Filipino-American guard Terrence Hill Jr. delivered the biggest game of his young career and one of the most explosive performances of the NCAA Tournament, leading VCU to a stunning 82-78 overtime win over North Carolina in the first round on March 19 in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 11th-seeded Rams looked headed for elimination after falling behind by as many as 19 points in the second half, but Hill took over when VCU needed him most. The sophomore erupted for a career-high 34 points, knocking down 7 of his 10 attempts from beyond the arc and scoring 23 points after halftime to fuel the comeback.
Hill’s defining moment came in overtime, when he buried a step-back three-pointer with 15 seconds left to put VCU ahead for good. His late-game shotmaking completed one of the most dramatic turnarounds of the opening round and sent the Rams into the second round for the first time since 2016.
VCU trailed 39-28 at halftime and was still down 56-37 with 15:58 remaining before mounting its rally. Hill ignited the charge, including a game-tying layup with 11 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime. Reuters described the comeback as the second-largest second-half rally in NCAA Tournament history.
The Rams improved to 28-7 and advanced to face the winner of the Illinois-Penn matchup for a spot in the Sweet 16. For Hill, it was the kind of breakout March Madness moment that instantly puts a player on the national map — and for Filipino basketball fans, another Fil-Am name to keep a close eye on. (JNV)
