Mount St. Mary's: 2024-25 Metro Atlantic Men's Basketball Champions

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. -- Dallas Hobbs scored 18 points and had seven assists, and sixth-seeded Mount. St. Mary's beat No. 4 seed Iona 63-49 on Saturday night to win its first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship title.

Mount St. Mary's took the lead for good about four minutes into the second half and then finished the game on a 20-8 run. Mount St. Mary's (22-12), which entered 2-7 against Iona, also won a program-best 22 games, besting its 21-8 mark during the 1995-96 season.

Mount St. Mary's trailed 26-25 at the break before leading 33-32 with 16:06 to play. The Mountaineers later stretched the advantage to eight points before the Gaels used a 9-3 surge to get within 43-41 with 8:24 left. Dola Adebayo and Hobbs hit consecutive 3s to cap a 12-2 run and the Mountaineers led 55-45 with 3:50 remaining.

Mount St. Mary's shot 12 of 24 from the floor and 6 of 9 from long range in the second half.

Adebayo finished with 15 points and Arlandus Keyes added 14 for the Mount. Hobbs and Keyes each finished with four the Mount's seven 3-pointers.

Dejour Reaves scored 19 points to lead Iona (17-17).

Mount St. Mary's is in its third season in the league after playing in the Northeast Conference from 1989-2022, where it went 6-1 in championship games.

St. John's: 2024-25 Big East Men's Basketball Champions

The last time St. John’s won the Big East Tournament, RJ Luis Jr. wasn’t born yet.

Neither were Zuby Ejiofor or Kadary Richmond.

Rick Pitino was coaching the Boston Celtics — a job he held before his stints with Louisville, Greece’s Panathinaikos, Iona and, finally, St. John’s.

But on Saturday night, that group further restored the resurgent Red Storm to glory.

Top-seeded St. John’s defeated second-seeded Creighton, 82-66, in the Big East Tournament championship game at Madison Square Garden, adding another achievement to one of the greatest seasons in school history.

No. 6 St. John’s (30-4) made 14 consecutive field goals during an incredible run to pull away in the second half, clinching its first Big East Tournament championship since 2000 and the fourth in school history.

Luis, the Big East Player of the Year, came up huge on the biggest stage, scoring 29 points — including 27 in the second half — to set a championship game record.

He was named the conference tournament’s Most Outstanding Player after averaging 20.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

Ejiofor added 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting, and Richmond finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

And once again, they did it in comeback fashion.

St. John’s fell behind, 10-2, as rim-protecting Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner, a four-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year, patrolled the paint.

The Johnnies repeatedly settled for — and missed — mid-range jumpers and 3-point attempts during an ugly first half in which they shot just 11-of-33 from the field.

Kalkbrenner’s presence proved particularly problematic early for Ejiofor, who, at 6-9, is four inches shorter than the 7-1 center. Ejiofor, who scored 33 points in Friday’s semifinal win over Marquette, went just 3-of-8 for seven points in the first half.

Luis had failed to pick up the slack to that point, managing only two points on 1-of-5 shooting in the first half. But the Johnnies’ hounding defense kept them in the game, and they trailed only 28-25 at the break.

And then St. John’s erupted.

Luis’ 3-pointer at the 14:26 mark of the second half knotted the score, 38-38, to tie the game for the first time since it was scoreless.

Ejiofor converted a three-point play two possessions later, marking the first of the Red Storm’s 14 consecutive makes.

Vince Iwuchukwu’s left-handed floater over Kalkbrenner on the next possession gave St. John’s its first lead, 43-41, with 11:55 to go.

And Luis capped that run without a miss by making a lay-up with 5:16 to go, putting the Red Storm up, 70-55.

Less than three minutes later, a sellout crowd decidedly in the Johnnies’ favor chanted “MVP” as Luis shot free throws. It was technically a neutral-site game, but with the win, St. John’s improved to 12-0 at the Garden.

St. John’s advanced to its first Big East Tournament title game in 25 years after cruising to a 78-57 victory over ninth-seeded Butler in Thursday’s quarterfinal round and then rallying from a 15-point deficit in Friday’s 79-63 semifinal win over Marquette.

With Saturday’s win, Pitino further delivered on the promise he made two years ago at his introductory press conference at the Garden, where he vowed St. John’s was “going to be back.”

It was a bold guarantee, even for a Hall of Fame coach with two national championships and seven Final Four appearances to his name.

But it took only two years for Pitino to turn St. John’s around.

The Johnnies went 27-4 in the regular season, including 18-2 in conference play, to claim their first outright Big East regular-season conference championship since 1985. Saturday clinched their first 30-win season since 1985-86.

After the regular season, Pitino suggested that winning the Big East Tournament could propel the Red Storm to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

On Sunday, St. John’s will find out its seed and its opponent to begin the Big Dance. It will be the Red Storm’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.

And then St. John’s will then get to work on ending another decades-long drought. It has not won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000.

Colorado State: 2024-25 Mountain West Men's Basketball Champions

 

LAS VEGAS -- Nique Clifford scored 24 points and No. 2 seed Colorado State made a Mountain West tournament-record 12 3s and beat fifth-seeded Boise State 69-56 on Saturday night for its first title since 2003.

Colorado State (25-9) will make its second straight NCAA tournament appearance on a 10-game win streak.

Boise State trailed by 10 points at the half and pulled to within five points during the first minute of the second. But Jaylen Crocker-Johnson hit consecutive 3-pointers during an 11-0 run and the Rams led 43-27. Clifford made the Rams' 12th 3-pointer with about 10 minutes left that stretched their lead to 60-36.

Ethan Moore scored a career-high 11 points and Bowen Born added nine for the Rams. Clifford and Born each made three 3s as the Rams shot 12 of 24 from distance.

Tyson Degenhart scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Boise State (24-9).

Colorado State took the lead for good about eight minutes in and led by as many as 17 points in the first half. Boise State used an 11-4 surge to cut the deficit to 32-22 at the break. Crocker-Johnson's layup gave the Rams their largest lead, 63-38, with 6:48 remaining.

