DAYTON, Ohio - Siena, the only NCAA tournament team with more losses than wins, has figured out how to pull them out at the right time.
Prosper Karangwa scored a career-high 31 points Tuesday night and struggling Dwayne Archbold hit a pair of free throws to clinch an 81-77 victory over Alcorn State in the play-in game.
The Saints (17-18) joined the 64-team bracket and won a trip to Washington to play Maryland, the East's No. 1 seed, on Friday.
They also became the first team in 47 years to win an NCAA tournament game with a losing record. Bradley is the only other team sharing the distinction - it won two in 1955.
Alcorn State (21-10) had been unbeaten in play-in games in Dayton, winning two in the 1950s under coach Davey L. Whitney. The Braves spent a sleepless night getting to Dayton for this one, then faced at the end of a back-and-forth game.
It might have been the last game for Whitney, a former Negro League shortstop completing his 26th year at the Mississippi school. Whitney, 72, hasn't decided whether to return for another season.