All four favorites won in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. However, Northern Iowa needed to overcome a six-point deficit in the final 10 minutes, and Creighton exemplified the thrills of March Madness with a buzzer-beating game-winner to slip past Wichita State 63-62.
Month: March 2009
Ohio Valley: Morehead State Takes Down Regular-Season Champs
No. 4 Morehead State became the first underdog to take down a regular-season champ during Championship Week. Sophomore forward Kenneth Faried is playing like a superhero, posting 17 rebounds for a second consecutive game. The Eagles will face No. 2 Austin Peay, which beat No. 3 Murray State 67-50.
SoCon: Favorites Win 3 in Opening Round; Elon Pulls Lone Upset
No. 3S College of Charleston, No. 3N Samford and No. 4N Appalachian State take care of business, while No. 5N Elon stormed out to a 14-0 lead en route to a 62-55 win against No. 4s Wofford.
Mississippi State: Bailey Severely Injures Ankle
Mississippi State sophomore forward Elgin Bailey will miss the rest of the season after dislocating his ankle in the Bulldogs’ 80-71 win against Florida. Coaches initially feared the injury might cause long-term damage.
Winthrop: Like Winthrop’s Season, Team Bus Goes Up in Smoke
The Eagles’ bus caught fire shortly after the team’s season concluded with a loss to UNC-Asheville in the Big South Conference Tournament quarterfinals.
Pittsburgh: Panthers Retire Brandin Knight’s No. 20
Pittsburgh honored assistant coach Brandin Knight Wednesday against Marquette by retiring the former Panthers guard’s No. 20 jersey.
Michigan State: Big Ten Title to Cost Izzo His Hair
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told Spartan fans that he’d shave his head if the team wins the Big Ten title this year. After Tuesday’s win at Indiana, Izzo needs to invest in a good razor.
UMass Seniors Live the Dream, Close Out Home Slate With Win
UMass’ seniors closed out their home slates with a win thanks to their play in the second half. The end has come, but they’re still living the dream for a little while more.
Big South: Top 2 Seeds Meet in Championship Game Saturday
No. 1 Radford will host fast-paced No. 2 VMI Saturday. The Highlanders took care of No. 4 UNC-Asheville Thursday night, while VMI overcame a slow start against No. 3 Liberty.
Northeast: 3 Top Seeds Defend Home Court
The Northeast Conference Tournament quarterfinals featured three top seeds protecting home court and No. 5 Quinnipiac winning an overtime contest at No. 4 Long Island. The Bobcats survived the momentum swing of a buzzer-beating three pointer by the Blackbirds to regain control in overtime.
