2025 March Madness scores, takeaways: Kansas bows out early, Michigan survives on Day 1 of NCAA Tournament

While upsets highlighted the day, both No. 1 seeds rolled into Round 2 with decisive victories

It didn't take long for March Madness to deliver an upset, as No. 12 seed McNeese toppled No. 5 seed Clemson 69-67 on Thursday afternoon as first-round NCAA Tournament action began heating up. The Cowboys built a 24-point lead early in the second half and held off a late Clemson rally on to set up a showdown with No. 4 seed Purdue in the second round on Saturday.

The No. 4 seed Boilermakers were among the contingent of well-seeded teams that took care of business early as they outlasted No. 13 seed High Point 75-63. Both No. 1 seeds Thursday held serve as both Houston and Auburn cruised to relatively comfortable wins.

In late action, No. 7 seed Kansas' disappointing season came to a fitting end with a 79-72 loss to No. 10 seed Arkansas. No. 5 seed Michigan survived a major scare from No. 12 seed UC-San Diego with a 68-65 win. 

March Madness is in full swing around the country, and CBS Sports was here every step of the way. Scroll below to see updates and highlights in real time as they unfolded. 

2025 NCAA Tournament TV schedule

All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule | LIVE bracket

(9) Creighton 89, (8) Louisville 75 Highlights	(4) Purdue 75, (13) High Point 63 Highlights
(3) Wisconsin 85, (14) Montana 66 Highlights	(1) Houston 78, (16) SIUE 40 Highlights
(1) Auburn 83, (16) Alabama State 63 Highlights	(12) McNeese 69, (5) Clemson 67 Highlights
(6) BYU 80, (11) VCU 71 Highlights	(8) Gonzaga 89, (9) Georgia 68 4:35 p.m. | TBS | Watch live
(2) Tennessee 77, (15) Wofford 62 Highlights	(10) Arkansas 79, (7) Kansas 72 Highlights
(4) Texas A&M 80, (13) Yale 71 Highlights	(11) Drake 67, (6) Missouri 57 Highlights
(7) UCLA 72, (10) Utah State 47 Highlights	(2) St. John's 83, (15) Omaha 53  Highlights
(5) Michigan 68, (12) UC-San Diego 65 10 p.m. | TBS | Highlights	(3) Texas Tech 82, (14) UNC Wilmington 72 10:10 p.m. | truTV | Watch live

CBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every first round game on Thursday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the evening.

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:56 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

The second round is full of marquee coaching matchups

Rick Pitino vs. John Calipari. Mark Few vs. Kelvin Sampson. Mick Cronin vs. Rick Barnes. Bruce Pearl vs. Greg McDermott. 

Those are just a few coaching matchups that college basketball fans are getting in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The headliner of the bunch is Pitino's St. John's team squaring off against Calipari's Razorbacks because of the two coaches' shared history. Pitino and Calipari will coach against each other in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time ever. The last time they faced off in the NCAA Tournament was in 2014 when Kentucky defeated Louisville 74-69 in the Sweet 16. 

2025 March Madness: John Calipari vs. Rick Pitino to meet when Arkansas battles St. John's in NCAA Tournament

Cameron Salerno

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:55 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Kansas' season ends in disappointing fashion

After last year's loss to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, Bill Self told reporters he had been "thinking about next season" for about the last month. Even after starting the 2024-25 campaign as the preseason top-ranked team, the Jayhawks stumbled to their worst season under Self. Kansas finished 21-13 -- marking the most losses the program has suffered in a season since the 1982-83 season -- and failed to make it out of the first weekend of the tournament for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Jayhawks will have some soul-searching to do (once again) this offseason to get back on track.

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:55 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Michigan, Texas Tech avoid massive upsets in the late window

Most of Day 1 of the first round went as planned seeding-wise, with a handful of upsets sprinkled in. The intensity picked up in the late window when No. 5 seed Michigan and No. 3 seed Texas Tech were pushed by No. 12 seed UC San Diego and No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington, respectively. Michigan led by as many as 15 points in the second half before UCSD took a brief lead with 2:29 left. Michigan was able to hang on with a 68-65 win after UCSD missed a game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds. Texas Tech led by as many as 16 points in the first half before UNC Wilmington took a 48-47 lead with 13:58 remaining. Texas Tech was able to close out the game strong and held on for a 82-72 win.