Houston: 2024-25 Big 12 Men's Basketball Champions

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Houston had crowded onto the podium inside T-Mobile Center on Saturday night, and the second-ranked Cougars were beginning to celebrate their Big 12 tournament title, when Emanuel Sharp was handed a championship belt as the tourney MVP.

He raised it high above his head -- upside down.

It was just about the only obvious misstep that anyone from Houston made all week.

Milos Uzan poured in 25 points against Arizona in the finale, Sharp added 17 in another brilliant effort, and the Cougars turned up their trademark defense in the final minute to hold on for a 72-64 victory over the Big 12 newcomer.

Playing without injured big man J'Wan Roberts, the Cougars (30-4) took a 64-62 lead on Uzan's 3-pointer with five minutes to go, then suffocated the Wildcats (22-12) down the stretch to avenge a loss to Iowa State in last year's title game.

"We did a great job of staying together," said Sharp, who was joined by Uzan and Big 12 player of the year L.J. Cryer on the all-tournament team. "That's what coach has been preaching. And that's why I love this team."

Houston romped to the regular-season Big 12 title, winning 19 of 20 games in the expanded league. And it was just as dominant in three games in Kansas City, easily beating Colorado and No. 17 BYU before turning back red-hot Arizona for the trophy.

Houston almost certainly locked up a No. 1 seed on Selection Sunday and will probably begin its NCAA tournament in Wichita, Kansas.

"We never panic," Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. "A lot of people around us do, but thank god they're not coaches and players. We've been in these bunkers. We've been there when it's tough. We've learned to internalize and almost get independent of everything around us. We get in a bunker and believe in each other and get to work."

Houston (30-4) secured its fourth straight 30-win season, tying for the second-longest streak in Division I history, according to ESPN research. Gonzaga posted five straight 30-win seasons from 2016-21.

Caleb Love scored 19 points, Jaden Bradley added 14 and KJ Lewis finished with 11 for the Wildcats.

"It was a tough year. A tough conference. And for us to compete with the best of the best, you know, as far as conferences, I'm proud of my guys," Love said. "I'm just proud we made it this far, and we'll be ready for March Madness."

Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd had bristled after their quarterfinal win over No. 9 Texas Tech when it was suggested that the title tilt amounted to a showdown of styles: Arizona's high-scoring offense against Houston's dominant defense.

"We're not that bad on defense," Lloyd countered succinctly.

Turns out the Wildcats are quite good.

They harried and harassed Houston's guards wherever they went on the floor, twice holding the Cougars without a point for five-minute stretches in the first half. The result was a 33-28 lead in the locker room that felt just a little bit bigger.

Yet there is a reason that Houston is No. 1 nationally in defensive efficiency.

The Cougars were still trailing 40-37 when they clamped down on the Wildcats, turning defense into offense and outscoring them 19-6 over the next five minutes. By the time Uzan curled in a bucket with 11:40 to go, Houston had taken a 56-46 lead -- the largest of the entire game for either team.

Arizona gamely fought back to take a 62-61 lead, only for the relentless Cougars to regain the lead seconds later, when Uzan dropped his 3-pointer. He scored again on their ensuing possession, and Houston maintained its lead from there.

The result was its third conference tourney title in five years after the pair it won in the American Athletic Conference.

"Obviously they've had a great season, and a great couple of seasons, and Coach Sampson deserves a ton of credit. They got us twice this year," Lloyd said. "They won the conference by four or five. They won the conference tournament. At this moment they are the kings of the Big 12. I have nothing but respect for them."

Injury Update

Roberts, who sprained his right ankle in the quarterfinals, went through pregame warmups without the walking boot he wore a day earlier. But he had the boot back on as he watched from the bench in the hopes of playing in the NCAA tournament.

Norfolk State: 2024-25 Mid-Eastern Men's Basketball Champions

 

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Christian Ings scored 16 points, including the go-ahead free throw with eight seconds left, and top-seeded Norfolk State held off a wild rally by No. 2-seed South Carolina State for a 66-65 victory in the MEAC Tournament championship game on Saturday.

With the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Norfolk State will be making its third tournament appearance since 2021 and its fourth overall.

After Norfolk State led 61-51 near the two-minute mark, Wilson Dubinsky got hot and scored the next 12 points for South Carolina State. He began with a long two-pointer to get them within 64-59 with 57 seconds left.

After a timeout, South Carolina State came up with a steal and Dubinsky finished at the rim to make it 64-61. With 12 seconds left, Dubinsky cashed in on another steal to make it 65-63. Again, Norfolk State could not handle the Bulldogs’ pressure on the inbounds pass and a steal by Jayden Johnson led to the tying layup by Caleb McCarty with 10 seconds left.

McCarty, who apparently did not realize the game was tied, fouled Ings with eight seconds left. Ings made one free throw for the 66-65 lead and Johnson’s jumper with one second left was off the mark. A desperation tip by the Bulldogs was also off the mark.

Dubinsky made 8 of 11 shots, was 5 for 5 on 3-pointers, and finished with 24 points. Omar Croskey had 10 points. The Bulldogs (20-13) had won 11 straight games coming in.

Brian Moore Jr. scored 15 points for Norfolk State (24-10).

Dubinsky made three 3-pointers in the first half, leading the Bulldogs to a 34-25 halftime lead.

South Carolina State last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2003.

Bryant: 2024-25 America East Men's Basketball Champions

 

Bryant men’s basketball is headed to its second NCAA Tournament in school history after beating Maine, 77-59, in the America East Tournament championship game Saturday.

Maine was making a run for its first tournament appearance in history before being denied by the Bulldogs (23-11, 14-2), who amassed an 11-point halftime lead and held on for a double-digit win on their home court in Smithfield, R.I.

The Bulldogs’ only other NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2022, Bryant’s final season as a member of the Northeast Conference, when they beat Wagner in the conference tournament championship to punch their ticket.

Coach Phil Martelli Jr., named the America East coach of the year this season, was the Bulldogs’ associate head coach that year before being promoted to his current position in 2023.

