Chances are, anyone who wasn’t a University of Alabama-Birmingham fan or alum was dismayed to see the 14th-seeded Blazers pull the upset over No. 3 seed Iowa State on Thursday. In just the second game of the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64, quite a few brackets were already busted.
UAB supporters don’t care, though, as their team pulled off a 60-59 win that was the early talk of the tourney.
Robert Brown’s go-ahead 3-pointer with 51 seconds left was the point at which everyone realized UAB might actually win this thing.
Even after the lead changed three times in the last minute, the Cyclones had a last-gasp chance. But a potential game-tying 3-pointer missed, and the ball was tipped back in with 0.4 seconds remaining. The Blazers just had to successfully inbound the ball to win.
We can’t know whether UAB’s victory is the start of a Cinderella run or a flash in the pan, but at the very least, the Blazers join the likes of Mercer, Vermont and Valparaiso in pulling off shocking upsets. That’s not bad company.
Thumbnail photo via Jamie Rhoades/USA TODAY Sports Images
