The first of five thrilling finishes began in “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” Madison Square Garden. Marquette’s leading scorer, Vander Blue banked a shot off the glass to give the Golden Eagles a 69-67 overtime win over the unraveling St. John’s Red Storm. The game-winners moved south after that when Alabama’s Trevor Releford heaved a half-court prayer that found the bottom of the net to give the Tide a 61-58 win over Georgia.
The mid-majors wanted to get in on the action when Belmont’s Kerron Johnson‘s mid-range pull-up jumper punched the Bruins’ ticket to the dance, beating Murray State 70-68 in overtime to win the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Horizon League might be the most exciting conference in the country right now. Miles Dixon‘s off-balanced jump shot fell through and took down reigning league champ Detroit as Wright State moved on to the finals. A day after winning at the buzzer, Green Bay was eliminated by Ryan Broekhoff‘s last-second three that put Valparaiso in the title game.
There are 21 more days of March, and surely much more madness to come.