Difference between revisions of "L15 NTT64"

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Season 64 National Title Tournament

Season 64 showed how much the current state of college basketball has so much parody. No teams ended the season undefeated as eventual champion, Durham, knocked off the only remaining unbeaten team, Phoenix in the NTT title game. The tournament itself had two teams that some might consider Cinderella's, in #15 Bangor and #10, Ann Arbor, but experts knew both squads were strong and it wasn't surprising to see them both make a deep run.

Three #1 seeds advanced to the Elite Eight as well as two #2's.

Prior to the tournament, the top ranked team was Jersey City, followed by Phoenix, Alexandria and Corpus Christi.

Brackets

Northwest Region

Southwest Region

Northeast Region

Southeast Region

Final Four

Game Summaries

Northwest Region

First round

(1) Jersey City 97 - (16) Paducah 89

It didn't take long for excitement as the very first game of the night went into overtime. The Ironmen's center, Clyde Giles actually had a shot with 1 second to go to pull off the upset, but in the overtime Jersey City rained three's and put the game out of reach. Chester Sitton came up big for Jersey City, scoring 28 points and grabbing 14 points while Douglas Atherton added 18 points and 9 boards.

(8) Dayton 86 - (9) Abilene 83

Abilene carried a 18 point lead into the half but saw it quickly vanish as Dayton stormed back. Kenny Reed hit a midrange jumper with 20 seconds left to give the Kingslayers a 3 point lead and when Abilene's, Jeffrey Gray, missed a 3 point attempt with 6 seconds left, the comeback was complete and Dayton moved on to the 2nd round. Luke Davidson led the Kingslayers with 26 points as five Dayton players scored in double-digits.

(12) Mobile 97 - (5) San Jose 81

The Control KAOS did what it has done all season long, dominate the glass as they outrebounded San Jose, 40-19, and easily ran away with the game. Gil Ham scored 19 points with 0 turnovers for Mobile while 'Sweet' Floyd Rogers added 17 points and 4 boards. The rebound advantage was huge as Mobile took 14 more shots than the Hammerheads.

(4) Birmingham 71 - (13) St. Martinville 41

Birmingham played suffocating defense, holding the Whipstix to just 31% shooting from the field as they routed the 13 seed. St. Martinville turned the ball over 16 times due to the immense pressure and shot 1-9 from behind the arc as the Jail players contested nearly every shot. Ryan Cruz was big off the bench for Birmingham, scoring 20 points in 19 minutes.

(3) Tucson 87 - (14) Erie 68

Erie simply didn't have the firepower to stay with the more athletic Tribe as Tucson pulled away little by little until the game was out of reach. Tucson crashed the boards hard, outrebounding Erie by 10, while Jared Parenteau shut down Erie's, Ernest Mann, holding him to just 3-10 from the field and 8 points. Montez Edick and Raymond Salazar each scored 17 for the Tribe, while Parenteau and Vinson combined for 14 rebounds inside.

(6) Fresno 71 - (11) Cambridge 70

Fresno led most of the game until a Foo Dogs spurt finally gave them the lead with a little less than five minutes to go. When Ignacio Esterle's short jumper gave Cambridge the lead with 28 seconds left, Jacob Standley followed it with a tough drive to the rim, got fouled and hit both free throws with 16 seconds left which proved to be the difference. Five players scored in double-digits for Fresno, led by Charles Conrad's 14 points off the bench. Standley ended the game with 13 points and 7 rebounds.

(7) Harrisburg 85 - (10) Glendale 58

Harrisburg quickly jumped out to a 22-8 lead and never looked back as they routed Glendale. Edward Westmoreland shot 8-13 from the field, scoring 22 points and grabbed 6 boards while Gervaise Minton scored 13 and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Krushers outrebounded Glendale by 18 while five players scored in double digits in the win.

(2) Casper 82 - (15) Louisville 76

The Steamboats gave the defending champions everything they could handle as Casper escaped with a tough first round victory. Louisville's, Johnnie Gregory, lit up the scoreboard for 42 points, but the Hania used an all-around performance as nearly everyone chipped in for the win. Bruce Estill and Joseph Yang each scored 14 for Casper while Yang added 10 rebounds.

