606 - NCAA Tournament national semifinals
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Michigan
March 31 at Alamodome in San Antonio, TX
CBS
605 - NCAA Tournament national semifinals
(1) Notre Dame women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 30 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN
Game 604: Title
NIT championship game
March 29 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
ESPN2
Tony Carr knows how to lead his team to a championship. What a performance.
Carr just missed a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds as Penn State won its second-ever NIT title, 82-66 over Utah.
Carr, a sophomore who may or may not declare for the NBA Draft next month, tied the NIT record for single-game assists as the Nittany Lions won their most games (26) since the 2008-09 team won 27 and the school's first NIT crown.
Lamar Stevens had one of the quietest 28-point, 11-of-15 shooting games I've seen in a while, Josh Reaves was also great (18 points, 8-of-13) and Penn State turned a five-point halftime cushion into a pretty comfortable victory with 64% (16-of-25) shooting in the second half.
Sedrick Barefield was great from three-point range (6-of-8) and finished with a team-high 22 points for the Utes.
March 29 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
ESPN2
Tony Carr knows how to lead his team to a championship. What a performance.
Carr just missed a triple-double, finishing with 15 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds as Penn State won its second-ever NIT title, 82-66 over Utah.
Carr, a sophomore who may or may not declare for the NBA Draft next month, tied the NIT record for single-game assists as the Nittany Lions won their most games (26) since the 2008-09 team won 27 and the school's first NIT crown.
Lamar Stevens had one of the quietest 28-point, 11-of-15 shooting games I've seen in a while, Josh Reaves was also great (18 points, 8-of-13) and Penn State turned a five-point halftime cushion into a pretty comfortable victory with 64% (16-of-25) shooting in the second half.
Sedrick Barefield was great from three-point range (6-of-8) and finished with a team-high 22 points for the Utes.
Games 602-603: Final two punch ticket to Columbus
NCAA Tournament regional finals
603 - (2) Oregon women vs. (1) Notre Dame
March 26 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA
ESPN
602 - (2) South Carolina women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 26 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
603 - (2) Oregon women vs. (1) Notre Dame
March 26 at Spokane Arena in Spokane, WA
ESPN
602 - (2) South Carolina women vs. (1) Connecticut
March 26 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
Game 601: Alabama women at Virginia Tech
WNIT quarterfinals
March 25 at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA
ACC Network
Virginia Tech picked up a 74-67 win to advance to its second WNIT final four (2002), but more importantly, play-by-play man Andrew Allegretta put together a fantastic day of saying the word "basketball":
Total: 44
First quarter: 7
Second: 12
Third: 11
Fourth: 14
(averaged 1.1 per game minute)
That's how you finish strong, Andrew.
March 25 at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, VA
ACC Network
Virginia Tech picked up a 74-67 win to advance to its second WNIT final four (2002), but more importantly, play-by-play man Andrew Allegretta put together a fantastic day of saying the word "basketball":
Total: 44
First quarter: 7
Second: 12
Third: 11
Fourth: 14
(averaged 1.1 per game minute)
That's how you finish strong, Andrew.
Games 598-600: Final four is set
NCAA Tournament regional finals
600 - (3) Texas Tech vs. (1) Villanova
March 25 at TD Garden in Boston, MA
CBS
The Wildcats got to their second final four in three seasons (and third in Jay Wright's 17 seasons) thanks to huge edges in rebounding (51-33) and at the free throw line (29-of-35, Tech attempted 18).
I'd put Villanova as a slight favorite to win the whole thing, though Midwest champion Kansas, its opponent in next week's national semifinals, is just as capable of winning two more games.
599 - (9) Florida State vs. (3) Michigan
March 24 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
TBS
598 - (11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (9) Kansas State
March 24 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA
TNT
Not much more to say about the Missouri Valley Conference champions, which shot 57% from the field, hit half of their 18 three-point attempts and rolled into the program's first final four since winning the title in 1963.
This was actually the first comfortable outcome for the Ramblers, who won by a combined four points in their first three tournament games, but 78-62 on Saturday. This one really wasn't all that close for much of the day. Ben Richardson was fantastic (23 points on 7-of-10 shooting) and his 3-pointer 3 1/2 minutes into the game put Loyola up for good. The lead grew to as much as 61-38 on a Lucas Williamson lay-up with 9:40 to go.
What a run and it continues in the national semifinals, next Saturday against Michigan.
600 - (3) Texas Tech vs. (1) Villanova
March 25 at TD Garden in Boston, MA
CBS
The Wildcats got to their second final four in three seasons (and third in Jay Wright's 17 seasons) thanks to huge edges in rebounding (51-33) and at the free throw line (29-of-35, Tech attempted 18).
I'd put Villanova as a slight favorite to win the whole thing, though Midwest champion Kansas, its opponent in next week's national semifinals, is just as capable of winning two more games.
599 - (9) Florida State vs. (3) Michigan
March 24 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
TBS
598 - (11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (9) Kansas State
March 24 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA
TNT
Not much more to say about the Missouri Valley Conference champions, which shot 57% from the field, hit half of their 18 three-point attempts and rolled into the program's first final four since winning the title in 1963.
This was actually the first comfortable outcome for the Ramblers, who won by a combined four points in their first three tournament games, but 78-62 on Saturday. This one really wasn't all that close for much of the day. Ben Richardson was fantastic (23 points on 7-of-10 shooting) and his 3-pointer 3 1/2 minutes into the game put Loyola up for good. The lead grew to as much as 61-38 on a Lucas Williamson lay-up with 9:40 to go.
What a run and it continues in the national semifinals, next Saturday against Michigan.
Games 596-597: Elite 8 begins to take shape
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
597 - (4) Stanford women vs. (1) Louisville
March 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
ESPN
ACC player of the year Asia Durr had 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added five of Louisville's 17 assists, while Myisha Hines-Allen scored 17 points and passed the 2,000-point plateau for her career in an 86-59 win.
I've liked the Cardinals to reach the national title game and nothing changed after Friday's performance. They're well-balanced (two others were in double figures and six total players scored at least eight points), are a good defensive team (opponents are averaging just 57 points in three tournament games) and have Durr, a future WNBA star who is capable of taking over any game.
596 - (5) Clemson vs. (1) Kansas
March 23 at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NE
CBS
Well, Bill Raftery out-dribble drove himself in this one.
18:07 left in the first half: "a little dribble drive blow by!"
Other games watched:
(6) Oregon State women vs. (2) Baylor - Huge upset for OSU, which snapped Baylor's 30-game winning streak.
(5) West Virginia vs. (1) Villanova
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Duke
(3) UCLA women vs. (2) Texas
March 23 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY
ESPN
ACC player of the year Asia Durr had 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added five of Louisville's 17 assists, while Myisha Hines-Allen scored 17 points and passed the 2,000-point plateau for her career in an 86-59 win.
I've liked the Cardinals to reach the national title game and nothing changed after Friday's performance. They're well-balanced (two others were in double figures and six total players scored at least eight points), are a good defensive team (opponents are averaging just 57 points in three tournament games) and have Durr, a future WNBA star who is capable of taking over any game.
596 - (5) Clemson vs. (1) Kansas
March 23 at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, NE
CBS
Well, Bill Raftery out-dribble drove himself in this one.
18:07 left in the first half: "a little dribble drive blow by!"
Other games watched:
(6) Oregon State women vs. (2) Baylor - Huge upset for OSU, which snapped Baylor's 30-game winning streak.
(5) West Virginia vs. (1) Villanova
(11) Syracuse vs. (2) Duke
(3) UCLA women vs. (2) Texas
Games 594-595: On to the Elite 8
NCAA Tournament regional semifinals
595 - (9) Florida State vs. (4) Gonzaga
March 22 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
TBS
The Seminoles held the No. 4 seed to 33% shooting from the field and won 75-60 to advance to the school's first Elite 8 since 1992-93.
Florida State, which will play No. 3 Michigan in Saturday's West regional final, handed out 19 assists on 27 made field goals, blocked nine shots (reserve Mfiondu Kabengele had four) and had eight steals.
Florida State and Michigan will meet for the first time in the tournament.
594 - (11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (7) Nevada
March 22 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA
CBS
Loyola has won three tournament games by a combined four points - 64-62 over Miami, 63-62 over Tennessee and Thursday's 69-68 victory.
The 11th-seeded Ramblers and ninth-seeded Kansas State will play in Saturday's South regional final with a trip to the final four on the line.
Incredible.
Other games watched:
(7) Texas A&M vs. (3) Michigan
(9) Kansas State vs. (5) Kentucky
March 22 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA
TBS
The Seminoles held the No. 4 seed to 33% shooting from the field and won 75-60 to advance to the school's first Elite 8 since 1992-93.
