March Madness is back, and so is the endless flipping between google classroom tabs and score updates as students monitor games while simultaneously completing assignments. To streamline the process, the staff of wlhsNOW will be keeping track of matchups throughout the tournament and continuously updating this page with upsets, scores, and insight. 

The Arkansas Razorbacks repress the New Mexico State Aggies 53-48 // 9:14 PM Mar. 19

Only a couple days ago, No.12 seed New Mexico State’s Teddy Allen scored 37 points against UConn to lead the Aggies to the Round of 32 with what appeared to be a rolling offense. No.4 seed Arkansas put an end to Teddy Allen’s groove. New Mexico State scored 17 points in the first half and had 12 turnovers up to that point and trailed 17-26 at halftime. After being down by eight points with six minutes left to play, New Mexico slowly came back and closed the lead to 3 points in the final minute. However, with 7 free throws in the last minute, Arkansas sealed the Round of 32 win. WAC player of the year, Teddy Allen, scored a total of 12 points throughout the game. For the second straight year, the Arkansas Razorbacks are advancing to the Sweet 16, and they will face the top seed Gonzaga Bulldogs. -JM

The Saint Peter’s Peacocks blind the Murray State Racers 70-60, goes dancing to the Sweet 16 // 9:08 PM Mar. 19

Only one year ago, the No.15 seed Oral Roberts Golden Eagles advanced to the Sweet 16, making them the first 15 seed in NCAA Tournament history to make it to the Sweet 16. For the second straight year, a 15 seed is dancing to the Sweet 16, this time being the Saint Peter’s Peacocks. Saint Peter’s hindered No.7 seed Murray State’s fast offense by playing hard defense, only allowing Murray State to convert on 34.6% of their shots. Anchored by KC Ndefo, St. Peter’s forward, who had 6 blocks, 17 points, and 10 rebounds on the night, damaged brackets and damaged the credibility of their 15 seed. The Peacocks will play the winner of the Purdue/Texas game in the Sweet 16. -JM

UCLA sweeps out St. Mary’s 72-56, to return to the Sweet 16 // 9:01 PM Mar. 19

The No. 4 seed UCLA Bruins defeated the No. 5 seed St. Mary’s in the Round of 32 game earlier today. After UCLA lost their star, Jaime Jaquez, with 6:58 left in the game, he still managed to score 15 points in the first half and stick around for over half of the last 20 minutes. Tyger Campbell, UCLA guard, scored 16 points throughout the game, meaning that Jaquez and Campbell combined helped their team earn almost half of their points. UCLA went all the way to the Final Four last year, and will move on to the Sweet 16 with North Carolina next Friday, Mar. 25. -SM

Providence proves victorious against Richmond in the Round of 32 // 8:47 PM Mar. 19

The Providence Friars defeated the Richmond Spiders 79-51 on Saturday afternoon, advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 25 years. Noah Horchler, Providence forward, scored 16 points and had 14 rebounds to rout Richmond out of the competition. The Friars had five players that scored over 10 points and defended their team by holding the Spiders to 1 of 22 on three-pointers. The No. 4 seed Providence will face the No. 1 seed in the Midwest region, Kansas, in Chicago next week. -SM

Michigan Wolverines upset Tennessee Volunteers 76-68 // 8:35 PM Mar. 19

The No.11 seed Michigan Wolverines defeated the No.3 seed Tennessee Volunteers after the Volunteers shot just 11.1% from the three-point line. After being down 37-32 at halftime, the Wolverines scored 44 points in the second half to come back and beat the Volunteers, who scored 13 points less than Michigan in the second half. Michigan will go on a date with either Ohio State or Villanova, which will be decided tomorrow, Mar. 20, in the Sweet 16. -AL

Kansas Jayhawks handle Creighton Bluejays 79-72, advancing to Sweet 16 // 8:33 PM Mar. 19

In this back and forth matchup, the No.1 seed Kansas Jayhawks defeated the No.9 seed Creighton Bluejays. Both teams shot above average from the free throw line, Kansas had 95% shot accuracy and Creighton scored 85.7% of their free throws. The game was close, with Kansas holding just a one point lead going into halftime 39-38, however in the end the Jayhawks were able to hold off the Bluejays and advance to the Sweet 16. -AL

