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Greatest Upset Ever: UMBC Stuns No. 1 Virginia
17 Mar
Summary
- UMBC achieved the greatest upset in NCAA March Madness history.
- They defeated the No. 1 overall seed Virginia by 20 points.
- Coach Ryan Odom later returned to coach UMBC after Virginia's title win.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) etched its name in sports history on March 16, 2018, by achieving the greatest upset in NCAA March Madness. The Retrievers, a 16th seed, decisively defeated the No. 1 overall seed Virginia Cavaliers with a 74-54 victory, a 20-point margin that stunned the college basketball world.
Jairus Lyles was instrumental in the historic win, scoring 28 points for UMBC. This victory marked the first time in NCAA Tournament history, expanded to 64 teams in 1985, that a 16 seed had defeated a No. 1 seed in 135 previous matchups. Virginia's coach Tony Bennett acknowledged the thorough defeat, stating it was "not even close."
Following this landmark achievement, UMBC coach Ryan Odom leveraged the success to secure a more prominent coaching position. He later moved to Utah State and then VCU, before ultimately returning to UMBC to replace Tony Bennett, who retired from coaching.