Florida State, which will play No. 3 Michigan in Saturday's West regional final, handed out 19 assists on 27 made field goals, blocked nine shots (reserve Mfiondu Kabengele had four) and had eight steals.
Florida State and Michigan will meet for the first time in the tournament.
594 - (11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (7) Nevada
March 22 at Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA
CBS
Loyola has won three tournament games by a combined four points - 64-62 over Miami, 63-62 over Tennessee and Thursday's 69-68 victory.
The 11th-seeded Ramblers and ninth-seeded Kansas State will play in Saturday's South regional final with a trip to the final four on the line.
Incredible.
Other games watched:
(7) Texas A&M vs. (3) Michigan
(9) Kansas State vs. (5) Kentucky
Game 593 - Jacksonville State at North Texas
CBI semifinals
March 21 at The Super Pit in Denton, TX
espn3.com
We're closing in on game No. 600 and this was one of the finest shooting performances we've seen.
North Texas used a ridiculous, 70% shooting first half (21-of-30) to build a 28-point halftime lead and cruised into the CBI best-of-3 final with a 90-68 victory.
The Mean Green also hit 10-of-14 from three-point range during that 57-point opening half and finished the game 61% (32-of-52) from the field and 70% (14-of-20) on its three-point attempts. North Texas has now scored 90+ points in three straight tournament games against South Dakota, Mercer and the Gamecocks after reaching that plateau just three times in 32 games in the regular season and Conference USA Tournament.
Amazingly, the hosts were just 146th nationally in three-point percentage coming in (35%), while Jacksonville State, whose season ended at 23-13, was 28th nationally in three-point defense (32%).
Roosevelt Smart (20 points, 4-of-8 three-point shooting) and Jorden Duffy (19 points, 5-of-5) led the way for North Texas, who will play either Campbell or San Francisco in the championship series. The pair have been fantastic in the tournament as Smart is averaging more than 28 points and Duffy, 23 (15 above his season average).
March 21 at The Super Pit in Denton, TX
espn3.com
We're closing in on game No. 600 and this was one of the finest shooting performances we've seen.
North Texas used a ridiculous, 70% shooting first half (21-of-30) to build a 28-point halftime lead and cruised into the CBI best-of-3 final with a 90-68 victory.
The Mean Green also hit 10-of-14 from three-point range during that 57-point opening half and finished the game 61% (32-of-52) from the field and 70% (14-of-20) on its three-point attempts. North Texas has now scored 90+ points in three straight tournament games against South Dakota, Mercer and the Gamecocks after reaching that plateau just three times in 32 games in the regular season and Conference USA Tournament.
Amazingly, the hosts were just 146th nationally in three-point percentage coming in (35%), while Jacksonville State, whose season ended at 23-13, was 28th nationally in three-point defense (32%).
Roosevelt Smart (20 points, 4-of-8 three-point shooting) and Jorden Duffy (19 points, 5-of-5) led the way for North Texas, who will play either Campbell or San Francisco in the championship series. The pair have been fantastic in the tournament as Smart is averaging more than 28 points and Duffy, 23 (15 above his season average).
Games 592 - Golden State Warriors at San Antonio Spurs
March 19 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX
ESPN
Golden State was without Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, AND lost Draymond Green to a second quarter injury, so an 89-75 San Antonio win makes a little sense.
But the Spurs still played well defensively, holding Golden State to 15% shooting from three and 40% overall. San Antonio's offense ran through LaMarcus Aldridge all night and the 6-11 post player scored 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting and added 12 rebounds.
Green didn't score and grabbed just three rebounds in 12 minutes before the injury, so Quinn Cook stepped up and scored a team-high 20 points.
Without those four all stars, Golden State scored its fewest points since a hilarious, great-day-in-the-Big-10, 76-74 loss to San Antonio in November, 2013.
ESPN
Golden State was without Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, AND lost Draymond Green to a second quarter injury, so an 89-75 San Antonio win makes a little sense.
But the Spurs still played well defensively, holding Golden State to 15% shooting from three and 40% overall. San Antonio's offense ran through LaMarcus Aldridge all night and the 6-11 post player scored 33 points on 13-of-22 shooting and added 12 rebounds.
Green didn't score and grabbed just three rebounds in 12 minutes before the injury, so Quinn Cook stepped up and scored a team-high 20 points.
Without those four all stars, Golden State scored its fewest points since a hilarious, great-day-in-the-Big-10, 76-74 loss to San Antonio in November, 2013.
Games 590-591: Moving on to the Sweet 16
591 - (12) Florida Gulf Coast women at (4) Stanford
March 19 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, CA
ESPN2
590 - (5) Duke women at (4) Georgia
March 19 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA
ESPN2
Very rarely do you get a 4-5 matchup in the second round of the tournament and it turns into a blowout.
That happened Monday as Duke was in control from the early stages of the second quarter and won 66-40.
It was just a three-point game after one, but the Blue Devils dominated the second, holding Georgia without a point for 7 1/2 minutes and just two points in the period. Que Morrison's lay-up at the 2:41 mark finally put an end to the drought and made it a 28-14 game, though Duke scored the final seven points of the first half and led by 20 or more for the entire second half.
A combination of really good Duke defense and a ton of close shots missed by Georgia turns into a horrifying night for Georgia, which shot 23% (16-of-68) from the field.
Leaonna Odom led the way for the No. 5 seed, scoring 16 points, while Lexie Brown added 14 points, six assists and seven steals, becoming the school's single-season steals leader in the process.
Duke, which has played in the national semifinals four times but has never won a title, heads to Albany for the regional semifinals and will play unbeaten Connecticut.
Other games watched:
(11) Buffalo women at (3) Florida State
(7) Arizona State women at (2) Texas
March 19 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, CA
ESPN2
590 - (5) Duke women at (4) Georgia
March 19 at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA
ESPN2
Very rarely do you get a 4-5 matchup in the second round of the tournament and it turns into a blowout.
That happened Monday as Duke was in control from the early stages of the second quarter and won 66-40.
It was just a three-point game after one, but the Blue Devils dominated the second, holding Georgia without a point for 7 1/2 minutes and just two points in the period. Que Morrison's lay-up at the 2:41 mark finally put an end to the drought and made it a 28-14 game, though Duke scored the final seven points of the first half and led by 20 or more for the entire second half.
A combination of really good Duke defense and a ton of close shots missed by Georgia turns into a horrifying night for Georgia, which shot 23% (16-of-68) from the field.
Leaonna Odom led the way for the No. 5 seed, scoring 16 points, while Lexie Brown added 14 points, six assists and seven steals, becoming the school's single-season steals leader in the process.
Duke, which has played in the national semifinals four times but has never won a title, heads to Albany for the regional semifinals and will play unbeaten Connecticut.
Other games watched:
(11) Buffalo women at (3) Florida State
(7) Arizona State women at (2) Texas
Games 588-589: Double dribble drive
NCAA Tournament second round
March 18 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC
589 - (16) UMBC vs. (9) Kansas State
TruTV
588 - (7) Texas A&M vs. (2) North Carolina
CBS
The origins of the made-up nonsense phrase "dribble drive" really go back to Bill Raftery. I'm not 100% sure Raftery was the first broadcaster to shout this phrase, but he is definitely one of the first I ever heard. Since, dozens of announcers use it even though it means absolutely nothing.
Again:
YOU CAN'T DRIVE WITHOUT DRIBBLING.
So it's an incredible day at 200 Game Season that not only did we get Raftery for two games, but he wasted no time in saying "dribble drive".
A&M-UNC: said for the first time at 19:07 left in first half
UMBC-Kansas State: said 19:31 left in first half
Other games watched:
(9) Villanova women at (1) Notre Dame
March 18 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC
589 - (16) UMBC vs. (9) Kansas State
TruTV
588 - (7) Texas A&M vs. (2) North Carolina
CBS
The origins of the made-up nonsense phrase "dribble drive" really go back to Bill Raftery. I'm not 100% sure Raftery was the first broadcaster to shout this phrase, but he is definitely one of the first I ever heard. Since, dozens of announcers use it even though it means absolutely nothing.
Again:
YOU CAN'T DRIVE WITHOUT DRIBBLING.
So it's an incredible day at 200 Game Season that not only did we get Raftery for two games, but he wasted no time in saying "dribble drive".
A&M-UNC: said for the first time at 19:07 left in first half
UMBC-Kansas State: said 19:31 left in first half
Other games watched:
(9) Villanova women at (1) Notre Dame
Games 586-587: Saturday matinees
587 - (7) Rhode Island vs. (2) Duke
NCAA Tournament second round
March 17 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
CBS
586 - (11) Central Michigan women vs. (6) LSU
NCAA Tournament first round
March 17 at St. John Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN2
The Chippewas certainly are enjoying the program's 50th season of womens basketball.
