McNeese coach Will Wade and his manager made history on Friday as the 12th-seeded Cowboys pulled off a stunning 69-67 upset over top-ranked fifth seed Clemson in the NCAA Tournament’s first bracket buster.
Brandon Murray led the way for McNeese, scoring 21 points, including 14 of them in a stifling first half where the Southland Conference school dominated Clemson, holding them to just 13 points. The Tigers rallied in the second half, but couldn’t overcome their early struggles.
With its first NCAA Tournament victory under Wade’s leadership, McNeese earned a spot in Saturday’s second round against fourth-seeded Purdue. Former Syracuse basketball player Quadir Copeland led the Cowboys with 16 points and seven rebounds.
McNeese held Clemson to just one basket over almost eight minutes during a pivotal 17-2 first-half run that turned a tie game into a 23-8 lead. However, the Tigers rallied in the second half, led by Jaeden Zackery’s 24 points.
The win marked McNeese’s first NCAA Tournament victory under Wade and sets up an intriguing matchup with Purdue on Saturday. Despite being a significant underdog, McNeese has shown its resilience, beating Michigan last year as part of Wade’s impressive non-conference record.
Source: https://www.syracuse.com/sports/2025/03/former-syracuse-basketball-player-helps-12-seed-pull-off-ncaa-tournaments-first-bracket-buster.html