Villanova: 2018-19 Big East Men's Basketball Champions

NEW YORK (AP) – Villanova became the first team to win three consecutive Big East Tournaments, beating Seton Hall 74-72 on Saturday night behind seniors Eric Paschall and Phil Booth and key contributions from freshman Saddiq Bey.

Seton Hall star Myles Powell, guarded closely by Booth, missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds that could have won it. Booth was called for traveling as he tried to corral the rebound, however, and the Pirates got one more chance with 0.4 seconds left. Anthony Nelson’s long inbounds pass bounced off the backboard and was slapped away by the Wildcats, who got to party on the Madison Square Garden floor yet again.

The 25th-ranked and top-seeded Wildcats (25-9) were in the Big East final for a fifth straight year, and have won four of the last five championships. The only loss during that span was to Seton Hall in 2016, and Powell and the third-seeded Pirates (20-13) gave Villanova all it could handle once again.

Powell scored 25 points to cap a spectacular three days at Madison Square Garden for the high-scoring guard.

Paschall had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Booth scored 16 points and was selected most outstanding player of the tournament. Bey, who Villanova fans hope will lead the next wave of championship teams, had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Villanova had a chance to seal it in the final 30 seconds but Paschall was called for a charge when he lowered his shoulder into Myles Cale with 24 seconds left. Powell quickly scored inside at the other end to cut the Wildcats’ lead to 73-72 with 15.5 seconds left.

The Pirates sent Paschall to the line with 13.7 seconds remaining and he made the first and missed the second. Seton Hall rebounded and called a timeout to set up a final play with 8.9 seconds left.

UP NEXT

Seton Hall: The Pirates are headed to their fourth straight NCAA Tournament, matching a school best (1991-94).

Villanova: The defending national champions will be in the NCAA Tournament for the seventh straight season, but will probably be seeded worse than a 2 for the first time since 2013.

Washington State: 2018 Alamo Bowl Champions

Gardner Minshew II and that glorious mustache conjured up a final bit of magic in a grand finale for Washington State.

Minshew, a graduate transfer quarterback whose whiskered upper lip was loved and mimicked by Cougars fans all season, threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in sending No. 13 Washington State (No. 12 AP) to a 28-26 win over No. 24 Iowa State (No. 25 AP) in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Friday night.

Minshew's passing and scrambling earned the Cougars (11-2) a school record for wins in a season. He also finished with 4,779 passing yards this season, breaking the Pac-12 single-season record previously held by California's Jared Goff (4,719).

Minshew passed for 299 yards Friday, none of them bigger than a play made out of desperation when Iowa State had all the momentum.

After watching a 21-10 lead dwindle to 21-20 by early in the fourth quarter, the Cougars stripped the ball from Iowa State running back David Montgomery at the Cyclones' 30. Minshew, who had been held in check in the third quarter, escaped a third-down pass rush to flip a last-second shovel pass to Tay Martin that went for 20 yards.

The play stunned the Cyclones, and Max Borghi scored on a 10-yard run the next play.

It was just another big fourth-quarter moment for the transfer from East Carolina whom coach Mike Leach had lured out West with the promise he could lead the nation in passing.

Minshew was the nation's leading passer in yards per game this season and won the Johnny Unitas Award as the nation's top senior quarterback in a season the Cougars fell one game short of playing for the Pac-12 championship.

Nearly all of his completions this season were more orthodox than the flip to Martin. None were bigger than this one for the season and the legacy it left for the program.

"I want to say thank you to these coaches, this university and these fans for taking me in," Minshew said.

"So glad to be a part of this," he added. "One thing I've always been told is to leave a place better than we found it. This place could be really special."

The Cyclones did a good job in bottling Minshew up for much of the game. Iowa State's defense held Washington State to 10 points and 135 yards below its season averages, and two of the Cougars' touchdowns came on short drives after turnovers.

But after Minshew found a way to get Washington State in the end zone, the Cougars' defense made the one play it had to at the end.

Iowa State's last chance came after quarterback Brock Purdy scored from a yard out with 4:02 left. The Cyclones went for two, but a pass to Montgomery was stopped well short of the goal line after a false-start penalty pushed the line of scrimmage back to the 8.

Iowa State had seven false-start penalties and had two players ejected for targeting hits on Minshew.

Purdy passed for 315 yards, and Cyclones wide receiver Hakeem Butler caught nine passes for 192 yards, 6 yards shy of the Alamo Bowl record. Montgomery rushed for 124 yards.

The Cyclones (8-5) had rallied from a 1-3 start to finish third in the Big 12, the program's best conference finish in 40 years.

"This team never quits, plays with elite attitude and elite effort. The missing piece for us right now is in the detail," Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. "Now, to take the next step in this program is detail. It's what got us tonight. Silly mistakes."

THE TAKEAWAY

Washington State: Minshew survived several tough hits in the first half and was excellent when it was time to kill the clock. He completed 9 of 13 passes in the fourth quarter for 78 yards. After Iowa State's final touchdown, he completed three passes, two of them converting third downs, as the Cougars ran out the clock.

Iowa State: Turnovers and targeting calls were critical. Purdy threw two first-quarter interceptions, and Montgomery's fumble was a game-changer. Iowa State had two key defenders ejected in the second quarter for targeting hits to Minshew. Senior linebacker Willie Harvey was ejected after smashing Minshew in the face mask on a scramble. Defensive end Eyioma Uwazurike was booted after a sack knocked Minshew's helmet off.

TOUCHDOWN TAUNTING

Washington State cornerback Marcus Strong had a long touchdown interception return wiped out in the first quarter when he was flagged for taunting on his way into the end zone. Strong stepped in front of a pass intended for Butler and had a clear path to the goal line. He was penalized because he held the ball out and looked back as Purdy made a futile dive for his feet. Instead of the score, the Cougars got the ball on the Iowa State 20 and scored two plays later when Minshew connected with Renard Bell.

UP NEXT

Washington State: Leach has to find another big-armed quarterback to be among the nation's passing leaders in 2019. If he does that, the Cougars should be among the Pac-12 favorites as they return 14 starters on offense and defense, plus their kicking specialists.

Iowa State: The Cyclones were in the mix for a Big 12 title game berth late in the season and will expect to be in contention again in 2019, with Purdy leading an experienced lineup that loses only five senior starters. The key will be the NFL draft options for 1,000-yard rusher Montgomery and 1,000-yard receiver Butler.

UNC Greensboro: 2017-18 Southern Men’s Basketball Champions

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- When 6-foot-9 forward Jordy Kuiper was in high school, his coach would make him run "suicide" sprints if he took a shot outside the lane.

That changed when Kuiper arrived at UNC Greensboro, where coaches began working on his jumper.

"They told me by the time I was a senior I would be able to knock down big shots," Kuiper said.

Kuiper did just that on Monday night, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the second half to help UNC Greensboro defeat East Tennessee State 62-47 to win the Southern Conference championship and earn its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2001.

Demetrius Troy added 13 points, and James Dickey III dominated the paint in the second half. He finished with nine points, eight rebounds and five blocks for the Spartans, who avenged last year's championship game loss to ETSU.

The Spartans broke open a tie game at halftime behind Kuiper, as the lefty knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to spark a 9-0 run. The Buccaneers went nearly eight minutes without a field goal to open the second half and never recovered.

Kuiper scored off an offensive rebound with 4:40 left to give the Spartans their first double-digit lead. Troy added the dagger with 1:30 left when he buried a 3-pointer from the left wing to stretch the lead to 14.

UNCG held ETSU to 30.6 percent shooting.

The Buccaneers made just 3 of 16 shots from beyond the arc and went nearly eight minutes without a field goal to start the second half.

"You have to give Greensboro the credit. We just couldn't get it going offensively," ETSU coach Steve Forbes said. "They took us out of our rhythm. When we did get to the basket we just couldn't finish."

That defense allowed UNCG (27-7) to prevail despite a poor shooting night from leading scorer and tournament MVP Francis Alonso, who was held to six points on 2-of-11 shooting.

