The men’s college basketball championships continued on Friday afternoon and evening, with 16 first round games being played over a 13-hour span. The action included major upsets, blowouts, down-to-the-wire battles, and all that the tournament is expected to offer.
No. 2 - Ohio State vs. No. 15 - Oral Roberts
FINAL: 75-72 (OT) – Oral Roberts
No. 15 seed Oral Roberts pulled off the biggest upset of the day, and possibly the whole tournament, shocking No. 2 seed Ohio State, 75-72, in overtime.
Despite being the heavy underdog, Oral Roberts took it to Ohio State from the opening tip, and led by as much as seven points in the second half. Ohio State battled back to retake the lead, but failed to score a single point over the final 2:34 of regulation. Oral Roberts tied the game, 64-64, on a pair of free throws from Kevin Obanor with 0:15 left on the clock, sending it to overtime.
Oral Roberts jumped out to a six-point lead in the extra period and didn’t look back. After Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell cut it to a one-point game with 17 seconds left in overtime, Obanor knocked-down another pair of free throws to put Oral Roberts up, 75-72.
Ohio State’s Duane Washington Jr. had a great look to tie the game in the final seconds, but his shot was off the mark.
Obanor led Oral Roberts with a game-high 30 points and team-best 11 rebounds. Max Abmas added 29 points for Oral Roberts, while also grabbing five rebounds, along with three assists and a pair of steals.
Oral Roberts will move on in the South Region to face No. 7 seed Florida. The second round matchup will be on Sunday, March 21.
No. 7 - Florida vs. No. 10 - Virginia Tech
FINAL: 75-70 (OT) – Florida
Similar to the final game of Thursday night’s play-in round, the first matchup on Friday’s slate needed an overtime period to determine a winner. No. 7 seed Florida outlasted No. 10 Virginia Tech in the 45-minute, action-filled thriller, 75-70.
Down 33-27 at halftime, Florida continued to play from behind the majority of the second half, despite the score only being separated by a possession or two most of the way.
The turning point came when Florida’s Tyree Appleby had to leave the game after being accidentally elbowed in the head by Virginia Tech’s Keve Aluma. Appleby, noticeably bleeding, exited the floor with 12:58 left in regulation to receive medical attention. Florida went on 21-9 over the next 10:38, taking its largest lead of the game, a 59-53 advantage, with under three minutes to play in the second half.
Virginia Tech’s Nahiem Alleyne drilled a three-pointer with 0:03 left on the clock to tie the game, 64-64, and send it to overtime.
Florida’s Tre Mann provided the final dagger with 0:28 left in overtime, knocking-down a three to put his team up, 74-70. Virginia Tech got one last good look in the final seconds, but couldn’t pull any closer.
No. 3 - Arkansas vs. No. 14 - Colgate
FINAL: 85-68 – Arkansas
No. 3 seed Arkansas survived being on the losing end of the first major upset of the 2021 tournament, pulling away late to best No. 14 seed Colgate, 85-68.
Arkansas held a slim, 36-33 lead at halftime, and actually fell behind by as much as six points midway through the second half. Pulling back in front, 57-56, with 9:03 to play, Arkansas wouldn’t give up the lead again. Arkansas closed the game on a 20-8 run over the final 7:10, holding Colgate scoreless for nearly four minutes during that stretch.
Justin Smith finished the game with a double-double, leading Arkansas in points and rebounds, recording 29 and 13, respectively. Smith also registered a game-high five steals.
Arkansas will face No. 6 seed Texas Tech in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 6 -Texas Tech vs. No. 11 - Utah State
FINAL: 65-53 – Texas Tech
No. 6 seed Texas Tech punched its ticket to the second round with a hard-fought, 65-53 victory over No. 11 seed Utah State.
Texas Tech out-scored its opponent by 15 points in the second half (42-27) after trailing by three points at the midway break. Going on a 24-4 run over roughly a seven-minute span in the second period, Texas Tech was able to put away Utah State with relative ease, leading by as much as 16 points in the final minute of regulation.
Mac McClung led Texas Tech in scoring, finishing with 16 points. Kyler Edwards added 12 points, along with a team-high four assists and three steals.
The victory for Texas Tech was its first in the tournament since the 2019 national semifinals.
No. 1 - Illinois vs. No. 16 - Drexel
FINAL: 78-49 – Illinois
No. 1 seed Illinois, the top seed in the Midwest Region, cruised to a 78-49 first round win over No. 16 seed Drexel.
Illinois seemed to be in control the whole way, holding an 18-point lead at halftime and still out-scoring Drexel by double digits in the second half.
Four Illinois players finished in double figures. Kofi Cockburn led Illinois with a game-high 18 points. Ayo Dosunmu finished right behind Cockburn in the points department, finishing with 17, while also grabbing a team-best 11 rebounds, and dishing out six assists (also a team-high). Trent Frazier and Adam Miller finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Now on an eight-game win-streak that goes back to the end of the regular season, Illinois advances to play No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 8 - Loyola Chicago vs. No. 9 - Georgia Tech
FINAL: 71-60 – Loyola Chicago
Looking to replicate its surprising run to the national semifinals in 2018, No. 8 seed Loyola Chicago won its first tournament game since 2018, besting No. 9 seed Georgia Tech, 71-60.
