Difference between revisions of "L15 NTT61"

Revision as of 14:02, 29 March 2011

Brackets

Northwest Region

Southwest Region

Northeast Region

Southeast Region

Final Four

Game Summaries

Northwest Region

First Round

(16) Norfolk 98 - (1) Ithaca 97

Wow, upset city baby! The play in winner, Norfolk knocks off the overall number one seed! Ivan Simpson's foul on Dutch Grimley's 10 foot shot with 2 seconds left was the difference as Grimley's shot hit nothing but net and after converting the free throw, brought the house down. The Nimrods shot 15-27 from beyond the arc, while Thomas Marshall and Leo Moreland combined for 45 points in the backcourt.

(9) Dayton 77 - (8) Denver 65

Bron Miyazawa stepped up big time, scoring 24 points to lead the Kingslayers to a first round victory. Four of Dayton's starters scored in double figures while Denver's, Archie Smalls was held to just 7 points.

(5) Salt Lake City 84 - (12) Canton 81

Jonathon Bradley's 3 pointer clanked off the rim with no time left, giving Salt Lake a narrow victory over the upset minded Cutters. Five players scored in double digits for the Stormin' Mormon led by Chris Gatterdam's 18 point, 5 assist peformance. Salt Lake hit 12-28 trifecta's while Canton shot just 2-11.

(4) Odessa 90 - (13) Pierre 57

Odessa jumped out on the St. Jaque Straps and never looked back. Henry Clark, the team leader, scored 26 points to lead the D'Noodlers while his squad dominated the boards, outrebounding Pierre 35-23. Pierre were simply to slow to keep up with the more athletic D'Noodlers as they committed 24 fouls.

(3) Shreveport 66 - (14) Arlington 54

Arlington kept it close through the first half, until a big Snagboaters run early in the 2nd put the game out of reach. Junior, Andy Baker, scored 19 points and Pete Mckeever grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 4 assists as the 3 seed moves on. Shreveport forward, Terrence Jenson, put on an amazing defensive performance, holding the Eagles, Clark Sims, to just 2 points on 1-4 shooting.

(11) Amarillo 76 - (6) Green Bay 68

Myron Young scored 19 points and Luis Gabler added 15 and 7 rebounds as the FLOP House pulled off the upset over 6th seeded Green Bay. The Cheesy Poofs cut the lead to just 5 points late in the second half, but Amarillo wouldn't let it get any closer and put it away.

(10) Panama City 86 - (7) Pontiac 80

Backup center, Tommie Lachapelle was the clear hero in this one as he stole the ball with 19 seconds left, missed a 3 pointer with seven seconds left, then followed his shot up, grabbing a rebound and hitting a game tying three with 3 seconds left in regulation. The Surfin' Siafu then put it away in overtime.

(2) Aberdeen 84 - (15) St. Martinville 73

Aberdeen moves onto the round of 32 with a solid win over the WhipStix. All five starters scored in double figures for the Redmen, while the entire team turned the ball over only 4 times compared to St. Martinville's 23. Aberdeen shot 18-21 from the charity stripe, allowing them to overcome a 35-25 rebounding advantage by the WhipStix.

Second Round

(16)Norfolk 77 - (9) Dayton 72

The 16 seeded Nimrods continue their miracle run from the play in game to the Sweet 16. Norfolk's backcourt once again played outstanding as senior point guard, Thomas Marshall scored 22 points and junior Leo Moreland added 21. Dayton's forward, Tiger Woods scored 20 but an off shooting night by Bron Miyazawa, who shot 5-14 was tough to recover from.

(5) Salt Lake City 82 - (4) Odessa 65

It was back and forth all game between these two well coached and talented teams until the Stormin' Mormon blew it open with about 9 minutes left in the 2nd half. Odessa simply couldn't overcome the 10-0 run Salt Lake City went on during that time as Chris Gatterdam and Lonnie Flaherty both hit huge 3 pointers. The Stormin' Mormon for the game shot 15-26 from behind the arc, simply to much for almost anyone. 6'7 senior, Nicholas Brady led Salt Lake City with 21 while freshmen guard, Kirk Welch added 17. Junior, Henry Clark who has been sensational all year long was held to just 16 points for Odessa, who hit only 5 of 23 three-point attempts.

