Summit League Basketball

Basketball fans in Omaha are no strangers to watching a nationally recognized player put on a show on the hardwood. The problem is, that show usually comes by way of Creighton forward Doug McDermott.

On Thursday, the Omaha Mavericks welcome Nate Wolters and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits to their home arena in a game that should have the town buzzing.

Wolters has been a mainstay in National Player of the Year debates all season, despite playing for South Dakota State in the Summit League. In a season highlighted by a 53-point outing against IPFW, Wolters is averaging 22.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.

The Mavericks and their fans are no doubt looking forward to the game, with the team riding a three-game win-streak—tying their longest of the season. Several promotions have already been announced by the university, including a blackout.

Back in December, the Mavericks dropped a 15-point decision at South Dakota State, despite holding Wolters to 13 points. They'll be hoping to feed off of what should be a fantastic atmosphere and keep Thursday's game much closer while trying to contain Wolters.

Omaha center John Karhoff (pictured) will be key to that task. He'll need to reproduce his 17 point, 10 rebound effort he turned in during the Maverick's 83-75 Bracketbusters win over North Dakota.

Guard Justin Simmons finished with 20 points during that contest—reaching that milestone for the 10th time this season. Along with fellow guard Jacques Coleman, there is a good chance he'll be matched up with Wolters on and off throughout the night.

The game will also give the Maverick basketball program a chance to showcase its new home -- The Ralston Arena -- in front of what could be the largest crowd to see a basketball game there since it opened late last year. 

Tip off is set for 7 pm Thursday. The game can be streamed on 1620 AM, The Zone.

On a night when the South Dakota State Jackrabbits were staring a bad loss to the IPFW Mastodons in the face, down 37-29 at halftime, they rallied in the second half behind one man: Nate Wolters.

The Jackrabbits ended up winning 80-74, but that's merely a sidebar in what was an incredible night for the senior point guard Wolters. Wolters dropped 53 points in the contest, the most in a single game this season, topping fellow Summit League player Travis Bader of Oakland, who scored 47 points against IUPUI in January.

Wolters, who shot below 30 percent from three-point land last season, went 9-of-14 tonight, and is shooting 56.25 percent over his last four games from deep. He was 17-of-28 from the floor, 10-of-11 from the free throw line, and also chipped in four rebounds and three assists.

Wolters 53 points is the second most points scored in a non-overtime game since 1997. Only Jodie Meeks of Kentucky scored more when he dropped 53 points against Tennessee in 2009. Overall, Wolters' 53 points is tied for the sixth highest total in a single game since 1997.

Wolters scored 38 of his 53 points in the second half, which outscored IPFW's second half output (37).

Frank Gaines couldn't of picked a worse night to have a great game. IPFW's senior guard shot 50 percent from the field, including 5-of-8 (62.5 percent) from three, totaling 29 points.

Wolters picked a perfect time to light up the box score, as it was recently announced to him and the Jackrabbits that their game vs. Murray State on Feb. 23 will be aired on ESPN2.

Anybody who hasn't had a chance to check out Wolters will be able to soon enough.

UPDATE (10:00 a.m. EST): Nate Wolters performance is making headlines around the nation as of late last night and early this morning.

To toss-in a few more statistics from last night, Wolters scored 29 points in the final 10:15 of the ball game, which would have tied for the fifth most amount of points in all of Division I last night, was as many as IPFW's leading scorer Frank Gaines scored on the night, and is 25 more points than the rest of the Jackrabbits scored during that time period.

This was Wolters 45th career game of scoring 20 points or more. It was also the ninth time this season Wolters has played at least 40 minutes in a game.

After last night, Wolters is fourth in the nation in points per game averaging 22.2 per game.

After a disappointing loss to Hofstra on Friday night, South Dakota State returned to the Mack Sports Complex to face Marshall on Saturday.

The Jackrabbits led by as many as eight points in the first half, but a 21-12 run by Marshall over the final six minutes gave the Thundering Herd a one-point advantage at the break.

