The Spartans won in the First Four, but it wasn’t the Michigan St. Spartans. Norfolk St. held off a furious comeback from Appalachian St. by a score of 54-53 to earn a first round matchup against top-seeded Gonzaga on Saturday. Mick Cronin’s UCLA squad won a gut-check 86-80 overtime affair against Tom Izzo’s Michigan St. crew. Drake’s Bulldogs beat Wichita State’s Shockers 53-52 in another nail biting affair, while Texas Southern’s Tigers defeated the Mountaineers of Mount St. Mary’s 60-52 in the only game that was decided by more than one point in regulation.
NCAA Basketball 3/18 First Four Play-in Games:
Eastern Bracket 11th Seeding Game:
UCLA 86 Michigan St 80 (F/OT)
Western Bracket 16th Seeding Game:
Norfolk St 54 Appalachian St 53 (F)#MarchMadness
— Kingshark Sports (@KingsharkSports) March 19, 2021
UCLA came up CLUTCH in OT 🔥@UCLAMBB | #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/JLhKw9fq4l
🗣 UC 👏👏 LA @UCLAMBB #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/7cvrK8MkwI
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 19, 2021
Source(s):
Drake Basketball/ Twitter
Kingshark Sports/ Twitter
March Madness/ Twitter