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- March Madness scores
- March Madness Day 2 highlights
- March Madness games today
- Complete March Madness schedule
The madness has arrived, if Thursday's first-round games were any indication.
The NCAA Tournament is already bringing surprises and overtime thrillers, from No. 12 High Point's win over No. 5 Wisconsin to No. 11 VCU's comeback to take down No. 6 North Carolina. The stunner of the tournament's first full day might have been one upset that didn't happen, as Siena nearly topped Duke before running out of gas down the stretch.
STREAM: Watch NCAA Tournament games live with DIRECTV
While top seeds have largely held serve so far, Friday offers another chance for David to make a run at Goliath. Top-seeded Arizona and Florida are both in action, while Kansas, St. John's and Kentucky are among teams trying to stave off upset bids.
Miami (Ohio) will also make its return to the court after an exciting First Four win over SMU, with a mighty Tennessee defense expected to be a much tougher challenge for the 32-win RedHawks.
The Sporting News is tracking live scores, results and highlights from first-round games of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Take a look below at all of the key moments you might have missed from Thursday's games.
MARCH MADNESS HQ: Live NCAA bracket | TV schedule | Latest news and more
March Madness live bracket scores
Round 1: Thursday, March 19
(8) Ohio State vs. (9) TCU
(4) Nebraska vs. (13) Troy
(6) Louisville vs. (11) USF
(5) Wisconsin vs. (12) High Point
(1) Duke vs. (16) Siena
(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) McNeese
(3) Michigan State vs. (14) North Dakota State
(4) Arkansas vs. (13) Hawaii
(6) North Carolina vs. (11) VCU
(1) Michigan vs. Howard
(6) BYU vs. (11) Texas
(7) St. Mary's vs. (10) Texas A&M
(3) Illinois vs. (14) Penn
(8) Georgia vs. (9) Saint Louis
(3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Kennesaw State
(2) Houston vs. (15) Idaho
NCAA Tournament results, highlights from today's games
All times ET.
(8) Ohio State vs. (9) TCU
2:27 p.m. -- The TCU Horned Frogs are moving on, edging out the Buckeyes 66-64.
Xavier Edmonds hit the go-ahead layup with 4.4 seconds left. OSU's Bruce Thornton had a chance to win the game with a half-court heave, but his effort was off the mark.
BUZZER SOUNDS. TCU GETS THE FIRST WIN OF #MarchMadness 🙌 @TCUBasketball pic.twitter.com/q7zFXi6HNd
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20261:52 p.m. -- With 8:40 left in the game, Ohio State has cut the lead to two. TCU currently leads 49-47.
1:01 p.m. -- TCU finished the first half lava hot. The Horned Frogs used an 11-0 run to take a 39-24 lead into halftime.
FROGS ARE UP BIG AT THE HALF 🐸#MarchMadness @TCUBasketball pic.twitter.com/9a65LeOOjY
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 202612:41 p.m. -- Halfway through the first half, the 8-9 matchup is standing up to the billing as TCU is up 14-13 over Ohio State in a close game so far.
12:18 p.m. -- The Round of 64 is officially underway.
IT'S TIME TO DANCE 🕺#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/xSKCeX166N
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2026(4) Nebraska vs. (13) Troy
2:38 p.m. -- After 40 minutes, the Cornhuskers have officially won their first NCAA tournament game! They take care of the Troy Trojans 76-47.
Pryce Sandfort led the way with 23 points (seven three-pointers), five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
HUSKER HISTORY IN OKC 💪#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/yIHi8PYLbb
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20262:09 p.m. -- The Cornhuskers are well in control at Paycom Center. They lead 56-37 and look to be well on their way to their first NCAA Tournament win.
1:39 p.m. -- Nebraska heads into halftime up 41-25.
1:19 p.m. -- Nebraska settled in and started running away with the game. After the 10-minute mark, the Cornhuskers went on a 17-2 run in the next five minutes of game time.