Second Round

(8) Dayton 55 - (1) Jersey City 54

It was a slugfest out in the Northwest bracket between the Kingslayers and Jesters and the 8 seed came out standing. There were plenty of times where minutes would go buy and nobody could score as both teams played fantastic defense and the athleticism on the court was a sight to see. Heath Ralston had a short shot to win the game for Jersey City, but his attempt bounced off the rim, giving the upset to Dayton. Luke Davidson (14 pts.) and Kenny Reed (12 pts.) were the only Dayton players to score in double digits.

(4) Birmingham 68 - (12) Mobile 55

Birmingham had a small lead the entire game and everytime the Control KAOS would make an attempt to comeback, someone for the Jail would step up and increase the margin. Birmingham's defense was simply amazing, holding Mobile to just 22-48 shooting from the field and even outrebounding the nation's top rebounding team. Stephen Mcquay led the Jail with 16 points and 5 rebounds while Brent Ferguson added 10. It was a team effort overall though as the suffocating Jail defense was to much for Mobile.

(3) Tucson 86 - (6) Fresno 84

Marc White was the clear hero as his huge three-pointer tied the game with 46 seconds left then his long field goal with 5 seconds left ended the game as the 3 seeded Tribe advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. The Tribe shot 18-22 as a team from the free throw line and shot over 50% from the field as White topped all scorers with 23 points. Raymond Salazar added 18 for Tucson while Derek Hammond came off the bench, hitting 6-7 shots for 15 points.

(2) Casper 86 - (7) Harrisburg 77

The Hania used a late 18-7 run to close out a game in which they were down for most of the second half. Harrisburg won the battle of the boards, but their 26 fouls were to much as Casper shot 27-35 from the line compared to just 11-13 for the Krushers. Brandon Vaccaro led Casper with 20 points while Joseph Yang added 18. Sean Connery nearly had a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds while Alex Gittens dished out 7 assists to 0 turnovers.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(8) Dayton 80 - (4) Birmingham 69

Dayton dominated the boards and went 7-12 from behind the arc as they won going away against the four seeded Jail. Kenny Reed led the Kingslayers with 17 points, going 7-12 from the field and hitting all three 3-point attempts. Dayton got two big performances off the bench as well as Steve Soja Jr. and Lyle Dunn combined for 21 points in limited minutes. Ryan Cruz led Birmingham with 16, scoring 11 in the first half as the Jail attempted to stay close with the hot Dayton shooting team.

(2) Casper 87 - (3) Tucson 76

Tucson jumped out to an early lead, but the patience and experience of Casper got them back into it, going into the half with a 37-35 lead. In the second half Casper took control, building up double digit leads as Brandon Vaccaro found his stroke, as the freshmen led the way for the Hania to get back to the Elite Eight. Vaccaro ended the night with 24 points, leading all scorers while 4 other Casper players added 12 points. Gittens was one of those with 12, who also added 6 assists and two steals. Casper got to the line 26 times to Tucson's 9 times, converting 16.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(8) Dayton 74 - (2) Casper 71

It started out back and forth as Casper's, Brandon Vaccaro and Dayton's, Kenny Reed seemed to exchange baskets over and over for most of the first half until Bruce Estill went on a quick 5 point surge, giving Casper a 10 point lead at the half. Two big 3's by Dayton's, Phil Newcomb and Luke Davidson, followed up by a deep two pointer by Newcomb brought the Kingslayers back within two early in the second half.

With a little over 10 to go and Casper up by two behind clutch shooting of Vaccaro and the inside game of Sean Connery, Reed and Davidson hit back to back 3-pointers again, giving Dayton a 4 point lead. With 3:01 left, and the Hania down by 5, Estill got a huge dunk which seemed to turn momentum towards Casper, but that would be it for the scoring as both offenses sputtered and Dayton escaped with a 3 point victory.

Reed finished with 18 for Dayton while Newcomb added 14 and 4 assists. Davidson added 13 and 4 rebounds for the Kingslayers while Keven Walker scored 7 and grabbed 11 rebounds. Casper got 16 points each out of Vaccaro and Estill while Sean Connery scored 10, grabbed 7 rebounds and blocked 4 balls in the loss.

Southwest Region

First round

(1) Phoenix 89 - (16) Carlsbad 82

What a tough draw for the Panthers as they got stuck facing Phoenix for the 4th time on Monday night, finishing off the season 0-4 against the Eunuchs. Doyle Mcgonagle led Phoenix with 32 points while Theodore Henley came off the bench and scored 21 on 8-8 shooting, including 4-4 from downtown. Daunte Lowery grabbed a game high 13 rebounds for the Eunuchs, who won the battle of the boards.

