One of the best sports days of the year lived up to expectations yet again Thursday afternoon. There was a thrilling buzzer-beater (Murray State over Vanderbilt), a staple of March Madness; a double-overtime classic (BYU-Florida); and a mid-major upset (Old Dominion over Notre Dame). The only thing missing was a true shocker. Unfortunately, No. 15 seed Robert Morris couldn’t quite hang on against No. 2 Villanova. In honor of this sports feast, here are some memorable college days in recent NCAA Tournament history.
1989, Round 1, Day 1 » South Alabama knocked out big brother Alabama in a big first-round upset. Later that day, a No. 13, Middle Tennessee State, dropped No. 4 Florida State. Evansville — as an 11 — ousted Oregon State and star point guard Gary Payton in overtime.
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1999, Round 1, Day 2 » Harold Arceneaux led Weber State to an upset of No. 3 North Carolina, which hadn’t lost in the first round in 19 years. No. 12 seed Detroit upset UCLA, and Gonzaga, then an unknown No. 10 seed, beat Minnesota on its way to the Elite Eight.
2005, Round 1, Day 2 » Vermont shocked No. 4 Syracuse in an overtime victory with a memorable performance by guard T.J. Sorrentine. Patriot League champ Bucknell then beat No. 3 seed Kansas 64-63 on a bank shot by Chris McNaughton. The Jayhawks missed a game-winner at the buzzer.
