BoBA ISML 2014 Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 14

ARENA 01: [Yūki Mikan] Kudō Asuka by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 02: Noire [Dekomori Sanae] by >=750
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 03: [Haqua du Lot Herminium] Tsuchimikado Natsume by >=800
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 04: [Nyarlathotep] Yūōji Ōka by <=800
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 05: Frenda Seivelun [Roromiya Karuta] by <=600
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 06: Kurugaya Yuiko [Shiomiya Shiori] by >=900
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 07: Sakura Kyōko [Momo Belia Deviluke] by >=1000
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 08: [Shokuhō Misaki] Miyauchi Renge by <=650
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 09: Leticia Draculair [Charlotte Belew] by <=1000
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 10: Akatsuki [Chocolat] by >=700
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 11: Laura Bodewig [Yuigahama Yui] by <=400
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 12: Kasukabe Yō [Shirakiin Ririchiyo] by <=1000
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 13: Nōmi Kudryavka [Nase Mitsuki] by <=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 14: Frey [Yukihira Furano] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 15: [Natsume Rin] Cthugha by <=850
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 16: [Shindō Ai] Himeragi Yukina by >=1000
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 17: Takanashi Tōka Yukinoshita Yukino Yui [Tobiichi Origami] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 18: [Yatogami Tōka] Chitanda Eru Kurousagi Kirigaya Suguha by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 19: Yaya [Yoshino] Azuki Azusa Kuriyama Mirai by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 20: [Itsuka Kotori] Tsutsukakushi Tsukiko Yūki Asuna Nibutani Shinka by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 21: [Tokisaki Kurumi] Takanashi Rikka Kuroyukihime Aoyama Nanami by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 22: Saber Mikazuki Yozora [Honma Meiko] Kasugano Sora by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 23: [Iwasawa Masami] Tōwa Erio Illyasviel von Einzbern Nagato Yuki by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 24: Oshino Shinobu [Kashiwazaki Sena] Kirishima Shōko Victorique de Blois by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 25: Senjōgahara Hitagi [Yuzuriha Inori] Last Order Suzumiya Haruhi by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 26: Sengoku Nadeko Nakamura Yuri Katsura Hinagiku [Hirasawa Yui] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 27: [Nakano Azusa] Kōsaka Kirino Makise Kurisu Charlotte Dunois by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over


ARENA 28: Aisaka Taiga Hasegawa Kobato [Akiyama Mio] Konjiki no Yami by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ISML 2014: Final chance for Nova stragglers

ISML 2014: Final chance for Nova stragglers

By Jo-Ryan Salazar
March 17, 2014

The Luck of the Irish wouldn't be on the side of a number of candidates in the 2014 International Saimoe League Nova Division, as Match Day 13 of the Preliminaries saw 32 contestants exit the tournament. Among those were candidates that dominated in the 2013  2channel Anime Saimoe Tournament but failed to make a dent in the world's biggest anime character competition.

Mikan Yuuki rolled past Neptune 3128-1773, Asuka Kudou whipped past Suzuka Dairenji 2470-2113, Noire defeated Manaka Mukaido 2517-2129, Sanae Dekomori trounced Kyouko Kirigiri 3065-2127, Haqua du Lot Herminium obliterated Komari Koshigaya 3239-1546, Natsume Tsuchimikado punched Komari Kamikita 2508-2065, Nyarlathotep destroyed Hotaru Ichijou 3137-1620 and Ouka Yuuouji pummeled Himeko Inaba 2627-2104.

Frenda Seivelun defeated Myucel Foara 2536-2320, Karuta Roromiya trounced Kouko Kaga 2714-1962, Yuiko Kurugaya took care of Chisaki Hiradaira 2472-2078, Shiori Shiomiya curbstomped Sayaka Miki 3259-1572, Kyouko Sakura edged Mikasa Ackerman 2564-2336, Momo Velia Deviluke crushed Tomoko Kuroki 3291-1587, Misaki Shokuhou wiped out Nepgear 2853-2071 and Renge Miyauchi dismantled Morgiana 2651-1897.

