Let It Ride

Good bye, hard life

Don't cry would you let it ride?

Good bye, hard life

Don't cry would you let it ride?

You can't see the mornin', but I can see the light

Try, try, try let it ride

While you've been out runnin' I've been waitin' half the night

Try, try, try let it ride

And would you cry if I told you that I lied and would you say goodbye or

Would you let it ride?

And would you cry if I told you that I lied

And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?

Seems my life is not complete I never see you smile

Try, try, try let it ride

Baby you want the forgivin' kind and that's just not my style

Try, try, try let it ride

And would you cry if I told you that I lied and would you say goodbye or

Would you let it ride?

And would you cry if I told you that I lied

And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?

I've been doin' things worthwhile, you've been bookin' time

Try, try, try let it ride

And would you cry if I told you that I lied and would you say goodbye or

Would you let it ride?

And would you cry if I told you that I lied

And would you say goodbye or would you let it ride?

Would you let it ride

Would you let it ride

Would you let it ride

Would you let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Try, try, try let it ride

Would you let it ride?

Would you let it ride?

Would you let it ride?

Would you let it ride?

-Charles Turner and Randy Bachman

Iona: 2016-17 Metro Atlantic Men's Basketball Champions

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Jordan Washington played his way through major foul trouble -- all the way to the NCAA tournament.

Washington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, freshman E.J. Crawford had a tiebreaking layup in overtime and Iona topped Siena 87-86 on Monday night to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title for the second straight time.

Despite playing with four fouls for more than 13 minutes, Washington exerted himself in the tense extra period, hitting a tough scoop shot and four free throws around Crawford's clutch basket with 27.2 seconds left.

"My coaches said to just keep playing hard," said Washington, who was named tournament MVP. "I had to do what I had to do. I'm still emotional right now. We don't stop until [the clock] hits zero and that's what we did."

Marquis Wright hit a 3 at the final buzzer as Siena came up just short.

"Life's a funny thing," Siena coach Jimmy Patsos said. "Sometimes, you just don't get that extra bounce."

Iona (22-12) won its MAAC-record 10th title and improved to 9-0 against Siena in the conference tournament. Fourth-seeded Siena (17-17) advanced to the conference championship game for the first time in seven years.

Beating the Saints again on their home court made the championship more special for Iona, which split regular-season games with Siena, each team winning on the road.

"We said if we can win in this environment, this will be one that you remember forever," Iona coach Tim Cluess said. "The place is packed, everyone's against you. These guys can remember it's an overtime game, on the road, with 7,000 or 8,000 [fans] screaming against you."

Deyshonee Much had 18 points for Iona, and Rickey McGill finished with 14.

Wright finished with 29 points. Javion Ogunyemi had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Saints, and Brett Bisping added 16 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out in the final seconds.

"Right now, it hurts," Bisping said. "I mean, I'm really proud. We really fought. I can honestly say I think everyone gave it everything they had tonight, and you can live with that."

Trailing by a basket at the break, the Gaels tied it at 40 when McGill drained an open 3 from the corner early in the second half. Schadrac Casimir and Much followed with two more from beyond the arc and a layup by Much gave the Gaels a 50-44 lead with 16:44 left.

When McGill rattled in another 3 from the top of the key, Iona led 57-48 and seemed ready to pull away.

Bispring responded with a pair of 3s and Wright swished another from long range, part of an 11-0 run that gave the Saints a two-point lead.

Neither team led by more than five the rest of the game, which was tied five times in the final 7:11 of regulation. Bisping sent the game into overtime by hitting a pair of free throws with 13.7 seconds left.


To have a shot at the title, the Saints had to defend the perimeter against the Gaels, who had made 323 shots from beyond the arc, seventh in the NCAA. Siena opened an eight-point lead midway through the opening half as the Gaels missed their first six 3-point attempts.

Iona erased the deficit quickly, getting 3s in a 34-second span from Casimir and Crawford to spark a 10-0 run. A hook in the lane by Washington gave the Gaels a 25-23 lead, their first of the game.

BIG PICTURE

Iona: Cluess has led the Gaels to the title game five straight times, a conference record. He is 12-4 against Patsos.

