Virginia Commonwealth University rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit to defeat North Carolina 82-78 in overtime in a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.^[1]

The No. 11-seeded Rams from the Atlantic 10 Conference stunned the No. 6-seeded Tar Heels from the Atlantic Coast Conference. Terrence Hill Jr. scored 34 points for VCU on 13-of-23 field goals, including 7-of-10 from three-point range, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 15 seconds left in overtime.

North Carolina led by 19 points with 15 minutes remaining in regulation. VCU shot 62% from the field in the second half, including 7-of-10 from three-point range, outscoring the Tar Heels 47-36 in the period to force overtime.

The game tied at 75-all late in regulation on a Hill layup with 11 seconds left. Seth Trimble stole the ball for UNC with 2.9 seconds remaining but missed a three-point attempt. In overtime, Nyk Lewis gave VCU a 77-75 lead with a layup at the 2:08 mark. Trimble later hit one of two free throws after being fouled, but VCU regained control.

Henri Veesaar missed the first of two free throws for North Carolina with the score 80-78 in the final seconds, sealing the Rams' victory. UNC went 0-for-7 from the field in overtime.

The win marked VCU's first NCAA Tournament victory since a 75-67 first-round defeat of Oregon State in 2016.^[2]

Bon Secours Wellness Arena has hosted NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games in prior years.^[1]

Sources

1. Wikimedia Foundation. "Bon Secours Wellness Arena." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellspring_Arena
2. Wikimedia Foundation. "VCU Rams men's basketball." Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCU_Rams_men%27s_basketball