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20 most shocking NCAA Tournament upsets that put the ‘madness’ in March

By Mike Phillips

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: K.J. Maura #11 and Jairus Lyles #10 of the UMBC Retrievers talk during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Retrievers won 74-54. Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** K.J. Macura;Jairus Lyles
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 16: K.J. Maura #11 and Jairus Lyles #10 of the UMBC Retrievers talk during the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament against the Virginia Cavaliers at the Spectrum Center on March 16, 2018 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Retrievers won 74-54. Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** K.J. Macura;Jairus Lyles /
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10. No. 15 Coppin State over No. 2. South Carolina – 1997

  • Coppin State wins 78-65

Our next stunning 15-over-2 upset comes in 1997, and unlike our previous entry, it wasn’t particularly close. Despite being the two seed in the East Regional, South Carolina was blown out by 15-seed Coppin State, falling by 13 points in the Carrier Dome.

In terms of magnitude, this victory is far more stunning than fellow MEAC member Hampton’s win over Iowa State four years later. South Carolina, a school not traditionally known for its basketball prowess, had won the SEC’s regular-season title by storming through the conference with a 15-1 record.

The committee rewarded the Gamecocks with a matchup against a team it should have been able to handle in Coppin State, which was making just its third tournament appearance ever. The Eagles had not looked particularly good against top-flight competition, losing by 36 earlier in the season to an Illinois team that made the field as a 6-seed.

That didn’t matter in Syracuse, where the Eagles kept it close before pulling ahead at 55-54 late in the second half. Coppin State took over the game at that point, running away from a stunned South Carolina team that had no response for anything the Eagles did.

While the Gamecocks headed home with a stunning defeat, Coppin State put up a valiant effort in their next game. The Eagles lost by just a point to Texas, proving that their effort against South Carolina was not a fluke.

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