Fill My Bracket starts a full March Madness bracket from five questions.
What was the highest-scoring March Madness final?
Kentucky 94, Duke 88, in 1978. The two teams scored 182 points in all. No final has topped it.
128 days until Selection Sunday, Sunday, March 14, 2027.
Start your bracketThe five highest-scoring finals
| Points | Year | Final |
|---|---|---|
| 182 | 1978 | Kentucky 94, Duke 88 |
| 181 | 1964 | UCLA 98, Duke 83 |
| 177 | 1975 | UCLA 92, Kentucky 85 |
| 176 | 1990 | UNLV 103, Duke 73 |
| 171 | 1965 | UCLA 91, Michigan 80 |
Duke lost the two highest-scoring finals ever played.
Every final in the top five was played by 1990.
One team over 100
UNLV scored 103 points in the 1990 final.
No other team has reached 100 in a final.
That game was also the biggest blowout in a final.
How we counted
Counted from the site’s champions list, 1939 to 2026.
There was no tournament in 2020.
See every final score on the March Madness champions list.
Five questions start your bracket. Your picks finish it.
The picker opens on Selection Sunday, March 14, 2027. Name your favorite and your upsets.
Common questions
What was the highest-scoring March Madness final?
Kentucky beat Duke 94 to 88 in 1978. The two teams scored 182 points in all.
Which team scored the most points in a final?
UNLV. UNLV scored 103 points against Duke in 1990, the only 100-point game in a final.
What is the highest-scoring final in recent years?
Since 2000, the highest is the 2000 final. Michigan State beat Florida 89 to 76, for 165 points in all.
More bracket basics
- What was the biggest blowout in the final?
- Which school has the most straight Final Fours?
- What was the highest-scoring final?
- Which tournament had the most upsets?
- March Madness champions list
- What is the Final Four?
- Who won March Madness in 2026?
- What was the highest-scoring game in March Madness history?