Bryant now awaits its first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament. The 68-team field will be announced during the selection show on CBS starting at 6 p.m. Sunday.

Sophomore Barry Evans, named the America East newcomer of the year after transferring from St. Bonaventure, led the Bulldogs with 19 points and 7 rebounds. Conference player of the year Earl Timberlake scored 17 for Bryant, while Maine’s A.J. Lopez led the all scorers with 20 points.

Bryant entered halftime with its largest lead of the first half, heading into the locker room up 38-27. The Bulldogs extended the margin in the second half, leading by as many as 21.

Maine made a late push, cutting Bryant’s lead down to 13 with under six minutes remaining, but Bryant stayed hot to close out the blowout win.

The top-seeded Bulldogs beat UMBC, 85-74, in the first round before taking down Albany, 91-78, to earn a spot in the conference tournament final.

FFXIV/Zenless Zone Zero: I Am What I Am

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Montana: 2024-25 Big Sky Men's Basketball Champions

 

BOISE, Idaho -- Kai Johnson scored six of his 23 points late to help No. 2 seed Montana pull away and beat top-seeded Northern Colorado 91-83 in the Big Sky Championship title game on Wednesday night.

Montana lead by as many as 14 points early in the second half, but Northern Colorado later used an 18-9 surge to pull within 74-73 with 3:35 remaining. Johnson answered with a three-point play and a 3-pointer to stretch the Grizzlies' lead to 80-73 with 2:24 left. The Bears got within five points twice but didn't get closer.

Montana (25-9), which has won 14 of its last 15 games, collected its first NCAA tournament bid since 2019 and its 12th overall to extend its conference record. The Grizzlies also won their 51st Big Sky Tournament game, surpassing Weber State for the most in league history.

Brandon Whitney added 18 points for Montana, which shot 65% (30-of-46) overall and 24-of-28 (86%) from the free throw line. Joe Pridgen chipped in with 17 points and Malik Moore had 15.

Jaron Rillie scored 24 points and had six assists to lead Northern Colorado (25-9). Langston Reynolds added 18 points, Brock Wisne had 15 and Isaiah Hawthorne had 14.

Montana took the lead for good midway through the first half and led 48-39 at the break. Moore scored seven points during an 11-6 spurt to give the Grizzlies a 59-45 advantage with 16:22 to play.

Northern Colorado's last NCAA tournament appearance was in 2011.

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American: 2024-25 Patriot Men's Basketball Champions

The American University men’s basketball team (21-12) defeated the Colgate Raiders (14-19) 72-62 on March 9 in the Patriot League Tournament semifinal in Bender Arena.

This was an all-around strong team performance for the Eagles. Five different players scored in double-digits to lift American over the top.

After the Navy Midshipmen defeated No. 1 Bucknell 83-77, the No. 2 Eagles earned the right to host the championship game on March 12 at 7 p.m. Navy was the only team in the Patriot League to defeat the Eagles twice during the regular season.

The Eagles defeated Colgate, which has dominated the Patriot League for the last four years, for the third time this season. No team since the 2017-18 Bucknell Bison has beat Colgate three times in a season.

The Eagles got off to a slow start, going down 7-0 in the first two minutes. Graduate student forward Matt Rogers got the Eagles back on track with a quick layup to tighten the score down 7-2 with 18:03 remaining.

Senior guard Elijah Stephens followed that up by losing his defender for a nice open scoop layup to bring the score to 7-4 with 17:07 left to go in the half.

As the Eagles tried to cut into the Colgate lead, they displayed more intensity on defense. The Eagles forced a shot clock violation and two Colgate air balls in a row.  

Rogers then scored a mid-range pull up to take the Eagles’ first lead of the game, 13-12, with 8:58 remaining.

But the Eagles couldn’t create much separation on the scoreboard just yet and found themselves down 22-14 off an 8-0 Colgate scoring run with just under six minutes left.

Graduate student guard Lincoln Ball sparked the rally by getting a tip-in bucket. On the other side, sophomore forward Greg Jones got the steal and scored a 3-pointer. On the next possession, Jones hit another 3-pointer to cut the lead to 24-22 with 3:39 remaining.

With 43 seconds left in the half, Stephens scored a layup to tie the game up at 26-26, forcing Colgate to call a timeout. Coming out of the timeout, Colgate hit a 3-pointer to end the half leading 29-26.

Entering the second half, American took over and never looked back. Graduate student guard Colin Smalls kicked off the scoring by getting a steal and taking it downhill for a quick bucket. 

Stephens retook the lead for the Eagles, hitting back-to-back wide open 3-pointers. The score was 34-31 with 17:13 left to go.

With 13 minutes remaining, Jones drove through the lane and pushed through traffic for the bucket and the foul call to take 43-36 while the Eagles had all the momentum.

Sophomore forward Matt Mayock cashed in a transition shot from behind the arc to extend the  lead to 10, forcing Colgate to call a timeout. The Eagles led 48-38 with 11:58 to go.

With two minutes left, Smalls iced the game, hitting two huge 3-pointers down the stretch that sealed Colgate’s fate. His second 3-pointer gave the Eagles a 66-52 lead, their largest of the game.

The Eagles went on to win 72-62. Stephens led the team in scoring and assists, dropping 16 points and 4 assists. Rogers followed in scoring with 15 points, as well as 5 rebounds and 2 steals.

Though American’s students were on spring break, Bender was still rocking with a strong turnout of 1,908 people — the fourth largest crowd in Bender this season.

Eagles head coach Duane Simpkins appreciated the crowd and the community’s support.

“They want to see winners,” Simpkins said. “It’s cool to see that we’re getting people excited about coming out because we’re winning basketball games.”

Simpkins was also extremely proud of his team for beating such a successful program in the tournament.

“To be able to beat Colgate, a program that has been dominant for the past five or six years in route to our first championship in some time, is big time,” Simpkins said.

Rogers has matched up against Colgate All-Patriot League Second Team graduate center, Jeff Woodward, many times in his career, and shared his praise for one of his rivals after his final collegiate game.

