NCAA Tournament 2015: Thursday's 2nd-Round Scores, Updated Bracket and Schedule

Although the First Four marked the official start of the 2015 NCAA tournament, March Madness truly began Thursday in the eyes of most college basketball fans as the round of 64 commenced.

With 16 games throughout the day, there are few more chaotic and exciting times in college basketball. One victory ensures teams a spot in the round of 32 and brings them one step closer to a national championship, so the stakes simply don't get much higher.

Check back here throughout the round of 64's opening day for updates on which teams are moving on as well as a look at how the bracket is taking shape.

NCAA Tournament Round-of-64 Scores and Schedule

Date	Time (ET)	Team 1	Team 2	Result
Thursday, March 19	12:15 p.m.	Northeastern	Notre Dame	69-65, Notre Dame
Thursday, March 19	12:40 p.m.	UAB	Iowa State	60-59, UAB
Thursday, March 19	1:40 p.m.	Georgia State	Baylor	57-56, Georgia State
Thursday, March 19	2:10 p.m.	Texas Southern	Arizona	93-72, Arizona
Thursday, March 19	2:45 p.m.	Texas	Butler	56-48, Butler
Thursday, March 19	3:10 p.m.	UCLA	SMU	60-59, UCLA
Thursday, March 19	4:10 p.m.	Ole Miss	Xavier	76-57, Xavier
Thursday, March 19	4:40 p.m.	Ohio State	VCU	75-72, Ohio State
Thursday, March 19	6:50 p.m.	Lafayette	Villanova	93-52, Villanova
Thursday, March 19	7:10 p.m.	Purdue	Cincinnati	66-65(OT), Cincinnati
Thursday, March 19	7:20 p.m.	Harvard	North Carolina	67-65, North Carolina
Thursday, March 19	7:27 p.m.	Stephen F. Austin	Utah	57-50, Utah
Thursday, March 19	9:20 p.m.	LSU	NC State	66-65, NC State
Thursday, March 19	9:40 p.m.	Hampton	Kentucky	79-56, Kentucky
Thursday, March 19	9:50 p.m.	Wofford	Arkansas	56-53, Arkansas
Thursday, March 19	9:57 p.m.	Eastern Washington	Georgetown	84-74, Georgetown
Friday, March 20	12:15 p.m.	New Mexico St.	Kansas
Friday, March 20	12:40 p.m.	Georgia	Michigan State
Friday, March 20	1:40 p.m.	Wyoming	Northern Iowa
Friday, March 20	2:10 p.m.	Buffalo	West Virginia
Friday, March 20	2:45 p.m.	Indiana	Wichita State
Friday, March 20	3:10 p.m.	Belmont	Virginia
Friday, March 20	4:10 p.m.	UC Irvine	Louisville
Friday, March 20	4:40 p.m.	Valparaiso	Maryland
Friday, March 20	6:50 p.m.	Oklahoma St.	Oregon
Friday, March 20	7:10 p.m.	Robert Morris	Duke
Friday, March 20	7:20 p.m.	Davidson	Iowa
Friday, March 20	7:27 p.m.	Albany	Oklahoma
Friday, March 20	9:20 p.m.	Coastal Carolina	Wisconsin
Friday, March 20	9:40 p.m.	St. John's	San Diego State
Friday, March 20	9:50 p.m.	North Dakota St.	Gonzaga
Friday, March 20	9:57 p.m.	Dayton	Providence

Updated Bracket

Thursday Recap

No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Northeastern

Fresh off an ACC tournament title, No. 3 Notre Dame kicked off the round of 64 by defeating No. 14 Northeastern by a score of 69-65 in a much-closer-than-expected battle.

As is often the case early in the NCAA tournament, the underdogs came out firing. The Huskies gave the Fighting Irish issues throughout the first half of the game, and they even held a 22-20 lead with just over five minutes remaining until halftime.

Northeastern's hot start likely had many viewers sweating as the vast majority of those who filled out brackets had the Irish advancing to the round of 32, according to ESPN Fantasy Sports on Twitter:

Notre Dame was able to recover following the timeout, though, as it went on an 11-5 run to take a 31-27 lead into the locker room. Star guard Jerian Grant started to pick up the slack, and the Irish had a big advantage in terms of using their athleticism in transition, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The Irish found themselves in a precarious position coming out of the half as star forward Zach Auguste quickly found himself in foul trouble, according to Seth Davis of CBS Sports:

That didn't seem to slow Notre Dame or Auguste down, though, as the Irish opened up a 43-32 lead with Auguste making three baskets in the opening three minutes of the half.

