March Madness: 5 best games from the 2018 NCAA Tournament

Loyola vs. Nevada (Sweet Sixteen)

It may seem a little bit unfair that of all teams, Nevada shows up on this list twice and Loyola just once. But many forget just how stunning Nevada’s run was, and how compelling this sweet sixteen matchup turned out to be. It was about the most random two teams to meet for a game with so much on the line, a seven seed who had knocked off the second seed in the region, and an eleven seed who took down the third seed.

The game had everything, going back and forth throughout. No moment was a dull one. Both teams, despite their underdog status, proved that they belonged. Nevada led by 12 in the first half, but unlike their previous two games, wasn’t able to have a huge second half to pull off the victory.

For Loyola, this game summed up their improbable tournament run very well. They were forced to come back, remain resilient down the stretch, stay composed in the final seconds, and advance by just one point for the second straight game. Also, their leading scorer was Marques Townes, a gifted scorer but not exactly the team’s leader. This goes to show just how unselfish the Ramblers were during their run and how composed they were able to stay in the times where the most was on the line.