March Madness: 25 greatest buzzer-beaters in NCAA Tournament history

HOUSTON, TX - APRIL 04: Kris Jenkins #2 of the Villanova Wildcats takes a shot over Joel Berry II #2 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the NCAA College Basketball Tournament Championship game at NRG Stadium on April 04, 2016 in Houston, Texas. The Wildcats won 77-74. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

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12. Danero Thomas: No. 4 Vanderbilt vs. No. 13 Murray State – 2010 Round of 64

This was a major upset that led to a huge celebration on the court. Vanderbilt was a four seed for the second year in a row and they lost to a 13 seed for the second year in a row.

Murray State fouled the Commodores with just 12 seconds left and the lead. Vanderbilt hit both of their free throws, and that meant Murray State was just seconds away from being a complete afterthought. There are plenty of times where lower-seeded teams get close to winning in the tournament but then lose and are forgotten about in the history books. Murray State, however, lives on.

The play was a typical basketball play. Murray State passed the ball in, but that player saw an immediate double team. So, they made the pass to Danero Thomas, who took a step inside the three-point line, in between two defenders. Thomas took the shot and sank it for the win.

Murray State was close to making the win more iconic when they went up against Butler days later but ended up losing by two to the national runner up. Still, this game is one Murray State graduates still talk about today. Just think about this; Murray State hadn’t won an NCAA Tournament game between 1988-2010. Since that buzzer-beater, they’ve won two more.

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