ESPN Men's Basketball

OMAHA, Neb. - Pleased as he was with the victory, Florida center Patric Young responded to Sunday’s 84-50 shellacking of No. 15 Norfolk State with a sigh and a shoulder shrug.

“We haven’t accomplished anything yet,” Young said.

That’s not entirely true. Sunday’s victory propelled the seventh-seeded Gators into the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year, which is more than 52 other NCAA tournament teams can say after the opening weekend of postseason play.

But it was easy to see how it may not have felt like all that big of a deal to Young and his teammates after annihilating a Norfolk State squad that was so bad it was embarrassing.

Where was the Spartans team that shocked the world by upsetting Missouri on Friday? What happened to all those long, lanky 3-point shooters who couldn’t miss? And what about Kyle O'Quinn, the vivacious 6-foot-10, 240-pound center who had 26 points and 14 rebounds 48 hours earlier against the Tigers.?

O’Quinn had just four points and three rebounds Sunday.

“He didn’t come out with the passion and energy I thought he was going to have,” Young said. “That affected him and it affected his entire team.

“We hadn’t anticipated anything like that.”

Granted, Norfolk State probably didn’t realize just how good of an opponent it would be facing in the Gators, who have won their two NCAA tournament games by an average of 30 points. Florida defeated Virginia 71-45 in the Round of 64 on Friday.

Florida will take on Marquette on Thursday in Phoenix. The Golden Eagles are the No. 3 seed in the West Region.

“I haven’t seen Marquette play a lot,” Gators coach Billy Donovan said, “but I’ve heard unbelievable things about them. Certainly, their seed is a reflection of who they are.

“Certainly, I will have a chance to watch them a lot starting tonight. I know they’re a good team. I know they play hard.”

So, too, do the Gators.

Sparked by their trademark, full-court defensive pressure, Florida rendered Norfolk State helpless. The same team that shot 54 percent from the floor against Missouri connected on just 27 percent of its field goal attempts Sunday.

The Spartans were just 4-of-24 (16 percent) from 3-point range and were outrebounded 48-31.

“They have a different type of athlete,” Norfolk State coach Anthony Evans said of Florida. “Having (Erving) Walker and those guys get up and pressure you for 94 feet is different than some of the other teams we’ve played.

“Maybe it was fatigue, but we don’t want to make excuses about it. They did a great job. Hats off to them.”

Florida trailed 6-4 early but then went on a 25-0 tear that gave the Gators a 29-6 lead. Brad Beal scored seven points during the march while Kenny Boynton and Erik Murphy added six apiece. It was a never a game after that, as Florida led by 28 points at intermission. It extended its lead to as many as 38 points in the second half.

Boynton led five Gators in double figures with 20 points. Beal added 14 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. Marcos Tamares scored 12 points for Norfolk State, which received a standing ovation and loud cheers from the thousands of Kansas fans who were waiting for their team to play Purdue in the nightcap at the CenturyLink Center.

Jayhawk supporters were thrilled that the Spartans defeated former Big 12 rival Missouri two days earlier. As bad as it played Sunday, no one can ever take that away from the Spartans, who are one of just six No. 15 seeds in history to defeat a No. 2 seed.

Norfolk State was playing in the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history.

“If you look at where we came from, this is a big step,” O’Quinn said. “So for everybody to witness that step that we took as a university ... you’ve got to be proud. You have to be.

“We’re not satisfied with losing, but we knew coming in that you either win a national championship or you go home. That’s the nature of the game.”

OMAHA, Neb. -- Quick thoughts from Florida's 84-50 victory over Norfolk State at the CenturyLink Center.

Overview: Surprising as it was when it happened Friday, Norfolk State's upset of No. 2 seed Missouri seemed like even more of a shocker Sunday when the Spartans turned in a miserable performance in a 34-point loss to No. 7 seed Florida.

Norfolk State -- which became just the fifth No. 15 seed ever to defeat a No. 2 -- trailed by 28 points at intermission before things got even worse in the second half. Two days after shooting 54 percent against Missouri, the Spartans made just 27 percent of their field goal attempts against a Florida squad that advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive year.

Senior forward Kyle O'Quinn responded to his 26-point, 14-rebound effort on Friday with a 4-point, 3-rebound clunker in Sunday's loss. He was just 1-of-9 from the field. Norfolk State was outrebounded 48-31.

Anyone who wondered how Norfolk State could've lost to teams such as Division II Elizabeth City State had those questions answered Sunday. The only team that may have taken Norfolk State's defeat harder than the Spartans themselves was Missouri, which will now have an even tougher time living down Friday's epic choke job.

