What is the biggest blowout in March Madness history?
It was nice. Well, for the team that won anyway...
Everybody loves the upsets and late thrillers in March Madness, but not every game can be a barnburner. Unfortunately, there are blowouts. A lot of them.
Some of those blowouts are much, much bigger than others.
In 2024, UConn's 52-19 lead over Stetson at halftime may have gotten people wondering just what was the biggest blowout of them all? The short answer is, the Huskies would have double that halftime margin to even sniff it.
The biggest blowout in March Madness history was 69 points
Loyola holds the record with a 69-point victory over Tennessee Tech in the opening round of the 1963 NCAA Tournament. That game finished 111-42 but it was already up there in terms of margin early. Loyola led 61-20 at the half.
Everyone in the Ramblers starting five scored at least 17 points and four of five shot 50 percent or better from the field. Ron Miller topped the scoring charts with 21 points while Jerry Harkness and Vic Rouse both posted double-doubles.
They're not the only ones who have doubled-up an opponent though.
10 biggest NCAA Tournament blowouts
Margin | Teams | Year | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
69 | Loyola vs. Tennessee Tech, 111-42 | 1963 | Round 1 |
58 | Kansas vs. Prairie View, 110-52 | 1998 | Round 1 |
56 | UConn vs. Chattanooga, 103-47 | 2009 | Round 1 |
49 | UCLA vs. Wyoming, 109-60 | 1967 | Round 2 |
49 | Syracuse vs. Brown, 101-52 | 1986 | Round 1 |
47 | Duke vs. UConn, 101-54 | 1964 | Elite Eight |
47 | Duke vs. Winthrop, 84-37 | 2002 | Round 1 |
47 | Syracuse vs. Montana, 81-34 | 2013 | Round 1 |
46 | Kentucky vs. Mount St. Mary's, 113-67 | 1995 | Round 1 |
46 | VCU vs. Akron, 88-42 | 2013 | Round 1 |
The usual suspects like Kansas, UCLA, Syracuse, Duke, Kentucky and UConn have all outclassed opponents to extreme levels in the tournament. But it might surprise you to find out that UConn has been on the wrong side of a massive blowout as well.
In the 1964 Elite Eight, Duke beat UConn by 47 points. The Blue Devils outscored the Huskies 62-27 in the first half of that game. It ended 101-54 with Jeff Mullins' 30 points leading Duke.
We'd all rather watch a close match-up, but sometimes one team is on it while the other team can't buy a bucket. It happens. The spectacle of an absurd mismatch can also carry some interest if a record is on the line. It's just going to take something pretty wild for anyone to come close to Loyola.
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