It took a couple of extra games and a road trip, as well as a big game from someone who had his struggles, but Cleveland State took home the Horizon League title on Tuesday night.
Month: March 2009
Horizon League Championship Sights and Sounds
Bill checks in with some notes on the Horizon League championship game, including the All-Tournament team.
Big Sky: Top-Seeded Weber State Goes Down
No. 6 Montana State shocked No. 1 Weber State 70-61 on the Wildcats’ home court. No. 2 Portland State moved into the Big Sky championship game after beating No. 4 Idaho State 61-53.
Sun Belt: Hilltoppers Hold Off Jaguars to Win Sun Belt
The Hilltoppers beat back No. 6 South Alabama 64-56 after allowing a 15-point first-half lead to slip away.
WAC: O’Neil Pushes Fresno Past Hawaii
Trailing by one in the final minute, senior guard Dwight O’Neil hit a jumper with about 20 seconds remaining to pull No. 9 Fresno State ahead of No. 8 Hawaii 59-58.
Big East: Underdogs Splatter Bubbles at Big East Tourney
No. 16 DePaul won its first conference game of the season, beating No. 9 Cincinnati 67-57 in a game the Bearcats had to win to keep hopes for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament alive. No. 13 St. John’s followed that with a 64-59 against No. 12 Georgetown. No. 10 Notre Dame advanced to the second round with a 61-50 win against No. 15 Rutgers. No. 11 Seton Hall wore down No. 14 South Florida in the second half, overcoming a two-point hole at halftime to win 68-54.
MEAC: Hampton’s Defense Proves Too Much for Delaware State
No. 7 Hampton held No. 10 Delaware State to 26 percent shooting in a 51-32 victory. No. 8 Florida A&M was on fire from long range, hitting 11-of-16 three-pointers in a 71-58 win against No. 9 Howard.
Razorbacks’ Youth Shows in SEC Play
Arkansas went 12-1 in non-conference play and had wins over Oklahoma and Texas near the end of the slate. But they went 2-14 in SEC play, which was probably not what one might have expected given their non-conference showing. One would naturally wonder how that disparity might be explained.
Mid-American: Akron Needs 2 Buzzer-Beaters to Dispatch Toledo in OT
No. 5 Akron’s Anthony “Humpty” Hitchens hit a three-pointer at the end of regulation to complete a frantic comeback and tie the game at 78, and as overtime expired, sophomore forward Brett McKnight hit a jumper to give Akron the 93-92 win against No. 12 Toledo. Meanwhile. No. 6 Kent State beat No. 11 Northern Illinois 64-61, No. 7 Central Michigan beat No. 10 Eastern Michigan 62-49, and No. 9 Ohio was the lone underdog to win, beating No. 8 Western Michigan 62-55.
Summit: North Dakota State Earns First Championship and NCAA Bid
No. 1 North Dakota State beat No. 3 Oakland 66-64 on a jumper from senior guard Ben Woodside with three seconds remaining, giving the Bison a Summit League championship and NCAA Tournament bid just two years after they joined Division I.
