Day Two Recap of the 2024 March Madness East Bracket First Round
The second day of the East Region bracket had a wide variety of games. Between overtime thrillers and 40-point victories, the day was filled with action. The first game of the day was the eight-seed FAU vs the nine-seed Northwestern the game featured multiple lead changes and it took overtime to decide the winner. In overtime, it seemed like Northwestern couldn't miss, as guard Ryan Langborg took over. Northwestern went on to win 77-65 outsourcing the FAU Owls 19-7 in overtime. Langborg in the game had 27 points which was a team-high. Northwestern will now have a major challenge as they will play the one-seed UConn Huskies next in the Round of 32.
The second game of the day was San Diego State vs UAB. This one was also a thriller as even though San Diego State came in heavily favored it came down to the last minute to decide the winner. Jaedon Ledee however was the difference maker. Ledee went on to score 32 points and eight rebounds. Last Year in the tournament when San Diego State reached the championship game Ledee was only a role player. But after today he has solidified himself as one of the stars in the tournament. Due to his performance, San Diego State was able to take away a 69-65 win against a tough UAB team. UConn went on later in the day to destroy 16-seed Stetson University, leading 28-6 early and never looking back. UConn got a dominant effort from every starter as all five scored in double digits. UConn came in favored by over 20 and they truly showed why after winning 91-52. UConn is one of the favorites to win it all this year and will look to defend their national championship title from last year.
The last game of the night for the East bracket was an upset for the ages. Yale came in as major underdogs but for John Poulakidas this meant nothing. Poulakidas put on a show for the ages in front of the biggest audience of his life. In his career-high 28-point performance he shot 10-15 with six three-pointers to lead the Bulldogs to victory. This win will go down as the Yale Bulldogs’ second NCAA tournament win in their history. Many people believed that this Auburn team could go far in the tournament after winning the SEC. Yet, even after a strong double-double from star player Johni Broome their season came to an end today. Yale will now play San Diego State in the next round as Poulakidas and the Bulldogs have another challenge ahead.
