March Madness continues: Live updates, highlights, results from round of 32
After two jam-packed days of college basketball, the second round of the men’s NCAA tournament is underway. The field has been cut in half, the contenders have emerged — and we get to do it all again today.
We’ve got you covered with all the March Madness action right here, featuring updates from writers at every site and analysis on what each final result means.
Jump to: Live updates | Results and analysis | Women’s tracker
Saturday’s schedule (all tips ET):
(11) Drake vs. (3) Texas Tech, 6:10 p.m. (TNT)
(9) Creighton vs. (1) Auburn, 7:10 p.m. (TBS)
(6) BYU vs. (3) Wisconsin, 7:45 p.m. (CBS)
(8) Gonzaga vs. (1) Houston, 8:40 p.m. (TNT)
(7) UCLA vs. (2) Tennessee, 9:40 p.m. (TBS)
Saturday results
Final: Arkansas defeated St. John’s 75-66
How Arkansas won: In a second-round game that had the intensity and physicality of a Sweet 16 matchup — with an amped-up crowd contributing to a special March Madness environment — Arkansas built an 11-point second-half lead before holding off a late charge from St. John’s to post the 9-point victory. RJ Luis Jr., the Big East Player of the Year, had 9 points on 3-of-17 shooting from the field, as his struggles reflected what ultimately cost the Red Storm most: a brutal shooting performance. After totaling a season-high 14 3-pointers in their first-round win over Omaha, the Storm were 2-of-21 from 3 against Arkansas. They shot 28% from the field.
But take nothing away from the Razorbacks, who navigated much of the second half with big man Jonas Aidoo playing with four fouls and backup Zvonimir Ivisic fouling out midway through the second half. That was asking a lot against St. John’s Zuby Ejiofor, who was terrific with 23 points and 12 rebounds. St. John’s managed to cut the lead to 2 in the second half, and Amica Mutual Pavilion was buzzing, but Arkansas held its ground. — Mike Reiss
Final: Purdue beat McNeese 76-62
How Purdue won: Purdue played with the pedigree of a team that was in the national championship game a year ago with its convincing 76-62 victory over McNeese. Led by junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (22 points, 15 rebounds) and All-America guard Braden Smith’s steady hand in the face of pressure, the Boilermakers started fast by opening a 17-6 lead in making an early statement that they weren’t overlooking the Cinderella-story Cowboys, who had dominated No. 5 Clemson in the first round. Purdue trailed just once (3-2) in a game that had a “been-there, done-that” feel to it. A signature moment came when Smith dove to keep the ball in play in the first half, directly in front of the Purdue bench. It was an all-out effort from the leader who was willing his team into the Sweet 16 in the Midwest Region, where they will play in Indianapolis, about 65 miles from campus in West Lafayette. — Mike Reiss
