Saint Peter's: 2021-22 Metro Atlantic Men's Basketball Champions

ATLANTIC CITY — Shaheen Holloway's New Jersey basketball success story continued Saturday afternoon.

The Saint Peter's men's basketball coach watched as the third-seeded Peacocks earned their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2011 with a 60-54 win over fourth-seeded Monmouth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament title game at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall.

Junior guard Doug Edert scored 10 of his game-high 20 points in the final six minutes to propel the Peacocks to the win. Umar Shannon, a Saint Peter's assistant coach, is an Atlantic City High School alumnus.

Holloway took over the Peacocks in 2018. He first rose to prominence as a standout guard at St. Patrick's of Elizabeth in the 1990s, where he was named a McDonald's All-American. Holloway excelled at Seton Hall, leading the Pirates to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 2000. As an assistant at Iona and Seton Hall, Holloway proved to be a standout recruiter and top-notch talent developer.

Saint Peter's led the entire second half Saturday, although Monmouth did cut the lead to one point three times in the final six minutes.

During that stretch, Edert made a jumper in the lane, two foul shots and then made a 3-pointer from the left wing with 46 seconds left to put Saint Peter's up five and clinch the win.

KC Ndefo, a 6-foot-7 senior forward, set the defensive tone for Saint Peter's with four blocks and seven rebounds before fouling out with 3 minutes, 31 seconds left. Ndefo was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. The Peacocks also survived 6-7 junior forward Drame Fousseyni (10 rebounds) fouling out with 1 minute, 42 seconds left.

Graduate senior center Walker Miller led Monmouth with 15.

Saturday's game capped the five-day MAAC tournaments. The event is scheduled to return to Boardwalk Hall next year. This was the first year the MAAC tourneys — the women's title game was was held earlier in the day — had a chance to show what they could do in Atlantic City. The pandemic canceled the 2020 tournament shortly after it began. The 2021 tournament was held before few fans because of COVID-19.

"It went," MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor said of the tournament, "so it's a great step forward. It's nice to be in full operation mode again."

There was plenty of energy in Boardwalk Hall on Saturday. For the first time all week, the arena unveiled its famous pipe organ for the national anthem.

The crowd was decidedly pro-Monmouth. Fans of both schools stood for the opening tip. The Hawks fans chanted "Defense! Defense!" in the second half.

Ensor spoke positively about the logistics of Boardwalk Hall, the building's acoustics and Atlantic City's abundance of hotel rooms.

"There will be good word of mouth coming out of this week," Ensor said. "We'll continue to grow the event."

As for Saturday's title game, what made it so compelling is the MAAC is a one-bid league. Only Saturday's winner is headed to the NCAA Tournament.

Both Monmouth ( 21-13) and Saint Peter's (19-11) played with desperation. Who knows when either school will be this close to an NCAA Tournament bid again?

Monmouth is leaving the MAAC at the end of the school year for the Colonial Athletic Association, a higher-level league. Holloway's success at Saint Peter's could lead him to a job at a bigger school.

Points were tough to come by as both teams played physical, tenacious defense. Monmouth shot 12 of 51 from the floor. The Peacocks did only slightly better at 19 for 46.

Edert has a Jersey story of his own. The Nutley resident graduated from Bergen Catholic Hugh School. He was 5 of 10 from the floor and 8 off 9 from the foul line, and that was the difference.

Each team needed one player to get hot. Edert was that man.

Norfolk State: 2021-22 Mid-Eastern Men's Basketball Champions

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State and senior guard Joe Bryant Jr. repeated as MEAC champion and Most Outstanding Player as the Spartans ended the upset bid of 7th-seed Coppin State, 72-57 in the championship game of the MEAC Basketball Tournament at Scope Arena.

The win will send the Spartans (24-6) back to the NCAA Tournament’s Big Dance in the automatic bid that goes to the MEAC’s tournament champion.

NORFOLK STATE LIVING AND DYING WITH JOE BRYANT JR.

Bryant, this year’s regular season player of the year, punctuated his game-high 23-point performance with a 3-pointer in the final half-minute. The 6-1 Norfolk native hit 7 of 14 shots from the field and 5 of 9 3-pointers to lead the Spartans.

His backcourt mate, redshirt junior Jalen Hawkins, finished with 17 points including two 3s. Redshirt junior Dana Tate Jr. added 13 points including a couple of 3-pointers.

The key however was NSU’s ability to prevent the long-shooting Eagles from ever finding a rhythm. Or perhaps it was weary legs and fatigue that did the Eagles in after playing the late-night game in Friday’s semifinals.

COPPIN STATE LIVES, DIES BY THE 3

Either way, Coppin State made just five baskets from behind the arc in 35 attempts, a woeful 7.1 percent. The Eagles canned 12 of 29 (41.4%) Friday. Jesse Zarzuela, who had a game-high 27 points and made 6 of 8 from long range Friday, shot 0-for-9 from distance and finished with 11 points. Nendah Tarke led the Eagles (9-23) with 16 points but made just 1 of 8 from behind the arc.

It was a different story early. CSU scored its first four baskets on 3-pointers and was tied 12-12 after the first 12 minutes. Norfolk State led 24-20 in a slow-moving first half.

NORFOLK STATE’S CRITICAL JUNCTURE

The game was halted with 17:26 left in the second half with Norfolk State up 32-22, its first double-digit lead of the game. Officials reviewed a tussle under the basket between Hawkins and CSU big man Justin Steers for five minutes.

Technical fouls were called on both players. Zarzuela missed both free throws for CSU and Bryant converted both for NSU. On the ensuing possession, Hawkins drained a three to put the Spartans up 37-22. The five-point swing swung the momentum heavily towards the Spartans.

The Eagles only cut the deficit below double-digits once from there, at 47-39 with 11:41 left.

