The South Region was ravaged by upsets including the biggest in NCAA history in the 64 team era. Half of the region’s games ended in an upset. The South Region is proving to be quite exciting to watch.
NCAA Tournament: Storylines from Round 1 of South Region
South Region Results (1st Round)
Thursday Games
(5) Kentucky over (12) Davidson
(13) Buffalo over (4) Arizona
(11) Loyola (Chicago) over (6) Miami
(3) Tennessee over (14) Wright State
Friday Games
(16) UMBC over (1) Virginia
(9) Kansas State over (8) Creighton
(7) Nevada over (10) Texas
(2) Cincinnati over (15) Georgia State
Biggest Upset in NCAA Tournament History
No. 16 UMBC over No. 1 Virginia
The University of Maryland Baltimore County Retrievers shocked the college basketball world with a improbably upset win over the heavily favored Virginia Cavaliers 74-54. The back-and-forth game was tied 21-21 at halftime. Then the Retrievers pulled away with a barrage of 3-point shots. UMBC scored 53 points in the second half. Ryan Odom’s Retrievers made 7 3-point shots. Jairus Lyles and Joe Sherburne scored 21 points on 3-point shots. UMBC made 75% of their 2-point shots and just overwhelmed a shocked Cavalier team that had their second worst offensive performance of the season.
Loyola Ramblers Excited the Nation in Upset
No. 11 Loyola Chicago vs. No. 6 Miami
Loyola Ramblers got its first NCAA tourney bid in 33 years and made the most of their Round 1 game. The Ramblers upset the Miami Hurricanes 64-62 on an electrifying buzzer-beater by Donte Ingram. Ingram shot well above the key in the NCAA logo area on the court. The Ramblers received a pre-game prayer from 98-year-old Loyola Chaplain Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt. The Hurricanes led most of the second half, but could not pull away leaving them vulnerable to last second heroics. Clayton Custer led Loyola scoring 14 points on 4-of-6 from 3-point distance. Custer also hit a 3-point shot to tie the game in the last two minutes of the game. Ingram finished with 13 points. Loyola go on to play Tennessee Volunteers.
Arizona Limped Out Tournament & Saved Negative Storyline for NCAA
No. 13 Buffalo over No. 4 Arizona
DeAndre Ayton is slated to be one of the top picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. But he couldn’t stop the Buffalo Bulls from defeating the lifeless Arizona Wildcats 89-68. The 21 point loss seemed inevitable from the opening tip off. The Wildcats were poor on both offense and defense. Ayton scored only 14 points, six points off his season average. Buffalo played great and shot 54.8% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. The Wildcat loss also helped the NCAA avoid a messy discussion about the scandal ravaged Arizona program. The FBI bribery investigation is still hanging over the program. Assistant Coach Emanuel “Book” Richardson was arrested in September on bribery and corruption charges. Then in February, Head Coach Sean Miller was overheard on a wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to Ayton.
