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.
Conference Notes
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.
