Gonzaga: Later, Sooners
Tourney’s top seed (28-0) moves on
Gonzaga continued to roll behind a career-high 30 points and 13 rebounds from Drew Timme as the top-seeded Bulldogs beat No. 8 seed Oklahoma 87-71 on Monday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga won its 32nd straight game dating to last season, passing its first real test of the NCAAs in the Bulldogs’ quest to be the first undefeated champion since Indiana 45 years ago.
The Zags advanced to their sixth straight Sweet 16 and will next face Creighton in the West Region.
Austin Reaves scored 27 points for Oklahoma.
Timme, sporting a handlebar mustache, was 9 of 12 shooting and 12 of 14 at the free-throw line. Corey Kispert and Jalen Suggs added 16 points each for Gonzaga.
Creighton 72, Ohio 58 — Marcus Zegarowski of Hamilton scored 20 points to help No. 5 seed Creighton beat Ohio, securing the program’s first trip to the round of 16 in 47 years.
Dwight Wilson III scored 12 points to lead 13th-seeded Ohio.
Oregon 95, Iowa 80 — Chris Duarte scored 23 points and Oregon showed no signs of rust after a long layoff, beating No. 2 seed Iowa to reach the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in the past five NCAA Tournaments.
The seventh-seeded Ducks were put in an unprecedented spot, advancing to the second round without playing a game. VCU’s multiple positive COVID-19 tests took care of that, leaving Oregon with a nine-day break since losing in the Pac-12 Tournament title game.
The Ducks shot 56% and hit 11 3-pointers. LJ Figueroa made five 3s while scoring 21 points and Will Richardson added 19 points.
Luka Garza played like a two-time All-American, capping his stellar college career with 36 points and nine rebounds for the Hawkeyes
Michigan 86, LSU 78 — Topseeded Michigan salvaged the Big Ten’s best hope for NCAA
Tournament glory, getting 21 points each from Chaundee Brown and Eli Brooks in a a roller-coaster victory over talent-rich LSU.
Michigan moved on to its fourth straight Sweet 16, where it will play Florida State next weekend.
LSU’s Cameron Thomas scored a game-high 30 points.
Florida St. 71, Colorado 53 — Anthony Polite scored a career-high 22 points and No. 4 seed Florida State pulled away in the second half to beat Colorado 71-53 and advance to the Sweet 16 for the third straight tournament.
D’Shawn Schwartz scored 13 points for fifth-seeded Colorado (23-9), which shot 36% overall. McKinley Wright IV, Colorado’s leading scorer for the season with more than 15 points per game, finished with 10 on 4-of-12 shooting. Colorado was seeking its first Sweet 16 trip since 1969.
UCLA 67, Abilene Christian 47 — Johnny Juzang scored 17 points and 11th-seeded UCLA carefully brushed off pesky No. 14 seed Abilene Christian.
The Bruins meet the winner of Alabama in their first regional semifinal appearance since 2017.
Reserve Mahki Morris led Abilene Christian with 22 points.