As the March Madness tournament begins to shake out, there are more upsets and more surprises. The first round concluded on Friday, March 20th, and the second round concluded on Sunday, March 22nd.
The first half of the Sweet 16 was played on Thursday, March 26th as follows:
- 11 Texas (77) vs. 2 Purdue (79)
- 9 Iowa (77) vs. 4 Nebraska (71)
- 3 Illinois (65) vs. 2 Houston (55)
- 4 Arkansas (88) vs. 1 Arizona (109)
No. 9 seed Iowa builds on their momentum from their win over Florida in the second round, beating Nebraska by 6 points. Iowa will play Illinois in the Elite Eight.
Arizona exemplifies their dominance in a 21 point win over Arkansas, maintaining a consistent lead through the entire game. Arizona will play Purdue in the Elite Eight.
The second half of the Sweet 16 was played on Friday, March 27th as follows:
- 5 St.John’ s (75) vs. 1 Duke (80)
- 4 Alabama (77) vs. 1 Michigan (90)
- 3 Michigan St. (63) vs. 2 UConn (67)
- 6 Tennessee (76) vs. 2 Iowa State (62)
Even though St. John’s had a double digit lead in the second half, Duke was able to defeat the Red Storm with high point scorers Isaiah Evans (25 points) and Cameron Boozer (22 points). Duke will play UConn in the Elite Eight.
With their win against the Cyclones, Tennessee reached their third consecutive Elite Eight. The Volunteers will play Michigan in the Elite Eight.