North Carolina Tar Heels upset Baylor Bears in near-collapse, 93-86 in overtime // 3:41 PM Mar. 19

No.8 seed North Carolina jumped to a quick start, scoring 26 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. At the 10:49 mark in the second half, North Carolina went up 67-42 against No.1 seed Baylor after Brady Manek made a three-pointer. 40 seconds later, Manek, who scored 26 points in this Round of 32 win, received a flagrant 2 foul resulting in his ejection, which would prove almost fatal for North Carolina. Baylor, led by guards Adam Flagler and James Akinjo, ended regulation with a 38-13 run with the help of defensive strategies, such as pressing the ball-possessor. Baylor forced 21 turnovers and North Carolina missed 11 free throws, both of which were the major setbacks for Baylor’s comeback. After a missed step-back three-point shot from North Carolina’s R.J Davis, the game went into overtime, where North Carolina came out on top. North Carolina faces the winner of the St.Mary’s/UCLA game in the Sweet 16 round on Mar. 25th. -JM

Wisconsin Badgers barely beat Colgate with a score of 67-60 // 11:07 PM Mar. 18

All-American guard, Johnny Davis, scored 25 points in the second half of the game to lead Wisconsin to victory. Wisconsin was able to overcome a tied game going into halftime, and surpassed Colgate’s 3-point assault to defeat the Raiders in their first game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Friday evening. With only five turnovers and 10 fouls, Wisconsin held a strong offense to lead them to triumph. The Badgers will move on to the Round of 32 on Sunday, Mar. 20, facing off against No.11 seed, the Iowa State Cyclones. -SM 

Illinois Fighting Illini survives Chattanooga Moc’s upset bid, final score 54-53 // 11:06 PM Mar. 18

Unlike the 2021 NCAA tournament, where Illinois got trounced by Loyola Chicago in the second round, No.4 seed Illinois avoided the upset against No.13 seeded Chattanooga. Despite trailing behind throughout the entire game, Illinois took their first lead with 46 seconds to go after the successful shot from Kofi Cockburn. Finishing 54-53, Illinois stifled and denied 13 seeded Chattanooga’s Malachi Smith at the buzzer to advance to the Round of 32. -JM

Michigan State outlasts Davidson in close game, 64-63 // 10:44 PM Mar. 18

No. 7 seed Michigan State and No. 10 seed Davidson, met in Greenville, South Carolina to face the Duke Blue Devils. Both teams shot exactly 47.5% from the field, and neither team had a larger lead than eight points in both halves. Joey Hauser took center stage and scored 27 points, and grabbed 8 rebounds for Michigan State. Davidson missed five free throws during this game, a deciding factor in this first round contest. Michigan State moves on to face Duke in the second round, and Duke head coach, Mike Krzyzewski, and Michigan State head coach, Tom Izzo, will meet for the 15th time in their careers on Mar. 20th, at 2:15pm PT. -JM

Villanova Wildcats defeat the Delaware Blue Hens 80-60 to advance to the Round of 32 // 10:37 PM Mar. 18

After being tightly contested with No.15 seed Delaware in the first 17 minutes of the game, the No.2 seed Villanova got in their Big East champion-like groove, and led by at least 15 points in the last 18 and a half minutes of the game. Despite Collin Gillespie, Big East player of the year, scoring only 14 points, Villanova stroked 13 three-pointers and shot 50.9% from the field in this opening round contest. Delaware on the other hand couldn’t find their own three-point stroke as they shot only 15% from three on 20 attempts. Villanova will play Ohio State in the second round on Mar. 20th, at 11:40am PT. -JM

Houston Cougars beat UAB Blazers to move on to the next round // 10:29 PM Mar. 18

After trailing behind by 18 points halfway through the first half of the game, No.12 seed UAB lowered the No. 5 seed Houston lead to as little as 8 in the second half, but were unable to get themselves within one possession of Houston. UAB point guard Jordan Walker, Conference USA player of the year, was smothered by the Houston defense, only shooting 1 of 10 from the three-point distance. Kyler Edwards scored 25 points for Houston, and Houston will face Illinois in the Round of 32 on Mar. 20th. -JM

