Recent Game Recaps

Epilogue, The Ninth: Only Love Can Break Your Heart

Memories

So We Meet Again

Rte. 139 - End of the Line

Hanging On

A Championship in Pictures

This Time of Year

Dotson Leads Ducks to the Sweet Sixteen

Grizzlies Overwhelmed by Orangemen

Empire

Challenge 11: Final Four Memories

By George, UConn is Dead

Butler and Us

Donning the Black and Gold

Challenge 10: Tourney Memories

The Madness of the Horizon League

The Rare Ivy League Conference Tournament

MAC Madness

Anything Can Happen in the MAAC

Challenge 9: Shock The Neighborhood

A Youthful Surprise

From Worst to First

Peers and Seers

Albany Great Danes  Appalachian State Mountaineers  Butler Bulldogs  Fairfield Stags  IUPUI Jaguars  North Carolina A&T Aggies  North Texas Mean Green  Oakland Golden Grizzlies  Old Dominion Monarchs  Siena Saints  Southern Jaguars  Saint Mary`s Gaels  Troy Trojans  Weber State Wildcats  William & Mary Tribe  Wofford Terriers  Wright State Raiders  

Bullet Points

A might victory whoop! for our four newest Hoops Nation champions. Old Dominion dropped William & Mary in the Colonial, to return to the Dance after three years away. Siena won the Metro Atlantic for the third straight year, but the Saints needed overtime to fight off brave Fairfield. Saint Mary's finally achieved the peak of the WCC, removing the obstacle that's been in the way for the past decade: Gonzaga. And Wofford, the little school in Spartanburg, S.C., is going to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its history. The Terriers fought off Appalachian State in the SoCon title game.
Higher seeds were 7-1 on Monday, the Saint Mary's upset being the only exception.
Two semifinal rounds set up two of Tuesday's championships. Prepare for neutral-site top-seed matchups in the Sun Belt (Troy and North Texas), as well as the Badlands (Oakland and IUPUI).
The Horizon League, dormant since Saturday, will return for its title game tonight. If Butler defeats Wright State to take the conference's dubl-championship, the Bulldogs will likely get a fantastic seeding arrangement next Sunday.
The Big Sky is in semifinal mode tonight, with two games at Weber State's home floor.
Two more tourneys get underway this evening. The MEAC will begin first round play at Winston-Salem, N.C. in an event-ful gathering. Today is Youth Day, and congratulations to North Carolina A&T for winning the 2010 MEAC cheerleading championship yesterday.
Finally, we set about finding 2010's Atlantic One. The Atlantic 12 will hold four first-round games at campus sites; the four top seeds lay in wait in Atlantic City.
There are 11 elimination games today.

Brackets

Colonial



[1] Old Dominion 60, [3] William & Mary 53
Star of the Game: Ben Finney 9 Pts (3-7 FG, 1-1 FT), 8 Reb, 4 Stl

Old Dominion Wins CAA Championship - Earns 10th NCAA Bid - Old Dominion will be making its 10th trip to the NCAA Tournament after topping William & Mary, 60-53, to capture the 2010 Virginia 529 College Savings Plan CAA Men's Basketball Championship Monday evening. The Monarchs (26-8), who also captured the CAA regular season title, earn the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. ODU will be making its sixth straight post-season appearance, including its third trip to the NCAA's in the last six years. The CAA championship is the fifth for Old Dominion, which is the most of any league member. ODU will be making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2006-07 season, when the Monarchs received an at-large bid. Old Dominion's 26 wins this season are the second most in school history, trailing only the 28 wins posted by the 2004-05 team that also won the CAA crown. (via Old Dominion)




Metro Atlantic



at [1] Siena 72, [2] Fairfield 65 (OT)
Star of the Game: Alex Franklin 22 Pts (10-18 FG, 2-5 FT), 12 Reb, 2 Stl

Tournament Tested. Tournament Approved! - Siena rallied from a 13-point second half deficit to defeat Fairfield 72-65 in overtime in the MAAC title game Monday night in Albany. The Saints earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they have won First Round games each of the last two years. Edwin Ubiles scored 27 points and Alex Franklin added 22 points and 12 rebounds as Siena (27-6) pushed its home court win streak to 38 games, and equaled a program record with 27 victories. The second-seeded Stags (22-10) put up a game fight before losing to the Saints for the third time this season. (via Siena)


AP/Tim Roske


Southern



[S1] Wofford 56, [N1] Appalachian State 51
Star of the Game: Cameron Rundles 20 Pts (5-8 FG, 9-13 FT)

