Sporting Alert

College Football, NCAAB, NBA, NFL

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Schedule, Stream, Live TV Channels: March 28

by Leave a Comment

Anaheim, CA — The college basketball NCAA Tournament resumes on Thursday with the Sweet 16 round and here are the schedule, times and television channels for the list of games.

Today’s schedule includes four games with two No. 1 seeds hoping to stay alive in the NCAA Tournament.

The action gets underway at 7:09 PM ET at Honda Center in Anaheim, Califonia, where top-seed Gonzaga meets No. 4 seed Florida State will meet in a rematch of last season’s Sweet 16, which was won by the Seminoles.

Embed from Getty Images

Live coverage of this West Region round of 16 game will be on CBS, while NCAA.com will provide live online streaming coverage for those who are on the go.

The Bulldogs (32–3) booked their place in the Sweet 16 with wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Baylor in the first and second round.

Florida State (29-7), meanwhile, brushed aside Vermont and Murray State in the earlier rounds and will be hoping to do a repeat over Gonzaga for a second consecutive year.

Gonzaga comes into this game averaging 88.6 points per game and giving up 60.0 at the other end, while the Seminoles are scoring 75.4 PPG and allowing 65.5 PPG.

Embed from Getty Images

Florida State could be without Phil Cofer, who missed the first two games of the tournament because of a foot injury. He is also dealing with the death of his father, who had died after a long illness.

“We’re going to respect Phil during this tragedy and the passing of his father,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton was quoted as telling Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.

“He knows where we are, and we know where he is. We’re here for him.”

The other No. 1 seeded team in action on Thursday is Virginia, which faces Pace-12 Tournament champion and the 12th-seeded Oregon at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

Coverage of this game is at 9:57 PM and it is live on TBS. NCAA.com is also providing online streaming coverage.

Embed from Getty Images

Oregon enters this game with a just a 7.0 percent chance of beating Virginia (31-3), according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.

The Ducks (25-12) come into this game on a 10-game winning streak and could be very difficult for the Cavaliers.

Virginia, in the meantime, looks confident so far in the tournament, but coach Tony Bennett has been busy preparing his team for the tougher fixtures.

The Cavaliers were dumped from the tournament in the first round last season and started a little shaky against No. 16 Gardner-Webb this season before erasing a 14 point deficit in the first half to win that game.

Also in action in the Sweet 16 today are the clashes between No. 2 seed Tennessee and No. 3 Purdue at 7:29 PM on TBS at KFC Yum! Center, as well as the second-seeded Michigan battle against No. 3 seed Texas Tech at Honda Center at 9:39 PM.

NCAA Tournament Schedule, TV Channels, Live Stream
Thursday, March 28

2019 NCAA Tournament West Regional – (Sweet 16)

Florida State vs Gonzaga – 7:09 PM ET – CBS – NCAA.com
Honda Center – Anaheim, CA

Michigan vs Texas Tech – 9:39 PM ET – CBS – NCAA.com
Honda Center – Anaheim, CA

2019 NCAA Tournament South Regional – (Sweet 16)

Purdue vs Tennessee – 7:29 PM ET – TBS – NCAA.com
KFC Yum Center – Louisville, KY

Virginia vs Oregon – 9:57 PM ET – TBS – NCAA.com
KFC Yum Center – Louisville, KY

Waters’ Late Layup Carries No. 2 LSU Past Maryland 69-67 In NCAA Tournament 2nd Round

by Leave a Comment

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tremont Waters finished brilliantly with less than two seconds left on the clock and No. 3 seed LSU furiously held off No. 6 seed Maryland 69-67 in its East Region NCAA Tournament game on Saturday.

With the game locked at 67 apiece, Waters expertly drove by three defenders and then scooped in a banking layup with 1.6 seconds remaining to scored the game-winner and sends LSU (28-6) in the Sweet 16.

The sophomore ended with 12 points and five assists, while Skylar Mays, who knocked down four 3-pointers, including one to knot the game at 67-67 late in the second half, led the Tigers in scoring with 16 points to go with his five rebounds.

