ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
December 2.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 38.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Oregon State84 | #2 Arizona61 | At home · Gill Coliseum · Corvallis, OR |
| 2024 | Wisconsin75 | #3 Marquette64 | At home · Kohl Center · Madison, WI |
| 1967 | Virginia Tech85 | #4 Duke71 | Neutral site · N1 |
| 1962 | Oklahoma66 | #4 Southern California56 | At home |
| 2007 | DePaul64 | #5 Kansas57 | At home · Allstate Arena · Rosemont, IL |
| 2010 | Wisconsin73 | #6 Duke69 | At home · Kohl Center · Madison, WI |
| 2001 | Kentucky93 | #6 North Carolina76 | On the road · Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center · Chapel Hill, NC |
| 2024 | Georgia Tech72 | #7 Duke68 | At home · McCamish Pavilion · Atlanta, GA |
| 1972 | California82 | #7 Houston81 | At home · 2OT · Harmon Gym · Berkeley, CA |
| 2007 | North Dakota State64 | #8 Marquette60 | On the road · BMO Harris Bradley Center · Milwaukee, WI |
| 1993 | Arkansas81 | #8 Memphis76 | At home · John Barnhill Arena · Fayetteville, AR |
| 2008 | Arizona78 | #9 Texas A&M67 | Neutral site · McKale Memorial Center · Tucson, AZ |
| 2024 | UNC Wilmington80 | #12 Kentucky73 | On the road · Rupp Arena · Lexington, KY |
| 1996 | Illinois75 | #12 Duke65 | On the road · Cameron Indoor Stadium · Durham, NC |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 41.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | #2 Kansas90 | #4 Arizona87 | Neutral site |
| 2021 | #2 Baylor82 | #5 Illinois69 | Neutral site · Gainbridge Fieldhouse · Indianapolis, IN |
| 2008 | #8 Texas63 | #2 UCLA61 | Neutral site · Pauley Pavilion · Los Angeles, CA |
| 2021 | #1 Gonzaga87 | #11 West Virginia82 | Neutral site · Gainbridge Fieldhouse · Indianapolis, IN |
| 2009 | #4 Duke76 | #9 Purdue60 | On the road · Mackey Arena · West Lafayette, IN |
| 1999 | #4 Duke73 | #9 Michigan State67 | Neutral site |
| 2012 | #4 Syracuse72 | #10 Florida68 | At home · JMA Wireless Dome · Syracuse, NY |
| 1979 | #1 Duke78 | #14 North Carolina68 | Neutral site · N1 |
| 1990 | #1 Syracuse73 | #16 Temple56 | At home · Carrier Dome · Syracuse, NY |
| 2001 | #1 Duke93 | #17 Temple68 | On the road · Liacouras Center · Philadelphia, PA |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #4 Duke67 | #15 Florida66 | 1 pt |
| 2023 | #6 Baylor64 | #14 Gonzaga63 | 1 pt |
| 2014 | #13 Connecticut65 | #15 Florida64 | 1 pt |
| 2012 | #6 Louisville62 | #20 Vanderbilt60 | 2 pts |
| 2021 | #17 Texas69 | #14 North Carolina67 | 2 pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Oregon State84 | #2 Arizona61 | 23 pts |
| 2001 | Kentucky93 | #6 North Carolina76 | 17 pts |
| 2009 | #4 Duke76 | #9 Purdue60 | 16 pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Charlotte71 | Appalachian State62 | Trailed by 23 |
| 2010 | Illinois76 | #18 Clemson74 | Trailed by 23 |
| 2018 | Air Force61 | Denver59 | Trailed by 22 |
| 2016 | Hampton98 | Northern Arizona94 | Trailed by 22 |
| 2024 | Saint Francis (PA)75 | American73 | Trailed by 20 |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | South Alabama156 | Prairie View A&M114 | 270 total pts |
| 1996 | Colorado132 | George Mason117 | 249 total pts |
| 1991 | #12 UCLA149 | Loyola Marymount98 | 247 total pts |
| 2016 | Louisiana State119 | North Florida108 | 227 total pts |
| 2001 | Virginia Commonwealth107 | Texas A&M106 | 213 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | #1 Syracuse73 | #16 Temple56 | 30,049 fans |
| 2012 | #4 Syracuse72 | #10 Florida68 | 24,459 fans |
| 2007 | #17 Wichita State64 | #15 Syracuse61 | 23,857 fans |
| 2018 | #7 Kentucky79 | Harvard70 | 22,922 fans |
| 2015 | #5 Louisville64 | #14 Ohio State55 | 22,784 fans |
ON THIS DAY · December 2PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Ben Simmons | Louisiana State vs. North Florida | 43 pts · 14 reb · 7 ast · 0 threes |
| 2001 | Cory Schwab | Northern Arizona vs. Cal Poly | 43 pts · 2 reb · 1 ast · 11 threes |
| 2025 | Peter Suder | Miami (OH) vs. Air Force | 42 pts · 3 reb · 2 ast · 3 threes |
| 2018 | Junior Robinson | Mount St. Mary's vs. Loyola (MD) | 39 pts · 4 reb · 4 ast · 4 threes |
| 2003 | Kevin Martin | Western Carolina vs. UNC Asheville | 39 pts · 8 reb · 2 ast · 5 threes |