
Down 19 points to six-seed North Carolina with 15 minutes to play, the Virginia Commonwealth Rams didn't panic. And in the biggest moments, backup guard Terrence Hill Jr. didn't miss.
Hill tied the game with 12 seconds to go with a layup that sent the game to overtime. Trailing by a point in the extra period, Hill drilled a 26-foot three-pointer with 15 seconds left to give 11-seed VCU the go-ahead basket in an 82-78 win.
VCU's 19-point comeback was the largest in the history of the NCAA Tournament's first round. The Rams slowed down the Tar Heels' offense late and Hill carried the VCU offense, finishing 7-for-10 on threes and 13-for-23 overall.
Hill shattered his previous career-high of 24 points, but looked unrattled when his team turned to him down the stretch. Even when Hill sank his final shot and put VCU on the brink of a huge upset, he didn't even smile after draining what might end up as the biggest shot of his life.
VCU LEADS ‼️#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/GsJ0arWPNz
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2026
And when the Tar Heels did chase Hill on the perimeter, he raced to the basket and used a monster screen to get to the rim for a late tie.
WE ARE ALL TIED UP ‼️
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 20, 2026
GET TO TNT ASAP #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/mauC6VNhKn
The upset loss is a disappointing end to a promising Tar Heels season, in which they went 24-9 and were ranked as high as No. 11 in the country. But they lost super-freshman Caleb Wilson, a likely high lottery pick, to a broken hand and a subsequent broken thumb, which cost them their leader in scoring, rebounding, blocks and steals.
It's the second straight first-round tournament loss for the Tar Heels and coach Hubert Davis. They did win a First Four game as a No. 11 seed, but couldn't stage the upset against a No. 6 seed.
Hill and VCU pulled it off. Now they're headed to the second round and a chance to shock the world again.
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