Oklahoma State Stuns Colorado In Nail-Biting NCAA Tournament Upset

Oklahoma State Stuns Colorado In Nail-Biting NCAA Tournament Upset...

Oklahoma State pulled off a dramatic 72-68 upset over Colorado in the NCAA Tournament's first round on Thursday night, sending shockwaves through March Madness brackets nationwide. The 10th-seeded Cowboys (22-11) overcame a 12-point second-half deficit behind guard Bryce Thompson's 21 points, eliminating the 7th-seeded Buffaloes (24-10) in Dayton, Ohio.

The game trended nationally as one of the tournament's most thrilling opening matchups, featuring 15 lead changes and a controversial no-call in the final minute. Colorado star KJ Simpson appeared to be fouled on a potential game-tying three-pointer with 8 seconds remaining, but officials allowed play to continue.

Social media erupted over the disputed ending, with #MarchMadness and #OKStateVsCU both trending on Twitter. Colorado coach Tad Boyle called it "the toughest loss of my career" in postgame interviews, while Oklahoma State advances to face 2nd-seeded Tennessee on Saturday.

Analysts note this marks Oklahoma State's first tournament win since 2021, despite playing under NCAA sanctions. The Cowboys held Colorado to 38% shooting in the second half, with forward Quion Williams grabbing 12 rebounds. Colorado's Simpson finished with 18 points but missed 5 of 6 three-point attempts.

The upset eliminated nearly 30% of perfect brackets in ESPN's Tournament Challenge before Friday's games began. Sportsbooks reported heavy losses as Oklahoma State closed as 3.5-point underdogs. The game's dramatic finish and bracket-busting outcome fueled its viral traction Thursday night into Friday morning.

Viewership peaked at 6.8 million during the final minutes, making it the most-watched first-round game on truTV this tournament. Oklahoma State now looks to continue its Cinderella run against a Volunteers team that won the SEC Tournament last week.