NCAA Tournament Action Opens Across the Country

(AP) — 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 today'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 today's first-round games:

— In the East, fifth-seeded Virginia rallied from 15 points down to beat 13th-seeded UNC Wilmington 76-71. London Perrantes scored 24 points and Marial Shayok added a career-high 23 off the bench.

— Notre Dame avoided a 12-5 upset in Buffalo, holding off Princeton — which missed a late shot for the lead — to win 60-58. The West Region game — played in Buffalo — was the first contest of the full tournament.

— Avery Woodson scored 18 points and tied a career high with six 3-pointers in his NCAA Tournament debut to lead Butler to a 76-64 win over Winthrop today in the South region. Woodson, a graduate transfer from Memphis, hit five 3s in the first half to help the fourth-seeded Bulldogs build a 14-point halftime lead.