Siena: The Saints have lost eight straight to Iona on their home court at the Times Union Center after winning 11 of the first 12.

UP NEXT

Iona awaits its opponent for the NCAA tournament.

Siena's season is likely over.

UNC Wilmington: 2016-17 Colonial Men's Basketball Champions

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- C.J. Bryce, Devontae Cacok & Co. were headed off to celebrate when UNC Wilmington coach Kevin Keatts reminded his jubilant players to take their box scores.

"That's a championship stat sheet," Keatts said. "Get used to that."

They're working on it.

Bryce scored 24 points, and UNC Wilmington clinched its second straight NCAA tournament berth with a 78-69 victory over College of Charleston in the Colonial Athletic Association championship Monday night.

"We're champions again," Keatts said. "We're going dancing."

The Seahawks (29-5) grabbed control with an 18-5 run in the second half. Bryce sparked the decisive surge with a 3-pointer and finished it off with another long-range basket, making it 65-50 with 8:25 remaining.

College of Charleston closed to 76-69 on Evan Bailey's 3-pointer with 17 seconds left, but it ran out of time for a comeback. The Cougars (25-9) dropped to 0-6 in conference tournament finals since they last made it to the NCAAs by winning the Southern Conference title in 1999.

Seahawk fans rushed the court to join the celebration when the buzzer sounded. Players jumped and shouted. "We're not done yet," Bryce told the crowd.

Cacok had 15 points and 14 rebounds for the Seahawks, who extended their single-season record with their 29th victory. It was Cacok's 12th double-double of the season.

UNCW is 1-5 in its five previous NCAA tournaments, winning its first-round game in 2002 against No. 4 seed Southern California before falling in the next game to Indiana.

The Seahawks lost 93-85 to fourth-seeded Duke a year ago. Bryce had 16 in that game.

"This is definitely a confidence boost," said Bryce, a sophomore named the tournament's most outstanding player. "As long as we stay focused, we'll be good."

Keatts declined to address whether the Seahawks deserve a better NCAA seed than last year's group. "But since last year's [Duke] loss, we've only lost five games," he said. "That's hard to do."

Denzel Ingram had 11 points for UNC Wilmington.

Joe Chealey had 21 points for the Cougars, and Jarrell Brantley finished with 20.

Chealey said the team will learn from the experience.

"We got a taste of what it's like," he said. "We'll be back."

THE BIG PICTURE


College of Charleston: Chealey has to make shots for the Cougars to succeed and he struggled early on. He couldn't seem to get past the 6-foot-7 Cacok and 6-9 Chuck Ogbodo whenever he attempted to slash to the basket. Chealey was 7-for-19 from the field.

UNC Wilmington: The Seahawks shot 53 percent (28-for-53) from the field, helping make up for a lackluster 12-for-21 night for free throws.

EXPANDING SKILL SET

Cacok made sure Keatts saw he had one of the team's 16 assists. The sophomore forward is better known for his work down low grabbing rebounds.

After looking extra hard at the stat sheet, Keatts countered that Cacok also had a turnover. "So that wipes that [assist] out," he said, laughing.

Cacok has 14 assists this season.

UP NEXT

College of Charleston awaits a potential postseason bid.

UNC Wilmington will wait to see its NCAA tournament seeding.

St. Anthony Saints: A Proper Long Beach Prep Football Team

I am thoroughly disgusted in my alma mater, Lakewood. Their football team is no longer watchable. Here is something you should know about me: watching high school football is no different that watching any sports event. I have expectations for the teams I care about. I demand, as a requirement: 1. proper mastery of the game on offense and defense, 2. consistency against comparable opposition, 3. convincing victories that affirm 1. and 2. Lakewood has failed in all three categories and does not deserve to be in the playoffs. In fact, given their loss to Cabrillo, it would be a miracle if they are able to upset the Panthers of Long Beach Jordan.

Mike Wadley, who is the girls volleyball coach of the Lancers, is one of my biggest critics. However, his criticism of my criticism is unfounded and naive. 1. The quality of football in the Moore League has dropped. 2. Long Beach Poly, who have a new coach apparently, are also struggling this season and were just Sandusky'd by an actual, proper prep team in the IMG Academy Ascenders, a convoy of all-stars from Florida. 3. The Moore League is playing in the wrong division and needs to move down because it is the weakest of all the leagues in the Pac-5, the highest in the CIF Southern Section. 4. The public schools in my area are not retaining the best players. The private schools are getting the better players in my area. Because of his inability to open his eyes to the new reality that I have accepted, he has been permanently blocked on my Twitter.

