Donovan Clingan scored 19 points and Cam Spencer had 15 as top-seeded UConn began defense of its national championship by cruising past 16th-seeded Stetson 91-52 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Liberty Flames moved to 17-5 on the season after beating Stetson 74-45. The Flames lead the ASUN with an 8-1 conference record.

Chris Parker and Elijah Cuffee led the way for the Flames on offense scoring eight points each. Christian Jones led the way for Stetson scoring 10 points. Key Stats & NotesElijah Cuffee won his 103rd career game at Liberty, becoming Liberty’s all-time winningest player. 31with 956 career points. 28 on Liberty’s all-time scoring list, with 1,019 career points, passing Mike Goad.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, right, passes the ball over Charlotte Hornets center Bismack Biyombo, second from right, as Hornets forward P.J. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Charlotte Hornets are getting set to welcome fans for home games. The Hornets’ reopening plan has been approved by state and county authorities and allows the team to host fans at 15% capacity, approximately 3,000 per game. “We are excited about the opportunity to welcome more fans to our outdoor venues,” the university said in a written statement. AdTuesday night’s game will be the first game with fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena since last March.

DeLAND, Fla – Liberty bounced back to end in its weekend series at Stetson with an impressive defensive performance and a 68-58 win over the Hatters. Liberty improves to 12-5 this season and 4-2 in the ASUN Conference while Stetson falls to 4-6 and 2-2 in conference. Despite limiting Stetson to shooting 29 percent from the field, the Hatters were able to grab 11 offensive rebounds, giving Stetson four second chance points. Parker led Liberty with four assists. Liberty outscored Stetson 40-24 inside the paint.

DELAND, Fla. – Liberty’s second half struggles proved costly in Game 1 of the weekend series at Stetson, as the Flames drop the 66-59 contest to the Hatters. First HalfBlake Preston kickstarted Liberty’s offense scoring six points in the first three and a half minutes of the game. Turnovers proved costly for the Flames in the second half, committing nine turnovers, which led to 14 points for Stetson. · This was the second game this season Liberty has outshot its opponent from the field and yet lost. Thoughts from Head Coach Ritchie McKay“Their (Stetson) game plan was shoot the three, and if you don’t have it, drive it.