The first round of the 2021 men’s college basketball championships continued on Saturday afternoon and evening, with 15 first round games being played over a 13-hour span. The final game of the night between No. 7 seed Oregon and No. 10 seed Virginia Commonwealth was declared a no-contest due to COVID-19. But, the rest of the day went off without a hitch.
There were less upsets compared to day one of the first round, but four double-digit seeds won, with one upsetting the defending national champions, and another winning its first tournament game in school history. So, it was another madness-filled day in college hoops.
No. 4 - Virginia vs. No. 13 - Ohio
FINAL: 62-58 – Ohio
No. 13 seed Ohio pulled off the biggest upset on Saturday, shocking No. 4 seed Virginia, the defending national champions, 62-58, in a down-to-the-wire thriller; becoming the second double-digit-seeded team in the last three tournaments to eliminate Virginia, joining the UMBC squad from 2017-18.
Virginia stuck to its typical slow, defensive-minded pace, but didn’t perform well on the offensive end, shooting just 35% (21-for-60) as a team from the floor. From three-point range, Virginia shot 8-for-31 (25.8%).
Down 38-31 with 14:35 to play, Ohio went on an 18-4 run, giving them a 49-42 lead with four minutes left. Virginia was able to cut its deficit to two points a couple of times, but Ohio never gave up its lead down the final stretch. Lunden McDay hit a pair of free throws in the final seconds to put Ohio up four points and seal the win.
Ben Vander Plas finished with a game-high 17 points for Ohio, scoring eight during the 18-4 second half run. Jason Preston recorded a double-double, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists, both game-highs, for Ohio. Ben Roderick added 15 points, hitting 3-of-8 attempts from three-point range.
Ohio advances to the second round for the first time since 2012, where they’ll face No. 5 seed Creighton on Monday, March 22.
No. 5 - Creighton vs. No. 12 - UC Santa Barbara
FINAL: 63-62 – Creighton
In a notoriously dangerous No. 5 seed vs. No. 12 seed matchup, the higher-seeded Creighton survived an upset at the hands of the underdog UC Santa Barbara with a pair of clutch free throws from Christian Bishop with 0:16 left in the game.
Bishop’s pair of free throws put Creighton ahead, 63-62. UC Santa Barbra had a chance to win at the buzzer, but Brandon Cyrus’ last second three-point attempt was off the mark.
Bishop grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for Creighton, while also scoring 15 points and adding a pair of blocked shots. Marcus Zegarowski led Creighton in points and assists, finishing with 17 and eight, respectively. Denzel Mahoney, the third and final Creighton player to finish in double figures, added 13 points, shooting 3-for-9 from three-point range.
The victory was Creighton’s first in the tournament since 2014.
No. 5 - Colorado vs. No. 12 - Georgetown
FINAL: 96-73 – Colorado
The afternoon started with No. 5 seed Colorado sprinting past No. 12 seed Georgetown, 96-73.
Colorado came out firing in the first half, scoring 47 points in the first 20 minutes. Colorado’s three-point shooting spearheaded the dominating performance. Colorado knocked-down 11 threes in the first half and finished the game with a season-best 16, hitting 61% of the team’s shots from behind the arc.
Freshman Jabari Walker finished a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range, helping him lead Colorado with a career-high 24 points. D’Shawn Schwartz scored 15 of his 18 points for Colorado from behind the arc, shooting 5-for-7 from three, and making four of his five long-range shots in the first half. McKinley Wright IV finished with a double-double for Colorado, scoring 12 points and logging a game-high 13 assists.
Despite a 50-point effort in the second half from Georgetown, Colorado was able to coast to a 23-point win.
Colorado advances to the second round to take on No. 4 seed Florida State on Monday, March 22.
No. 4 - Florida State vs. No. 13 - UNC Greensboro
FINAL: 64-54 – Florida State
Despite both teams getting off to a slow start, No. 4 seed Florida State built a sizeable early lead on No. 13 seed UNC Greensboro, going up by as much as 16 points, 23-7, in the first half. Before the midway break, though, UNC Greensboro fought back, closing the period on a 19-6 run over the final 6:43, to trail by just three points at halftime.
UNC Greensboro never led in the game, but the lower-seeded underdog kept fighting to keep things interesting in the second half. After Florida State went on an early run to go back up by double-digits, UNC Greensboro responded again, cutting the deficit to one point, trailing 49-48, with 5:38 to play.
Florida State answered, and put the game away in the final minutes. Scoring just two points over a 4:37 span wouldn’t do UNC Greensboro any favors, as the former out-scored the latter 8-2 over that stretch.