Despite the Loyola Chicago victory coming by a double-digit margin, Georgia Tech was in it most of the way, with the former pulling away in the last four minutes to get the comfortable win. Impressively, Georgia Tech shot 57.4 percent from the floor, but, made just three shots from three-point range and finished 3-for-5 from the free throw line.
Loyola Chicago’s Lucas Williamson led the way with a team-high 21 points and six rebounds. Braden Norris added 16 points and a game-high eight assists. Both Williamson and Norris shot 4-for-7 from three-point range, respectively.
No. 1 - Baylor vs. No. 16 - Hartford
FINAL: 79-55 – Baylor
No. 1 seed Baylor, the top team in the South Region, cruised to a 24-point win over No. 16 seed Hartford, 79-55.
MaCio Teague led Baylor with a game-high 22 points, shooting 9-for-17 overall and 4-for-8 from three-point range. Jared Butler added 13 points for Baylor, along with nine assists and five steals, both game-highs.
Baylor advances to face No. 9 seed Wisconsin in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 8 - North Carolina vs. No. 9 - Wisconsin
FINAL: 85-62 – Wisconsin
Based off the teams playing in this game, and their uncharacteristic seeding, this first round matchup was highly anticipated. No. 9 seed Wisconsin ended up running No. 8 seed North Carolina out of the gym, winning in dominant fashion, 85-62.
The veteran-heavy Wisconsin squad took full control of the game late in the first half, closing the period on a 20-6 run over the final 8:10, which led to a 40-24 halftime lead.
Wisconsin continued to pour it on in the second half, stretching its lead to 20-plus points. North Carolina showed some fight, but could only cut its deficit to as little as 12, before Wisconsin completely put the game away.
The guard duo of Brad Davison and D’Mitrik Trice shouldered the scoring load for Wisconsin, finishing with 29 and 21 points, respectively. No other Wisconsin player finished in double figures.
No. 5 - Tennessee vs. No. 12 - Oregon State
FINAL: 70-56 – Oregon State
No. 12 seed Oregon State came sprinting out of the gates against No. 5 seed Tennessee, riding a great first half to a 70-56 victory.
Oregon State jumped out to a 17-point lead in the first half, and led 33-19 after 20:00. After a rough shooting performance in the opening period, Tennessee saw its deficit stretch as much as 20 points in the second half, and they never really managed to get back in the game. Oregon State never gave up its double-digit lead.
Roman Silva led Oregon State with 16 points, shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the floor. Jarod Lucas added 14 points for Oregon State, shooting 4-for-9 from three-point range. Ethan Thompson was Oregon State’s third-leading scorer with 13 points, while also finishing with 10 rebounds and six assists, both team-highs.
Oregon State will face No. 4 seed Oklahoma State in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 4 - Oklahoma State vs. No. 13 - Liberty
FINAL: 69-60 – Oklahoma State
No. 13 seed Liberty out-played No. 4 seed Oklahoma State in the first half, leading for the final 13 minutes of the period, but, holding a slim, 30-27 lead at halftime.
Oklahoma State’s star freshman Cade Cunningham, a projected top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, was held to just one point in the first half. Oklahoma State, and Cunningham, overcame the slow start and put Liberty away in the second half, out-scoring its lower-seeded opponent by nine points in the final frame.
Cunningham finished the night with 15 points, scoring nine in the final three minutes. Cunningham found a lot of success from the free throw line, finishing 7-for-9 from the charity stripe. Avery Anderson III led Oklahoma State with a game-high 19 points.
No. 4 - Purdue vs. No. 13 - North Texas
FINAL: 78-69 (OT) – North Texas
No. 13 seed North Texas provided another upset featuring a double-digit seed knocking off a team from a major conference. North Texas knocked-off No. 4 seed Purdue in overtime, in its home state of Indiana nonetheless, 78-69.
North Texas held a surprising 32-24 lead at halftime, and managed to force overtime after Purdue battled back in the final 20 minutes of regulation.
With Purdue down 61-57, Trevion Williams made a pair of baskets in the final 1:10 of the second half to tie the game, 61-61, and send it to overtime. Momentum didn’t stay with Purdue in the extra frame, however. North Texas opened up overtime on an 11-0 run, holding Purdue scoreless over the first 4:32 of the five-minute period. Purdue managed to hit a few three-pointers in the final moments, after the game was out of reach. North Texas ended up out-scoring Purdue 17-8 in overtime, despite the late flurry.
Javion Hamlet, who finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists, led North Texas in all three statistical categories, while also shooting a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line. In a losing effort, Purdue freshman Jaden Ivey dropped a game-high 26 points.
North Texas advances to face No. 5 seed Villanova in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 5 - Villanova vs. No. 12 - Winthrop
FINAL: 73-63 – Villanova
The final score of No. 5 seed Villanova’s 73-63 win over No. 12 seed Winthrop may not quite replicate the fight, and scare, the latter provided the former with for roughly 30 minutes of the game.
