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The Most Painful Near-Buzzer-Beater Losses in March Madness
Victories That Slipped Away in the Final Second Will Sting Forever
So Close Yet So Far
As March Madness 2025 approaches, it brings to mind some of the most stunning buzzer-beaters leading to euphoric moments for the victors and gut-wrenching losses for the vanquished. Below we remember three of those moments from March Madness highlights of years gone by.
Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Lose
March Madness odds are already up at BetUS even though conference championships are only on the horizon while Selection Sunday is several weeks away. Nevertheless, we are breathless in anticipation of the best annual sports tournament in the world, where even small schools can dream big, and Cinderella stories make the Big Dance different from any other event.
There is little doubt we will be seeing more Davids slaying Goliaths this year and last-second buckets snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. But until those memories are made, we decided to look back on some others that tore the hearts out of the losers and sent the winners into a frenzied celebration.
The 3 Most Devastating NCAA Moments
Gordon Hayward (2010 National Championship Game, Butler vs. Duke)
This was one of those veritable David vs. Goliath moments that have defined March Madness over the decades. However, this was for the national championship when the No. 1 seed in the South, the Duke Blue Devils, faced the upstart No. 5 seed Butler Bulldogs coming out of the West region.
THIS CLOSE TO WINNING IT ALL 💔
On this day in 2010, Gordon Hayward’s heave vs. Duke came SO CLOSE to a #NationalChampionship for Butler 😅#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/GnBh3ETf4r
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) April 5, 2024
The betting odds showed the Blue Devils as 7 ½ point favorites with a 128 total. Butler battled Duke tooth and nail, trailing by only a point after the first half. The Bulldogs lived up to their name and doggedly hung with the Devils right up until the waning moments of the game when future NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward heaved a desperation shot at halfcourt only to see it collide with the rim and fall hopelessly to the floor.
The Blue Devils won the game, 61-59, but the Bulldogs won the hearts and minds (and the cash) of underdog lovers everywhere.
Marcus Paige (2016 National Championship Game, UNC vs. Villanova)
All the March Madness marbles were on the table, and the North Carolina Tar Heels, seeded No. 1 in the East region, were a 2½-point betting favorite over the No. 2 seed in the South, Villanova.
The Wildcats trailed by five at the half, but a furious second half saw them take a three-point lead until UNC’s Marcus Paige stuck a dagger in Villanova’s national championship hopes by launching a game-tying three-pointer, knotting the game at 74 and forcing Villanova to call a timeout with just six seconds remaining.
The last shot of the game may have won it, but @marcuspaige5 should always be remembered for his impossible shot for @UNC_Basketball against Villanova in the 2016 National Championship. pic.twitter.com/0wJ1FzJF1R
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 9, 2022
Unfortunately for Paige, his last-second heroics would be for naught as Villanova’s Kris Jenkins received the ball at the top of the arc and shut the lights out with a three-pointer of his own at the buzzer. As the ball fell through the net and the buzzer sounded, four cannon blasts could be heard over the PA, confetti fell to the floor, Wildcats fans stormed the court, and Kris Jenkins would forever be celebrated in March Madness lore.
Unfortunately, the vanquished are overshadowed by the victors, but BetUS doesn’t forget. So, here’s to you, Marcus Paige; we salute you!
Johnny Juzang (2021 Final Four, UCLA vs Gonzaga)
This was a true-blue David vs. Goliath matchup as the undefeated and No. 1 seeded team in the West, the Gonzaga Bulldogs, were 14½ point favorites over the Cinderella team in the East, and No. 11 seed UCLA.
Anyone betting on Gonzaga was fully aware the blowout they expected was unlikely to manifest after the Bulldogs ended the first half up by only a point. The second half would see UCLA tie the game and send it into overtime. With just three seconds remaining in the extra session, Johnny Juzang sent Bruins fans into a frenzy with a layup to tie the game at 90 apiece.
What a wild final sequence. Note that despite having been in zero final possession for the win games that Gonzaga knew exactly what to do even after that killer Juzang tie bucket. No timeout. No panic. Get it to Suggs and let him go. pic.twitter.com/3mMMn83z3W
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) April 4, 2021
But the Zags immediately inbounded the ball, and Jalen Suggs did the rest when he hit from beyond the arc only two seconds later to dash all hopes of a second chance for the underdog Bruins to pull the upset of the tournament. Final score: Gonzaga 93 – UC:LA 90.
