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When Terrence Hill Jr. stepped back and drained a three-pointer with 15 seconds left in overtime, his No. 11 VCU teammates and coaches all looked up, hoping their comeback was worth it in the end.
The ball dropped through the hoop and the Rams officially erased a 19-point deficit to the North Carolina Tar Heels, stunning the No. 6 seed with an 82-78 overtime victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
UNC couldn’t comprehend what was happening on the court in Greenville, South Carolina as they held their destiny in their hands in the second half as they took a 19-point lead with 15 minutes left in the game.
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Terrence Hill Jr. of the VCU Rams reacts to a basket in the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
But with 11 seconds left and free throws missed left and right for the Tar Heels, Hill made a layup that tied the game at 75 apiece.
If only Seth Trimble’s steal with 2.9 left on the clock resulted in a game-winning three-pointer that never touched the rim despite a solid look at the net, the Tar Heels would have let out a big sigh of relief.
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Instead, they went 0-for-7 in overtime, though the game remained close as VCU didn’t hit their shots either. It wasn’t until 2:08 left in overtime when Nyk Lewis finally got a tough layup to take a 77-75 lead.
Trimble would tie it back up after being fouled, and he nearly had a three-point play when his layup just rimmed out after being fouled with 35 seconds left on the clock. However, he was only able to hit one of his two attempts at the charity stripe, leaving the door open for VCU to take the lead with a bucket.
Jonathan Powell of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts during a first half play against the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Hill, who tallied 34 points on 13-of-23 shooting, including 7-of-10 from three, didn’t miss his mark when the Rams needed it most.
Still, the job wasn’t done when Henri Veesaar was fouled in the lane at the other end and sent to the line for two free throws. With an 80-78 deficit, he had the perfect chance to equalize, but he missed the first attempt. That was the end for the Tar Heels as they hung their heads as the clock hit zero.
It was VCU’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2016, and they had to shoot 62% from the field in the second half, including 7-of-10 from three, for a 47-36 score across those 20 minutes to force overtime.
Henri Veesaar of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a game against the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
While High Point’s thrilling win over Wisconsin was the upset of the day to that point in the first round, the VCUs took home the award after a day of March Madness action.
