It’s always a challenge to see so many games from a lot of standpoints. There are schedules, which make it difficult to see some teams at all, and there are logistics. This winter was not a fun one in much of New England with seemingly constant snow, and it made getting to some games difficult as one might imagine. In some ways, that made covering over 100 games for the third year in a row a little nicer this time around.
With that in mind, and with the 2011-12 season just another couple of months away, here is a look back at over 100 Division I games in the 2010-11 season.
November 12, 2010
(1) Northeastern 66, Boston University 64
Northeastern opens up by pulling out a close one over their cross-town rival to end a four-game winning streak for the Terriers in the series. The Huskies followed a blueprint for success as they had Chaisson Allen lead the way while the younger players were worthy followers.
November 13, 2010
(2) College of Charleston 93, Holy Cross 84
In a terrific offensive performance, College of Charleston showed why they would be contenders in the Southern Conference. They had an excellent inside-outside attack with a lot of weapons, the best of which is unselfishness.
November 15, 2010
(3) Providence 58, Yale 55
Yale was in control for much of the game and had a chance to pull this one out. But the young Bulldogs weren’t ready to do it just yet, although they did just that a week later.
November 16, 2010
(4) Rhode Island 92, Brown 67
Simply put, Brown ran into a buzz-saw as Rhode Island dominated despite being short on the bench early on.
November 17, 2010
(5) Harvard 72, Holy Cross 49
The thought was that this would be a competitive game, albeit a tough one for Holy Cross to win being away from home. But Harvard dominated from the outset, rarely letting Holy Cross get some easy baskets to build some confidence.
November 18, 2010
(6) Providence 77, Morgan State 55
The young and new-look Friars improved to 3-0 and were doing it largely at the defensive end, which would surprise anyone who saw them a year earlier.
November 22, 2010
(7) Boston College 69, Holy Cross 54
The Eagles bounce back from a disappointing loss to Yale four days earlier, and they did it going away as a late 12-0 run took away any hopes of a late comeback. Holy Cross was not getting anything easy at this point.
November 24, 2010
(8) Harvard 69, Bryant 66
In Kyle Casey’s first game back, the Crimson had a tough time on the road but managed to pull this one out thanks to a late three-pointer by Christian Webster. Webster had been hot before the game, but struggled until the key moment.
(9) Rhode Island 74, Drexel 68
The Rams were able to control the pace, and once Drexel got caught up playing at their speed the Rams were in good shape. The Dragons also went 11-24 from the foul line, which didn’t help.
November 26, 2010 (NIT Season Tip-Off)
(10) VCU 89, UCLA 85
A nice win for the Rams to leave New York with a 1-1 mark, and along the way they continued to develop some depth.
(11) Tennessee 78, Villanova 68
The Volunteers capped off a nice start to the regular season with this convincing win, as they continued to overcome adversity surrounding the program. Meanwhile, Villanova showed quite clearly that they needed to get better, and Jay Wright was clear about that.
November 27, 2010 (Legends Classic)
(12) UTEP 65, Michigan 56
Randy Culpepper didn’t start, but he put up a stat line that didn’t look unusual. His team took some steps forward while taking third place here, while Michigan’s young team had to get better.
(13) Syracuse 80, Georgia Tech 76
The Orange won some games early, but the offense wasn’t playing well. In taking home the Legends Classic title, their offense showed up while the defense had some early struggles.
November 28, 2010
(14) Harvard 82, Colorado 66
Though some would find this a surprise, especially in retrospect since the Buffaloes were a much-discussed team that didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, Harvard’s convincing win really wasn’t all that surprising and especially since it came at home.
November 29, 2010
(15) Providence 92, Central Connecticut State 57
Once again, Providence turned a close game into a blowout with their second-half defense, running away from the Blue Devils.
December 1, 2010
(16) Boston College 88, Indiana 76
Indiana had a good record with a soft early schedule, so their trip east in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge was sure to be a learning experience. It was, and they didn’t acquit themselves too badly with a nice second-half run that fell short.
