Howard: 2023-24 Mid-Eastern Men's Basketball Champions

 

NORFOLK, Va. -- Jordan Hairston scored 18 points and Bryce Harris and Seth Towns each scored 16 points as Howard beat Delaware State 70-67 on Saturday in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament championship to secure an NCAA tournament bid.

Harris' jump shot broke a 60-all tie with 4:18 remaining and the Bison led for the remainder, but not without late drama.

Hairston made two free throws with six seconds left for a 70-66 lead. Off the inbounds, Delaware State's Deywilk Tavarez dribbled at a full sprint up the floor and with 2.2 seconds launched a 3-point attempt and was fouled by Jelani Williams.

Tavarez made the first foul shot and missed the second, and his attempt to deliberately miss the third for a desperation rebound and 3-point heave attempt failed when his shot attempt ricocheted off the backboard and failed to touch the rim. Howard inbounded to end the game.

Marcus Dockery scored 15 points for fourth-seeded Howard (18-16), which is headed to the NCAA tournament for a second straight year for the first time in school history. Howard upset top-seeded Norfolk State on its way to the championship game.

Jevin Muniz scored 24 points and Martaz Robinson 16 for the sixth-seeded Hornets (15-18) which saw its improbable MEAC run end.

The Hornets last beat Howard on March 5, 2020. Delaware State entered having beaten second-seeded North Carolina Central and third-seeded South Carolina State.

The Hornets were seeking their first conference championship and NCAA tournament berth since 2005. Delaware State ended the regular season having lost four of five games.

The Bison were without Dom Campbell, Shy Odom, Ose Okojie and AJ Magbegor because of injuries. For the season, Howard's rotation players missed a total of 78 games, which was among the top five in the country.

Howard led 40-34 at halftime on the strength of 8-for-17 shooting from 3-point range. With the exception of a 2-0 deficit, the Bison led for 19:09 of the first 20 minutes. Towns' layup with 3:59 left before halftime gave Howard a 33-23 lead, the only double-digit lead either team held.

Towns, 26, is an eighth-year senior and has had a career marred by injury. His playing career started at Harvard in 2016-17 before the Columbus, Ohio, native transferred to Ohio State and suffered a series of season-ending injuries before transferring to Howard.

Vermont: 2023-24 America East Men's Basketball Champions

 

The University of Vermont men's basketball team found out in the third game the resolve it possessed — however incalculable it might be to truly measure such a trait.

The Catamounts' roaring comeback vs. Charleston on Nov. 16 at the Myrtle Beach Invitational was the first of five victories this season after trailing by 10 or more points.

"We just knew the kind of guys we had in the locker room, it didn’t matter how far down we were," Vermont junior forward Ileri Ayo-Faleye said. "We had the type of dudes who were going to fight back and never give up."

No deficit too big to overcome. No foe too imposing to handle. Nothing, it seemed, could rattle this year's Catamounts.

And for the third straight March, Vermont's opponent in the America East championship game couldn't break that will. The Catamounts host this day, and own it, annually.

Behind Ayo-Faleye and Shamir Bogues' 94 feet of influence, the top-seeded Catamounts outlasted No. 2 UMass Lowell despite a halftime deficit for a 66-61 victory in the league's title game at sold-out Patrick Gym on Saturday, sealing a championship three-peat and booking yet another berth to the NCAA Tournament.

On a 10-game winning streak, the Catamounts (28-6) join the 2004-05 Vermont squad with three consecutive league tournament titles. The Catamounts, with 11 conference titles to extend their league record, have won five of the last six America East championships.

They'll learn their seed, site and opponent during Selection Sunday on CBS (6 p.m. eastern).

"This group is just so resilient and so tough and these two guys up here epitomize that as much as anybody in our program," 13-year UVM coach John Becker said of Ayo-Faleye and Bogues. "Really, they were the pillars of our program this year. The relentlessness, the athleticism, the instincts with which they play with is breathtaking. They brought so much joy to Catamount Country."

Bogues, a junior transfer guard from Tarleton State, was named the tournament's most outstanding player after collecting 15 points, nine rebounds, three assists, four steals and no turnovers in 32 minutes in Saturday's final. Ayo-Faleye, a second-year transfer from Rhode Island, posted nine points, five boards, four assists, two steals, a trio of blocks and no turnovers in 36 minutes.

"We were down at half and still found a way to win," said Ayo-Faleye, who earned a spot on the all-championship team. "We stayed the course, listened to the coaches, listened to the messaging and just applied it. This time of year it’s all about execution."

Said Bogues: "Our message coming in was to stay together. And that’s what we did today."

TJ Long, also on the all-championship squad, sank four 3-pointers and totaled 14 points and three assists. Fifth-year senior Aaron Deloney added a dozen points thanks to a 7-for-8 effort at the foul line and one game-sealing layup, and Nick Fiorillo added 11 points for the Catamounts.

Cam Morris (17 points, 10 rebounds), Brayden O'Connor (14 points) and Ayinde Hikim (11 points) each reached double figures for Lowell.

Saturday's championship encapsulated much of Vermont's gutsy season. The Catamounts struggled to score around the paint, had stretches of shooting dry spells from their outside threats, and had to work from behind. But like they've done all winter, the Catamounts drummed up answers with elite-level defense and a plenty of timely and much-needed Long 3-pointers.

"Knowing that there is going to be adversity throughout the game, just weathering the storm and being able to come out with the win is the most important thing," Ayo-Faleye said. "Never getting too high or too low, just staying even and knowing that we are going to pull it out."

Vermont's early, 19-11 advantage was wiped out by inefficiency on offense — seven straight missed field goals — and the River Hawks (22-10) not only climbed back into contention but took a 32-29 margin into halftime. A year ago, Lowell also had a slight edge at the break before Vermont pulled away.

"UMass Lowell — give them the credit they deserve. They’ve been a team that’s been nipping at our heels for the last bunch of years," Becker said. "They are tough, they are experienced. They battled and we knew it was going to be a tough game. I have a lot of respect for (coach Pat Duquette) and his program."

In a game that featured 11 lead changes and five ties, Vermont created breathing room with a 13-4 spurt highlighted by a pair of Fiorillo triples and an Ayo-Faleye hook shot for a 60-50 lead with 4:01 left in regulation.

To start the separating run, Fiorillo poured in a 3-pointer following Ayo-Faleye's drive into the paint and kick to the wing. Ayo-Faleye also got a crafty and nimble reserve layup to drop through and Bogues steered in a baseline runner on back-to-back possessions.

Ayo-Faleye's hook shot, though, was the type of offense Vermont had been lacking throughout the year without a true post-up presence. The Catamounts won without that position last year with Robin Duncan and Dylan Penn, and have pulled off a similar scheme with Bogues' skillset.

"I thought he made the biggest play of the game," Becker said of Ayo-Faleye's hook.

The Riverhawks made one last push, uncorking a quick 5-0 spurt to trail 60-55 with 3:29 to go. After Fiorillo's two foul shots and Connor's basket made it a five-point game again, Morris missed both of his free-throw attempts and Deloney, the team leader, soared for the final dagger to secure the Catamounts' three-peat.

Instead of letting the clock tick down, Deloney saw an opening to the basket, and the speedy guard bolted to the hoop for a finish off the glass and 64-57 lead with 43 seconds left.

Counting the championship awarded following the cancellation of the 2020 final due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Deloney is now a four-time America East tournament champion, joining former teammates Ben Shungu and Robin Duncan.

"You just get to see kids grow up. AD is a man now. He was a little kid when he got here," Becker said.

