N.C. A&T, St. Mary’s advance in NCAA

DAYTON – Jeremy Underwood came off the bench to score 19 points, leading North Carolina A&T past 21-loss Liberty 73-72 Tuesday at the First Four, ending an NCAA winless streak at nine games.

The Flames (15-21) – only the second team ever to make the NCAA tournament with 20 losses – had a chance to win it.

John Caleb Sanders drove coast to coast and flipped up a left-handed layup in heavy congestion that just missed.

The victory advanced the Aggies to a showdown with top-seeded Louisville (29-5) in Lexington, Ky., Thursday.

In the second game of the First Four, Matthew Dellavedova scored 22 points and Saint Mary’s defeated Middle Tennessee 67-54. The Gaels (28-6) get a quick trip to Auburn Hills, Mich., to play sixth-seeded Memphis (30-4) on Thursday.