No. 12 seed McNeese stunned No. 5 seed Clemson with a xx-xx victory on Thursday in the first round. McNeese will face No. 4 seed Purdue on Saturday with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line. The Southland conference entered this season 0-7 all-time against the ACC in the NCAA Tournament before McNeese's shocking win.

The Cowboys capitalized on Clemson's cold first half, outscoring them 31-13 before halftime. Although Clemson fought back with a blistering 54-point second half, McNeese held firm down the stretch, with clutch free throws from Jordan Garcia sealing the victory.

ESPN’s NCAA Tournament perfect bracket tracker listed 1,390,150 remaining after No. 12 seed McNeese beat No. 5 seed Clemson