March Madness starts early with Lehigh's miraculous half-court buzzer-beater

Both the calendar and hoops tribunal accidental it is March.

Lehigh University precocious to the Patriot League tourney semifinals connected Thursday nighttime aft a half-court supplication went thing but nett astatine the buzzer.

Nasir Whitlock of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks shoots a three-point tract extremity effort during an NCAA men's hoops crippled astatine Oceanfirst Bank Center successful West Long Branch, New Jersey connected Dec. 21, 2025. (Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Nasir Whitlock caught the inbound walk with 2.1 seconds left, dribbled up 2 steps and heaved his changeable toward the basket.

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Whitlock was mobbed by his teammates erstwhile the changeable went successful for a 69-66 triumph implicit Holy Cross.

Lehigh led by arsenic galore arsenic 9 aboriginal connected successful the game, getting retired to a 16-7 pb wrong the archetypal 6:29 of the crippled and starring by 5 astatine halftime. After Lehigh got the archetypal bucket of the 2nd half, Holy Cross went connected a 15-6 tally to instrumentality a four-point lead, which they yet would turn to six with 2:43 to go.

Lehigh Mountain Hawks defender Nasir Whitlock (1) successful enactment during a hoops crippled against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos astatine the Resorts World Las Vegas Classic hoops tourney connected Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, astatine the Resorts World successful Las Vegas, Nevada. (Marc Sanchez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

But the Mountain Hawks battled backmost acknowledgment to Whitlock knocking down a brace of escaped throws and past making a layup to way by two. Hank Alvey's layup tied the crippled with 1:12 to go, but Holy Cross' Gabe Warren made a jumper with 21 seconds near to enactment the Crusaders backmost up.

Whitlock, though, tied the crippled again with 11 seconds left, and aft a atrocious Holy Cross walk changed possession, Whitlock became the hero.

Whitlock went 11-for-24, including each of his past four, to decorativeness with 29 points. Nine of those points came successful the last 2:30 of the game, and helium knocked down 4 of his six three-pointers, including each of his last 2 successful crunch time.

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Nasir Whitlock of the Lehigh Mountain Hawks drives the shot during an NCAA men's hoops crippled astatine Oceanfirst Bank Center successful West Long Branch, New Jersey, connected Dec. 21, 2025  (Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Tyler Boston led the Crusaders (11-for-22) successful scoring, finishing with 24 points. Holy Cross besides got 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks from Warren. Aiden Disu finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

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The Mountain Hawks volition determination connected to play No. 3-seeded Colgate connected Friday. They person not made the tourney since 2012, when, arsenic a 15-seed led by CJ McCollum, they upset No. 2 Duke.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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