BIG PICTURE

ETSU: The Buccaneers need to find some offense next year after struggling in the championship game from the field, particularly from beyond the arc.

UNCG: The Spartans have some skill players, but a lack of overall size and depth could hurt them in the NCAA Tournament.

INCENTIVE

As painful as it was, UNCG coach Wes Miller kept last year's runner-up trophy on display in his office so his players could see it every time they came in for a visit.

"It motivated us," Miller said.

It was the second straight year UNCG entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed. Last year, the Spartans' second-half defense began to crumble in the loss to the Buccaneers.

"It left a bad taste in our mouths," UNCG senior Marvin Smith Jr. said. "We got away from our defensive principles last year. We knew defense would lead us to the championship because that is what we preach."

FORBES' FUTURE

Forbes' name continues to pop up in coaching circles despite recently signing a contract extension through the 2022-23 season. He said he expects to stay at ETSU unless something were to come along that would be a "life-changing experience."

McLOUD LEADS THE WAY


Jalan McLoud had 15 points and eight rebounds to lead ETSU (25-9) on a night when Desonta Bradford and David Burrell missed time with ankle injuries.

WANTED: BETTER SHOOTING

Alonso and Smith combined to shoot 2 of 13 from 3-point range, to which Miller quipped, "Yeah, you guys can't do that in the NCAAs."

UP NEXT

ETSU: Forbes said he doesn't expect the Buccaneers to receive an NIT berth despite a solid season. He said it will likely be the team's final game since playing in the CIT isn't what his team signed up for.

UNCG: The Spartans are dancing for the first time in 17 years and likely will be a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin: 2017 Orange Bowl Champions

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Alex Hornibrook's first pass of the night was a wobbler, one that seemed to slip out of his hand.

Nearly everything else he threw was just about perfect.

Hornibrook threw four touchdown passes, three to Danny Davis, and No. 6 Wisconsin capped off the winningest season in school history by topping No. 11 Miami 34-24 in the Orange Bowl on Saturday night.

"We were pretty relaxed," Hornibrook said. "We knew we had what it takes to win this game."

Everyone does now.

And the Big Ten -- shut out of the College Football Playoff after Wisconsin lost to Ohio State in the conference title game -- moved to 7-0 in bowls this season.

"You play the whole season and you earn what you get and I'm proud of this team," Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said. "They can call themselves Orange Bowl champions. That's pretty big."

Jonathan Taylor ran for 130 yards on 26 carries for the Badgers (13-1), who rallied from an early 14-3 deficit. Taylor finished the year with an FBS-freshman-record 1,977 yards. A.J. Taylor also had a scoring catch for Wisconsin.

"I take as much responsibility as anybody, actually more because I'm in charge of everything," Richt said. "I didn't coach good enough and we will get better. I can promise you that."

The Badgers dominated time of possession, holding the ball for nearly 40 minutes. Hornibrook completed 23 of 34 passes for 258 yards, going 20 for 25 in the final three quarters.

Travis Homer and Deejay Dallas had rushing scores for Miami (10-3), which lost on its home field for the first time in 2017. Lawrence Cager had a touchdown catch for the Hurricanes, while quarterback Malik Rosier was 11 for 26 passing for 203 yards -- with three interceptions.

The Hurricanes had a chance to get within a touchdown midway through the fourth, but Michael Badgley's chip-shot field goal went off the right upright. By the time Miami got the ball back, most of their fans were gone and only 1:37 remained. Rosier was picked off for the third time 18 seconds later, and the Badgers ran out the clock.

"They did a really good job making me throw balls into tight coverage," Rosier said.

Homer went in from 5 yards out to give Miami the early lead, and Dallas' 39-yard scamper for a score out of the wildcat formation pushed the Hurricanes' edge to 14-3 late in the first quarter.

Miami was rolling.

It was temporary.

Rosier's pass was intercepted by Wisconsin's Andrew Van Ginkel on the first play of the second quarter, and the game quickly changed. Hornibrook threw touchdown passes on three consecutive possessions -- two to Davis, one to A.J. Taylor -- and the Badgers held the ball for more than 11 minutes in that quarter alone on the way to taking a 24-14 lead into the half.

Richt was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct just before the third of those scores, after losing his cool while arguing with officials about what replays showed was a missed holding call that would have pushed Wisconsin back. He grabbed at head linesman Gus Morris -- part of the SEC crew on the game -- while pleading his case, as Miami security personnel unsuccessfully tried to keep him calm.

"Apologies to anyone who can read lips," Richt said.

The Hurricanes got within three points twice in the second half, the first coming when Rosier bought some time and lobbed the ball to a wide-open Cager for a 38-yard score. Rosier tried to connect with Cager again later in the third, but got intercepted again on a play where the Hurricanes thought Cager got held as he neared the end zone.

Hornibrook and Davis connected on a scoring play for the third time with 7:44 left, the Badgers weren't threatened again, and started talking about a title run in 2018 right afterward.

"We're all coming back," Hornibrook said. "But nothing is going to happen if we don't put in the work."

BIG PICTURE

Wisconsin: Hornibrook became just the third Badgers quarterback in the last 15 years to have multiple games with at least four touchdown passes in the same season. Scott Tolzien had a pair of four-TD games in 2009, and Jim Sorgi had games of four and five TDs in consecutive weeks back in 2003. From 2012 through 2016, the Badgers never had a quarterback throw for four scores in a game.

Miami: The Hurricanes were on a four-game losing streak last season, then started what became a 15-game winning streak that ended in the regular-season finale against Pitt, and now will take a three-game slide into 2018. The four touchdown passes allowed matched the most allowed by Miami in any game since Oklahoma threw for six TDs in a 2007 romp over the Hurricanes.

ROSIER RECORD


Rosier's third-quarter touchdown pass to Cager was the 31st touchdown he's accounted for this season, a Miami single-season record. The previous mark was 30, set by Vinny Testaverde in 1986.

FAMILY TIES

Hornibrook is the great-nephew of former Miami quarterback John Hornibrook, who was under center for a memorable play in Hurricanes history. John Hornibook ran in for a touchdown against Florida in 1971, on a play dubbed the Gator Flop -- one where every Florida defender fell to the ground in order to let Miami score and get the ball back so Gators quarterback John Reaves could break the NCAA career passing record. The ploy worked.

UP NEXT

Wisconsin: Hosts Western Kentucky on Aug. 31.

Miami: Plays LSU in Arlington, Texas, on Sept. 1.

Wake Forest: 2017 Belk Bowl Champions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- John Wolford threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns, and Matt Colburn ran for 150 yards and the go-ahead score in Wake Forest's 55-52 victory over Texas A&M on Friday in the Belk Bowl.

The teams combined for 1,260 yards and 107 points, making it one of the highest-scoring games in bowl history.

Wolford, a four-year starter and the game's Most Valuable Player, threw all four TD passes in the first half for Wake Forest (8-5). Colburn had a 1-yard touchdown with 2:18 left in the game to give the Demon Deacons the lead.

Wake Forest stopped the Aggies on downs on their final drive to seal the win, which was no easy task given Texas A&M's potent offense. Texas A&M's Nick Starkel threw for a Belk Bowl-record 499 yards and four touchdowns -- three of those to wide receiver Christian Kirk, who caught 13 passes for 189 yards.

Scotty Washington had nine catches for 138 yards and a touchdown for the Demon Deacons, while tight end Cam Serigne had nine catches for 112 yards and a score. Tabari Hines had eight receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns.

Wake Forest spotted Texas A&M (7-6) a 14-point first quarter lead following a pair of special teams miscues, but rattled off 31 straight points in a span of 11 minutes, 16 seconds to take a 31-14 lead.

But Texas A&M battled back to take the lead late in the third quarter.

The Aggies turned two blocked punts in the game's first five minutes into a 14-0 lead.