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:54 am ET · Cameron Salerno]

Texas Tech survives upset bid

FINAL: (3) Texas Tech 82, (14) UNC Wilmington 72

The final game on Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament ended the night in style. No. 3 seed Texas Tech survived a furious comeback bid from No. 14 seed UNC Wilmington in a 82-72 win. The Red Raiders will face No. 11 seed Drake on Saturday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. Texas Tech guard Kerwin Walton scored all 27 of his points from the 3-point or free-throw line.

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:20 am ET · David Cobb]

Michigan hangs on

FINAL: (5) Michigan 68, (12) UC-San Diego 65

UC-San Diego rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit but came up just short of pulling a stunner, as the Tritons fell 68-65 to Michigan in their first-ever NCAA Tournament game. Tyler McGghie keyed the UCSD second-half surge and had a game-tying look from the left wing in the final seconds that bounced off the back rim, allowing the Wolverines to survive. He finished with a game-high 25 points. Michigan overcame an ugly 11 of 20 mark at the free-throw line and was led by 14 points from Vlad Goldin. The Wolverines will play No. 4 seed Texas A&M in the second round.

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:06 am ET · David Cobb]

Potential upset alert

Late 2H: (5) Michigan 63, (12) UC-San Diego 60

UC-San Diego trailed 41-27 at halftime but has rallied to infuse some drama to the second half of the nightcap in Denver. Star guard Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones has fouled out with just seven points, but the Tritons refuse to go away. Tyler McGhie has 20 to lead UC-San Diego, which has a 15-6 edge in points off turnovers.

[Mar 21, 2025 at 12:06 am ET · David Cobb]

St. John's pulls away

FINAL: (2) St. John's 83, (15) Omaha 53

After leading just 33-28 at halftime, St. John's hammered the gas in the second half to pull away from Omaha and set up a second-round showdown with No. 10 seed Arkansas. The Red Storm opened the second half on a 12-2 run and never looked back as they began thriving on both ends of the floor. The Mavericks closed shooting just 25.7% and 13.9% from 3-point range. Meanwhile, St. John's tied a season-high with 14 made 3-pointers.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 11:24 pm ET · David Cobb]

UCLA crushes Utah State

FINAL: (7) UCLA 72, (10) Utah State 47

UCLA used a 10-0 run to take command late in the first half and never looked back in a 72-47 beatdown of Utah State. The Bruins got between seven and 14 points from six different players and held the Aggies to a measly 4 of 31 shooting from beyond the arc. The win sets up an intriguing second-round showdown between the Bruins and No. 2 seed Tennessee for a spot in the Sweet 16.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 10:52 pm ET · David Cobb]

St. John's in a battle

HALF: (2) St. John's 33, (15) Omaha 28

St. John's is in a dogfight with first-time NCAA Tournament participant Omaha. The Mavericks held the Red Storm to 37% shooting in the first half and baited St. John's into taking 18 shots from 3-point range, which is not a strength for Rick Pitino's club. The Red Storm hit six, which was enough to get them a lead over the cold-shooting Mavs, who are just 3 of 19 from deep against an elite St. John's defense.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 10:11 pm ET · David Cobb]

Drake keeps on rolling

FINAL: (11) Drake 67, (6) Missouri 57

No. 11 seed Drake is dancing beyond the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1971 after upsetting No. 6 seed Missouri. The Bulldogs have won 31 games and are 4-0 this season against high-major competition. Missouri rallied from a 15-point deficit to draw within 52-51 with 4:28 remaining. But Drake had all the answers from there, as first-year coach Ben McCollum and his transfer-oriented roster kept their cool amid the storm. Bennett Stirtz led the way with 21 points on 8 of 11 shooting for the Bulldogs.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 9:44 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

Disappointment for Kansas

Hall of Fame coach John Calipari and his Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Hall of Fame coach Bill Self and his Kansas Jayhawks 79-72 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, ending a disappointing season for the preseason No. 1 Jayhawks in fitting fashion. Arkansas' win snapped KU's 17-game winning streak in tourney openers and handed the Jayhawks a 13th loss on the season, their most since 1982-83.

