Has an NCAA Men's Basketball game ever ended 97-96?
Yes. NCAA Men's Basketball has seen a final score of 97-96 9 times. It first happened on January 19, 2006, when Long Beach State Beach beat Cal State Fullerton Titans, and most recently on February 5, 2026, when Cal State Northridge Matadors beat Cal Poly Mustangs.
That makes 97-96 the 1711th most common final score out of 3,845 that have ever occurred in NCAA Men's Basketball. One point away, 98-96 has happened 12 times and 97-97 has happened never.
Every 97-96 in NCAA Men's Basketball history
| Date | Result | Season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-05 | Cal State Northridge Matadors over Cal Poly Mustangs | 2026 | |
| 2024-11-15 | Samford Bulldogs over North Alabama Lions | 2025 | |
| 2023-02-25 | Lindenwood Lions over Little Rock Trojans | 2023 | |
| 2017-12-28 | Delaware Blue Hens over Cornell Big Red | 2018 | |
| 2016-03-04 | Austin Peay Governors over Belmont Bruins | 2016 | |
| 2011-03-09 | UTSA Roadrunners over Northwestern State Demons | 2011 | |
| 2008-11-26 | Wyoming Cowboys over Texas State Bobcats | 2009 | |
| 2006-02-04 | Duke Blue Devils over Florida State Seminoles | 2006 | |
| 2006-01-19 | Long Beach State Beach over Cal State Fullerton Titans | 2006 |