Norfolk State, with a sterling 24-6 mark, will be looking for a seeding much better than the play-in position that followed last season’s 16-8 record.

NSU head coach Robert Jones was named the tournament’s top coach.

Vermont: 2021-22 America East Men's Basketball Champions

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Ryan Davis scored 20 points, Ben Shungu added 19 and Vermont completed a dominant America East season with its fourth conference tournament title in six years via an 82-43 win over UMBC on Saturday.

Davis, back-to-back American East player of the year, was 9-of-13 shooting and Shungu was 9 of 17 with the top-seeded Catamounts at 59%. Finn Sullivan, a University of San Diego transfer, added three 3-pointers and 14 points for the Catamounts (28-5), who crushed their tournament competition, winning by 29, 32 and 39 points.

“We can compete with any team in college basketball. I like any matchup we can get,” said Shungu, a South Burlington native who competed in his eighth championship in Patrick Gym, counting high school state tournaments and college.

Darnell Rogers had 10 points, the only player scoring in double figures for the second-seeded Retrievers (18-14), who shot just 28%.

Sullivan and Davis hit 3-pointers to cap a 12-4 run early in the second half to extend a 17-point halftime lead to 49-26. When Robin Duncan made a layup with eight minutes to go the lead passed 30 points on its way to a high of 42.

Both teams averaged 75 points a game this season but Vermont left UMBC behind early, finishing the half on a 13-4 run to lead 37-20.

UMBC’s Keondre Kennedy hit a 3-pointer to open the game but Justin Mazzulla responded with a bucket, Sullivan made a 3-pointer and Davis added a basket for a 7-0 run and the Catamounts led the rest of the way.

Vermont outscored UMBC 56-16 in the paint.

The Catamounts were in their fifth final in the last seven years, and lead the America East with nine tournament titles. This year's edition became the second Vermont team to reach 28 wins.

This was third time in five years these two programs played for the title, the Retrievers winning in 2018 and the Catamounts in 2019.

Vermont bested UMBC by a combined 44 points in two regular-season meetings on its way to taking the regular-season championship by six games over the second-place Retrievers. The Catamounts have won or shared the past six regular-season titles.

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While Madrid prepared to crown Mbappe their new prince, Benzema reminded us all that he's still king

MADRID -- It was written in the stars that a Frenchman would shine at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday night, when Real Madrid hosted Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League round-of-16 second leg. It just wasn't the one we all expected.

For his big audition in the Spanish capital ahead of a widely speculated move to Madrid this summer, Kylian Mbappe did what he does best: score goals and be the best player in the world. Yet the star of the show was his "big brother," Karim Benzema.

When the talk of the town was about Mbappe and his future, Benzema sent a reminder, not only to the whole of the Spanish capital but the rest of the world, that he is still the boss. He became the oldest player to score a hat trick in Champions League history, the first French player to score three hat tricks in the competition and he sent his team to the quarterfinals via a 3-1 win on the night and a 3-2 aggregate victory -- sending the Bernabeu into a frenzy in the process.

His celebrations, his evident joy, spoke volumes. Apart from his performance, there was little else from a disappointing Real Madrid side. They lacked intensity for the opening hour, but they can always rely on Benzema, who on this night overtook Alfredo Di Stefano as the third-leading goal scorer in Real Madrid history with 309 goals -- just behind Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo.

He has been their saviour on more than one occasion this season -- and in the previous one, too. His three goals on Wednesday bring his total to eight in the Champions League this season and 77 in his career (only Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski have more). This season, he has 30 goals and 11 assists in 31 matches across all competitions. That's 41 goal involvements in 31 matches, in a team that's struggled to create chances for him, at the age of 34. This is Ballon d'Or territory.

The incredible thing in this game is that he didn't even need much to score. The striker took full advantage of PSG's complacency and errors. How could Gianluigi Donnarumma give away the ball in the manner that he did on Madrid's first goal? What was Neymar doing with his terrible pass that led to the counterattack for the second goal? And what about Marquinhos' assist for Benzema's third? These were schoolboy errors, but Benzema was there to punish the Parisians all the same.

Just when we thought there was a new prince in Madrid, the king struck three times to remind everyone that the Santiago Bernabeu remains his castle.

If Ronaldo was watching from his sofa in Manchester, he surely would have appreciated Benzema's performance. It was a very Ronaldo-esque display, full of talent, efficiency and guts. The Frenchman bailed out his team much like his ex-teammate did so many times before.

Of course, this victory and Madrid's march to the quarterfinals is as much Benzema's success as it is PSG's failure.

Once again, Paris failed mentally. They choked, throwing away a two-goal lead in an unthinkable way.

We have been here before, of course. They conceded three goals in 16 minutes and 41 seconds on Wednesday, which last happened to them in the Champions League in the infamous Remontada in Barcelona (wherein PSG's 4-0 first-leg advantage ended in a 6-5 aggregate defeat) almost to this day five years ago.

At PSG, managers are hired and fired, players come and go, but some things never change. There is a lack of leadership, a lack of resilience, in every squad, year after year. The mindset of the entire football club is wrong.

The players shot themselves in the foot again. They were in control and gave it up far too easily, and too quickly.

Mauricio Pochettino had no answers. He was apathetic on the touchline, almost like he had seen a ghost. How could he leave Neymar on the pitch for the entire game considering the pressure PSG were under? Never mind the fact that the Brazilian just came back from a long-term injury. It is highly unlikely that Pochettino will still be the club's manager next season, despite being under contract until June 2023.

The PSG hierarchy will blame the referee and VAR for allowing the first goal to stand, not calling a foul on Benzema after his physical challenge on Donnarumma in the build-up, and this is part of the problem. When they capitulate like this, it is never their fault. There are always excuses, fault lying elsewhere, and PSG never look at themselves, admit their mistakes or the flaws in the way the club works -- or in this case, doesn't work.

