San Diego State battling Alabama
- Advertisement -
Half of the remaining field in the men’s NCAA Tournament clinched berths in the Elite Eight, with Kansas State, Connecticut, Florida Atlantic and Gonzaga each winning their respective Sweet 16 games Thursday night.
That leaves four more Sweet 16 games Friday in the men’s field, with a pair of top seeds vying for trips to the Elite Eight: No. 1 Alabama versus No. 5 San Diego State, No. 1 Houston vs. No. 5 Miami (Florida), No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 15 Princeton and No. 2 Texas vs. No. 3 Xavier.
In particular, Friday was notable for fans of the Hurricanes, as the women’s team booked its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1992.
MEN’S TOURNAMENT: Complete scores and schedule
Follow the madness: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
Follow the madness: Latest Men’s NCAA Tournament College Basketball Scores and Schedules
THURSDAY’S PLAY: Catch up on all the men’s action from the first leg of the Sweet 16
Follow along for live updates throughout the night.
Half: No. 5 Miami 42, No. 1 Houston 36
Miami looks to follow in the footsteps of the women’s basketball team, which advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time ever early Friday. And the Hurricanes got off to a good start, shooting 46.9% from the field and 6-for-14 from beyond the arc (Nijel Pack has four of those 3s). Miami has two players in double digits – Pack (14 points) and Isaiah Wong (12 points) – and it only turned the ball over one time in the entire half.
Marcus Sasser leads the Cougars with 11 points. Jarace Walker added seven points and seven rebounds. But Houston needs to take better care of the ball – it registered six turnovers.
Half: No. 5 San Diego State 28, No. 1 Alabama 23
The No. 1 overall seed trails the Aztecs by five heading into halftime. Nothing seemed to go right for Alabama in the first half. The Crimson Tide shot 27.6% from the field and went 1-for-11 from three. Brandon Miller was limited to four points after picking up two quick fouls in the first five minutes of the game.
The Aztecs fared slightly better, shooting 32.4% from the field and 2-for-8 from three. Darrion Trammell has a game-high nine points. San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher said the pace of the game has favored the Aztecs, who have limited Alabama’s second-chance points with 10 offensive rebounds.
Alabama’s Brandon Miller in foul trouble early against San Diego State
Brandon Miller got off to a rough start. He headed to the bench just five minutes into Alabama’s Sweet 16 matchup after picking up two quick fouls. He wasn’t able to get it done on the other end of the floor either, shooting 0-for-4 from the field and turning the ball over twice.
Miller entered the game halfway through the first half. Coach Nate Oats said they were taking the risk because “we got to win or go home.” He added, “We’re playing him.”
How to watch the men’s Sweet 16
The men’s Sweet 16 round resumes Friday night, with action in Louisville, Kentucky, and Kansas…
Read More: San Diego State battling Alabama 2023-03-24 23:37:30