Wofford Men's Basketball Wins SoCon Championship - The Wofford men's basketball team survived a second-half push by the Appalachian State Mountaineers to claim the 2010 Southern Conference Championship by a score of 56-51. The win marks the Terriers' first Southern Conference championship. Wofford has won thirteen in a row and is 26-8 on the season and 15-3 in the SoCon. Appalachian State is 22-12 overall and 13-5 in the conference. The Terriers were led by junior Cameron Rundles, who recorded a game high 20 points. Junior Noah Dahlman added 10 points and junior Tim Johnson paced the team with 13 rebounds, including 11 defensive boards. Senior Ryan Abraham led the Mountaineers with 12 points while sophomore Andre Williamson added 12 points and notched a double-double with 12 rebounds. (via Wofford)




West Coast



[2] Saint Mary's 81, [1] Gonzaga 62
Star of the Game: Mickey McConnell 26 Pts (10-17 FG, 2-2 FT), 6 Ast, 4 Stl

Men's Basketball Wins WCC Tournament With 81-62 Win Over No. 18 Gonzaga - Mickey McConnell matched his career high with 26 points, Ben Allen added a career-best 20 and Saint Mary's upset No. 18 Gonzaga in an 81-62 victory Monday night in the West Coast Conference tournament title game. Jorden Page scored 11 points and Omar Samhan had nine points and seven rebounds for the Gaels (26-5), who earned the sixth NCAA tournament berth in the small Bay Area school's history with a remarkable shooting performance against the top-seeded Zags (26-6), the 10-time regular-season WCC champions. McConnell and Allen hit four 3-pointers apiece, propelling the Gaels to a first-half lead before an electric 18-7 run down the second-half stretch. Saint Mary's won the WCC tournament for just the second time since it began in 1987, beating Gonzaga for the first time in 10 tourney meetings. (via Saint Mary's)




Badlands Conference



[1] Oakland 71, [5] IUPU-Fort Wayne 58
Star of the Game: Keith Benson 17 Pts (5-12 FG, 7-7 FT), 17 Reb

Oakland Fights Past IPFW, 71-58, in Badlands Conference Tournament - Oakland University (25-8) went a perfect 19-for-19 from the free throw line and got a double-double from junior Keith Benson with 17 points and 17 rebounds to defeat IPFW (16-15), 71-58, in Badlands Conference Tournament semifinal action on Monday night in Sioux Falls Arena. (via Oakland)

[2] IUPUI 69, [3] Oral Roberts 65
Star of the Game: Billy Pettiford 6 Pts (3-6 FG), 8 Reb, 5 Stl

Jags Survive Furious Second Half Rally; Move On To Badlands Conference Title Game - SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – In a semi-carbon copy of the earlier meeting between the two schools, the IUPUI basketball team built a huge lead and had to cling for dear life down the stretch before surviving with a 69-65 win over Oral Roberts in The Badlands Conference Semifinals on Monday night. With the victory, the Jaguars move on to a Badlands Conference finals matchup with Oakland on Tuesday night at 9:00 p.m. on ESPN2. (via IUPUI)


Sun Belt



[1] Troy 54, [4] Western Kentucky 48
Star of the Game: Antywan Jones 7 Pts (3-6 FG), 7 Reb

Troy Holds On, Will Play for Title - Troy built a big first half lead, then held on as Western Kentucky battled back in the second half for a 54-48 win on Monday night in Sun Belt tournament action. The win moves the Trojans into Tuesday's Sun Belt title game and one victory away from a berth in the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Troy is already guaranteed a berth in the NIT due to its regular season conference title. Troy improved its record to 20-11 overall on the year - the program's 17th 20-win season and ninth under Maestri. Troy's last 20-win season came in 2004. That year Troy won the Atlantic Sun regular season title, but fell in the league tournament and faced Niagara in the NIT. (via Troy)

[2] North Texas 63, [6] Denver 56
Star of the Game: George Odufuwa 16 Pts (6-7 FG, 4-7 FT), 13 Reb

Mean Green Advance To The SBC Title Game With 63-56 Win Over Pioneers - The trio of Josh White, George Odufuwa, and Tristan Thompson powered North Texas to a 63-56 win over the Denver Pioneers in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Tournament and into the championship game for the second time in four years. North Texas (23-8) will face the Troy Trojans tomorrow night at 6 p.m. on ESPN2 with a bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. The win by North Texas is its 10th straight and it ties the school record for most wins in a single season with 23. White, Odufuwa, and Thompson combined for 49 of the 63 points by North Texas. (via North Texas)


On Tap Tonight

Badlands Conference




[1] Oakland vs. [2] IUPUI - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box


Players to watch:
OAK - #34 Keith Benson Jr. C (17.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 0.8 apg)
IUPUI - #23 Robert Glenn Sr. F (19.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.7 apg)


