Greenville, South Carolina - Terrence Hill Jr. sank a go-ahead three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining in overtime, capping VCU's comeback from a 19-point deficit for an 82-78 victory over North Carolina in a first-round matchup of the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.
The game took place on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena[1], where the No. 11-seeded Rams forced overtime by tying the score at 75-75 on Hill's layup with 11 seconds left in regulation. North Carolina's Seth Trimble had missed a potential game-winning three-pointer after a steal with 2.9 seconds remaining.
North Carolina held a 19-point lead with 15 minutes left in regulation but struggled down the stretch, missing free throws and going 0-for-7 from the field in overtime. VCU shot 62% from the field in the second half (47-36 scoring edge), including 7-of-10 from three-point range.
Hill led all scorers with 34 points on 13-of-23 field goals and 7-of-10 from beyond the arc. Nyk Lewis added a key layup with 2:08 left in overtime for a 77-75 VCU lead. Trimble tied the score momentarily with one of two free throws after a foul, but his and-one layup attempt rimmed out. Henri Veesaar later missed the front end of a one-and-one with VCU leading 80-78.
VCU, representing the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams of the Atlantic 10 Conference, advanced to face a second-round opponent. North Carolina, the University of North Carolina Tar Heels from the Atlantic Coast Conference, was eliminated.
Sources
- Wikipedia. "Bon Secours Wellness Arena". Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellness_Arena