The Razorbacks rolled to a win as 4.5-point underdogs behind big games from Jonas Aidoo and Johnell Davis, who scored 22 and 18 points, respectively. 

READ MORE: 

Kansas' preseason No. 1 curse continues under Bill Self with first-round exit in March Madness 2025

Kyle Boone

[Mar 20, 2025 at 9:40 pm ET · David Cobb]

Texas A&M survives a test

Final: (4) Texas A&M 80, (13) Yale 71

Texas A&M was pushed by Yale but used the interior dominance of Pharrel Payne to earn an 80-71 victory over the Ivy League champs. Payne finished with a career-high 25 points and added 10 rebounds. A year ago, the Bulldogs stunned No. 4 seed Auburn in the first round, but the Aggies looked determined to avoid a similar fate as they opened up a 17-7 early lead. Yale never relented, but it had no answer for Payne, who led the Aggies to a 48-32 edge in paint points.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 9:29 pm ET · Matt Norlander]

Will Wade's unabashed honesty and transparency is why NC State wants him and why McNeese is still dancing

The honesty king of college basketball was rewarded for his candidness on Thursday. 

Because what's happening with Will Wade and McNeese is basically unprecedented in these ever-paranoid times in the sport.

Every March, there are hot-name coaches who guide their teams to this tournament. Privately, as this is happening, they and their agents talk to other schools about the prospect of taking another job. It's quite literally what's transpiring elsewhere with a number of vacancies right now. 

Normally, everyone keeps it hush-hush — or at least tries to until the jig is forced to be up.

Will Wade's unabashed honesty and transparency is why NC State wants him and why McNeese is still dancing

Matt Norlander

[Mar 20, 2025 at 9:25 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Arkansas survives comeback bid from Kansas 

FINAL: (10) Arkansas 79, (7) Kansas 72

The Razorbacks held the Jayhawks without a field goal for nearly five minutes down the stretch and held on for a 79-72 win. No. 10 seed Arkansas led by as many as 11 points in the opening minutes of the second half before No. 7 seed Kansas mounted a ferocious comeback to take a brief lead with 2:56 remaining.  Arkansas will face the winner of No. 2 seed St. John's vs. No. 15 seed Omaha in the second round on Saturday. 

Arkansas big man Jonas Aidoo finished with 22 points, and Trevon Brazlie added a double-double (11 points, 12 rebounds) in the win.

Arkansas coach John Calipari became just the second head coach to defeat Bill Self twice in the NCAA Tournament, joining former Villanova coach Jay Wright. Kansas suffered its 13th loss this season -- the program's most since 1982-83. Kansas has failed to make it out of the first weekend of the tournament in five of the last six tournaments.

Kansas began the season ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. The Jayhawks have been ranked preseason No. 1 five times, but failed to reach the Sweet 16 in each of those years. The loss also snapped Kansas' streak of 17 consecutive wins in the first round of the tournament.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 8:53 pm ET · David Cobb]

Chaz Lanier carries Tennessee

FINAL: (2) Tennessee 77, (15) Wofford 62

Tennessee got a monster performance from star transfer Chaz Lanier and outlasted a gamely effort from the SoCon champions. Lanier filled it up with a game-high 29 points, which were critical in rebuffing Wofford's outside shooting barrage. The Terriers hit 11 3-pointers and drew within single digits multiple times in the second half. Lanier was great from behind the arc, finishing 6 of 13 from deep. But he was also productive in the midrange, often rising above defenders for jumpers after curling off screens. Zakai Zeigler added 12 points and 12 assists for the Vols.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 8:41 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Missouri is on upset alert vs. Drake

HALFTIME: (11) Drake 30, (6) Missouri 23

No. 11 seed Drake leads No. 6 seed Missouri 20-23 at halftime. Drake has been paced by star guard Bennett Stirtz, who finished the first half with a game-high 14 points. The Bulldogs led by as many as 10 late into the first half. The winner of this game takes on the winner of No. 3 Texas Tech vs. No. 14 UNC Wilmington on Saturday in the second round.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 8:02 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Arkansas leads Kansas at halftime

HALFTIME: (10) Arkansas 47, (7) Kansas 44

We have an early contender for the best first-round contender in the NCAA Tournament. There is so much collective talent on the floor for both teams. No. 10 seed Arkansas will take a 47-44 lead into the break over No. 7 seed Kansas. The winner faces either No. 2 seed St. John's or No. 15 seed Omaha on Saturday.

