For much of its first-round game, No. 3 seed Xavier looked like it was sleepwalking against Kennesaw State, a No. 14 seed that was stopping nearly every Musketeer player.

But control in this sport is relentlessly fluid, and Xavier took it with a furious rally to come back against the Owls, eventually holding them off for a 72-67 win that avoided yet another bracket surprise in the first round of the men’s N.C.A.A. tournament. (Baylor, another No. 3 seed, dodged another by trouncing the University of California, Santa Barbara after being down by 1 at halftime.)

The Owls led by 13 with just under 10 minutes to play before Xavier finally woke up. The Musketeers scored the next 15 points — part of a run in which Kennesaw State went roughly 8 minutes without a field goal.

That set up the frantic back-and-forth, with the teams exchanging leads down the stretch until Xavier slipped ahead for good on a Colby Jones free throw. Kennesaw had several chances late, but Spencer Rodgers stepped on the sideline while corraling an inbounds pass, preventing him from attempting a game-tying heave.

A scare for Xavier, to be sure, but not an early exit. — Oskar Garcia

South Carolina dominates in its opening game.

South Carolina made a clear opening salvo early in its first-round game Friday against No. 16 Norfolk State: The No. 1-seeded Gamecocks allowed only 7 points in the first quarter while posting 20 points of their own.

South Carolina comfortably advanced to the second round of the women’s N.C.A.A. tournament, 72-40, as it began its run for a second consecutive national championship. On Sunday, it will face No. 8 South Florida, which beat No. 9 Marquette, 67-65, in overtime on Friday.

The Gamecocks struggled at times to convert solid possessions to points, committing 12 turnovers and missing 16 of their 41 free-throw attempts. But their clear dominance and ease on their home court were too much for the Spartans, who were making their first N.C.A.A. tournament appearance in 21 years.

Still, the Spartans didn’t back down. Kierra Wheeler, a sophomore forward, finished with 13 points and 8 rebounds and often found herself going toe-to-toe with one of the best players in the game: Aliyah Boston, a senior forward and the Gamecock’s centerpiece, who finished the game with 7 points and 9 rebounds.

Matchups to Watch

The women’s N.C.A.A. basketball tournament finally gets going, while we’re on our second day of first-round action for the men. Follow along with the bracket and live scores, and check out our picks for the Friday games we don’t want to miss (all times Eastern):

Women’s Tournament

No. 8 Southern California vs. No. 9 South Dakota State

8 p.m., ESPN News

South Dakota State missed the tournament last year but had become a fixture before then; this is its 11th trip in 18 years since joining Division I. The Jackrabbits hold wins over Louisville and Kansas State this year and ended the season with a 21-game winning streak. Southern California is back in the field for the first time since 2014. Forward Rayah Marshall is averaging a double-double, with 12.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. The teams have played each other twice before, but not since 2006.

Men’s Tournament

No. 6 Kentucky vs. No. 11 Providence

7:10 p.m., CBS

Kentucky lost in the first round last year to 15-seed St. Peter’s, one of the biggest upsets in tournament. Are the Wildcats vulnerable to an upset again? Kentucky finished its season with a loss to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament game. Providence tallied a nine-game winning streak during the season and notched double-overtime wins against both Marquette and Creighton. Modelers are giving Providence a better chance than public brackets, according to The Upshot’s bracket tool.

No. 5 Miami vs. No. 12 Drake

7:25 p.m., TBS

Though Miami took the Atlantic Coast Conference’s regular-season crown with a 15-5 record in conference play, the Hurricanes’ blemishes included losses to Georgia Tech and Florida State. Miami may be without forward Norchad Omier, who injured his ankle in the A.C.C. tournament. Drake won 13 of its final 14 games and is led by guard Tucker DeVries, who averages 19 points a game. — Shivani Gonzalez