After an exciting Day 1 in the NCAA tournament, 32 more teams are in action Friday.
We have a full 12 (or more!) hours of hoops in store, including the NCAA tournament debut of Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, who is returning from an ankle injury that kept him out of two games in the ACC tournament. And can North Carolina keep up the momentum from its big First Four win with an upset of Ole Miss?
Whether you’re watching all 16 first-round games or refreshing score pages, consider this your guide to all the major highlights and results, along with reactions and on-site reporting from ESPN writers across the country.
Jump to: Full schedule | Live updates | Results and takeaways
No. 11 North Carolina vs. No. 6 Ole Miss, 4:05 p.m. (TNT)
No. 13 Grand Canyon vs. No. 4 Maryland, 4:35 p.m. (TBS)
No. 16 Norfolk State vs. No. 1 Florida, 6:50 p.m. (TNT)
No. 14 Troy vs. No. 3 Kentucky, 7:10 p.m. (CBS)
No. 10 New Mexico vs. No. 7 Marquette, 7:25 p.m. (TBS)
No. 13 Akron vs. No. 4 Arizona, 7:35 p.m. (truTV)
No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 UConn, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)
No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 6 Illinois, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
No. 15 Bryant vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 10 p.m. (TBS)
No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 5 Oregon, 10:10 p.m. (truTV)
DAY 1 RESULTS
Most recent games listed first.
Final: Iowa State beats Lipscomb 82-55
How Iowa State won: Milwaukee continues to be a favorite spot for Iowa State and coach T.J. Otzelberger, who grew up in the city and led the Cyclones to the Sweet 16 here in 2022. ISU displayed its standard stifling defense, holding Lipscomb to a season-low 55 points and just 28.6% shooting from 3-point range, where the Bisons typically do most of their damage. The Cyclones kept the ball away from top Bisons scorer Jacob Ognacevic until the game was out of reach, and they led by more than 20 points for the final 13:32. The difference between Friday and three years ago was an ISU offense that showed its potency, mainly behind Milwaukee-area native Milan Momcilovic, who had his first 20-point game since November. ISU also regained point guard Tamin Lipsey, who had 10 points and four assists in his return from a groin injury. — Adam Rittenberg
Final: Alabama beats Robert Morris 90-81
How Alabama won: Robert Morris forward and Cleveland native Amarion Dickerson delivered a memorable performance in his hometown, but the Colonials ran out of steam down the stretch. Dickerson scored a game-high 25 points and briefly gave the Colonials their first lead with a driving-and-1 basket with 7:44 to play, prompting the packed Rocket Arena crowd to erupt with “Amarion” and “Robert Morris” chants. Alabama ultimately salted the game away by drawing fouls and getting to the line. The Crimson Tide also got a late boost from forward Grant Nelson, who sat out the first 31 minutes and 13 seconds after injuring his left knee in last week’s SEC tournament. Nelson, Alabama’s leading rebounder (7.6 per game), scored five points and grabbed three rebounds in his limited minutes. When he returned to the bench, the Crimson Tide had the game in hand 82-71. — Jake Trotter
Final: Baylor beats Mississippi State 75-72
How Baylor won: What was a comfortable 11-point lead for Baylor with a little more than eight minutes on the clock turned into a nail-biter in the final minute, but VJ Edgecombe drained two critical free throws while Mississippi State’s Claudell Harris Jr. airmailed a deep 3 out of bounds with less than 1 second left on the clock. It’s Scott Drew’s fifth straight year opening the NCAA tournament with a first-round win, though the Bears haven’t advanced to the second weekend since winning it all in 2021. — David Hale
Source link