“He’s a great player. He’s made me better. I’ve hopefully made him better,” Rogers said. “I respect him and I wish him the best going forward.”

Rogers, who had a bounce back game after only scoring 5 points against Lafayette on March 9, talked about the importance of creating smart shots in the offense.

“Just letting the game come to me, not forcing anything, not changing anything that I do and creating other shots for open guys. I’m not trying to be the guy that shoots 30 times in a game. I’m trying to get smart shots, get shots for everybody, even myself,” Rogers said.

Smalls is excited about the opportunity to play in a Patriot League Championship game against Navy on his home court. 

“Me and Matt, our first college game was actually against Navy at Navy. So for our last college game at Bender to be against Navy, and to be able to get a win for a Patriot League Championship, it feels amazing. It’s a super amazing opportunity,” Smalls said.

The Patriot League champion will be crowned following Wednesday’s game. The winner of the final will automatically advance to play in the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles have a chance to be in the tournament for the first time since 2014.

McNeese State: 2024-25 Southland Men's Basketball Champions

 

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Quadir Copeland scored 18 points and McNeese defeated Lamar 63-54 in a cold-shooting, defensive battle on Wednesday, giving the Cowboys back-to-back Southland Conference Tournament championships.

The top-seeded Cowboys (27-6) will be making their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cowboys led wire-to-wire. The lead was 31-22 with two minutes remaining in the first half before 3-pointers by second-seeded Lamar's Andrew Holifield and Alexis Marmolejos sparked an 8-2 run. McNeese led 33-30 at halftime.

The defensive battle continued in the second half as McNeese went 5-for-15 and Lamar 5 for 23 in the first 12-and-a-half minutes after halftime. McNeese led 47-41 at the under-8 timeout.

Sincere Parker made four free throws to help the Cowboys maintain their lead over the next several minutes and they finally got their next made field goal on a dunk by Christian Shumate to lead 53-46 with three minutes remaining. Shumate's dunk was the Cowboys' last field goal attempt and they finished off the win with a series of 10 made free throws.

Lamar made two field goals in the last seven minutes, both in the final 47 seconds. McNeese made one shot in the final seven minutes.

For the game, McNeese shot 42% and Lamar made 31%.

DJ Richards had 10 points for McNeese before fouling out with 1:42 remaining on a double technical with Lamar's Errol White, who also fouled out.

Marmolejos scored 18 points, Holifield 15 and Adam Hamilton 11 for Lamar.

Lamar has made seven trips to the NCAA Tournament, the last in 2012.

Robert Morris: 2024-25 Horizon Men's Basketball Champions

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Josh Omojafo scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, and Robert Morris beat Youngstown State 89-78 on Tuesday night to claim the Horizon League Tournament championship and clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Robert Morris (26-8) will make its ninth appearance in the NCAA Tournament, most recently in 2015 when the Colonials beat North Florida in the First Four before losing to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Duke in the first round.

Omojafo led all five RMU starters in double figures in the scoring column. Kam Woods scored 17 points, Alvaro Folgueiras had 14, Amarion Dickerson 13 and DJ Smith 11.

Robert Morris led the whole way.

Juwan Maxey scored 23 points and Nico Galette added 21 for Youngstown State (21-13).

Robert Morris built an 11-0 lead before the Penguins responded with a 14-6 spurt to get back in it. Maxey’s 3-pointer with 2:22 left before halftime reduced Youngstown State’s deficit to 30-29 and the Colonials led 34-29 at halftime.

Cris Carroll made a 3 to get Youngstown State again within two at 54-52 with 11:23 remaining, but Folgueiras countered with a 3 almost two minutes later and the Penguins never got closer.

Robert Morris created safe distance outscoring the Penguins 11-5 in a four-minute stretch in which Folgueiras, Ryan Prather Jr. and Omojafo each made 3s.

Folgueiras’ 3 with 2:33 left gave Robert Morris its largest lead at 78-65.

Youngstown State is 0-4 in conference tournament championships.

Saint Francis: 2024-25 Northeast Men's Basketball Champions

 

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. -- Daemar Kelly hit a go-ahead jumper with nine seconds left and Chris Moncrief made 1 of 2 free throws after he stole the ball to help St. Francis (Pa.) stun top-seeded Central Connecticut State 46-43 on Tuesday night to win the Northeastern Conference tournament championship.

It ended the nation's longest active win streak at 14 and earned the Red Flash their second trip to the NCAA tournament.

No. 3 seed St. Francis (16-17) had lost five in a row to the Blue Devils (25-7), including twice this season by a combined 31 points. The Red Flash won their only other conference tournament in 1991. The fourth time was the charm for head coach Rob Krimmel, who lost in three previous trips to the title game in 2017, '19 and '20.

St. Francis freshman Juan Cranford Jr. and Blue Devils' junior Devin Haid both scored 14 and were the only players to reach double figures.

According to ESPN Research, the last time a Division I team won its conference tournament championship without reaching 50 points was Georgia State in the 2015 Sun Belt Conference championship game, when it beat Georgia Southern 38-36.

The two teams played to a 20-20 tie in a cold-shooting first half.

Cranford opened the second half with a 3-pointer, and he hit a jumper to give the Red Flash a 37-33 lead with 9:50 left. Central Connecticut State scored the next four points, but Riley Parker answered with a 3-pointer to put St. Francis up three with 7:20 left.

The Red Flash led by four when Haid made two free throws to end a five-minute scoring drought for the Blue Devils. He missed his next two shots before sinking a jumper to tie it at 41 with 1:42 left. Valentino Pinedo had a go-ahead basket but missed a chance at a three-point play. Joe Ostrowsky tied it for the final time with 17 seconds left. Haid missed a 3-pointer to end it.

UNC Wilmington: 2024-25 Colonial Men's Basketball Champions

 

With his team's season at stake, UNCW basketball point guard Donovan Newby went for reassurance.

Ahead of his two trips to the free-throw line in the final 13 seconds in the CAA championship game on Tuesday night, Newby could be seen talking to himself as he set up for each pair of critical shots.