Four different players have scored at least 10 points. Arkansas big man Jonas Aidoo leads all scorers with 16 points, while Kansas' Zeke Mayo has 13. The final 20 minutes should be fun, so make sure you tune into the action!

[Mar 20, 2025 at 7:28 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Arkansas star Boogie Fland is checking in

MID 1H: (10) Arkansas 16, (7) Kansas 14

For the first time since mid-January, Arkansas star freshman Boogie Fland is checking into a game. Fland was medically cleared to resume basketball activities last week. Fland injured his hand against Florida on Jan. 11 and played two games before undergoing surgery to repair an injury to his Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) on his right thumb. Fland was a projected lottery pick before the injury.

Injured Arkansas star Boogie Fland cleared to resume basketball activities, could return for NCAA Tournament

Kyle Boone

[Mar 20, 2025 at 6:49 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Gonzaga advances past Georgia, will face Houston next

FINAL: (8) Gonzaga 89, (9) Georgia 68

Gonzaga picked up an impressive wire-to-wire 89-68 win over Georgia to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the opening minutes and led by as many as 26 points. A heavyweight showdown for a spot in the Sweet 16 will be on the line Saturday when the Bulldogs face No. 1 seed Houston.

Gonzaga guard Khalif Battle scored a team-high 24 points, and big man Braden Huff added 18.

Houston is 7-0 in the second round under coach Kelvin Sampson, while Gonzaga has been to the Sweet 16 nine consecutive seasons.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 6:22 pm ET · David Cobb]

BYU cruises past VCU

FINAL: (6) BYU 80, (11) VCU 71

BYU will play in the Round of 32 for the first time since 2012 after taking out No. 11 seed VCU behind a heavy dose of interior brute strength. Keba Keita and Fousseyni Traore spurred the Cougars to a 38-20 edge in paint points and a 16-7 advantage in second-chance points as BYU withstood 15 made 3-pointers from the Rams. BYU will get No. 3 seed Wisconsin in the second round on Saturday.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 5:44 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

McNeese upsets Clemson!

FINAL: (12) McNeese 69, (5) Clemson 67

The first major upset of the 2025 NCAA Tournament is complete. No. 12 seed McNeese stunned No. 5 seed Clemson with a 69-67 victory on Thursday in the first round. McNeese will face No. 4 seed Purdue on Saturday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

Clemson trailed by as many as 24 points in the second half and rallied down the stretch to make it interesting. The Tigers scored 54 points in the second half after scoring just 13 in the first 20 minutes. 

The Southland Conference entered this season 0-7 all-time against the ACC in the NCAA Tournament before McNeese's shocking win. The Cowboys are in their second consecutive NCAA Tournament under coach Will Wade after reaching the Big Dance only once this century before his arrival. McNeese became the first team from the Southland conference to win a first-round game in the tournament since Abilene Christian in 2021.

McNeese stuns Clemson in March Madness 12-5 upset: Cowboys pick up Southland's first-ever tourney win over ACC

Cameron Salerno

[Mar 20, 2025 at 5:35 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Gonzaga is making a statement vs. Georgia

HALFTIME: (8) Gonzaga 48, (9) Georgia 27

It's safe to say Gonzaga has come ready to play. The Bulldogs started the game on a 13-0 run and led by as many as 25 points during the opening 20 minutes of action. Gonzaga guard Nolan Hickman was nearly flawless during the first half and scored 15 points to help his team take a 48-27 lead into halftime. The winner of this game faces No. 1 seed Houston on Saturday, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 5:16 pm ET · David Cobb]

Auburn gets act together

Final: (1) Auburn 83, (16) Alabama State 63

Alabama State battled back from an early 10-point deficit to get within 32-31 with under 2 minutes left in the first half against No. 1 overall seed Auburn. But the Tigers closed the first half on a 9-0 run and steadily built from there behind the 3-point marksmanship of Miles Kelly. The Georgia Tech transfer hit 7 of 15 attempts from deep and finished with 23 points as Auburn withstood a competitive effort from the Hornets. The win sets up a second-round clash between Auburn and No. 9 seed Creighton, which impressed in an 89-75 victory over No. 8 seed Louisville to begin the day.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 5:10 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

