RICHMOND, Va. — "VCU is the bracket-busting team. All your brackets are busted."
That declaration from one jubilant VCU fan summed up the scene Thursday night at Home Team Grille on Main Street, where a packed crowd of Rams faithful watched their team pull off one of the most stunning upsets in recent NCAA Tournament memory.
Dressed in black and gold and riding every momentum swing, VCU fans roared as the 11th-seeded Rams erased a 19-point second-half deficit to stun sixth-seeded North Carolina 82-78 in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
"It feels like the Siegel Center atmosphere — pretty awesome," one fan said of the electric atmosphere inside the restaurant.
Watch the moment VCU fans erupt after Rams beat UNC Tar Heels
"This is Richmond. This is March Madness. Let's go," another celebrating fan shouted.
The game gave them plenty to cheer about.
Terrence Hill Jr., who struggled in the first half, caught fire after the break and finished with 34 points, going 7 of 10 from 3-point range.
He scored 23 of those points after halftime as VCU (28-7) shot 62% from the field in the second half, going 7 of 10 from beyond the arc to force overtime.
With the Rams trailing 78-77 in overtime, Hill delivered the dagger. His stepback 3-pointer with 15 seconds left from beyond the top of the key gave VCU an 80-78 lead.
Nyk Lewis sealed it with two free throws in the closing seconds of overtime to send Richmond into a frenzy.
"I know my team needs me down the stretch," Hill said. "Going into the second half, I wanted to be as aggressive as possible."
It was VCU's first March Madness win since 2016, and the comeback ranked as the sixth-largest in tournament history and the second-biggest second-half comeback ever, trailing only Nevada's 22-point rally against Cincinnati in 2018.
North Carolina (25-8) had built a 19-point lead with 15 minutes left in regulation behind Henri Veesaar, who finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds.
But the 7-foot center tired down the stretch and finished with three turnovers.
VCU center Lazar Djokovic said a little trash talk helped spark the Rams' run.
"I've been talking to the big fella the whole game," Djokovic said of Veesaar. "It kind of got me mad. I hit those back-to-back 3s, and from then on we smelled the blood. We see the look in their faces, and from then on, we just went on a run.”
VCU coach Phil Martelli Jr. said the comeback was no surprise to those who have followed this team all season.
"This game was the perfect microcosm of who this group has been," Martelli said. "They've been resilient as much as any group I've ever been around. We've done it all year."
For North Carolina coach Hubert Davis, the defeat marked the third time in four seasons the Tar Heels have failed to reach the Round of 32. The team was also without star Caleb Wilson, sidelined for the season with a broken thumb.
Now the Rams move on, and Richmond's fans are ready for more.
VCU will face No. 3 seed Illinois, who won 105-70 over Penn, in the second round Saturday at 7:50 p.m. in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Fighting Illini are 10.5-point favorites.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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