Hitting the Century Mark in 2006-07
Every college basketball season has well over 4,000 games played involving Division I teams. If you figure each of over 330 teams plays an average of about 28 games, the total actually rounds up to 5,000 – but we won’t split hairs. Either way, it’s a fairly large number.
In light of that, it might seem rather insignificant that one person might cover 100 games, but that’s not an easy challenge, especially in the northeast, where winter weather can occasionally prove difficult for getting to games and any number of other factors can be a problem. Additionally, some things have to fall just right during the season, like a general lack of conflicts in teams’ schedules (i.e., two schools in the area having home games simultaneously). And certainly, the fact that there are a eight Division I schools within an hour of where I live (four right in greater Boston, plus Holy Cross, Providence, Brown and New Hampshire) goes a long way towards making this possible as well.
Last season, I fell just short of the century mark, covering 97 games. This season, I was determined to make sure that wasn’t going to happen again. The final tally was 103 games in 2006-07. It was a long ride, with some games better than others, of course, but it was a lot of fun. I can’t claim to be the first to do this, as colleague Kyle Whelliston has already done so recently, and perhaps others have done so even before he did. Indeed, Kyle’s quest to see 100 games (although his had a specific focus, which mine did not) was certainly part of my desire to do it.
So without further ado, here’s a look back at the games of the 2006-07 season – all 103 of them.
November 10, 2006 (Cox Communications Classic, Norfolk, VA)
(1) Old Dominion 54, Monmouth 40: Drew Williamson’s career-high 19 points help lead the Monarchs to a season-opening victory over the Hawks. The Monarchs opened the game up with a 27-7 lead.
(2) Clemson 83, Arkansas State 44: Arkansas State was never really in this one, which was a drubbing throughout.
November 11, 2006 (Cox Communications Classic, Norfolk, VA)
(3) Old Dominion 69, Arkansas State 61: Seniors led the way as Valdas Vasylius and Drew Williamson each scored 17 points to lead the victorious Monarchs. Williamson led the way defensively with six of their nine steals, helping them fend off hot-shooting Arkansas State, who got 15 points from freshman point guard Ryan Wedel after a tough first college game the night before.
(4) Clemson 77, Monmouth 65: Monmouth gave the Tigers a better battle than many probably expected. A big foul differential in favor of the Tigers (who play a pressing man-to-man while Monmouth plays a matchup zone) certainly helped.
November 12, 2006 (Cox Communications Classic, Norfolk, VA)
(5) Monmouth 69, Arkansas State 67 (OT): Monmouth gets on the board by pulling out a close one in overtime. Their talented but green backcourt had a better game this time around, helping them fend off a fine shooting effort by junior college transfer Adrian Banks of Arkansas State.
(6) Clemson 74, Old Dominion 70: As Oliver Purnell holds off his alma mater, his Clemson team looks the part of an improved team and one that should battle for an NCAA Tournament bid. One thing is abundantly clear: James Mays, who was named the MVP of the event, makes a real difference in that lineup.
November 13, 2006
(7) Vermont 77, Boston College 63: The Catamounts score a nice victory, showing early on that they would be in for a great season. The questions start coming about this Boston College team, but give Vermont credit: they had a good team and were clearly better on this occasion.
November 14, 2006
(8) Providence 96, Fairleigh Dickinson 71: The Friars won this one in a walk over a FDU team that lost several key veterans from last season’s team. What’s interesting is what happened four nights later with these two teams: Providence lost to Brown, while FDU won at Seton Hall.
November 15, 2006
(9) Holy Cross 62, Hampton 47: A good win for the Crusaders as former assistant Kevin Nickelberry makes a homecoming in one of his first games as Hampton’s new head coach.
November 18, 2006
(10) Holy Cross 65, Siena 57: The Crusaders hold off a young but talented Saints team, remaining undefeated as they near a major road trip.
November 21, 2006
(11) Northeastern 73, Boston University 54: Bill Coen gets his first win as a head coach. The Huskies dominated the Terriers for most of the game and shot the lights out against their arch-rivals.
November 22, 2006
(12) Providence 73, Boston College 64: Fresh off a nine-day layoff, the Eagles lose their second straight despite 12 blocked shots from Sean Williams in his return from a two-game suspension. Providence, meanwhile, bounced back from the loss to Brown a few nights earlier.
