LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The national champions are one and done, thanks to Iowa State.

When Jim Calhoun and Connecticut will be back in the NCAA tournament is anybody’s guess.

Chris Allen led four Cyclones in double figures with 20 points and Iowa State scored its last 14 at the free-throw line Thursday night to beat Connecticut, 77-64, the first time since UCLA in 1996 that the defending champs have lost in the opening game.

Calhoun didn’t even wait for the final buzzer, heading for halfcourt with about four seconds left to congratulate Iowa State Coach Fred Hoiberg.

It is only the second loss in the opening game of the NCAA tournament for UConn.

For the Cyclones, meanwhile, it’s their biggest victory in a season of them after knocking off Kansas and Baylor during Big 12 play. As the game wound down, Royce White pointed at Iowa State’s radio crew and said, “I told you, didn’t I?”

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VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH 62, WICHITA STATE 59: Bradford Burgess hit a key 3-pointer with 1:33 left and the 12th-seeded Rams (29-6) held off fifth-seeded Wichita State (26-6) at Portland, Ore.

KENTUCKY 81, WESTERN KENTUCKY 66: Terrence Jones had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Doron Lamb scored 16 and top-seeded Kentucky (33-2) began its quest for an eighth national title with a staggering display of athleticism against 16th-seeded Western Kentucky (16-19) at Lousville, Ky.

Anthony Davis added 16 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks for Kentucky, which was never seriously threatened.

BAYLOR 68, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 60: Pierre Jackson scored 18 points and third-seeded Baylor (28-7) held off 14th-seeded South Dakota State (27-8) at Albuquerque, N.M.

The Bears fell behind by 12 in the first half before taking a 36-28 halftime that they never relinquished.

INDIANA 79, NEW MEXICO STATE 66: Jordan Hulls went on a second-half shooting spree and finished with 22 points, and fourth-seeded Indiana (26-8) rolled to an impressive victory against 13th-seeded New Mexico State (26-10) at Portland, Ore.

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EAST

GONZAGA 77, WEST VIRGINIA 54: Robert Sacre and Gary Bell Jr. scored 14 points apiece as seventh-seeded Gonzaga (26-6) routed 10th-seeded West Virginia (19-14) at Pittsburgh.

WISCONSIN 73, MONTANA 49: Ryan Evans scored 18 points, and Jordan Taylor added 17 points and six assists for fourth-seeded Wisconsin (25-9), which ended a school-record 14-game winning streak for 13th-seeded Montana (25-7) at Albuquerque, N.M.

OHIO STATE 78, LOYOLA (MD.) 59: Deshaun Thomas scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead second-seeded Ohio State (28-7) over 15th-seeded Loyola, Md., (24-9) at Pittsburgh.

KANSAS STATE 70, SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI 64: Rodney McGruder scored 30 points, and Jordan Henriquez added 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocks to lead eighth-seeded Kansas State (22-10) over ninth-seeded Southern Miss (25-9) at Pittsburgh.

WEST

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NEW MEXICO 75, LONG BEACH STATE 68: Kendall Williams scored 14 of his 16 points in the second half to help fifth-seeded New Mexico (28-6) hold off 12th-seeded Long Beach State (25-9) at Portland, Ore.

MARQUETTE 88, BRIGHAM YOUNG 68: Jae Crowder finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds, Darius Johnson-Odom had 12 of his 20 points in the second half and third-seeded Marquette (28-5) withstood a furious rally from 14th-seeded BYU (26-9) at Louisville, Ky.

LOUISVILLE 69, DAVIDSON 62: Peyton Siva scored 17 points and fourth-seeded Louisville (27-9) finally moved on in the NCAA tournament after first-round losses the last two years, beating 13th-seeded Davidson (25-8) at Portland, Ore.

MURRAY STATE 58, COLORADO STATE 41: Isaiah Canaan scored 15 points and Donte Poole as sixth-seeded Murray State (31-1), back in the tournament after a two-year absence, beat 11th-seeded Colorado State (20-12) at Louisville, Ky.


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