The season is now over for PSG. They will win Ligue 1 but that is almost a minor detail. They failed to win the Trophee des Champions against Lille, they were knocked out of the Coupe de France in the round of 16 by Nice and they were humiliated again in the Champions League at the same stage.

This is the worst season the club has endured since Qatar Sports Investments took over in 2011. And it will be very hard to get over it.

Colgate: 2021-22 Patriot Men's Basketball Champions

HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) — Tournament MVP Jack Ferguson scored 17 points, Nelly Cummings added 15 and Colgate turned away a late Navy push to win the Patriot League championship game 74-58 on Wednesday and return to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.

Tucker Richardson scored 12 points as did Jeff Woodward, who grabbed eight rebounds. Oliver Lynch-Daniels added 10 points, all in the first half, for the Raiders (23-11), who won their 15th straight game, the third-longest active win streak in the nation.

Greg Summers had 18 points and eight rebounds, Tyler Nelson added 11 points and John Carter Jr. 10 for the Midshipmen (21-11), who were playing in their first league championship game since 2001.

Colgate led 40-22 at halftime and seemed to have the game well in hand, leading by 22 midway through the second half when Navy went on a 16-0 run led by seven points from Sean Yoder to get within six with six minutes remaining. While the Midshipmen were shooting 5 of 7 the Raiders missed five straight shots and had three turnovers.

Colgate responded by outscoring Navy — which then had its own spate of turnovers plus five straight misses — 14-4 over the the final six minutes.

Gonzaga: 2021-22 West Coast Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS -- — Chet Holmgren spent most of his night frustrated as he got banged around and shots clanged away. Drew Timme, except for a spurt early in the second half, found little room to pull off his variety of drop steps and up-and-unders.

Gonzaga still found a way to pick apart one of the nation's toughest defenses and win another West Coast Conference title.

These Zags are deep, dangerous and may be poised for another extended March run.

Andrew Nembhard scored 19 points, Rasir Bolton added 18 and top-ranked Gonzaga outlasted No. 17 Saint Mary's 82-69 Tuesday night to win its eighth WCC tournament title in nine years.

"Their offense is as good as any in the country," Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett said. "There's a lot of things you have to do right to have a chance and we did that for a while, but you have to do it for 40 minutes."

Gonzaga (26-3) spent a good portion of its 25th straight WCC title game trying to shake the gritty Gaels. The Zags had a hard time getting out in transition, had to work through multiple options to get decent looks and found passing lanes clogged with Gaels.

None of it slowed them down.

Gonzaga shot 58% and hit nine straight shots during a stretch in the second half to pull away after Saint Mary's had cut the lead to two. Nembhard and Bolton led the way, combining for 17 straight points to all but lock up a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the Zags.

"We had to dig very, very deep," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "We called on everybody and everybody delivered. That's what makes it so special."

The Gaels (25-7) managed to slow the game's pace to its liking, preventing the Zags from getting out in transition for easy baskets. Gonzaga still found a way to outscore Saint Mary's, making 16 of 23 shots in the second half to win its 20th WCC tournament title.

Logan Johnson led Saint Mary's with 21 points and Tommy Kuhse added 15.

"It was a closer game than the difference," Bennett said. "I didn't think we played bad. They're good and we didn't defend well enough. You can't do that against them."

The Zags and Gaels have turned the WCC tournament into a running off-Strip show since it moved to Las Vegas in 2009. The teams have met nine times in the title game at Orleans Arena and one or the other has won the championship every year. The Zags have 10 titles over the 13-year run, the Gaels three (the last in 2019).

The rivals split during the regular season: Gonzaga ran roughshod over Saint Mary's in Spokane, Washington, and the Gaels bullied the Zags for a 10-point win in Moraga, California.

The go-round with a title on the line started as a defensive slog, both teams putting up difficult shots and making sloppy mistakes against the pressure. But Gonzaga revved up its smooth-moving machine midway through the first half, going on a 15-4 run to go up 29-18.

The Gaels made a short push, but the Zags pushed back for a 38-28 halftime lead. And they did it with Timme and Holmgren combining for four points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Saint Mary's bogged the game down again to start the second half, turning it into a half-court duel. The Gaels won the efficiency battle, methodically working for good shots to cut Gonzaga's lead to 52-50 midway through.

Gonzaga found the right gear again after that, hitting nine straight shots to push the lead to 71-59. Nembhard had 10 points and Bolton seven during the run.

Saint Mary's had no answer this time.

"Rasir started it off and shots opened up for us down the stretch," said Nembhard, who also had seven assists and two steals. "We knew guys had confidence in us to take them and we have confidence in ourselves."

BIG PICTURE

Saint Mary's: Played at the pace it wanted to and shot the ball decently, yet couldn't keep up with the Zags. A disappointing loss, but the Gaels should be a lock to make the NCAA Tournament after missing the bracket last season.

Gonzaga: Had to grind it out at times, but still shot 58% and went 8 for 16 from 3. The Zags also showed off their depth, getting 53 combined points from Nembhard, Bolton and Julian Strawther.

UP NEXT

Saint Mary's: Is headed to the NCAA Tournament, likely as a middle seed.

Gonzaga: Should get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, possibly No. 1 overall.

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South Dakota State: 2021-22 Summit Men's Basketball Champions

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- — Douglas Wilson had 21 points and 11 rebounds and South Dakota State beat North Dakota State 73-69 on Tuesday night to win the Summit League tournament and earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

South Dakota State (30-4) added to the program's single-season record for wins. The Jackrabbits, who became the first team in Summit League history to go undefeated in conference play, have won 21 game in a row — the longest active streak in Division I.