Duke takes down CSU Fullerton 78-61 // 10:16 PM Mar. 18

The Duke Devils made their debut in the 2022 NCAA Tournament against the CSU Fullerton Titans. Duke coach, Mike Krzyzewski, started his final NCAA season with a defensive improvement after some continuous mishaps in the stretch of his last regular season. Duke held the lead for both halves of the game, finishing the first half with a 10 point lead, and finishing with a 17 point lead to wrap up their first game. Duke will face Michigan State on Sunday, Mar. 20, at 2:15 PM PT. -SM

Arizona Wildcats run over Wright State Raiders 87-70 // 10:02 PM Mar. 18

No.1 seed Arizona Wildcats, Pac-12 champions, opened their 2022 NCAA Tournament appearance with a win against the No.16 seed, Wright State. With four players scoring at least 15 points, Arizona had two 40 point halves. The major difference in this matchup was the height difference of the players, as Arizona outrebounded Wright State 46-25. Arizona will play TCU in the second round, who beat Seton Hall on Friday night. -JM

Notre Dame continues the luck of the Fighting Irish to defeat Alabama Crimson Tide by 78-64 // 9:55 PM Mar. 18

After Notre Dame defeated Rutgers for the 11 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, they continued to keep their winning streak against 6 seed Alabama. Notre Dame held the lead the entire first half of the game, finishing up the first 20 minutes with a score of 41-36. An early injury caused Alabama guard, Jahvon Quinerly, to exit the game in the first half, aiding Notre Dame in their road to victory. Notre Dame will play Texas Tech in the second round of the tournament on Sunday, Mar 20. -SM

TCU Horned Frogs stifle the Seton Hall Pirates 69-42 // 9:47 PM Mar. 18

9 seed TCU used their defense to go on a date with 1 seed Arizona in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. 8 seed Seton Hall committed 16 turnovers to help TCU get a high percentage shots, shooting 50.9% from the field. Seton Hall also couldn’t match TCU’s rebounding prowess as TCU grabbed 40 rebounds, compared to Seton Hall’s 26 rebounds. With the help of Mike Miles, who scored 21 points, TCU advances with Arizona.

Iowa State Cyclones blow past LSU Tigers 59-54 // 9:00 PM Mar. 18

After a fast start, leading 24-19 at halftime, 11 seed Iowa State held on in the second half to beat the 6 seed LSU Tigers. Iowa State won just two games all of last season, and have made huge strides this season going 21-12 overall. This game was won behind the three point line, with the Cyclones making 12 three-pointers to LSU’s 4, and Iowa State will continue to strive for their season of redemption in the second round. -AL

Miami Hurricanes triumph after tight game against USC Trojans // 6:49 PM Mar. 18

Miami barely surpassed USC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, with a final score of 68-66. After starting as a lower seed, Miami held onto the lead in both halves of the game, wrapping up the first half with a score of 31-22. Miami struggled to keep up a strong defense after USC recharged their aggression in the second half, but were able to guarantee their win with a persistent offensive team. The Hurricanes have a date with the Auburn Tigers on Mar. 20, in the second round of the 2022 March Madness Tournament. -SM

Purdue Boilermakers roll past Yale Bulldogs 78-56 // 6:24 PM Mar. 18

After holding the No. 1 spot in the men’s college basketball rankings earlier this season for the first time in school history, the 3 seed Purdue finished their regular season ranked No. 10 overall, and with the best overall record, 28-7, in their conference. This showed in their first game of the 2022 March Madness Tournament, as they scored 46 points in the first half and beat the 14 seed Yale Bulldogs. -AL

Auburn starts their 2022 March Madness season with a 80-61 win after playing Jacksonville St. // 6:22 PM Mar. 18

Jabari Smith, the Southeastern Conference freshman of the year, scored 20 points for Auburn to make his debut in the NCAA Tournament. His 14 rebounds and right-handed slam dunk will be a notable highlight for the first round of the March Madness tournament. The Auburn Tigers held on to a strong lead after finishing the first half against the Jacksonville St. Gamecocks with a score of 41-27. Auburn will advance to the second round against the Midwest region 10 seed, Miami. -SM

