SEATTLE — Kyan Evans made a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to lead No. 12 seed Colorado State past fifth-seeded Memphis 78-70 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Nique Clifford, the Mountain West Tournament MVP, had his quietest scoring night in a month, finishing with 14 points, eight on free throws. He added eight rebounds and six assists for the Rams (26-9), who extended their winning streak to 11 games and advanced to face either Maryland or Grand Canyon in the second round on Sunday.

This 12-over-5 result was no shocker, with Colorado State a 2.5-point favorite according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Coach Penny Hardaway’s Tigers (29-7) were not at full strength, with veteran guard and third-leading scorer Tyrese Hunter sidelined by a left foot injury.

Terps roll

SEATTLE — Julian Reese had 18 points and nine rebounds, and fourth-seeded Maryland pounded No. 13 seed Grand Canyon, 81-49.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16 points for the Terrapins (26-8), who will play No. 12 Colorado State on Sunday in the second round of the West Region. The Rams beat fifth-seeded Memphis 78-70.

Derik Queen, the Big Ten freshman of the year who was averaging 16.3 points and nine rebounds a game, finished with 12 points and 15 boards, becoming the first Maryland freshman with a double-double in the tournament since Jalen Smith in 2019.

Tide hold on

CLEVELAND — All-America guard Mark Sears scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half and second-seeded Alabama pulled away late to escape 15th-seeded Robert Morris, 90-81.

The Colonials gave the Crimson Tide (27-8) all they could handle and even took their first lead at 65-64 on a layup by Josh Omojafo to bring the Rocket Arena crowd to its feet.

Alabama responded behind Sears, who had seven points during an 11-2 surge that gave the Crimson Tide some breathing room against the Horizon League champions. Robert Morris (26-9) came in as a 22.5 point underdog.

Bears triumph

RALEIGH, N.C. — Robert Wright scored 19 points, V.J. Edgecombe added 16 and No. 9 Baylor squeaked past No. 8 Mississippi State, 75-72.

Langston Love added 15 points and Norchad Omier had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Bears (20-14), who led by 11 points in the second half but had to hold off the Bulldogs in the final seconds — and even tenths of seconds.

Josh Hubbard had 26 points to lead the Bulldogs (21-13).

Duke too much

RALEIGH, N.C. — Tyrese Proctor had 19 points and freshman star Cooper Flagg returned from an ankle injury as No. 1 seed Duke beat Mount St. Mary’s, 93-49.

Flagg had 14 points and seven boards for the Blue Devils (32-3), the East bracket headliner opening a push for a sixth national title roughly a half-hour’s drive from its Durham campus. Duke jumped to a 13-2 lead in a dominant first half marked by clean execution on the way to a big lead.

Gaels survive

CLEVELAND — Saint Mary’s guard Jordan Ross keyed a second-half rally while star Augustas Marciulionis dealt with foul trouble, and the seventh-seeded Gaels fended off 10th-seeded Vanderbilt, 59-56.

The Commodores led by 12 points when Marciulionis — the two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year — exited with his fourth foul early in the second half.

Cyclones cruise

MILWAUKEE — Milan Momcilovic scored 17 of his 20 points in the first half, and third-seeded Iowa State routed Lipscomb, 82-55.

Ole Miss holds on

MILWAUKEE — Sean Pedulla made a critical 3-pointer with 52.8 seconds left, and Mississippi topped North Carolina, 71-64, after the Rebels squandered most of a 22-point lead in the second half.

Pedulla finished with 20 points. Dre Davis had 15 for Ole Miss, and Jaemyn Brakefield added 12 points.

RJ Davis scored 15 and Ven-Allen Lubin had 14 for North Carolina.