March 21, 2013

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's memorable win over top-ranked DePaul in 1981 has been named one of the top moments in NCAA Tournament history as part of the 75th anniversary celebration of March Madness.

As part of this celebration, NCAA Tournament sites around the country will recognize teams and players local to those areas. Jim Lynam, the head coach of the Hawks' 1981 team, will represent Saint Joseph's and be honored at the NCAA Second Round on Friday night, March 22, at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Saint Joseph's win over DePaul is grouped together with two other great moments that happened within minutes of each other. First, U.S. Reed made a halfcourt shot to lift Arkansas over defending national champion Louisville. Then, just minutes later, Rolando Blackman hit a jumper at the buzzer to give Kansas State a win over top-seeded Oregon State. And right after that, John Smith converted the layup to give the Hawks the upset of DePaul. NBC's coverage allowed viewers to see all three finishes and people recognize that day, March 14, 1981, as the birth of March Madness

75 Years of March Madness

After winning the East Coast Conference championship, ninth-seeded Saint Joseph's opened the 1981 tournament against eighth-seeded Creighton, and defeated its fellow Jesuit school, 59-57.

That secured a date with the nation's number-one team, DePaul, in the NCAA Second Round in Dayton on March 14. The Blue Demons, who featured National Player of the Year Mark Aguirre and future NBA Rookie of the Year Terry Cummings, were considered the favorite to capture the national title.

Lynam and the Hawks managed to frustrate the Blue Demons from the opening tip, using the "four to score" offensive strategy to slow the game down, keeping it a low-scoring game. DePaul led, 48-45, as the game was winding down, but SJU's John Smith won a key jump ball and Bryan Warrick hit a jumper to cut the Hawk deficit to 48-47 with 48 seconds remaining.

With 13 seconds left, a Saint Joseph's foul sent Skip Dillard to the line, but the usually reliable Blue Demon missed the front end of the one-and-one. Warrick rebounded and brought the ball right up the court, finding Lonnie McFarlan in the corner. McFarlan faked a shot, drew two defenders and then passed in mid-air to Smith, who was under the basket. The senior was wide open underneath, making the easy layup as time expired, giving the Hawks the stunning 49-48 upset in a game that will forever be remembered in SJU history.