Wagner College heads to the Round of 64 after its first game. NCAA tournament Winning in school history.
In a First Four matchup between 16th seeds, Howard missed three free throws late in the game and Wagner won 71-68.
Howard trailed by 17 points early in the second half, but went on a 14-2 run late in the half, getting within 69-68 on Bryce Harris’ layup with 18 seconds left. After Julian Brown made two free throws in place of Wagner, Howard attempted three 3-pointers in the final six seconds, all of which were missed.
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Tyje Kelton of the Wagner Seahawks celebrates with teammates after defeating the Howard Bison 71-68 in the first four games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on March 19, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio. . (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Wagner will play against top-seeded UNC on Thursday.
The Seahawks won the Northeast Conference and Howard won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, earning them a spot in the tournament.
Wagner was led by Melvin Council Jr., who scored 21 points. Only seven players were available for conference play due to injuries, and only seven played Tuesday night.
No. 13 Julian Brown of the Wagner Seahawks reacts after defeating the Howard Bison in the first four games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on March 19, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Seth Towns of Howard University has completed his eighth year of college eligibility. The 26-year-old played two years at Harvard and was named Ivy League Player of the Year during his sophomore year. He then missed two seasons due to injury. He was given an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, but then suffered an injury in his third season. Add it all up and that’s why he was able to play in both his 2016-2017 and his 2024-24.
Wagner shot 52.7 percent overall and 47.1 percent (8 of 17) from 3-point range, holding Howard to 38.6 percent from the field.
Melvin Council Jr. #11 of the Wagner Seahawks reacts during the second half against the Howard Bison during the first four games of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the University of Dayton Arena on March 19, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio. . (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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UNC won the regular season ACC title, but suffered a blowout loss to North Carolina State in last week’s conference championship game. The Wolfpack entered the tournament as a No. 10 seed, but in 1983 “survive and advance” fashion, they won five games in the same number of days.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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