Issue # 7.3.1 “Ones and Threes”

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Thursday, March 28, 2019 

ONE VS THREE IN BOTH WEST AND SOUTH
ChuckPersonCellBlock leads by two while 99 entries are still alive

Tennessee last second "foul"

HOME, CA (smt)- #1W-Gonzaga held #4W-Florida St to just two points in the last 4:11 to expand a scant four point lead (60-56) to a 72-58 victory while #1S-Virginia held #12S-Oregon to no field goals in the last 5:43 to turn a 45-42 deficit into a 53-49 win.  The Cavs actually shot worse (35.7%) than the Ducks (37.8%) but pulled out the win after Oregon scored more points in their 23-12 run than in the first half (22).  #3W-Texas Tech held #2W-Michigan to just 16 first-half points en route to Wolverine-record tourney low 44 for the game in their 63-44 victory.  Michigan missed their first 18 three-point attempts (finished 1 of 19) and shot just 32.7% from the field. 

#2S-Tennessee who blew a large lead (25 points) and needed overtime to win in the 2nd round saw their fortunes reverse, as they rallied from a large deficit (18 points) but lost in overtime to #3S-Purdue, 99-94.  Both teams shot as well or better from the field than the free throw line (Purdue 54.0% FG, 48.4% FT; Tennessee 50.0% FG, 50.0% FT) so this game could’ve been won easily by either team if they just hit their free throws (Purdue missed 17 including two front ends of a one-and-one and were at one point 3 of 13; Tennessee missed 12).  Tennessee had an 82-80 lead but with 1.7 seconds left they “fouled” (Purdue player may have kicked out but if you lean into the player, the ref may call it, ticky-tack as it was) on a 3-point attempt and Purdue only made 2 of 3 to send the game to OT.  Tennessee lived too much on the edge blowing a 16-point lead to #15S-Colgate and the aforementioned 25-point lead to #10S-Iowa.  Purdue did have Ryan Cline who not only hit four 3-pointers in the last five and a half minutes, he hit fadeaways and shots the defender knew he was going to take, a la Stephen Curry… but did it with class.  A joy to watch even though I picked Tennessee.

Just five of 52 games have been one possession games (7 if you just include regulation) and 35 of 52 have been double-digit blowouts.  With Purdue’s win, that ended Center Road‘s 49-game win steak killing his perfect bracket.  It also ended our own Honey Badger‘s (3rd, 104) mid-tournament 18-game win streak (last game 1st round, all 16 2nd round games, Zags this round).

ChuckPersonCellBlock was one of five to get all four games correct to move into first with 109 points with Kds911 moving to a tie for 6th (102).  Carseroni is 2nd (107) with Netflower and Slamjam51 3 tied for 4th (103).  Previous leader Buckeye Mike fell to a tie for 13th (100) after getting just one game correct.  Five went 0-4 and although Maitai (45) got Purdue correct, she is guaranteed to finish last even if Purdue wins Saturday as she picked.  This ties the earliest a person has guaranteed last with Betheon (’00) and HowardZinn (’10).

Netflower has the best chance to win the pool (13.8%) with ChuckPersonCellBlock (12.8%) and Carseronni (11.4%) both better than 1 in 10.  46 can still win the pool.  ChuckPersonCellBlock is the only person with more than coin flip (54.7%) to win money as 99 entries still have a chance to finish in the top 6.  With the ACC picking up its 11th win and the Duke-Virginia Tech winner guaranteeing a 12th, at least 12 wins will be the winningest conference by the ACC, Big Ten, or SEC.  That still leaves 122 entries eligible to win the $40 Bonus while just 20 of 162 entries can’t win the Bonus or finish in the top 6.

Honey Badger is 3rd but can’t win the pool (forever behind Carseroni) while Wesson Oil (Texas Tech is his champ), who went 1-3 for the day, is tied for 120th but can still win the pool. NotCraig is tied for 27th (97) but can’t finish in the top 6 while Karma Chameleon2 is 159th (71) but can still finish 4th.  Sisyphus86 went 4-0 and moved up to a tie for 80th (90) from a tie for 137th and can still win the pool.  Team Samurai went 0-4 to drop from a tie for 6th down to a tie for 62nd (92) and now can’t finish higher than 4th.

   Tids & Bits – 5 lost Michigan and 1 lost Tennessee as their champ… Tennessee’s back-to-back OT games is the first since Florida in ’11 (also won and then lost)… Tennessee was also the 5 seed meaning just the top 4 seeds are still alive… the five 4-0 entries is the first since ’16 when 45 were 4-0 (overall, 184 have gone 4-0 on 1st day of Sweet 16)… 4 still have a chance to get all 8 Elite 8 teams correct while 66 still have an intact Final Four… Purdue’s 99 points is the most in the tournament thus far (was OK’s 95)…

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My main entry has 3 in 2048 to finish in top 6; at least Gekijou no Walkure can still finish 1st… 
Scott


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