DAYTON, Ohio — Pittsburgh intends to make history in this year's NCAA Tournament. The Panthers almost did in their first game.

Playing as a No. 1 seed for the first time but hardly looking the part, Pitt overcame a sloppy performance and a frightful 40 minutes from No. 16 seed East Tennessee State to advance with a 72-62 win yesterday in the East Regional.

Pitt's massive center DeJuan Blair bullied his way inside for 27 points and 16 rebounds as the Panthers (29-4) managed to extend their season, which with a little more than four minutes left was in jeopardy of ending sooner than they ever imagined.

"We survived," Blair said.

Barely.

ETSU, a small college tucked in the rolling hills of northeast Tennessee, nearly pulled off the shocker of shockers.

A No. 16 has never beaten a No. 1.

"We had them," said senior guard Kevin Tiggs. "We just couldn't get over the hump."

Pittsburgh, trying to shake its reputation as an underachiever this time of year, will play eighth-seeded Oklahoma State, a 77-75 winner over ninth-seeded Tennessee, in tomorrow's second round.

Tiggs scored 21 for the Buccaneers (23-11), who shot just 31 percent and missed 12 free throws but still had a chance to become the first bottom seed to win a first-round game.

"Having a tough game like that at the beginning keeps you on your toes," said Panthers senior forward Sam Young. "Every game gets harder and harder."

Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded to the 64-team format in 1985, No. 16s are a collective 0-for-100 in NCAA opening-round action.

It was the 161st win for Pitt coach Jamie Dixon, tying him with North Carolina State's Everett Case (1947-52) for the best start in six seasons.

Despite a succession of 20-win seasons and a few Big East titles, the Panthers haven't been able to advance past the round of 16. The can't-win-the-big-one stigma has stung Pitt's program and perhaps unfairly kept it from being grouped with North Carolina, Kansas, Connecticut and others.

OKLAHOMA STATE 77, TENNESSEE 75

DAYTON, Ohio — Byron Eaton's three-point play with 7.2 seconds left, lifted the Cowboys (23-11) over the Volunteers (23-11) when a jumper by Tyler Smith from behind the arc — bounce off the side of the rim and then off the top of the backboard as the buzzer sounded.

Eaton drove the lane untouched. Tyler Smith came in late and tried to block the shot, which fell through the net as Eaton tumbled to the floor after the contact.

XAVIER 77, PORTLAND STATE 59

BOISE, Idaho — C.J. Anderson scored 14 points and the fourth-seeded Musketeers (26-7) shot 54 percent from the field to beat the Vikings (23-10) to reach the second round of the NCAA tournament for the third straight year.

The Musketeers stifled Portland State's usual barrage of 3-pointers and showed they could shoot from the outside, too, making eight of 19 tries and going 29-for-54 overall.

WISCONSIN 61, FLORIDA STATE 59

BOISE, Idaho — Trevon Hughes banked in a spinning shot over two defenders, then made a free throw to complete a three-point play with 2 seconds left in overtime, lifting the 12th-seeded Badgers (20-12) over the Seminoles (25-10).

Hughes, who had his hands full covering Seminoles star Toney Douglas all game, then capped the victory by batting away Florida State's desperation pass at the end.