Mar 22, 2026
3 min read
The NCAA Tournament continues on Friday with 16 more games at four regional sites to determine the final entry into the Round of 32.
The NCAA Tournament continues Friday with 16 more games at four regional sites to determine the final round of 32 teams.
Day 1 left us with one big disappointment (nice to meet you, Chase Johnston), one big fear (exhalation, Duke fans) and a lot of chalk.What did Day 2 bring?
Atlético accompanies you to Friday's results.
Nr. 6 Tennessee 78, Nr. 11 Miami (Ohio) 56
Miami (Ohio) proved it belongs in the NCAA Tournament in Wednesday's first four win over SMU.On Friday, the RedHawks looked completely outmatched, losing to the Volunteers in the Midwest Regional.
The dream season is over.The Vols shot 53 percent and shot 9-for-20 from 3-point range, led by senior guard Ja'Koby Gillespie's 29 points.
Miami emerged as one of the defining stories of the season, starting 31-0 and becoming the 21st Division I program to complete a perfect regular season.However, Tennessee's size and physicality proved too much to handle.The RedHawks were outscored by 17 and went 40-16 in points, finishing their season 32-2.
Despite the lopsided score, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said Miami (Ohio) "wins some games in our league, it doesn't matter."—Justin Williams, Staff Writer
No. 7 Kentucky 89, No. 10 Santa Clara 84
With nine seconds left, Kentucky-Santa Clara went into overtime after Otaga's shot from Oveh tied the score at 70-70.With two seconds left, Santa Clara was on a roll and seemed to be flowing heading into the second period when a 3-pointer from Allen Graves gave the Broncos a 73-70 lead and the Wildcats didn't call a timeout.
However, the sneak clock was zero when Oweh's 3 deflected off the glass, forcing overtime at 73-73.
It was necessary.
In overtime of the Midwest Regional game, Santa Clara was held to 9 of its 10 3-pointers, making just three, while Kentucky attacked the paint and outscored the Broncos by 35 points from Owayh.- Devon Henderson, staff writer
no.4 Kansas 68, no.13 Cal Baptist 60
Dominic Daniels Jr., take a bow.Or two.Or as much as you want.
In a game that seemed all but decided after Darrin Peterson's three-pointer gave the Jayhawks a 20-point lead at halftime, Daniels had no such shot on his to-do list Friday night.
Daniels, or Domination or Dom dollar as Cal Baptist's incessant student section calls him, is the nation's fifth-leading scorer at 23.2 points per game.After two seasons of just over 19 games, questions swirled about his likely move to a major program that would offer him stacks of cash and stacks of brand deals.He would have no part of it, and spent two weeks of prayer and a water fast to finally choose to stay.at Cal Baptist under Rick Croy.
And such questions about his future are sure to knock on Daniels' door this season after the senior guard scored 20 points in the second half against Kansas in an Eastern Conference game.Daniels put the Lancers on his back and came back from a 26-point deficit with 16 minutes left to score six points in the final minutes of the game.to stop one of the greatest - and rarest - plays in mid-major basketball.
Ultimately, Peterson needed it tonight for Kansas.As the freshmen entered their first and perhaps last March Madness game, all the questions swirling around the Jayhawks seemed to focus on the biggest mystery of this college basketball season: their supporters.Will they cramp again when it matters most?Will they be able to play in March?
One game can't answer all, but if possible, Peterson checked all the boxes and left the narrative at least for one night.After a start where neither team could hit the field goal, Peterson helped Kansas take a 15-point lead late in the first half and added 13 in the second half to finish with the most points (28) by a Jayhawks rookie in March Madness.
Jayhawks survive, but Rick Pitino's strong St. John's team awaits Peterson and the Jayhawks on Saturday.- Ira Golawala, college basketball writer
No.2 UConn 82, No.15 Furman 71
UConn head coach Dan Hurley never hid his feelings.