Tinara Moore was outstanding, scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, freshman Micaela Kelly added 17 points as Central Michigan won its first-ever NCAA game, 78-69.
Moore's lay-up at the 5:37 mark of the opening quarter gave her team the lead for the remainder of the day. LSU got as close as two points on a few occasions, but the Chippewas hit half of their shots (28-of-56) and showed why they're one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, knocking down 15-of-17 to seal the historic win.
The MAC champions rely heavily on their starters and each of the five contributed Saturday. Reyna Frost added 12 points and 12 rebounds (CMU won the rebounding battle 41-29) before fouling out late in the fourth, Presley Hudson had 12 points and handed out eight assists and Cassie Breen hit a pair of 3-pointers to finish with eight points.
Other games watched:
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Tennessee
(6) Houston vs. (3) Michigan
NCAA Tournament second round
March 17 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
CBS
586 - (11) Central Michigan women vs. (6) LSU
NCAA Tournament first round
March 17 at St. John Arena in Columbus, OH
ESPN2
The Chippewas certainly are enjoying the program's 50th season of womens basketball.
Tinara Moore was outstanding, scoring 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting, freshman Micaela Kelly added 17 points as Central Michigan won its first-ever NCAA game, 78-69.
Moore's lay-up at the 5:37 mark of the opening quarter gave her team the lead for the remainder of the day. LSU got as close as two points on a few occasions, but the Chippewas hit half of their shots (28-of-56) and showed why they're one of the top free throw shooting teams in the country, knocking down 15-of-17 to seal the historic win.
The MAC champions rely heavily on their starters and each of the five contributed Saturday. Reyna Frost added 12 points and 12 rebounds (CMU won the rebounding battle 41-29) before fouling out late in the fourth, Presley Hudson had 12 points and handed out eight assists and Cassie Breen hit a pair of 3-pointers to finish with eight points.
Other games watched:
(11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (3) Tennessee
(6) Houston vs. (3) Michigan
Game 585 - (13) Charleston vs. (4) Auburn
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Viejas Center in San Diego, CA
TruTV
Charleston was trying to become the third 13-seed to win these past two days (Buffalo, Marshall), but fell just short, 62-58.
Auburn advanced despite not shooting the ball well at all - 5-of-24 from three-point range and 35% overall - and two of its top players being held in check. Point guard Jared Harper, who is top-30 nationally in assists, was held to just two in 18 minutes because of really early foul trouble, and Bryce Brown had just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Harper came through when it mattered, though, drilling a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:18 left. It looked like Charleston's Grant Riller was fouled on the arm on a potential tying three with seven seconds to play, but the guard didn't get the call. Riller played all 40 minutes and scored 16 points, while Jarrell Brantley led all scorers with 24.
Mustapha Heron paced Auburn with 16 points.
Marquise Pointer's three with 3:10 to go was the last field goal of the day for the Cougars, who turned the ball over 21 times in their first NCAA appearance since 1998-99.
Other games watched:
(14) Bucknell vs. (3) Michigan State
Springfield (MA) vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (NE) - Division III semifinals
(16) UMBC vs. (1) Virginia - ** UMBC wins 74-54! First No. 16 seed to beat a 1 in the history of the tournament. The last 12 minutes were wonderful. **
March 16 at Viejas Center in San Diego, CA
TruTV
Charleston was trying to become the third 13-seed to win these past two days (Buffalo, Marshall), but fell just short, 62-58.
Auburn advanced despite not shooting the ball well at all - 5-of-24 from three-point range and 35% overall - and two of its top players being held in check. Point guard Jared Harper, who is top-30 nationally in assists, was held to just two in 18 minutes because of really early foul trouble, and Bryce Brown had just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting.
Harper came through when it mattered, though, drilling a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:18 left. It looked like Charleston's Grant Riller was fouled on the arm on a potential tying three with seven seconds to play, but the guard didn't get the call. Riller played all 40 minutes and scored 16 points, while Jarrell Brantley led all scorers with 24.
Mustapha Heron paced Auburn with 16 points.
Marquise Pointer's three with 3:10 to go was the last field goal of the day for the Cougars, who turned the ball over 21 times in their first NCAA appearance since 1998-99.
Other games watched:
(14) Bucknell vs. (3) Michigan State
Springfield (MA) vs. Nebraska Wesleyan (NE) - Division III semifinals
(16) UMBC vs. (1) Virginia - ** UMBC wins 74-54! First No. 16 seed to beat a 1 in the history of the tournament. The last 12 minutes were wonderful. **
Games 583-584: Daytime doubleheader
584 - (10) Northern Colorado women vs. (7) Michigan
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Ferrell Center in Waco, TX
ESPN2
The duo of Katelynn Flaherty and Hallie Thome were too much for the Big Sky champions as the Wolverines advanced with a 75-61 win.
Flaherty, Michigan's all-time leading scorer for either gender, scored 20 points and Thome dominated inside, finishing with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The No. 7 seed shot 57% (28-of-49) and didn't trail after Flaherty drained a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the opening quarter.
In its first-ever trip to the NCAAs, Northern Colorado was led by the Savannah's, Scott (game-high 25 points) and Smith (16 points).
583 - (15) Georgia State vs. (2) Cincinnati
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
TBS
Other games watched:
(10) Providence vs. (7) Texas A&M
(13) Marshall vs. (4) Wichita State
(10) Minnesota women vs. (7) Green Bay
(10) Virginia women vs. (7) California
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Ferrell Center in Waco, TX
ESPN2
The duo of Katelynn Flaherty and Hallie Thome were too much for the Big Sky champions as the Wolverines advanced with a 75-61 win.
Flaherty, Michigan's all-time leading scorer for either gender, scored 20 points and Thome dominated inside, finishing with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting. The No. 7 seed shot 57% (28-of-49) and didn't trail after Flaherty drained a 3-pointer with just over five minutes left in the opening quarter.
In its first-ever trip to the NCAAs, Northern Colorado was led by the Savannah's, Scott (game-high 25 points) and Smith (16 points).
583 - (15) Georgia State vs. (2) Cincinnati
NCAA Tournament first round
March 16 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN
TBS
Other games watched:
(10) Providence vs. (7) Texas A&M
(13) Marshall vs. (4) Wichita State
(10) Minnesota women vs. (7) Green Bay
(10) Virginia women vs. (7) California
Games 581-582: First Thursday, night games
NCAA Tournament
582 - (14) Montana vs. (3) Michigan
March 15 at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS
TBS
581 - (14) Stephen F. Austin vs. (3) Texas Tech
March 15 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
TruTV
What a second half for Keenan Evans.
The senior scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half and Texas Tech moved on with a 70-60 win.
Stephen F. Austin led by as much as eight points at 39-31 a couple minutes into the second half, but the Red Raiders chipped away and eventually took the lead for good on an Evans' lay-up with four minutes to play.
It's the first NCAA win for Texas Tech since the 2004-05 team beat Gonzaga to reach the Sweet 16.
The Southland Conference champions didn't make a field goal over the final 5:24, and in particular, Ivan Canete didn't make a bucket over the final 13 minutes of the game and had just two of his team-high 17 points during that final stretch.
Other games watched:
(12) Davidson vs. (5) Kentucky
(11) San Diego State vs. (6) Houston
(9) Alabama vs. (8) Virginia Tech
(13) Buffalo vs. (4) Arizona
582 - (14) Montana vs. (3) Michigan
March 15 at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita, KS
TBS
581 - (14) Stephen F. Austin vs. (3) Texas Tech
March 15 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
TruTV
What a second half for Keenan Evans.
The senior scored 19 of his 23 points in the second half and Texas Tech moved on with a 70-60 win.
Stephen F. Austin led by as much as eight points at 39-31 a couple minutes into the second half, but the Red Raiders chipped away and eventually took the lead for good on an Evans' lay-up with four minutes to play.
It's the first NCAA win for Texas Tech since the 2004-05 team beat Gonzaga to reach the Sweet 16.
The Southland Conference champions didn't make a field goal over the final 5:24, and in particular, Ivan Canete didn't make a bucket over the final 13 minutes of the game and had just two of his team-high 17 points during that final stretch.
Other games watched:
(12) Davidson vs. (5) Kentucky
(11) San Diego State vs. (6) Houston
(9) Alabama vs. (8) Virginia Tech
(13) Buffalo vs. (4) Arizona
Games 579-580: First Thursday, day games
NCAA Tournament first round
580 - (10) Oklahoma vs. (7) Rhode Island
March 15 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
CBS
E.C. Matthews hit a pair of 3-pointers in overtime, the first giving Rhode Island the lead for hood and the second a huge shot with 28 seconds to go and seven on the shot clock that put the Rams up 79-74.
