No. 6 seed North Carolina led 70-56 and appeared to be cruising to victory against No. 11 VCU on Thursday.
VCU had other ideas. The Rams, who trailed at one point by 19 points, reeled off 12 straight and stormed back in the final 7:11 of regulation to force overtime andstun the Tar Heels, 82-78, in the first round ofthe NCAA tournament.
With the win, VCU completedthe sixth-largest comeback in NCAA tournament history and the largest comebackin the first round.
Terrence Hill Jr. led the rally with a game-high 34 points while shooting 7 of 10 from 3-point distance. He scored 23 of his 34 points after halftime, including the go-ahead bucket with 15.1 seconds remaining in overtime.
UNC collapse opens door for VCU
UNC was in control for much of Thursday's game and led 56-37 early in the second half. But VCU rode aggressive defense, a deep bench and improved second-half shooting to take control down the stretch. Poor execution from the Tar Heels helped the VCU cause.
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UNC scored just 5 points in the final 7:11 of regulation and didn't score in overtime until a Seth Trimble free throw with 2:02 remaining. It didn't hit a field goal in the extra session. It added up to a dramatic collapse that will leave a bitter taste for North Carolina.
After allowing VCU to tie the game at 75 late in regulation, North Carolina had a chance to set up a game-winning shot attempt with 11 seconds remaining. But junior center Henri Veesaar lost the ball out of bounds before UNC could get up a shot.
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Trimble stole the ensuing inbounds pass for a last-second shot at a game-winner. But it missed the mark, and the game went to overtime, where VCU won a battle of attrition as neither team scored in the first 2:13 of the extra session.
Terrence Hill Jr. caps clutch effort with game-winner
VCU struck first in overtime to take a 77-75 lead. Then a step-back 3 from the top of the key by Hill put the Rams up for good, 80-78 with 15.1 seconds remaining.
Veesaar had a chance to tie the game with two free throws on the other end. But he missed the first, ending UNC's best hope of forcing a second overtime.
The win is the first in the NCAA tournament for VCU since 2016. The Rams advance to face the winner between No. 3 seed Illinois and No. 14 seed Penn on Saturday.
Another disappointing end for UNC
For North Carolina, its once-promising season ends in disappointment. UNC had high hopes for the season around All-America freshman Caleb Williams. But Williams broke his right thumb in practice late in the season and was not available for the end of the regular season or the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
UNC played well at times without Wilson in the lineup and appeared on track for victory on Thursday. But after shooting 16 of 35 (45.7%) from the field in the first half, North Carolina's offense broke down late. The Tar Heels shot a combined 13 of 35 (37.1%) in the second half and overtime. Poor free-throw shooting that's plagued the Tar Heels all season struck again as UNC shot 12 of 20 (60%) from the stripe.
And UNC's season ends in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the second consecutive season.
The loss also marks another disappointing end under fifth-year head coach and former UNC guard Hubert Davis. Davis guided North Carolina to the national championship game in his first season with a run that featured a Final Four win over rival Duke.
The Tar Heels missed the NCAA tournament altogether the following season. They advanced to the Sweet 16 a year later, but have now suffered first-round exits in the two tournaments since.