Much as it did in the first half, however, Northeastern showed its toughness by battling back to within two points at around the 14-minute mark.

Just when it seemed like the Huskies were back in the game, Notre Dame's talent advantage became apparent once again as it stretched its lead back to double digits a little more than midway through the second half.

The Huskies continued to grind, but it appeared as though they were simply overmatched in terms of pure, athletic ability, per ESPN's Bomani Jones:

With that said, Northeastern had some fight left in it as a 10-2 run helped it pull to within four points of the lead with about two minutes left in the game.

The Irish went back up by six, but a Scott Eatherton basket with 37 seconds left whittled Notre Dame's advantage down to just two.

The pressure was very much on Notre Dame as the prohibitive favorite, and it resulted in a turnover that gave the Huskies a chance to tie or win it. Northeastern couldn't convert, though, as Grant made a massive defensive play on the other end, according to Rich Nye of WTHR Channel 13:

Notre Dame's offensive firepower is what allowed it to run through the ACC tournament, and while it wasn't apparent for much of Thursday's game, it had just enough to get by.

There were some spotty moments, but the Irish survived and still have an opportunity to go a long way in the NCAA tourney.

No. 3 Iowa State vs. No. 14 UAB

It didn't take long for the first major upset of the NCAA tournament to occur as No. 14 UAB shocked No. 3 Iowa State 60-59 in the second game of the second round.

According to ESPN Fantasy Sports on Twitter, plenty of brackets were busted due to the Blazers' surprising performance:

The Cyclones never looked comfortable at any point during the game, while the Blazers were more aggressive and more willing to do the little things needed to win in March.

Much like Northeastern in the first game of the day, UAB entered its clash against Iowa State prepared and determined to push the favorites to the limit and then some.

Although the Blazers were down 12-2 at one point, it didn't take them long to recover as they tied the game at 16-16 a little more than midway through the first half. Thanks to a Denzell Watts jumper with a little more than one minute before halftime, UAB took a 31-28 lead into the locker room.

Leading scorer Robert Brown was fantastic in the opening frame as he dropped 10 points and gave the Cyclones fits, according to Tim Brando of Fox Sports:

Most observers likely expected Iowa State to turn it on and pull away in the second half, but that wasn't necessarily the case. For as talented as the Cyclones are, the Blazers looked just as good due to their hard-working style, per Joe Whelan of WBMA-TV:

UAB was especially strong on the boards as it held a major advantage over Iowa State in that regard as the game reached its latter stages, according to UAB Athletics on Twitter:

The Cyclones looked uncharacteristically lethargic for much of the game, and it didn't play at a level needed to succeed in the NCAA tournament, per Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times:

Despite its struggles, Iowa State managed to take a 55-51 lead with just over three minutes left in the game. That was quickly erased as the Blazers pulled ahead 56-55.

Brown struggled for much of the second half, but he nailed a three-pointer to put UAB on top when it mattered most, according to Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports:

Iowa State took the lead back at 57-56, but they were unable to hold it and never regained it as William Lee scored the final four points for UAB. The Cyclones had an open three to tie, but it wouldn't go, and the Blazers pulled off the shocking upset.

The Cyclones were a trendy pick to make a deep run in the tournament out of the tough Big 12, while few paid much attention to UAB. Perhaps Iowa State overlooked the Blazers, but that proved to be a huge mistake.

After beating a team of Iowa State's caliber, it will certainly be interesting to see just how far UAB can go in the tournament.

No. 3 Baylor vs. No. 14 Georgia State

Just when it seemed as though the madness from UAB's upset over Iowa State State had settled, it emerged once again as No. 14 Georgia State upended No. 3 Baylor in unbelievable fashion 57-56.

With the Panthers down by two points, head coach Ron Hunter's son, R.J., nailed the game-winning three from way downtown, according to Jerry Palm of CBSSports.com:

Per ESPN Fantasy Sports, Baylor was the second team picked in more than 90 percent of brackets to fall in the round of 64.

