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South Florida Moves on: Now NCAA Tournament Really Gets Going | NCAA College Basketball

South Florida Moves on: Now NCAA Tournament Really Gets Going
Jojo Doria

Dayton, OH

South Florida and Vermont picked up wins as the "First Four" of the NCAA Tournament wrapped up action in Dayton, Ohio.

The Bulls posted a 65-54 victory over California while Vermont downed Lamar, 71-59. South Florida moves on as the 12th seed in the Midwest Region and will face No. 5 Temple on Friday. Vermont gets the No. 16 seed in the Midwest and will face top-seeded North Carolina.

Victor Rudd scored 15 points for the Bulls, who led 36-13 at halftime and cruised to victory. Anthony Collins added 12 points, Augustus Gilchrist 11 and Jawanza Poland 10 for South Florida (21-13), which won its first NCAA tournament game.

Harper Kamp scored 19 points for California (24-10), which lost four of its last five games and trailed by as many as 32 in this one.

South Florida was playing in its first NCAA game since 1992.

Freshman Four McGlynn came off the bench to score 18 points for the Catamounts (24-11). McGlynn hit three 3-pointers for Vermont, which has won 15 of its last 16 games.

Vermont also got 11 points from Matt Glass and 10 from Sandro Carissimo, while Brian Voelkel had a game-high 12 rebounds and seven assists.

Mike James and Devon Lamb scored 16 points and Anthony Miles added 14 for Lamar (23-12).

The tournament tips Thursday in Louisville where Murray State and Colorado State will get things under way at 12:15 EST. The sixth seeded Racers are 30-1 and champions of the Ohio Valley Conference while the Rams earned an at-large bid out of the Mountain West.

Among title contenders in action Thursday are top seeds Kentucky and Syracuse and No. 2 Ohio State.

The Wildcats are the No. 1 seed in the South Region and open against No. 16 Western Kentucky, which won a First Four game on Tuesday. Syracuse, which is without starting center and Big East Defensive Player of the Year Fab Melo, takes on N.C. Asheville while the Buckeyes face Loyola (MD).

Last season's Cinderella, VCU, is the 12th seed in the South and meets No. 5 Wichita State. The Rams went all the way from the First Four to the Final Four a year ago under coach Shaka Smart.