How many 16 seeds have beaten 1 seeds in March Madness?
· Yahoo Sports
Anything is possible in March Madness. Well, sort of.
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Since the NCAA Tournament field expanded in 1985, No. 16 seeds have beaten No. 1 seeds only twice in 160 games. That's a 1.25 win percentage, lower than your favorite MLB reliever's ERA.
Still, two is better than none, so this year's No. 16 seeds have reason to hope. So, with the first round of March Madness beginning today, here's a look at the teams that pulled off the historic feat:
2018 -- UMBC 74, Virginia 54
Jairus Lyles played out of his mind in this one, draining nine of his 11 shots -- including 3 of 4 from deep -- in a 28-point explosion for UMBC. Virginia, meanwhile, was completely dysfunctional offensively, collecting only eight free throw attempts while converting only four of its 22 3-pointers.
2023 -- FDU 63, Purdue 58
Speaking of poor 3-point shooting, Purdue shot 19% from 3-point range against FDU to mark a second loss for No. 1 seeds. Cameron Tweedy brought a spark off the bench for FDU, recording 10 points and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Zach Edey held his own amid the heartbreak, as the 7-foot-3 center led Purdue with 21 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks.
Over the next couple days we'll see whether any new No. 16 seeds can join the club.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: How many 16 seeds have beaten 1 seeds in March Madness?