No. 1-seed Baylor knocked off No. 9 Wisconsin in businesslike fashion, 76-63, but the story of day was Loyola-Chicago’s complete domination of in-state rival and top-seeded Illinois. Who doubts Sister Jean and the Ramblers on a Sunday?
But that wasn’t the day’s only drama. Of course it wasn’t. No. 15-seed Oral Roberts kept dancing with an 81-78 upset of Florida, No. 11 seed Syracuse got past No. 3 West Virginia and 12-seed Oregon State raced past Oklahoma State just past midnight. It was the first time in NCAA Tournament history that three teams seeded 11 or lower advanced to the Sweet Sixteen on the same day.
Loyola led wire-to-wire at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in a no-doubt destruction of the highly ranked Illini. Cameron Krutwig finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds and five assists to pace Loyola. The Ramblers outshot and outrebounded Illinois, they never trailed and led by as many as 14 while advancing to the Sweet Sixteen.
Final Call 🚨: @RamblersMBB pulls the UPSET and takes down 1-seed Illinois with a 71-58 win in Indy❗️
🗣️: @KevinKugler & P.J. Carlesimo#MarchMadness #OnwardLU x #StillChasing pic.twitter.com/KppZtv8sOx
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 21, 2021
Davion Mitchell scored 16 points and spearheaded a dominant defense as top-seeded Baylor avoided chances of any upset by ninth-seed Wisconsin, beating the Badgers 76-63 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Baylor is on to the #Sweet16❗️
Mark Vital filled the stat sheet in today's win and threw down this thunderous slam late in the second half.
🗣️: Ryan Radtke and @AustinCroshere #SicEm | #TimeIsNow pic.twitter.com/eoJxsdt3Ho
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 21, 2021
Oral Roberts’ 15th-seeded Golden Eagles erased a double-digit deficit to reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1974.
Highlight: Deshang Weaver hits a clutch three to give @ORUMBB a 80-78 lead over @GatorsMBK with 2:10 to play.
Ryan Radtke @AustinCroshere had the call.#MarchMadness https://t.co/5TI580ufl8 pic.twitter.com/oW0vtLSJKD— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 22, 2021
In the final game of the night, 12th-seeded Oregon State scored a second straight upset by downing No. 4-seed Oklahoma State, 80-70, at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Beavers led 40-22 in the first half and allowed the Cowboys within 70-67 before scoring 10 of the game’s last 13 points.
Ethan Thompson hit a crucial jumper with 2:39 left to end a furious, late @OSUMBB run and put the @BeaverMBB back up by five, 72-67. The Cowboys would not make another field goal the rest of the way.
Thompson finished with 26 points.@craigway1 & Donny Marshal had the call. https://t.co/4XKSiLUuNk pic.twitter.com/NhKseJQLHe
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 22, 2021
Buddy Boeheim scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half to lead the No. 11-seed Syracuse Orange past third-seeded West Virginia, at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
🍊🍊🍊
Threes for the Orange helped pace @Cuse_MBB to a thrilling 75-72 upset win over West Virginia.
Buddy Boeheim had 6⃣ three-pointers, including this one to answer a late WVU push.
🗣️: @RosinskiBill & @WillPerdue pic.twitter.com/oZ11oqf19w
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 21, 2021
Rutgers led 27-24 at intermission and grew its lead to 10 with 8:45 to play. But second-seeded Houston scored 14 of 16 down the stretch. Tramon Mark’s three-point play gave the Cougars their first lead of the half with 24 seconds to play, 61-60. After an RU turnover and two more free throws, Ronald Harper’s 3-point try with three seconds left bounded off the rim.
Heartbreak. Exultation. Houston escapes 63-60. #MarchMadness
A 10-point lead slipped away for @RutgersMBB and No. 2-seed @UHCougarMBK survived at the buzzer.
Here's how @kevinkugler & PJ Carlesimo called the final seconds on @westwood1sports. pic.twitter.com/9OI2i43ro7
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 22, 2021
Third-seeded Arkansas advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1996 while besting Texas Tech 68-66. Kyler Edwards’ contested layup with two seconds to play missed the mark to preserve the Razorback win.
The final call from Hinkle Fieldhouse, as @RazorbackMBB survives a furious late-2nd-half comeback from @TexasTechMBB to win 68-66 and advance to the #Sweet16 for the first time since 1996. @craigway1 and Donny Marshall called the thrilling action. https://t.co/d60QF9e9Of pic.twitter.com/oZHpZisab6
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 22, 2021
Villanova led 47-27 at halftime and No. 13-seed North Texas never got closer than 15 points in the second half in a game played at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.
Fifth-seeded Villanova led by 20 at halftime and was never challenged thereafter, pushing past North Texas to reach next week's Sweet Sixteen.@RosinskiBill and @Will_Perdue32 called the action on @westwood1sports sports.#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/C6RXjQEqSL
— Westwood One Sports (@westwood1sports) March 22, 2021