In the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, a glorious win for one team is a heartbreaking, season-ending defeat for the other. The stakes — and emotions — run high in the single-elimination tournament in which 68 teams enter but only one leaves a champion. Here, TIME focuses on the feeling of loss that comes with being sent home after a passionate game of basketball.
March Sadness: The Pain of Defeat
Robert Willett / MCT / ZUMAPRESS
North Carolina guard P.J. Hairston walks to the bench during the second half of their game against Kansas at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., on March 24, 2013. Kansas defeated North Carolina 70-58.
