Issue # 14.6.1 “Wahoowa!”

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Watch the best reality show, The Amazing Race 31, the Reality Show Edition
2019 NCAA Champions
#1-South Regional Champions

University of Virginia Cavaliers (34-3)

1st Title
2019 Winningest Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference
(15-6)

7th Time: ’04, ’05 (Tied with Big10), ’10 (Tied with Big10, Big12), ’15, ’16,  ’17 (Tied with SEC)

Monday, April 8, 2019 

VIRGINIA GETS 1ST TITLE IN OVERTIME IN SURPRISING HIGH SCORING GAME
Kds911 wins tiebreaker over The Gambler 2 to win the pool

'Hoo Crew!

SANTA BARBARA, CA (smt)- More than five minutes into the game, the score was 3-2.  Seriously.  Five points with #3W-Texas Tech’s three points on free throws.  The Red Raiders didn’t hit their first field goal until 12:38 left in the first half.  7 minutes in it was 7-3 #1S-Virginia and the projected total points was just 57.  It was what expected with 2 of the top 3 defenses this year.  But the last 13 minutes saw 51 points and the second half had a lot of clutch shooting as Virginia blew another second half lead as Texas Tech tied it at 59.  Down by three, Virginia’s De’Andre Hunter hit a three to tie it at 68 with 12.9 seconds left.  That’s 136 points and the over/under for the game was 118.  On to overtime.  Virginia actually had an 11-0 run and hit all 12 free throws to win their first championship, 85-77.  Hunter and Kyle Guy combined for 51 points.  The Cavaliers won the championship a year after becoming the first #1 seed to lose to a #16 with the difference being that Hunter was healthy this tournament. 

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Virginia v Texas Tech Live!

Will try to keep up to date on how our entries are doing as the game progresses!

End of game: Virginia wins 85-77 and goes from worst (losing to #16 seed) to first! Virginia hits 12 straight free throws. Wow, 163 points, remember when we were projecting 48? So, final standings:

  • 1st: Kds911 (Tom J) (wins tiebreaker)
  • 2nd: The Gambler 2 (Carl S)
  • 3rd: FortressHoops3 (Eric F) (wins tiebreaker)
  • 4th: WhereUGoneSteveFisher (Rob C)
  • 5th: Samurai Jack (Robinson C)
  • 6th: Agnes Schweitzhoffer (Andy F) (wins tiebreaker)
  • Bonus: Kai Pomeroy (Vi P) (wins tiebreaker)

17.0: Virginia 81-75 (Virginia had an 11-0 run). 156 points was improbable 2 hours ago. All tiebreakers won now when Virginia wins.

31.2: Virginia ball! They lead 77-73 (150). With free throws, 79-73 (152).

1:06: Geez, if it’s that close, keep the call on the court. Virginia 75-73 (148). Oy, they overturned the call, now Virginia ball.

2:45 left OT: Texas Tech leads 73-72. Projection 154.

End of regulation: 68-68, 136 points. Boy that last second took forever. Texas Tech shot was blocked. With projection of 153 points, if Texas Tech wins, Kds911 (>=138) would win 2nd and FortressHoops3 (>=148) would win 5th and TJ (150-153, ties 154) would win Bonus. If Virginia wins, Kds911 (>=138) would win 1st and FortressHoops3 (>=148) would win 3rd, Agnes Schweitzhoffer (>=135) would win 6th and Kai Pomeroy would win Bonus (>=151, Ties 150). This is the 8th OT final (first since ’08).

12.9: A 3 up, we’re tied! 68 all. That’s 136 points. At least one more point needs to be scored for 137. Or we go to overtime!

22.5: Texas Tech up 3 68-65.

35.1: Timeout! Texas Tech up 66-65! That’s 131 points. 4 more and a Virginia win gives Agnes Schweitzhoffer 6th and MistressNine would be in line for the Bonus (135-139).

1:31: Timeout! Virginia 65-64. 129 points now! 134 projected! One more point and Philly Eagles Again would get 6th (tied 129, 130-134) if Virginia holds on.

2:38: 61 all. Virginia is only the second team to score 60 or more points against Texas Tech in tournament. Projected 131.

3:28: And we’re tied at 59! 129 projected points. If Texas Tech wins, this is Netflower’s limit, if it goes to 130 then Fire Bill Self is poised to win Bonus (130-136, ties at 137).