(9) Honolulu 69 - (8) Amarillo 55

Honolulu dominated the boards, outrebounding Amarillo, 41-27 while hitting 16-21 from the charity stripe in this low scoring affair. The Hulu Hoops got 38 points combined from it's backcourt of Ryan Eaves and Oliver Huot while Michael Barber, Roger Shoaf and Daryl Fulkerson mopped up the missed shots with 22 rebounds between the 3 big men.

(5) Huntington Beach 99 - (12) Santa Ana 68

Huntington Beach carried a 25 point lead into the half, dominating the Reindeer from the get go. They continued the blitzing through the second half, easily putting away the outmanned Santa Ana squad. Jarrod Breaux led the Cows with 29 points and 6 rebounds while Russell Corey added 15 and 7. Joshua Speed scored 15 as well as the much bigger Huntington Beach squad imposed it's will early and often.

(4) Denver 90 - (13) Hot Springs 84

The Lightning scored the last 6 points after the score was tied with just 50 seconds to go, in a game that saw plenty of lead changes. Neither team saw many points scored off the bench as the starting lineups for both teams had incredible games offensively. Archie Smalls led Denver with 21 points and 6 rebounds while Tracy Kemmerer went 7-7 from the line, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 boards as he battled hard inside all night long.

(3) Del Mar 90 - (14) Ithaca 76

The game was close most of the way until the Acey Deucy used a late second half run to put the game out of reach. Bryce Baylor led Del Mar with 24 points and 12 rebounds while Leo Travis added 18 and 5 assists. Baylor was a monster inside as the Acey Deucy outrebounded Ithaca, 38-26.

(11) Fargo 84 - (6) Orlando 75

Orlando led most of the way, but the Wood Chippers just kept hanging around, finally taking the lead at 68-67. From there Fargo took control and outscored the Bluefish 16-9 the rest of the way behind great defensive stops and key rebounds. Vincent Dawson led the Woodchippers in scoring with 24 points while Marc Pascua added 19. Bill Foster and Willy Gavely combined for 21 points and 14 rebounds inside for Fargo as well.

(7) Cincinnati 68 - (10) Montgomery 50

The Dreads vaunted defense held the Crouching Hogs to just 50 points as they played their usual style of grinding defense and patient offense in their first round win. Four of Cincinnati's starters scored in double digits, led by Donyell Berndt's 16 point, 8 rebound performance. Montgomery turned the ball over 16 times to just 6 for the Dreads, as they couldn't find open passing lanes against Cincinnati's aggressive defense.

(15) Bangor 82 - (2) Pensacola 79

When Clifford Heard's 3 point attempt with seconds left bounced off the rim, it was pandamonium in the Southwest as Bangor, conference 6's regular season champion, pulled off a stunner over the #2 seeded Gulf Bandits. Donald Hicks and J.J. Carr each scored 17 for Bangor, while Trevor McCormick added 16. The Black Bears went 7-13 from behind the arc as well as only turning the ball over 6 times to Pensacola's 14, which proved to be a big difference.

Second Round

(1) Phoenix 77 - (9) Honolulu 64

The Eunuchs jumped out early and sustained a double-digit lead for most of the game, constantly pressuring the Hula Hoops, never giving them open looks. While Doyle Mcgonagle led Pheonix with 28 points on 11-16 shooting, it was another big day off the bench from backup guard, Theodore Henley, who shot 8-12 from the field, including 3-3 from behind the arc, totaling 20 points. Forward, Julian Kelly played excellent defense on Honolulu's star, Oliver Huot, holding the 6'7 junior to just 11 points on 5-15 shooting.

(4) Denver 101 - (5) Huntington Beach 97

This one looked like it was going to get away for Huntington Beach as they went down by 14 points at the half. But they came out hot in the second half, finally taking their first lead on J Breaux's 3-pointer with 9:36 left in the game. The game went back and forth until J Speed hit a 3-pointer with 5 seconds left to put it into overtime. In OT, the Lightning finally built a lead that the Cows could not overcome, ending with a 4 point victory. In all, 58 three pointers were taken between the two squads as Denver went 11-25 while Huntington Beach ended up going 12-33. Archie Smalls led the Lightning with 34 points while Terry West added 15 and 10 rebounds from the three spot as 5 players scored in double-digits.