Pryce Sandfort AGAIN ‼️#MarchMadness @HuskerMBB pic.twitter.com/moWzAWPBHh
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20261:03 p.m. -- It is hard to imagine that the Cornhuskers are still looking for their first NCAA Tournament win. Even though they matched up with No. 13 Troy in the first round, Nebraska may be feeling the pressure. With 10 minutes to go in the first quarter, Troy has the game tied 15-15.
(6) Louisville vs. (11) USF
3:55 p.m. -- Louisville survives against a great second-half effort from USF. They hold on 83-79 and are moving on to the Round of 32.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20263:08 p.m. -- Halfway through the second 20 minutes, and the Cardinals are well in control over the Bulls 66-44.
Louisville is shooting 50% from downtown (12/24), while USF is at a mere 9.1% (2/22).
2:26 p.m. -- The Louisville Cardinals head into the half up 37-27 on the USF Bulls.
Isaac McKneely is currently the game's leading scorer with 11 points, shooting 4/5 from the field.
1:48 p.m. -- USF was one of the most popular underdog picks in the first round. Through the first 10 minutes of the game, Louisville is up 17-11.
(5) Wisconsin vs. (12) High Point
3:54 p.m. -- The Panthers are moving on! They narrowly beat out the Badgers 83-82.
Chase Johnston hit his first two-pointer of the year on the game-winning layup with 11 seconds to go.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20263:15 p.m. -- With 11 minutes to go in the second half, High Point has been battling. The Panthers and Badgers are tied at 58 apiece.
Four Panthers are in double digits (Martin, Aquino, Fletcher, Anderson). Can they close out the upset?
2:32 p.m. -- At half, Wisconsin leads by two, 41-39, over High Point.
Blackwell is now up to 20 points, shooting 7/9 (77.8% FG) from the field.
2:07 p.m. -- Nearly halfway through the first half from Moda Center and the Badgers are up 22-16 on the Panthers.
Wisconsin's John Blackwell leads the way with 10 points, five rebounds, and an assist.
(1) Duke vs. (16) Siena
5:27 p.m. -- Duke was able to fend off Siena 71-65. The 16-seeded Saints but a scare into the Blue Devils, but the Boozer brothers' 31 points were huge down the stretch.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20263:50 p.m. -- 20 minutes are in the books, and the Saints take a 43-32 lead into the break.
Gavin Doty leads all scorers with 16 points.
The No. 1 overall seed is down DOUBLE DIGITS at the half to Siena 😱#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/z1S79S7X62
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20263:27 p.m. -- Halfway through the first half and Siena still leads 28-18 over the Blue Devils.
A lot of brackets will be nervous watching this game so far.
3:10 p.m. -- Duke and Siena have kicked off. After five minutes, the Saints currently lead 12-10.
Francis Folefac already has seven points for Siena.
(5) Vanderbilt vs. (12) McNeese
5:30 p.m. -- Vandy takes care of McNeese 78-68 after the full 40 minutes are up.
The Commodores were down by as many as 11 early in the game.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20263:47 p.m. -- With seven minutes to go in the first half, McNeese leads 26-20.
McNeese's Garwey Dual and Larry Johnson lead the way with seven points.
3:19 p.m. -- The Commodores and Cowboys have begun their battle at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Will McNeese pick up where they left off last tournament and get the upset win, or will Vanderbilt spoil their dance?
(3) Michigan State vs. (14) North Dakota State
6:34 p.m. -- Tom Izzo and the Spartans are moving on after a 25-point victory over North Dakota State. They win 92-67.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20266:02 p.m. -- With 10 minutes to go, MSU is still in control. They're up 72-49 on the Bison.
Cooper now has 20 points, six rebounds, and three assists, with Fears at 11 assists.
5:30 p.m -- At halftime, the Spartans are up big on the Bison 45-25.
Carson Cooper leads all scorers with 14 points, while Jeremy Fears has nine assists.
(4) Arkansas vs. (13) Hawaii
6:33 p.m. -- Arkansas dominates Hawaii 97-78 in the Round of 64.
Five Razorbacks finished in double digits (Acuff, Thomas, Brazile, Ewin, Richmond)
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 20266:03 p.m. -- The Razorbacks are still up big on the Rainbow Warriors. They lead 75-60 with 10 minutes to go.
