NCAA Basketball Tournament Report: Top Seeds Advance; Kentucky – Indiana Rematch Set For Friday
The higher-seeded team won every NCAA tournament game played in men’s Division I basketball on Saturday. Top seeds Kentucky and Syracuse were among the teams which advanced to the regional semifinal round next week. Here’s a recap of all of the NCAA tournament action from Saturday:
South Regional
Indiana 63 — VCU 61
Will Sheehey hit a 15-foot jump shot with 12.7 seconds to play, and Indiana rallied to beat VCU 63-61 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s South Regional in Portland on Saturday. VCU had a chance to win, but Rob Brandenberg’s last-second 3-point shot was no good. Christian Watford and Cody Zeller had 16 points each for the fourth-seeded Hoosiers (27-8), who advanced to play top-seeded Kentucky in the round of 16 in Atlanta on Friday. Indiana defeated Kentucky in December on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Watford. Bradford Burgess led the 12th-seeded Rams (29-7) with 15 points.
Kentucky 87 — Iowa State 71
Marquis Teague scored a career-high 24 points, and Kentucky beat Iowa State 87-71 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s South Regional in Louisville on Saturday. A 20-2 run late in the second half propelled the top-seeded Wildcats (34-2) to the win. Kentucky’s Anthony Davis added 15 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Royce White scored 23 points and had nine rebounds for the eighth-seeded Cyclones (23-11). Kentucky advanced to play Indiana in the round of 16 in Atlanta on Friday. The regional semifinal is a rematch of a December contest won by the Hoosiers on a last-second shot.
Baylor 80 — Colorado 63
Brady Heslip scored a career-high 27 points on nine 3-point shots, and Baylor routed Colorado 80-63 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s South Regional in Albuquerque on Saturday. The third-seeded Bears (29-7) advanced to the round of 16 in Atlanta next Friday to play the winner of Sunday’s Xavier-Lehigh game. Askia Booker had 15 points in defeat for the 11th-seeded Buffaloes (24-12), who trailed by just two points at halftime before fading after the break.
East Regional
Syracuse 75 — Kansas State 59
Senior guard Scoop Jardine had 16 points and eight assists as Syracuse beat Kansas State 75-59 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s East Regional in Pittsburgh on Saturday. Dion Waiters led the top-seeded Orange (33-2) with 18 points, as Syracuse advanced to face Wisconsin in the round of 16 in Boston on Thursday. Rodney McGruder led eighth-seeded Kansas State (22-11) with 15 points. Jordan Henriquez added 14 points and 17 rebounds for the Wildcats.
Ohio State 73 — Gonzaga 66
Jared Sullinger scored 18 points and Ohio State beat Gonzaga 73-66 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s East Regional in Pittsburgh on Saturday. DeShaun Thomas added 18 for the second-seeded Buckeyes (29-7), who advanced to the round of 16 in Boston on Thursday to play the winner of Sunday’s Florida State-Cincinnati game. Gary Bell Jr.’s 18 points paced the seventh-seeded Bulldogs (26-7) who rallied from a 10-point deficit to tie the game with 4:05 remaining before Ohio State pulled away for the victory.
Wisconsin 60 — Vanderbilt 57
Ryan Evans scored 11 points and Wisconsin beat Vanderbilt 60-57 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s East Regional in Albuquerque on Saturday. With the fourth-seeded Badgers ahead 59-57, Evans’ rebound of a John Jenkins’ miss helped preserve the victory. Jordan Taylor’s 14 points were a game-high for Wisconsin (26-9), which advanced to play top-seeded Syracuse in the round of 16 in Boston on Thursday. Festus Ezeli led the fifth-seeded Commodores (25-11) with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
West Regional
Marquette 62 — Murray State 53
Jae Crowder had 17 points and 12 rebounds as Marquette beat Murray State 62-53 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s West Regional in Louisville on Saturday. Darius Johnson-Odom scored 17 points for the third-seeded Golden Eagles (27-7). Marquette advanced to the round of 16 in Phoenix on Thursday to play the winner of Sunday’s Norfolk State-Florida game. Isaiah Canaan led the sixth-seeded Racers (31-2) with 16 points, but he shot just 4-of-17 from the field.
Louisville 59 — New Mexico 56
Russ Smith scored 17 points and Louisville beat New Mexico 59-56 in the third round of the NCAA tournament’s West Regional in Portland on Saturday. The fifth-seeded Lobos (28-7) rallied late, but they could not defeat the fourth-seeded Cardinals (28-9), who advanced to play in the round of 16 in Phoenix on Thursday against the winner of Sunday’s Michigan State-Saint Louis game. Senior Drew Gordon led New Mexico with 21 points and 14 rebounds.