Leticia Draculair defeated Masuzu Natsukawa 2564-2036, Charlotte Belew cruised past Maki Nishikino 3077-1496, Akatsuki edged Ai Fuyuumi 2444-2759, Chocolat took down Celestia Ludenberg 3299-1357, Laura Bodewig slashed past Karen Kujou 3110-1509, Yui Yuigahama defeated Tamako Kitashirakawa 2666-2129, You Kasukabe prevailed over Ai Astin 2379-2121 and Ririchiyo Shirakiin obliterated Kazusa Touma 3129-1285.

Wrapping up Nova action...Noumi Kudryavka defeated Emi Yusa 2523-2299, Mitsuki Nase punched Gou Matsuoka 3125-1342, Frey burned Yuno Gasai 2922-1889, Furano Yukihira slammed Ryuuko Matoi 3230-1387, Rin Natsume took Iona to the cleaners 3095-1490, Cthugha defeated Mei Misaki 2554-2351, Ai Shindou leveled Takao 2977-1541 and in the upset of the round, Yukina Himeragi defeated Madoka Kaname 2543-2378.

Match Day 14 of the 2014 International Saimoe League Preliminaries is scheduled for March 18, 2014. Vote for your favorite candidates at InternationalSaimoe.com and join the ongoing debate.

Michigan State: 2013-14 Big Ten Men's Basketball Champions

INDIANAPOLIS -- Adreian Payne scored 18 points and Gary Harris and Branden Dawsonadded 15 each to lead No. 22 Michigan State to its second Big Ten tournament title in three years with a 69-55 upset of No. 8 Michigan on Sunday.

The third-seeded Spartans (26-8) are getting healthy and will have some momentum entering the NCAA tournament with four wins in five games.

Top-seeded Michigan (25-8) was led by Big Ten player of the year Nik Stauskas with 17 points and Derrick Walton Jr. had 11, but the Big Ten regular season champs had their seven-game winning streak come to an end.

It was never really close.

Michigan State took control with an early 12-0 run, led 38-29 at halftime and opened the second half with an 8-0 spurt to make it 46-29.

Michigan never got closer than 10 points again.

The Spartans had lost their previous two meetings with Michigan this season but weren't about to lose again Sunday.

For the first time all season, Michigan State started the same five players for a fifth straight game. Harris, who hurt his left shoulder early in the second half, returned later.

Harris, an Indiana native who never got to play for a state basketball title at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, took advantage of this opportunity. He scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half. Dawson, another Indiana native who was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, scored 10 of his 15 points in the second half.

Michigan State has four tournament titles since the Big Ten started the event in 1998.

Michigan, meanwhile, will be waiting to see if this ugly loss could cost it a No. 1 seed in next week's NCAA tournament.

The Wolverines, who narrowly escaped with wins in the quarterfinals and semifinals, were not their usually strong shooting selves as they played for the third time in three days. They avoided matching their season-low point total when Zak Irvin hit a 3 with 15.9 seconds to go and their shooting percentage (31.5) nearly matched a season low, too. Michigan shot 31.1 percent from the field in a 63-61 loss to Charlotte on Nov. 24. And they were outrebounded 38-28.

Michigan's problems started early.

The Spartans went on a 12-0 run to take a 16-9 lead -- and never gave it up.

They led by as much as 25-14 in the first half, getting Michigan's top two big men -- Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford -- into early foul trouble. Coach John Beilein even was called for a technical foul midway through a dreadful half.

Harris finished it off emphatically by taking a pass at midcourt and driving right through Michigan's defense for a one-handed dunk to make it 38-29.

Things didn't get any better for Michigan in the second half.

Michigan State scored the first eight points to make it 46-29, then closed it out with a late 10-4 run that extended the lead to 69-52.

Florida: 2013-14 Southeastern Conference Men's Basketball Champions

ATLANTA -- Top-ranked Florida capped a perfect run through the Southeastern Conference when Kentucky failed to get off a shot on its final possession, allowing the Gators to escape with a 61-60 victory in the league championship game Sunday.