Acuff is now the game's leading scorer with 22 points.
5:32 p.m. -- Arkansas takes an 18-point lead into the break at the Moda Center, as they're up 54-36 on the Rainbow Warriors.
Meleek Thomas tops the scoring charts, with 14 points at half, with Darius Acuff right behind him with 13.
(6) North Carolina vs. (11) VCU
9:30 p.m. -- The VCU Rams complete the 19-point comeback and takedown the TarHeels.
Terrence Hill Jr. led the way with 34 points, five rebounds, five assists, and seven three-pointers.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 20269:05 p.m. -- We are heading to overtime!
UNC's Seth Trimble stole the inbound pass, but was unable to hit the shot at the buzzer.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 20267:39 p.m. -- At half, the TarHeels head into the break with a 39-28 lead.
UNC's Henri Veesaar is the half's leading scorer with 13 points. He also pitched in five rebounds and two assists.
7:15 p.m. -- With eight minutes left in the first half, North Carolina has gone on a 10-3 in the last two minutes to lead 24-18.
VCU's Lazar Djokovic leads all scorers with eight points.
6:51 p.m. -- We are underway between the TarHeels and Rams. UNC controls the opening tip.
(1) Michigan vs. Howard
9:40 p.m. -- After a sketchy first half, the Wolverines lock in and defeat the Howard Bison 101-80.
Five Michigan players finished in double digits (Johnson Jr., Mara, Burnett, Gayle Jr., and McKenney).
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 20268:18 p.m. -- Howard's Bryce Howard hits a buzzer-beater three to cut Michigan's lead to just four heading into halftime.
Wolverines 50-46 Bison.
7:53 p.m. -- Through 10 minutes, Michigan leads 26-20 over the Howard Bison.
Roddy Gayle Jr. leads all scorers with nine points. He hasn't missed yet tonight.
7:34 p.m. -- Michigan and Howard have tipped off as Thursday's last No. 1 vs No. 16 game.
(6) BYU vs. (11) Texas
9:40 p.m. -- The LongHorns survive against the Cougars, as they win 79-71.
Matas Vokietaitis led the way with 23 points, 16 rebounds, an assist and a block.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 20267:57 p.m. -- Through nine minutes, the Longhorns are up 23-21 on AJ Dybantsa and the Cougars.
Dybantsa leads all scorers with 10 points and is shooting 4/5 from the field.
7:37 p.m. -- The Cougars and Longhorns have begun their battle at Moda Center.
(7) St. Mary's vs. (10) Texas A&M
9:50 p.m. -- The Aggies keep on dancing! They defeat St. Mary's 63-50 and are heading on to the Round of 32.
Rashaun Agee finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, three assists, and a steal.
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 20267:56 p.m. -- With 10 minutes to go, the Aggies are up 15-13 on the Gaels. Not much scoring through the opening portion of the game.
7:37 p.m. -- St. Mary's and Texas A&M have begun. Will the Aggies pull off the upset, or will the Gaels hold strong?
(3) Illinois vs. (14) Penn
11:46 p.m.: Illinois put up the highest number of points in a game today, scoring 105 in a 35-point blowout win over No. 14 Penn.
David Mirkovic led the way for the Illini, scoring 29 points to go along with 17 rebounds in a career night. Now, the Illini turn their attention to Saturday, when they'll face No. 11 VCU.
11:27 p.m.: Illinois has turned this game into a blowout.
The Fighting Illini lead by 28, 79-51, with 7:45 remaining in the second half.
In all likelihood, we will have Illinois vs. VCU on Saturday.
9:58 p.m. -- The Fighting Illini and Quakers have begun play in Greenville. Can TJ Power lead Penn to victory, or will Illinois ruin their March story?
(8) Georgia vs. (9) Saint Louis
12:15 a.m.: Saint Louis finishes off a 102-77 rout of Georgia, with six players scoring in double figures and Kanon Catchings shooting 0-of-11 for the Bulldogs. It's Saint Louis' first NCAA Tournament win since 2014.
11:50 p.m.: It's a Billiken blowout.
