From Michigan's dominance to shootout drama: The top 10 moments of March Madness 2026

[h2]10. Siena’s almost perfect game [/h2][p]History has already seen two No. 1 seeds fall in the first round, and the Siena Saints almost became a third 16-seeded team to take out the giant. The Saints took the hardwood by storm from the tip-off and led by 11 points at halftime. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/duke-blue-devils/URtEEZYf/"]Duke[/a] finally tied the game with less than five minutes remaining and ultimately handed the fearlessly playing Siena a heartbreaking loss as they edged them [b]71-65.[/b] The impossible felt within reach - and it’s safe to say Duke fans, and probably the team itself, were holding their breath.[/p][embed guid="153a224e-c19d-423c-8b46-95484e5d5c88" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIHDY0TtLQA" social-type="youtube" /][h2]9. VCU stunned North Carolina [/h2][p]When No. 6 UNC met No. 11 VCU in the opening round, there were no early signs of an upset. The Tar Heels looked firmly in control, but a late rally helped the Rams to erase a 19-point deficit and force overtime. Terrence Hill Jr. turned into a hero in the extra period after he drained a stepback triple with 15 seconds left to put VCU up by two. North Carolina couldn’t answer – game over, [b]82-78 Rams.[/b] [/p][embed guid="bd693d4c-b4ac-4709-ad65-71c9a35b1b41" url="https://x.com/TSN_Sports/status/2034801912437252485" social-type="twitter" /][h2]8. Tramon’s game winner over NC State [/h2][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/texas-longhorns/fNFwVNnH/"]Longhorns[/a] and the Wolfpack battled in the First Four with a trip to the coveted 64-team field on the line, and it delivered all the drama March Madness is known for. This neck-to-neck battle came down to the last shot, when the ball game was tied at 66. Texas’ senior Tramon Mark took the fate of the Longhorns into his own hands. [b]With one second left, he drilled a mid-range jumper to advance Texas. [/b][/p][embed guid="615414d9-a4d6-480c-8f91-64e06a807ddf" url="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CFKSDaXnjYA" social-type="youtube" /][h2]7. St. John’s beat the buzzer to advance [/h2][p]The showdown between [b]No. 4 Kansas[/b] and No. [b]5 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/st-john-s-red-storm/Qak2iShE/"]St. John’s[/a][/b] was as close as it could be. The Red Storm held the lead for most of the contest, but the Jayhawks surged to a strong late push, tying the game at 65 in the last minute and setting up a dramatic finish. The final possession belonged to St. John’s - specifically to Dylan Darling – who scored a buzzer-beating layup to push the Johnnies to the Sweet 16. [/p][embed guid="c792198f-3d73-4e68-a2e8-13e2857247ca" url="https://x.com/CBSSportsCBB/status/2035863822427209808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2035863822427209808%7Ctwgr%5E4aa0295c48b19634ef37f2d29e4ed426b6ee1778%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fmens-college-basketball%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle%2Fst-johns-guard-dylan-darling-hits-buzzer-beater-against-kansas-to-get-the-red-storm-into-the-sweet-16-234011727.html" social-type="twitter" /][h2]6. Santa Clara vs. Kentucky shootout [/h2][p]Entering the matchup, No. 10 Santa Clara embraced its underdog role - and nearly turned it into a statement win. The Broncos pushed No. 7 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kentucky-wildcats/hl2Cp3fe/"]Kentucky[/a] to the brink, keeping the game tight for nearly the full 40 minutes and refusing to back down. Despite hanging on to a slim lead for the majority of the game, they let [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/santa-clara-broncos/YRoALkfF/"]Santa Clara[/a] get close in the end, and it nearly cost them. With the game tied [b]70-70[/b], the Broncos netted a triple to go up three, but this is March Madness – and with 2.4 seconds left of the clock, Kentucky’s Otega Oweh caught the inbound pass, dribbled just past half-court, and banked in a miraculous shot to force overtime. In the extra five minutes, Kentucky outlasted Santa Clara [b]89-84[/b]. [/p][embed guid="ec23b8db-bb71-452a-9ad5-32acb432621a" url="https://x.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/2035058176375017653?