4:47: 1st forced timeout called by Virginia leading 59-53. Projected 127, giving BamaG consternation (needs <=128 to win 6th, 129 would cause a tie) if Virginia ends up winning .

7:23: Virginia 55-47. Projected 125. Can The Gambler 2 smell first place (easily winning tiebreaker now by 12)? Samurai Jack would get 5th. BamaG would barely win the tiebreaker for 6th. Agnes Schweitzhoffer would win the Bonus (winning tiebreaker now by 9).

10:20: 10 point Virginia lead 53-43. Projected 129.

11:24: Virginia 50-41. No fast break points so neither team has needed to call a timeout to stall a run. Projected still 127. Virginia hitting 49% of their shots.

13:00: 3 straight 3’s combined by both teams. 45-41 Virginia. 127 projected points.

15:15 left (2nd half): Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver finally hits a field goal (1/9). Virginia 42-33. 121 projected points.

Half: The teams did combine for 51 points in the last 13 minutes, which would project to 157 so maybe second half will be exciting.

Half: Virginia 32-29. Projected 122 points. Virginia has won last 61 games when leading at the half. Incredible.

3:57: Virginia 25-24. Projected 123. Who will win their first title? Oh, besides the pool, which team will win their first title?

6:00: 21-21. Going up, now 120 pts projected.

7:55: Picking up now. Virginia 19-16. Virginia had a 10 point lead. Now projected 116 pts.

12:38: Texas Tech just hit their 1st field goal. Virginia 9-6. Projected 82 pts now.

13:00: Just 7-3 Virginia. That’s just 57 points combined. Those who are rooting for low scoring are The Gambler 2 (<=137) and WhereUGoneSteveFisher (<=147) if Texas Tech wins and The Gambler 2 (<=137), WhereUGoneSteveFisher (<=147), and BamaG (<=128) if Virginia wins. For the Bonus, Netflower (<=129) if Texas Tech wins and Agnes Schweitzhoffer (<=134) if Virginia wins.

15:51 left (1st Half): Oy, vey, just 5 points (Texas Tech 3-2 on three free throws). That’s only about 48 points total combined at end of the game.

Issue # 13.5.2 “25th Anniversary” (History of Pool)

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Our HWCI Women's World Cup Pool begins in May...
Our 2nd HWCI Women’s World Cup Pool Begins in May!
2019 NCAA FINAL FOUR @ Minneapolis, MN
Hosted by U. of Minnesota (Big Ten)
The Final at U.S. Bank Stadium
#3-Westvs.#1-South
Texas Tech University Red Raiders (31-6)University of Virginia Cavaliers (34-3)
Big 12 Conference – Regular Season Co-Champs
Lubbock, Texas

1st Final
def #14 Northern Kentucky 72-57
#6 Buffalo 78-58
#2 Michigan 63-44
#1 Gonzaga 75-69
#2E-Michigan St 61-51
Atlantic Coast Conference – Regular Season Co-Champs
Charlottesville, Virginia

1st Final
def #16 Gardiner-Webb 71-56
#9 Oklahoma 63-51
#12 Oregon 53-49
#3 Purdue 80-75 (OT)
#5MW-Auburn 63-62

Sunday, April 7, 2019

A TOUGH DEFENSE VERSUS A SLOW OFFENSE
Six battling for final 2 money spots as 4 have clinched; 15 vying for Bonus

BANC OF CALIFORNIA STADIUM, LOS ANGELES/SANTA BARBARA, CA (smt)- Will this be a Butler-UConn type championship when just 94 points were scored?  Texas Tech has held the two Michigans to 44 and 51 points and 6th-best offense in Buffalo to 58 points while Virginia held high scoring Oklahoma and Oregon to 51 and 49 points.  Including the tournament, Virginia is #1 in scoring defense (allowing 55.5 pts/game) and Texas Tech is #3 (58.8).  Virginia is 7th in 3-point percentage (39.4%) though they take their time taking their shots. Or maybe we’ll be surprised and Texas Tech will score something like 78 or 75 like they did vs Buffalo and Gonzaga or Virginia will score 80 like they did against Purdue.  Virginia has needed luck at the buzzer twice, scoring a game-tying buzzer beater off a missed free throw against Purdue and a missed double-dribble call and foul on a buzzer-beating 3-point shot against Auburn.  Texas Tech has won each game by at least six points with four in double-digits.  With all that, Virginia is just a one-point favorite to try to complete the worst-to-first (losing to #16 seed to winning the title) and the over/under is an all-time low of 118 pts.  With so many tiebreakers in play for the top 6 and the Bonus, this low over/under is at least 10 points less than the tiebreak point giving those entries who guessed lowest a little buffer.

