L15 NTT62

League 15 Home
Season	NTT Brackets	HS Class	Season	NTT Brackets	HS Class
60	Hot Springs	Class of 56	70	Carlsbad	Class of 66
61	Phoenix	Class of 57	71	Phoenix	Class of 67
62	Salt Lake City	Class of 58	72	Inglewood	Class of 68
63	Casper	Class of 59	73	Jackson	Class of 69
64	Durham	Class of 60	74	----	Class of 70
65	Fresno	Class of 61	75	----	Class of 71
66	Plainview	Class of 62	76	----	Class of 72
67	Fort Worth	Class of 63	77	----	Class of 73
68	Casper	Class of 64	78	----	Class of 74
69	Duluth	Class of 65	79	----	Class of 75

Season 62 National Title Tournament

Season 62's NTT was rittled with Cinderella stories. From Montpelier's amazing run from the play-in game to the Elite Eight, to Salt Lake's miracle run, winning it all from the 13th spot. Even the mighty Phoenix Eunuchs were knocked out in the first round, talk about upsets!

The Finals brought us 6th seeded Del Mar vs. 13th seeded Salt Lake City. It marked each schools first title game appearance.

Prior to the tournament, the top ranked team was Columbus followed by Birmingham, Ann Arbor and Tallahassee.

Brackets

Northwest Region

	First round					Second round					Semifinals					Finals
	1	Columbus	84
	16	Paducah
						9	Abilene	68
						1	Columbus	61
	9	Abilene	93
	8	Syracuse	92
											9	Abilene	80
										4	Chicago	74
	12	Bangor	95
	5	Hot Springs	72
						4	Chicago	74
						12	Bangor	62
	4	Chicago	91
	13	Panama City	85
																3	Pontiac	78
															9	Abilene	68
	3	Pontiac	83
	14	San Jose	56
						3	Pontiac	92
						11	Jersey City	83
	11	Jersey City	93
	6	Alexandria	85
											3	Pontiac	79
										2	Casper	69
	10	Fort Wayne	66
	7	Lake Tahoe	61
						2	Casper	91
						7	Fort Wayne	70
	2	Casper	74
	15	Knoxville	71

Southwest Region

	First round					Second round					Semifinals					Finals
	1	Birmingham	70
	16	Asheville	38
						1	Birmingham	55
						8	Arlington	54
	8	Arlington	85
	9	Wilmington	67
											5	Dayton	60
										1	Birmingham	55
	5	Dayton	61
	12	Cincinnati	51
						5	Dayton	74
						13	Philadelphia	73
	13	Philadelphia	74
	4	Aberdeen	52
																6	Del Mar	96
															5	Dayton	84
	3	Clemson	49
	14	Blacksburg	42
						6	Del Mar	67
						3	Clemson	57
	6	Del Mar	106
	11	Boca Raton	91
											6	Del Mar	77
										2	Detroit	75
	10	Camden	72
	7	Reading	57
						2	Detroit	78
						10	Camden	65
	2	Detroit	79
	15	Huntington Beach	65

Northeast Region

	First round					Second round					Semifinals					Finals
	1	Ann Arbor	76
	16	Utica	59
						1	Ann Arbor	73
						8	Boston	59
	8	Boston	84
	9	Atlantic City	71
											13	Salt Lake City	75
										1	Ann Arbor	71
	5	Morgantown	81
	12	Carlsbad	79
						13	Salt Lake City	67
						5	Morgantown	64
	13	Salt Lake City	93
	4	Canton	85
																13	Salt Lake City	78
															15	Laramie	65
	3	Concord	90
	11	Sacramento	65
						3	Concord	70
						6	Olympia	51
	6	Olympia	79
	11	Sacramento	65
											15	Laramie	83
										4	Concord	72
	7	Fargo	83
	10	College Station	78
						15	Laramie	92
						7	Fargo	82
	15	Laramie	74
	2	Jacksonville	64

Southeast Region

	First round					Second round					Semifinals					Finals
	16	Montpelier	97
	1	Tallahassee	89
						16	Montpelier	94
						9	Denver	91
	9	Denver	83
	8	Honolulu	72
											16	Montpelier	84
										5	Fresno	82
	5	Fresno	76
	12	Amarillo	61
						5	Fresno	82
						13	Nasvhille	68
	13	Nashville	81
	4	Norfolk	80
																14	Tulsa	87
															16	Montpelier	85
	14	Tulsa	56
	3	Phoenix	54
						14	Tulsa	74
						11	Plainview	64
	11	Plainview	95
	6	Mobile	93
											14	Tulsa	98
										10	Durham	75
	10	Durham	85
	7	Pierre	75
						10	Durham	80
						15	Cambridge	78
	15	Cambridge	87
	2	Pensacola	84

Final Four

	Semi-finals				Final
	Del Mar	74
	Pontiac	57
					Sale Lake City	76
					Del Mar	73
	Salt Lake City	84
	Tulsa	76

Game Summaries

Northwest Region

First Round

(1) Columbus 84 - (16) Paducah

The Ironmen were clearly outclassed as Columbus pulled away early in the first half and never let Paducah get close. Leon Ahmed was huge inside for the Scarlet & Gray, scoring 16 points and grabbing 15 rebounds while Roberto Forsythe added 18 points and 7 boards. Tommy Collazo scored 20 for Paducah in the loss.