Thanks to a team-high 16 from Matthews and three others in double figures, Rhode Island survived, 83-78, moving on to play second-seeded Duke in Thursday's round of 32. It's the second consecutive trip to the second round for the Rams, who before last season hadn't been to the tournament since 1998-99.
For Oklahoma's Trae Young (28 points, seven assists and six turnovers), his freshman season, and potentially a brief collegiate career, came to an end.
579 - (11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (6) Miami
March 15 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
TruTV
Donte Ingram!
After Morgan William's incredible shot in last season's womens national semifinals, I've decided that any time a player hits a game-winning shot in the tournament my lead will just be their name followed by an exclamation point.
Nothing better than a senior extending his team's season and that's what Ingram did when he drained a 3-pointer with .3 seconds left to send Loyola to round two.
The winning shot was made possible by a Lonnie Walker turnover. The Miami freshman dribbled the ball off his leg with 23 seconds left (great defense by another freshman, Lucas Williamson, who helped by first deflecting the ball), and though Loyola missed a pair of shots at the other end, Walker missed the front end of a one-and-one, which preceded Ingram's dramatic bucket.
It's the first NCAA win for the Ramblers since a 70-57 triumph over SMU in the 1985 round of 32.
Other games watched:
(12) South Dakota State vs. (5) Ohio State
(9) N.C. State vs. (8) Seton Hall
580 - (10) Oklahoma vs. (7) Rhode Island
March 15 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA
CBS
E.C. Matthews hit a pair of 3-pointers in overtime, the first giving Rhode Island the lead for hood and the second a huge shot with 28 seconds to go and seven on the shot clock that put the Rams up 79-74.
Thanks to a team-high 16 from Matthews and three others in double figures, Rhode Island survived, 83-78, moving on to play second-seeded Duke in Thursday's round of 32. It's the second consecutive trip to the second round for the Rams, who before last season hadn't been to the tournament since 1998-99.
For Oklahoma's Trae Young (28 points, seven assists and six turnovers), his freshman season, and potentially a brief collegiate career, came to an end.
579 - (11) Loyola-Chicago vs. (6) Miami
March 15 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX
TruTV
Donte Ingram!
After Morgan William's incredible shot in last season's womens national semifinals, I've decided that any time a player hits a game-winning shot in the tournament my lead will just be their name followed by an exclamation point.
Nothing better than a senior extending his team's season and that's what Ingram did when he drained a 3-pointer with .3 seconds left to send Loyola to round two.
The winning shot was made possible by a Lonnie Walker turnover. The Miami freshman dribbled the ball off his leg with 23 seconds left (great defense by another freshman, Lucas Williamson, who helped by first deflecting the ball), and though Loyola missed a pair of shots at the other end, Walker missed the front end of a one-and-one, which preceded Ingram's dramatic bucket.
It's the first NCAA win for the Ramblers since a 70-57 triumph over SMU in the 1985 round of 32.
Other games watched:
(12) South Dakota State vs. (5) Ohio State
(9) N.C. State vs. (8) Seton Hall
Games 577-578: Tournament, day 2
NCAA Tournament first four
March 14 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH
TruTV
578 - (11) Arizona State vs. (11) Syracuse
577 - (16) Texas Southern vs. (16) NC Central
Jim Spanarkel "basketball" count:
Total: 40
first game: 19
second game: 21
March 14 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH
TruTV
578 - (11) Arizona State vs. (11) Syracuse
577 - (16) Texas Southern vs. (16) NC Central
Jim Spanarkel "basketball" count:
Total: 40
first game: 19
second game: 21
Games 575-576: NIT first round
576 - (8) SE Louisiana at (1) Saint Mary's
March 13 at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, CA
ESPN
Incredible shooting performance by Saint Mary's, which was nearly 60% (35-of-59) from the field in an 89-45 blowout.
The Gaels hit 13 threes and two players - Jock Landale (26 points) and Jordan Ford (19) scored as many points as the visitors from the Southland Conference. Calvin Hermanson hit five threes and scored all 17 of his points in a first half that saw the Gaels shoot 61% in building a 43-19 halftime cushion.
The victory was the 29th for Saint Mary's, tying a program record set in each of the past two seasons.
575 - (5) Boston College at (4) Western Kentucky
March 13 at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY
espn3.com
The Hilltoppers, a top-15 shooting team nationally, hit 55% of their shots and moved on to the second round with a 79-62 victory. Western Kentucky will travel to USC, who defeated UNC Asheville 103-98 in two overtimes on Tuesday.
I wonder if Justin Johnson has an NBA future. The senior forward for WKU has good size (6-7, 245), can shoot it from anywhere (51% overall field goal percentage, 42% on threes) and is an excellent rebounder (averages 9.6, top-30 nationally). Johnson led the way on Tuesday, scoring a game-high 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
Taveion Hollingsworth scored 18 points and Darius Thompson added 17 points and eight assists for the Hilltoppers, who at 25-10 have their most wins since the NCAA second-round team from 2008-09 finished 25-9.
Also a nice night of nonsense from the broadcast team of Dave Weekley & Rob Kennedy:
"a catch and shoot guy"
"he's got a Charles Barkley mentality in a point guard's body"
"concussion protocol"
"back in basketball shape"
"takes his foot off the gas"
"a football mentality"
"he pursues the basketball"
"pocket pass"
March 13 at McKeon Pavilion in Moraga, CA
ESPN
Incredible shooting performance by Saint Mary's, which was nearly 60% (35-of-59) from the field in an 89-45 blowout.
The Gaels hit 13 threes and two players - Jock Landale (26 points) and Jordan Ford (19) scored as many points as the visitors from the Southland Conference. Calvin Hermanson hit five threes and scored all 17 of his points in a first half that saw the Gaels shoot 61% in building a 43-19 halftime cushion.
The victory was the 29th for Saint Mary's, tying a program record set in each of the past two seasons.
575 - (5) Boston College at (4) Western Kentucky
March 13 at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY
espn3.com
The Hilltoppers, a top-15 shooting team nationally, hit 55% of their shots and moved on to the second round with a 79-62 victory. Western Kentucky will travel to USC, who defeated UNC Asheville 103-98 in two overtimes on Tuesday.
I wonder if Justin Johnson has an NBA future. The senior forward for WKU has good size (6-7, 245), can shoot it from anywhere (51% overall field goal percentage, 42% on threes) and is an excellent rebounder (averages 9.6, top-30 nationally). Johnson led the way on Tuesday, scoring a game-high 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds.
Taveion Hollingsworth scored 18 points and Darius Thompson added 17 points and eight assists for the Hilltoppers, who at 25-10 have their most wins since the NCAA second-round team from 2008-09 finished 25-9.
Also a nice night of nonsense from the broadcast team of Dave Weekley & Rob Kennedy:
"a catch and shoot guy"
"he's got a Charles Barkley mentality in a point guard's body"
"concussion protocol"
"back in basketball shape"
"takes his foot off the gas"
"a football mentality"
"he pursues the basketball"
"pocket pass"
Game 573-574: Tournament, day 1
NCAA Tournament first four
March 13 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH
TruTV
574 - (11) UCLA vs. (11) St. Bonaventure
Huge evening for St. Bonaventure, which picked up its first NCAA win since the 1969-70 team went to the final four with a East Regional final victory over Villanova.
THAT WAS IN MARCH, 1970.
Courtney Stockard was fantastic, scoring a game-high 26 points, and also making up for the struggles of top scorer Jaylen Adams, who was 2-of-16 from the field and scored just eight points. The Bonnies will play No. 6 seed Florida in the round of 64 on Thursday.
573 - (16) Radford vs. (16) LIU-Brooklyn
Also an historic day for Radford, which had four players score in double figures in a 71-61 victory.
It's the first NCAA win in school history for the Highlanders, who had been 0-or-2 in their previous two trips in 1997-98 and 2008-09.
Carlik Jones did everything for the Big South champions, getting pretty close to a rare, NCAA Tournament triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Travis Fields came off the bench and hit all three of his three-point attempts and joined Ed Polite with a game-high 13 points. Polite also had a nice all-around game, adding 12 rebounds and four assists.
A big reason the Northeast Conference champion Blackbirds' season came to an end was the struggles of Joel Hernandez. The senior came into the night 30th nationally in scoring with an average of just under 21 points, but was held to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting with six turnovers and honestly, after a slow start looked frustrated and didn't provide a whole lot of positives for LIU Brooklyn for the rest of the night.