Vermont also pulled off three in a row with three remarkably different squads. The Catamounts reloaded this winter after the graduation of four starters, just like they had to do following the 2021-22 campaign. Their program mission remains in sight: Advance to the second weekend at the NCAA Tournament.

"These guys want to go to the tournament and we want to win. We are trying to get this program to Sweet 16s," Becker said. "We are a national brand, we are nationally relevant. I’m not going to let anyone in this program be comfortable with what we did or done. We want to do the next thing until I run out of goals and then I’ll retire if there’s nothing left to shoot for.

"I’m going to continue to try and dream big here."

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Montana State: 2023-24 Big Sky Men's Basketball Champions

 

BOISE, Idaho — Montana State is goin' dancing. Again.

The Bobcats, a No. 5 seed, used a big second-half run to push past archrival and No. 3 Montana 85-70 Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference tournament championship and earn a berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament.

It is the third consecutive Big Sky title and the third straight NCAA tourney trip for the Bobcats and the first under coach Matt Logie, who was hired at MSU last April.

In its fourth straight trip to the championship game, Montana State trailed by 11 points, 49-38, early in the second half but clawed back and eventually took the lead at 51-50 on a 3-pointer by Tyler Patterson with 12:23 remaining.

After that the Bobcats went on a 14-0 burst, and when Patterson hit another 3 with 8:28 left the Cats led 62-53. A turnaround shot by Robert Ford III with 6:29 to go gave MSU a 14-point lead at 67-53.

During that stretch, the Grizzlies shot 0 for 8 from the floor. Montana State's lead grew to as much as 21 points with 2:13 left after a Brandon Walker putback.

It was just the second matchup between Montana and Montana State in the championship game of the Big Sky tournament and the first since 1986, which was also won by MSU.

It was the 12th all-time tourney matchup between the rivals and the first since 2009. Each team has now won six times in those meetings.

The Bobcats, now at .500 with a 17-17 overall record, will learn their seeding and opponent for the upcoming NCAA tournament on Sunday. The tournament begins March 19-20 with the First Four. The first round is March 21-22.

The Grizzlies, at 23-10, are expected to continue their season with a postseason berth, possibly in the College Basketball Invitational, which begins March 23-24.

Colgate: 2023-24 Patriot Men's Basketball Champions

 

HAMILTON, N.Y. (AP) — Brady Cummins scored a career-high 19 points, Braeden Smith had 15 points and 12 rebounds and top-seeded Colgate collected its fourth straight Patriot League Tournament title and NCAA Tournament bid with a 74-55 win over Lehigh on Wednesday.

With its fifth league title in six years, Colgate (25-9) has tied Holy Cross and Bucknell for the most league championships at seven. It was the seventh straight season Colgate played for the championship, the last six on its home court.

Colgate coach Matt Langel tied former Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon for the most Patriot tournament wins with 21 and now has the most league championships with five, breaking a tie with former Holy Cross coach Ralph Willard.

Jeff Woodward added 11 points for the Raiders, who shot 56% and outrebounded the Mountain Hawks 43-28. Nasir Whitlock was the only player to score in double figures for Lehigh (14-18) with 17. Cam Gillus, who scored a career-high 30 points in a comeback 84-79 overtime win against Boston University in the semifinals, finished with eight points.

Leading scorer Tyler Whitney-Sidney, who had 21 against Boston University, finished with seven. Colgate had to rally from a 15-point first-half deficit to beat Bucknell 68-65 in a Sunday semifinal and its two regular-season season victories over Lehigh came by only three-point margins.

But this time against the sixth-seeded Mountain Hawks, the Raiders took a 49-27 halftime lead behind 12 points from Cummins and cruised in the second half, leading by as many as 30.

McNeese State: 2023-24 Southland Men's Basketball Champions

 

LAKE CHARLES - McNeese State men's basketball defeated Nicholls State 92-76 to win the Southland Conference and finish the Southland tournament with a 30-3 season record in head coach Will Wade's first season.

The NCAA berth is the Cowboys first in 22 years and Wade's third different school to take to the post-season tournament.

McNeese finished 11-23 prior to hiring Wade, making their 19-win swing for the 2023-24 season tied with the biggest single-season turnaround in college basketball history.

Wade, formerly LSU's head coach, served a 10-game suspension to start the season due to infractions from his time at LSU.

Guard Shahada Wells led the Cowboys in scoring with 27 points, six assists and four rebounds. McNeese now looks forward to the NCAA tournament.

South Dakota State: 2023-24 Summit Men's Basketball Champions

 

A last-minute comeback for Denver was unsuccessful as SDSU beat Denver in the Summit League Championship 76-68.

In this battle, five South Dakota State basketball players scored at least ten points: Zeke Mayo (16 points), Luke Appel (16 points), William Kyle III (15 points), Kalen Garry (11 points) and Matt Mims (11 points).

“We got incredible players,” said head coach Eric Henderson. “I’m so proud of our guys and as an educator and a teacher, there is really nothing better than watching young people grow and believe in each other.”

In Mayo’s 16-point game, he shot 5-7 from three (5-9 on field goals), tying his season-high three-point makes. The guard from Kansas also added six rebounds and three assists to his resume.

Earning his fifth double-double of the season was Kyle III, adding 11 boards to his stat line, leading both teams. The sophomore’s performance this tournament earned him Summit League MVP of the tournament.

Off the bench, Garry added four assists and four rebounds to his 11 points. Five of his 11 came from the free throw line.

That kid [Garry] is a ‘dawg’,” stated Appel regarding Garry in the postgame press conference.

Overall, the Jacks shot 46.4% on total shots, 39.1% from three and 68.2% from the line. Mims, Garry and Kyle III all shot from the charity stripe six times a piece, with Mims hitting 100% percent of his free throws.

Throughout the game, South Dakota State led the entire time.

Mayo, Kyle III and Appel all made the Summit League All-Tournament team.

For Denver, it was Jaxo Brenchley who led the team in points with 20 on the night followed by Tommy Bruner with 17. Bruner joins Mayo, Kyle III and Appel on the All-Tournament team.

Deandre Craig led the Pioneers in assists with eight while Brenchley led the team in rebounds with nine, a board short of a double-double himself.

Denver’s late-stage comeback came from down 23 points with just 8:33 to go in the second half and the closest score was within five.

South Dakota State punched their ticket to the big dance and will find out their opponent for the first round of March Madness on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET.

Saint Mary's: 2023-24 West Coast Men's Basketball Champions

 

LAS VEGAS – It’s not a coincidence Gonzaga’s two lowest-scoring games of the season came against Saint Mary’s.

The Gaels rank second nationally in scoring defense (58.7 points per game), first in rebounding margin (11.9) and eighth in field-goal percentage defense (39.8%). All three were major factors in the Gaels’ 69-60 victory in Tuesday’s West Coast Conference Tournament championship game.

Gonzaga connected on 44.4% from the field, including 2 of 11 behind the 3-point arc. That’s well below GU’s season averages of 51.8% shooting and 35.7% on 3s.

Saint Mary’s owned the glass 39-22, including 12 offensive boards that led to an 11-4 advantage in second-chance points. A few of those extra possessions came at critical times in a close contest.

Saint Mary’s post Mitchell Saxen led the way with 15 rebounds, six at the offensive end. Graham Ike was limited to 20 minutes due to foul trouble and Gonzaga’s leading rebounder finished with just five boards.

