Friday, February 27
Valparaiso - 56
Cleveland St. - 53
Valparaiso has claimed their 3rd regular season Horizon League title in 4 seasons after taking down Cleveland St. on Friday night. Valpo held the Vikings to just 17 points in the first half and went into the break up by 6. They built a 10 point lead with less than 3 minutes to play, but Cleveland St. did not go quietly. The Vikings got back-to-back 3s to cut it to just 4 with under 2 minutes to play. The dagger that finally put the Vikings down, though, came on Valparaiso's next possession. The Crusaders' Alec Peters made a three, drew a foul, and made the free throw. That was effectively the end of the game. Peters led all scorers with 15 points. Darien Walker also had a good game for the Crusaders with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Trey Lewis led Cleveland St. with 13 points. The Horizon League Tournament starts on March 3. Valparaiso is the number 1 seed; Cleveland St. will be the 4 seed.
The Hills and The Valley
Saturday, February 28
Wichita St. - 74
Northern Iowa - 60
Wichita St. claimed first place in the Missouri Valley by beating Northern Iowa and avenging their only conference loss over the last two seasons. The game was, of course, for much more than just MVC prominence. The two teams are very much in the national conversation as teams who will be fighting for Final Four berths in March. It was a matchup of the number 10 and 11 ranked teams in the country. Seeding was most definitely at stake. And Wichita St. now has the leg-up on their Valley rivals. In the first meeting, Northern Iowa's defense seemed to confuse the Shockers. Wichita St. had trouble running their offense. Not so on Saturday. The Shockers had 5 scorers score in double figures (each scoring 11 points). If you were looking forward to this game like much of the country was, fear not. The two teams are likely to meet again in the Missouri Valley Tournament championship game in the rubber match.
Saluting You, Patriot League
Saturday, February 28
Colgate - 61
Lehigh - 55
Colgate was alive for a share of the Patriot League title coming into the game against Lehigh, but despite their win, they will have to settle for 2nd place. Bucknell beat American by 2 to seal up the one seed in the Patriot League Tournament. For more on this tournament, see our post, Patriot League: Conference Tournament Preview.
A-10 Out of 10
Saturday, February 28
Dayton - 59
VCU - 55
VCU is now just 4-5 in their last 9 games since late January after losing at home to Dayton on Saturday. The Flyers, on the other hand, have won 5 of 6 and are streaking towards the NCAA Tournament. Dayton has a game against Rhode Island coming this week, but that game now means much more to the Rams than it does to the Flyers who have earned their spot in the NCAA Tournament. VCU will also be dancing, but their seeding has dropped dramatically over the last month. Their road doesn't ease up yet - they will travel to Davidson to take on the Wildcats this week. VCU is now a game behind the leaders in the A-10, so another loss would end their hopes of a regular season championship.
Look to the Horizon
Saturday, February 28
Green Bay - 83
Oakland - 63
Green Bay got a solid win over Oakland on Saturday and cemented their place as the number 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament. The charge was led by Keifer Sykes and Greg Mays who both had 21 points. The game was never really in question as Green Bay opened up a 10 point lead at halftime. Oakland will enter the Horizon League Tournament as the 3 seed, but they will miss out on a first round bye. A Horizon League Tournament preview is coming soon, so keep an eye out for who the favorites are and who can pull off an upset or two.
Sweet Tea in the Big South
Saturday, February 28
Charleston Southern - 97
High Point - 93
3OT
Both teams will earn first round byes in the Big South Tournament, but it was a big win for Charleston Southern who earned a share of the regular season title by beating High Point in triple overtime on Saturday. High Point had a chance to win the championship outright, but was unable to contain Saah Nimley. Nimley hit a school-record eight 3-pointers and scored 38 points for Charleston Southern. High Point was led by John Brown who had 27 points. The Buccaneers and Panthers are the favorites heading into a crowded Big South Tournament, and if they meet again in the final, one can only hope for another game like this one.
James Bond Will Return in...Big Skyfall
Saturday, February 28
Montana - 77
Eastern Washington - 76
Eastern Washington has fallen out of first place in the Big Sky after dropping their 3rd game out of their last 5. They are now tied with Montana in the loss column a game behind Sacramento St. The Grizzlies were led by Martin Breunig who had 24 points on 9 of 11 shooting. Eastern Washington had a chance to win the game at the end, but Parker Kelly missed a jumper as time expired. The Eagles were led by Tyler Harvey's 27 and they will look to get back to their winning ways against Idaho St. this week. Montana ends their regular season against Montana St.
No One on the Corner Have SWAC-a Like Us
Saturday, February 28
Texas Southern - 58
Alabama St. - 49
There are 3 conference games remaining for both teams after Saturday's game, but for Alabama St. the regular season championship might be lost. Texas Southern now leads the Hornets by 1 game but hold the tiebreaker after sweeping the season series. This time it was an impressive 9 point win on the road. The Tigers led by 9 with 6 minutes left and never looked back. They have now won 5 in a row and 8 out of 9 to claim first place.
Return of the MAC
Saturday, February 28
Buffalo - 71
Kent St. - 65
Just a month ago it looked like the Bulls were finished. Buffalo had lost 3 in a row and were falling quickly out of the MAC race. Since then, Buffalo has won 4 in a row including wins over first place Bowling Green, Akron, and, most recently, Kent St. Buffalo is now tied for 2nd in the MAC East just a game behind Bowling Green. Who, by the way, the Bulls will play on March 6 in a game that could very well determine the MAC East champion. The game on Saturday was a battle of two extremely talented players. Shannon Evans had 21 points and 6 assists for Buffalo who built a 50-41 lead. Then it was Devareaux Manley's turn to show off. He scored the next 13 points for the Golden Flashes to bring them to within 5 with 24 seconds left. It wouldn't be enough, though. Shannon Evans sealed the game with 2 free throws at the end. Kent St. still has plenty of chances. They also play Bowling Green and then Akron to end the year.
MWC You in March
Saturday, February 28
Boise St. - 56
San Diego St. - 46
Boise St. used a 24-7 run to end the game to beat San Diego St. on their home court. The Aztecs had a chance to win at least a share of the Mountain West regular season title with a win, but that will have to wait. The Broncos got a huge win for their bubble hopes and swept the season series from San Diego St. It would be hard to keep Boise out of your bracket now. As for San Diego St., the Aztecs are still the favorite in the Mountain West, but this game highlights their weakness. They were up by 7 with less than 12 minutes to play, but then could not buy a bucket allowing Boise St. back in the game. The ended the game with just 46 points, which is the same number of points they scored in their first game against Boise St. - also a loss. The will look to get closer to claiming the regular season title this week when they play UNLV. Boise St. finishes with San José St. and Fresno St. and could very easily finish the season in first place after their win over San Diego St.
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