Overshadowed by Norfolk State's ineptitude was another impressive performance by Florida, which is one win away from its second consecutive Elite Eight appearance. The Gators, who will play Marquette in the next round, got 20 points from Kenny Boynton and 14 points and 9 rebounds from Brad Beal. Even though the win appeared to come easily for Florida, Billy Donovan's squad deserves loads of credit for entering the game with intensity and focus.

Turning point: Trailing 6-4 early in the first half, Florida went on a 25-0 scoring run to squelch any early momentum the Spartans may have had. Beal had seven points during the march while Boynton and Erik Murphy added six apiece. When it was all over, Florida led 29-6 with 9:46 remaining before intermission. The Spartans never threatened again.

Key player: Much like they have all season, the Gators exhibited tremendous balance on Sunday. Along with outstanding efforts from Beal and Boynton, Florida got 15 points from Erving Walker, 12 from Mike Rosario and 10 from Murphy.

Key stat: Norfolk State entered the NCAA tournament shooting just 31 percent from 3-point range. The Spartans made 10 of their 19 attempts in their win over Missouri. But they shot just 17.4 percent (4-of-23) from beyond the arc against Florida.

Miscellaneous: Thousands of Kansas fans rose to their feet and cheered Norfolk State's players loudly as the Spartans exited the court after the final. Jayhawks supporters took great delight in Norfolk State's victory over former Big 12 rival Missouri. ... Just like the previous four No. 15 seeds who upset No. 2 seeds, Norfolk State lost in the next round. No 15-seed has ever advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Up next: Florida improved to 25-10 and advanced to play Marquette in the Sweet 16 this week in the West Region in Phoenix. The Golden Eagles (27-7) defeated BYU and Murray State in their first two NCAA tournament games. Norfolk State -- which was making its first appearance in the Division I NCAA tournament -- ends its season 26-10.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Previewing the round of 32 games in Omaha on Sunday:

No. 15 Norfolk State (26-9) vs. No. 7 Florida (24-10), 6:10 p.m. ET

For the Norfolk State Spartans, one of the most memorable moments of their first NCAA tournament experience occurred not on the playing court -- but on the team bus.

Head coach Anthony Evans said his players will never forget the police escort that guided the Spartans’ charter through the crowded streets of Omaha and into the CenturyLink Center on Friday.

Flashing lights, sirens, the works.

“They were in the back of the bus going crazy,” Evans said. “I was even in awe. The police were cutting everyone off and letting us go first. Everyone kept saying it felt like we were the president.”

And that was before No. 15 seed Norfolk State shocked second-seeded Missouri.

One day after the biggest NCAA tournament upset in recent memory, the Spartans feel like even bigger celebrities heading into Sunday's round of 32 game against Florida.

Before he could even sit down for dinner after Friday’s win, forward Kyle O'Quinn had picked up 2,100 new Twitter followers. On Saturday, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound senior did a live, nationally televised interview with CBS while players, coaches and administrators answered questions from reporters all over the country about their school and their team.

“It’s something none of us have ever experienced before,” O’Quinn said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.”

But when will it end?

Norfolk State became the fifth No. 15 seed in history to knock off a No. 2 seed. The other four teams to accomplish the feat all lost in the next round. To avoid a similar fate, the Spartans know they must refocus and channel their attention toward the Gators.

Fast.

“I’ve never been around anything like this,” Evans said. “It’s great for the program and great for the kids, but we talked about preparing for the [Florida] game as if it’s ‘businesslike.’ That’s the attitude we’ve had all year and it’s helped us be successful.”

Norfolk State is confident in its chances against Florida -- mainly because the Gators employ the same four-guard offense as Missouri. Billy Donovan’s team finished in a three-way tie for second place in the SEC. But the Gators aren’t nearly as good as the Missouri squad that Norfolk State defeated Friday.

Just like Missouri had in Ricardo Ratliffe, Florida features a high-level center in Patric Young. The sophomore knows he’s in for a tough task guarding O’Quinn.

“[O’Quinn] is so skilled and talented, and he’s a good defender, really physical,” Young said. “He overpowers the guys he goes up against. Hopefully I can do my thing and hold him to less than 24 and 12.”

Donovan said Norfolk State’s victory over Missouri definitely caught his team’s attention.

