TOURNAMENT: USC rallies past SMU
Kentucky 79, Northern Kentucky 70 INDIANAPOLIS – Bam Adebayo had 15 points and 18 rebounds as Kentucky showed the new kids on their block how it’s done at NCAA Tournament time, gritting out a victory over stubborn Northern Kentucky.
The second-seeded Wildcats (30-5) won their 12th straight and got their firstgame jitters out of the way. They also wound up with a surprisingly close finish after pulling ahead by 18 points in the second half. North Carolina 103, Texas Southern 64 GREENVILLE, S.C. – Justin Jackson broke out of a shooting slump with 21 points to help top-seeded North Carolina roll past Texas Southern.
The Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year had made just 20 of 60 shots (33 percent) and 7 of 31 3-pointers (23 percent) in his last four games. But he had 19 points by halftime in this one, helping the Tar Heels (28-7) quickly eliminate any chance of an unprecedented upset. Arkansas 77, Seton Hall 71 GREENVILLE, S.C. – Jaylen Barford hit the goahead layup with 57.8 seconds left to help Arkansas hold off Seton Hall in the first round.
Barford had 12 of his 20 points after halftime for the Razorbacks (26-9), the No. 8 seed in the South Region. Wichita State 64, Dayton 58 INDIANAPOLIS – Wichita State’s high-flying offense didn’t get off the ground until the closing minutes, when the Shockers played like the more tournament-experienced team and pulled away to a victory over Dayton.
The 10th-seeded Shockers (31-4) won their 16th in a row – the second-longest streak in school history – by clamping down on defense and swatting away shots down the stretch. Wichita State blocked eight shots and held the seventh-seeded Flyers (24-8) to a season-low 31 percent from the field. EAST REGION USC 66, SMU 65 TULSA, Okla.– Elijah Stewart hit a late 3-pointer for No. 11 seed USC as the Trojans upset sixth seeded SMU in the first round.
Stewart had 22 points for the Trojans (26-9). Bennie Boatright and Chimezie Metu each added 14 for USC, which advances to play Baylor in the second round of the East region on Sunday.
Duke 87, Troy 65 GREENVILLE, S.C. – Grayson Allen had 21 points off five 3-pointers, Jayson Tatum had 18 points and 12 rebounds, and second-seeded Duke continued its perfect postseason with a victory over Troy to start the East Region.
The Blue Devils (29-7) became the first team to win four games on the way to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament crown last week. South Carolina 93, Marquette 73
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Sindarius Thornwell had 29 points and 11 rebounds to help seventh-seeded South Caroli- na win its first NCAA Tournament game in 44 years.
South Carolina (23-10) last won a game in the NCAAs when it topped Southwestern Louisiana 90-85 in a regional consolation game on March 17, 1973. Exactly 44 years later, the drought – the Gamecocks were one-anddone in their next five appearances – finally came to end in front of a boisterous, South Carolina crowd who traveled the 2 hours north from Columbia to witness the end of an ugly run they couldn’t have imagined would last this long. Baylor 91, New Mexico State 73
TULSA, Okla. – Al Freeman came off the bench to score 21 points, and No. 3 seed Baylor defeated No. 14 seed New Mexico State in the first round of the NCAA’s East Regional.
Jo Lual-Acuil scored 16 points and Johnathan Motley added 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears (26-7), who were upset in the first round by Georgia State and Yale the previous two years.