Number one versus number two rarely lives up to the billing. This one did. #1 Michigan outlasted #2 UConn 69-63 in a battle that had March written all over it, the Wolverines improving to 37-3 and proving the top ranking carries weight. UConn fought to the final whistle — 34-6 and every bit the contender — but Michigan found the extra possessions when it mattered most.
If that was a fight, what happened in Westwood was a statement. #1 UCLA didn't just beat #1 South Carolina — the Bruins dismantled the Gamecocks 79-51, holding a 36-4 South Carolina squad to 51 points and announcing that the road to a title runs through Pauley. A 28-point margin between two No. 1 seeds is the kind of box score that makes you look twice.
On the diamond, Oklahoma traveled to #5 North Carolina and put up a football score. The Sooners rolled 13-2, improving to 43-23 behind an offense that simply refused to cool off. The Tar Heels drop to 54-14-1 but still own one of the best records in the country. One rough afternoon doesn't change that.