UMBC students in 'disbelief' after historic upset over Virginia
A victory over top-seeded Virginia on Friday night was so unexpected that UMBC students didn't even consider the idea of what to do had the Retrievers actually won.
For the first time in tournament history, the No. 1 seed fell to a 16 seed. It was an unimaginable upset that left senior Naomi Mburu trying to process the victory.
"We were realizing 'wait a second, this isn't supposed to be happening - what is going on?' And the whole audience was on the edge of their seats like, 'Oh my gosh, this is crazy, this isn't happening' - just in total disbelief. But we're so so happy for the team," Mburu - one of the few students who remained on campus during the break - said, according to USA Today's Nina Mandell.
Facing a behemoth in Virginia, and with it being spring break, most UMBC students didn't even consider staying on campus to watch the lopsided affair.
Senior Alex Sanchez watched the upset unfold from his off-campus home, but he too didn't have much faith in his team going into the game.
"We thought we were going to get crushed," Sanchez said, according to Mandell.
Well, the Retrievers didn't get destroyed as Sanchez and most others had surmised. In fact, the game wasn't even close.
Virginia had the top-ranked defense in the nation, allowing 54 points per game this season. But on Friday, the Cavaliers allowed 53 points to UMBC - in the second half alone - and lost by 20.
Ex-UMBC basketball player Breck Robinson even picked Virginia in his NCAA bracket, calling the pick "mind over heart" when it came to his former school. But logic sometimes doesn't win, and the Cavaliers' loss means another year without a perfect bracket in the nation.
UMBC has long been focused on academics, but there's been more of a shift to athletics over the past few years. The school invested $85 million in a new facility in February after the most successful two-year stretch in school history.
And it's looking like a wise investment as UMBC will play Kansas State in the round of 32 on Sunday for a chance to move onto the Sweet Sixteen.