#FFXIV #Hatchingtide
PSG ended Champions League curse vs. Dortmund. Only time will tell if they get to keep going
PSG ended Champions League curse vs. Dortmund. Only time will tell if they get to keep going
Julien Laurens
Correspondent
ESPN
It was a seismic event in an empty stadium as the biggest Paris Saint-Germain victory of the season to date was celebrated in almost complete silence. Yet some of the players swear that, when Anthony Taylor blew the whistle for full-time, confirming PSG's place in the Champions League quarterfinals and eliminating Borussia Dortmund, they could hear the thousands of fans gathered outside the Parc des Princes while they left the pitch inside.
Wednesday night's 2-0 win happened behind closed doors, but all through the mild Parisian night, the doors had been open a little bit. The ultras, congregating outside, demonstrated what it meant to love a football club. They were a constant presence before, during and after the game, singing, chanting and lighting red flares in celebration.
They had good reason to celebrate, too. The victory was significant given that the pressure on PSG was high, the stakes enormous and the emotional release at full-time so huge. PSG, Thomas Tuchel, the Qatar royal family that owns the club, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, you name it: They would not be knocked out again at this stage of the competition like they were in the past three seasons. Repeating that heartbreak would have surely signified the end of Tuchel as manager and probably the end of the "Neymappe" cycle, too. Another early humiliation would have very possibly meant their collective departure in the summer.
The reputation of being the team that bottles the big occasions after two remontada home and away in the past three years was starting to follow them around. The curse of the Champions League, with all those dramatic premature exits, was starting to be too heavy to carry. On top of all of that, they had to play in an empty stadium and with Mbappe on the bench, having barely recovered from a nasty case of flu and a precautionary coronavirus test that came out negative the day before the game.
With all the narratives swirling around the match, they still came out with a performance none of their fans (or critics) had seen this season. They played as a team, something no one really thought they could pull off. They defended together, pressing and counterpressing together. It was a display full of heart, guts and talent. They were disciplined, well-organised, aggressive. It was a controlled victory, not a thing you normally say about PSG, particularly not this season.
One player epitomised their efforts. Neymar is, without doubt, a divisive player. He is loved and disliked around the world in equal. He did troll Erling Haaland with his goal celebration after the Norwegian international kicked off the banter on social media earlier in the day. Dortmund as a club had actually been quite vocal on social media after their 2-1 first leg win, with the likes of Axel Witsel, Emre Can, Haaland, the club's official Twitter account and even former player (and Champions League winner) Lars Ricken all having a go at PSG.
"We felt that [Dortmund] lost their humility after the first leg. After their win, they put out a lot of tweets, Instagram posts -- a lot of words. We all saw it and kept it in the back of our heads and I think it boosted us. We had a bit of anger in our minds," Presnel Kimpembe said after the match on Wednesday.
The roles were reversed compared to last season's elimination, in which PSG were not humble enough before their ill-fated game against Manchester United at home. But the players learned their lesson this time around, with Neymar setting the tone and playing like a leader. He scored the first goal and began the move for the second one. For the Brazil international, who missed the previous two crucial round-of-16 Champions League second legs through injury and failed to get his move back to Barcelona in the summer, the qualification felt like a liberation.
Before the communion with the fans from one of the Parc des Princes' elevated passageways, Neymar had a moment to himself and cried. Like his teammates, he knows that there is still a long way to go in this competition and that PSG have not won anything yet, but it was a crucial victory and he knew it.
Said Tuchel of his star, "He is so reliable in those kind of games. We can count on him, he won't disappoint and he will meet for rations. He can deal with the pressure. He has the personality and the confidence to exploit his genius potential. He still needs a bit of rhythm but he has the sense of sacrifice."