"I was telling myself, 'You're built for this,'" he said.

Newby coolly drained all four shots, finally pushing back the last chances at an upset by Delaware and sending UNCW back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years. The Seahawks grabbed a 76-72 victory at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., and head back to the Port City, ready to create even more March Madness.

"We could have wilted at any point," coach Takayo Siddle said. "We got through any adversity that was in front of us and got the job done.

"We've experienced two of these where it didn't work out. But we always talk about learning life lessons."

Led by Newby, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, UNCW returns to the NCAA field for the first time since their back-to-back trips in 2016-17. It will learn its opponent during Sunday's NCAA Selection Show, which begins at 6 p.m.

This was the Seahawks' third CAA final in four seasons under Siddle, and they finally broke through.

"We are a program that is prideful," Siddle said. "We have a championship culture, and we always feel like if we don't win it all, we fail. At least I do. ... To be back up top is very special."

No. 2 seed UNCW had as much as a 15-point lead in the first half, but the 12th-seeded Blue Hens ― playing their fifth game in five days ― refused to give in and took a four-point lead with 13:23 to play.

The Seahawks (27-7) were led in scoring by Newby with 17 points as four Seahawks finished in double figures. Newby finished the tournament 18-for-18 from the free-throw line over three games.

Noah Ross had 14 points, Bo Montgomery had 13 and Khamari McGriff had 10. Newby had six of the final seven points for UNCW in the final 35 seconds. Newby was joined on the all-tournament team by Ross and McGriff.

Reigning CAA Freshman of the Year Izaiah Pasha was excellent for Delaware, finishing with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Delaware (16-20) was attempting to become only the third team to win five games in a conference tournament, and the highest seed to ever win a conference tournament.

UNCW outscored Delaware 32-0 on bench points, as the Hens played only their starters for nearly all of the final 30 minutes of the game.

For the postgame press conference, Siddle was joined by McGriff, the program's only four-year player, as well as Ross, Newby and Nolan Hodge, who've all been here three years. One reporter noted that three of them weren't even starters.

"Our depth is a big weapon for us," Ross said. "Anyone can deliver for us. That's everyone's mindset going into the game."

Gonzaga: 2024-25 West Coast Men's Basketball Champions

 

LAS VEGAS -- Braden Huff scored 18 points and Gonzaga avenged two regular-season losses to Saint Mary's, beating the 19th-ranked Gaels 58-51 in the West Coast Conference tournament championship Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs (25-8) secured the WCC's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, though both teams were safely in the field regardless of the outcome.

They got some measure of revenge for losing to the Gaels in last year's title game, which ended Gonzaga's run of four conference championships and 10 of 11. Gonzaga also extended its national record to 18 consecutive 25-win seasons.

"We've had an inordinate amount of one-possession games," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "I think that's why we're such an interesting seed going into this NCAA tournament. I think we were 350th in luck in Kenpom. We've had more banked 3s on us than I could ever, ever remember in my entire career.

"Whether it's law of averages coming through or just a little resiliency ... or maybe it's just desperation by some seniors who don't want this thing to end."

Saint Mary's (28-5) had its seven-game winning streak stopped. But the Gaels, who had won 17 of 18 games, went cold from long range at the wrong time. According to ESPN Research, Saint Mary's finished 0-16 from 3-point range, the first time in 787 games under coach Randy Bennett that the team failed to make a 3-pointer.

Khalif Battle scored 14 points for the Zags, Graham Ike added 11 and Ryan Nembhard had 10.

Mitchell Saxen led Saint Mary's with 20 points but scored only six after halftime. Two-time WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis finished with 12 points.

"We've had a great year," Bennett said. "We did not play well tonight."

Saint Mary's was attempting to become the first team since San Diego in 1996-97 to beat Gonzaga three times in a season. But Gonzaga entered the game with the higher Kenpom rating, ninth to 22nd for the Gaels, and was a 3½-point favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook.

And the Bulldogs played like favorites. They committed just four turnovers while forcing 18 that included two shot-clock violations in the closing minutes, as they put themselves back on familiar ground.

In fact, according to ESPN Research, Gonzaga has now won the WCC tournament 22 times, including 20 times under Few. Only Kentucky (32), Duke (27) and North Carolina (26) have won more Division I conference tournaments.

Both teams will find out their NCAA tournament seeds and destinations Sunday.

Zenless Misadventures, Day 16

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Wofford: 2024-25 Southern Men's Basketball Champions

 

ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Jackson Sivills scored a career-high 20 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in a game-ending 15-2 run as Wofford rallied to beat Furman 92-85 in the Southern Conference tournament championship game Monday night.

Wofford trailed 83-79 with 2:34 remaining. Kyler Filewich then made a layup and Sivills drilled his 3-pointer to put the Terriers (19-15) on top for good.

Sivills, a fifth-year senior, made 6 of 9 shots with four 3-pointers for No. 6 seed Wofford, which earns an automatic berth to the NCAA tournament for the sixth time. The Terriers won four conference titles between 2009 and 2015 and last won it in the 2018-19 season.

Justin Bailey added 19 points and seven rebounds for Wofford. Dillon Bailey scored 15 and teamed up with Justin -- no relation -- to make 7 of 12 from beyond the arc. Filewich added 13 points and six boards. Corey Tripp had 11 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds.

PJay Smith Jr. led the Paladins (25-9) with 27 points. He made four 3-pointers and all 11 of his foul shots. Nick Anderson had 15 points, and Garrett Hien and Charles Johnston scored 13 and 12, respectively, before fouling out. Cooper Bowser scored 11.

Wofford scored the first eight points and maintained a lead until Johnston buried a 3-pointer with 63 seconds left in the first half to help Furman go up 37-35 at halftime. Smith had a four-point play and did not miss a shot, leading all scorers with 12. Sivills hit three 3-pointers and scored 11.

Furman was aiming for its eighth tournament title and first since 2022-23. The Paladins won six of them in the 1970s.

