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Both teams have gotten off to a less than stellar starts on offense, with the Volunteers in particular struggling to hit shots from 3-point range.
Tennessee are shooting 2-of-8 from the field, including 0-of-4 from beyond the arc, yet somehow hold a slim lead over the Wildcats.
Score: Tennessee 7, Kentucky 4
Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.
Michigan State has seven of them as Ole Miss has taken a 10-point lead with just under four minutes to play in the first half. The Rebels have scored nine points off turnovers alone.
Just as the Spartans looked threatening, guard Matthew Murrell scored five points for the Rebels in a 30-second span to lead the Rebels to the huge run.
It’s a dangerous moment for the Spartans with about 3:30 to go in the half.
Score: Ole Miss 29, Michigan State 19
We are underway in Indianapolis for the first of two Sweet 16 matchups at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday night.
First up, we’ll have an all-SEC showdown as No. 3 Kentucky and No. 2 Tennessee square off for the first time in the NCAA Tournament with a trip to the Elite Eight on the line.
Kentucky’s already conquered Tennessee twice this season, fueled by shooting a blistering 50% (12-for-24) from three-point range in those matchups. Tennessee, meanwhile, has struggled offensively against the Wildcats, shooting just 22.2% (14-for-63) from beyond the arc across both losses.
The Wildcats are attempting to advance to a NCAA-leading 35th Elite Eight, and first under head coach Mark Pope, who replaced the iconic John Calipari.
They’ll turn to all-SEC Second Team selection Otega Oweh, who’s scored at least 15 points in each of their first two round games.
For the Volunteers, they’ll be looking to punch their ticket to the Elite Eight for a second consecutive season.
The winner will play against either No. 1 Houston or No. 4 Purdue on Sunday.
The good news – Michigan State star freshman Jase Richardson found the team’s first taste of success from 3-point range about halfway through the first half.
The bad news – it came amid an 8-1 run by Ole Miss to extend the lead.
The Rebels have looked like the better team to start things out but one thing about Tom Izzo’s Spartans: They do not rollover until the final whistle.
There is a little more than seven minutes until halftime.
Score: Ole Miss 22, Michigan State 14
Just like that, Ole Miss is up five at the 11-minute mark.
Senior guard Sean Pedulla knocked down the game’s first 3-pointer and did not look back.
Following another three made, Pedulla leads the way with eight points.
Michigan State have yet to hit a 3-pointer and are struggling with fouls and turnovers.
Can Tom Izzo’s squad curb the early struggles?
Score: Ole Miss 15, Michigan State 10
Ole Miss got out to a slim 6-4 lead over Michigan State to start off the game.
Both teams have yet to knock down a 3-pointer.
Surely more points will be scored but defense seems to be a key factor so far.
Score: Ole Miss 6, Michigan State 4
No. 3 seed LSU vs No. 2 seed NC State in Spokane, Washington, just might be the most anticipated game in Friday night’s women’s Sweet 16 action.
This will be the third game on Friday, at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, and is a rematch from November, when LSU won 82-65 in the Bahamas.
Head coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers are slight favorites, powered by their trio of Aneesah Morrow, Flau’Jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. Meanwhile, NC State (28-6) has four players who average double digits in scoring, led by Aziaha James with 18.1 points per game.
While LSU (30-5) has scored more than 100 points twice in the tournament (against San Diego State and Florida State), NC State has shut down its opponents (Vermont and Michigan State) defensively.
“It’s a big challenge, but I think we’ve also – our post position has adjusted some now,” NC State head coach Wes Moore said on how his team has improved since that meeting in the Bahamas.
“We’ve had some freshmen that have come on, and they’re getting more playing time. Just, hopefully, we’ve gotten better defensively – I mean, we started out season 4-3 and since then, we’re 24-3. So I’m proud of this group. They have done a heck of a job of turning it around.”
Maryland’s upset bid over No. 1 South Carolina slid away in the game’s final minutes as th defending champions locked down on defense and took advantage of some Terrapin mistakes.
