The Riverside Press-Enterprise
In First Four, Colorado St. routs Virginia, Wagner beats Howard
Joel Scott scored a season-high 23 points and had 11 rebounds as Colorado State won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in 11 years, blowing out Virginia 67-42 in the First Four - a play-in game - late on Tuesday night.
Nique Clifford added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Rams (25-10), who advance as a No. 10 seed to play today against seventhseeded Texas in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I’ll tell you what, hard to imagine tonight going any better for us,” Colorado State coach Niko Medved said. “Just a terrific performance, really, on both ends of the floor, from the opening tip.”
Other than San Diego State’s run to the national title game last spring, this is the first NCAA Tournament win by a Mountain West Conference team in 12 games.
Reece Beekman had 15 points on 4-of-16 shooting for Virginia, which hasn’t won an NCAA Tournament game since it won the national title in 2019. That stretch includes two first-round losses as a No. 4 seed.
The Cavaliers’ ugly performance ignited more debate about whether they should have made the tournament field. Although Virginia finished third in the Atlantic Coast Conference, it had just two Quad 1 wins and struggled offensively all season.
Colorado State dominated the boards and the Cavaliers couldn’t keep up, shooting 25% for the game. The Rams shot 55%, out-rebounded the Cavaliers 4324 and scored 36 points in the paint.
“(We) took away their strengths that they’re really good at,” Clifford said. “And then we didn’t let them take us out of our game plan. We stuck to what we do and just were confident in it.”
WAGNER 71, HOWARD 68 >> Melvin Council Jr. had 21 points as the Seahawks held off a late rally for the first NCAA Tournament win in program history. Wagner (17-15), the Northeast Conference champions, advanced as the No. 16 seed in the West Region and will play today against top-seeded North Carolina.
Howard trailed by 17 points early in the second half but went on a late 14-2 run, closing within 6968 on Bryce Harris’ layup with 18 seconds left. After Julian Brown hit a pair of free throws for Wagner, Howard attempted three
3-pointers in the last 6 seconds but missed them all.
Tuesday's NIT results
UTAH 84, UC IRVINE 75 >> Branden Carlson had 21 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks as the Utes beat the Anteaters late on Tuesday night in Salt Lake City in the first round of the NIT.
Gabe Madsen added 16 points for Utah (20-14), which took the lead with 33 seconds remaining in the first half and did not give it up.
Derin Seran had 16 points and Devin Tillis had 14 points and seven rebounds for UC Irvine (24-10). MINNESOTA 73, BUTLER 72 >> Dawson Garcia had 25 points and Elijah Hawkins made two free throws with 5.3 seconds left as the Golden Gophers rallied on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT.
Hawkins had 11 points for Minnesota (19-14). Jahmyl Telfort had 25 points for Butler (18-15) and DJ Davis (Centennial HS) had 13 points and seven assists. IOWA 91, KANSAS STATE 82 >> Payton Sandfort had 30 points, 12 rebounds, and made seven 3-pointers as the Hawkeyes won in Iowa City. Ben Krikke had 24 points and 11 rebounds for Iowa (19-14).
SOUTH FLORIDA 83, UCF 77 >>
Selton Miguel had 19 points off the bench as the Bulls won in Orlando. Kasean Pryor added 17 points and eight rebounds for South Florida (25-7). VIRGINIA TECH 74, RICHMOND 58 >> Lynn Kidd had 20 points and eight rebounds to lead the Holies in Blacksburg, Va. Michael Collins Jr.added 15 points, including four 3-pointers for Virginia Tech (19-14).
NORTH TEXAS 84, LSU 77
>> C.J. Noland had 21 points off the bench as the Mean Green won in Baton Rouge. Rubin Jones added 17 points for North Texas (19-14).
GEORGIA 78, XAVIER 76 >> Silas Demary Jr., scored in the lane for a four-point lead with 25 seconds left in regulation and the Bulldogs held on in Athens, Ga. Demary had 16 points to lead Georgia (18-16).
OHIO STATE 88, CORNELL 83 >> Jamison Battle made a goahead 3-pointer from the corner with 41 seconds left to lift the Buckeyes in Columbus, Ohio. Battle scored 17 points and Roddy Gayle Jr. had 17 for OSU (21-13).
BOSTON COLLEGE 62, PROVIDENCE 57 >> Claudell Harris Jr. made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 52.1 seconds left as the Eagles won in Providence, R.I. Harris scored 17 points to lead Boston College (20-15).