After trailing by double-digits early in the first half, Winthrop was able to cut the deficit down by halftime, only trailing by a point, 34-33, at the break. Villanova opened the second half on a 9-1 run, but, once again, Winthrop stayed in it and didn’t allow its opponent to pull away.
After getting within one possession of tying the game, Winthrop saw Villanova stretch its lead back to double-digits, going up by as much as 13 points down the stretch. Winthrop didn’t go away lightly, managing to keep the deficit within eight-to-10 points; but, the No. 12 seed couldn’t muster up a large enough comeback in time.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl led Villanova in scoring and rebounding, recording a double-double with 22 points and 12 boards. The 6-foot-9 sophomore also led Villanova with five assists and three blocks.
No. 2 - Houston vs. No. 15 - Cleveland State
FINAL: 87-56 – Houston
Unlike their fellow No. 2 seed Ohio State, Houston, the second-ranked team in the Midwest Region, disposed of its No. 15 seed opponent with ease, blowing past Cleveland State, 87-56.
Houston dropped 50 points in the second half, out-scoring Cleveland State by 23 points in the final 20 minutes after holding a 37-29 lead at halftime.
Cleveland State kept things close until there were around seven minutes remaining in the first half. Houston went on a 9-0 run in just 1:17 of game time, taking a 25-14 lead with under six minutes to play until half. In the second half, Houston used a 13-1 run to take a commanding, 64-35 lead with 10:11 left. From that point on, it was smooth sailing for Houston en route to the victory.
Quinton Grimes led Houston in scoring with 18 points. For Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson, the victory tied him with former UCLA coach John Wooden, one of the game’s all-time greats, on the career wins list.
Houston will face No. 10 seed Rutgers in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 7 - Clemson vs. No. 10 - Rutgers
FINAL: 60-56 – Rutgers
No. 10 seed Rutgers bested No. 7 seed Clemson in an absolute dogfight, 60-56, to earn its first tournament win since 1983.
The back-and-forth contest featured a number of lead changes, with both sides trading blows and going on little runs throughout the game. Rutgers held an 11-point lead, its largest of the game, 50-39 with under 10 minutes left, following a three-pointer from Caleb McConnell. Clemson responded with a 16-5 run, tying the game at 55-55 with 4:12 left on the clock.
Moments later, Rutgers’ Geo Baker nailed a three-pointer to give his team a 58-55 lead. After a Clemson free throw made it a one-point game, Baker struck again, driving to the basket and laying the ball in, giving Rutgers a four-point lead with 10 seconds to play, and sealing the win to advance to the second round.
Baker, McConnell, and Jacob Young led Rutgers in scoring, finishing with 13 points a piece. Despite scoring just two points, Rutgers center Myles Johnson put in a solid performance as well, grabbing a team-high 10 rebounds (tying McConnell), while also leading Rutgers with three steals and three blocks.
No. 6 - San Diego State vs. No. 11 - Syracuse
FINAL: 78-62 – Syracuse
Despite being, arguably, the most-questioned group in the 68-team tournament field, No. 11 seed Syracuse, behind a dominant first half, ousted No. 6 seed San Diego State in decisive fashion, 78-62.
Holding a 32-18 lead at halftime, Syracuse stretched its advantage on the scoreboard to as much as 27 points in the second half. Buddy Boeheim led Syracuse with 30 points, shooting an eye-catching 7-for-10 from three-point range.
Syracuse shot well overall as an entire team, finishing 26-for-47 from the floor (55.3 percent), and 15-for-27 from behind the arc (55.6 percent). From the free throw line, Syracuse also fared well, making 11 of 13 attempts.
Along with scoring 12 points, the second-most on the team, Syracuse’s Joseph Girard III led his squad in assists and rebounds, finishing with seven and six, respectively.
Syracuse will face No. 3 seed West Virginia, its former conference rival, in the second round on Sunday, March 21.
No. 3 - West Virginia vs. No. 14 - Morehead State
FINAL: 84-67 – West Virginia
In the nightcap, No. 3 seed West Virginia ran past No. 14 Morehead State, 84-67.
Miles McBride’s 30 points led all scorers in the game. The sophomore guard also led West Virginia in assists, dishing-out six; and steals, finishing with three.
Three other West Virginia players finished in double figures, as Jalen Bridges, Sean McNeil, and Derek Culver finished with 15, 13, and 12 points, respectively. Culver also grabbed a team best seven rebounds, while blocking three shots as well, also a team-high.
For West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins, the victory was the 900th of his storied career. Huggins is just the sixth head coach in Division I men’s basketball history to reach 900 career wins. The first five are all in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
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Tournament action continues on Saturday, March 20, with the second day of the first round. The first of 16 games on the slate is set to tip-off at 12:15 p.m. ET, with the final matchup of the day scheduled to start at 9:57 p.m. ET. Coverage on Saturday of the men’s college basketball championships will be available on ESPN 1520 starting at 12 p.m. ET.
