 The team competed in the National Invitational Tournament in 1973, 1974, 1978, 1996 and 2003 and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 1986, 1987 and 1997.In the 1973 National Invitation Tournament, the Stags advanced to the second round where the team lost by one point to eventual National Champion Virginia Tech.And in the 1997 NCAA Tournament, the Stags nearly achieved a historic upset of top-seeded North Carolina after leading the Tar Heels by seven points at halftime.