12:19 am PDT – 18 hours until the final. We already know who 7 of the top 8 prizes will be but we don’t know who will be champion (Samurai Jack if SDSU wins, Jah Lives-2 if UConn wins). We also don’t know who will win the $40 bonus as two can win if SDSU wins (leaving Big East with 11 wins) or ten can win if UConn wins (Big East with 12 wins). The last top prize spot will go to either EMAW (if SDSU wins) or Krispy Seconds (if UConn wins).
1:18 pm – If UConn wins, there is a tiebreaker for 4th to be decided. 149 total pts or less goes to JessaFish, 150 or more goes to Samurai Jack. The over/under is 133 points.
1:27 pm – If SDSU wins, if total pts is 129 or less, the $40 Bonus goes to Suznana, if 131 or more it goes to FV Locals. If 130, they will split $40. If UConn wins, 141 or less will go to Kds911-2 and Kds911-3 (same person so split doesn’t matter) and if 167 or more, it goes to Saratogastephen. In between, 7 others could win with possibilities of 3-way ties!
6:43 pm – SDSU led 10-6 but now it’s UConn 16-10. SDSU was 4/5 from field, now 4/13. 11 min left. Just 116 total pts projected but still early.
6:54 pm – SDSU has missed last 12 FGs. If not for 4 FTs, they’d be stuck on 10. UConn leads 22-14. 7:20 left. Projected 114 total pts.
7:01 pm – First SDSU FG in 11:08. Now 5/20 FGs. UConn leads 26-17.
7:03 pm – Missed open layup (why don’t players dunk?) followed by UConn 3. UConn 36-20.
Half – UConn led by as many as 16 and lead 36-24. Projected total pts only 120. Not pretty with 17 turnovers (9 by SDSU) but UConn still shooting 50% (SDSU 28.6% 8/28). Krispy Seconds looking good to take 8th if UConn holds on and Jah Lives-2 itching for pool title. Low scoring good news for Kds911-2 and Kds911-3 as total would have to go past 141 pts to lose Bonus (if UConn wins).
7:36 – What a long halftime.
7:44 – SDSU missed another layup (0/7) and trail by 13 with 16:33 left.
7:48 – 15:40 left, first SDSU layup made, down by 11 (43-32). Projected 122 pts.
7:54 – UConn is 10/11 on FTs and lead by 12. Will be hard for SDSU to come back. 13:59 left. Projected 126 pts.
8:01 – 11:56 left, UConn not letting SDSU get close, 49-36. UConn already shooting free throw from now on out and are 11/13. Projected 121 pts.
8:08 – 8:33 left and UConn leads 56-45. Projected creeping up to 128 pts.
8:10 – Down by 8 with 8:00 left. Projected to 130.
8:14 – 6:58 left, SDSU free throw narrows deficit to 7 (58-51). Projected 132.
8:18 – Can SDSU hit free throws? They hit 2 to cut it to 5 (60-55). 5:19 left.
8;20 – 3:52 left. UConn 63-55. Projected total 131. Does EMAW have hope now? Maybe Samurai Jack will add a 3rd ring to his finger? But UConn has been good at stopping runs in this Final Four, this time hitting a 3 to put them back up to 8.
8:24 – SDSU missed the front end of a 1-on-1. Just 13/18 on free throws (while UConn is 15/17).
8:26 – UConn up by 12, SDSU back to missing shots. 2:30 left. Projected 130 has lots of margin until 141 (Bonus) and 149 (4th place).
8:28 – UConn was on a 9-0 run as SDSU cuts it to 12 again. 1:55 left, 69-57, projected 133. Jah Lives-2 (title) and Krispy Seconds (8th) singing “hey hey hey, goodbye”.
8:33 – SDSU foul to stop clock at 1:07, now down by 16 75-59 (134).
Final – UConn wins 5th title (all since 1999) and mid-majors will have to wait another year (last UNLV in 1990). Final score 76-59 (135 points). Congrats to our 26th different pool champion, as Winsome T (Jah Lives-2) wins in first year. Robinson C (Samurai Jack) drops from 1st to 5th (a $605 drop), losing the 4th place tiebreaker to Jessica H (JessaFish). Roy W (Krispy Seconds) takes 8th, eliminating Spencer C (EMAW) who drops from 5th to 12th. The $40 Bonus goes to Tom J whose two entries tied for it (Kds911-2 and Kds911-3).
8:44 – As UConn has done, no drama winning all six games by 13 or more. No drama in pool tiebreakers as low scoring beginning never was close to being watched closely (needed 141+). Credit to SDSU to cutting it to five, but too many FG droughts to sustain any momentum, shooting just 32%.