Florida (32-2) built a 16-point lead early in the second half, but Kentucky nearly pulled off an improbable comeback to hand the Gators their first loss since early December. Two missed free throws gave the Wildcats (24-10) a final possession, but James Young slipped trying to drive into the lane.

The Gators extended their school-record winning streak to 26 games and awaited a sure No. 1 seed when the NCAA pairings are announced Sunday evening. Patric Young andMichael Frazier II led Florida with 14 points apiece, while Scottie Wilbekin and Casey Pratherhad 11 each.

Kentucky, also headed for the NCAAs, was paced by Aaron Harrison with 16 points.

Louisiana-Lafayette: 2013-14 Sun Belt Men's Basketball Champions

NEW ORLEANS -- Xavian Rimmer scored a career-high 27 points, Louisiana-Lafayette rallied from a 9-point deficit in the last three minutes of regulation to force overtime and the Ragin' Cajuns beat Georgia State 82-81 in the Sun Belt Conference championship game Sunday.

The third-seeded Ragin' Cajuns (23-11) earned an automatic bid to their first NCAA tournament since 2005.

Ryan Harrow scored a career-high 37 points for Georgia State but missed an off-balance, driving bank shot in the final seconds. The top-seeded Panthers (25-7) had won 22 of their last 23 games.

After tying the score on a putback with 1.4 seconds left in regulation, Lafayette, which grabbed 20 offensive rebounds, took the lead for good, 80-77, with a 6-0 run in overtime that Elfrid Payton capped off with a layup off a Georgia State turnover.

Rimmer hit seven 3-pointers to keep UL-Lafayette within range until its final comeback.

Virginia: 2013-14 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Champions

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Malcolm Brogdon scored 23 points and No. 6 Virginia claimed its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament title since 1976 by beating No. 7 Duke 72-63 on Sunday.

Tournament MVP Joe Harris added 15 points and hit the backbreaking 3-pointer with just under 2 minutes remaining for the top-seeded Cavaliers (28-6).

They shot 45 percent, frustrated the Blue Devils into 38 percent shooting and used a late 12-3 run to pull away and claim the second ACC tournament title in school history.

Jabari Parker scored 23 points on 9-of-24 shooting for the third-seeded Blue Devils (26-8), who were making their 31st appearance in the championship game but were denied their ACC-record 20th title.

Anthony Gill added 12 points and was 10 of 17 from the free-throw line for Virginia.

Duke as a team was just 7 of 11 from the line.

Saint Joseph's: 2013-14 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Champions

NEW YORK -- Langston Galloway scored 19 points and hit yet another huge 3-pointer, and Saint Joseph's beat No. 23 VCU 65-61 on Sunday to win its first Atlantic 10 tournament title since 1997.

The fourth-seeded Hawks arrived in Brooklyn on the NCAA tournament bubble. They all but clinched an at-large berth with a win over fellow bubble team Dayton in Friday's quarterfinals on Galloway's go-ahead 3, then made that moot by capturing the conference's automatic bid.

The second-seeded Rams have reached the A-10 tourney finals in both years in the league but lost both times.

Fellow senior Ronald Roberts had 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and 11 rebounds for Saint Joseph's.

Rob Brandenberg led VCU with 18 points, but Galloway got just enough separation on him to hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer with more than two minutes left.