Truth be told, the French champions had been confident all week. All the vibes emanating from the PSG camp were positive -- a genuine change from the doom and gloom they've felt at times in 2020. It had been a few turbulent weeks since the first leg in Dortmund and the 2-1 defeat after a poor display both individually and collectively. Tuchel's position was fragile; he was publicly criticised by Thomas Meunier, Neymar and Marquinhos while Kimpembe's brother insulted him on social media. There were Neymar's injuries and Mbappé's illness, but after the first leg, the players jelled together. They responded together to the criticism from sporting director Leonardo and Tuchel that they should not have celebrated the way they did the birthdays of Mauro Icardi, Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani two days after the loss in Germany.
Tuchel's postmatch remarks revealed his relief. "It got stuck in my throat when I saw the way PSG are treated, how you talk about me," he told Sky Germany after the game, given how critical it had been following Dortmund's first-leg win. "I watched your show on my iPad by accident and I saw the headlines, 'Tuchel doesn't control his dressing room, his players do what they want, he is only a circus director.' You can say hi to your channel. You will have to explain to me how you can treat [me and PSG] so negatively when we have won 28 games in a row."
Goalkeeper Keylor Navas also showed his leadership by standing up to Leonardo. The squad showed more unity than ever, and we saw it after the win on Wednesday. The celebrations with the ultras and in the dressing room were wild and long-lasting. However, it could not be a PSG Champions League season without drama, and obviously the uncertainty about the rest of the competition cast a big shadow over the qualification. It would be so textbook for PSG if the Champions League was to be cancelled the year when they finally vanquished the hoodoo around them and showed a real ability to go on and win.
Nevertheless, the club's attention has shifted to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak across the globe, and they're taking it seriously. When Mbappé was diagnosed with the flu on Monday, he was immediately tested for COVID-19. They are taking sensible precautions, like the complete disinfection of the stadium and training ground, with access to hand gel everywhere around club properties.
As the world of football holds its breath regarding the rest of its season, PSG are feeling stronger and stronger. With as much as hope as possible that the action will continue, the full story of their season, along with that of everyone else still in the Champions League, are yet to be written.
NCAA Stops Sports Due To Coronavirus
The Coronavirus pandemic that has broken out all over the world has become one of the biggest news stories of this generation, and it has had a direct impact on the sports world. The NBA postponed all events until further notice on Wednesday after Utah Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell tested positive for COVID-19. Most major men's college basketball conference tournaments were canceled on Thursday, and the NCAA announced later Thursday that it has canceled the men's and women's basketball tournaments.
It isn't just college hoops that has been impacted, though. Most major conferences followed the NBA's lead and announced suspensions for all spring related sports. The NCAA officially ended all winter and spring sports championships in a statement on Thursday night.
"Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men's and women's 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships," the statement read. "This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities."
With no postseason championships or tournaments to play for, the conferences have reacted to the NCAA's decision as they see fit.
Here's a bulleted list of the changes to major college athletic conferences as of Thursday evening:
AAC: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
ACC: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
America East: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Big Ten: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Big 12: All conference-affiliated events suspended through April 15
Big East: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Big Sky: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Big South: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Big West: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
Colonial Athletic Association: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
Conference USA: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
Ivy League: All spring sports canceled
MAC: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Missouri Valley Conference: All spring sports suspended through March 30
Mountain West: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
Northeast Conference: All spring sports suspended through March 29
Ohio Valley Conference: No information
Pac-12: All spring sports suspended indefinitely
Patriot League: All spring sports canceled
SEC: All spring sports suspended through March 30
Southern Conference: No information
Southland Conference: All spring sports suspended through March 30
Southwestern Athletic Conference: Basketball canceled, no information on other sports
Summit League: All spring sports suspended through March 30
West Coast Conference: No information
East Tennessee State: 2019-20 Southern Men's Basketball Champions
ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Isaiah Tisdale said he had a dream that East Tennessee State was going to win the Southern Conference Tournament.
That dream was realized on Monday night.
Tisdale scored 24 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player as top-seeded ETSU defeated upset-minded Wofford 72-58 to win the SoCon Tournament and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"You have to dream it to believe it," Tisdale said with a wide smile.
