Huskies won their 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament game spanning three seasons. Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points and seven rebounds. Karaban also finished with seven boards. Jeremiah Fears notched 20 points and Jalon Moore had 13 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma (20-14). Fears, a freshman widely envisioned as a potential NBA draft selection, wasn't talking about his future after the game. Midwest Region No. 3 Kentucky 76, No. 14 Troy 57 Otega Oweh had 20 points and three teammates scored in double figures as the Wildcats pulled away in the second half to defeat the Trojans in Milwaukee. Kentucky (23-11) will face sixth-seeded Illinois (22-12) in the second round on Sunday in Milwaukee. The Wildcats led 35-27 at the half, then took control with a 16-point run midway 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), which was appearing in the tournament for the first time since being a No. 15 seed in 2017. No. 6 Illinois 86, No. 11 Xavier 73 Will Riley scored 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Illini to a victory over the Musketeers in Milwaukee. Illinois (22-12) advances to a Sunday second-round game against third-seeded Kentucky. Kasparis Jakucionis added 16 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Kylan Boswell put up 15 points for the Illini, who had a 45-25 edge on the boards. Dailyn Swain had 27 points and eight rebounds while Ryan Conwell and Dayvion McKnight had 12 points apiece for the Musketeers (22-12). South Region No. 2 Michigan State 87, No. 15 Bryant 62 Coen Carr came off the bench to produce 18 points and nine rebounds as the Spartans defeated the Bulldogs in Cleveland. Michigan State will face No. 10 seed New Mexico in the second round on Sunday. Jase Richardson supplied 15 points and Tre Holloman contributed 14 for Michigan State (28-6). The Spartans controlled the boards, outrebounding the Bulldogs 54-29, and had a 31-6 advantage on second-chance points. Rafael Pinzon led Bryant (23-12) with 21 points, and Earl Timberlake tossed in 14. No. 3 Iowa State 82, No. 14 Lipscomb 55 Milan Momcilovic had 20 points, Curtis Jones added 17 and Iowa State rolled past Lipscomb in Milwaukee. Iowa State (25-9) will face sixth-seeded Ole Miss in the second round Sunday. Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey each added 10 points for Iowa State, which played without starting guard Keshon Gilbert, who was declared out for the tournament with a groin injury. Jacob Ognacevic, the Atlantic Sun Conference player of the year, had 18 points for Lipscomb (25-10), whose only other NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2018. Gyasi Powell added 11 points for the Bisons. No. 6 Ole Miss 71, No. 11 North Carolina 64 Sean Pedulla had 20 points and Dre Davis added 15 as the Rebels staved off the Tar Heels' second-half rally for a victory in Milwaukee. Ole Miss (23-11) advanced to the second round Sunday against third-seeded Iowa State (25-9), which rolled past 14th-seeded Lipscomb. North Carolina, which trailed by 22 early in the second half, closed within 66-64 on RJ Davis' three-point play with 1:09 left. Pedulla countered with a 3-pointer from the top left to make it 69-64. On their next possession, the Tar Heels missed a 3-pointer and Pedulla hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 71-64 with 34 seconds left. RJ Davis had 15 points and Ven-Allen Lubin 14 for the Tar Heels (23-14), who shot 38.1 percent from the field and made just 5 of 24 attempts from 3-point range (20.8 percent). No. 10 New Mexico 75, No. 7 Marquette 66 Donovan Dent scored 21 points to lead four Lobos in double figures as New Mexico eliminated the Golden Eagles in Cleveland. Nelly Junior Joseph added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Lobos (27-7). Tru Washington contributed 12 points, and CJ Noland came off the bench to chip in 11. David Joplin starred in defeat for the Golden Eagles (23-11), pumping in a game-high 28 points and going 6 of 10 