COL BKB: Butler 57, Old Dominion 46

BUFFALO, N.Y., March 15 (UPI) -- A.J. Graves scored 18 points Thursday to lead 17th-ranked Butler to a 57-46 victory over Old Dominion in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Butler, the fifth seed in the Midwest Region, trailed, 20-19, at halftime, but used a run of 17 straight points to assume a 46-32 lead with 6:20 left and settle the issue.

That spurt included five straight three-pointers.

Mike Green had 14 points, 10 rebounds and three assists; and Brandon Crone scored 12 points for the Bulldogs (28-6), who will meet fourth-seeded Maryland in the second round Saturday.

Brandon Johnson was Old Dominion's leading scorer with 11 points. Arnaud Dahi, Valdas Vasylius and Gerald Lee all scored 10 points for the 12th-seeded Monarchs (24-9), who ended their season with a three-game losing streak.