UMBC Upsets Virginia: Today in Sports History

On March 16th, 2018, the No. 16 seeded UMBC Retrievers upset the No. 1 seeded Virginia Cavaliers by a final score of 74-54, marking the first 16-over-1 upset in Men's NCAA Tournament history. Virginia entered the tournament as the No. 1 overall team, being ranked #1 in the AP poll in the final five straight polls. Notably, the Cavaliers lost forward De'Andre Hunter two days before the UMBC game to a season-ending left wrist fracture. After a close first half that saw the teams finish tied 21–21, UMBC took over in the second half and defeated the Cavaliers handily. Jairus Lyles lead the Retrievers and all scorers with 28 points. UMBC also earned its first NCAA tournament win in school history, and it is the third-biggest upset in terms of point spread in NCAA tournament history (Virginia by 20.5 points). This game ranks only behind Norfolk State's win over Missouri in 2012 (Missouri by 21.5), and Fairleigh Dickinson's 16-over-1 upset on Purdue in 2023 (Purdue by 23.5).