The NCAA tournament carried on through Friday, but March Madness seemed to take a backseat as many higher-ranked teams secured victories.
Duke’s freshman star Cooper Flagg made his NCAA tournament debut after being sidelined by an ankle injury, contributing to his team by scoring 14 points along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in a win. Dominant performances were also seen from Florida, Kentucky, Arizona, and Maryland.
Meanwhile, two-time defending champion UConn managed to fend off Oklahoma to move forward to a second-round clash with the Gators.
With many favored teams claiming victories, the day saw fewer upsets. Colorado State emerged as the second No. 12 seed to reach the second round, having been favored to beat No. 5 Memphis as a result of poor seeding and injuries impacting Memphis’s key players.
Here’s how Friday’s schedule unfolded:
No. 9 Baylor 75, No. 8 Mississippi State 72
No. 2 Alabama 90, No. 15 Robert Morris 81
No. 3 Iowa State 82, No. 14 Lipscomb 55
No. 12 Colorado State 78, No. 5 Memphis 70
No. 1 Duke 93, No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s 49
No. 7 Saint Mary’s 59, No. 10 Vanderbilt 56
No. 6 Ole Miss 71, No. 11 North Carolina 64
No. 4 Maryland 81, No. 13 Grand Canyon 49
No. 1 Florida 95, No. 16 Norfolk State 69
No. 3 Kentucky 76, No. 14 Troy 57
No. 7 Marquette 75, No. 10 New Mexico 66
No. 4 Arizona 93, No. 13 Akron 65
No. 8 UConn 67 No. 9 Oklahoma 59
No. 6 Illinois 86 No. 11 Xavier 73
No. 2 Michigan State 87, No. 15 Bryant 62
No. 5 Oregon 81, No. 12 Liberty 52
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