The Bears and Panthers traded baskets for much of the first half as Baylor simply couldn't shake its underdog opponent. Georgia State actually held a 30-28 lead with a little over a minute remaining in the first half, and it looked as though it would enter halftime with momentum on its side.

That changed quickly, though, as Taurean Prince tied it with a pair of free throws and then gave the Bears a 33-30 lead at the buzzer with a clutch three-point make, according to Seth Davis of CBS Sports:

Prince and Baylor received a fortuitous bounce, but it was a huge basket in that it gave the Bears some confidence despite a spotty first-half showing.

Despite the demoralizing manner in which the first half ended, Georgia State continued to hang in there during the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Baylor started to pull away, though, as Prince continued to pour it on off the bench, per Shehan Jeyarajah of The Dallas Morning News:

Baylor led by as many as 12 points, and it seemed as though they were poised to cruise to a win. The Panthers refused to give up, though, as Hunter went on a personal 7-0 run with under two minutes left to make it 56-53 in favor of the Bears.

Georgia State had a chance to pull within one at the 30-second mark, but T.J. Shipes missed the front end of a one-and-one. The Panthers got the ball back, though, and trailed by two when Hunter hit what could turn out to be the shot of the tournament to complete a 13-0 run and win it for the Bears.

After seeing Notre Dame barely survive and Iowa State lose to No. 14 seeds, Baylor was unable to avoid a similar fate. The Bears were very much in control late in the game, but they went cold both from the field and from the line.

Georgia State deserves all the credit in the world for hanging tough, but Baylor will undoubtedly regret letting this one slip out of its grasp.

No. 2 Arizona vs. No. 15 Texas Southern

The Arizona Wildcats hardly broke a sweat dispatching the Texas Southern Tigers in the second round on Thursday. About halfway through the first half, the Wildcats owned a 21-9 lead, and it only got worse from there for Texas Southern. Arizona held a 54-33 advantage at halftime and cruised in the second half, winning 93-72.

All five of the Wildcats' starters scored in double figures. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led the way with 23 points, and Stanley Johnson was right behind with 22 points of his own.

The Tigers had no answer for Hollis-Jefferson inside, who also finished with 10 rebounds. All seven of his made field goals came inside the paint, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Many view Arizona as a viable contender to usurp Kentucky for the national title. Given the ease with which the Wildcats won on Thursday, they're certainly positioning themselves as one of the best teams in the field.

No. 6 Butler vs. No. 11 Texas

Isaiah Taylor got the Texas Longhorns to within a point of the Butler Bulldogs on Thursday, but that's as close as they got. Butler closed on a 12-5 run, pulling out a hard-fought 56-48 victory.

Texas remained in the game for so long because of its stout defense. It held the Bulldogs to just 33.3 percent shooting (16-of-48).

Were it not for Kellen Dunham, Butler likely would've been going home after Thursday. The junior guard shot a pedestrian 5-of-14 from the field, but he knocked down eight of his 11 free throws and scored 20 points.

Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis highlighted a sequence late in the second half that culminated in a three-pointer from Dunham and gave Butler a 48-43 lead:

Evan Daniels of Scout added that Dunham wasn't hitting an impressive volume of his shot attempts but was finding the bottom of the net at the right times:

There's no question Butler will need to be better in the third round. But as bad as the Bulldogs offense was, the defense was as good. Any time you're holding a team like Texas to 48 points, you're doing something right.

No. 6 SMU vs. No. 11 UCLA

Perhaps no finish throughout the rest of the NCAA tournament will be as contentious as the final moments in UCLA's 60-59 win over SMU.

Bryce Alford attempted a three-pointer in the game's dying seconds that would've given the Bruins a one-point lead. Although it looked wide of the mark, Mustangs big man Yanick Moreira grabbed the ball out of the air on the way before it had hit the rim.

The referees whistled it goaltending and gave Alford and UCLA the three points that won them the game.

