Patterson sparks Montana early in 78-55 win over Idaho in Big Sky Conference tourney semifinal

Reserve Austin Patterson scored 20 points shooting 5 for 10 from 3-point range and Montana beat Idaho 78-55 in a Big Sky Conference Tournament semifinal game on Tuesday night. The second-seeded Grizzlies will play top-seeded Northern Colorado on Wednesday for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Money Williams, also a backup, and Kai Johnson each scored 13 points for Montana (24-9).

No. 14 seed UCF uses 24-3 second-half run to beat No. 11 seed Utah 87-72 in Big 12 tourney opener

Keyshawn Hall scored 23 points to lead four UCF players in double-figures scoring, and the No. 14 seed Knights used a big run out of halftime to bury No. 11 seed Utah 87-72 in the opening round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night. Darius Johnson added 20 points, Jordan Ivy-Curry had 15 and Moustapha Thiam finished with 14 for the Knights (17-15), who face sixth-seeded Kansas on Wednesday night as they try to play their way into the NCAA Tournament. Utah (16-16) opened the game with a 21-9 run, but the Knights slowly chipped away at the deficit, and Hall's 3-pointer got them within 40-39 at halftime.

Gonzaga beats No. 19 Saint Mary’s 58-51 to capture West Coast Conference Tournament title

The metrics — and oddsmakers — indicated Gonzaga was far better than its record, and there was little doubt the Bulldogs had the ability to once again compete at a high level. Braden Huff scored 18 points in just his second start of the season as Gonzaga avenged two regular-season losses to Saint Mary's, beating the 19th-ranked Gaels 58-51 in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs (25-8) secured the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, though both teams were safely in the field regardless of the outcome.

Syracuse holds on to beat Florida State 66-62 in 1st round of ACC Tournament

J.J. Starling scored 27 points, and Syracuse went 4 for 4 from the free-throw line in the final five seconds to hold on for a 66-62 victory over Florida State in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Tuesday at the Spectrum Center. Starling made 12 of 23 shots with three 3-pointers and five rebounds for Syracuse. Eddie Lampkin Jr. had 14 points and nine rebounds and Jyare Davis scored 14 with six boards.

Omojafo’s 24 points send Robert Morris past Youngstown State to claim Horizon title and NCAA bid

Josh Omojafo scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Robert Morris beat Youngstown State 89-78 on Tuesday night to claim the Horizon League Tournament championship and clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Robert Morris (26-8) will make its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2015 when the Colonials beat North Florida in the First Four before losing to No. seed and eventual champion Duke in the first round.