Six days before UMBC beat Virginia, Jairus Lyles made a shot that would have been worth remembering even if the next game had gone the way almost everyone expected.
On March 10, 2018, his three-pointer broke a late tie against Vermont and sent the Retrievers to the NCAA tournament. The America East game account records a 65-62 win at Vermont's Patrick Gym, with Lyles finishing on 27 points. UMBC had its second conference tournament championship and its first since 2008.
The conference title already had a name and a date for the players and supporters who followed UMBC through that season. The next game made the title shot easier to overlook.
Then came March 16 in Charlotte. UMBC beat Virginia 74-54, becoming the first No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in the NCAA men's tournament. The conference's report records 28 points for Lyles, including 23 in the second half. Suddenly the earlier celebration had company.
Learn the players' names
The seed numbers can crowd out the players. Lyles, Joe Sherburne, K.J. Maura and their teammates built the twenty-point margin possession by possession.
The Associated Press report carried by Virginia gives Sherburne 14 points and describes his part in the second-half separation. It also records the halftime tie. UMBC did not begin with a twenty-point gift. The players created that margin during the second half against the tournament's top overall seed.
Virginia had time to respond when UMBC pulled away. Sherburne scored six points early in the second half, according to McCord's account, and Lyles supplied most of his points after halftime. The margin grew because the Retrievers kept scoring against the tournament favorite.
Lyles's conference-title shot adds another layer. His team had recently trusted him with an opportunity to decide whether its season would include the NCAA tournament. Against Virginia, he had a sustained scoring responsibility. The same player could help deliver a brief deciding moment and then a larger contribution six days later.
CBR's Kalin Lucas feature places a late scoring sequence within a longer college career. Lyles had a decisive shot in Burlington and a second-half scoring run in Charlotte. Both belong to his 2018 season.
A school had people waiting for this
UMBC's university account of the Virginia win collected reactions from its community and identified Lyles as a sociology graduate pursuing education studies. In the same account, coach Ryan Odom spoke about enjoying the players' smiles and preparing for their next game.
The academic detail places Lyles inside the university whose name appeared on the uniform. The coach's reaction places the players inside a continuing team, with another assignment approaching. Lyles had a degree and another course of study underway. Odom had players to prepare for Sunday. The university celebration included both of those ordinary responsibilities.
Zac McCord, reporting from Charlotte for UMBC's student newspaper, The Retriever, described fans and spirit teams boarding campus buses in falling snow. Their trip took seven hours. At the team hotel, fans gathered and the band played as the players left for the arena. Those supporters had committed their Friday to the trip before they knew it would end in basketball history.
McCord's report also carried Lyles's thanks to the people who traveled. The guard credited their support during the game. That exchange gives the celebration a direction. The fans came to see the players, and the player noticed them. A seven-hour bus trip is a concrete commitment even when the return journey follows a loss.
Give Virginia its own people
Virginia entered as the top overall seed after a 31-2 season, according to the AP account. The Cavaliers had won enough to become the tournament favorite. Their season ended that night, while UMBC earned a result that still defines the matchup.
CBR's Virginia page covers the program today. The March 2018 Cavaliers belonged to another season. Remembering their record makes UMBC's win more substantial.
The conference report also records the next result. Kansas State beat UMBC 50-43 in the second round. The run ended. The loss belongs to the story because the players had to return and compete after a night that had already become history.
Our Pitino and Hurley discussion compares coaches over longer stretches. UMBC's weekend calls for a different scale. The conference title, the Virginia win and the Kansas State loss tell the story of one team's March.
Six days before Charlotte, Lyles sent UMBC to the tournament in Burlington. Sherburne and Maura joined him in the Virginia win. Kansas State ended the run two days later. UMBC had given its supporters two wins to remember before the trip was over.