Horizon League




[2] Wright State at [1] Butler - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
WRIG - #44 Vaughn Duggins Jr. G (14.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 3.0 apg)
BUTL - #20 Gordon Hayward So. F (15.6 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.8 apg)

Bulldogs Return To Horizon League Championship Game - Top-seeded Butler will be bidding for a league-record sixth tournament trophy and an automatic berth in the NCAA tournament when it hosts #2 Wright State in the title game of the 2010 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship on Tuesday, March 9. The 9 p.m. (ET) contest at Hinkle Fieldhouse will be televised nationally on ESPN. Butler (27-4) advanced to the title game for the fifth straight year with a 68-59 victory over #4 Milwaukee in the tournament semifinals. Wright State (20-11) reached the final game for the first time since 2007 with a 69-50 victory over #7 Detroit. The Bulldogs, who dropped last year's title game to Cleveland State, 57-54, can tie former league member Xavier for most Horizon League Tournament titles with a win. Butler's last league tournament crown came at Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2008, while Wright State won the league title at home with a victory over Butler in 2007. Butler has more Horizon League Tournament championships (5) than any other active league member. (via Butler)


Sun Belt


[2] North Texas vs. [1] Troy - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
NTEX - #4 George Odufuwa Jr. F (11.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 1.7 apg)
TROY - #24 Michael Vogler Sr. G (11.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 5.5 apg)


Big Sky




[2] Northern Colorado vs. [4] Montana - 6:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
NOCO - #2 Will Figures Sr. G (16.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.6 apg)
UMT - #23 Anthony Johnson Sr. G (18.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg)

Griz fight Bears for spot in conference final - The fourth-seed University of Montana Grizzlies (20-9/10-6 Big Sky) will play the second-seeded Northern Colorado Bears (24-6/12-4 BSC) in an American First Credit Union Big Sky Conference Men's Basketball Tournament semifinal game, Tuesday, March 9th on Altitude TV. Tip-off in Weber State's Dee Events Center (12,000) is at 4:30 p.m. (Mtn). The other semifinal pits top-seed and host WSU (19-9/13-3 BSC) against sixth-seed and defending tournament champion Portland State (13-18/7-9 BSC) in a 7:00 p.m. contest. (via Montana)


[6] Portland State at [1] Weber State - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
POST - #44 Jamie Jones Sr. F (14.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 1.0 apg)
WEB - #1 Damian Lillard So. G (19.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.8 apg)

Vikings Prepare For Big Sky Semifinal At Weber State On Tuesday - Portland State's quest for a third straight Big Sky Conference Tournament championship continues on Tuesday when the Vikings play Weber State in a semifinal round game at Dee Events Center in Ogden, UT. The sixth-seeded Vikings are flying high after upsetting third-seeded Montana State in Bozeman on Saturday, 68-65. Melvin Jones hit a decisive three-pointer with 3.7 seconds to play, giving the Vikings a trip to the Big Sky semifinals for the fourth straight year and fifth time in six seasons. PSU goes to Weber State at 13-18 on the season. The Vikings beat the top-seeded Wildcats in their most recent meeting, 84-79, in Portland on Feb. 28. WSU won the earlier game in Ogden, 86-83. (via Portland State)


Atlantic 12




[9] Duquesne at [8] Saint Bonaventure - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
DUQ - #25 Damian Saunders Jr. F (14.9 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 2.5 apg)
BONA - #44 Andrew Nicholson So. F (16.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.4 apg)

Bonnies host Duquesne in A-14 First Round - For the third time this season and second time in six days at the Reilly Center, No. 8 seed St. Bonaventure will square off against No. 9 seed Duquesne in the First Round of the Atlantic 14 Championship on Tuesday. The two teams split the season-series and tied for eighth place in the A-14 standings, but the Bonnies earned the higher seed due to a tie-breaker. St. Bonaventure's No. 8 seed is its highest ranking in the conference tournament since 2001. The Bonnies won four of their last five over the final three weeks to earn their second-ever conference tournament home game. Oddly enough, the first also came against Duquesne in 1986 when the Dukes beat the Brown and White, 71-67, in the first round on Feb. 25, 1986. St. Bonaventure will look to snap a four-game skid in the A-14 postseason. The Bonnies' last win in the A-14 Tournament came against Duquesne in 2002 in the form of an 81-66 first round victory at The Spectrum. St. Bonaventure is 12-26 all-time at the A-14 Tournament with a pair of second place finishes to its credit in 1984 and 2000, respectively. St. Bonaventure will look to improve on its 6-10 record in the opening round and advance to play top-seeded and two-time defending A-14 Tournament Champion Temple on Friday in the quarterfinals. (via Duquesne)


