With brackets locked and ready to bust, the 2012 NCAA men’s basketball tournament kicked off its first full day of action with 16 games on four networks. 64 teams entered Thursday with a shot at the ultimate prize.
Murray State (6) vs. Colorado State (11)
The madness began Thursday morning in the West Region with the sixth seeded Murray State Racers defeating the Colorado State Rams 58-41. Trailing 24-23 at the half, Murray State put the clamps down defensively in the second half, outscoring the Rams 35-17. The Racers were led by their star backcourt of Isaiah Canaan and Donte Poole who had 15 and 13 points respectively. The turnover margin proved to be the deciding factor in the contest with Murray State forcing 21 turnovers while only committing seven. Murray State will play third seeded Marquette in the next round on Saturday.
Kansas State (8) vs. Southern Miss (9)
The second game on the docket took place in the East Region where the eighth seeded Kansas State Wildcats hung on to beat the ninth seeded Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 70-64. The Wildcats were led by junior Rodney McGruder’s 30 point outburst. Junior big man Jordan Henriquez added 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocks for K State. The Wildcats will play top seed Syracuse in the next round.
Louisville (4) vs. Davidson (13)
Game three featured the Big East conference tourney champ Louisville Cardinals against the Davidson Wildcats in the West Region. The fourth seeded Cardinals defeated Davidson 69-62 to advance to the next round . Louisville was led by junior point guard Peyton Siva who had 17 points and six assists. Louisville will play New Mexico on Saturday.
Wisconsin (4) vs. Montana (13)
The Wisconsin Badgers hammered the Montana Grizzlies 73-49 to advance in the East Region. Wisconsin was led by senior guard Jordan Taylor’s 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Junior forward Ryan Evans added 18 points and eight rebounds to the Badgers cause. Wisconsin will play Vanderbilt in the next round.
Marquette (3) vs. BYU (14)
In the West Region, the Marquette Golden Eagles crushed the BYU Cougars 88-68 to advance. Marquette was powered by a strong performance from senior Jae Crowder, who had 25 points, 16 rebounds, four assists and four steals. For the second straight game, the BYU Cougars dug themselves a big first half deficit. Trailing 49-34 at the half, BYU mounted a small rally in the second half but were ultimately no match for the Golden Eagles.
Syracuse (1) vs. UNC-Asheville (16)
The most controversial and surprising game of the day came in the East Region where top seed Syracuse struggled against UNC-Asheville, escaping with a 72-65 victory. The final moments of the game were marred by lousy officiating that left the crowd in disbelief and gave Syracuse the upper hand. A questionable lane violation on a missed free throw and blatant bad call on an out of bounds play proved too much for UNC-Asheville to overcome. The Bulldogs fell short in their bid to become the first 16 seed to defeat a top seed.
New Mexico (5) vs. LBSU (12)
The New Mexico Lobos outlasted the Long Beach State 49ers 75-68 in one of the closer games of the day. The Lobos received stalwart performances from guard Kendall Williams and forward Drew Gordon. The pair combined for 34 points and were pivotal in leading New Mexico through to the next round.
Vanderbilt (5) vs. Harvard (12)
In the battle of prestigious academic universities, the Vanderbilt Commodores outfoxed the Harvard Crimson 79-70 to advance in the East Region. Junior guard John Jenkins led Vanderbilt with 27 points. The Commodores got nice contributions from Brad Tinsley and Jeffrey Taylor, scoring 16 and 15 respectively while big man Festes Ezeli hauled down 11 rebounds with four blocks.
Kentucky (1) vs. Western Kentucky (16)
Overall top seed Kentucky cruised to an easy 81-66 victory over in-state foe Western Kentucky in the South Region. The Wildcats had four players in double figures, led by Terrence Jones with 22 points. Freshman sensation Anthony Davis and Doron Lamb both added 16 points. Kentucky will play Iowa State on Saturday.
Wichita State (5) vs. VCU (12)
The most exciting game of the day and the biggest upset in terms of seeding came in the South Region. The 12th seeded Virginia Commonwealth Rams stunned the fifth seeded Wichita State Shockers 62-59 to advance. The Rams were led by Bradford Burgess, who hit the eventual game-winning three and finished with 16 points. VCU will play the Indiana Hoosiers in the next round on Saturday.
Gonzaga (7) vs. West Virgina (10)
In somewhat surprising blowout fashion, the Gonzaga Bulldogs pummeled the West Virginia Mountaineers 77-54 to advance in the East Region. The Zags received balanced production, with four starters scoring double figures. Gonzaga will play second seed Ohio State on Saturday.
Baylor (3) vs. South Dakota State (14)
The third seeded Baylor Bears avoided the upset bid of the Jackrabbits from South Dakota State with a 68-60 victory in the South Region. Baylor had four players in double figures. Pierre Jackson had 18 points and Brady Heslip drilled five triples and finished with 17. Baylor will play Colorado in the next round.
Connecticut (9) vs. Iowa State (8)
Defending national champion Connecticut is one and done this year after the Huskies were rolled by the Mayor Fred Hoiberg and his Iowa State Cyclones 77-64 in the South Region. Iowa State dominated the glass, out rebounding UCONN 40-21 and putting forth a balance scoring attack. Talented big man Royce White posted a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Indiana (4) vs. New Mexico State (13)
The Indiana Hoosiers handled the New Mexico State Aggies 79-66 to advance in the South Region. Guard Jordan Hulls led the Hoosiers with 22 points, including four three pointers. Cody Zeller, Christian Watford and Will Sheehey each added 14 points.
Ohio State (2) vs. Loyola (15)
The Ohio State Buckeyes defeated Loyola (MD) 78-59 behind a stellar performance from sophomore sensation Deshaun Thomas who scored 31 points and snatched 12 boards to send the Greyhounds packing. Jared Sullinger chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds while William Buford added 17 points.
UNLV (6) vs. Colorado (11)
The final game of the evening came in Albuquerque in a battle between the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels and the 11th seeded Colorado Buffaloes. The Pac-12 tourney champion Buffaloes jumped out to an early lead, holding a 36-25 halftime advantage. Colorado received a huge boost from freshman guard Askia Booker, who scored 16 points off the bench. UNLV mounted a valiant comeback but was unable to overcome the deficit. Colorado hung on for the 68-64 victory and moves on in the South Region. Current 2012 Mater Dei basketball recruits Katin Reinhardt and Xavier Johnson will be at UNLV and Colorado next season, respectively, while the Monarchs remain alive in the CIF State High School Hoops Tourney and play on Saturday vs. Bullard (Fresno). Senior Monarchs guard Eli Stalzer also signed with Colorado to play basketball in 2012.
