One of the oddest games I have seen.

[Travelman6]

North Carolina vs. Fairfield Box Score (Men), March 13, 1997 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

North Carolina vs. Fairfield Box Score (Men), March 13, 1997

www.sports-reference.com

In 1997 #1 seed UNC got under .500 Fairfield in the first round. Fairfield was a team that finished 11-19 and had no one over 6"6. This should have been an epic blowout. On top of that, just one more win was needed to become the winningest coach ever for Dean Smith, I am sure UNC was licking their chops, with visions of a 40-50+ point smackdown in their mind, especially with 4 future NBA players.

Fairfield finished 2-12 in conference play (8th place or last) and had a miracle run through the tourney to even get a bid. They didn't get the memo that they were supposed to lie down and take the L. In fact, they led 35-28 at the half!

Not to be outdone, and not to be intimidated by UNCs 9-2 2nd half start, Fairfield hung tough and tied the game with 7 minutes left, 59-59. UNC finally created some separation and won 82-74. But Fairfield came close, more than two decades before UMBC finally got the coveted win vs a 1 seed, of becoming the first 16 seed, and arguably the worst team ever (and the worst record ever) to take part in the tourney. They gave UNC all they could handle for one game, though. It wasn't the closest call to date. East Tennessee State, West Carolina, and Princeton came closer but I'd say UNC was the most notable of all those close calls and Fairfield was much worse than those other 16 seeds.

What are some of the weirdest games you recall seeing in the tourney?

 

[CTBasketball]

Not necessarily weird, but the best outcome back in 2005…

#13 Vermont over #4 Syracuse

 

[Dutch Boyd]

I always thought the ending of the Butler vs Pitt game in 2011 was weird. Officials at the end were putrid. Happy to see Pitt go down, but still an odd ending.

 

[UncleSpliff]

I’ll take a bite…..

1990 Loyola Marymount / Michigan… 2nd round. Loyola was the 11 seed and Michigan was the defending champion 3 seed. This was a week after the death of Hank Gathers and they put up 150 points on the defending champs and won by 30+. I still think it’s an all time record for points in a game. I believe they made it all the way to the elite 8 and got smoked by Nevada Las Vegas.

I hadn’t really seen them play much at the time and was surprised that style of play could actually work. They literally played no defense. It’s amazing to watch some of the clips on YouTube. I think there was a 30 for 30 about it a while back.

 

[Scoe]

Not necessarily weird, but the best outcome back in 2005…

#13 Vermont over #4 Syracuse

Sorrentine from the parking lot.

I actually had Vermont going to the sweet 16 in my bracket that year, had them beating Michigan State in the 2nd rd.

I was at a Vermont vs BU game once, when Vermont had 37 pts Taylor Coppenrath had 33 of them lol.

 

[billybud]

The Grant Hill to Christian Laettner full court pass at the 2 second mark to have Duke beat Kentucky as time expired in the Elite Eight game.

 

[XLCenterFan]

The Grant Hill to Christian Laettner full court pass at the 2 second mark to have Duke beat Kentucky as time expired in the Elite Eight game.

I agree it was wild. But are you really going to bring that up here when we have Tate George stories?

 

[billybud]

It was so very long ago...yet us older ones remember that...so it must be memorable...and add in that Laettner was one of the most disliked players in basketball.

But...re that Tate George shot...it wasn't a tournament game, but I saw a similar ending three days ago...

FSU vs Virginia..Virginia scored going up by two with one second on the clock...FSU throws down the court, a leaping catch and turn around shot from three as the red lighs flash...wins by one.

The George shot was referenced by a poster on the Warchant site..I Youtubed it..

 

[billybud]

George went off the right side...

 

[UCLJ0211]

I’ll take a bite…..

1990 Loyola Marymount / Michigan… 2nd round. Loyola was the 11 seed and Michigan was the defending champion 3 seed. This was a week after the death of Hank Gathers and they put up 150 points on the defending champs and won by 30+. I still think it’s an all time record for points in a game. I believe they made it all the way to the elite 8 and got smoked by Nevada Las Vegas.

