March Madness live bracket scores: Updated results, highlights from today’s 2024 NCAA Tournament games (March 21)

Welcome to March. 

As fans have enjoyed buzzer-beaters, upsets, and conference championships, now is the time for the real test: the NCAA Tournament.

Thursday marks the beginning of the Round of 64 with 16 first-round games beginning at 12:15 p.m. ET. The final game doesn’t tip off until around 10:05 p.m. ET, and you’ll need a handful of TVs to catch all the action at once with multiple games overlapping.

MORE: Watch 2024 March Madness games live with Sling TV

No. 1 North Carolina is the top-seeded team on Thursday’s slate, as the Tar Heels look to capture their seventh NCAA championship and first since 2017. No. 9 Michigan State kicks things off at 12:15 p.m. ET against No. 8 Mississippi State.

Perhaps the most anticipated game of the day is 12th-seeded McNeese facing fifth-seeded Gonzaga at 7:25 p.m. ET.

The Sporting News will have you covered with live results, updates, and highlights throughout the day.

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Live NCAA bracket news | TV schedule | Announcer schedule

March Madness live bracket scores

Round 1: Thursday, March 21

All times Eastern

(9) Michigan State 69, (8) Mississippi State 51
(11) Duquesne 71, (6) BYU 67
(3) Creighton 77, (14) Akron 60
(2) Arizona 85, (15) Long Beach State 65
(1) North Carolina 90, (16) Wagner 62
(14) Morehead State vs. (3) Illinois, 3:10 p.m.
(11) Oregon vs. (6) South Carolina, 4 p.m.
(10) Nevada vs. (7) Dayton, 4:30 p.m.
(10) Colorado State vs. (7) Texas, 6:50 p.m.
(14) Oakland vs. (3) Kentucky, 7:10 p.m.
(12) McNeese vs. (5) Gonzaga, 7:25 p.m.
(15) South Dakota State vs. (2) Iowa State, 7:35 p.m.
(15) Saint Peter’s vs. (2) Tennessee, 9:20 p.m.
(11) NC State vs. (6) Texas Tech, 9:40 p.m.
(13) Samford vs. (4) Kansas, 9:55 p.m.
(10) Drake vs. (7) Washington State, 10:05 p.m.
MORE: Are there any perfect brackets left in 2024? 

NCAA Tournament results, highlights from today’s games

All times Eastern.

(10) Nevada vs. (7) Dayton

4:52 p.m.: Dayton is red hot to start this matchup, shooting 5-of-7 from the field to lead 11-9 through the first four minutes of play. Nevada is shooting 4-of-7.

(11) Oregon vs. (6) South Carolina

4:50 p.m.: Oregon is on an 8-0 run with just under two minutes remaining in the half to lead 29-22. South Carolina has scored in nearly six minutes.

4:20 p.m.: South Carolina started the game trailing 5-0 but has since went on a 9-2 run to lead 9-7 with 14:31 left in the first half.

(14) Morehead State vs. (3) Illinois

4:55 p.m.: Both sides are going back and forth still with Illinois leading 46-45 with 15 minutes left in the second half.

4:23 p.m.: Illinois heads into the half up one point, leading 39-38. Shannon has a game-high 19 points, and Riley Minix and Jordan Lathon each have 12 points for Morehead State.

4:11 p.m.: Illinois takes the lead with about six minutes remaining in the half. Terrence Shannon Jr. is up to 19 points as Illinois leads 36-31 with 3:22 until halftime.

Terrence Shannon gives Illinois the lead! pic.twitter.com/GmHVf6fnFq

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 21, 2024
3:45 p.m.: Morehead State jumped out to an early lead against No. 3 Illinois. The Eagles lead 17-13 with 13:06 remaining in the first half.

Morehead State is taking it to Illinois early 👀#MarchMadness @MSUEaglesMBB pic.twitter.com/Mm3r3D3C8f

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2024
(1) North Carolina 90, (16) Wagner 62

4:44 p.m.: North Carolina defeats Wagner 90-62 and will face No. 9 Michigan State in the Round of 32.

This Second Round game Saturday 👀 pic.twitter.com/ORC3UnXQC3

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2024
4:33 p.m.: The Tar Heels are running away with the lead as the game clock dips below four minutes. North Carolina leads 82-56 with 3:16 remaining. RJ Davis has 22 points and Bacot has 20 points and 15 rebounds.

RJ Davis has locked in for the Heels in the second half 🔥#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/BCl67Ij3rk

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2024
4:21 p.m.: North Carolina has control of this game, but Wagner is still sticking around the 15-point deficit mark through the second half. Bacot leads with 18 points and three other Tar Heels have scored double figures as they lead 63-48 with 10 minutes to go.

3:37 p.m.: Wagner is sticking around against North Carolina, down by 12 at halftime. The Tar Heels lead 40-28 at the break.

3:10 p.m.: Armando Bacot is leading the Tar Heels with eight points and four rebounds through the first 10 minutes of the first half. North Carolina leads Wagner 24-19.