(9) Abilene 93 - (8) Syracuse 92

Syracuse's, Arturo Hopper's big 3 in regulation with 2 seconds left put the game into overtime but it was Abilene who escaped with the 1 point win. The Squall's entire starting lineup scored in double-digits while it was the tandem of David Ford and Scott Batts who combined for 45 points. Elijah Krause nearly had a double-double with 10 points and 9 rebounds. Hopper led the Snipers with 26 points while Clayton Curry Jr. added 22 points before fouling out.

(12) Bangor 95 - (5) Hot Springs 72

Bangor looked much more prepared as the curse of the 5 seed continues as this one was never even close. The Black Bears got a huge performance out of backup guard, Shane Grass, who hit 10-13 shots for 25 points while starting forward, Sean Fuller added 19 points. J.J. Carr's defensive performance on all-world guard, Kenneth Gallagher, was huge, holding the star to just 7 shots in limited time as Kenneth Gallagher couldn't stay out of foul trouble. It was another disappointing end to Hot Springs season as for the 2nd straight year they went out in the first round.

(4) Chicago 91 - (13) Panama City 85

This was a very fun game to watch as a ton of talent was displayed. With the likes of Andrew Stafford, Nathan Browning, Frank Lundy and Jess Bickett it was destined to be a great game. It wasn't until late when the Art Institute finally pulled away from the stubborn Surfin' Siafu. Stafford and Browning, Chicago's talented backcourt, combined for 49 points and 9 rebounds while Dominic Zehner played strong inside, scoring 14 and grabbing 9 boards for the Art Institute. Frank Lundy scored 27 in his last collegiate game (that counts) in the loss.

(3) Pontiac 83 - (14) San Jose 56

I clearly underestimated the OttawaRebellion as I thought San Jose might pull off the upset. It wasn't even close as Pontiac dismantled the Hammerheads dominating them in nearly every phase of the game. Pontiac's, Ricky Crawford, led all scorers with 26 points while big man, Enrique Templeton added 25. Neil Puryear ripped down 14 boards for the OttawaRebellion. Senior, Rodney Trinidad, ended his great career with a 8-14 shooting performance for 21 points.

(11) Jersey City 93 - (6) Alexandria 85

The score was closer than it looked as these two strong programs fought back and forth for 40 minutes. In the end it was the three points shooting (9-16) as well as the overall talent of Jersey City pulling away as 5 different players scored in double figures. Alex Paulley led the way for the Jesters, scoring 26 points while Rene Foster added 19. Eddie Davenport led the Flyers with 19 in a losing effort.

(10) Fort Wayne 66 - (7) Lake Tahoe 61

In a low scoring defensive affair, it was the Wombats of Fort Wayne who moves on to the second round. Parker Chittenden led the Wombats with 16 points while Ed Skidmore played solid up front with a 12 point, 9 rebound effort. The White Russians center, Bryan Cox, led the way for his team with a 12 point, 10 rebound, 4 block effort.

(2) Casper 74 - (15) Knoxville

Coach Warak was worried about this matchup, despite being a #2 seed, and he was right as the Skatelites gave it everything they could, but in the end Harlan Maxwell's 3 point attempt bounced off the backboard and Casper escaped with a 'W'. Sean Connery posted a double-double with 11 points and 12 boards while Quincy Day added 17 points for the Hania. Knoxville backup forward, Jerry Henrickson, was huge in the upset bid, scoring 23 points on 9-10 shooting, including 4-4 from downtown.

Second Round

(9) Abilene 68 - (1) Columbus

It didn't take long to have the night's first upset as Abilene played tenacious defense and got it done just enough on the offensive end to down the Scarlet & Gray. Columbus went 2-18 from behind the arc, which was key in their loss. The Squall's David Ford and Harrison Williams both had 14 points to lead Abilene in scoring while Roberto Forsythe and Leon Ahmed both had 12 for Columbus. Abilene's, Elijah Krause had a big night, scoring 9 points, grabbing 8 boards and dishing out 4 assists.

(4) Chicago 74 - (12) Bangor 62

Fouls were the difference in this one as the Art Institute got to the line 30 times and converted 23 while Bangor hit just 4-6. Chicago's Andrew Stafford had a game high 18 points while Nathan Browning added 17. The battle of the boards was won by Chicago as well as they outrebounded Bangor 33-27. Dominic Zehner hit 3-5 three pointers as the Art Institute hit 7-19 overall. The Black Bears star forward, Sanford Wick was held to just 4-12 shooting for 9 points while Jack Jackson shot well, hitting 6-8 for 12 points.