“That could be it (stretches without Ike on the floor),” Zags forward Anton Watson said. “And (Mason) Forbes and Saxen are good rebounders, they kind of sit next to the hoop and they’re strong. I didn’t know Saxen had 15 rebounds.

“We got pounded on the glass.”

Saint Mary’s handed GU a 64-62 defeat at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Gonzaga won the rematch 70-57, thanks to a 44-point first half when it was able to get out in transition in the regular-season finale.

Ike, who came into the tournament riding a seven-game streak with at least 20 points, scored 20 points in two games.

“It was just incredibly physical in there,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. “You let Saxen be that physical, he’s tough to score on. It was a sumo wrestling match down there. If that’s the case he’s probably going to win. He’s the biggest and strongest of these guys.”

Ike made just 9 of 23 shot attempts in two tournament games. The Gaels’ approach was a little different than San Francisco’s.

“Maybe just a little bit more one-on-one,” Ike said. “They were bringing another guy, not like three guys (on Monday night). The paint was a little clogged. That’s all right, we’ll learn.”

Saint Mary’s limited the Zags to four fastbreak points. Nearly every possession came down to execution in the half court.

“It’s a different type of team,” GU point guard Ryan Nembhard said. “You don’t play a team like that too often.”

Asked if it’s tough to stay patient against the Gaels, Nembhard said, “Yeah, I think I took a couple of shots, some bad 3s. I have to go watch film and figure out what I need to do better.”

Marciulionis tourney MVP

Saint Mary’s dominated the all-tournament honors, much like it did with the regular-season awards.

Guard Augustas Marciulionis was named tournament MVP after averaging 13 points, seven assists and four rebounds in two victories.

He was joined on the all-tournament team by Gaels Aidan Mahaney and Saxen. Mahaney scored a game-high 23 points and made five 3-pointers in the championship game. Saxen added 19 points and 15 rebounds.

Gonzaga was represented by Watson and Nembhard. The two carried GU’s offense most of the night against the Gaels. Watson finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He posted 17 points and seven boards in the semifinal win over San Francisco. Nembhard had 13 points and 11 assists in the title game, one night after finishing with 16 points and 12 assists .

Charleston: 2023-24 Coastal Men's Basketball Champions

 

WASHINGTON -- Reyne Smith scored eight of his 23 points in overtime and finished with 6 3-pointers, and top-seeded Charleston beat No. 7 seed Stony Brook 82-79 on Tuesday night to claim the Coastal Athletic Association tournament and an NCAA bid for a second straight season.

Smith poked it away from Tyler Stephenson-Moore near the 3-point arc and sank a 3-pointer at the other end to extend Charleston's lead to 78-73 midway through overtime. But that was Charleston's final field goal of the game, and Ante Brzovic only made one free throw in two trips to the line to keep Stony Brook in it.

After Aaron Clarke made a quick 3-pointer for Stony Brook with 3.9 seconds left, Smith sank 1 of 2 free throws for a three-point lead. Dean Noll grabbed the defensive rebound and launched a three-quarter-length shot that almost banked in at the buzzer.

Charleston (27-7) became the first team to win back-to-back CAA tournament championships since UNC Wilmington in 2016 and 2017.

Ben Burnham added 14 points, Brzovic and Frankie Policelli had 12 each and Kobe Rodgers 10 for Charleston.

Stephenson-Moore, who scored 23 points in the semifinals, finished with 26 points and seven 3-pointers for Stony Brook (20-15). Clarke, Stony Brook's second-leading scorer at 14 points per game, did not score until the 5:14 mark of the second half and finished with 11.

Charleston opened the second half on a 14-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer by CJ Fulton, for a 49-42 lead. The Cougars led 73-64 with 5:01 remaining in the second half but did not score again until overtime.

Stony Brook made five-straight shots to tie it at 73-all with 2:12 left in regulation on Clarke's layup. The Seawolves had two chances in the final 30 seconds, following an offensive rebound, but Clarke had it stolen by Smith and Charleston's shot at the buzzer didn't come close as time expired.

Stony Brook was appearing in its sixth conference tournament final at the Division I level, and its first since winning the America East Championship in 2016 behind 43 points from Jameel Warney.

The Seawolves were the first No. 7 seed to advance to the CAA tournament final since East Carolina in 1993.

Oakland: 2023-24 Horizon Men's Basketball Champions

 

Indianapolis — Oakland's waited a long time for this moment.

And when the final seconds ticked off the clock, Trey Townsend clutching the ball and his teammates starting to dance around him, it was even sweeter than Oakland coach Greg Kampe remembered.

Kampe's known for his talking, not so much for his crying. But he was in tears late Tuesday night, as his Golden Grizzlies earned a trip back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011.

Oakland beat Milwaukee, 83-76 in a thriller of a Horizon League championship game before a small but raucous crowd that was decidedly pro-Oakland at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Oakland will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent and destination on Selection Sunday.

"My whole focus for the whole year was to get here and get these kids here," Kampe said as the celebration continued at center court behind him, the players wasting little time to change into their championship T-shirts and hats.

"I haven't been to sleep since we got here. I've probably gone through 12 5-Hour Energies, maybe I'm a little bit jacked up on caffeine right now because of that. But it just hit me. When the confetti came down, it hit me, man.

"I just can't tell you," Kampe continued, as he began to choke up, "how happy I am."

Townsend, the Horizon League player or the year, had the best game of his career, pouring in a career-best 38 points to go with 11 rebounds — and he flat-out put the team on his back in the second half, when his teammates needed him the most.

Townsend scored almost all of Oakland's points in the final 10 minutes of the game, perhaps none bigger than a bucket-and-one with 4 minutes, 43 seconds left. The bucket, set up on the other end by a strip and steal by senior guard Blake Lampman, made it 65-64, and Townsend let out a roaring scream when the ball went in, bringing the bench to its feet.

He made the free throw to make it 66-64.

A bucket by Milwaukee's Kentrell Pullian on the other end tied it up, but Townsend answered right back with a floater, taking advantage of rare single-coverage.

B.J. Freeman made a 3 from the corner, bouncing high off the rim and in, to tie it at 70, but there was Townsend again, with an answer, on a jump hook to make it 72-70. He then had a steal on the other end, came down, put up a missed shot, got his own rebound and put up another — and Milwaukee was called for goaltending. That made it 74-70.

When Townsend finally did miss a bucket, there was fellow senior forward Chris Conway there with the putback to make it 76-72 with 1:20 left, and it was, finally, smooth sailing from there.

Townsend got a block on the last defensive possession, scooping up the ball and cradling it as the Oakland bench and crowd began to celebrate the program's first Horizon League championship.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Townsend said, a piece of the cut-down nets draped around his neck.

Foul trouble for Milwaukee big man Faizon Fields, who eventually fouled out, certainly helped.

"I just kept going to what was working, and it worked out. It just happened to be my day today. It feels amazing."

Oakland (23-11) won the Horizon League regular-season championship for the first time, but the goal all along was to get to the NCAA Tournament. Kampe frankly said anything less and the season would be considered a "failure."

That was the goal even though Oakland, in the preseason poll, was picked to finish sixth. It didn't take long into the season, as Oakland went toe-to-toe with several Big Ten powerhouses and then won at Xavier, that the preseason projects were short.

Oakland is heading to the Division I NCAA Tournament for the fourth time (2005, 2010, 2011), but the first time since joining the Horizon League in 2014. The Golden Grizzlies won three thrillers, against Purdue Fort Wayne, Cleveland State and Milwaukee, to do it.

Oakland beat Milwaukee (20-15) for the third time this season, and all three games were super tight.