LAST TIME LSU REACHED SWEET 16

According to ESPN Stats and Information, the game-winner by Waters pilots LSU in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2006 when the Tigers went to the Final Four.

In 2006 it took a Darrel Mitchell game-winning 3-pointer with 3.9 seconds for the Tigers to beat Texas A&M in the round of 32 game.

Naz Reid added 13 points and scored Darius Days 10 off the bench for LSU, which squandered a 15-point lead and almost got eliminated from the NCAA tournament.

Jalen Smith led the way for Maryland (23-11) with 15 points, eight rebounds and five blocks, while Anthony Cowan Jr. added 11 points and six assists and four boards in the defeat.

Aaron Wiggins contributed 11 points, Bruno Fernando registered a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds and Darryl Morsell chipped in 10 points for the Terrapins.

LSU will play either Minnesota or Michigan State in the Sweet 16 in Washington D.C. on Friday.

NCAA Tournament Scores and Results – March Madness on March 21

by Leave a Comment

DES MOINES, Iowa — Minnesota and Murray State registered upset wins over higher seeds in the NCAA Tournament first round on Thursday. Latest March Madness scores and results.

At the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA, No. 10 seed Minnesota beat No. 7 seed Louisville 86-76 in the opening round of the East Region, while No. 12 seed Murray State defeated No. 5 seed Marquette in the opening round of the West Region at XL Center in Hartford, CT.

Freshman Gale Kalscheur scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Gophers past the Cardinals, as Minnesota won its first NCAA Tournament game in six years.

“I thought we played really good defense when we needed to. We showed great toughness and grit down the stretch,” said Minnesota coach Richard Pitino, whose father Rick Pitino coached the Cardinals for 16 seasons before he was fired 2017.

“You can’t undersell it. That’s a terrific win for our guys. Being proud of (them is) probably an understatement for these guys.”

Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy had 18 points with six rebounds each, while Daniel Oturu and Dupree McBrayer finished with 13 points apiece for Minnesota (22-13), which made 11 3-pointers and shot 50.0 percent overall from the field.

“This wasn’t about getting the win for coach Pitino. It was about getting the win for us in general and advancing to the next round,” said Murphy.

“That’s what makes him happy, and that’s what makes us happy.”

Christen Cunningham led Louisville (20-14) with 22 points, and Steven Enoch added 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.

Darius Perry scored 12 points and Jordan Nwora contributed 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinals, who shot 9 for 26 from long-range and went 44.1 percent from the floor overall.

Meanwhile, Ja Morant grabbed a triple-double and Murray State stunned the fifth-seeded Marquette 83-64 in the West Region in Connecticut.

Morant, who ended with 17 points, 16 assists and 11 rebounds, was collecting his ninth triple-double in NCAA Tournament history.

Tevin Brown scored 19 points with six rebounds and made 5 for 9 from 3-pointers.

KJ Williams added 16 points and Shaq Buchanan finished with 14 points and six boards for the Racers (28-4), who shot 53.6 percent from the field.

Markus Howard was the leading scorer for Marquette with 26 points and Sam Hauser added 16 points and 11 rebounds in the defeat.

How rare was Ja Morant’s #MarchMadness triple-double?

We haven’t seen one since Draymond Green in 2012! #MorantMadness pic.twitter.com/3jkqjqRs4e— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 22, 2019

The Golden Eagles (24-10) shot 32.4 percent from the field in the loss and went just 8 for 31 from 3-pointers.

In other early NCAA Tournament first round results on Thursday, No. 4 seed Kansas dominated Northeastern 87-53 in the opening round of the Midwest Region, while second-seeded Michigan State held off Bradley 76-65 in the opening round of the East Region.

Elsewhere, fourth-seeded Florida State held 13th-seeded Vermont 76-69 in the opening round of the West Region, No. 3 seed LSU survived against 14th-seeded Yale 79-74 in the opening round of the East Region and No. 5 seed Auburn held on for a 78-77 win over the 12th-seeded New Mexico State in the Midwest Region.

