A capsule look at what to expect and who to watch during Friday’s first-round games of the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA Tournament
March is a star search. It’s about buzzer-beating shots, comebacks, giant killers and teases. A short time after two No. 5 seeds were chopped down, top-seeded North Carolina was clinging to a one-point halftime lead. And then Arizona was blown out. Welcome to the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga pulled away from Seton Hall for a 68-52 victory Thursday night behind a 21-point, 16-rebound effort from Domantas Sabonis and a shutdown defensive effort on Seton Hall’s Isaiah Whitehead.
Rodney Bullock’s layup with 1.5 seconds left helped Providence beat USC 70-69 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament
Jamal Murray led five players in double figures with 19 points and the fourth-seeded Wildcats routed Stony Brook 85-57 on Thursday night to set up a showdown with rival Indiana in the second round on Saturday.
Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker combined for 29 points and Wichita State’s swarming defense did the rest as the Shockers beat Arizona 65-55 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Larry Krystkowiak had just watched his Utah Utes make one silly mistake after another as feisty Fresno State scored 10 straight points to grab its first lead of the night. Rather than call a timeout and let the Bulldogs whip up the crowd even more, he left it to his players to figure things out on their own.
Brice Johnson scored 18 points and No. 1 seed North Carolina needed an overwhelming second-half start to put away 16th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast 83-67 in Thursday’s first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Yogi Ferrell had 20 points and a season-high 10 assists, O.G. Anunoby pitched in 14 points and No. 5 seed Indiana took charge of its NCAA Tournament opener against Chattanooga on the way to a 99-74 victory on Thursday in the East Region.
Angel Rodriguez had 24 points and seven rebounds as third-seeded Miami held on to defeat No. 14 seed Buffalo 79-72 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Little Rock senior guard Josh Hagins made a 3-pointer from the edge of the half-court logo to send the game into overtime, a high looper off glass to send it into double-overtime, and kept right on scoring — 31 points in all — until his team had beaten Purdue 85-83 and grabbed a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Svi Mykhailiuk scored a career-high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting and Perry Ellis had 21, leading top-seded Kansas to a 105-79 victory over Austin Peay on Thursday.
It’s not really a stunner, but it’s a great story. Makai Mason, a little sophomore guard, lifted little Yale to its first-ever NCAA Tournament win in its first appearance since 1962.
Matt Youmans, Kelly Stewart and Golden Nugget sports book director Tony Miller preview Friday’s first-round games.
Makai Mason had a career-high 31 points, including six of Yale’s final nine points, and the No. 12 seed Bulldogs held on to upset fifth seed Baylor 79-75 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
1
2
3
4
5
‘Shrooms’-related bills could be passed by Nevada lawmakers next year
Here’s why Las Vegas drew no bids in its Cashman Center auction
Raiders star buys into Las Vegas pizza chain franchise
Coroner IDs Uber driver killed in shooting in front of Strip resort
Where to dine out for Thanksgiving in Las Vegas