2024 March Madness Tournament West Region Day Two Results
On Day Two, the West region saw another four teams go through to the round of 32, albeit with a little less excitement than Day One’s games. The first West matchup of the day featured the third-seeded Baylor Bears cruising to a 25-point victory against the fourteenth-seeded Colgate Raiders by a score of 92-67. The Bears went up 20 points by halftime and never looked back in a massive win. Baylor forward Jalen Bridges led with 23 points and five rebounds, while freshman guard Ja’Kobe Walter scored 19 points. Six Bears scored eight or more points in this one, displaying their depth and versatility.
The second game of the sixth-seeded Clemson Tigers facing off against the eleventh-seeded New Mexico Lobos kicked off next, and the Tigers won comfortably by a score of 77-56. Clemson jumped out to a 30-11 start, and the Lobos were never able to fully bring themselves back in the second half. Tigers’ guard Chase Hunter put up 21 points and six assists, and junior forward Ian Schieffelin recorded a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. The sixth-seeded Tigers will now go on to the round of 32 to face the Baylor Bears on Sunday.
In the third game of the day for the West region, a display of offensive firepower was put on by both teams. The fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the thirteenth-seeded Charleston Cougars by a score of 109-96. An absurd 120 points were scored in just the second half, which is a higher total than the entire Duke/Vermont game. Bama guard Mark Sears put together a spectacular performance with 30 points, five assists, and four rebounds on an efficient 9/13 from the field. Backcourt mate Aaron Estrada chipped in 13 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds for the Tide. The Crimson Tide went 13/23 (57%) from the three-point line as a team, giving the Cougars little opportunity to claw back in this one.
The last West game saw the twelfth-seeded Grand Canyon Antelopes knock off the fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s Gaels to win their first-ever NCAA tournament game 75-66. The first half was back-and-forth the entire way, with the Lopes leading by one point at the break. Out of halftime, Grand Canyon scored the first six points, and never looked back on that seven-point lead. GCU senior guard Tyon Grant-Foster led the game in scoring with 22 points to go along with seven rebounds. Grand Canyon created a massive discrepancy on the line, shooting 28/36 from the free-throw line, while the Gaels went just 7/12. The Lopes will move onto the round of 32 for the first time ever to face the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sunday.