Florida State shot well, making just over half its field goals as a team (52.1%), despite not hitting a single three-pointer (0-for-9). RaiQuan Gray led FSU with 17 points, while also adding seven rebounds and three assists. Gray’s teammate, Balsa Koprivica, grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and scored 13 points.
No. 8 - Louisiana State (LSU) vs. No. 9 - St. Bonaventure
FINAL: 76-61 – LSU
Despite a very slow start to the game, with both sides totaling just 10 points over the first nine minutes, No. 8 seed LSU cruised to a 15-point victory over No. 9 seed St. Bonaventure, winning by a 76-61 final score.
With just 22 points as a team in the first 20 minutes, St. Bonaventure put up its lowest first half point total all season. Down nine points at the break, things didn’t get much better for St. Bonaventure coming out of the locker room, as LSU started the second half on a 7-0 run.
While not entirely blowing the game open in the second half, LSU did maintain a double-digit led throughout the majority of the final period.
LSU freshman Cameron Thomas scored a game-high 27 points, while teammates Darius Days and Aundre Hyatt both recorded double-doubles. Hyatt scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Days also dropped 13 points, while also tying for a team-high in rebounds, pulling-down 11 boards.
LSU advances to the second round to face No. 1 seed Michigan on Monday, March 22.
No. 1 - Michigan vs. No. 16 - Texas Southern
FINAL: 82-66 – Michigan
No. 1 seed Michigan out-scored No. 16 seed Texas Southern 42-24 in the first half and rode that big lead all the way to a 16-point victory.
Michigan stretched its lead to as much as 24 points in the second half. One its cushion was comfortable enough; the No. 1 seed in the East Region took its foot off the gas, allowing Texas Southern to make the score a little closer in the final minutes.
Four Michigan players finished in double figures; senior Mike Smith led the way with 18 points. Freshman Hunter Dickinson added 16 points for Michigan, shooting 6-for-7 from the floor. Eli Brooks and Brandon Johns Jr. both scored 11 points apiece for Michigan as well.
Texas Southern was led by senior Michael Weathers, who dropped a game-high 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting, while also going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
No. 3 - Kansas vs. No. 14 - Eastern Washington
FINAL: 93-84 – Kansas
In a high-scoring affair, No. 14 seed Eastern Washington gave No. 3 seed Kansas as good a run as any underdog has against the latter in the tournament over the last decade.
Eastern Washington held a 46-38 advantage at halftime, and even stretched the lead to 10 points early in the second period. Kansas, however, turned things around. Down 63-59 with less than 11 minutes to play, an Ochai Agbaji dunk sparked a 14-3 Kansas run, giving the No. 3 seed a 73-66 lead with eight minutes left.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Marcus Garrett helped Kansas put Eastern Washington away in the closing minutes. The second of the consecutive buckets gave Kansas its largest lead of the game, a 12-point advantage, with 4:22 left on the clock.
David McCormack, who recently returned from COVID-19 quarantine, led Kansas with 22 points and nine rebounds. Agbaji finished the night with 21 points and seven rebounds in 39 minutes played. Garrett dropped 20 points as well, shooting 8-for-12 from the floor, while also pulling-down eight rebounds.
Kansas will face No. 6 seed Southern California in the second round on Monday, March 22.
No. 6 - Southern California (USC) vs. No. 11 - Drake
FINAL: 72-56 – USC
Coming off a play-in round victory on Thursday night over Wichita State, No. 11 seed Drake didn’t have enough gas in the tank to run with No. 6 seed USC for 40 minutes.
Drake played its higher-seeded opposition close in the first half, and even took the lead at one point, albeit a slim one of just three points. Up 40-37 at halftime, USC went on an 8-0 run early in the second half, and out-scored Drake by 13 points in the period to pull away, holding the latter to just 19 points in the final 20 minutes.
Freshman Evan Mobley was one of three USC players to finish in double figures, leading the way with a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double. Isaiah Mobley added 15 points and five boards, while Drew Peterson finished with 14 points. Tahj Eaddy dished-out a team-high 10 assists for USC and added nine points.
Following up his 21-point effort against Wichita State on Thursday night, Joseph Yesufu led Drake with a game-high 26 points.
No. 2 - Alabama vs. No. 15 - Iona
FINAL: 68-55 – Alabama
In a matchup that featured two of college basketball’s most charismatic coaches, No. 2 seed Alabama, along with bench boss Nate Oats, managed to fend off No. 15 seed Iona, led by Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, despite an incredible showing from the latter’s squad.