North Dakota State (23-9) trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half and didn't take its first lead until Sam Griesel hit a 3-pointer with 3:05 left to put the Bison up 61-60. Charlie Easley answered with a jumper for the Jackrabbits 16 seconds later, Baylor Scheierman followed with 3 to make it 65-61 with 1:54 left and SDSU made 8 of 10 from the free-throw line the rest of the way to seal it.

Easley had 15 points, Zeke Mayo scored 12 and Scheierman 11 for South Dakota State.

Griesel made 10 of 16 from the field and finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Bison. Jarius Cook scored 13 points and Grant Nelson 11.

Either the Jackrabbits or North Dakota State has played in each of the last 11 Summit League title games. SDSU has won six championships, including finals wins over the Bison in 2013, 2016 and 2022. NDSU beat South Dakota State for the 2015 crown, one of its four in that span.

Bryant: 2021-22 Northeast Men's Basketball Champions

SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- — Peter Kiss had 34 points and a season-high five steals and top-seeded Bryant cruised to 70-43 win over Wagner on Tuesday night for the first Northeast Conference tournament championship in program history.

But the game was marred by a fight in the stands among fans. With 4:37 to play and the Bulldogs leading 68-32, play stopped for nearly 30 minutes. A small section of seats mostly occupied by Wagner fans sat next to Bryant's student's section and the contentious atmosphere led to a scuffle. None of the players or coaches made it into the stands, though Wagner's Will Martinez attempted to and was ejected from the game and several players had to be restrained.

Bryant (22-9) set the Division I program record for wins this season and clinched its first NCAA Tournament berth since beginning the transition from Division II in 2008.

Kiss, the nation's leading scorer at 24.7 per game, made 13 of 23 from the field and 4 of 5 from 3-point range and finished with six rebounds, three assists and five steals. The senior has scored at least 25 points in 13 of his last 17 games and has scored at least 30 points 10 times this season.

Raekwon Rogers led No. 2 seed Wagner (21-6) with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting. The rest of the Seahawks shot 22% (11 of 50) from the field. Alex Morales, who averages 18.2 points per game and was recently named the NEC player of the year for the second consecutive season, scored three points on 0-of-16 shooting for Wagner.

Charles Pride had 13 points and career-high tying 17 rebounds for Bryant.

Kiss had a shot knocked away by Morales and then Rogers made a layup to give the Seahawks a 2-0 lead 38 seconds in but Bryant ripped off 36 of the next 40 points. Pride made back-to-back layups to give the Bulldogs the lead for good about 2 minutes later before Kiss took over — muscling up shots in the lane, hitting contested 3s, throwing and catching alley-oops.

Kiss scored 17 points in 11 1/2 minutes to make it 36-6 after he took a steal the other way for a two-hand dunk with 4:44 left in the first half.

Delaware: 2021-22 Colonial Men's Basketball Champions

WASHINGTON -- — Jyare Davis scored 18 points, Andrew Carr had 17 points and 12 rebounds for his second career double-double and fifth-seeded Delaware beat No. 2 seed UNC Wilmington 59-55 on Tuesday night to claim the Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship.

Delaware (22-12) won its sixth conference tournament title, along with the teams from 1992 (NAC), 1993 (NAC), 1998 (America East), 1999 (America East) and 2014 (CAA). The Hens will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament victory in six tries.

Delaware took its first lead, 44-43, since 19-7 on a Kevin Anderson layup with 8:44 remaining in the second half.

Davis, the CAA rookie of the year and tournament MVP, made a shot in the lane with 1:01 left to give Delaware a 56-55 lead. UNCW had two shots at the other end, but neither fell and Carr collected the rebound before getting fouled. Carr went 1 of 2 at the free throw line, but Ebby Asamoah grabbed the offensive rebound and made two free throws for a four-point lead. Jaylen Sims was short on a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Jameer Nelson Jr. and Ryan Allen each added 10 points for Delaware, which shot 39.3% including 2 of 13 from distance. Davis was 8 of 15 from the field.

Sims scored 18 points on 4-of-15 shooting for UNC Wilmington (23-9), which swept the regular-season series with Delaware. Mike Okauru added 10 points.

Sims, UNCW's leading scorer, only played 10 minutes in the first half due to two fouls but the Seahawks still led 34-30. Sims opened the second-half scoring with a 3-pointer, and he scored six straight UNCW points, the last coming on a jumper for a 55-53 lead with 2:30 left.

Delaware was just the second No. 5 seed to advance to the CAA tournament final in the league's 40 years. Fifth-seeded William & Mary advanced to the 2008 final before falling to third-seeded George Mason, 68-59.

Wright State: 2021-22 Horizon Men's Basketball Champions

INDIANAPOLIS -- Wright State rallied from 16 points down to win the Horizon League Tournament championship game Tuesday night at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

Trey Calvin’s jumper in the lane with 10.5 seconds left won the game for the Raiders, who are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time.

Northern Kentucky’s Bryson Langdon had a chance to win it for NKU, but his jumper was off and the Raiders were able to celebrate a 72-71 triumph.

Calvin scored 21 points for Wright State while Tanner Holden had 19 and Grant Basile scored 18.

Marques Warrick led all scorers with 28 points for NKU, which led 57-41 with 11:41 to go.

“We never gave up,” Wright State forward Grant Basile said. “Our thing the last few games is to stay level-headed, and that’s what we did tonight. Trey made such a big shot. That was such a good play. We have some really good basketball players and we love each other, so sharing the ball like that just makes it so much easier.”

Here are three takeaways from the Raiders’ win:

1. The third-seeded Norse started red hot, hitting 12 of their first 15 shots.

It helped that they were able to get almost wherever they wanted to on the floor and finished with 22 points in the paint in the first half.

2. Tanner Holden and Grant Basile got going with about 12 minutes to go.

Holden started a 14-0 run that got Wright State back in the game by hitting a pair of free throws with 11:34 on the clock.

