PHILADELPHIA, March 22 (UPI) -- A spectacular dunk by Eddie Murray ignited a second-half run Friday that led Florida Gulf Coast to a shocking 78-68 NCAA Tournament win over Georgetown.
In one of the most unlikely results in the history of college basketball's biggest show, Florida Gulf Coast eliminated the Big East Conference powerhouse while making its tournament debut.
The Eagles built a 19-point lead with 12:33 to play and desperately hung on to advance as a No. 15 seed in the South Region. It marked the seventh time a No. 15 seed had won in the tournament since it was expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
San Diego State will take on Florida Gulf Coast in an unexpected third-round matchup Sunday after the Aztecs got past Oklahoma 70-55.
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Florida Gulf Coast (25-10), in only its sixth season as a Division I basketball team, reached the NCAA Tournament by upsetting regular-season champion Mercer by 13 points in the finals of the Atlantic Sun Conference tourney.
In their first trip to the NCAA event, the Eagles were given little hope against a team that tied for the regular-season title in the Big East.
The Eagles, however, battled Georgetown on even terms in the first half and reached intermission with a two-point lead.
The game was tied at 31-31 with 17:31 to play when Florida Gulf Coast suddenly went on a 19-2 run to stun the Hoyas.
That surge was highlighted when Murray came storming down the lane, grabbed the rebound of a missed shot by Brett Cormer and slammed it home.
After falling behind 52-33, Georgetown battled back to within four with 52 seconds remaining. The Hoyas shots then stopped falling, however, and Florida Gulf Coast closed out the victory at the free throw line.
Sherwood Brown led the Eagles with 24 points and Bernard Thompson added 23. Florida Gulf Coast went to the foul line 44 times, making 30 of those attempts.
Markel Starks scored 23 points for Georgetown (25-7), which converted only 37 percent from the field.
