Friday’s March Madness: Xavier Survives Kennesaw State’s Upset Bid

A scare for Xavier, to be sure, but not an early exit. — Oskar Garcia

Matchups to Watch

The women’s N.C.A.A. basketball tournament finally gets going, while we’re on our second day of first-round action for the men. Follow along with the bracket and live scores, and check out our picks for the Friday games we don’t want to miss (all times Eastern):

Women’s Tournament

No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 U.N.L.V.

3 p.m., ESPNU

U.N.L.V., one of the hottest teams in the country, is currently riding a 22-game winning streak that includes the Mountain West tournament title, though the Rebels are 0-2 all time versus Michigan. U.N.L.V. is playing in its second consecutive N.C.A.A. tournament after last making the field in 2002. Michigan made it to the Elite Eight last year, so the pressure is on its Big Three, Leigha Brown, Laila Phelia and Emily Kiser, each of whom is averaging at least 16 points per game. The winner here will face either No. 3 LSU or No. 14 Hawaii.

No. 8 Southern California vs. No. 9 South Dakota State

8 p.m., ESPN News

South Dakota State missed the tournament last year but had become a fixture before then; this is its 11th trip in 18 years since joining Division I. The Jackrabbits hold wins over Louisville and Kansas State this year and ended the season with a 21-game winning streak. Southern California is back in the field for the first time since 2014. Forward Rayah Marshall is averaging a double-double, with 12.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. The teams have played each other twice before, but not since 2006.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/sports/ncaabasketball/march-madness-friday.html