(11) Fargo 86 - (3) Del Mar 71

The Acey Deucy looked slow and tired in the first half and Fargo used that to build a big lead that Del Mar could never come back from. Fargo was very impressive from the line, going 20-25 and hitting 32-66 shots from the field while only turning the ball over 6 times for the game. Vincent Dawson started out scoring 8 out of Fargo's first 10 points and he continued at a big pace, scoring 33 for the game and going 11-11 from the line. Marc Pascua added 24 while Bill Foster scored 10 and grabbed 5 boards.

(15) Bangor 72 - (7) Cincinnati 66Bangor used a late 8-2 run to pull away from Cincinnati, putting 72 points up on one of the nation's stingiest defenses over the past few years. I said it at the beginning, Bangor was way underseeded at 15, and they have proved me right as they advance to the Sweet 16. J.J. Carr led the Black Bears in scoring with 19 on 6-9 shooting while J.B. Allers came off the bench, hit 6-10 shots, including 2 trifecta's, scoring 16 key points as well. In all Bangor shot 7-14 from behind the arc.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(1) Phoenix 83 - (4) Denver 58

This one was never in doubt as the Eunuchs took an early lead and fought off any attempt the Lightning made at coming back with a counter run of their own. Doyle Mcgonagle led Phoenix with 21 points in just 24 minutes, a staple for a coach Kmoney team. Jackson Isaac's 10 boards led a big time effort on the boards for Phoenix, out-rebounding Denver by 11. The Lightning shot just 4-19 from behind the arc, a tribute to the perimeter defense played by the Eunuchs. Theodore Henley and Gordon Peterson both came off the bench for Kmoney's squad, scoring 11 each.

(15) Bangor 92 - (11) Fargo 87

The battle of the double-digit seeds saw Bangor hold a double-digit lead for most of the game until the Wood Chippers made a valient comeback a little to late, bringing the score to just 5 in the final seconds with some timely three's. Bangor controlled the tempo most of the way though, with a big performance on the boards and great shooting. Five players scored in double-digits for the Black Bears, led by J.B. Allers 16 points off the bench. Allers shot 7-10 from the field in just 19 minutes. Vincent Dawson led Fargo with a 35 point performance, but their bench was clearly outplayed by Bangor's deep squad.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(1) Phoenix 79 - (15) Bangor 67

It was back and forth between the 15 and 1 seeds the entire first half as Doyle Mcgonagle scored 16 of Phoenix's 39 first half points, trying desperately to carry the load for Phoenix while Bangor got production from everywhere. At the half it was all knotted up at 39.

Neither team could pull away until Phoenix took a 5 point lead with 7 minutes to go on D Sella's free throws. From there the Eunuchs kept pushing the lead, until Mcgonagle sealed the victory with a five more points to close out the game.

Mcgonagle ended the game with 23 points on 8-15 shooting for Phoenix while Clifford Lusk scored 14 and Gordon Peterson added 10. Phoenix held Bangor to just 4-18 from behind the arc, while getting to the line 30 times to the Black Bears 13, converting 21 of them. Donald Hicks led Bangor with 15 points while Sammy Sella grabbed 10 boards.

Northeast Region

First round

(1) Alexandria 77 - (16) Syracuse 74

Alexandria avoided a huge upset as the top seed outlasted a tough Syracuse squad in game 1 of the Northeast bracket. Rick Collinsworth was huge for the Flyers, scoring 31 points on 13-17 shooting while Ken Cleary was the only other Flyer in double digits with 10.

(8) Lake Tahoe 102 - (9) Boca Raton 91

The Wheezing Senior jumped out to a small lead, but it was the White Russians who would end up with the win in this offensive slugfest. Michael Priest led all scorers with 26 points while Lake Tahoe's, John Wagner, added 19 on 7-10 shooting, including hitting all three of this 3-point attempts. Big 7'2 monster masher, Marquez Theus grabbed 9 boards as well.

(12) Scranton 79 - (5) Reading 69

It was much closer than the final score as Scranton didn't pull away until the last couple minutes, ending the game on a 12-4 run. The Scrappers won the battle of the boards, outrebounding Reading, 36-25 as both teams played well until the final horn. Bryan Nakamura led Scranton with 23 points and 7 rebounds while Ronnie Lilly added 18 in the win.

