Michigan advances as Howard returns to court
Howard returns to tourney, takes top-seeded Michigan into 2nd round with easy victory
Juwan Howard guides Wolverines to win vs. Texas Southern, his first tourney win since taking over at Michigan.
WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. >> Juwan Howard won his first NCAA Tournament game since taking over at Michigan, guiding Mike Smith and the top-seeded Wolverines to an 82-66 victory over Texas Southern on Saturday.
Smith scored 18 points and Hunter Dickinson added 16 as Michigan rolled into the second round without Isaiah Livers, who is out with a foot injury. Eli Brooks and Brandon Johns Jr. had 11 points apiece.
Howard is back in the tournament for the first time since his stellar playing career with Michigan, including back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1992 and 1993. It’s his second season in charge, but the NCAA Tournament was canceled last year because of the pandemic.
Howard and the Wolverines (21-4) had little trouble with the No 16 seed Texas Southern, but the absence of Livers could lead to adversity down the road. Next up is No 8 seed LSU on Monday.
Michael Weathers had 24 points for the Tigers (17-9).
LSU 76, ST. BONAVENTURE 61 >> Freshman Cameron Thomas scored 27 points in another impressive performance and his LSU teammates provided the rebounding muscle, leading the eighth-seeded Tigers past ninthseeded St. Bonaventure.
LSU (19-9) can reach its second straight Sweet 16 if it beats Michigan.
Darius Days and Aundre Hyatt each had 13 points and Trendon Watford had 11. Days and Watford also had 11 rebounds each while Hyatt grabbed 10. The Tigers have won five of six.
Jaren Holmes scored 18 points and Osun Osunniyi had 15 points and nine rebounds for St. Bonaventure (16-5). COLORADO 96, GEORGETOWN 73 >> Colorado used an early 3-point barrage to parlay its highest
seeding ever into a win over Georgetown and coach Patrick Ewing.
Led by freshman Jabari Walker’s 5-for-5 shooting clinic from 3-point range, the fifth
seeded Buffs (23-8) made 16 3-pointers and shot 64% from long range.
FLORIDA STATE 64, UNC GREENSBORO 54 >> RaiQuan Gray scored 17 points and Florida State began what it hopes will be another deep run under coach Leonard Hamilton, holding off 13thseeded UNC Greensboro.
The Seminoles, who reached the Elite Eight and the Sweet 16 in the previous two tournaments, allowed the Spartans to hang around deep into the second half thanks to an uneven offensive performance.
ALABAMA 68, IONA 55 >> Herb Jones scored 20 points and second-seeded Alabama pried open a tight game to beat coach Rick Pitino’s underdogs from Iona.
Jones had a steal and layup that highlighted an 11-0 run and gave Alabama (25-6) breathing room at 54-46 after the teams seesawed with the lead through much of the second half. The Crimson Tide advanced. CREIGHTON 63, UC SANTA
BARBARA 62 >> Christian Bishop made both ends of a one-and-one with 16 seconds left to give fifthseeded Creighton the lead, and the Bluejays hung on to beat 12th-seeded UC Santa Barbara.
Creighton’s turbulent season, which included a one-game suspension for coach Greg McDermott after he made a racially insensitive remark in the locker room, continues Monday in the West Region when the Bluejays (21-8) face either Virginia or Ohio.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 72, DRAKE 56 >> Evan Mobley had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 6 seed Southern California used smothering defense to beat Drake.
Mobley, a 7-foot freshman forward and AP second-team All-American expected to be a lottery pick if he declares for the draft, made 7 of 15 field goals and blocked three shots. KANSAS 93, EASTERN WASHINGTON 84 >> David McCormack returned from his COVID-19-caused hiatus just in time to rescue No. 3 seed Kansas, piling
up 22 points and nine rebounds as the slow-starting Jayhawks rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to beat No. 14 seed Eastern Washington.
IOWA 86, GRAND CANYON 74 >> Iowa got 24 points from Luka Garza and avoided the early exit that befell other high seeds with a victory over Grand Canyon. OHIO 62, VIRGINIA 58 >> Virginia’s unusual title defense ended with another upset loss, falling to Jason Preston and Ohio. OKLAHOMA 72, MISSOURI 68 >> Austin Reaves scored 23 points, Brady Manek added 19 and Oklahoma slipped by ninth-seeded Missouri. MARYLAND 63, UCONN 54 >> Eric Ayala scored 23 points and Maryland clamped down on defense down the stretch to snag a victory over No. 7 UConn. GONZAGA 98, NORFOLK STATE 55 >> Corey Kispert scored 15 of his 23 points by halftime and No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga rolled in its opener, beating Norfolk State.
UCLA 73, BYU 62 >> Johnny Juzang poured in 27 points in his second big game of the NCAA Tournament, Jules Bernard provided a big second-half lift, and