One of the schools that has been benefitting from all this happens to be a small school near downtown Long Beach. It's a school called St. Anthony. It is one of the oldest high schools in the city and is exactly next to St. Anthony's Church, the primary church in Long Beach, and one of downtown's top attractions. The team name is called the Saints. Their colors are purple, white and silver.

Their football team is coached by man named Mario Morales, who used to coach at Long Beach Wilson, whose Bruins defeated the Saints earlier this year. Their stadium, however, is off-campus, but has been their ground for a long time: Clark Avenue Field, which I took some photos of on my Flickr years ago. That's all changing on Friday, when I watch my first high school football game for the first time in a few years, since I was taken away from a game between Lakewood and Cabrillo at Cabrillo High School in handcuffs before being released.

By the way, this season, Cabrillo did defeat Lakewood. I am convinced that unless the Lancers start recruiting good players and stop losing out to the private schools, this team will find itself again. Right now, I will not waste my money on an alma mater that presents an inferior product and an atrocious return on investment. It's gonna take a million-dollar handout, lump sum, no fake cash, to convince me to watch these idiots show their inferior mastery of the game, maybe two. And I mean it.

But back to the match at hand. St. Anthony plays in a four-team league called the Santa Fe League. Three other teams from three others schools play in this league: the Valiants of St. Genevieve High School of Panorama City, Los Angeles; the Stars of Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro; and the opponent that St. Anthony is facing on Friday: the Mariners of St. Monica Catholic High School, based out of...you guessed it, Santa Monica, California. The Avalon Schools Lancers field an 8-man side that plays in the Express League, another four-team league. They, however, went unbeaten in the regular season, going 8-0 and are doing the postseason business against the Lightning of the Sage Hill School of Newport Coast.

Currently, the Mariners are clearly out of the postseason. They come into Clark Avenue Field with a 3-6 record, 0-2 in league play, winless. A St. Monica victory won't change St. Anthony's playoff situation as they have won the tiebreaker with St. Genevieve and Mary Star. On the other hand, the Saints, well, they want to fine tune their game for the playoffs, they want to win Santa Fe outright, and they want to send their seniors out with a bang.

Watching St. Anthony football is nothing new to me. I have experienced the team win games, lose games, I have been to a few of these matches in the past. In fact, I even helped do chain gang work during a match between the Saints and the Crusaders of Downey Valley Christian, a team that, historically, has had form against St. Anthony and who inflicted the team their second loss of the season. I remember watching St. Anthony face this somewhat obscure team named Verbum Dei of Los Angeles, another team that is also not getting it done at 4-5 (2-1 league). I watched the kids warmup with an "oooh" and "aaah" chant. That, to me, is my only relevant impression of Verbum Dei football. All hype, but lacking in talent.

Verbum Dei compete in the South Catholic. The Knights of Bishop Montgomery, a school from Torrance (known more for its four public teams in Torrance, North, South and West), currently lead the South Catholic at 6-3 (3-0 league). One of their opponents happened to be...St. Anthony. They were smashed, 43-6. Of course, they also lost to the Valiants, 23-6 two weeks prior, but that's a different story.

In any case, I am more than motivated to watch high school football and I think I have found a winner in St. Anthony, a team with the talent that Lakewood is supposed to have but does not. I don't deal with jobbers to the stars like Poly, either. As mentioned before, St. Anthony tick 1, 2, and 3. The expectation is that St. Monica (who have been hilariously designated as their rival school [although, to be fair, St. Monica have had form against St. Anthony in the past]) will get smoked, and get smoked badly.

There was, believe or not, a time where St. Anthony football was just not that good. A lot of soul searching had to be done to sway the youngsters coming out of Pop Warner to give the Saints a shot. They have had a massive shot in the arm ever since. Since 2010, they have had enough players to field a JV side. Morales took over the program in 2012, and since 2013, they have been a regular in the playoffs. Their best season came in 2014, when they finished 11-2 on the year.