December 4, 2010
(17) Drexel 63, Northeastern 58
Another tough loss early on for the Huskies, and part of a familiar slow start to the season. The Huskies’ offense was a big reason, as they put up some ill-advised shots and were not patient.
(18) Boston College 76, UMass 71
Boston College hands the Minutemen their first loss of the season in the UMass’ toughest test to date. The Eagles turned the ball over 22 times, but never trailed although UMass had plenty of chances in this one.
December 6, 2010
(19) Providence 91, Brown 64
The Friars run their winning streak to five games with this one, a game that saw them outscore Brown 52-30 in the second half to turn a close game into a blowout.
December 7, 2010
(20) Stony Brook 54, Holy Cross 53
Stony Brook had been hit by the injury bug, which lowered the expectations some had for them. But the Seawolves had done well to overcome the adversity they faced and having to change how they play, and pulling out a close game like this one on the road after dropping some close ones had to help.
December 8, 2010
(21) Boston College 88, Providence 86
For much of the game, the Eagles looked very much like the veteran team and the Friars looked like the inexperienced team. But the Friars came alive late and had a chance to win, with a last-second heave that would have won the game just missing.
December 9, 2010
(22) La Salle 84, Boston University 81
Despite foul trouble by Aaric Murray and a good shooting night from deep by the home team, La Salle came to town and pulled out a nice road win. They improved to 6-3 with five straight home games ahead, and looked like a pleasant surprise to some, though their coach was not among them.
December 11, 2010
(23) Providence 82, Alabama 70
With this win, Providence bounced back from a loss the last time out and headed into final exams with a 10-2 record. More importantly, they appeared to be getting better.
(24) Seton Hall 104, UMass 79
Despite playing without their top scorer, the Pirates put up a Mullins Center record 104 points to blow out the slumping Minutemen. While Seton Hall looked like they might be rounding into form, UMass entered final exams with three straight losses after a 7-0 start.
December 12, 2010
(25) Fairfield 71, Holy Cross 60
Amid injuries and illness, Fairfield continued its strong start with a convincing win in Worcester. It was their six straight win and raised their road record to 5-2 early on. Meanwhile, Holy Cross was still seeking its first win, mired in the worst start in program history.
December 18, 2010
(26) Rhode Island 64, New Hampshire 52
Although it was a win, Rhode Island needed to play better than they did in this game with Atlantic 10 play not far away. Their first game after final exams was a start towards trying to get better.
December 19, 2010
(27) Boston College 93, Bryant 77
Although the outcome of this game wasn’t in doubt for a lot of the game, you could see Bryant making progress. With the holidays not far away, the Bulldogs looked to be on the verge of turning their improved effort into wins.
December 21, 2010
(28) Boston University 85, Saint Joseph’s 79
Boston University gets their first win in nearly a month, aided by Darryl Partin continuing to play well as he had a game-high 29 points. The Terriers’ young talent had been predictably up-and-down to this point, and that was one thing you could safely figure would happen.
December 22, 2010
(29) Boston College 84, Bucknell 80
The Eagles continue to be a pleasant surprise, improving to 10-2 with this win. The start had a lot to do with the play of their veterans, as they played like a veteran team from an intangibles standpoint. Bucknell, meanwhile, had a good month of December going despite the tough loss and looked like as good a pick to win the Patriot League as anyone.
December 28, 2010
(30) Saint Joseph’s 65, Holy Cross 54
The Hawks snap a six-game losing streak, one that was a little difficult to handle at times. It was one indication that the short-handed Hawks had another youth movement on their hands after having one last season as well.
December 29, 2010 (Holiday on the Hardwood Classic)
(31) New Hampshire 68, Cornell 66
Another tough loss for the Big Red, their sixth by five or fewer points. The Wildcats got a nice evening from leading scorer Ferg Myrick, who lost his head a week and a half earlier at Rhode Island, as well as Chandler Rhoads, who would need to repeat that a night later if they were to win.
