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SEASON 7

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

Tourney Central 3/7/2011 (Day 7)
March 7, 2011 8:47 am ET by Kyle Whelliston

Bullet Points

  • Congratulations to Indiana State. The No. 3 Sycamores will be taking #TreeFever all the way to the NCAA Tournament after beating both top seeds in the Missouri Valley.
  • Missouri State wasn't the only team forced into using an NIT card. George Mason was taken out 79-63 by VCU in the Colonial semifinals. Metro Atlantic regular season champions Fairfield were bounced from that league's tourney by No. 4 Saint Peter's -- on the Stags' home floor. In the America East round of four, top seed Vermont lost to No. 5 Stony Brook by 22. Both division champions are out of the Sun Belt.
  • Other top seeds survived, if not barely. Long Island beat Central Connecticut by a basket to advance to the NEC title game. Bucknell edged out No. 4 Lehigh by the same margin.
  • Semifinal round pairings are set in the Badlands and Sun Belt, and those will be contested on this light night of college basketball All regular seasons are over except for the Ivy League's, which will end tomorrow with a crucial Penn-Princeton contest.
  • Four finals tonight. The Colonial, SoCon, Metro Atlantic and West Coast go into prime time with a little SNL: scissors, nets and ladders.

Brackets

America East



[5] Stony Brook 69, [1] Vermont 47
Star of the Game: Leonard Hayes 20 Pts (7-10 FG), 6 Reb
To the title game! Seawolves advance with 69-47 win - The Stony Brook men's basketball team is one step away from a conference title as Leonard Hayes dropped a career-high six three-pointers and the Seawolves played stifling defense in a 69-47 win over Vermont in the America East Championship semifinals. Next Saturday at 12 p.m., on ESPN2, SBU will play Boston University for its first-ever championship. ... via Stony Brook

[2] Boston University 55, [6] Hartford 49
Star of the Game: John Holland 16 Pts (3-10 FG, 9-10 FT), 7 Reb, 2 Stl
Men's Basketball Edges Hartford, 55-49, in AE Semifinals - Earning its 10th-straight victory, the Boston University men's basketball team defeated Hartford, 55-49, on Sunday night at Chase Arena to advance to the America East Championship title game. ... via Boston University

Colonial



[4] Virginia Commonwealth 79, [1] George Mason 63
Star of the Game: Bradford Burgess 16 Pts (5-10 FG, 3-3 FT), 13 Reb
Long Memories Help Conjure Upset Of George Mason - When Old Dominion captured the Colonial Athletic Association Championship last year, Joey Rodriguez made sure to cut out the newspaper article and save it. It wasn't a souvenir as much as it was a painful reminder. ODU, on the way to that victory, shredded a 12-point VCU second-half lead in the semifinals. Rodriguez didn't want to forget, and kept the article in his room all season. Sunday, when the Rams stormed to a 14-point halftime lead, Rodriguez wasn't going to get comfortable. He retrieved the article from his backpack as a reminder to himself and his teammates. ... via Virginia Commonwealth

[2] Old Dominion 77, [3] Hofstra 69
Star of the Game: Frank Hassell 22 Pts (6-9 FG, 10-12 FT)
Monarchs Reach CAA Championship after 77-69 Victory over Hofstra - Frank Hassell scored 22 points and second-seeded Old Dominion earned the right to defend its Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship with a 77-69 victory against Hofstra in the semifinals on Sunday. ... via Old Dominion

Metro Atlantic



[4] Saint Peter's 62,at [1] Fairfield 48
Star of the Game: Ryan Bacon 10 Pts (5-9 FG), 6 Reb
How Do You Like Me Now? Peacocks Advance To MAAC Championship Game With Victory Over Top Seeded Fairfield The #4 Saint Peter's College Peacocks (19-13) used an 18-1 run to end the first half and held off the #1 Fairfield University Stags (24-7) in the second half to come away with a 62-48 victory and advance to the Championship Game of the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Basketball Championships. This will be the Peacocks seventh appearance in the Championship Game and their first since 2006. ... via Saint Peter's

[2] Iona 83, [3] Rider 59
Star of the Game: Rashon Dwight 19 Pts (6-10 FG, 2-2 FT)
Gaels Shoot Down Broncs 83-59, Head To MAAC Final Monday - The Iona College men's basketball team will play for its first NCAA Tournament berth in five years after defeating Rider (23-10) 83-59 in the semifinals of the 2011 Spark Energy MAAC Championships. The Gaels (22-10) will meet Saint Peter's, who defeated number-one seed Fairfield in the other semifinal Sunday afternoon. ... via Iona

Missouri Valley



[3] Indiana State 60, [1] Missouri State 56
Star of the Game: Aaron Carter 15 Pts (3-5 FG, 7-9 FT)
Sycamores Earn Berth Into NCAA Tournament With Arch Madness Championship Victory Over Missouri State - The Indiana State Sycamores defeated MVC Regular Season Champion Missouri State by the score of 60-56 in the Championship Game of the State Farm MVC Tournament on Sunday afternoon in front of 10,171 fans inside Scotttrade Center. ... via Indiana State

Northeast



at [1] Long Island 69, [4] Central Connecticut State 67
Star of the Game: Jamal Olasewere 16 Pts (6-13 FG, 4-4 FT), 12 Reb
Men's Basketball Downs Central Connecticut State to Advance to NEC Championship Game - The top-seeded Long Island University men's basketball team defeated fourth-seeded Central Connecticut State, 69-67, at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center on Sunday afternoon to advance to the Northeast Conference championship game. The Blackbirds held off a late charge from the Blue Devils by hitting a crucial three-pointer and going 5-of-6 from the foul line in the final 1:36 to advance to their first NEC final since the 1997-98 season. LIU improved to 26-5 on the year, while CCSU finishes with a 19-12 record. ... via Long Island

[3] Robert Morris 64,at [2] Quinnipiac 62
Star of the Game: Velton Jones 13 Pts (5-12 FG, 2-2 FT), 8 Ast, 3 Stl
Jones Lifts Colonials Over Quinnipiac, 64-62 - Redshirt sophomore guard Velton Jones' (Philadelphia, Pa. / Northeast Catholic) running jumper with 4.3 seconds to play helped lift the Robert Morris University men's basketball team to a 64-62 victory over Quinnipiac Sunday afternoon in the semifinals of the 2011 Northeast Conference Tournament at TD Bank Sports Center. James Johnson's last second three-pointer attempt from just outside the arc fell short, helping the Colonials extend their winning streak both overall and in NEC Tournament contests to eight games. ... via Robert Morris

Patriot League



[6] Lafayette 73,at [2] American 71 (2OT)
Star of the Game: Jared Mintz 18 Pts (8-15 FG, 2-2 FT), 6 Reb
Lafayette Advances With 73-71 Victory Over American - Jim Mower hit a three-pointer with less than a second remaining and No. 6 Lafayette defeated No. 2 American 73-71 in double overtime on Sunday in a Patriot League Tournament semifinal. The Leopards advance to the conference final for the second straight season and will play at Bucknell on Friday with an NCAA Tournament berth on the line. Tony Johnson, who scored a career-high 29 points when American beat Lafayette on Feb. 26 in double overtime, scored four points in the second overtime, helping Lafayette back from a 70-64 deficit. ... via Lafayette

at [1] Bucknell 66, [4] Lehigh 64
Star of the Game: Mike Muscula 17 Pts (6-15 FG, 5-7 FT), 10 Reb
Bucknell Survives Intense Battle with Lehigh, Wins 66-64 to Advance to Patriot League Championship Game - Mike Muscala registered 17 points and 10 rebounds and hit two critical free throws with eight seconds left to help top-seeded Bucknell hold off a game Lehigh squad 66-64 in a Patriot League Tournament semifinal game played before a jam-packed Sojka Pavilion crowd on Sunday night. Bucknell's ninth straight victory puts it in the Patriot League championship game for the eighth time, where it will face sixth-seeded Lafayette on Friday at 4:45 on ESPN2. ... via Bucknell

Southern



[S2] Wofford 86, [N1] Western Carolina 72
Star of the Game: Jamar Diggs 17 Pts (5-9 FG, 7-8 FT), 7 Reb
Men's Basketball Reaches SoCon Finals With 86-72 Win Over Western Carolina - In the semifinals of the 2011 Southern Conference Tournament, the Wofford men's basketball team defeated Western Carolina 86-72 on Sunday at McKenzie Arena. With the win, the Terriers advance to the championship game for the second straight season. They will play the College of Charleston at 9:00 pm on ESPN2. ... via Wofford

[S1] Charleston 63, [S3] Furman 58
Star of the Game: Andrew Goudelock 31 Pts (8-28 FG, 12-14 FT), 7 Reb, 2 Stl
Goudelock, Charleston Rally Past Furman In SoCon Semis, 63-58 - Andrew Goudelock poured in 31 points, including 18 in the second half, to rally College of Charleston past Furman, 63-58, in the semifinals of the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championships on Sunday evening at the McKenzie Arena. ... via Furman

Badlands



[5] South Dakota State 85, [4] IPFW 75
Star of the Game: Nate Wolters 30 Pts (7-18 FG, 14-19 FT), 7 Reb, 2 Stl
Jacks down 'Dons in Summit quarterfinals - Fifth seeded South Dakota State used an early 13-0 run to take the lead from No. 4 seed PFW in Sunday's quarterfinal matchup at The Summit League Championships in Sioux Falls, and then held off a late Mastodon assault to hang on for an 85-75 win in front of 6,436 fans at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Jackrabbits improve to 19-11 with their third win over the Mastodons this season, and advance to play top-seeded Oakland in the tournament semifinals on Monday at 6 p.m. IPFW ends its season with an 18-12 overall record. ... via South Dakota State

[3] IUPUI 79, [6] Missouri-Kansas City 55
Star of the Game: LeRoy Nobles 37 Pts (11-17 FG, 9-10 FT), 7 Reb, 2 Stl
Nobles' 37 Sends Jags To 79-55 Win Over UMKC - On Sunday night, Batman took a back seat to Robin as the Jaguars rolled past UMKC, 79-55 in the quarterfinals round of The Summit League Tournament. Senior Leroy Nobles scored a career-high 37 points, falling one shy of tying the tournament single-game record, as IUPUI advanced to take on Oral Roberts in Monday's second semifinal. Nobles hit 11-of-17 shots, including 6-of-9 from three and 9-of-10 at the foul line to eclipse his previous career-high by six points. ... via IUPUI

Sun Belt



[E3] Western Kentucky 81, [W2] Louisiana-Lafayette 76
Star of the Game: Sergio Kerusch 25 Pts (10-16 FG, 2-3 FT), 8 Reb
WKU Heads to SBC Tournament Semifinals for Seventh-Straight Year After 81-76 Win over Ragin' Cajuns - The WKU Hilltoppers earned their first upset victory of the 2011 Sun Belt Conference Tournament Sunday night, knocking off the West Division second-seeded and regular season division co-champion Louisiana-Lafayette and snapping its nation-best 11-game winning streak in the process. ... via Western Kentucky

[W4] North Texas 78, [E1] Florida Atlantic 64
Star of the Game: Tristan Thompson 36 Pts (7-11 FG, 20-20 FT)
Thompson's Epic Night Sends NT To Semifinals - Mean Green men's basketball took down No. 1 overall seed Florida Atlantic Sunday night 78-64 on the Hot Springs Convention Center Court to advance to the Sun Belt Conference semi-finals. Senior guard Tristan Thompson poured in a career high 36 points in the game, leading all scorers and falling just five points shy of the Sun Belt Conference scoring record of 41. The first half saw FAU (21-10) jump out to a lead early as they hit 57.1 percent of their shots in the frame and took a slim 34-27 lead into halftime. The Owls were previously 18-0 when leading at the half. Thompson would narrow that lead on the first possession of the second half as he drained the first three pointer of the game for the Mean Green and sparked the North Texas (21-10) rally. It was a back-and-forth game from there, with the lead changing hands three times and the game being tied on five separate occasions until Thompson put North Texas on top with a 56-54 lead with 8:51 ... via North Texas

Trojans Knock Off Top-Seeded Arkansas State, 59-52 - The UALR men's basketball team (17-16) advanced to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Conference Championships with a 59-52 win over Arkansas State (17-15) at Summit Arena on Sunday night. The Trojans held Arkansas State to a .333 field goal percentage to snap a three-game losing streak to the Red Wolves, and move on to face Middle Tennessee at 8:30 p.m. on Monday night. ... via Arkansas-Little Rock

Raiders push ahead to conference semifinals - Middle Tennessee overcame a poor first half performance to slam FIU 73-38 on Sunday night to advance to the semifinals of the Sun Belt Championships. The Blue Raiders shot a blistering 57.1 percent from the field in the second half ending the game shooting 44.4 percent from the field. Senior James Washington led all scorers with 19 points while sophomore James Gallman scored 11 points. ... via Middle Tennessee

West Coast



[1] Saint Mary's 73, [4] Santa Clara 64
Star of the Game: Mitchell Young 17 Pts (7-10 FG, 3-4 FT), 7 Reb
MBK: Top-Seeded Gaels Advance To WCC Championship - The Saint Mary's men's basketball team advanced to its third-straight WCC Tournament championship game with a 73-64 win over fourth-seeded Santa Clara. ... via Saint Mary's

[2] Gonzaga 71, [3] San Francisco 67
Star of the Game: Marquise Carter 18 Pts (4-9 FG, 10-12 FT), 3 Stl
Gonzaga Edges San Francisco to Advance To Title Game - Marquise Carter scored 18 points, including seven late free throws, and Demetri Goodson made a key steal to help Gonzaga hang on for a 71-67 victory Sunday night over San Francisco in the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals. ... via Gonzaga

On Tap Tonight

Colonial

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[4] Virginia Commonwealth vs. [2] Old Dominion - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
VCU - 23-10 (12-6) RPI: 59 State: 69 SOS: 99 Last 10: 5-5 Form: WLLWW PF/PA: 71.7/67.4
ODU - 26-6 (14-4) RPI: 27 State: 27 SOS: 80 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 65.7/58.1
NCAA Selection Sheets: Virginia Commonwealth • Old Dominion
Recent meetings: 02/12/2011 ODU 70 @VCU 59 01/22/2011 VCU 59 @ODU 50
Players to watch:
VCU - #21 Jamie Skeen Sr. F (15.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.6 apg) ODU - #21 Frank Hassell Sr. F (14.8 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.2 apg)

Metro Atlantic

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[4] Saint Peter's vs. [2] Iona - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
SPC - 19-13 (11-7) RPI: 117 State: 140 SOS: 162 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WLLWW PF/PA: 61.4/60.0
IONA - 22-10 (13-5) RPI: 72 State: 74 SOS: 133 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 79.7/69.4
NCAA Selection Sheets: Saint Peter's • Iona
Recent meetings: 02/25/2011 IONA 73 @SPC 59 01/07/2011 SPC 52 @IONA 70
Players to watch:
SPC - #4 Ryan Bacon Sr. F (10.1 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 1.0 apg) IONA - #1 Michael Glover Jr. F (18.1 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 0.9 apg)

Southern

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[S2] Wofford vs. [S1] Charleston - 9:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
WOFF - 20-12 (14-4) RPI: 121 State: 84 SOS: 168 Last 10: 8-2 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 73.7/67.9
COFC - 24-9 (14-4) RPI: 74 State: 53 SOS: 174 Last 10: 8-2 Form: WLLWW PF/PA: 76.4/68.3
NCAA Selection Sheets: Wofford • Charleston
Recent meetings: 02/03/2011 WOFF 54 @COFC 79 01/08/2011 COFC 77 @WOFF 73
Players to watch:
WOFF - #42 Noah Dahlman Sr. F (20.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 apg) COFC - #3 Andrew Goudelock Sr. G (23.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.6 apg)

Badlands

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[5] South Dakota State vs. [1] Oakland - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
SDST - 19-11 (10-8) RPI: 195 State: 156 SOS: 307 Last 10: 6-4 Form: WWLLW PF/PA: 81.4/72.5
OAK - 23-9 (17-1) RPI: 60 State: 52 SOS: 144 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 84.7/76.2
NCAA Selection Sheets: South Dakota State • Oakland
Recent meetings: 02/19/2011 SDST 96 @OAK 105 01/20/2011 OAK 97 @SDST 88
Players to watch:
SDST - #3 Nate Wolters So. G (19.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 6.0 apg) OAK - #34 Keith Benson Sr. C (17.7 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.0 apg)


[3] IUPUI vs. [2] Oral Roberts - 9:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
IUPUI - 19-13 (12-6) RPI: 109 State: 121 SOS: 143 Last 10: 7-3 Form: LWLWW PF/PA: 71.5/68.7
ORU - 18-14 (13-5) RPI: 139 State: 119 SOS: 181 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 75.0/72.3
NCAA Selection Sheets: IUPUI • Oral Roberts
Recent meetings: 02/24/2011 IUPUI 74 @ORU 92 12/04/2010 ORU 63 @IUPUI 61
Players to watch:
IUPUI - #5 Alex Young Jr. F (19.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.3 apg) ORU - #45 Dominique Morrison Jr. F (19.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 apg)

Sun Belt

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[W4] North Texas vs. [E3] Western Kentucky - 7:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
NTEX - 21-10 (8-8) RPI: 146 State: 129 SOS: 266 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LWWWW PF/PA: 76.5/71.9
WKU - 16-15 (8-8) RPI: 199 State: 170 SOS: 214 Last 10: 7-3 Form: LWLWW PF/PA: 70.3/70.4
NCAA Selection Sheets: North Texas • Western Kentucky
Recent meetings: 02/12/2011 NTEX 76 @WKU 87 01/28/2010 NTEX 84 @WKU 83
Players to watch:
NTEX - #4 George Odufuwa Sr. F (11.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 1.6 apg) WKU - #2 Juan Pattillo Sr. F (13.5 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.5 apg)


[W5] Arkansas-Little Rock vs. [E2] Middle Tennessee - 9:30 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
UALR - 17-16 (7-9) RPI: 212 State: 205 SOS: 222 Last 10: 5-5 Form: LLLWW PF/PA: 68.2/67.5
MTSU - 16-15 (10-6) RPI: 209 State: 173 SOS: 236 Last 10: 7-3 Form: LLLWW PF/PA: 69.7/66.3
NCAA Selection Sheets: Arkansas-Little Rock • Middle Tennessee
Recent meetings: 02/19/2011 MTSU 58 @UALR 62 01/09/2010 MTSU 66 @UALR 52
Players to watch:
UALR - #22 Solomon Bozeman Sr. G (16.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.7 apg) MTSU - #15 James Washington Sr. G (14.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.9 apg)

West Coast

Tools: Standings • Statistics • Tempo-Free Aerial • 18-Year Tourney History

[2] Gonzaga vs. [1] Saint Mary's - 9:00 pm ET • BBState Preview/Box
GONZ - 23-9 (11-3) RPI: 68 State: 54 SOS: 102 Last 10: 9-1 Form: WWWWW PF/PA: 76.8/65.1
SMC - 24-7 (11-3) RPI: 47 State: 28 SOS: 116 Last 10: 6-4 Form: LLLWW PF/PA: 79.8/66.2
NCAA Selection Sheets: Gonzaga • Saint Mary's
Recent meetings: 02/24/2011 GONZ 89 @SMC 85 01/27/2011 SMC 73 @GONZ 71
Players to watch:
GONZ - #0 Robert Sacre Jr. C (12.5 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.2 apg) SMC - #32 Mickey McConnell Sr. G (16.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 6.1 apg)