DeShawn Capers-Smith smothered Wake Forest's first punt attempt and Charles Oliver recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. On Wake Forest's next possession, Roshauud Paul partially blocked a punt that advanced just 19 yards. Starkel then completed a 42-yard strike to Kirk to set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Trayveon Williams.

But Wake Forest bounced right back as Wolford completed TD passes of 50 yards to an open Washington along the left sideline and 7-yarder to Harris on a slant route to tie the game midway through the first quarter. The second score came after Texas A&M ran into the kicker on a missed field goal attempt, giving the Demon Deacons an automatic first down.

TAKEAWAYS:


Texas A&M: You would have to think Kirk will think strongly about heading to the NFL after a terrific bowl game. It's hard to believe he could do much more to impress the NFL scouts after an unbelievable performance.

Wake Forest: The most difficult task next offseason will be replacing Wolford, a four-year starter and the clearly the leader of the team.

UP NEXT

Texas A&M: The Jimbo Fisher officially begins as the Aggies usher in a new era after six seasons under Kevin Sumlin.

Wake Forest: The future is looking bright for the Demon Deacons after their second bowl win in as many years under coach Dave Clawson.

Michigan State: 2017 Holiday Bowl Champions

SAN DIEGO -- Michigan State put a nice, big exclamation mark on its turnaround season.

Brian Lewerke threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns, and LJ Scott ran for 110 yards and two scores for No. 18 Michigan State, which took advantage of Luke Falk's absence to rout No. 21 Washington State 42-17 in the Holiday Bowl on Thursday night.

Lewerke also rushed for 73 yards for Michigan State (10-3), which rebounded from a dismal 3-9 record last year to reach double digits in wins for the eighth time in program history.

"We were ready to play. We were fresh," said Mark Dantonio, who earned his 100th victory in 11 seasons as Spartans coach. "It wasn't good enough to win nine games. We needed to win 10. We needed to have a great bowl game. This was a national stage. Holiday Bowl is an outstanding bowl. It's catapulted us up the rankings at least a little bit further.

"We reaffirmed our stature a little bit in college football. This has been a good football team and should continue to be a good football team."

Falk, who was photographed earlier in the week with a cast on his left wrist, went through warmups but came out in street clothes at game time. He was replaced by redshirt sophomore Tyler Hilinksi, who made his first start and eighth appearance of the season. It's unclear precisely when Falk injured the wrist on his non-throwing hand, but he had issues with it throughout the season.

Coach Mike Leach refused to give specifics during the week and was condescending afterward when asked about Falk's injury.

"Luke is doing exactly what we want Luke to do and Luke has had a fine career here and also done a great deal for this program, probably more than most people will ever realize," Leach said. "Tyler was the ideal guy to start with our lineup today."

Pressed on Falk's injury, Leach said: "You will remain unclear on it. Next question."

Hilinski led WSU (9-4) to a 45-yard field goal by Erik Powell on the Cougars' second drive, but the Cougars were overpowered by the Spartans.

Lewerke threw the first of two TD passes to Cody White, a 7-yarder midway through the second quarter, when he was flushed to the left but found the receiver in the back of the end zone.

On MSU's next possession, Lewerke took the snap and glanced at his running back, which froze the secondary and allowed Felton Davis III to get wide open for a 49-yard scoring pass.

"The quick answer is our eyes weren't in the right place," Leach said. "But the answer is we didn't do our job. I did think we unraveled a little bit after that play."

Scott scored on a 3-yard run to give the Spartans a 21-3 halftime time.

Early in the third, Lewerke rolled left and had his pass tipped, but a sliding White caught it for a 7-yard touchdown.

Lewerke, who finished 13 of 21, was hit hard on a keeper in the third quarter and came out for a few plays. His backup, Damion Terry, scored on a 6-yard keeper to make it 35-3.

The Cougars closed the gap when Hilinski threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Tay Martin late in the third quarter and a 15-yarder to Tay in the fourth quarter.

Scott scored on a 28-yard burst up the middle with about six minutes left to play.

Hilinski was 39 of 50 for 272 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.

QUOTABLE

Lewerke said he was "very careful" on his long throw to Davis. "I saw how wide open he was and I tried to throw it right at him and make sure."

THE TAKEAWAY

Washington State: It was the second straight lackluster Holiday Bowl for Leach's Cougars, who lost 17-12 to Minnesota last year. Besides being without Falk, leading receiver Tavares Martin Jr. was kicked off the team after the regular season and third-leading receiver Isaiah Johnson-Mack left the squad. The Cougars, who started 6-0, were routed in their final two games, including a 41-14 loss to rival Washington.

Michigan State: Scott had his third 100-yard game of the season and ninth of his career. Felton had four catches for 118 yards.

UP NEXT


Washington State: Falk will move on to the NFL Draft while Hilinski will take over the Air Raid offense. It was Hilinski who led the Cougars to a comeback victory against Boise State in triple overtime on Sept. 9 after Falk was knocked out of the game.

Michigan State: The young Spartans appear to be in good hands with Lewerke, who was just a redshirt sophomore this season. "We can build off the momentum this game brings us," he said. "We've got a lot of young guys, still a lot of work to be done, a lot of potential to be reached. It's very big for us."

St. Peter's: 2017 College Insider.com Tournament Champions

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Quadir Welton had a double-double and Trevis Wyche made the winning free throw with less than a second remaining and Saint Peter's won the CIT championship with a 62-61 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night.

Cavon Baker scored 15 points to lead the Peacocks (23-13). Welton, the CollegeInsider.com Tournament MVP, had 12 points and 13 rebounds.

"A lot of emotion. I'm very happy right now," Welton, the newphew of former NBA standout Rasheed Wallace, said. "We've been doing it all season. I'm happy for my team, happy for our school."

Saint Peter's trailed most of the game had its biggest lead, 60-55, after Chazz Patterson made two free throws with 1:01 to play. Cole Martinez made it a two-point game with a 3-pointer from the right corner with 14.5 seconds left. After Bake made 1 of 2 free throws, Martinez was fouled on a desperation 3-point attempt with three seconds left and he calmly tied the game.

The Peacocks threw the ball into the front court and called a time out. On the inbounds play from in front of their bench, they went over the top to Baker, who drove toward the basket from the left wing and was fouled as he went up for the shot with .9 to play. After his first free throw rolled in, he missed the second on purpose

Rashawn Thomas had 20 points and 13 rebounds for the Islanders (24-12) and Kareem South had 11 points.

The Islanders got off to a quick start, using a 9-0 run to go up 11-3 less than five minutes into the game. Baker and Antwon Portley had back-to-back 3s to make it a two-point game. Elijah Cook answered with five straight and after a Saint Peter's basket Thomas scored seven straight to make it 23-11 with 7:51 to go.

Welton sparked a 15-0 run, scoring the first six points, with a 3-pointer by Samuel Idowu putting Saint Peter's ahead 26-23 with 1:44 left. Ehab Amin tied it with a 3-pointer and Joseph Kilgore put the Islanders on top 28-26 at the break.

The Islanders surged ahead by eight with 13:40 to go but Saint Peter's quickly erased that and the game was tight down the stretch.

Saint Peter's, which lost in the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Conference semifinals, won by four points at Albany, New York, and four at Texas State, before beating Furman by 26 at home in the semifinals on Wednesday, before returning to Texas.

Middle Tennessee State: 2016-17 Conference USA Men’s Basketball Champions

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Giddy Potts and Middle Tennessee both reached the big 3-0 in timely fashion.

Potts matched his season high with 30 points to lead Middle Tennessee to win No. 30 and its second straight Conference USA Tournament championship with an 83-72 victory over Marshall on Saturday night.

Potts scored seven straight points to help the Blue Raiders (30-4) pull away with a late 15-5 run and reach that milestone win for the first time.

"For us to be able to do that in the fashion we did it, it really speaks volumes about our team and what we had to go through over the season and not just being satisfied with what we did last year," Middle Tennessee senior Reggie Upshaw Jr. said.