March 13 at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH
TruTV
574 - (11) UCLA vs. (11) St. Bonaventure
Huge evening for St. Bonaventure, which picked up its first NCAA win since the 1969-70 team went to the final four with a East Regional final victory over Villanova.
THAT WAS IN MARCH, 1970.
Courtney Stockard was fantastic, scoring a game-high 26 points, and also making up for the struggles of top scorer Jaylen Adams, who was 2-of-16 from the field and scored just eight points. The Bonnies will play No. 6 seed Florida in the round of 64 on Thursday.
573 - (16) Radford vs. (16) LIU-Brooklyn
Also an historic day for Radford, which had four players score in double figures in a 71-61 victory.
It's the first NCAA win in school history for the Highlanders, who had been 0-or-2 in their previous two trips in 1997-98 and 2008-09.
Carlik Jones did everything for the Big South champions, getting pretty close to a rare, NCAA Tournament triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Travis Fields came off the bench and hit all three of his three-point attempts and joined Ed Polite with a game-high 13 points. Polite also had a nice all-around game, adding 12 rebounds and four assists.
A big reason the Northeast Conference champion Blackbirds' season came to an end was the struggles of Joel Hernandez. The senior came into the night 30th nationally in scoring with an average of just under 21 points, but was held to eight points on 3-of-11 shooting with six turnovers and honestly, after a slow start looked frustrated and didn't provide a whole lot of positives for LIU Brooklyn for the rest of the night.
Game 572 - (2) Robert Morris women - (1) St. Francis (PA)
Northeast championship
March 11 at Degol Arena in Loretto, PA
ESPNU
St. Francis leaned heavily on its best player, and Jessica Kovatch sent the Red Flash to the NCAA Tournament.
Kovatch, the nation's second-leading scorer (average of 24.9, first is Iowa's Megan Gustafson at 25.6), poured in 29 points on 8-of-17 shooting in a 66-56 victory.
It's the 12th Northeast title for St. Francis, which prevented Robert Morris from winning three consecutive championships. The junior Kovatch broke the tournament record, scoring 103 points over the three games, and picked up MVP honors.
Senior forward Jocelynne Jones shook off two early fouls to lead the visitors with 21 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range.
March 11 at Degol Arena in Loretto, PA
ESPNU
St. Francis leaned heavily on its best player, and Jessica Kovatch sent the Red Flash to the NCAA Tournament.
Kovatch, the nation's second-leading scorer (average of 24.9, first is Iowa's Megan Gustafson at 25.6), poured in 29 points on 8-of-17 shooting in a 66-56 victory.
It's the 12th Northeast title for St. Francis, which prevented Robert Morris from winning three consecutive championships. The junior Kovatch broke the tournament record, scoring 103 points over the three games, and picked up MVP honors.
Senior forward Jocelynne Jones shook off two early fouls to lead the visitors with 21 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range.
Games 569-571: Championship
Sun Belt Tournament
March 9-11 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA
571 - championship
(4) UT-Arlington vs. (2) Georgia State
ESPN2
570 - semifinals
(3) Georgia Southern vs. (2) Georgia State
espn3.com
569 - quarterfinals
(7) Troy vs. (2) Georgia State
espn3.com
That was an extremely satisfying championship run.
GSU got 27 points from D'Marcus Simonds and never trailed in defeating UT Arlington 74-61 in the Sun Belt final.
Simonds picked up Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament despite struggling in the semifinal win. The sophomore was 8-of-19 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line (the team finished 16-of-20) a day after scoring only six points and fouling out in a 73-67 victory. When Simonds is driving to the rim and making lay-ups and/or getting fouled like he was Sunday, GSU is a tough team to beat.
Here's a great statistic: GSU trailed for a total of 18 seconds during this tournament. Georgia Southern took a 7-6 lead with 15:43 left in the first half of Saturday's game, and at the 15:25 mark, Coye Simmons of Georgia Southern picked up a foul and a technical foul, GSU went up 9-7 thanks to a 3-of-4 stay at the line and didn't trail for the rest of the weekend.
So, thank you Coye Simmons?
The defense was outstanding Sunday, holding Arlington's top two players - Erick Neal and Kevin Hervey - to a combined shooting performance of 4-of-29 and the team to just 29% from the field (17-of-57).
GSU is in the tournament for the first time since 2015, was given a No. 15 seed and will play No. 2 seed and American Conference champion Cincinnati in the first round on Friday.
March 9-11 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA
(4) UT-Arlington vs. (2) Georgia State
ESPN2
570 - semifinals
(3) Georgia Southern vs. (2) Georgia State
espn3.com
569 - quarterfinals
(7) Troy vs. (2) Georgia State
espn3.com
That was an extremely satisfying championship run.
GSU got 27 points from D'Marcus Simonds and never trailed in defeating UT Arlington 74-61 in the Sun Belt final.
Simonds picked up Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament despite struggling in the semifinal win. The sophomore was 8-of-19 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line (the team finished 16-of-20) a day after scoring only six points and fouling out in a 73-67 victory. When Simonds is driving to the rim and making lay-ups and/or getting fouled like he was Sunday, GSU is a tough team to beat.
Here's a great statistic: GSU trailed for a total of 18 seconds during this tournament. Georgia Southern took a 7-6 lead with 15:43 left in the first half of Saturday's game, and at the 15:25 mark, Coye Simmons of Georgia Southern picked up a foul and a technical foul, GSU went up 9-7 thanks to a 3-of-4 stay at the line and didn't trail for the rest of the weekend.
So, thank you Coye Simmons?
The defense was outstanding Sunday, holding Arlington's top two players - Erick Neal and Kevin Hervey - to a combined shooting performance of 4-of-29 and the team to just 29% from the field (17-of-57).
GSU is in the tournament for the first time since 2015, was given a No. 15 seed and will play No. 2 seed and American Conference champion Cincinnati in the first round on Friday.
Games 566-568: Quarterfinal Thursday
568 - ACC quarterfinals
(6) North Carolina vs. (3) Miami
March 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
ESPN
567 - ACC quarterfinals
(10) Notre Dame vs. (2) Duke
March 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
ESPN
Marvin Bagley is good.
The freshman put together a 33-point 17-rebound night (his fourth 30-15 of the season) and the second-seeded Blue Devils rolled into the semifinals with an 88-70 win.
Senior Grayson Allen was also great - 23 points on 5-of-6 from three-point range - and freshman Trevon Duval handed out 11 assists.
Matt Farrell did Duval one better with a career-high game of 12 assists, but hit just 3-of-11 from three (the Irish were 5-of-23 as a team).
566 - (5) Kent State vs. (4) Ball State
MAC quarterfinals
March 8 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
espn3.com
Basketball phrases/nonsense
"attack the tin with ferocity"
"three point marksmanship"
"that looked to me like a basketball play"
"Zach Gunn, and he has that holster always ready to trigger"
"took him to the woodshed"
"international flavor"
"MACtion"
"a great kick ahead"
"the show and go"
(6) North Carolina vs. (3) Miami
March 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
ESPN
567 - ACC quarterfinals
(10) Notre Dame vs. (2) Duke
March 8 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
ESPN
Marvin Bagley is good.
The freshman put together a 33-point 17-rebound night (his fourth 30-15 of the season) and the second-seeded Blue Devils rolled into the semifinals with an 88-70 win.
Senior Grayson Allen was also great - 23 points on 5-of-6 from three-point range - and freshman Trevon Duval handed out 11 assists.
Matt Farrell did Duval one better with a career-high game of 12 assists, but hit just 3-of-11 from three (the Irish were 5-of-23 as a team).
566 - (5) Kent State vs. (4) Ball State
MAC quarterfinals
March 8 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH
espn3.com
Basketball phrases/nonsense
"attack the tin with ferocity"
"three point marksmanship"
"that looked to me like a basketball play"
"Zach Gunn, and he has that holster always ready to trigger"
"took him to the woodshed"
"international flavor"
"MACtion"
"a great kick ahead"
"the show and go"
Games 563-565: Wednesday tripleheader
565 - (6) UC Riverside women vs. (3) UC Irvine
Big West quarterfinals
March 7 at Titan Gym in Fullerton, CA
espn3.com
It had been almost a year since we watched Michelle Curry try her best to get Riverside into the Big West semis. Curry's 22 points weren't enough that day, but Wednesday, she dropped a career-high 40 in the Highlanders' 86-74 win.
Curry was 11-of-23 from the field and hit 18 of her 21 free throw attempts (there were a silly 59 fouls called, the teams went a combined 53-of-74 from the stripe and six (!) players fouled out of a regulation game). The senior Curry is averaging 30 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two tournament games.
Riverside, just 9-21 during the regular season, is two wins from the tournament & will play top seed UC Davis in Friday's semifinals.