“From a national perspective, people may say this is an interesting Cinderella story,” he said. “But really ... the best team won. How people will remember them, I don’t know. But clearly I think they had a high level of confidence, a belief in themselves and their system, and it showed [Friday]."

No. 10 Purdue (22-12) vs. No. 2 Kansas (28-6), 8:40 ET

Kansas point guard Tyshawn Taylor knows what everyone is thinking about the Jayhawks' game against Purdue on Sunday.

“On paper,” Taylor said, “it looks like a mismatch.”

Kansas players, however, are smart enough to not believe it. Purdue, the 10th seed in the Midwest Region, may not be as good as it's been in years past. But the Boilermakers are exactly the kind of team that gives the Jayhawks trouble.

In some ways they’re like Missouri, but with less talent.

“In the past,” guard Conner Teahan said, “we’ve had problems playing smaller teams because it takes Jeff [Withey, KU’s center] out of the game. Hopefully we can have them match up with us as much as we match up with them.”

One of the biggest challenges for Kansas will be guarding 6-foot-8 Purdue forward Robbie Hummel, who is averaging 16.1 points. Hummel is an excellent ball handler who scores a large number of his points from the perimeter, which makes him a tough matchup for Kansas’ post players.

Taylor said Hummel was a “Kim English type of player” who can stretch the floor at the 4 position.

“It’s tough to match up with guys like that who are so versatile and who do so many different things," Taylor said.

Kansas coach Bill Self agreed.

“You’re pulling natural ‘bigs’ away from the basket to defend the 3-point line,” Self said. “Not all teams are experienced with that or have had an opportunity to do that.”

As he did against Missouri, don’t be surprised if Self goes with a smaller lineup to try to slow down a Purdue squad that averages 72.2 points per game. That would mean less minutes for the 7-footer Withey and more minutes off the bench for Teahan, a shooting guard.

“They’re quick and they get into the paint very well,” Teahan said. “We’re going to definitely need to D up on them. Perimeter-wise, I feel good with our strength and quickness. We need to stop them, but we’ve faced people like that before.”

Rece Davis, Hubert Davis and Jimmy Dykes break down the No. 2 seeds Missouri and Duke falling on Friday.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Moments after the most stunning NCAA tournament upset of the last decade, the Norfolk State Spartans reacted like typical college students.

They hurried into the locker room -- and pulled out their cell phones.

"We're trending on Twitter right now -- nationally," one player said.

A teammate spoke up from across the room.

"I just got a text. People are jumping into the fountain back on campus."

Soon it was revealed that the website for Norfolk State's student newspaper had crashed because of an overload of traffic.

Then came the announcement that only two of the 6.45 million participants in ESPN.com's bracket challenge still had perfect records -- mainly because of No. 15 seed Norfolk State's 86-84 victory over Missouri at the CenturyLink Center. Even U.S. president Barack Obama had No. 2 seed Missouri going to the Final Four.

Standing before a throng of television cameras, guard Jamel Fuentes flashed a cheesy grin.

"I'd like to personally thank President Obama," he said, "for allowing us to bust his bracket."

Yes, before their coach had even made it back from his postgame press conference, the magnitude of Friday's win had hit the Spartans hard. Three hours earlier they were unknowns, 22-point underdogs from a school of 5,000 undergrads participating in their first-ever NCAA tournament.

Now they're America's Little Engines That Could, a reminder of why even the most casual sports fan is so in love with March. Norfolk State's victory marked the first time since 2001 -- when Hampton defeated Iowa State -- and only the fifth time in history that a No. 15 seed had defeated a No. 2.

For the full story, click here.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Quick thoughts from Norfolk State's 86-84 upset win over second-seeded Missouri.

Overview: As if George Mason and VCU weren't enough, another unlikely March hero has emerged from the state of Virginia.

Norfolk State -- a school of about 6,000 that had never appeared in the NCAA tournament -- shocked Final Four favorite Missouri before a sellout crowd of 16,843 fans Friday at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

The victory marked the first time since 2001, when Hampton defeated Iowa State, that a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed. Kyle O'Quinn scored 26 points for Norfolk State, which advanced to play Florida on Sunday for a trip to the Sweet 16. Missouri ends its season with a record of 30-5.

Trailing by two points with 2.8 seconds remaining, Missouri had a chance to win. Tigers guard Phil Pressey took an inbounds pass near midcourt, took a few dribbles and got off a decent look from 3-point range. The shot clanged off the side of the rim as the horn sounded, setting off a wild celebration by Norfolk State.