(4) Pierre 61 - (13) Allentown 57

Allentown gave Pierre all it could handle as the Camouflage Men showed it will be a tough team for years to come. The St. Jaque Strap's big center, Woody Wells led all scorers with 25 pionts and grabbed 6 rebounds as the four seed escaped with a narrow victory. (14) Peoria 67 - (3) Nashville 64

The River Bandits controlled the glass and the tempo for most of the game as they pulled off a stunner over Nashville. The Blue Blaze got 26 points out of Craig Hodges, and 18 out of Ray Tague but that's all that Peoria would let them do as Mo Cline and Herb Spears held their own against the Nashville stars with a combined offensive output of 44 points of their own.

(6) Green Bay 85 - (11) Fort Worth 73

The battle between star freshmen never emerged as Stacey Gray poured in 35 points for the Cheesy Poofs while Fort Worth's, Michael Braddock, shot just 2-11 from the field, scoring just 8 points. Green Bay jumped out quick, building a 25-8 lead and never looked back as they outrebounded the Trashy Awesome, 47-27. Khujo Blaque added 15 points for Green Bay while Evan Scott scored 14 off the bench.

(10) Montpelier 79 - (7) Chicago 61

The Greyhounds continue to be one of the best tournament teams in the country, knocking off Andrew Stafford and the Chicago Art Institue in a deciding fashion. Travis McCormick continued his hot streak, scoring 23 pionts and grabbing 6 rebounds while Kenneth Brinson added 21 and Norman Curtis scored 18 for Montpelier. Stafford did score 23 points, but the Greyhounds had to many options for Chicago to shutdown.

(2) Durham 97 - (15) Knoxville 94

The Skatelites made a furious comeback down by 15 with 7 minutes to go, but a Don Earls 3 pointer with 4 seconds to go clanged off the rim as Durham escaped with a victory. Durham's backcourt duo of Billy Lee and Roy Matos combined for 43 points on 18-34 shooting, while Andrew Ludwig added 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Kenrick Curtis shot 12-19 for Knoxville, leading all scorers with 31 points.

Second Round

(1) Alexandria 87 - (8) Lake Tahoe 85

What a thriller out in the Northeast bracket as the top seed fought off a big time challenge from Lake Tahoe and showed the world that they deserved the top spot and are a definite contender for a title. Alexandria's, E Mong hit a long two pointer with 2 seconds left, giving the Flyers the win. Forward, Rick Collinsworth led Alexandria with 27 points while backup forward, Keith Steinmetz added 21 and 6 rebounds in just 19 minutes.

(4) Pierre 67 - (12) Scranton 61

Scranton tried to comeback from a bigtime deficit, but Woody Wells and the St. Jaque Strap were not having it. Keep an eye on Wells folks, he is a star and is making big noise in the tournament, scoring 27 points and grabbing 7 rebounds on Wednesday night. Billy Bowling added 13 points and grabbed 4 steals as the combination of Wells domination inside and Pierre's stifling defense was simply to much for the outmanned Scrappers.

(6) Green Bay 75 - (14) Peoria 60

Stacey Gray, just wow! Coming out of H.S. the kid had some hype behind him and he has definitely lived up to it, carrying the Cheesy Poofs into the Sweet 16 with a solid victory over Peoria. Gray ended the night with 42 points, going 18-30 from the field while Frank Cleveland added 18 for the Cheesy Poofs. Now the question is, when will the 'Gray' dance be created! He's a star, baby!

(2) Durham 76 - (10) Montpelier 72

The Devils stormed back from a 13 point halftime deficit behind junior guard, Roy Matos's 28 points. Durham could do nothing to stop Travis McCormick inside and out, but had just enough to outscore the hot Greyhounds in the end as Mato's jumper with 32 seconds left gave Durham it's first lead and Billy Lee's two free throws with 13 seconds left put the game away. Andrew Ludwig scored 18 on 8-12 shooting for the Devils while Billy Lee added 14.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(1) Alexandria 74 - (4) Pierre 64

In the battle of undefeated teams, it was the Alexandria Flyers who played incredible defense, dominated the glass and took advantage from the free throw line, hitting 26-27 attempts in their 10 point victory over Pierre. Forward, Rick Collinsworth led Alexandria with 15 points and 4 rebounds while Keith Steinmetz and Joel Hudson combined for 27 points off the bench. Billy Bowling gave his best effort for the St. Jaque Strap, scoring 25 points in 28 minutes but Woody Wells, Pierre's top player scored just 15 points and 9 rebounds, 7 points below his average.