"You look at who we beat," said Lampman, who had 12 points, five rebounds, four blocks and two steals. "We're resilient. Resilient. Then we gave it to our guy, Trey T. He was unbelievable."

Townsend was named tournament MVP, and was serenaded with "M-V-P" chants from teammates as he cut down his own piece of the net, his parents, former Oakland basketball players Skip and Nicole looking on and smiling.

Senior guard Jack Gohlke, who also made the all-tournament team, added 15 points, all on 3's, and two steals for Oakland, and Conway had 10 rebounds and three blocks — playing a huge presence on defense throughout the Horizon League tournament.

For Milwaukee, Erik Pratt had 16 points, Pulian had 15 and Freeman had 14.

Oakland, which led, 37-33, at halftime, becomes the first mid-major team from Michigan to make the men's NCAA Tournament since Western Michigan in 2014. It's the first team from Michigan to clinch a berth this year; Michigan State should join Oakland on Sunday. Oakland figures to be a 13 or 14 seed.

"Dream come true," said Gohlke, "that's what you play the game for."

The Horizon League has been a source of many headaches over the years for Oakland, including for this senior class, which lost to Cleveland State in the 2021 championship game. But on Tuesday night, the demons finally were exorcised, despite Oakland playing short-handed again, without senior guard Rocket Watts and sophomore forward Isaiah Jones, both out with ankle injuries.

Watts, who played in the NCAA Tournament for Michigan State in 2021, still was right there in the middle of the celebration, holding the Horizon League championship trophy.

Also in the celebration was Oakland athletic director Steve Waterfield and president Ora Hirsch Pescovitz, who humorously took pleas from Oakland students who made the trip — Oakland bussed in about 50 students for the championship game — to cancel classes on Wednesday.

"If you could've been on the stage and seen the tears on these kids' faces and how happy they are, they just love each other," Kampe, in his 40th season at Oakland, said, shaking as he spoke.

"You have no clue how hard it is to do what we just did. We went about our business, and look where we are.

"I'm speechless, and you know for me to be speechless, that's special."

Wagner: 2023-24 Northeast Men's Basketball Champions

 

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (AP) — Tahron Allen scored 22 points and No. 6 seed Wagner allowed only four points in the final eight minutes of a 54-47 victory over top-seeded Merrimack on Tuesday night in the championship game of the Northeast Conference Tournament.

The Seahawks advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.

After losing four of five to finish the regular season, Wagner defeated Central Connecticut in the semifinals and Merrimack in the championship game. The Blue Devils and Warriors tied for first place in the conference, with Merrimack landing the top seed in the tournament.

After winning last season's conference tournament in their last season of transition to Division I, the Warriors were looking to repeat and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Still, they trailed by 11 points on their home floor after Allen hit a 3-pointer for a 41-30 lead with less than 13 minutes remaining.

The Warriors responded with 13 consecutive points, Bryan Etumnu's 3-pointer giving them a 43-41 lead with about eight minutes left in the game.

Three minutes later, Javier Ezquerra and Melvin Council Jr. hit back-to-back jumpers and Wagner led 46-43. Allen scored to give the Seahawks a five-point lead and he added two free throws with 70 seconds left to make it 51-45.

The Warriors launched three 3-pointers on their next possession and missed them all, before Jordan McKoy was fouled and made both free throws with 25 seconds left. Merrimack fouled Javier Ezquerra and he made two free throws for a 53-47 lead at 21 seconds. Devon Savage missed another 3-pointer for Merrimack and the game was out of reach.

Savage had 16 points and McKoy 11 for Merrimack (21-12).

Council had 12 points and Keyontae Lewis grabbed 12 rebounds for Wagner (16-15).

Wagner, eighth nationally allowing 62.6 points per game, shut down Merrimack on the perimeter. The Warriors made only 10 of 38 3-pointers and shot 30% overall. The Seahawks hit 45% of their shots.

Wagner matched the Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers of 1999 as the only teams seeded sixth or worse to win the NEC Tournament.

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Samford: 2023-24 Southern Men's Basketball Champions

 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – The Samford men's basketball team earned its first-ever Southern Conference Tournament title with a hard-fought 76-69 win over ETSU in the championship game Monday evening at Harrah's Cherokee Center.

 

"I'm so happy for this team, I'm so happy for Samford University," Samford head coach Bucky McMillan said. "I remember sitting in here our first year and playing as a 10 seed, we won six games and at the end of the year we lost by 35 or 40 points to Mercer. I remember we had to recruit players for my first recruiting class, and we had to convince them that we could win this league. I said in the press conference that we would win this league and win this tournament, and we did."

 

With the win, Samford earns its first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2000. The Bulldogs now have a record of 29-5, the most wins in program history. ETSU ends its season with a mark of 19-16.

 

"It's so difficult to do something like this, to win a SoCon championship, but do you know how surreal it has to be for players to be the first to do it," McMillan said. "These are the first guys to win a SoCon championship for our university, and that's so hard to do. I'm so proud to do it with this group. I told someone today that I've never wanted a team to win a championship more than this team. In a day and age where there is a lot of 'me' going on, we had so many upperclassmen come in and buy in to roles that would equal winning, so I'm just so happy for these guys and so happy for our university."

 

Samford was led in the win by Achor Achor, who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, with 25 points and nine rebounds. Jermaine Marshall, a first-team All-Tournament honoree, had 23 points and eight rebounds. Jaden Campbell added 11 points and five rebounds for the Bulldogs. Rylan Jones was named second team All-Tournament, and he had six points and four assists.

 

For ETSU, Ebby Asomoah led the way with 18 points, while Quimari Peterson tallied 17 points. Jaden Seymour led all rebounders with 11, to go along with his seven points.

 

Samford jumped out to an early 11-2 lead at the 17:30 mark of the first half following a layup by Achor. ETSU answered with a 14-4 run of its own to take a 16-15 lead with 13:42 left in the first half after a three-point play by Asamoah. With ETSU leading, 19-16, Samford scored five-straight points to take a 21-19 lead with 12:04 left in the opening half after a three-point play by Achor.

 

The Bulldogs opened up a five-point lead at 34-29 with 6:25 left in the first half after a three-pointer by Marshall. ETSU fought back to take a 36-35 lead with 3:46 to go before halftime after a free throw by Karon Boyd. The Bulldogs came back to take a 40-36 lead late in the half, and Samford took a 40-38 lead into the locker room at halftime.

 

Samford opened up a nine-point lead at 52-43 with 15:30 left after a three-pointer by Campbell. The Bucs cut the lead to five points at 58-53 at the 11:07 mark in the second half after a three-pointer by Asamoah.

 

ETSU closed to within four points at 60-56 with 9:27 to go after a layup by Peterson. The Bucs cut the lead to one point at 63-62 with 7:04 left after a jumper by Seymour. Samford stretched the lead back out to seven points at 73-66 with 1:00 remaining after a pair of free throws by Marshall. ETSU could get no closer than five points the rest of the way as Samford came away with the 76-69 win.

 

Samford will learn its opponent and location for the first round of the NCAA Tournament at the NCAA Tournament Selection Show next Sunday, March 17. Details for a Selection Show Watch Party will be released later this week.

James Madison: 2024 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Champions

 

The old adage of "a tale of two halves" in a basketball game usually carries some sort of conotation.

That saying implies a team might've had a rough first half, finding itself down and out. Then, said team comes back to life in the second frame, erasing any deficit, and is victorious against its opponent.

But for the James Madison University men's basketball team, only one thing is certain: the Dukes were never going to lose that game. Though, it still was two different halves for James Madison, showing off some of its star-studded talent as well as a deep bench.

