NCAA Tournament Game Capsules
Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Quinn Cook scored 22 points to power top- seeded Duke to an 85-56 win over Robert Morris in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Jahlil Okafor, the ACC Player of the Year, netted 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and Marshall Plumlee posted his first double-double with 10 points and 10 boards for the Blue Devils (30-4), who will face San Diego State in the third round of the South Region on Sunday. Rodney Pryor and Marcquise Reed scored 23 and 22 points, respectively, for the 16th-seeded Colonials (20-15), who were coming off a First Four win over North Florida on Wednesday.
Final Score: Wisconsin 86, Coastal Carolina 72
Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) – Frank Kaminsky scored 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds as Wisconsin cruised past Coastal Carolina, 86-72, in a second round matchup out of the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. Sam Dekker scored 20 points while Nigel Hayes added 15 points and eight rebounds for the top-seeded Badgers (32-3), who are in the tourney for the 17th year in a row and are looking for their first national championship since 1941. Wisconsin, which set a school record for wins in a season, advances to face Oregon in the third round on Sunday. Warren Gillis totaled 22 points and five rebounds and Elijah Wilson gave 20 for the Chanticleers (24-10), who were in the tournament for the second straight year after winning the Big South Conference Tournament.
Final Score: Kansas 75, New Mexico State 56
Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) – It figured that the Big 12’s first victory in the 2015 NCAA Tournament would come from its most storied program. After an 0-3 showing by the conference on Thursday, Kansas provided a lift with a 75-56 win Friday over New Mexico State. Frank Mason III scored 17 points and grabbed nine rebounds for the Jayhawks (27-8), who were coming off a loss to Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game last Saturday. Five other players scored at least eight points in the balanced attack for Kansas, which shot 54.0 percent. Next up for Kansas, seeded second in the Midwest Region, is a third- round matchup Sunday with Wichita State. The Jayhawks and Shockers, despite their proximity, haven’t played since Jan. 6, 1993. DK Eldridge led New Mexico State (23-11) with 11 points, while leading scorer Remi Barry added 10.
Final Score: Virginia 79, Belmont 67
Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Malcolm Brogdon scored 22 points and second-seeded Virginia survived a challenge from upset-minded Belmont to record a 79-67 victory in an NCAA Tournament East Region second round tilt. The 15th-seeded Bruins pared a 14-point second-half deficit down to two when Craig Bradshaw’s 3-pointer brought them within 62-60 with 4:37 remaining. However, the Cavaliers’ trademark strong defense resurfaced down the stretch as Virginia countered with a 9-0 run that kept their underdog opponent at bay. Anthony Gill added 16 points for Virginia (30-3) and Justin Anderson got back in the swing to help the Cavs earn a rematch with Michigan State in Sunday’s Round of 32. The Spartans ended UVa’s 2013-14 season with a 61-59 decision in last year’s East Regional semifinals. Bradshaw allowed Ohio Valley Tournament champion Belmont (22-11) to hang around until the final minutes by depositing 25 points and grabbing nine rebounds.
Final Score: Gonzaga 86, North Dakota State 76
Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Kyle Wiltjer had 23 points and Kevin Pangos scored 18 as Gonzaga held off pesky North Dakota State, 86-76, in a South Region second-round contest. Making its 17th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, the second-seeded Bulldogs received 13 points from Gary Bell Jr. and 11 from Przemek Karnowski. Gonzaga (33-2), which set a school record for wins in a season, will play the seventh-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday. Iowa downed Davidson Friday night. Dexter Werner scored a season-high 22 points and Lawrence Alexander had 19 for North Dakota State (23-10), which earned the Summit League’s automatic bid into the tournament with a victory over rival South Dakota State, 57-56, in the league championship game.
Final Score: Oklahoma 69, Albany 60
Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – TaShawn Thomas scored 18 points and Oklahoma held off Albany, advancing to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 69-60 win. Thomas, a transfer in his first season with the Sooners, shot 7-for-11 and added four blocks in the win. Buddy Hield netted 15 points and Ryan Spangler pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. The win helps the reputation of the Big 12, at least in the short term. The conference took a hit after all three teams in action on Thursday — including No. 3 seeds Baylor and Iowa State — were upset. The Big 12 went 3-1 on Friday, with Kansas and West Virginia also advancing. Third-seeded Oklahoma (23-10), which lost a heart-breaker to Iowa State a week ago in the Big 12 Tournament, will meet Dayton on Sunday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Aussie Peter Hooley, whose late 3-pointer gave Albany (24-9) its win over Stony Brook in the America East title game, scored 15 points to lead a balanced scoring effort in this one. Evan Singletary added 13 points, Sam Rowley had 12 and Ray Sanders posted 11 points, seven boards and four assists.
