Virginia Commonwealth University defeated the University of North Carolina 82-78 in overtime during a first-round game of the 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament on March 19, 2026, at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina.^[1]

Terrence Hill Jr. hit a three-pointer with 15 seconds left in overtime to seal the victory for the 11th-seeded Rams after they overcame a 19-point second-half deficit against the sixth-seeded Tar Heels.

North Carolina led by 19 points with 15 minutes remaining in regulation before VCU forced overtime with a layup by Hill Jr. with 11 seconds left, tying the score at 75. A steal by UNC's Seth Trimble led to an airballed three-point attempt at the regulation buzzer.

In overtime, VCU's Nyk Lewis scored a layup with 2:08 remaining for a 77-75 lead. Trimble tied the game but missed a layup after a foul and made one of two free throws with 35 seconds left, setting up VCU's go-ahead basket. UNC's Henri Veesaar missed the first of two free throws while trailing 80-78 with seconds remaining.

Hill Jr. finished with 34 points on 13-of-23 field goals, including 7-of-10 from three-point range. VCU shot 62% from the field and 7-of-10 from three in the second half, outscoring UNC 47-36 in the period to force overtime.^[2]

The victory marked VCU's first NCAA tournament win since a 98-92 overtime first-round defeat of Stephen F. Austin on March 21, 2014. VCU competes in the Atlantic 10 Conference.^[2]

North Carolina, an Atlantic Coast Conference program, advanced as the No. 6 seed in its region. VCU advances to the second round.^[3]

Sources

1. Wikimedia Foundation. "Bon Secours Wellness Arena". Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bon_Secours_Wellness_Arena
2. Wikimedia Foundation. "VCU Rams men's basketball". Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VCU_Rams_men%27s_basketball
3. Wikimedia Foundation. "North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball". Accessed October 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Carolina_Tar_Heels_men%27s_basketball