contest against Drake on a last-second three-pointer by Ty Rogers, and won their second-round game against San Diego, before losing to UCLA 88–78 in the Sweet 16. It was the Toppers' eighth all-time appearance in the Sweet 16 but their first since 1993. In 2009, the men's basketball team defeated Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament 76–72 to advance to the second-round game against Gonzaga. The Toppers were beaten 83–81 on a last-second shot, failing to advance to their second straight Sweet 16. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2012, the Toppers pulled off a stunning win against Mississippi Valley State, erasing a 16-point deficit with less than five minutes remaining, pulling off a 59–58 win as U.S. President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron looked on.
=== Football ===
The Hilltopper football team belonged to what was then the Gateway Football Conference until 2006. In 2002, WKU won the NCAA Division I FCS (formerly I-AA) National Championship, under coach Jack …