The Dukes ran by Arkansas State, 91-71, in the Sun Belt Men's Basketball Championship on Monday at the Pensacola Bay Center, punching James Madison's automatic ticket to the NCAA Tournament. James Madison will learn its seed and opponent come Sunday during the Selection Show.

"When I took over the job, I didn’t know when, where or at what point. But I knew we were going to get it. It takes a special group like this to finish the deal," James Madison head coach Mark Byington said. "Just a great tournament. I’m more excited to take these guys to the next one. We don’t have to wait until Selection Sunday to see if we’re in. We know we’re in. And we’re dancing.”

The first half saw James Madison's Xavier Brown take over the game. He scored 21 of the Dukes' 42 first-half points, and Arkansas State still was hanging around a bit. James Madison took a 10-point lead into halftime.

A 3-pointer from Noah Freidel followed by a jump shot from Terrence Edwards seemed to throw Arkansas State out of rhythm. That's when the Dukes pounced, going on small bursts to coast to victory.

It was in the second frame where James Madison's depth came alive, and several players contributed.

"I thought we were playing basketball the right way. We were finding the guy who was hot in the first half. The second half, we had more assists. Noah made a shot in the second half and got us going," Byington said. "We started rolling after that. If you would’ve heard our guys in the huddle, it was a player-led team today. Their voices were strong and positive with belief in each other. There was no way we were going to let this game get away tonight. There was absolutely no way possible. We were going to win, no matter what.”

James Madison is now riding a 13-game win streak into the NCAA Tournament. However, it's not the longest of their season. The Dukes started the year off with a 14-game win streak.

Either way, James Madison is heading to the national stage with some confidence, having not lost since a tight 82-76 loss to App State on Jan 27.

“I felt like people forgot about us. We were on an incredible win streak, and we weren’t fading. We were battling and everything else. I knew we would take care of business down here," Byington said. "This was their mission. They were solely focused on this tournament. It’s not like we were asking for respect. But you can stamp it on us now."

This story will be updated.

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.

Laval: 2023-24 U-Sports Canada Men's Basketball National Champions

 

The Laval Rouge et Or concluded an historical journey in historical fashion Sunday night, defeating the Queen’s Gaels 77-71 to capture its first gold medal in the program’s history in the final of the 2024 GreenShield U SPORTS Final 8 Men’s Basketball Championship, presented by Michelob Ultra Sunday night in front of an ecstatic home crowd at the Laval University PEPS in Quebec City.

Qualified as the tournament’s hosts, the Rouge et Or consecutively took care of the Victoria Vikes (first seed), the Dalhousie Tigers (fourth seed) and the Queen’s Gaels (second seed).

With the win the Rouge et Or becomes the first French-language university and only the third RSEQ team to capture the national banner.

Back to the game. Energized by a very engaged crowd of 3,200 fans, the Rouge et Or quickly set the tone to the title match with a 16-points run to transform an 8-5 deficit into a 21-8 lead. The OUA champions still haven’t said their last word. Methodically, the Gaels climbed back into contention and jumped seven points ahead with 17 minutes to go in the game.

As they typically did since the beginning of that tournament, the Rouge et Or did not throw the towel. Steeve Joseph and Ismaël Diouf, who was the player of the game, enabled the local favourites to come from behind and write their own chapter of Canadian university basketball history.

Diouf concluded the final with outstanding 26 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in 37 minutes of play. Joseph added 24 points and six assists.

For the Gaels, the U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year Luka Syllas (23) was the only Gaels scoring over 20 points. Playing their first national final in program history, the Gaels will return to Kingston with a silver medal.

Tournament MVP : Ismaël Diouf (Laval)

Players of the Game: Ismaël Diouf (Laval) and Cole Syllas (Queen’s)

2024 U SPORTS Men’s Basketball Final 8 All-Star Team:

Shawn Maranan (Winnipeg)

Diego Maffia (Victoria)

Malcolm Christie (Dalhousie)

Cole Syllas (Queen’s)

Ismaël Diouf (Laval)

United States: 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup Champions

 

SAN DIEGO (March 10, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s National Team won the inaugural Concacaf W Gold Cup with a 1-0 win against Brazil in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 31,528 fans on a beautiful night in San Diego. A goal from team captain Lindsey Horan in the dying moments of the first half was enough to clinch the victory and for the U.S. to claim its 15th all-time title at a Concacaf championship tournament.

The crowd was the largest ever for a Concacaf women’s event hosted in the United States. The USA finished the tournament with 15 goals as forward Jadeyn Shaw scored four times in the tournament while Horan had three.

Shaw earned the Golden Ball as the best player of the tournament and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher earned the Golden Glove as the best goalkeeper. Naeher earned four shutouts in her five starts and etched her place in USWNT history with a stellar three-save performance in the penalty shootout against Canada in the semifinal. The USA also earned the tournament’s Fair Play award.

The first half was a tight and physical contest, but the USA did well to stay organized on defense despite some heavy challenges as the teams combined for 12 fouls before the break. The Americans came close to opening the scoring on a few occasions while also doing well to create opportunities on counter attacks. The USA finally created a goal in first half stoppage time when Horan finished off a long cross from Fox that came deep from the right flank. Horan rose above her defender and sent a perfect header across the frame into the right corner, marking her third goal of the tournament and her first from open play after previously burying two from the penalty spot.

Inspired by the late goal, the USA came out strong in the second half, connecting well with quick passes and threatening Brazil down the wings with speed. On the defensive end, the U.S. put on a masterclass – led by center backs Naomi Girma and Tierna Davidson, neither of whom put a foot wrong all night – to deny Brazil any shots on goal despite the South Americans taking 11 total shots, while Crystal Dunn and Emily Fox did well to limit any forwards getting behind them on the flanks.

The Americans nearly doubled their lead in the 79th minute after winning a ball from Brazil in the defensive third which led to Lynn Williams getting in behind the defense. The halftime sub beat the goalkeeper with good finish, but her goal was correctly waved off for offside.

Brazil fought until the end and strung together a few dangerous chances toward the final moments, especially on set plays, but the USA held strong – including a goal line clearance from defender Casey Krueger – to earn the victory.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN:

USA – Lindsey Horan (Emily Fox), 45+1 minute: Trinity Rodman received the ball on the right wing and dribbled all the way to the end line, inviting pressure from two defenders before finding Fox open behind her. Fox sent a cross toward the far post where Horan rose to finish with a header into the right side netting from six yards out. USA 1, BRA 0

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Emily Fox’s assist to set up Horan’s goal was her first of 2024 and third in her career.

Horan's four goal contributions (3 goals, 1 assist) tied with Jaedyn Shaw (4 goals) for the most on the team this tournament.

Horan has now been directly involved in a goal in 4 of her 5 appearances for the USA in competitive finals. She scored in the final of 2016 Olympic qualifying vs. Canada, had an assist in the final of 2018 World Cup Qualifying vs CAN, scored in the final of 2020 Olympic Qualifying vs. Canada and now scored in the Concacaf W Gold Cup Final.

At 20 years and 149 days of age, Korbin Albert became the youngest player to start a competitive final for the USA since Mallory Swanson (formerly Pugh) started the final of Olympic qualifying in 2016 at age 17.

The match was the fourth matchup between the USWNT and Brazil in a final, with the USA winning each of them by a one goal margin.

The USA and Brazil have played 39 times total with the U.S. leading the overall series 32W-5D-3L. The USA has won each of its last six games against Brazil, though nine of the last 10 games between the teams have been decided by two goals or fewer.

