The 11-seed Texas Longhorns upset by the 6-seed AJ Dyb….I mean BYU Cougars on Thursday, 79-71. Texas didn’t shoot well from the line (50%) or the field (47%), but racked up eight offensive rebounds and finished +9 on the glass. Most of the statistics were even, but Texas led 98% of the game and had a 17-point lead at one point.
The 3-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs defeated the 14-seed Kennesaw State Owls, 73-64. Gonzaga shot only 40% from the field but limited Kennesaw State to 36% shooting. Gonzaga dished out 10 more assists and won the battle of the boards by 11. Fastbreak points were 12-2 in favor of Gonzaga.
The Longhorns and Bulldogs will meet on Saturday with tipoff TBD.
Gonzaga opens as a 4.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Texas sits as a +170 underdog. The game total is set at O/U 149.5 points.
Gonzaga finished with a 31-3 regular season record, good for first in the WCC. Per Bart Torvik, Gonzaga has a power ranking of 10 with the 37th-best offense and ninth-best defense.
Texas was 20-14 and finished 10th in the SEC. The Longhorns are rated as the 43rd-best team with the 24th-best offense and 107th-best defense.
