Indiana has fallen out of the NCAA Tournament after one round, as St. Mary's trounced the squad 82-53 in Portland. The Hoosiers still may have delivered the tournament's most memorable play, and from an unlikely source: their cheerleading squad.
With 18:25 to go in the second half, Saint Mary's tipped an Indiana pass high into the air, and the ball landed behind the backboard. The ball was far out of the players' reach, so much so Matthias Tass – a 6-10 Gaels forward – couldn't knock it free with a mop.
The Indiana cheerleading team then proceeded to save the game. With a lift from one of her teammates, an Indiana cheerleader reached high and plucked the ball from the backboard to end the game's one-minute stoppage.
🗣 “SHE’S GOT IT! WHAT A PLAY!”
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2022
The cheerleader saves the day 😂👏 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/pxQ3eh2Sod
CBS Sports play-by-play announcer Andrew Catalon, mirroring the electric response from the Moda Center crowd, reacted with as much passion as he would a game-winning 3-pointer.
"Oh, what a play," Catalon said. "The cheerleader saves the day, and that's her one shining moment. This place is at its feet. The cheerleader is the hero in Portland."
The cheerleaders' effort was one of Indiana's lone highlights, as the Gaels dominated the team at virtually every turn. St. Mary's will now play either UCLA or Akron in the second round.
You can check out schedules, brackets, analysis, highlights and more at CBS Sports' NCAA Tournament hub.