(2) Durham 101 - (6) Green Bay 90

In a game controlled by the officials (44 fouls called, wow!), Durham outlasted Stacey Gray and his upstart, Cheesy Poofs. Gray ended the night with 30 points on 12-25 shooting, but the backcourt of Durham, possibly the best in the nation, combined for 57 points, 32 by Roy Matos and 25 by Billy Lee. Fouls were the issue for Green Bay though, as every time they seemed to touch a Durham player, the whistle would blow as Gray, Khujo Blaque and Troy Petry all were in foul trouble, Petry fouling out. Durham's Andrew Ludwig was limited in minutes as well, as he was sent to the bench often with foul trouble.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(2) Durham 86 - (1) Alexandria 84

Both teams came out as expected, lighting up the scoreboard as they went back and forth, trading baskets through the first 10 minutes as Durham took a 7 point early lead. An 8-0 run by the Flyers brought them back into it late in the second half as the tie was scored 44 at the break.

Rick Collinsworth got going out of the gates, scoring 9 points in a row for Alexandria as they took control. Durham tied it up with 6 minutes left and from there it was back and forth. When Ken Cleary stole the ball from the Devils Roy Matos with 30 seconds left and the Flyers down by two, Ernest Mong was called for a 5 second violation, giving the ball back to Durham, virtually ending the game as they escaped with a victory.

Matos led the Devils with 25 points on 10-15 shooting while backcourt mate, Billy Lee added 19 and 4 assists despite turning the ball over 7 times. Andrew Ludwig added 14 points and 7 rebounds for Durham as they dominated the boards, outrebounding the Flyers by 15. Collinsworth ended his season with a 21 point performance while Cleary added 18 on 7-11 shooting from the field.

Southeast Region

First round

(1) Corpus Christi 99 - (16) Austin 70

The Soup Rocks took a 24 point lead into the half and never looked back as a balanced scoring attack, and tough rebounding was way to much for Austin to compete with. Devin Killeen led Corpus Christi with 17 pionts and 9 rebounds while Adam McKay added 12 points and 5 assists.

(9) Midland 77 - (8) Beaumont 74

Ricardo Self was fouled on a 3-point attempt with less than a second left and after he hit all three attempts, Beaumont sent the game into overtime. However in the extra period, it was Midland who once again took the lead as Edward Thomas hit a short field goal with 41 seconds left that proved to be the difference in a game between two evenly matched squads. Thomas ended the night leading all scorers with 21 points on 7-10 shooting while Maxwell Acton went 7-9 from the field, scoring 18 points.

(12) Norfolk 72 - (5) Detroit 71

While all the Nimrods heard all weekend was how Detroit was the heavy favorite, coach Radroofer knew his team had what it took to pull off the upset. Wilbert Farber ended his storied career with yet another upset, as one of the college basketball's best players never got a chance at a title shot. Justin Crowell led the Nimrods with 30 points, going 8-9 from the charity stripe while Lashon Wright came off the bench to score 11 points.

(13) Terre-Haute 88 - (4) St. Paul 83

The Massive Trucks used a balance scoring attack and shot 32-66 from the field, outlasting St. Paul despite the Saints grabbing 50 rebounds, wow! Kevin Bain led Terre-Haute with 24 points while Noel Emerson scored 19 and Herschel Powell added 17 and 6 rebounds in yet another upset in the Southeast bracket.

(3) Jacksonville 80 - (14) Blacksburg 79

Ethan Foran's midrange jumper with 28 seconds left proved to be the difference as the Drop-Step had to come back from 7 points down in the last 9 minutes. Foran ended the night shooting 11-15 from the field, scoring 24 points while Jessie Pasley added 13 and 2 steals. Both teams shot well from the field, but Jacksonville gutted it out in the end, avoiding yet another huge upset in this region.