Last season, the Saints finished 6-5 but still made the playoffs on a 3-1 league record. That one league loss? St. Monica, 17-16, at Santa Monica College, the home of the Corsairs, whose team this year has regressed from last season. In this aspect, there is reason to believe that there will be payback. I would be tempted to lay it on these Mariners if St. Anthony demolishes these guys by halftime but my job is to simply film what's going on and also take HD photos of the old stadium with its rustic, rusty old bleachers that may or may not have gotten a facelift thanks to donations since I was last at this venue. So I would be wasting my breath giving St. Monica the riot act. Too busy filming, too angry at Lakewood Football for making me come to Clark Field instead.

If St. Monica pull off a shock result on Friday, it might discourage me from coming back to watch the Saints for a while. I don't earn six figures, but even if I did, an upset like this is a long-haul dealbreaker. It's all up the Saints to prove to me that in terms of watchablity, they are a more-than-competent alternative to the worse-than-Trump's mess that is my alma mater's football program.

One more thing: Mike Christensen, my former P.E. teacher at Lakewood, is back as head coach of the team. When the coach during my time at the school is now the coach this year after going through so many coaching changes and a lack of stability, this tells me one thing: stay away from John T. Ford Stadium until the flogs there clean up their bloody act. The principal at this school, Mario Jimenez, must think I'm a shill-faced jackass or something. Well you know what they say: it takes one to know one. It is, undoubtedly, a complete disgrace how Lakewood High School Lancer Football has now been reduced to an unwatchable, losing shell of themselves and it's for this reason I have officially adopted the Saints of St. Anthony as my main prep team in the area until further notice.

Somebody give me a flaming effigy. Go give 'em a good martyring, boys. Up the Saints.

Don't Phunk With My Heart

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart

(Yeah)

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby)

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby)

Girl, you know you got me, got me

With your pistol shot me, shot me

And I’m here helplessly

In love and nothing can stop me

You can’t stop me cause once I start it

Can’t return me cause once you bought it

I’m coming baby, don’t got it (don’t make me wait)

So let’s be about it

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart

Baby, have some trustin’, trustin’

When I come in lustin’, lustin’

Cause I bring you that comfort

I ain’t only here cause I want ya body

I want your mind too

Interestin’s what I find you

And I’m interested in the long haul

Come on girl (yee-haw)

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby)

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby)

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart

Girl, you had me, once you kissed me

My love for you is not iffy

I always want you with me

I’ll play Bobby and you’ll play Whitney

If you smoke, I’ll smoke too

That’s how much I’m in love with you

Crazy is what crazy do

Crazy in love, I’m a crazy fool

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart

Why are you so insecure

When you got passion and love her

You always claimin’ I’m a cheater

Think I’d up and go leave ya

For another señorita

You forgot that I need ya

You must’ve caught amnesia

That’s why you don’t believe

Well, yeah, check it out.

Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, baby

Cause you know you got me by a string, baby

Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, baby

Cause you know you got me by a string, baby

Baby girl, you make me feel

You know you make me feel so real

I love you more than sex appeal

(Cause you’re)

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl 

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl 

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl 

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl 

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl 

No, no, no, no, don’t phunk with my heart 

That-tha, that tha, that-tha, that girl

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby)

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby) 

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby) 

I wonder if I take you home

Would you still be in love, baby (in love, baby) 

Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, baby

Cause you know you got me by a string, baby

Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing, baby

Cause you know you got me by a string, baby…

Cleveland Cavaliers: 2016 NBA Champions

It's a championship 52 years in the making.

One that was won by the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-89 over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena on Sunday night. But one that was made all the more meaningful by decades of losing seasons from Cleveland's Browns and Indians, as well.

It took a native son -- the most important draft pick in franchise history 13 oh-so-lucky years ago, born and bred just about 30 miles down the road, in Akron, Ohio -- to break the cycle of disappointment.

If back-to-back titles in Miami were James' breakthrough as one of the game's all-time greats, the championship in Cleveland represents his ascension to living-legend status.