(11) Amarillo 70 - (3) Shreveport 60

The game was much closer than the final score appeared as the FLOP House pulled away in the final minutes. Amarillo shot better and outrebounded the Snagboaters, which helped provide the final cushion. Four players scored in double figures for Amarillo, led by 6'6 senior, Myron Young's 25 point effort while backup guard, Thomas Weeks came up big off the bench, shooting 5-5 from the field for 10 points.

(10) Panama City 62 - (2) Aberdeen 52

What an amazing defensive effort by both teams as they simply didn't allow many open looks for 40 minutes. The Surfin' Siafu outlasted and out hustled the favored Redmen. 6'10 senior, Kevin Fisher was huge for Panama City inside, grabbing 17 rebounds, blocking 3 shots to go along with 7 points and 3 steals. 6'8 junior, Frank Lundy was big offensively as well, scoring 22 points on 9-19 shooting. Sophomore, Frank Wiles shot 8-12 for 20 points for Aberdeen.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

5) Salt Lake City 91 - (16) Norfolk 78

We knew we'd see plenty of three pointers in this one, unfortunately for the Nimrods, only 9 of their 28 went in while Salt Lake City hit 11-26 from beyond the arc. The Stormin' Mormon came out firing in the second half while Norfolk looked a little tired and it made a big difference as Salt Lake City took a commanding lead. The Nimrods tried to get back, even cutting the lead to just a few points, but the more athletic team pulled away. 6'7 senior, Nicholas Brady led the Stormin' Mormon with 19 points while junior forward, Lonnie Flaherty added 13 and 11 rebounds.

(10) Panama City 81 - (11) Amarillo 58

This one was never in doubt as the Surfin' Siafu took control early and never let up off the pedal. Amarillo had trouble offensively as Panama City pressured ball handlers all game and converted steal after steal into easy fast break opportunities. Junior point guard, Rodrick Linkous, for the Surfin' Siafu led all scorers with 18 points on 9-16 shooting while 6'3 freshmen guard, Jess Bickett added 16. Panama City's bench scored 22 points and added 11 rebounds in limited play.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(10) Panama City 102 - (5) Salt Lake City 94

Wow, what a display put on by the Surfin' Siafu. They played amazing perimeter defense, pounded the boards and displayed incredible athleticism on both ends of the floor, forcing the Stormin' Mormon into cheap fouls.

Panama City had plenty of stars in this one as six players scored in double-digits, led by shooting guard, Jess Bickett, who shot 8-14 for 16 points. What about the play of Jeremy McGee off the bench. He stepped in for superstar, Frank Lundy, and played amazing ball inside, grabbing 12 rebounds. Speaking of Lundy, he caught fire in the second half and once he was on his game, he was a force inside, grabbing 7 rebounds to go along with 15 points.

Salt Lake City played well no doubt about it, but just couldn't keep Panama City off the boards. Every shot they took was contested, and they shot terrible from outside, hitting just 6-25 three pointers. Nicholas Brady was amazing, scoring 26 points and grabbing 8 rebounds while Irv Newsom scored 21 and added 7 rebounds. They just ran into a very hot team that was playing on all cylinders.

Southwest Region

First Round

(1) Albuquerque 87 - (16) Charlotte 72

Charlotte kept it close for most of the way, but in the end the Marvelettes imposed their will and advanced to the 2nd round. The inside-outside combo of Luke Crane (25pts, 7 reb) and John Gunderson (23pts) was to much for the Golden Symbols while Bobby McCurdy added 15 points and 7 rebounds.

(9) Fort Wayne 88 - (8) Tulsa 84

Marvin Umstead shot 10-13 from the field, scoring a game high 29 points while Raymond Irby added 21 points and 5 assists as the Wombats held off a hard charging Young Guns squad. Tulsa cut the game close in the final minutes but couldn't convert a big shot when it counted.

