East Regional

(1) DUKE 85 (16) NORTH DAKOTA ST. 62

Zion Williamson had an explosive NCAA Tournament debut with 25 points to lead the Blue Devils to a win over the Bison in Columbia, S.C.

RJ Barrett led Duke (31-5) with 26 points and 14 rebounds and combined with Williamson for a prolific showing for the freshman stars. But it was Williamson who could not be contained in the second half, and he turned a tight early contest into a Duke runaway in the first round.

Duke led just 31-27 at halftime, but Williamson opened the second half by driving on two defenders for a layup that drew a foul. He missed the free throw but slammed home the rebound, and his layup moments later gave the Blue Devils a 40-27 lead.

North Dakota State (19-16) never recovered.

(9) CENTRAL FLORIDA 73 (8) VCU 58

Tacko Fall had 10 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks as the Knights beat the Rams in Columbia, S.C., for their first NCAA Tournament victory.

Central Florida’s win sets up an intriguing matchup with overall top seed Duke between the game’s tallest player in Fall and its most dynamic star in Blue Devils freshman Zion Williamson on Sunday.

UCF (24-8) built a 21point lead in the second half. VCU (25-8) narrowed the margin to 62-55 on De’Riante Jenkins’ 3-pointer with 4:53 to go, but could get no closer.

(4) VIRGINIA TECH 66 (13) SAINT LOUIS 52

Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 20 points, Kerry Blackshear added 15, and the Hokies earned their first NCAA Tournament win in 12 years by beating the Billikens in San Jose, Calif.

Virginia Tech (25-8) had lost in the first round the past two years under coach Buzz Williams before finally breaking through and earning a second-round matchup against No. 12 seed Liberty.