(3) Pontiac 92 - (11) Jersey City 83

The OttawaRebellion used a late second half run to go into halftime with an 11 point lead and Jersey City could never recover as the duo of Ricky Crawford (38 points) and Enrique Templeton (23 points, 10 rebounds) simply could not be slowed down. Crawford hit 15-27 shots, including 4-5 from downtown and improved from his 25 points first round performance. Jersey City got a big performance from Alex Paulley who hit 10-17 shots for 24 points, but it wasn't enough to pull off the upset.

(2) Casper 91 - (7) Fort Wayne 70

After a close victory in round one, coach Warak pumped his team up and the results were obvious as the Hania blew out the Wombats in convincing fashion. Casper dominated the boards, went 20-20 from the free throw line and received huge performances from forward Quincy Day (23 points, 4 rebounds) and Alex Gittens (18 points, 4 assists). Demond Ballantyne scored 19 points for Fort Wayne while Parker Chittended scored 15 points to go along with 6 assists as they exit the NTT in the second round.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(9) Abilene 80 - (4) Chicago 74

The Squall used a late first half run to build a double-digit lead and held off a Chicago comeback as Abilene marches on. They used a patient offense, working the ball inside and taking smart shots while also capitilzing at the free throw line, going 19-22. Scott Batts led the Squall with 23 points and 6 rebounds while Harrison Williams had a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 boards. Francisco Vick was big off the bench grabbing 5 rebounds and scoring 8 points in just 11 minutes. Chicago's talented backcourt of Andrew Stafford and Nathan Browning combined for 43 points in the loss.

(3) Pontiac 79 - (2) Casper 69

What a job Ezra Taylor did on Casper's top scorer, Quincy Day, shutting him down to just 12 points on 4-10 shooting. Pontiac's 6'5 freshmen forward scored 15 to go along with Ricky Crawford's 21 as the OttawaRebellion moves on to the second week of NTT play. Pontiac dominated the glass, outrebounding Casper 36-23 as Enrique Templeton clearly outplayed the Hania's Sean Connery. Casper's Alex Gittens scored 19 points on 8-16 shooting, but their starting frontcourt scored 0 points in the loss.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(3) Pontiac 78 - (9) Abilene

It was back and forth the first half until Pontiac used a run early in the second half to establish a lead and contain it until the end.

6'9 senior, Neil Puryear, was simply amazing as the big forward scored 13 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out 6 assists and had 3 blocks. Puryear was there everytime the OttawaRebellion needed a big play. Enrique Templeton lead all scorers with 16 points to go along with 5 boards while Ezra Taylor scored 16 and added 7 rebounds in the win.

Abilene's fantastic run ended with 3 players scoring in double digits, Jeffrey Gray, Scott Batts and Elijah krause all scored 12 points while Harrison Williams added 8 and 11 rebounds.

Southwest Region

First Round

(1) Birmingham 70 - (16)Asheville 38

The Lorelei faithful were excited after taking a 2-0 lead but that was it for Asheville as Birmingham turned on the afterburners and won by 42. James Lalonde and Stephen Mcquay both scored 40 points while Lalonde added 9 rebounds in the blowout as nobody from the Lorelei even scored in double-digits.

(8) Arlington 85 - (9) Wilmington 67

The Eagles took an early lead and never looked back as James Fredrickson led all scorers with 25 points. Wilmington fired away but went 1-10 from beyond the arc as Arlington played stiff defense from the perimeter. The Eagles backup forward added 17 points while starting guard, Will Murray scored 15 points on 5-7 shooting. The Hurricanes got a solid effort out of Troy Richter, as he scored 16 points and grabbed 6 boards.

(5) Dayton 61 - (12) Cincinnati 51

It was the fourth meeting between these conference rivals, and for the 3rd time it was Dayton walking away with a victory. Dayton played suffocating defense, limiting the Dreads to just 16-58 shooting while their backcourt tandem of Phil Newcomb and Ed Walser combined for 34 points. Dayton dominated the paint as well, outrebounding Cincy 44-27.

(13) Philadelphia 74 - (4) Aberdeen 52

In the first big upset of the night it was Philadelphia knocking off the 4 seed Redmen. Raymond Steed and Phillip Mellor each scored 21 points while Ariel Grace grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 9 points as the Experiment pulled away late in the second half. Harold Delano, the Redmen's star forward was held to just 10 points on 4-12 shooting but did grab 10 rebounds.

(3) Clemson 49 - (14) Blacksburg

Clemson took a 29 point lead into the half and cruised from there as they showed the country they are a major contender this year. Freshmen star, Mark Sunderland, scored 18 points for the Gunners while Walter Bowen added 10 points, but it was Clemson's tenacious defense that slowed Blacksburg down, despite's Quirt Coleman 19 points.

