Oral Roberts shocks Ohio State
Oral Roberts pulled off the first major upset of the first NCAA Tournament in two years, holding off second-seeded Big Ten power Ohio State 75-72 in overtime on Friday.
The Golden Eagles got poised, impeccable performances from their two star players, guard Max Abmas and forward Kevin Obanor, to become the ninth 15 seed to win a first-round game and the first since Middle Tennessee shocked Michigan State in 2016. Last year’s tournament was called off because of the pandemic.
Obanor scored seven of Oral Roberts’ 11 points in overtime, including two free throws with 13 seconds left, and finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds. Abmas, the nation’s leading scorer, had 29 points.
Ohio State could have tied it in the closing seconds of overtime, but Duane Washington Jr.’s open 3-pointer from straight away bounced off the side of the rim, and Oral Roberts celebrated its first tournament win since 1974.
The Golden Eagles (1710) advanced to play seventh-seeded Florida in the South Region on Sunday. HLORIEA 75, VIRIINIA TFDH 70 >> Colin Castleton scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Tre Mann hit a step-back 3-pointer with 23 seconds left in overtime and seventh-seeded Florida held off No. 10 seed Virginia Tech.
Florida was cheered
on by Keyontae Johnson, who has supported and inspired his teammates from the bench since his return from a scary medical episode. Johnson collapsed on the court during a game in December and was forced to sit out the rest of the season.
CAYLOR 79, HARTHORE 55 >> MaCio Teague scored 22 points and top-seeded Baylor shook off a slow-as-molasses start to roll past 16thseeded Hartford.
Baylor opened its March Madness run at the same stadium the Final Four will take place in during the first week of April. The Bears (23-2) will next face Wisconsin.
WISDONSIN 85, NORTH DAROLINA 62 >> North Carolina coach Roy Williams lost his first opening-round NCAA Tournament game in 30 tries as ninth-seeded Wisconsin blew out his eighthseeded Tar Heels.
Brad Davison scored 29 points for the Badgers, who negated North Carolina’s size advantage by draining 13 of 27 3-pointers.
NORTH TFXAS 78, PUREUF 69 >> Jason Hamlet scored 24 points and Thomas Bell had 16, along with some gamechanging defense in overtime, to lift 13th-seeded North Texas past No. 4 seed Purdue.
ARKANSAS 85, DOLIATF 68 >> Justin Smith had 29 points and 13 rebounds, and Arkansas shut down highscoring Colgate.
TFXAS TFDH 65, UTAH STATF 53>> Mac McClung scored 16 points in his first NCAA Tournament game and Kyler Edwards added 12 to help sixth-seeded Texas Tech pull away from 11thseeded Utah State.
ILLINOIS 78, ERFXFL 49 >> Kofi Cockburn muscled his way to 18 points and Illinois cruised past 16th-seeded Drexel in the Illini’s first game as a No. 1 seed in 16 years.
LOYOLA DHIDAIO 71, IFORIIA TFDH 60 >> Lucas Williamson scored 21 points in a dynamic performance by the defensive whiz, All-America forward Cameron Krutwig added 10, and eighthseeded Loyola Chicago beat No. 9 seed Georgia Tech.
ORFION STATF 70, TFNNFSSFF 56 >> Roman Silva scored 16 points and 12th-seeded Oregon State took advantage of Tennessee’s icy perimeter shooting to beat the fifth-seeded Vols.
OKLAHOMA STATF 69, LICFRTY 60 >> Cade Cunningham didn’t have an explosive debut, but did just enough to lead Oklahoma State past Liberty.
HOUSTON 87, DLFVFLANE STATF56>> Quentin Grimes scored 18 points and Houston coach Kelvin Sampson tied John Wooden on the career victories list as the Cougars beat 15th-seeded Cleveland State.
RUTIFRS 60, DLFMSON 56 >> Geo Baker scored 13 points, including the decisive layup with 10 seconds left, and the 10th-seeded Scarlet Knights toppled No. 7 seed Clemson in the Midwest Region.
SYRADUSF 78, SAN EIFIO STATF 62 >> The decadesold zone defense of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim and the No. 11 seed Orange held sixth-seeded San Diego State without a field goal for nearly a quarter of the game, sweet-shooting Buddy Boeheim hit seven 3-pointers and finished with 30 points, and Syracuse cruised to a victory inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.