First Four: NCAA tournament begins with first-round action in Dayton

Seats display the message 'The Road To The Final Four' during the game between the Baylor Bears and the Xavier Musketeers during the 2012 NCAA Men's Basketball South Regional Semifinal game at the Georgia Dome on March 23, 2012 in Atlanta,…
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Posted: 03/19/2013

By: Associated Press

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - The NCAA men's basketball tournament gets under way Tuesday night with a pair first-round games in Dayton, Ohio.

Liberty faces North Carolina A&T in the opener. Liberty won its fifth straight game to claim the Big South berth in the NCAAs. The Flames are 15-20.The Big South champion Flames won their last five games to get to 15-20.

The Aggies were nearing a 16th consecutive losing season just two weeks ago, before it surged to take the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament title. They are 18-16.

The nightcap pits Middle Tennessee against Saint Mary's of California. Middle Tennessee is 28-5 while Saint Mary's checks in at 27-6.

The Gaels lost only three times in their final 22 games this season, all three of them against conference-rival and top-ranked Gonzaga.