The Thundering Herd (20-15) pulled within two points at 53-51 with 12:51 left before Potts and Middle Tennessee answered with what proved the decisive run.

Potts, the tournament MVP, made three 3-pointers and grabbed eight rebounds for Middle Tennessee while making seven of eight free throws. League player of the year Jacorey Williams, an Arkansas transfer and Birmingham native, added 17 points and Upshaw scored 15 and had eight boards.

Potts drew some motivation from being relegated to third-team all-conference status.

"We were talking about that the whole week," he said. "(Teammates) were telling me I've just got to come out and play my game and I'd be MVP."

CJ Burks led Marshall with 16 points. Stevie Browning finished a strong tournament with 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. He had 78 points in four games.

Austin Loop got all 12 of his points on four 3-pointers. Jon Elmore, the league's leading scorer, had 12 points despite 2-of-9 3-point shooting. Adjin Penava had 10 points.

"I don't think we shot as well as we usually do," Elmore said. "The whole tournament we've been kind of burning the nets down and making everything. We started out slow and still didn't shoot very well for us at all."

The Blue Raiders had a 13-point lead cut to 40-32 by halftime. Browning punctuated the half with a contested 3-pointer with 5 seconds left for Marshall and added another in the final second.

"This team kicked the car on down the road a little bit," third-year Marshall coach Dan D'Antoni said. "We got 20 wins and were in the finals of the conference and started out at rock bottom. The hardest part is taking a program that's maturing and playing one that's mature."

BIG PICTURE

Marshall: defeated two of the top three seeds to make the title game, and was seeking its first NCAA Tournament bid since the 1986-87 season. ... Missed its first 10 3-point attempts after setting a school and C-USA tournament record with 19 makes in a semifinal win over Louisiana Tech. Finished 10 of 32 from beyond the arc.


"For the first 13 minutes, we guarded about as well as we can guard," the Blue Raiders' Davis said. "We made them take tough shots."

Middle Tennessee: reached 30 wins for the first time. ... Made 30 of 56 shots (53.6 percent). ... Outrebounded Marshall 41-35.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

D'Antoni drew a technical foul with 5:12 left protesting a foul call against Penava. Potts made one of two technical free throws to push the Blue Raiders' lead back to double digits. Upshaw, who drew the foul, made both of his attempts from the line.

UP NEXT

Marshall hopes for an NIT berth to extend the season and careers of three senior starters.

Middle Tennessee awaits its NCAA Tournament destination after arriving in Birmingham with an already-strong RPI of 37. "Our team thinks we've got a lot of basketball left and that's going to be our mindset this week," Davis said.

Wisconsin: 2017 Cotton Bowl Champions

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Wisconsin tight end Troy Fumagalli made a leaping 8-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter and the Badgers won 24-16 in the Cotton Bowl on Monday to deny Western Michigan an undefeated season.

The TD catch by Fumagalli with 14 minutes left, in the back of the end zone between two defenders, came three plays after a rare interception thrown by Zach Terrell and made it 24-10.

With their "Row The Boat" mentality inspired by young head coach P.J. Fleck, the 12th-ranked Broncos (13-1) made it from one win during his first season in Kalamazoo three years ago to the last FBS team other than No. 1 Alabama this season with a chance to be undefeated.

"Told them I was very proud of them, how much I love them, and the effort they gave," Fleck said about what he told his team on the sideline just before the end of the game. "We will continue to learn from this. We will embrace our past to create our future, and it just wasn't enough tonight."

Eighth-ranked Wisconsin (11-3), which finished with 11 wins for the fourth time in seven seasons, was clearly bigger and stronger -- especially up front. The Big Ten runner-up Badgers set the tone early, with rushing touchdowns on their first two drives to take a 14-0 lead against the Group of Five team.

Fumagalli had several other highlight catches, including a one-handed 20-yard grab on the Badgers' opening drive, and a 26-yard catch to convert third-and-8 as they ran out the final 3:27 after Western Michigan scored.

Terrell combined with All-America receiver Corey Davis for 51 career touchdowns, tying the FBS record on an 11-yarder on fourth down with 3:27 left. Even with cornerback Sojourn Shelton's arms wrapped around him in the back of the end zone, Davis broke free to make the catch.

"It doesn't matter if the defender is grabbing you or whatever it is. Go make a play on the ball if it's in the air, and go attack it," said Davis, the FBS career leader in receiving yards and likely first-round NFL draft pick in April. "My four years at Western have been phenomenal. We've been through so much and I've learned so many lessons on the field, and off the field."

Terrell had 33 touchdowns and only four interceptions this season, the last pick by Wisconsin linebacker T.J. Edwards.

"It kind of left a bad taste in our mouth after the Big Ten championship game," Edwards said. "We just wanted to get back out there and prove ourselves again."

TAKEAWAY

Western Michigan: The Broncos never backed down and Fleck has set a solid foundation for them to keep rowing forward, even with the loss of guys like Davis and Terrell, who were part of that one-win season in 2013. Western Michigan had only 280 total yards, 217 below its season average.


Wisconsin: The only losses this season for the Badgers were to Big Ten foes Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State, the last in the Big Ten title game. They all also played in New Year's Six games. Freshman quarterback Alex Hornibrook, who started nine games before a concussion forced him to miss the Big Ten championship game, was 2-of-2 passing. He threw the TD pass to Fumagalli, who finished with six catches for 83 yards.

UP NEXT

Western Michigan knows it has to continue play Power Five teams to have chances for more New Year's Six games, and maybe eventually a playoff appearance. The Broncos open next season Sept. 2 at USC, a week before they play Michigan State, another Big Ten opponent.

Wisconsin always gets a chance to prove itself in the Big Ten. So the Badgers can ease into its season, and will Sept. 1 at home against Utah State.

Wake Forest: 2016 Military Bowl Champions

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- When Wake Forest fans look back at 2016, perhaps they will remember an exciting victory in the Military Bowl as the culmination of the team's first winning season in eight years.

At least, that's what Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson would like to believe.

Wake Forest attached a positive ending to a season marred by scandal, using a strong performance by quarterback John Wolford to beat heavily favored Temple 34-26 on Tuesday in the Military Bowl.

After throwing an interception on the first series of the game -- a turnover Temple used to take a 7-0 lead -- Wolford helped the Demon Deacons rattle off 31 straight points before halftime.

Wolford left with a neck strain in the third quarter with the score 31-17. Wake Forest (7-6) then withstood a comeback bid by Temple (10-4) to secure its first bowl victory since 2008.

That gave the Demon Deacons something to talk about this offseason beside a troubling spy story. According to a Wake Forest investigation, broadcaster Tommy Elrod leaked or attempted to leak game plan information to at least three opponents. Though Elrod has not released a public statement on the scandal, the school has since fired him.

The scandal was dubbed "Wakey Leaks."

"It was really important we win this game so this game and this bowl championship becomes the lasting memory for this football team and not some stupid hashtag that nobody in our program was responsible for," Clawson said. "That becomes the lasting memory for the team and not a bitterness of something we're ready to move past."

In spite of the distraction, the Demon Deacons snapped a three-game losing streak and won for only the second time since Oct. 8.

"I'm trying to fight back tears right now," linebacker Thomas Brown said. "It's such a great feeling. I really don't even know how to describe it."

Wolford, a junior, completed 10 of 19 passes for 183 yards and two scores. Though he wasn't there at the finish, he certainly did enough while in the game.

"I wanted to play, but it was probably the safest thing to come out," Wolford said.

His backup, redshirt freshman Kyle Kearns, went 4 for 10 for 60 yards and an interception.

Seeking the first 11-win season in school history, Temple came in as an 11-point favorite. A 48-yard pass from Phillip Walker to Adonis Jennings on the Owls' first offensive play gave them their only lead.

Down 31-7 late in the first half, Temple used a 19-point run to close to 31-26 with 3:56 left. Wake Forest then used an 80-yard kickoff return by John Armstrong and the resulting field goal to make it an eight-point game with 1:59 left.