(6) Del Mar 106 - (11) Boca Raton 91

What a scoring display these two high powered teams put on but the Wheezing Senior just couldn't keep up with the talented Acey Deucy. Raymond Manning led the way for Del Mar, scoring 24 points while Eric Roe added 23 and William Ross came off the bench for 17. Del Mar actually received 41 points off the bench while Boca Raton got 43 off of theirs, an amazing stat as 10 players scored in double-digits combined!

(10) Camden 72 - (7) Reading 57

It was a tie game with just 10 minutes left until Camden took over and turned this close game into a route. Joseph Bouknight scored 20 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Comets as they dominated the glass and frustrated Reading into 20 fouls, proceeding to go 16-22 from the Charity stripe. The Jammers frontcourt of Gabriel Gunn and Maurice Treece combined for 24 points, but the two barely outdueled Bouknight alone as he was just to big inside.

(2) Detroit 79 - (15) Huntington Beach 65

Huntington Beach hung with the much more talented Audacity, making a game of it but just didn't have enough firepower to keep up with Wilbert Farber and company. Farber scored 20 points and added 9 rebounds while Carl Burger added 17 points and 4 assists. Bob Kelso nearly had his own double-double, grabbing 8 rebounds along with 12 points as the Audacity dominated the glass, outrebounding the Cows by 17. Huntington's Sean Peer led his team with 20 points on 8-15 shooting.

Second Round

(1) Birmingham 55 - (8) Arlington 54

It was a tight game back and forth as the top seeded Birmingham Jail could not shake a determined Arlington Squad. With 30 seconds left, James Lalonde hit a huge 3 pointer to put the Jail up by 1 and when the Eagles James Fredrickson missed a desperation 3, Birmingham got a huge 2nd round victory. Stephen Mcquay led Birmingham with 12 points while Lalonde added 11 points. Fredrickson led Arlington with 24 points but received little help offensively.

(5) Dayton 74 - (13) Philadelphia 73

Who would have thought when Tiger Woods hit his bonus shot after getting fouled on a dunk with a little over 3 minutes left, it would be the difference in the game as neither team could score the rest of the way. Both teams looked very strong offensively too, but they stiffened up during the last few minutes as Dayton escaped the upset bid by the Expirement. Phil Newcomb led the Kingslayers with 22 points while Woods added 16 on 7-13 shooting. Philly dominated the glass, but committed 20 turnovers which hurt bigtime. Ariel Grace dominated inside for the Expirement, scoring 15 points, grabbing 14 rebounds and blocking 3 shots.

(6) Del Mar 67 - (3) Clemson 57

In a hard fought contest, it was Del Mar who played better 'D', shutting down Clemson's 3 points attack, holding them to just 4-20 from behind the arc. Eric Roe scored 25 points for the Acey Deucy while forward Bryce Baylor added 14 and 7 rebounds. Clemson's star freshmen, Mark Sunderland, was held to just 10 points while forward Walter Bowen scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.

(2) Detroit 78 - (10) Camden 65

After watching other top seeds struggle, including their rival and top seed Columbus fall earlier in the night, the Audacity came out red hot and never let up for 40 minutes. Wilbert Farber was the star for the Audacity, scoring 26 points, grabbing 5 rebounds and blocking 3 shots while Cole Alley and Carl Burger combined for 29 more. Detroit dominated the glass, outrebounding the Comets by 8 and hit 13-16 free throw attempts. Camden's Antoine Burroughs scored 14 points in the loss while his co-captain, Joseph Bouknight could never get anything going and was held to just 8 points and 7 boards.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(5) Dayton 60 - (1) Birmingham 55

What a defensive performance put on by Dayton on Friday night as they slowed down Birmingham, holding them to just 1-10 from outside the arc and just 55 points. Senior guard, Ed Walser led the Kingslayers in scoring, going 7-13 from the field for 14 points and added 5 rebounds. Tiger Woods pout in 13 points while Steven Patel grabbed 11 rebounds and scored 7 points. Brent Ferguson led Birmingham with 12 points as nobody for the Jail could really get anything going with the tenacious defense of Dayton.

(6) Del Mar 77 - (2) Detroit 75

It was pandamonium at the end of the Southwest nightcap as Bryce Baylor scored his 22nd and most important point, a miracle shot as time expired to pull off the upset over Detroit. Carl Burger's midrange shot with 8 seconds to go tied it up, but when Baylor grabbed the rebound he took a crazy one hand hook that hit nothing but net. Raymond Manning was nearly unstoppable, going 10-16 from the field for 25 points while Eric Roe added 15 for the Acey Deucy. Wilbert Farber led Detroit with 21 points and 5 boards, while Carl Burger ended the night with 15, but went 0-5 from behind the arc.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(6) Del Mar 96 - (5) Dayton 84

Raymond Manning. While Del Mar are strong from top to bottom it was the play of the 6'6 junior that was simply to much for Dayton to handle.

Manning hit 15-23 shots for 35 points in just 26 minutes for the Acey Deucy and was simply outstanding every second he was on the floor. Bryce Baylor added 16 points and 7 rebounds while Eric Roe added 12. Roe also played solid defense on Dayton's star, Tiger Woods, holding Woods to just 11 points.

