Clutch free throws help Louisville avoid upset

It's a high bar for Louisville, which made its 42d NCAA tournament appearance in Friday's game. And the fourth-seeded Cardinals did nothing to quiet their detractors following a nail-biting, 57-55 victory over No. 13 seed UC Irvine in Seattle.

The game wasn't decided until the final seconds.

Freshman guard Quentin Snider capped the scoring with a pair of free throws with 8.7 seconds left.

The Anteaters had possession with 5.7 seconds remaining when junior guard Alex Young lost control of the ball at midcourt and time ran out.

Senior forward Wayne Blackshear led Louisville (25-8) with 19 points, Snider had 16, and Montrezl Harrell added 12.

Neither team led by more than seven points in a game that included nine lead changes and six ties.

The Cardinals will next face Northern Iowa Sunday.

Northern Iowa 71, Wyoming 54 - The Panthers had no interest in being the latest No. 5 seed to be upset by a 12th seed.

Paul Jesperson led five Northern Iowa players in double figures with 16 points, Seth Tuttle added 14, and the Panthers held off Wyoming's comeback for a victory in Seattle.

The Panthers (31-3) built a 21-point lead after scoring 11 of the first 12 points to start the second half. That huge lead was whittled to seven points twice, but the Cowboys could get no closer. Wes Washpun scored eight of his 10 points in the final nine minutes to help the Panthers advance.

Virginia 79, Belmont 67 - Malcolm Brogdon scored 22 points, and the second-seeded Cavaliers survived another opening-round scare, defeating the 15th-seeded Bruins in Charlotte, N.C., in the second round.

Anderson had 15 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Anthony Gill added 16 points as Virginia (30-3) moved on to face No. 7 seed Michigan State Sunday.

Anderson, playing with his broken left pinkie taped to his ring finger, scored for the first time since Feb. 7 against Louisville. He failed to score in two ACC tournament games.

Like last year when Virginia avoided a historic upset and held on to beat 16th-seeded Coastal Carolina, the Cavaliers needed a late second-half push to advance.

Belmont (22-11) clawed within two behind 25 points from Crag Bradshaw, but the Cavaliers outscored the Bruins by 17-7 over the final 4 minutes, 37 seconds of the game.

Michigan State 70, Georgia 63 - Denzel Valentine scored 16 points and went 6 for 6 at the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds to help the Spartans hold off the Bulldogs in Charlotte.

Travis Trice scored 15 points, and Branden Dawson had a strong second half for the seventh-seeded Spartans (24-11), who answered a push from the Bulldogs with a poised run to take back control.

Valentine's free throws were critical as Georgia (21-12) rallied to make it a one-possession game.

Michigan State advanced to face Virginia in Sunday's round-of-32 matchup.

Oklahoma 69, Albany 60 - TaShawn Thomas powered his way to 18 points inside, and versatile Buddy Hield added 15 to lead the third-seeded Sooners past the Great Danes in Columbus and carried the Sooners into the round of 32 after early exits the last two years.

The Sooners (23-10) led wire to wire and advanced to play the winner of the late game between Dayton and Providence.