Just two days after becoming the first 16-seeded team in NCAA Tournament history, the UMBC Terriers met defeat at the hands of The 9-seeded Kansas State Wildcats. On Friday, the Wildcats will face another Wildcat, the 5-seeded Kentucky.
The second-round matchup came down to stellar defense and capitalized off turnovers. While Kansas State had 18 turnovers to UMBC's 17, the Terriers were simply unable to turn their steals and blocks into points, leaving the door open for Kansas State to make a late run, led by sophomore Xavier Sneed, who had eight crucial points.
The mother of all Cinderellas
The college basketball world stopped in its tracks when number one overall seed Virginia fell at the hands of the 16-seed UMBC in a shocking blowout. Not only was it completely unexpected, it was the first time in tournament history a 16-seed had ever beaten a number-1. Especially surprising was the score of 74-54, a stark contrast to the usual major upset that ends in a fluky buzzer beater.
This is beyond March. https://t.co/hRqMgaIjS8
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) March 17, 2018
Fans and analysts alike immediately fell in love with the UMBC team, which boasted fun-to-watch players like K.J. Maura and Jairus Lyle, and a confusing acronym that left casual observers just learning about "University of Maryland, Baltimore County." Combined with a Twitter account that pumped out jokes and clap-backs to anyone who doubted the Terriers, UMBC quickly became the early story of the tournament.
Offensive woes
Kansas State entered Sunday's game riding high after defeating Creighton in the competitive 8 vs. 9 matchup. Led by veteran coach Bruce Weber, the Wildcats were still favorites over the Terriers, despite their pummeling of Virginia. Stellar on defense, Kansas State held UMBC to just 30 percent shooting from the floor, a percentage nearly impossible to win with.
Still, Kansas State only shot 41 percent on field goals, with star junior guard Barry Brown making just five of his 13 shots. The Terriers got plenty of st s, but were completely unable to capitalize on opportunities. Kansas State's 50 points is the lowest point total of a victor thus far, but UMBC's less-than-stellar offense could not capitalize on it without the 50 percent three-point shooting from Friday's win.
UMBC in the history books
Although their 2018 NCAA Tournament did not end with them cutting down the nets at the Final Four in San Antonio, it did place them firmly into the college basketball history books and in the memory of every sports junkie in America. Much like how FGCU's "Dunk City" run in the 2013 tournament made the small, regional school a household name, UMBC is now on millions more American radars.
Well, it was fun y'all. KState may have won (50-43), but we hope to have won your hearts.
— UMBC Athletics (@UMBCAthletics) March 19, 2018
Cinderella runs like UMBC's (and Loyola Chicago's, a team that is still alive in the tournament), serve as a welcome reprieve from the scandals and corruption that have recently overtaken the college basketball headlines.
It is unclear if whatever team wins this years Siemens Trophy will eventually have their title vacated due to improper benefits, but UMBC's impact on the college basketball world with just one win in March, should last forever.