November 24, 2006 (NIT Season Tip-Off)
(13) North Carolina 101, Tennessee 87: The Tar Heels show the enormous potential they have and how untapped it is at this point, while the Volunteers show that they’re no pushover.
(14) Butler 79, Gonzaga 71: Butler caps off a great run to start the season, beating Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee and now the Bulldogs to capture the NIT Season Tip-Off title. Less than 24 hours later, they beat Kent State.
November 25, 2006
(15) Boston College 86, Rhode Island 68: Boston College breaks a two-game losing streak with a much-needed win over the Rams, a game that saw Sean Marshall almost single-handedly break open.
November 26, 2006
(16) Connecticut 86, Albany 55: In a pseudo-rematch of last season’s much-talked about first round NCAA Tournament game, the young and very green Huskies ran away from the Great Danes with their defense. Thanks to easy baskets off turnovers, the game was never in doubt after the Great Danes had an early lead.
November 28, 2006
(17) Providence 81, Columbia 55: The Friars beat a Columbia team that has talent and experience, but is struggling to find the right mix at this time. The Lions’ freshmen show their talent, but the more experienced players have a role as well. Meanwhile, the Friars have won three straight at this point and are looking good.
November 29, 2006
(18) Boston College 65, Michigan State 58: This win was one the Eagles needed to look like they were back on track after a couple of early losses that had plenty of questions being raised.
December 2, 2006
(19) Northeastern 58, UNC Wilmington 51: Bill Coen wins his first CAA game as head coach, and the Huskies continue to win at home.
(20) Boston College 84, Massachusetts 73: UMass had a nice team this year, but this game showed that the Minutemen still have some catching up to do in this rivalry.
December 4, 2006
(21) Providence 67, Fairfield 50: Despite the double-digit loss, Fairfield didn’t go quietly in this game and made a little rally in the second half. The Friars, meanwhile, continued to roll early.
December 5, 2006
(22) Rhode Island 72, Brown 68: An excellent game was highlighted by a shootout between Rhode Island’s Jimmy Baron and Brown’s Damon Huffman, who combined to go 16-20 on three-pointers. Huffman finishes with 30 points, Baron with 28.
December 6, 2006
(23) Boston College 75, Fairfield 52: Ed Cooley makes another homecoming, this time to where he spent the previous nine years as an assistant. His team had some struggles but also showed some promise, while the Eagles continued to play well.
December 9, 2006
(24) Rhode Island 85, Utah 84 (OT): A nice win for the Rams after suffering a tough loss in Utah last season. The Utes look talented but very green, with good size and a need to improve defensively. Utah head coach Ray Giacoletti blasted the officials after the game and was later reprimanded by the Mountain West Conference.
(25) Providence 94, Maine 79: A classic tale of two halves, where Maine was hot from long range in the first half and had the lead, before the Friars came alive in the second half to win going away and stay hot.
December 10, 2006
(26) Boston College 73, Maryland 62: The Eagles get a solid win to open ACC play in a game where you never really got the sense that the Terrapins had a real chance to win even though it never looked like a blowout. The Terrapins, meanwhile, looked like they might be on their way to an underachieving season.
December 12, 2006
(27) Albany 79, Harvard 76: The first half of this game was bad basketball, simply put. The second half was excellent as the game came right down to the wire.
December 16, 2006
(28) DePaul 89, Rhode Island 81: Although this wound up being decided by single digits, DePaul was in control from the outset. The Blue Demons came into the game with question marks as we had no idea which team was going to show up, but after this game they looked poised to turn the corner in a good way.
December 17, 2006
(29) Boston College 101, Sacred Heart 68: The Pioneers entered this game playing very well, with a couple of early Northeast Conference victories that suggested the program was on its way to its best season in Division I. But on this day, they simply looked overmatched.
December 18, 2006
(30) Northeastern 51, New Hampshire 41: Simply put, this might have been the ugliest game of the year. The Huskies were the better of two bad teams on this evening, two teams that were fresh off long breaks for final exams and looked every bit of it.
December 19, 2006
(31) Providence 77, Holy Cross 68: Holy Cross just didn’t quite have enough to top the hot Friars. Tim Clifford had a nice night, but the Friars were effective defending super seniors Torey Thomas and Keith Simmons (although Simmons got 16 of his 20 points in the second half) and shot the ball well on the evening.
December 20, 2006
(32) Sacred Heart 95, Harvard 75: This game turned out just as one might expect, with the offensive-minded Pioneers having a big night against the defensively-challenged Crimson.
