First Four scores: Colorado State routs Virginia, Wagner wins to advance to NCAA Tournament first round

The Cavaliers put on a woeful offensive performance vs. the Rams on Tuesday

Colorado State used a near wire-to-wire effort to eliminate Virginia 67-42 in a matchup of No. 10 seeds at the First Four on Tuesday. The Rams led by as many as 27 points and held Virginia without a field goal for nearly the final 10 minutes of the first half in the win.

Colorado State forward Joel Scott scored a game-high 23 points and Nique Clifford added 17. The Rams will face No. 7 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.

Virginia's season ends with a 23-11 record. The Cavaliers haven't advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since running the table during its 2019 national championship run.

In the first game of the First Four featuring No. 16 seeds, Wagner survived a late surge from Howard in a 71-68 win. Howard's Marcus Dockery missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would've sent the game to overtime. Melvin Council Jr. scored a game-high 21 points and Julian Brown added 15 as Wagner won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time  in program history.

The Seahawks will face No. 1 seed North Carolina on Thursday in the first round.

On Wednesday, Grambling State faces Montana State in a battle of No. 16 seeds. No. 10 seeds Boise State and Colorado face off in the second game of the doubleheader shortly after in Dayton, Ohio.

Colorado State makes a statement for the Mountain West

Colorado State's blowout win over Virginia wasn't just for its own program. It was for the entire Mountain West. The most exciting mid-major conference landed six teams in the NCAA Tournament this season, but two got sent to Dayton. Colorado State was one of them, and Boise State (who plays Colorado on Wednesday) is the other. The Rams were the last team to receive an at-large berth in the tournament. They should've never had to play at the First Four because they're more than capable of being a single-digit seed. Colorado State will have a chance to use this effort as a springboard when it faces Texas later this week. If the victory vs. the Wahoos showed anything, it's that the Mountain West was unfairly seeded.

No depth, no problem for Wagner

Three players in the Wagner starting lineup (Javier Ezquerra, Melvin Council Jr., and Julian Brown) played the full 40 minutes on Tuesday. The other two starters — Keyontae Lewis and  Tahron Allen — played over 21 minutes each. Players on the Wagner roster are playing extended minutes because they only have seven scholarship players available. Despite the lack of depth, Wagner finished shooting 29-of-55 (53%) and knocked down eight 3-pointers. Council had one of the best games of his season with 21 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. This kind of depth could be a problem when they face North Carolina later this week. It's just remarkable what Wagner did with little reinforcements. 

Virginia's offense proved to be its own worst enemy 

Virginia's offense was horrendous. There is no sugarcoating it. The Cavaliers shot 14-of-56 (25%) from the floor and connected on 3 of their 17 attempts from distance. Virginia received one of the last at-large bids in the NCAA Tournament, and this performance doesn't help its argument on why they deserved to be in the tournament over countless others that were left out. This offensive performance was no anomaly. Virginia came into the day averaging 63.6 points — good enough for No. 344 in the country — and last among all Power Six programs. Something has to change this offseason, or Virginia will run the risk of another early exit in the tournament.

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First Four schedule, scores

Tuesday, March 19

• (16) Wagner 71, (16) Howard 68 | Recap
• (10) Colorado State 67, (10) Virginia 42 | Recap

CBS Sports will be with you the entire way updating this story with the latest from every First Four game on Tuesday. Keep it locked here for scores, analysis and highlights throughout the evening.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 11:29 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Final: Colorado State 67, Virginia 42

What a statement win for Colorado State. The last at-large team in the NCAA Tournament defeated Virginia 67-42 in a meeting of No. 10 seeds Tuesday at the First Four in Dayton to advance. The Rams will face No. 7 seed Texas on Thursday in the first round.

Colorado State forward Joel Scott scored a game-high 23 points, and Nique Clifford added 17. The Rams led by as many as 27 points and held Virginia scoreless for nearly 13 minutes near the end of the first half and the start of the second.

Virginia ends its season with a 23-11 record. The Cavaliers have yet to advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament since running the table during their 2019 national championship run.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 10:56 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Mid 2H: Colorado State 44, Virginia 25

It's all Colorado State here in Dayton. The Rams led by as many as 21 points, and Virginia continues to show an inability to score the basketball. While Colorado State's defense has been stout, Virginia is 10-of-43 (23%) from the floor. The winner of this game faces No. 7 Texas on Thursday.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 10:41 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Virginia is on the board

After going nearly 13 minutes without a made field goal or point, Virginia is finally on the board. Reece Beekman ended the drought with a jumper. Only five teams in NCAA Tournament history have won a game after scoring 14 points or fewer in a half. As a team, UVA is shooting 6-of-35 from the floor.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 10:12 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Halftime: Colorado State 27, Virginia 14

We have reached halftime from Dayton in this second game of a doubleheader, and one thing is clear: The offense hasn't been pretty for Virginia. The Cavaliers are shooting an abysmal 5-of-29 from the floor and went the final 9:20 of the first half without a point. Virginia missed its last 14 field goal attempts, while Colorado State closed on a 9-0 run to extend its lead to double digits. Colorado State forward Joel Scott leads all scorers with 10 points.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 9:43 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Mid 1H: Colorado State 18, Virginia 12

Points were at a premium early in Dayton before Colorado State got hot. The Rams have made their last seven shots, while Virginia started the game shooting 2-of-11 from the floor before making three of its last four attempts. Colorado State's Nique Clifford has a game-high seven points thus far.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 9:26 pm ET · Cameron Salerno]

Here we go

Virginia wins the tip and the second game of a doubleheader is underway from Dayton. The matchup to watch this game is Colorado State guards Nique Clifford and Isaiah Stevens vs. Virginia's defensive-minded guards Ryan Dunn and Reece Beckman.

[Mar 19, 2024 at 9:00 pm ET · Kyle Boone]

Expert pick for Colorado State-Virginia 

 If you were surprised by Virginia's inclusion into the NCAA Tournament, you weren't alone -- even the Cavaliers looked genuinely stunned they got in. They struggled mightily down the stretch in ACC play, and their offense has been abysmal. It's hard to see them keeping pace with CSU in this one. Pick: Colorado State -3

2024 March Madness predictions: Expert NCAA bracket picks against the spread, odds for First Four games

Kyle Boone