UMBC Retrievers: 24-10, 12-4 in the America East
Head coach: Ryan Odom (2nd season)
Players to watch: Jairus Lyles (20.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG); K.J. Maura (11.4 PPG, 5.2 APG); Joe Sherburne (10.9 PPG, 42.3 3PT%)
Season recap: Vermont rolled through America East play with only one loss and beat the Retrievers twice by double digits in the regular season.
But with the seconds ticking away in Saturday afternoon's conference championship and the score knotted at 62, UMBC graduate student guard Jairus Lyles dribbled through his legs twice and drilled a deep 3-pointer at the top of the key with a hand in his face to complete the upset and snap a 23-game losing steak for the Retrievers against the Catamounts.
UMBC is making its first NCAA tournament appearance in a decade and has been led all season by Lyles, a first-team all-conference pick. The Retrievers only faced two Power-5 opponents all season, losing by more than 20 to both Arizona and Maryland.
Despite using four players 6-foot-9 or taller in its regular rotation, UMBC has been outrebounded on average this season, but the Retrievers make up for it by shooting 38.7 percent from long distance as a team and forcing 14.8 turnovers a game.
How they make a run: Lyles finishes his career with the newest performance of a lifetime in the NCAA tournament, carrying UMBC to a monumental upset.
How they falter: The Retrievers get dominated in the post by one of the top teams in the nation, fall behind early and never have much a chance in the first round.
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