Fairleigh Dickinson Beats Prairie View A&M, 82-76 In NCAA Tournament First Round Game

by Leave a Comment

DAYTON, Ohio — Darnell Edge poured in an impressive career-high 33 points to help Fairleigh Dickinson rally to win its first-ever NCAA Tournament game, after beating Prairie View A&M 82-76 in the tourney opener on Tuesday night.

“It’s overwhelming,” said Fairleigh Dickinson coach Greg Herenda. “When you coach for 35 years and you take a team to an NCAA Tournament and a team that, when I got here six years ago, we had nothing.

“And to build it, and then it’s here, and it’s so sad that every coach can’t experience this.”

Edge connected on 7 of his 9 shots from 3-point range and went 9 of 13 overall from the field to lead the way for the Knights (21-13) in the First Four, as they advanced to take on No. 1 seed Gonzaga in Salt Lake City on Thursday.

“Having coach go through that last year, I remember us being in practice and him always just telling us that he just wanted to be there with us,” Edge said.

“All he thought about while he was in the hospital was us. So we rallied together, and it’s just a great win for us, for our program.”

Good support also came from sophomore guard Jahil Jenkins, who scored 20 of his 22 points in the second half to go with six assists and four rebounds, while Mike Holloway Jr. and Kaleb Bishop each collected double-double in the win.

“Jahlil Jenkins has the biggest heart in Ohio right now,” Herenda said. “As a sophomore, he took over the game in the second half.”

Holloway Jr. had 10 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks and Bishop added 10 and 11 rebounds for Fairleigh Dickinson, which had to recover from 13-point deficits in both halves.

Gary Blackson hit six 3-points on his way to scoring 26 points to lead the way for Prairie View A&M.

Devonte Patterson had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Panthers (22-13), who entered the game also seeking their first NCAA tournament win.

Chancellor Ellis made four 3-points and scored 12 points off the bench in the defeat for Prairie View A&M.

“Could have gone either way, but I guess the best team made plays late and they were able to win the game,” said Prairie View coach Byron Smith.

Fairleigh Dickinson will enter the main NCAA tournament bracket as the No. 16 seed in the West Region.

Villanova Beats Michigan 79-62, Wins Title Behind DiVincenzo 31pts

by Leave a Comment


SAN ANTONIO, TX — Donte DiVincenzo came off the bench to score 31 points No. 1-seeded Villanova beat third-seeded Michigan 79-62 on Monday night at Alamodome in San Antonio to win its second National Championship in three years.

DiVincenzo, who played a team-high 37 minutes and was instrumental at key moments after Jalen Brunson slipped into foul trouble during the second half, shot 10 of 15 from the field and hit five of the 10 Villanova 3-pointers.

The 6-foot-5 reserve junior guard also grabbed five rebounds, three assists and two key blocks.

“Honestly, I didn’t look at the score at all,” said DiVincenzo, who scored 12 points in the first half before exploding in the second.

“I didn’t know how many points I had. I didn’t know any of that. I was just trying to make the right play.

“And Omari (Spellman) was setting unbelievable screens for me getting me open. And I was just feeling it.”

Mikal Bridges added 19 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor, including three 3-pointers, while Spellman pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds for the Wildcats (36-4), who pull ahead with a decisive run late in the first half to lead 37-28 at the break.

Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led Michigan with 23 points on 8 of 13 shooting in his final college basketball game.

Moritz Wagner scored 11 points early, but was limited to just five after that, with Villanova head coach Jay Wright revealing at halftime that he instructed his players to keep the ball away from the big forward.

Wagner ended with 16 points and seven rebounds for the Wolverines (33-8), who had won 14 straight entering the NCAA Tournament championship game on Monday night.

Meanwhile, junior guard Brunson, the national Player of the Year, ended with nine points and went junt 4 of 13 from the field for Villanova, which won all six NCAA Tournament games by double digits.

