The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NCAA Men’s Division I basketball is in full swing as hundreds of teams around the United States vie for coveted automatic bids into the NCAA tournament. And several Bahamian players were in action yesterday with their respective schools.

The Houston Cougars advanced with an upset win over the No.25 ranked Southern Methodist University Mustangs and Hall of Fame head coach Larry Brown.

The Cougars won 68-64 at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee, in the third meeting between the teams this season and the first win for Houston.

Danrad Knowles, Mikhail McLean, LJ Rose and the Cougars will advance to face the No.5 ranked and defending national champion Louisville Cardinal in the quarterfinal.

Knowles finished with four points and two rebounds in 16 minutes off the bench while Rose finished with 16 points, including 3-3 shots from beyond the arch.

In two previous matchups with the Cardinals, the Cougars have lost by an average of 27 points. They suffered their worst loss of the season in the first meeting on January 16, 91-52, and fell in the second matchup 77-62.

In the opening round of the SEC tournament in Atlanta, Georgia, Tavario Miller and the Texas A and M Aggies fell to the Missouri Tigers in a double overtime thriller, 91-83.

In the ACC tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, Shaquille Cleare and the Maryland Terrapins suffered a heartbreaking loss to Florida State, 67-65.

Tied at 85, FSU’s Boris Bojanovsky threw down the go ahead dunk on a pass from Okaro White with just 0.4 seconds left to play. Cleare finished with two points and three rebounds.

Three other Bahamian players were in action yesterday but the results were unavailable up to press time last night.

Buddy Hield and the No. 18 nationally ranked Oklahoma Sooners faced the Baylor Bears in the Big 12 tournament.

The Sooners are ranked No.2 in the conference tournament behind the Kansas Jayhawks.

Also In the SEC, Dwight Coleby and the Ole Miss Rebels are ranked No. 6 in the conference tournament. They faced the Mississippi St Bulldogs in the first round matchup last night.

In the Pac-12, Wannah Bail and the UCLA Bruins are ranked second in the conference and faced the Oregon Ducks.