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Robert Franklin/Associated Press
The 2021 men’s NCAA match is formally underway.
Whereas the first Thursday of March Insanity wasn’t the celebrated cornucopia of basketball action with all the things pushed aid a day, it did feature some titillating play-in action to kick off this year’s festivities.
Texas Southern began the evening with a 60-52 victory over Mount St. Mary’s, and that ended up being essentially the most lopsided sport.
In a matchup of No. 11 seeds, Drake beat Wichita Yell 53-52 in the second sport of the evening, adopted by one other one-level sport when Norfolk Yell held on for a 54-53 capture over Appalachian Yell.
The closing sport of the evening between Michigan Yell and UCLA went to beyond traditional time, and after trailing by 11 components at halftime, the Bruins came away with an 86-80 victory to send the Spartans packing.
Let’s establish a bow on Thursday’s action with a a fleet rundown of some distinguished winners and losers.
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John Walker lllDoug McSchooler/Associated Press
It must had been a rousing speech from Texas Southern coach Johnny Jones at halftime after the Tigers establish together a disappointing first half and trailed 30-20 within the hole sport of the 2021 NCAA match.
The Tigers regarded bask in a different crew after they came aid out onto the bottom.
In a miniature bit over three minutes, they flipped that deficit into an profit with an 11-0 hotfoot, seizing divulge of the sport within the strategy.
John Walker lll scored six straight components all over that hotfoot and 13 of his sport-excessive 19 components after the wreck, ending well above his season moderate of 12 components per sport.
That sparked the Tigers to a 40-22 profit within the second half and paved the capability for them to pass on to a matchup with No. 1 seed Michigan on Saturday.
With a nonconference time desk that integrated matchups against Oklahoma Yell, BYU, Auburn and Saint Mary’s and a 15-1 tale in their final 16 games, the Tigers would possibly seemingly now not be overwhelmed by the stage or quality of opponent.
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Robert Franklin/Associated Press
A dunk from Dexter Dennis with 9: 26 to play within the second half gave Wichita Yell a 41-31 lead over Drake, and the Shockers regarded as if it may perhaps perhaps seemingly agree with the sport well in hand.
Or so it seemed.
After virtually four minutes with out a made arena draw in which they settled for three photos from beyond the arc and a fourth jumper, their lead had evaporated to a narrow 43-42 margin when Trey Wade in the end came across the bottom of the get hang of again with 5: 28 to play.
That dwelling up a aid-and-forth carry out that seen three lead adjustments earlier than Drake in the end took the lead for loyal with 2: 23 to play, conserving on for the victory no topic the Shockers getting a relatively neat see for three that would possibly agree with obtained it at the buzzer.
Wichita Yell had obtained 11 straight conferences between the two teams and holds a 104-48 profit within the all-time series, nonetheless it became the Bulldogs who came out on top this time spherical.
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Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
With main scorer ShanQuan Hemphill restricted to 10 minutes in his return from a broken foot and level guard Roman Penn soundless sidelined, someone wished to shoulder the offensive load for the Drake Bulldogs.
Joseph Yesufu answered the call.
The Missouri Valley Convention Sixth Man of the one year had some tremendous games on his resume all around the accepted-or-backyard season, together with 36 and 32 components on aid-to-aid nights against Evansville and three different 20-level performances.
He added one other 20-level evening to the ledger on Thursday, tallying a crew-excessive 21 components no topic a excessive-quantity 8-of-21 taking pictures evening from the bottom.
The 6’0″ guard made them when it mattered most, scoring 12 components within the closing 10 minutes because the Bulldogs closed the hole and took the lead.
He hit a pair of free throws with 22 seconds to play to accomplish it a four-level sport, and that ended up being the variation after Wichita Yell made a unhurried three.
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Doug McSchooler/Associated Press
Jalen Hawkins played correct 16.9 minutes per sport all around the accepted-or-backyard season for the Norfolk Yell Spartans, however he supplied solid offense off the bench with 9.4 components per sport.
He picked the suitable time for the suitable sport of his profession.
The 6’2″ junior poured in 24 components on 8-of-13 taking pictures and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc, and he already had a profession-excessive 20 components at halftime because the Spartans constructed a 36-20 lead whereas conserving Appalachian Yell to 19 percent taking pictures from the world.
The Mountaineers stormed aid within the second half earlier than Norfolk Yell eked out a 54-53 victory after scoring correct 18 components within the second half, however the story of the evening became soundless the big efficiency Hawkins became in off the bench.
Norfolk Yell now has the privilege of taking half in No. 1 total seed Gonzaga on Saturday.
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Michael Conroy/Associated Press
Even when things were going upright en route to building an 11-level halftime lead, the Michigan Yell Spartans never moderately regarded as if it may perhaps perhaps seemingly all be on the an identical page on Thursday evening.
The lead disappeared because the second half stepped forward and within the kill disappeared, however the Spartans soundless had an opportunity to capture it with the win tied 77-77.
With 17 seconds to play, Tom Izzo known as a timeout to device up a play for the final shot of legislation.
That play ended up being 9 seconds of dribbling and a contested lengthy two-level shot from Aaron Henry that did now not near shut to hitting the rim. The shot became partly blocked however out of bounds on Henry on the educate thru of the shot, and the sport went to beyond traditional time after UCLA ignored a half-court heave.
Used to be that in truth the suitable play the Spartans would possibly seemingly device up?
The Bruins scored the first four components of beyond traditional time and held on for an 86-80 victory, and a Spartans crew that accomplished with a flourish in Colossal Ten play seen its match hotfoot pause earlier than it even began.
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Robert Franklin/Associated Press
The UCLA Bruins took 67 photos on Thursday evening on their capability to an 86-80 beyond traditional time victory, and 40 of them were uncorked by the frontcourt tandem of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Johnny Juzang.
They connected on 50 percent of these attempts and each and every had big nights offensively.
- Jaquez: 45 minutes, 11-of-20 taking pictures, 27 components
- Juzang: 41 minutes, 9-of-20 taking pictures, 23 components
It became a profession excessive for the sophomore Jaquez, who had 25 components against Arizona earlier this year, whereas the Kentucky transfer Juzang had four 20-level performances this season and a profession-excessive 32 against Washington in February.
Sadly, it wasn’t all loyal recordsdata for that duo.
Juzang rolled an ankle in beyond traditional time and wanted to be helped off the court, and with a fleet turnaround on Saturday against No. 6 seed BYU, recovery time is particular.
Nonetheless, it became a stellar comeback capture for UCLA.
All stats courtesy of Sports activities Reference.