564 - (9) Florida A&M vs. (1) Hampton
MEAC quarterfinals
March 7 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA
espn3.com
It got much tighter than I thought it would towards the end as A&M cut an 18-point deficit to one with 36 seconds left, but the top seed hung on, 75-71.
Jermaine Marrow was outstanding for Hampton (18-14), just missing a triple-double - he had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Marrow is top-50 nationally in both scoring and assists and though he really struggled with his shot (4-of-18) he did everything else to help the Pirates reach the semifinals. Hampton is looking to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons.
Malique Trent Scott led Hampton with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-13 from the field.
Desmond Williams, A&M's leading scorer, poured in a game-high 27 points, 24 of which came in the second half.
563 - (9) Louisville vs. (8) Florida State
ACC second round
March 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
ESPN
Excellent shooting afternoon for Louisville, which made 62% of its threes & 51% of its shots overall in an 82-74 win.
The Florida State bench (40 points) out-scored the starters (34), which is never a good thing.
It would be some story if Louisville, under interim coach David Padgett and with all the controversy surrounding the program this season, made a run in the ACC Tournament as a No. 9 seed. The Cardinals have top seed and projected No. 1 overall in the NCAAs, Virginia next in Thursday's quarterfinals.
Big West quarterfinals
March 7 at Titan Gym in Fullerton, CA
espn3.com
It had been almost a year since we watched Michelle Curry try her best to get Riverside into the Big West semis. Curry's 22 points weren't enough that day, but Wednesday, she dropped a career-high 40 in the Highlanders' 86-74 win.
Curry was 11-of-23 from the field and hit 18 of her 21 free throw attempts (there were a silly 59 fouls called, the teams went a combined 53-of-74 from the stripe and six (!) players fouled out of a regulation game). The senior Curry is averaging 30 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two tournament games.
Riverside, just 9-21 during the regular season, is two wins from the tournament & will play top seed UC Davis in Friday's semifinals.
564 - (9) Florida A&M vs. (1) Hampton
MEAC quarterfinals
March 7 at Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA
espn3.com
It got much tighter than I thought it would towards the end as A&M cut an 18-point deficit to one with 36 seconds left, but the top seed hung on, 75-71.
Jermaine Marrow was outstanding for Hampton (18-14), just missing a triple-double - he had 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Marrow is top-50 nationally in both scoring and assists and though he really struggled with his shot (4-of-18) he did everything else to help the Pirates reach the semifinals. Hampton is looking to reach the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four seasons.
Malique Trent Scott led Hampton with 22 points on an efficient 8-of-13 from the field.
Desmond Williams, A&M's leading scorer, poured in a game-high 27 points, 24 of which came in the second half.
563 - (9) Louisville vs. (8) Florida State
ACC second round
March 7 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY
ESPN
Excellent shooting afternoon for Louisville, which made 62% of its threes & 51% of its shots overall in an 82-74 win.
The Florida State bench (40 points) out-scored the starters (34), which is never a good thing.
It would be some story if Louisville, under interim coach David Padgett and with all the controversy surrounding the program this season, made a run in the ACC Tournament as a No. 9 seed. The Cardinals have top seed and projected No. 1 overall in the NCAAs, Virginia next in Thursday's quarterfinals.
Game 562 - (10) Georgia State women vs. (7) Coastal Carolina
Sun Belt first round
March 6 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA
espn3.com
An extremely frustrating season came to an end for GSU as Coastal Carolina used a dominant second quarter to get some distance and cruised to a 74-55 win.
The seventh-seeded Chanticleers trailed by a point after one, but used a 12-0 run to out-score GSU 22-6 in the second (Kaylin West had 10 points and Jas Adams had eight in the period) and it was a double-digit lead for the rest of the night.
Adams, the top scorer in the Sun Belt, finished with 16 points, while West had 15 off the bench.
The Panthers had high hopes coming into the season, but two games in lost to injury Jada Lewis, last year's Sun Belt freshman of the year, then dropped five league games by seven points or less.
GSU has no seniors, so every major contributor, including Lewis, Kierra Henry (game-high 18 points) and Madison Newby (team's assist leader, averaged 11 points in 29 games) returns next season.
March 6 at Lakefront Arena in New Orleans, LA
espn3.com
An extremely frustrating season came to an end for GSU as Coastal Carolina used a dominant second quarter to get some distance and cruised to a 74-55 win.
The seventh-seeded Chanticleers trailed by a point after one, but used a 12-0 run to out-score GSU 22-6 in the second (Kaylin West had 10 points and Jas Adams had eight in the period) and it was a double-digit lead for the rest of the night.
Adams, the top scorer in the Sun Belt, finished with 16 points, while West had 15 off the bench.
The Panthers had high hopes coming into the season, but two games in lost to injury Jada Lewis, last year's Sun Belt freshman of the year, then dropped five league games by seven points or less.
GSU has no seniors, so every major contributor, including Lewis, Kierra Henry (game-high 18 points) and Madison Newby (team's assist leader, averaged 11 points in 29 games) returns next season.
Game 561 - (6) San Diego women vs. (1) Gonzaga
West Coast championship
March 6 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV
ESPN2
The best player in the West Coast Conference stepped up at the perfect time for Gonzaga.
League player of the year Jill Barta scored 32 points - 28 of which came after the opening quarter - on 10-of-19 shooting and Zykera Rice added 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 performance from the field in a 79-71 win.
San Diego, which did a phenomenal job getting to the final as a No. 6 seed, hit seven of its 11 field goal attempts in the first quarter to grab a 25-20 lead. Gonzaga used a 13-0 run midway through the second quarter to take the lead for good and ending up shooting 51% from the field.
It doesn't matter now, but I wonder if the Bulldogs, now 27-5, would've received an at-large bid with a loss. ESPN's Charlie Creme has Gonzaga as a No. 12 seed in the Lexington region coming into the day. Not sure that changes much after this one.
San Diego (17-15) got 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 11 rebounds from Maya Hood (she's the school's all-time leading rebounder) and 20 points out of Sydney Williams.
March 6 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV
ESPN2
The best player in the West Coast Conference stepped up at the perfect time for Gonzaga.
League player of the year Jill Barta scored 32 points - 28 of which came after the opening quarter - on 10-of-19 shooting and Zykera Rice added 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 performance from the field in a 79-71 win.
San Diego, which did a phenomenal job getting to the final as a No. 6 seed, hit seven of its 11 field goal attempts in the first quarter to grab a 25-20 lead. Gonzaga used a 13-0 run midway through the second quarter to take the lead for good and ending up shooting 51% from the field.
It doesn't matter now, but I wonder if the Bulldogs, now 27-5, would've received an at-large bid with a loss. ESPN's Charlie Creme has Gonzaga as a No. 12 seed in the Lexington region coming into the day. Not sure that changes much after this one.
San Diego (17-15) got 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 11 rebounds from Maya Hood (she's the school's all-time leading rebounder) and 20 points out of Sydney Williams.
Games 559-560: Two champions
560 - Southern championship
(2) East Tennessee State vs. (1) UNC-Greensboro
March 5 at US Cellular Center in Asheville, NC
ESPN2
559 - MAAC championship
(6) Fairfield vs. (4) Iona
March 5 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
(2) East Tennessee State vs. (1) UNC-Greensboro
March 5 at US Cellular Center in Asheville, NC
ESPN2
559 - MAAC championship
(6) Fairfield vs. (4) Iona
March 5 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
ESPN
Game 558 - (3) Western Illinois women vs. (2) South Dakota State
Summit League semifinals
March 5 at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD
March 5 at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, SD
(photo by Bobby Feathers)
Midco Sports Network
Western Illinois has had a fine season, just not against South Dakota State.
For the third time in as many meetings, SDSU picked up a lopsided victory, 80-51 to advance to Tuesday's league final against top seed and rival South Dakota.
Western Illinois is 22-9 and has a good shot at a WNIT bid, but against SDSU, the Leathernecks were just out-classed, beaten by an average margin of 31 points. Monday, the second-seeded Jackrabbits held Western Illinois, a top-10 scoring team nationally, to nearly 32 points below its season average & first-team all-Summit performer Emily Clemens to just three points.
The SDSU offense had a lot to do with the victory as well:
* There was balanced scoring. Four reached double figures, led by Madison Guebert's game-high 20 points. Gaubert, along with teammate and league player of the year Macy Miller (16 points, 10 rebounds) were also first-team selections.
* They shared the ball. The Jackrabbits handed out 16 assists (all-newcomer team selection Myah Selland and Rylie Cascio Jensen, both reserves, had five each) on 27 made baskets.
* SDSU knocked down 11 threes, including a 7-of-11 performance in the opening quarter that helped them take control.
Western Illinois has had a fine season, just not against South Dakota State.