Troy: 2024-25 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Champions

 

PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — Tayton Conerway, the Sun Belt Conference player of the year, scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half, Myles Rigsby added 20 points and No. 3 seed Troy beat fourth-seeded Arkansas State 94-81 on Monday night to clinch Troy basketballa spot in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.

Troy basketball (23-10) won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in program history.

Arkansas State (24-10) was in the championship game for the second year in a row, battling for its first NCAA berth since 1999 and second in school history.

Troy trailed 66-58 with 10 minutes to go before going on 24-4 run, sparked by Conerway’s 12 points, to go ahead 82-70 with 2:12 left. It was the first double-digit lead of the game.

The Trojans made seven straight shots at the end of the run, while Arkansas State went 2 of 13 from the field over eight minutes.

Troy shot 65% from the field in the second half, getting 16 points from Rigsby and 11 from Thomas Dowd.

Dowd finished with 14 points and nine rebounds, and Jackson Fields added 10 points for Troy, which won its sixth straight game.

Dyondre Dominguez led Arkansas State with 19 points and Derrian Ford added 17. Terrance Ford Jr. had 11 points and seven assists, and Kobe Julien and Joseph Pinion each scored 10.

Conerway finished the tournament with 61 points after scoring 18 in quarterfinals against Old Dominion and 22 in semifinals versus No. 2 seed James Madison. He was 8 of 17 from the field against the Red Wolves.

Omaha: 2024-25 Summit League Men's Basketball Champions

 

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Usually mid-major college basketball programs need to win their conference tournament in order to reach March Madness, but that won’t be the case in Sunday’s Summit League Championship Game.

Omaha men’s basketball will play in the title game having already punched their ticket to their first Div. I NCAA Tournament, thanks to a little-known technicality.

The Mavericks opponent, St. Thomas, is still in its probationary period since elevating to a Division One program in 2021 and is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. If the Tommies were to win the Summit League Tournament, the conferences automatic bid would go to its regular season champion.

Omaha secured its first Summit League regular season title in last weekend’s win over Oral Roberts.

So when the Mavs tip off against the Tommies at 8:00pm on Sunday, there will still be a Summit League Tournament title on the line—but not a trip to the Big Dance.

Lipscomb: 2024-25 Atlantic Sun Men's Basketball Champions

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Joe Anderson scored 12 of his team-high 23 points in the final four minutes to help power top-seeded Lipscomb to a 76-65 victory over North Alabama on Sunday to win the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament championship and claim an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.

The Bisons (25-9) finished tied with North Alabama (24-10) for the regular-season championship with 14 wins and were the No. 1 tournament seed. Lipscomb needed overtime to get past sixth-seeded Queens in the semifinals. The Lions were seeded second and beat fourth-seeded Jacksonville to reach the final.

Jacari Lane's jumper gave North Alabama the lead with 11:46 left, and Donte Bacchus converted a three-point play for a 53-49 advantage. Jacob Ognacevic hit three of four free throws and Will Pruitt hit from 3 for a 55-53 lead and Gyasi Powell hit a 3 with 4:13 left to put Lipscomb in front for good.

Anderson hit from deep to make it 65-60 and then hit from 3 in a 7-0 run to take a 10-point lead with 1:34 left and converted 3-of-4 from the line in the final minute.

Anderson was 6-of-9 from the field, including 4-of-7 from deep, and hit 7-of-8 from the line with 4 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocked shots to lead Lipscomb. Pruitt was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line and finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Powell hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range to add 16 points and Ognacevic had 14 points and nine rebounds.

Lane finished with 18 points and Corneilous Williams scored 15 points with seven rebounds to lead North Alabama. Will Soucie had 10 points with six boards and Taye Fields pulled down 12 rebounds to go with his six points.

Drake: 2024-25 Missouri Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

ST. LOUIS -- Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points, Tavion Banks added 13 and top-seeded Drake defeated No. 2-seed Bradley 63-48 on Sunday to win Arch Madness for the third consecutive time.

The Bulldogs (30-3) will be making their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and fourth in the past five years. They won the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship for the first time since 2019.

A 3-pointer by Demarion Burch gave Bradley a 27-24 lead with four minutes left in the first half but the Braves did not score again until 15:20 remained in the second half. Drake finished the first half with a 7-0 run to lead 31-27 and the Bulldogs added the first six points of the second half.

Drake led 46-41 with seven minutes left in regulation then Bradley went cold again. The Bulldogs went on a 15-2 run capped by a dunk and a 3-pointer by Stirtz.

Bradley (26-8) went nearly 5 1/2 minutes without a made field goal before Darius Hannah scored in the paint to make it 61-47. Hannah's bucket turned out to be the Braves' only basket in seven attempts over the final 7:17.

Hannah led Bradley with 19 points that included 7-of-11 shooting. Bradley shot 52% in the first half and 28% in the second, finishing at 42% for the game.

Stirtz made 5 of 7 3-pointers and was 7 for 13 overall for Drake. Banks had a game-high nine rebounds. Drake hit on 46% from the field.

High Point: 2024-25 Big South Men's Basketball Champions

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- Bobby Pettiford scored 17 points off the bench and High Point rallied from a 15-point second half deficit to defeat Winthrop 81-69 in the Big South Championship title game on Sunday, giving the Panthers their first trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Winthrop led by 10 points at halftime and 48-33 with 15 minutes remaining. Pettiford nailed a 3-pointer and followed it with a layup to start a 14-0 run that got High Point within 48-47. Three and a half minutes later, Trae Benham's three-point play broke a 52-all tie and High Point led for the first time since it was 14-13.

The Panthers (29-5) led the rest of the way although Winthrop was within 75-69 with a minute to go. However, the Eagles did not score again and the Panthers went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to close out their first Big South Championship title. High Point has won the Big South regular season title six times.

The Panthers' 14th straight win was due in large part to 50 points from their bench, 44 in the second half. In addition to Pettiford's 17 points, Abdoulaye Thiam had 12 points, Benham had eight points and 10 rebounds, and Terry Anderson added eight points. Kezza Giffa, who scored 16 points, was the only starter with more than six points.