I hadn’t really seen them play much at the time and was surprised that style of play could actually work. They literally played no defense. It’s amazing to watch some of the clips on YouTube. I think there was a 30 for 30 about it a while back.

Yeah they lost by 30 to UNLV and they put up 130 on LM to return the favor! That was a crazy tournament in 1990.

 

[geordi]

I've got 3 words for you.

George Freakin' Mason.

What's even odder is that my wife and son are GMU alums. And now I've got to live with them.

 

[HuskyHawk]

George went off the right side...

I wasn't in the building but the emotions of that game were insane. UConn has a solid lead, looks like a win. Clemson claws back and takes a lead, looks like a loss and then this. An absolute roller coaster of emotions. I was in the basement of Challenges and we were all hugging strangers after the shot.

I was at the opening round games in Hartford the weekend before. I remember also being out and about in Hartford as per usual and running into the Clemson team at local bars. I think it was probably the Russian Lady. We talked to them a little bit.

 

[Travelman6]

I’ll take a bite…..

1990 Loyola Marymount / Michigan… 2nd round. Loyola was the 11 seed and Michigan was the defending champion 3 seed. This was a week after the death of Hank Gathers and they put up 150 points on the defending champs and won by 30+. I still think it’s an all time record for points in a game. I believe they made it all the way to the elite 8 and got smoked by Nevada Las Vegas.

I hadn’t really seen them play much at the time and was surprised that style of play could actually work. They literally played no defense. It’s amazing to watch some of the clips on YouTube. I think there was a 30 for 30 about it a while back.

Check out some of the scores from their season:

145-102 win over Nevada
152-137 win over...US International? Ok.
117-113 over #21 Oregon St
121-136 loss to #7 Oklahoma
122-87 win over Niagra
113-115 loss to Xavier
121-116 win over #17 La Salle
119-112 win over San Diego
144-100 win over Gonzaga
Back to back wins over Portland 131-106 and 126-103
150-119 win over St. Marys
141-148 OT loss to #14 LSU
Back to back wins over San Fran 157-115 and 137-123
139-110 win over St. Marys
131-116 win over Pepperdine
123-131 loss to Pepperdine
131-119 win over San Diego
117-81 win over Santa Clara
124-81 win over Gonzaga

The oddest thing about that 149-115 round of 32 win over Michigan and 101-131 Elite 8 loss to UNLV was the 62-60 win sandwiched between those two games vs Alabama in the S16.

The next lowest they scored was 91 and they were held to under 100 just two other times, a 99-88 win vs Gonzaga, 99-96 win vs St. Joes. Bama managed to keep them 29 points below their next lowest total, wow!

Crazy tempo. I would have loved to see some of the speedier UConn teams go against these guys.

 

[tykurez]

North Carolina vs. Fairfield Box Score (Men), March 13, 1997 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

North Carolina vs. Fairfield Box Score (Men), March 13, 1997

www.sports-reference.com

In 1997 #1 seed UNC got under .500 Fairfield in the first round. Fairfield was a team that finished 11-19 and had no one over 6"6. This should have been an epic blowout. On top of that, just one more win was needed to become the winningest coach ever for Dean Smith, I am sure UNC was licking their chops, with visions of a 40-50+ point smackdown in their mind, especially with 4 future NBA players.

Fairfield finished 2-12 in conference play (8th place or last) and had a miracle run through the tourney to even get a bid. They didn't get the memo that they were supposed to lie down and take the L. In fact, they led 35-28 at the half!

Not to be outdone, and not to be intimidated by UNCs 9-2 2nd half start, Fairfield hung tough and tied the game with 7 minutes left, 59-59. UNC finally created some separation and won 82-74. But Fairfield came close, more than two decades before UMBC finally got the coveted win vs a 1 seed, of becoming the first 16 seed, and arguably the worst team ever (and the worst record ever) to take part in the tourney. They gave UNC all they could handle for one game, though. It wasn't the closest call to date. East Tennessee State, West Carolina, and Princeton came closer but I'd say UNC was the most notable of all those close calls and Fairfield was much worse than those other 16 seeds.

