NCAA Men's Basketball Tourney Opens With Two Games

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Published on March 16 2016 6:52 am
Last Updated on March 16 2016 6:53 am

Florida Gulf Coast showed once again that it can rise to the occasion in the NCAA tournament.

It wasn't the same "Dunk City" gang that captured the nation's attention during an improbable Sweet 16 run in 2013, but the Eagles controlled the boards and blew past overmatched Fairleigh Dickinson 96-65 in a First Four game Tuesday night.

Marc Eddy Norelia opened the game with a dunk, two of his 20 points on the night to lead the Eagles (21-13). FGCU never relinquished the lead, going on a 23-6 run in the first 10 minutes and opening a 40-19 lead at the half.

Fairleigh Dickinson got some looks but couldn't get much to fall, shooting just 33 percent from the field while playing thoroughly lackluster defense. It was one of the team's worst shooting performances of the season.

Florida Gulf Coast relied on outmuscling its opponent's big men inside and controlling the boards, while making 60 percent of its shots from the field.


Wichita State 70, Vanderbilt 50

Wichita State's guards let their Final Four experience make the difference in a defense-dominated First Four game.

Fred VanVleet and Ron Baker led a surge at the start of the second half that put the Shockers on pace for a 70-50 victory over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night, making the big shots in a game with very few uncontested ones.

The seniors who were part of the Shockers' 2013 Final Four team led the way. VanVleet, the two-time Missouri Valley player of the year, scored 14 points despite a cut on his head that sent him to the bench in the first half. Baker also had 14. Together, they scored all of the points in a decisive 11-0 run that opened the second half.

"Fred and I hit a couple of 3s to get us going early on," Baker said. "The momentum shifted slowly, and we kind of grasped it and kept on rolling."

The Shockers (25-8) play Arizona on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island.

 

Wednesday, March 16 Schedule (All Times Central)

#16 Holy Cross vs. #16 Southern, 4:40 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - WEST REGION - FIRST FOUR

#11 Tulsa vs. #11 Michigan, 7:10 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - EAST REGION - FIRST FOUR


Thursday, March 17 Schedule (All Times Central)

#13 UNC Wilmington vs. #4 Duke, 10:15 a.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - WEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#9 Butler vs. #8 Texas Tech, 10:40 a.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - MIDWEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#9 Connecticut vs. #8 Colorado, 11:30 a.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - SOUTH REGION - 1ST ROUND

#13 Iona vs. #4 Iowa State, noon

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - MIDWEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#12 Yale vs. #5 Baylor, 12:45 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - WEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#16 Hampton vs. #1 Virginia, 1:10 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - MIDWEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#16 Austin Peay vs. #1 Kansas, 2 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - SOUTH REGION - 1ST ROUND

#12 Arkansas-Little Rock vs. #5 Purdue, 2:30 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - MIDWEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#14 Buffalo vs. #3 Miami, 4:50 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - SOUTH REGION - 1ST ROUND

#12 Chattanooga vs. #5 Indiana, 5:10 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - EAST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#16 Florida Gulf Coast vs. #1 North Carolina, 5:20 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - EAST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#14 Fresno State vs. #3 Utah, 5:27 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - MIDWEST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#11 Wichita St. vs. #6 Arizona, 7:20 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - SOUTH REGION - 1ST ROUND

#13 Stony Brook vs. #4 Kentucky, 7:40 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - EAST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#9 Providence vs. #8 USC, 7:50 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - EAST REGION - 1ST ROUND

#11 Gonzaga vs. #6 Seton Hall, 7:57 p.m.

MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - MIDWEST REGION - 1ST ROUND