Skip to main content

Mount St. Mary's and Milwaukee punch their tickets to the NCAA Tournament

Sam Prescott and Mount St. Mary's are heading to the NCAA Tournament. (Don Wright/AP)

Sam Prescott

Mount St. Mary's 88, Robert Morris 71: The Robert Morris Colonials are headed to the NIT again, and they can't be all that happy about it. Despite playing on their home floor and holding the No. 1 seed (with a 14-2 conference record) in the NEC, Mount St. Mary's (16-16, 9-7 NEC) blitzed Robert Morris to steal away an NCAA Tournament bid.

The Mountaineers, led by 31-year-old second-year head coach Jamion Christian, were hot from the floor early and showed no signs of slowing down. Mount St. Mary's shot 60.4 percent on the day and hit eight of its 18 three-point attempts. Robert Morris tried to get back in it, getting the Mountaineers' lead down to 57-47 with 12:44 to play, but the comeback wasn't meant to be. The Colonials seemed frustrated, oftentimes looking like they were trying to get it all back in a single possession.

Christian, a former William & Mary and VCU assistant, took the job in 2012 and went 18-14 a year ago. The Mountaineers beat Robert Morris in the NEC tournament last year as well, sending the Colonials to the NIT, where they beat Kentucky in the first round. Mount St. Mary's had five players in double figures in the win, including 20 points from senior Rashad Whack.

Milwaukee 69, Wright State 63: The miracle week for the Panthers ended in the team's fourth Horizon League title and first NCAA Tournament berth since 2006. After dropping Detroit, Valpo and top-seeded Green Bay in overtime, Milwaukee upset the Raiders on their home floor.

The Panthers had lost nine straight games at the Nutter Center but were aided by some big three-point baskets in the first half that kept Wright State from being able to control the tempo. The Raiders were at their best this year when they were holding teams in the 40s and 50s, but the Panthers -- despite shooting just 32.5 percent on threes this season -- got enough of them to fall in the Horizon final.

Kyle Kelm

© 2024 ABG-SI LLC. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. - All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators’ opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. Gambling content intended for 21+. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.