Winthrop (23-11) had five players reach double-digits in scoring. Kelton Talford led the Eagles with 15 points, followed by Bryce Baker with 11, Nick Johnson with 11, Kasen Harrison with 10 and K.J. Doucet with 10 points to go with nine rebounds.

SIU Edwardsville: 2024-25 Ohio Valley Men's Basketball Champions

 

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has earned the first automatic bid of the 2025 NCAA men's basketball tournament, defeating Southeast Missouri State, 69-48, to win the Ohio Valley Conference championship Saturday night in Evansville, Indiana.

With the win, SIUE also earned its first berth in the Division I NCAA men's tournament in program history. The school moved up from Division II in 2008 after competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference for 15 years.

Head coach Brian Barone has the Cougars in the field of 68 for the first time with only the third winning season in his six years in Edwardsville. After finishing 8-13 in Barone's debut season. SIUE goes into the NCAA tournament with a 22-11 record and 13-7 mark in the OVC.

The Cougars shook off a slow start, falling behind 12-5 before going on a 15-4 run and taking the lead on a 3-pointer by Brian Taylor II. SIUE didn't surrender the lead for the remaining eight minutes of the first half and opened up a 35-24 margin at halftime behind nine points from Ray'Sean Taylor and eight by Brian Taylor.

However, after shooting 32% (10-of-31) in the first 20 minutes and scoring far below their 75 points per game average, SEMO made its first three shots of the second half, including a 3 by Rob Martin that cut the Cougars' lead to 36-31. The Redhawks kept chipping away at the free-throw line until tying the score at 36-36 on a layup by Brendan Terry.

But SIUE regained the lead at 40-38 on a jumper from Declan Dillon and subsequently went on a 9-0 run capped by a 3 from Ring Malith to open up a 10-point margin. SEMO went cold again, missing eight consecutive shots before Terry finally broke the drought. Yet by then, the Cougars expanded their lead to 15.

Ray'Sean Taylor, the OVC Player of the Year, finished with 20 points and 13-of-16 free throws to lead the Cougars. He also took over as the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,950 points. Malith added 12 points. Both players grabbed seven rebounds in the win.

Poor shooting was ultimately SEMO's downfall. The Redhawks shot 28% (17-of-60) from the floor, hitting only 3-of-24 of their 3-point attempts. Martin led SEMO with 18 points, followed by Terry's 16. The Redhawks finish their season with a 21-12 record and 15-5 conference mark.

WuWa Misadventures, Day 16

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Watch this awesome move! One step...too many! #honkaistarrail #tribbie #...

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FFXIV Misadventures: Little Ladies Day 2025

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97th Academy Awards: The List.

 

Best Picture

Anora – Alex Coco, Samantha Quan, and Sean Baker, producers ‡

The Brutalist – Nick Gordon, Brian Young, Andrew Morrison, D.J. Gugenheim, and Brady Corbet, producers

A Complete Unknown – Fred Berger, James Mangold, and Alex Heineman, producers

Conclave – Tessa Ross, Juliette Howell, and Michael A. Jackman, producers

Dune: Part Two – Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Denis Villeneuve, producers

Emilia Pérez – Pascal Caucheteux and Jacques Audiard, producers

I'm Still Here – Maria Carlota Bruno and Rodrigo Teixeira, producers

Nickel Boys – Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, and Joslyn Barnes, producers

The Substance – Coralie Fargeat, Tim Bevan, and Eric Fellner, producers

Wicked – Marc Platt, producer

Best Directing

Sean Baker – Anora ‡

Brady Corbet – The Brutalist

James Mangold – A Complete Unknown

Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez

Coralie Fargeat – The Substance

Best Actor in a Leading Role

Adrien Brody – The Brutalist as László Tóth ‡

Timothée Chalamet – A Complete Unknown as Bob Dylan

Colman Domingo – Sing Sing as John "Divine G" Whitfield

Ralph Fiennes – Conclave as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence

Sebastian Stan – The Apprentice as Donald Trump

Best Actress in a Leading Role

Mikey Madison – Anora as Anora "Ani" Mikheeva ‡

Cynthia Erivo – Wicked as Elphaba Thropp

Karla Sofía Gascón – Emilia Pérez as Emilia Pérez / Juan "Manitas" Del Monte

Demi Moore – The Substance as Elisabeth Sparkle

Fernanda Torres – I'm Still Here as Eunice Paiva

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

Kieran Culkin – A Real Pain as Benji Kaplan ‡

Yura Borisov – Anora as Igor

Edward Norton – A Complete Unknown as Pete Seeger

Guy Pearce – The Brutalist as Harrison Lee Van Buren Sr.

Jeremy Strong – The Apprentice as Roy Cohn

Best Actress in a Supporting Role

Zoe Saldaña – Emilia Pérez as Rita Mora Castro ‡

Monica Barbaro – A Complete Unknown as Joan Baez

Ariana Grande – Wicked as Galinda "Glinda" Upland

Felicity Jones – The Brutalist as Erzsébet Tóth

Isabella Rossellini – Conclave as Sister Agnes

Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

Anora – Sean Baker ‡

The Brutalist – Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold

A Real Pain – Jesse Eisenberg

September 5 – Moritz Binder and Tim Fehlbaum; co-written by Alex David

The Substance – Coralie Fargeat

Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Conclave – Peter Straughan; based on the novel by Robert Harris ‡

A Complete Unknown – James Mangold and Jay Cocks; based on the book Dylan Goes Electric! by Elijah Wald

Emilia Pérez – Jacques Audiard; in collaboration with Thomas Bidegain, Léa Mysius, and Nicolas Livecchi; based on the opera libretto Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard and the novel Écoute by Boris Razon

Nickel Boys – RaMell Ross and Joslyn Barnes; based on the novel The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Sing Sing – Screenplay by Greg Kwedar and Clint Bentley; story by Greg Kwedar, Clint Bentley, Clarence Maclin, and John "Divine G" Whitfield; based on the book The Sing Sing Follies by John H. Richardson and the play Breakin' the Mummy's Code by Brent Buell

