OMAHA, NE – So, how’s your bracket looking now?
For just the fifth time in NCAA Tournament history, a 15th-seeded team defeated a 2nd-seeded team, as Norfolk State prevailed over Missouri by an 86-84 final in West regional. The Tigers, ranked #3 in the nation, had a chance to win the game at the buzzer, but Phil Pressey’s off-balance three-pointer was off the mark, setting off a wild celebration for the small school from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, which had never defeated a ranked team at the Division I level in its previous ten attempts.
Kyle O’Quinn scored a game-high 26 points for the Spartans, with Chris McEachin and Pendarvis Williams each adding 20 points apiece.
Michael Dixon scored 22 points to lead Missouri, with Marcus Denmon and Pressey adding 20 points apiece. But star guard Kim English submitted a woeful performance, scoring just two points on 1-for-7 shooting from the field.
It’s the first time since 2001 that a 15-seed knocked off a 2-seed, as Norfolk State will now meet Florida on Sunday in third-round action.
Kevin Kugler and Tom Brennan called the action on the Westwood One Radio Network.
