March Madness Friday bracket recap: Fairleigh Dickinson shocks Purdue
Welcome to the happy confluence that is the first Friday of March Madness and St. Patrick’s Day.
This promising day of cool and fun features 16 men’s NCAA Tournament games in the Round of 64 slate. And it produced one of the greatest upsets in March Madness history.
No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson upset No. 1 Purdue, becoming just the second men’s No. 16 seed to take down a No. 1 since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Brackets everywhere are surely in tatters, as FDU moves on to the second round, along with these Cinderella double-digit seeds that won Thursday: No. 15 Princeton, which stunned No. 2 Arizona; and the 13-seeded Paladins of Furman, who upset No. 4 Virginia.
The action won’t stop until around midnight on the East Coast with No. 11 Arizona State and No. 6 TCU tipping off at 10:05 p.m. ET (truTV).
Follow the madness: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
In addition, the women’s first round got underway. Aliyah Boston and No. 1 South Carolina got their title defense off to a good start with a win over 16-seeded Norfolk State. Fellow No. 1 seed Virginia Tech dispatched No. 16 Chattanooga, while Caitlin Clark had another double-double to lead the No. 2 seed Iowa over SE Louisiaa.
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MEN’S TOURNAMENT: Complete scores and schedule
WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT: Complete scores and schedule
Trayce Jackson-Davis does it all in Indiana win
All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 24 points and pulled down 11 rebounds as No. 4 Indiana beat No. 13 Kent State 71-60 in the final game of the first round of the men’s tournament.
The box-score-stuffing senior made his impact across the board. Jackson-Davis also chipped in five assists and five blocks as the Hoosiers advanced to the second round for the first time since 2016 and the fifth time since 2008.
Senior forward Race Thompson added 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting to crack the 20-point mark for just the third time in his college career.
Indiana next takes on No. 5 Miami. With a win against the Hurricanes, the Hoosiers could land a Sweet 16 matchup with No. 1 Houston and former coach Kelvin Sampson, who was fired in 2008 amid allegations of serious NCAA rule violations.
— Paul Myerberg
TCU men cap rally with dramatic shot in final seconds
After clawing back from a double-digit deficit, No. 6 TCU defeated No. 11 Arizona State on JaKobe Coles’ runner with just over a second remaining. TCU’s comeback victory prevented a third double-digit seed from winning Friday (No. 11 Pitt defeated Iowa State and in the stunner of the day No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson defeated No. 1 Purdue).
And yes, the “Hypnotoad” made a reappearance in the postgame celebration.
Men’s final: Kansas State 77, Montana State 65
The No. 3 seed Wildcats took care of business with a methodical win over the Bobcats. Four K-State players hit double figures as the team shot 58.2% from the field.
Women’s final: Ole Miss 71, Gonzaga 48
Ole Miss must have been mad about being a No. 8 seed in the women’s tournament.
The Rebels, who earlier this season took No. 1 overall seed and heavy title favorite South Carolina to the brink, dismantled ninth-seeded Gonzaga Friday, thumping the Zags 71-48.
Ten of 11 Ole Miss players scored, led by Snudda Collins’ 15 points. Madison Scott added 11 points and nine rebounds. The Rebels dominated the boards, winning the rebounding battled 50-37 and their bench scored 33 points to Gonzaga’s 6. Ole Miss will play No. 1 seed Stanford on Sunday.
Women’s final: Princeton 64, NC State 63
A day after their men pulled off an improbable 15-over-2 win against Arizona, the Princeton women will join them in the Round of 32. The Tigers used a 9-0 run over the last 3:09 to pull out a come-from-behind, did-that-just-happen 64-63 victory over seventh-seeded NC State.
Trailing 63-61 with 12 seconds left, the Tigers forced a turnover and called a timeout to draw up a sideline out of bounds play. Then Grace Stone buried a 3 with 4 seconds left on the clock to give Princeton the winning bucket.
Stone and Kristen Chen scored 22 each for the Tigers, who advance to play No. 2 Utah on Sunday. Princeton won despite shooting just 33% from the floor, while NC State shot 49%. The Wolfpack also had 20 turnovers, which Princeton turned into 19 points.
