Greenville, South Carolina - VCU rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat North Carolina 82-78 in overtime in a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.[1][2]
Terrence Hill Jr. scored 34 points for the No. 11 seed VCU Rams, shooting 13-of-23 from the field and 7-of-10 from three-point range. With 15 seconds left in overtime, Hill made a three-pointer to seal the win. VCU shot 62% from the field in the second half (47-36 scoring edge) to force overtime.[1]
North Carolina, the No. 6 seed, led by 19 points with 15 minutes left in regulation but went 0-for-7 from the field in overtime. Seth Trimble tied the score at 75 with 11 seconds left in regulation after a VCU miss, but his three-point attempt missed. Nyk Lewis gave VCU a 77-75 lead with a layup at 2:08 of overtime.[1]
Trimble tied it again at 78 on free throws but missed a layup after a foul with 35 seconds left. Henri Veesaar missed the first of two free throws with VCU leading 80-78, ending North Carolina's comeback chance.[1]
The victory marked VCU's first NCAA tournament win since a 2016 second-round defeat of Memphis, when the Rams advanced to the Sweet 16 before losing to Florida.[1][3]
VCU represents Virginia Commonwealth University and competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference. North Carolina, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference.[4][5]
Bon Secours Wellness Arena has a seating capacity of approximately 10,000 and has hosted NCAA tournament first- and second-round games in prior years.[2]
Sources
- Fox News Digital, VCU Rams erase 19-point deficit to stun North Carolina Tar Heels in NCAA first round, March 19, 2026, https://www.foxnews.com/sports
- Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Arena homepage, accessed October 2024, https://www.bonsecourswellnessarena.com/
- NCAA.com, VCU men's basketball NCAA tournament history, n.d., https://www.ncaa.com/schools/vcu/m-baskbl
- VCU Athletics, Rams men's basketball, accessed October 2024, https://gorumblers.com/sports/mens-basketball
- North Carolina Athletics, Tar Heels men's basketball, accessed October 2024, https://goheels.com/sports/mens-basketball