VCU defeats North Carolina 82-78 in overtime after 19-point comeback in NCAA tournament first round
Authored by 4sportbikes.net, 20-03-2026
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit to beat the University of North Carolina (UNC) 82-78 in overtime in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.[1]
The No. 11-seeded Rams outscored the No. 6-seeded Tar Heels 47-36 in the second half, shooting 62% from the field and 7-of-10 from three-point range, to force overtime after UNC had led by 19 points with 15 minutes remaining in regulation.[2]
With 11 seconds left in regulation, VCU's Terrence Hill Jr. scored a layup to tie the score at 75-75. UNC's Seth Trimble stole the ball and attempted a three-pointer with 2.9 seconds left, but it missed, sending the game to overtime.
In overtime, VCU took a 77-75 lead on a layup by Nyk Lewis with 2:08 remaining. Trimble tied the game at 77-77 after being fouled but missed the potential go-ahead layup and made 1-of-2 free throws. UNC's Henri Veesaar later missed the first of two free throws with the score 80-78, preserving the Rams' lead.
Hill sealed the victory with a three-pointer with 15 seconds left. UNC shot 0-for-7 from the field in overtime.
Hill led VCU with 34 points on 13-of-23 field goals, including 7-of-10 from three-point range.
The win marked VCU's first NCAA tournament victory since defeating South Florida 84-72 in the First Four on March 15, 2016.[2]
VCU, representing the Atlantic 10 Conference, advances to the second round. UNC, from the Atlantic Coast Conference, was eliminated.[2][3]
Sources
- Publisher/Organization: Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Article/page title: Venue Info
Accessed date: October 2024
Direct URL: https://www.bonsecoursarenagreenville.com/venue-info - Publisher/Organization: Wikipedia
Article/page title: VCU Rams men's basketball
Accessed date: October 2024
Direct URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCU_Rams_men%27s_basketball - Publisher/Organization: Wikipedia
Article/page title: North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
Accessed date: October 2024
Direct URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_men%27s_basketball