Coming into Sunday, the ACC was a perfect 9-0 in the tournament, with three teams already having moved on to the Sweet 16. The top two teams from the conference, Virginia and Duke, would get things started on day 4. Virginia would play a red-hot Michigan State team. The Spartans played spoiler last year, knocking out the #1 seeded Cavs in the Sweet 16. This time around, they would meet a round earlier, but the results would be the same. The Cavs rely on their suffocating defense, but without any offense, your team won't be advancing. Virginia managed only 18 points in the first half as the Spartans led by five at the break. In the second half, Michigan State would maintain a 6-8 point cushion as the Cavs never made a serious run at reclaiming the lead. The ACC suffers their first loss as Coach Tom Izzo has brought the Spartans back to the Sweet 16. Would Duke suffer the same fate? Not a chance. San Diego State would have been an underdog fully healthy, but with a bout of the flu hitting the team, there was almost no chance they were knocking off the #1 seeded Blue Devils. Duke broke up the game early, leading by 18 and only had to withstand mild pressure as the Aztecs got within 7 in the second half before the Blue Devils scored 11 in a row to lead by 18 again. In the end, it was Duke by 19 as they headed to Houston to take on Utah in the Sweet 16.
Next up was the marquee game of the day. Wichita State is the Rodney Dangerfield of the state of Kansas. Despite a Final Four appearance two years ago, and a 35-1 season last year that ended in a two-point loss to eventual national runner-up Kentucky, the Shockers get no respect. For years, they have tried to schedule games with their higher-profile in-state rival, the Kansas Jayhawks, only to be told to get lost. But when the bracket came out, it seemed like destiny that these two would meet in the second round. Wichita State's motto is "play angry" and you better believe they were royally pissed off when they took the court to play the Jayhawks. Early on, it was Kansas who took an 8-point first half lead, as Kansas guard Frank Mason III was the guy playing with the most emotion on the court. But the Shockers are an experienced bunch who didn't panic. Over the next 10 minutes of the game, Wichita State would go on a 25-6 run, completely shifting the game in their favor. The Jayhawks were stunned. And there would be no comeback, as it seemed every time Kansas put together a couple of baskets, the Shockers would come down the floor and hit another back-breaking three. Kansas would not get closer to 8 the rest of the way. There is almost no chance this game helped Wichita State get a future regular season matchup with Kansas, but they moved one step closer to a national championship with a 78-65 victory. They'll take on Notre Dame in the Sweet 16.
Dayton was trying to become the second #11 seed to make it to the second weekend as they took on the #3 seed Oklahoma. While Dayton got shafted with their seed, having to play in the First Four, they actually were very fortunate in where they got to play their games. The First Four is held in Dayton, so they started with a home game. Then the first and second round games were held in Columbus, so they didn't need to leave the state. Not many teams get three home games to start the tourney, but the Flyers did, and they looked like they were going to take advantage of it. With 12 minutes to play, they held a 7-point lead over the Sooners. But Dayton may have then won the award for coldest shooting performance to date in the tournament, as they would go the next 11 minutes without a basket. Oklahoma wasn't shooting the lights out themselves, but they made enough baskets during that 11 minute Flyer dry spell to pull away and end Dayton's dreams of a second consecutive Sweet 16. The Sooners move on with a six-point victory and will now face Michigan St. in the Sweet 16. While Oklahoma advanced, Iowa was getting a taste of their own medicine. On Friday night, the Hawkeyes whooped Davidson by 31 in their first round game. In the second round, they got to experience how unpleasant that feeling can be. Gonzaga came out hot and never gave Iowa a chance in this one. By halftime, the lead was 17, with the margin hovering around 20 for most of the second half. The final margin would be 19 as the Zags moved on to face UCLA in the Sweet 16.
Wisconsin has been regarded as the team that may be the most serious threat to Kentucky's run at an undefeated season, but they didn't do a lot to impress during this first weekend. In round one, they didn't hammer their 16th-seeded opponent like the other #1 seeds in the tournament did. And there were times during their game with Oregon where it looked like they would be scheduling a tee time with the Villanova Wildcats. Even though they trailed throughout, the Ducks were lingering around the entire game. And when Oregon finally tied things up with less than 6 minutes to go, it was officially gut-check time for the Badgers. Over the next few possessions, Wisconsin kept their poise and made some key buckets. From there, solid free throw shooting brought home the victory for the Badgers, as their 7-point victory earned them a date with North Carolina in the Sweet 16.
The final two games were #4 vs #5 affairs. In the first game, #4 Maryland took on #5 West Virginia. This one was back and forth during the first 30 minutes of play, but then the Mountaineers made the one decisive run in the game, an 8-0 run that gave them a 9-point advantage. The Terrapins would not make it a single possession game the rest of the way, as West Virginia won the right to be the next team to try and end Kentucky's march through the bracket. The last game was between #4 Louisville and #5 Northern Iowa. These teams could not have looked any different in round 1, as the Cardinals played poorly and barely escaped against UC Irvine, while Northern Iowa imposed their will on Wyoming and never broke a sweat. So Northern Iowa manhandled Louisville, right? Wrong. The Cardinals looked good early, taking a 9-point lead to the locker room. In the second half, the Panthers would get no closer than 6. Northern Iowa had an amazing season, but it would end in the second round, as Louisville set up an all-ACC battle against the Pack in the Sweet 16 next Friday night.
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