Vermont wins, will play UNC next

DAYTON, Ohio -- Maybe Vermont is on the verge of some memorable NCAA Tournament moments to add to the one it most cherishes.

Four McGlynn came off the bench to score 18 points and Vermont grabbed an early lead and hung on to beat Lamar, 71-59, last night in a first-round game.

Matt Glass added 11 points, Sandro Carissimo 10 and Brian Voelkel had 12 rebounds to help the Catamounts earn a spot against top seed North Carolina Friday in Greensboro, N.C.

The Catamounts (24-11) shot 50 percent from the field, blending an inside presence with McGlynn's touch from the perimeter.

Devon Lamb and Mike James each had 16 points for Lamar (23-12), which had won six in a row since first-year coach Pat Knight ripped his seniors after a loss in late February.

It was only Vermont's second NCAA win, but the first one was something. A 60-57 upset of fourth-seeded Syracuse by the 13th-seeded Catamounts in the first round of the 2005 tournament is considered the biggest victory in school history.

McGlynn, the only player in all of Division I to lead his team in scoring (12.0) without starting a game, provided punch to Vermont's offense.

He entered in the first half and immediately ignited a rally that gave the Catamounts the lead.

Still, down by 16 points early in the second half, Lamar kept hanging around. It drew to seven points when Anthony Miles (14 points) drove and hit a layup while falling and completed a three-point play, then hit a three the next possession.

But Vermont always seemed to have an answer. Brandon Davis followed by driving the lane and banking in a shot. After a Cardinals' miss, Glass popped in a jumper and the lead was back to double figures.

Moments later, after a nifty scoop shot in traffic for a bucket by Lamar's James, McGlynn came in and drilled a three from the right wing to make it 59-47 with just more than six minutes left. The Cardinals never got closer than nine points again.

Vermont, which led 30-21 at the half, was coming off a 51-43 win over top-seeded Stony Brook in the America East tournament on Saturday.

South Florida 65, Cal 54:Victor Rudd scored 15 points and freshman point guard Anthony Collins had 12 for the Bulls, who play No. 5 seed Temple in Nashville Friday. Guard Jorge Gutierrez, the Pac-12 player of the year, was held to 10 and shot 4-for-10.