|
The 2018-19 college basketball season has been a wild one for court storming. From Philadelphia to Tulsa to Tempe, students have rushed the floor in droves after their team's upset wins. These are the top student section moments of the season -- so far.
1. Unranked Penn upsets defending champs, No. 17 Villanova Result: Penn 78, No. 17 Villanova 75 Rushing the court at the famed Palestra? That's what you do when you beat the defending champs for the first time since 2002. In one of the year's most surprising upsets, the Ivy League's Quakers held strong in this Big 5 matchup, and did something no Big 5 rival had done in 25 games -- hand the Wildcats a loss. Penn coach Steve Donahue appreciated the student support. "Just the look, when you come out of the locker room and it's a sea of red," Donahue said. "I'm glad we were able to reward them."
2. Unranked Wisconsin hands No. 2 Michigan first loss Result: Wisconsin 64, No. 2 Michigan 54 It wasn't quite David vs. Goliath, but beating your rival -- and the second-ranked team in the nation -- constitutes a court-storming win. Star Ethan Happ poured in 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Badgers, who pulled away in the final moments of the game. And then, it was madness in Madison.
3. Unranked Tulsa ekes out one-point win over No. 16 Kansas State
Result: Tulsa 47, No. 16 Kansas State 46 Tulsa wasn't exactly a nobody coming into the game -- it had beaten Oklahoma State in its previous game -- but it also wasn't ranked 16th in the country. That honor belonged to Kansas State. But not after this one. The Golden Hurricane forced the Wildcats into 30.5 percent shooting and 16 turnovers. Said Tulsa's Martins Igbanu after the game: "To see the students come storming the court was very exciting. I've watched that happen for a lot of other teams on television and always wanted to be a part of something like that. They gave us great energy tonight."
4. Unranked West Virginia holds on for one-point win over No. 7 Kansas
Result: West Virginia 65, No. 7 Kansas 64 The Mountaineers came into this Big 12 matchup having lost five straight games. This was the boost they needed. WVU scored the final seven points in the game to put the Jayhawks to bed. And bedlam ensued in Morgantown. "That right there, I enjoy that," freshman Derek Culver said. "Me, being a freshman and a deer in headlights when it comes to things like that, that was fun. I'm not going to lie -- that was fun."
5. No. 18 Arizona State knocks off No. 1 Kansas
Result: No. 18 Arizona State 80, No. 1 Kansas 76 Poor Kansas. It's been on the receiving end of numerous big upsets this year. This one came as the top-ranked team in the country, and courtesy of Arizona State. And probably felt like déjà vu. Because it happened last year, too, when the Jayhawks were ranked No. 2. The Sun Devils have one of the most remarkable student sections in the country (Curtain of Distraction, anyone?). And they came to celebrate in Tempe. "The fans gave us an extra boost," ASU's Remy Martin said. "I just want to say thank you to everyone. I've never had a feeling like that."
|
