Tyler Dorsey played the role of March Madness hero, hitting the game-winning shot as Oregon narrowly beat Rhode Island.
March Madness is usually defined by epic buzzer beaters and exciting moments. However, those moments have been rarer than usual during the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
It was going to take a minor miracle for the Oregon Ducks to come back against the Rhode Island Rams. And luckily, the miracle in question came in the form of Tyler Dorsey. The sophomore guard wrote his name in March Madness lore with an epic game-winner to ensure the win.
This one came from downtown. Dorsey makes it from just beyond the March Madness logo. His three-pointer gave the Ducks the 75-72 win they didn’t relinquish. Dorsey might not have been well known before Sunday, but now he’ll be famous thanks to that epic game-winner.
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Oregon didn’t play their best game, but they hung in there long enough to get going. Once they did, Rhode Island couldn’t match them. A hat tip to the Rams for putting up one heck of an effort, nearly ending in the school’s third trip to the Sweet 16 and their first since 1998.
Meanwhile, Oregon will be going to their second straight Sweet 16 as they try to improve upon last season. In 2016, the Ducks got to the Elite Eight before losing to the Oklahoma Sooners. This is their third trip to the third round in five years after making it in 2013.
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Dorsey put up 13.6 points per game during his sophomore season. So far in his first two seasons, he has nailed 137 three point shots. None of them have been bigger than this one. Dorsey and the Ducks will try to return to the Elite Eight as they face the Michigan Wolverines.