Norfolk State took the lead for good with 34.9 seconds remaining when O'Quinn snared the offensive rebound of a teammate's air ball and put it back in for an easy two points while being fouled. O'Quinn converted the ensuing free throw to make it 84-81.

Missouri's Marcus Denmon missed an ill-advised, deep 3-pointer early in the shot clock on the Tigers' next possession. O'Quinn got the rebound and was immediately fouled. He made one of two free throws to put Norfolk State ahead 85-81 with 16 ticks left.

Pressey, who was brilliant down the stretch for Missouri, made a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left to pull Missouri within a point, 85-84. Rodney McCauley was fouled by Missouri, and he made the first of two free throws to extend the Spartans' lead to 86-84. O'Quinn snared the rebound on McCauley's miss, and a jump ball was called when O'Quinn became tied up with a Missouri player. O'Quinn missed both foul shots, and Missouri called a timeout to set up the final shot by Pressey, which was off the mark.

Along with his 26 points, O'Quinn added 14 rebounds for Norfolk State. Chris McEachin had 20 points. Michael Dixon (22 points), Pressesy and Denmon (20 points each) all had good games for Missouri.

Player of the game: O'Quinn is an absolute beast. He clearly outplayed Missouri forward Ricardo Ratliffe and was a flat-out warrior throughout the entire game. The 6-foot-10, 240-pounder has an exceptional shooting touch for his size and can handle the ball.

Key stat: Both teams were on fire Friday. Norfolk State shot 54 percent from the field, Missouri 52 percent.

Miscellaneous: Even though Omaha is somewhat close to Columbia, Missouri must have felt like the road team Friday. More than half the CenturyLink Center was filled with Kansas fans cheering for Norfolk State. The Jayhawks, Missouri's Big 12 rival, take on Detroit here later tonight.

Up next: Norfolk State will play Florida on Sunday for a chance to go to the Sweet 16. For Missouri, it's over. The next time we see the Tigers, they'll be official members of the SEC.

You’ve kept up with his projections for the past few months, but Joe Lunardi doesn’t go into hibernation once the real bracket comes out. Our resident Bracketologist is a hardcore basketball fan who knows his stuff. Here are his picks for the Big Dance:

SOUTH

Second round
1 Kentucky over 16 Western Kentucky
9 Connecticut over 8 Iowa State
5 Wichita State over 12 VCU
13 New Mexico State over 4 Indiana
6 UNLV over 11 Colorado
3 Baylor over 14 South Dakota State
7 Notre Dame over 10 Xavier
2 Duke over 15 Lehigh

Third round
1 Kentucky over 9 Connecticut
5 Wichita State over 13 New Mexico State
3 Baylor over 6 UNLV
2 Duke over 7 Notre Dame

Sweet 16
1 Kentucky over 5 Wichita State
3 Baylor over 2 Duke

Elite Eight
1 Kentucky over 3 Baylor

WEST

Second round
1 Michigan State over 16 LIU Brooklyn
9 Saint Louis over 8 Memphis
5 New Mexico over 12 Long Beach State
4 Louisville over 13 Davidson
6 Murray State over 11 Colorado State
3 Marquette over 14 BYU
7 Florida over 10 Virginia
2 Missouri over 15 Norfolk State

Third round
1 Michigan State over 9 Saint Louis
5 New Mexico over 4 Louisville
3 Marquette over 6 Murray State
2 Missouri over 7 Florida

Sweet 16
1 Michigan State over 5 New Mexico
2 Missouri over 3 Marquette

Elite Eight
2 Missouri over 1 Michigan State

EAST

Second round
1 Syracuse over 16 UNC Asheville
8 Kansas State over 9 Southern Miss
5 Vanderbilt over 12 Harvard
4 Wisconsin over 13 Montana
6 Cincinnati over 11 Texas
3 Florida State over 14 St. Bonaventure
10 West Virginia over 7 Gonzaga
2 Ohio State over 15 Loyola (Md.)

