College Basketball upsets of the past week

Last weekend was headlined by major rivalry upsets in men’s college basketball, shaking up the rankings and raising questions about some top programs. Here’s a look at the games that stunned the world of college basketball.

No. 14 North Carolina Upsets No. 4 Duke

The first upset from the weekend featured an ACC in-state rivalry between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Duke Blue Devils, a matchup that became a contender for game of the year.

These two’s first matchup of the season was nothing shy of thrilling and brought late-game drama to the hardwood.

Coming down to the wire, North Carolina’s Seth Trimble hit a walk-off corner three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the game, to stun Duke and win 71-68, handing the Blue Devils their second loss of the season.

Fans rushed the court following the game-winner, the second time they stormed the floor. The court had to be cleared earlier after fans rushed on before Trimble’s game-winning shot, allowing Duke its last chance.

UNC trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half and did not take the lead until the final shot. Last season, Duke controlled the narrative and won all three matchups vs. UNC.

In ACC standings, Duke is currently tied with Clemson for first place at 10-1 in conference play. North Carolina sits fifth at 7-3. North Carolina is up three spots in the AP Top-25, at No. 11, while Duke remained at No. 4.

These two programs will meet again for the second time on their final game of the regular season, March 7, where Duke will host UNC. It will be interesting to see if the Blue Devils find revenge and flip the script, or if the Tar Heels can keep that same momentum from Saturday’s game.

No. 22 St. John’s Upsets No.3 UConn

The St. John’s Red Storm welcomed the UConn Huskies to Madison Square Garden on Friday night in front of a sold-out crowd.

Coming off their ninth straight conference win, St. John’s had all of the momentum, carrying them into playing this highly anticipated matchup, while UConn entered looking to extend its 18-game winning streak.

St. John’s had other plans.

Led by National Player of the Week Zuby Ejiofor, the Red Storm handed UConn its first conference loss of the season with an 81-72 victory. The win snapped the Huskies’ 18-game streak and marked St. John’s third consecutive win over UConn.

The Red Storm have surged after a midseason turnaround and established themselves at the top of one of the nation’s toughest conferences.

UConn has dropped to No. 6 in the AP Top-25 poll, while St. John’s climbed to No. 17.

These two teams will meet again in Connecticut on Feb 25, with St. John’s win streak over UConn on the line.

As the regular season winds down, these upsets have reshaped the national landscape and added intrigue heading into March.

Gina Scarpa is a second-year broadcast journalism student. To contact her, please email gfs5427@psu.edu.