The teams then traded buckets for the entire second half, with neither taking more than a five-point lead.

Marshall appeared to have the game in hand after D.D. Scarver's three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining gave the Thundering Herd a 77-72 lead.

But after a timeout, South Dakota State coach Scott Nagy designed a play to get junior shooting guard Brayden Carlson open for a left-corner three-pointer, which he drilled in with 11.9 seconds to play.

After the Jackrabbits intentionally fouled him, Marshall guard Chris Martin missed the front end of a one-and-one, leaving the door open for South Dakota State to either tie with a two-pointer or win with a three.

Senior point guard Nate Wolters, who was the only player in Division I last year to average 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, got the rebound and ran the ball up the floor. When he got to the top of the key, he dished to junior Chad White on the right wing.

White, who already made a three-pointer in the first half, buried the trey with 2.1 seconds to play, putting the Jackrabbits ahead, 78-77.

Marshall had a final opportunity, but DeAndre Kane's desperation half-court heave rimmed out.

After the way the Jackrabbits competed with Marshall, one of the favorites in Conference USA, on Saturday it was difficult to believe that this same team lost to Hofstra, which fell to Monmouth by 29 points earlier this season, only 24 hours before.

Wolters once again proved that he is among the best point guards in Division I.

He broke down the Thundering Herd's defense time and time again as he posted his second double-double of the season with 22 points, six rebounds and 10 assists.

The major worry for the Jackrabbits in the preseason was how much they would miss Griffin Callahan, who started at shooting guard last year but had graduated.

Carlson, who had a solid sophomore year, would need to step into Callahan's role in order for the Jackrabbits to return to the NCAA tournament. Through the first three games, he averaged only eight points. But on Saturday, he had a coming out party with a career-high 23 points in addition to four assists and three rebounds. He made 7-of-11 shots from the field and was the team's driving force in the first half.

Also, the Jackrabbits won this game with very little frontcourt production.

Senior Tony Fiegen spent most of the game in foul trouble, totaling only two points and one rebound in 13 minutes.

Junior Jordan Dykstra, who came into the contest averaging 13.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, posted only three points and five rebounds. 

For Marshall, Kane and Elijah Pittman were easily the most impressive players on the floor. Kane led the Thundering Herd with 19 points and eight assists, and Pittman notched a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Kane got off to a slow start, scoring only two points over the first 15 minutes. But once he got in a groove, Marshall clearly became a much better team. 

At 6'4", Kane is an amazingly versatile player. Throughout the game, he would switch from running the point to playing off-ball guard to posting up larger players like Fiegen, Dykstra and Marcus Heemstra. He also showed off his shooting range with a pair of NBA-range triples.

Pittman appeared to be the most athletic player on the floor. Every time a shot went up, he was crashing the glass. Seven of his points came after he grabbed an offensive board.

In a scary moment late in the game, Pittman went to the floor after a hard screen and did not get up at first. But after a few minutes, he was able to walk off the court under his own power.

In this hard-fought battle, both South Dakota State and Marshall showed the potential to win their respective leagues and advance to the NCAA tournament. And with players like Wolters and Kane leading the way, they could bust a few brackets in March.

Nick Robinson will become the next head coach of Southern Utah University's men's basketball team, athletic director Ken Beazer has announced.

Robinson, who graduated from Stanford in 2005, has been on the staff at Louisiana State since 2009. Before LSU, he worked for William Jewell College and Stanford.

While in college, his teammates named him Best Defensive Player three times, and he was a team captain his junior and senior seasons.

Robinson was nominated for the 2004 ESPY "Best Moment" award for his 35-foot buzzer beater against Arizona. He lost the award to Brett Favre.

"Nick is exactly what this program needs," Beazer said. "He comes to us with the highest of recommendations. He's a tireless worker and an outstanding recruiter and we believe that he and his family will fit well into the community."

