ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
February 26.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 72.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Minnesota77 | #1 Indiana73 | At home · Williams Arena · Minneapolis, MN |
| 2011 | Virginia Tech64 | #1 Duke60 | At home · Cassell Coliseum · Blacksburg, VA |
| 1954 | Cincinnati66 | #1 Duquesne52 | At home · Cincinnati Gardens · Cincinnati, OH |
| 2022 | Colorado79 | #2 Arizona63 | At home · CU Events Center · Boulder, CO |
| 2000 | St. John's (NY)83 | #2 Duke82 | On the road · Cameron Indoor Stadium · Durham, NC |
| 1972 | Detroit Mercy70 | #2 Marquette49 | At home · Memorial Building · Detroit, MI |
| 2003 | Missouri67 | #3 Oklahoma52 | At home |
| 2022 | Michigan State68 | #4 Purdue65 | At home · Breslin Events Center · East Lansing, MI |
| 1990 | UC Santa Barbara78 | #4 Nevada-Las Vegas70 | At home · Events Center · Santa Barbara, CA |
| 1983 | Michigan State62 | #4 Indiana54 | At home |
| 2018 | Virginia Tech64 | #5 Duke63 | At home · Cassell Coliseum · Blacksburg, VA |
| 2011 | Colorado91 | #5 Texas89 | At home · CU Events Center · Boulder, CO |
| 1965 | West Virginia74 | #6 Davidson72 | Neutral site · OT |
| 1957 | Southern California84 | #6 UCLA80 | On the road · Student Activities Center (UCLA) · Los Angeles, CA |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 50.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | #3 Connecticut89 | #2 Villanova75 | At home · XL Center · Hartford, CT |
| 1974 | #1 NC State83 | #4 North Carolina72 | At home · Reynolds Coliseum · Raleigh, NC |
| 1949 | #3 Oklahoma State40 | #2 Saint Louis37 | On the road |
| 1987 | #6 Purdue75 | #3 Indiana64 | At home · Mackey Arena · West Lafayette, IN |
| 1951 | #7 Bradley51 | #2 Oklahoma State50 | On the road · Gallagher Hall · Stillwater, OK |
| 1978 | #9 Notre Dame65 | #1 Marquette59 | At home · Athletic & Convocation Center · Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame, IN, IN |
| 1977 | #2 Kentucky85 | #8 Alabama70 | At home · Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center · Lexington, KY |
| 1969 | #2 North Carolina68 | #8 South Carolina62 | On the road · Carolina Coliseum · Columbia, SC |
| 1989 | #2 Arizona77 | #9 Duke75 | Neutral site |
| 2011 | #7 Brigham Young80 | #6 San Diego State67 | On the road · Viejas Arena · San Diego, CA |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #7 Villanova71 | #9 St. John's (NY)70 | 1 pt |
| 1997 | #2 Minnesota55 | #24 Michigan54 | 1 pt |
| 1951 | #7 Bradley51 | #2 Oklahoma State50 | 1 pt |
| 2000 | #16 Indiana81 | #5 Michigan State79 | 2 pts |
| 2026 | #13 Michigan State76 | #8 Purdue74 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | #6 Kansas110 | #8 Nebraska73 | 37 pts |
| 2011 | UCLA71 | #10 Arizona49 | 22 pts |
| 1972 | Detroit Mercy70 | #2 Marquette49 | 21 pts |
| 1965 | Wyoming83 | #10 New Mexico65 | 18 pts |
| 2022 | Colorado79 | #2 Arizona63 | 16 pts |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ball State65 | Central Michigan58 | Trailed by 23 |
| 2021 | Appalachian State84 | Georgia Southern78 | Trailed by 22 |
| 2011 | Colorado91 | #5 Texas89 | Trailed by 22 |
| 2023 | Manhattan72 | Quinnipiac70 | Trailed by 21 |
| 2022 | Southeastern Louisiana83 | Nicholls State81 | Trailed by 21 |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | New Mexico129 | Arizona98 | 227 total pts |
| 1983 | UC Irvine120 | Long Beach State106 | 226 total pts |
| 1995 | New Hampshire113 | Delaware111 | 224 total pts |
| 2005 | Rider113 | Niagara106 | 219 total pts |
| 1965 | Idaho120 | Idaho State94 | 214 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | #15 Syracuse91 | Providence66 | 32,804 fans |
| 2022 | #7 Duke97 | Syracuse72 | 31,803 fans |
| 1995 | Georgetown81 | #17 Syracuse78 | 31,143 fans |
| 2007 | Syracuse72 | #12 Georgetown58 | 26,287 fans |
| 2011 | #22 Kentucky76 | #13 Florida68 | 24,346 fans |
ON THIS DAY · February 26PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ty Harper | Oral Roberts vs. Denver | 47 pts · 4 reb · 2 ast · 2 threes |
| 2022 | Darius McGhee | Liberty vs. Kennesaw State | 47 pts · 9 reb · 1 ast · 3 threes |
| 2024 | RJ Davis | North Carolina vs. Miami (FL) | 42 pts · 6 reb · 1 ast · 7 threes |
| 2005 | Tim Smith | East Tennessee State vs. Georgia Southern | 41 pts · 4 reb · 2 ast · 5 threes |
| 2005 | Jay Straight | Wyoming vs. Colorado State | 41 pts · 1 reb · 8 ast · 5 threes |