RE: Collegeinsider Mid-Major Poll
My goodness boys and girls, what a lot of hoops today! Both sets of Aggies still in action won....
So for a little more detail, Albany/Vermont was dead even with about 1+ to go, at 50-50, but the Catamounts held Albany to 3 FTs after that (the last with 1 second left). The Great Danes were a horrific 2/15 from 3. The Catamounts actually shot worse overall (than the Great Danes), and had 5 less FGs, but got 9 more at the line. Albany turned it over only 9 times, but Vermont only *5* times. Wowser.
Can't believe it's been 12 years since they knocked off 'cuse in 2005.
In Sun Belt action.....
Yes, the Texas *State* Bobcats get their 20th (12 losses), crunching UT-A, and so the #4 will meet the #6 seed Troy in the finals. In yet another example of how holding down TOs pays off, the Bobcats committed only 6. And this win was not novel for them, as they had also beaten the Mavericks in their first meeting back in January (this being the rubber match). I don't think UT-A gets in now.
Troy indeed continues their strong surge, this time taking down Ga. St. with a huge second-half comeback. Down by 9 at the half, they 'win' the second one by 20.
The only addition I'll make to the Penn/Princeton game is that it was played on the Quakers' home court - the Palestra. Yale awaits tomorrow, as they edge the Crimson. Oni for the Eli is a dude who can play.
Texas *Southern* also gets in, over Alcorn St., barely, to get to 23-11. BUT......because Alcorn was ineligible, the Tigers had qualified yesterday when they beat Grambling.
In one of the more entertaining games of the day, the Golden Flashes did indeed whip the Zips, 70-65 (their fourth win in 4 nights), in a game that was close and back-and-forth all night. Kent St. just seemed to "want it more". Jaylin Walker, even with murray bartow not on the opposing bench, went off for a career-high 30. Jimmy Hall also was key with 9/12 and 19 points. Oh, and only 6 TOs - quite remarkable in such an intense game. The Flashes seemed to answer every time their geographic neighbors would make a run. Can't believe it's been 2008 since they were in, and all the way back in '02 when they made the Elite Eight. Akron in or out? You've gotta think "out", because they're 0-2 vs. top 50, and 0-2 vs. top 100, and very especially because the way they've struggled the last month or so. They could be a factor in the NIT - or not.
In the other nominee for best game of the day/night.....the Fighting Hawks survived Weber St. in OT for their very first trip to the tourney. I think there was one brief 10-pt. lead for somebody (Weber St., I believe), but mostly it was very close the whole way. The Hawks were down 6 with 48 seconds left in regulation, but through a remarkable effort, with a blocked shot at the buzzer, tied it up. Then, in OT, the margin was closer than the 4-pt. end result until only 22 seconds remained. And fitting in with the common theme, only 7 TOs for the Hawks, vs. 14 for Weber St., including overtime. Again, extraordinary considering the kind of game it was. The Wildcats hit 31/39 FTs, and so N.D. was in serious foul trouble (2 fouled out), so their bench helped them pull it out. *Six* guys in double figures. And I hate to say this, but I thought the game was very poorly officiated throughout. Just a significant number of obviously wrong calls - proven so by replays. If we ever move out of the SoCon again, I recommend we not go to the Big Sky.
In another OT game, the Privateers get to the Dance for the first time since '96, believe it or not. [You all may not know the struggles that program has gone through since Katrina, if you want to go find out about it. Fairly amazing they've recovered quickly after beginning the transition to DIII, but changing their mind.] I personally didn't think it was a quality basketball game, despite it being close. Sloppy, lots of TOs, etc. That gets N.O. to 20-11, and stops the Islanders at 20-11 (until a lesser tournament picks them up.) Good to see the Privateers back in the swing of it.
The Las Cruces Aggies rallied from 13 down *in the second half*, using a brutal 21-2 run, to win by 10 over CSU-Bakersfield. The Aggies only had *2* field goals in the first 17 minutes of the game. After going 0/4 from distance in the first half, these Aggies went 6/12 from out there in the second. And remember, the Roadrunners had been doing plenty of running, having been in that 4-OT game the night before. Also remember (and I'm sure you do, wise readers), that last year in the same game, the Roadrunners hit a 3-pt. basket at the end to down St., so it was table-turning time.
And finally....the Davis Aggies also won - barely - over our Anteaters for *their* first NCAA bid at 22-12. It was also a sloppy, gritty game, with both teams having at least 16 TOs. Davis led more than not, but Irvine came back to lead by 5 late, before Davis made key plays, while Irvine didn't. IMO, Irvine made several bad shot choices late, which was the difference. So....that's one little feather we don't get in our cap.
---------------------------
And since we've been following Middle here, I'll just note that not only do they make it in, but they reach 30-4 by taking down the Thundering Herd. That's impressive, even tho C-USA is very weak this year.
|