CHARLOTTE, NC (Sporting Alert) — The latest scores and results from the games that took place in the NCAA men’s DI basketball March Madness tournament on Friday.
In the early tip-off on the day, No. 2 seed Kansas crushed No. 15 seed New Mexico 75-56 in their tournament opener.
Frank Mason III scored 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists to paced the Jayhawks (27-8), who shot 54 percent from the floor and 69.2 percent from three-point range.
DK Eldridge finished with 11 points for the Aggies, Tshilidzi Nephawe added 10 points and eight rebounds and Remi Barry ended with 10 points in the defeat.
Kansas will now face Wichita State in the round of 32 after the Shockers held on for a 81-76 win over Indiana in another Midwest Region contest.
Fred VanVleet shot 9-for-18 from the floor to lead the way for Wichita State with 27 points, along with four assists and two steals, while fellow guard Ron Baker supported well with 15 points, five steals and five rebounds.
Despite the win though, the Shockers (29-4) struggled from behind the arc after going 2-for-13 from long-range.
Zach Brown had 11 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a useful supporting role off the bench.
Yogi Ferrell scored 24 points and went 4-for-6 from 3-point range to paced the Hoosiers, who connected on 11 of their 22 three-point attempts.
James Blackmon Jr. ended with 14 points and Troy Williams finished his season with a double-double of 11 points and 12 boards for the battling Indiana (20-14).
Elsewhere, No. 2 seed Virginia (30-3) fended off the challenges of the 15th seeded Belmont for a 79-67 win in East Region action at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Malcolm Brogdon had 22 points and five rebounds for the ACC regular season champion, which shot 45.6 percent as a team from the floor.
Anthony Gill finished with 16 points and Justin Anderson played through a finger injury to score 15 points and grabbed five boards in the victory for the Cavaliers, who move on to face No. 7 seed Michigan State on Sunday.
The Spartans held off Georgia 70-63 in their East Region battle to secure the win and move on.
In a later game at Time Warner Cable Arena on Friday, the Duke Blue Devils thrashed Robert Morris 85-56 in the South Region.
Quinn Cook compiled 22 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals for the No. 1 seed, with ACC Player of the Year Jahlil Okafor adding 21 points in the win.
Marshall Plumlee bagged his first double-double after scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds and Tyus Jones finished with 10 points and seven assists for Duke, which shot 63 percent from the field and out rebounded the Colonials 40-28.
Rodney Pryor led the way for Robert Morris (30-4) with 23 points, while Marcquise Reed added 22 in the defeat.
NCAA March Madness Tournament Scores
(1) Duke 85, (16) Robert Morris 56
(2) Kansas 75, (15) New Mexico St 56
(2) Virginia 79, (15) Belmont 67
(3) Oklahoma 69, (14) Albany 60
(4) Louisville 57, (13) UC Irvine 55
(4) Maryland 65, (13) Valparaiso 62
(5) Northern Iowa 71, (12) Wyoming 54
(5) West Virginia 68, (12) Buffalo 62
(7) Wichita State 81, (10) Indiana 76
(7) Michigan State 70, (10) Georgia 63
(7) Iowa 83, (10) Davidson 52 Box
(8) Oregon 79, (9) Oklahoma State 73
(7) Iowa 83, (10) Davidson 52
(3) Oklahoma 69, (14) Albany 60
(1) Wisconsin 86, (16) Coastal Carolina 72
(8) San Diego St 76, (9) St. John’s 64
(2) Gonzaga 86, (15) North Dakota St 76
(11) Dayton 66, (6) Providence 53
