Alright, well, our bloggers (and scoreboard operators) fell down on the job on this one so I’ll try to pick up the pieces.

I’ve never seen a team shoot 60% and lose. And let’s be honest, Illinois Wesleyan played well. While some of my colleagues were predicting a blowout, I was more or less on the record as predicting IWU 81, VWC 68. I thought it would be a ballgame. Not for all 40 minutes, but a ballgame. My last words on Hoopsville were a reminder of a previous year in which two underdog “eastern” teams were taking on two favored “western” teams. For the uninitiated, the eastern regions are the Northeast, East, Mid-Atlantic and Atlantic; the western regions are the South, Great Lakes, Midwest and South. And to be honest, the three “power” regions don’t really want to have the South lumped with them. But tonight was the champion of a weak-sister region (sorry, folks, last title was 1975!) knocking off a power region and a power conference.

For the curious, my thought on the other game was Wittenberg 58, Amherst 54.

Wittenberg weathered the storm, as Amherst hit its first seven three-pointers of the second half but couldn’t hold off the Tigers, who rallied to win 64-60. At 4 a.m., not sure I can remember anything about the game that doesn’t involve Borchers and Russ. I’m sure I’ll be seeing them in my sleep tonight, if I ever get any.

And remember, the poll held true. No. 3 Wittenberg def. No. 4 Amherst and No. 7 Virginia Wesleyan beat No. 11 Illinois Wesleyan.