CERRITOS, CA (smt)- #3W-Xavier blew an 18-point lead and then rallied from a 6-point deficit in overtime to hold off #7W-West Virginia, 79-75.  In overtime, Xavier hit three consecutive "threes" (including a back-breaking cross-court inbound pass with 2 seconds left to B.J. Raymond whose basket put Xavier up by 4 with 29 seconds left) while West Virginia missed three consecutive "frees" (missing five free throws in the last 5+ minutes).  The Musketeers will face #1W-UCLA who allowed #12W-Western Kentucky to cut a 21-point deficit to 4 before pulling away, 88-78.  UCLA held W.Kentucky to just 20 points in the first half but the Hilltoppers outscored the Bruins 58-47 (the 58 is twice what Miss. Valley St. scored in the entire game vs. UCLA in the first round) in the second half.  #1E-UNC failed to score 100 points but still won comfortably, 68-47 and will face #3E-Louisville who almost blew all of a 16-point lead before taking control and sending #2E-Tennessee home, 79-60.  The Vols were the 3rd #2 seed to fall and leaves a #1 vs. #3 match-up in the East and West Regional Finals.

FLYING ACE (with a 74.9% chance to win money) was one of 14 to go 4-0 for the day to take over first place with 101 points, one ahead of FLYIN' HAWAIIAN who lost his champ Tennessee.  Louisville's win eliminated 16 entries of the 21 which were eliminated today, leaving 67 entries with hope to win money.  Only 34 can still win the first place pot of $440 with FLYING ACE leading the way with a 34% chance.  Eight other entries have a 21-38% chance to win some money.  PERFECT PICKS moved from a tie for 75th to a tie for 29th (87 pts) by going 4-0 while CROW2BUGS went from a tie for 32nd to a tie for 66th (81) after going 1-3.  KLOVE407.8 (why 407.8?) went 4-0 to go from 80th-Tied to 34th-T but was already eliminated.  Eight went 1-3 including QUICKPICK MCGRAW who is still in last with 46 pts and needs just four points to avoid the worst point total ever.

In the race for the Bonus Prize, the Big East and Pac-10 both went 1-1.  The Big East now has 11 wins (max: 16) and the Pac-10 has 7, but can't get more than 12.  Both teams from the Big 12 (7 wins; max: 14) and Big 10 (5 wins; max: 12) play tomorrow (along with the remaining Big East and Pac-10 team).  There are 56 entries still alive to win the Bonus1 and now 14 can't win prize money or the Bonius1 (unless no one wins Bonus1 we go to the Bonus2).

Notes / Regista:  Only two (DR. FUN (who moved from 44th-T to 15th-T (91)) and FLYING ACE) still have their Elite 8 intact while 42 still have their Final Four intact... 11 of 15 who had Tennessee in the final were eliminated... 95 entries picked UCLA and UNC while 30 chose Louisville and 29 chose Xavier...  so I needed 16 consecutive events to go my way (all 15 games plus tiebreaker) and it ended on the first attempt (Xavier winning) - although technically, the UNC game finished first (good result); so I would now wait and see with the Bonus except I'm eliminated from that as well (since the Pac-10 can't win more than 12 games and I had them with 14)... the 14 who went 4-0 tied a record set by 55 others...