Thursday’s results
PURDUE 90 BAYLOR 79
Boilermakers built a 19-point halftime lead and cruised to 10th straight first-round win since 1993. Keaton Grant scored 17 points and E’Twaun Moore had 16. Sixth-seeded Purdue (25-8) has won 15 of 18. Purdue reached season high in points, eclipsing 84 it had vs. Loyola. Baylor (21-11), led by Curtis Jerrells’ 27 points, has 58-year NCAA winless drought.
XAVIER 73 GEORGIA 61
Derrick Brown’s 19 points and 11 rebounds helped end tired Georgia’s magical run. Josh Duncan scored 20 for the third-seeded Musketeers (28-6), who trailed by 11 in the second half but went on a 22-6 run. Xavier used a big edge in free throws — 27-for-33, to Georgia’s 3-for-5 — and tied school record for wins. Georgia (17-17) couldn’t sustain the energy from SEC title run.
TEXAS A&M 67 BYU 62
Josh Carter matched a career-high 26 points as Cougars suffered sixth straight opening-round loss. Joseph Jones added 10 points and 12 rebounds for ninth-seeded A&M. Jonathan Tavernari led BYU with 15 points. BYU’s Jimmer Fredette’s three with 59 seconds left sliced the lead to 63-60, but Dominique Kirk hit a three with 25 seconds left.
DUKE 71 BELMONT 70
No. 2 seed Duke (28-5) trailed in the final 15 seconds before barely avoiding a stunning upset. Gerald Henderson’s driving basket with 11.9 seconds left erased final lead for Belmont (25-9). After DeMarcus Nelson stole a subsequent inbounds pass he was fouled but missed at the line. Belmont’s Justin Hare got a good look from 35 feet, but his shot clanged off the iron.
W. VIRGINIA 75 ARIZONA 65
Alexz Ruoff had 21 to lead Mountaineers. Coach Bob Huggins is making his 16th NCAA appearance, tied for fifth among active coaches. Arizona’s 14 losses are the most for an at-large team in the NCAA tournament since 1985. It was the Wildcats’ first basketball appearance in Washington, D.C. West Virginia has won 10 of its last 12 postseason game overall.
UCLA 70 MISS. VAL. ST. 29
The top-seeded Bruins, one of the pre-tournament favorites, soared to a 50-19 lead early in the second half behind 20 points from freshman Kevin Love and 51.3 percent shooting as a team. UCLA is seeking a record 12th NCAA basketball championship and its first since 1995. Mississippi Valley State making its 1st NCAA appearance since 1996 with 9-game winning streak.
FRIDAY’S MATCHUPS
Drake (28-4)
Western Kentucky (27-6)
11:30 a.m.
LINE: Drake by 4
Drake is in the NCAA field for the first time since 1971. The Bulldogs’ strengths start with guard Adam Emmenecker and swingman Jonathan Cox creating mismatches. The Hilltoppers rely on Sun Belt player of the year Courtney Lee but go nine deep.
Connecticut (24-8)
San Diego (21-13)
1:50 p.m.
LINE: Connecticut by 11 1/2
After missing the tournament last year, UConn has grown up, yet the Huskies still don’t have a senior. Underestimating West Coast Conference tournament champ San Diego would be a mistake, as Kentucky learned in a December loss.
