Terrence Hill Jr. hit a three-pointer with 15 seconds left in overtime to give VCU an 82-78 lead, securing a first-round victory over North Carolina in the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.
The 11th-seeded VCU Rams overcame a 19-point second-half deficit against the sixth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels. The game, played on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina, went to overtime after a late VCU rally tied the score at 75.[1]
North Carolina led by 19 points with 15 minutes remaining in regulation. VCU tied the game on a layup by Hill with 11 seconds left. Seth Trimble's three-point attempt at the buzzer for North Carolina missed.[2]
In overtime, both teams struggled from the field, going a combined 0-for-7 early. Nyk Lewis scored a layup for VCU to take a 77-75 lead with 2:08 remaining. Trimble tied the score with a free throw after being fouled, but missed the second attempt and a layup.
Hill led VCU with 34 points on 13-of-23 field goals, including 7-of-10 from three-point range. Henri Veesaar missed the first of two free throws for North Carolina with the score 80-78, sealing the Tar Heels' defeat.
VCU shot 62% from the field in the second half (47-36 scoring edge) to force overtime. The Rams, from Virginia Commonwealth University in the Atlantic 10 Conference, advanced to the second round.[3] North Carolina, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Atlantic Coast Conference, was eliminated.[4]
Sources
- Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellspring_Arena
- North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_men%27s_basketball
- VCU Rams men's basketball. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCU_Rams_men%27s_basketball
- North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball. Wikipedia. Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_men%27s_basketball