Phil Newcomb led the Kingslayer with 19 points but their 11 turnovers combined was just to much as they couldn't stop Del Mar from scoring as it was. Dayton did get 10 points each from Dallas Green and Pierre Diaz off the bench, but it wasn't enough as their Final Four bid was ended prematurely.

Northeast Region

First Round

(1) Ann Arbor 76 - (16) Utica 59

The kids from Michigan served notice to the country in their 17 points blowout of #16 Utica. Ann Arbor dominated the paint and shot 31-63 from the field as they easily move on to the second round. Darrick Woodmansee led the Barbers with 23 points and 9 rebounds while both Aron Baker and Kent Davie were huge on the glass, each grabbing 10 boards. Son Murtha had a big night for Utica, scoring 18 points and grabbing 8 boards.

(8) Boston 84 - (9) Atlantic City 71

Boston took a huge lead early and held on in the second half as they knocked off the 9th seeded Suicide Kings. Jonah Pellegrini led the Scots Irish with 25 points while Tristen Owens added 20. William Whitehair orchestrated the offense to perfection, dishing out 7 assists with 0 turnovers. Benjamin Pritchett was the only Atlantic City player to score in double-digits as he shot 9-17 for 21 points.

(5) Morgantown 81 - (12) Carlsbad 79

Carlsbad gave a valliant effort to comeback but D Poulis missed a long field goal with 2 seconds left as the 5th seeded Kings escaped after having a leads up to 18 points. The backcourt duo of Leron James and Jeffrey Costner were simply amazing, combining for 48 points while forward Leslie Green dominated the glass, ripping down 17 rebounds. Carlos West scored 28 points while Richard Oliver added 17 for the Panthers in the loss.

(13) Salt Lake City 93 - (4) Canton 85

What a bad draw for Canton, as Salt Lake City brought their 'A' game and shot lights out, knocking off the 4 seed. Six players scored in double figures for the Stormin' Mormon, led by Kirk Welch's 21 points. Overall Salt Lake City shot 30-52 from the field, and 11-21 from the free throw line. Danny Endicott scored 19 points in the losing effort for Canton as they left the court disappointed with high expectations.

(3) Concord 90 - (14) Baltimore 73

The country got to see Andy Torres on display and boy did the Concord star center deliver with a 38 points, 15 rebound performance, wow! Torres was simply amazing to watch as he even added 2 three pointers to his wild display of dazzling dunks and post up play inside. Bobby Larmee added 14 points and 5 boards as Baltimore could do nothing inside. The Couch Bombers did get a combined 45 points from their backcourt, but didn't have enough firepower overall to keep up with Torres and company.

(6) Olympia 79 - (11) Sacramento 65

The State Hornets have quietly become a perennial 20 win team, but on this night it was Olympia who dominated from beginning to end and moves on to the 2nd round. The Dukakis dominated inside, as Alan Lancaster scored 28 points and added 10 rebounds while Randall Highfill scored 17 and added 13 boards. Only two players scored in double digits for Sacramento, led by backup guard, Reuben Bourgeois 12 points from off the bench.

(7) Fargo 83 - (10) College Station 78

Vincent Dawon scored 23 and Fernando Hooper added22 points and 6 rebounds as the 7th seeded Wood Chippers fought off College Station and moved on to the second round. Fargo made 19-26 free throw attempts to just 9-14 from the Injuction, which was key. College Station had 4 players in double figures, led by Raymond Tallant's 16 point, 4 assist performance.

(15) Laramie 74 - (2) Jacksonville 64

In the region's biggest upset, it was the 15th seeded Cigarettes dominating the glass and pulling off a huge win over the 2nd seeded Drop-Step. William Hatch grabbed 11 boards and added 11 points while Jason Mearle led Laramie with 20 points. Despite 11 assists by Jacksonville's C.R. Anderson, the Drop-Step just couldn't keep up with Laramie and bowed out of the NTT in the first round.

Second Round

(1) Ann Arbor 73 - (8) Boston 59

Ann Arbor, despite being a top seed, haven't gotten a ton of publicity, but after tonight's big win over a top flight program, the country better take notice at the talented Barbers. Ann Arbor frustrated the Scots Irish into 22 fouls, as they took advantage hitting 24-30 shots from the charity stripe. Shooting guard, Harold Mcgray shot 5-12 from the field for 15 points while forward Darrick Woodmansee ripped down 11 rebounds and scored 8 points. Jonah Pellegrini tried to carry Boston on his back, scoring 25 points on 9-18 shooting but it wasn't enough as they exit in the 2nd round.

(13) Salt Lake City 67 - (5) Morgantown 64

The Stormin' Mormon came out firing, building up an 18 point lead to go into the half. But it took a Kirk Welch shot with 47 seconds left to get back the lead that Morgantown fought back and earned in the final minute. The Kings did what they wanted, in shutting down Salt Lake's 3 point barrage, as they went just 4-12, but it wasn't enough as the Stormin' Mormon got a balanced scoring attack from everyone, including the bench. Morgantowns backcourt duo of Leron James and Jeffrey Costner were sensational in the loss, scoring 37 points on 15-33 shooting between the two.

