By: Kylan Watson

The University of Virginia Men’s basketball team was the strongest number one seed, in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.  However, apparently no one told the  Chesapeake Bay Retrievers of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County that they should fear UVA. The Retrievers pulled off a historic feat by becoming the first 16 seed, to dethrone a number one seed in the history of the tournament, by a score of 74-54.

UVA had one of the strongest defenses in the tournament, and the Retrievers took advantage of defensive lapses.  The Retrievers were able to pass the ball all around the court and take advantage of wide open three-point shots and attack the paint.

UVA was shell shocked by the offensive onslaught of UMBC. By the end of regulation the Retrievers had scored  53 more points. That is more points than UNC scored in both games against UVA.

Retrievers guard Jairus Lyles was the difference maker in this game, he scored 28 points, and scored 25 of his 28 points in the second half.  He was the closer of this game and kept making big shots when his team needed it.

The Cavaliers did not have an answer or an adequate response, to what the Retrievers were doing on both sides of the ball. The Cavaliers could not attack the paint or make the three-point shot consistently. UVA’s offense was missing a consistent scorer who could create his own shot.

What may have doomed Virginia was the loss of star guard De’Andre Hunter to a wrist injury. Hunter was a player who could create his own shot and may have been a difference maker in this game.

UMBC became the first 16 seed to beat a number one seed because they played without fear and made some unbelievable shots. Will this victory be the beginning of a big tournament run? We will just have to wait and see, but one thing is for sure UMBC busted a lot of brackets by beating UVA.