The Thunderbirds will enter the Big Sky Conference next season, and Robinson will try to get the program back on its feet. SUU has compiled an unimpressive 54-97 record the past five seasons, but Robinson said this isn't his only goal.

“I feel that my responsibility as the next head men’s basketball coach here is to help the young men that come through this program to develop intellectually, culturally, socially and on the basketball court as well,” he said.

“That’s going to be our number-one responsibility, to make sure the guys that come through the program are students first, that they improve athletically, but they’re on track to graduate so they can move forward and have options, whether that’s in the business world, in education or even playing at the next level."

Hopefully Nick Robinson will help to get the program back on track next year and in the years to come.

The average college basketball fan does not know Nate Wolters, but by the end of the day, everyone will be a fan of the South Dakota State guard.

On a stage where the small schools jump into the spotlight, here are five things that Wolters can accomplish in this tournament.

1. He will lead the opening round in points scored.

After averaging 21.3 points per game this season, Wolters will need to put everything on the line against Baylor. Expect the junior to take over 20 shots as his team will look to its best player as time runs out.

The only player in the tournament who has averaged more points per game is Creighton's Doug McDermott, but he will face a tougher defense in Alabama in the round of 64.

2. He will fill up the box score.

With all due respect to the rest of the Jackrabbits, this is as close to a one-man team as any in the nation.

Wolters finished the regular season leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and free-throw shooting. His only negative this season has been three-point shooting, although he shot over 40 percent during his sophomore year.

The NCAA tournament will be the time for him to show his well-rounded game.

3. South Dakota State will have the biggest upset of the tournament.

Baylor has a lot of talent, but the team is very inconsistent. The squad is dependent on Perry Jones III, and he has disappeared in big games this season.

If Wolters gets hot as well as the rest of the team, do not be surprised to see the 14-seed move on to the next round.

4. Nate Wolters will become a household name.

America loves the small-school player who upsets the major conference team. From Bryce Drew to Jimmer Fredette, players have become legends on the March Madness stage.

Wolters could be next in line if his team is able to complete the upset.

5. The Jackrabbits will not make the Sweet 16, but the team will be dangerous next season.

UNLV is not a better team than Baylor, but the Rebels are more consistent. South Dakota State is most likely not deep enough to pull off two major upsets.

However, Wolters is only a junior. He could come back for the 2013 tournament more experienced and ready to go on an even deeper run towards the Elite Eight and beyond.

Every once in a while, you will find a team that has the opportunity to capture the hearts of the entire country.  One that not only accomplishes great things, but one that shows what it's like to watch a real team play.  By real team, I'm talking about a group of teammates that compliment each other so well on the court, but genuinely care about one other off of it.  

In this instance, the South Dakota State men's basketball team now has the chance to become that team.  

Last night in front of 6,526 fans at Sioux Fall Arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the SDSU men completed their most remarkable season in school history, outlasting a feisty Western Illinois squad in overtime, winning 52-50 to earn their first trip to the NCAA tournament in school history.  

Not only did the Jacks prove they could win when it counted, but they also showed the world—and a national television audience on ESPN—that even when their backs are against the wall, they have the composure and talent to pull themselves together to get the job done.  

Lone senior on the Jacks roster, Griffan Callahan, led the way with his leadership and toughness when SDSU needed a lift the most.  Callahan struggled in the first half shooting the ball, but made his presence felt in the second, scoring 10 timely points and nailing two free throws in the closing seconds of regulation to tie the game, as well as hitting the game-winning shot in overtime to seal it for the 27-7 Jackrabbits.  

Offense was nowhere to be found for most of the game, as the two teams shot under 40 percent for the game (SDSU-35 percent, WIU-40 percent).  Because the offenses were almost non-existent, Western Illinois had the advantage as their lock down defense—which was tops in the conference this year—shined throughout the first half, giving the Leathernecks a 28-24 halftime advantage.  