(11) Columbus 73 - (6) Aberdeen 66

The Scarlet & Gray shut down the perimeter game of Aberdeen, holding the Redmen to just 1-11 from behind the arc as Columbus pulled off the minor upset. Roberto Forsythe and Rene Aramis combined for 32 points and 15 rebounds while Monroe Bello added 14 points and 6 boards as Columbus moves on to face Jacksonville in round two.

(10) Ann Arbor 93 - (7) Panama City 59

The Barbers won nearly every phase of the game as they dominated the Surfin' Siafu from the get go and never let off the gas. They outrebounded Panama City, 42-19 and shot nearly 55% from the field, going 17-24 from the charity stripe as well. Five players scored in double-digits for Ann Arbor, led by Perry Chavez's 20 points, going 7-8 from the field. Aron Baker added 16 points and 12 rebounds.

(15) Sacramento 90 - (2) Clemson 88

Devin Seabolt scored the last 9 points for the State Hornets, 7 of them from the line as they pulled off a shocker over #2 Clemson. The Gunners led the entire game until Seabolt hit his second free throw with 52 seconds left, giving them a 89-88 lead. Seabolt ended the night leading all scorers with 26 points while Harry Rodriguez added 21. Bernard Ray dominated inside for Clemson, scoring 25 points and grabbing 11 boards, but it wasn't enough to hold off the upset minded State Hornets.

Second Round

(1) Corpus Christi 82 - (9) Midland 70

With 10 minutes left, Midland was down by just two, hanging in there with one of the most talented teams in the country. However, Corpus Christi imposed it's will from there, and ended the game in dominating fashion, scoring 28 points in that time. Devin Killeen led the Soup Rocks with 18 points and 9 rebounds while Adam McKay added 17. Don Qualls grabbed 6 boards and scored 14 out of the shooting guard position, while his backup Dennis Birdsong hit 3-4 shots, scoring 8 points in just 13 minutes.

(12) Norfolk 81 - (13) Terre-Haute 69

Norfolk knocked off Detroit last week and continued it's excellent play in the round of 32 as they outgunned the Massive Trucks in convincing fashion. Norfolk shot 60% from the field, as five players scored in double digits, led by Steve Alford's 18 points on 7-9 shooting. Alford added 9 rebounds while Justin Crowell added 17 points and 5 assists. It was an all-around amazing performance by the 12 seed, as they are playing their best ball at the right time.

(3) Jacksonville 65 - (11) Columbus 59

A late collapse by Columbus allowed the Drop-Step to not only get back into the game, but take it completely over as Jacksonville outscored the Scarlet & Gray 21-6 over the last 7 minutes. Coach Wolfrnd was stunned as his players missed shots, committed unnecessary turnovers and wilted under the pressure of Jacksonville. The Drop-Step forced Columbus into turning the ball over 21 times total and held them to just 2-11 from behind the arc. Ethan Foran led Jacksonville with 27 points on 13-18 shooting, as he was the only Drop-Step to score in double-digits.

(10) Ann Arbor 90 - (15) Sacramento 79

The Barbers went on a huge run to give them a 12 point lead going into the half and they kept the State Hornets at bay for the remainder. Harold Mcgray led Ann Arbor with 18 points and 4 steals while Perry Chavez added 17. Aron Baker chipped in 16 as well as the Barbers got to the charity stripe 29 times, converting 23 of them compared to just 17 for Sacramento.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(1) Corpus Christi 75 - (12) Norfolk 65

Everytime Corpus would make a run, trying to put away the Nimrods, Norfolk would come right back with a run of their own, keeping the game close until the final minutes. Norfolk's 12-22 performance from the line hurt, as well as their 17 turnovers, ending their amazing run as the Soup Rocks overall talent showed, wearing down the Nimrods in the end. Don Qualls led Corpus Christi with 24 points, hitting 4 trifecta's while Devin Killeen added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Norfolks two big men ripped down 23 rebounds, but the overall effort from Corpus Christi won the battle of the boards, by 9.

(10) Ann Arbor 79 - (3) Jacksonville 68

Howard Montgomery scored the Barbers last 7 points, his only 7 in the final minutes to close out the game as Ann Arbor stunned the Drop-Step. Harold Mcgray went 10-15 from the field for Ann Arbor, leading all scorers with 23 points while August Weir added 11 off the bench in just 12 minutes of play. Ann Arbor played very tough defense throughout, frustrating the Jacksonville shooters, holding them to just 44% shooting from the field.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(1) Corpus Christi 91 - (10) Ann Arbor 81

The Barbers jumped out to a 13-4 lead and everything seemed to be going their way against the #1 seeded Soup Rocks. Fred Cross then hit subsequent three-pointers to get Corpus Christi right back into it quickly. When Howard Montgomery scored his 4th point of the half, Ann Arbor went into the break with a 48-43 lead.