from the 3-point arc. Marquette converted just 24 of 59 shots from the field (40.7 percent) and was outrebounded 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 the Blue Devils blew out the Mountaineers in Raleigh, N.C. Tyrese Proctor scored 13 of his 19 points in the first half, Caleb Foster bagged 12 points off the bench and Khaman Maluach added 11 points for Duke (32-3). Arlandus Keyes came off the bench to score 15 points for Mount St. Mary's (23-13), which 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 the Crimson Tide hold off the Colonials at Cleveland. Mouhamed Dioubate finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Clifford Omoruyi had 17 points for Alabama (26-8), which advanced to Sunday's second round to face No. 7 seed Saint Mary's. Sears, who also dished out 10 assists, made 11 of 13 free throws and sparked a late 11-1 surge by the Crimson Tide after the Colonials briefly took the lead late in the second half. Amarion Dickerson scored a game-high 25 points and added nine rebounds for 15th-seeded Robert Morris (26-9). No. 4 Arizona 93, No. 13 Akron 65 Jaden Bradley recorded 19 points and six rebounds to help the Wildcats roll to a victory over the Zips at Seattle. Trey Townsend added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and collected eight rebounds, and Carter Bryant had 12 points and three blocked shots for the Wildcats (23-12), who will play fifth-seeded Oregon in Saturday's second round. Caleb Love registered 10 points and seven rebounds and KJ Lewis also scored 10 points for the Wildcats. Tavari Johnson scored all 13 of his points in the first half for Akron (28-7), which lost in the first round of the NCAA tourney for the third time in four seasons. The Zips are winless in seven all-time attempts. Nate Johnson also scored 13 points for the Zips, but he was just 1 of 9 from the field. Shammah Scott added 11 points for Akron, which saw a seven-game winning streak come to an end. No. 5 Oregon 81, No. 12 Liberty 52 Jackson Shelstad scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting to help the Ducks douse the Flames in Seattle. Nate Bittle contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds and Keeshawn Barthelemy added 10 points for Oregon (25-9), which never trailed while winning for the ninth time in the past 10 games. Oregon will play fourth-seeded Arizona on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16. Zach Cleveland had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists for Liberty (28-7), which lost for just the second time in the past 13 games. No. 7 Saint Mary's 59, No. 10 Vanderbilt 56 The Gaels rallied from a sluggish offensive start and a second-half deficit of 12 points to upend the Commodores in Cleveland. The Gaels (29-5) fell behind 39-27 just before the first media timeout of the second half when Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner connected on a 3-pointer. Saint Mary's chipped away at the deficit over the ensuing eight minutes, however, embarking on a 16-4 run. Jordan Ross led the Gaels with 15 points, while both Mitchell Saxen and Luke Barrett finished with double-doubles. Vanderbilt (20-13) went 8-of-26 from 3-point range on the day. Jason Edwards, who finished with a game-high 18 points, finished just 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. No. 9 Baylor 75, No. 8 Mississippi State 72 Robert Wright III scored 19 points as the Bears got rolling late in the first half and held on to defeat the Bulldogs in Raleigh, N.C. VJ Edgecombe provided 14 points in his first NCAA Tournament game, Langston Love posted 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting and Norchad Omier collected 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears. Ninth-seeded Baylor (20-14) will meet top-seeded Duke in the second round on Sunday. Josh Hubbard sank four 3-pointers and pumped in 26 points to keep eighth-seeded Mississippi State (21-13) in contention. Claudell Harris Jr. had 13 points, Riley Kugel supplied 11 and KeShawn Murphy added 10.