(32) VCU 75, Wofford 66
Like Cornell, Wofford was having trouble breaking through, and on this night they again couldn’t do so late in the game. In the last 50 seconds, they missed all four shots from the field and the only two free throws they had. VCU got a big effort from several reserves to advance to the final.
December 30, 2010 (Holiday on the Hardwood Classic)
(33) Cornell 86, Wofford 80
For much of the second half, an observer would have thought this was the Cornell team of a year earlier. The Big Red couldn’t miss, especially from long range, at one point shooting over 80 percent from the field for the game. They would hold on to finally pull out a close game, while Wofford’s 0-2 trip to Richmond meant one thing: defensive improvement was needed if they were to live up to their preseason billing of being Southern Conference contenders.
(34) VCU 78, New Hampshire 65
Although this was a convincing win for the home team, VCU head coach Shaka Smart was concerned after the Rams had a comfortable lead in the second half but allowed New Hampshire to make it a ballgame later. The Wildcats would leave Richmond with a .500 record in non-conference play and had some things they could hang their hat on for later in the season.
December 31, 2010
(35) George Washington 58, Holy Cross 57
This game showed that George Washington’s offense certainly wasn’t that of past years, when they could push the pace and run teams off the floor. They barely knocked off a short-handed Holy Cross team that by this time was putting all its chips in for the Patriot League.
January 1, 2011
(36) St. John’s 67, Providence 65
With this win, the Red Storm advanced to 2-0 in early Big East play, with both wins coming on the road. They looked very much the part of an experienced team at this point.
January 2, 2011
(37) Maine 65, Boston University 52
A short-handed Terriers team headed north and was handed a convincing defeat by a Black Bears team that was playing well at the time, as they finished non-conference play on a good note. The big reason: the veteran Black Bears had a lot of intangibles working in their favor.
January 3, 2011
(38) Fairfield 70, Niagara 48
Niagara’s difficult season continued in this game, one that anyone who has watched the MAAC in recent years would know is an aberration. They were never really in it as Fairfield continued to look like a team that was in a good place early in MAAC play.
January 4, 2011
(39) Pittsburgh 83, Providence 79
This was another game that showed how Pittsburgh does it. It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t textbook, but they win, pulling it out with a big shot from a player who had been struggling and after the team was hot shooting from long range early on.
January 5, 2011
(40) Harvard 78, Boston College 69
For the third straight year, Harvard headed down the road to Chestnut Hill and came away with a victory. The conversation about this matchup needed to move away from Boston College and on to Harvard, because Harvard has a good thing going.
January 6, 2011
(41) Long Island 75, Bryant 55
In improving to 10-4 overall and 2-1 in early Northeast Conference play, Long Island continued its early road success that helped their strong start. They also showed their balance and unselfishness, two more keys to the nice start.
January 8, 2011
(42) Hofstra 76, Northeastern 67
A snowstorm that hit parts of the northeast and brought traffic to a standstill in parts of New York and Connecticut was behind a more than 11-hour bus ride for the Pride. They arrived after midnight and had a noon tip-off. But as had been the case for many months, they overcame adversity and got a road win to improve their hot start in CAA play.
(43) Boston College 86, Georgia Tech 75
After losing to Harvard a few nights earlier, the Eagles did what a good veteran team will do: move on to the next practice and the next game. They won this game much like they did when they played within their character during the season.
January 9, 2011
(44) Boston University 74, Vermont 65
A good early conference win for Boston University against a Vermont team that was a pleasant surprise in the early going, due largely to the work of coach Mike Lonergan. But the Catamounts had some weaknesses, including at the point, and they were visible in this game.
(45) Xavier 72, Rhode Island 45
Although this year’s Xavier team didn’t look as talented or as deep as those of recent past, they were still pretty good. Their thrashing of Rhode Island to open Atlantic 10 play served notice that they were still very much a threat to win the conference.
