Recent Game Recaps

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

Bullet Points

• Two more titlists after last night's action. Portland State defended its Big Sky title, and Robert Morris will return to the NCAA Tournament out of the Northeast Conference.



• The Southland Conference begins today with quarterfinals in Katy, Tex.. It's the last of our 23 conferences to start its tourney.



• It's quarterfinal day in the WAC, Atlantic 8 and MAC as well. Also, the SWAC and MEAC hold their last pair of quarters in advance of Friday semis in both leagues. The Big West moves on to the second round after both low seeds won on opening day.



• There are 22 elimination games on this side of the Red Line today.

Brackets

Atlantic 8

Kwamain Mitchell, a 5-10 freshman Billiken who's really come on in the second half of the season, paced Saint Louis in its overtime survival over La Salle with 18 points, and scooped in a layup with two seconds to go in the extra period. League POY Ahmad Nivins struggled from the floor (3-for-10 shooting), but that's not all he does. The 6-9 Saint Joseph's Hawk had 15 points (nine on free throws) and 14 boards as his team eliminated a Charlotte squad that made things difficult for the league leaders all season. Duquesne moved to its first quarterfinal round since 2004 by shooting 51 percent and holding off UMass' second-half run. Saint Bonaventure was much improved with six league wins, but missed out on the final eight for the seventh straight time. I'll never forget the Bonnies' three-man band in 2000 when they found themselves in the semis underprepared for their success.

[9] Saint Louis 62, [8] La Salle 60 | GameFlo

[5] Saint Joseph's 72, [12] Charlotte 62 | GameFlo

[7] Duquesne 91, [10] Massachusetts 81 | GameFlo

[6] Richmond 65, [11] Saint Bonaventure 49 | GameFlo

Big Sky

After a tight first half, Portland State seemed to put away the upstart Montana State Bobcats in the second. But the Vikings sputtered from the foul line, and the No. 6 seed erased a 10-point lead late to pull even. It's the dream of every young man to win the conference title on a two-point dunk shot, and 6-5 PSU junior Julius Thomas was able to live that fantasy. With 11 seconds left, the Vikings drove the length of the floor and Thomas slammed it home with 3.5 seconds remaining. Portland State rules Large Canopy for the second straight season.

[2] Portland State 79, [6] Montana State 77 | GameFlo

Big West

If you're a higher seed awaiting an opponent assignment in the Big West, you have to watch both games on the previous day and scout all four teams, because you don't know who you're going to get when the seeds are reshuffled. Not sure how that benefits anybody, or why this is still the preferred method of a league that hasn't really needed to protect a top seed since Utah State was in the conference. UC Davis continued its ownership of Irvine, winning its third straight in the series and fourth of five with a late come-from-behind edge job. The defending champs survived out of a low seed, as Fullerton unceremoniously dumping an improved Riverside team in a death-slog. The losing Highlanders shot just 31 percent.

[8] California-Davis 69, [5] California-Irvine 68 | GameFlo

[7] Cal State Fullerton 59, [6] California-Riverside 46 | GameFlo

MEAC

Bethune-Cookman, traditionally one of the weakest programs in the MEAC, made the quarters for the first time in three years, extending the first winning season for the Wildcats in three decades. UMES hasn't made it out of the first round since 2004, the last time the Hawks had a seed that wasn't two digits long. In the quarterfinal portion of the day, top seed Morgan State cruised behind 18 from Reggie Holmes; none of the 12 Florida A&M players scored in double figures. S.C. State couldn't detach Hampton from its collective pantleg all evening, and only survived because the Pirates' Brandon Tunnell missed a mid-range jumper at the buzzer.

[6] Bethune-Cookman 52, [11] Maryland-Eastern Shore 47 | GameFlo

[1] Morgan State 71, [8] Florida A&M 41 | GameFlo

[2] South Carolina State 57, [7] Hampton 56 | GameFlo

Northeast

We've discussed the question of how badly a team can shoot and still win (the answer appears to be 26 percent). At 34 percent (18-for-53), Robert Morris seemed to be testing that theory in the most dangerous scenario possible: the league championship game. The Colonials, absent from the NCAA's for 17 long years, crawled around the floor with gritty league champion Mount Saint Mary's, hoping to avoid a continuation of a two-year running pattern that's dictated that RMU sweeps MSM during the season but takes a loss to the Mount in the playoffs. But with the score tied at 46 with time ticking down, the ball rolled to junior forward Dallas Green, who converted a bunny with eight seconds to go, securing the win. Go crazy, Moon Township, go crazy!

at [1] Robert Morris 48, [2] Mount Saint Mary's 46 | GameFlo

SWAC

Andrew Hayles, who should have been picked SWAC POY, scored 23 points for Alabama State as the Hornets won their sixth straight over their in-state rivals A&M. Jackson State, the No. 2 seed, swatted away Texas Southern's run out of the break and claimed a seven-point elimination win. Matthew Miller scored 21 and hit five 3's for JSU.