So when Furman hit a three-pointer in the first half to cut the Paladins' halftime deficit to just four points, Hurley stood back and looked on blankly as the team walked off the court.
"What are we doing?"He said to no one in particular.
His spirits improved early in the second half of the East Region affair, after a quick 8-2 run put the Huskies back by double digits.
"Let's go, let's go!"Hurley yelled this time, especially at everyone.
UConn won 82-71, but the game remained a dogfight until the final minutes, when Huskies big man Taris Reid Jr. grabbed three straight rebounds in the same possession, capped by an Alex Karaban 3-pointer to push the lead to double digits and fall short.
It was a career-defining night for Reed, who finished with 31 points (12-of-15) and 27 rebounds (11 offensive), career highs.It was also the first 20-point game for the Huskies in the NCAA Tournament in 61 years.
Furman was paced by Tom Home and Alex Wilkins, who went 9-of-24 from 3-point range for 21 points.However, the Cavaliers scored 22 points for the Huskies and Reed's monster performance was too much for the Paladins.-Justin Williams, College Sports Writer
No. 7 Miami 80, No. 10 Missouri 66
In what felt like a road game, Miami made big shot after big shot down the stretch.By the time it was over, the arena, once full of Mizzou fans, was almost empty.
Miami coach Jay Lucas won his first NCAA tournament game by transferring Malik Reno (24 points) and Tre Donaldson (17 points, eight rebounds and six assists).Five-star Shelton Henderson had a game-high dunk and finished with 15 points.
The first half of the Western Conference game was poor, and the Hurricanes led 27-26 at halftime. The two teams played in the second half, and the Hurricanes hit 7 of 11 threes. When Leno was not in the post, Miami kept the Tigers in confusion and often looked for a shooter.
Mizzou's leading scorer Mark Mitchell, who scored just four points and didn't make a field goal in the first half, finished the game with 19 points and a career-high three 3-pointers.The Tigers are making their NCAA Tournament debut for the second year in a row.- C.J.Moore, college basketball writer
No. 9 Utah State 86, No. 8 Villanova 76
The clash in the West on Friday afternoon was concocted by students of similar basketball engineering; Utah coach Jerod Calhoun used the same defense as the father of Villanova coach Kevin Willard.It was one of the first things Willard noticed when his Wildcats drew the Aggies in Selection Sunday.Utah adopted Ralph Willard's hand-me-down zone, but Calhoun has made his own twists in recent years with the addition of man coverage.
While it would be easy to assume that Kevin Willard would have an advantage over Calhoun, as he understands his father's determination better than anyone else, Willard praised his opponent on Thursday, saying he "probably does it better than anybody."And on Friday, it was revealed.
Calhoun's offense did not stop even after the momentum blew through Villanova early in the second half as Utah State scored almost three minutes later.But the Aggies fought back in a 16-6 run and went on in the final 15 minutes, eventually pulling off a 10-point lead at the last minute.- Ira Gorawara, college basketball writer
No. 9 Iowa 67, No. 8 Clemson 61
Iowa led the entire game to beat Clemson in a matchup you'd expect from two low-scoring teams that are among the lowest in the nation.They combined for nearly three scoreless minutes in the first half and hit 31-of-51 shots at the break.Iowa had its own scoring drought nearly six minutes into the second half — and it still wasn't over.
Hawkeyes star Bennett Stirtz had his worst shooting night of the season (4-for-17) and finished with 16 points and five rebounds.RJ Godfrey led Clemson with 15 points and seven rebounds.
Iowa advanced to the second round of the South Regional with a matchup against No. 1 seed Florida.- Matt Baker, college sports writer
No. 1 Florida 114, No. 16 Prairie View A&M 55
Believe it or not, the score was tied at 15 after 6 1/2 minutes.Prairie View A&M made a play for a while by making five 3-pointers on its first 11 trips, but the Panthers cooled off.When they did, it was cool: Florida held them scoreless for six minutes and outscored them 45-6 the rest of the way.