Jaedyn Shaw has now won the Golden Ball in both Concacaf tournaments in which she has participated. She previously earned the honor at the U-15 level in 2018.

- U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: U.S. Women’s National Team vs. Brazil

Date: March 10, 2024

Competition: Concacaf W Gold Cup – Final

Venue: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego, Calif.

Attendance: 31,528

Kickoff: 5:15 p.m. PT (8:15 p.m. ET)

Weather: 65 degrees, partly cloudy

Scoring Summary:    1             2             F

USA                               1             0             1

BRA                              0             0             0

USA – Lindsey Horan (Emily Fox)       45+1 minute

Lineups:

USA: 1-Alyssa Naeher; 23-Emily Fox, 12-Tierna Davidson, 4-Naomi Girma, 19-Crystal Dunn (20-Casey Krueger, 86); 17-Sam Coffey (8-Jaedyn Shaw, 71), 15-Korbin Albert, 10-Lindsey Horan (Capt.), 22-Trinity Rodman (9-Midge Purce, 71), 7-Alex Morgan (11-Sophia Smith, 59), 16-Rose Lavelle (6-Lynn Williams, 46)

Substitutes not used: 18-Casey Murphy, 21-Jane Campbell, 2-Abby Dahlkemper, 3-Jenna Nighswonger , 5-Becky Sauerbrunn, 13-Olivia Moultrie, 14-Emily Sonnett

Head Coach: Twila Kilgore

BRA: 1-Luciana; 2-Antonia, 3-Tarciane, 5-Thaís; 11-Adriana, 21-Duda Santos (16-Yaya, 57), 20-Duda (15-Julia Bianchi, 80), 6-Yasmim; 18-G. Portilho, 9-Gabi Nunes (19-Geyse, 65), 10-Bia Zaneratto (Capt.) (7-Debinha, 80)

Substitutes not used: 12-Barbieri, 22-Amanda, 4-Rafaelle, 8-Ary Borges, 13-Beatriz Ferreira, 14-Lauren, 17-Aline Milene de Lima, 23-Aline Gomes

Head Coach: Arthur Ribas

Stats Summary: USA / BRA

Shots: 7 / 11

Shots on Goal: 3 / 0

Saves: 0 / 2

Corner Kicks: 4 / 3

Fouls: 15 / 8

Offside: 2 / 3

Misconduct Summary:

USA – Alex Morgan (Caution)                55th minute

Officials:

Referee: Melissa Borjas (HON)

Assistant Referee 1: Shirley Perello (HON)

Assistant Referee 2: Lourdes Noriega (HON)

4th Official: Odette Hamilton (JAM)

VAR: Tatiana Guzman (NCA)

AVAR1: Daneon Parchment (JAM)

Michelob Ultra Woman of the Match: Lindsey Horan

96th Academy Awards: The List.

 

Best Picture

Oppenheimer – Emma Thomas, Charles Roven, and Christopher Nolan, producers ‡

American Fiction – Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson, and Jermaine Johnson, producers

Anatomy of a Fall – Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, producers

Barbie – David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley, and Robbie Brenner, producers

The Holdovers – Mark Johnson, producer

Killers of the Flower Moon – Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese, and Daniel Lupi, producers

Maestro – Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning, and Kristie Macosko Krieger, producers

Past Lives – David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon, and Pamela Koffler, producers

Poor Things – Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Emma Stone, producers

The Zone of Interest – James Wilson, producer

Best Director

Christopher Nolan – Oppenheimer ‡

Justine Triet – Anatomy of a Fall

Martin Scorsese – Killers of the Flower Moon

Yorgos Lanthimos – Poor Things

Jonathan Glazer – The Zone of Interest

Best Actor

Cillian Murphy – Oppenheimer as J. Robert Oppenheimer ‡

Bradley Cooper – Maestro as Leonard Bernstein

Colman Domingo – Rustin as Bayard Rustin

Paul Giamatti – The Holdovers as Paul Hunham

Jeffrey Wright – American Fiction as Thelonious "Monk" Ellison

Best Actress

Emma Stone – Poor Things as Bella Baxter ‡

Annette Bening – Nyad as Diana Nyad

Lily Gladstone – Killers of the Flower Moon as Mollie Burkhart

Sandra Hüller – Anatomy of a Fall as Sandra Voyter

Carey Mulligan – Maestro as Felicia Montealegre

Best Supporting Actor

Robert Downey Jr. – Oppenheimer as Lewis Strauss ‡

Sterling K. Brown – American Fiction as Clifford "Cliff" Ellison

Robert De Niro – Killers of the Flower Moon as William King Hale

Ryan Gosling – Barbie as Ken

Mark Ruffalo – Poor Things as Duncan Wedderburn

Best Supporting Actress

Da'Vine Joy Randolph – The Holdovers as Mary Lamb ‡

Emily Blunt – Oppenheimer as Kitty Oppenheimer

Danielle Brooks – The Color Purple as Sofia

America Ferrera – Barbie as Gloria

Jodie Foster – Nyad as Bonnie Stoll

Best Original Screenplay

Anatomy of a Fall – Justine Triet and Arthur Harari ‡

The Holdovers – David Hemingson

Maestro – Bradley Cooper and Josh Singer

May December – Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik

Past Lives – Celine Song

Best Adapted Screenplay

American Fiction – Cord Jefferson; based on the novel Erasure by Percival Everett ‡

Barbie – Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach; based on characters created by Ruth Handler

Oppenheimer – Christopher Nolan; based on the biography American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Poor Things – Tony McNamara; based on the novel by Alasdair Gray

The Zone of Interest – Jonathan Glazer; based on the novel by Martin Amis

Best Animated Feature

The Boy and the Heron – Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki ‡

Elemental – Peter Sohn and Denise Ream

Nimona – Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan, and Julie Zackary

Robot Dreams – Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé, and Sandra Tapia Díaz

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, and Amy Pascal

Best International Feature Film

The Zone of Interest (United Kingdom) – directed by Jonathan Glazer ‡

Io capitano (Italy) – directed by Matteo Garrone

Perfect Days (Japan) – directed by Wim Wenders

Society of the Snow (Spain) – directed by J. A. Bayona

The Teachers' Lounge (Germany) – directed by İlker Çatak

Best Documentary Feature Film

20 Days in Mariupol – Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner, and Raney Aronson-Rath ‡

Bobi Wine: The People's President – Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp, and John Battsek

The Eternal Memory – Maite Alberdi

Four Daughters – Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha

To Kill a Tiger – Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe, and David Oppenheim

Best Documentary Short Film

The Last Repair Shop – Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers ‡

The ABCs of Book Banning – Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic

The Barber of Little Rock – John Hoffman and Christine Turner

Island in Between – S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien

Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó – Sean Wang and Sam Davis

Best Live Action Short Film

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar – Wes Anderson and Steven Rales ‡

The After – Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham

Invincible – Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron

Knight of Fortune – Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk

Red, White and Blue – Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane

Best Animated Short Film

War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko – Dave Mullins and Brad Booker ‡

Letter to a Pig – Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter

Ninety-Five Senses – Jared and Jerusha Hess

Our Uniform – Yegane Moghaddam

Pachyderme – Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius

Best Original Score

Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson ‡

American Fiction – Laura Karpman

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny – John Williams

Killers of the Flower Moon – Robbie Robertson (posthumous nomination)

Poor Things – Jerskin Fendrix

Best Original Song

"What Was I Made For?" from Barbie – Music and lyrics by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell ‡

