The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continued Saturday with the first two games of the Elite Eight.
Kicking things off, the East Region took center stage, as 9-seed Florida Atlantic continued its Cinderella run by taking down 3-seed Kansas State in a nail-biter at Madison Square Garden to advance to the first Final Four in school history.
Elsewhere, in Las Vegas, 4-seed UConn dominated 3-seed Gonzaga in the West Region with a staggering 28-point win.
The remaining Final Four teams will be decided Sunday among 2-seed Texas or 5-seed Miami (Fla.) and 5-seed San Diego State or 6-seed Creighton. This is the first time since seeding began in 1979 that no 1-seed took part in the Elite Eight.
Follow along with the most up-to-date bracket here.
Here are the highlights!
No. 4 UConn 82, No. 3 Gonzaga 54
Hot start
It was a back-and-forth battle from the very beginning. Adama Sanogo blocked a shot and UConn got out in transition as Joey Calcaterra hit a reverse layup to give the Huskies a 19-15 lead.
Finding a rhythm
Gonzaga took its first lead of the game, 22-21, late in the first half — courtesy of Malachi Smith’s smooth 3-point jumper.
Building momentum
The Zags’ lead was short-lived, however, as the Huskies got back in the driver’s seat in no time.
Zeroing in
Gonzaga got a scoring boost late in the frame from star forward Drew Timme, who helped keep things close.
Widening the gap
As the first half came to a close, UConn extended its lead with ease. It was a seven-point game at the half, 39-32.
Pouring it on
Things went from bad to worse for Gonzaga in the second half.
The Huskies went on back-to-back 8-0 runs to take a commanding 60-38 lead en route to a 28-point win.
No. 9 Florida Atlantic 79, No. 3 Kansas State 76
We’re off!
FAU was first to strike in this one, making a splash with a smooth 3-pointer right out of the gate to set the tone early.
Heading into Thursday’s tilt, a 9-seed had faced a 3-seed twice before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 9 teams going 0-2 in those games. The Owls were determined from the start to challenge that narrative — and they did just that.
Back and forth
The Wildcats responded in a big way by going on a quick run to regain the lead, but it was short-lived.
FAU answered with a 10-2 run midway through the first half to take a 22-18 lead at the second official TV timeout.
Clawing back
K-State wasn’t backing down, however, coming up with one crafty basket after another to keep FAU within arm’s reach.
Neck and neck
The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead, 32-31, as the first half wound down.
One down, one to go
FAU quickly put a stop to the run and retook the lead, thanks to the fancy footwork of breakout star guard Johnell Davis.
The Owls led at the break, 42-36.
However, it was Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell who led all scorers in the first half with 15 points.
Eyes on the prize
Kansas State got the second-half scoring started, opening the frame with a quick 6-0 run to take a 44-42 lead.
All gas, no brakes
FAU responded with a monster block to stop K-State’s momentum before taking the lead right back, 47-44.
Star of the show
As the second half got underway, Nowell continued to pour it on for the Wildcats with one clutch play after another.
All-out effort
Both teams traded 3-pointers — some from way downtown — back and forth to keep things close midway through the second half. Then, Kansas State took its largest lead of the game, 57-50, with 12 minutes to play.
No quit
With momentum on their side, the Wildcats continued to show up in big moments. Forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin made a statement with a tough and-1, followed by a massive rejection that brought K-State fans to their feet.
Anyone’s game!
The Owls still had a few tricks up their sleeve as things continued, draining a couple of 3s to make it a one-point game.
FAU was back in front, 64-63, with roughly six minutes remaining after a clutch dunk from center Vladislav Goldin.
Too close!
FAU extended its lead to 72-64 with 2: 44 to go, but K-State went on an immediate 5-0 run to keep things competitive.
Wild ending
One moment, the Owls led by five points. The next, the Wildcats had pulled within one after Cam Carter’s opportune 3.
It remained a one-point game until there were just nine seconds left in regulation, as both teams battled until the very end. Ultimately, the Owls had a little more left in the tank, narrowly edging the Wildcats by three points, 79-76.
With the win, a 9-seed advanced to the Final Four for just the third time in the history of the men’s tournament.
COMING UP:
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 5 San Diego State (Sunday, 2: 20 p.m. ET, CBS)
A 6-seed has faced a 5-seed once before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 6 teams going 0-1 in that game.
No. 5 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 2 Texas (Sunday, 5: 05 p.m. ET, CBS)
A 5-seed has faced a 2-seed five times in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 5 teams going 4-1 in those games.
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