While you were sleeping: March Madness Recap

Good morning! A lot happens in sports, even when you’re busy doing other non-sports-y stuff. So here are the top headlines and moments from yesterday, in case you missed anything while you were watching Vinyl.

The best of March Madness

This might go down as the best opening weekend in March Madness history. The action was exhilarating with multiple buzzer-beaters, upsets and nail-biting finishes. Here are some of the best highlights from the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

No. 6 Notre Dame avoided being upset by No. 14 Stephen F. Austin in the East Region with a tip-in with less than two seconds left by Rex Pflueger. This game was awesome to watch as the underdog Lumberjacks gave the Fighting Irish everything they could handle. Thomas Walkup led SFA with a game-high 21 points. But in the end, Pflueger’s heroics sent Notre Dame to the Sweet 16:

Notre Dame’s Rex Pflueger tips in the game-winner. Wow. https://t.co/JiZzv9oAlC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 20, 2016

Also in the East Region, No. 7 Wisconsin upset No. 2 Xavier, 66-63, after this cold-blooded buzzer-beating step-back three-pointer by Bronson Koenig. Koenig said he channeled his “inner Steph Curry” on this shot and knew it was going in before they even ran the play:

KOENIG SENDS WISCONSIN TO THE #SWEET16!!!! https://t.co/6MnfXu2T0D

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 21, 2016

Check out Charlotte Hornets rookie and Wisconsin-alum Frank Kaminsky’s awesome reaction to the game-winner:

Frank The Tank’s reaction to that game winning shot by Bronson @FSKPart3 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/UT24IG4ydQ

— Dylan Flood (@imdtf24) March 21, 2016

Finally, the finish in the West Region between No. 3 Texas A&M and No. No. 11 Northern Iowa can be described as either an epic comeback or an epic meltdown, or both. The Panthers led by 12 with 44 seconds left only for the Aggies to erase that deficit and force overtime. Down 69-57, Texas A&M used a sound full-court press to force turnovers without fouling and go on a 14-2 run capped by Admon Gilder’s steal and layup with 1.9 seconds left to tie the game. The Aggies went on to win 92-88 in double-overtime. Check out the insane finish to regulation:

This is how you erase a 12-point deficit in 35 seconds. https://t.co/l3eJ83wDDB #MarchMadness

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) March 21, 2016

The rest of March Madness

The rest of Sunday’s games weren’t as eventful (read: blowouts). In the South Region, No. 2 Villanova dominated No. 7 Iowa from start to finish, winning 87-68 to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009. No. 5 Maryland defeated No. 13 Hawaii 73-60 in a hard-fought game that was more competitive than the final score suggests. In the Midwest, No. 10 Syracuse made the most of its tournament bid, which most said wasn’t deserved, with a 75-50 win over No. 15 Middle Tennessee State.

In the West, No. 2 Oklahoma squeaked by No. 10 VCU, 85-81, to make the Sweet 16 for the second straight year. No. 1 Oregon staved off No. 8 St. Joseph’s, 69-64, to cap the incredible weekend of college hoops.

The Sweet 16 begins on Thursday, March 24. For a complete listening schedule, visit SiriusXM’s college basketball schedule.

SiriusXM’s March Madness Coverage

We know you’re probably still trying to figure out a way to secretly watch every single tournament game from your desk at work. Fear not, because we bring you the life hacks that will allow you to outsmart your boss and enjoy every bit of March Madness your heart desires. Click here to check out the picks made by SiriusXM’s expert hosts. And remember, you can catch all of the hoops action on SiriusXM in your car, on your phone and in your home.

Look cool every morning. Find out what you missed in the sports world while you were sleeping, and impress your friends and co-workers. We won’t tell them you were actually watching Girls.