He had seven points in the spurt and set up Basile for a three-point play. Basile then capped it by finding Andrew Welage for a layup that made it 57-55 NKU with 8:35 to go.

3. Wright State won a conference tournament for the fourth time.

The Raiders also qualified for the Big Dance in 1993 (when they were in the Mid-Continent Conference), 2007 and 2018. They are still looking for their first NCAA Tournament win in Division I.

Star of the game

Trey Calvin not only made the winning basket but kept the Raiders in the game in the first half. He had 15 points in the firsts 20 minutes while the rests of the Raiders had 17.

Stat of the game

Both teams shot exactly 60.9 percent in one half.

For the Norse, it was the first 20 minutes when they were 14 for 23. For the Raiders, it was the second half when they made 14 of 23.

Bellarmine: 2021-22 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Champions

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- CJ Fleming scored a career-high 27 points, Dylan Penn added 22 and Division I newcomer Bellarmine defeated Jacksonville 77-72 in the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament final on Tuesday, handing the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament to regular-season champion Jacksonville State.

Bellarmine is not eligible for the NCAA tournament as it is in the second of a four-year transition to Division I. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Louisville, Kentucky-based school is the first men's team in the past 25 seasons to win its conference tournament while being ineligible for postseason play.

Instead, the Knights became heroes in Jacksonville, Alabama. Top-seeded Jacksonville State fell at home 54-51 to the Jacksonville Dolphins on Saturday, but since Bellarmine is ineligible for the NCAA tournament, the Gamecocks will go dancing.

"We've made it a point to control what we can control, and that's it," Bellarmine senior guard Juston Betz said. "We'll continue to be in the moment and never take for granted where we are."

Bellarmine, a recent Division II power and 2011 champion, defeated Liberty, the other ASUN division champion, 53-50 on the road on Saturday. Jacksonville, which joined the ASUN in 1998, was seeking its first league championship and first NCAA berth in 36 years.

Including its Division II history, this marks Bellarmine's 13th 20-win campaign in the past 14 seasons.

"It's kind of surreal," said Penn, who was named tournament MVP. "It feels like we're in a movie. We weren't supposed to be competing at such a high level this early."

The Knights (20-13) made 11 of 12 free throws in the last two minutes with Fleming perfect on eight, to hold off Jacksonville, which made 5 of 8 field goals, two of them 3s, down the stretch.

Jordan Davis scored 22 points for the Dolphins (21-10), who lost the only regular-season meeting 76-73 in overtime in the same building, and Osayi Osifo and Tyreese Davis had 11 each.

Penn, Betz and Curt Hopf hit consecutive 3-pointers to give Bellarmine a 9-4 lead, and Sam DeVault added back-to-back triples as the Knights started red-hot. Penn's layup midway through the first half made it 28-10 with the Knights going 10-of-14, seven of the baskets behind the arc.

Jacksonville battled back to get within 36-26 at the half, despite going 0-of-10 from 3-point range compared to 9-of-16 for Bellarmine.

The Dolphins hit six 3s in the second half and shot 50% but could get no closer than six.

The Knights finished shooting 50% overall and were 12-of-25 from 3-point range and 15-of-17 from the foul line.

"I don't know how any coach at any level of any sport could be more proud than I am," Bellarmine coach Scott Davenport said. "My highlight of this journey is seeing this team celebrate each other. That locker room was one of the highlights of my life."

Georgia State: 2021-22 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Champions

 

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Corey Allen scored 29 points and third-seeded Georgia State won the Sun Belt Conference tournament for the fourth time in eight years, defeating Louisiana 80-71 on Monday night.

Eliel Nsoseme had 12 points and 13 rebounds for Georgia State. Jalen Thomas scored 12 points and Kane Williams added 10. The third-seeded Panthers have won 10 straight games and 12 of their last 13.

After Georgia State saw a comfortable lead cut to three at 55-52 with 7:28 remaining, Nsoseme converted a three-point play, Allen made two free throws followed by a 3-pointer and the Panthers were well on their way to an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Louisiana sent Georgia State to the free-throw line on seven consecutive possessions beginning at the 2:15 mark and the Panthers made the last 12 of 13 attempts in that stretch. The Panthers made 22 of 24 free throws for the game.

Jordan Brown had 24 points and eight rebounds for eighth-seeded Louisiana. Greg Williams Jr. scored 15 points and Jalen Dalcourt 10. The Ragin’ Cajuns defeated No. 9 UT Arlington, No. 1 Texas State and No. 4 Troy to reach the championship game. Louisiana is the first team seeded eighth or worse to reach the Sun Belt tournament championship game.

Georgia State built a 21-12 lead with 11:48 remaining in the first half and led by 7-11 points for nearly all of the next 22 minutes of play. Georgia State led 42-33 at halftime and while neither team managed to shoot as much as 35% in the first 12 minutes of the second half, Louisiana went on a 6-0 run to draw within three before Georgia State pulled away.

Chattanooga: 2021-22 Southern Men's Basketball Champions

Chattanooga’s David Jean-Baptiste took an inbounds pass at the opposite baseline, dribbled over half-court and fired in a long 3-point attempt at the overtime buzzer to give the Mocs a 64-63 win over Furman on Monday in the Southern Conference championship game at Asheville, N.C.

The stunning result sends Chattanooga (27-4) to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years.

Furman (22-12) had forced overtime when Mike Bothwell sank a 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation.

Silvio De Sousa, a Kansas transfer, led the Mocs with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Bothwell scored a game-high 24 points for the Paladins, who haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1980.

Sun Belt Conference final

Corey Allen scored 29 points and dished out six assists as Georgia State beat Louisiana 80-71 at Pensacola, Fla., to earn its third NCAA Tournament berth in five years.

