March Madness Upset City
March Madness is living up to its name with major upsets already — Furman University (No. 6 seed) stunned top-seeded East Tennessee State 76-61 to win the Southern Conference title [https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48158634/furman-beats-east-tennessee-state-socon-title-ncaa-berth]. Cooper Bowser led Furman with 21 points and 11 rebounds [https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/48158634/furman-beats-east-tennessee-state-socon-title-ncaa-berth]. Santa Clara also knocked off No. 21 Saint Mary’s 76-71 in the WCC semifinals [https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/03/09/santa-clara-beats-no-21-saint-marys-76-71-advances-to-wcc-title-game-vs-gonzaga/].
Furman's victory marks their eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Their most recent appearance before their 2026SoCon tournament win was in 2023, which ended a 43-year drought. The Paladins have a 2-8 record in NCAA Tournament games. East Tennessee State has 11 appearances in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, though they are 0-11 in those games. Their deepest run was in 1968 when they reached the Sweet Sixteen. The Buccaneers last won an NCAA Tournament game on March 20, 1992, against Arizona. Santa Clara's upset win puts them in the WCC Tournament title game for the first time since 2001. The Broncos will face Gonzaga for the championship. Santa Clara has 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, but none since 1996. Saint Mary's was ranked No. 21 before the loss. The Gaels have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances. Saint Mary's last appeared in the AP Top 25 on February 24, 2025, at No. 23.