(3) Concord 70 - (6) Olympia 51

While the combo of Bobby Larmee and Andy Torres get all the attention, it was the Minutemen total team effort defensively that stole the show tonight as they held Olympia to just 18-61 from the field. Torres was simply amazing to watch though, as the 7'0 senior dominated inside and just missed a triple double, scoring 20 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking 8 shots. Larmee added 18 points and 5 rebounds while the Dukakis got a 20 point effort from their star forward, Alan Lancaster before he fouled out with just 24 minutes played.

(15) Laramie 92 - (7) Fargo 82

What an amazing effort by Laramie and shooting guard Jason Mearle as they knocked off a very strong 7 seed in Fargo. Mearle shot 16-33 from the field, scoring 37 points and the Cigarettes needed every bit of effort they could get to offset the play of the Wood Chippers Fernando Hooper who dominated inside the paint with a 23 point, 10 rebound effort. Ronnie Lynch, Laramie's point guard, dished out 7 assists and scored 9 points while forward Gerard Courtney added 15 points to go along with 8 rebounds. With Laramie's victory, 4 teams from Conference 25 advanced to the Sweet 16! Wow!

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(13) Salt Lake City 75 - (1) Ann Arbor 71

The top seeds continued to fall as the Stormin' Mormon build a second half lead and held on, outlasting the #1 seeded Rounders. Senior, Irv Newsom, led Sale Lake City in scoring with 18 points and added 6 rebounds and 3 blocks while Kirk Welch scored 14 points and added 4 assists. While the frontcourt of Kent Davie and Darrick Woodmansee combined for 21 points and 19 rebounds, dominating inside, it wasn't enough to offset the overall play of Salt Lake City, who advances to the Elite Eight for the second straight year.

(15) Laramie 83 - (4) Concord 72

Wow, what an impressive performance once again by the 15th seeded Cigarettes. Gerard Courntey scored 21 points while Jason Mearle added 19 as four starters scored in double digits for Laramie. Concord's lethal combo of Bobby Larmee and Andy Torres each got their own, combining for 38 points, but it wasn't enough as Laramie's team effort was enough to take out my pick to win it all and heavy favorite.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(13) Salt Lake City 78 - (15) Laramie 65

Salt Lake took a 10 point lead into the half and never looked back as Laramie couldn't get the game within reach the rest of the way.

Point man, Dewey Bowman went 7-10 from the field, scoring 19 points for the Stormin' Mormon, while Kirk Welch scored 14 and dished out 6 assists while sticking with Laramie's star guard, holding Jason Mearle to just 13 points.

Laramie got 14 points out of Richard Hefley and 12 out of Ronnie Lynch, but they really missed Mearle's offense as the Cigarettes shot just 46% from the field.

Southeast Region

First Round

(16) Montpelier 97 - (1) Tallahassee 89

For the second straight season, the play-in winner pulled off a monumental upset, as Montpelier stunned the entire Southwest region, knocking off the top seeded Heat. Travis McCormick scored 30 points for the Greyhounds, while Douglas Tillman added 22 points despite his 7 turnovers. Overall Montpelier shot 67% from the field as the Heat couldn't find an answer defensively. Kelly Charles led Tallahassee with 23 points and 8 rebounds.

(9) Denver 83 - (8) Honolulu 72

It was hard keeping the crowd settled for this game after the amazing Montpelier win earlier, but the fans got to see a top notch performance out of Denver as they advance to the second round. Lightning center, Shawn Rodriguez scored 15 points and added 11 rebounds while Terry West led Denver with 19 points. The Hula Hoops, Stephen Klinger scored 16 points to go along with 7 rebounds in the loss.

(5) Fresno 76 - (12) Amarillo 61

The Funk came out of halftime pumped up and it showed on the scoreboard as what was just a 2 point game quickly turned into a blowout. Fresno's Tony Brunner hit 10-20 shots for 24 points while Larry Patch added 17 points on 7-10 shooting. Neil Hamilton grabbed 10 boards as Fresno outrebounded the FLOP House by 8. Ralph Landaverde was impressive for Amarillo, scoring 10 points and grabbing 11 boards in the loss.

(13) Nashville 81 - (4) Norfolk 80

It was not a good night for the four seeds as 3 of them fell, including the fourth seeded Nimrods. Nashville watched a 15 point second half lead disappear, but the Blue Blaze kept things together and eeked out a one point victory in the regions second big upset. The freshmen duo of Craig Hodges and Ray Tague combined for 47 points, carrying Nashville to yet another victory like they have all season long. Leo Moreland scored 25 for Norfolk, but it wasn't enough as Nashville moves on to the next round.

