By Sarah Brams
1. March 16, 2012---round of 64
No. 15 Norfolk State Spartans vs. No. 2 Missouri Tigers
Missouri locked in a 21.5 spread and were shocked by the Norfolk State Spartans, led by Kyle O'Quinn, who scored a game-high 26 points and led with 14 rebounds. Up by two with 3.8 seconds left in regulation, O'Quinn actually missed two free throws. This opened the door for the Tigers, but they couldn't pull through as Phil Pressey, missed a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer. Norfolk State had officially shocked college basketball.
Final Score: Norfolk State: 86, Missouri: 84
2. March 14, 1997---round of 64
No. 15 Coppin State Eagles vs. No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks
The Eagles became the third-ever 15-seed to win a tournament game (at the time), as they stunned the Gamecocks 78-65. The SEC-regular champion opened up a seven-point lead in the second half after a tied-up game at halftime, but Coppin State outscored USC 38-18 in the final 13 minutes to win by 13 points. That margin of victory remains the largest by a 15-seed in an NCAA tournament game. This also marked the first tournament win for the MEAC conference as a whole.
Final Score: Coppin State 78, South Carolina 65
3. March 15, 2001---round of 64
No. 15 Hampton Pirates vs. No. 2 Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State was expected to roll over Hampton in the first round. The Pirates were making their first appearance in the "Dance" in just their sixth season as a Division I program. Hampton's Tarvis Williams put his team up one point with 6.9 seconds left, and the Cyclones' Jamaal Tinsley missed a layup at the buzzer. The Pirates pulled a huge upset over the Cyclones despite shooting 38.9 percent from the field and 15 percent from the 3-point line.
Final Score: Hampton 58, Iowa State 57
4. March 18, 2016---round of 64
No. 15 Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders vs. No. 2 Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans were hot coming off a Big Ten Tournament win, but Denzel Valentine and his team could not come out on top as Middle Tennessee led throughout the game and knocked off the heavily-favored Spartans. They lost despite shooting 55.6 percept from the field, its sixth-best field goal percentage in an NCAA tournament game under Tom Izzo. The Spartans were a -9000 favorite.
Final Score: Middle Tennessee 90, Michigan State 81
5. March 19, 2015---round of 64
No. 14 UAB Blazers vs. No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones
Just 14 seasons after being stunned by Hampton, Iowa State once again fell as a double-digit favorite in the round of 64. The Cyclones had an early 10-point lead, but in the second half neither team could get a lead of more than four points. The Blazers closed the game on a 9-4 run in the final 1 minute, 40 seconds to win by one. UAB beat top-seed Kentucky as a 10-point underdog in 2004; this game was the second time in 12 seasons that they won a tournament game as a double-digit underdog.
Final Score: UAB 60, Iowa State 59
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