Eliel Nsoseme contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Panthers (18-10), and teammate Jalen Thomas also had 12 points.

Jordan Brown finished with 24 points and eight rebounds for the Ragin’ Cajuns, whose last NCAA berth came in 2014.

–Field Level Media

Loyola Chicago: 2021-22 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

Loyola Chicago isn't exactly Duke or Kentucky, but the Ramblers are now a familiar name in the NCAA tournament bracket.

Loyola Chicago has only been to the NCAA tournament twice since 1985, but it has made both trips count. The first time the Ramblers had one of the most shocking Final Four runs ever, in 2018. Last season they upset No. 1 seed Illinois in the second round to go to the Sweet 16. Along the way, they've won bettors at BetMGM some money with big upsets.

Loyola Chicago is back in the bracket. The Ramblers beat Drake 64-58 on Sunday to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and get the auto bid to the NCAA tournament.

Loyola will probably be a double-digit seed in the NCAA tournament, and not one anyone wants to see in the first round.

Ramblers punch another NCAA ticket

This Loyola Chicago team isn't as good as the previous two NCAA entrants, but it's still a quality team capable of winning a game or maybe even two.

The Ramblers were at their best in the semifinals of the MVC tourney. Against top-seeded Northern Iowa, a team that beat Loyola Chicago 102-96 un overtime of the regular-season finale, the Ramblers crushed UNI in a 66-43 win. The Ramblers are an efficient team on both ends of the floor, and their defense was phenomenal against Northern Iowa.

In Sunday's MVC final, Drake came out shooting it well and took an early 18-8 lead. Loyola answered with a 19-0 run. It was the type of stretch that validates all the sleeper love Loyola will get after the bracket is revealed. They played great defense, getting turnovers and turning that into points. For about seven minutes they completely overwhelmed a solid Drake team that came in with a 24-9 record. Drake battled in the second half and it wasn't an easy win for Loyola, as the Bulldogs cut Loyola's lead to as little as two points in the final 30 seconds, but the Ramblers held on to win.

Loyola does a bit of everything well. They shoot it well from inside and outside the arc. They are an active defensive team. Early in the season the Ramblers lost by just 2 points to Michigan State and 9 to Auburn, and also had 10 wins against teams that were in the top 100 of KenPom going into Sunday's games.

In other words, there are a lot of single-digit seeds that are hoping to avoid Loyola Chicago in the first round.

Loyola Chicago has experience

While Loyola has lost a lot of good players from both of its previous tournament appearances, it is still an experienced team. Plenty of the players who were part of the upset of Illinois last season are back. Four seniors took advantage of the NCAA offering an another year of eligibility to 2021 seniors due to COVID-19 and returned to Loyola for an extra season. Loyola's coach Porter Moser left for Oklahoma in the offseason, but new coach Drew Valentine did a great job to keep Loyola on track. This version of the Ramblers won't be overwhelmed by March Madness.

Just like last season, those who rely on analytics will note that Loyola is under-seeded and a good upset pick. The betting line for the Ramblers' first-round game could be lower than similar seed matchups, because Loyola had a No. 24 ranking in KenPom, which influences point spreads. By the numbers Loyola should be closer to a No. 6 seed, but it would be surprising if they're higher than a 10.

You'll hear a lot about Loyola Chicago as the bracket gets analyzed and people pick upset favorites. By now, hearing about the Ramblers won't be so unusual. We already know what success for Loyola Chicago in the NCAA tournament looks like.

Longwood: 2021-22 Big South Men's Basketball Champions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- - Isaiah Wilkins scored 19 points and Longwood advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time with a 79-58 victory over Winthrop on Sunday in the Big South tournament championship game.

Top-seeded Longwood (26-6) never trailed, led by as many as 21 in the first half, 28 in the second half and cruised against the second-seeded Eagles (23-9), a perennial Big South power who had won the last two conference tournament titles and hoped to win its 19th overall.

The two division champions came in on a roll. Winthrop had won its last 10 games, its previous loss coming to the Lancers 92-88 in the regular season. Longwood had won seven straight and was making its first conference tournament championship appearance. Winthrop beat the Lancers in the semifinals last year.

Wilkins, who spent two seasons at Virginia Tech and another at Wake Forest before coming to Longwood this season, was 7-of-11 shooting with three 3-pointers, eight rebounds and three steals. Leslie Nkereuwem added 11 points. Justin Hill had nine points with eight rebounds and five assists.

Big South player of the year D.J. Burns Jr. led Winthrop with 14 points. Micheal Anumba had 12 and Patrick Good 11.

The outcome was essentially decided in the first half when little went wrong for Longwood, shooting 60%, making 8 of 10 3-point attempts and scoring 22 points off 11 turnovers to lead 45-27. Wilkins led the way with 12 points. Five players hit from the arc including Nate Lliteras with three for his nine points.

A 13-0 run gave Longwood its largest lead of 28 during a stretch of the second half when Winthrop went seven minutes without a field goal. The closest Winthrop got after that was 16.

In the end, Longwood outshot Winthrop 53% to 41%, made 10 of 17 from the arc to 6 of 24 for the Eagles and scored 32 points off 19 turnovers that included 10 steals.

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Murray State: 2021-22 Ohio Valley Men's Basketball Champions

EVANSVILLE, Ind. -- — Tevin Brown scored 23 points to lead No. 22 Murray State over Morehead State 71-67 on Saturday night, giving the Racers their 20th consecutive victory and the Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship.

Tournament MVP Justice Hill added 21 points for the Racers (30-2, 18-0), who shot just 38% from the field but won the rebounding battle 47-31 and had an edge on second-chance points (16-7).

All of it was needed against the defending OVC tournament champion Eagles (23-11, 13-5), who got an MVP-like performance from forward Johni Broome. He shook off an injury to finish with 32 points and eight rebounds on 13-for-20 shooting.

