VCU rallies from 19-point deficit to defeat North Carolina 82-78 in NCAA tournament first-round overtime
Authored by destined2win.net, 20 Mar 2026
Virginia Commonwealth University defeated the University of North Carolina 82-78 in overtime in a first-round game of the men's NCAA basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.[1] The No. 11 seed Rams overcame a 19-point second-half deficit against the No. 6 seed Tar Heels.
Terrence Hill Jr. scored 34 points for VCU, shooting 13-for-23 from the field and 7-for-10 from three-point range. With 15 seconds remaining in overtime, Hill sank a three-pointer to give the Rams an 82-78 lead that held for the victory.
North Carolina led by 19 points with 15 minutes left in regulation. VCU outscored the Tar Heels 47-36 in the second half, shooting 62% from the field and 7-for-10 from three-point range to force overtime.
In overtime, North Carolina went 0-for-7 from the field. With 11 seconds left in regulation, Hill's layup tied the score at 75. Seth Trimble's steal led to a three-point attempt with 2.9 seconds left that missed.
Later in overtime, Nyk Lewis scored a layup for a 77-75 VCU lead with 2:08 remaining. Trimble tied the game at the free-throw line after a foul but missed a potential and-one layup with 35 seconds left, making one of two free throws. Henri Veesaar missed the first of two free throws for North Carolina while trailing 80-78.
The win marked VCU's first NCAA tournament victory since defeating Northern Iowa 71-61 in the First Four on March 14, 2017.[2]
Bon Secours Wellness Arena, with a basketball capacity of 10,008, has hosted NCAA tournament games in prior years.[3] VCU represents the Atlantic 10 Conference; North Carolina competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Sources
- Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellness_Arena
- VCU Rams men's basketball. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCU_Rams_men%27s_basketball#NCAA_Tournament_results
- Bon Secours Wellness Arena official site. Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Accessed October 2024. https://www.bonsecoursarenasc.com/