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2035058176375017653%7Ctwgr%5Ea01814da5b527c5666a2cc79170fa14b7a492b54%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fmens-college-basketball%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle%2Fkentuckys-otega-oweh-banks-in-buzzer-beater-to-force-ot-as-wildcats-take-down-santa-clara-in-ncaa-tournament-183258694.html" social-type="twitter" /][h2]5. Purdue’s tip in broke Texas’ heart [/h2][p]The Longhorns didn’t just survive the First Four; they used the first win as a spark to a remarkable run, as they upset No. 6 BYU and then No. 3 Gonzaga to dance to the Sweet 16. There, Texas faced No. 2 Purdue and almost pulled off another historic victory. Both teams even at 77, the Boilermakers had the ball with [b]11.9[/b] seconds left. Point guard Braden Smith drove to the hoop but missed the layup – and just when everybody thought the game was going to overtime, forward Kaufman-Renn flew in last second to clean up the miss and tip the ball in. Texas’ Cinderella run ended in a heartbreaking loss. [/p][embed guid="0b217a97-b9f7-4520-afca-039debef1c10" url="https://www.facebook.com/reel/26053254844297659" social-type="facebook" /][h2]4. Iowa’s dagger three sent the champions home [/h2][p]The Florida Gators entered the tournament as reigning national champions and a No. 1 seed in the South Region, widely expected to make another deep run and chase a rare back-to-back title. But Iowa had other plans. In the Sweet 16, the No. 9 Hawkeyes delivered one of the tournament’s biggest shocks, taking down Florida [b]73–72[/b] in dramatic fashion. With 8.9 second remaining, the Gators were up 72-70 – but Alvaro Folgueiras’ corner three during Iowa’s final possessions sent the Gators home.[/p][embed guid="1062b7de-aeec-469c-821f-f08a2abe9a26" url="https://x.com/TNTSportsUS/status/2035892378217705639" social-type="twitter" /][h2]3. Johnston’s first two-pointer shocked Wisconsin [/h2][p]Chase Johnston was the definition of a three-point specialist. When No. 12 High Point faced No. 5 Wisconsin in the first round, he was [b]0-for-4[/b] from inside the arc. This wasn’t a statistic from his last game – this was from the entire season. The sharpshooter averaged 6.4 points and shot 48.6 % from three but didn’t score any two-point shots. Until March Madness.[/p][p]The Panthers were down 81-82 but earned a defensive stop on the Badgers. The ball was loose for a second, but High Point got it – and in the meantime, Johnston broke free in transition. With 11.2 seconds left, he netted his first two-pointer of the year that proved to be the game-winning shot for High Point. [/p][embed guid="256b6c69-0cb0-498c-8122-fe1f8d851ba0" url="https://x.com/MarchMadnessMBB/status/2034718818795135277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2034718818795135277%7Ctwgr%5E03c420807f98c6ba54e6e1add4df3c65237a0548%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsports.yahoo.com%2Fmens-college-basketball%2Fbreaking-news%2Farticle%2Fno-12-high-point-rallies-from-10-down-to-upset-no-5-wisconsin-in-march-madness-thriller-195427974.html" social-type="twitter" /][h2]2. Michigan’s dominant run [/h2][p]March Madness has its new king. But Michigan didn’t just win – they put on a show. The Wolverines dominated the tournament, torching teams and tearing down defenses. They scored [b]90 or more points[/b] in every big dance contest besides the title game. In the grand finale, the UConn Huskies used their top-rated defense to disrupt Michigan’s firepower, and while they could slow them down, there was no stopping the Wolverines. Michigan’s dominant offensive arsenal was rare, unique, and fun to watch. [/p][embed guid="ee367ee7-b2c2-4ed6-bf78-7fbcc4cfd3cd" url="https://x.com/espn/status/2040642695496900677" social-type="twitter" /][h2]1. Mullins’s magical three saved UConn [/h2][p]With a trip to the Final Four on the line, [b]No. 1 Duke[/b] got to a hot start against the second-seeded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/connecticut-huskies/8rqVf3Tj/"]UConn[/a]. The Blue Devils came out firing and carried that momentum into the second half, building a commanding 19-cushion lead that made a victory seem all but certain. But the Huskies refused to fold. Little by little, they chipped away at the lead. With exactly 10 seconds left, UConn hit a free throw to make it [b]70-72[/b].[/p][p]The Blue Devils inbounded the ball and completed a couple of passes before UConn’s immense defensive pressure paid off as the Huskies intercepted Duke’s pass. [b]Rushing the other way, the ball got to Braylon Mullins – 35 feet away from the basket, just next to the March Madness logo – and he let go of the most important three of his life.[/b] It found nothing but the bottom of the net and saved UConn’s season, while creating one of the most iconic, crazy, and magical comebacks in March Madness history. [/p][embed guid="2caf570b-6ebb-4812-8687-65730c4e0149" url="https://x.com/CBSSports/status/2038396414665896039" social-type="twitter" /]