Third round
1 Syracuse over 8 Kansas State
4 Wisconsin over 5 Vanderbilt
3 Florida State over 6 Cincinnati
2 Ohio State over 10 West Virginia

Sweet 16
4 Wisconsin over 1 Syracuse
2 Ohio State over 3 Florida State

Elite Eight
4 Wisconsin over 2 Ohio State

MIDWEST

Second round
1 North Carolina over 16 Lamar
9 Alabama over 8 Creighton
5 Temple over 12 California
4 Michigan over 13 Ohio
11 NC State over 6 San Diego State
3 Georgetown over 14 Belmont
7 Saint Mary's over 10 Purdue
2 Kansas over 15 Detroit

Third round
1 North Carolina over 9 Alabama
4 Michigan over 5 Temple
11 NC State over 3 Georgetown
2 Kansas over 7 Saint Mary's

Sweet 16
1 North Carolina over 4 Michigan
2 Kansas over 11 NC State

Elite Eight
1 North Carolina over 2 Kansas

NATIONAL SEMIFINALS
Kentucky over Missouri
North Carolina over Wisconsin

NATIONAL TITLE GAME
Kentucky over North Carolina

Kyle O'Quinn scored 18, and Norfolk State held on to beat Bethune-Cookman 73-70 for its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and first NCAA tournament berth.

Check back Friday morning for Joe Lunardi's full bracket, but here are his basic projections through Thursday night's action.

SINCE THE LAST UPDATE

• Texas moves above “Last Four In” (No. 47 overall) with its victory over Iowa State.
• Mississippi State drops to “Last Four In” with its loss to Georgia.
• South Florida stays in the field (No. 46 overall) despite its loss to Notre Dame.
• Oregon moves from "First Four Out" to the last spot on "Next Four Out."

LAST FOUR IN

Washington
Mississippi State
Drexel
Seton Hall

FIRST FOUR OUT

Tennessee
Northwestern
NC State
Miami (Fla.)

NEXT FOUR OUT

Iona
Arizona
Saint Joseph's
Oregon

Also considered: Dayton, Marshall, Ole Miss

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Big East (10)
Big Ten (6)
Big 12 (6)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
West Coast (3)
Colonial (2)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)
Pac-12 (2)

AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

Belmont (Atlantic Sun)
Creighton (Missouri Valley)
Davidson (Southern)
Detroit (Horizon)
Harvard (Ivy)
Lehigh (Patriot)
LIU Brooklyn (Northeast)
Loyola-Md. (MAAC)
Montana (Big Sky)
Murray State (OVC)
Saint Mary's (West Coast)
South Dakota State (Summit)
UNC Asheville (Big South)
VCU (Colonial)
Western Kentucky (Sun Belt)

Editor’s note: This update does not include BYU-Gonzaga in the WCC tournament.

NOTABLE

• North Carolina moves up to top line as projected No. 1 seed.
• Belmont (Atlantic Sun) clinches fifth NCAA bid in seven years.
• Texas falls out of field, replaced by Xavier (“Last Team In”).

Last Four In
Xavier
Northwestern
South Florida
Colorado State

First Four Out
Texas
VCU
Oregon
NC State

Next Four Out
Miami
Tennessee
Saint Joseph’s
Dayton

BRACKET MATH

Take the “solid” at-large candidates (current Tournament Odds at 90% or better) and there are now 34 teams in the field. Add in the remaining automatic qualifiers and that’s another 20 spots. All told there are 54 of the 68 spots accounted for, with 14 still up for grabs among current “Bubble” teams.

S-CURVE PROJECTIONS

1-KENTUCKY 2-SYRACUSE 3-KANSAS 4-NO. CAROLINA
8-Ohio State 7-Missouri 6-Duke 5-Michigan State*
9-Marquette 10-Georgetown 11-Baylor 12-Michigan
16-UNLV 15-Florida 14-Indiana 13-Wisconsin
17-Louisville 18-Wichita State 19-Florida State 20-TEMPLE
24-CREIGHTON 23-Notre Dame 22-Murray State 21-Vanderbilt
25-Gonzaga 26-New Mexico 27- San Diego State* 28-MEMPHIS
32-Purdue 31-Kansas State 30-Iowa State 29-SAINT MARY’S
33-Alabama 34-Cincinnati 35-Virginia 36-Southern Miss
40-Connecticut 39-Washington* 38-California 37-Saint Louis
41-West Virginia 42-Seton Hall 43-Harvard* 44-LONG BEACH STATE
48-Colorado State 47-Mississippi State 46-Brigham Young 45-Arizona
49-South Florida 50-Northwestern 51-Xavier 52-IONA
56-NEVADA 55-ORAL ROBERTS 54-DREXEL 53-MIDDLE TENNNESSEE
57-Belmont 58-DAVIDSON 59-AKRON 60-VALPARAISO
64-UNC Asheville 63-UT ARLINGTON 62-MONTANA 61-BUCKNELL
65-LONG ISLAND 66-STONY BROOK 67-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY 68-SAVANNAH STATE
72-NC State 71-Oregon 70-VCU 69-Texas
73-Miami (Fla.) 74-Saint Joseph’s 75-Dayton 76-Tennessee