Tray Boyd added 11 points for the Bucs, who become only the fourth team in conference history to win 30 games. It will be ETSU's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2017.
"Thirty wins, I'm not sure where we stand in East Tennessee State history, but if there is a Mount Rushmore this team is on it," said ETSU coach Steve Forbes.
Seventh-seeded Wofford (19-16) was looking to become the first SoCon team since Clemson in 1939 to win four games to capture the conference tournament title after beating The Citadel, Furman and Chattanooga to reach the finals. The Terriers entered the tournament having lost their final seven regular season games, but found some magic in Asheville with an impressive tournament run.
But Wofford seemed to wear down in the second half, falling behind by 15 when Jeromy Rodriguez scored an a spinning drive with four minutes remaining.
"We ran out of gas late," said Wofford coach Jay McAuley. "Our legs started to look a little tired and you could see it in our shots."
Said Wofford point guard Storm Murphy: "The shots weren't falling in the second half, but I think ETSU had something to do with that."
Chevez Goodwin had 18 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the field to lead Wofford. He said "a lot of people painted us as Cinderellas," but that the Terriers expected to come in and win the tournament and defend their title.
ETSU shot 9 of 21 from 3-point range; Wofford was just 6 of 25.
Tisdale came in averaging just 8.8 points per game but had 16 points at halftime, helping the Bucs build a 36-31 lead. Tisdale did most of his damage with strong drives to the hole that got him to the free throw line, where he made 10 of 11 foul shots.
"It's a different guy every night with this group," Forbes said. "Isaiah was phenomenal. He willed us to win."
Leading 40-38 early in the second half, the Bucs went on a 16-4 tear to break the game open. Patrick Good and Joe Hugley hit back-to-back 3s for ETSU to provide a huge spark while Wofford hit a dry spell.
The Terriers hung in early behind the scrappy play of point guard Storm Murphy, who hit big shots and found teammates for open looks. Murphy finished with nine points and five assists, but his hustle set the tone for the Terriers, who bounced back from an early 11-2 deficit to stay in the game in the first half.
BIG PICTURE
Wofford: Had won five of the last 10 SoCon Tournament titles under former coach Mike Young, but couldn't quite finish under McAuley despite an impressive tournament run. This was Wofford's first ever loss in the SoCon title game. This team is extremely scrappy and plays with tremendous heart but just appeared to run out of gas in the second half. They will return several key players including Goodwin, Murphy and Tray Hollwell, all of whom are juniors.
ETSU: The Bucs are a 30-win team, so they shouldn't be considered an easy out in the NCAAs by any stretch of the imagination. They have the speed, height and shooting to compete with some quality teams in the tournament. "There is a good chance that team is going to be playing for a while" in the NCAA Tournament, McAuley said.
UP NEXT
Wofford: Will wait to hear if they receive an invite to the National Invitation Tournament.
ETSU: Will await word on their seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Liberty: 2019-20 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Champions
'LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Liberty is headed to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, but there is a big difference between them making it last year and doing it again.
Expectations.
"Any time you have a target on your back or you're the team that's expected to win, it's hard," coach Ritchie McKay said after the Flames took command with a long first-half run and beat Lipscomb 73-57 in the ASUN championship Sunday.
"It's hard to operate, navigate those expectations," said McKay, whose team was picked to win the league. "Our group showed its emotional maturity. This afternoon was just a reflection of the growth that occurred in our guys."
Caleb Homesley and Elijah Cuffee each scored 16 points and Darius McGhee had 13, helping the Flames earn their fifth NCAA Tournament bid.
For Cuffee, it was a season high, and his first game in double figures since he scored 11 points in a blowout win against Kennesaw State on Jan. 30.
"I was so excited for him," Homesley said. "He needed that game. He really did, especially for it to be that high caliber of a game."
After close wins in the tournament quarterfinals and semifinals, Homesley said the key for the Flames was focusing on having a good time.