(5) Sacremento 88 - (12) Boulder 66

Sacremento goes to 19-0 and moves on to the 2nd round behind a blow out of the Explorers. Six players scored in double figures for the State Hornets, led by David Andersons 14 points, 11 rebound performance. Brandon Hubert hit 6-10 for 12 points off the bench.

(4) Concord 94 - (13) Camden 83

Camden went into halftime feeling good with a 9 point victory but things quickly changed as Concord's Bobby Larmee caught on fire, scoring 12 in the first 6 minutes of the second half. Larmee finished with 29 points on 11-15 shooting, hitting 5 three pointers while Andy Torres added 14 points and 8 rebounds.

(3) Mobile 89 - (14) Silver City 73

Starting at a 19 point deficit with a little over 7 minutes left, it was gutcheck time by the undefeated Control KAOS. Cutting the lead to 9 at the half, Mobile took control from there, playing stifling defense and holding Silver City to just 22 points the rest of the way. Jermaine Jones played his best game of the year, scoring 22 points on 10-15 shooting, 14 more than his season average.

(11) St. Paul 85 - (6) Knoxville 68

St. Paul dominated the boards, outrebounding the Skatelites 32-18 while shutting down Curtis Cho, holding him to just 16 points and 5 rebounds. Jeffrey Krug led the Saints with 16 points while Chris Rose added 15, but it was the frontcourt combo of Terance Kelly and Brevin Parker who turned this game into a blowout with tough play inside.

(10) Huntington Beach 94 - (7) Miami 84

Huntington Beach blew the game open midway through the second half and never looked back as the Cows move onto the 2nd round. Antonio Cox played huge inside the paint, scoring 22 points and grabbing 7 rebounds while backup guard, Cornell Lindsay was key off the bench with 13 points on 4-5 shooting.

(15) Reading 84 - (2) Jacksonville 72

Reading shot an incredible 30-45 from the field, led by Harold Logan's 11-14, 26 point performance, pulling off the second big upset of the night, knocking off the #2 seeded Drop-Step. Reading's center, Maurice Treece scored 16 points and added 8 rebounds, while holding Jacksonville's Woodrow Lenard to just 2 points and 3 rebounds.

Second Round

(1) Albuquerque 81 - (9) Fort Wayne 73

A close game was blown wide open with a big 11-0 run at the beginning of the second half by the Marvelettes. Fort Wayne made a valiant effort in the final 9 minutes, but they just didn't have enough to catch up with the much more talented Albuquerque squad. Wow, what a game by the freshmen center for the Marvelettes. In an amazing effort, 6'9, Bob Jacobs scored 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to get player of the game. Senior, Bobby McCurdy scored 19 points while fellow senior, Luke Crane added 18 points. 6'11 senior, Marvin Umstead gave his best effort in his final collegiate game, scoring 19 points and grabbing 4 rebounds for the Wombats.

(4) Concord 83 - (5) Sacramento 74

Concord hit it's free throws in the end as the State Hornets tried to make a furious comeback, but it wasn't enough as Andy Torres and company move on to the Sweet 16. The seven foot center for the Minutemen scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 30 minutes for the four seed while frontcourt mate, Tony Allers added 7 rebounds helping dominate inside the paint. Concord shot 50% from beyond the 3 point line, nailing 10 for the game as 6'9 junior, Bobby Larmee hit 4 of 6 on his way to a 15 point effort. Sacramento's Andrew Hamlin led the team with a 19 point, 7 rebound effort and added 3 blocks.

(3) Mobile 89 - (11) St. Paul 74

Mobile shot out of the gates and never looked back as they controlled the tempo and shot 55% from the field on Wednesday night. 'Sweet' Floyd Rogers, the Control KAOS freshmen phenom, led the team with 23 points and 5 rebounds, while 6'4 senior, Jermaine Jones played much better than expected, scoring 8 points above his season average, scoring 16. The Saints sophomore center, Brevin Parker had a double-double, scoring 15 points and grabbing 11 boards, but it wasn't enough as they just couldn't compete with the more experienced Control KAOS.