Florida Atlantic men defeat Memphis in bizarre, thrilling finish
The ending of the FAU-Memphis game had a little bit of everything: Teammates getting into an altercation in the Tigers huddle. A ghastly turnover. A mini timeout controversy. And a dramatic winning shot.
Nicholas Boyd’s driving layup in the final seconds gave Florida Atlantic a 66-65 victory, the Owls’ first in NCAA Tournament play. They advance to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson, which ousted No. 1 Purdue in a historic upset earlier in the night.
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway was not pleased by the final turn of events, throwing his water bottle.
— Jace Evans
Men’s final: Gonzaga 82, Grand Canyon 70
Julian Strawther scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and third-seeded Gonzaga went on a 16-0 run midway through the second half to separate from No. 14 seed Grand Canyon, ultimately winning 82-70. Drew Timme, the Zags’ three-time All-American, chipped in 21 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
Timme said afterward that the end of the Purdue-FDU game was being played in the arena, and the Zags took note of the crowd going crazy — but he didn’t let it distract his teammates.
“We came out of a timeout and we heard people screaming,” Timme said. “We were like, ‘Alright, something happened.’ But the biggest focus is just eyes on the court. We don’t need another circus show going on. We got one here.”
Gonzaga advances to the Round of 32 for the 13th consecutive year.
Women’s final: Utah 103, Gardner Webb 77
Pac-12 player of the year Alyssa Pili came close to recording a triple-double and Utah shot a scintillating 59% from the field on its way to a 103-77 win over Gardner-Webb.
The Utes, who run one of the best offenses in women’s basketball, scored a staggering 60 points in the paint.
Pili, a junior forward, finished with 33 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Three other Utes scored in double figures. Utah turned 14 Gardner Webb turnovers into 26 points and dominated the boards 44-30 in the win.
— Lindsay Schnell
Women’s final: South Dakota State 62, Southern California 57 (OT)
Myah Sellend scored 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting, and Paige Meyer chipped in 16 as ninth-seeded South Dakota State survived a late scare from Southern California to win 62-57 in overtime. Sellend also grabbed 9 rebounds.
Trailing 58-55, USC forced a turnover with 23.3 to play, but Destiny Littleton’s 3-pointer to tie it missed badly, and SDSU hit two free throws to ice the win. It was SDSU’s 22nd victory in a row.
The Jackrabbits, who went undefeated In Summit League Play and won the WNIT last year, shot just 35% from the field in the game, but held USC to 31%. SDSU also scored 25 points off 20 USC turnovers.
SDSU, a popular sleeper pick, now advances to play No. 1 Virginia Tech on the Hokies’ home floor.
— Lindsay Schnell
Women’s final: Stanford 92, Sacred Heart 49
The No. 1 seeded Cardinal cruised to a 43-point, first-round win over the Pioneers, and it was a team effort. Five Stanford women scored in double-digit points, including a double-double from Fran Belibi (12 points, 10 rebounds). Haley Jones had a team-high 17-points.
Stanford controlled the boards for the entirety of the game, outrebounding No. 16 seed Sacred Heart 57-28, including 22 offensive rebounds. Ny’Ceara Pryor led the Pioneers with 12 points.
Men’s final: Miami 63, Drake 56
No. 12 seed Drake led the Hurricanes by 8 with 5:40 left in the second half, but No. 5 Miami erased the deficit with a 16-1 run to close out the game. Nijel Pack finished with 21 points and Norchad Omier recorded a double-double (12 points and 14 rebounds).
Free throws and turnovers were the difference in the game. Miami had 29 free throw attempts, compared to Drake’s eight. The Bulldogs had 12 turnovers to the Hurricanes’ nine. Darnell Brodie had a team-high 20 points for the Bulldogs.
Men’s final: Kentucky 61, Providence 53
No. 6 seed Kentucky took a seven-point halftime lead and held it, dispatching No. 11 Providence in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Wildcats dominated the glass behind senior forward Oscar Tshiebwe, who pulled down 25 rebounds to set a new Kentucky tournament record. The Wildcats outrebouned the Friars 48-31.
