The lowest scoring game in the history of the NCAA Tournament took place in 1941, when North Carolina beat Pittsburgh, 26-20.
Many of the lowest-scoring games of all time took place prior to the implementation of the shot clock in 1985. The scores are noticeably lower than in almost any modern game.ย
As a result, they look more like college football scores than college basketball scores.ย
Lowest-Scoring Games in March Madness History (All Time)
| Score | Total Points | Year | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| USC 38, Colorado 32 | 70 | 1940 | Round 1 |
| Indiana 39, Duquesne 30 | 69 | 1940 | Round 1 |
| Wisconsin 36, Pittsburgh 30 | 66 | 1941 | Final Four |
| Duquesne 30, Western Kentucky 29 | 59 | 1940 | Round 1 |
| Pittsburgh 26, North Carolina 20 | 46 | 1941 | Round 1 |
Nothing quite comes close to those all-time rock fights from the 1940s, but there are still a handful of ultra-low-scoring games from the last 25 years.
Any NCAA Tournament game that checks in under 100 points is a low-scoring affair, regardless of what era it was played in.
Hopefully, those of you who dabble in NCAA basketball odds had the under on at least one or two of these.
Lowest-Scoring Games in March Madness History (Since 2000)
| Score | Total Points | Year | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia State 50, Wisconsin 49 | 99 | 2001 | Round 1 |
| UCLA 70, Miss. Valley State 29 | 99 | 2008 | Round 1 |
| Murray State 58, Colorado State 41 | 99 | 2012 | Round 1 |
| Pittsburgh 53, UCF 44 | 97 | 2004 | Round 1 |
| Michigan 57, Wofford 40 | 97 | 2014 | Round 1 |
| UCLA 50, Memphis 45 | 95 | 2006 | Regional Final |
| Michigan State 53, Wisconsin 41 | 94 | 2000 | Final Four |
| UConn 53, Butler 41 | 94 | 2011 | Championship |
| Syracuse 55, Marquette 39 | 94 | 2013 | Regional Final |
| Villanova 50, Houston 44 | 94 | 2022 | Regional Final |
| Utah 48, St. Louis 45 | 93 | 2000 | Round 1 |
| Butler 47, Mississippi State 46 | 93 | 2003 | Round 1 |
| Kansas State 50, UMBC 43 | 93 | 2018 | Round 2 |
| Wisconsin 47, Pittsburgh 43 | 90 | 2016 | Round 1 |
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