Temple came in with a seven-game winning streak after capturing the American Athletic Conference title with a 34-10 rout of Navy on this same field Dec. 3.

"I know that once it all sinks in -- on how close we came to winning this game and how close we came to being the best Temple team ever -- it's going to hurt worse than it does right now," interim coach Ed Foley said.

Foley took the reins after Matt Rhule was hired by Baylor on Dec. 6. The Owls subsequently signed Florida defensive coordinator Geoff Collins as their new head coach, and he got a first-hand look at his new team on Tuesday.

Walker finished his career by going 28 for 49 for 396 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jennings. He was sacked four times, including a pivotal 22-yarder on second down from the Wake Forest 6 preceding the Owls' final field goal.

TALE OF TWO HALVES

Foley loved the way the Owls played in the second half, but he lamented their performance over the first 30 minutes.

"We have a certain way that we like to play football," he said. "And we did it for one half today.

"We were trying to be the best Temple team ever. Obviously, we're tied for the best Temple team ever. It doesn't sound great, but we are champions."

TAKEAWAY

Temple: The Owls showed their stuff in the second half, but this performance against a team that went 3-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference was not the way they want to remember this season.


Wake Forest: Impressive outing against a conference champion and a celebration at midfield was a perfect way to end an imperfect season.

UP NEXT

Temple: The Owls' next game will be played under Collins. One of his top priorities will be finding a replacement for Walker, the school record-holder for career completions, touchdowns, yards and wins by a starting quarterback (29).

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons hope to put the Wakey Leaks fiasco behind them during the offseason so they can start anew in 2017. Wake Forest won more games this season (7) than in Clawson's first two years combined (6).

Saint Francis (IN): 2016 NAIA Football Champions

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – (Box Score) Three touchdown receptions by NAIA All-America wide receiver Seth Coate propelled No. 4 Saint Francis (Ind.) to the programs first-ever national title with a 38-17 victory over No. 2 Baker (Kan.) at the 2016 NAIA Football National Championship, presented by Waste Pro. The banner comes 25 years to the day since the Cougar’s Hall of Fame head coach Kevin Donley won his first career title while at Georgetown (Ky.).

“It’d been 25 years since I’ve won one, and I sure as heck don’t want to wait another 25,” said Donley. “The last couple weeks I’ve had people ask me what makes this team so special. It’s unique people that care about each other. They love each other, and they have a passion for the game. There was a tremendous commitment from these guys for the last 11 months to get to this point today.”

Saint Francis, which entered the night 0-3 all-time in the national final, is the fifth champion out of the list six seasons from the Mid-States Football Association. Saint Xavier (Ill.) (2011), Marian (Ind.) (2012, 2015) and Grand View (Iowa) (2013) were the others.

Coate ended the game with nine catches for 180 yards – the most since Marian’s Anthony Jones Jr. went for 234 receiving yards in the 2014 championship – and three touchdowns. With the three scores, the Fort Wayne, Ind., native set the NAIA’s single-season receiving touchdowns record (25). Coate was named the National Championship’s Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game.

Cougar quarterback Nick Ferrer, who threw for only 63 yards in the first half, ended the game with 245 passing yards and three touchdowns – the 10th time he’s thrown for three-or-more scores. He completed 18-of-30 throws and was not intercepted for the eighth-straight contest.

Saint Francis defensive lineman Lucas Sparks was named the Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game. He tallied six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Sparks also forced and recovered a fumble.

Outside of the game’s opening drive, which resulted in a 25-yard Clarence Clark field goal, Saint Francis controlled the tempo during the game’s opening 30 minutes en route to a 17-3 lead at the break. The Cougars held an 18:46 to 11:14 advantage in time of possession, and a 206-132 lead in total yards in the first half.

Saint Francis lit the scoreboard on its first drive of the game, as quarterback Nick Ferrer ended a seven-play, 56-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown strike to Coate. The score extended Coate’s NAIA record consecutive touchdown streak to 27 games – a standard previously held by Greg Thomas of Clinch Valley (Va.) (23 consecutive).

The Cougars added to their lead late in the first quarter, 10-3, on a season-best 44-yard field goal by Ryan Nix.

The first half scoring ended with Saint Francis’ Justin Green scampering 39 yards to pay dirt to round out the opening stanza’s scoring.

Baker cut the deficit to 17-10 with 6:35 left in the third quarter when Logan Brettell linked up with a diving Damon Nolan for a 13-yard touchdowns strike.

However, Saint Francis responded with a pair of long touchdown passes from Ferrer to Coate on back-to-back possessions to seize complete control of the game, 31-10, with a little over 12 minutes remaining. The first score was a game-high 59-yard scoring strike, followed by a 36-yarder after a Baker punt.

The two teams traded touchdowns over the course of the final four minutes with Baker’s Cornell Brown bursting through the pile for a 1-yard score before P.J. Dean of Saint Francis scampered 28 yards to lead to the final tally.

As a team, Saint Francis recorded 443 total yards, while Baker registered 403 yards.

Brown was arguably the player of the game for Baker, as the junior ran for 103 yards and a touchdown, while also leading the receiving corps with 13 catches for 81 yards. With the performance, Brown ends the year with 1,418 rushing yards and 871 receiving yards. He also accounted for 31 touchdowns.

Brettell, who on Friday was announced as the NAIA’s National Player of the Year, ended the game with 263 yards passing, including the aforementioned touchdown.

With the loss, Baker falls to 14-1 on the season and 0-2 all-time in the national championship. The Wildcats, whose other title game appearance came in 1986, was the only remaining unbeaten team in NAIA football.

2016 NAIA Football National Championship Awards
Outstanding Offensive Player of the Game – Seth Coate, Saint Francis (Ind.) (WR)
Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game – Lucas Sparks, Saint Francis (Ind.) (DL)

Saint Francis (Ind.) Game Notes
• Saint Francis becomes the 48th different NAIA program in the 61-year history to win the national championship.
• The football national championship is the third in Saint Francis school history – the women’s basketball team (NAIA Division II) won the banner in 2014 and the men’s basketball team (NAIA Division II) earned the title in 2010.
• Saint Francis earns its first football national title and moves to 1-3 all-time in the winner-take-all battle. The Cougars competed three-straight years from 2004-06, but came out on the losing end during those years.
• Saint Francis boasts 16 all-time appearances in the FCS and a 27-15 overall record. The FCS win total ranks third all-time, trailing Carroll (Mont.) (42) and former member Westminster (Pa.) (31).
• With a touchdown on their opening drive tonight, the Cougars now have reached the end zone offensively in seven of 14 games this year on its first offensive possession.
• Seth Coate, after a five-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter, now has been on the receiving end of a score in 27-straight contests dating back to end of 2014 season. The mark is a NAIA record.
• Coate added a second receiving touchdown – a 59-yarder in the third quarter – to give him 24 touchdown receptions in 2016. That season total set a new NAIA record, breaking former Saint Francis’ wide receiver Jeremy Dutcher in 2000 – Dutcher went for 23 that season.
• Coate is the first player since 2014 to catch three touchdown receptions, after he found pay dirt from 36 yards out in the fourth quarter. He has now finished with three TDs in three of his four postseason games this year.
• Nick Ferrer went 18-for-30 passing tonight for 245 touchdowns and three touchdowns. He now stands with 51 total touchdowns on the year.
• Ryan Nix nailed a season-long 44-yard field goal in the first quarter. The length was the longest in a NAIA championship game since 2014.
• In the first half, the Cougar defense held Baker to 132 total yards of offense and three first-half points – Baker entered the game ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring (49.9) and No. 3 in total offense per game (546.1).
• Running back Justin Green eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in the first half with 104 yards. He posted his fourth-straight 100-yard contest as he went for just one 100-yarder in one of his first 10 games.
• Saint Francis head coach Kevin Donley is the NAIA active and all-time coaching wins leader with a 302-129-1 record. He is in his 38th year as a head coach and 18th as the leader of the Saint Francis football program.
• Championship Defensive MVP Lucas Sparks finished the campaign ranked in the top 10 in both total sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (23.0). He posted 1.5 sacks and 2.5 TFLs tonight.