BoBA ISML 2014 Predictions: Preliminaries Match Day 13

ARENA 01: [Yūki Mikan] Neptune by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 02: Kudō Asuka [Dairenji Suzuka] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 03: [Noire] Mukaido Manaka by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 04: Kirigiri Kyōko [Dekomori Sanae] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 05: [Haqua du Lot Herminium] Koshigaya Komari by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 06: [Kamikita Komari] Tsuchimikado Natsume by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 07: [Nyarlathotep] Ichijō Hotaru by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 08: [Yūōji Ōka] Inaba Himeko by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 09: [Frenda Seivelun] Myucel Foaran by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 10: [Roromiya Karuta] Kaga Kōko by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 11: Hiradaira Chisaki [Kurugaya Yuiko] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 12: [Shiomiya Shiori] Miki Sayaka by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 13: Sakura Kyōko [Mikasa Ackerman] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 14: [Momo Belia Deviluke] Kuroki Tomoko by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 15: Nepgear [Shokuhō Misaki] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 16: [Miyauchi Renge] Morgiana by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 17: [Leticia Draculair] Natsukawa Masuzu by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 18: [Charlotte Belew] Nishikino Maki by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 19: [Fuyuumi Ai] Akatsuki by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 20: [Chocolat] Celestia Ludenberg by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 21: Kujō Karen [Laura Bodewig] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 22: [Yuigahama Yui] Kitashirakawa Tamako by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 23: [Kasukabe Yō] Ai Astin by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 24: [Shirakiin Ririchiyo] Tōma Kazusa by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 25: Yusa Emi [Nōmi Kudryavka] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 26: [Nase Mitsuki] Matsuoka Gō by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 27: Frey [Gasai Yuno] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 28: [Yukihira Furano] Matoi Ryūko by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 29: Iona [Natsume Rin] by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 30: [Misaki Mei] Cthugha by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 31: [Takao] Shindō Ai by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

ARENA 32: [Kaname Madoka] Himeragi Yukina by >=500
Over/Under: 6000
Over

Cal Poly: 2013-14 Big West Men's Basketball Champions

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Freshman guard Ridge Shipley hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 13.7 seconds left and seventh-seeded Cal Poly completed its improbable march to the school's first Big West Tournament championship, beating Cal State Northridge 61-59 Saturday night and putting coach Joe Callero's Mustangs into the NCAA tourney for the first time in school history.

Cal Poly (13-19) became the lowest seed to win the title in the tournament's 39-year history. Shipley scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half and Chris Eversley had a team-high 18 and Dave Nwaba added 17.

Cal Poly also was the lowest-seeded team in the history of the tournament to eliminate both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, and the lowest-seeded team to play for the Big West crown since 1994, when 10th-seeded UC Irvine lost to No. 1 New Mexico State.

New Mexico State: 2013-14 WAC Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS -- New Mexico State coach Marvin Menzies walked into the postgame news conference with a net around his neck, the latest trophy from a run of titles.

No matter how many times the Aggies have earned a spot in the NCAA tournament, it never gets old.

Daniel Mullings scored 18 points, Sim Bhullar added 14 and New Mexico State won its third straight Western Athletic Conference tournament title by routing Idaho 77-55 Saturday night.

"Making the (NCAA) tournament is obviously a goal we had," Menzies said. "I'm very excited about getting back and hopefully making some noise when we get there."

New Mexico State (26-9) often worked its offense through Bhullar, and the Vandals were unable to stop the Aggies' 7-foot-5, 355-pound center around the rim or rotate fast enough when he kicked it out.

The second-seeded Aggies jumped to a big early lead and never gave Idaho a chance, shooting 56 percent while outscoring the Vandals 46-16 inside.

Bhullar was named tournament MVP. Tshilidzi Nephawe added 12 points for New Mexico State, which had a 38-21 advantage in rebounds to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament instead of having to sweat out Selection Sunday.

"This year's been a roller coaster ride," Mullings said. "Like coach always says at the beginning of the season, all the teams in the NCAA, every team has its trials and tribulations just like we had ours. We had a couple highs, good games and good wins in nonconference and we had a couple of lows in conference play, but the good thing about us is we stick together."

Idaho (16-18) beat New Mexico State in the teams' last meeting this season, but was no match for the Aggies in its first conference title game since 1993.

Stephen Madison scored 17 points and Mike Scott had 14 for the Vandals, who haven't made the NCAA tournament since 1990.

"Our team battled. There was a point in the season where we could have given up and we didn't," Idaho coach Don Verlin said. "The last month of the season, we were playing as well as anyone in the Western Athletic Conference. I thought we played well in this tournament, but New Mexico State played better."

The Vandals were the surprise of the bracket, the plucky underdogs with the losing record who had won one WAC tournament game in eight years before this season.

After going 7-9 in the WAC and 14-17 overall, Idaho opened the conference tournament by rallying in the second half to beat Missouri-Kansas City and followed that by knocking off top-seeded and regular-season champion Utah Valley.