(10) Huntington Beach 62 - (15) Reading 57

Huntington Beach controlled the game most of the way until the Jammers made things interesting with a little under 4 minutes to go, cutting the Cows lead to just 5. However, after 6'9 senior, Harold Logan hit a deep jumper for Reading, no more points were scored, as Huntington Beach escaped with a 2nd round win. The battle between the two teams forwards was very interesting to watch as Logan scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the losing effort while the Cows 6'9 freshmen forward, Kid Drordy scored 15 and grabbed 10 boards. Rebounding was probably the difference overall as Huntington Beach won the battle of the boards, 32-25.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(4) Concord 103 - (1) Albuquerque 102

Wow! What an amazing game. While Albuquerque got amazing production out of it's starters, it Concord went 8 men deep to counter the Marvelette's talent. When Albuquerque's Mark Hobbs missed the front end of a free throw with 11 seconds left, it left the door open for Concord's star center, Andy Torres, to hit an incredible 3 pointer with no time left on the clock. In overtime, Torres hit senior guard, Pete Campbell on a backdoor layup with 7 seconds to take the lead. The upset was cemented when Albuquerque's center, Robert Porter missed a long shot with 1 second left. Six players scored in double-digits for the Minutemen, led by Campbell's 18 and Andy Torres 16 point, 11 rebound effort.

(10) Huntington Beach 72 - (3) Mobile 71

In the Southwest nightcap, it was another amazing games as two evenly matched teams butt heads for 40 minutes and unfortunately only one team could be the winner. The Cow's 6'5 junior guard, Nicholas Fleck, hit a clutch 20 foot jumper with 4 seconds left and when Donnell Mullins missed a shot from beyond half court, it was pandemonium as Huntington Beach fans stormed the court. Freshmen forward, Jarrod Breaux led the Cows in scoring with 25 while 6'11 senior, Antonio Cox added 18 on 7-12 shooting from the field.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(4) Concord 87 - (10) Huntington Beach 77

Huntington Beach started quick out of the gates, building a lead, until Andy Torres took control inside and from then on we had a ball game!

It was back and forth until we had a tie with a little over 3 minutes left, but when Torres put in a short field goal with 2:44 left, it was all Minutemen from then out as they ended the game on a 10-0 run. Torres was simply to strong for the Cows' Antonio Cox inside as he scored 28 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Bobby Larmee was amazing as well, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 rebounds, winning his much anticipated battle of stars vs. Jarrod Breaux.

While Breaux was held to just 14 points and 5 rebounds, Huntington Beach got production out of all their starters and solid play from Sean Peer off the bench with 8 points. Kip Drordy and Cox combined for 15 rebounds, but it wasn't enough with the play of Larmee. Hats off to the Cows for a great season.

Northeast Region

First Round

(1) Tallahassee 78 - (16) Duluth 68

A total mismatch from the beginning as the Heat destroyed the 16 seed and moves on to the round of 32. Tallahassee forward, Johnny Carmichael shot 9-11 for 21 points and added 5 rebounds to lead his squad while all five starters were in double figures.

(9) San Jose 81 - (8) Boston 65

Boston couldn't stay with the more athletic Hammerheads as the top backcourt of Rodney Trinidad and David Stroh combined for 44 points and 0 turnovers. Ricky Pearson scored 28 for Boston, but San Jose's bench outscored the Scots Irish 17-11, providing for a big cushion that the Hammerheads took advantage of.

(5) Long Beach 76 - (12) Cambridge 58

Long Beach continues to be one of the more exciting teams to watch as their big 3 continue to impress. Earl Eisen scored 30 points while Marvin McNutt added 21. The Frakkin' Cylons big man in the paint, Brian Parish scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the 3 provided plenty of highlights while knocking off a well coached Cambridge squad that was simply overmatched.

(4) Jersey City 91 - (13) Little Rock 55

The Jesters jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back as they took it to Little Rock in a devastating way. Senior Ronal Kenney was simply to much and all over the court, scoring 38 points, knocking down 5 three pointers while the frontcourt duo of Chester Sitton and Keith Gourley dominated the paint, grabbing 16 boards between them. (3) Fargo 92 - (14) Alexandria 71

Fargo dished the ball well, with 24 assists including 7 by shooting guard, Calvin Shaw while turnovers were key as the Wood Chippers only committed 5 to Alexandria's 14. Another big difference was the defensive play by Lee Flinchum on Donald Henry, holding Flyers forward to just 14 points, well below his average.

