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A year after Fairleigh Dickinson shocked the world by becoming the second No. 16 to beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the top seeds in the 2024 bracket responded with a vengeance. No. 1 seed North Carolina crushed No. 16 seed Wagner 90-62 on Thursday, and the tournament’s three other No. 1s did the same on Friday with authoritative performances of their own.
None were more significant than Purdue’s 78-50 victory over Grambling State. With a roster full of players who were on the bad end of last year’s historic loss, the Boilermakers took advantage of a strong second half to pull away and avoid a similar catastrophe. Grambling State trailed just 31-27 with less than four minutes left before halftime, but Fletcher Loyer closed the half on a 5-0 run for Purdue, and the Boilermakers never looked back.
Top overall seed UConn was the first No. 1 seed in action on Friday. The Huskies began the defense of their national title in style, defeating No. 16 seed Stetson 91-52. The Huskies led 52-19 at halftime before letting off the gas and advancing toward a second-round matchup with No. 9 seed Northwestern. Houston capped the night with an equally dominant 86-46 victory over No. 16 seed Longwood to secure its spot in the second round, where it will face No. 9 seed Texas A&M.
Edey’s takes the Boilermakers
Purdue center Zach Edey became the first player with at least 25 points and 20 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game since Maryland’s Joe Smith in 1995. The 7-foot-4 star finished with 30 points, 21 rebounds on three blocks as the Boilermakers got redemption. for the first round defeat last year. His supporting cast also offered significant help. A year after going 2 of 10 from the field with six assists and seven turnovers against FDU, point guard Braden Smith had a big game. The sophomore finished with 11 points and 10 assists without committing a single turnover.
Yale, the Ivy League grows
Although Purdue and the other No. 1 seeds emerged unscathed, there were still unexpected results on Friday. Most notably, No. 13 seed Yale stunned No. 4 seed Auburn 78-76 with a late comeback. John Poulakidas led the Bulldogs with 28 points. It was just the second NCAA tournament victory for Yale. It also marks the second consecutive year that the Ivy League tournament representative has turned into a Cinderella. A year ago, it was Princeton, the No. 15 seed, that reached the Sweet 16. Yale will try to replicate that feat when it faces No. 5 seed San Diego State on Sunday.
Offensive explosions
Friday marked the first time since March 16, 2007 that three teams scored 100 points on the same day in the NCAA Tournament. And No. 9 seed Texas A&M was no slouch in its 98-83 victory over No. 8 seed Nebraska. No. 4 seed Alabama beat No. 13 seed Charleston 109-96. The Crimson Tide’s offensive outburst marked the highest-scoring game by a team in the NCAA Tournament since North Carolina reached 113 in a first-round win over Mount St. Mary’s in 2008. Meanwhile, both teams reached the milestone of the hundred in another game. No. 10 seed Colorado beat No. 7 seed Florida, 102-100. It was the first time since 2005 that an NCAA regulation tournament game ended with both teams scoring 100 points.
2024 NCAA Tournament Results
All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament Schedule | LIVE support
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(8) Northwest 77, (9) FAU 65 (OT) – Summary |
(3) Baylor 92, (14) Colgate 67 – Summary |
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(5) San Diego State 69, (12) UAB 65 – Summary |
(2) Marquette 87, (15) Western Kentucky 69 – Summary |
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(1) University of Connecticut 92, (16) Stetson 51 — Summary |
(6) Clemson 77, (11) New Mexico 56 — Summary |
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(13)Yale 78, (4) Chestnut 76 — Summary |
(10)Colorado 102, (7) Florida 100 — Summary |
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(9) Texas A&M 98, (8) Nebraska 83 — Summary |
(4) Duke 64 (13) Vermont 47 — Summary |
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(1) Purdue 78, (16) Grambling 50 — Summary |
(4) Alabama 109, (13) Charleston 96 — Summary |
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(1) Houston 86, (16) Longwood 46 — Summary |
(12) James Madison 72, (5) Wisconsin 61 — Summary |
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(8) Utah State 88, (9) TCU 72 — Summary |
(12) Grand Canyon 75, (5) Saint Mary’s 66 – Summary |
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