ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
February 28.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 71.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Brigham Young73 | #3 Gonzaga70 | On the road · McCarthey Athletic Center · Spokane, WA |
| 2013 | Virginia73 | #3 Duke68 | At home · John Paul Jones Arena · Charlottesville, VA |
| 2002 | Virginia87 | #3 Duke84 | At home · University Hall · Charlottesville, VA |
| 1968 | South Carolina87 | #3 North Carolina86 | On the road · Carmichael Auditorium · Chapel Hill, NC |
| 1985 | Detroit Mercy71 | #4 Memphis66 | At home · Calihan Hall · Detroit, MI |
| 2016 | Seton Hall90 | #5 Xavier81 | At home · Prudential Center · Newark, NJ |
| 2011 | Kansas State75 | #5 Texas70 | On the road · Frank Erwin Center · Austin, TX |
| 1981 | Wyoming53 | #7 Utah50 | At home |
| 1964 | Virginia Military Institute82 | #7 Davidson81 | Neutral site |
| 1959 | Eastern Kentucky71 | #7 NC State69 | On the road · Reynolds Coliseum · Raleigh, NC |
| 1953 | Bradley59 | #7 Oklahoma State53 | At home |
| 2021 | Butler73 | #8 Villanova61 | At home · Hinkle Fieldhouse · Indianapolis, IN |
| 2016 | Ohio State68 | #8 Iowa64 | At home · Schottenstein Center · Columbus, OH |
| 1976 | Oregon State73 | #8 Washington64 | At home · Gill Coliseum · Corvallis, OR |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 52.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #1 Duke77 | #3 North Carolina75 | At home · Cameron Indoor Stadium · Durham, NC |
| 1976 | #2 Marquette81 | #6 Notre Dame75 | On the road · Athletic & Convocation Center · Purcell Pavilion, Notre Dame, IN, IN |
| 1998 | #2 Arizona90 | #8 Stanford58 | At home · McKale Center at ALKEME Arena · Tucson, AZ |
| 1995 | #9 Wake Forest79 | #2 North Carolina70 | On the road · Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center · Chapel Hill, NC |
| 1990 | #7 Georgetown84 | #4 Connecticut64 | At home |
| 2026 | #1 Duke77 | #11 Virginia51 | At home · Cameron Indoor Stadium · Durham, NC |
| 1953 | #2 Indiana91 | #10 Illinois79 | On the road · Huff Gym · Champaign, IL |
| 2021 | #9 Iowa73 | #4 Ohio State57 | On the road · Schottenstein Center · Columbus, OH |
| 1949 | #10 Bradley35 | #3 Oklahoma State31 | At home |
| 1955 | #2 Kentucky66 | #12 Alabama52 | On the road |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | #10 Alabama86 | #18 Florida85 | 1 pt |
| 2007 | #15 Texas98 | #7 Texas A&M96 | 2 pts |
| 2026 | #17 Alabama71 | #22 Tennessee69 | 2 pts |
| 2002 | #13 Oregon67 | #19 Southern California65 | 2 pts |
| 1998 | #1 Duke77 | #3 North Carolina75 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #2 Arizona90 | #8 Stanford58 | 32 pts |
| 2005 | #18 Pittsburgh72 | #3 Boston College50 | 22 pts |
| 1990 | #7 Georgetown84 | #4 Connecticut64 | 20 pts |
| 2021 | #9 Iowa73 | #4 Ohio State57 | 16 pts |
| 2012 | #18 Indiana70 | #5 Michigan State55 | 15 pts |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Southern Mississippi63 | UTEP60 | Trailed by 24 |
| 2026 | Wright State92 | Northern Kentucky91 | Trailed by 20 |
| 2019 | Loyola Marymount72 | Santa Clara70 | Trailed by 20 |
| 2017 | #9 Kentucky73 | Vanderbilt67 | Trailed by 19 |
| 2013 | Western Illinois53 | Kansas City50 | Trailed by 18 |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Saint Peter's137 | Manhattan112 | 249 total pts |
| 1972 | Morehead State124 | East Tennessee State99 | 223 total pts |
| 1970 | Marshall125 | Western Michigan98 | 223 total pts |
| 1966 | NC State121 | Wake Forest100 | 221 total pts |
| 2004 | Elon112 | UNC Greensboro108 | 220 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | #4 Connecticut70 | #24 Syracuse58 | 30,367 fans |
| 2015 | #1 Kentucky84 | #18 Arkansas67 | 24,416 fans |
| 2009 | #18 Louisiana State73 | Kentucky70 | 24,411 fans |
| 2007 | Kentucky82 | Georgia70 | 24,108 fans |
| 2017 | #9 Kentucky73 | Vanderbilt67 | 24,036 fans |
ON THIS DAY · February 28PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ray Lee | Eastern Michigan vs. Central Michigan | 50 pts · 1 reb · 4 ast · 10 threes |
| 2019 | Ronshad Shabazz | Appalachian State vs. Louisiana-Monroe | 47 pts · 5 reb · 1 ast · 10 threes |
| 2026 | Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn | Nevada-Las Vegas vs. Nevada | 42 pts · 4 reb · 2 ast · 8 threes |
| 2026 | Jadin Booth | Samford vs. UNC Greensboro | 40 pts · 8 reb · 1 ast · 11 threes |
| 2008 | Luke Harangody | Notre Dame vs. Louisville | 40 pts · 12 reb · 4 ast · 3 threes |