WEST COVINA/CERRITOS, CA (smt)- It was a shootout involving #6E-Wisconsin of all teams, but #1E-UNC prevailed, 88-82. The Badgers trailed by 9 in the second half but couldn't get closer than one (74-73). UNC made the Final Four for the fifth time since our pool started.

#2S-Kentucky won the battle, coming back from eight points in the last five minutes (six in the last 2:41) to send the game into overtime, but lost the war in double-OT, 94-88, to #5S-Michigan St. Wildcat Patrick Sparks was called from the bench to shoot a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 27 seconds left down by one for Alan Anderson who was hammered on a 50/50 ball at midcourt and left the game. He missed the front end and could've been the goat, although it's hard to come off the bench (even though he played significant minutes) and to try to make free throws. And on the last sequence of regulation, Kentucky needed a 3 to tie it and Sparks threw up an airball, but unlike Arizona's last play yesterday, there was still five seconds left and Kentucky rebounded, dribbled out, missed another three, but he deflection came to Sparks, who stepped back, pumped, shot a line drive just before the buzzer that hit the front of the rim (this is where I went to the laptop to get the updates ready for Michigan St's win), hit the backboard, bounced once, twice, three times on the rim and fell to tie it at 77 (and heard incessant screaming, looked up and it was tied).

Of course, was his foot on the line? Well, five minutes later, I mean, if the refs would've called it off because one millimeter of white rubber sole was on a white line, that would've been tragic, it was ruled good. Can you imagine if the ref would've called it a 2-pointer to begin with? Good thing the ref made the right call. So overtime we go, and like the two overtime games yesterday, the team on a roll continues onward and Kentucky indeed scored the first four points. The Spartans didn't give up and tied it at 81. Kentucky then went and had a brain fart and didn't even get a shot off as time expired. Overtime two we go. This time Michigan St jumped to a 86-81 lead and then hit eight consecutive free throws to put the lights out on the Wildcats.

All four Regional final games featured furious play and at times, back and forth baskets. Probably the most exciting two days of the tournament since I started watching in 1995. Even my wife commented she never knew the games were this exciting with great shooters (or "throwers" as she sometimes calls it).

We are now down to the nitty gritty in the pool. Just three games left, 28 points for the taking. LUCKORBUST still leads with 114 points but is without a champion having picked Duke. KRISPY KREMER and FLIP FIGHTERS are tied for 2nd with 112 points and have UNC winning it all but different runner-ups (Lou and Ill, respectively). ACE OF SPADES is fourth with 111 pts and is the fourth and final person who could be crowned the 2005 HWCI NCAA Pool Champion. Eight others have a chance to win money. There are only 8 possibilities left.

No one has clinched money yet. And in the continuing saga, BIRD LEGS (18th-Tied, 99 pts), survives yet again. Had Kentucky won, she would have been eliminated. Just like she would've been eliminated if WV or Arizona won. And in looking at her possibile outcome after all this time, she would still have to win the tiebreaker to win 4th place! But to go from 4 in 32,768 to 1 in 8 is pretty impressive. SOURCE (41st-T, 92), who as lagging way behind, finally met his match when Kentucky lost.

Fifty-two went 1-1 today. That means, that HOOPGURU (7th-T, 106) failed to become just the third entry ever to get all 4 Final Four teams correct and lost his chance for first. NOMEX (81st, 59) became the 4th entry to go 0-for-the-Final-Four. Six went 3-1 for the round.

As for the Bonus, if Illinois wins on Saturday, no one will win the Bonus Prize. There is a more thorough analysis on the Discussion Board. Here is the latest:

      Teams Curr Max Poss
Conf.  Left Wins   Wins
------ ---- ---- -------
Big 10    2  11    14   (Illinois, Michigan St)
ACC       1  10    12   (UNC)