His NBA Finals record still stands at a lopsided 3-4 -- not nearly as stellar a bullet point on his résumé than the four MVP awards and top-five ranking in all-time playoff points, assists and steals -- but that third ring carries so much weight.

Hundreds of players have won the NBA title before, but nobody has ever done it quite like James and the Cavs did this year.

James dominated the series, pushing it to an improbable brink with back-to-back 41-point games in to bring Cleveland back from a 3-1 deficit. The first 32 teams to fall down 3-1 in the Finals ended up losers. The Cavs, led by a certain No. 23, made sure that streak ended when it came to 33.

A win by the Warriors would have solidified their place in the discussion of the greatest team ever. James' performance in the series changed the conversation and steered it toward consideration for him as the greatest player ever.

He did it, of course, on the same court as the league's back-to-back MVP in Stephen Curry. Only anyone watching could see by James' play that when everything matters the most, he remains the best the sport has to offer, with Curry still a level below.

And he did it by elevating a group of teammates like Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson -- with a combined zero playoff games between them before James came back to Cleveland -- to the game's zenith.

As he famously posted in his homecoming letter in the Players' Tribune, "In Northeast Ohio, nothing is given. Everything is earned. You work for what you have."

James and the Cavs outworked and outlasted the greatest regular-season team.

And now the city of Cleveland can rejoice a well-earned championship -- one that will be remembered for the ages -- at last.

Juventus: 2015-16 Coppa Italia Champions

Juventus created more history on Saturday evening by beating Milan 1-0 in a tense Coppa Italia final to become the first ever Italian side to win domestic league and cup doubles in consecutive seasons.

The win was sealed in especially dramatic fashion courtesy of substitute Alvaro Morata’s strike in extra-time within three minutes of entering the field.

After a first half in which Milan enjoyed the upper hand in proceedings, Juve stepped up their game marginally in the second period, but were unable to create a truly clear-cut opportunity as the encounter required a further 30 minutes of extra-time to determine the winner.

The game, in truth, was in need of a spark from somewhere when Morata was brought on by Massimiliano Allegri in the 109th minute and the Spaniard repaid the manager’s decision in the most emphatic of fashions, helping the Bianconeri to win their 11th Coppa Italia with the same level of extra-time drama with which they had claimed La Decima last season.

In a pulsating opening period, Cristian Brocchi’s men had the better of the early chances, as Giacomo Bonaventura fired over the crossbar from range before prodding whiskers wide of Neto’s near post.

Mattia De Sciglio would be next to try his luck for the Rossoneri, hitting over from outside the box, and after 24 minutes, the lively Bonaventura forced Neto into an extremely smart save after the Milan midfielder’s low shot took a wicked deflection towards the bottom corner.

The Bianconeri demonstrated that they too posed danger going forwards courtesy of a strong run down the right by Stephan Lichtsteiner, whose menacing cross was ultimately dealt with by Alessio Romagnoli.

But it was Milan who continued to threaten more in the final third, Andrea Poli taking Keisuke Honda’s pass into his stride before shooting wide of the mark from the edge of the area.

The Bianconeri knew they had to improve after the break and began the second period with renewed purpose as Mario Lemina’s centre almost located Mario Mandzukic, who would have had a simple tap-in were it not for Gianluigi Donnarumma’s interception at the crucial moment.

The Rossoneri would dust themselves down from that scare and reassert the attacking intent of the first half, as Honda flicked Davide Calabria’s cross just inches beyond the reach of an onrushing Carlos Bacca.

In the 69th minute, Juve very nearly found the breakthrough, when Paul Pogba’s attempted cross spun off Calabria’s leg and was heading inside the near post before Donnarumma got down low to avert the danger.

Just four minutes later, Milan’s towering keeper had to palm away Lichtsteiner’s powerful header from Lemina’s cross, as Massimiliano Allegri’s men began to step up a gear or two into the final stretch of regulation time.

The Tuscan tactician’s introductions of Alex Sandro and Juan Cuadrado had indeed injected greater life into the Bianconeri’s legs, the latest sign of which culminated in a fierce long-range attempt from Pogba that was too central, however, to trouble Donnarumma.

A quiet ten minutes would follow before Romagnoli nodded wide from a promising position, paving the way to extra-time.