Baker (Kan.) Game Notes
• Logan Brettell completed his first six passes (6-7) of the opening drive to four different receivers, which cumulated in a field goal by Clarence Clark (26 yards).
• Baker was ranked 21st nationally in third-down conversion defense (33.9%). Tonight, Saint Francis went 7-for-16 (44 percent) on 3rd down conversions.
• Baker faced its largest first-quarter deficit of the season (seven points).
• Ranked seventh in the NAIA in sacks against (1.00) – allowed five in Championship game.
• As a team, posted only 132 total yards of offense at halftime and finished with 403 total yards (ranked third in nation with 546.1 ypg)
• Cornell Brown set a season high in receptions (13)… his previous high was 11 against Benedictine (Kan.) on Sept. 24, 2016.
• Cornell Brown notched his 24th rushing touchdown of the year after his one-yard plunge late in the fourth quarter.
• This marked only the second game all year Baker did not have an interception on defense… Eastern Oregon was the other game.
• This was Baker’s first loss of the season and worst loss since 2013.
• Cornell Brown finished the game with 13 receptions for 81 yards and 18 rushes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
• Logan Brettell went 34-for-50 for 263 yards and one touchdown passing. The one touchdown was a season low for Brettell.
• Was 6-for-20 (30 percent) on third downs in the game – was 41.3% on third downs on season.

General Game Notes
• The team to score first has won each of the past 10 championship tilts. The last team to counter that was former member Sioux Falls (S.D.) in 2006 when the Cougars came from behind to defeat Saint Francis, 23-19.
• Saint Francis earned the fifth title in the last six years for the Mid-States Football Association.
• The Cougars led 17-3 at halftime. Five of the last six champions held the lead after 30 minutes.
• Saint Francis sophomore Justin Green rushed for 140 yards on 24 carries, becoming the first player to rush for 100 yards in a championship game since D’Angelo Jordan in a losing effort for Cumberlands (Ky.) in 2013.
• The 44-yard field goal by Saint Francis’ Ryan Nix in the first quarter was just the fourth 40-plus yard field goal in a championship game since 1997.
• With 44 seconds left in the third quarter, Saint Francis’ Nick Ferrer found Seth Coate for a 59-yard touchdown pass for the longest play of the game. The two also connected for the longest pass play of the postseason with a 91-yard pass against Missouri Valley.
• Coate had three touchdown receptions for the third time this postseason. He is just the second player with three touchdown catches in a championship game. His 180 yards on nine catches are the second most in a championship game.
• Baker quarterback Logan Brettell completed 34 passes to six different receivers. With the loss, the NAIA Player of the Year is now 7-7 in the championship game since the award began in 1997.
• The top Wildcat target was Cornell Brown with 13 catches, marking the third straight championship with a receiver making 10 or more receptions. His 13 catches are also a personal season-high.

NAIA National Championship Quotes
Saint Francis (Ind.)
Head Coach Kevin Donley
On winning the championship…
“It’d been 25 years since I’ve won one, and I sure as heck don’t want to wait another 25. It’s a great feeling. The last couple weeks I’ve had people ask me what makes this team so special. It’s unique people that care about each other. They love each other, and they have a passion for the game. There was a tremendous commitment from these guys for the last 11 months to get to this point today.”

On the first half fumble that led to a touchdown…
“I knew when we got the running game going, and it wasn’t as consistent as we would have liked, but that run forced them to do some things on the back end to get another hat in the box to stop the run and we were able to get a couple big plays in the second half from that.”

On matching up on the line…
“We’re in the toughest league in the NAIA. You get through our conference schedule and you get to the postseason, you position yourself to host a round or two, and you feel like you have a pretty good chance. We played their rival in the first round and scored 79, which gave us confidence. We knew Baker was a better football team, but we had confidence. I don’t think anyone doubted we were going to win this game.”

Quarterback Nick Ferrer
On using the deep passing game…
“They started to play run support heavy. They had to make a decision with their safeties and their back end with our running game if they wanted to bring their safeties down or cut those corners for run support on the outside. Once we had a little success with the run game, we decided to go up top and play action them, and used our double moves, and really opened up the game for us.”

Wide Receiver Seth Coates
On the St. Francis defense…
“We went into the half, and (Baker) had three points. They’re supposed to be this big high-powered offense. As an offensive player, I don’t think we were performing to our standard, to what we expected. So, we were in their thanking the defense for their efforts and told them if they get a couple more stops, we promised we’d go score for them. When you have great team play like that, special teams that are solid play by play, it’s hard to lose.”

Lucas Sparks
On using the pass rush to slow down the Baker passing game…
“We knew that we were really good pass rushers all season long. Coming into this game, we had 40 sacks this year, and the school record is 46. That’s something we really prided ourselves on was our ability to rush the passer. Them not really playing anyone like us, we felt we had an advantage and executed our moves.”

Baker (Kan.)
Baker Head Coach Mike Grossner…
“The stat sheet looks fairly even, but as you watch that game, we didn’t make enough plays. You have to make plays in big games and you can’t give up the big play in crucial situations, which we did. I thought in the third quarter we came out and got back in the game quickly. We were down one score and didn’t convert on a drive, and they punched it and got up two scores.”

On the Saint Francis Defensive Front…
“I think their front three and four guys got after us. We knew coming in if we could give Logan (Brettell) time to throw the ball down the field, we would have had some good opportunities. Their defensive front dictated to us in the passing game what we were trying to do. We knew going in they were pretty talented up front and that’s where they won the game.”

On quarterback Logan Brettell…
“Fantastic year. He got every possible award on and off the field. You look at the sheet, we threw the ball 50 times, but only had 263 yards. That tells you a lot about where the ball was going. It was going short. That’s the key to the game that we couldn’t get the ball vertical more.”

Defensive Lineman Nick Becker…
On the defensive breakdowns in the back end…
“That’s what they do, that’s their game, that’s what we saw on film. Their running back (Justin Green) hesitates and waits for guys to open up. We prepared for that, we knew what to expect, but coverage sometimes was too wide.”

Running back Cornell Brown…
On leading his hometown team to the championship game…
“It’s awesome. The home town has been supporting me the whole time, which is a good feeling. We had a good season, and it’s good for us to have that respect and support.”

Rise To The Top Of The World.

This is my country, a nation forged on ideals, values, choices, hard work and sacrifice, built on freedoms, liberties, justice and determination, a land in existence for more than two centuries and scores apiece. This is the United States of America, a democratic republic whose foundation of law lies within its Constitutions, who comprise of a collection of 50 states and territories stretching through numerous time zones, from Guam and Hawaii and Alaska in the Pacific, to the reaches of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in the Atlantic and the Caribbean.

Great nations are able to come together after making massive, historical decisions that have put its future at a crossroads. Those who make the laws and enforce it are able to defeat those who dare interfere with the processes it has conducted for generations upon generations. The USA, as this country is known, is an example of a nation capable of weathering the backlash that comes from a destiny it chooses. On Tuesday, 8 November 2016, this great democracy is ready to decide the path it wants to choose.

It can choose to become exclusive and risk war with the outside world by electing a multi-billionaire outcast in Donald J. Trump, running on the Republican Party ticket with a proven government leader from Indiana in Michael Pence. It can chose to go on a completely different path and choose Jillian Stein of the Green Party or Gary Johnson of the Libertarian Party. Or, it can go the route of the Democratic Party and elect Hillary Rodham Clinton, the husband of former president William Jefferson Clinton, running on the ticket to become the first-ever President of the United States, the first-ever female Leader of the Free World, whose running mate for Vice President is Virginia's Timothy Kaine.