"The last two games, they were close, they were hard-fought and I felt like we had a little bit of fun, but we didn't match our full potential," he said. "I told them tonight, let's just go out there, let's just have fun and we'll win the gme."
The Flames (30-4) set a school record for victories in a season. They also avenged a 77-71 loss at Lipscomb to finish the regular season.
"I thought they were fantastic today. We hit a buzzsaw for sure. ... They were locked in and ready to go," first-year Bisons coach Lennie Acuff said.
Ahsan Asadullah scored 22 and grabbed nine rebounds despite foul trouble for the Bisons (16-16), and Andrew Fleming scored 15. It was Lipscomb's third consecutive championship appearance and second straight loss to Liberty.
The Flames led 16-14 when Homesley's layup with 11 minutes left in the first half sparked a 29-12 run the rest of the half. Homesley scored 12 in the burst, including the first seven, and Cuffee had eight of his 10 in the half.
"They were making everything they took for awhile," Acuff said.
Trailing 45-26 at the half, Lipscomb scored the first seven points of the second half as the Flames missed their first seven shots, but McGhee settled them with back-to-back 3-pointers and they stayed comfortably ahead therafter.
"That was kind of it," Acuff said of McGhee's 3-pointers, which made it 51-35.
"In my mind I was just focused on getting a great shot, whether it was me or somebody else," McGhee said. "Luckily I just came up with both of those shots."
The result ensured it was the Flames' final game in the Vines Center after 30 years. The school is building a 4,000- to 4,500-seat arena next door that will open next season, and the crowd of 7,728 that roared all game long charged out onto the court as the final horn sounded.
BIG PICTURE
Lipscomb: The Bisons did themselves in in the first half with nine turnovers that the Flames turned into 18 points. That left them with a 16-point disadvantage off miscues since the Flames turned it over just twice, leading to two points. Liberty finished with a 20-7 edge on points of turnovers.
Liberty: The Flames won their first game in the NCAA Tournament last season and will be dangerous again this year. Their defense, patterned after Virginia's Pack Line, finished second nationally to the Cavaliers, allowing just 53.7 points. They shot 53.8% (28-52) and 40.7% on 3-pointers, making 11 of 27 on Sunday.
UP NEXT
Lipscomb will wait to see if a postseason bid is forthcoming.
Liberty is heading to the NCAA Tournament.
Bradley: 2019-20 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions
ST. LOUIS -- Bradley guard Darrell Brown was not happy with his selection to the Missouri Valley Conference all-league second team earlier in week.
He displayed his displeasure in a big way on Sunday.
Brown scored 21 points and Elijah Childs added 17 to lead fourth-seeded Bradley to its 10th NCAA Tournament with an 80-66 win over seventh-seeded Valparaiso in the MVC championship game.
Ja'Shon Henry scored 16 points for the Braves, Nate Kennell chipped in with 14 points and Ville Tahvanainen added 10.
Javon Freeman-Liberty paced Valparaiso with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
Bradley (23-11) claimed its fourth MVC title and became the ninth team in history to defend its tournament crown
Brown, who came into the contest averaging 15.3 points per game, was certain he deserved first-team honors.
The perceived snub bothered him.
Bradley coach Brian Wardle made sure to keep Brown properly motivated. He jokingly called Brown, "second-team," at every opportunity during the days leading up to the contest.
"In the hotel he kept calling me that," Brown said. "I thought it was funny. But, I'm a self-driven person. He really didn't have to do that. I felt disrespected. So, I took upon myself to prove everybody wrong."
Wardle's actions paid off.
"He came in with a chip on his shoulder and he proved it," Wardle said. "There's nothing better than when you see true hard work pay off. He let everyone see what he was made of -- it was great."
Brown hit on six of 14 shots including a 4 of 6 effort from 3-point range. He kick-started a 38-18 run over the final 12 minutes and 2 seconds with a jumper that the game 49-all. His 3-pointer later in the run pushed the lead to 62-52. He also added nine assists.
"He can carry us when he gets hot like that," Childs said.
