All 5 Virginia Teams Out of Big Dance After Heartbreaking First Round

It was a bit of a surprise that five teams from Virginia got into the NCAA Tournament. As the Round of 32 is getting underway today, it’s also a bit of a surprise that zero teams remain. Everyone is gone, from Virginia to Norfolk State, and most of the losses came in heartbreaking fashion.

Top-seeded local team Virginia came in with a mountain of things working against them and lost a close game 62-58 to No. 13 Ohio. They spent the entire week ahead of the tournament in quarantine, limiting practice and travel time. By the time the tournament started, they were the only team in the field not in Indianapolis.

Virginia fans were definitely upset by the upset, but they didn’t have it as bad as VCU, the No. 10 seed in the West Region. The Rams didn’t even get to play. Hours before their game on Saturday night, they had COVID-19 issues come to light, forcing them into a forfeit.

Virginia Tech, the No. 10 seed in the South, and Liberty, the No. 13 seed in the Midwest, also had hard luck in the first round. Both teams led their opponent at halftime — Virginia Tech by 6; Liberty by 3 — only to lose down the stretch. The Hokies took No. 7 Florida to overtime, falling 75-70, while Liberty fell by single digits to No. 4 Oklahoma State. The Flames held tight until midway through the second half when OSU pulled away and won 69-60.

Norfolk State, the final Virginia team in the dance and only one to win a game, lost to top-seeded Gonzaga 98-55 after winning their First Four game against Appalachian State.

Richmond, while falling short of the Big Dance, won their first NIT game and will play Mississippi State in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 6pm (ESPN2). Longwood will compete in the 2021 CBI, which starts tomorrow (March 22) on FloHoops.