Both sides cancelled themselves out after the second restart of the night until Pogba warmed Donnarumma’s gloves with a venomous right-footed drive in the 102nd minute.

Milan too would have a good chance of their own to open the scores only moments later when Alex Sandro’s clearance fell to Bacca and the Colombian’s acrobatic kick ended up just the wrong side of the crossbar.

Shortly after extra-time’s midway stage, Allegri made the decision to bring on Morata and within just three minutes the change paid dividends with the Spaniard showing exceptional composure to turn home Cuadrado’s cross from the right.

Three minutes of added time spurred the Rossoneri on to encamp Juve’s half as they eagerly pursued an equaliser, but the Bianconeri were in no mood to let history slip from their hands as they held firm until the final whistle, sparking scenes of jubilation from all in black and white half on a truly unforgettable night in the capital.

JUVENTUS
Neto, Rugani, Barzagli, Chiellini, Lichtsteiner (Cuadrado 75), Lemina, Hernanes (Morata 109), Pogba, Evra (Alex Sandro 62), Dybala, Mandzukic
Unused substitutes: Buffon, Rubinho, Padoin, Sturaro, Asamoah, Pereyra, Zaza
Coach: Allegri

MILAN
Donnarumma, Calabria, Zapata, Romagnoli, De Sciglio, Poli (Niang 84), Montolivo (J. Mauri 109), Kucka (Balotelli 111), Honda, Bonaventura, Bacca
Unused substitutes: D. Lopez, Abbiati, Mexes, Alex, Boateng, Locatelli, Bertolacci, Menez, L. Adriano
Coach: Brocchi

Southern Jaguars: 2015-16 SWAC Men's Basketball Champions

HOUSTON -- Southern University coach Roman Banks didn't want to say that his team wasn't motivated in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game last season when the Jaguars were ineligible to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

He did acknowledge, however, that his team had a little something extra in this year's game knowing what the prize for winning would be.

Adrian Rodgers made a jump shot with 17 seconds left to lift Southern to a 54-53 victory over Jackson State on Saturday night, clinching the Jaguars' first NCAA appearance since 2013.

Southern reached the title game by knocking off top-seeded Texas Southern in the semifinal game Friday night. The Jaguars lost to Texas Southern in the title game last season in a year in which they were ineligible for the NCAA Tournament because of Academic Progress Rates restrictions.

"I could see the difference in our practice and our mindset," Banks said. "They were a little bit more focused. You could see the extra energy and the extra push through."

Trelun Banks, who was named tournament MVP, scored 19 points for Southern (22-12), which is making its ninth trip to the NCAA tourney. He was asked what it means to get to play in the tournament with his father coaching him.

"I didn't want to do it for me," he said. "I really wanted to get it done for my dad. For the hard work and things he's been through."

It was a wild back-and-forth game that featured several lead changes in the final minutes. Raeford Worsham put Jackson State (19-15) on top with a layup with 33 seconds left before the shot by Rodgers put Southern ahead -- to stay.

The Tigers had a chance to win it, but missed two shots in the final seconds.

They were very emotional after the game, with coach Wayne Brent unable to finish his opening statement because he was fighting back tears and Paris Collins resting his head on the table and sobbing for long stretches during postgame interviews.

Collins said he was responsible for Rodgers when he made the winning shot.

"It just hurts when you play that hard on somebody and one slip-up just takes the dream away," he said.

Worsham led Jackson State with 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Rodgers finished with seven points and 11 rebounds, and Shawn Prudhomme added 10 points.

The game was tied when Collins made a 3-pointer with less than two minutes left to make it 51-48.

Banks made a pair of free throws after that to cut the lead to 1 and Christopher Hyder added two more free throws to put Southern up by 1 before the layup by Worsham.

Hyder stole the ball on the ensuing possession and was fouled. He made both free throws with 43 seconds left to give Southern a 52-51 lead.

Southern hadn't scored in more than four minutes when Javeres Brent made one of two free throws with 4 1/2 minutes left to cut the lead to 48-43. It was the first of six straight points for the Jaguars, capped by a 3-pointer by Banks, that tied it at 48 with 2:18 remaining.