A divisive election built to be glorified through television dramas and movies and fictional works has seen drama from the supporters of Vermont Democrat Bernard Sanders, one-sided debates, the rise of the so-called Alt-Right Movement forged by 4chan and unsavory young adults and not-so-young adults and whose mascot is an unassuming frog named Pepe, the email revelations, the unnecessary intervention of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the fall from grace of James Comey, its head honcho. Yet the real voters who participate in this election already have their choices in mind and also take a stand in their local races for offices in the House of Representatives, the Senate, the state legislatures and judicial offices, and the many local measures that will impact their daily lives and their future.

The overall collective belief based on numerous sources, research, exit polls, word of mouth, and other official and unofficial sources is that the Democratic Party will retain the presidency and the first black president in Barack Hussein Obama II will be succeeded by the first female president in Hillary Clinton, meaning that daughter Chelsea will be the next in line to make a stand in the American political arena. Things can change in the span of hours and nothing is for certain in the battleground states that determine the fates of races. In 2000, a situation regarding Florida regarding the state being called too early swung the race from Al Gore to George W. Bush. The volatility of battleground states drives the betting markets outside of America.

Around the world, stock markets are paying attention to the returns and are accordingly selling or buying. With every state that is called, the traders will be making calls across the floor, the collective stress and tension being rampant. Chain reactions are a vital part to a race such as the US Presidential Election being relevant. After all, in spite of complaints of racism in American society (which can never be eradicated from the world without the eradication of the human race, and so the collective attitude of the haves must be moderated against the have-nots), the United States remains a global leader and is the beacon of hope in the West and takes a stand against its adversaries such as Russia and China and North Korea and perhaps Iran.

Nobody can really guess correctly what the opinion of the American people is. Sometimes it can choose to follow through with the opinion of the media, and sometimes it can choose to ignore the media and go the opposite way to deliberately spite the media. We are a land of choices, and as Americans, we are in no obligation to follow the herd, go with the flow, join a bandwagon or majority rules campaign. We choose what we want. Even if the consensus may not agree with us, our choices counts, our votes count, and now is the time to make a stand and vote in this general election.

You know, we should be more like Australia, a nation that requires its people to vote when they reach the required age. Paying a $20 fine may not be too much, but imagine if the fine gets levied up to a higher penalty. Perhaps if Americans choose not to vote, they must pay a fee.

The Islamic State, the one terrorist organization that the USA is committed to wiping off the face of the Earth, institutes something similar in its jurisdictions but under different rules, called a jizya. In this case, if an American citizen does not vote, he or she will need to pay $100 to the federal government. That's a ballpark number, but that in itself would be a reason to actually go out an vote. Voter turnout is a problem in this country and if we choose to fine people for not voting, it would significantly alleviate the problem. There will be people who may argue that this in conflict of freedom of choice, but the Constitution itself has some obvious flaws and loopholes that are being exploited by many in the know.

Other than that, I want each and every one of you from America to know that on Tuesday, if you haven't voted early and wrapped it up (like my father did, and that was his first-ever election because he became a U.S. citizen last year), go to the polls and make your choice. If you've been checking my other profiles of perhaps reading between the lines of this piece, you know who I support and who I will vote for so I don't have to tell you. Make your decision then watch the drama unfold and dive into the social media frenzy afterwards. It's fun, you'll love it.

Just remember that if you are a Republican voter and Donald doen't win the presidency, accept the defeat with class and get on with your live. Don't do anything stupid, don't commit any acts of violence that you will regret because it will be on your record forever and in some case, you deserve to die at the hands of the law. The end of the world is not on Wednesday. The world continues to go on.

Make your choice, America. Your country needs you.

Adelaide United: 2015-16 A-League Champions

ADELAIDE United has lost its third high-profile player less than a week after its thrilling grand final win over the Wanderers at Adelaide Oval.

The club yesterday announced it had parted ways with Pablo Sanchez — the Spanish super-sub who scored the final goal in the 3-1 win.

He joins club champion Craig Goodwin — who has already flown out to join Dutch club Sparta Rotterdam — and Bruce Kamau who also scored in the grand final and who has signed with Melbourne City.

The 33-year-old Sanchez, who played 25 games this year but only started in eight, said he will always treasure his time at United.

“Scoring in the grand final was the icing on the cake for me and I will always remember this moment,” Sanchez said.

“I will never forget Adelaide and I want to come back one day, to enjoy the club and the people here, that I love.”

It is believed that Adelaide’s desire to maximise the output from their allotted five imports was the reason he wasn’t offered a new contract.

Adelaide will take part in the Asian Champions League next season — where only three non-Asian imports can play — putting more pressure on imported players.

United now must rebuild its squad with an eye on playing in three competitions next season — the A-League, Champions League and FFA Cup.

Reds’ general manager of football Ante Kovacevic said the club needed to increase its depth.

“We do have to plan for that and we need a bigger squad size than we had during the season,” Kovacevic said.

Stopper Dylan McGowan is in discussions to be re-signed, while striker Eli Babalj has been sent back to his parent club AZ for ongoing rehabilitation on a debilitating knee injury. With Mate Dugandzic also off-contract, Kovacevic does have to make some key decisions before the start of the new season.

It’s understood former Birkalla and ex-Newcastle Jet Ryan Kitto could return home while contracted pair Central Coast’s Mitch Austin and Melbourne City’s Ben Garuccio are candidates for Reds contracts.

City’s young striker Marc Marino is also a possibility for Adelaide.

And there is talk of former Reds midfielder Jacob Melling also returning from the Melbourne millionaires.

Michigan State Spartans: Big Ten Men's Basketball Champions

INDIANAPOLIS -- Michigan State has won its warm-up tournament thanks to a critical late shot by its national player of the year candidate, and can now at last prepare to take its shot at the title that means the most.

The Spartans beat Purdue on Sunday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 66-62, to claim their second Big Ten conference tournament championship in three years.

Michigan State will now immediately find out its draw in the NCAA Tournament, when the field is announced starting at 5:30 p.m. on CBS.

The Spartans entered the day projected as a No. 1 seed in the tournament, and is expected to hold on to that seeding after winning three games in three days to take the Big Ten title.

The Spartans head into that tournament overflowing with momentum. They've lost just once since Jan. 20, having won 13 of their last 14 games. They picked up plenty of recognition along the way as a national title favorite.

Michigan State led for the entire second half Sunday, but Purdue pulled within one point with 2:48 left.

Denzel Valentine then hit a contested, double-pump midrange jumper with 1:47 left to send Spartans fans into a frenzy. Michigan State held on through the finish, as Matt Costello missed a key free throw but then atoned for the miss with a block on the other end.

While Valentine hit the key late shot, Michigan State relied on its depth as much as it has all season, especially early in the game.

After Purdue led for most of the first 13 minutes, Michigan State retook the lead with a nine-point run primarily with an unlikely lineup on the floor: Tum Tum Nairn, Alvin Ellis, Eron Harris, Gavin Schilling and Colby Wollenman.

After Harris hit two free throws, Nairn found Schilling for a transition alley-oop, then Wolleman scored a layup over Swanigan to force a Purdue timeout. Ellis made consecutive baskets later in the half to send the Spartans into the break with a 36-26 lead.

In all, eight Michigan State players scored in the first half.

Purdue fought back to within one point in the second half, at 52-51 with 7:47 left, after a seven-point run capped off by an A.J. Hammons dunk.

From there, Michigan State went on a tournament-clinching run, started by its key players but finished off by a reserve.

Michigan State scored on four straight possessions to retake a seven-point lead. Valentine assisted the first two baskets, a Bryn Forbes 3-pointer and a Matt Costello running layup.

Wollenman recorded an assist on an Eron Harris 3-pointer, then notched perhaps the most improbable basket of Michigan State's season: a putback dunk off of a missed Costello 3-pointer that put the Spartans up 62-55 with 5:08 left. And the Spartans held on to the lead.