New Mexico State had to survive a last-second shot to hold off Seattle in its tournament opener and rallied in the second half to knock off Cal State Bakersfield in the semifinals.

These teams split two games during the regular season; New Mexico blew out Idaho by 24 in Las Cruces, and the Vandals pulled out a six-point win on their home court.

New Mexico State dominated early, using its inside-out game and motion to hit 10 of its first 15 shots. The Aggies went on a 12-2 run to build a 23-13 lead and kept dropping shots, hitting 15 of 27 in the first half for a 39-25 lead.

The Vandals had particular trouble with Bhullar. With no one within eight inches or 130 pounds of him, Bhullar simply turned and dropped the ball into the basket several times in the first half, scoring 10 points to go along with six rebounds by halftime.

"He's really difficult to prepare against because you have to put so much attention to him," Verlin said. "He really makes it tough."

Little changed in the second half.

Bhullar kept getting deep post position -- no one on Idaho's team had any chance of pushing him out -- and he scored a few baskets around the rim or kicked out to open shooters when the Vandals double- and triple-teamed him.

Idaho shot better early in the second half after going 9 for 27 in the first, but cooled off and continued to struggle with slowing the Aggies, never able to put a dent in their big lead.

Iowa State: 2013-14 Big 12 Men's Basketball Champions

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- DeAndre Kane scored 17 points, Georges Niang added 13 and No. 16 Iowa State rallied to beat Baylor 74-65 on Saturday night to win its first Big 12 tournament title since 2000.

Naz Long and Dustin Hogue had 12 points apiece, and Big 12 player of the year Melvin Ejimfinished with 10 points and nine rebounds for the fourth-seeded Cyclones (26-7), who knocked off top-seeded Kansas in the semifinals before ending the Bears' tremendous tournament run.

Kenny Chery had 16 points for the seventh-seeded Bears (24-11), who have never won a postseason conference tournament. They've lost all three tries since the formation of the Big 12.

Tulsa: 2013-14 Conference USA Men's Basketball Champions

EL PASO, Texas -- Danny Manning is taking Tulsa back to the NCAA tournament.

James Woodard scored 27 points to lead the Golden Hurricane to its first NCAA berth since 2003 with a 69-60 victory Saturday against Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA tournament final.

"It's an indescribable feeling," said Woodard, who is from Tulsa. "Growing up as a kid, you can't wait for March Madness. To be a part of that, this time around, and for us being so young as a team, it's definitely a dream come true."

Woodard, who scored 18 points in the second half, made 7 of 8 free throws down the stretch to help Tulsa hold off the Bulldogs.

Tulsa (21-12), which was the No. 2 seed, will carry an 11-game win streak into the tournament. Top-seeded Louisiana Tech came up short, extending an NCAA tournament drought dating to 1991.

The Bulldogs (27-8) were led by Kenneth Smith with 16 points and Kenyon McNeail with 15.Alex Hamilton finished with 12.

The Bulldogs led 35-34 at the half in a game with 16 lead changes. Neither team led by more than five points until Tulsa took control in the final 5 minutes, pushing the advantage to 10 points on a free throw by Woodard with 1:12 left.

"This was a lot of fun," said Tulsa second-year head coach Manning, who won an NCAA title playing for Kansas in 1988. "It was a hard-fought game. Louisiana Tech is a talented team. We have three other teams in our league deserving of a bid."

Louisiana Tech, which made 7 of 10 3-pointers in the first half and shot 45 percent from the field, cooled off in the second half. The Bulldogs, limited by a stingy Tulsa defense, shot 32 percent for the game. They went just 4 of 15 from 3-point range in the second half and 15 of 23 from the free-throw line.

"Right now, I feel bad for the four seniors," Tech's Alex Hamilton said. "I just wish there was more could do. We came out on the short end. I feel bad for the guys."

Meanwhile, Tulsa shot 72 percent from the line (18 of 25), 55 percent from 3-point range (5 of 9) and 43 percent from the field.

