First-round motion of the 2024 NCAA Match continued on Friday with upsets, thrilling finishes and high-scoring affairs. No. 13 seed Yale delivered probably the most gorgeous results of the day by upsetting No. 4 seed Auburn after trailing by 10 factors with 7:16 to go. The Bulldogs confronted a six-point deficit with 4:07 to go earlier than ending on a 14-6 run to advance to the second spherical for the second time at school historical past.
The upsets continued into the night as No. 12 seed James Madison defeated No. 5 seed Wisconsin 72-61. JMU picked up its thirty second win of the season and can face No. 4 seed Duke on Sunday with a visit to the Candy 16 on the road.
No. 10 seed Colorado held off a late surge from No. 7 Florida in a 102-100 win due to a go-ahead jumper with two seconds remaining from star guard KJ Simpson; Walter Clayton Jr.’s halfcourt heave on the buzzer by no means stood an opportunity for the Gators. Colorado’s shootout with Florida marked the primary regulation NCAA Match sport through which each groups scored at the very least 100 factors since 2005.
No. 1 seeds Houston, Purdue, and UConn took care of enterprise towards No. 16 seeds Longwood, Grambling State, and Stetson, respectively. Purdue star massive man Zach Edey turned the third participant within the final 50 years to report at the very least 30 factors and 20 rebounds in an NCAA Match sport.
Listed below are the winners and losers from Friday’s motion.
Winner: James Madison pulls upset
James Madison delivered a 72-61 upset over Wisconsin to assist shut out the primary spherical of the NCAA Match for its first victory within the Massive Dance since 2013. The Dukes recorded their thirty second win of the season, tying UConn for probably the most by a workforce, and arrange a date with Duke on Sunday with a visit to the Candy 16 on the road. James Madison put the faculty basketball world on discover within the first sport of the 2023-24 season when it upset Michigan State in East Lansing. 4 months later, it recorded one other signature win towards the Massive Ten in entrance of a bigger nationwide viewers — Cameron Salerno
Loser: SEC has one other unhealthy day
The SEC’s no-good, very-bad begin to the NCAA Match on Thursday did not enhance dramatically on Friday with losses by No. 4 seed Auburn and No. 7 seed Florida misplaced to Yale and Colorado, respectively, in upsets. Whereas Alabama and Texas A&M cruised to massive wins, Auburn blew a 10-point second-half lead, and Florida gave up a go-ahead basket with seconds remaining, of their upsets. That drops the league to 3-5 for the event, with all 5 losses coming to decrease seeds. — Kyle Boone
Loser: FAU flames out
Returning almost each main contributor from final yr’s Closing 4 workforce, FAU started the season ranked No. 7 within the AP High 25. The Owls did not hoot for lengthy this time round, although. No. 9 seed Northwestern bought 12 factors from Ryan Langborg in time beyond regulation to outlast No. 8 seed FAU 77-65 after the Owls clawed again from a 54-45 deficit within the remaining seven minutes. Whereas FAU’s consecutive event appearances are a program first, the 2023-24 season will likely be remembered for what might have been. — David Cobb
Winner: Jaedon LeDee places Mountain West on his again
The NCAA Match hasn’t been type to the members of the Mountain West to this point. It began with Boise State getting knocked out in First 4 motion; New Mexico, Nevada, and Colorado State had been eradicated within the first spherical. The one workforce to keep away from a letdown was San Diego State. The Aztecs defeated UAB 69-65 behind an enormous day from the All-American LeDee, who scored a game-high 32 factors. — Salerno
Winner: UConn units tone in repeat quest
Reigning nationwide champions set the tone Friday for his or her bid for a repeat with a powerful 91-52 win over No. 16 seed Stetson. UConn took a 51-19 lead into halftime – its largest halftime lead in an NCAA Match sport in program historical past – and but coach Dan Hurley made his method to the locker room seeming something however content material.
“Every thing must be computerized this time of yr,” he stated, shaking his head. “Simply to throttle down like that late [in the first half], that is not championship degree.
“We have got to develop up just a little. The final couple minutes, I did not like,” he added.
