The No. 1 seed Pittsburgh Panthers pulled away from No. 16 seed UNC-Asheville to get a 74-51 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament from Washington D.C. The Panthers will advance to face No. 8 seed Butler on Saturday after the Bulldogs defeated No. 9 seed Old Dominion at the buzzer.
Ashton Gibbs scored 26 points to lead Pittsburgh, and he was really the only player that showed up for the Panthers. Only one other guy scored in double figures, and the Panthers looked lethargic for much of the game, taking only a five-point lead at halftime. Eventually, though, the Pittsburgh defense stepped up.
Matt Dickey scored 21 points to lead UNC-Asheville, who shot just 31 percent from the field. The Bulldogs will have to settle for a thrilling opening-round win over Arkansas-Little Rock and a competitive first half against Pittsburgh. More No. 16 seeds can't say they did those things.