Racers win one at the buzzer

The president called this one, all right.

Murray State needed every last chance and every last second to get back in the NCAA tournament win column. This had been more than two decades in the waiting for basketball fans back in Murray, Ky., and it was as dramatic as they get.

Danero Thomas hit a 15-footer as the buzzer sounded, and 13th-seeded Murray State stunned No. 4 seed Vanderbilt 66-65 on Thursday in an NCAA tournament opener in the West Regional at San Jose, Calif.

"That shot was bigger than he could imagine," Murray State's B.J. Jenkins said. "It wasn't just a game-winning shot. We'll remember this for the rest of our lives."

President Barack Obama was onto something picking these revved-up Racers (31-4) to get past the first round. It was the school's first victory in the NCAA tournament since a 78-75 win over N.C. State in 1988.

For the second time in as many appearances, Vanderbilt (24-9) bowed out early as the higher seed. The Commodores were also a first-round upset victim by Siena in 2008 when seeded fourth.

Murray State, which came in with a 1-13 all-time NCAA tournament record, will play again Saturday at HP Pavilion against Butler.

Also Thursday

At San Jose

Butler 77, UTEP 59: Shelvin Mack hit a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 18 of his 25 points after halftime, leading fifth-seeded Butler over UTEP in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Gordon Hayward scored 13 points and Matt Howard added 11 as the Bulldogs (29-4) won their 21st straight game to extend the sport's longest active winning streak -- but only after a dynamic rally from a six-point halftime deficit.

The Miners (26-7) were a popular NCAA upset pick after the Conference USA power received a surprisingly low seed in the tournament. Instead, the Bulldogs made a 22-4 run after halftime led by Mack, who hit five 3-pointers in the first 11 minutes.

At Oklahoma City

No. 16 BYU 99, Florida 92 (2 OT): Jimmer Fredette scored 37 points, including two 3-pointers in double overtime, to seal BYU's win over Florida in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Fredette, the nation's 12th-leading scorer, made a 3 from the top of the key to put the seventh-seeded Cougars (30-5) ahead 90-83 with 2:42 left, then added another with just over a minute remaining to put the game away.

Michael Loyd Jr. added a career-high 26 points, pushing BYU to a lead it would hold until a late second-half rally by Florida. Loyd scored all the Cougars' points in the first overtime.

Kenny Boynton scored 27 points and rallied the 10th-seeded Gators (21-13) from a 13-point second-half deficit in their first NCAA tournament game since winning back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.

BYU snapped a streak of seven straight first-round losses in the tournament.

Kansas State 82, North Texas 62: Denis Clemente had 17 points and six assists, helping No. 2 seed Kansas State open the NCAA tournament with a rout of North Texas.

Kansas State (27-7) gathered itself after a shaky start, riding its defense into the second round for the second time in three years. The Wildcats held the Mean Green (24-9) to 31 percent shooting and stymied Josh White's forays into the lane, holding North Texas' leading scorer to three points.

Jacob Pullen and Curtis Kelly added 15 points each for Kansas State.