2023 March Madness Elite Eight live updates: UConn leading Gonzaga

The 2023 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continues Sunday with the final two games of the Elite Eight!

Kicking things off, the South Region took center stage, as 5-seed San Diego State defeated 6-seed Creighton in a last-second thriller in Louisville, Kentucky to advance to its first Final Four in school history.

In Kansas City, 5-seed Miami (Fla.) is currently going up against 2-seed Texas in the Midwest Region. A 5-seed has faced a 2-seed five times in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 5 teams going 4-1 in those games.

The first two Final Four teams were decided Saturday, when 9-seed Florida Atlantic continued its Cinderella run by taking down 3-seed Kansas State in a nail-biter and 4-seed UConn dominated 3-seed Gonzaga with a whopping 28-point win. This will be the first time since seeding began in 1979 that no 1-seed will take part in the Final Four.

Follow along with the most up-to-date bracket here.

Here are the highlights!

No. 5 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 2 Texas

Buckets in bunches

Both squads had the hot hand early on, as 3-pointers rained down by the plenty. Texas took a three-point lead midway through the first half on this trey from the left hash. 

On the mark

Texas had several responses to Miami’s fiery shooting, as evidenced by this jumper from Timmy Allen.

High-percentage look

There’s just something about that corner 3.  Arterio Morris knocked down what some call the most efficient shot in basketball to put the Longhorns up 39-33 with just under two minutes left in the opening half.

Sticking with it

Miami bought itself a late bucket on this nice turnaround jumper to slim Texas’ lead. The Canes went into halftime down eight, 45-37.

Elevate, detonate

Dillon Mitchell got some serious air for Texas to open the second half in stunning fashion on this alley-oop.

Stay tuned for updates!

No. 5 San Diego State 57, No. 6 Creighton 56

Spin cycle!

The Bluejays were pulling out all the stops early, getting out to a 6-5 lead at the first official TV timeout.

Family affair

Creighton sophomore forward Arthur Kaluma and San Diego State senior guard Adam Seiko were putting their sibling rivalry to the test early, as the brothers went head-to-head in the first half on multiple occasions.

Too smooth

SDSU didn’t take its foot off the gas as things continued, keeping Creighton within arm’s reach from the jump.

Making moves

The Bluejays did begin to put some distance between themselves and the Aztecs midway through the first half, despite SDSU’s best efforts to keep things close.

Star power

Creighton star center Ryan Kalkbrenner continued to heat up as the first half wound down, coming down with one huge dunk after another to extend the Bluejays’ lead.

One down, one to go

The Aztecs made some adjustments late in the frame, allowing them to close the gap slightly. 

Still, Creighton was firing on all cylinders and led by five points, 33-28, at the break.

Building momentum

The Aztecs started the second half in style, but the Bluejays certainly didn’t let them have all the fun.

Just like that, it was a one-point game, 35-34.

Follow the leader

Then, with 6:44 to play, SDSU took a 46-45 lead after an all-out effort from the Aztecs late in the frame.

All or nothing

The Aztecs and the Bluejays were trading buckets down the stretch, eventually knotting things up at 54-all with less than two minutes remaining. SDSU still had a few tricks up its sleeve when it mattered most, regaining the lead shortly after.

Laser focused

Creighton guard Baylor Scheierman made the game-tying layup with 32 seconds on the clock …

Rising to the occasion

… but SDSU had the last word. 

With one second remaining in regulation, Darrion Trammell stepped up to the free-throw line and drained the final and most important basket of the night, handing the Aztecs a last-second 57-56 victory.

No. 4 UConn 82, No. 3 Gonzaga 54

Hot start

It was a back-and-forth battle from the very beginning. Adama Sanogo blocked a shot and UConn got out in transition as Joey Calcaterra hit a reverse layup to give the Huskies a 19-15 lead.

Finding a rhythm

Gonzaga took its first lead of the game, 22-21, late in the first half — courtesy of Malachi Smith’s smooth 3-point jumper.

Building momentum

The Zags’ lead was short-lived, however, as the Huskies got back in the driver’s seat in no time.

Zeroing in

Gonzaga got a scoring boost late in the frame from star forward Drew Timme, who helped keep things close.

Widening the gap

As the first half came to a close, UConn extended its lead with ease. It was a seven-point game at the half, 39-32.

Pouring it on

Things went from bad to worse for Gonzaga in the second half. 

The Huskies went on back-to-back 8-0 runs to take a commanding 60-38 lead en route to a 28-point win.

No. 9 Florida Atlantic 79, No. 3 Kansas State 76

We’re off!

FAU was first to strike in this one, making a splash with a smooth 3-pointer right out of the gate to set the tone early.

Heading into Thursday’s tilt, a 9-seed had faced a 3-seed twice before in the Elite Eight (since 1985), with No. 9 teams going 0-2 in those games. The Owls were determined from the start to challenge that narrative — and they did just that.

Back and forth

The Wildcats responded in a big way by going on a quick run to regain the lead, but it was short-lived.

FAU answered with a 10-2 run midway through the first half to take a 22-18 lead at the second official TV timeout.

Clawing back

K-State wasn’t backing down, however, coming up with one crafty basket after another to keep FAU within arm’s reach.

Neck and neck

The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead, 32-31, as the first half wound down.

One down, one to go

FAU quickly put a stop to the run and retook the lead, thanks to the fancy footwork of breakout star guard Johnell Davis.

The Owls led at the break, 42-36.

However, it was Wildcats guard Markquis Nowell who led all scorers in the first half with 15 points.

Eyes on the prize

Kansas State got the second-half scoring started, opening the frame with a quick 6-0 run to take a 44-42 lead.

All gas, no brakes

FAU responded with a monster block to stop K-State’s momentum before taking the lead right back, 47-44.

Star of the show

As the second half got underway, Nowell continued to pour it on for the Wildcats with one clutch play after another.

All-out effort

Both teams traded 3-pointers — some from way downtown — back and forth to keep things close midway through the second half. Then, Kansas State took its largest lead of the game, 57-50, with 12 minutes to play.

No quit

With momentum on their side, the Wildcats continued to show up in big moments. Forward Nae’Qwan Tomlin made a statement with a tough and-1, followed by a massive rejection that brought K-State fans to their feet.

Anyone’s game!

The Owls still had a few tricks up their sleeve as things continued, draining a couple of 3s to make it a one-point game.

FAU was back in front, 64-63, with roughly six minutes remaining after a clutch dunk from center Vladislav Goldin.

Too close!

FAU extended its lead to 72-64 with 2:44 to go, but K-State went on an immediate 5-0 run to keep things competitive.

Wild ending

One moment, the Owls led by five points. The next, the Wildcats had pulled within one after Cam Carter’s opportune 3.

It remained a one-point game until there were just nine seconds left in regulation, as both teams battled until the very end. Ultimately, the Owls had a little more left in the tank, narrowly edging the Wildcats by three points, 79-76.

With the win, a 9-seed advanced to the Final Four for just the third time in the history of the men’s tournament.

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