Valentine finished with 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. He was the only Michigan State player in double figures.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Purdue came into the game having shot 50 percent or better from the floor in its last six games, a stat that had helped the Boilermakers win five straight games. A night after the Spartans held Maryland without a field goal for a 10-minute straight late in the game, it held Purdue to 38.2 percent shooting with another stretch of tough defense.

• An afterthought for most of the season, Alvin Ellis capped off a strong Big Ten tournament with his best outing yet. He scored six points against Maryland in the tournament semifinals, and followed that up with five points Sunday in extended minutes. His two late first-half buckets helped the Spartans head into halftime with momentum.

• The tournament final pitted the top two rebounding teams in the Big Ten, and Michigan State came away with a decisive victory in the category. The Spartans won that battle, 41-31, and had 14 second-chance points compared to four for Purdue.

LOWLIGHTS
• Bryn Forbes capped off a quiet Big Ten tournament with a 1-for-6 effort from 3-point range, and had nine points. He was guarded largely by Rapheal Davis, one of the conference's premiere defenders, but also turned down shots he typically takes. He opened the second half by missing a wide open 3-pointer on a set play for him.

• Michigan State started the game 4-for-15 from the field and allowed Purdue to jump ahead to a four-point lead on multiple occasions. As was the case in the two teams' regular season matchup, Michigan State struggled to finish underneath against Purdue's frontcourt, which features a pair of 7-foot centers plus 6-foot-9 Caleb Swanigan.

• Michigan State's heavy reliance on its reserve frontcourt players in the first half was in large part due to Deyonta Davis picking up two fouls before the midway point of the first half. He had to sit the rest of the half.

NOTES
• Michigan State has now won five Big Ten tournaments championships, including three since 2012. Its total is now one more than Ohio State, which also entered the tournament with four Big Ten tournament titles.

Middle Tennessee State: 2015-16 Conference USA Men's Basketball Champions

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Reggie Upshaw made two free throws with 2.9 seconds left to lift Middle Tennessee to a 55-53 victory over Old Dominion on Saturday in the Conference USA tournament championship game.

The Blue Raiders (24-9) earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013 in a defensive struggle that was markedly different from their 99-90 semifinal shootout with Marshall.

Aaron Bacote dribbled once and launched a 3-pointer from before midcourt for Old Dominion (22-13).

That set off a celebration that included Upshaw standing on the scorer's table in front of Middle Tennessee fans at Legacy Arena. He was the tournament MVP.

Giddy Potts led Middle Tennessee with 14 points and made 4 of 5 3-pointers before fouling out. Darnell Harris scored 10 points and Upshaw had nine, including the two biggest.

Trey Freeman led Old Dominion with 17 points, but was only 7-of-23 shooting. Aaron Bacote scored 15 points and the rest of the team totaled 21.

Brandan Stith's tip-in attempt off Bacote's miss didn't fall, and he didn't appear to get it off on time anyway. He sprawled face-first on the floor when it didn't.

Freeman, the league's leading scorer, couldn't come close to his semifinal performance. He set a tournament record with 42 points, including 34 in the second half against Western Kentucky.

The teams traded tying baskets inside over the final 1:11 then Zoran Talley, whose jumper had given the Monarchs a lead, missed this time.

Middle Tennessee ran off most of the clock before Upshaw tried to spin and was fouled by Denzell Taylor as he shot.

GIDDY'S DAY

Potts, the nation's No. 2 3-point shooter, fouled out on a charge with 3:17 left and the game tied at 49. The rest of the team was 2 of 11 from 3-point range.

TREY'S TOUGH TIME

Freeman launched an array of long jumpers and made a deep 3-pointer but got few open looks. He refused to blame the fatigue of four games in four days. "I just had a bad game," he said.

TIP INS

Middle Tennessee: Has won six straight games. Now 9-1 in games decided by three points or less.

Old Dominion: Was trying to become the fifth C-USA team to win four tournament games in four days and first since Houston in 2012. Made 1 of 9 3-ointers.

UP NEXT

Middle Tennessee is heading to its eighth NCAA Tournament.

Old Dominion awaits its postseason fate, possibly in the NIT.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers: 2015 Miami Beach Bowl Champions

MIAMI -- A feel-good Western Kentucky football season ended in heartbreak, but for the Hilltoppers, the good kind.

South Florida led by two touchdowns early in Monday's Miami Beach Bowl, weathered a run of 24 straight WKU points and pulled to within one possession during the fourth quarter.

WKU hit back each time in a 45-35, season-ending victory at Marlins Park. Just when the Bulls had hope, it often vanished.

Heartbreaking, really. It's what the great teams do, and after finishing 12-2, matching the program record for victories first set during the 2002 I-AA national title season, this bunch will go down as one of WKU's best.

Second-year coach Jeff Brohm's squad likely secured spots in the final Associated Press and coaches polls, adding to a Conference USA championship won earlier this month. The Louisville native Brohm's also due for a raise, and perhaps one more spin through the coaching carousel should it start again.

Credit goes to an up-and-down day by Brohm's offense, which received few favors from its defensive counterparts.

Brandon Doughty completed 32 of 44 passes for 461 yards in his final college game, and that was after a 10 of 19 start that included an early interception. The performance made the sixth-year senior the first WKU quarterback to top 5,000 yards passing in a season and third in C-USA history.

Top Miami Beach Bowl target Nicholas Norris pushed him over the mark.

Doughty in the third quarter hit the junior Norris for back-to-back touchdowns, one for 69 yards and another for 55. His catches moved the Hilltoppers ahead for good, with a 9-yard Nacarius Fant rush, acrobatic Jared Dangerfield catch and 42-yard Anthony "Ace" Wales rush enough to hold on late.

But there was plenty of doubt as USF quarterback Quinton Flowers danced in open field for most of the afternoon, rallying the Bulls from a 38-21 deficit at the end of the third quarter. On the opening play of the fourth, Flowers threw 53 yards to Rodney Adams for a score. And on USF's next drive, his 8-yard keeper made it a 38-35 game.

From there, however, the Bulls were stopped twice on fourth down and missed a 54-yard field that would have, at the time, tied the score.

One last quick-strike scoring drive put WKU over the top. A play before the Louisville native Wales raced up the right sideline for a touchdown, Doughty set it up with a flea-flicker completion to Antwane Grant.

Playing in his home state, Doughty was near perfect after the Hilltoppers' opening five drives ended with two punts, a turnover on downs and his interception. From there, he completed 22 of 25 passes, going out on a high note and against the coach who signed him, WKU graduate Willie Taggart.

We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off

Not a word, from your lips
You just took for granted that I want to skinny dip
A quick hit, that's your game
But I'm not a piece of meat, still you like my brain

Night is young, so are we
Let's get to know each other better, slow and easily
Take my hand, let's hit the floor
Shake our bodies to the music
Maybe then you'll score

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance & party all night
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na!

Just slow down if you want me
A man wants to be approached cool and romantically
I've got needs
Just like you
If the conversation's good
Vibrations through and through

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na!

So come on baby, won't you show some class
Why you want to move so fast
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!
We don't have to take our clothes off
To have a good time
Oh no
We could dance and party all night (all night)
And drink some cherry wine
Uh huh!

Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na
Na na na na na na na!

Wisconsin: 2014-15 Big Ten Men's Basketball Champions

CHICAGO -- Nigel Hayes scored 25 points, Frank Kaminsky added 19, and No. 6 Wisconsin outscored Michigan State 11-0 in overtime Sunday for an 80-69 victory in the Big Ten tournament championship game.

Bronson Koenig scored 18 points, and the Badgers (31-3) rallied from 11 points down in the second half in an attempt to strengthen their bid for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Branden Dawson and Denzel Valentine scored 16 points each for Michigan State (23-11). But the Spartans were outscored 31-10 over the final 11½ minutes and came up short after winning the tournament last year.

In the first overtime in a Big Ten title game, Hayes and Koenig hit 3-pointers in the first three minutes to give the Badgers a 75-69 lead. Michigan State missed all six shots and committed two turnovers in the extra period.