Guard Antonio Reeves led Kentucky with 22 points, forward Jacob Toppin had 18 points and six rebounds and Tshiebwe chipped in eight points.
Forward Ed Croswell tallied 16 points and six rebounds and guard Devin Carter added 10 for Providence, which shot just 5-for-24 from 3-point range.
Men’s shocker: Fairleigh Dickinson takes down No. 1 Purdue
Five years after Virginia was knocked out in the first round by Maryland-Baltimore County, No. 1 Purdue lost 63-58 to Fairleigh Dickinson to become the second top seed to lose to a No. 16 seed since the bracket expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
The automatic bid out of the Northeast Conference, FDU was able to battle the Boilermakers to a draw in the paint despite a mammoth size disadvantage. FDU is the shortest team in Division I at an average height of 6-foot-3, with 6-foot-6 freshman Jo’el Emanuel the tallest player in the Knights’ rotation.
After Purdue went on a 12-0 run to go up 47-41 with under 12 minutes left, the Knights began chipping away behind forward Sean Moore, who finished with 19 points, 14 coming in the second half.
Purdue was led by 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey who tallied 21 points and 15 rebounds, but the Boilermakers struggled overall, shooting just 35.8% from the field and 19.2% from 3-point range.
This marks the third consecutive year the Boilermakers have lost to a double-digit seed in the tournament. In 2021 as a No. 4 seed, Purdue lost to No. 13 North Texas in the first round. Last year, the Boilers made it to the Sweet 16 but were knocked out by No. 15 Saint Peter’s.
— Paul Myerberg
No. 6 Kentucky up by seven over No. 11 Providence at half
Kentucky’s Oscar Tshiebwe (13) has the same amount of rebounds as the entire Providence team. Tshiebwe is only four points away from a double-double as the Wildcats head into halftime with a 38-31 lead over Providence. Kentucky collectively had 25 rebounds, including 13 offensive rebounds.
Jacob Toppin has 12 points and Antonio Reeves scored 14 points.
The Friars’ Bryce Hopkins got shook up with 1:52 left in the half, when Toppin blocked his dunk attempt. Hopkins suffered a cut on his left hand, but reentered the game after a TV timeout with tape on his hand. He has five points.
Women’s final: Mississippi State 81, Creighton 66
Mississippi State took the lead 18 seconds into the game and never gave it up.
The 11th-seeded Bulldogs became the first First Four team to reach the second round of the women’s tournament, routing sixth-seeded Creighton 81-66. Jerkail Jordan led five Mississippi State players in double figures with 20 points, while Jessika Carter had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
It was the second upset of the day by an SEC team, following 10th-seeded Georgia’s win over No. 7 Florida State.
— Nancy Armour
No. 1 Purdue trailing against No. 16 seed at half
Despite 12 first-half points from Zach Edey, No. 1 Purdue found itself trailing 32-31 after 20 minutes in its first-round matchup with Fairleigh Dickinson.
The top-seeded Boilermakers struggled to hit perimeter shots and relied solely on the 7-foot-4 Edey — who was double-teamed for most of the half — for offensive production.
The 16-seeded Knights had five different players finish the first half with at least five points.
It is the 12th time a No. 16 seed has led at halftime of a first-round game. Only one No. 16 seed has upset a No. 1 seed. UMBC took down top-seeded Virginia in the first round of the 2018 tournament.
Women’s final: LSU 73, Hawai’i 50
Angel Reese posted a career-high 34 points as No. 3 LSU dominated its first-round matchup with 14-seeded Hawai’i.
Reese’s 29th career double-double helped the Tigers get out to an early lead and not look back. She added 15 rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists.
Hawai’i struggled from the floor, shooting just 30.8% in the loss. The Rainbow Warriors could not take advantage of LSU making just one of its 14 attempts from 3-point range.
Women’s final: Virginia Tech 58, Chattanooga 33
The Hokies looked every bit of a No. 1 seed in their dominant 25-point win over the Mocs. Virginia Tech never trailed during the game thanks to Georgia Amoore’s 22 points, while Elizabeth Kitley added a double-double (12 points and 14 rebounds).
