In a matchup of two schools known more for ACT and SAT scores than for basketball, it was a brain cramp that handed Northwestern a 68-66 win over Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
After Riley LaChance's driving layup gave Vanderbilt a 66-65 lead with 17.8 seconds to go, Matthew Fisher-Davis inexplicably fouled Bryant McIntosh intentionally in the backcourt. Gifted two free throws, the Wildcats star calmly sank both to reclaim the lead for good.
LaChance missed a deep three on Vandy's ensuing possession. Then, after Northwestern split a pair of free throws, Fisher-Davis's 75-foot heave at the buzzer was off the mark as the Wildcats held on.
"It's a dream come true," said McIntosh, following his game-high 25 point effort. "This is great for our school."
It was a nightmare for Fisher-Davis, who led Vanderbilt with 22 points and spearheaded the team's rally from 15 points down in the second half.
"I made a dumb*** foul," a stoic Fisher-Davis told reporters in the locker room following the game. "My mistake is why we lost."
A look at the replay shows that after LaChance's go-ahead basket, Vanderbilt coach Bryce Drew pointed to McIntosh, presumably in an attempt to get Fisher-Davis to pick him up defensively. Instead, the junior guard grabbed McIntosh right in front of his stunned coach.
"It could have been a miscommunication," Drew said. "But one mistake is not the reason we lost this game."
Fisher-Davis, who admitted that he believed Vandy was still down by one, immediately realized his mistake. He watched helplessly as McIntosh made his only two free throw attempts of the afternoon. When his desperation heave missed it's mark, Fisher-Davis hung his head and buckled over grabbing his shorts at the knees.
It can be a fine line between hero and goat in the NCAA Tournament. For much of Thursday's second half Fisher-Davis was the star.
Trailing by 15 with 13:00 left, Fisher-Davis led the Commodores back into the game with a pair of threes in a 12-0 run that cut the deficit to three. When LaChance found a wide open Jeff Roberson underneath the basket with a minute to go, Vandy had its first lead since the 16:43 mark of the first half.
It was in many ways a microcosm of the season as Vanderbilt tried to erase a slow start with a furious late rally.
Many of his teammates defended Fisher-Davis after the game, saying they wouldn't have even had a chance to win the game if it wasn't for his second half heroics.
Unfortunately, all anyone will remember from this game is a foul that will go down as one of the biggest blunders in tournament history.
For Northwestern, it was a NCAA Tournament gift that it had been waiting for for 78 years.
For Fisher-Davis and Vanderbilt, it's just a bummer.