McNeese still in control

MID 2H: (12) McNeese 51, (5) Clemson 29

With 7:47 remaining in regulation, McNeese is holding on to a 51-29 lead over Clemson. The Southland conference entered this season 0-7 all-time against the ACC in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are on major upset alert.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 4:15 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

No. 5 seed Clemson on upset alert vs. McNeese

HALFTIME: (12) McNeese 31, (5) Clemson 13

The first big potential upset of the day is brewing in Providence as No. 12 seed McNeese takes a 31-13 lead into the locker room over No. 5 seed Clemson. The Tigers had a horrific shooting performance during the first 20 minutes and only knocked down 5 of 24 attempts from the floor. Clemson also shot just 1 of 15 from the 3-point line.

McNeese guard Brandon Murray outscored Clemson (14-13) by himself during the first half.

Clemson scored the second-fewest first-half points (13) by a top-five seed in NCAA Tournament history. The Tigers also scored their fewest points in the first half of a game since scoring 13 against Virginia in 2013.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 4:00 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

No. 1 seed Houston cruises in Round 1

FINAL: (1) Houston 78, (16) SIUE 40

No. 1 seed Houston extends its winning streak to 14 games and dominates No. 16 seed SIUE in the process to punch its ticket into the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars had this one put away at halftime and cruised down the stretch with four different Houston players scoring in double figures.

Milos Uzan led the way with 16 points and picked up where he left off with a hot run at the Big 12 Tournament. Uzan was 6 of 7 from the field.

Houston has now won 27 of its last 28 games after starting the season 4-3. 

[Mar 20, 2025 at 3:53 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

No. 1 seed Auburn creates some separation before halftime

HALFTIME: (1) Auburn 41, (16) Alabama State 31

After No. 1 overall seed Auburn went over six minutes without a field goal in the first half against No. 16 seed Alabama State, the Tigers were able to create some separation right before halftime. Auburn star Johni Broome scored a pair of buckets and Miles Kelly drilled a 3-pointer to stretch the lead back to 10 points. The Tigers led by as many as 13 points in the first half.

The winner of this game faces No. 9 seed Creighton on Saturday in the second round.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 3:42 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

No. 1 seed Auburn getting tested

3:58, 1H: Auburn 29, Alabama State 27

No. 1 overall seed Auburn is getting all it can handle early from No. 16 seed Alabama State in the first round. ASU is on an 11-1 run and has closed the deficit to three points after trailing by as many as 13 just a few minutes ago.

Auburn meanwhile has missed its last six shots from the floor and gone cold.

Only twice has a No. 16 seed ever defeated a No. 1 seed — they are 2-154 all-time — and this one would register as perhaps the biggest stunner in tourney history. 

[Mar 20, 2025 at 3:29 pm ET · David Cobb]

Wisconsin handles Montana

FINAL: (3) Wisconsin 85, (14) Montana 66

It was a relatively quick turnaround for Wisconsin after losing in the Big Ten Tournament title game on Sunday, but the Badgers handled their first-round assignment with poise while getting a test from the Big Sky champions. The Grizzlies were within 51-47 early in the second half before the Badgers used a 14-3 run to start pulling away. The Badgers went cold for a bit later in the half, but Steven Crowl put a nail in the coffin with his jumper at the 3:35 mark to make it 77-62. Wisconsin will get either No. 6 seed BYU or No. 11 seed VCU in the second round.

[Mar 20, 2025 at 2:52 pm ET · David Cobb]

Purdue survives a scare

FINAL: (4) Purdue 75, (13) High Point 63

Purdue got all it wanted from High Point as the Panthers showed some teeth in their first-ever NCAA Tournament game. The Boilermakers used a 13-2 edge in offensive rebounds to built a 37-27 halftime edge, but High Point clawed back and cut it to 59-56 with under eight minutes left. In the end, the duo of Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn won the day with a combined 41 points for the Boilermakers, who will play either No. 5 seed Clemson or No. 12 seed McNeese in the second round.