Both teams were careless with the ball, each registering 15 turnovers. But No. 16 seed Chattanooga wasn’t able to convert. The Mocs shot 28.6% from the field, 4-for-18 from three and only 1-for-5 from the free throw line. Chattanooga was also outrebounded 39-23.
Men’s final: Connecticut 87, Iona 63
The No. 4 Huskies pulled away in the second half for a decisive first-round victory over the 13-seeded Gaels.
The Rick Pitino-coached mid major fell short after a second-half surge from UConn. Huskies forward Adama Sanogo registered a double-double, leading all scorers with 28 points and adding 13 rebounds to go along with a block.
Despite Iona connecting on 7 of 16 attempts from 3-point range (43.8%), the Gaels were out-rebounded 45-29 and couldn’t keep pace with the Huskies down the stretch.
The game was also briefly delayed late in the second half after one of the nets ripped off its mooring.
Women’s final: Iowa 95, SE Louisiana 43
Caitlin Clark continues to make a case for Player of the Year.
The Iowa star needed just three quarters to record the 41st double-double of her career, and finished three rebounds shy of what would have been her first triple-double in the NCAA tournament. With the outcome against 15th-seeded Southeast Louisiana never in doubt, Clark didn’t play the last 7:36 of the game.
She finished with 26 points, 12 assists and seven boards in the 95-43 rout.
The second-seeded Hawkeyes now play 10th-seeded Georgia, an upset winner over Florida State earlier Friday
— Nancy Armour
Men’s final: Pittsburgh 59, Iowa State 41
For the 11th time in 12 years, a First Four team is dancing into the second round. And according to coach Pittsburgh coach Jeff Capel, they’re not ready for the music to stop anytime soon.
The No. 11 seed Panthers opened their first-round matchup against Iowa State on a 20-2 run and didn’t let up. The Panthers earned a 18-point victory over the Cyclones, knocking out the No. 6 seed. Jamarius Burton, Nelly Cummings and Greg Elliott combined for 34 of the team’s 59 points.
Pittsburgh held Iowa State to 23% (23!) shooting from the field, blitzing the Cyclones to set up a second-round game with 3rd-seeded Xavier (which is coached by former Pitt standout Sean Miller, no less). The Panthers are just three days removed from hanging on to beat Mississippi State 60-59 in the tournament’s play-in round.
It’s safe to say no one saw this run coming from Pitt, given how weak the ACC has been all year — no one except the Panthers, anyway.
“We’re hungry,” said senior guard Cummings, who led all scorers with 13 points, while also handing out 3 assists. “We’ve been doubted all year long. When we get to this stage, we’re happy to prove people wrong.”
Iowa State couldn’t get its offense going, shooting just 2 of 21 from the three-point line. The Cyclones didn’t help themselves at the free throw line either, going 11 of 19.
The NCAA said Iowa State questioned if the rims were level prior to tip off. “Building personnel checked it and made a minor adjustment prior to the game beginning. We offered them additional warmup time but they declined,” NCAA said in a statement to The Athletic.
— Lindsay Schnell and Cydney Henderson
Men’s final: Creighton 72, N.C. State 63
No. 6 Creighton pulled ahead late thanks to a second-half emergence by Baylor Scheierman, who drained multiple 3-point shots in the final minutes.
Ryan Kalkbrenner led the Bluejays with a 31-point performance. Ryan Nembhard, Arthur Kaluma and Scheierman chipped in with 10 points apiece.
Despite a torrid effort from N.C. State’s Terquavion Smith (32 points), the No. 11 Wolfpack shot just 37.5% from the field and couldn’t take advantage of Creighton’s streaky 3-point shooting.
Women’s final: Notre Dame 82, Southern Utah 56
The No. 3 Fighting Irish took care of business in the first round.
Maddy Westbeld led all scorers with 20 points for Notre Dame while teammate Lauren Ebo registered a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Megan Jensen was the lone player for 14-seeded Southern Utah to finish in double figures, scoring 11 points. The team shot just 35.7% from the field.