The Gamecocks and Terps traded leads throughout the fourth quarter, but South Carolina took it back with 2:22 to go and refused to let go from there. The Gamecocks’ defense was what made the difference – Maryland scored a bucket to go up 60-59 with 3:25 to go and then didn’t score again until the final seconds.
The Terps will rue their missed opportunities, including a travel with 55 seconds to go that cost them valuable time down the stretch. Maryland then couldn’t get the ball in-bounded with 35 seconds to go, with the ball being knocked down by South Carolina’s Raven Johnson and then bouncing off Maryland’s Kaylene Smikle before it went out of bounds.
Maryland refused to go easy, hitting a three with 25 seconds to play, ending a three-minute scoring drought. But with 19.6 seconds to go, a turnover on an in-bounds play by Shyanne Sellers sealed Maryland’s fate.
The Terps would eventually make one final layup after South Carolina hit their free throws. The Gamecocks advance to play Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
Final score: South Carolina 71, Maryland 67
To kick off the first of four games on this Sweet 16 Friday in the men’s bracket pits No. 2 seed Michigan State and No. 6 Ole Miss in Atlanta.
The Rebels, playing in their second-ever Sweet 16, are looking to make a maiden Elite Eight but a tough Spartans team stands in their way.
Tom Izzo’s squad want to cash in on a potential first Elite Eight appearance since 2019.
Who will come out on top?
The game has tipped off at State Farm Arena.
One of the most legendary coaches in college basketball says some of Coen Carr’s spectacular dunks have single-handedly altered the outcome of some of Michigan State’s victories this season. That’s high praise coming from someone like Tom Izzo – who is set to lead No. 2 Michigan State versus No. 6 Ole Miss in a few moments.
The sound alone of Carr’s thunderous jams is enough to lift a Spartan crowd straight out of their seats, let alone the sight of him flying above the rim.
But the forward from a small town in Georgia has an away-from-the-court hobby that appears to run perpendicular to his ability to posterize seemingly helpless opponents.
Carr likes the quiet challenge of building LEGO sets when not running the floor for another two-handed slam. In fact, the thoughtful skill suits him BETTER than stuffing a hoop.
“I think finishing a block model is definitely more satisfying than finishing a dunk. A dunk doesn’t really take that long. It’s a quick second, but this (building a LEGO set), you can literally see your progress,” Carr said.
“I think this is a lot more rewarding.”
Tonight, the Rebels are likely hoping for Carr to be thinking about LEGO’ing rather than jamming tonight in Atlanta.
Duke hung on to down Arizona 100-93 to advance to their second straight Elite Eight and 25th overall in program history.
Cooper Flagg showed why he is considered one of the best recruits in college basketball history, finishing with 30 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win. He added three blocks too.
Flagg told the CBS broadcast after the game that the team knew it would be an “absolute battle” coming into the game.
“They can just compete really, really hard,” Flagg said. “It was just about staying strong and do what we do.”
Caleb Love’s effort kept the Wildcats in the game until the very end.
The senior guard scored a game-high 35 points.
The Blue Devils will face No. 2 seed Alabama on at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday with a chance to advance to their first Final Four appearance since 2022. That game will air on TBS/truTV.
It was a historic night in Newark, New Jersey for the No. 2 seed Alabama squad.
With the 113-88 win over No. 6 seed BYU, the Crimson Tide will head to their second consecutive Elite Eight, where they will face Duke on Saturday at the Prudential Center.
The Tide knocked down a remarkable 25 3-pointers, including 21 combined from guards Mark Sears, Aden Holloway and Chris Youngblood – the most in men’s NCAA tournament history. Loyola Marymount made 21 3-pointers in 1990, setting the previous mark.
Alabama’s 51 3-point attempts are the most by any team in March Madness.
The senior Sears finished with 34 points while Holloway added 23 points.