December 21, 2006
(33) George Mason 58, Holy Cross 46: Not the prettiest game, but a win for the Patriots as they continued to alternate wins and losses early on. They had some good practices leading up to the game, and it showed.
December 28, 2006
(34) Duquesne 98, Boston College 93 (OT): Duquesne head coach Ron Everhart was hospitalized and unable to make a return to Boston, but his team came up with a big overtime win. The Eagles were without Jared Dudley, but most figured they would still be able to pull this out against the thin Dukes. Sean Williams’ school record 13 blocked shots wasn’t enough.
December 31, 2006
(35) Boston College 87, Northeastern 82: The Eagles looked like they had this one at times, but the Huskies gave them all they could handle. Freshman guard Matt Janning really impressed in the second half, keeping them in it until near the end, while Bennet Davis’ 27 points and six assists went a long way as well. The Huskies tied the game at 70 before the Eagles scored 13 straight points, but Northeastern roared back with 10 straight of their own before succumbing.
January 2, 2007
(36) Miami 72, Massachusetts 71: Anthony Harris (career-high 33 points on 13-19 shooting) led a field night for Miami guards in this game, a good road win for the Hurricanes. UMass head coach Travis Ford wasn’t a happy camper with his team after this one, and they would later respond in the next couple of weeks as they began Atlantic 10 play with three straight wins.
January 3, 2007
(37) Old Dominion 73, Northeastern 67: A strong Old Dominion team came to Boston and held off the pesky Huskies, led by a big night from senior forward Valdas Vasylius, who missed just two shots on the evening, and Brandon Johnson, who had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds.
January 4, 2007
(38) Providence 74, Marquette 59: With this win, the Friars began to look every bit the part of a Big East contender, although the jury was still out on them since it was another home game. They beat up on Marquette inside with their big bodies, something they did often in non-conference play. Marquette was without Jerel McNeal, although the Friars were still without suspended guard Sharaud Curry, so to a degree the personnel evened out, although McNeal would have helped with this being a physical game.
January 6, 2007
(39) Hartford 80, Boston University 75 (2 OT): In the second half, Boston University looked to be ready to win going away as they got hot from long range and went up 46-28. Then Hartford got going with their press and turned the game around, carrying the momentum into overtime. It took a second extra session, but the Hawks got it done in the second overtime of a real thriller.
(40) Providence 91, Seton Hall 69: On a special night for Providence as they honored Dave Gavitt and Joe Mullaney, the current Friars beat up on a young Seton Hall team.
January 7, 2007
(41) Rhode Island 75, Dayton 74: Known primarily for his shooting, Jimmy Baron won the game on a driving layup in traffic in the final seconds as the Rams knocked off a good Dayton team. This game didn’t have much of a crowd as they were overshadowed by the Patriots, who were hosting the New York Jets about an hour up the road at Gillette Stadium.
January 9, 2007
(42) Boston University 65, Maine 63: This was one of a number of early America East games that could have gone either way, and the young Terriers were able to pull it out over the veteran Black Bears.
January 10, 2007
(43) Northeastern 84, Georgia State 69: A classic tale of two halves, Georgia State was in control in the first half as the Huskies played no defense. In the second half, Northeastern turned up the defense and the offense followed, winning this one going away.
January 11, 2007
(44) New Hampshire 72, Hartford 59: A nice win for New Hampshire just two nights after a heart-breaking loss to Vermont at the buzzer.
January 12, 2007
(45) Holy Cross 65, Bucknell 60: Another excellent game in this rivalry saw Holy Cross build up a lead, then the Bison come back before falling short. This continues to be one of the better rivalries on the east coast.
January 13, 2007
(46) Boston College 78, Virginia 73: Dave Leitao makes his first head coaching appearance in Boston since his days as head coach at Northeastern. His team played well, but not well enough as the Eagles continued their good early run in the ACC.
(47) Yale 56, Brown 42: The Bulldogs were in control throughout this game, getting their first win at Brown in four years.
January 16, 2007
(48) Boston College 82, Miami 63: With their whole team finally intact after injuries and suspensions kept at least one player out of every game, the Eagles roll over a young Miami team.
January 17, 2007
(49) Holy Cross 61, Navy 42: Navy showed that they have improved, but they’re still young and thus not quite at the contender level in the Patriot League just yet. Billy Lange is getting them there, though.