(11) Philadelphia 54 - (6) Birmingham 49

What a heck of a defensive performance by both teams as neither team could get any open looks, but in the end it was the Expirement moving on to the 2nd round. Fletcher Cohen led Philly with 14 points while Ariel Grace added 12, 5 rebounds and 3 blocks.

(7) Chicago 87 - (10) Asheville 56

Asheville looked awful as clearly their conference tournament championship loss were on their minds as it clearly wasn't in this game. The Art Institute dominated the glass, outrebounding the Lorelei, 34-22 while hitting an amazing 13 three pointers. Bruce Walker led Chicago with 22 points while Leo Jacob added 18.

(15) Scranton 68 - (2) Hot Springs 56

The Scrappers used a team effort to shut down the defending champions, pulling off a huge upset as the #15 seed advances. The gameplan was to let Gallagher get his points and shutdown everyone else and it worked to perfection for Scranton. Craig Gleason and Ronnie Mund each scored 13 while point guard Robert Toms was thankful his team advanced despite turning the ball over 12 times!

Second Round

(1) Tallahassee 102 - (9) San Jose 89

Down by 21 points going into the half, the Heat were witnessing first hand what it felt like to get blown off the court. The beating continued into the second half when suddenly the team that earned the top seed in the Northeast woke up with 9 minutes to go. Tallahassee went on a 27-10 run, capped off by a Gerard Roberts long 3 pointer with 1 second left to put the game into overtime. From there 6'8 senior, Johnny Carmichael exploded, scoring the extra periods first 8 points with dazzling dunks and clutch shots, scoring 11 of his game high 31 points. San Jose was outscored 17-4 in the extra period and probably still don't know what happened. 6'2 junior, Bill Pham added 21 points for the Heat while David Stroh ended his career with a 29 point effort for the Hammerheads on 12-24 shooting.

(4) Jersey City 79 - (5) Long Beach 61

In a game where superstar Ronald Kenney shot 2-11 from the field for just 6 points, Jersey City really needed someone to pick it up. Step in senior, Sean Kline, a 6'2 backup guard who averaged just 9 points this season. Kline felt it from the beginning and ended up hitting 10-16 shots for a game high 24 points, all coming off the bench! This one really was never close as the more talented Jesters imposed their will on the entertaining Frakkin' Cylons, blowing them out soon after the opening tip. Long Beach did get points out of their 3 big stars, McNutt, Eisen and Parish, but nobody else was willing to step up as Jersey City advances to the Sweet 16.

(3) Fargo 80 - (11) Philadelphia 65

Fargo jumped into their first lead at the half and took control from there, dominating the 11 seed throughout the rest of the game. 6'11 super soph, Fernando Hooper was big inside for the Wood Chippers, shooting 7-11 for 17 points, adding 9 rebounds. Junior guard, Calvin Shaw was second in scoring for the 3 seed, adding 15 point, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Philadelphia senior, Fletcher Cohen had an off night at a bad time, scoring only 13 points, 7 below his season average.

(7) Chicago 77 - (15) Scranton 51

After watching what Scranton did to the defending champions in round 1, Chicago wasn't underestimating the Scrappers and brought their 'A' game. Freshmen phenom, Andrew Stafford, scored 21 points to lead the way for the Art Institue, while senior shooting guard, Leo Jacob added 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 blocks! Despite being outrebounded 39-24, Chicago committed only 8 turnovers to Scrantons 22, evening out the odds. Freshmen guard, Ronnie Lilly led Scranton with 14 points but had a game high 7 turnovers.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(1) Tallahassee 79 - (4) Jersey City 76

Bill Pham was the hero in this one as not only did the 6'2 point guard for the Heat go nearly perfect from the field, but his big block with 5 seconds left on Ronald Kenney sealed the victory for Tallahassee. Their were plenty of lead changes as neither team could pull away all game as both teams were evenly matched. The Heat hit 7-11 three pointers and 31-63 from the field as Pham hit 9-10 shots for 21 points while 6'6 junior, Gerard Roberts scored 23.