Alabama, known for its offensive attack that explicitly features three-point shots and dunks, realized early its group was in for a 40-minute fight. Each time Alabama built a decent lead in the first half, Iona came right back to make it a one-to-two-possession game. A three-pointer from Isaiah Ross with 22 seconds left until halftime cut Iona’s deficit to one, as Alabama took a 33-32 lead into the locker room.
The story stayed the same through the early minutes of the second half, Iona continued to hang around, and even took the lead, briefly, on a few occasions.
With less than nine minutes to play, holding a 47-46 lead, Alabama turned things up a notch. The No. 2 seed went on an 11-0 scoring run, taking a 58-46 lead with 6:36 left on the clock. Alabama seemed to have the game in control from there. Iona cut its deficit down to seven points with 2:04 left, but Alabama shut Iona out in the final two minutes, closing the game on a 6-0 run.
Senior forward Herbert Jones led Alabama with a game-high 20 points, while also recording six rebounds, three steals, and two assists. John Petty Jr. scored 10 points, while also leading Alabama with seven rebounds. Jahvon Quinerly and Jaden Shackelford were the final two Alabama players to finish in double figures, scoring 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Alabama will face No. 10 seed Maryland in the second round on Monday, March 22.
No. 7 - Connecticut (UConn) vs. No. 10 - Maryland
FINAL: 63-54 – Maryland
No. 10 seed Maryland bested No. 10 seed UConn, 63-54, thanks to a hot night shooting from three-point range. Maryland made 50% of its attempts from behind the arc, finishing 9-for-18. Overall, Maryland shot 51.2% from the floor, going 22-for-43 as a team.
Maryland out-scored UConn 20-9 over the final 10:03 of the first half to take a 33-22 lead into the locker room. Maryland stretched its lead to as much as 14 points in the second half and stayed on top the rest of the way.
A late surge from UConn cut the score to 53-48 with less than three minutes to go. But, Maryland closed the game with a 10-6 scoring run, capped by a Hakim Hart dunk with 30 seconds left, putting Maryland up 63-54.
Eric Ayala finished with a game-high 23 points for Maryland, shooting 8-of-14 overall and 3-for-5 from three-point range. Aaron Wiggins hit 4-of-6 three-point attempts and finished with 14 points for Maryland as well.
No. 8 - Oklahoma vs. No. 9 - Missouri
FINAL: 72-68 – Oklahoma
After a low-scoring first 20 minutes, both teams exploded offensively, combining for 87 points in the second half. The matchup between No. 8 seed Oklahoma and No. 9 seed Missouri was a tightly contested one that came down to the final minute, with the former ultimately coming away with the victory.
Down 27-26 at halftime, Oklahoma opened up the second period on a 12-2 run, taking a nine-point lead just over four minutes into the frame. Missouri battled back and took the lead, 55-54, with 6:21 left following a three-pointer from Dru Smith.
Oklahoma responded with an 11-2 run, taking a 65-57 lead with 2:15 to play. Another three-pointer from Dru Smith with 0:46 on the clock cut the Oklahoma lead to 70-67. Up three points, Oklahoma fouled Missouri’s Drew Buggs with just two seconds left, giving him just two shots at the free-throw line in the final seconds.
Buggs hit the first of the two shots, but missed the second, likely intentionally, giving his team a chance to grab an offensive rebound and get a quick shot up to try and tie the game. However, Oklahoma’s Jalen Hill grabbed the board off the miss, and hit two free throws at the other end of the floor, after being intentionally fouled, to put his team up four points and seal the victory. Austin Reaves led Oklahoma with a game-high 23 points, shooting 6-for-16 from the floor, and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.
Oklahoma will face No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the second round on Monday, March 22.
No. 1 - Gonzaga vs. No. 16 - Norfolk State
FINAL: 98-55 – Gonzaga
Entering the tournament with a record of 26-0, No. 1 seed Gonzaga proved in its first round matchup against No. 16 seed Norfolk State why it’s the nation’s top-ranked team, and the favorite to win the title, completely blowing the doors off the underdog en route to a 43-point victory.
After leading 43-23 at halftime, Gonzaga dropped 55 points in the second half, out-scoring Norfolk State by 23 points in the period. Gonzaga shot just over 55% (55.7), going 34-for-61 as a team. From three-point range, Gonzaga didn’t do too shabby, finishing 14-for-27, just a little under 52% (51.9).
Not only did Gonzaga dominate on the scoreboard, in the rebounding department, the No. 1 team in the West Region grabbed 45 boards as a team, compared to just 22 for Norfolk State.
