NCAA West: Zags, Red Raiders To Battle For Final Four Berth

At Honda Center, Anaheim, California:

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's "Sweet Sixteen" commenced on Thursday with four games, two of them in the West Regional's semifinal round.

Semifinal #1:

Rui Hachimura scored 17 points while Brandon Clarke added 15 (to go with his 12 rebounds) as the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs (33-3) held off the fourth-seeded Florida State Seminoles (29-8) 72-58.

Trent Forest topped the 'Noles with 20 points.

Semifinal #2:

Jarrett Culver scored 22 points as the third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders (29-6) bottled up the second-seeded Michigan Wolverines (30-7) 63-44.

NCAA West: Red Raiders Too Much For Buffalo

At BOK Arena, Tulsa, Oklahoma:

In the lone Sunday contest from the NCAA West Regional's quarterfinal round, Jarrett Culver scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Norense Odiase added 14 and 15 respectively as the third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders (28-6), with all five starters scoring in double figures, downed the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bulls (32-4) 78-58.

NCAA West: Wolverines, 'Noles, Zags Reach Sweet Sixteen

Three games were contested in the West Region on Saturday in the opening day of NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Round-of-32 play.  

At Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa:

Jordan Poole scored 19 points as the second-seeded Michigan  Wolverines (30-6) outgunned the tenth-seeded Florida Gators (20-16) 64-49.



At XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut:

Mfiondu Kabengele came off the bench to score 22 points while Terance Mann added 18 (to go with his eight rebounds) as the fourth-seeded Florida State Seminoles (29-7) dominated the 12-seeded Murray State Racers (28-5) 90-62.

Ja Morant, coming off his Thursday triple-double against Marquette, paced the Racers with 28 points.



At Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah:

Brandon Clarke scored 36 points and pulled in eight rebounds as the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs (32-3) defeated the ninth-seeded Baylor Bears (20-14) 83-71.

NCAA East: Duke, UCF, Liberty, Va Tech Advance

The East Region of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament continued with four Round-of-64 games on Friday.

At Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina:

Game #1:

R.J. Barrett scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds while Zion Williamson scored an additional 25 at the top overall seeded Duke Blue Devils (30-5) downed #16-seeded North Dakota State (19-16) 85-62.

Vinnie Shahid topped the Bison with 20 points.

Game #2:

B.J. Taylor scored 15 points as the ninth-seeded Central Florida Knights (24-8) outgunned the eighth-seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams (25-8) 73-58.

Tacko Fall, who grabbed 18 rebounds (to go with his 13 points) contributed to the Knights' cause.



At SAP Center, San Jose, California:

Game #1:

Caleb Homesley scored 30 points as the 12th-seeded Liberty Flames (29-6) picked up their first-ever NCAA tournament victory, 80-76 over the fifth-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs (23-11).

Quinnadary Weatherspoon scored 27 points while Lamar Peters added 21 to top the Bulldogs.

Game #2:

Nickeil Alexander scored 20 points as the fourth-seeded Virginia Tech Hokies (25-8) defeated the Saint Louis Billikens (23-13) 66-52.

NCAA West: Red Raiders, Bulls Advance

At Tulsa, Oklahoma:

The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's Round of 64 continued on Friday with two West Region games at the BOK Center.

Game #1:

Jarrett Culver scored 29 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out seven assists as the third-seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders (27-6) defeated fourteenth-seeded Northern Kentucky (26-9) 72-57.

Tyler Sharpe paced the Norse with 23 points.

Game #2:

Jeremy Harris and Nick Perkins (who came off the bench) each scored 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds as the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bulls (32-3) downed the eleventh-seeded Arizona State Sun Devils (23-11) 91-74.

Zylan Cheatham paced ASU with 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds.

NCAA West: 'Noles, Racers, Gators, Wolverines, Zags, Baylor Advance

Six games were contested in the West Region of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's Round of 64.

At the XL Center, Hartford, Connecticut:

Game #1:

Mfiondu Kabengele came off the bench to score 21 points and grabbed ten rebounds while Terance Mann added 19 and eight respectively as the fourth-seeded Florida State Seminoles (28-7) held off the thirteenth-seeded Vermont Catamounts (27-7) 76-69.

Game #2:

Tevin Brown scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds as the 12th-seeded Murray State Racers (28-4) knocked off the fifth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles (24-10) 83-64.

The Racers' Ja Morant scored 17 points, dished out 16 assists, and grabbed 11 rebounds for the rare NCAA tourney triple double.

Markus Howard topped the Eagles with 26 points.



At Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, Iowa:

Game #1:

Kevarrius Hayes scored 16 points as the tenth-seeded Florida Gators (20-15) used a balanced attack to hold off the seventh-seeded Nevada (Reno) Wolf Pack (29-5) 70-61.

Those Martin boys, Cody with 23 points and Caleb with 19, were the only Wolf Pack players who scored in double figures.

Game #2:

Charles Matthews' double-double (22 points and 10 rebounds) helped carry the second-seeded Michigan Wolverines (29-6) to a 74-55 victory over the fifteenth-seeded Montana Grizzlies (26-9).



At Vivint Smart Home Arena, Salt Lake City, Utah:

Game #1:

Rui Hachimura scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds as the top-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs (31-3) led wire-to-wire as they delivered a frontier-styled 87-49 fist beating to the sixteenth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (21-14).

Game #2:

Makai Mason scored 22 points as the ninth-seeded Baylor Bears (20-13) downed eighth-seeded Syracuse (20-14) 87-69.

Elijah Hughes topped the Orangemen with 25.