The Thrill of Victory: A History of NCAA Buzzer Beaters

The NCAA tournament is synonymous with high-stakes drama, bracket-busting upsets, and unforgettable moments. Among these, the buzzer beater stands out as the pinnacle of excitement, a single shot that can etch a player and a game into college basketball lore. It is as mesmerizing as it is memorable. Every game is a Game 7. Tears, the celebration. Office pools and bracket challenges. It still has a nostalgic feel to it. A career, a legacy defined in two to three seconds.

Defining the Buzzer Beater

In timed sports, a buzzer beater is defined as a successful shot made as the clock expires at the end of a period or the end of the game, leaving zero seconds remaining on the clock. A buzzer sounds whenever a game clock expires, hence the name "buzzer beater." In basketball, the concept normally applies to baskets made at the end of a quarter, the second half, or overtime. A buzzer beater only counts if it leaves the player's fingers before the shot clock runs out. If the ball remains in the player's hands, then the shot violates the Trent Tucker Rule and does not count. Officials in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are required to use instant replay to verify whether a shot that is made at the end of a period was released before the game clock expired. We don't get one every year but some years we're spoiled and we get multiple.

Memorable Buzzer Beaters in NCAA Tournament History

Here's your one-stop shop to re-watch and reminisce upon true buzzer-beaters in NCAA tournament history.

1. Villanova vs. North Carolina (2016 National Championship)

Kris Jenkins' title-winning 3-pointer is the gold standard for buzzer-beaters in the NCAA tournament. The dream of all dreams. Hundreds of times. A few seconds left. The ball in your hands. Title on the line. The timing is an underrated aspect of this play. On time, and right on target - soft and chest-high.

2. Duke vs. Kentucky (1992 Regional Final)

Kentucky fans, look away. This game was one for the ages. Christian Laettner's second NCAA tournament buzzer-beater - the one to beat Kentucky - isn't far behind Lorenzo Charles and Kris Jenkins' buzzer-beaters go in a special category as shots that each won a national championship. In the 1992 East Regional Final, with 2.1 seconds left and down 103-102 in overtime, Duke forward Christian Laettner caught a full-court inbounds pass from Grant Hill. He turned and hit a 17 foot (5.2 m) shot at the buzzer to give the Duke Blue Devils a 104-103 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. Laettner was the inbounder and as the broadcast notes, UConn declined to defend him, which proved to be the Huskies' downfall. The Blue Devils were the reigning national champions and they were national runners-up in 1990.

3. Gonzaga vs. UCLA (2021 Final Four)

In what was immediately apparent as one of the biggest shots in the history of the sport, Gonzaga freshman guard Jalen Suggs sent the then-undefeated Zags to the national championship game on the third-longest game-winning buzzer-beater in the history of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Did we miss anything wrong.

4. Kansas vs. Memphis (2008 National Championship)

Mario Chalmers's game-tying three-pointer against Memphis sent the game into overtime, where Kansas ultimately prevailed. Crucial free-throw misses opened the door for Kansas.

5. Michigan vs. Villanova (2018 National Championship)

Although not a buzzer-beater in the strictest sense, Donte DiVincenzo's performance in this game, including several clutch shots, cemented his place in NCAA Tournament history. And he carried the Wolverines all season long.

6. UCLA vs. Missouri (1995 Second Round)

Tyus Edney's coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer saved UCLA from an upset against Missouri. Having the superior roster, they probably should have lost. The Bruins were loaded! Played in the NBA. That was a No. 1 seed vs. a No. 8 seed matchup with the better-ranked Bruins escaping the second round.

7. Michigan vs. Purdue (1994 Second Round)

With one of the most iconic plays in Michigan basketball history, Chris Webber hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to lift the Wolverines over Purdue. Shots in Ann Arbor.

Read also: Crafting Your NCAA Profile

8. Valparaiso vs. Ole Miss (1998 First Round)

Bryce Drew's game-winning three-pointer, off a full-court pass from his brother, is one of the most memorable upsets in tournament history. This list. Throws and an underrated pass. This was an all-time buzzer-beater for several reasons. It was a No. 14 seed over a No. 3 seed and at the time, there had only been three 15-over-2 upsets, making a victory for a No. It also involved a three-quarters-court pass and a 3-pointer - two elements that would independently lead to a memorable finish, let alone a buzzer-beater that involved both. Plus, Bryce Drew, who hit the shot, was playing for his father Homer, who coached at Valpo from 1988 until 2011. Bryce Drew most recently coached at Vanderbilt, while his brother is at the helm at Baylor, which set the record as the seventh team to reach AP No.

9. Connecticut vs. Washington (1998 Sweet Sixteen)

Richard Hamilton's jumper with less than a second remaining gave UConn a thrilling victory over Washington. Times before. This entire sequence was amazing.

10. Wisconsin vs. Xavier (2016 Second Round)

Bronson Koenig's step-back three-pointer at the buzzer sent Wisconsin past Xavier in a thrilling second-round matchup. Wisconsin has been on both ends of a buzzer-beater in recent years with the No. 7-seeded Badgers knocking off No. 2 seed Xavier in the second round in 2016, only for the Badgers to lose on a buzzer-beater the following season. On March 20, 2016, during the second round of the 2016 NCAA tournament, with 2.6 seconds left and the game tied at 63, Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig made a three-point buzzer beater after receiving an inbound pass from Ethan Happ.

11. Michigan State vs. Duke (2005 Sweet Sixteen)

Mateen Cleaves found Shannon Brown for a game-winning layup in the final seconds, sending Michigan State to the Elite Eight. Waning seconds of a game, it paid off for him big time.

