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-WAGNER (Northeast Conference) – out with a loss
-TENNESSEE TECH (Ohio Valley) – out with a loss AND wins by both Morehead and Jacksonville State
-UL MONROE (Sun Belt) – out with a loss
NEWS AND NOTES
-For John Stalica’s UTR Game of the Day, which is a big one between South Dakota State and North Dakota State – CLICK HERE
-Maryland trailed Minnesota by double digits for much of the game and at no point appeared to be in a position to win it until the last two seconds, when they did. A three point shot in the final seconds ended a furious and improbable 74-73 comeback on the road as Maryland picked up another nice road win.
-Rutgers at Penn State was a similar type of game, but with a different result. Rutgers trailed by as much as 21, but mounted a furious comeback in the second half and ended up taking the lead with less than a minute to go. But a late three point shot by Penn State got them the lead and ultimately the 65-64 win. It was a road win that Rutgers desperately needed, and it could have made the difference of them either making or missing the NCAA Tournament. They have one road game remaining and if they don’t win it then I’m guessing they won’t make it without the automatic bid.
-Virginia really had to sweat out a comeback from Virginia Tech, but held on to win 56-53 in a game that they desperately needed.
-East Tennessee State needed to come back from 15 down to win at Wofford and keep their at-large hopes alive.
-Rhode Island and Richmond both avoided what would have been disastrous losses as Rhody knocked off Fordham by just a point (76/75) and Richmond held on to beat George Washington 73-70.
HIGHLIGHTED GAMES
-WISCONSIN AT MICHIGAN (Big Ten). After a midseason slump Michigan has been playing really well and has a good shot at ending up as a protected seed. Wisky appears to be safely inside the bubble barring a collapse, but this is certainly a chance for them to play for seeding.
-INDIANA AT PURDUE (Big Ten). It’s a rivalry game between two teams that could really use the win. Indiana appears to be relatively safe, but if they don’t finish strong they could be sweating. A road win today would really help make their resume look better. Purdue is outside the bubble and needs to string together some wins just to get on the right side of it.
-ILLINOIS AT NORTHWESTERN (Big Ten). This is a winnable road game for an Illinois team that already has a pretty solid resume and should land in the top half of the bracket barring a collapse.
-TEMPLE AT WICHITA STATE (American). Wichita State is squarely on the bubble and a home loss to a team that’s nowhere close to making the field may knock them out of the picture.
-SAN DIEGO AT GONZAGA (West Coast). The Zags are back in action for the first time since losing to BYU. They should cruise in this one and still end up landing on the #1 line.
-COLORADO AT CALIFORNIA (Pac 12). Colorado has been a decent but not great road team. Still, they have a chance of winning the Pac 12 (as do a lot of other teams, I guess) and can even end up with a protected seed if they finish the season really strong.
-OHIO STATE AT NEBRASKA (Big Ten). This is a winnable road game for the Buckeyes that they shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up.
-ARIZONA AT USC (Pac 12). Arizona is looking to pick up a meaningful road win, which I think is something they need to boost the quality of their resume. USC is right on the bubble and is looking to stay inside of it, so both teams have quite a bit to play for tonight.
-SAINT MARY’S AT SANTA CLARA (West Coast). This would be a decent road win for a Saint Mary’s team that most prognosticators seem to like, but who could be in some trouble if they don’t get this win.
-OREGON STATE AT OREGON (Pac 12). Oregon needs a strong finish to end up as a protected seed, which means holding serve at home against non-tournament caliber teams.
-ARIZONA STATE AT UCLA (Pac 12). These may be the two hottest teams in the Pac 12 right now. UCLA had an abysmal start to the season, but they have been playing really well lately and have a chance to land inside the bubble if they finish strong. A win tonight against an Arizona State team that’s also on fire would be a huge step in the right direction.