Neither team held more than a two-possession lead for the entire second half. Murray State was up 66-61 with less than 90 seconds to go, before back-to-back 3-pointers from Tray Hollowell kept it within 68-67.

Hollowell finished with 12 points on four 3-pointers, while Ta’lon Cooper added 12 points, five rebounds and five assists.

The Racers had a similar start Saturday night as they did in the quarterfinals the day before against Southeast Missouri State, quickly ripping out to a 12-2 lead. Brown buried back-to-back 3-pointers to start the game.

But the Eagles responded with their own 18-2 run, with four 3s in that stretch.

Murray State and Morehead State were tied at 34 at the half. The Eagles shot 56% in the frame and held the Racers to 33.3%, but the Racers won the rebounding battle 27-11.

This is Murray State’s third conference tournament title under seventh-year coach Matt McMahon. The Racers will move to the Missouri Valley Conference later this year.

BIG PICTURE

Murray State: Most bracketologists have the Racers slated in the 8/9 slot for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. A 20-win streak and an unblemished finish in the OVC might move them into a better seed.

Morehead State: The Eagles looked every bit the part of the defending champs and nearly pulled off the upset, shooting 48% for the game while only turning the ball over nine times.

UP NEXT

Murray State: The 2022 NCAA Tournament.

Morehead State: The Eagles await possible postseason invitations.

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I Hope to Never See a Figure Skating Event Like That Again

I Hope to Never See a Figure Skating Event Like That Again

The beauty from some Olympic skaters was not worth seeing a child emotionally broken on live television.

BY CHRIS SCHLEICHER

FEB 17, 2022 9:49 PM

As a figure skater, you dream of what your Olympic moment will be like. The scores are read, your eyes go wide in disbelief, the announcer proclaims you’re in first place. Can this be real? You hug your coach as the crowd goes wild. One of the joys of watching the Olympics is seeing moments like this, dreams realized. I have indelible memories of such celebrations. In 1998, Tara Lipinski leapt into the air and released a series of ear-splitting shrieks when she found out she won, embracing her coaches in pure joy. In 2002, Sarah Hughes fell to the ground in shock backstage, laughing and smiling in disbelief, her coach grabbing her face and exclaiming, “You won the gold medal at the Olympics!”

At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, there was no such moment of joy. The scene that I witnessed instead made me feel hollow and heartbroken, like I was somehow complicit in the mental anguish of these young women by even watching. When it was announced that 17-year-old Anna Shcherbakova was the gold medalist, the camera didn’t even cut to her for several minutes. Instead, we watched 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, the girl at the center of the Olympic doping scandal, the skater seen as near-certain to capture the gold medal, crumble into a ball of tears upon learning she had ended up in fourth place after a disastrous free skate. Valieva received only perfunctory support from her coach, Eteri Tutberidze, who had berated her as soon she stepped off the ice: “Why did you let it go? Why did you stop fighting? Explain it to me, why? You let it go after that axel. Why?”

As Valieva exited the kiss-and-cry, she passed silver medalist Alexandra Trusova, also crying, throwing what can only be described as a temper tantrum. When someone offered Trusova an arm of support, she jumped away and shouted in Russian: “I can’t see this! I won’t see this!” One might have imagined these remarks were in sympathy for her training mate Valieva, but later comments made it clear it was bitterness over receiving silver. Trusova is quoted as exclaiming, “I hate it! … I don’t want to do anything in figure skating ever in my life! … Everyone has a gold medal, and I don’t!” One can forgive a teenage girl for having an emotional response to disappointment in a high-stakes situation, but Trusova’s reaction was an ugly display of poor sportsmanship, happening mere feet from a devastated Valieva. Trusova would later have to be coaxed into even coming back onto the ice to accept her second place finish.

As Valieva retreated into the bowels of the stadium, the broadcast finally cut back to Shcherbakova, the Olympic gold medalist. She stood alone, joyless, clutching a teddy bear in silence. She shifted uneasily, eyes cast down to the floor, unsure where to look. She sat back down again on a couch, no one on her team anywhere in sight. It was perhaps the loneliest image I have ever seen at the Olympics.

Why was Shcherbakova all alone? For context, one must know that all three of these Russian teenagers are coached by Eteri Tutberidze. Ostensibly, the members of her team were off attending to the meltdowns of Valieva and Trusova. It called to mind the conclusion of the 2018 Olympics, in which Tutberidze’s students Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva finished first and second, respectively. That result was also seen as a big upset, as Medvedeva had been favored for gold. When the scores were announced, Medvedeva cried in disappointment as Zagitova sat backstage, nervously smiling through tears and staring down at a stuffed doll in her hands. Tutberidze has now left in her trail a plethora of teenagers who burned bright and then retired from the sport with injuries and eating disorders. Named the International Skating Union coach of the year 2020, Tutberidze is now at the center of a discussion about the treatment of minors in figure skating. Based on her treatment of her students in the past and her possible involvement in Valieva taking banned heart medication, I desperately hope Tutberidze is investigated and suspended from coaching. We cannot continue like this.

2021-22 Los Angeles Rams: The Years

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Unbeatable, so we gon get dem #HornsUp.

Hell yes.

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Los Angeles Rams: Super Bowl LVI Champions

Amid the blaring of blue and gold horns, on a super-sized Sunday fit for an ascension, the Los Angeles sports heavens just got a little more crowded.

Make room for the Rams.

Move over Lakers, back up Dodgers, everybody clear space for the oldest of friends, the newest of heroes, the prodigal sons turned Super Bowl champions.

