North Texas Upsets Purdue in First-Ever NCAA Tournament Win: 'We're the Underdogs'

People
·2 min read

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The North Texas men's basketball team is celebrating the school's first-ever win at the NCAA tournament.

The No. 13 seed team upset No. 4 Purdue during Friday night's first round game, with a final score of 78-69 in overtime that sent the Boilermakers home — and likely ruined more than few March Madness brackets.

The Mean Green men previously competed in March Madness in 1988, 2007 and 2010, but lost in the first round each time. The women's team made the annual tournament in 1986, also resulting in an early loss.

"Don't ever doubt me!" yelled guard Javion Hamlet, who completed the game with 24 points and 11 rebounds, as his team secured the win.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

RELATED: Former President Barack Obama Shares His 2021 NCAA March Madness Bracket Picks

"Don't ever doubt me! Don't ever doubt me," Hamlet, 22, later told ESPN. "That's what I told the Purdue fans. That's what I'm telling the whole world. Don't ever doubt Javion Hamlet."

Hamlet, the 2020 Conference USA Player of the Year, said he's "been waiting for this opportunity my whole life."

"It's a great feeling, just to be the first team in history," he said. "Nobody can take that away from us. ... And just showing the world that we're gritty. A lot of under-recruited guys, no [five-star recruits]. Let that be known: We have no five-stars."

RELATED: NCAA Basketball Player Shows Stark Differences Between Men's and Women's Weight Rooms

"I don't understand why people are so surprised," the athlete added. "I feel like we can play with anybody in the country because of the way we defend and the way we're gritty. We're the underdogs."

"If I told you that we didn't plan to do this, I'd be lying," said coach Grant McCasland, according to the outlet. "Those guys in that locker room came here for this reason. You never know what happens when you get out there and scrap. ... But those guys believe we're going to win. They really do. That's the part that you love about sports. No one out here is any better or any different when it comes down to the work you put in and what you control."

North Texas will next face No. 5 seed Villanova on Sunday.