January 20, 2007
(50) Providence 78, Rutgers 63: The Friars get back on track after two road losses, beating up on the struggling Scarlet Knights. They dominated inside, as expected.
January 21, 2007
(51) Boston University 59, UMBC 53: There were times in this game where it looked like UMBC, an improved road team this season, would steal this one. They had a 10-point lead at one point in the second half. But as the Retrievers were hurt in part by foul trouble, the Terriers came through when they had to in the second half for the win.
January 23, 2007
(52) Boston College 85, Florida State 82: Sean Marshall’s buzzer-beating three-pointer gives the Eagles a big win over the Seminoles in their first home game after the dismissal of Sean Williams and Akida McLain.
January 24, 2007
(53) Northeastern 67, James Madison 51: The Huskies pulled away from the Dukes in the second half for this one. James Madison showed some of their potential, but also showed that they’re a year away from improvement that can be noticed in the won-loss column.
January 26, 2007
(54) Holy Cross 64, Lehigh 53: The Crusaders shut down Lehigh’s guards, including Patriot League Rookie of the Year Marquis Hall, en route to a good home win with a great atmosphere (and a rare 9 PM tip).
January 27, 2007
(55) Northeastern 73, Delaware 64: The Huskies hand out 20 assists and turn the ball over just nine times in this win. Starting forwards Manny Adako and Bennet Davis, the latter of whom surpassed 1,000 career points in this game, combined for nine of those assists.
(56) Harvard 92, Brown 88: Brian Cusworth’s final game was a win for the Crimson, though he fouled out and wasn’t on the court at the end. They had to hold off a late barrage of three-pointers, leading by 10 with under a minute to play before the final margin was just four. Cusworth scored 19 points on 7-8 shooting and had six rebounds and three blocked shots.
January 28, 2007
(57) Albany 71, New Hampshire 64: Down the stretch, the Great Danes won this game like a team that’s been there before, as they made plays when they needed to. New Hampshire coach Bill Herrion was concerned about his team and expressed that they were up against a clearly better team even though it came down to the final minute.
January 29, 2007
(58) Drexel 68, Northeastern 59: Northeastern rode some hot shooting to a terrific early lead, but couldn’t hold on to it. Drexel clearly out-played them in the second half to take this one home.
January 31, 2007
(59) Holy Cross 58, American 47: The difference between these two teams was simple: Holy Cross made plays later in the game that kept them in the lead and ultimately won the game. American didn’t, which was a point of frustration for the coaching staff since the Eagles were a senior-laden team.
February 2, 2007
(60) Columbia 90, Harvard 70: It looked like Joe Jones’ team was ready to come alive, as they made it look easy at the offensive end in this one. They were white-hot from long range, especially in the first half.
February 3, 2007
(61) Boston College 80, Virginia Tech 59: Jared Dudley helped the Eagles dominate the Hokies, who were fresh off a loss to North Carolina State where they had not played well. Virginia Tech was happy to have some time off before their next game, hoping to regroup.
(62) Harvard 65, Cornell 64: After their struggles against Columbia, one might have expected the Crimson to struggle against another team that can score. But the Big Red, as talented as they are, aren’t the most disciplined team (in part from youth), and the Crimson pulled off a dramatic victory at the end.
February 6, 2007
(63) Providence 71, Cincinnati 70: The only way to sum up this game and what it symbolized for the Friars was that they stole it – at home. It’s not good when you have to steal one at home against a team at the bottom of the conference standings (even though the Bearcats weren’t a terrible cellar-dweller).
February 7, 2007
(64) Northeastern 65, Towson 55: A week after losing to the Tigers on the road, the Huskies turn the tables at home. The Tigers shot just 34 percent from the field and were too dependent on Gary Neal (26 points on 9-25 shooting), as complementary players didn’t develop during the season.
February 8, 2007
(65) Boston University 66, Binghamton 54: Freshman Carlos Strong scored a career-high 30 points on 10-13 shooting from the field, including 8-10 from three-point range, to lead the Terriers. The Bearcats, who clearly missed the departed seniors from last season’s team, continued to struggle at the defensive end as the Terriers were 13-26 from long range.
February 10, 2007
(66) Hofstra 68, George Mason 60: Tom Pecora picks up his 100th career win as a head coach, a solid road win and their first ever at the Patriot Center. On the other side, Patriot head coach Jim Larranaga was not a happy camper and promised that things would be different at upcoming practices, as the Patriots clearly were not playing well at this point.
