Advertisement

March Madness roundup: Duke survives to reach Sweet 16

By Connor Grott
Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his team play the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Sweet 16. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his team play the Virginia Tech Hokies in the Sweet 16. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

March 24 (UPI) -- The NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 field has been set, with Zion Williamson's 32-point outing pushing the Duke Blue Devils into the next round.

On Sunday, fourth-seeded Virginia Tech ousted No. 12 Liberty, No. 2 Tennessee edged 10th-seeded Iowa and Houston defeated No. 11 Ohio State, leaving No. 12 Oregon as the only double-digit seed remaining in the tournament.

Advertisement

On Saturday, No. 2 Michigan defeated 10th-seeded Florida, Michigan State beat Minnesota and Florida State dominated No. 12 Murray State.

Here is a roundup of the last group of games in the second round of the NCAA tourney. The Sweet 16 begins Thursday when Tennessee takes on No. 3 Purdue in Louisville, Kentucky.

No. 1 North Carolina 81, No. 9 Washington 59

Luke Maye and Nassir Little each scored 20 points to lead top-seeded North Carolina back into the Sweet 16. The Tar Heels lost in the second round to Texas A&M last season, one year after winning their national championship.

Advertisement

North Carolina plays No. 5 Auburn in the third round Friday.

No. 2 Tennessee 83, No. 10 Iowa 77

The Vols avoided one of the biggest meltdowns in tournament history after rallying for an overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Tennessee held a 25-point lead before letting it slip away in the second half. Iowa outscored the Volunteers 43-22 in the second frame. Two-time SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams scored six points in overtime to guide Tennessee to the win.

Williams and Admiral Schofield each scored 19 points. Jordan Bone had 14 points and Lamonte Turner added 15.

The Volunteers made it back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. Tennessee's only Elite Eight appearance came in 2010.

The Vols play No. 3 Purdue on Thursday.

No. 1 Duke 77, No. 9 UCF 76

Two last-second shots by UCF rolled off the rim as top-seeded Duke reached the Sweet 16.

Zion Williamson had 32 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in another sensational performance. RJ Barrett had 16 points and eight rebounds, and Cam Reddish added 13 points.

Advertisement

The Blue Devils take on ACC-foe Virginia Tech in the next round Friday.

No. 3 Texas Tech 78, No. 6 Buffalo 58

Texas Tech had another dominant defensive effort to defeat Buffalo. The Red Raiders held the Bulls to a low shooting percentage (36.5 percent) and their lowest point total (58) of the season.

Jarrett Culver had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Texas Tech plays No. 2 seed Michigan on Thursday night.

No. 4 Virginia Tech 67, No. 12 Liberty 58

Virginia Tech reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in 52 years after rallying in the second half. The Hokies trailed Liberty by three points at halftime and outscored Liberty 38-26 in the second.

Hokies forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. posted 19 points and nine rebounds to lead the team.

Virginia Tech plays top-seeded Duke in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

No. 1 Virginia 63, No. 9 Oklahoma 51

Virginia coasted to a second-round win over Oklahoma, with the Cavaliers' lead never dipping below 10 points for much of the second half.

Mamadi Diakite registered 14 points and nine rebounds. Ty Jerome had 12 points and De'Andre Hunter added 10 points and three boards.

Advertisement

The Cavs play No. 12-seeded Oregon on Thursday.

No. 3 Houston 74, No. 11 Ohio State 59

Corey Davis Jr. shined again with a 21-point outing to lead Houston into the Sweet 16. Fabian White Jr. dropped 11 points and five rebounds.

Galen Robinson Jr. had 13 points and five assists. Armoni Brooks added 10 points and six boards.

Houston challenges second-seeded Kentucky on Friday night.

No. 12 Oregon 73, No. 13 UC Irvine 54

Oregon became the only double-digit seed to advance to the Sweet 16 after defeating UC Irvine on Sunday.

Payton Pritchard led the Ducks with 18 points. Louis King had 16 points and Ehab Amin tallied 12 points and three steals.

Oregon has won 10 consecutive contests. The Ducks play No. 1 seed Virginia in the South Regional semifinal Thursday night.

Latest Headlines