Saturday, March 27, 2021
Issue # 7.3.1 "Ramblers a Pretender, Pac 12 Rolls On"
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HOME EASTER EGG HUNT, CA (smt) - #12MW-Oregon St didn't pay well but used an 11-0 run to end the first half to put away the hapless darlings of #8MW-Loyola Chicago, who did not know how to play as a favorite, rather than the lovable underdog.  There were no adjustments in the second half as the Ramblers just continued to struggle against the zone and shot just 33.3% and missed 7 free throws, seemingly missing a key one every time they had some momentum.  Other favorites had sluggish first halves as well, with #1S-Baylor scoring just 23 points in the first half but used a 14-2 run in the second half to hold off #5S-Villanova and #3S-Arkansas trailing by 12 in the second half to #15S-Oral Roberts before going ahead with 3.1 seconds left and surviving their second straight buzzer-beater attempt. 

#2MW-Houston broke the zone and a 20-20 tie by scoring the last 10 points of the half and outscored #11MW-Syracuse 21-9 to end the game to advance to the Elite 8, winning by 16.  Houston's three wins were against double-digit seeds (#15MW-Cleveland St, #10MW-Rutgers) and now will face yet another double-digit seed in #12MW-Oregon St, who wouldn't be in the tourney if they didn't win the Pac 12 tournament.

In the pool, Mrs Meghan&Mr Meghan was the only entry to go 4-0 to go from a tie for 42nd to a tie for 4th (81 pts) but it was License to ILL who retook the lead with 88 pts.  Mr. & Mrs. Dreamboat is 2nd (84) and Ormonde3 is 3rd (82).  Go Beach! (162nd-T, 53) moved out of last place for the first time and Chiune Sugihara and Big Luther are now tied for last with 50 pts.  Big Luther was one of 9 to go 0-4 today.

Mr. & Mrs. Dreamboat has a 31.9% chance to win the pool (no one else >10%) and a 70.7% chance to win money.  Mrs Meghan&Mr Meghan has a 47.8% chance to win money and 9 others have a better than 1 in 4 chance to win money.  Martlets2 (80th-T, 69) is the only entry with a chance to win the Winningest Conf Bonus (SEC with 12 wins) and she met the first criteria, as she is now eliminated from the top 7 money spots. 

We are now on Twitter (@HWCI_Pools).  Please follow!  I will post using #hwcincaa mini-updates during the day so you can follow without being on Twitter (and if you are, please use #hwcincaa).  Please join our Facebook HWCI NCAA Pool Group or post comments on our blog or Discord server.  Here you can join the group and meet your competitors, make new friends, set up NCAA watching gatherings, and post stuff to the wall (pictures, witty comments, etc.). 

   Tids & Bits -  Two lost Villanova as their champ... 134 picked Baylor, 45 Arkansas, 104 Houston... Mrs Meghan&Mr Meghan and Pac Attack (4th-T) were the only ones to get Oregon St (Banana Corn (53rd-T, 72) and Julius Pringle (80th-T) missed out on Loyola Chicago)... Mrs Meghan&Mr Meghan was the 185th entry to go 4-0 in the first half of the Elite 8 while the nine who went 0-4 make 259 entries who have gone 0-4... Oregon St winning gave Pac 12 at least 11 wins (10 now, tomorrow's winner between USC/Oregon) eliminated EEChick1400 (80th-T) from the Bonus... Oregon St led just 24-16 at the half after their 11-0 run (5:48)... Oregon St shot a poor 41.2% but make their first Elite 8 since '82... Arkansas made the Elite 8 for the first time since our first pool, in '95... Houston's last Elite 8 was '84 and Baylor's '12... threes were a curse with Baylor just 3/19 (2/12 in the 1st half), Villanova 3/17, Loyola Chicago 5/23 (1/8 1st half), Oral Roberts 8/31 (after making 5 of their first 10), Arkansas 1/9, Syracuse 5/23... Villanova had 16 turnovers after posting a nation's best low-8.8 average... Oregon St matched the 12 seed of Missouri ('02) in the Elite 8... Oral Roberts led 15-7 on five threes... Syracuse made just 14 field goals (14/50, 28%)...

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100 Easter eggs for four kids seemed excessive, but they had fun...
Scott