Was there any possible way that day one of the 2016 NCAA Tournament could have been topped? Well, actually, yes. The tournament lived up to the March Madness moniker when seven double-digit seeds pulled upsets on the day. All the top seeds held form except for one team who is eliminated in the first round after making a run to the final four last year and for the first time ever, number 13, 14 and 15 seeds won on the same day.
10 Syracuse Orange DEF 7 Dayton Flyers 70-51
After a tight first half, 10th-seeded Syracuse blew away seventh-seeded Dayton in the second half with a dominant defensive display to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Orange began the second half on a 26-5 run — ending the season for the Flyers, who won 25 games during the regular season. Malachi Richardson led the Orange with 21 points while shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 8-of-9 at the free-throw line. The freshman added four rebounds and three assists in the Syracuse victory.
2 Villanova Wildcats DEF 15 UNC-Asheville Bulldogs 86-56
Villanova had no upset concerns in its 2016 NCAA Tournament first-round game as the No. 2-seed Wildcats cruised past the 15-seed Bulldogs of UNC Asheville. The Wildcats ended the first half on a 16-4 run and kept the momentum going in the second half, during which they outscored the Bulldogs 46-30. Daniel Ochefu had a double-double for Villanova with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He shot 7-of-9 from the field and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line while also adding three blocks and four assists.
Villanova's Ryan Arcidiacono beats the buzzer at the end of the first half! #MadnessMoments
(VIA @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/e1CS1BQLRc— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 18, 2016
10 VCU Rams DEF 7 Oregon St Beavers 75-67
Oregon State’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990 was quickly spoiled by Virginia Commonwealth, which snapped a three-game losing streak in the tournament dating back to the 2013 season. The Rams were led by the scoring duo of Mo Alie-Cox and JeQuan Lewis, who combined for 41 of their 75 points. Lewis led the Rams with 21 points and shot 7-of-11 from the field, 3-of-5 from 3-point range and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. He added seven rebounds and a team-high eight assists in the win.
11 Hawaii Rainbow Warriors DEF 4 California Golden Bears 77-66
The Hawaii Warriors earned their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in their first appearance in the field since 2002, leading undermanned No. 4 seed California for the bulk of the game. The Golden Bears, playing without injured starters Tyrone Wallace and Jabari Bird, became the first top-four seed to lose in this year’s tournament.
Player of the game
Hawaii guard Roderick Bobbitt led the Warriors with seven rebounds and five assists while also adding 17 points.
15 Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders DEF 2 Michigan St Spartans 90-81
In one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history, Middle Tennessee stunned Michigan State and became just the eighth 15 seed to defeat a two seed. The Conference USA champion Blue Raiders jumped on the Spartans early and opened up a 15-2 lead, then never relinquished it as they foiled numerous comeback attempts by Michigan State. It was the first NCAA Tournament win for the Blue Raiders since 1989. Reggie Upshaw Jr. led the Blue Raiders with 21 points and shot 8-of-14 from the field and 3-for-6 from 3-point range. The junior added four rebounds, four assists and three blocks in the victory.
7 Iowa Hawkeyes DEF 10 Temple Owls 72-70
A last-second tip in by Hawkeyes center Adam Woodbury gave No.7 seed Iowa an overtime win over No. 10 seed Temple in the second NCAA Tournament game to require an extra session this year. The Hawkeyes, who lost five of their last six regular-season games, will move on to the second round to face No. 2 seed Villanova. Hawkeyes forward Jarrod Uthoff led the team with 23 points while adding five rebounds and a pair of steals. He shot just 7-of-21 from the field, but hit 7-of-8 free throws.
2 Oklahoma Sooners DEF 15 Cal St Bakersfield Roadrunners 82-68
The No. 2 seed Sooners survived a scare from No. 15 seed CSU Bakersfield. The Roadrunners held a lead late in the second half, but hit only one of their last 10 field goals. Sooners guard Buddy Hield hit 8-of-14 field goals including 3-of-6 3-point shots to finish with a game-high 27 points. He added five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots.
