The beginning of the NCAA Tournament always seems to live up to the hype. The Big Dance did that and then some Thursday.
The Round of 64 kicked off at an absolutely frantic pace, with No. 14 seed Northeastern nearly pulling off the upset of No. 3 seed Notre Dame before falling 69-65. Yet the Huskies’ impressive effort was a harbinger of things to come.
In the second game of the day, No. 14 seed UAB trailed No. 3 Iowa State by one point in the game’s final minute. That’s when Blazers freshman William Lee took over, knocking down a huge jumper, blocking a shot on the other end and hitting two clutch free throws with 12 seconds remaining to give his team a three-point lead that it wouldn’t relinquish in a shocking 60-59 upset.
With the scent of burned brackets still in the air, No. 14 seed Georgia State looked to keep the magic going against No. 3 Baylor. It certainly did that, as guard R.J. Hunter hit a dramatic 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds remaining that knocked his father off his chair and gave the Panthers a one-point lead. The Bears’ desperation heave missed the mark, and Georgia State escaped with yet another stunning win.
Two No. 3 seeds out on the first major day of action. And we didn’t even mention UCLA’s game-winning three that wasn’t.
It was a wild 16-game slate to start the Round of 64. Check out a recap of all the madness below.
MIDWEST
(1) Kentucky 79, (16) Hampton 56
(3) Notre Dame 69, (14) Northeastern 65
(6) Butler 56, (11) Texas 48
(8) Cincinnati 66, (9) Purdue 65 (OT)
EAST
(1) Villanova 93, (16) Lafayette 52
(8) NC State 66, (9) LSU 65
SOUTH
(14) UAB 60, (3) Baylor 59
(4) Georgetown 84, (13) Eastern Washington 74
(5) Utah 57, (12) Stephen F. Austin 50
(11) UCLA 60, (6) SMU 59
WEST
(2) Arizona 93, (15) Texas Southern 72
(14) Georgia State 57, (3) Baylor 56
(4) North Carolina 67, (13) Harvard 65
(5) Arkansas 56, (12) Wofford 53
(6) Xavier 76, (11) Mississippi 57
(10) Ohio State 75, (7) VCU 72 (OT)
Thumbnail photo via John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports Images
