(CNN) The Sweet 16 action began in the NCAA tournament, and just like previous rounds of March Madness, drama flowed through the first set of games.
The Florida Atlantic Owls (FAU) upset Tennessee with the 4 seeds, 62-55; Markquis Nowell made NCAA history as the Kansas State Wildcats defeated the Michigan State Spartans in overtime, winning 98-93; Gonzaga shocked UCLA with a late three-pointer to seal a dramatic 79-76 win; while UConn comfortably beat Arkansas 88-65 to advance to the Elite Eight.
Cinderella’s story has a new chapter
Ahead of the game, FAU head coach Dusty May said his team will “embrace” their Cinderella tag, but the 46-year-old also claimed his team had the quality to progress regardless of their seeding.
May said: “We’re very, very confident in our abilities and the guys in the dressing room.”
The coach was right to have that confidence in his players as the No. 9 Owls eliminated the No. 4 Volunteers to advance to the Elite Eight.
In a scrappy, low-scoring contest, FAU had a huge second-half surge to achieve the incredible 62-55 upset.
Tennessee went into the game against FAU as favorites but were eliminated from the competition.
The underdogs trailed 27-22 after the first half at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, but outplayed the Volunteers 40-28 – including an 18-2 run – in the second half to seal the win .
“You can’t count us anymore, man. We’re here to stay and we’ll keep fighting no matter who we face, who we play against,” said FAU guard Nick Boyd at the postgame press conference.
“I have a group of brothers that play together and I feel like there is no one else in the country who loves and works like we do [we do] so we will continue to make statements.”
Late drama and history written
Nowell makes NCAA history as the Wildcats defeat Spartans
The opening game of the men’s NCAA tournament Sweet 16 concluded Thursday night at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York with Kansas State’s thrilling 98-93 victory over Michigan State in overtime.
The game was dominated by a record-breaking performance from Kansas State star Markquis Nowell. The guard, playing in his hometown, filled the stats list and finished the game with 20 points, a whopping 19 assists – a new single-game record for NCAA tournaments – and five steals to lead the Wildcats to victory.
Nowell dominated for the Wildcats against Michigan State during their Sweet 16 matchup.
Nowell, who played the second half with an injured right ankle, is the first player to finish in a Division I or men’s NBA game since 1996 with more than 20 points, 19+ assists and 5+ steals. according to CBS Sports.
“All glory to God man he gave me these gifts and these talents and I’m just glad I’m getting the platform to showcase it and I have a lot of confidence,” Nowell said after the win.
Nowell’s stellar performance drew the attention of some of the sport’s biggest names with Lakers legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Kevin Durant sings his praises.
Bulldogs snap Bruins with late treble
Gonzaga and UCLA have brought college hoop fans some incredible duels over the past few years, and their recent encounter was no different.
With two minutes and 30 seconds left, the Bulldogs were leading 72-62 thanks to an incredible second-half performance.
But the Bruins kept fighting and fought back to take a 76-75 lead thanks to a three-pointer from Amari Bailey with 13 seconds left.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs beat UCLA three thanks to a late clutch.
Then, with less than 10 seconds on the clock, Julian Strawther rose. The 20-year-old guard won the game with a chain three from the edge of the half-court logo, reminiscent of bulldog Jalen Suggs’ game winner in 2021.
“You can’t make up for moments like that,” Strawther said in the press conference after the game about the winning goal. “These are literally the moments you dream of to get even one shot like this in March Madness.”
Huskies cruise past Razorbacks in Elite Eight
Elsewhere, the Connecticut Huskies comfortably edged out the Arkansas Razorbacks with a routine 88-65 win. UConn was led by Jordan Hawkins by 24 points as they held off the Razorbacks to make it into the Elite Eight.
In the Elite Eight, Kansas State meets FAU and Gonzaga plays UConn on March 25.