January 11, 2011
(46) Boston College 75, North Carolina State 66
With ACC play in full swing, it was time for North Carolina State and their talented young players to start living up to all the preseason buzz about them. This game was a classic youth vs. veteran clash, and the youth was served to a degree although the freshmen had their moments and the Wolfpack had their chances.
January 12, 2011
(47) George Mason 86, Northeastern 60
Just over a year after coming to Boston and getting blown out, George Mason returned and got a blowout win of their own for their first win in Matthews Arena in five years. It followed up a pair of road losses, and this time around leading scorers Cam Long and Ryan Pearson got good support.
January 15, 2011
(48) UMass 74, La Salle 71
UMass improves to 2-1 in early Atlantic 10 play, and more importantly the Minutemen looked like a team with whom things were starting to fall into place. In contrast, La Salle looked like they were in a very different place than about a month earlier, and while reflecting on his role, coach John Giannini felt his team could climb the steep hill they seemed to have ahead of them.
January 19, 2011
(49) Boston College 70, Virginia 67
Bad traffic on the Mass. Turnpike led to a late arrival at the arena for Virginia, who stayed with the Eagles despite having to go with four guards often due to a lack of numbers up front. The Cavaliers showed some progress despite not having a win to show for it, which was common during this season.
January 20, 2011
(50) Bryant 74, Fairleigh Dickinson 71
The Bulldogs were playing well at this point, and they continued it in this game as Frankie Dobbs’ buzzer-beating three-pointer gave them their fourth straight win. While most figured improvement was around the corner, perhaps no one predicted they would be playing this well.
January 22, 2011
(51) Richmond 84, UMass 68
In clearly out-classing the host Minutemen, Richmond played solid defense and ran their offense to perfection. The offense was run so well and with players trusting each other so much, it was tremendous to watch.
(52) Providence 72, Louisville 67
Providence gets their first Big East win, a shocker over Louisville. The feeling was that this could help the team’s confidence now that they had a win, after it looked like they might have been exposed for an east non-conference schedule.
January 23, 2011
(53) New Hampshire 80, UMBC 60
A home blowout win looked like it could provide a boost to a New Hampshire team that battled plenty of adversity to that point, especially in the form of injuries. UMBC wasn’t faring any better, struggling to get wins and reminding us that winning is not easy.
January 24, 2011
(54) Northeastern 70, William & Mary 67
William & Mary had suffered several close losses prior to this game, and although the Huskies looked like the better team for much of the night in getting their first CAA win, the Tribe was never out of it. William & Mary’s young guards were showing promise, but also some growing pains.
January 26, 2011
(55) Providence 83, Villanova 68
The Friars had been winless in Big East play just a few days earlier, but this made it two in a row. They shut down the Villanova guards, who also didn’t help matters by not getting the big men involved more.
January 27, 2011
(56) Colgate 79, Holy Cross 72
This game might have said as much about the Crusaders’ season as any. Playing at home against a Colgate team that wasn’t thought to be a Patriot League contender, the Crusaders’ defense never showed up and they lost a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. Add in a tough overtime loss two days later and the Crusaders’ once-promising Patriot League start might have seemed like ancient history.
January 28, 2011
(57) Harvard 77, Columbia 66
Columbia entered this weekend looking to be more than a factor in the Ivy League race. But in their opener after the travel partner games, the Lions couldn’t close the deal as the host Crimson took this one home. Kyle Casey looked more like himself with 17 points and 13 rebounds, which was big for the Crimson.
January 29, 2011
(58) Northeastern 70, Georgia State 65
The Huskies broke a nine-game losing streak at the beginning of the week, and in this one they won their third straight over a struggling Georgia State team. They never trailed and had a commanding lead before allowing the Panthers to make it a ballgame late.
