McNeese State narrowly escapes Clemson after nearly blowing 24-point lead for March Madness' first big upset

2 weeks ago 12

McNeese's upset implicit No. 5 Clemson was implicit aboriginal … until it wasn't.

The 12th-seeded Cowboys dominated Clemson for a ample bulk of the crippled connected Thursday, starring by arsenic galore arsenic 24 successful the 2nd half, but they lone managed to squeak by with a 69-67 victory.

Clemson could not find the bottommost of the rim successful the archetypal half, being held to 13 points and 1-for-15 from three. As for McNeese, they enactment up 31 successful the archetypal 20 minutes, and astir 5 minutes into the 2nd half, they led 40-16.

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McNeese State Cowboys guardant Bryant Selebangue (9) celebrates with defender Quadir Copeland aft defeating the Clemson Tigers connected Thursday. (Eric Canha-Imagn Images)

With 8:07 successful the game, a three-pointer from Brandon Murray gave McNeese a 51-29 lead, but springiness each the recognition to the Tigers for not calling it quits.

From past on, McNeese went acold and Clemson got hot. Clemson went connected a 38-18 tally to adjacent the game. McNeese adjacent led by 12 with little than a infinitesimal left, but Clemson knocked down 4 consecutive 3-pointers to marque it a three-point crippled with 12 seconds to go.

With 10 seconds left, Javohn Garcis went to the enactment and made 1 of his 2 escaped throws, making it a four-point game. The three-pointer streak ended, and the timepiece expired aft a layup, turning what was a blowout into an breathtaking thriller astatine the end.

McNeese State guardant Christian Shumate (24) celebrates with defender Quadir Copeland aft defeating the Clemson Tigers. (Eric Canha-Imagn Images)

TENSIONS RUN HIGH DURING MARCH MADNESS GAME AS FAN THROWS WATER BOTTLE ON COURT

It was the archetypal large upset of the tournament. No. 9 Creighton defeated No. 8 Louisville earlier successful the day, but those are overmuch easier to foretell than 12s implicit 5s.

McNeese earned its first-ever triumph successful the tourney and adjacent faces No. 4 Purdue, which took down No. 13 High Point earlier successful the day, contempt the second making things absorbing successful the aboriginal going.

McNeese made headlines connected Wednesday erstwhile reports circulated that their caput coach, Clemson alum Will Wade, agreed to a woody to go the adjacent caput manager astatine N.C. State astatine season's end.

Wade admitted helium had spoken with N.C. State officials earlier Wednesday, noting helium had been transparent with his players astir the imaginable move.