After the loss, Moreira took to Twitter to apologize to his teammates for his gaffe:

"

I would like to apologize for all the SMU fans as senior I shouldn't make those type of mistake.. I'm really sorry

— Yanick Moreira (@Ymoreira35) March 19, 2015"

Many wondered whether Moreira actually ran afoul of the rules since Alford's shot almost certainly had no chance of going in. Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant chimed in with his two cents:

You can't envision too many more heartbreaking ways in which to lose a basketball game. For SMU, it's extremely tough pill to swallow, but it's a big win for UCLA, a team whose tournament credentials were questioned by many on Selection Sunday.

No. 6 Xavier vs. No. 11 Ole Miss

The Xavier Musketeers were quick to dash any hopes of another big upset on Thursday. They grabbed an early lead over the Ole Miss Rebels and never looked threatened, eventually prevailing 76-57.

Matt Stainbrook added another chapter to his incredible story, scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Stainbrook isn't the most athletically or technically gifted player on the floor, but he's a ton of fun to watch if only for the somewhat indelicate way in which he plays.

Here's to hoping the senior center has a little more magic left in his college career.

The Musketeers will undoubtedly be a tough out in the tournament. They move the ball around the floor so well and rank 24th in adjusted offense, according to KenPom.com. Xavier will also be difficult to beat when it's shooting 43.5 percent from behind the arc.

No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Virginia Commonwealth

The Ohio State Buckeyes narrowly edged out the Virginia Commonwealth Rams in overtime Thursday, winning 75-72.

Treveon Graham had a chance to tie the game late in overtime, but his three-pointer went begging. D'Angelo Russell hit two critical free throws that iced the game for the Bucks and capped off what was a brilliant performance from the freshman guard.

Russell led all scorers with 28 points and added six rebounds. Even a cut near his eye couldn't stop Russell from hitting big shots late.

As a result, Ohio State will play Arizona in the next round, which ESPN's Chad Ford sees as a game with NBA draft implications:

Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears can't wait to see the individual matchup between Russell and Hollis-Jefferson:

Danny Manning set the standard in 1988 for almost single-handedly leading a team to a national title. Nothing about that 1987-88 Kansas Jayhawks team was outstanding beyond Manning.

You wonder how much further Russell can drag Ohio State. Playing the Wildcats will be their toughest test of the season.

No. 1 Villanova vs. No. 16 Lafayette

The Villanova Wildcats looked every bit a No. 1 seed on Thursday, blowing out the Lafayette Leopards by 41 points in the second round, 93-52.

The Big East champions shot an impressive 63.2 percent from the field and knocked down half of their three-pointers. That combination would make 'Nova almost impossible to beat, even for the best teams in the country. Lafayette didn't stand a chance.

Each of the Wildcats' starters scored in double figures. Daniel Ochefu was arguably the standout performer, finishing with 14 points, nine rebounds and two assists. He didn't miss a single field-goal attempt all game, going 5-of-5 from the floor.

No. 8 Cincinnati vs. No. 9 Purdue

In Thursday's second overtime game, the Cincinnati Bearcats won by a point, 66-65, over the Purdue Boilermakers.

A free throw from Jon Octeus gave Purdue a two-point lead, 59-57, late in regulation. At the buzzer, though, Troy Caupain hit a layup that sent the game into OT. It was one of the biggest singular shots of the day:

Vince Edwards had the last shot for Purdue and missed the potential game-winner from behind the arc. Edwards was probably the best guy for the job. He finished with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting and was the only Boilermaker with more than one made three-pointer.

Cincinnati definitely did Purdue a favor, nearly costing itself the win at the foul line. The Bearcats were a meager 12-of-21 from the charity stripe, and those discarded freebies could've proved pivotal in the final outcome.

Bearcats head coach Mick Cronin was forced to watch all the drama from home after an arterial dissection forced him to step away from the sidelines back in January. He certainly reveled in the victory:

No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Harvard

With a little over 14 minutes remaining in the game, North Carolina owned a 16-point lead over Harvard on Thursday. The Crimson slowly but surely chipped away at the deficit and managed to grab a two-point lead with 1:15 left.

Alas, it wasn't to be for Harvard, as the Tar Heels got back-to-back buckets from Justin Jackson and ground out a two-point win, 67-65.

