UAlbany hoops team exits NCAA tournament after a good effort

ualbany florida ncaa screengrab

The #16 seed UAlbany men's basketball team lost to #1 seed Florida 67-55 in the NCAA tournament's round of 64 Thursday afternoon.

The Great Danes put up a good fight. The two teams traded the lead back and forth through the first half before the Gators took a six point lead into the locker room at halftime. Florida didn't relinquish the lead the rest of the game. (The the score was tied for a bit around the 14 minute mark of the second half.) UAlbany played hard -- it was just up against too much size and strength.

DJ Evans had another stand-out game for the Great Danes. The 5-9 (maybe) guard took a beating going up against the much bigger Gators. But he finished as the game's leading scorer, with 21 points (on 6-12 shooting) with 6 rebounds.

An Albany win would have been a titanic upset. A 16 seed has never beaten a 1 seed. And Florida hadn't lost since December. These match-ups are usually blow outs. UAlbany's 12-point loss was an atypically small margin for a #1 vs. #16 game.

The Great Danes finish the season 19-15, including its "first four" win this week -- the program's first-ever NCAA tournament win.

screengrab: TBS/NCAA March Madness Live

Comments

The Danes played great today, and if not for a bad break or two (Evans getting kneed in the head) the game could have been much closer.

Very proud to be a UAlbany grad and looking forward to the future success of the basketball program.

Watching these guys (especially DJ Evans!) play their hearts out (and do so with a humble mix of optimism, humor, and effort) gave me a true taste of school spirit -- something I didn't often feel while a student at this large state school, not well-known for its athletic programs, with a student body and community that was largely apathetic toward its sports teams.

Although it would have been fantastic to see these great underdogs win (no, I didn't have a bracket), cause that crazy upset, and send the Gators crawling back to the swamp, I think the Danes at least made sure this country now knows who they are.

I can only hope this means great things to come for the school and its basketball team! Thanks to the team for making this Great Dane proud!

A seed other than 16 would have them playing tomorrow.

UALBANY- GREAT GAME GREAT SEASON GREAT PLAYERS AND COACHES.

The number 16 David almost Slayed # 1 Goliath, resulting in ONLY a 12 point UAlbany loss. I'm looking forward to watching UAlbany's basketball program in the 2014-2015 season.

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