(59) Harvard 78, Cornell 57
In the second half, Kyle Casey and Keith Wright helped Harvard break this game open as they combined for 25 of the Crimson’s 37 points in that frame. That would put the Crimson at 4-0 heading into the crucial Princeton/Penn road trip that was in front of them.
January 30, 2011
(60) UMass 64, Rhode Island 54
Both teams entered this game with identical 4-2 records in Atlantic 10 play, but the teams appeared to be heading in opposite directions to a degree. The game’s result went along with that as UMass closed out a good month.
February 1, 2011
(61) North Carolina 106, Boston College 74
North Carolina looked very much like the team many felt it could be in the preseason in this one, as they basically ran Boston College off the floor. They forced turnovers and ran the way Roy Williams likes it, and started to look more like an ACC contender.
February 2, 2011
(62) Providence 68, USF 63
A year earlier, these two teams hooked up in a game Friar fans would surely love to forget. This time around, the home team came out on top, and as USF dropped to 2-8 in Big East play, the thinking about the Bulls was a little different than a year earlier as they had not developed as expected.
February 4, 2011
(63) Brown 87, Columbia 79
This loss kept Columbia reeling after they looked like they could be a factor in Ivy League play early. But the real story on this night was Sean McGonagill, Brown’s freshman point guard who no one thought would play just a couple of days earlier after a freak accident.
February 5, 2011
(64) Boston College 58, Virginia Tech 56
Another tough trip to Chestnut Hill for Virginia Tech, as they lost their third straight and in a similar fashion to how they lost the first in that stretch. They had a lot of obstacles, but were right there, and that’s one more reason this loss hurt.
(65) Cornell 91, Brown 79
The Big Red finally got their first Ivy League win of the year, persevering through a lot of adversity up to this point and now getting to head home.
February 9, 2011
(66) Northeastern 82, Towson 78
Towson played well despite being short-handed, but they remained winless in CAA play. The season was surely not going the way Pat Kennedy drew it up before the season.
February 11, 2011
(67) Harvard 78, Yale 75
For Yale, this was a major league missed opportunity. They entered at 4-2 in Ivy League play and controlled this game for most of the 40 minutes, but it was Harvard who made the plays down the stretch to pull it out.
February 12, 2011
(68) Boston College 76, Maryland 72
In a game neither team could really afford to lose for its NCAA Tournament hopes, Boston College prevailed over the Terrapins to go 2-0 against them on the season. While it might have looked like a missed opportunity for Maryland, it wasn’t the only one to that point, and they all were going to hurt come Selection Sunday.
(69) Boston University 61, Hartford 50
On John Holland’s Senior Night, Boston University had a big second half to take home the win in a rare Saturday night game at Case Gym. Hartford played well, but a cold stretch at the offensive end, where they struggled all year, doomed them.
February 13, 2011
(70) Connecticut 75, Providence 57
Kemba Walker facilitated and players like Jamal Coombs-McDaniel were the beneficiaries as the Huskies took care of a short-handed Providence team. For Coombs-McDaniel, it was a long-awaited breakout game after a lot of adversity in his career in Storrs.
February 15, 2011
(71) Delaware 72, Northeastern 66
Delaware pulled out a close one at Matthews Arena, continuing a mastery of close games that was a big reason for their improvement. They were 7-1 in games decided by five points or less at this point in the season, giving them something on the bottom line to show for their efforts.
February 16, 2011
(72) Duquesne 81, UMass 63
Duquesne was a pleasant surprise for a while in the Atlantic 10, as the Dukes were undefeated in conference play longer than anyone else. They bounced back with this convincing win and remained a team that couldn’t be ignored.
February 17, 2011
(73) DePaul 79, Providence 76
As Providence had a forgettable night to go with the memorable ones they had earlier (wins over Louisville and Villanova), DePaul got their first Big East win of the season and first on the road since 2008.
February 18, 2011
(74) Penn 70, Brown 62
The first win of a much-needed weekend sweep for the Quakers, who had lost four straight, three of which came in overtime. They got a big night in this one from Tyler Bernardini, who looked like the player many thought he could be a couple of years ago.