(7) Chicago 83 - (3) Fargo 81

Chicago built lead by double digits throughout most of the game until the Wood Chippers evened things up with 9 minutes to go. From there it was back and forth until 6'1 freshmen, Andrew Stafford hit a 12 foot shot to take the lead for good. Stafford led the Art Institute with 24 points while 7'0 forward, Bruce Walker added 19 points and 5 rebounds. Fargo's 6'11 center, Fernando Hooper was nearly unstoppable in the paint, hitting 8-12 for 24 points and adding 7 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Chicago moves on.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(1) Tallahassee 89 - (7) Chicago 81

What a performance from Tallahassee's point guard, Bill Pham. The 6'2 junior, scored 30 points to go along with 3 assists, 3 steals and 0 turnovers. He played perfect ball and was there for a clutch shot every time Chicago made any sort of run. With Johnny Carmichael struggling a bit inside, especially on the boards, they needed someone to step up and Pham was the man to do it.

Gerard Roberts had a solid game as well, scoring 14 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and blocking 3 shots, while Carmichael and Rodney Miller scored 11 and 12 respectively.

Chicago was led by Andrew Stafford, who scored 19 points on 7-16 shooting. He did struggle from beyond the arc, shooting 2-7, just as the entire Art Institute squad did (6-21). Jamie Cha had a surprising performance, scoring 17 points, grabbing 7 rebounds and dishing out 8 assists, while Leo Jacob added 18 points.

Southeast Region

First Round

(1) Abilene 72 - (16) Wilmington 52

This game was clearly a mismatch on paper and it didn't look much different when played out. Abilene dominated on both sides of the ball, also outrebounding the bigger Hurricanes, 41-25. Harrison Williams grabbed 13 boards, blocked 6 balls and scored 10 for the Squall while forward, Scott Batts added 13 points and 8 rebounds.

(8) Lansing 75 - (9) Bangor 73

Facing a 9 point deficit with 9 minutes to go, Lansing coach Warpig, sat his team down during a timeout and obviously said something that worked as the Fever took over from there and pulled out a last minute victory. Lansing was outrebounded, committed more fouls, but great ball handling and clutch shooting gave them the victory as Laramie Orear led the team with 25 points on 10-13 shooting.

(5) Detroit 87 - (12) Fresno 74

Fresno was used to having it's way all season long with inferior competition but ran into a very strong defensive unit in Detroit and were held to just 74 points, 20 below their average. Bob Kelso was simply sensational for the Audacity, scoring 18 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, blocking 3 balls and adding 5 assists. Cole Alley added 22 while freshmen Wilbert Farber scored 15.

(13) Durham 62 - (4) Tuscaloosa 59

The Double Down just never could get a lead against the scrappy Devils, as Durham advances to the second round as both teams played strong defense throughout. Durham guard, Girard Green, was the only player in double figure scoring for the Devils, scoring 12.

(3) Phoenix 88 - (14) Madison 70

Phoenix played it's usual style of hard nosed defense and great ball handling while5 players scored in double figures, including Doyle Mcgonagle's 19 point performance on 8-12 shooting off the bench. Stephen Robinson scored 13 and added 7 rebounds as the Eunuchs truck on to the 2nd round.

(6) Montgomery 79 - (11) Ann Arbor 74

A dead even race the whole way through the Crouching Hogs were thankful to pull this one out in the end behind Wally Sharps 6 points in the final 2 minutes. Earl Chambless led Montgomery with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists out of the guard position, while Everett Bowen added 19.

(10) Clemson - (7) Pensacola

Clemson's Todd King hit a huge 3 pointer with three seconds left sending this one into overtime and Clemson took control from in the extra period. The Gunners defense shutdown Penasacola's Rod Crick, holding him to just 9 points while 5 players scored in double figures for Clemson, led by Cameron Vaden's 15 points.

