Blowout. Solid win. Close game turned blowout. Overtime loss.
That's how the Big 12's 3-1 day pretty much went down with K-State taking care of business, Baylor coming from behind, Kansas being challenged early and Texas losing after clawing back only to lose on a last second jumper in OT.
See complete wrap-ups including scores, recaps and players of the games after The Jump.
Kansas St. (2) - 82
North Texas (4) - 62
Kansas State went over the scouting report and stretched, sat down, then stretched again. As the game before theirs ran into overtime, then a second, the Wildcats weren't sure what to do, the nervousness building with each passing minute.
All those upsets and close calls on TV didn't help, either.
Shaking off a long delay before tip-off and a jittery start, No. 2 Kansas State rolled to an 82-62 rout of North Texas on Thursday to avoid joining the list of opening-day upsets in the NCAA tournament.
"We were getting antsy," Kansas State guard Jacob Pullen said. "We were very excited to get ready to play that game."
Maybe a little too excited.
Shooting poorly and allowing North Texas to beat them on the offensive glass, the Wildcats (27-7) got off to a shaky start, providing hope for the 15th-seeded Mean Green. But Kansas State squashed any thought of an upset with defense, stymieing Josh White's forays into the lane while holding North Texas (24-9) to 31 percent shooting.
Denis Clemente had 17 points and six assist. Pullen and Curtis Kelly added 15 points each, and Kansas State had a 46-21 advantage inside to reach the second round for the second time in three years.
Full Recap
Player of the Game: Denis Clemente, Kansas St, 17 Pts, 3 Reb, 6 Ast, 2 Stl, 1 Blk
Up Next: Kansas St vs No. 7 BYU
Baylor (3) - 68
Sam Houston St (14) - 59
Baylor coach Scott Drew's postgame locker room chat with his team dragged on longer than usual before he emerged -- behind schedule -- to discuss as big a victory as many Bears fans can remember.
"Sorry I'm late. We haven't won a tournament game in a long time," Drew said. "I know there are happy players in there."
It had been six decades since Baylor last won an NCAA tournament game, but Ekpe Udoh did everything the Bears needed to stave off upset-minded Sam Houston State and end the drought.
Udoh had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Baylor dominated the last three minutes of a 68-59 victory Thursday in the first round of the South Regional.
"Oh, man, just joy in my heart, man," Udoh said. "But, whew, that was close. Sam Houston, that's a great team. ... It's tourney time. You've just got to be ready."
Full Recap
Player of the Game: Ekpe Udoh, Baylor, 20 Pts, 13 Reb, 5 Ast, 2 Stl, 2 Blk
Up Next: Baylor vs No. 11 Old Dominion
Kansas (1) - 90
Lehigh (16) - 74
Marcus Morris scored 26 points, Sherron Collins added 18 and No. 1 overall seed Kansas survived a 90-74 win over scrappy Lehigh in the Midwest Regional on Thursday night.
Kansas (33-2) fell into its season-long pattern of playing in spurts, giving No. 16 seed Lehigh (22-11) hope of making college basketball history.
The Jayhawks led by just six in the first half and didn't pull away until midway through the second to keep from becoming the greatest Goliath to be crossed off the brackets on a wild opening day of the NCAA tournament.
Tyrel Reed added four big 3-pointers for Kansas as it moves on to face gritty Northern Iowa in a second-round game that suddenly seems much more daunting.
Lehigh made its fourth NCAA appearance a memorable one, putting a scare into the nation's No. 1 team.
Full Recap
Player of the Game: Marcus Morris, Kansas, 26 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast
Up Next: Kansas vs No. 9 Northern Iowa
Wake Forest (9) - 81 OT
Texas (8) - 80
Ishmael Smith's pull-up jumper from about 17 feet out with 1.3 seconds remaining in overtime gave ninth-seeded Wake Forest an 81-80 win over No. 8 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA tournament Thursday night.
The Demon Deacons (20-10) twice blew double-digit leads in regulation, but in overtime they rallied from a 76-68 deficit. They still trailed by four in the final minute, but a 3-pointer by Ari Stewart with 15.9 seconds left made it 80-79.
Gary Johnson then missed two free throws for Texas, giving Smith one more chance.
The Longhorns (24-10) completed a puzzling collapse after being ranked No. 1 in the country in January.
It was the third game that went to overtime on a wild first day of NCAA action. Last year, two games went to OT throughout the entire tournament.
Full Recap
Player of the Game: Ishmael Smith, Wake Forest, 19 pts, 12 reb, 7 assists
Up Next: Wake Forest vs No 1 Kentucky
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