WIU came out of the gates even stronger in the second half than they finished the first, opening the half on a 9-1 run to push their lead to 12, 37-25 five minutes into the second half.  WIU's Tommy Tyler, who had a game-high 19 points, made a layup with just over four minutes to play, putting the 'Necks up 44-40.  

From there, two free throws by Nate Wolters (14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals) brought the Jacks within two with 4:08 left, giving Callahan the opportunity to tie the game with 15 seconds left in regulation, both of which he hit, sending the game to overtime.  

Off the opening tip of overtime, Tyler grabbed the ball and slammed it home to send WIU up two quickly in the extra frame.  Tony Fiegen came right back and scored on a little hook shot to tie it up at 46 apiece.  After another layup by WIU, SDSU's Chad White (nine points, 3-4 3FG) hit a crucial trey to give the jacks the lead, 49-48.  

After a shot clock operator error that saw a Terrell Parks (eight points, 11 rebounds) shot get tipped, the Leathernecks recovered but the shot clock was reset even though the ball clearly never hit the rim.  Once the officials corrected the mistake, there were two seconds left on the shot clock with the 'Necks inbounding the ball, which Obi Emegano (eight points, eight rebounds) converted a layup to regain the lead, 50-49 with 2:08 left to go in the game.  

With 1:27 left the in game, Wolters dished out one of his four assists as he found Callahan (10 points, six rebounds, two steals) and nailed a three pointer from the left wing to give the Jacks a 52-50 lead, which would ultimately be the final shot hit in the game.  

After two shot-clock violations, Western Illinois had ten seconds left to try to either win or tie the game.  Parks dribbled out some clock before driving to the lane, only to have his shot fall short.  Parks grabbed the rebound, but it was ripped away from him by Brayden Carlson (three points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals) who held the ball until the final buzzer sounded and the South Dakota State crowd stormed the court to celebrate the school's first trip to the NCAA tournament.  

After watching this team grow and mature over the year, I can say that there are few teams who deserve to have this moment than South Dakota State.  Forget the fact that they have played well all year, with a few games as exceptions.  Consider how hard they all work on a day-to-day basis and how much they care for each other not just as players, but as people.  The Jackrabbit men really are one big family.  

Head coach Scott Nagy is one of the most caring coaches you will find in the Division I ranks.  One perfect example of just how much he cares for his players came on Senior Night a few weeks ago.  Now, every school has Senior Night to congratulate their upper-classmen on a job well done and move on from there.  Very few coaches will show emotion in those instances, but Nagy was different.  Before lone senior Callahan was announced before the crowd, Nagy was already in tears, not afraid to show his emotion for somebody that has put it all on the line for him and showing his appreciation.

Nagy is one of those coaches who can come off as strict and reserved, but beyond that, he's one of the most kindhearted men you will ever get to know, if you have that pleasure.  

Everybody says that their team is special, but these guys won't even acknowledge if they deserve attention.  Nate Wolters, the star player on the team and slowing becoming a national name, won't even go so far as to say he is the best player on the team.  He can go off for 30 points in 28 minutes and he will still praise his teammates for making his job so easy.  

Wolters is a rare case of a star player being one of the most humble people you know.  Regardless of the attention he receives, Wolters will just give a little grin and move on like nothing has changed.  

SDSU now has the opportunity to become another mid-major that enters the NCAA tournament with few expecting them to go far, making some higher-ranked teams wish they didn't have to face them in the process.  Potentially entering the tournament as a 13-14 seed, the Jackrabbits have great opportunities in their future, something they are well aware of and are working as hard as they have all year to accomplish.  

If you want a mid-major to root for in the tournament that can pull off some upsets, look no further than the South Dakota State men's basketball team. 

Now, on a side note, I'd like to congratulate all the players and coaches on this year's team for a job well done.  It couldn't have happened to a better group of people.

Coaches: Scott Nagy, Austin Hansen, Rob Klinkefus, Brian Cooley and Nick Goff.