"The Fire Inside" from Flamin' Hot – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

"I'm Just Ken" from Barbie – Music and lyrics by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt

"It Never Went Away" from American Symphony – Music and lyrics by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson

"Wahzhazhe (A Song for My People)" from Killers of the Flower Moon – Music and lyrics by Scott George

Best Sound

The Zone of Interest – Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn ‡

The Creator – Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic

Maestro – Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich, and Dean Zupancic

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon, and Mark Taylor

Oppenheimer – Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo, and Kevin O'Connell

Best Production Design

Poor Things – Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek ‡

Barbie – Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer

Killers of the Flower Moon – Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis

Napoleon – Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff

Oppenheimer – Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman

Best Cinematography

Oppenheimer – Hoyte van Hoytema ‡

El Conde – Edward Lachman

Killers of the Flower Moon – Rodrigo Prieto

Maestro – Matthew Libatique

Poor Things – Robbie Ryan

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Poor Things – Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier, and Josh Weston ‡

Golda – Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby, and Ashra Kelly-Blue

Maestro – Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou, and Lori McCoy-Bell

Oppenheimer – Luisa Abel

Society of the Snow – Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí, and Montse Ribé

Best Costume Design

Poor Things – Holly Waddington ‡

Barbie – Jacqueline Durran

Killers of the Flower Moon – Jacqueline West

Napoleon – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Oppenheimer – Ellen Mirojnick

Best Film Editing

Oppenheimer – Jennifer Lame ‡

Anatomy of a Fall – Laurent Sénéchal

The Holdovers – Kevin Tent

Killers of the Flower Moon – Thelma Schoonmaker

Poor Things – Yorgos Mavropsaridis

Best Visual Effects

Godzilla Minus One – Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi, and Tatsuji Nojima ‡

The Creator – Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts, and Neil Corbould

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 – Stéphane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams, and Theo Bialek

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One – Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland, and Neil Corbould

Napoleon – Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco, and Neil Corbould

Stetson: 2023-24 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Champions

 

DELAND — DeLand is a basketball town. At least for the time being.

ASUN Conference leading scorer Jalen Blackmon erupted for 43 points, 34 of which came in the second half, and the Hatters hit just enough free throws down the stretch to preserve a 94-91 win over Austin Peay in the ASUN Championship game on Sunday afternoon in the Edmunds Center.

With the win, Stetson earned its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in school history and will await its first-round matchup next Sunday in the NCAA Selection Show.

Stetson trailed by as many as 10 in the first half but Blackmon caught fire in the second, scoring 16 straight Hatter points to keep Stetson afloat and hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 30 seconds to preserve the win. A last-ditch heave from the hash for the Governors went begging as the horn sounded and a near-capacity crowd exploded, rushing the court to celebrate.

Aubin Gateretse and Stephan Swenson each had 13 points for Stetson with Alec Ogleby adding 10. Sai Witt led Austin Peay with 28 points to go with 10 rebounds. Dezi Jones (17), Demarcus Sharp (16), Isaac Haney (13) and Ja'Monta Black (11) each hit double figures for the Governors as well.

Drake: 2023-24 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Atin Wright went down on his knees and slapped the court with two hands, smiling at his Drake teammates while Tucker DeVries headed to the free-throw line, as the crowd chanted “M-V-P.”

Wright is a newcomer for the Bulldogs, drawn from his native California by the promise of winning. DeVries is the two-time Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, the son of Drake coach Darian DeVries.

Together – and with big plays by Darnell Brodie and Conor Enright – they helped land Drake back in the NCAA Tournament, holding off a late rally by Indiana State for an 84-80 victory Sunday in the Valley championship game at the Enterprise Center.

It was a second consecutive tournament triumph for the Bulldogs, who won’t have to sweat out a week of waiting to find out if they’re going to the Big Dance. They’re in. Again. For a third time in four years.

But it wasn’t easy. Indiana State trailed by double-digits for much of the game. But the Sycamores awoke late, with a 10-0 burst fueled by Isaiah Swope. He had eight points in that stretch, and scored all of his 19 after intermission. His four-point play gave Indiana State a 74-73 lead, its first since 2-0 in the opening minutes.

Drake was unfazed.

Brodie connected on a short hook shot. Enright fought through a screen to draw a foul on the defensive end, then calmly canned a 3-pointer to put Drake back ahead 79-76. Brodie made two free throws late, patiently waiting through a timeout for his opportunity, and DeVries made one to produce the final tally for the Bulldogs, who soon were swarming off of their bench to celebrate what they worked all winter to accomplish.

Drake (28-6), the second seed, was making its fourth consecutive appearance in the Valley title game, only the second school to ever do so (Tulsa, no longer a Valley member, was in six straight from 1982-87). The Bulldogs beat Bradley here a year ago to win this event for only the second time in school history (the first was in 2008).

Top-seeded Indiana State (28-6) last won this tournament in 2011, when they were coached by Iowa native Greg Lansing.

Sunday’s showdown was dazzling from the outset. The first media timeout didn’t come until 12:07 remained in the first half, as the Valley’s top two offensive teams set a frenzied pace early. All five Drake starters scored in the opening 5 minutes, including back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers by Enright, DeVries and Kevin Overton. When play was finally stopped by a deadball situation, Drake, the deeper team, led 21-13 and was able to sub in three fresh players.

Moments later, when Overton and DeVries both went to the bench with two early fouls, Wright took over, nailing a trio of 3-pointers to push Drake ahead 37-23 and prompt an Indiana State timeout. The Bulldogs connected on their first seven 3-point attempts.

Then it was Sycamores guard Ryan Conwell’s turn to assert himself, reeling off seven consecutive points to cut that deficit in half.

Drake pushed its lead to 45-32 at halftime, boosted by 15 points from Wright and 14 from DeVries, and a defensive effort that held the Sycamores scoreless over the final 4:24 of the half. It was Indiana State’s largest halftime deficit this season.

Drake got off to a strong start in the second half as well, making its first three field-goal attempts, two of them by DeVries, as the lead swelled to 53-37. But even that never felt comfortable against the Sycamores, who pushed Drake to the brink.

The Bulldogs didn’t blink. They’re champions again, with two nets and a trophy to show for it.

Longwood: 2023-24 Big South Men's Basketball Champions

 

HIGH POINT, N.C. – They never stopped believing. If they could just stick together, they could be the best team in the hugely talented Big South.

They did. They are.

And now they're headed back to March Madness – bringing Lancer Nation along for another thrilling ride to the Big Dance.

Michael Christmas scored 18 points, Szymon Zapala had 17, and Walyn Napper added 10 points and 11 assists to lead Longwood past UNC Asheville 85-59 Sunday in the Hercules Tire Big South Tournament championship game, advancing to the NCAA Division I Tournament for the second time in three years. Napper was named the Tournament MVP, and both Christmas and Zapala joined him as All-Tournament selections.

In three unforgettable days of basketball, the Lancers beat the No. 4, No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the tournament.

On Sunday, they dominated defending champion UNC Asheville, leaving zero doubt who was the Big South's best team when it mattered most.

 

"It means everything," Zapala said. "It's a dream come true for me, playing in a championship game, winning, and getting a chance to play in March Madness."

When it was over Lancers cut down the nets in the Qubein Center with students, Stampede band members, cheerleaders, faculty and staff, teary-eyed family and other glowing fans eager to celebrate after driving down to cheer in person for a team that that caught fire in the final weeks of the season.

They'll find out who they play in the NCAA Tournament in one week, on Selection Sunday.

