Live NCAA Basketball Scores Tonight: Real-Time Updates, Shocking Upsets & Bracket-Changing Moments

The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament is delivering on every bit of March Madness hype, and Thursday’s Sweet 16 openers produced the first Elite Eight tickets of the year. Purdue flexed its inside power in the early game, wearing down Miami for a 79-69 victory and earning the Boilermakers their third Elite Eight trip in the last five tournaments. Senior center Zach Edey finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks while Miami’s back-court trio combined for just 8-of-29 shooting. In the nightcap, Iowa State’s physical defense forced 17 Kentucky turnovers en route to an 82-63 win that sends the Cyclones to the regional final for the first time since 2000. Guard Tamin Lipsey recorded a 15-point, 11-assist double-double, and senior wing Tre King iced the game with a pair of corner threes midway through the second half. Sweet 16 games set for Friday, March 27 • St. John’s vs. Duke — 7:10 p.m. ET (CBS) • Michigan vs. Alabama — 7:35 p.m. ET (TBS) • Michigan State vs. UConn — 9:45 p.m. ET (CBS) • Tennessee vs. Iowa State — 10:10 p.m. ET (TBS) Bracket outlook after Thursday’s results • Midwest Region: No. 2 Purdue advances, awaits Friday’s Tennessee–Iowa State winner. • South Region: No. 2 Iowa State moves on, will meet the Arizona–Gonzaga winner on Saturday. • East & West Regions: All four Sweet 16 matchups tip Friday, with No. 1 seeds Duke (East) and Arizona (West) still alive. Key scoring trends to watch 1. Elite guard play is separating contenders; the four highest assist-to-turnover teams left in the field are Duke, Purdue, Arizona and Iowa State. 2. Second-chance points remain critical—Purdue leads all Sweet 16 teams with 14.7 offensive rebounds per game. 3. Three-point volume is down slightly year-over-year (31.9 attempts per game vs. 33.4 in 2025), but efficiency is up to 36.8 percent—a tournament record through two rounds. How to follow today’s NCAA basketball scores live Fans can stream every game on March Madness Live or track real-time box scores and win probabilities on the official NCAA scores hub. Updated brackets, betting lines and expert analysis will post across major sports outlets within minutes of the final buzzer. With the field narrowing and bluebloods colliding with this season’s Cinderellas, expect more last-second drama as March Madness continues. Bookmark this page for continuous NCAA basketball score updates, bracket analysis and on-court highlights throughout the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight weekend.