“It just shows how much depth we have, and that we don’t care who gets the credit,” Brunson said.

The Wildcats joined Michigan State (2000), Duke (2001) and North Carolina (2009) as the only teams to do so.

BOX SCORES AND MORE ESPN LINKS BELOW

Duke Beats Michigan State, Moves Into Championship Game

by Leave a Comment


NCAA Final Four
Duke Blue Devils beat Michigan State Spartans in NCAA Final Four. Linked Photo.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sporting Alert) — Duke shook off a slow start against Michigan State in their Final Four clash to book a place into the national championship game with an 81-61 victory at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.

Justise Winslow scored 19 points after going 5-for-7 from the floor — nine rebounds and two steals and Jahlil Okafor added 18 points on 7-for-11 from the field — six rebounds, two steals and two blocks for the top-seeded Blue Devils (34-4).

Senior guard Quinn Cook played impressively as well, after going 6-for-12 from the field for 17 points, as Duke won five straight.

The Blue Devils, who rallied from an early 14-6 deficit to dominate the Final Four contest, are making their first NCAA championship game since 2010 when they defeated Butler 61-59.

It will be their 11th trip to the national championships.

“We beat a heck of a team, a championship team, championship program in Tom’s (Izzo) program,” Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

“Our guys knew how difficult a game it was going to be. After the first four minutes, we found out it was going to be more difficult than we even thought. Our kids for the next 36 minutes, they played lights-out basketball.

“The defense was terrific. We drove the ball with such strength. I actually think our offense gave our defense a push in how hard we were taking it to the basket. Our bench, all eight guys, played really well tonight.

“Yeah, the last 36 minutes, we played great basketball. That’s the best we’ve played in a tournament, and we’ve played really well in the tournament,” added Krzyzewski.

Denzel Valentine led the way for Michigan State with a game-high 22 points and 11 rebounds.

The junior guard who hit three of his team’s four 3-pointers inside the opening two-and-a-half minutes, was 5-for-9 from long-range, while shooting 7-for-11 from the floor overall.

Travis Trice added 16 points and five assists and Branden Dawson had 12 points, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks in the defeat for the Spartans (27-12).

“We got beat,” Izzo said. “Unfortunately I thought Duke played awfully well, but I thought it wasn’t one of our better games. I think they deserve some credit.

“Yet I feel bad because I didn’t think people got to see the team that has won 12 out of the last 15 games.

“Give Duke credit and give our seniors credit for getting us to a place that most people didn’t think we’d get to.”

As a team, Duke shot 26-for-50 for 52-percent from the field, while Michigan State went 22-for-55 for 42-percent from the floor.

The ACC giants out rebounded their Big Ten rivals 36-33, while Krzyzewski’s team also committed fewer turnovers, at 8, compared to the 14 by Izzo’s ball club.

Watch Final Four Live Stream, Scores, Video & Highlights

by Leave a Comment


INDIANAPOLIS (Sporting Alert) — Duke take on Michigan State and Kentucky face-off with Wisconsin in the NCAA men’s basketball Final Four in Indianapolis on Saturday and fans can watch the action live online and on TV.

Watch NCAA Final Four Live Stream | And Scores And Video Highlights

No. 1 Duke (33-4) head into Saturday’s game trying to reach Monday’s championships game as they seek their fifth national title.

Expected to lead the way again for the Blue Devils are Player-of-The-Year Candidate Jahlil Okafor, fellow freshmen Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow, as well as senior guard Quinn Cook.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski believes his team, which has won four games in a row, is peaking at the right time and he is confident about their chances going up against the Spartans, who they defeated 81-71 when the two side met in November.

Jones says the feeling heading into Final Four has been a lot different from what they’ve seen during the season and he’s bracing for something special.

“It’s just special. You can just feel it in the air now, how important it is, what it means to be here,” Jones said.

“Just look out and see how many seats are out there. On Saturday night, those seats are all going to be filled. It’s a special feeling.”