Sears mentioned his struggles over the last few games on the CBS broadcast after the game.
“I knew this was the perfect example to go out there and let a couple go in,” he said.
No. 1 Florida are through to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017, after knocking off No. 4 Maryland 87-71 in San Francisco.
Four of Florida’s five starters, and six players total, finished in double figures in points, with Will Richard leading the way with 15 points.
“It’s who we are, it’s part of our DNA, it’s what makes us good,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said after the win on the team’s ability to shoot and rebound.
Florida faces the Red Raiders next.
Texas Tech trailed by as much as 16 before using an incredible late run to tie the game with nine seconds to go, going on to win in overtime after getting one last defensive stop on Arkansas.
Darrion Williams made a twisting, driving layup with seven seconds to go in the extra period to put his team ahead for good, the last two of his 20 points. It put the finishing touches on a win that will go down in NCAA tournament history – the Red Raiders’ comeback was the second-biggest comeback in Sweet 16 history.
Arkansas, with one final possession, turned to DJ Wagner to force a second overtime, but his shot came up short for the No. 10 Razorbacks. It was a heartbreaking collapse for the Razorbacks, an unlikely team to be playing the role of this year’s Cinderella given the amount of talent on the team helmed by head coach John Calipari.
Christian Anderson led the way for Tech with 22 points and Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin added 20 points.
No. 3 Texas Tech goes on to play Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday for a chance to go to the Final Four. That game will air on TBS/truTV.
There’s a potential stunner in the works right now in the women’s tournament.
No. 4 Maryland is up on No. 1 South Carolina and the Terrapins are giving the defending champions all they can handle.
The terps took the lead into halftime and built it to as large as seven early in the third quarter, the largest lead of the game. The Gamecocks are favorites for the title again this year and were expected to have a little extra edge after being snubbed of the top seed in this year’s tournament.
The shots just aren’t falling for South Carolina, shooting only 33% from the field. Maryland is limiting turnovers and are being led by Kaylene Smikle and Shyanne Sellers, who have 11 and 10 points respectively.
It’s about halfway through the fourth quarter and the Terps are holding on with all their might.
Score: Maryland 43, South Carolina 37
In their first-ever meeting in the women’s NCAA tournament, Duke defeated heated rivals North Carolina in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
The Blue Devils and Tar Heels played a tight defensive battle that was befitting the stakes of the matchup, with a berth in the Elite Eight on the line. The low-scoring affair ended up 47-38.
The Tar Heels took the lead early, with the Blue Devils storming back in the second quarter and then holding on down the stretch. Oluchi Okanawa led the way for the Blue Devils with 12 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
UNC shrunk the Duke lead to just two points late in the third quarter, but the Blue Devils’ defense – which held the Tar Heels to 28% shooting from the field – locked down and didn’t allow another bucket until almost halfway through the fourth quarter.
The teams had met 110 times before Friday throughout their storied rivalry.
It’s a night full of college basketball in the men’s and women’s tournaments!
Here’s the schedule for the men:
- 7:09 p.m. ET – (2) Michigan State vs. (6) Ole Miss from Atlanta (CBS)
- 7:39 p.m. ET – (2) Tennessee vs. (3) Kentucky from Indianapolis (TBS/truTV)
- 9:39 p.m. ET – (1) Auburn vs. (5) Michigan from Atlanta (CBS)
- 10:09 p.m. ET – (1) Houston vs. (4) Purdue from Indianapolis (TBS/truTV)
And for the women:
- 2:30 p.m. ET – (2) Duke vs. (3) North Carolina from Birmingham, Alabama (ESPN)
- 5 p.m. ET – (1) South Carolina vs. (4) Maryland from Birmingham, Alabama (ESPN)
- 7:30 p.m. ET – (2) NC State vs. (3) LSU from Spokane, Washington (ESPN)
- 10 p.m. ET – (1) UCLA vs. (5) Ole Miss from Spokane, Washington (ESPN)