Valparaiso (19-16) led 48-42 before the Braves took charge,
Bradley rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit to beat Northern Iowa 57-54 in last year's MVC final.
The six-point hole on Sunday was nothing for the Braves, who have played well down the stretch over the past month.
"It's one possession at a time and everyone contributing," Brown said. "It's not like we panic when we get down. We knew what we had to do and we did it."
Tahvanainen hit a big 3-pointer to cap off a 7-0 run that put the Braves ahead for good 56-51.
Valparaiso used a 9-2 blitz over the last 3:37 of the first half to take a 38-36 lead into the break.
"We've got a locker room full of guys that just laid it out on the line," Valparaiso coach Matt Lottich said. "When you give your hearts into something and it doesn't work out, it hurts."
The Braves were a 15th-seed in last year's NCAA Tournament and lost to Michigan State 76-65 in the opening round.
"I already told the guys, "this is the year we want to go make some noise," Wardle said.
Bradley's 23 victories is the most since the 1993-94 team went 23-8 under coach Jim Molinari.
BIG PICTURE
Valparaiso: The Crusaders, in their third season in the MVC, will be hoping for an NIT or other berth.
Bradley: The Braves, located in Peoria, Illinois, seem to thrive in the underdog role. They were seeded fifth when they upset Northern Iowa in last year's championship game.
"We like it better when no one expects anything from us," Childs said.
LONG STRETCH
Valparaiso played its fourth game in as many days for the first time in its post-season tournament history.
"I wouldn't blame it all on fatigue," Freeman-Liberty said.
The Crusaders won the Horizon League championship in 2015 with a 54-44 win over Green Bay.
Winthrop: 2019-20 Big South Men's Basketball Champions
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- It took a freshman to bring Winthrop back to where it almost always used to go -- the NCAA Tournament.
DJ Burns scored 16 points, 12 of them in the second half, to lead the second-seeded Eagles to a 76-68 win over fifth-seeded Hampton on Sunday in the Big South Conference championship game.
Winthrop is off to its 11th NCAA Tournament, but just the fourth for the Eagles (24-10) since 2007, when coach Gregg Marshall set the bar for small conference excellence, winning the Big South seven times in nine seasons before heading to Wichita State.
"You walk in that gym every day and you look up and those banners just stare at you," said Eagles coach Pat Kelsey, who made his second Big Dance in his eighth season.
Kelsey blew a kiss to his family as the buzzer sounded and students, let in free at the university president's declaration on Twitter, stormed the court. The No. 2 seed Eagles got to play at home after Hampton (15-19) beat top seed Radford in the semifinals.
Hunter Hale threw the ball almost into the rafters as the students swarmed. The senior transferred to Winthrop after two seasons at Division II Grand Valley State in Michigan. His 10 points included a soft jumper with the shot clock winding down that put Winthrop up seven with 1:08 to go.
The freshman Burns flipped a game that Hampton appeared might run away with. The Pirates led by as many as 15 in the first half and were up 39-32 with 16 minutes to go,
Burns scored 12 of Winthrop's next 21 points on a combination of soft hooks and power spin moves as Hampton gambled by not double teaming him.
"People have doubled and had some success. People have doubled and gotten burned, pun intended," Kelsey said.
Hampton's Jermaine Marrow, the nation's third leading scorer at 25 points a game, was held to 18 points. The senior played all but three minutes over the Pirates three tournament games and scored 32 in a quarterfinal win over Gardner-Webb and 36 in the semifinal win over Radford.
Ben Stanley added 15 points for the Pirates. Stanley and Greg Heckstall, who had 16 rebounds, also played all 40 minutes for Hampton.
"I'll never second guess myself that I played my seniors and my main players the minutes that I did. It's about getting to this moment. If I didn't do it, we probably wouldn't be here," Hampton coach Ed Joyner said.
