Brandon Adair’s 31 points led the Virginia Wesleyan Marlins to the first automatic bid of the 2006 season in another heartstopping ODAC playoff game, defeating Randolph-Macon 81-78 in overtime. VWC led by as many as nine points in the second half. R-MC’s Justin Wansley led the Yellow Jackets with 24 points.

The Yellow Jackets find themselves as the first team in the pool, C that is. R-MC finishes up with a 22-6 mark overall and a 19-6 regional record.

Back up north, Lincoln University rolled Penn State-Abington, 115-83, behind 62 points from Kyle Myrick. Myrick’s previous season high was a mere 45.

In on the women’s side: Washington U.
In on the men’s side: Virginia Wesleyan. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps can clinch the SCIAC with a win or an Occidental loss tonight.

Sometimes you can over think these things.

Looking at the ODAC men’s tournament before it began, you could come up with plenty of reasons why Virginia Wesleyan and Randolph-Macon would not meet in the final. Va Wes was due for a loss. Randolph-Macon had lost to Emory & Henry. Hampden-Sydney could return to early season form.

But here we are at the end and it’s the top teams in the conference preseason poll – and the only two who made our Preseason Top 25 – who will battle over the AQ tonight (7 PM EST). It’s always nice when you end up being right when you were pretty sure you were wrong.

Then again, sometimes no amount of thought will help.

For example, does anyone feel really secure picking the winner of the women’s WIAC tournament, which starts tonight? Stout and Oshkosh split the regular season title. Stevens Point has the top offense statistically. La Crosse has the top defense statistically. And each of the bottom four has beaten at least one of the top four. You can listen to Stevens Point/Platteville or watch Eau Claire/Superior with a good connection (8 PM EST for both).

Elsewhere the NJAC women tip off their tournament and Alvernia’s men play Gwynedd-Mercy in their seemingly annual playoff game in PAC semifinals. Feel free to post links to game broadcasts or thoughts below.