2002 HWCI NCAA Pool Update

#1-East

The Maryland Terrapins (32-4) are the 2002 NCAA Champions

Monday, April 1, 2002        
Issue # 17.6.2 "The Best of the Worst..."
http://www.HWCI.com/ncaa

CERRITOS/EL SEGUNDO, CA (smt)-- It was said #5S-Indiana would have to come up with a near perfect game to overcome the much more talented and physical #1E-Maryland team. However, Maryland committed 16 turnovers, shot 22% from 3-pt range, missed 8 free throws, and star Juan Dixon went over 20 minutes without scoring giving the Hoosiers a good chance to win. So what did Indiana do? They played just as poorly, committing 16 turnovers, shot 29% from 2-pt range, had 12 balls stolen, shot 29% from the free throw line, and at one point, was 7-for-31 from 2-pt and free throw range and 7-for-11 from 3-pt range. It took Maryland almost 31 minutes before they pulled together and put Indiana away. The Terrapins kept Indiana in the game with their sloppy play and the Hoosiers finally went ahead, 42-40 with less than 10 minutes to go. But Dixon broke out of his 20-minute scoring slump to hit a crucial 3-pt basket seconds later and Maryland broke for a 17-3 run to win, 64-52 in Atlanta. Maryland won its first championship in its first try while Indiana lost in the championship game for the first time in six trips.

Although not a pretty game to watch, LITTLE ANN and KAIZEN couldn't be happier, taking home 3rd ($130) and 4th ($70) place and leaving MADPRO and FREE JINX to wonder why Indiana couldn't play just a half-decent game. THE FABON8ER won the pool with 139 pts followed by RANDOM PICKS with 134. With 24 tiebreaker scenarios (total pts = 116), there were no ties and therefore, HENDO officially finishes last with 49 pts, the lowest point total ever. So GOBAY finishes 79th (49 pts) but he is the only person (not even CHICKEN ADOBO has done this) to get zero pts in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th rounds. But HENDO got the least wins ever (22 wins, 41 losses).

The high schoolish game produced just 116 pts, the lowest total ever in 8 years (previous low: 143 in 1996), and only one person, BERN IS DA BOMB, picked a total lower (104). 79 people picked a higher number (avg: 152.9) with WHAT LUCK getting closest (120) and WANTABE furthest (186). No number was chosen by more than 4 people (last year, 5 people chose 144 pts, including 3 stuck in our first-ever 3-way tie for 16th) with 157, 160, and 161 being the popular picks.

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What an ugly game...
Scott HW