VCU Rams Erase 19 point deficit to Stun UNC in Greenville

For 25 minutes on Thursday night, it looked like VCU’s stay in the Big Dance was going to be a short, forgettable one. The Rams looked shell-shocked, trailing blue-blood North Carolina by 19 points with under 15 minutes to play. The "experts" had already started writing the post-mortem on the Phil Martelli Jr. era's first tournament appearance.

Then Terrence Hill Jr. decided he wasn't ready to go home.

In a performance that will be spoken about in the same breath as Joey Rodriguez and Eric Maynor, the sophomore guard willed the No. 11 seed Rams to an 82-78 overtime victory, completing the largest first-round comeback in the history of the NCAA Tournament.

The Hill Takeover​

Hill was nothing short of legendary. Coming off the bench, he dropped a career-high 34 points, including 23 in the second half and overtime. He was a flamethrower from deep, connecting on 7-of-10 from beyond the arc.

When VCU trailed 56-37, it was Hill who sparked a 14-2 run to breathe life back into the black and gold. With 11 seconds left in regulation and the season on the line, Hill drove the lane for a clutch layup to tie the game at 75, silencing a stunned Tar Heel crowd and forcing the extra period.

Overtime Drama​

The overtime period was a defensive grind, but the Rams’ bench—which outscored UNC’s reserves a staggering 42-7—proved to be the difference.

After UNC took a one-point lead with 35 seconds left on a Seth Trimble free throw, the ball went back to the hot hand. Hill milked the clock, stepped back over a lunging Jarin Stevenson, and buried a cold-blooded three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining to put VCU up 80-78.

UNC missed two free throws on the ensuing possession, and freshman Nyk Lewis (16 points, 7 rebounds) iced the game at the line to send the Ram Nation faithful into a frenzy.

The Difference​

While Hill will grab the headlines, the Rams' interior grit kept them in it. Lazar Djokovic was a warrior in the paint, finishing with 15 points and two massive blocks against a much taller UNC frontcourt led by Henri Veesaar (26 points).

VCU's defense, which struggled in a 39-point first-half lapse, locked down when it mattered most. The Tar Heels didn't record a single field goal in the final 2:44 of regulation or the final three minutes of overtime.

Notable Stats​

• 34 points: Terrence Hill Jr.'s 34 points is a new VCU record for points in an NCAA Tournament game.
• 19 points: The largest first-round comeback in NCAA history.
• Bench Points: VCU 42, UNC 7.
• 3-Point Shooting: VCU hit 42.3% (11-of-26) compared to UNC’s dismal 27.6%.

The Rams (28-7) now advance to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2016. They’ll have a date with No. 3 seed Illinois on Saturday at 7:50 PM ET.