(2) Columbus - (15) College Station

This game featured two of the games top coaches, however Coach Aaron has been missing all season long, continuing to force poor Danny Whittenburg to start despite having two broken legs. Columbus even felt bad and let him score a basket, but that was the end of their pitty. Edwin Elkin hit 10-11 free throws, scoring 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Scarlet & Gray while Leon Ahmed added 20 points and 6 boards as Columbus moved onto the 2nd round.

Second Round

(1) Abilene 81 - (8) Lansing 78

The Fever gave Abilene all they could handle as the Squall barely escaped with a 3 point victory. Clutch foul shooting at the end by Harrison Williams as he hit 2 key foul shots with 14 seconds to go was the difference as things might have been different had Lansing put this game into overtime. 6'7 senior, Mario Dery played fantastic for Abilene, despite turning the ball over 5 times, scoring 15 points and grabbing 8 boards from the wing. Fellow senior, Elmer Garcia added 13 and the Squall's bench provided 27 points. 6'2 senior, Julian Webb scored 19 points on 7-9 shooting, including 4-5 from beyond the arc for Lansing.

(5) Detroit 84 - (13) Durham 67

This one was nearly over when it tipped off as the Audacity had simply to much firepower for the undersized, undermanned Durham squad. Both 6'4 senior, Mark Alvarez and 6'10 sophomore, Cole Alley scored 20 for Detroit while freshmen phenom, Wilbert Farber added 18. Carl Burger scored 11 off the bench while the Devils only points came from their 2 spot as junior Girard Green and backup guard, Evan Stevens combined for 31 points.

(3) Phoenix 58 - (6) Montgomery 52

What a game this was as two evenly matched teams battled it out for 40 minutes until freshmen, Daunte Lowery hit 2 foul shots to put the Eunuchs ahead for good with 1:25 left. Phoenix played swarming defense, forcing the Crouching Hogs into 20 turnovers and hitting only 18 of 44 shots. Senior shooting guard, Robert Gregory scored a game high 22 points for the Eunuchs while 6'9 forward, Stephen Robinson added 12. Montgomery got 15 points out of junior point guard, Charles Goodwin in the loss.

(2) Columbus 72 - (10) Clemson 48

Just as conference 17 mate Detroit did earlier, Columbus easily advanced to the Sweet 16 with a pummeling of a conference 10 foe. This one never was in doubt as the Scarlet & Gray dominated the glass, outrebounding Clemson by 11 while holding them to 19-50 shooting from the field. Junior, Phillip Garza led Columbus with 20 points on 7-11 shooting while 6'9 forward, Leon Ahmed added 13. Garza pulled off the night's defensive gem, as he held the Gunners leading scorer, Cameron Vaden to just 9 points, 15 below his season average.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(5) Detroit 86 - (1) Abilene 75

You could see coach Jwschultz's smile from a mile away as his goal to get past the Sweet 16 finally came true after a few years of frustration. It was Wilbert 'The Nightmare' Farber who was the hero as the 6'11 freshmen was simply to fast and big for Abilene 6'8 junior, Scott Batts, as Farber torched him for 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, even fouling Batts out. Despite Mario Dery's incredible 3-pointer with 3 seconds left, the Audacity got things together and outscored the Squall by 11 in overtime. Cole Alley scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for Detroit, while Carl Burger added 12 off the bench.

(3) Phoenix 85 - (2) Columbus 74

Columbus faithful weren't to happy after this one as it seemed as if every shot Phoenix took, a fouled was called as the Eunuchs went to the line 36 times, converting 31 as the Scarlet & Gray were called for 30 fouls compared to Phoenix's 15. Phoenix did play phenomenal defense, getting 8 steals and 8 blocks while 6'5 senior, Robert Gregory and 6'9 junior, Stephen Robinson each scored 19 points. Roberto Forsythe, Columbus' 6'6 freshmen, was clutch, hitting 8-10 shots and 7-9 free throws to lead his squad with 23 points in the loss.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(3) Phoenix 67 - (5) Detroit 65

You just simply cannot say enough about the Phoenix program. What a feat they pulled this year, knocking off 2 of conference 17's finest, in back to back games. This time it was a very powerful Detroit team, who looked so strong offensively and cruised to 3 easy victories.