(2) Arizona 85, (15) Long Beach State 65

4:15 p.m.: Arizona takes down Long Beach State 85-65 behind Boswell’s 20 points.

Arizona defeats 15 seed Long Beach State! pic.twitter.com/zISBrRSfm5

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 21, 2024
3:58 p.m.: Just about everything is working for the Wildcats so far as they hold an 82-58 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the game. Even Boswell, 6-2, got a “rare” dunk.

Kylan Boswell with a rare dunk 😂#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/vCVTA6d1eJ

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 21, 2024
3:22 p.m.: The Wildcats are grooving in the second half, outscoring Long Beach State 14-2 to go up 55-37 with 16:13 remaining. Boswell and Keshad Johnson each have 13 points, and Pelle Larsson has 11 points. Caleb Love is up to seven points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Arizona with a 18-4 run to open the 2nd half 🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/skNqP2WBQU

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 21, 2024
2:52 p.m.: Arizona takes a six-point lead into halftime, headlined by Kylan Boswell’s 11 points. Wildcats lead 41-35.

2:36 p.m.: Don’t look now, but Long Beach State is leading Arizona 31-28 with under four minutes left in the first half.

2:07 p.m.: Long Beach State begins its March Madness run with fired coach Dan Monson. Arizona leads 9-5 in the first five minutes of play.

(3) Creighton 77, (14) Akron 60

3:37 p.m.: Creighton wins 77-60 as five players score in double figures. Ryan Kalkbrenner led with 23 points and added eight rebounds. Baylor Scheierman had 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Trey Alexander scored 19 points.

Creighton is 18-2 this season when making 10+ triples. pic.twitter.com/djyPeQ0bPJ

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2024
3:26 p.m.: Creighton’s offense fell flat a bit toward the end of the second half, but the Blue Jays still hold a 14-point lead at 72-58 with under three minutes remaining.

2:54 p.m.: The Blue Jays can’t miss from 3. They’re up to 9-of-12 shooting from distance as Creighton holds a 56-42 lead in the second half.

2:38 p.m.: Creighton leads Akron 39-34 at halftime, while shooting 60 percent from the field and 70 percent from 3.

1:48 p.m.: There is a lot of 3-point shooting in this contest. Akron is shooting 5-of-10 from deep, and Creighton is 3-for-3. The Blue Jays lead 21-19 with 11:26 left in the first half.

IT’S RAINING THREES IN PITTSBURGH 🌧️🌧️pic.twitter.com/swem7pZvOI

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 21, 2024
1:35 p.m.: The two offenses have started off strong to begin this matchup. Creighton leads 8-6 with 16:38 remaining in the half.

(11) Duquesne 71, (6) BYU 67

3:00 p.m.: The Dukes will keep dancing! Duquesne wins its first NCAA Tournament game in 55 years. Dukes defeat BYU 71-67.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 55 YEARS! @DuqMBB shocks @BYUMBB 71-67 👏 pic.twitter.com/I37s4J1GID

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2024
2:56 p.m.: Dallin Hall buries a 3-pointer with 5.7 remaining to bring the score to 69-67 in favor of the Dukes. The Dukes will inbound after the timeout.

2:48 p.m.: The Dukes lead 63-60 with possession following a timeout. Just 44 seconds left in the game.

2:45 p.m.: BYU ties the game at 60-60 with 1:45 to go with a dunk by Fousseyni Traore.

60 all with 1:45 to play 👀 pic.twitter.com/MM84yHUHSI

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2024
2:41 p.m.: Robinson has been on fire against the Dukes, nailing his 25th point on this 3-pointer. BYU trails 58-56 with 3:01 remaining.

“Robinson, step back three, IT’S GOOD.” @BYUMBB pic.twitter.com/t4Ygi3oorF

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 21, 2024
2:27 p.m.: The Cougars are clawing back behind Robinson’s 22 points. The Dukes still lead 52-49 with 7:41 p.m.

2:10 p.m.: The two teams got tangled up earlier in the second half as the Dukes hold the lead.

Things are getting CHIPPY in the BYU/Duquesne game! pic.twitter.com/UYg1wQVcID

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 21, 2024
2:04 p.m.: The Dukes keep extending their lead into the second half. They’re leading 46-32 while shooting 50 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from 3. BYU is shooting just 33.3 percent and 31.3 percent, respectively.

1:34 p.m.: The Dukes hold a 38-30 lead at halftime behind Dae Dae Grant’s 12 points and Necas’ eight points. BYU is shooting just 34.6 percent from the field.

1:23 p.m.: Jakub Necas knocks down a 3-pointer to put the Dukes up 10. Duquesne leads 31-21 with 3:11 remaining in the first half.

1:11 p.m.: And there goes that BYU lead. The Dukes take back the lead and head into a timeout up 24-20.

1:10 p.m.: BYU went from scoreless in the first four minutes to taking the lead at the seven-minute mark. Cougars took a 20-19 lead over the Dukes.

12:55 p.m.: The Cougars are on the board as Jaxson Robinson knocks down two free throws to break the scoring drought.

