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Jackson-Davis leads Indiana past Wyoming, sets up Saint Mary's matchup

Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis made 10 of 16 field goal attempts and scored 29 points to lead the Hoosiers to a win over Wyoming on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. Photo By Andrew Mascharka/Indiana Athletics
Indiana's Trayce Jackson-Davis made 10 of 16 field goal attempts and scored 29 points to lead the Hoosiers to a win over Wyoming on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio. Photo By Andrew Mascharka/Indiana Athletics

March 16 (UPI) -- Trayce Jackson-Davis scored a game-high 29 points to lead Indiana to a First Four win over Wyoming, sending the Hoosiers to the first round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, in which they'll meet Saint Mary's.

Jackson-Davis made 10 of 16 field goals and totaled nine rebounds in the battle of No. 12 seeds Tuesday at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton Ohio. The Hoosiers' win finalized the East region of the bracket.

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"It was a surreal environment, even for the First Four," Jackson-Davis told reporters. "I've always dreamed about playing in this tournament. Finally being able to live out that dream and performing at the highest level, I am truly grateful."

The Hoosiers (21-13) played in the first tournament game since 2016, when they advanced to the Sweet 16 under former coach Tom Crean.

"We didn't want to be in the play-in game, but sometimes the ball doesn't roll your way. Just playing in front of our fans, almost like a home crowd one more time, was awesome," Jackson-Davis said.

Hoosiers forward Jordan Geronimo scored 15 points, while Indiana guard Xavier Johnson scored 10. Wyoming guard Hunter Maldonado paced the Cowboys (25-9) with 21 points, but totaled 10 turnovers.

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"It was fun, being my first time in the tournament," Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson said. "But this is not about me. This is about the guys who wear that uniform and my staff helping me try to push these guys over the top.

"They answered the ball loud and clear."

Earlier Tuesday, Texas Southern beat fellow 16 seed Texas A&M Corpus Christi to finalize the Midwest region. The Tigers will face No. 1 Kansas in their first-round game.

No. 16 seeds Wright State and Bryant and No. 11 seeds Rutgers and Notre Dame face off Wednesday in Dayton to claim the final two spots in the bracket.

The winner of the first matchup will be rewarded with a first-round meeting with top-seeded Arizona. Rutgers or Notre Dame will face No. 6 Alabama in the first round.

No. 12 Indiana faces No. 5 Saint Mary's in the first round at 7:20 p.m. EDT Thursday on TBS. The winner will face No. 4 UCLA or No. 13 Arkansas in the second round. The winner of that matchup will face No. 1 Baylor, No. 16 Norfolk State, UNC or Marquette in the Sweet 16.

Wright State battles Bryant in the third First Four game at 6:40 p.m. Wednesday on truTV. Rutgers then faces Notre Dame in the final First Four game at 9:10 p.m. Wednesday on the same network.

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