[10] George Washington at [7] Dayton - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
GW - #22 Damian Hollis Sr. F (13.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 apg)
UD - #33 Chris Wright Jr. F (14.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)

UD Hosts George Washington in the Atlantic 14 First Round - The No. 7-seed University of Dayton Flyers host the No. 10 seed George Washington Colonials in the first round of the 2010 Atlantic 14 Men's Basketball Championship. The Flyers, 19-11 overall and 8-8 in the Atlantic 14, have stumbled down the stretch, losing four of their last five. Dayton ranks in the Top 20 in the nation and first in the Atlantic 14 in rebounding margin (plus-6.6) and ranked in the Top 35 in the NCAA in scoring defense (61.9 points per game). Chris Wright leads the Flyer attack averaging 14.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. UD showcases great balance on the offensive end with 11 players averaging 2.8 points or more per game.(via Dayton)


[11] Massachusetts at [6] Charlotte - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
MASS - #5 Ricky Harris Sr. G (19.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.1 apg)
CHAR - #43 Shamari Spears Jr. F (16.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.8 apg)

#11 Seed UMass Heads To Charlotte For A-14s - After a dramatic last-second 69-67 victory over Rhode Island to clinch a spot in the 2010 Atlantic 14 Tournament, the UMass basketball team is travelling to Charlotte to take on the No. 6-seeded 49ers on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. The Minutemen (11-19 overall) are seeded 11th in the tournament after finishing with a 5-11 conference record. Charlotte is 19-11 overall and went 9-7 in the Atlantic 14 this season, finishing in a tie for fifth place.> (via Massachusetts)


[12] Saint Joseph's at [5] Rhode Island - 7:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
SJU - #15 Garrett Williamson Sr. F (12.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.8 apg)
URI - #15 Lamonte Ulmer Sr. F (11.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.3 apg)

URI Hosts Saint Joseph's in A-14 Championship First Round - URI (21-8 overall) enters the conference tournament with the #5 seed. Last time out, the Rams dropped a 69-67 decision at Massachusetts on March 6. Five players scored in double figures, led by Marquis Jones' 15 points and six assists. Delroy James had 12 while Lamonte Ulmer tallied his sixth double-double of the season (11 points/10 rebounds). Ben Eaves and Keith Cothran each had 10 points. Saint Joseph's enters the A-14 Championship with the #12 seed. The Hawks closed out the regular season with a 74-59 victory at home over La Salle on March 6. Garrett Williamson scored 18 points and was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line. Darrin Govens added 17 points and Carl Jones 15, while Idris Hilliard recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. (via Rhode Island)


MEAC




[10] Florida A&M vs. [7] Bethune-Cookman - 6:30 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
FAMU - #42 Yannick Crowder So. F (8.1 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.5 apg)
BETH - #32 Alexander Starling Jr. F (9.8 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.1 apg)

B-CU versus FAMU In Opening Game Of the MEAC Tournament Tuesday Night - Florida A & M shot lights out in the second half (15-22) field goals and buried 10 three-pointers in the game to beat the Wildcats 69-64. It was the 2009-2010 regular season final game for both teams and it sets up a re-match next Tuesday at the MEAC Conference Tournament in Winston-Salem, NC. B-CU led by 13 points in the opening ten minutes (21-8) and the Rattlers closed to six down at halftime (28-22). The Rattlers (9-21, 5-11 MEAC) out-scored B-CU 47-36 in the second half and led by nine points (58-49) with 5:17 left before the Wildcats got to within two points down 65-63 (with 34 seconds remaining on a long Kevin Dukes three-pointer) but A & M hit enough free throws down the stretch to win by five. (via Bethune-Cookman)


[9] North Carolina A&T vs. [8] Howard - 9:00 pm ET | BBState Preview/Box

Players to watch:
NCAT - #23 Thomas Coleman Jr. F (9.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.4 apg)
HOW - #2 Calvin Thompson So. G (12.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.0 apg)

Game Notes: No. 8 Howard vs. No. 9 North Carolina A&T - This is a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament first round match-up between the Aggies of North Carolina A&T, the Number 9 seed and the Bison of Howard University, the Number 8 seed. The Aggies (10-21) finished the regular season with a 67-66 loss to Norfolk State on Thursday at home. The Bison (7-24 overall) are coming off a 90-42 loss to Hampton University this past Thursday on the road. Howard won both games this season, 82-77 in Greensboro, NC on January 16 and 59-49 at Howard on February 13. This is the 98th meeting between the two rivals and the Aggies hold a 55-42 advantage. (via Howard)

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