BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — JaJuan Smith and Tennessee lost the lead, but not their poise.

Smith hit four straight free throws in the final 13.6 seconds of overtime and the Volunteers held on for a 76–71 win over Butler yesterday in the second round of the NCAA tournament, barely surviving a game they at times threatened to turn into an East Regional rout.

The first second-round game featuring two 30-win teams definitely lived up to the distinction. The Vols (31–4) scored six straight points inside after the Bulldogs took their first lead in the final 2 minutes of OT, including benched guard Ramar Smith’s basket with 27 seconds left to make it 72–68.

Butler (30–4) still wouldn’t go away. Pete Campbell followed a missed shot to make it 72–70 with 16 seconds left. JaJaun Smith then made both free throws, and Julian Betko rebounded a missed 3-pointer by A.J. Graves and was fouled with 4.9 seconds left for Butler. He made 1-of-2 from the line, and Smith grabbed the rebound before icing the game with foul shots at the other end.

He sported the motivating message “No. 1 seed” on his sneakers for a second straight game for a Vols team that felt they were worthy. Tennessee survived the tournament’s opening weekend for the second straight year and avoided another 2-seed flop. The Vols had fallen in the second round as a no. 2 seed in 2006, the only other time they were seeded as high.

The Vols will play the winner of the Louisville-Oklahoma game on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C.

Wayne Chism led foul-plagued Tennessee with 16 points, while Tyler Smith added 15 and eight rebounds and JaJuan Smith had 11. The Vols led by 13 in the first half and 10 early in the second half, but Butler kept coming back. The no. 7 seed Bulldogs, who couldn’t catch up to Tennessee for the first 37-plus minutes, took their first lead on Graves’ short jumper in the paint to make it 68-66 with 1:46 left in overtime. Ramar Smith and Chism both scored inside to retake the lead inside the final minute.

Tyler Smith blocked Graves from behind and Chism won the scramble for the loose ball and called timeout with 33 seconds left. Ramar Smith then scored inside, coming up with a big play after losing his starting job to J.P. Prince.

* * *

UNC 108, ARKANSAS 77

North Carolina put on a show for its home-state fans in its first two NCAA tournament games. Now the overall no. 1 seed is off and running to the round of 16, where another comfortable setting awaits.

Wayne Ellington scored 20 points and the Tar Heels raced to a double-digit lead in the first 5 minutes of a 108–77 second-round win over Arkansas yesterday, sending North Carolina to Charlotte for the East Regional semifinals.

Ty Lawson had 19 points and seven assists for the Tar Heels (34–2), who followed their first-round rout of Mount St. Mary’s with another impressive offensive display. North Carolina will face fourth-seeded Washington State on Thursday night in the same arena where they won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament last weekend.

The Tar Heels scored the first nine points, led 51–26 at halftime and shot 68% for the game. They became the first team to score 100 points in their first two NCAA games since Loyola Marymount did it against New Mexico State and Michigan in 1990.

The ninth-seeded Razorbacks (23–12), which upset Vanderbilt and Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference tournament in Atlanta last week, never got closer than 21 points after the break.

* * *

LOUISVILLE 78, OKLAHOMA 48

Louisville got so revved up, Rick Pitino settled down.

No need for the Cardinals coach to shout, stomp his foot, or stalk the sideline. He simply watched and enjoyed the show Sunday while his team played to near-perfection, romping past Oklahoma 78–48 in the second round of the East Regional.

“Offensively and defensively, we did a beautiful job,” he said. “You really can’t find a weakness in the way the guys played.”

Louisville harassed freshman star Blake Griffin with double teams down low, trapped the Sooners and ran every chance it got. The Cardinals neatly zipped passes in the paint — that bit of insider trading paid off with easy baskets all game.

Even plays Pitino didn’t draw up worked out.

Little-used Will Scott captured a loose ball, twisted his body and hit a heave from near half-court at the halftime buzzer for a 44–22 lead. While the Cardinals ran off hollering, Pitino walked away with a wry smile.

“It looked like it was going to be our night when that shot went in. Everything was going well for us. It was one of those nights,” Pitino said.

Said Scott: “Everybody has their 15 minutes of fame and I guess this is mine.”

“I wouldn’t really call that a shot,” he said. “I just tried to chuck it up and it happened to go in.”

Starting five players born outside Kentucky, the third-seeded Cardinals (26–8) reached the round of 16 for the first time since 2005. They will take on Tennessee, which beat Butler 76-71 in overtime, on Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C.

Reserve Earl Smith had 14 points and Jerry Smith 12 points for a team that relies on balanced scoring. Most everyone took part, and Louisville shot 59% for the game.