"Just an amazing performance by the guys," said head coach Grif Aldrich. "Our effort was tremendous. We were extremely tough. Three games in three days….. The reality is these guys, I'm not sure they couldn't have played another 40 minutes the way they were playing. There was just a dog mentality across the board. I thought it was tremendous."

Two years ago, Longwood (21-13) made its first NCAA Tournament as the No. 1 seed in the Big South Tournament, following a 15-1 conference record. This time the journey was very different – but thrilling in a new way, a storyline even the most hopeful Lancer fans could hardly have imagined just a few short weeks ago.

This was a group that bonded early – on a preseason trip to Europe -- and stuck together through a tough stretch of mid-year setbacks that might have unraveled less connected teams. Just eight days ago, Longwood seemed likely to be relegated to a first-round play-in game in the conference tournament.

"The only people who didn't realize they were 6-10 in conference were the guys in our locker room," Aldrich said. "They knew they were a lot better. They believed throughout. Their confidence in themselves and each other has truly been remarkable."

In the final weeks of the season, they showed they could go toe-to-toe with anyone in a conference whose overall talent level has never been higher.

Then, in Sunday's title game, they did a lot more than go toe-to-toe.

They had to do it without a key contributor. Elijah Tucker, who played a critical role getting Longwood to Sunday, missed the final game with an injury.

"I talked to ET before the game, what he said was, 'go win the championship,'" Zapala said. "We all said before the game we had to do it for him. That was our mindset from the beginning."

No kidding. Christmas opened the scoring with a 3-pointer and a dunk, Johan Nziemi followed with six quick points as Longwood exploded out of the gates. The Lancers simply pounded away at the Bulldogs inside, extending the lead to 42-24 on Zapala's lay-in at the halftime buzzer.

It was the most complete half of basketball Lancer fans had seen in a long time – maybe ever – and Asheville never knew what hit them. Longwood dominated the boards, held two-time Big South Player of the Year Drew Pember to a single first-half field goal, and kept the Bulldogs off the free throw line until the final 37 seconds before intermission.

The second half was more of the same, as Longwood simply outmuscled, outhustled, outshot and outrebounded the Bulldogs, never letting them get within striking range – allowing players and fans to loudly savor the final two minutes, the game and title in hand.

Everyone contributed, picking up slack with Tucker's absence. Emmanuel Richards was ferocious on defense, and DA Houston – back after an eye injury that limited his minutes in the semi-finals – played with his usual relentlessness while helping Longwood break Asheville's press.

Even Trey Hicks, who made himself a team leader despite getting very little playing time due to injuries during his Longwood career, came off for a few minutes in the second half for the first time this season to spot a Lancers' frontcourt depleted by Tucker's absence. And to the delight of Longwood fans – and his parents in the stands – he scored the final points of the game on a dunk.

Napper, meanwhile, set a tournament championship game record with his 11 assists.

"Walyn Napper and DA have literally grabbed hold of this team and told them what they're going to do, how they're going to do it," Aldrich said. "The leadership you saw over the past couple of days has been phenomenal." Of Napper, he added:  "One of the great joys in coaching is getting to see people grow. I've never seen anybody grow as much. Even if we had lost in the tournament."

It was the cap of an eight-day run Lancer Nation will never forget. A week ago Saturday, Napper's last-second bucket sent Longwood past regular-season champion High Point in the season finale in Farmville, rocketing them up to a No. 5 seed.

On Thursday, they outworked No. 4 seed Winthrop in the second half to earn a 69-55 quarterfinal victory. And on Saturday, in a game Lancer fans will never forget, they rallied from 15 down in the second half to beat No. 1 seed High Point again – this time on their home court, stunning and silencing a raucous sell-out crowd.

In Sunday's championship game, a close-knit team showed this was no fluke. Longwood is the best team in the Big South.

It's hard to overstate just how far Longwood basketball had traveled.

Prior to the arrival of head coach Aldrich in 2018, Longwood had never finished better than eighth in the conference, had just one overall winning season in its Division I history – and none since joining the Big South. Under Aldrich they've now finished fifth or better in the regular season five straight seasons, and won 20 games or more three straight years – a first in program history at any level.

"I think we have really strived, President Reveley, Tim Hall our AD, we've really wanted to build a program, not just a team," Aldrich said. "This has been an institutional effort. This is extremely is rewarding I hope for a lot of people, not just the guys and women in the men's basketball department, but in a lot of departments where people have really worked hard to build this program."

There's still basketball to play.

#GoWood

Morehead State: 2023-24 Ohio Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Riley Minix scored 26 points and Drew Thelwell added 21, including 13 in the final 8-plus minutes, to help Morehead State blew a 17-point lead before the Eagles No. 1 seed Arkansas-Little Rock 69-55 Saturday night in the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

Third-seeded Morehead State (26-8), which played in the championship game for the third time in four seasons, set a program record for single-season wins and won its sixth OVC tourney. The Eagles will make their ninth NCAA Tournament appearance, their first since 2021.

Little Rock scored nine of the first 12 second-half points to take a 36-35 lead with 15:44 to play and Bradley Douglas hit a 3-pointer 2 minutes later that made it 39-all. Minix ripped off seven consecutive points to spark an 18-5 run that gave the Eagles a 57-44 lead with 6:59 remaining and UALR trailed the rest of the way.

Douglas led Arkansas-Little Rock (21-12) with 14 points, Robinson scored 13 and Jamir Chaplin 11.

UALR missed six consecutive shots and committed three turnovers during a 6-plus minute scoring drought in the first half as the Eagles went on a 17-0 run to take a 21-4 lead midway through the first half. The Trojans got right back in it with a 14-0 run of their own to trail 21-18.

Morehead State shot 50% (25 of 50) from the field while limiting the Trojans to 41% (23 of 56) shooting and outscoring UALR 10-2 from the free-throw line.

UALR won the lone regular season meeting between the teams, who finished tied with UT Martin atop the conference standings at 14-4.

Honkai Star Rail: Star Rail Misadventures, Day 18.

#HonkaiStarRail #Sparkle #FuXuan #Qingque #SilverWolf 

Lakewood Boys Soccer: "Nah, I'd Win."

It is a symbolic third place finish for Lakewood boys soccer in their division. They lose the sectional final to the No. 2 ranked team and the regional final to the No. 1 ranked team. That said, the Buffalo Bills may have competition in terms of teams qualifying for a final just to lose it. 

But look on the bright side, boys. You could be Millikan or Poly or Wilson right now. They are in the mindset of "It should have been us, not them!" in terms of your progress. It takes a lot of skill proficiency at the right time and skill issues at the wrong time to finish runners-up in not one, but TWO finals. 

Not a lot of teams can do that. Some who win their sectional final go on to be eliminated in the first round of regionals, like Animo Leadership...or Etiwanda. You will be surprised to know that Mater Dei, more known for their world-beating National Champion football team, also lost their regional final 2-0...at the hands of another San Diego based team called St. Augustine. Even more surprising...they were the No. 1 seed and St. Augustine...were No. 3.

So be proud, Lakewood boys soccer. You gave it the old Lancer try, and achieved something that the rest of the Moore League could only dream of achieving, maybe, not by choice, but by destiny...runner-up finishes in sectionals and state. You may not have won any major trophies anywhere, but to make it to the final game of the boys soccer season and be the ones to call time on the 2023-24 Long Beach winter prep sports season...Stand proud Lakewood, you are strong. 

Congratulations. Go Wood.

Don't Open This Video.

A Not So Free Trophy For Etiwanda!

#CIF #Vlog #PrepSoccer