The seventh-seeded Michigan State (27-11) defeated Louisville 76-70 in their Elite-8 contest last Sunday and coach Tom Izzo, like Krzyzewski, is backing his troop to hand the ACC giants a defeat and move into Monday’s title game.

The Spartans have also won four games in a row and eight of the last nine coming into this matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Michigan State is hunting its third title, having won in 1979 and 2000.

Meanwhile, top overall seed Kentucky (38-0) will battle with fellow No. 1 seed Wisconsin (35-3), who many are backing to give the Wildcats a lot of problems.

Michigan State-Oklahoma and UCLA-Gonzaga Live Stream

by Leave a Comment


Michigan State vs Oklahoma

NCAA March Madness Sweet 16
NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 action gets going on Friday. ESPN Linked.

NEW YORK (Sporting Alert) — The Michigan State Spartans will take on the Oklahoma Sooners in the NCAA Tournament March Madness Sweet 16 on Friday at 10:07 PM ET at Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York.

Coming off from a stunning 60-54 win over Virginia on Sunday, 7 Michigan State (25-11, 12-6 Big Ten) looks to keep its focus in the Sweet 16. Travis Trice scored 23 points to lead the Spartans.

On the season, Michigan State is averaging 71.9 points on a 47.1 percent shooting from the field. Michigan State is averaging 37.7 rebounds and 17.1 assists (4th).

In addition, Michigan State is shooting 63.0 percent from the free throw line and 38.8 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, Michigan State is allowing 63.1 points per game against the opponents.

Three players are scoring in double digits for the Spartans, they are: Trice (15.0), Denzel Valentine (14.2), Branden Dawson (12.1). Trice is the leader in assists with 5.1 per game while Dawson is the leader in rebounds with 9.0 per game.

No. 3 Oklahoma (24-10, 12-6 Big 12) entered into the Sweet 16 by beating Dayton, 72-66, on Sunday. Jordan Woodard scored 16 points and Ryan Spangler grabbed 12 rebounds for the Sooners.

On the season, Oklahoma is averaging 71.9 points on a 43.6 percent shooting from the field. Oklahoma is averaging 38.1 rebounds and 12.5 assists. Also, Oklahoma is shooting 73.8 percent from the free throw line and 34.6 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, Oklahoma is allowing 62.8 points per game against the opposing teams.

Five players are scoring at least 9.3 points for the Sooners, they are: Buddy Hield (17.3), Isaiah Cousins (11.9), TaShawn Thomas (11.4), Spangler (9.9) and Woodard (9.3). Spangler is the leader in rebounds with 8.3 per game. Frank Booker is the next scorer with 5.2 points per game.

Michigan State vs Oklahoma tv coverage is on TBS. Michigan State vs Oklahoma live streaming is on NCAA Stream. Who will advance to the Elite Eight?

UCLA vs Gonzaga

The UCLA Bruins will take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the NCAA Tournament March Madness Sweet 16 on Friday at 7:15 PM ET at NRG, Stadium, Houston, Texas.

No. 11 UCLA (22-13, 11-7 Pac-12) has won six of its last seven games, losing only to Arizona in the Pac 12 Tournament championship game. UCLA delivered a 92-75 win over UAB in the Round of 32 on Saturday. Tony Parker had 28 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Bruins.

On the season, UCLA is averaging 72.0 points on a 44.1 percent shooting from the field. UCLA is averaging 38.0 rebounds and 13.9 assists. Moreover, UCLA shoots 67.7 percent from the free throw line and 37.1 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, UCLA is allowing 68.0 points per game against the opposing teams.

Five players are averaging at least 10.6 points for the Bruins, they are: Norman Powell (16.4), Bryce Alford (15.6), Kevon Loony (11.6), Tony Parker (11.8) and Isaac Hamilton (10.6). Looney is the leading rebounder with 9.2 per game.

