ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
March 21.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 35.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Indiana74 | #1 Duke73 | Neutral site |
| 2015 | NC State71 | #2 Villanova68 | Neutral site · PPG Paints Arena · Pittsburgh, PA |
| 2004 | UAB76 | #2 Kentucky75 | Neutral site · Nationwide Arena · Columbus, OH |
| 1987 | Providence88 | #4 Georgetown73 | Neutral site |
| 1959 | St. John's (NY)76 | #4 Bradley71 | Neutral site · 2OT |
| 2014 | Mercer78 | #8 Duke71 | Neutral site · Lenovo Center · Raleigh, NC |
| 2004 | Xavier89 | #8 Mississippi State74 | Neutral site · Kia Center · Orlando, FL |
| 1992 | Georgia Tech79 | #8 Southern California78 | Neutral site |
| 2002 | Kent State78 | #9 Pittsburgh73 | Neutral site · OT |
| 1992 | Memphis82 | #9 Arkansas80 | Neutral site |
| 2013 | Harvard68 | #10 New Mexico62 | Neutral site · Delta Center · Salt Lake City, UT |
| 2021 | Oregon State80 | #11 Oklahoma State70 | Neutral site · Hinkle Fieldhouse · Indianapolis, IN |
| 2026 | Texas74 | #12 Gonzaga68 | Neutral site · Moda Center · Portland, OR |
| 2024 | Oakland80 | #12 Kentucky76 | Neutral site · PPG Paints Arena · Pittsburgh, PA |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 57.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | #1 UCLA98 | #3 Duke83 | Neutral site · N7 |
| 1970 | #2 UCLA80 | #4 Jacksonville69 | Neutral site · Final Four |
| 1998 | #1 North Carolina75 | #6 Connecticut64 | Neutral site |
| 1970 | #5 New Mexico State79 | #3 St. Bonaventure73 | Neutral site |
| 2002 | #3 Oklahoma88 | #7 Arizona67 | Neutral site |
| 1999 | #2 Michigan State73 | #8 Kentucky66 | Neutral site |
| 1998 | #7 Utah76 | #4 Arizona51 | Neutral site |
| 1991 | #1 Nevada-Las Vegas83 | #10 Utah66 | Neutral site |
| 1996 | #4 Georgetown98 | #8 Texas Tech90 | Neutral site |
| 1987 | #10 Syracuse79 | #2 North Carolina75 | Neutral site |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | #9 Wake Forest60 | #24 Louisville59 | 1 pt |
| 1959 | #11 California71 | #10 West Virginia70 | 1 pt |
| 1958 | #9 Kentucky61 | #5 Temple60 | 1 pt |
| 1957 | #19 Bradley84 | #12 Memphis83 | 1 pt |
| 2010 | #10 Purdue63 | #23 Texas A&M61 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #7 Utah76 | #4 Arizona51 | 25 pts |
| 1958 | #18 Seattle73 | #3 Kansas State51 | 22 pts |
| 2002 | #3 Oklahoma88 | #7 Arizona67 | 21 pts |
| 1991 | #12 Kansas83 | #3 Indiana65 | 18 pts |
| 1991 | #1 Nevada-Las Vegas83 | #10 Utah66 | 17 pts |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Games for the title
Conference tournament and NCAA Tournament championship games played on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | #2 UCLA80 | #4 Jacksonville69 | Neutral site · Final Four |
| 1964 | #1 UCLA98 | #3 Duke83 | Neutral site · N7 |
| 1959 | #11 California71 | #10 West Virginia70 | Neutral site · Louisville, KY |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | UNC Wilmington76 | Drake75 | Trailed by 22 |
| 2008 | Villanova75 | #22 Clemson69 | Trailed by 18 |
| 2024 | Dayton63 | Nevada60 | Trailed by 17 |
| 2016 | Ohio72 | UNC Greensboro67 | Trailed by 15 |
| 2018 | Illinois-Chicago83 | Austin Peay81 | Trailed by 14 |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Eastern Kentucky108 | Southern Utah106 | 214 total pts |
| 2008 | Western Kentucky101 | #14 Drake99 | 200 total pts |
| 2011 | Creighton102 | Davidson92 | 194 total pts |
| 1978 | #17 Texas101 | NC State93 | 194 total pts |
| 1982 | Houston99 | Boston College92 | 191 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Mississippi71 | North Carolina64 | 36,899 fans |
| 1998 | #1 North Carolina75 | #6 Connecticut64 | 23,235 fans |
| 2009 | #6 Duke74 | Texas69 | 22,479 fans |
| 2009 | #2 North Carolina84 | #21 Louisiana State70 | 22,479 fans |
| 2015 | UCLA92 | UAB75 | 21,760 fans |
ON THIS DAY · March 21PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | George Mikan | DePaul vs. Rhode Island | 53 pts |
| 2024 | Jermaine Couisnard | Oregon vs. South Carolina | 40 pts · 4 reb · 6 ast · 5 threes |
| 2008 | Stephen Curry | Davidson vs. Gonzaga | 40 pts · 3 reb · 2 ast · 8 threes |
| 1959 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati vs. Louisville | 39 pts · 17 reb · 10 ast |
| 2008 | Jack McClinton | Miami (FL) vs. Saint Mary's | 38 pts · 4 reb · 3 ast · 3 threes |