Wagner holds on for first ever March Madness victory after Howard misses late game-tying free throws

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Wagner College is headed to the Round of 64 after their first NCAA Tournament win in school history.

In a First Four matchup of 16 seeds, Howard missed three free-throws late to clinch Wagner's 71-68 victory.

Howard trailed by 17 points early in the second half but went on a late 14-2 run, closing within 69-68 on Bryce Harris' layup with 18 seconds left. After Julian Brown hit a pair of free throws for Wagner, Howard attempted three 3-pointers in the last six seconds but missed them all.

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Tyje Kelton #4 of the Wagner Seahawks celebrates with teammates after defeating the Howard Bison 71-68 in the First Four game during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 19, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio.  (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Wagner will now face UNC, a No. 1 seed, on Thursday.

The Seahawks earned their trip to the tournament by winning the Northeast Conference — Howard won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Wagner was led by Melvin Council Jr., who scored 21 points — they only had seven players available for all of conference play because of injuries, and only seven players saw the floor on Tuesday night.

Julian Brown #13 of the Wagner Seahawks reacts after defeating the Howard Bison in the First Four game during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at University of Dayton Arena on March 19, 2024 in Dayton, Ohio.  (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Howard's Seth Towns has now wrapped up his eighth year of college eligibility. The 26-year-old played two years at Harvard, even being named the Ivy League player of the year as a sophomore. He then missed two seasons