In the first game, the top-seeded Gonzaga will take on #16 Prairie View after a successful play-in game against NC Central. Filip Petrusev led his team to a convincing victory against an outmatched Panthers team. Devonte Patterson led the team but fell well short of their goal to advance as the Panthers are the first to exit the tourney with a final score of 67-54.
In the second matchup #8 LSU and #9 Oklahoma clash against one another. Skylar Mays orchestrates the offense and keeps the game interesting as both teams go back and fourth throughout the game. Kristian Doolittle is also doing his part for the Sooners as they chip away at Mays double-digit lead, but they fell short on a last second half-court heave for the win. The Tigers advance 69-67 in a thriller.
The third game of the tourney pitted The #5 Michigan Wolverines against Ivy League representatives #12 Yale. Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske make their presence known and immediately overpower the Yale Bulldogs in the early portions of the contest. At the half, the Bulldogs are down 31-48 and a scorching half-time speech put their minds at ease and the trio of Paul Atkinson, Eric Monroe and Jordan Bruner began to work and chip away at Michigan’s halftime lead. With a team effort, they forced turnovers and played hard defense as Simpson’s brilliance turned into a frenzy of bad shots and turnovers. The lead dwindled the Wolverines found themselves on the bad end of a game-winner from three–the first for the tournament. Atkinson’s three with .2 seconds left sealed the first upset of the West bracket as Yale advances, 77-75.
Next, #4 Oregon faces #13 New Mexico State. Payton Pritchard versus Trevelin Queen. Both teams game out flat, especially Oregon as they felt as if this was not going to be a competitive contest. Queen executes and makes timely play after timely play as the Aggies go into halftime tied at 45. Pritchard goes into the second half and is lights out, but at every step of the game, Queen responded time after time up until the clock hits zeroes. Queen puts the game out of reach with two clutch free-throws to seal the game 71-69.
#6 BYU and #11 Indiana start the next round. Jake Toolson and Trayce Jackson-Davis lead a high-paced attack on offense. Fireworks begin to happen and the game steadily increases the drama on the court with both teams fighting to advance. Jackson-Davis did all he could do as the Cougars built an insurmountable lead with a combination of effective defense and with deadly shooting. BYU advances 70-59 in the first blowout of the tourney in the West Region.
#3 Seton Hall goes up against #14 Eastern Washington. Myles Powell and his team were too much for the Jacob Davidson’s squad. An offensive onslaught accompanied by tough defensive possessions were like a lightning rod of momentum for the Pirates. Seton Hall led from start to finish, in what was a mostly one-sided game. Seton Hall looks like a team that could pull off a deep tourney run en route to a dominant 81-60 victory against Eastern Washington.
#7 Arizona slept walked into the game against #10 Texas Tech and it cost them a chance to advance. Jami’us Ramsey came out motivated and ready to make some noise. Zeke Nnaji tried everything in his power to motivate his teammates, but to no avail. Ramsey came up big time after time, and his play throughout the game snuffed out any chance at leading in the game. Red Raiders advance 60-52.
Lastly, #2 San Diego State and #15 UC Irvine clash for the last game of the first round and it was closer than most people expected. Malachi Flynn and Yanni Wetzel got more than they bargained for as they faced a scrappy Anteater team led by Collin Welp and Brad Greene. Shellshocked, Flynn and Wetzel fire up the team at halftime despite a six-point lead. This translated to a back and fourth second half with San Diego State surviving on a clutch basket from Flynn and a pair of Wetzel free-throws to seal the game 72-68.
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