Halfway through the second frame, St. Louis leads 83-52 over Georgia, with a game against Michigan in their sights.
10:11 p.m. -- Georgia vs. Saint Louis has tipped off in Buffalo. The Billikens strike first on a fast-break layup.
(3) Gonzaga vs. (14) Kennesaw State
12:38 a.m.: Kennesaw State ultimately doesn't have the firepower to pull any closer than two possessions down, and Gonzaga wins a physical game to set up a matchup with Texas.
12:27 a.m.: A flagrant foul and subsequent free throws have Kennesaw State back within seven.
12:23 a.m.: Gonzaga has never fully pulled away, but Kennesaw State hasn't had the outside shooting to get back into it. It's a 9-point game with about three minutes remaining.
11:59 p.m.: We have a close one between Gonzaga and Kennesaw State, with the Bulldogs leading by six with 10:39 remaining.
11:25 p.m.: At halftime, No. 3 Gonzaga leads Kennesaw State 33-27.
(2) Houston vs. (15) Idaho
12:15 a.m.: Houston finishes off a dominant 78-47 win, extending a trend of comfortable first round wins for the Cougars in this tournament. Idaho scored less than 25 points in each half, while five players scored in double figures for Houston.
11:30 p.m.: The second half is underway in Houston-Idaho, and it's the Cougars who have a commanding 24-point lead.
Freshman Kingston Flemings leads all scorers with 14 as the second half begins.
10:18 p.m. -- The Cougars and Vandals have begun their battle in Oklahoma City.
March Madness schedule today
Thursday, March 19
| No. 9 TCU 66, No. 8 Ohio State 64 | — | — |
| No. 4 Nebraska 76, No. 13 Troy 47 | — | — |
| No. 6 Louisville 83, No. 11 South Florida 79 | — | — |
| No. 12 High Point 83, No. 5 Wisconsin 82 | — | — |
| No. 1 Duke 71, No. 16 Siena 65 | — | — |
| No. 5 Vanderbilt 78, No. 12 McNeese 68 | — | — |
| No. 3 Michigan State 92, No. 14 North Dakota State 67 | — | — |
| No. 4 Arkansas 97, No. 13 Hawaii 78 | — | — |
| No. 11 VCU 82, No. 6 North Carolina 78 | — | — |
| No. 1 Michigan 101, No. 16 Howard 80 | — | — |
| No. 11 Texas 79, No. 6 BYU 71 | — | — |
| No. 10 Texas A&M 63, No. 7 St. Mary's | — | — |
| No. 3 Illinois 105, No. 14 Penn 70 | — | — |
| No. 9 Saint Louis 102, No. 8 Georgia 77 | — | — |
| No. 3 Gonzaga 73, No. 14 Kennesaw State 64 | — | — |
| No. 2 Houston 78, No. 15 Idaho 47 | — | — |
March Madness schedule 2026
Here is the remaining NCAA Tournament schedule after Thursday's games.
Friday, March 20
| No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara | 12:15 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron | 12:40 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
| No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 16 LIU | 1:35 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State | 1:50 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State | 2:50 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra | 3:15 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
| No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9 Utah State | 4:10 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio)/SMU | 4:25 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Iowa | 6:50 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa | 7:10 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 7 UCLA vs. No. 10 UCF | 7:25 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 15 Queens | 7:35 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
| No. 1 Florida vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M/Lehigh | 9:25 p.m. | TNT, DIRECTV |
| No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 13 Cal Baptist | 9:45 p.m. | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Furman | 10 p.m. | TBS, DIRECTV |
| No. 7 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 10 Missouri | 10:10 p.m. | truTV, DIRECTV |
Round 2
Saturday, March 21
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
Sunday, March 22
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
Sweet 16
Thursday, March 26
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
Friday, March 27
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBD |
Elite Eight
Saturday, March 28
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
Sunday, March 29
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | CBS, Fubo, Paramount+ |
Final Four
Saturday, April 4
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
| TBD vs. TBD | TBD | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
National championship
Monday, April 6
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:50 p.m. | TBS, truTV, DIRECTV |
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