DAYTON, Ohio – It’s been seven years since Vermont’s signature win in school history.

The Catamounts think it’s about time for another.

North Carolina, are you paying attention?

Freshman Four McGlynn came off the bench to score 18 points, and Vermont grabbed an early lead and hung on to beat Lamar 71-59 on Wednesday night in a first-round NCAA tournament game.

Matt Glass added 11 points, Sandro Carissimo scored 10, and Brian Voelkel had 12 rebounds to help the Catamounts earn a spot against the top-seeded Tar Heels on Friday in Greensboro, N.C.

Their only previous NCAA tournament win was a stunning 60-57 upset of fourth-seeded Syracuse in the first round of the 2005 tournament.

“The Syracuse game was a huge win for Vermont and the community,” Voelkel said. “Obviously, we’re going to come into North Carolina with a lot of confidence and hopefully we can pull off another upset and give the people of Burlington something to cheer about.”

The Catamounts (24-11) shot 50 percent from the field, blending an inside presence with McGlynn’s touch from the perimeter.

But the America East tournament champions will be severely tested in the next round.

“Obviously, North Carolina is one of the best teams in the country,” first-year Catamounts Coach John Becker said. “They’ve got a roster of future NBA stars. We’re just going to do what we do — continue to play our brand of basketball.”

McGlynn, the only player in Division I to lead his team in scoring (12.0) without starting a game, provided punch to Vermont’s offense.

He entered in the first half and immediately ignited a 13-0 rally that gave the Catamounts a lead they never relinquished.

“It was my first NCAA tournament game. I thought I played pretty well,” McGlynn said after hitting 5 of 9 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 3-pointers, and adding 5 of 6 free throws. “I got in a good flow. I give all the credit to my teammates.”

Devon Lamb and Mike James each had 16 points for Lamar (23-12), which had won six in a row since first-year Coach Pat Knight ripped his seniors after a loss in late February.

SOUTH FLORIDA 65, CALIFORNIA 54: The Bulls introduced the NCAA tournament to the Big East’s nastiest defense, holding California to 13 points in the first half on their way to a first-round victory.

South Florida (21-13) plays No. 5 seed Temple in Nashville on Friday, a matchup of teams known for gritty defense.

California (24-10) didn’t score over the last 8:55 of the first half, missing 10 shots and turning it over twice while South Florida pulled ahead 36-13.

Freshman point guard Anthony Collins scored 12 points and Victor Rudd had 15 to lead the Bulls.

California guard Jorge Gutierrez, the Pac-12 player of the year, was held to 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting.