The magic of March arrived early, as No. 12 seed McNeese delivered the first bracket-busting upset of the NCAA Tournament, knocking off No. 5 seed Clemson 69-67 in a thrilling Midwest Region first-round matchup on Thursday. Head coach Will Wade and his boombox-carrying manager have been the talk of March Madness, but now the Cowboys are known for something even bigger—their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory.
The Southland Conference champions stunned Clemson with a suffocating first half, racing out to a 23-8 lead behind a 17-2 run. The Cowboys (28-6) held the Tigers to just 13 first-half points, the second-fewest by a No. 5 seed or better since the shot clock was introduced in 1986. McNeese’s defensive pressure and relentless energy overwhelmed Clemson (27-7), which made just five shots and went 1-for-15 from three-point range before the break.
Brandon Murray fueled McNeese’s hot start, scoring 14 of his 21 points in the first half. Chris Shumate added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Cowboys push their lead to as many as 24 early in the second half.
Clemson, led by Jaeden Zackery’s 24 points and Chase Hunter’s 21, mounted a desperate late comeback. Trailing by 12 with 70 seconds left, the Tigers clawed their way back behind a flurry of three-pointers. Zackery hit back-to-back triples, followed by a deep three from Chauncey Wiggins, cutting the deficit to just three points.
McNeese struggled at the free-throw line in crunch time, missing six foul shots in the final six minutes, including one that gave Clemson the ball with 10 seconds left. Down four, Hunter drove to the basket for a layup, but time expired before the Tigers could complete the miracle comeback.
Wade, who has reportedly lined up his next job at NC State, put his future on hold to celebrate in the moment. The fiery coach sprinted into the stands to celebrate with the McNeese faithful, soaking in a historic victory. When he returned to the locker room, his players drenched him in water, reveling in their underdog triumph.
The Cowboys entered the tournament as 7.5-point underdogs but made a statement with their aggressive defense and poise under pressure. Their win also continues a disappointing trend for the ACC, which now has only two teams left in the tournament—No. 1 seed Duke and bubble team North Carolina.
The Cowboys’ Cinderella run faces a massive challenge next, as they prepare to take on No. 4 seed Purdue in the second round. The Boilermakers handled High Point 75-63 in their opener, setting up a showdown with the upstart Cowboys. McNeese is 9-5 in nonconference play this season and has already beaten a Big Ten team—Michigan—in Ann Arbor.
Can McNeese pull off another upset? With their defense, energy, and Wade’s fearless leadership, the Cowboys have already proven they belong in March Madness.