BIG PICTURE
Hampton: The Pirates needed a huge game from Marrow, who went 6 for 11 on 3-pointers in the semifinal win, and didn't quite get it. The senior was 5 of 19 from the field, 1 of 10 on 3-pointers. Still, it was a run like few have seen in the Big South for the Pirates in their second season in the league.
Winthrop: The Eagles needed balance and got it. Nine of the 10 players who got on the court scored and four ended up in double figures.
HAPPY TO BE THERE
Kelsey wouldn't say what seed he thought Winthrop should be in the NCAA Tournament. He just can't wait to get there.
"You walk in the gym and there are going to be (four) games that day so the air is frigid. There's blue carpet all over the back hallways. And everybody has a lanyard on like `Wayne's World," Kelsey said. "It's just awesome."
AGONY OF DEFEAT
Joyner and Marrow cried as they talked to reporters after the game. Marrow is from Newport News, Virginia, and his coach said he was told not to go to nearby Hampton.
Marrow leaves as the Pirates top all-time scorer (2,680) and second in school history in assists (633).
Talking through his tears, Joyner said Marrow was as close to him as his sons.
"I put everything in him to make sure this young man survived and made it out. This young man is 20 hours from graduating or less. He's going to have an opportunity to play basketball and do something for himself, his family, his son he just had," Joyner said.
Marrow buried his face in his hoodie. "This man gave me an opportunity He believed in me from day one. This school believed in me. I'll love him for that forever."
UP NEXT
Hampton: The season is likely over and the Pirates will need to figure out how to replace Marrow.
Winthrop: There's a Selection Sunday party in Rock Hill next Sunday, where the Eagles could sneak as high as a 15 seed.
Belmont: 2019-20 Ohio Valley Men's Basketball Champions
EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- Belmont first-year coach Casey Alexander's favorite number must be three.
Tyler Scanlon scored 17 points including a layup with three seconds remaining to give top-seeded Belmont a 76-75 victory over second-seeded Murray State on Saturday night in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Belmont (26-7) won its third OVC tournament and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It was also the third consecutive time the teams have met in the title match. Murray State (23-9) had won the previous two.
"It was a heckuva game played by two really good teams." Alexander said. "I'm glad we had the last possession."
Nick Muszynski scored 25 points to lead the Bruins, and was named the tournament MVP. Adam Kunkel added 16 points and Grayson Murphy had 10.
Tevin Brown scored 17 points for Murray State (23-9). Demond Robinson had 14 points.
Brown hit two free throws to put the Racers up 75-74 with 11.5 seconds to play. Following timeouts from both teams, Kunkel passed the ball to Scanlon cutting under the basket for the game winner.
"It was a play we practice all the time. With all that preparation in the final moment there were no nerves. It was second nature and just execution," Scanlon said.
Belmont's biggest lead was eight points while Murray State had their biggest lead with seven. There were eight lead changes and seven ties. Belmont had a 48-38 advantage in points scored in the paint.
"Our players executed a lot of good actions. We made some big shots and big 3s in the second half," Alexander said. "It was a meaningful win".
It was a physical, fast-paced, and close game from the opening tip. Belmont lead 25-17 with 6:33 remaining in the first half, but the Racers answered with a 14-3 run. Brown scored on a three-point play to give Murray State its first lead, 31-28 with 1:52 remaining in the first half.
A basket from Muszynski and a Kunkel 3-pointers gave Belmont a 33-32 advantage at the break.
"When you grow up dreaming of playing and coaching college basketball, there are games like this you want to be in," Murray State coach Matt McMahon said. "It is disappointing we could not get the one stop at the end."
BIG PICTURE
Murray State: The Racers have faced Belmont in the OVC title game five times since 2013 and had won the previous two meetings. It was the 29th time in the 57-year history the Racers have played in the OVC title contest.
Belmont: The Bruins were the OVC season co-champions with Murray State. They have six titles in eight years of OVC membership. Belmont has won 20-plus games and earned postseason play 15 of the last 16 years.
Utah State: 2019-20 Mountain West Men's Basketball Champions
LAS VEGAS -- Sam Merrill once again lifted Utah State to a Mountain West tournament title.
