We have our first Cinderella candidate of the NCAA tournament.
No. 12 seed McNeese State dominated No. 5 Clemson early then held off a second-half rally for a 69-67 win in the first round of tournament play on Thursday. With the win, McNeese State becomes the first double-digit seed to advance to the second round.
Clemson attempted to mount a late rally, but its first-half deficit proved too much to overcome. McNeese State reeled off an early 19-2 run to take a 23-8 lead that remained at double digits until late in the second half. By halftime, McNeese State held a 31-13 advantage as the Tigers narrowly missed setting a tournament record for first-half futility.