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Issue # 12.5.1 “Streaky Endings”

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Disneyland's Star Wars Galaxy Edge opens May 31

Saturday, April 6, 2019 

TIGERS SHOCKED BY VIRIGNIA, TEXAS TECH CLOSES STRONG
ChuckPersonCellBlock leads by one but The Gambler 2 or Kds911 can still win the pool

Auburn foul on Virginia's Guy

HOME/GARDENA, CA (smt)- Wow.  #1S-Virginia led 57-47 with 5:24 to go before #5MW-Auburn went on a 14-0 run to lead 61-57 with 17 seconds left.  Then the Cavaliers ended the game on a 6-1 run to win 63-62 to advance to their 1st Finals.  But how we got there was crazy.  During the 14-0 run Auburn hit 3 threes and Virginia was 0-for-2 on free throws and took an awfully long time to get a shot off when they were down by 2 taking more than 25 off the shot clock on two consecutive possessions when time isn’t on your side.  Like Duke in the last round, Virginia then needed to foul 3 times to get Auburn to shoot free throws but was able to do it in 3.3 seconds after figuring it out with 20.9 seconds left (Auburn initially rebounded with 30.1 seconds left).  Auburn has been horrible at the free throw line but made both to up by 4 before Kyle Guy hit a 3 to pull Virginia within one with 6.5 seconds left (again taking an awfully long 13 seconds to get the shot off).  A foul before the inbounds not only took no time off the clock, the refs put back 0.9 seconds (so, why doesn’t every team foul before the inbounds?).  The Tigers’ Jared Harper, who hit all 11 free throws against Kentucky, hit the key front end of the one-and-one but missed the second.  Auburn with two fouls to give, fouled with 5.4 seconds left. 

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Issue # 9.4.1 “Buzzer Beater”

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Saturday, March 30, 2019 

MISTAKE COSTS ZAGS; HEAVYWEIGHT FIGHT WON BY VIRGINIA
Carseroni is one of 11 to get both games and jumps to 4 point lead; Just 7 can win pool

Zags' Perkins technical foul

HOME/LABCORP, LOS ALAMITOS, CA (smt)- After falling behind 69-62 with 52 seconds left, #1W-Gonzaga got within two at 71-69 before Josh Perkins made the accidental mistake heard around the world with 11 seconds left when his hand knocked the inbound player’s hand meaning it was a 2-shot technical foul plus #3W-Texas Tech got to keep the ball.  The resulting four free throws gave the Red Riders their first Final Four ever in their 75-69 upset of the Zags.  It was a harsh penalty but it’s there to prevent intentional delay tactics which this wasn’t.  Texas Tech hit their last six free throws and the best defense held off the best offense as the Zags shot just 42.4% and had 16 turnovers.

The second half of the #1S-Virginia-#3S-Purdue game had everything a fan would want with clutch shots, clutch rebounds, a buzzer beater, and a mano y mano matchup between the Cavs’ Kyle Guy and the Boilermakers’ Carsen Edwards. Guy hit 3 threes to start the second half in helping build a 45-37 lead but then Edwards caught fire hitting 6 of 8 three pointers and 24 points in a 32-22 run to put Purdue up by 2 with 1:11 left (Guy had 10 of those 22 points).  But Purdue’s Ryan Cline missed a free throw leaving the game at 70-67 and Purdue smartly fouled before Guy or anyone else could take a three with 5 seconds left.  The second free throw was missed and a long rebound was won by Virginia in the back court and a great pass up to Mamadi Diakite in the arc was put in at the buzzer sending the game into overtime tied at 70.  The overtime was tight as Guy was held to just two late free throws and Edwards had just a jumper (finished with 42 points and 10 threes) and then missed a three with 7 seconds left down 76-75.  The Cavs hit their final four throws to win 80-75.  So surprised that the clutch three specialist from the last game, Ryan Cline, didn’t get a chance to shoot a three late in overtime.  Just six of 58 games have been one possession games (9 if you just include regulation) and 37 of 58 have been double-digit blowouts.  

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