Bold - automatic qualifier; * - current conference leader.
ALL CAPS: Regular-season champion (NIT auto-bid if needed)

CONFERENCE BREAKDOWN

Big East (10)
Big Ten (7)
Big 12 (5)
SEC (5)
ACC (4)
Mountain West (4)
Atlantic 10 (3)
Pac-12 (3)
West Coast (3)
Conference USA (2)
Missouri Valley (2)

NCAA AUTOMATIC QUALIFIERS

UNC Asheville (Big South)
Murray State (Ohio Valley Conference)
Belmont (Atlantic Sun)

Join our college basketball experts as they preview this weekend's biggest games.

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What was Monday night's most interesting result? Georgetown's defensive dominance over Notre Dame? Kansas's Big 12-outright-title-sealing win at Oklahoma State? Baylor's drubbing of Texas Tech? No. No. And definitely no.

Monday night's most interesting scoreline, and its craziest finish -- and arguably the craziest finish of the 2012 college hoops season to date -- came during Morgan State 73, Delaware State 72. And you won't believe how Delaware State lost.

So here's what happened: Morgan State's free throws with seven seconds remaining gave them a 71-70 lead on the final possession. Delaware State inbounded the ball to guard Jay Threatt, who raced down the court and fired up a jumper. Threatt was 8-of-12 from the field Monday night, so we can't fault the shot selection, but he missed. And just when Delaware State thought all hope was lost, forward Tahj Tate, dunked home a tip-in with less than a second remaining. It counted. Delaware 72, Morgan State 71.

Naturally, that's when all you-know-what broke loose. Fans stormed the court, rushing Tate and his teammates: The Hornets had come all the way back from a 41-24 halftime deficit and won, drawing within one game of Savannah State's lead in the race for MEAC regular-season title with one more game to play. Big, big win. Ain't no party like a Dover party, and so on and so forth.

And just as Delaware State fans thought it was safe to experience some joy, the officiating crew was there to brutally rip their hearts out. I'll pass the mic to the Associated Press. Just the facts, AP:

Most of Memorial Hall thought the game was over as fans and players ran on the court to celebrate. But the game officials conferenced, charged Delaware State with a technical foul for delay of game and set the clock back to 1.1 seconds remaining.

Aric Brooks made the two free throws for Morgan State and the Bears, awarded possession following the technical foul, ran out the clock for the win.

I mean ... really? Really, officials Bill Covington, Sr., Everett Summers and Jackie Sanders? (Thanks, Statsheet.) You actually assessed a delay of game technical foul on a crowd that had assumed there was no time left on the clock after a tip-in buzzer-beating dunk? REALLY?

It would be one thing if this was the letter of the law, but I'm not sure it is. From the NCAA rulebook:

"Team followers, as in Rule 4-27, shall not commit an unsportsmanlike act, including, but not limited to, the following: ... Delaying the game by preventing the ball from being promptly made live or by preventing continuous play, such as but not limited to, followers entering the playing court before the player activity has been terminated. When the delay does not interfere with play, it shall be ignored."

I think you can pretty clearly argue -- since the referees made this decision in a dead-ball conference -- that the fans rushing the court did not actually interfere with live-action play or the continuation thereof. Unless fans were actively refusing to leave the court, which the AP doesn't mention at all. At the very least, there's wiggle room.

There's also precedent: On Feb. 18, Creighton fans prematurely rushed the court after Antoine Young's game-winner over Long Beach State. The referees reviewed the tape, agreed that LBSU had time remaining, and announced over the stadium public address system that fans needed to clear they court. Which they did. It was entirely orderly and reasonable way to end the game, even if it was a bit of a buzzkill. The point is, it was an easy solution. No technicals required. Frankly, watching that game, it never even occurred to me that the officials would ever call a technical foul, by rule or otherwise.

But the MEAC refs did. Why? Why penalize a team and its fans for a communally joyous split-second reaction? Two shots and the ball with 1.1 seconds remaining? They thought they won the game!

Brutal way to lose, man. Just brutal. Hang in there, Delaware State fans. If karma is real, you guys have to be in line for something good sometime very soon. The least the MEAC could do is an explanation.

Join our ESPN.com college basketball experts as they look ahead to this weekend's games.

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Join ESPN.com writers Eamonn Brennan and Myron Medcalf at 1 p.m. ET to discuss all things college basketball as we head into a weekend slate full of games.