Final Score: Louisville 57, UC Irvine 55
Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Quentin Snider scored 16 points, including two go-ahead free throws with less than 10 seconds to play, to help the fourth-seeded Louisville Cardinals win 57-55 over upset-minded UC Irvine. Luke Nelson’s long 3-pointer with 12 seconds left missed for UC Irvine, and Snider chased down the loose ball in the corner and took a foul. After he hit both free throws, Louisville’s tough defense forced Alex Young to commit a game- ending turnover. Wayne Blackshear led the Cardinals (25-8) with 19 points and seven rebounds and Terry Rozier added 12 points. Louisville will now play fifth-seeded Northern Iowa on Sunday. The 13th-seeded Anteaters (21-13) were making their first-ever tournament appearance in 38 seasons as a Division I program. Will Davis II paced them with 14 points and nine boards, 7-foot-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye added 12 points and Nelson scored 10.
Final Score: Maryland 65, Valparaiso 62
Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Maryland returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years and was carried to a win by its top scorers. But it was a little-used senior guard who made perhaps the biggest play in a 65-62 win over upset-minded Valparaiso on Friday. Varun Ram, standing all of 5-foot-9, checked into the game for the first time with 13 seconds remaining and stripped Valparaiso’s Keith Carter as he went up for a 3-point attempt. Melo Trimble and Dez Wells scored 14 points each for the Terrapins (28-6) but third-leading scorer Jake Layman was held to just one shot and four points before fouling out late. The fourth-seeded Terrapins, in the tournament for the first time since 2010, will face fifth-seeded West Virginia on Sunday in the Midwest Region. Bryce Drew, the former Crusaders star who’s in his fourth year as their coach, had a chance to draw up a final play during a timeout with 13 seconds left. But Carter ended up with the ball, not leading scorer Alec Peters, who paced Valparaiso (28-6) with 18 points. The Crusaders still haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since their Sweet 16 run in 1998, the year Drew famously hit “The Shot” — a leaning 3-pointer at the buzzer to upset fourth-seeded Ole Miss in the first round.
Final Score: West Virginia 68, Buffalo 62
Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – Devin Williams scored 17 points, Juwan Staten had 15 and West Virginia escaped with a 68-62 win over Bobby Hurley and Buffalo in an NCAA Tournament second-round game on Friday. Coached by the former Duke star Hurley, Buffalo played its first ever NCAA Tournament game and tied the score at 62-62 on Xavier Ford’s 3-pointer with 2:42 left. But West Virginia scored the last six points, including a shot clock-beating 3 by Tarik Phillip that gave the fifth-seeded Mountaineers a 67-62 lead with 28.4 seconds left. West Virginia (24-9) moved into the third round of the Midwest Region and will face fourth-seeded Maryland on Sunday. Ford led 12th-seeded Buffalo (23-10) with 16 points, Shannon Evans scored 15 and Justin Moss had 13.
Final Score: Northern Iowa 71, Wyoming 54
Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Northern Iowa used a balanced attack to earn a 71-54 win over Wyoming in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The fifth-seeded Panthers (31-3) had five players reach double figures, led by Paul Jesperson with 16 points off the bench. Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Seth Tuttle finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, Nate Buss added 13 points and Deon Mitchell and Wes Washpun had 10 apiece. UNI will take on the winner of Friday’s game between fourth-seeded Louisville and 13th- seeded UC Irvine. Larry Nance Jr. paced the 12th-seeded Cowboys (25-10) with 16 points, including 15 in the second half. Charles Hankerson Jr. scored 15 on a career- high five 3-pointers.