No. 2 Gonzaga (34-2, 17-1 WCC) has won its last five games, including an 87-68 domination over Iowa on Sunday in the Round of 32. Kyle Wiltjer scored 24 points to lead Gonzaga into a win.

On the season, Gonzaga is averaging 79.1 points on a 52.4 shooting from the field (1st). Gonzaga is averaging 37.9 points and 16.5 assists. Furthermore, Gonzaga is shooting 68.9 percent from the field and 41.0 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, Gonzaga is allowing 61.5 points per game against the opposing teams.

Wiltjer is averaging 17.1 points per game for the Bulldogs. Domantas Sabonis is the leading rebounder with 7.1 per game while Kevin Pangos is the leader in passing with 4.9 assists per game. Six players are scoring at least 8.4 points for the Bulldogs.

This game will be on CBS. Xavier vs Gonzaga live streaming is on NCAA Stream. Who will advance to the Elite Eight?

North Carolina vs Wisconsin: Follow Live Video, Scores

by Leave a Comment


North Carolina vs Wisconsin: WEST REGION – SWEET 16

LOS ANGELES (Sporting Alert) — The North Carolina Tar Heels will meet the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Tournament March Madness Sweet 16 on Thursday at 7:47 PM ET at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.

Follow Live Scores and Play-by-Play Updates | NCAA Website Will Carry Live Online Video Stream

The fourth-seeded. North Carolina (26-11, 11-7 ACC) is one of the five teams in the ACC that remains in the competition. Marcus Paige scored 22 points to lead North Carolina in an 87-78 win over Arkansas in the Round of 32.

On the season, North Carolina is averaging 77.9 points on a 47.5 percent shooting from the floor. North Carolina is averaging 41.0 rebounds (2nd in the nation) and 17.7 assists (2nd in the nation).

North Carolina is shooting 70.2 percent from the free throw line and 35.1 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, the Tar Heels are allowing 68.6 points per game against the opposing teams.

Marcus Page is leading in scoring and passing with 14.1 points and 4.5 assists per game for the Tar Heels. Brice Johnson is averaging 12.9 points and 7.9 rebounds while Kennedy Meeks is contributing 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

No. 1 Wisconsin (33-3, 16-2 Big Ten) is seeking for its ninth streak win. Wisconsin won all its game in March and the last defeat was way back in February 24 against Maryland. Wisconsin defeated Oregon, 72-65, on Sunday in the Round of 32 to advance. Sam Dekker scored 17 points to lead the team for the victory.

On the season, Wisconsin is averaging 71.9 points on a 48.0 percent shooting from the field. Wisconsin is averaging 33.7 rebounds and 12.7 assists. Wisconsin is shooting 76.1 percent from the free throw line and 35.8 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, Wisconsin is allowing 56.8 points per game against the opponents.

Frank Kaminsky is averaging 18.4 points and 8.1 rebounds to lead the Badgers. Nigel Hayes is the leading rebounder with 6.4 per game. Traevon Jackson is the leader in assists with 2.9 per game.

Xavier-Arizona: NCAA Sweet 16 Matchups, Live TV Channel

by Leave a Comment


Xavier vs Arizona: NCAA Tournament West Regional Semifinal

NCAA Sweet 16
Kaleb Tarczewski of Arizona in action. Photo by Arizona Athletics

LOS ANGELES (Sporting Alert) — Xavier will face the Arizona in the NCAA Tournament March Madness Sweet 16 on Thursday at 10:17 PM ET at Staples Center, Los Angeles, California.

The No. 6 seeded Musketeers (23-13, 9-9 Big East) delivered one of its best games in a 75-7 victory over Georgia State on Saturday.

Jalen Reynolds exploded for a career-high 21 points  to lead the way as his team won two games in a row.

On the season, Xavier, which is making its fifth NCAA Sweet 16 appearance since 2008 and its seventh overall, is averaging 73.6 points on a 47.3 percent shooting from the field.

The BIG East Conference outfits are also averaging 34.8 rebounds and 16.4 assists. They are shooting 72.9 percent from the free throw line and 35.6 percent from the three-pointer.

