Northwestern kicks off March Madness with a bang, sealing NCAA fate with buzzer-beater

The Wildcats beat Michigan at the buzzer on a Hail Mary play in front of their home fans

By Kyle Boone

Mar 1, 2017 at 9:13 pm ET • 1 min read

Northwestern has never been to the NCAA Tournament, but that might have changed on Wednesday with one fateful Hail Mary toss that set up a buzzer-beating layup for the Wildcats to seal a 67-65 win over Michigan.

Perfect pass from @NU_nate32.#BTNStandout finish from @dererk5.

Monster win by @NUMensBball: https://t.co/oTN8CG8VIl
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) March 2, 2017

The Wildcats faithful stormed the court in what may go down as the biggest play (and pass!) in program history.

âJust a fantastic pass,â Michigan coach John Beilein said of the final sequence. âReminds me of Christian Laettner.â

NORTHWESTERN BUZZER-BEATER COURT STORMING pic.twitter.com/03rcrIygqy
— Ricky O'Donnell (@SBN_Ricky) March 2, 2017

Northwestern was teetering on the tournament bubble. While it might have been able to slide into the NCAA Tournament field without this win, this gives some extra cushion -- and peace of mind -- for Northwestern fans when Selection Sunday rolls around on March 12.