PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Gonzaga coach Mark Few has seen plenty of No. 16 seeds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. When he watched video of Georgia State, the longtime Bulldogs’ coach didn’t see a team that fit that profile.
Few turned to be correct. Gonzaga spent 30 minutes struggling to create any separation against the 16th-seeded Panthers before pulling away late for a 93-72 win on Thursday.
“Once we started really breaking them down, I kept telling people that’s not a 16 seed,” Few said after Gonzaga won its 13th straight first-round game in the NCAAs. “I think they showed it tonight. Georgia State gave us quite a fight.”
The Bulldogs eventually had too much size and skill for the Panthers. Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half, making up for a sluggish start by the Zags and a long stretch of the first half when the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed couldn’t make a basket.
Even when Gonzaga’s offense kicked into gear after halftime, the Panthers didn’t fold.
The eventual overwhelming surge from the Bulldogs finally arrived with about 10 minutes to go. Gonzaga went on a 24-1 run, turning a four-point game into the blowout that was expected. The Zags will face the West Region’s No. 9 seed, Memphis, in the second round on Saturday.
Timme was the catalyst, topping 30 points for the fifth time in his career while also grabbing 13 rebounds. Chet Holmgren, the Zags’ 7-foot freshman, added 19 points, 17 rebounds and seven blocks.
“My guys had my back and the coaches believed in me. I just had confidence from them,” said Timme, who was 3 of 7 shooting and 4 of 9 at the foul line in the first half. “It’s really reassuring. It really can help give you a boost when you get a little down on yourself.”
Baylor 85, Norfolk St. 49
Matthew Mayer just knew it was a perfect pass he turned into a half-ending breakaway dunk for defending national champion Baylor. He wasn’t really sure what happened before he got the ball.
“I thought it was like a rebound or something, and then all of sudden the ball was just right in front of me,” Mayer said. “I was like, ‘Wow, that was great.’”
Mayer scored a career-high 22 points, including that punctuating half-ending dunk with a salute, as the top-seeded Bears opened the NCAA Tournament with an 85-49 victory over Norfolk State on Thursday.
Jeremy Sochan did grab a rebound to start the play, and got credited with an assist on Mayer’s dunk.
“I didn’t really pass it to him, but I’ll take it. I’ll take it,” the pink-haired Sochan said with a chuckle.
After Joe Bryant tumbled to the floor when missing a layup, Sochan took a couple of dribbles while still in the lane. Norfolk State’s Tyrese Jenkins then reached from behind and swatted the ball out of his hands — into the air past midcourt, where it bounced once to a breaking Mayer, who got past Terrance Jones for the dunk.
“First, I should have dumped it off to my big man, who was wide open. I fell, so I couldn’t really see what happened,” said Bryant, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year who had 15 points.
Providence 66,
South Dakota State 57
Providence coach Ed Cooley knows it takes some good fortune to make a long run in the NCAA Tournament.
So if anyone wants to call his gritty Friars lucky, that’s fine by him.
Al Durham had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Jared Bynum made three big free throws with 29.9 seconds left as Providence snapped the longest winning streak in the country by beating South Dakota State 66-57 Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The fourth-seeded Friars (26-5) advanced to face Richmond in the Midwest Region on Saturday.
“If luck is the narrative that continues to keep us connected and winning, we’ll take it,” said Cooley, who is in his 11th season at Providence.
It was a typical grind for the Big East regular-season champions. The Friars’ turnaround season after going 13-13 in 2020-21 now includes 16 victories by single-digit margins.
“We want to be in a close game,” said Cooley. “If we’re in a close game, I believe in our players, and I believe what we do as a staff.”
The 13th-seeded Jackrabbits (30-6) came in on a 21-game winning streak and were a popular pick to spring the tournament’s first upset. So popular that it really wouldn’t have been much of an upset. The Friars were only a two-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
“You know, we hear the noise that everybody says, but we can’t let that rattle us,” Durham said. “We knew what we were capable of.”
Michigan 75,
Colorado State 67
Freshman Frankie Collins made a starting debut that Michigan fans won’t soon forget.
With starting point guard DeVante’ Jones stuck on campus in the concussion protocol and the Wolverines struggling with turnovers, Collins scored 14 points, grabbed six rebounds and helped 11th-seeded Michigan overcome a shaky start to beat sixth-seeded Colorado State 75-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
“I’ve always been impressed with his skill set and I think his style fits our style of play,” coach Juwan Howard said.
Michigan (18-14), after a turbulent journey to the field of 68, now faces third-seeded Tennessee in the second round of the South Region. The Volunteers turned away 14th-seeded Longwood 88-56.
Looking shaky without Jones, Michigan committed nine turnovers in the first 12 1/2 minutes and trailed 28-13. Out of options, Howard called on Collins, who averaged less than 10 minutes per game, to turn things around. He went 6 of 7 from the field, produced season bests in points and rebounds and had just one turnover in 31 minutes.
“They just told me to be Frankie and I felt great going into the game,” Collins said. “It’s just basketball. I’ve been practicing and playing basketball my whole life, so it’s just going out there doing the things I’ve been working on my whole life.”
Big man Hunter Dickinson led Michigan with 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting.