On the defensive end, Xavier is allowing 67.3 points per game against the opposing teams.

Matt Stainbrook is averaging 12.1 points and 6.9 rebounds to lead in both categories for the Musketeers.

Dee Davis is the leader in assists with 6.0 per game. Trevon Bluiett is contributing 11.3 points while Myles Davis is scoring 10.7 points per game.

In the meantime, No. 2 Arizona (33-3, 16-2 Pac-12) is riding in a 13-game winning streak. Arizona won the Pac-12 Tournament, and still considered one of the strongest teams left.

Arizona dominated Ohio State, 73-58, on Saturday in the Round of 32, to advance to the Sweet 16 for the third straight year with Gabe York scoring 19 points to lead the way.

On the season, the Wildcats are averaging 76.4 points on a 48.9 percent shooting from the floor. The team is averaging 37.2 rebounds and 14.2 assists.

Moreover, Sean Miller’s squad is shooting 70.8 percent from the free throw line and 36.2 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, Arizona is allowing 59.0 points per game against the opposing teams.

Stanley Johnson is the leader in scoring with 14.0 points per game. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is averaging 6.9 rebounds to lead Arizona. Six players are scoring at least 9.1 points for the Wildcats.

The Xavier vs Arizona TV coverage is on TBS with the play-by-play action coverage coming from Kevin Harlan and analysis from Reggie Miller and Dan Bonner. Rachel Nichols will be the sideline reporter.

The live streaming coverage is on NCAA Live.

No. 1 Kentucky To Face Tough West Virginia: Live Updates

by Leave a Comment


CLEVELAND (Sporting Alert) — West Virginia will be looking to shock top seed and favourite Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament March Madness Sweet 16 on Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio.

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16
Kentucky to take on West Virginia in NCAA Sweet 16

The No. 5 seeded Mountaineers (25-9, 11-7 Big 12) overpowered Maryland, 69-59, on Sunday in the Round of 32 to show that they are hitting form at the right time, as Devin Williams scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the way in the victory.

On the season, West Virginia is averaging 73.9 points on a 41.2 percent shooting from the field. The team is also averaging 36.8 rebounds and 14.5 assists.

The Mountaineers are shooting 66.4 percent from the free throw line and 32.0 percent from the three-pointer. Defensively, they are allowing 66.5 points per game against the opposing teams, while leading the nation in steals per game, at 10.9.

Juwan Staten is averaging 14.2 points and 4.8 assists. Williams is averaging 11.6 points and 8.2 rebounds, with four other players scoring between 7.2 and 8.2 points for the Mountaineers.

West Virginia is buzzing from its recent form, but head coach Bob Huggins, who leads the Cats’ coach John Calipari 8-2 on head-to-back battles over the course of his career is bracing for a very tough Midwest Regional semifinals.

Huggins also believes the decision of some players to return for another season at Kentucky has been one the recipe for their success..

“This may be the first time in a long time that Cal has had some very integral pieces back,” Huggins said.

“His (Calipari’s) guards are back and they’re both 6-6 and long. They’ve had a year with John and they understand what he wants done.”

West Virginia took 19 three-pointers in their 10 point win over Maryland in the last outing, but Huggins doesn’t believe that will be a good idea against the Wildcats, who have blocked 248 shots already this season.

No. 1 Kentucky (36-0, 18-0 SEC) will be tested again as the perfect season is on the line.

The Wildcats overwhelmed Cincinnati, 64-51, on Saturday to stay undefeated with an all-round team performance — led by Aaron Harrison’s 13 points.

For this term, Calipari’s side is shooting 74.9 points on a 46.9 percent shooting from the field.

The squad is averaging 38.2 rebounds and 14.7 assists, shooting 72.2 percent from the free throw line and 34.7 percent from the three-pointer.

On the defensive end, Kentucky is allowing 53.9 points per game against the opposing teams, which makes them very difficult to breakdown

There are only three players scoring in double figures for Kentucky, they are: Harrison (11.1), Devin Booker (10.1) and Karl-Anthony Towns (10.0).

