Gonzaga 66, S. Dakota St 46
Gonzaga overcame shooting woes and an early challenge from 16-seed South Dakota State to comfortably win its opening NCAA Tournament game, 66-46.
The Jackrabbits led for most of the first half, but the Bulldogs kept it close and eventually took a comfortable lead thanks to a spirited defensive effort.
The Bulldogs are now 25-19 all-time in its 19 NCAA Tournament appearances, and 22-17 under coach Mark Few.
SDSU hung around but Silas Melson’s 3-pointer with exactly 10 minutes left to play effectively decided the game with a quarter to go.
Jordan Mathews led a balanced if inefficient scoring effort with 16 points. Przemek Karnowski, Josh Perkins and Zach Collins also scored in double figures with 10 points apiece/ Jim Meehan , SR. More here.
* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Huckleberries Online." Read all stories from this blog