You have to give it to coach Kmoney though, as he always seems to get the most out of all his players. Byron Habenstein led the Eunuchs with 17 points on 7-10 shooting while Stephen Robinson added 15 and 5 rebounds. Phoenix's bench contributed 18 points compared to Detroit's 8, which made a significant impact on the outcome.

It was obvious that the Eunuchs plan was to let Farber have his and attempt to shut everyone else down. Wilbert Farber did get his, scoring 20 points on 7-11 shooting, while Bob Kelson added 17. Cole Alley had a low scoring game, being closely guarded by Robinson all game, ending the night with just 10 points. Detroit is still young however, and will be a big favorite to go far again next year.

FINAL FOUR

(10) Panama City 85 - (4) Concord 81

It looked like we were headed for a blowout early, as the Minutemen jumped out to a quick 15 point lead. Then before Concord knew what hit them, Panama City exploded for a quick run, tying the game at the half at 41 a piece.

It was there that Jess Bickett and Frank Lundy decided it was go time and the two willed the Surfin' Siafu to a victory with clutch shots and opening up the Concord defense with quick ball penetration. The second half was pretty much controlled by Panama City, as they held the Minutemen's superstar duo of Andy Torres and Bobby Larmee in check, not allowing either to take control of the game.

Bickett ended up leading all scorers with 23, going 8-8 from the charity stripe, while Lundy added 17 on 7-12 shooting from the field. Backup point guard, Abdullah Booker went 5-6 off the bench, scoring 13 points for Panama City. Concord had 5 in double-figures, Torres leading the way with a 15 point, 13 rebound performance while Larmee struggled against the tenacious Surfin' Siafu defense, going just 5-14 from the field, ending with just 13 points.

(3) Phoenix 86 - (1) Tallahassee 84

Wow, what a game we had in the nightcap as two powerhouses went back and forth all game. Everytime it looked like the Eunuchs might pull away, somebody stepped up for the Heat, keeping the game close.

After Rodney Miller hit 1 out of 2 free throws with 1:34 left for Tallahassee, Phoenix took over the ball and kept it with clutch rebounds and sharp passes and ballhandling until Gerard Roberts grabbed a rebound with 27 seconds left. Bill Pham took the final shot with 8 seconds left, but was blocked by Patrick Logsdon, sealing it for the Eunuchs.

Stephen Robinnson led Phoenix with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks while Gregory added 19 points on 7-14 shooting. Reserves, Doyle Mcgonagle and Daunte Lowery were both very productive off the bench, combining for 25 points in just 23 minutes.

Pham led the way for the Heat, hitting 9-18 shots for 23 points while Roberts added 17, going 7-11 from the field. Johnny Carmichael, who has played so well all season long, was slowed down by the defense of Robinson, and was held in check with just 11 points on 4-9 shooting.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

In what was billed as two very even teams, ended up more lopsided than most had predicted as Phoenix's renowned defense clamped down on coach Five7top15's, Surfin' Siafu, taking the NTT title with a 75-60 victory.

Panama City shot just 40% from the field, while missing 10 of 11 shots from behind the arc. Superstar junior forward, Frank Lundy commented after the game that he felt like their were 10 guys out on the court for Phoenix as he simply couldn't find many open looks while fellow junior, Rodrick Liinkous said it was the toughest defense he's ever played against.

While defensively strong, the Eunuchs saw great offensive production from it's two stars, Stephen Robinson (24 pts, 7 reb) and Robert Gregory (19 pts, 8 reb). Byron Habenstein added 14 points on 6-8 shooting.

With their offense struggling, Panama City just simply could never stay with the Phoenix. The Eunuchs led by 7 at the half, and slowly built up the lead until the final whistle blew, ending the score with a 15 point victory for Phoenix.

So when all was said and done, seniors Robert Gregory and Patrick Logsdon were all smiles as they ended their last year in college with a NTT championship. Cutting down the nets is a dream every young basketball player has, and they lived that dream last night.

Congratulations to coach Kmoney and the Phoenix Eunuchs!