Miami Herald
22-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
NCAA Tournament roundup: No. 12 Colorado State stuns No. 5 Memphis
Kyan Evans scored a game-high 23 points with six 3-pointers as No. 12 seed Colorado State increased its winning streak to 11 games with a 78-70 victory over fifth-seeded Memphis in an NCAA Tournament West Region first-round game Friday at Seattle. Nique Clifford added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Rams (26-9), who advanced to a second-round matchup Sunday against fourth-seeded Maryland. Jalen Lake also chipped in 14 points and Jaylen Crocker-Johnson tallied 12. Colorado State went 11 of 30 from 3-point range and limited one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country to 6 of 23 from behind the arc. The Rams also forced 16 turnovers to help overcome Memphis' 41-34 rebounding advantage. Colorado State had 13 offensive rebounds. Dain Dainja scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Tigers (29-6), who were eliminated in the first round for the second time in three seasons. Colby Rogers and PJ Haggerty each added 18 points. Haggerty, who averaged 21.8 points per game, made just 7 of 23 shots. No. 1 Florida 95, No. 16 Norfolk State 69 Walter Clayton Jr. scored 23 points and the Gators built a big early lead on the way to dismissing the Spartans in Raleigh, N.C. Alijah Martin added 17 points, Thomas Haugh had 13 and Alex Condon 12 for Florida (31-4), which pushed its winning streak to seven games. The Gators will meet UConn in the second round on Sunday. Christian Ings posted 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 rebounds and Derik Queen had 12 points and 15 rebounds as the Terrapins rolled past the Lopes in Seattle. The Terrapins (26-8) have won 16 of their last 17 first-round NCAA Tournament games dating to 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 combined for only 15 points for WAC champion Grand Canyon (26-8), which was seeking a second consecutive first-round win after beating fifth seed Saint Mary's 75-66 a year ago. No. 8 UConn 67, No. 9 Oklahoma 59 Solo Ball scored 14 points and Alex Karaban provided 10 of his 13 points in the last 11 minutes to help the two-time defending champion Huskies survive against the Sooners in Raleigh, N.C. It was a game-long tussle for UConn (24-10), but the Huskies won their 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament game spanning three seasons. Tarris Reed Jr. added 12 points and seven rebounds. Karaban also finished with seven boards. Jeremiah Fears notched 20 points and Jalon Moore had 13 points and seven rebounds for Oklahoma (20-14). Fears, a freshman widely envisioned as a potential NBA draft selection, wasn't talking about his future after the game. Midwest Region No. 3 Kentucky 76, No. 14 Troy 57 Otega Oweh had 20 points and three teammates scored in double figures as the Wildcats pulled away in the second half to defeat the Trojans in Milwaukee. Kentucky (23-11) will face sixth-seeded Illinois (22-12) in the second round on Sunday in Milwaukee. The Wildcats led 35-27 at the half, then took control with a 16-point run midway 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), which was appearing in the tournament for the first time since being a No. 15 seed in 2017. No. 6 Illinois 86, No. 11 Xavier 73 Will Riley scored 22 points and Tomislav Ivisic added 20 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Illini to a victory over the Musketeers in Milwaukee. Illinois (22-12) advances to a Sunday second-round game against third-seeded Kentucky. Kasparis Jakucionis added 16 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds and Kylan Boswell put up 15 points for the Illini, who had a 45-25 edge on the boards. Dailyn Swain had 27 points and eight rebounds while Ryan Conwell and Dayvion McKnight had 12 points apiece for the Musketeers (22-12). South Region No. 2 Michigan State 87, No. 15 Bryant 62 Coen Carr came off the bench to produce 18 points and nine rebounds as the Spartans defeated the Bulldogs in Cleveland. Michigan State will face No. 10 seed New Mexico in the second round on Sunday. Jase Richardson supplied 15 points and Tre Holloman contributed 14 for Michigan State (28-6). The Spartans controlled the boards, outrebounding the Bulldogs 54-29, and had a 31-6 advantage on second-chance points. Rafael Pinzon led Bryant (23-12) with 21 points, and Earl Timberlake tossed in 14. No. 3 Iowa State 82, No. 14 Lipscomb 55 Milan Momcilovic had 20 points, Curtis Jones added 17 and Iowa State rolled past Lipscomb in Milwaukee. Iowa State (25-9) will face sixth-seeded Ole Miss in the second round Sunday. Joshua Jefferson and Tamin Lipsey each added 10 points for Iowa State, which played without starting guard Keshon Gilbert, who was declared out for the tournament with a groin injury. Jacob Ognacevic, the Atlantic Sun Conference player of the year, had 18 points for Lipscomb (25-10), whose only other NCAA Tournament appearance was in 2018. Gyasi Powell added 11 points for the Bisons. No. 6 Ole Miss 71, No. 11 North Carolina 64 Sean Pedulla had 20 points and Dre Davis added 15 as the Rebels staved off the Tar