The First Round of March Madness has gotten underway! The games so far today have been electric and full of surprises. Here’s my take on some of the earlier games from Thursday.
Virginia vs. Furman
Virginia has lost its first-round matchup to Furman! This was the first upset of the tournament as Virginia was a 4 Seed and Furman was a 13-seed. The game came down to the wire. Virginia was holding the lead for a good amount of the game until Furman came out after half-time and took over!
Forward from Furman, Jalen Slawson led the way with a great stat score. He ended the game with 19 points and ten rebounds to help his school go farther in the dance.
This game was exciting from start to finish, and many media personalities called that this game would cause an upset!
Maryland vs. West Virginia
This game was such a toss-up! Both teams exchanged buckets like heavyweights and it was a great one to witness. Maryland closed out the game 67-65 as they took control of the game towards the late part of the second half.
Maryland nearly had their whole starting lineup score double-digits. However, guard Donald Carey only scored 9 points. This Maryland team worked great together and showed their dynamic team chemistry come to life.
Arizona vs Princeton
The two-seed Wildcats have been tossed out of March Madness! Princeton pulled an amazing comeback in the second half. Arizona went completely cold from the field late in the second half, which caused Princeton to outplay them.
Princeton had six blocks in this game which was essential to keep pressure on Arizona. Along with 6 team steals, Princeton put on a great display of defense that was exciting to watch.
Arizona broke so many brackets that predicted them to go to the Final 4! It was an absolutely thrilling matchup as Princeton kept pace with the PAC-12 tournament winners.
This will go down as one of the biggest upsets in March Madness history!
Arkansas vs. Illinois
Arkansas played quite well against this Illinois team. They kept a good lead for the majority of the game and closed it out without any issues. Junior Guard Ricky Council IV led the way for the Razorbacks with 18 points and ten rebounds. His great display of athleticism showed how well this Arkansas team could be.
San Diego State vs. Charleston
San Diego State closed out what turned out to be a closer game. Charleston was playing from behind and tried to show signs of a slow comeback in the 2nd Half. San Diego State will advance to play Furman on Saturday after they upset Virginia. This should set up a great Round of 32 matches which could be a close one.