Providence: 2013-14 Big East Men's Basketball Champions

NEW YORK -- Bryce Cotton scored 23 points and Providence won its first Big East tournament title since 1994 with a great defensive effort against Doug McDermott and No. 14 Creighton in a 65-56 victory Saturday night.

The fourth-seeded Friars (23-11) used a 2/3 zone to hold the second-seeded Bluejays (26-7) 24 points below their season average and to an 8-for-30 effort from behind the 3-point line.

Cotton, the senior guard who finished second to McDermott in the conference scoring but was also a unanimous first-team All-Big East selection, was the scoring star in the championship game and he was selected the tournament MVP.

McDermott, who came in leading the nation in scoring with 26.5 average, finished 10 for 19 from the field, including 5 of 12 from 3-point range, for 27 points. He shined in his first two Big East tournament games, getting 35 in the quarterfinals against DePaul and 32 in the semifinal win over Xavier.

He had nine points at halftime as Providence held the Bluejays to a season-low 17 points in taking a nine-point lead.

The Friars led by 12 points twice in the second half, the last time at 45-33 on a jumper byKadeem Batts with 12:47 left.

The Bluejays got as close as 58-56 on McDermott's fifth and final 3 with 1:18 to play.

But the Friars held on from the free throw line, going 8 for 8 over the final 2:47 while scoring just one from the field.

Stephen F. Austin: 2013-14 Southland Men's Basketball Champions

KATY, Texas -- Thomas Walkup had 19 points and Stephen F. Austin used a big second half run to defeat Sam Houston State 68-49 Saturday and earn its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2009.

Deshaunt Walker added 12 points, and Jacob Parker had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Lumberjacks (31-2), who won their 28th straight game.

The Lumberjacks shot 49 percent from the field and hit 12 of 17 from the free throw line.

Terrance Motley had nine points, and Will Bond and James Thomas each had eight points for Sam Houston State (23-10), which finished shooting 39 percent but struggled in the second half.

The Bearkats have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2010.

Leading by three, SFA used a 21-5 run over an 11-minute stretch of the second half to push its lead to 56-37. Connor Brooks' layup capped the surge 7:07 remaining. Parker had six points to lead the run for the Lumberjacks.

Weber State: 2013-14 Big Sky Men's Basketball Champions

OGDEN, Utah -- Kyle Tresnak scored 27 points and Davion Berry added 19 to help Weber State beat North Dakota 88-67 on Saturday for the Big Sky tournament championship and an automatic NCAA berth.

Joel Bolomboy added 11 rebounds for the Wildcats (19-11, 14-6 Big Sky) who clinched their first NCAA tournament spot since 2007.

Troy Huff had 17 points and Alonzo Traylor added 15 to lead North Dakota(17-16, 12-8 Big Sky) which trailed from start to finish. UND has lost all six meetings in its series with Weber State.

North Dakota shot just 39.3 percent from the field and trailed by double digits almost the entire second half. The Wildcats had no trouble finding their shot. Weber State shot 56.6 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from the perimeter.

New Mexico: 2013-14 Mountain West Men's Basketball Champions

LAS VEGAS -- No. 8 San Diego State grabbed the lead with 81 seconds left in a tight Mountain West championship game. The Aztecs couldn't close the deal.

No. 20 New Mexico took San Diego State's shot, steadied itself and won the league title and NCAA automatic bid with a 64-58 victory on Saturday.

The Aztecs (29-4) completed an 8-0 run over the Lobos (27-6) and took a 57-56 lead whenWinston Shepard stole Hugh Greenwood's inbounds pass and passed to Dwayne Polee II, who was fouled while successfully driving in to the basket. Polee completed the three-point play.

"I just saw the lane open up, so I just took what the defense gave me," Polee said.

Shepard said: "It felt good. We got the lead back, Our press was doing a good job on them. So of course we felt good."

A deep three-pointer by the Lobos' Kendall Williams with 24 seconds left gave New Mexico a 62-57 lead and cemented the win. The Aztecs will now wait to find out where they are going for the NCAA tournament.

