UMBC Stuns Virginia, Becomes 1st No. 16 to Beat a No. 1 in NCAA MBB Tourney
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the first time in the history of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, a No. 16 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed and it was an America East team that accomplished the feat. UMBC became the first 16 seed to beat a top seed, outscoring Virginia by 20 points in the second half to down the Cavaliers, 74-54, in the first round on Friday evening in Charlotte.
No. 16 seeds were 0-135 vs. No. 1 seeds prior to tonight.
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It is the ninth NCAA tournament win all time for an America East team and the first in the Round of 64 since Vermont’s upset win over Syracuse in 2005. Vermont and Albany won First Four games in 2012 and 2014, respectively.
Jairus Lyles, the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship, scored 23 of his game-high 28 points in the second half as UMBC outscored Virginia, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, 53-33 in the second half to pull off the greatest upset in tournament history.
UMBC (25-11) set a new program record with its 25th win by shooting 54 percent from the floor, including 68 percent in the second half.
After a valiant attempt to become the first America East team to ever reach the Sweet Sixteen, the Retrievers fell in the second round to No. 9 seed Kansas State, 50-43, Sunday.
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