Florida's size is a problem for even the best teams in the country, and it was overwhelming for small Prairie View A&M.The Gators scored an astounding 20 points in the first 8 1/2 minutes and 38 in the first half, barely hitting any jumpers as they generated so many shots and dunks.
in fact,According to official statistics, Florida had just 34 possessions through 15 innings and two overtimes, leading 60-21 at halftime.In a feat almost unheard of in this era.The Gators led by 18 points before making a three-pointer.Guard Boogie Fland hit all five shots in the first half and scored 13 of his 16 points before halftime.
The final margin of victory, 59 points, set the record for the largest since the field expanded to 64 teams, and was surpassed only by Loyola's 111-42 victory over Tennessee Tech in 1963.
The top-seeded Gators will draw No. 9 seed Iowa in the Southern Division on Sunday, and a partisan crowd should support them again.—John Hollinger, senior writer.
No. 5 Texas Tech 91, No. 12 Akron 71
Texas Tech never trailed, but couldn't pull away until the closing minutes to avoid an Akron upset.
Red Raiders guard Christian Anderson, who left the Big 12 tournament injured after slipping on the glass court, made some big plays for the team.Midway through the second half, he had a steal and dunk to extend Texas Tech's lead to 11. Anderson was one of five Red Raiders forwards to score at least 14 points in the Midwest Regional win.
The Zips hurt themselves early by missing 13 of 22 shots from the line in the first half.Amani Lyles led Akron with 26 points.
Texas Tech coach Grant McCasland said Thursday that defensive rebounding is one of his team's biggest areas for growth.The Red Raiders finished with 32 on Friday — a crucial showing as they try to advance to the Sweet 16 against Alabama-Hofstra on Sunday.— Matt Baker, high school sports writer
N. 2 Purdue 104, N. 15 Queens University 71
Braden Smith set the NCAA all-time assist record in the Boilermakers' easy Western Conference victory.
Purdue has too much size, too many shots (14 of 24 from 3) and too much experience for Quincy to stay close.
Without Smith, the Boilers showed nervousness early, but settled down after Smith had a game-high about eight minutes in. Smith had a great complete game, finishing with 26 points and eight assists.Trey Kaufman-Wren (25 points and nine boards) and Oscar Clough (9 points, 11 boards, five assists, a season-high and four blocks) dominated.Fellow senior Fletcher Loyer hit four 3-pointers and added 14 points.
The Boilers will face the winner of Miami-Missouri.—C.J.Moore, College Basketball Writer
No. 5 St. John 79, No. 12 Northern Iowa 53
A big advantage goes into March.Just ask North Carolina.But from the start of the East Regional game, it was clear that St.The Red Storm jumped out to a 20-3 lead and never got back within single digits. Rick Pitino called several timeouts out of frustration as Northern Iowa went on several mini drives to cut the lead to 13. St.John's was arguably better than the No. 5 seed, and it showed.
The possession showed how athleticism is displayed.St. John's outshot its opponent 45-29 and committed just eight turnovers.At 15, with five minutes remaining, Red Storm big man Zubi Ejiofor slid in and literally ripped what should have been an easy board for one of the two UNI players around.That was the look of this game and the Panthers never had a chance.- Sam Bloom, staff writer
7th place UCLA 75, 10th place UCF 71
Even with leading scorer Tyler Bludeau sidelined with a knee injury, the Bruins emphasized defense for most of the game in their East Regional win.
The Bruins missed Bilodeau offensively, especially on just 6-of-21 shooting from beyond the arc.But while UCLA turned 17 turnovers into 19 points, UCF shot just 38 percent from the field and 5 of 16 from the free throw line.
Playing in its first NCAA Tournament since 2019, UCF cut the deficit to 3 after an 11-0 run early in the second half, but UCLA responded with an 8-0 run to stem the tide.A late push by the Knights cut it to 3 again in the final seconds before the Bruins converted to hold on.
