ON THIS DAY IN COLLEGE BASKETBALL
December 30.
Different years. Same date. Games worth remembering.
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
Unranked. Unforgettable.
Unranked wins over ranked teams. Best rank beaten first. Showing 14 of 98.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Butler101 | #1 Villanova93 | At home · Hinkle Fieldhouse · Indianapolis, IN |
| 2003 | Utah51 | #1 Alabama49 | At home · Jon M. Huntsman Center · Salt Lake City, UT |
| 1979 | St. John's (NY)69 | #1 Duke66 | Neutral site · N2 |
| 1998 | Hawaii76 | #2 Kansas65 | At home · Special Events Arena · Honolulu, HI |
| 1972 | Villanova77 | #3 South Carolina76 | At home · Villanova Field House · Villanova, PA |
| 1965 | Iowa76 | #3 Minnesota74 | Neutral site |
| 2009 | Arkansas96 | #4 Oklahoma88 | At home · Bud Walton Arena · Fayetteville, AR |
| 1966 | UTEP86 | #4 Iowa68 | At home |
| 1961 | Southern California90 | #4 Indiana71 | At home |
| 2018 | Alabama79 | #5 Texas A&M57 | At home · Coleman Coliseum · Tuscaloosa, AL |
| 1998 | Michigan State74 | #5 Purdue57 | On the road · Mackey Arena · West Lafayette, IN |
| 1976 | Kentucky79 | #5 Notre Dame77 | Neutral site · Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY |
| 1965 | Santa Clara73 | #5 San Francisco71 | Neutral site |
| 1981 | Minnesota76 | #6 North Carolina60 | Neutral site |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
When the ranked collide
Ranked matchups, highest-ranked team first. Showing 10 of 39.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | #1 Ohio State76 | #4 Southern California66 | On the road |
| 1960 | #3 California65 | #2 West Virginia45 | Neutral site |
| 1958 | #2 Kansas79 | #3 Kansas State65 | Neutral site |
| 1972 | #1 UCLA79 | #6 Ohio State53 | At home · Pauley Pavilion · Los Angeles, CA |
| 1971 | #2 South Carolina86 | #5 Western Kentucky84 | Neutral site |
| 1959 | #5 NC State69 | #2 Cincinnati60 | At home · Reynolds Coliseum · Raleigh, NC |
| 1977 | #6 Kentucky102 | #2 Notre Dame78 | Neutral site · Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY |
| 1988 | #1 Arizona91 | #9 Duke85 | At home · McKale Center at ALKEME Arena · Tucson, AZ |
| 1959 | #7 Michigan State75 | #4 North Carolina58 | Neutral site · RAL |
| 1956 | #4 North Carolina74 | #8 Duke64 | Neutral site · N1 |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
Down to the wire
Ranked teams. Three points or fewer between them.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | #3 South Carolina84 | #13 Notre Dame83 | 1 pt |
| 2018 | #12 Oklahoma90 | #10 Texas Christian89 | 1 pt |
| 1971 | #2 South Carolina86 | #5 Western Kentucky84 | 2 pts |
| 1953 | #11 NC State76 | #6 Holy Cross74 | 2 pts |
| 1956 | #12 George Washington65 | #16 Michigan State62 | 3 pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
Top ten. Taken down.
The widest losses by a team ranked in the top ten.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | #1 UCLA79 | #6 Ohio State53 | 26 pts |
| 1956 | California70 | #6 Iowa45 | 25 pts |
| 1977 | #6 Kentucky102 | #2 Notre Dame78 | 24 pts |
| 2018 | Alabama79 | #5 Texas A&M57 | 22 pts |
| 1972 | #16 Maryland90 | #9 St. John's (NY)69 | 21 pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
Never count them out
Largest deficits erased, measured from play-by-play. Earliest on file: 2006.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Trailed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | South Alabama61 | Old Dominion59 | Trailed by 22 |
| 2017 | Seattle80 | UC Santa Barbara76 | Trailed by 20 |
| 2018 | California77 | Stanford74 | Trailed by 17 |
| 2015 | UC Riverside68 | Morgan State63 | Trailed by 17 |
| 2008 | San Jose State77 | South Dakota State71 | Trailed by 17 |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
Points on points
The highest combined scores on this date.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Loyola Marymount130 | Nevada125 | 255 total pts |
| 2000 | Texas Christian143 | Grambling110 | 253 total pts |
| 2007 | Penn State129 | Virginia Military Institute111 | 240 total pts |
| 1965 | Boston College120 | Utah State118 | 238 total pts |
| 1988 | Loyola Marymount127 | Holy Cross104 | 231 total pts |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
You had to be there
The biggest crowds, by announced attendance.
| Season | Winner | Opponent | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Kentucky78 | Eastern Kentucky65 | 23,528 fans |
| 2009 | #13 Syracuse100 | Seton Hall76 | 23,152 fans |
| 2003 | #14 Kentucky115 | Tennessee State87 | 22,052 fans |
| 2007 | Syracuse82 | St. Bonaventure70 | 21,794 fans |
| 2008 | #1 North Carolina90 | Valparaiso58 | 21,046 fans |
ON THIS DAY · December 30PAINT
Big nights
The highest-scoring individual games on this date.
| Season | Player | Game | Line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Stefon Jackson | UTEP vs. Santa Clara | 44 pts · 8 reb · 2 ast · 4 threes |
| 2004 | Derrick Tarver | Akron vs. Wright State | 44 pts · 5 reb · 0 ast · 10 threes |
| 2005 | Keydren (Keekee) Clark | Saint Peter's vs. College of Charleston | 43 pts · 2 reb · 2 ast · 4 threes |
| 2014 | Trey Sumler | Western Carolina vs. Milligan | 40 pts · 7 reb · 3 ast · 7 threes |
| 2009 | Brent Benson | Texas State vs. McMurry | 40 pts · 3 reb · 3 ast · 9 threes |