Lexington, Ky.— Maci Morris made seven of eight free throws in the final 37 seconds, including two with 3.2 seconds remaining, to help fourth-seeded Kentucky edge No. 13 Belmont 73-70 victory on Friday in a first-round game of the NCAA Tournament.

Wildcats seniors Makayla Epps and Evelyn Akhator did their parts to get Kentucky ahead with 52 combined points that were needed to hold off the determined Bruins. Belmont got within 69-68 on two Sally McCabe free throws with 13 seconds remaining.

Morris was already clicking at the line by then and sealed the victory with four more in the final seconds for 15 points and an edge that proved critical against Belmont’s last chance to tie.

Ohio State 70, Western Kentucky 63

Lexington, Ky.— Kelsey Mitchell and Asia Doss each scored 15 points, Shayla Cooper grabbed a season-high 15 rebounds and Ohio State withstood a late charge from Western Kentucky.

The fifth-seeded Buckeyes (27-6) began to take control just before halftime and followed with timely baskets to keep a safe cushion against the No. 12 seed Hilltoppers. Ohio State eventually stretched a seven-point halftime advantage to 64-48 with 4:38 remaining before Western Kentucky used a 15-5 run to make it a two-possession game.

N.C. State 62, Auburn 48

Austin, Texas — Dominique Wilson scored 23 points and Miah Spencer added 13 to help No. 6-seed North Carolina State roll over cold-shooting No. 11 Auburn.

The Wolfpack made the 1,200-mile trek to Texas peeved they weren’t a higher seed and hosting the first weekend, and quickly took out their frustrations on an Auburn team that struggled to score in the chilly air of a nearly-empty Frank Erwin Center.

Texas 78, C. Arkansas 50

Austin, Texas — Brooke McCarty scored 15 points and No. 3-seed Texas overwhelmed No. 14 Central Arkansas in the first half before cruising to a victory.

Joyner Holmes added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Longhorns (23-8).

Purdue 74, Green Bay 62

South Bend, Ind. — Ashley Morrisette scored 20 points, Dominique Oden added 13 and ninth-seeded Purdue beat No. 8 Green Bay.

The Boilermakers (23-12), playing their first game since coach Sharon Versyp informed the team she was diagnosed with early stage breast cancer, made 63 percent of their shots in the first quarter.

Notre Dame 79, Robert Morris 49

South Bend, Ind. — Marina Mabrey and Arike Ogunbowale scored 15 points each to help top-seed Notre Dame beat Robert Morris.

The Irish (31-3), who have won 15 straight, improved to 28-5 in seven tournament appearances as a No. 1 seed, but the 30-point margin of victory was the smallest during those games. The Irish previously had won by at least 31.

Bridgeport Region

Maryland 103, Bucknell 61

College Park, Md. — Shatori Walker-Kimbrough scored 28 points, Brionna Jones had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Maryland beat Bucknell to earn its seventh consecutive trip to the second round.

Playing at home in front of an enthusiastic crowd, the third-seeded Terrapins (31-2) built a 45-22 lead at halftime and expanded the margin to 30 points early in the third quarter over 14th-seeded Bucknell (27-6).

West Virginia 75, Elon 62

College Park, Md. — Tynice Martin scored 26 points, Katrina Pardee made a pair of pivotal 3-pointers and West Virginia pulled away to a victory over 11th-seed Elon.

The sixth-seeded Mountaineers (24-10) will next face Maryland on the Terrapins’ home floor on Sunday.

Oklahoma City Region

Mississippi State 110, Troy 69

Starkville, Miss. — Blair Schaefer scored a career-high 21 points, Ameshya Williams added 15 and Mississippi State beat Troy.

Mississippi State (30-4) used a 29-6 run in the second quarter to erase any doubt about the outcome. Schaefer was the Bulldogs’ unlikely star, making 6 of 9 shots, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range.

DePaul 88, Northern Iowa 67

Starkville, Miss. — Tanita Allen scored 25 points, Lauren Prochaska and Brooke Schulte each added 12 and DePaul beat Northern Iowa.

Stockton Region

Oregon State 56, Long Beach State 55

Corvallis, Ore. — Breanna Brown scored 12 points and second-seeded Oregon State held off feisty No. 15 seed Long Beach State in the final minute to eke out a victory.

Mikayla Pivec and Marie Gulich each added 10 points for Oregon State (30-4), which was also seeded second last season when they made a run to the Final Four.

S. Carolina 90, UNC Asheville 50

Columbia, s.c. — Allisha Gray scored 22 points and had 12 rebounds to lead top-seeded South Carolina to an easy win over No. 16 seed UNC Asheville.

The Gamecocks (28-4) were missing Alania Coates their best rebounder and half of their twin tower frontcourt.

Missouri 66, South Florida 64

Tallahassee, Fla. — Sierra Michaelis scored 16 points, including the game-winning basket with 0.6 seconds remaining, and No. 6 seed Missouri rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit to beat No. 11 South Florida.

Arizona St. 73, Michigan St. 61

Columbia, s.c. — Quinn Dornstauder scored 16 points to lead No. 8 seed Arizona State over ninth-seeded Michigan State on Friday night.

In a matchup between the stingy defense of the Sun Devils (20-12) and the high-power offense of the Spartans, Arizona State won easily.

Florida State 87, Western Illinois 66

Tallahassee, Fla. — Shakayla Thomas scored 23 points and third-seeded Florida State beat No. 14 Western Illinois.

Thomas, who was the coaches choice as Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, had 10 points in the third quarter as the Seminoles broke open a close game in the second half.

Creighton 76, Toledo 49

Corvallis, Ore. — Marissa Janning had 15 of her 19 points in the first quarter and seventh-seeded Creighton built an early lead and went on to rout No. 10 seed Toledo.

The Bluejays (24-7) will face second-seeded Oregon State (30-4) on Sunday.

The Beavers, who advanced to the Final Four last season, held off Long Beach State and barely escaped with a 56-55 victory in the earlier game at Gill Coliseum.