UConn outscored the Hatters 39-32 within the second half en path to successful its twenty second sport in its final 23 outings. –– Boone
Winner: Colorado continues Pac-12’s sizzling begin
Colorado star KJ Simpson linked on one of many largest photographs in program historical past throughout a 102-100 win over Florida. After the Buffaloes squandered a 10-point lead with lower than 4 minutes remaining, Simpson knocked down a nook jumper close to the Colorado bench that proved to be the game-winner. Colorado is the most recent workforce to go from the First 4 to first-round winners. The Pac-12 has an ideal 5-0 report within the NCAA Match. — Salerno
Loser: Nebraska‘s protection goes limp
Followers of No. 8 seed Nebraska needed to journey farther than followers of No. 9 seed Texas A&M for the showdown between former Massive 12 foes in Memphis, Tennessee. However the Cornhusker devoted turned out in droves to see their workforce search its first-ever NCAA Match victory. Regardless of the huge edge in assist, Nebraska wanted a literal sixth man on the ground as a substitute of a figurative one within the stands. Texas A&M began sizzling and by no means cooled off because it continued a stable run of late-season play. After dropping 5 straight in February, Texas A&M has now received six of its final seven to arrange a probable showdown with No. 1 seed Houston on Sunday. The Aggies entered ranked No. 353 nationally in 3-point share at 28.4% however drilled 13 of 23 towards Nebraska to mark the third time within the final 5 video games the Aggies have hit at the very least 10 3-pointers. If Texas A&M goes to play offense prefer it has the previous few weeks, it’s able to beating nearly anybody within the bracket. — Cobb
Winner: Full-strength Marquette seems to be harmful
A quick begin by No. 15 seed Western Kentucky noticed the Hilltoppers lead by as many as 10 factors on No. 2 Marquette, however the Golden Eagles hit a gear within the second half that erased the deficit after which some in an 87-69 blowout. The comeback was propelled partially by star guard Tyler Kolek, who missed the final six video games with an indirect damage. Kolek completed with 11 assists, and co-star Kam Jones scored 28 factors. It was the primary time in almost a month that Marquette has been at full energy. — Boone
Winner: Baylor reveals its energy
No. 3 seed Baylor entered the day ranked No. 8 nationally in 3-point taking pictures share at 38.8%, and it put its outdoors contact on show in a 92-67 win over No. 14 seed Colgate. 4 totally different gamers hit at the very least two triples for the Bears, who made 16 of 30 from past the arc as a workforce. As the primary No. 3 seed in motion since fellow No. 3 seed Kentucky suffered a shocking upset loss on Thursday, Baylor shortly confirmed that it wasn’t going to undergo an identical destiny. The Bears opened up a 10-point lead within the opening six minutes and by no means seemed again. — Cobb
Winner: Clemson lastly clamps down
No. 6 seed Clemson is not identified for protection, nevertheless it held No. 11 seed New Mexico to only 29.7% taking pictures in a 77-56 win to advance the Tigers within the NCAA Match for the primary time since 2018. It was the primary time all season Clemson held an opponent under 30% taking pictures. The Lobos hit simply 7 of 29 makes an attempt from the sector and had been 1 of 12 from past the arc within the second half as their comeback efforts proved futile. Slowing down Baylor within the second spherical on Sunday will likely be a extra vital problem, however the Tigers definitely seemed up for it of their opener. –-Cobb
Winner: Edey, Smith shine in Purdue’s opener
Purdue co-stars Zach Edey and Braden Smith guided Purdue to a blowout 78-50 win over Grambling. Edey, the reigning nationwide participant of the yr, turned the third participant within the final 50 years to report at the very least 30 factors and 20 rebounds in an NCAA Match sport. Edey completed with 30 factors and 21 rebounds for his third profession 30-20 sport — probably the most of any Division l within the final 25 seasons. After recording a career-high seven turnovers in a first-round loss to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson final season, Smith recorded a double-double with 11 factors and 10 assists with zero turnovers. — Salerno
Winner: Alabama’s offense goes off
Alabama followers bought not one however two wins on the day with rival Auburn dropping to Yale early within the afternoon and the Crimson Tide rolling previous Charleston, 109-96, in a blowout. The Tide eclipsed the 100-point mark for the tenth time this season, led by a 30-point outing from Mark Sears and 13 made 3-pointers as a workforce. Latrell Wrightsell led the best way in that division with six. Alabama will face both Saint Mary’s or Grand Canyon within the second spherical for an opportunity to make their second Candy 16 look in three seasons. — Boone