12:50 p.m.: Duquesne has held BYU scoreless in the first 4:19 of the game. BYU is shooting 0-for-6 from the field, while Duquesne is shooting 3-for- to lead 7-0.

(9) Michigan State 69, (8) Mississippi State 51

2:14 p.m.: Michigan State wins its sixth straight Round of 64 game and moves on to face the winner of No. 1 North Carolina/No. 16 Wagner. Spartans win 69-51.

2:12 p.m.: Backups are entering the game on both sides as Michigan State leads 66-51 with under a minute remaining.

2:01 p.m.: Michigan State is looking to put Mississippi State away behind Walker and Akins’ play. Akins knocked down a 3-pointer to put the Spartans up 16.

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2024
1:43 p.m.: The Spartans lead 53-43 with 10:45 remaining in the second half, but it feels closer than a 10-point margin. Jaden Akins posterized the Mississippi State defense.

AKINS UP HIGH AND DOWN HARD 😤@MSU_BASKETBALL pic.twitter.com/oZPLhIkj5V

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 21, 2024
1:00 p.m.: Malik Hall caps off the Spartans’ first half with a tough layup at the buzzer. Michigan State leads Mississippi State 31-24 at halftime. Tyson Walker has 10 points. Josh Hubbard has 13 points.

12:43 p.m.: Perhaps you’ve noticed Michigan State center Carson Cooper sporting a face mask for the opening March Madness game. He suffered a bloody nose during the Big Ten Tournament and will undergo a procedure after the season. Here’s more on the new look. 

12:35 p.m.: The Spartans are off to a hot start, shooting 8-of-12 from the field to begin the Round of 64. Michigan State leads 20-8 with 10:20 remaining in the first half.

March Madness schedule today

Thursday, March 21

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
No. 9 Michigan State 69, No. 8 Mississippi State 51
12:15 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 11 Duquesne 71, No. 6 BYU 67
12:40 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
No. 3 Creighton 77, No. 14 Akron 60
1:30 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 2 Arizona 85, No. 15 Long Beach State 65
2 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 1 North Carolina 90, No. 16 Wagner 62
2:45 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 14 Morehead State vs. No. 3 Illinois
3:10 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 South Carolina
4 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 10 Nevada vs. No. 7 Dayton
4:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 10 Colorado State vs. No. 7 Texas
6:50 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 14 Oakland vs. No. 3 Kentucky
7:10 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 12 McNeese vs. No. 5 Gonzaga
7:25 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 15 South Dakota State vs. No. 2 Iowa State
7:35 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
No. 15 Saint Peter’s vs. No. 2 Tennessee
9:20 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 11 NC State vs. No. 6 Texas Tech
9:40 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 13 Samford vs. No. 4 Kansas
9:55 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 10 Drake vs. No. 7 Washington State
10:05 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
March Madness schedule 2024

Round 1

Friday, March 22

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
No. 9 Northwestern vs. No. 8 Florida Atlantic
12:15 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 14 Colgate vs. No. 3 Baylor
12:40 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
No. 12 UAB vs. No. 5 San Diego State
1:45 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 15 Western Kentucky vs. No. 2 Marquette
2 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 16 Stetson vs. No. 1 UConn
2:45 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 11 New Mexico vs. No. 6 Clemson
3:10 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
No. 13 Yale vs. No. 4 Auburn
4:15 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 10 Colorado vs. No. 7 Florida
4:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 9 Texas A&M vs. No. 8 Nebraska
6:50 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 13 Vermont vs. No. 4 Duke
7:10 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 16 Grambling vs. No. 1 Purdue
7:25 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 13 College of Charleston vs. No. 4 Alabama
7:35 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
No. 16 Longwood vs. No. 1 Houston
9:20 p.m.
TNT, Sling
No. 12 James Madison vs. No. 5 Wisconsin
9:40 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
No. 9 TCU vs. No. 8 Utah State
9:55 p.m.
TBS, Sling
No. 12 Grand Canyon vs. No. 5 Saint Mary’s
10:05 p.m.
TruTV, Sling
Round 2

Saturday, March 23

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
12 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
2:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
5 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
6 p.m.
TNT, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
7 p.m.
TBS, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
8:30 p.m.
TNT, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
9:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
Sunday, March 24

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
12 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
2:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
5 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
6 p.m.
TNT, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
7 p.m.
TBS, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m.
truTV, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
8:30 p.m.
TNT, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
9:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
Sweet 16

Thursday, March 28

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
7 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
9:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
10 p.m.
TBS, Sling
Friday, March 29

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
7 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
7:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
9:30 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
10 p.m.
TBS, Sling
Elite Eight

Saturday, March 30

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
6 p.m.
TBS, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
8:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
Sunday, March 31

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
2 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
TBD vs. TBD
4:55 p.m.
CBS, Paramount+
Final Four

Saturday, April 6

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
6 p.m.
TBS, Sling
TBD vs. TBD
8:30 p.m.
TBS, Sling
National Championship

Monday, April 8

Game
Time (ET)
TV/Live stream
TBD vs. TBD
9 p.m.
TBS, Sling