The road begins here, in Dayton, Ohio.

March Madness officially kicks off Tuesday night at the University of Dayton Arena as eight teams will vie for their spot in the tournament.

Be sure to follow along with your brackets as we will be live on location bringing you all of your March Madness updates, starting with the ‘First Four’ play-in.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

(16) Saint Francis Red Flash 68 – (16) Alabama State Hornets 70

Spread: Alabama State Hornets -3.5

The Red Flash were red hot in the first half, draining 59% of their shots, with 6/12 from beyond the arc. The Hornets on the other hand, were a step off their pace at 43%.

What’s even more shocking is Alabama State didn’t have a single free throw attempt until almost 5 minutes left in the game, They were only able to go 1-4 front he charity stripe but managed to keep it close the entire game.

It came down to a hailmary full court pass with just under 4 seconds left for an easy bucket at the rim by Amarr Knox to put them up by two and close out the win 70-68. They’ll now secure the 16th seed in the South and face the 1 seed Auburn Tigers Thursday in Lexington, Kentucky.

(11) North Carolina Tar Heels 95 – (11) San Diego State Aztecs 68

Spread: North Carolina Tar Heels -4.5

This one was never close. As many believed that UNC did not belong in the tournament, they extinguished that narrative Tuesday night with a commanding win over the Aztecs. They now move on to face the 6th ranked Ole Miss on Friday.

RJ Davis led all scorers with 26 points, going a perfect 6/6 from range. When asked about his message to his teammates as they embark on this year’s tournaments, his response was,

“It’s one game at a time and make sure our preparation is ready for a couple of games. To get into March, to play in March is the dream of a lifetime and not a lot of guys get a chance to actually experience it. I think half the team, this is their first March Madness and we’re gonna take full advantage of it. Super Blessed.”