(14) Tulsa 56 - (3) Phoenix 54

It's pretty intimidating to see the defending champions and top program ever warming up on the other side of the gym, but Tulsa were not intimidated as they pulled off yet another huge upset in the Southeast region. Gregor Ortiz's long field goal with 5 seconds left was the difference as the Young Guns faithful stormed the crowd after the victory. Despite only scoring 6 points and dishing out 3 assists, it was the play of Tulsa's point guard, Earl Lotz that was huge, as he slowed down Phoenix's Byron Habenstein, holding him to just 5 points.

(11) Plainview 95 - (6) Mobile 93

In what normally would be considered a huge upset, was just another game in this crazy bracket as Plainview took out Mobile by 2 in overtime. 5 players scored in double digits for the Paint Pioneers, led by point guard, Bernard Martin's 23 points, 6 assist performance. Damien Ortiz added 19 points while Curtis Hobbs scored 15. Mobile's Floyd Rogers and Manuel Wiltz combined for 49 points and 10 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as Plainview played possibly their best game of the season when it counted.

(10) Durham 85 - (7) Pierre 75

Durham's point guard, Klaus Blackwell orchestrated the Devils offense to near perfection, dishing out 7 assists to just one turnover. Girard Green scored 31 for the Devils while Billy Lee added 20 in the minor upset. The St. Jaque Strap's, Jeremy kendall scored 21 while Woody Wells added 19 but it wasn't enough as Durham came out in the second half looking determined.

(15) Cambridge 87 - (2) Pensacola 84

Why not? Why wouldn't the #15 seeded Foo Dogs pull off another stunner to completely turn the Southeast region upside down? That's exactly what happened as Cambridge held off the Gulf Bandits and advanced to the second round. Three players scored over 20 points for the Foo Dogs, as both Kenny Phillips and Harold Carpenter scored 24 and Gregory dunn added 21. Despite being outrebounded by the much bigger inside tandem of Rod Crick and Howard Thomas, the Foo Dogs prevailed with a 7-9 shooting performance from behind the arc. Crick scored 21 and added 7 rebounds in the losing effort.

Second Round

(16) Montpelier 94 - (9) Denver 91

When Willard Geralds 3 point shot from 60 feet away bounced off the rim, it was pandamonium as the Greyhounds faithful stormed the court. A sweet 16 birth was never expected from the 16 seed, but the grueling battles in the nation's toughest conference surely prepared this team well. Montpelier sophomore forward, Travis McCormick, led all scorers with 24 points on 9-14 shooting while Scott Depace added 10 points and 12 rebounds. James Tanner scored 18 for Denver in the loss.

(5) Fresno 82 - (13) Nashville 68

Fresno crashed the boards hard, outrebounding the Blue Blaze, 38-21 on their way to an easy 2nd round victory. The Funk got 26 points from their bench while forward, Tony Brunner, scored 15 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Nashville's amazing freshmen duo of Craig Hodges (22 points) and Ray Tague (10 points) both had solid games, but nobody else could get anything going for Nashville in the upset bid. The Funk are clearly aware that they are the prohibitive favorites in the Southeast bracket and surely played like it tonight.

(14) Tulsa 74 - (11) Plainview 64

Plainview just could never get within striking distance of the Young Guns as Tulsa continued to pour pressure both offensively and defensively every time they tried to make a comeback. Center, Rafael Shelton, had an amazing all around performance for the Young Guns, scoring 21 points on 9-11 shooting, hitting 3-4 three pointers, grabbing 7 rebounds and blocking 5 shots. Porter House added 15 points for Tulsa while the Paint Pioneers got a 22 point game out of point guard, Bernard Martin.

(10) Durham 80 - (15) Cambridge 78

It was close for 40 minutes but in the end, T Fox missed a half court shot that would have won it for the Foo Dogs as Durham led for most of the way. The Devils center, Keith Moran ripped down a game high 11 rebounds as Durham won the battle of the glass by 10. Girard Green scored 23 for Durham while Roy Matos added 12 off the bench. Gregory Dunn and Kenny Phillips scored 19 a piece for Cambridge in the losing effort.

Regional Semifinals (Sweet Sixteen)

(16) Montpelier 84 - (5) Fresno 82

Fresno had a lead most of the game, but the stubborn Greyhounds kept pushing and pushing until with a little over 5 minutes left they finally took the lead. Cody Francis's jumper with 14 seconds remaining gave Montpelier the lead for good, as one of the greatest Cinderella stories in League 15 history moves on. Travis McCormick led the Greyhounds with 18 points while Douglas Tillman added 17. The Funk had 5 players in double digit scoring, led by Larry Patch's 16, but it just wasn't enough as their 17 fouls and 19 turnovers did them in.

(14) Tulsa 98 - (10) Durham 75

Tulsa's bulk and size up front was a complete mismatch for the undersized Devils as they outrebounded them 45-24. Rafael Shelton was the star for the Young Guns, ripping down 14 rebounds to go along with his 17 shots. Richard McKenzie added 12 rebounds and 3 assists while Gregor Ortiz, Tulsa's sharpshooting guard scored 18 points. Girard Green and Billy Lee both were productive offensively for Durham, scoring 18 points each, but there simply were not enough second chances as Tulsa dominated inside.