Players: Griffan Callahan, Nate Wolters, Tony Fiegen, Jordan Dykstra, Chad White, Brayden Carlson, Marcus Heemstra, Zach Monaghan, Zach Hortsman, Taevaunn Prince, Alex Olson, Austin Hennings, Samuel Francis, Joey Feilimier and Cory Jacobsen.  

They are all around a great group of guys whom I've personally had the pleasure of getting to know over the past year, a year I consider to be one of the best of my life.  I wish them the best of luck in their tournament play and no matter what, you guys have an entire state's hearts.  

Congratulations, SDSU men's basketball team.  You've earned everything you've received.  

Regardless of what happens Tuesday night in the Summit League Conference Tournament Championship game, history will be made. 

Never in the history of either South Dakota State or Western Illinois' existence in Division I play did either make the NCAA Tournament.  In fact, this with be the Jackrabbits' first appearance in the conference championship game and the first for the Leathernecks since their last trip in 1997. 

Both SDSU and WIU have made tremendous strides during the year to get to where they are today.  

Western Illinois had to survive two hard-fought games against North Dakota State on Sunday night, then again Monday night against Oral Roberts whom, before Monday's loss to the 'Necks, had suffered only one loss in conference play during the season.  

South Dakota State have spent the entire season trying to prove themselves among the elite in the conference, dropping only three games in-conference.  Aside from their strong showing on their home court, going 14-0 in the process, the Jacks have a marquee non-conference victory on the road at Washington, 92-73.  With that big victory, Nate Wolters and Co. got their names onto the national landscape and are one win away from, once again, garnering attention from those outside of the Midwest states.

Now, let's take a look at how both teams managed to get to the conference championship game.

(4) Western Illinois 54, (1) Oral Roberts 53

In the second upset of the conference tournament, Western Illinois, like Southern Utah the night before, saw the game slipping from their hands in the closing minutes, only to surmount a great comeback and take the game, 54-53.

Oral Roberts held a 51-43 lead with just over seven minutes to play.  Unfortunately, that's where the scoring stopped for the Golden Eagles.  After Warren Niles (11 points, five rebounds) nailed a jumper with 7:21 to go, ORU went the rest of the game without hitting a field goal, opening the door for the defensive minded Leathernecks to work on their offensive game and rally to win.  

After disappearing in the first game of the tournament, conference Player of the Year Dominic Morrison responded with 15 first-half points, finishing the game with 21 total points.  Aside from Morrison, however, ORU struggled to find any offensive identity, thanks in no small part for WIU's box-in defense, drawing the Golden Eagles offense outside of the paint they love to control. 

WIU's Terrell Parks (14 points, eight rebounds) was the key factor in the 'Necks victory.  Not only was he their leading scorer and rebounder for the game, Parks came up with a key block down the stretch, scored the winning basket and jumped on a loose ball that resulted in a WIU possession arrow.  

Ceola Clark III (11 points) was sent to the line with 7.6 seconds left for a one-and-one.  Except, Clark III missed the front end, allowing ORU one last shot at winning the game.  Unfortunately for ORU, they could not manage to get a shot off as the ball was knocked loose and scooped up by WIU, sealing the victory and a trip to the conference championship.

My take: Oral Roberts came out hot on offense, with most of it running through Morrison.  However, their lack of motivation on the offensive end in the second half is what drew them to their demise.  ORU will now move on to the Southland conference next year as part of conference realignment.

 As many—if not everybody's—"sexy" pick to win the conference for almost the entire year, Oral Roberts came out weak and uninterested in both of their games, ultimately forcing them into a position they were not too familiar with throughout much of the year trailing.  Once they were down, they struggled to get back up.  Now, they must hope and pray that the selection committee is kind to them for their work in the regular season by giving them an at-large bid.  However, that seems very unlikely.  

Western Illinois star Freshman Obi Emegano didn't shine like he did against North Dakota State, but Park and Clark III picked up the slack for him to move on.  Now, WIU will look to put all three key ingredients together to move on to the NCAA tournament. 