5 Maryland Terripans DEF 12 South Dakota St Jack Rabbits 79-74
Despite an excellent shooting effort and a nearly flawless performance at the free-throw line, Maryland needed a late steal from Rasheed Sulaimon to seal a victory over upset-minded No. 12 seed South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits outscored the Terrapins 28-15 in the final 8:49, but came up just short in their bid for a first-ever NCAA victory. Maryland forward Jake Layman led all scorers with 27 points, hitting 7-of-11 field goals and 5-of-8 3-pointers. He was 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
7 Wisconsin Badgers DEF 10 Pittsburgh Panthers 47-43
Despite a season-low scoring effort, seventh-seeded Wisconsin survived a back-and-forth East region battle against No. 10 seed Pittsburgh to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Badgers kept their hopes of a third straight Final Four appearance alive while the Panthers’ season came to an end with a fourth loss in five games. Ethan Happ paced the Badgers with 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists, all team-highs. The freshman shot 6-for-8 from the field in his fifth straight double-digit scoring performance.
14 Stephen F Austin Lumberjacks DEF West Virginia Mountaineers 70-56
The Lumberjacks authored up their second first-round upset in three years, this time downing No. 3 seed West Virginia in physical fashion. SFA forward Thomas Walkup turned in one of the most impressive individual performances of the 2016 NCAA tournament, hitting 19-of-20 free throws and a pair of 3-point shots to finish with 33 points. He also led the team with nine rebounds and five assists, and added four steals.
3 Texas A&M Aggies DEF 14 Green Bay Phoenix 92-65
No. 3 seed Texas A&M used a dominant second half to put away No. 14 seed Green Bay. The Aggies’ largest-ever NCAA Tournament win was their first since 2010 and moved them within a victory of their second Sweet Sixteen appearance in 36 years. Danuel House paced the Aggies with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting and three assists. The guard made 2-of-3 attempts from beyond the arc in his eighth 20-point performance of the season.
1 Oregon Ducks DEF 16 Holy Cross Crusaders 91-52
No. 1 seed Oregon crushed No. 16 Holy Cross to advance to the Round of 32 for the fourth straight season. The Ducks’ ninth straight win ended the Crusaders’ fairytale run and moved them one game closer to their first Final Four appearance since 1939. Chris Boucher paced the Ducks with a team-high 20 points for his second 20-point effort of the season. The forward shot 8-for-12 from the field and grabbed five rebounds.
2 Xavier Musketeers DEF 15 Weber St Wildcats 71-53
No. 2 Xavier sailed past No. 14 seed Weber State in East region first round play. The Musketeers’ convincing win moved them within a game of their sixth Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2008 while the Big Sky champion Wildcats saw their season come to an end with their second loss in 12 games. Musketeers forward James Farr came off the bench to score 18 points and grab 15 rebounds, both game-highs. The senior finished 7-for-15 from the field in his second straight and fourth overall double-double of the season.
Xavier's James Farr with the putback jam! #MadnessMoments #MarchMadness
(via @clippittv) pic.twitter.com/A3dlQXqFfQ
— Def Pen Sports (@DefPenSports) March 19, 2016
6 Notre Dame DEF 11 Michigan Wolverines 68-63
After a sluggish first half, No. 6 seed Notre Dame flipped the script in the second half to hold off the Wolverines’ upset bid. The Fighting Irish’s rare comeback win kept their dreams of a second straight Elite Eight appearance alive while the Wolverines failed to advance beyond the first round of the NCAA Tournament for just the fifth time in their 26 appearances. V.J. Beachem paced the Fighting Irish with a game-high 18 points on 7-for-7 shooting. The forward also grabbed three rebounds in his third straight double digit scoring performance.
8 St. Joseph’s Hawks DEF 9 Cincinnati Bearcats 78-76
No 9 seed Cincinnati’s buzzer-beating dunk appeared to send the Bearcats into overtime against eighth-seeded Saint Joseph’s. Upon review, it was determined the dunk did not beat the buzzer, sending the Hawks into a celebrating frenzy. The Hawks will need a more impressive performance with No. 1 seed Oregon standing in their way of their third Sweet Sixteen appearance in 35 years. Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembry posted 25 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals. The junior shot 9-for-15 from the field and has scored in double figures in all but one game this season.
This. Close. #MarchMadnesshttps://t.co/ZU8yDa7aj1
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 19, 2016
11 Northern Iowa Panthers DEF 6 Texas Longhorns 75-72
Northern Iowa’s Paul Jesperson banked in a miracle heave from half court as time expired to advance the Panthers into the second round. Northern Iowa led by as many as 15 in the first half, then fell behind early in the second before rallying to win. Jesperson hit 4-of-7 3-point shots, finishing with 14 points and three rebounds but there was no better shot in the first round than the one that ended the round of 64.