Welcome back, basketball buffs, to another riveting day of March Madness mayhem! Day 3 brought us the expected dominance of the top-seeded teams, with the usual suspects flexing their muscles in classic fashion. However, amidst the status quo, a couple of standout performances stole the spotlight. The showdown between Texas and Tennessee had fans on the edge of their seats as both teams delivered a nail-biting finish that left us excited for the rest. But the drama didn’t end there – we were treated to not one, but two overtime thrillers, with one game pushing into double overtime territory. As the intensity ramps up and the stakes get higher, Day 3 proved once again why March Madness is the pinnacle of college basketball excitement. So buckle up, folks, because we’ve got lots to come! I think there’s going to be great matchups in the later rounds!
The upsets have started to show their hand… As you can see I will slowly plummet to the basement, say hello to me as I go by would ya! Bow down to the great Madison as she shows her veteran status in March Madness!
Let’s get into it! Simple games and scores first. Then the overtime action! I’m going to cover the two games and add some video if you want to check out some short game recaps.
Dayton vs Arizona: Arizona is here to stay! Lots of people have them deep. Final score 78-68
Gonzaga vs Kansas: This was a big game I think, shows that Gonzaga may have been a sleeper team this year because of their seed ranking. Final score 89-68
Michigan State vs UNC: Lets go UNC, literally my only hope at a decent finish this year so I will be riding them!!! Final score 85-69
WA State vs Iowa State: Here we have another pool favourite, by most, moving on. Iowa holding out against Washington with a classy game. Little turnovers and great all around shooting stats. Final score 67-56
Texas vs Tennessee: The game was ran by Tennessee the whole game, and maybe a little bit of cockiness came into play as the Tennessee players celebrated big plays as Texas kept grinding. Nearly sweeping the game out entirely. Tennessee was able to regain composure in the end and catch the dub. Final score 62-58
Duquesne vs Illinois: Another David vs Goliath moment and The Dukes just couldn’t pull off a miracle victory this time. Losing out pretty bad, 89-63
OVERTIME!!
Oakland vs NC State: This match up was great for both teams. Having watched the tape from Gohlkes previous performance they defiantly sought to shut him down a bit more this game. The decided to face guard him which is a very nice compliment as a shooter, but rather annoying to play in. Face guarding is when you as a defender do not care what is happening other than your target, he cannot get the ball and have open looks! Gohlke, being super fast still managed 22 points. Teammate Townsend with a 30 bomb, working the paint all game on isolation plays as Gohlke was locked up.
The fight was on for Oakland the whole game! Even a last-ditch effort! As the game looked to be a sure loss, coach subbed out Gohlke… BUT, his teammate got a steal with about 20 seconds left (down by 6) and he was right back in to try and close the gap with a clutch three… To no success. An amazing ride with this team and really fun to watch. Final score 79-73
Here is the vid!
DOUBLE OVERTIME!!
Oregon vs Creighton: This was a high quality game through and through. Both teams had awesome defence and very strict players, just over 10 fouls per team in a double OT game! If you have 10 minutes to watch the recap its worth it! Here it is below!
Creighton: great inside game and second chance points. The big man in the paint was unstoppable. Shooters outside the arch ready to knock down shots. Great at getting open shots but it was certainly an off night the first half and they relied a lot on second chance efforts on offensive rebounds.
Oregon has amazing midrange and inside game. They play off the pick and roll very well. Super patient and every offensive possession seem to find a really high quality shot. Threes were taken but about half as many as Creighton. This is where the point discrepancies are. They couldn’t stop the three ball and they couldn’t match the effort either.
The first OT was electric! Going 9-9! Creighton almost has it with a near miss for a buzzer beater. In the end they just couldn’t miss in OT number 2 with 15-2 run to close out the victory!
Enjoy the games today, hoop fans, and soak in every buzzer-beater, upset, and highlight-reel play! As the madness continues, remember to savor every second of the action. That’s all from me for today – see you all courtside tomorrow for more electrifying matchups!