Donovan Dent, who, like Bilodeau, made the Big Ten Tournament, shot just 4 of 17 for 10 points, but had five assists and zero turnovers.Led by Eric Daley Jr.the Bruins by his 20 points.
Also, UCLA guard Skyy Clark hit a snag.He's back in the game.—Justin Williams, staff writer
No. 1 Arizona 92, No. 16 LIU 58
On Thursday, Siena led top-seeded Duke by 13 in the second half and stayed in the game until the final minute.The 16th seed will probably have to lose this one in the end to upset the No. 1 seed. It was Siena, but not LIU.That was evident in the first few seconds of the Arizona-LIU West Region game and the Wildcats' ability to take a 32-point lead after 23 minutes in the West Region game.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd was never worse than No. 4 during his five years in Tucson, and he was No. 2 or lower in four of those seasons.However, he never got the Wildcats past the Sweet 16. This year's team may be the best he's ever fielded, but nothing these Wildcats do in San Diego will be considered an achievement.Lloyd will have to prove his March courage if and when Arizona does it in San Francisco.- Sam Blum, staff writer
nr 3 Virginia 82, nr 14 Wright State 73
Not this time, Cinderella.Despite trailing in the first half and a shaky first 30 minutes, Virginia held off Wright State.
Ironically, this was Virginia's first NCAA Tournament win under coach Tony Bennett, who won the national championship in 2019. This came a year after the Hoos were a No. 1 seed in the tournament.The first No. 1 to lose to a No. 1 seed16 at UMBC in 2018, coached by current Virginia coach Ryan Odom.
Odom was able to break the cycle of March Madness pain early in his first season with the Cavaliers.
Virginia ripped off separate runs of 9-0 and 11-0 to shut out a Wright State squad that forced 14 turnovers and shot an uncharacteristic 13-for-31 from 3-point range.But the Hoos were too strong in the Midwest Regional, shooting 52 percent from the floor and 13 of 26 from deep, led by a 6-for-8 day from Jacari White, who led all scorers in points.26. Raiders only scored 3 points in last 5 1/2 minutes.- Justin Williams, staff writer
No 4 Alabama 90, No 13 Hofstra 70
Who can stop LaBaron Philo Jr.From the edge to the edge?Alabama's stunning second-graders broke the deadlock by exploding for 21 of his 29 games with a high 29 points after half-time, confusing the Hofstra defense with a series of slaps to the edge that showed his huge lead.With no second-choice scorer Aden Holloway, the Crimson Tide also needed all of Fillon's production as Alabama overcame a deficit of the first 10 points.
Flynn also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out seven assists, most notably scoring a Linden Jamison transition dunk that drew Giggles to the bench.Freshman forward Emery Allen did a great job handling the ball and gave 11 points, five rebounds and four assists, while big man Eden Sherrill was a problem inside (nine offensive boards) and outside (two 3s) making 15. He finished with points and 15 rebounds.The fourth-seeded Tide will play fifth-seeded Texas Tech in Tampa, Fla., on Sunday.- John Hollinger, senior author
2 Iowa State 108, No.15 Tennessee State 74
Cyclones star Joshua Jefferson sprained his left ankle early in Friday's win over the Midwest Regional.X-rays came back negative and he was not taken to the second round.
The details of how the Cyclones won are irrelevant at this point.What matters most to Iowa State is Jefferson's role Sunday against Kentucky and the entire NCAA tournament.Jefferson has been the rock for ISU this season, making a second-team All-American as an all-around forward.He is averaging 16.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
The Cyclones (28-7) still had a roll without Jefferson against the Tigers, with 25 points from freshman Kellyanne Black, 22 off the bench from Nate Hayes and 17 from Milan Momselovic.Toure, who some teams haven't protected lately, is the X-factor for the Cyclones.When he shoots -- as he did today (8-for-12 from the field and 2-of-3 from 3) -- the Cyclones are one of the best offensive teams in the country.But it will be hard to move on without Jefferson, who returns to the bench in a boot and bisacchi.- CJ Moore, staff writer