Jackson State trailed by 3 after a pair of free throws by Rodgers with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining. The Tigers scored the next nine points, with the first four from Worsham to take a 48-42 lead with just under five minutes remaining.

The Jaguars missed six shots during that time to help Jackson State build the lead.

Southern led by as many as eight in the first half, but Jackson State had cut the lead to 24-22 by halftime.

TIP-INS

Jackson State: Collins finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. ... Specks had eight points. ... Chace Franklin scored nine points and had a block.

Southern: Scored 16 points off 12 turnovers by Jackson State. ... Southern's bench outscored Jackson State's 15-4. ... Made four of 14 3-pointers.

CELEBRITY GUEST

Jacoby Jones, who made the NFL Pro Bowl in 2012, attended many of the tournament's games this week and was in the front row for Saturday's contest. Jones is from New Orleans, but didn't go to Southern, instead attending tiny Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, before he was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2007 draft.

UP NEXT

Jackson State: Expects an invitation to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Southern: Prepares for the NCAA Tournament.

Pia Wurtzbach: Miss Universe 2015

The Miss Universe 2015 contest has ended in confusion and disarray after the host mistakenly named the wrong woman as the winner.
Ariadna Gutierrez Arevalo from Colombia had already been crowned and was standing on stage to cheers from the Las Vegas audience when mortified host Steve Harvey returned to announce the error.
“OK, folks, um, I have to apologise,” he said, walking back on stage while Arevalo was proudly waving to fans, holding the winner’s bouquet and wearing the Miss Universe sash. “The first runner-up is Colombia,” he went on, “Miss Universe 2015 is Philippines.”
The camera panned straight to a stunned Miss Philippines, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach, who started slowly walking to the front of the stage. For a few awkward moments the two women stood side by side, in front of a TV audience of millions from around the world, before Harvey explained that he read the card naming the winner and runner-up in the wrong order.

“I will take responsibility for this, it was my mistake,” he told the crowd. “It’s on the card ... horrible mistake, but I can show it to you right here,” he said, holding up the card.

“It is my mistake, but it’s still a great night.”
“Please don’t hold it against the ladies, please don’t. I feel so badly but it’s still a great night.”
As he spoke, a former Miss Universe winner quickly removed the crown from Arevalo and placed it on Wurtzbach. The broadcast ended moments later.
The reaction on social media was swift, with viewers expressing dismay at the “fail of the decade”.

Later, Wurtzbach told reporters that she wished Arevalo well.
“I’m very sorry. I did not take the crown from her,” she said. “None of this was done on purpose. It was an honest mistake.”
Harvey’s mistake is not the first time the wrong woman has been named the winner of a high-profile beauty pageant. In 2010 during a live television broadcast, Australian host Sarah Murdoch read out the wrong name in the finale of Australia’s Next Top Model.
The competition started with women representing 80 countries between the ages of 19 and 27. For the first time, viewers at home weighed in, with their votes being tallied in addition to four in-person celebrity judges.
NBC Universal and Donald Trump co-owned the Miss Universe Organization until earlier this year. The real-estate developer offended Latin Americans in June when he made anti-immigrant remarks in announcing his Republican presidential run.
That led Spanish-language network Univision to pull out of the broadcast for what would have been the first of five years airing the pageants and NBC to cut business ties with Trump.
The former star of the Celebrity Apprentice reality show sued both companies, settling with NBC in September, which included buying the network’s stake in the pageants.
That same month, Trump sold the organisation that includes the Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants to entertainment company WME-IMG.

Associated Press contributed to this report

Eastern Washington: 2014-15 Big Sky Men's Basketball Champions

MISSOULA, Mont. -- Tyler Harvey scored 18 points and Eastern Washington beat Montana 69-65 in the Big Sky championship game Saturday night to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Felix Van Hofe made a 3-pointer to cap a 14-2 run and give the Eagles (26-8) a 62-61 lead with 2:10 to go. Harvey completed a three-point play with 43 seconds left to make it 67-63.

Drew Brandon added 16 points for Eastern Washington.

Martin Breunig led Montana (20-12) with 23 points and 17 rebounds. Mike Weisner had 18 points, and Jordan Gregory 16.

The victory was the Eagles' first over the Grizzlies in the conference tournament.