Sports A total lot of the video games on the first day of the Spherical of 32 persevered the trend we noticed from the Spherical of 64, with the favorites largely reigning supreme. Nonetheless, we did web our first fundamental upset of the match on Saturday.
No. 10 seed Arkansas took down No. 2 seed St. John’s in a battle of two Corridor of Fame coaches, with John Calipari getting the latest laugh over rival Rick Pitino. That sport wasn’t defined by its stars, on the opposite hand. Actually, each and each groups had commanding defensive performances that prompted the opposing stars to battle to shoot from the discipline as St. John’s All-American RJ Luis become as soon as benched for the final minutes of the game.
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Different seven video games on Saturday, though, featured sturdy particular person efforts. A few All-People made their presence felt, whereas a bench player become as soon as pivotal to any other victory after transferring from that faculty’s high rival over the offseason.
Let’s rob a test on the supreme heroes from Saturday’s video games.
Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn The junior persevered his impressive season on Saturday, scoring 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the discipline whereas securing 15 rebounds in Purdue’s 76-62 win over McNeese. Fourteen of those points came within the second half of, helping the Boilermakers pull away and not beget to fright about any Cinderella magic. As for Kaufman-Renn’s 15 rebounds, that’s a fresh career high.
Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. When it become as soon as time to web a comeback, a frail Buckeye stepped up for the Wolverines. Gayle, an Ohio Utter transfer, went off after Texas A&M took a 60-50 lead with 13:17 final. He scored 16 points from that point on, hitting multiple 3-pointers and sinking just a few totally different take hang of shots. His made free throw with 6:08 final gave Michigan a 71-70 lead, one who it won’t relinquish as Gayle done with a season-high 26 points.
Texas Tech forwards JT Toppin and Darrion Williams Fresh off being named a second-employees All-American, Toppin showed why he become as soon as grand of the characteristic on Saturday. His 19 first-half of points let Texas Tech soar out to an early lead over an upstart Drake squad. He best doubtless added six points within the second half of, but he shot 11-of-13 from the discipline to head with 12 rebounds and two mighty blocks.
Williams, within the meantime, took the scoring load within the second half of. He assign up 14 points within the final 20 minutes, giving him a season-high 28 points to relieve Texas Tech win with relative ease, 77-64.
Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford The Tigers would perchance need the co-current for Nationwide Participant of the One year, but it certainly become as soon as a freshman off the bench who made definite the No. 1 overall seed would not web upset within the Spherical of 32. Pettiford scored 16 points within the second half of, selecting up the slack as Johni Broome struggled from the discipline (4-of-13) whereas Chad Baker-Mazara overlooked noteworthy of the second half of this ability that of wretchedness.
Pettiford made just a few jumpers right through the second half of that helped Auburn prolong its lead, ending the day with 23 points as Auburn took down Creighton, 82-70.
BYU senior forward Mawot Mag Junior forward Richie Saunders scored a employees-high 25 points for BYU in its win over Wisconsin, but Mag made the supreme play of the game for the Cougars. As BYU’s 11-point lead with below three minutes left dwindled to two with a minute final, Wisconsin well-known person John Tonje assign Mag in isolation with the game on the highway.
Tonje, who scored 10 of his 37 points within the old three minutes, wasn’t able to beat Mag off the dribble, though. At final, Tonje threw up an off-balanced shot over the lanky Mag, which become as soon as off the designate and secured a 91-89 win for BYU.
Houston guard L.J. Cryer The senior third-employees All-American become as soon as the lifeblood of the Cougars’ offense on Saturday. As Cryer’s teammates were a chunk of uneven on that live of the court docket, he scored 16 points within the first half of and added 14 more within the second half of in Houston’s 81-76 win over Gonzaga. Eight of those points came at some point of a two-minute stretch within the second half of when Gonzaga perceived to at final collect a rhythm offensively, allowing Houston to aid its lead within the double digits. That wretchedness up being pivotal as Gonzaga made it a one-point sport with correct over 20 seconds final.
Tennessee guard Chaz Lanier The senior become as soon as money from deep for Tennessee in its 67-58 win over UCLA on Saturday, scoring 20 points as he went 4-for-5 from on the relieve of the arc.
A pair of those 3-pointers came early within the second half of, ballooning Tennessee’s lead to double digits after a tight opening 20 minutes. All the draw through, Lanier keep of abode the Volunteers’ story for most 3-pointers made in a single season with 120, passing Chris Lofton’s old designate of 118 in 2007-08. Lofton become as soon as in attendance to peek Lanier smash the story — and to peek the Vols formulation to their third straight Sweet 16.
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