Gonzaga slowly pulled away from South Dakota State for a 66-46 victory. And they avoided the first 1 vs. 16 upset in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
It looked possible for a while.
The Jackrabbits led for the first 17 minutes of Thursday's game in the West region and stayed in range for most of the game. Jordan Mathews scored 16 points to help Gonzaga pull away.
Gonzaga became the 129th straight No. 1 seed to beat a 16 since the bracket was expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Other results from Thursday's first-round games:
Butler 76, Winthrop 64
Virginia 76, UNCW 71
Notre Dame 60, Princeton 58
