McNese's upset over No. 5 Clemson has been faster…until not.
The 12th seeded Cowboys dominated Clemson for most of Thursday's game, leading by 24 in the second half, but only shined in a 69-67 victory.
Clemson was unable to find the bottom of the rim in the first half, scoring 15 points from 3 points and 15 points to 15 points. For McNeese, they put out 31 in the first 20 minutes and led 40-16 for about five minutes in the second half.
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The McNeese State Cowboys will move Bryant Cerebangu along with Guard Quadir Copeland after beating the Clemson Tigers on Thursday. (Eric Canha-Immagn image)
At 8:07 in the game, a three-pointer from Brandon Murray gave the McNeeses a 51-29 lead, but gave the Tigers all the credits because they didn't call it.
After that, McNeece got colder and Clemson got hotter. Clemson finished the game with a 38-18 run. McNeese led with 12 with less than one minute left, but Clemson knocked down four straight three-pointers to make it a 3-point game in 12 seconds.
With 10 seconds left, Javohn Garcis went to the line and created one of two free throws, making it a four-point game. The 3-pointer streak ended, the clock expired after the layup, and finally the blowout turned into an exciting thriller.
McNeese State Forward Christian Shumate (24) celebrates with Guard Quadre Copeland after beating the Clemson Tigers. (Eric Canha-Immagn image)
Tensions rise during the crazy game of March as fans throw a bottle of water on the court
It was the first big upset of the tournament. No. 9 Creighton defeated No. 8 Louisville earlier in the day, but they are much easier to predict than 12 seconds in more than 5 seconds.
McNeis won the tournament for the first time, facing the next No. 4 Purdue.
McNese reported on Wednesday that their head coach, Clemson alumni, was Wade, and at the end of the season he agreed to become North Carolina's next head coach.
Wade admitted he spoke to NC officials on Wednesday, saying he was transparent with his players about the potential moves.
McNeese State head coach will answer questions at a press conference on March 19, 2025.
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But for the time being, Wade will be with McNeece a little more.