Final Score: Dayton 66, Providence 53
Columbus, OH (SportsNetwork.com) – The state of Ohio has been kind to Dayton this season. Two days after defending home court in a First Four win over Boise State, the Flyers drove 73 miles to Columbus and took care of Providence 66-53 to advance to the Round of 32. Controversy surrounded Dayton’s win on Wednesday, as it became the first team since 1987 to play an NCAA Tournament game on its home floor. Then, to add fuel to the fire, the 11th-seeded Flyers played in front of a virtual home crowd against the sixth- seeded Friars. Dayton is now 19-0 in Ohio this season, with one more game still to go, a meeting with 3rd-seeded Oklahoma with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Dyshawn Pierre scored 20 points and anchored Dayton’s defense, which held Big East leading scorer LaDontae Henton to 7-for-25 shooting. Jordan Sibert, playing through an injury on his shooting hand, added 15 points for the Flyers (27-8). Dayton took 30 free throw attempts. Providence took just seven. Henton, a former Dayton commit, finished a tremendous college career at Providence (22-12) with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Final Score: Michigan State 70, Georgia 63
Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – Denzel Valentine scored Michigan State’s final eight points to help the Spartans hold off the Georgia Bulldogs, 70-63, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Valentine ended with 16 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals for the seventh-seeded Spartans (24-11), who are making their 18th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Travis Trice tallied 15 points and six assists for Michigan State, which will play second-seeded Virginia on Sunday. Bryn Forbes and Branden Dawson each had 14 points. Charles Mann ended with 19 points for the 10th- seeded Bulldogs (21-12), who made their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011. Kenny Gaines recorded 15 points and Marcus Thornton added 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Final Score: Wichita State 81, Indiana 76
Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) – Fred VanVleet matched a career high with 27 points and reached a scoring milestone Friday, helping Wichita State to an 81-76 win over Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. VanVleet, who added four assists and two steals, became the third Wichita State player to join the 1,000-point club this season. One of the other players to reach the mark, Ron Baker, struggled from the floor against Indiana but made critical free throws down the stretch. Baker shot 3-for-13, including 0-for-5 from the 3-point range, and finished 9-for-10 at the foul line for 15 points. Zach Brown had 11 points and eight rebounds — both career highs — for the Shockers (29-4), who are seeded seventh in the Midwest Region and will face Kansas on Sunday. The two programs have not played since Jan. 6, 1993. Yogi Ferrell scored 24 points to lead four Indiana players in double figures. Troy Williams had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the 10th-seeded Hoosiers (20-14).
Final Score: Iowa 83, Davidson 52
Seattle, WA (SportsNetwork.com) – Aaron White personally assured Iowa of its first NCAA Tournament win in 14 years. White scored 26 points, as the Hawkeyes pounded Davidson, 83-52, in a South Region second-round contest. The senior scored all of Iowa’s points during a 13-1 run in the second half that effectively put the game away. The seventh-seeded Hawkeyes, who had lost their previous four NCAA Tournament contests, will take on No. 2 seed Gonzaga Sunday at Key Arena. The Bulldogs beat 15th seed North Dakota State, 86-76, Friday night. This is the first NCAA Tournament win for the Hawkeyes (22-11) since 2001 when they beat Creighton in the first round before falling to Kentucky in the second round. Mike Gesell tallied 15 points and six assists, and Peter Jok scored 12 for the Hawkeyes. Jack Gibbs and Peyton Aldridge each had 14 points for 10th-seeded Davidson (24-8), which shot 33.3 percent from the field.
Final Score: Oregon 79, Oklahoma State 73
Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) – Joseph Young scored a game-high 27 points to lead Oregon in a 79-73 victory over Oklahoma State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament West Region. Elgin Cook scored 18 points with five rebounds and Dillon Brooks added 17 points for the eighth-seeded Ducks (26-9), who had won seven straight before losing to Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament final to garner an at-large nod in the NCAA Tournament. Oregon moves on to take on Wisconsin in Sunday’s third round. Le’Bryan Nash scored 18 points with seven rebounds and Anthony Hickey gave 17 points for the ninth-seeded Cowboys (18-14), who gained a tournament nod despite losing six of their final seven games, including a loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament.
Final Score: San Diego State 76, St. John’s 64
Charlotte, NC (SportsNetwork.com) – J.J. O’Brien led the way with 18 points as San Diego State topped St. John’s 76-64 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Dwayne Polee II, a St. John’s transfer, scored 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, while Matt Shrigley and Skylar Spencer scored 12 and 10 points, respectively, for the eighth-seeded Aztecs (27-8). They will face first-seeded Duke in a third-round South Region matchup on Sunday. Sir’Dominic Pointer netted 21 points with 10 boards and two blocks, while D’Angelo Harrison provided 18 points with nine rebounds for the ninth-seeded Red Storm (21-12), who have not won a tournament game since 2000.
Categorized in: NCAA Basketball