It’s the best Thursday of the year that isn’t Thanksgiving, and the first round of the NCAA tournament has been interesting, to say the least. After a solid slate of day games, highlighted by Northwestern’s victory over Vanderbilt, the afternoon games have lived up to expectations.
March Madness bracket 2017: Villanova runs Mount St. Mary’s out of the gym in second half
A lot has gone down since Northwestern’s huge win over Vanderbilt.
Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Our live tournament bracket is right here, also updated throughout Thursday’s schedule. Live streaming of every game is available here, via the NCAA’s website, and a full Thursday schedule is here. An updating scoreboard is here. Here are the scores for the late games:
Xavier 76, Maryland 65
Trevon Bluiett put on a clinic in the second half, making up for a terrible first half. He guided his team on a 14-0 run that propelled the Musketeers from a three-point deficit to an 11-point lead in what felt like the blink of an eye. He ended the game with 21 points.
Villanova 76, Mount St Mary’s 56
Despite a slow start in which Villanova missed its first eight shots and took over six minutes to score its first points, the Wildcats got the job done against Mount St Mary’s, eventually winning the game by 20 points. Five different Wildcats scored in double-figures, including Donte DiVincenzo, who scored 21 points off the bench.
Purdue 80, Vermont 70
Vince Edwards came alive in the second half to guide the Boilermakers to victory over the Catamounts. The junior put up 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting, along with five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block. He was one of five Boilermakers to score in double-figures. Teammate Caleb Swanigan set a Big Ten Conference Record with his 27th double-double of the season, finishing with 16 points and 14 rebounds in the win.
Saint Mary’s 85, VCU 77
A late resurgence from VCU made this game look far closer than it actually was. Saint Mary’s took control from the jump, generating a 15-point lead by halftime. JeQuan Lewis did everything he could to put VCU within striking distance, scoring 30 points, but the Rams fell short of the Gaels. Leading the way for Saint Mary’s was senior point guard Joe Rahon, who put up 16 points and brought momentum back to his team, returning to the court despite tallying four fouls just after halftime. Four more Gaels scored in double-figures, with center Jock Landale (18 points, 13 rebounds) putting up a double-double.
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