Everything You Missed From the First Half of the Men's Sweet 16

03/28/2025 12:03 PM

Half of the Elite 8 is set after Thursday’s slate of games, featuring standout performances and an overtime thriller to cap off the night.

Here’s everything you need to know to be caught up on the madness before the final eight teams are all set.

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No. 2 Alabama defeats No. 6 BYU

Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide had boasted the top-ranked scoring offense all season long, averaging around 91.4 points per game.

In the first two rounds, they weren’t able to surpass that mark.

They survived a first-round scare against No. 15 seed Robert Morris, failing to pull away despite shooting 58.3% from the field. They then grinded out a tough win against No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s, the fifth-best scoring defense in the nation. Alabama scored 90 points and 80 points in those games.

But against BYU in the Sweet 16, Nate Oats’ fast-paced, high-scoring shooting offense finally came to life.

Alabama trounced BYU 113-88, setting an NCAA Tournament single-game record with 25 three-pointers and punching their second straight ticket to the Elite 8.

Mark Sears led the Crimson Tide with 34 points and eight assists. The senior guard was unconscious from the floor, draining 10 triples on an efficient 11-18 shooting night. Aden Holloway added 23 points and six threes off the bench while Chris Youngblood drained five shots from beyond the arc to finish with 19 points.

Richie Saunders led the Cougars with 25 points, six boards and four steals. Egor Demin followed suit with 15 points, but struggled from beyond the arc, only cashing in one of his eight attempts.

BYU could not keep up with Alabama’s high-powered offense. The Crimson Tide shot 53% from the field, 49% from beyond the arc and made 18 free throws.

BYU kept the first half deficit within single digits for the first 15 minutes before Alabama pulled away. The Crimson Tide outscored the Cougars 51-40 in the first half and 62-48 in the final frame to close out the game.

Alabama will now face off against Cooper Flagg and Duke for a trip to San Antonio.

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No. 1 Florida defeated No. 4 Maryland

Florida defeated Maryland 87-71 to advance punch their ticket to the Elite 8.

Will Richard led the Gators with 15 points. Alijah Martin and Walter Clayton added 14 and 13 points, and Thomas Haugh and Denzel Aberdeen both logged double-digit scoring numbers off the bench.

Fresh off his buzzer-beater, Maryland freshman phenom Derik Queen finished with 27 points and five boards. Queen also shot a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line. Ja’Kobi Gillespie finished with 17 points and Julian Reese and Rodney Rice each finished with 12 points.

Both teams kept things close in the first half, as Florida entered halftime clinging onto a two-point lead. But in the second half, the Gators started to run away with the game. Five minutes into the final frame, Florida went on a 15-6 run to grab an 11-point lead and never looked back.

Despite Queen’s scoring efforts, including showing off his range for a triple, the Terrapins could not recover. Back-to-back dagger triples from Richard and Aberdeen extended the Gator lead before a barrage of fast-break layups from Haugh and Alex Condon sealed it.

The Gators now play Texas Tech in the Elite 8 with a Final Four berth on the line.

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No. 1 Duke defeated No. 4 Arizona

Cooper Flagg had his March Moment.

The consensus number-one overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft silenced any critics who argued against that label.

Flagg put the team on his back, dropping 30 points, dishing out seven assists and grabbing six rebounds in Duke’s 100-93 victory over Arizona.

Flagg showed it all on the floor. He showcased his elite playmaking ability when he found Khaman Maluach for two alley oops and his ability to shoot on and off the dribble. But Flagg’s range was on full display, especially when he pulled up from 30-feet out to drain a triple at the first-half buzzer.

Fellow freshman Kon Knueppel finished with 20 points while Sion James added 16 points. Maluach finished with 13.

Caleb Love gave another signature March performance, finishing with a team-leading 35 points on an 11-21 shooting night. Jaden Bradley scored 15 points and Henri Veesaar contributed 13 off the bench.

The Blue Devils were proficient on offense, shooting 60% from the field and 57.9% from beyond the arc while making 11 triples. They also converted 23 of their attempts from the free-throw line.

Arizona kept things close, entering halftime facing a six-point deficit. However, the Blue Devils opened up a double-digit lead early into the second half and never looked back.

Duke will now play Alabama in the Elite 8.

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No. 3 Texas Tech defeats No. 10 Arkansas

With seconds left in a tied game, Darrion Williams got the matchup he wanted.

When Arkansas’ Karter Knox switched onto the junior forward, he went to work. Williams backed down the freshman before hitting a drop-step to create separation. His shot banked off the glass and slowly caromed on the rim before falling in.

The Red Raiders then clamped up D.J. Wagner’s game-tying attempt to advance to the Elite 8, securing an 85-83 overtime victory.

Williams finished with 20 points, while Christian Anderson led Texas Tech with 22 points. JT Toppin, the team’s leading scorer, added 20 points and nine rebounds.

Johnell Davis led the Razorbacks with 30 points, including going a perfect 11-11 from the free-throw line. Knox added 20 points and Wagner finished with 13 points.

Arkansas came out the gates hot. They immediately built and 11-point lead 10 minutes into the half and held Texas Tech’s 28th-ranked scoring offense to under double-digits during that time frame.

The Red Raiders gained some momentum back after Williams nailed a triple at the end of the first-half to cut their halftime deficit to seven. However, the single-digit deficit was short-lived.

Arkansas built a 16-point lead with 12 minutes to play after Davis made a three. The Red Raiders quickly bounced back, posting a 20-10 run over eight minutes to cut the lead to six points with just over two minutes to play.

After Anderson made back-to-back triples to cut the lead to three, Tech had a chance to tie. Anderson passed up the shot and found Williams, who drained a three from the right wing to send the game to overtime.

Both teams battled in overtime, posting three lead changes and five ties before Williams hit the game winner.

Tech’s 16-point comeback victory marked the second largest comeback ever in the Sweet 16, and the program’s first Elite 8 appearance since the 2018-19 season, when they lost in the National Championship.

The Red Raiders play Florida with a trip to San Antonio on the line.

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