Best Animated Feature Film

Flow – Gints Zilbalodis, Matīss Kaža, Ron Dyens, and Gregory Zalcman ‡

Inside Out 2 – Kelsey Mann and Mark Nielsen

Memoir of a Snail – Adam Elliot and Liz Kearney

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl – Nick Park, Merlin Crossingham, and Richard Beek

The Wild Robot – Chris Sanders and Jeff Hermann

Best International Feature Film

I'm Still Here (Brazil) in Portuguese – directed by Walter Salles ‡

Emilia Pérez (France) in Spanish – directed by Jacques Audiard

Flow (Latvia) – directed by Gints Zilbalodis

The Girl with the Needle (Denmark) in Danish – directed by Magnus von Horn

The Seed of the Sacred Fig (Germany) in Persian – directed by Mohammad Rasoulof

Best Documentary Feature Film

No Other Land – Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal, and Yuval Abraham ‡

Black Box Diaries – Shiori Itō, Eric Nyari, and Hanna Aqvilin

Porcelain War – Brendan Bellomo, Slava Leontyev, Aniela Sidorska, and Paula DuPré Pesmen

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat – Johan Grimonprez, Daan Milius, and Rémi Grellety

Sugarcane – Julian Brave NoiseCat, Emily Kassie, and Kellen Quinn

Best Documentary Short Film

The Only Girl in the Orchestra – Molly O'Brien and Lisa Remington ‡

Death by Numbers – Kim A. Snyder and Janique L. Robillard

I Am Ready, Warden – Smriti Mundhra and Maya Gnyp

Incident – Bill Morrison and Jamie Kalven

Instruments of a Beating Heart – Ema Ryan Yamazaki and Eric Nyari

Best Live Action Short Film

I'm Not a Robot – Victoria Warmerdam and Trent ‡

A Lien – Sam Cutler-Kreutz and David Cutler-Kreutz

Anuja – Adam J. Graves and Suchitra Mattai

The Last Ranger – Cindy Lee and Darwin Shaw

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent – Nebojša Slijepčević and Danijel Pek

Best Animated Short Film

In the Shadow of the Cypress – Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi ‡

Beautiful Men – Nicolas Keppens and Brecht Van Elslande

Magic Candies – Daisuke Nishio and Takashi Washio

Wander to Wonder – Nina Gantz and Stienette Bosklopper

Yuck! – Loïc Espuche and Juliette Marquet

Best Music (Original Score)

The Brutalist – Daniel Blumberg ‡

Conclave – Volker Bertelmann

Emilia Pérez – Clément Ducol and Camille

Wicked – John Powell and Stephen Schwartz

The Wild Robot – Kris Bowers

Best Music (Original Song)

"El Mal" from Emilia Pérez – Music by Clément Ducol and Camille; lyrics by Clément Ducol, Camille, and Jacques Audiard ‡

"The Journey" from The Six Triple Eight – Music and lyrics by Diane Warren

"Like a Bird" from Sing Sing – Music and lyrics by Abraham Alexander and Adrian Quesada

"Mi Camino" from Emilia Pérez – Music and lyrics by Camille and Clément Ducol

"Never Too Late" from Elton John: Never Too Late – Music and lyrics by Elton John, Brandi Carlile, Andrew Watt, and Bernie Taupin

Best Sound

Dune: Part Two – Gareth John, Richard King, Ron Bartlett, and Doug Hemphill ‡

A Complete Unknown – Tod A. Maitland, Donald Sylvester, Ted Caplan, Paul Massey, and David Giammarco

Emilia Pérez – Erwan Kerzanet, Aymeric Devoldère, Maxence Dussère, Cyril Holtz, and Niels Barletta

Wicked – Simon Hayes, Nancy Nugent Title, Jack Dolman, Andy Nelson, and John Marquis

The Wild Robot – Randy Thom, Brian Chumney, Gary A. Rizzo, and Leff Lefferts

Best Production Design

Wicked – Production Design: Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales ‡

The Brutalist – Production Design: Judy Becker; Set Decoration: Patricia Cuccia

Conclave – Production Design: Suzie Davies; Set Decoration: Cynthia Sleiter

Dune: Part Two – Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Shane Vieau

Nosferatu – Production Design: Craig Lathrop; Set Decoration: Beatrice Brentnerová

Best Cinematography

The Brutalist – Lol Crawley ‡

Dune: Part Two – Greig Fraser

Emilia Pérez – Paul Guilhaume

Maria – Edward Lachman

Nosferatu – Jarin Blaschke

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

The Substance – Pierre-Olivier Persin, Stéphanie Guillon, and Marilyne Scarselli ‡

A Different Man – Mike Marino, David Presto, and Crystal Jurado

Emilia Pérez – Julia Floch Carbonel, Emmanuel Janvier, and Jean-Christophe Spadaccini

Nosferatu – David White, Traci Loader, and Suzanne Stokes-Munton

Wicked – Frances Hannon, Laura Blount, and Sarah Nuth

Best Costume Design

Wicked – Paul Tazewell ‡

A Complete Unknown – Arianne Phillips

Conclave – Lisy Christl

Gladiator II – Janty Yates and Dave Crossman

Nosferatu – Linda Muir

Best Film Editing

Anora – Sean Baker ‡

The Brutalist – Dávid Jancsó

Conclave – Nick Emerson

Emilia Pérez – Juliette Welfling

Wicked – Myron Kerstein

Best Visual Effects

Dune: Part Two – Paul Lambert, Stephen James, Rhys Salcombe, and Gerd Nefzer ‡

Alien: Romulus – Eric Barba, Nelson Sepulveda-Fauser, Daniel Macarin, and Shane Mahan

Better Man – Luke Millar, David Clayton, Keith Herft, and Peter Stubbs

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – Erik Winquist, Stephen Unterfranz, Paul Story, and Rodney Burke

Wicked – Pablo Helman, Jonathan Fawkner, David Shirk, and Paul Corbould