More Memorable Moments

N.C. State vs. Houston (1983 National Championship): Lorenzo Charles's dunk at the buzzer, off an airball from Dereck Whittenburg, gave N.C. State an improbable national title. Dubbed "The Dunk," by the Technician (North Carolina State University newspaper), in the 1983 NCAA Championship Finals, NC State forward Lorenzo Charles caught Dereck Whittenburg's airball and dunked it as time expired to defeat Houston 54-52. NC State won its last ten games of the season, including the ACC Tournament Championship, to become eligible for the NCAA Tournament. As a 10-loss No. 6 seed, N.C. State won its second national championship in 1983, thanks to Lorenzo Charles cleaning up teammate Dereck Whittenburg's last-ditch heave to the basket to beat No. 1 seed Houston. The Wolfpack beat two No. 1 seeds (also, No. 1 seed Virginia), No. 3 seed UNLV and No.
Georgia Tech vs. USC (1992 Second Round): James Forrest's three-pointer at the buzzer lifted Georgia Tech over USC. In the 1992 NCAA Tournament, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets' coach Bobby Cremins led an inexperienced Tech team to the Sweet 16, thanks to James Forrest's buzzer-beating game-winning three-pointer in the second round against USC (to which CBS commentator Al McGuire famously shouted, "Holy mackerel! Holy mackerel! Holy mackerel!"). Georgia Tech initially had 2.2 seconds for its final play and it put four players around the circle at midcourt but the ball was knocked out of bounds, giving the Yellow Jackets the ball near halfcourt.
Northwestern State vs. Iowa (2006 First Round): Jermaine Wallace's three-pointer at the buzzer gave No. 14 seed Northwestern State a stunning upset over No. 3 seed Iowa. In the 2006 NCAA Tournament First Round, #14 seed Northwestern State (LA) stunned the #3 seed Iowa Hawkeyes 64-63 with a last-second three-pointer "off the heels" in the far corner by Jermaine Wallace.
Northern Iowa vs. Texas (2016 First Round): Paul Jesperson's half-court shot at the buzzer gave Northern Iowa a dramatic win over Texas. This is Northern Iowa's second appearance on this list. The Panthers missed a free throw with the chance to go up 73-70 against the Longhorns with just over 10 seconds remaining, then Texas came down the floor and tied the game. But that was no problem for Northern Iowa's Paul Jesperson, who wasn't guarded on the inbounds pass, then cut past two defenders before launching a halfcourt, banked-in buzzer-beater for the win over the No. O'Donnell, Ricky (March 19, 2016). "Northern Iowa stuns Texas with halfcourt, game-winning buzzer beater". SB Nation.
Loyola Chicago vs. Miami (FL) (2018 First Round): Donte Ingram's three-pointer at the buzzer propelled Loyola Chicago on their Cinderella run to the Final Four. Loyola Chicago's Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018 wouldn't have been possible without Donte Ingram's buzzer-beating 3-pointer against Miami (FL) in the first round. The officials ultimately put 0.3 seconds back on the clock, which was enough time for Miami to attempt a full-court pass but the pass was tipped and Loyola Chicago advanced.
UCLA vs. Alabama (2021 Elite Eight): UCLA's David Singleton made a pair of free throws to put the Bruins ahead by three, 65-62, with 4.2 seconds left. Alabama called a timeout, knowing it needed a three to extend its season and force overtime. The Crimson Tide was one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the country in terms of attempts - 46.5 percent of its shots were 3-pointers, according to kenpom.com - and surprisingly, it ended up being Reese, who was a 28.2-percent 3-point shooter that season, who hit the overtime-forcing shot. He caught a pass from teammate Jahvon Quinerly and was left relatively unguarded by UCLA's, so he fired from the lower lefthand corner of the March Madness logo at midcourt and drained it. During UCLA's historic First Four-to-Final Four run in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the Bruins won two of their first four tournament games in overtime and the second of those games, in the Elite Eight against No.

Buzzer Beaters Beyond the NCAA Tournament

The phenomenon of the buzzer beater isn't limited to just the NCAA Tournament. They occur in regular season games, conference tournaments, and professional leagues around the world. Here are a few notable examples:

Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic (1998): Voshon Lenard hit a buzzer beater to give his Miami Heat a 79-76 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Chicago Bulls vs. Indiana Pacers (2021): DeMar DeRozan of the Chicago Bulls scores the one-legged buzzer beater to lead the Chicago Bulls to a 108-106 victory over Indiana Pacers.
Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets (2022): Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors scored a buzzer beater against the Houston Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. to allow the Warriors to win 105-103. Stephen Curry's clutch shot gave the Golden State Warriors a 115-114 lead against the Denver Nuggets.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers (2025): LeBron James's game-winning tip-in shot stunned the Indiana Pacers in the Los Angeles Lakers' 120-119 road win.
Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers (2025): Josh Giddey capped his triple-double performance of 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists with a half-court buzzer beater over LeBron James in the Chicago Bulls' 119-117 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Other Sports

The concept of a "buzzer beater" extends beyond basketball:

Ice Hockey: A buzzer beater is a goal that is scored just before the clock expires in a period.
Australian Rules Football: There are kicks after the siren, where a mark or free kick awarded just before the end of a quarter may be kicked as the final action of that period.
Gridiron Football: A touchdown after time expires or a field goal kicked as time expires can be described as a "buzzer beater".
Rugby Union: The game does not end until the ball goes dead after the time has expired.
Association Football: Matches or halves are ended at the main referee's discretion.
Field Lacrosse: The National Federation of State High School Associations rules allow for buzzer-beaters.
Handball: Goals in regular gameplay only count if they cross the goal line before time runs out.

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