Which teams have the lowest scoring halves in NCAA Tournament history?

The low-scoring brickfest that was Virginia versus Colorado State, which ended in a 67-42 loss for the Cavaliers with the Rams moving on, has fans wondering whether the NCAA Tournament has ever seen something as low-scoring as this. And indeed, it has – as there`s been more than enough games to look back on encompassing the Tournament`s 85-year history.

For those who thought that Virginia versus Colorado`s 27-14 first-half score was an outlier, you`d be completely wrong.

Here are three of the lowest-scoring halves ever recorded in March Madness history, going as far back as possible:

Breakdown of top 3 lowest scoring halves in NCAA Tournament history

Before we get started, a disclaimer: All of these games are from an era when basketball rules were completely different, and when there was no 3-point line.

#1. Pitt vs UNC, 1941 (Pitt 26, UNC 20)

This game held in Madison, Wisconsin on March 21, 1941, is the single, lowest-scoring game ever in NCAA Tournament history when it was all said and done. Pitt defeated UNC 26-20, with a first-half score of 12-8, with the Tar Heels leading at the break (via Sports-Reference).

It was the East Regional semifinals and this loss meant that the Tar Heels bowed out of the tournament. Now, this was back in 1941, which meant that the game had no 24-second shot clock or 3-point line. At the time, any team could theoretically just score once and hold onto the ball (and the lead) until time runs out, provided they don`t commit a turnover.

But while that was true, the FG shooting in this game was atrocious, even for the time period. The box score showed that Pitt`s leading scorer, Tay Malarkey, shot 3-of-10 from the field for seven points. His teammate George Kocheran shot way worse, going 2-of-13 for six points. Furthermore, Eddie Straloski shot even worse than that at 3-of-18, also for six points.

#2. Duquesne vs Western Kentucky, 1940 (Duquesne 30, WKU 29)

Almost a year to the day before the abovementioned Pitt vs UNC tournament match, there was Duquesne beating Western Kentucky in the East Regional semifinals, 30-29. The score at the half was 14-12, with the Dukes leading at the half.

For this game, it looked like folks were hitting their shots more efficiently. No FG attempts were tracked, but the numbers for Duquesne`s top scorers won`t look out of place in the modern game at all. Carlisle Towery led all scorers with 13 points on six field goals, followed by teammate Jed Walters with 12 markers on two fewer makes.

#3. Wisconsin vs Pitt, 1941 (Wisconsin 36, Pitt 30)

Back in 1941, the Panthers once more figured in the third-lowest-scoring NCAA Tournament game ever. The Badgers knocked the Panthers out of the Tournament in this East Regional Final, with the first-half score set at 18-14 with Pitt leading at halftime.

Eddie Straloski is back and this time, he finished with a game-high 12 points on six total field goals. The second leading scorer in the game was Wisconsin`s Gene Englund, who finished with 11 points (seven of which were free throws).