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Gonzaga should be a -15.5 favorite in this one against New Mexico State.
Gonzaga spent 30 minutes struggling to create any separation against the 16th-seeded Panthers before pulling away late for a 93-72 win on Thursday.
“Once we started really breaking them down, I kept telling people that’s not a 16 seed,” Few said after Gonzaga won its 13th straight first-round game in the NCAAs. “I think they showed it tonight. Georgia State gave us quite a fight.”
The Bulldogs eventually had too much size and skill for the Panthers. Drew Timme scored 22 of his 32 points in the second half, making up for a sluggish start by the Zags and a long stretch of the first half when the tournament's No. 1 overall seed couldn't make a basket.
12-seed New Mexico State advanced with an upset over number 5 seed UConn.
“I stopped and watched them. It gave me chills to think about what that would feel like for us,” Aggies head coach Chris Jans said. “Was really, really hoping we’d get to feel that as well.”
Teddy Allen scored 37 points and New Mexico State won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time almost three decades.
They were facing Arkansas on Saturday.
- Dan Shapiro Gambling911.com
