After an exciting Day 1 in the NCAA tournament, 32 more teams are in action Friday.
We have a full 12 (or more!) hours of hoops in store, including the NCAA tournament debut of Duke superstar Cooper Flagg, who is returning from an ankle injury that kept him out of two games in the ACC tournament. And can North Carolina keep up the momentum from its big First Four win with an upset of Ole Miss?
Whether you’re watching all 16 first-round games or refreshing score pages, consider this your guide to all the major highlights and results, along with reactions and on-site reporting from ESPN writers across the country.
Jump to: Full schedule | Live updates | Results and analysis
No. 9 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 UConn, 9:25 p.m. (TNT)
No. 11 Xavier vs. No. 6 Illinois, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
No. 15 Bryant vs. No. 2 Michigan State, 10 p.m. (TBS)
No. 12 Liberty vs. No. 5 Oregon, 10:10 p.m. (truTV)
DAY 1 RESULTS
Most recent games listed first.
Final: Maryland beat Grand Canyon 81-49
How Maryland won: Grand Canyon took an early 7-2 lead, but it was the largest the Lopes would see the rest of the way — Maryland mounted a 9-0 run to take over and never looked back, cruising to a 32-point win and second-round date with Colorado State. The Terrapins had five players who finished in double-digit scoring, including DeShawn Harris-Smith, who contributed 11 points off the bench. They shot 50.8% from the field overall. — Staff
Final: Ole Miss beat North Carolina 71-64
How Ole Miss won: The Rebels held on — but only after a game plan that had worked to near perfection for 31 minutes began to unravel. Ole Miss suddenly stopped scoring and its defense, which had frustrated and smothered North Carolina, began struggling with the Tar Heels’ speed and willingness to push the ball downcourt. But after a 22-point lead dwindled to two with 1:09 left, guard Sean Pedulla hit a 3-pointer from the wing — Ole Miss’ eighth triple, but its first of the second half — with 52 seconds remaining. Coach Chris Beard’s team controlled the rebounding edge for most of the game and received more consistent offense from its backcourt of Pedulla and Dre Davis. Chants of “SEC!” broke out in the final seconds as the Rebels advanced to face Iowa State on Sunday. — Adam Rittenberg
Final: Saint Mary’s beat Vanderbilt 59-56
How Saint Mary’s won: Vanderbilt had two chances to send the game to overtime. Instead, 3-point attempts by Jason Edwards and Devin McGlockton careened no good off the rim, propelling St. Mary’s to the Round of 32 for the third time in four years. The Gaels rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit by owning the paint, outrebounding the Commodores 24-13 in the second half. Luke Barrett and Mitchell Saxen both posted double-doubles for the Gaels. Saxen grabbed the final offensive rebound for St. Mary’s and drew a foul to get back to the line, making the second free throw to put the Gaels up three. Vandy had two open looks to tie it up. Instead, the Commodores have now lost eight of their last nine NCAA tournament games. — Jake Trotter
Final: Duke beat Mount St. Mary’s 93-49
How Duke won: There was little doubt about Duke advancing from tip. The Blue Devils thumped Mount St. Mary’s by 44 points, with four players in double figures and head coach Jon Scheyer emptying his bench for the final five minutes of action. It wasn’t exactly a crisp performance for the No. 1-seeded Duke, but Mount St. Mary’s made it easy, shooting just 8-of-33 from the field and 2-of-13 from 3 in the second half. The Mountaineers went more than eight minutes without scoring at one point. The Blue Devils now face Baylor with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. — David Hale
Final: Colorado State beat Memphis 78-70
How Colorado State won: Another 5-seed bit the dust in the first round with Kyan Evans helping Colorado State make it happen against Penny Hardaway’s Memphis. The Tigers controlled the first half en route to a 36-31 lead, with Dain Dainja leading the way while PJ Haggerty — the nation’s third-leading scorer — struggled to find the bottom of the net. But Evans caught fire in the second half to the tune of a season-high 23 points and a pair of 3-pointers that helped the Rams stretch their lead to 10 points in the final minutes. Haggerty did finish with 18 points on 7-of-23 shooting, but six of those points came in the final minute, by which point CSU had all but punched its ticket to the second round. — Brady Henderson
Final: Iowa State beat Lipscomb 82-55
How Iowa State won: Milwaukee continues to be a favorite spot for Iowa State and coach T.J. Otzelberger, who grew up in the city and led the Cyclones to the Sweet 16 here in 2022. ISU displayed its standard stifling defense, holding Lipscomb to a season-low 55 points and just 28.6% shooting from 3-point range, where the Bisons typically do most of their damage. The Cyclones kept the ball away from top Bisons scorer Jacob Ognacevic until the game was out of reach, and they led by more than 20 points for the final 13:32. The difference between Friday and three years ago was an ISU offense that showed its potency, mainly behind Milwaukee-area native Milan Momcilovic, who had his first 20-point game since November. ISU also regained point guard Tamin Lipsey, who had 10 points and four assists in his return from a groin injury. — Adam Rittenberg
Final: Alabama beat Robert Morris 90-81
How Alabama won: Robert Morris forward and Cleveland native Amarion Dickerson delivered a memorable performance in his hometown, but the Colonials ran out of steam down the stretch. Dickerson scored a game-high 25 points and briefly gave the Colonials their first lead with a driving-and-1 basket with 7:44 to play, prompting the packed Rocket Arena crowd to erupt with “Amarion” and “Robert Morris” chants. Alabama ultimately salted the game away by drawing fouls and getting to the line. The Crimson Tide also got a late boost from forward Grant Nelson, who sat out the first 31 minutes and 13 seconds after injuring his left knee in last week’s SEC tournament. Nelson, Alabama’s leading rebounder (7.6 per game), scored five points and grabbed three rebounds in his limited minutes. When he returned to the bench, the Crimson Tide had the game in hand 82-71. — Jake Trotter
Final: Baylor beat Mississippi State 75-72
How Baylor won: What was a comfortable 11-point lead for Baylor with a little more than eight minutes on the clock turned into a nail-biter in the final minute, but VJ Edgecombe drained two critical free throws while Mississippi State’s Claudell Harris Jr. airmailed a deep 3 out of bounds with less than 1 second left on the clock. It’s Scott Drew’s fifth straight year opening the NCAA tournament with a first-round win, though the Bears haven’t advanced to the second weekend since winning it all in 2021. — David Hale