February 11, 2007
(67) Maryland 72, Duke 60: This game didn’t have the luster it normally might, as both were struggling in the ACC – Maryland at 3-6 and Duke at 5-5. Maryland was the clearly better team all night, and this win started the seven-game winning streak that they entered the ACC Tournament with.
February 14, 2007
(68) Duke 78, Boston College 70: On a stormy night in Boston, Duke continues to have BC’s number as they snap a four-game losing streak (they have never lost five straight under Coach K). This game wasn’t as close as the final score may indicate.
February 15, 2007
(69) Boston University 68, Stony Brook 55: Although not a blowout, this game was never really in doubt as the Terriers beat a Stony Brook team that had a rough couple of days. A snowstorm the day before kept the team on campus until late in the morning on game day.
February 16, 2007
(70) Brown 70, Harvard 66: A nice win by the Bears that made head coach Craig Robinson a happy man. They played well from start to finish as the home team won both games between these two teams this season.
February 17, 2007
(71) Providence 71, St. John’s 66: The Red Storm looks ready to turn the corner soon, but a win at Providence wasn’t part of that as the Friars pulled this one out. St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts was asked quite a bit about the limited minutes for sharp-shooting guard Avery Patterson, who struggled defensively.
(72) North Carolina 77, Boston College 72: Three nights after being clearly out-played by Duke, the Eagles were just a little short all night long against the ultra-talented and deep Tar Heels in a great game.
February 20, 2007
(73) Providence 64, West Virginia 61: The Friars used the zone successfully against the Mountaineers, holding them to 9-41 shooting from long range. It was another big game for Weyinmi Efejuku, who had 24 points and seven rebounds. West Virginia could have used a win here to give them a good road win.
February 21, 2007
(74) Holy Cross 68, Colgate 57: It was Senior Night for Torey Thomas and Keith Simmons, and they went out victorious. Simmons didn’t shoot as well as usual, but as was often the case he helped them win with his complete game.
February 22, 2007
(75) Vermont 57, Boston University 55: With this win, Vermont becomes the first America East team since Boston University three years ago to win every conference road game. They had to hold off the Terriers late in a game that was close throughout.
February 23, 2007
(76) Penn 83, Harvard 67: Although the Quakers cruised to this win and were never really challenged, head coach Glen Miller felt like his team didn’t play its best. Freshman Darren Smith had a nice night shooting the ball, giving a sense of what may be ahead.
February 24, 2007
(77) Boston College 59, Clemson 54: The Eagles grind out a win on Senior Day with an excellent second half. The Tigers, meanwhile, look more and more like an NIT team after starting out 17-0.
(78) Harvard 50, Princeton 43: A big second half, led by Drew Housman coming alive, helps the Crimson close out their home slate with a win on Senior Night.
February 25, 2007
(79) New Hampshire 64, UMBC 51: Seniors Jermaine Anderson and Blagoj Janev closed out their careers at home by leading the Wildcats to this victory. They were never seriously challenged in the second half after they started off hot.
February 28, 2007 (Patriot League Tournament – Quarterfinals)
(80) Holy Cross 83, Lafayette 53: The Crusaders were in control of this game all the way and never seriously challenged.
March 1, 2007 (Missouri Valley Conference Tournament – First Round)
(81) Drake 101, Evansville 96 (OT): As the score suggests, this game was of the “defense optional” variety as both teams shot the ball well from long range. They combined to shoot just under 50 percent from the field.
(82) Indiana State 68, Illinois State 65: The Sycamores lived another day by hanging on for a first round win despite turning the ball over 15 times.
March 2, 2007 (Missouri Valley Conference Tournament – Quarterfinals)
(83) Southern Illinois 71, Drake 59: The Salukis show why they were the regular season champs with a nice win in what would prove to be Tom Davis’ last game as a head coach.
(84) Bradley 51, Northern Iowa 48: Will Franklin’s off-balance three-pointer in the final seconds keeps the Braves’ NCAA Tournament hopes alive as they knock off pesky Northern Iowa. He was just 4-14 from the field in the game, but he made one when it counted.
(85) Creighton 59, Indiana State 38: The Bluejays turned up the defense in a big way in the second half, shutting down the Sycamores in what was Royce Waltman’s last game as head coach at Indiana State.
