Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit to defeat the University of North Carolina (UNC) 82-78 in overtime during the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.[1][2]
The No. 11 seed Rams outscored the No. 6 seed Tar Heels 47-36 in the second half, shooting 62% from the field and 7-of-10 from three-point range to force overtime.[1]
In overtime, Terrence Hill Jr. scored a layup to tie the score at 75-75 with 11 seconds left in regulation before sealing the victory with a three-pointer at the 15-second mark.[1] Hill finished with 34 points on 13-of-23 field goals, including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.[1]
UNC's Seth Trimble had a steal with 2.9 seconds left in regulation but missed a potential game-winning three-pointer. The Tar Heels went 0-for-7 from the field in overtime.[1]
Nyk Lewis gave VCU a 77-75 lead with a layup at the 2:08 mark of overtime. Trimble tied the game on free throws but missed a layup after a foul, making only one of two free throws.[1]
Henri Veesaar of UNC missed the first of two free throws with the score 80-78, allowing VCU to close out the win. The victory marked VCU's first NCAA Tournament game win since 2016.[1]
Bon Secours Wellness Arena has hosted NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games in previous years.[2] VCU competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference, while UNC plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference.[3][4]
Sources
- Fox News Digital
VCU stuns No. 6 North Carolina Tar Heels with overtime comeback in NCAA Tournament first round
March 20, 2026
https://www.foxnews.com/sports - Bon Secours Wellness Arena Wikipedia
Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Accessed October 2024
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellness_Arena