Corey Kispert finished with a game-high 23 points for Gonzaga. Anton Watson and Joel Ayayi scored 17 and 15 points, respectively for Gonzaga as well. Ayayi also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
No. 6 - Brigham Young (BYU) vs. No. 11 - UCLA
FINAL: 73-62 – UCLA
No. 11 seed UCLA followed up its 86-80 victory over No. 11 seed Michigan State in Thursday night’s play-in round game with another impressive win, besting No. 6 seed BYU, 73-62.
Despite being the lower seed and playing on less than 48 hours of rest, UCLA jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first half, and took a 38-27 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
BYU cut its deficit down to four points early in the second half. But, up 43-39 with 14:22 to play, UCLA extended its lead back to 11, going ahead, 56-45, with less than 10 minutes to go. UCLA was able to keep BYU at bay from that point until the final buzzer, as the latter never pulled back into it by less than seven points.
Johnny Juzang led UCLA with a game-high 27 points, making 10-of-16 shots from the field, with three of his made baskets coming from three-point range. As a team, UCLA shot 42.1% from behind the arc, finishing 8-for-19. Overall, UCLA finished 28-for-58 from the field (48.3%). Despite shooting nearly 50% overall as a team (25-for-51), BYU was abysmal from three, going 3-for-17 (17.6%).
UCLA will face No. 14 seed Abilene Christian in the second round on Monday, March 22.
No. 3 - Texas vs. No. 14 - Abilene Christian
FINAL: 53-52 – Abilene Christian
In the final game of the night, No. 14 seed Abilene Christian provided another shocking upset, ousting No. 3 seed Texas, 53-52, to take home the school’s first-ever tournament victory.
Despite not scoring for the final 7:11 of the first half, Abilene Christian only trailed by five points, 28-23, at the break. In the second half, Abilene Christian’s defense held Texas to 24 points, while the offense began to come alive.
Texas went ahead, 52-51, with 0:16 left on the clock on a three-pointer from Andrew Jones. In the final seconds, Abilene Christian’s Damien Daniels missed the go-ahead shot attempt, but, teammate Joe Pleasant grabbed the offensive rebound, and drew a foul in the process. Pleasant hit both free throws, putting his team ahead with 0:02 left. Texas’ ‘Hail Mary’ pass on the inbound was stolen away as the clock ran out and the final buzzer sounded.
Abilene Christian pulled off the huge upset, but didn’t shoot well doing it. The underdog finished under 30%, going 20-for-67 from the field. It was even worse from three-point range, as Abilene Christian finished 3-for-18 (16.7%).
Along with the clutch free throws from Pleasant, it was the defense that won the game for Abilene Christian. Texas was held to 23 points below its season average (75.2). Texas also turned the ball over a season-high 23 times, which led to 23 Abilene Christian points.
With Abilene Christian’s victory, for the first time in tournament history, four teams seeded 13 or lower will play in the second round (No. 13 Ohio, No. 13 North Texas, No. 14 Abilene Christian, and No. 15 Oral Roberts).
No. 2 - Iowa vs. No. 15 - Grand Canyon
FINAL: 86-74 – Iowa
After watching Ohio State, a fellow No. 2 seed team from its conference, get upset by Oral Roberts in its first round matchup on Friday, No. 2 seed Iowa nearly met the same fate against No. 15 seed Grand Canyon on Saturday. But, behind a game-high 24 points from senior Luka Garza, Iowa survived, escaping with a 12-point win.
A good shooting night propelled Iowa past the determined Grand Canyon squad, who trailed by as much as 19 points early in the second half, but managed to hang around. Iowa finished 29-for-54 from the floor (53.7%), and hit 10-of-22 attempts from three-point range.
Joe Wieskamp added 16 points for Iowa, while Jordan Bohannon and Keegan Murray both finished with 13 points apiece.
Iowa will face No. 7 seed Oregon in the second round on Monday, March 22.
No. 7 - Oregon vs. No. 10 - Virginia Commonwealth (VCU)
FINAL: No-contest – Oregon declared the winner
Saturday evening, news broke that the matchup between No. 7 seed Oregon and No. 10 seed VCU was declared a no-contest, due to VCU having multiple positive COVID-19 tests.
Head coach Mike Rhodes said in a statement that VCU received multiple positive tests within their program in a 48-hour window prior to the announcement of the game’s postponement.
This was the first game of the 2021 tournament that was canceled or declared a no-contest due to COVID-19. With the deadline for replacement teams to enter the 68-team field having already passed, Oregon automatically advances to the second round, and VCU’s season is over.
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Tournament action continues on Sunday, March 21, with the first day of the second round. The first of eight games on the slate is set to tip-off at 12:10 p.m. ET, with the final matchup of the day scheduled to start at 9:40 p.m. ET. Coverage on Sunday of the men’s college basketball championships will be available on WGR, starting at 12 p.m. ET.