[2] Jackson State 72, [7] Texas Southern 65 | GameFlo

[1] Alabama State 70, [8] Alabama A&M 58 | GameFlo

On Tap Tonight

Atlantic 8

The top four enter the picture today; Xavier is so safely in the field of 65 that the Musketeers could lose by 30 today and still get in. But they won't. Rhode Island came on very strong at the end of the season (8-2 in the Rams' last 10), and needs to win this tourney to make it to the Big Bracket. Temple looked strong in January, but had a rough February... could the Owls get it together in March and repeat their title? The danger game is the late one: Richmond is one of two teams (Saint Louis the other) the other that gummed up the wheels and made Dayton look bad.

12:00 pm ET - [9] Saint Louis 18-13 (8-8) vs. [1] Xavier 24-6 (12-4) | Preview

Recent: 01/08/2009 SLU 44 @XU 70 02/07/2008 XU 70 @SLU 68



2:30 pm ET - [5] Saint Joseph's 17-14 (9-7) vs. [4] Temple 19-11 (11-5) | Preview

Recent: 03/05/2009 SJU 59 @TU 68 02/12/2009 TU 61 @SJU 59



6:30 pm ET - [7] Duquesne 19-11 (9-7) vs. [2] Rhode Island 22-9 (11-5) | Preview

Recent: 03/01/2009 URI 73 @DUQ 71 01/13/2008 DUQ 78 @URI 80



9:00 pm ET - [6] Richmond 18-14 (9-7) vs. [3] Dayton 25-6 (11-5) | Preview

Recent: 02/14/2009 RICH 63 @UD 69 01/26/2008 UD 63 @RICH 80

Big West

UC Davis is making its tourney debut after missing the event last year, its first as an eligible Division I member, and took its first tourney W yesterday. But Pacific proved a very tough matchup all season, and picked up a pair of 15-point wins over the Aggies. Memories of Fullerton's rough regular season could very well fade with another strong run in Anaheim; the champions turned No. 7 seed swept its second round opponent, UC Santa Barbara, during the season proper.

9:00 pm ET - [8] California-Davis 13-18 (7-9) vs. [3] Pacific 17-11 (10-6) | Preview

Recent: 02/25/2009 UCD 57 @PAC 72 01/31/2009 PAC 80 @UCD 65



11:30 pm ET - [7] Cal State Fullerton 15-16 (7-9) vs. [4] California-Santa Barbara 15-14 (8-8) | Preview

Recent: 02/05/2009 UCSB 65 @CSF 72 01/10/2009 CSF 62 @UCSB 58

MEAC

The MEAC event so far has been surprisingly chalky so far, out of form for a tourney that's seen an average of three upsets in the past three seasons. But that was in Raleigh; in Winston-Salem, we might see a repeat of 2005's last go-round in Richmond, when every top seed won. Or maybe not. No. 5 Coppin State beat No. 4 A&T in their only meeting this season, as did No. 6 BCC in its trip up to Norfolk State.

6:00 pm ET - [6] Bethune-Cookman 17-15 (10-8) vs. [3] Norfolk State 12-17 (10-8) | Preview

Recent: 02/07/2009 BETH 64 @NORF 57 02/09/2008 NORF 78 @BETH 77



8:00 pm ET - [5] Coppin State 12-18 (10-7) vs. [4] North Carolina A&T 16-15 (11-7) | Preview

Recent: 01/12/2009 NCAT 48 @COPP 61 01/14/2008 COPP 56 @NCAT 59

Mid-American

Here's a bold prediction: there will be three East teams and one from the West in Friday's semifinals -- that's because the entire six-team East is represented in the quarters. The attrition will begin at 2:30 p.m. Cleveland time, once the undercard is taken care of. The last time there were two teams in the MAC's final four from the perpetually weak West, which had no winning teams this year, was 2004.

