Tag Archives: Arkansas

Issue # 4.2.1 “Finish Strong”

Posted on by

Archive

Saturday, March 18, 2023 

ARKANSAS KNOCKS KANSAS OUT; PRINCETON IN SWEET 16
Jah Lives-2 leads with 70 pts; PopTop1 goes 7-1

DIGNITY HEALTH SPORTS PARK, CARSON, CA (smt) – #8W-Arkansas used an 11-0 run to erase a 10-point deficit and then battled basket for basket in outlasting defending champ #1MW-Kansas, 72-71.  Up by 3 with 7 seconds left, a smart foul forced Kansas to shoot free throws.  Kansas tried to miss the second but accidentally banked it in and Arkansas ran out the last three seconds.  In the only other upset, #15S-Princeton broke open a 6-point lead with a 19-8 run to rout #7S-Missouri by 15.  #5S-San Diego St easily stomped upstart #13S-Furman by 23 and #1S-Alabama won by 22. 

Other top seeds finished strong with #4E-Tennessee’s Olivier Nkamhoua scored 17 of the teams’ 19 points in outlasting #5E-Duke, #1MW-Houston used second half 14-2 and 8-0 runs after #9MW-Auburn got within one, #2MW-Texas’s Dylan Disu scored 10 points in the last 4 1/2 minutes to help beat #10MW-Penn St, and #2W-UCLA hit their last six free throws (last 32 seconds) to nip #7W-Northwestern by five. 

The Big Ten lost all 3 games and they were the last 3 games of the day and has just two teams left.  The SEC went 3-2 and has nine wins in the tournament with Kentucky playing tomorrow.  All four Big East and both WCC teams play tomorrow.

Continue reading »

Issue # 9.4.1 “Chalk?” (3/26)

Posted on by

Archive

FOR ONCE, ALL FAVORITES ADVANCE
Mia Culpa lead cut to 7 and loses champion; 24 still alive

Arkansas cheerleader hopes for NIL money, too

VISITING HAWAII-COUSIN IN TORRANCE, CA (smt) – In a game between #2S-Villanova and #5S-Houston that was even in most categories including horrendous shooting (28.8% to 29.8%), rebounding (38 to 39), assists (6 to 7), and turnovers (10 apiece), it came down to 3-point (23.8% to 5%) and free throw (100% to 64.3%) percentages, as the Wildcats advanced to their third Final Four in six tourneys with a 50-44 win in the pro-Houston crowd of San Antonio.  Villanova never trailed though Houston briefly cut an 11-point deficit to 2 (42-40) with 5 1/2 minutes left.

After #4W-Arkansas pulled within 5 (53-48), #2W-Duke went on a 19-6 run to give Coach K his 13th Final Four (in 47 seasons as coach) in the 78-69 victory.  Arkansas played well (hit all 12 free throws, more offensive rebounds/assists, less turnovers) but their poor defensive allowed Duke to shoot a hot 54.7%.  The only Razorback solace is that once again, a cheerleader (from Arkansas) saved the day by knocking a stuck ball above the backboard, and from the happy look on her face, maybe eyeing a NIL (name, image, and likeness) deal like the first cheerleader (from Indiana) got.

Continue reading »

Issue # 7.3.1 “Once a Mid-Major, Always a Mid-Major” (3/24)

Posted on by

Archive

ZAGS FALL AGAIN TO TEAM IN BETTER CONFERENCE
Mia Culpa leads by 9, nearly in money; 51 still alive

Zags mental block continues

GOLETA, CA (smt) – Third time wasn’t the charm, as for the 3rd straight game #1W-Gonzaga struggled and their comeback was literally blocked as #4W-Arkansas made it back-to-back Elite 8s with a 74-68 win.  The Zags do well when not playing a team from the top conferences, as they lost to the SEC today, the Big 12 last year (Baylor) and ’19 (Texas Tech), the SEC again in ’18 (Florida St), and the ACC in ’15, ’16, and ’17 (Duke, Syracuse, and UNC).  Doesn’t matter if they are both #1 seeds or the Zags were the better seed, the Zags still behave like a mid-major team (like Butler before them) and fail to rise to the occasion.

Just as bad an omen, the West Coast teams again collapsed as #1S-Arizona also fell to a hot #5S-Houston team, 72-60.  Though Zona was still in it late, Houston still won their 3rd game in double-digits and also made their 2nd straight Elite 8.  Only #4E-UCLA remains from the West Coast in a year it seemed possible one of them would win the title for the first time since the ’97 Wildcats. 

Continue reading »

Issue # 7.3.1 “Ramblers a Pretender, Pac 12 Rolls On” (3/27)

Posted on by

Archive
LOYOLA CHICAGO CHOKES; ARKANSAS SURVIVES AGAIN
License to ILL regains lead while Mrs Meghan&Mr Meghan goes 4-0

Oral Roberts Buzzer Beater Miss

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.

Continue reading »