Kentucky defeats Providence 61-53 in the NCAA Tournament first round with Antonio Reeves scoring 22 points and Oscar Tshiebwe pulling down 25 rebounds. Tshiebwe’s 11 offensive rebounds helped in the sixth-seeded Wildcats’ 48-31 rebound advantage. Providence shot only 36.2% while Kentucky shot 36.5%, but the latter’s ball retention and defense aided in the victory. The Wildcats will face the Montana State-Kansas State winners Sunday in the East Region. Kentucky’s Sahvir Wheeler, who missed ten games due to an ankle injury, remained on the bench. Kentucky got off to a successful start this March Madness season, unlike last year’s devastating first-round loss. Fans in Greensboro rooted for Fairleigh Dickinson during their victory against Purdue, calling out “FDU! FDU!” even when Providence-Kentucky resumed on the court.