(2) South Dakota State 63, (6) Southern Utah 47

Southern Utah was unable to recreate the magic they came up with Sunday night against Oakland, this time falling victim to South Dakota State for the third time this season, 63-47.  

One of the key reasons why the Thunderbirds were unable to spark up another miracle was because their star play and engine, junior forward Jackson Stevenette, exited the game within the first few minutes of the game for an ankle injury.  

Luckily for SUU, the rest of the team picked up the slack of Stevenette's injury for the first half of the game, pushing the Jackrabbits to their limit as SDSU only held a 28-27 half-time lead. 

Out of intermission, the Jacks brought out the big guns on both the offensive and defensive end, pushing the lead to 44-30 right out of the gates.  

From there, SUU gave a valiant effort to get back into the game, but came up short in the overall team output.  

What was the deciding factor of the game other than Stevenette's injury?

Nate Wolters.  Why not? He's done it three times this season now to SUU: dicing through the defense, dishing out assists and battling on the boards.  This time, Wolters went off in the second half for 20 points, 31 total points for the game to go along with seven rebounds and six assists.

All in all, it was an all-out team effort to step up the game.  Jordan Dykstra chipped in 17 timely points, both from inside the paint and outside the arc.  Overall, the Jacks shot 51 percent from the field, shooting 23-45 field goals.

My take: This was a classic game for South Dakota State, playing out of their game in one half, but coming back in the second half having learned from the first half and putting on a show.  

Now, this will be SDSU's chance to prove to the doubters that their early season victory over Washington was just their calling card for the season and not a fluke.  While they have played extremely well all year long, losses to North Dakota and South Dakota look bad right now, but winning the conference tournament and getting to their first ever NCAA tournament is a plus.

Tuesday night's game will be televised on ESPN2 with tip-off scheduled to take place around 8 P.M. Central Time.  

Look for some high quality mid-major basketball being played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where there will be a first-time team entering the NCAA tournament and a potential threat to any higher seed they are paired against. 

Everybody better bring their dancing shoes. It's going to be a good one.  

In the second day of action in the Summit League conference tournament from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, fans in attendance and viewers at home were treated to two intense games. Two upstart programs reached the semifinals to be held on Monday night.

No. 4 seed Western Illinois and No. 6 seeded Southern Utah broke through down the stretch of their respective games. WIU and SUU knocked off former conference champions in North Dakota State (2008) and Oakland (2010, 2011), respectively. 

(4) Western Illinois 58, (5) North Dakota State 53

Pairing two teams on different streaks, Western Illinois took advantage of North Dakota State's lack of defensive presence down the stretch to take the first contest of the evening, 58-53.

NDSU spent much of the year flirting with the second spot in the conference before going on a horrible stretch to end the season, dropping nine of their last 13, including Sunday's loss to the Leathernecks. 

Western Illinois, while still struggling towards the end of the season, proved to the Bison that they needed to be taken seriously on Sunday night.  

In what was a back-and-forth game, the Leathernecks closed out the Bison after Ceola Clark III (13 points) converted a four-point play with 39 seconds left. That give the 'Necks a three-point lead, forcing NDSU into a corner.  

Freshman Obi Emegano (19 points) and center Terrell Parks (13 points, 11 rebounds) did the dirty work for Western Illinois to allow Clark to close the game and move on to play top-seed Oral Roberts.

My take: This game turned out just how I predicted it would.  WIU stepped up offensively in the clutch, while NDSU's defensive struggles cost them in the long run.  

WIU presents a great obstacle for Oral Roberts, who narrowly escaped their matchup against IPFW on Saturday night, coming away with a four-point victory.  While the Leathernecks don't possess the same size and athleticism that the Golden Eagles do, their ability to pack the lane on defense could cause problems for an Oral Roberts team that loves to penetrate.  

The three ball may be a key factor in determining the winner of this game. 

(6) Southern Utah 84, (3) Oakland 82

The first, and only, upset of the quarterfinals action came in the final game, where Southern Utah mounted an amazing comeback to knock off two-time defending conference champion Oakland, 84-82.