Texas Longhorns win their first NCAA Tournament game in 8 years after beating Virginia Tech 81-73 // 6:10 PM Mar. 18

After falling to 14 seed Abilene Christian in last year’s tournament, the Texas Longhorns weren’t going to be denied advancement this time. Texas’ starters scored 71 points, while ACC champion Virginia Tech’s starters scored 46 points. Texas only shot 32.3% from the three-point line during the season, but in this game Texas shot 52.9% from the three-point line on 19 attempts. This game lasted longer due to lengthy possessions and stoppage time, as there were only 54 rebounds, 22 turnovers, and 48 total free throw attempts. After stealing the automatic bid to advance to the NCAA Tournament, Virginia Tech could not keep their improbable run going. -JM

Texas Tech Red Raiders vanquish the Montana State Bobcats, 97-62 // 6:03 PM Mar. 18

To open their 2022 NCAA Tournament run, 3 seed Texas Tech defeated the 14 seed Montana State to play Notre Dame on Mar. 20, in the West region. Texas Tech shot 66.7% from the field and 60% from the three-point line to reach the highest point total so far in this tournament. Thanks to 20 point performances from Terrence Shannon Jr. and Bryson Williams, Texas Tech jumped to a 26-7 lead in the first seven minutes of the game, and eventually eliminated Montana State. -JM   

Ohio State Buckeyes defeat Loyola Chicago Ramblers 54-41 // 5:55 PM Mar. 18

In the starting game of the second day of March Madness 2022, 7 seed Ohio State beat 10 seed Loyola Chicago in the South region. This game featured a lot of missed shots and hard defense on both sides, as there were 31 total committed turnovers and both teams shot a combined 20.9% from the three-point line. Despite making it to the Final Four and the Sweet 16 in their last two NCAA tournament appearances, Loyola Chicago couldn’t advance and took an early exit. -JM

Kansas Jayhawks route the Texas Southern Tigers, 83-56, to move on to face Creighton Bluejays // 10:29 PM Mar. 17

After jumping out to a 47-19 halftime lead, the No. 1 seeded Kansas Jayhawks blew past 16 seeded Texas Southern Tigers with a No.1 seed-type ease, despite not having an individual player score above 15 points. By shooting 50% from the field, and 47.8% from the three-point line, Kansas survived the avalanche of March Madness upsets that occurred on opening day. -JM

St. Mary’s Gaels seal their victory against Indiana Hoosiers with a final score of 82-53 // 10:21 PM Mar. 17

Saint Mary’s beat Indiana in their first game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Logan Johnson scored 20 points throughout the game to keep significant pressure on Indiana’s defense, and showed notable offensive strategy to defeat the Hoosiers. The 5 seeded Gaels will take on the 4 seeded UCLA Bruins on Saturday, Mar. 19, in the second round of the tournament. -SM

Murray State Racers out-race the San Francisco Dons 92-87 in overtime // 10:10 PM Mar. 17

To end the first day of March Madness 2022, after numerous upsets and tight matchups, 7 seeded Murray State held off 10 seeded San Francisco. In this close game, no lead reached above nine points and both halves were decided by only one point. Despite San Francisco point guard Jamie Bouyea’s 36 points and his step-back three to send it to overtime, San Francisco were unable to get past Murray State in this high-scoring game. Murray State moved on and will play the 15 seeded Saint Peter’s Peacocks in the Round of 32. -JM

Arkansas Razorbacks survive Vermont Catamounts, win 75-71 // 10:08 PM Mar. 17

Narrowly avoiding an upset, the 4 seeded Arkansas Razorbacks were able to ride their 20/25 free throw shooting to the second round of March Madness. The difference in this game was free throws, with 13 seed Vermont Catamounts making 58.8% of their foul shots and the Razorbacks shooting 80% from the line. Arkansas made 10 more free throws than Vermont, propelling them past the Catamounts 75-71. -AL

UCLA Bruins sneak by the Akron Zips with a score of 57-53 // 9:46 PM Mar. 17

The 4 seeded UCLA Bruins pulled away from 13 seeded Akron Zips in the dying minutes of the second half after being deadlocked with the Zips for the majority of the matchup. Akron had a narrow lead 26-25 going into halftime, but were unable to hold on as the Bruins, who currently hold the most titles of any NCAA men’s basketball team, finally pulled away. -AL

