No. 16 seed UMBC made NCAA Tournament and college basketball history when it defeated -- no, crushed -- No. 1 overall seed Virginia 74-54 on Friday night. The Cavaliers were a 20-point favorite coming into the game -- not to mention a major favorite to win the entire tournament -- and ended up losing by just as much in deflating fashion.
It's a program defining win for the Retrievers and a devastating loss for Virginia.
It also busted brackets across the country.
University of Millions of Brackets Crushed
— Theresa (@GertieTheDino89) March 17, 2018
UMBC lit EVERYONE'S bracket on fire pic.twitter.com/7o378kp7Em
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 17, 2018
But who cares? This is what March Madness is all about. And while the tournament has had its fair share of upsets in the past, none have been as historic as this one. None of them have oozed with such, well, "madness."
The win was historic for many of the big-picture reasons listed above, but what should not get overshadowed is that it was a massive beatdown as well. This wasn't a fluke; UMBC outpaced Virginia's grind-it-out approach and forced the Cavaliers to play a game they don't like to play. That's good coaching and execution, as the Retrievers made the best defense in college basketball look gassed and unprepared.
So UMBC's Twitter account wasn't the only one to get in on the action.
135-1.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) March 17, 2018
#UMB not only gonna make history as the first 16-seed to take down a 1-seed but also blowing out a #UVA team that hadn't lost a game by double-digits since last season.
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) March 17, 2018
Most lopsided victories ever by a 14, 15 or 16 seed ... pic.twitter.com/K36b5EEZZs
— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) March 17, 2018
Barkley is right on point. Here’s the greatest misconception in sports: Defense wins championships. It does not. It keeps you from losing them. Offense wins. Now, that O can come from your D or be built around your D. But at some point, to be a champ, your O has to deliver
— Rece Davis (@ESPN_ReceDavis) March 17, 2018
Even UCF, the "national champions" of college football, had to give the Retrievers some props.
Amazing what happens when an under “dog” gets a fair shot in an expanded playoff 😏
— UCF Knights (@UCFKnights) March 17, 2018
Congrats on the history, @UMBCAthletics ✊
But enough of the analysis. Some people just want to have fun with this historic win. Unfortunately for Virginia, that meant memes at their expense (and at Pitt's).
UMBC has more ACC wins than Pitt.
— bryan (@bryaninpgh) March 17, 2018
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 17, 2018
And let's #neverforget that UMBC once lost a game to Albany this year by 44 points. What an unreal turnaround.
A UMBC score from 2018 pic.twitter.com/FiUqWdnZCO
— Stuckey (@Stuckey2) March 17, 2018
But probably the single best thing about UMBC pulling the upset were the dog jokes. People love dogs and dogs are all very good. In particular, people had plenty of Air Bud jokes, and they were amazing.
THEY WERE
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) March 17, 2018
VERY
GOOD
DOGS
THIS IS MARCH pic.twitter.com/Htrv22CdFK
— PodKATT (@valleyshook) March 17, 2018
America RN: pic.twitter.com/oQ7A0BBRNn
— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) March 17, 2018
When a 16 seed appears in the second round #Retrievers pic.twitter.com/fsnc4LOouK
— rubie edmondson (@rubieeliz) March 17, 2018
This is March. pic.twitter.com/16MJ33dXgr
— Michael Katz (@MichaelLKatz) March 17, 2018
Even real, actual golden retrievers couldn't get enough of UMBC's big win.
Golden Retrievers watching the Retrievers upset Virginia is the best picture on your timeline
— Kent (@RealKentMurphy) March 17, 2018
(📷@rubesss91) pic.twitter.com/zHH6b3ImXx
And at least one guy, noted college football national champion Lane Kiffin, got it right.
Since u didn't believe me! Retrievers all the way here you go #notshowingutheotherside 🤷🏿♂️@CBSSports @espn @UMBCAthletics pic.twitter.com/Xyia7sqbD2
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) March 17, 2018
Since u didn't believe me! Retrievers all the way here you go #notshowingutheotherside 🤷🏿♂️@CBSSports @espn @UMBCAthletics pic.twitter.com/Xyia7sqbD2
— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) March 17, 2018