February 19, 2011
(75) UMass 66, Rhode Island 60
Nearly three weeks after beating the Rams at home, UMass needed to get back on track and did so by knocking off the Rams in South Kingston.
(76) Brown 75, Princeton 65
As Brown continued to show more signs of progress, they not only shook off a loss the night before, but also made the Ivy League race a little more interesting. This also meant the last game of the regular season between Harvard and Princeton was more likely to be the showdown many thought it would be before the season.
February 22, 2011
(77) Maine 70, New Hampshire 53
Maine went to their closest rival and broke a six-game losing streak, something that seemed unthinkable earlier in the year when they ran out to an 8-1 start in America East play.
February 23, 2011
(78) Miami 73, Boston College 64
In picking up a key road win and dealing a blow to the Eagles’ NCAA Tournament hopes, Miami followed a simple formula of good inside play, good defense, and not letting the Eagles get a rally going.
February 25, 2011
(79) Harvard 74, Brown 68
Less than two weeks after a bad first half had the Crimson needing a big rally to pull out a win against Brown, history repeated itself. Brown was unstoppable in the first half and led by 11, but Harvard rallied to take this one in Providence.
February 26, 2011
(80) Northeastern 78, UNC Wilmington 68
In both teams’ final game before the CAA Tournament, Northeastern looked like the team of last season at times. They beat a UNC Wilmington team that had to go down as a pleasant surprise in the conference despite the loss.
(81) Brown 100, Dartmouth 76
On Senior Night in Providence, Brown’s seniors carried the Bears to a blowout win, led by Adrian Williams’ 26 points in a game that may have reminded some of a game he had in the same building a couple of years earlier.
February 27, 2011
(82) Boston University 66, Vermont 64 (OT)
This game meant nothing as far as America East Tournament seeding was concerned. But the Terriers completed a perfect month of February with this big overtime win, and the teams looked like they were going in opposite directions.
March 2, 2011
(83) Temple 73, UMass 67 (OT)
This was a nice road win for the Owls, who continued to find ways to win. While not many people are watching, Temple was simply in a good place as a team that just keeps on winning.
March 4, 2011 (Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, First Round)
(84) Georgia State 58, UNC Wilmington 52
Playing with an interim head coach after a head-scratching move to fire Rod Barnes just days earlier, Georgia State lived another day, aided by a lack of offensive discipline on the part of UNC Wilmington.
(85) Drexel 75, Towson 69
Drexel moved on to the quarterfinals, while Towson completed a season where they did not win a CAA game. Although one would think otherwise, Towson coach Pat Kennedy said this season was not very hard on him even though the results were bad.
(86) Delaware 60, Northeastern 58
Delaware completed a season sweep of Northeastern by pulling out another close game. It was the end of Chaisson Allen’s career at Northeastern, and it didn’t end in the best way for a young man who came a long way in his four years on Huntington Ave.
(87) William & Mary 72, James Madison 68
Quinn McDowell simply stole the show with a scintillating performance, one of the best in a conference tournament in quite a while. Behind his tournament-record 35 points, the Tribe pulled off a surprising win over a James Madison team that was tough to figure for a lot of the season and still held out hope for some postseason play.
March 5, 2011 (Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, Quarterfinals)
(88) George Mason 68, Georgia State 45
This result was not a surprise. Although the Panthers played well in the first half, once George Mason got untracked, it was never a ballgame as they advanced to the semifinals. The Patriots weren’t the only team with a bye to start slowly.
(89) VCU 62, Drexel 60
Jamie Skeen’s tip-in as time expired ended a thriller and moved VCU into the semifinals. It was a continuation on a path to redemption, a subject he talked about after the game since a rematch with George Mason beckoned.
(90) Old Dominion 59, Delaware 50
While Old Dominion had several players with stretches of leading the team, Delaware didn’t get much help for Jawan Carter (24 points). Only one other Blue Hen made more than one field goal on the night.