However, the offensive attacks come from also from other six players scoring at least 5.5 points to 9.3 points per game.

Can we say upset?

West Virginia vs Kentucky TV coverage is on CBS at 9:45 PM ET . West Virginia vs Kentucky live streaming is on NCAA Live.

March Madness Tournament Scores, Results on March 22

by Leave a Comment


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sporting Alert) — Scores, results and box scores from the NCAA tournament games that took place on Sunday, March 23.

Jahlil Okafor
Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor in action at NCAA tournament.

At a time when several top seeds were losing their cool and being shocked in the championship, No. 1 seeds Duke and Wisconsin made sure there were no upsets on their side.

At the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, the Blue Devils (31-4) blew away eighth-seeded San Diego State 68-49 to book a place in the Sweet 16.

Star freshman Jahlil Okafor poured in 26 points on 12-for-16 shooting and grabbed six rebounds and three blocks and Quinn Cook added 15 points and five boards for Duke, which shot 54.5 percent from the floor.

Justise Winslow ended with a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, while dishing out five assists, four steals and three blocks in an all-round performance on the day.

“They’re together,” said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was making the Sweet 16 for the 22nd time.

“We have talent, we’re getting older by experience, and so we just – we got better here these two games.”

Winston Shepard scored 13 points to lead the way for the Aztecs (27-9), who were just 19-for-58 from the floor in shooting.

The other No. 1 seed in action on Sunday was Wisconsin (33-3), which advanced to the Sweet 16 courtesy of a 72-65 victory over Oregon at CenturyLink Center Omaha in Nebraska.

Sam Dekker shot 50 percent from the field and scored 17 points and star forward Frank Kaminsky added 16 points and seven rebounds to paced the Badgers, who held off the strong challenge from the Ducks to earn its fourth appearance in the Sweet 16 in the past five years.

Nigel Hayes chipped in with 14 points and Bronson Koenig ended with 12 for Wisconsin, which faces the No. 4 seed North Carolina in the West regional semifinals on Thursday in Los Angeles.

After a slow start Oregon rallied with a second half run to tie the scores at 52-52 with 5:56 left.

However, the Badgers used a 6-0 run to open up the gap back and then utilized their free throws down the stretch to kill off the game.

“Oregon made their run to fight back just as a good team always does,” Dekker told reporters. “And good teams respond to those runs. We settled in, and guys weren’t going to get too riled up.

“We got a big 6-0 run there and opened up the lead and held on from there. It’s a game of runs, and you’ve got to respond at the right time.”

Pac-12 Player of the Year Joseph Young finished with a game-high 30 points for the Ducks (26-10).

Michigan State Stuns Poor Shooting Virginia

Losing on the day though was No. 2 seed and Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champions Virginia, which fell 60-54 to the seventh-seeded Michigan State.

Travis Trice scored 23 points and Branden Dawson added 15 points, nine rebounds and four blocks for the Spartans (25-11), who took advantage of the Cavaliers’ poor day offensively.

Darion Atkins had 10 points and 14 rebounds and Anthony Gill added 11 points and six boards in the defeat for Virginia, which shot 29.8 percent from the field and was a shocking 2-for-17 from three-point range.

Elsewhere, seventh-seed Wichita State dumped No. 2 seed Kansas 78-65, while the second-seeded Gonzaga destroyed seventh-seed Iowa, 87-68.

NCAA Tournament Scores and Results
Box Scores and More

(7) Michigan State 60, (2) Virginia 54
(1) Duke 68, (8) San Diego St 49
(7) Wichita State 78, (2) Kansas 65
(3) Oklahoma 72, (11) Dayton 66
(2) Gonzaga 87, (7) Iowa 68
(1) Wisconsin 72, (8) Oregon 65
(5) West Virginia 69, (4) Maryland 59
(4) Louisville 66, (5) Northern Iowa 53