The Soup Rocks came out on fire in the second half and quickly built a 7 point lead but Harold Mcgray for Ann Arbor kept his team in it with basket after basket. But in the end Corpus Christi had just to much for the Barbers as they closed the game out, advancing to the Final Four.

Adam McKay led Corpus Christi with 21 points and 8 assists while Byron Grillo played strong up front, scoring 14 points and grabbing 9 boards. Mcgray finished the night with 30 points for Ann Arbor, while August Weir added 16 off the bench.

FINAL FOUR

(1) Phoenix 64 - (8) Dayton 53

Darren Hinman scored 15 points in his return from an ankle injury, also grabbing 4 rebounds and 3 assists in just 24 minutes of play. While the Eunuchs scoring leader, Doyle Mcgonagle onlyl took 8 shots, it was the bench play of Clifford Lusk and Theodore Henley who came up big, each scoring 13 points in limited time.

Phoenix were simply amazing on the defensive end, holding the Kingslayers to just 38% shooting from the field and 2-7 from behind the arc. Dayton turned the ball over 18 times and committed 20 fouls, as they looked very frustrated at the immense pressure coach Kmoney's squad brought on the court.

Kenny Reed did score 18 for Dayton, but he was the only Kingslayer to scored in double digits. Luke Davidson was shut down by the two forward combo of Julian Kelly and George Pulliam, as neither gave him much room to breathe inside or out.

(2) Durham 90 - (1) Corpus Christi 79

Durham, known for it's big time offense, played intense defense for 40 minutes holding the favorite, Soup Rocks, to just 36% shooting from the field. It was a foul ridden first half as both teams couldn't seem to avoid the ref's whistle. Although they seemed to struggle offensively, the score was 53-41 at the half as Durham went into the break with a 12 point lead.

Corpus Christi attempted a few comebacks, but the play inside of the Devils, Andrew Ludwig was key, as the 6'10 sophomore scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. Durham sustained their lead, hit their free throws at the end and marched into their first NTT title game in school history.

Billy Lee and Roy Matos combined for 40 points for the Devils, while Elmer Boan came off the bench, scoring 11 points in 8 minutes. Adam McKay led the Soup Rocks with 18 points, while Don Qualls added 16.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

(2) Durham 86 - (1) Phoenix 84

Wow, after 2 amazing weeks of games, it's incredible that we saw such a fantastic finish in the Durham-Phoenix National Title Tournament final.

In the end, freshmen forward, Leonel Smith won it for Durham on a gutsy game-winning shot. His length and 6'11 frame made all the difference in the closing seconds as he was able to get off a good shot over 6'8 Jackson Isaac of the Eunuchs.

It was an amazing comeback by the Devils as they went down 50-39 at the break. The Devils went on a 16-2 run to overcome Phoenix's lead in the first 5 minutes of the second half. Durham's talented backcourt of Billy Lee and Roy Matos scored all of their teams points during their run, hitting shots from all over the court.

Phoenix continued to build leads in the second half, but it seemed the Devils always had an answer, grinding back with big rebounds or clutch free throws. When Daunte Lowery hit a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left, Lee again came up big, nailing a deep 2-pointer with 27 seconds left. Doyle Mocgonagle's lay in with 9 seconds left tied the game once again, but left enough time for Smith to deliver his game winning shot.

Durham got a No. 2 seed in the Northeast Region, but they sure looked like a No. 1 seed in the NTT, baby! Matos ended the night with 24 points while Lee added 20. Senior center, Keith Moran grabbed 9 big rebounds and Smith dished out 7 assists from the wing. Phoenix hit 8-19 shots from behind the arc and got a huge effort out of Darren Hinman, who scored 30 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Mcgonagle added 17 and Theodore Henley came off the bench, hitting 9-11 shots for 24 in just 14 minutes.

The win gave the Devils an identity -- they now have their name permanently etched with all the other great programs who have won a National Title.