PORTLAND, Ore. — No. 5 Saint Mary's took advantage of No. 12 seed Indiana's grueling recent schedule, rolling to an 82-53 victory in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
It's not all bad news though. One moment from the IU basketball game has gone viral on social media, with many calling it the "play of the day."
At the start of the second half, a basketball got caught between the backboard and the shot clock. Despite attempts by players on both teams and a referee even standing on top of a folding chair with a broom, the ball wouldn't budge.
All hope seemed lost - that is until IU's cheerleading squad literally stepped up with a creative solution that one announcer said, "saved the day."
Held up by a fellow cheerleader, one Hoosier was able to successfully rescue the ball and won herself a roar of cheers from the packed crowd.
Watch the moment below:
The Hoosiers were playing the team's fifth game in seven days. Saint Mary's came in fresh from a 10-day layoff after falling to the Bulldogs in the WCC Tournament title game, the AP reports.
Indiana, which has won five NCAA championships, was making its 40th tournament appearance.
Kentucky also lost their first match-up of the NCAA tournament this week to No. 15 St. Peters in a surprising upset, ruining thousands of bracket predictions.
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