Regional Final (Elite Eight)

(14) Tulsa 87 - (16) Montpelier 85

What an amazing ending in the night's final game. Montpelier's, Cody Francis, hit a jumper with 8 seconds left tying it up, then when Gregor Ortiz grabbed Porter House's 3 pointer with 2 seconds left, he barely beat the clock as his putback sent Tulsa to the Final Four.

House finished the game with 21 points, going 4-8 from downtown, while Rafael Shelton added 17 and 6 boards as 4 players scored in double digits for the Young Guns.

Montpelier's, Travis McCormick's, amazing tournament might have ended but wow was he simply amazing. He shot 8-13 from the field, scoring 21 points and added 7 rebounds in the loss. He will be exciting to watch the next couple years and if the Greyhounds can put some talent around him, they will be a force out in Conference 6.

FINAL FOUR

(6) Del Mar 74 - (3) Pontiac 57

This one got out of hand early as the Acey Deucy jumped out to a quick lead and never looked back. They were hitting 3's, Bryce Baylor scored 7 of his 9 points early in the first half and it was off to the races in a lopsided contest.

Pontiac's, Ricky Crawford, didn't get any help offensively, while he even struggled from the field, hitting only 7 of 22 shots for 17 points. Enrique Templeton wasn't able to get comfortable inside as Del Mar's Steven Mason and Baylor made things tough in the paint. The biggest disappointment was probably, Ezra Taylor, as he was held to just 2 points, going 1-7 from the field.

Meanwhile, Raymond Manning and Eric Roe both scored 17, leading the Acey Deucy in scoring, going a combined 14-25 from the field while Sean DuChamp shot 4-8, scoring 10 points off the bench. Tom Cruise dished out 6 assists for Del Mar.

(13) Salt Lake City 84 - (14) Tulsa 76

Tulsa jumped out to a quick 10 point lead in the first 10 minutes of play behind Rafael Shelton, who scored 14 of the Young Guns first 25 points, but when backup center, Butch Hurd hit a big 3 pointer, scoring his 13th point in the first half for the Stormin' Mormon, the lead was down to just 2. The second half was controlled by Salt Lake City as they began to find their rhythm offensively, surprisingly battling tough on the boards, and went on to advance to the NTT championship.

Hurd was amazing off the bench. Going 8-10 and hitting his only 3 point attempt, the 7'2 sophomore scored 17 points in just 13 minutes of play. Starting center, Irv Newsom scored 17 as well, while Kirk Welch and Dewey Bowman each added 16.

The Young Guns Rafael Shelton played incredible offensive ball, going 10-14 from the field for 25 points but really struggled on the boards, grabbing only 4 rebounds. While forward Porter House grabbed 7 rebounds, leading the way for Tulsa, the 6'5 junior struggled from the field, going 2-8 and 0-3 from outside the arc. Point guard, Earl Lotz was second in scoring for the Young Guns, shooting 6-13 for 15 points.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Out of the last 4 seasons, this was the one where Salt Lake City wasn't supposed to have a chance at winning the NTT championship.

What an amazing turnaround for a team that not only lost it's first 3 games of the season in the Texas/Southwest Shootout, but lost 3 in conference games midway through the season. None of this phased them though, as coach Schlimmer weathered the storm, kept making adjustments, and got his team playing the best it has in years, just in time for it's amazing NTT run as a #13 seed.

In the NTT Championship game, Salt Lake City started out hot, took a solid lead and fought off every Del Mar comeback. When Bryce Baylor's desperation 3 pointer bounced off the rim, the Stormin' Mormon faithful stormed the court, as coach Schlimmer was doused in Gatorade by his three seniors, Irv Newsom, Lonnie Flaherty and Joseph Rohr.

Flaherty, Salt Lake's 6'7 senior forward, had his greatest game as a collegiate player, maybe not in stats, but when it counted most, hitting 6-9 shots and going 8-8 from the charity stripe, scoring 22 points. Dewey Bowman added 12 points while the rest of the points were evenly divided by the Stormin' Mormon's amazingly talented lineup.

Del Mar's two stars, Raymond Manning and Eric Roe got theirs as usual, scoring 30 points between the two while Roe added 7 rebounds, but Baylor struggled from the field, going just 2-7. It was a great season for Del Mar, who played amazing throughout their NTT run, knocking off some great teams, but the all-around talent of Salt Lake City wore them down in the end like they did nearly every team.

So in the end, it's Salt Lake City who is left standing in one of the most topsy turvy tournaments I have ever seen. It's pretty fitting a 13 seed would be the last team left, cutting down the nets, in this most unusual tournament.

Congrats coach Schlimmer, you and your Salt Lake City Stormin' Mormon are awesome, baby!