The Lamb County Leader-News’ Big Bracket Challenge is underway with 25 participants this year.
The first and second rounds of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament are in the books.
In the first round in the South Bracket, Auburn took down Alabama State, 83-63, while nine seed Creighton took down eight seed Louisville, 89-75. Five seed Michigan edged out UC San Diego, 6865, while Texas A&M took down Yale, 80-71. Six seed Ole Miss held off North Carolina, 71-64,while Iowa State blew out Lipscomb, 8255, and 10 seed New Mexico took down seven seed Marquette, 7566. Michigan State cruised past Bryant, 87-62.
In the first round in the West Bracket, Florida blew out Norfolk State, 95-69, while UConn took down Oklahoma, 67-59, and 12 seed Colorado State upset five seed Memphis, 78-70. Maryland took care of business against Grand Canyon, 81-49, while Texas Tech took down UNC Wilmington, 82-72, and 10 seed Arkansas upset seven seed Kansas, 79-72. St John’s cruised past Omaha, 83-53.
In the first round in East Bracket, Duke blasted Mount St Mary’s, 93-49, while nine seed Baylor took down eight seed Mississippi State, 75-72, and Oregon defeated Liberty, 81-52. Arizona blasted Akron, 93-65, while BYU held off VCU, 8071, and Wisconsin took care of Montana, 85-66. Saint Mary’s held off Vanderbilt, 59-56, while Alabama took down Robert Morris, 90-81.
In the first round in the Midwest Bracket, Houston handled SIUE, 78-40, while Gonzaga took care of Georgia, 89-68, and 12 seed McNeese upset five seed Clemson, 69-67. Purdue defeated High Point, 75-63, while Illinois took down Xavier, 86-73, and Kentucky dismantled Troy, 76-57. UCLA defeated Utah State, 72-47, while Tennessee took down Wofford, 77-62.
In the second round, one seed Auburn held off nine seed Creighton, 82-70, while five seed Michigan blasted four seed Texas A&M, 91-79, and six seed Ole Miss upset three seed Iowa State, 91-78. Michigan State took care of business against New Mexico, 71-63, while one seed Florida held off eight seed UConn, 77-75, and four seed Maryland edged out 12 seed Colorado State, 72-71.
Three seed Texas Tech took down 11 seed Drake, 77-64, while 10 seed Arkansas upset two seed St. John’s, 75-66, and two seed Tennessee took down seven seed UCLA, 67-58. Three seed Kentucky held off six seed Illinois, 84--75, while four seed Purdue took down 12 seed McNeese, 76-62, and one seed Houston took down Gonzaga, 81-76.
Two seed Alabama took down seven seed Saint Mary’s, 80-66, while six seed BYU upset, three seed Wisconsin, 91-89, and four seed Arizona held off five seed Oregon, 87-83. Duke blasted Baylor, 89-66.
The standing through the first two rounds of the Big Bracket Challenge are as follows: We have a three-way tie for first place, as Ben Eastepp, JC Orozco and John Hernandez are all tied with 50 points. Sitting in second place with 49 points are Danny Sanders, Ed Dabrowski, Larry Ashley, Michael McDaniel and Tammy McDaniel. Those with 48 points are Lonnie Neinast, Micky Orozco and Sheryl Sanders, while Teresa Dabrowski has 47 points and Elisardo Cueto and Richard Orozco are tied with 46 points each.
Robin Neinast and Shaun Lewallen are tied with 44 points, while JD Pence and Sheryl Lewallen are tied with 43 points and Susan Haney has 41 points. Marcelino Castillo has 40 points, while Richard Lewallen has 37 points and Martin Duran rounds out the field with 35 points.
The next update will be on Wednesday April 2nd, and will include the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games.
Thank you to our sponsors, who make this contest possible: Wellington State Bank, Pizza Hut in Littlefield, Brown Flying Service, Rowe Abstract & Title Company, Littlefield ISD, Lamb County Electric Co-Op, Valley Ag Electric, McDonalds in Littlefield and the Lamb County Leader-News.