Sophomore forward Blake Griffin dominated No. 10 Michigan with 33 points and 17 rebounds, leading No. 2 Oklahoma to a 73-63 win. Michigan’s 1-3-1 zone defense kept the Wolverines in the game in the first half, but Griffin and the Sooners took over in the second half.
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Purdue: Boilermakers Outlast Washington
No. 5 Purdue led from start to finish against No. 4 Washington in a 76-74 victory. However, the Boilermakers had to hold off the Huskies during the closing minutes when they cut a 14-point lead down to two.
North Carolina: Lawson Delivers Tough Win Against LSU
Despite speculation that a toe injury would keep No. 1 North Carolina’s Ty Lawson out of today’s game, the senior point guard played and poured in 21 second-half points to lead the Tar Heels to an 84-70 win against No. 8 LSU. Lawson finished with 23 points, including 21 after halftime and seven during a decisive 17-2 run.
Connecticut: Huskies Have No Troubles With Texas A&M
No. 1 Connecticut excelled against No. 9 Texas A&M in a 92-66 win. Senior point guard A.J. Price had 27 points, five rebounds and eight assists to pace the Huskies’ offense, which scored at will in shooting 58 percent from the field.
Memphis: Tigers Whip Maryland With Hot Shooting
Memphis fired on all cylinders against No. 10 Maryland in an 89-70 blowout that wasn’t in doubt as early as midway through the first half. Memphis shot 59 percent for the game, including 70 percent in the first half. Freshman point guard Tyreke Evans led the Tigers with 19 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Villanova: Wildcats End UCLA’s Run to Final Fours
No. 3 Villanova started hot and built a double-digit lead that UCLA could never bounce back from in an 89-69 victory for the Wildcats. The win ends UCLA’s bid to reach a fourth consecutive Final Four. The Wildcats used a 19-2 run early in the game to pull ahead of the Bruins.
Thoughts and Notes From Day Two of the NCAA Tournament
Some notes and general thoughts from the games played on the second day of the NCAA Tournament, including an unsung hero, a coach who’s back to normal, a senior persevering in a victory, and a feast or famine team exiting the tournament.
Dayton: Flyers’ Defense Shuts Down West Virginia
No. 11 Dayton won an ugly slugfest against No. 6 Virginia 68-60 to pull one of the few upsets in the NCAA Tournament so far. The Flyers held West Virginia to 37 percent shooting and constantly frustrated the Mountaineers’ ball handlers with tight pressure.
Pittsburgh: Blair Powers Panthers Past Buccaneers
Sophomore forward DeJuan Blair was unstoppable for Pittsburgh, which needed his dominating inside presence to cover up for poor ball control in the Panthers’ 72-62 win against No. 16 East Tennessee State. Pittsburgh committed 18 turnovers, which allowed the Buccaneers to hang around for most of the game. Pitt did not stretch the lead to double digits until the final seconds of the game.
Arizona State: Sun Devils Win Despite Harden’s Struggles
No. 6 Arizona State found alternative scoring options with sophomore guard James Harden struggling, and the Sun Devils beat No. 11 Temple 66-57. The Owls’ Dionte Christmas out-dueled his acclaimed counterpart, scoring 29 points to Harden’s nine.