Butler in Sweet 16 thanks to defense

Kelan Martin scored 19 points, and Butler limited Middle Tennessee’s athletic scorers with smothering defense in a 74-65 victory Saturday night to advance to the South Region semifinals.

The Bulldogs (25-8) are going to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011, when they wrapped up back-to-back appearances in the national title game.

Senior forward Andrew Chrabascz added 15 points for fourth-seeded Butler, including a 3-pointer with 3:25 left that snapped a 7-0 run for Middle Tennessee. The 3-pointer got the lead back to 62-56.

Chrabascz played an even more important role in leading a sterling defensive effort for the Bulldogs.

Conference USA player of the year JaCorey Williams finished with 20 points, but had to work hard for nearly every bucket for No. 12 seed Middle Tennessee (31-5).

Giddy Potts, who averaged nearly 16 points a game this year, was held scoreless, going 0 of 8 from the field.

North Carolina-Arkansas:

Point guard Joel Berry II, the Tar Heels’ No. 2 scorer at 14.5 a game, sounded as if he expects to play tonight against Arkansas despite missing practice Saturday with a sprained right ankle. He was injured in Friday’s win over Texas Southern. Berry said the ankle was “75 to 80 percent.”

Berry is important in pushing the pace for the top-seeded Tar Heels, and No. 8 Arkansas plans to try to match it. “We don’t want it to be chaotic to where we’re just making turnovers and making bad plays,” Berry said, “but if they want to speed us up, I mean, that plays right into our hands.”

“We’re not going to change,” Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. “I mean, you do what got you here to the dance.”