12:00 pm ET - [2] Ball State 13-16 (7-9) vs. [7] Central Michigan 12-18 (7-9) | Preview

Recent: 02/25/2009 CMU 44 @BSU 53 01/17/2009 BSU 65 @CMU 71



2:30 pm ET - [3] Buffalo 19-10 (11-5) vs. [6] Kent State 19-13 (10-6) | Preview

Recent: 03/05/2009 BUFF 71 @KENT 77 01/21/2009 KENT 53 @BUFF 64



7:00 pm ET - [9] Ohio 15-16 (7-9) vs. [1] Bowling Green 18-12 (11-5) | Preview

Recent: 03/08/2009 OHIO 41 @BGSU 75 01/24/2009 BGSU 52 @OHIO 51



9:30 pm ET - [4] Miami (Oh.) 17-12 (10-6) vs. [5] Akron 20-12 (10-6) | Preview

Recent: 02/18/2009 MIO 44 @AKR 53 01/10/2009 AKR 51 @MIO 64

Southland

The Southland's bracket has a very different look this year. This conference leaves four members back at home, so missing out are last year's No. 2 seed Lamar and veterans of four consecutive title games Northwestern State, and in is Nicholls State, which hasn't made the the top eight since 2001. Stephen F. Austin is the top seed for the second straight year, and the Nicholls Colonels drew one of the only four teams to beat them this year: hyperspeed Texas State, making its own reentry to the tourney after three years away. The three other top seeds swept season series against their quarterfinal opponents.

1:00 pm ET - [7] Texas State 14-15 (7-9) vs. [2] Nicholls State 19-10 (12-4) | Preview

Recent: 02/21/2009 NICH 66 @TXST 71 01/19/2008 NICH 84 @TXST 93



3:30 pm ET - [3] Sam Houston State 18-11 (12-4) vs. [6] Texas-San Antonio 17-12 (8-8) | Preview

Recent: 02/21/2009 UTSA 67 @SAMH 89 02/04/2009 SAMH 89 @UTSA 86



7:00 pm ET - [1] Stephen F. Austin 21-7 (13-3) vs. [8] Southeastern Louisiana 13-16 (7-9) | Preview

Recent: 02/21/2009 SELU 38 @SFA 45 01/24/2009 SFA 60 @SELU 49



9:30 pm ET - [4] Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 17-14 (11-5) vs. [5] Texas-Arlington 16-13 (9-7) | Preview

Recent: 03/07/2009 TAMC 79 @UTA 66 02/04/2009 UTA 75 @TAMC 82

SWAC

The other two quarterfinals take place today. Arkansas-Pine Bluff has made the semis for the past three years, but as a low seed each time. Now that the Golden Lions are wearing their light jerseys, are they upset bait? No. 5 Southern swept them during the season. Mississippi Valley State -- which won the league championship in 2008, scored 29 points against UCLA and went 0-13 in nonconference play -- begins its defense of the title out of the No. 6 seed against a Prairie View program that hasn't been invited to Birmingham since 2005. The SWAC takes the top eight of 10 teams.

3:30 pm ET - [3] Prairie View A&M 16-15 (12-6) vs. [6] Mississippi Valley State 7-24 (7-11) | Preview

Recent: 02/21/2009 MVSU 69 @PVAM 81 01/24/2009 PVAM 49 @MVSU 67



9:00 pm ET - [4] Arkansas-Pine Bluff 12-17 (11-7) vs. [5] Southern 8-22 (8-10) | Preview

Recent: 02/14/2009 SOU 70 @UAPB 66 01/17/2009 UAPB 60 @SOU 70

Western Athletic

Quarterfinals get under way in Reno. Two of the last three champions won on their home floor (and New Mexico State came within a 3OT win of knocking off Boise State last season), so that definitely favors Nevada. Besides, the Wolf Pack do have a win on this court over No. 1 Utah State, which may come into play psychologically later. In the interim, we have a rematch of that classic final in the first game, which should be a lot of fun: Boise won both in high-scoring affairs. With February losses, USU needs three wins this weekend, and Idaho is in as a No. 3 seed after a pair of eights and a six in its first three tries as a WAC member. Sing along with Tom Petty contest winner "Mac Hopson."

3:00 pm ET - [4] Boise State 19-11 (9-7) vs. [5] New Mexico State 16-14 (9-7) | Preview

Recent: 03/02/2009 BOIS 104 @NMSU 92 01/22/2009 NMSU 84 @BOIS 87



5:30 pm ET - [9] Fresno State 13-20 (3-13) vs. [1] Utah State 27-4 (14-2) | Preview

Recent: 01/31/2009 USU 83 @FRES 77 01/15/2009 FRES 61 @USU 65



9:00 pm ET - [7] San Jose State 13-16 (6-10) vs. [2] Nevada 19-11 (11-5) | Preview

Recent: 03/05/2009 SJSU 66 @NEV 89 02/12/2009 NEV 80 @SJSU 68



11:30 pm ET - [6] Louisiana Tech 14-17 (6-10) vs. [3] Idaho 16-14 (9-7) | Preview

Recent: 03/05/2009 LTU 58 @ID 66 01/17/2009 ID 63 @LTU 74

Photos: AP/Steve Wilson; RMUColonials.com