Sweet Revenge: Titantic Turnarounds in Same Season Between Opponents
April 2nd, 2016 - 21:13
No one thought any set of non-conference opponents ever would come close to duplicating what occurred in 1952 when St. John's upset top-ranked Kentucky, 64-57, in an Eastern Regional final after the Redmen left UK red-faced earlier in the season by 41 points (81-40). St. John's subsequently bowed against Kansas in the NCAA Tournament final by 17 points. But St. John's 48-point turnaround paled in sweet-revenge comparison to Villanova's stunning 67-point turnaround after Nova overwhelmed Oklahoma, 95-51, in the national semifinals following a 23-point setback against OU in Hawaii earlier in the campaign.
Naturally, the most amazing reversals of fortune in a single season happen among annual rivals in conference competition. In 1997-98, Missouri rebounded from the Tigers' most-lopsided loss in school history (111-56 at Kansas State) to defeat the Wildcats in their Big 12 Conference return engagement (89-59 at Mizzou) for an incredible 85-point turnaround in margin. Following is a list citing about-faces of more than 65 points in the same season among league rivals:
| Pts. | Season | Opponents Splitting Verdicts | First Game Winner (Margin) | Second Game Winner (Margin) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85 | 1997-98 | by Missouri vs. Kansas State | Kansas State 111-56 (55) | Missouri 89-59 (30) |
| 71 | 2000-01 | by UTEP vs. Fresno State | Fresno State 108-56 (52) | UTEP 80-61 (19) |
| 68 | 1997-98 | by Alabama vs. Auburn | Auburn 94-40 (54) | Alabama 76-62 (14) |
| 67 | 1996-97 | by UCLA vs. Stanford | Stanford 109-61 (48) | UCLA 87-68 (19) |
| 66 | 1997-98 | by Michigan vs. Indiana | Indiana 80-62 (18) | Michigan 112-64 (48) |