"We know what we have got to do to get better," Polee said. "Like coach put it to us, we've got a two-day tournament every week. We can't let this linger. It hurts. We all came here to cut down nets, but we're not going to let this loss linger. We've got another big chapter in our book to move forward to next week, so that is what we are looking forward to."

San Diego State was led by Xavier Thames, who scored 15 points.

"We competed from wire to wire, but we didn't quite have enough to finish," San Diego State coach Steve Fisher said. "If we continue to play that way we'll have a chance to be playing after the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and that's our goal now."

Louisville: 2013-14 American Men's Basketball Champions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Rick Pitino switched from coach to lobbyist the moment his Louisville Cardinals won their third straight conference tournament title.

Of course, Pitino thinks the defending national champs deserve a No. 1 seed, even if he knows they likely won't get one.

Montrezl Harrell had 22 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, and fifth-ranked Louisville beat No. 21 Connecticut 71-61 Saturday for the inaugural American Athletic Conference title in the Cardinals' lone season in the league.

Pitino said he's extremely biased.

"But I'm very impressed with our guys," Pitino said. "What they've done to win a regular season, conference tournament the way we have done it, in the fashion we have done it fits the eye test. I can't talk about the strength of the league. If you want to blame anybody, blame football. Don't blame us."

The Cardinals (29-5) clinched their 40th NCAA tournament berth in style with their 19th overall tournament title. They took the last two in the Big East and added the American to go with their share of the regular-season title with Cincinnati. They will play next season in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"To win a regular-season championship and a tournament championship back-to-back is not easy. You have to have special players, and these two epitomize exactly that," Pitino said, praising Russ Smith and Harrell.

Smith, named the tournament's most outstanding player, scored 19 points. He also had five steals to move into a tie for Louisville's career record with 254. Chris Jones added 11 points.

Smith said he thought a year ago that he had done almost everything a college athlete can, but he wanted to enjoy being a senior on campus and work on his game. Now he has another title to enjoy.

"I have a lot of fun being at Louisville," Smith said.

UConn (26-8) came in looking for an eighth tournament title to go with seven from the Big East. It was barred from postseason play a year ago, but is a virtual lock to return to the NCAA tournament this year.

The Huskies left Memphis with a third loss this season to Louisville -- all by double digits.

"Louisville's playing great basketball," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "They won the championship last year, they went to the Final Four the year before. They got pretty much their whole team back, an experienced bunch, they play hard and well coached. But this tournament is wide open. It's a one-game elimination. Somebody can get hot, and hopefully that team will be us."

Ollie also looked ahead to a conference that will be losing Louisville and Rutgers and adding teams like Tulsa. He said UConn plans to continue being at the top of the American.

"This conference is going to be great," Ollie said.

DeAndre Daniels led the Huskies with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Conference player of the year Shabazz Napier had 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting, and Amida Brimah finished with 14.

UConn outscored Louisville 32-28 in the paint, but the Cardinals turned the Huskies' 13 turnovers into 13 points. Louisville also outrebounded the Huskies 38-33 and enjoyed a 14-6 advantage on second-chance points.

Louisville routed UConn 81-48 a week ago on the Cardinals' home court. But the Huskies were a confident bunch heading into the final, coming off victories over No. 19 Memphis in the quarterfinals and No. 13 Cincinnati in the semis.

The Cardinals grabbed an early lead and controlled the action for much of the game. Harrell scored 10 points in the first half and was a blur at times, blocking Brimah twice on one possession. He also swooped in for a dunk off a Smith assist that looked more like a layup that just missed the basket short.

UConn stayed within six of the Cardinals down the stretch, but Louisville finished the half on a 10-2 run that included 3s by Terry Rozier and Luke Hancock. Smith also had a steal and a pass ahead to Rozier for a fast-break layup that gave the Cardinals their biggest lead yet at 37-23 going into the break.

"We just didn't find our rhythm," Napier said. "They did play good defense. Once we got into the middle, guys had open shots, and we just couldn't knock them down."

The Huskies tried to take advantage of Louisville's shooting woes to open the second half.

The Cardinals missed their first five shots, but Harrell had big three-point play for a 45-28 lead. Louisville went up by as much as 20 a couple times, the last at 52-32.