After the game, UNC head coach Roy Williams acknowledged that his team needed a little help to cross the finish line, per Fox Sports' Jon Morosi:

Harvard's Wesley Saunders nearly won the game all on his own, scoring 26 points in defeat. According to ESPN Stats & Info, it's the most scored by any Crimson player in the Big Dance:

Another stat, courtesy of ESPN Stats & Info, highlighted how much Harvard relied on its leading scorer early in the game:

Saunders had a great look at the end of the game but missed with his three-point attempt.

No. 5 Utah vs. No. 12 Stephen F. Austin

Although Delon Wright was far from his best on Thursday, teammate Jakob Poeltl picked up the slack and spearheaded a 57-50 win for the Utah Utes in the second round. Some pegged Stephen F. Austin as a potential Cinderella this year, but the Lumberjacks simply didn't have it on the night.

Wright did a little bit of everything, scoring 11 points while grabbing six rebounds, dishing out two assists and grabbing three steals.

Poeltl was the Utes' leading scorer, dropping 18 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. He also had eight rebounds and five blocks. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress felt the victory was a great showcase of Poeltl end-to-end game:

During the regular season, Utah hanged its hat on its great defense. Stephen F. Austin made just 17 of its 51 field-goal attempts, so that defense was out in full force in the second round. The Utes can't always count on a night like that from Poeltl, but as long as Wright gets back to his best, they'll be in business going forward.

No. 8 NC State vs. No. 9 LSU

LSU watches as a 14-point halftime lead completely evaporated over the course of the second half. NC State got bucket from BeeJay Anya in the dying seconds of the game to grab a 66-65 win. The NCAA posted a GIF of the shot:

After the game, Anya spoke about knowing his shot was destined for the bottom of the hoop, per Pack Pride:

According to CBS Sports, it was the fifth game on Thursday decided by a solitary point, which set a tourney record.

CBS Sports' Will Brinson noted how NC State head coach Mark Gottfried has built a reputation for escaping his first-round matchup:

What won't get lost in the result is how poorly LSU played down the stretch. Anya wouldn't have had a chance to win the game unless the Tigers completely imploded in the second half. Joe Giglio of The News & Observer noted how their offense went absent:

No. 5 Arkansas vs. No. 12 Wofford

Arkansas fought off a game Wofford squad to win 56-53 and narrowly avoid the dreaded 5/12 upset.

The game was tied at 51-51 until Bobby Portis connected with a layup to give the Razorbacks a 53-51 lead. Eric Garcia tied it back up at 53-53, but Alandise Harris' jumper found its mark and put Arkansas ahead for good. He hit a free throw immediately after to put Wofford away for good.

Harris only scored eight points for the entire game, but he only needed three to win the game.

Michael Qualls led the way for Arkansas with 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting. Portis was also big for the Razorbacks, scoring 15 and grabbing 13 rebounds to finish with a hard-earned double-double.

While it wasn't the prettiest win for Arkansas, it counts all the same.

No. 1 Kentucky vs. No. 16 Hampton

Hampton gave Kentucky a little bit of a game early on, but this game was all but over after 10 minutes. The Wildcats cruised to a 79-56 victory, keeping their unbeaten record intact and staying on course for the national title.

Karl-Anthony Towns was unstoppable down low, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Wilie Cauley-Stein was a brick wall inside defensively, grabbing 11 boards of his own and blocking two shots.

Although the Wildcats won rather easily in the end, they were far from their best. Shooting 45.9 percent from the field isn't exactly great against a team like Hampton, especially given the ridiculous standards to which the Wildcats are holding themselves.

Hampton, meanwhile, can take solace in the fact that it was more competitive against Kentucky than the Kansas Jayhawks were:

No. 4 Georgetown vs. No. 13 Eastern Washington

Georgetown wrapped up Thursday with an 84-74 victory over Eastern Washington.

Tyler Harvey did his best to try and pull the Eagles through to victory. He attempted 20 shots on the night, knocking down nine and scoring 27 points.

Beyond Venky Jois, Harvey didn't get much support offensively. Jois chipped in 19 points, but the rest of the team combined for 28 points. Take out Jois and Harvey, and the Eagles shot 9-of-32 from the field.

That's not going to be enough to beat a team as good as Georgetown, especially when the Hoyas shoot an impressive 52.1 percent from the field. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera had 25 points and eight rebounds in the win.

Georgetown's bench also rose to the occasion, scoring 45 points.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter