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SEASON 3

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

Tourney Central 3/2/07
March 2, 2007 10:58 am ET by Kyle Whelliston
Bullet Points
    No. 6 seed Virginia Military Institute has advanced to the Big South final after defeating the tourney's Nos. 2 and 3 seeds.
    Furman, the No. 5 seed in the SoCon, advanced to the semifinals by defeating No. 4#North Carolina-Greensboro.
    The Atlantic Sun quarterfinals played according to seed, except for a No.6-over-3 overtime upending by Campbell over Jacksonville.
    Nos. 1, 2 and 3 won in the Northeast quarters, with No. 4 Robert Morris falling to Mount Saint Mary's.
    The Missouri Valley first round featured a two-for-two in upsets, with Nos. 9 and 10 seeds Indiana State and Drake prevailing.
    Continuing today: the Ohio Valley and SoCon with semifinals, the Missouri Valley with quarters and the Horizon League with its second round.
    Kicking off: the Colonial, West Coast, Metro Atlantic and America East first rounds. Those brackets can be found at "Bracket City":/info/bracketcity


Brackets

!/img/brackets/BSOUTH0302.gif!

" (1) Winthrop 79, (5) North Carolina-Asheville 60":http://bbstate.com/games/66153 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66153/gameflo
" (6) Virginia Military Institute 91, (2) High Point 81":http://bbstate.com/games/66568 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66568/gameflo

Watching VMI make the Big South title game by abandoning its freakout style and playing smart, solid ball is one of the best stories this season has to offer. In tomorrow's final, the entire country will get to see the Keydets as they try to overcome the Monstars of the Big South and make the NCAA's. Like the Space Jam crew didn't need the special sauce to win ballgames, VMI doesn't need its 100-shot, 50-three and 30-turnover freakshow. It was just water all along.

!/img/brackets/SOCON0302.gif!

" (1) Davidson 78, (8) Chattanooga 68":http://bbstate.com/games/66301 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66301/gameflo
" (3) College of Charleston 77, (6) Georgia Southern 66":http://bbstate.com/games/66302 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66302/gameflo
" (2) Appalachian State 78, (7) Western Carolina 59":http://bbstate.com/games/66303 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66303/gameflo
" (5) Furman 73, (4) North Carolina-Greensboro 71":http://bbstate.com/games/66300 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66300/gameflo

One through three cruised in the Southern quarters, and it still looks like we're getting the Davidson-App State matchup in the final, which would make Pat Forde's trip down there worthwhile. The way is clearer for the dream game because dangerous North Carolina-Greensboro is x'ed out, along with SoCon POY Kyle Hines, who scored 33 in a losing effort. All that mattered was that the Paladins denied Hines the ball on an inbound play that might have given UNCG the chance to tie or win.

!/img/brackets/A-SUN0302.gif!

" (1) East Tennessee State 77, (8) Stetson 61":http://bbstate.com/games/66116 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66116/gameflo
" (2) Belmont 79, (7) Gardner-Webb 61":http://bbstate.com/games/66114 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66114/gameflo
" (6) Campbell 90, (3) Jacksonville 85 (OT)":http://bbstate.com/games/66115 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66115/gameflo
" (4) Lipscomb 85, (5) Mercer 49":http://bbstate.com/games/66117 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66117/gameflo

ETSU's Murray Bartow and Courtney Pigram are certainly worthy of coach and player of the year, respectively, for their jobs streaking through the Atlantic Sun this year. But you have to wonder if the voters simply picked them on the basis of who had the most points and wins... if they had any imagination at all, they'd have chosen Jacksonville's Cliff Warren, who turned a 1-26 record in 2005-06 into 11 league wins this year... playing four freshmen. But the Dolphins' season ended . Watch out for JU next year.

In the other games, top seeds advanced, but none looked as impressive as Lipscomb in dismantling Mercer. The Bisons ended the regular season by giving North Florida its only A-Sun win, and it may come to be the most disguised blessing in Hoops Nation this season. Head coach Scott Sanderson met with each player once they got back to Nashville, laying the groundwork for yesterday's new focus and explosive offense. "We had one week of misery," he said after the game. "But if that is what it takes to get this, I'll take a week of misery every time."

!/img/brackets/NEC0302.gif!

" (1) Central Connecticut State 79, (8) Saint Francis (NY) 61":http://bbstate.com/games/66256 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66256/gameflo
" (2) Sacred Heart 100, (7) Wagner 68":http://bbstate.com/games/66257 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66257/gameflo
" (3) Quinnipiac 78, (6) Fairleigh Dickinson 77":http://bbstate.com/games/66258 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66258/gameflo
" (5) Mount Saint Mary's 78, (4) Robert Morris 61":http://bbstate.com/games/66259 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66259/gameflo

Seeds one and two had an easy time of it against overmatched low seeds, but the Q overcame FDU's big rebounding and small turnovering by shooting 50% and nipping the Knights at the wire in the first-ever playoff game at the Q-Pod. After mounting an early lead, Robert Morris fell apart in the second half, and a season that began with NCAA expectations ended with a thud.

!/img/brackets/VALLEY0302.gif!

" (10) Indiana State 68, (7) Illinois State 65":http://bbstate.com/games/66570 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66570/gameflo
" (9) Drake 101, (8) Evansville 96 (OT)":http://bbstate.com/games/66239 | "GameFlo":http://bbstate.com/games/66239/gameflo

The winner of Thursday's 7-10 game in the Valley traditionally is punished for its bad season by having to play the one-seed at noon on Friday. I say that quick turnaround isn't enough pain. I think that part of the penalty should be that Commissioner Doug Elgin comes through the Indiana State team hotel with an airhorn at 3 a.m., to ensure that nobody gets enough sleep. And Drake and Evansville put on an exciting overtime show, as the Bulldogs hit 100 with a hott 1.31 points per possession. Do they have enough offense left for Creighton today?

Today's Games
Preview links will change to boxscores once play is complete.

Ohio Valley Semifinals
" Samford vs. Austin Peay":http://bbstate.com/games/66267
" Tennessee Tech vs. Eastern Kentucky":http://bbstate.com/games/66268

Atlantic Sun Semifinals
" Campbell vs. Belmont":http://bbstate.com/games/66118
" Lipscomb vs. East Tennessee State":http://bbstate.com/games/66243

Southern Semifinals
" Furman vs. Davidson":http://bbstate.com/games/66304
" Appalachian State vs. College of Charleston":http://bbstate.com/games/66305

Missouri Valley Quarterfinals
" Drake vs. Southern Illinois":http://bbstate.com/games/66119
" Indiana State vs. Creighton":http://bbstate.com/games/66244
" Wichita State vs. Missouri State":http://bbstate.com/games/66242
" Northern Iowa vs. Bradley":http://bbstate.com/games/66241

Horizon League Second Round
" Wisconsin-Green Bay vs. Youngstown State":http://bbstate.com/games/66198
" Illinois-Chicago vs. Loyola (Ill.)":http://bbstate.com/games/66199

Colonial First Round
" Delaware vs. Northeastern":http://bbstate.com/games/66174
" James Madison vs. George Mason":http://bbstate.com/games/66176
" North Carolina-Wilmington vs. Towson":http://bbstate.com/games/66175
" Georgia State vs. William & Mary":http://bbstate.com/games/66173

America East First Round
" Stony Brook vs. Hartford":http://bbstate.com/games/66084

Metro Atlantic First Round
" Iona vs. Rider":http://bbstate.com/games/66204
" Saint Peter's vs. Canisius":http://bbstate.com/games/66203

West Coast First Round
" San Diego vs. Pepperdine":http://bbstate.com/games/66335
" Loyola Marymount vs. Portland":http://bbstate.com/games/66336

Good Night

Heavy thoughts tonight, and they aren't of Snow White (that line really killed the song for me, by the way). Many in North Carolina are off to never-never land today: High Point, Gardner-Webb, UNC's Asheville and Greensboro,Western Carolina. Chattanooga, Georgia Southern are all finished for the season.

And say your prayers little one, don't forget my son, to include everywuh-huhn: Evansville, Illinois State, Saint Francis (NY), Wagner, Fairleigh Dickinson, Robert Morris, Stetson, Jacksonville, Mercer have also exited light, and entered night.