Wisconsin, Texas A & M Advance to Sweet 16 with Thrilling Finishes

Round 1 of the 2016 NCAA Basketball Tournament will be remembered for stunning upsets by mid major conference teams over the power conferences, like Middle Tennessee State toppling Michigan State, Yale over Baylor, and Stephen F. Austin over West Virginia. Things got back to normal in Round 2, with Gonzaga out of the West Coast Conference being the only mid major to advance to the Sweet 16. The Bulldogs have made it to the Sweet 16 seven times since 1999 and have two Elite Eight appearances, including last season, so maybe they should be an honorary power conference member.

That’s not to say there weren’t upsets or edge of your seat thrills in the round. Notre Dame scored with 1.5 seconds left to edge Stephen F. Austin 76-75 to advance, while #4 seed Indiana beat #5 Kentucky 73-67 in a matchup of two of the most storied programs in college basketball. But there were two games in the second round that really stood out.

In the West Regional, third seeded Texas A&M trailed #11 Northern Iowa by 12 points 69-57 with 44 seconds left. In that time, Northern Iowa committed four turnovers and was outscored by A&M 14-2, and the score was tied after regulation. It was the largest comeback in the final minute in the history of NCAA Division 1 basketball, breaking the previous record of 11 points. The game went into double overtime before Texas A&M pulled out a 92-88 victory. It was a shocking end to the Panthers’ season; Northern Iowa had advanced to the second round after beating Texas with a half court shot at the buzzer.

Click here for game highlights.

In the East Regional, seventh seeded Wisconsin got off to a fast start on #2 Xavier before the Musketeers caught up later in the first half. Xavier, with size, athleticism, and a deep bench led by 11 with six minutes left, but the Badgers didn’t give up, and tied the score with a Bronson Koenig three point basket with 11.7 seconds left. Xavier was called for an offensive foul, and Wisconsin got the ball with 4.3 seconds left. Wisconsin inbounded, got the ball past mid court and called time out with 2.0 seconds left. Koenig took the inbound pass and hit a three pointer from the corner as time ran out for a 66-63 Wisconsin victory. The Badgers advanced to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in six years and are still in the running for a third straight Final Four appearance.