(91) Hofstra 72, William & Mary 56
Hofstra moved on to the semifinals after shutting down William & Mary’s talented freshman guards, continuing a pleasant surprise of a season.
March 6, 2011 (Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, Semifinals)
(92) VCU 79, George Mason 63
VCU led by 14 at halftime, but unlike some other games this season, they didn’t allow a second-half comeback to threaten their lead as they moved on to the championship game.
(93) Old Dominion 77, Hofstra 69
No one was terribly surprised by the 22 points Frank Hassell scored, but Darius James’ 16 points probably caught most in the arena by surprise as Old Dominion moved on to the final.
March 7, 2011 (Colonial Athletic Association Championship)
(94) Old Dominion 70, VCU 65
Despite a great comeback bid by a VCU team that made quite a run to make a bid for the NCAA Tournament, Old Dominion won its second straight conference title. For the second year in a row, the Monarchs were picked to win and did just that, which is harder to do than one might think.
March 9, 2011 (Big East Tournament, Second Round)
(95) Connecticut 79, Georgetown 62
Chris Wright was still not back for Georgetown, but the Hoyas lost this game for decidedly different reasons than some of the others when he was out – and reasons that would be alarming even if he was healthy.
(96) St. John’s 65, Rutgers 63
The end of this game won’t soon be forgotten thanks to controversy with the officials and the Big East releasing statements twice within 24 hours of it happening. Rutgers didn’t get one last chance to finish off a valiant effort in the finale of Mike Rice’s first season at the helm.
(97) Cincinnati 87, USF 61
Cincinnati simply ran away from USF to advance, continuing a solid season where the Bearcats finally got over the hump and into the NCAA Tournament under Mick Cronin.
(98) Marquette 67, West Virginia 61
If there was any doubt remaining that Marquette belonged in the NCAA Tournament, this win over a good West Virginia team likely erased that.
March 10, 2011 (Big East Tournament, Quarterfinals)
(99) Connecticut 76, Pittsburgh 74
Kemba Walker came through in the clutch once again, hitting a jumper as time expired to move Connecticut into the semifinals with this victory over Pittsburgh.
(100) Syracuse 79, St. John’s 73
St. John’s was sure to be in the NCAA Tournament, but this was a tough loss. More important than losing the game, they lost a key player for the season in D.J. Kennedy.
(101) Notre Dame 89, Cincinnati 51
The Fighting Irish had a tremendous second half to turn a competitive game into a blowout. They would enter the semifinals playing about as well as anyone in the country.
(102) Louisville 81, Marquette 56
Sophomore Mike Marra had a big night for the Cardinals with 22 points including six three-pointers as they blew out the Golden Eagles to advance to the semifinals. The Cardinals blew the game open in the second half, as they were up by just five at intermission.
March 11, 2011 (Patriot League Championship)
(103) Bucknell 72, Lafayette 57
For much of the last decade, Bucknell was one of two programs that ruled the Patriot League. The Bison had a couple of down years and traveled a long road, but reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006 with this convincing win.
March 12, 2011 (America East Championship)
(104) Boston University 56, Stony Brook 54
Stony Brook led for much of the game and looked poised to pull off a big upset at Agganis Arena. But the Terriers had little doubt they would win, and they did, albeit aided by a questionable call in the final seconds. With the win, BU’s reluctant star would get his chance on the biggest stage of all.
March 16, 2011 (College Basketball Invitational)
(105) Rhode Island 76, Miami (Ohio) 59
In the opener of the College Basketball Invitational, Delroy James recorded the first triple-double in Rhode Island history to lead them to a win over Miami (Ohio).
March 19, 2011 (NIT)
(106) Northwestern 85, Boston College 67
The Wildcats had aspirations of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history prior to the season. Then a so-so non-conference run and some tough losses in Big Ten play relegated them to the NIT, where they continued to make program history all the same.