Heels' second-half rally for a victory in Milwaukee. Ole Miss (23-11) advanced to the second round Sunday against third-seeded Iowa State (25-9), which rolled past 14th-seeded Lipscomb. North Carolina, which trailed by 22 early in the second half, closed within 66-64 on RJ Davis' three-point play with 1:09 left. Pedulla countered with a 3-pointer from the top left to make it 69-64. On their next possession, the Tar Heels missed a 3-pointer and Pedulla hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 71-64 with 34 seconds left. RJ Davis had 15 points and Ven-Allen Lubin 14 for the Tar Heels (23-14), who shot 38.1 percent from the field and made just 5 of 24 attempts from 3-point range (20.8 percent). No. 10 New Mexico 75, No. 7 Marquette 66 Donovan Dent scored 21 points to lead four Lobos in double figures as New Mexico eliminated the Golden Eagles in Cleveland. Nelly Junior Joseph added 19 points and seven rebounds for the Lobos (27-7). Tru Washington contributed 12 points, and CJ Noland came off the bench to chip in 11. David Joplin starred in defeat for the Golden Eagles (23-11), pumping in a game-high 28 points and going 6 of 10 from the 3-point arc. Marquette converted just 24 of 59 shots from the field (40.7 percent) and was outrebounded 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 the Blue Devils blew out the Mountaineers in Raleigh, N.C. Tyrese Proctor scored 13 of his 19 points in the first half, Caleb Foster bagged 12 points off the bench and Khaman Maluach added 11 points for Duke (32-3). Arlandus Keyes came off the bench to score 15 points for Mount St. Mary's (23-13), which 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 the Crimson Tide hold off the Colonials at Cleveland. Mouhamed Dioubate finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds and Clifford Omoruyi had 17 points for Alabama (26-8), which advanced to Sunday's second round to face No. 7 seed Saint Mary's. Sears, who also dished out 10 assists, made 11 of 13 free throws and sparked a late 11-1 surge by the Crimson Tide after the Colonials briefly took the lead late in the second half. Amarion Dickerson scored a game-high 25 points and added nine rebounds for 15th-seeded Robert Morris (26-9). No. 4 Arizona 93, No. 13 Akron 65 Jaden Bradley recorded 19 points and six rebounds to help the Wildcats roll to a victory over the Zips at Seattle. Trey Townsend added 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and collected eight rebounds, and Carter Bryant had 12 points and three blocked shots for the Wildcats (23-12), who will play fifth-seeded Oregon in Saturday's second round. Caleb Love registered 10 points and seven rebounds and KJ Lewis also scored 10 points for the Wildcats. Tavari Johnson scored all 13 of his points in the first half for Akron (28-7), which lost in the first round of the NCAA tourney for the third time in four seasons. The Zips are winless in seven all-time attempts. Nate Johnson also scored 13 points for the Zips, but he was just 1 of 9 from the field. Shammah Scott added 11 points for Akron, which saw a seven-game winning streak come to an end. No. 5 Oregon 81, No. 12 Liberty 52 Jackson Shelstad scored 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting to help the Ducks douse the Flames in Seattle. Nate Bittle contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds and Keeshawn Barthelemy added 10 points for Oregon (25-9), which never trailed while winning for the ninth time in the past 10 games. Oregon will play fourth-seeded Arizona on Sunday for a spot in the Sweet 16. Zach Cleveland had 10 points, six rebounds and six assists for Liberty (28-7), which lost for just the second time in the past 13 games. No. 7 Saint Mary's 59, No. 10 Vanderbilt 56 The Gaels rallied from a sluggish offensive start and a second-half deficit of 12 points to upend the Commodores in Cleveland. The Gaels (29-5) fell behind 39-27 just before the first media timeout of the second half when Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner connected on a 3-pointer. Saint Mary's chipped away at the deficit over the ensuing eight minutes, however, embarking on a 16-4 run. Jordan Ross led the Gaels with 15 points, while both Mitchell Saxen and Luke Barrett finished with double-doubles. Vanderbilt (20-13) went 8-of-26 from 3-point range on the day. Jason Edwards, who finished with a game-high 18 points, finished just 2-of-9 from beyond the arc. No. 9 Baylor 75, No. 8 Mississippi State 72 Robert Wright III scored 19 points as the Bears got rolling late in the first half and held on to defeat the Bulldogs in Raleigh, N.C. VJ Edgecombe provided 14 points in his first NCAA Tournament game, Langston Love posted 15 points on 7-for-12 shooting and Norchad Omier collected 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears. Ninth-seeded Baylor (20-14) will meet top-seeded Duke in the second round on Sunday. Josh Hubbard sank four 3-pointers and pumped in 26 points to keep eighth-seeded Mississippi State (21-13) in contention. Claudell Harris Jr. had 13 points, Riley Kugel supplied 11 and KeShawn Murphy added 10. --Field Level Media Field Level Media 2023 - All Rights Reserved