What are some of the weirdest games you recall seeing in the tourney?

This is awesome and I don't remember it.

Here's the game:

 

[UCLJ0211]

Check out some of the scores from their season:

145-102 win over Nevada
152-137 win over...US International? Ok.
117-113 over #21 Oregon St
121-136 loss to #7 Oklahoma
122-87 win over Niagra
113-115 loss to Xavier
121-116 win over #17 La Salle
119-112 win over San Diego
144-100 win over Gonzaga
Back to back wins over Portland 131-106 and 126-103
150-119 win over St. Marys
141-148 OT loss to #14 LSU
Back to back wins over San Fran 157-115 and 137-123
139-110 win over St. Marys
131-116 win over Pepperdine
123-131 loss to Pepperdine
131-119 win over San Diego
117-81 win over Santa Clara
124-81 win over Gonzaga

The oddest thing about that 149-115 round of 32 win over Michigan and 101-131 Elite 8 loss to UNLV was the 62-60 win sandwiched between those two games vs Alabama in the S16.

The next lowest they scored was 91 and they were held to under 100 just two other times, a 99-88 win vs Gonzaga, 99-96 win vs St. Joes. Bama managed to keep them 29 points below their next lowest total, wow!

Crazy tempo. I would have loved to see some of the speedier UConn teams go against these guys.

They averaged over 122 ppg that year as a team, which I believe is still a record to this day. They actually scored a record 186 points in a game the next year too!

 

[Inyatkin]

I remember watching this game. Carolina finally remembered they had a 7'3" center down the stretch.

 

[wheelerdog]

Villanova over Georgetown

 

[UncleSpliff]

Yeah they lost by 30 to UNLV and they put up 130 on LM to return the favor! That was a crazy tournament in 1990.

I think the 1990 tournament was hands down the best tournament ever. The best in terms of buzzer beaters, subplots, upsets, quality of teams and talent level.

Between the Loyola Marymount subplot I referenced earlier to UConn breaking out, Duke setting the foundation for a dynastic run and potentially the best college basketball team of all time it was a crazy tournament. 2 of the great buzzer beaters of all time were in that tournament as well with UConn obviously and Georgia tech (both in the sweet 16).

Then you had Murray St a 16 seed take #1 Michigan St into OT and Ball St a 12 lose by 2 to UNLV in the sweet 16.

An article on ncaa.com a few years back ranked 1990 the best tournament ever for what it’s worth….


1990 NCAA tournament remains one for the ages

 

[UncleSpliff]

Check out some of the scores from their season:

145-102 win over Nevada
152-137 win over...US International? Ok.
117-113 over #21 Oregon St
121-136 loss to #7 Oklahoma
122-87 win over Niagra
113-115 loss to Xavier
121-116 win over #17 La Salle
119-112 win over San Diego
144-100 win over Gonzaga
Back to back wins over Portland 131-106 and 126-103
150-119 win over St. Marys
141-148 OT loss to #14 LSU
Back to back wins over San Fran 157-115 and 137-123
139-110 win over St. Marys
131-116 win over Pepperdine
123-131 loss to Pepperdine
131-119 win over San Diego
117-81 win over Santa Clara
124-81 win over Gonzaga

The oddest thing about that 149-115 round of 32 win over Michigan and 101-131 Elite 8 loss to UNLV was the 62-60 win sandwiched between those two games vs Alabama in the S16.

The next lowest they scored was 91 and they were held to under 100 just two other times, a 99-88 win vs Gonzaga, 99-96 win vs St. Joes. Bama managed to keep them 29 points below their next lowest total, wow!

Crazy tempo. I would have loved to see some of the speedier UConn teams go against these guys.

Alabama was the team in the sweet 16 that played ball control against LMU. They held the ball for the full shot clock and didn’t get into a running game with Loyola. That LMU no defense style was a crazy experiment that will probably never been seen again.