What Is the Highest Score at a March Madness Game Ever?

March Madness is the tournament that crowns the yearly champion in college basketball. Naturally, the teams competing are some of the best in the country, and the games are some of the best of the season. Keep reading to learn about the highest-scoring game in March Madness history.
Highest Combined Score
The highest combined score ever recorded in a March Madness game is 264 points. In the second round of the 1990 NCAA Tournament, 11-seeded Loyola Marymount embarrassed three-seeded Michigan in this record-setting performance. The Lions had a strong first half, taking a 65-58 lead into halftime.
Loyola Marymount really stepped on the gas in the second half, scoring 84 points to Michigan’s 57 for a final score of 149-115. Scoring was led by Jeff Fryer, sinking 75% of his shots for 41 points. This was also the most points scored by a single team in March Madness history. The Lions went on to beat seven-seeded Alabama in the Regional Semifinal before losing to two-seeded UNLV in the final.
Biggest Point Difference
The biggest point difference in a March Madness game occurred in 1963 between Loyola-Chicago and Tennessee Tech. During the first game either team played in that year’s NCAA tournament, the Ramblers started out strong, and the Golden Eagles were already down by 41 points by halftime. The match ended with a final score of 111-42, and Loyola-Chicago won by a record margin of 69 points. The closest a winning margin ever got to this game was in 2016 when Villanova defeated Chicago by 44 points.
Highest Score In Women’s March Madness
The highest score ever seen in a Women’s March Madness game was in 1987 between Cal State Long Beach and San Jose State. During the matchup, the 6-seed Long Beach 49ers defeated the San Jose State Spartans by a massive margin of 80 points. The final score of the game was 149-69, an NCAA record. Spartan forward Cindy Brown, in the same match, broke the NCAA record for most points by a player in a single game, scoring 60 of her team’s 69 points.
FAQ
What was the highest-scoring March Madness game ever?
The highest-scoring March Madness game ever was the second-round game between Loyola Marymount and Michigan in the 1990 tournament. Although the game reached a cumulative high score of 264 points, Loyola Marymount outpaced Michigan the entire time. They carried a significant lead through the first half and defeated Michigan with a final score of 149-115.
How many March Madness games have had a score over 200 points?
In March Madness history, there have been 17 games with a score over 200 points. These exceptional games range from the 202 combined points by UAB and Washington in the first round of 2004 to the highest-scoring game ever, 264 points scored by Loyola Marymount and Michigan in the second round in 1990. There were also two games that had a combined score of exactly 200 points.
What is the highest score by a single team in a March Madness game?
The highest score by a single team in a March Madness game was by Loyola Marymount during the 1990 NCAA Tournament. During their matchup with Michigan, the Lions scored a record 149 points over the Wolverines’ 115 points. The same game was also the highest combined score ever recorded for a March Madness game.