For the third time in as many meetings, SDSU picked up a lopsided victory, 80-51 to advance to Tuesday's league final against top seed and rival South Dakota.
Western Illinois is 22-9 and has a good shot at a WNIT bid, but against SDSU, the Leathernecks were just out-classed, beaten by an average margin of 31 points. Monday, the second-seeded Jackrabbits held Western Illinois, a top-10 scoring team nationally, to nearly 32 points below its season average & first-team all-Summit performer Emily Clemens to just three points.
The SDSU offense had a lot to do with the victory as well:
* There was balanced scoring. Four reached double figures, led by Madison Guebert's game-high 20 points. Gaubert, along with teammate and league player of the year Macy Miller (16 points, 10 rebounds) were also first-team selections.
* They shared the ball. The Jackrabbits handed out 16 assists (all-newcomer team selection Myah Selland and Rylie Cascio Jensen, both reserves, had five each) on 27 made baskets.
* SDSU knocked down 11 threes, including a 7-of-11 performance in the opening quarter that helped them take control.
Game 557 - (6) Saint Joseph's women vs. (5) George Washington
Atlantic 10 championship
March 4 at Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA
ESPNU
Great day for George Washington, which broke open a close game late in the third quarter and cruised to a 65-49 victory.
It's the third Atlantic 10 title in four years for the Colonials. Four were in double figures, led by Brianna Cummings' 17 points and five assists and Kelli Prange's 14 points off the bench.
It was my first time seeing GW and its impressive point guard, Mei-Lyn Bautista. The junior guard was in complete control of the offense and she handed out seven assists and didn't have a single turnover. Bautista, a Queens, NY native, also added eight points and picked up a couple steals.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament (ESPN's Charlie Creme currently has the Colonials as a No. 14 seed in the Lexington region), Bautista's assist-to-turnover ratio is 3-to-1 (139 assists, 46 turnovers), which is a top-11 mark nationally.
This game featured an excellent point guard match up as Saint Joseph's Alyssa Monaghan is seventh in assist ratio, though she had just two assists and no turnovers Saturday.
* Solid afternoon of saying the word "basketball" from Melissa Lee & Andraya Carter
Lee: said 18 times
First quarter (7), 2nd (5), 3rd (5), 4th (1)
Carter: 14 times
First (2), 2nd (1), 3rd (8), 4th (3)
Total: 32
March 4 at Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, VA
ESPNU
Great day for George Washington, which broke open a close game late in the third quarter and cruised to a 65-49 victory.
It's the third Atlantic 10 title in four years for the Colonials. Four were in double figures, led by Brianna Cummings' 17 points and five assists and Kelli Prange's 14 points off the bench.
It was my first time seeing GW and its impressive point guard, Mei-Lyn Bautista. The junior guard was in complete control of the offense and she handed out seven assists and didn't have a single turnover. Bautista, a Queens, NY native, also added eight points and picked up a couple steals.
Heading into the NCAA Tournament (ESPN's Charlie Creme currently has the Colonials as a No. 14 seed in the Lexington region), Bautista's assist-to-turnover ratio is 3-to-1 (139 assists, 46 turnovers), which is a top-11 mark nationally.
This game featured an excellent point guard match up as Saint Joseph's Alyssa Monaghan is seventh in assist ratio, though she had just two assists and no turnovers Saturday.
* Solid afternoon of saying the word "basketball" from Melissa Lee & Andraya Carter
Lee: said 18 times
First quarter (7), 2nd (5), 3rd (5), 4th (1)
Carter: 14 times
First (2), 2nd (1), 3rd (8), 4th (3)
Total: 32
Game 556 - First of 68
Ohio Valley championship
(2) Belmont vs. (1) Murray State
March 3 at Ford Center in Evansville, IN
ESPN2
Murray State completed a fantastic turnaround and advanced to the NCAAs for the first time since 2011-12 with a 68-51 victory.
The Racers finished 16-17 a year ago, but moved to 26-5 with their 13th consecutive victory (last loss was to this same Belmont team on January 18). Johnathan Stark led the way with 24 points, and though he struggled from three-point range (2-of-10), he was excellent on twos (8-of-11). Three others were in double figures for the Racers - Temetrius Morant (15 points) and Leroy Buchanan and Terrell Miller (11 each).
* Roy Philpott and Adrian Branch!
"he lives in the gym"
"Kyrie Irvingesque"
"dynamite from bonus land"
"stop and pop for a three-point shot"
"plays with a chip on his shoulder the right way" (?)
"put back presence"
"got caught ball-watching"
"dribble drive" ! - 11:32 left in the first half
"a bubblelicious match up"
"plays bigger than his 6-2 frame"
"coach K"
"Luke dropping dimes like it's his job, and it is"/"Austin Luke is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers"
"center by committee"
"what did Kevin McClain eat pregame? gun powder!"
"Joey brackets"
(2) Belmont vs. (1) Murray State
March 3 at Ford Center in Evansville, IN
ESPN2
Murray State completed a fantastic turnaround and advanced to the NCAAs for the first time since 2011-12 with a 68-51 victory.
The Racers finished 16-17 a year ago, but moved to 26-5 with their 13th consecutive victory (last loss was to this same Belmont team on January 18). Johnathan Stark led the way with 24 points, and though he struggled from three-point range (2-of-10), he was excellent on twos (8-of-11). Three others were in double figures for the Racers - Temetrius Morant (15 points) and Leroy Buchanan and Terrell Miller (11 each).
* Roy Philpott and Adrian Branch!
"he lives in the gym"
"Kyrie Irvingesque"
"dynamite from bonus land"
"stop and pop for a three-point shot"
"plays with a chip on his shoulder the right way" (?)
"put back presence"
"got caught ball-watching"
"dribble drive" ! - 11:32 left in the first half
"a bubblelicious match up"
"plays bigger than his 6-2 frame"
"coach K"
"Luke dropping dimes like it's his job, and it is"/"Austin Luke is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers"
"center by committee"
"what did Kevin McClain eat pregame? gun powder!"
"Joey brackets"
Game 555 - South Alabama at Georgia State
March 3 at GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, GA
espn3.com
Nice close to the regular season as Isaiah Williams, playing in his final home game, scored 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a 90-75 victory.
I thought the most important part of the game came late in the first half when GSU led just 35-32 before Williams knocked down a 3-pointer and hit one of his patented floaters in the lane and it was 40-32. Those two baskets capped a 7-0 run and the lead wouldn't fall below six the rest of the day.
Devin Mitchell is the best outside shooter in the Sun Belt Conference by a considerable amount (43% from three, Troy's Wesley Person is second at 38%) and the junior had one of his ridiculous shooting stretches midway through the second half that really helped keep some distance. During a seven-minute stretch (the 13:43 mark to 6:41), Mitchell made five straight threes, allowing the lead to get to 20 at one point.
GSU finished the regular season leading the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (38%) and that mark actually set a single-season school record. The Panthers made 12-of-23 from long range in this one.
Mitchell finished with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from behind the arc, while the league's leading scorer, D'Marcus Simonds, was a bit off with his shot (6-of-19), yet still finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and just one turnover. I fully expect the sophomore Simonds to be named the conference's player of the year on Monday because he has been exactly that all season.
espn3.com
Nice close to the regular season as Isaiah Williams, playing in his final home game, scored 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting in a 90-75 victory.
I thought the most important part of the game came late in the first half when GSU led just 35-32 before Williams knocked down a 3-pointer and hit one of his patented floaters in the lane and it was 40-32. Those two baskets capped a 7-0 run and the lead wouldn't fall below six the rest of the day.
Devin Mitchell is the best outside shooter in the Sun Belt Conference by a considerable amount (43% from three, Troy's Wesley Person is second at 38%) and the junior had one of his ridiculous shooting stretches midway through the second half that really helped keep some distance. During a seven-minute stretch (the 13:43 mark to 6:41), Mitchell made five straight threes, allowing the lead to get to 20 at one point.
GSU finished the regular season leading the Sun Belt in three-point shooting (38%) and that mark actually set a single-season school record. The Panthers made 12-of-23 from long range in this one.
Mitchell finished with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from behind the arc, while the league's leading scorer, D'Marcus Simonds, was a bit off with his shot (6-of-19), yet still finished with 20 points, seven rebounds, and just one turnover. I fully expect the sophomore Simonds to be named the conference's player of the year on Monday because he has been exactly that all season.
Games 553-554: Quarterfinal Friday
554 - (14) Rutgers vs. (3) Purdue
Big 10 quarterfinals
March 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
The Edwards' - Vince and Carsen - each scored 26 points as the Boilermakers moved into the semis with an 82-75 win.