(86) Missouri State 67, Wichita State 64: This game was as good as it had the potential to be, as the Shockers gave a valiant effort as a very dangerous No. 6 seed.
March 3, 2007 (Missouri Valley Conference Tournament – Semifinals)
(87) Southern Illinois 53, Bradley 51: This was hardly an offensive clinic, with the teams combining to shoot about 35 percent from the field. The Salukis were just a little better, especially on the offensive glass, where they got the game-winner on a tip-in by Matt Shaw in the final seconds.
(88) Creighton 75, Missouri State 58: Just like the night before, the Bluejays turned up the defense in the second half, holding the Bears under 22 percent in the second frame to pull away after being up by just five at halftime. Nate Funk also had the hot hand offensive, scoring 33 points on 10-15 shooting, while Nick Porter went for 19 points and 13 rebounds.
March 4, 2007 (Missouri Valley Conference Championship)
(89) Creighton 67, Southern Illinois 61: Ending an eight-game losing streak to the Salukis, the Bluejays earn another trip to the NCAA Tournament with this victory. It wasn’t an easy ride for the Bluejays, but this win made all the adversity they had over the course of the season well worth it.
March 5, 2007 (Mid-Continent Conference Tournament – Semifinals)
(90) Oral Roberts 75, IUPUI 54: The Golden Eagles cruised into the championship game with this win.
(91) Oakland 83, UMKC 79: The Kangaroos couldn’t hold a lead in the second half as Oakland gradually came back for the win. The final minutes were tremendous after Oakland tied the game at 64, as the teams went back and forth.
March 6, 2007 (Mid-Continent Conference Championship)
(92) Oral Roberts 71, Oakland 67: The great careers of Caleb Green and Ken Tutt had one more chapter for the hometown fans. Green had another big game and Tutt hit another big shot, this time a runner in the final minute that put him at 2,000 career points, and the Golden Eagles won their second straight conference championship.
March 8, 2007 (Big Ten Tournament – First Round)
(93) Michigan 49, Minnesota 40: The first game of the tournament wasn’t an offensive clinic by a long shot, with the Wolverines keeping their slim NCAA Tournament hopes alive. This would also prove to be Jim Molinari’s last game as head coach at Minnesota.
(94) Michigan State 62, Northwestern 57: In another game that started slowly on offense, the Wildcats gave the Spartans all they could handle and showed some potential for next season.
(95) Illinois 66, Penn State 60: Penn State got off to a flying start, but Illinois took over and then held off the Nittany Lions in the final minutes. Chester Frazier had a nice game shooting the ball, as he scored a career-high 21 points.
March 19 2007 (Big Ten Tournament – Quarterfinals)
(96) Ohio State 72, Michigan 62: The Wolverines had their chances, but couldn’t break through in a game they had to have – symbolic of their season. Ohio State then put them away in the closing minutes.
(97) Purdue 74, Iowa 55: The Boilermakers advance with a convincing win in a game largely viewed as an NCAA elimination game. The Hawkeyes just never really showed up in this one.
(98) Wisconsin 70, Michigan State 57: The Badgers had this one all the way, scoring the game’s first ten points and leading by 15 at the half, then slamming the door on the Spartans during a second-half rally. Alando Tucker looked the part of Big Ten Player of the Year in this one with a number of clutch shots.
(99) Illinois 58, Indiana 54 (OT): A great back-and-forth game with a terrific atmosphere, this one could have gone either way. It was only fitting that it went to overtime, and that the extra session would see both teams going scoreless for over two minutes at the beginning.
March 10, 2007 (Big Ten Tournament – Semifinals)
(100) Ohio State 63, Purdue 52: Give Purdue credit, as they were right there with the Buckeyes for about 37 minutes and led at times. Ohio State pulled away in the last couple of minutes to make the score look a little deceiving.
(101) Wisconsin 53, Illinois 41: This was close for a while, but once Kammron Taylor got going in the second half, the Illini didn’t stand a chance as the Badgers pulled away.
March 11, 2007 (Big Ten Championship)
(102) Ohio State 66, Wisconsin 49: With a fine defensive effort, the Buckeyes take the rubber match between these teams in a convincing fashion, riding a 17-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament.
March 13, 2007 (NIT)
(103) Massachusetts 89, Alabama 87 (OT): A thrilling overtime win for the Minutemen was good in many respects, not the least of which it was a postseason win at long last.
