5 best moments of March Madness first round, from High Point to Otega Oweh

Austin Curtright, USA TODAY NETWORKSat, March 21, 2026 at 10:04 AM UTC

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They said name, image and likeness killed mid-majors at the NCAA Tournament. Well, March Madness delivered in vintage fashion in the first round.

No. 12 seed High Point took down No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 11 VCU stormed back to defeat North Carolina in historic fashion and Otega Oweh hit a logo 3-pointer at the buzzer to send Kentucky to overtime against No. 10 Santa Clara, saving the Wildcats' season in the process.

REQUIRED READING: High Point upset was going to take everything — including a first layup of the season

A few highly seeded teams were also tested in the first round. No. 1 overall seed Duke trailed Siena 43-32 at halftime before storming back to avoid upset and No. 3 Virginia also trailed No. 14 Wright State by five points at halftime before holding on for a first-round win.

Onto the second round, where the NCAA Tournament hopefully continues to provide bangers.

Here's a recap of the top moments so far in the NCAA Tournament:

Chase Johnston, High Point upset Wisconsin

No. 12 seed High Point upset No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82, thanks to some late heroics from guard Chase Johnston, a seventh-year senior who scored his first 2-point basket of the season on a game-winning layup.

The 3-point specialist also hit a deep shot from the March Madness logo and hit another late in the game to pull High Point within a point during crunch time. He finished with 14 points on 4-of-6 from 3-point range off the bench, channeling former March Madness hero Jack Gohlke.

First-year coach Flynn Clayman also had a banner postgame interview, calling out high-major programs for avoiding mid-majors like High Point. High Point's strength of schedule was used as a negative talking point against the program leading up to March Madness.

"It looks pretty obvious to me that high-majors need to play mid-majors during the season," Clayman said. "Because they said we ain't played nobody? We played somebody now."

Even High Point's student broadcasters went viral for their call of Johnston's game-winning layup and aftermath of the win. Vibes are high with the Panthers.

Otega Oweh saves Kentucky

Senior guard Otega Oweh saved his career-best performance for an opportune time on March 20, becoming the first player since Larry Bird in 1979 with at least 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in an NCAA Tournament game.

On top of the 2024-25 SEC Player of the Year's prolific performance, he also saved Kentucky with a wild shot in its 89-84 overtime win over No. 10 seed Santa Clara. The Broncos took a 73-70 lead with 2 seconds remaining before Oweh caught the inbounds pass and banked a 32-foot 3-pointer off the backboard to send the game to overtime.

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There was some controversy surrounding the shot as Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek attempted to call a timeout, but the officials didn't notice. Still, Oweh's shot not only saved Kentucky's season, but also kept the Wildcats from being a first-round exit amid an up-and-down year.

Second-year coach Mark Pope owes Oweh, as he likely avoids widespread criticism from Kentucky's rabid fanbase with huge expectations.

Nebraska wins first NCAA Tournament game

Nebraska entered the NCAA Tournament on March 19 against No. 13 seed Troy with an 0-8 career record in March Madness games. That mark improved to 1-8 all-time after its 76-47 win over the Trojans.

The Cornhuskers made 14 3-pointers in the dominant win, one of the biggest in program history. Their fans showed up big, too, taking over the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City in what was a virtual home game for the dedicated fanbase.

Seventh-year coach Fred Hoiberg has done one of the most impressive jobs in college basketball this season, and the Cornhuskers will look to make their first-ever Sweet 16 with a win over Vanderbilt on March 21.

VCU completes 19-point comeback vs. North Carolina

North Carolina was cruising against 11-seeded VCU. Until it wasn't.

The Rams defeated North Carolina 82-78 in overtime after completing a 19-point comeback in the second half against the Caleb Wilson-less Tar Heels. To make matters worse, North Carolina was held without a field goal in the overtime period.

The win was VCU's first in the NCAA Tournament since 2016, despite being led by a first-year coach in Phil Martelli Jr. It was the sixth-largest comeback in NCAA Tournament history, and biggest since Nevada's 22-point deficit against Cincinnati in 2022.

VCU's win could also put North Carolina coach Hubert Davis in trouble after a disappointing finish to the season.

Saint Louis destroys Georgia

Second-year Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz is among the fastest risers in the coaching ranks, although he hadn't coached in an NCAA Tournament game in his career until March 19.

It was pure domination.

The Billikens defeated Georgia 102-77 and shot 58% from the field with five players scoring in double figures. They also held the Bulldogs to 35% shooting on 72 attempts and finished the game with 27 assists collectively.

Saint Louis faces No. 1 seed Michigan in the second round on March 21 and will be a tough test for the Wolverines.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High Point, Otega Oweh lead 5 best moments of March Madness so far

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