Vince was 10-of-14 from the field and Carsen made 10-of-11 from the line to help the No. 3 seed erase a three-point halftime deficit. Both players knocked down four 3-pointers and the Boilermakers hit 13 as a team.
Great night for Corey Sanders - 23 points, 11-of-20 from the field - in a losing effort for the Scarlet Knights, who won games over 11-seed Minnesota and sixth-seeded Indiana to reach the quarters.
553 - (9) Saint Peter's vs. (1) Rider
MAAC quarterfinals
March 2 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
Huge upset in Albany as the Peacocks out-played the regular season champion and advanced with a 66-55 win.
It's the first time in the tournament's history a nine has defeated a one and Saint Peter's did it with defense - Rider shot just 30% from the field and missed 18 of its 21 three-point attempts - and a balanced offense that saw five players score at least nine points, led by Samuel Idowu's 12 points.
The fact Saint Peter's pulled off the huge upset was a bit of a surprise, but I'm not surprised the Broncs had trouble. The Peacocks lost both regular season games between the two teams, but by a combined seven points.
Saint Peter's (14-17) has already had a memorable tournament. In Thursday's first round game against eighth-seeded Monmouth, Nick Griffin's 3-pointer with five seconds left was the difference in a 60-58 victory.
Big 10 quarterfinals
March 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY
The Edwards' - Vince and Carsen - each scored 26 points as the Boilermakers moved into the semis with an 82-75 win.
Vince was 10-of-14 from the field and Carsen made 10-of-11 from the line to help the No. 3 seed erase a three-point halftime deficit. Both players knocked down four 3-pointers and the Boilermakers hit 13 as a team.
Great night for Corey Sanders - 23 points, 11-of-20 from the field - in a losing effort for the Scarlet Knights, who won games over 11-seed Minnesota and sixth-seeded Indiana to reach the quarters.
553 - (9) Saint Peter's vs. (1) Rider
MAAC quarterfinals
March 2 at Times Union Center in Albany, NY
Huge upset in Albany as the Peacocks out-played the regular season champion and advanced with a 66-55 win.
It's the first time in the tournament's history a nine has defeated a one and Saint Peter's did it with defense - Rider shot just 30% from the field and missed 18 of its 21 three-point attempts - and a balanced offense that saw five players score at least nine points, led by Samuel Idowu's 12 points.
The fact Saint Peter's pulled off the huge upset was a bit of a surprise, but I'm not surprised the Broncs had trouble. The Peacocks lost both regular season games between the two teams, but by a combined seven points.
Saint Peter's (14-17) has already had a memorable tournament. In Thursday's first round game against eighth-seeded Monmouth, Nick Griffin's 3-pointer with five seconds left was the difference in a 60-58 victory.
Games 551-552: Sun Belt split
552 - Troy at Georgia State
March 1 at GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, GA
It's just time for the Sun Belt Tournament to begin because honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen to GSU next week in New Orleans. This season has been all over the place:
* On a neutral court in November they lost by 15 to Prairie View, a team that immediately lost eight consecutive games (they've since rebounded and are 11-6 in SWAC play with one regular season game to go, but that's still a pretty bad loss). Twelve days later, they blew a double-digit lead at home and lost to Liberty in overtime.
* Non-conference road losses to Mississippi (77-72) and Dayton (88-83 in overtime) should've been wins. Neither the Rebels or Flyers have had the type of seasons those programs are accustomed to, but those were still missed opportunities.
* They put together a 10-game winning streak where the defense was fantastic and they looked like the best team in the league.
* What turned out to be the final win of that streak was an impressive, 106-92 victory over Louisiana on February 8. The Ragin' Cajuns had been unbeaten in league play and on their own 10-game winning streak coming in (they've since started a new, six-game winning streak, re-establishing themselves as the favorite in New Orleans).
* And GSU has helped out considerably because that's now four losses in five games since the win over Louisiana after Thursday's 83-70 setback. The defense, once one of the best 25 or so units in the country, is now a liability. Troy was the fifth of GSU's last six opponents to score more than 80 points after two of the first 24 opponents reached that point total.
So after the regular season finale Saturday against South Alabama, the Panthers will be the No. 2 seed next week.
A championship run & a berth in the NCAA Tournament? Sure, I could see that happening.
Quarterfinal exit to a much lower seeded team? Sure, I could see that happening.
A run to the title game only to lose to top seed Louisiana 144-141? I could also see that happening.
An enjoyable time with very little stress? I'm having trouble seeing that.
551 - Troy women at Georgia State
March 1 at GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, GA
I'd say Troy is about sick of seeing juniors Janessa Murphy and Kierra Henry.
Murphy and Henry each scored 25 points, completing an outstanding pair of games against Troy and GSU picked up a big victory, 85-78.
In two games against Troy this season (the teams split the series), Murphy scored 25 in each (tying a career-high) and was 14-of-20 from three-point range. She knocked down seven threes in each game, and when the guard is hitting outside shots like she has against the Trojans, GSU (8-20, 4-13 Sun Belt) can be dangerous as a lower seed in next week's league tournament.
Henry dropped 28 points on Troy in late-December to give her a 26.5 average in the two games, and the forward shot 59% (19-of-32).
Troy is an incredible rebounding team (No. 1 nationally coming into the night) and Thursday was no different. The Trojans grabbed 52 rebounds (three above their average), led by Sky'Lynn Holmes' 17.
March 1 at GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, GA
It's just time for the Sun Belt Tournament to begin because honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen to GSU next week in New Orleans. This season has been all over the place:
* On a neutral court in November they lost by 15 to Prairie View, a team that immediately lost eight consecutive games (they've since rebounded and are 11-6 in SWAC play with one regular season game to go, but that's still a pretty bad loss). Twelve days later, they blew a double-digit lead at home and lost to Liberty in overtime.
* Non-conference road losses to Mississippi (77-72) and Dayton (88-83 in overtime) should've been wins. Neither the Rebels or Flyers have had the type of seasons those programs are accustomed to, but those were still missed opportunities.
* They put together a 10-game winning streak where the defense was fantastic and they looked like the best team in the league.
* What turned out to be the final win of that streak was an impressive, 106-92 victory over Louisiana on February 8. The Ragin' Cajuns had been unbeaten in league play and on their own 10-game winning streak coming in (they've since started a new, six-game winning streak, re-establishing themselves as the favorite in New Orleans).
* And GSU has helped out considerably because that's now four losses in five games since the win over Louisiana after Thursday's 83-70 setback. The defense, once one of the best 25 or so units in the country, is now a liability. Troy was the fifth of GSU's last six opponents to score more than 80 points after two of the first 24 opponents reached that point total.
So after the regular season finale Saturday against South Alabama, the Panthers will be the No. 2 seed next week.
A championship run & a berth in the NCAA Tournament? Sure, I could see that happening.
Quarterfinal exit to a much lower seeded team? Sure, I could see that happening.
A run to the title game only to lose to top seed Louisiana 144-141? I could also see that happening.
An enjoyable time with very little stress? I'm having trouble seeing that.
551 - Troy women at Georgia State
March 1 at GSU Sports Arena in Atlanta, GA
I'd say Troy is about sick of seeing juniors Janessa Murphy and Kierra Henry.
Murphy and Henry each scored 25 points, completing an outstanding pair of games against Troy and GSU picked up a big victory, 85-78.
In two games against Troy this season (the teams split the series), Murphy scored 25 in each (tying a career-high) and was 14-of-20 from three-point range. She knocked down seven threes in each game, and when the guard is hitting outside shots like she has against the Trojans, GSU (8-20, 4-13 Sun Belt) can be dangerous as a lower seed in next week's league tournament.
Henry dropped 28 points on Troy in late-December to give her a 26.5 average in the two games, and the forward shot 59% (19-of-32).
Troy is an incredible rebounding team (No. 1 nationally coming into the night) and Thursday was no different. The Trojans grabbed 52 rebounds (three above their average), led by Sky'Lynn Holmes' 17.
Games 549-550: A Thursday afternoon pair
550 - (10) Longwood vs. (2) Radford
Big South quarterfinals
March 1 at Kimmel Center in Asheville, NC
espn3.com
Nonsense
"they made this a 40-minute game"
"he went for the little scoopaloop"
"euro step"
"own the boards"
"playing with the house's money"
549 - (12) North Carolina women vs. (5) N.C. State
ACC second round
March 1 at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
Fox Sports South
Big South quarterfinals
March 1 at Kimmel Center in Asheville, NC
espn3.com
Nonsense
"they made this a 40-minute game"
"he went for the little scoopaloop"
"euro step"
"own the boards"
"playing with the house's money"
549 - (12) North Carolina women vs. (5) N.C. State
ACC second round
March 1 at Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC
Fox Sports South
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)