Creighton creeps past San Diego State to make it to Round 2 of the NCAA Tournament // 9:32 PM Mar. 17

The Creighton Bluejays took the lead against San Diego State in overtime, with a final score of 72-69. San Diego State held a seven point lead to wrap up the first half, with Creighton putting up a fight to finish the second half with a score of 62-62, to send both teams into overtime. With 1:07 left in overtime, Creighton pulled ahead with a layup from Trey Alexander, and scored an additional two points to beat San Diego State by three points. -SM

Saint Peter’s Peacocks dazzle against the Kentucky Wildcats in 85-79 overtime upset // 9:07 PM Mar. 17

In the 10th ever 15 seed over 2 seed upset, Saint Peter’s pulled off the unexpected victory over Kentucky, perennial championship contender, to bust brackets throughout the country. After going on a 7-0 run in the final few minutes, Saint Peter’s forced overtime with Kentucky. After another 7-0 run in overtime, Saint Peter’s danced to the Round of 32 to go on a date with either San Francisco or Murray State. -JM

UConn Huskies lose by seven to lower seed New Mexico St. Aggies // 6:31 PM Mar. 17

The 5 seed Conneticut Huskies lost to the 12 seed New Mexico Aggies, with a final score of 63-70. The Aggies held a short lead for most of the game, but the Huskies tied it up with 1:48 left in the second half, with a score of 58-58. New Mexico St. guard, Teddy Allen, scored a three-pointer to take the lead for the rest of the game. The Aggies will move on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a to-be-determined team, Arkansas or Vermont. -SM

Providence Friars end South Dakota State Jackrabbits upset bid with a score of 66-57 // 5:53 PM Mar. 17

In their first NCAA Tournament appearance in six years, 4 seeded Providence avoided the opening round upset from 13 seeded South Dakota State in the Midwest region. After trailing behind by as many as 14 points in the second half, South Dakota State rallied and closed the deficit to three in the final minute. After three clutch free throws by Providence’s Jared Bynum, South Dakota State could not recover and lost their first game after winning 23 straight games. -JM

No.1 seed Gonzaga puts up a close fight against No.16 seed opponent Georgia State // 5:34 PM Mar. 27

Drew Timme, Gonzaga Bulldogs forward, scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half of the game against the Georgia State Panthers. Gonzaga struggled to hold the lead from Georgia in the beginning, ending the first half with a score of 35-33. Gonzaga came back in the second half, standing neck and neck until the fourth quarter. Gonzaga will move forward to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament against 9 seed, the Memphis Tigers. -SM

Baylor beats Norfolk State in a landslide game of 85-49 // 5:15 PM Mar. 17

The Baylor bears kicked off their first game against Norfolk State with a 25-foot three-pointer to take the lead. Baylor held the lead the entire first and second half of the game, finishing with almost double their opponents score. Baylor will continue on to the second round against the 8 seeded team, the North Carolina Tar Heels. -SM

Iowa Hawkeyes fall to Richmond Spiders by only four points // 5:01 PM Mar. 17

After winning the Atlantic 10 championship, 12-seeded Richmond upset 5-seeded Iowa 67-63 to move on to play the Providence Friars in the next round. On 29 attempts, Iowa shot 20.7% from the three-point line enroute to their early tournament exit, only a game after winning the Big Ten championship. -JM

Boise State kicked from competition by Memphis 64-53 // 5:00 PM Mar. 17

In a game hosted locally at the Moda Center, the 8 seeded Boise State Broncos buckled in the first half, scoring just 19 points. 9 seeded Memphis took full advantage, going into halftime with a 38-19 lead. Despite a second half push, in which the Broncos scored 34 points, Boise State couldn’t complete the comeback, losing 64-53. -AL

Michigan beats Colorado State in a final score of 75-63 // 3:04 PM Mar. 17 

To kick off the first day of the 2022 March Madness season, the 11 seeded team, Michigan, beat the 6 seeded team, Colorado State, in the south region. Colorado State held the lead until the second half of the game, but fell in the fourth quarter to Michigan with a final score of 75-63, to wrap up their 2022 season. -SM