Merrill hit a contested 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds to play to give the Aggies a 59-56 victory over No. 5 San Diego State and clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament for the second straight season Saturday.
The Aztecs (30-2), who led by as many 16 points in the first half, had a chance to force overtime, but Malachi Flynn's 3-point shot from just beyond half court rattled in and out at the buzzer.
The loss was San Diego State's second in its past six games after starting the season 26-0. Meanwhile, Utah State, which entered Saturday on the NCAA tournament bubble, improved to 9-1 in its past 10 games. The Aggies (26-8) are back in the Big Dance in consecutive seasons for the first time since a three-year run from 2009 to 2011.
"I know that's easy for me to say being on the victorious side, but that was a whale of a basketball game between two highly competitive, very, very talented teams," said Utah State coach Craig Smith. "It felt like one of those games where whoever is going to have the ball last is going to find a way to win, and then they almost throw in a half-courter. It was a heavyweight fight, and we knew it was going to go 15 rounds. Fortunately for us, we were the last man standing."
Merrill has been shouldering the load for Utah State for most of the past two seasons, so it was hardly a surprise that Smith made sure the ball was in the hands of his senior guard in the waning moments.
After Flynn barely missed a 3-pointer from the wing with 25 seconds left that would have given San Diego State a 59-56 lead, Merrill secured the rebound and calmly dribbled up court. With Aztecs guard KJ Feagin playing tight defense, everyone inside the Thomas & Mack Center knew who would be launching the last-second shot.
With the clock ticking down and Feagin's hand in his face, Merrill left his feet and hit the shot.
"I was just trying to get a good look," Merrill said. "I barely slept last night, partially because the schedule is rough when you play that late-night game Friday night and it's a quick turnaround. I only got a few hours of sleep, but I was just hoping that I'd get that opportunity. And I had a vision that I was going to. I just threw it up there -- well, I mean, I shot it -- and it went in."
Feagin said he did all he could do defensively.
"I felt like up until the release of the shot, I was right there on every move," he said. "But props to him for making a good shot."
Unlike in last year's Mountain West tournament title game, when San Diego State trailed most of the way and lost 64-57, the Aztecs were in total control throughout the first half Saturday. After falling behind 7-2 to start the game, they went on a pair of 11-0 spurts in building a 27-11 lead.
At one point, Utah State went nearly 13 minutes without a field goal, missing 10 straight shots and scoring just four points, all on free throws. Merrill finally snapped the drought when he made three consecutive baskets (including a 3-pointer) in a little over a minute to cut San Diego State's lead to 27-18.
Flynn paced the Aztecs with 16 points, while Yanni Wetzell (12 points, 13 rebounds) recorded a double-double. Neemias Queta (15 points, 8 rebounds) was the only player besides Merrill to score in double figures for the Aggies.
"This league has such a rich tradition in men's basketball, and to be able to repeat back to back, that's a difficult, difficult thing to do," Smith said. "And I couldn't be more proud of these young men."
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
Utah State dropped both regular-season meetings to San Diego State, losing 77-68 at home and 80-68 on the road.
Flynn and junior forward Matt Mitchell were dominant for the Aztecs in both games, combining for 84 points on 26-of-47 shooting (55.3%). However, this time around, both players struggled. Flynn missed 11 of his first 12 shots and finished 6-for-20, while Mitchell made just 1 of 7 field goals, scoring just four points.
SAM I AM
Not only did Utah State claim its second straight conference tournament title, but Merrill won tournament MVP honors for the second year in a row. Merrill finished the three games with 83 points (29-for-52 shooting), 13 rebounds and eight assists. He scored 29 points in the Aggies' quarterfinal victory over New Mexico and 27 in the semifinals against Wyoming before tallying 27 against San Diego State.
Flynn and Feagin joined Merrill on the All-Tournament Team, along with Queta and Wyoming's Kwane Marble II.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)