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Illinois State Stuns Wake Forest in NIT Upset Thriller
23 Mar
Summary
- Illinois State upset Wake Forest 78-75 on a late three-pointer.
- Auburn and New Mexico, top seeds, advanced to the quarterfinals.
- Four power conference teams remain in the NIT contention.
The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is moving into its quarterfinal stage, with many of the top seeds still in contention. As of Sunday, March 23, 2026, six games from the second round have concluded.
No. 1 seeds Auburn and New Mexico have secured their spots in the quarterfinals. However, another No. 1 seed, Wake Forest, was eliminated in a dramatic upset by No. 4 seed Illinois State. The Demon Deacons fell 78-75 after a go-ahead three-pointer from Johnny Kinziger with mere seconds left.
Illinois State is now set to face No. 2 seed Dayton in the upcoming quarterfinals. Dayton advanced with an 80-61 victory over UNC Wilmington, led by De'Shayne Montgomery's 20 points.
In the Auburn Region, No. 2 seed Nevada defeated Liberty 73-63, with Elijah Price scoring 15 points. Top-seeded Auburn also advanced, beating Seattle U 91-85 behind Kevin Overton's 23 points. Nevada and Auburn will now compete against each other.
Four power conference teams are participating in this year's NIT: Auburn, Cal, Wake Forest, and Oklahoma State. Notably, several prominent programs, including Seton Hall, Virginia Tech, Belmont, and San Diego State, declined NIT invitations but remain eligible to win the tournament.