Far and away, this was the most exciting game of the first round.  

SUU jumped out to an early lead, pushing the Grizzlies to their brink before the nation's leading scorer, Reggie Hamilton, started to put his mark on the game. After struggling to hit shots from the field in the first part of the second half, Hamilton nailed three straight three-pointers en route to 22 first half points, three shy of his season average.  

At halftime, SUU held a half time lead of 43-40, using strong defense and a great offensive effort from Jackson Stevenette to maintain control.

Once the second half began, Hamilton allowed the rest of his teammates to join in on the offensive flurry, allowing the Golden Grizzlies to gain control of the game for most of the second half.  Travis Bader (23 points) was the Grizzly who benefited the most from Hamilton's outburst, giving Bader open shots from the outside where he is most deadly.  

However, trailing down 81-70 with 2:50 to play, Stevenette and the Thunderbirds decided to bear down on defense, shutting down Hamilton when it mattered most.  The Thunderbirds got a quick basket from Stevenette, a steal and basket in the backcourt and missed jumper by Hamilton and three-point play by Ray Jones Jr. brought SUU within two with just over a minute left to play. 

On the ensuing inbound, Hamilton was fouled before any time ran off the clock, sending him to the line for two shots.  Except, much like his previous trip to the charity stripe, Hamilton (31 points, 10-of-18 FG, 6-8 3FG) missed the first shot, but managed to hit the second, giving Oakland a three-point lead.

SUU's Damon Heuir (23 points, 8-of-13 FG) hit a catch-and-shoot three to tie the game. Bader missed a three-point attempt of his own on the other end, giving the ball to Southern Utah with 40 seconds to play.

Enter Stevenette.  

After dribbling down the clock, Jones Jr. passed to Stevenette (26 points, 16 in first half, 10-of-16 FG) at the top of the key.  Then, Stevenette dribbled around Oakland's Drew Valentine to convert a difficult shot with 12 seconds left in the game. After a failed OU offensive possession, Stevenette rebounded the ball and was immediately fouled.  

However, he failed to hit either free throw, giving Oakland a chance to tie or win the game with two seconds to go.  An inbounds to advance the ball and a timeout later, Oakland had but six-tenths of a second left to get a shot off.  On the inbounds, Hamilton took the ball near half court, and hailed a three-pointer that fell short, giving Southern Utah the upset victory.  

My take: Partially, my prediction for this game was spot on. 

As I stated in my preview article of the conference tournament, I mentioned that Hamilton was on a six-game 30-plus points streak, and SUU didn't possess a defender that could keep him from extending it to seven.  In that aspect, I was right.  

What I was wrong about was how Stevenette would play such a huge role in the game, ultimately being the deciding factor in their victory.  Southern Utah showed tonight that they have the drive and that talent to win in the tournament, but face a much greater task in South Dakota State in the semifinals. 

Unlike Oakland, who relies heavily on Hamilton for production on the offensive end, the Jackrabbits have a plethora of talented stars that can beat you from all angles on the court.  Nate Wolters (22 points, seven rebounds, six assists vs. IUPUI on Saturday) will be a target in the Thunderbirds defensive game plan . 

The last time these two teams play, Wolters was the main reason that SDSU beat SUU by 10 points. He went off for 31 points on 10-of-16 shooting.  

Both contests on Monday night are sure to bring the fireworks in intensity.  

Oral Roberts will be looking to prove that their game on Saturday night was a fluke and have the firepower to dominate the lower seeds in this tournament.  SDSU, meanwhile, will be looking to continue the hot play that helped them to a 21-point victory against IUPUI Saturday.  

Also, the Jackrabbits will be trying to avoid becoming Southern Utah's second upset victim in the tournament.  

Overall, Monday night will certainly be an intense atmosphere as these four teams battle it out to see who will be going on to the conference championship game.  Look for some more fireworks.