2 winners from First Four in Dayton look to advance to Sweet 16

DAYTON — Two teams who won their first NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games in this year’s First Four in Dayton will look to advance to the Sweet 16 on Sunday.

>>Matchups and times announced for this year’s First Four in Dayton

No. 11 seed Pittsburgh beat Mississippi State, 60-59, Tuesday at the UD Arena and knocked off no. 6 Iowa State, 59-41, Friday afternoon in the First Round in Greensboro, North Carolina.

The Panthers will play no. 3 seed Xavier in the Second Round Sunday afternoon at 12:10 p.m. on Channel 7.

Both teams last played each other in the NCAA Tournament back in 2009 in the East Regional semifinals when the Panthers won, 60-55, in Boston.

The winner Sunday advances to the Midwest Regional Semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri.

>>No. 16 seed FDU upsets No. 1 seed Purdue; 2nd time in history

No. 16 seed FDU defeated Texas Southern, 84-61, Wednesday at the UD Arena and beat no. 1 seed Purdue, 63-58, Friday night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus.

The Knights became the second no. 16 seed to defeat at no. 1 seed in tournament history. The first was back in 2018 when UMBC beat Virginia.

FDU will play no. 9 seed Florida Atlantic Sunday night with a bid to the Sweet 16 at Stake.

The winner advances to the East Regional Semifinals to play Tennessee at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The Knights would be the first ever no. 16 seed to make it to the Sweet 16.

>>‘Go Dayton Flyers became Go FDU Knights;’ Flyer Pep Band cheering no. 16 seed in NCAA Tournament

Four other First Four teams started play in Dayton and advanced to the Sweet 16. They were:

• 2011- VCU (advance to the Final Four)
• 2013- LaSalle
• 2014- Tennessee
• 2018- Syracuse

UCLA also played in the First Four in 2021 and advanced to the Final Four. The entire tournament that year was played in Indiana due to the Covid pandemic.

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