Basketball is one of those sports where one player can take over a game completely, and that’s exactly what some legends have done in the NCAA Tournament. A handful of players have delivered jaw-dropping scoring performances when it mattered most, putting up numbers that are still talked about today.
Surprisingly, the five highest-scoring games in March Madness history all happened before the three-point line existed. And yet, none of these record-breaking performances came from dominant big men these were guards and forwards who could score at will, even without the extra incentive of deep-range shots.
Austin Carr: 61 Points (1970)
Notre Dame’s Austin Carr put on an absolute clinic in the first round against Ohio, dropping a record-breaking 61 points. Carr, who averaged 34.6 points per game during his college career, was unstoppable that night. He went 25-for-44 from the field and knocked down 11 of 14 free throws, leading the Fighting Irish to an easy 112-82 win.
That performance remains the highest-scoring game in NCAA Tournament history and one of the best scoring displays college basketball has ever seen. And the craziest part? He did it all without a single three-pointer.
One College Hoops Icon Holds Three of the Five Highest-Scoring Tourney Games