Six years after returning to Los Angeles with helmet in hand, the Rams raised those helmets to the sky Sunday with a 23-20 victory over Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

They won it after blowing an early 10-point lead and stumbling into a 10-point deficit. They won by coming back in the fourth quarter on a 79-yard, game-winning touchdown drive featuring the two stars who have carried them all season — quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Cooper Kupp.

The winning blow, after the desperate Bengals were assessed two penalties for holding Kupp, came on a one-yard toss from Stafford to Kupp with 1:25 remaining.

The Rams defense then held the Bengals in the final minute to win it when mighty Aaron Donald threw Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to the ground with 39 seconds remaining, forcing a game-ending incompletion on fourth down.

Boom. Done. Won. The exhausted Rams stalked triumphantly off their sidelines as the air filled with confetti and strains of, “I Love L.A.”

They won it not only with the final comeback, but with two other comebacks. They won despite a missed face mask call that led to the Bengals’ go-ahead touchdown on the first play of the second half, and they won despite losing receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to a knee injury in the second quarter.

They won it with trademark resilience and toughness, just as they vowed they would win it, an overdue repayment of an ancient debt owed.

They were this city’s first NFL team in 1946. They left for St. Louis after the 1994 season. They returned in 2016 with a promise to make up for lost time and a mission to win back a city’s heart.

Promise kept. Mission complete.

All this, after a sequence of plays just after halftime that made it seemed these Rams were doomed.

On the first play of second half, with the Rams leading 13-10 Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow lofted the ball down the left sideline to Tee Higgins just as Higgins pulled defender Jalen Ramsey’s face mask and twisted him toward the ground. Ramsey fell and Higgins caught the pass on the 36-yard line, then carried it in untouched for a 75-yard touchdown pass that eventually gave the Bengals a 17-13 lead.

No, the face mask grab was not penalized and, no, the play was not reviewable for instant replay.

On the first play of the Rams’ ensuing drive, a Stafford pass bounced off the hands of Ben Skowronek and into the hands of Chidobe Awuzie for Stafford’s second interception. Moments later, that led to a 38-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 20-13 lead.

When they finally found their footing, the Rams didn’t get mad, they got even, roaring back not only with a potent offense, but a defense that eventually stopped Burrow, who was compromised with a fourth-quarter knee injury.

In winning their first Super Bowl championship and second NFL title during their 54 years of inhabiting Los Angeles, the Rams also secured their spot among the local sports landscape’s elite.

In a city of champions, they needed a title to be considered legitimate citizens. Today, they belong.

In a city where sports fans demand excellence for their dollars, they needed a title to attract a larger share of the attention. Today, everybody is watching.

It is the first Los Angeles championship in the four major sports since both the Lakers and Dodgers won titles in the fall of 2020. And, like the Lakers and Dodgers, the Rams spared no expense in making that it happen.

When they returned here after an absence of more than two decades, owner Stan Kroenke committed everything to a ring.

He spent $5 billion to construct the palace that is SoFi Stadium with the hopes that his team would one day win a championship there. He then dispatched team president Kevin Demoff and general manager Les Snead to leave no expensive stone unturned in realizing those hopes.

They had the foresight to hire McVay when he was the youngest coach in NFL history — he was 30 then, he’s 36 now — and then in recent years surrounded him with the game’s best talent.

They made Donald the league’s highest paid defensive player at the time. They traded for the game’s best cornerback in Jalen Ramsey. Then 13 months ago they really got serious when they traded for quarterback Matthew Stafford. Since then, they have also traded for Super Bowl 50 MVP linebacker hero Von Miller and signed receiver Odell Beckham Jr.

After coming close with a Super Bowl loss three years ago, they finally peaked at the right time this year, riding playoff wins against the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and San Francisco 49ers into Sunday’s Super Bowl finale.

Which they finished with a flourish, in the style of all serious Los Angeles champions, winning as they expected to win, dominating as they promised to dominate.

The heavens no longer have to wait. Make room for the Rams.

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Chelsea: 2021 FIFA Club World Cup Champions

 

With victory over Palmeiras tonight, Chelsea have etched yet another memorable chapter in the club’s long and illustrious history. We have our hands on the solitary major trophy that has eluded us, the FIFA Club World Cup, a prize only on offer to those who have climbed Europe’s highest peak.

In 2012, after the miracle of Munich, there was disappointment at the hands of Corinthians. Not so tonight, where an extra-time penalty from Kai Havertz – yes, him again! – secured a 2-1 success over their Sao Paolo rivals Palmeiras.

Havertz was the hero in Porto and he was the hero again tonight, crowning an enterprising performance in our attack with an ice-cold penalty five minutes from the end of extra-time.

We have now joined Bayern Munich and Manchester United as the only clubs to complete a clean sweep of major UEFA trophies and the Club World Cup, and as the 11th different winner of this competition the Blues are only the third to achieve that feat from England. We just keep rewriting the history books!

At full-time, one Chelsea legend sunk to his knees. Cesar Azpilicueta is the first Blue to do the lot, further cementing his status as one of the greatest of all time. And of course it was his shot that was blocked by a handball allowing Havertz to coolly convert from 12 yards. What a way for the skipper to mark a decade of service.

Next to him, Thiago Silva also collapsed in ecstasy, a victor in a competition that means so much in South America. First the Champions League, and now the Club World Cup in barely eight months for our Brazilian hero. He was deservedly named the tournament’s best player at full-time.

And how wonderful to see Thomas Tuchel able to celebrate masterminding his third trophy in person, having only arrived in Abu Dhabi yesterday. His tactical shuffling kept Palmeiras on the back foot throughout, and the victory, if hard fought, was thoroughly deserved.

As the players celebrated with the trophy in front of the loyal travelling support, one of our club anthems Blue Tomorrow rang around the stadium.

‘We’re gonna rule the universe because we’re Chelsea, Chelsea, Chelsea!’

We have done just that. It’s a Blue universe today. What a club.