The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

NCAA conference tournaments tipped off yesterday with mixed results for Bahamian players in Division One.

Danrad Knowles and his Houston Cougars advanced in the American Athletic Conference while Tavario Miller and Mississippi State suffered an early exit in the Southeastern Conference.

Knowles finished with two points, five rebounds and four assists in a 66-60 win over the Tulane Green Wave last night at the XL Centre in Hartford, Connecticut.

The Cougars entered the tournament as a no.10 seed and defeated the no. 7 Wave for the second time in just over a week. They advance to face Tulsa tonight at 7pm, broadcast live on ESPNU.

Tulsa won both regular season matches against the Cougars and Knowles averaged nine points and 5.5 rebounds per game in those contests.

In the SEC, Miller and the Aggies suffered a devastating loss that may have ended their hopes of a tournament bid. Miller played just six minutes as the no. 5 ranked Aggies were upset by the no.13 Auburn Tigers, 66-59.

The Aggies swept the season series including an 80-55 win less than two weeks ago at College Station.

The Aggies led by 10 at the half but allowed the Tigers to open on a 16-1 run to take control for good and advance to the quarter-finals.

Auburn will now face the no.4 LSU Tigers as the Aggies are now, according to many pundits, on the outside looking in, just outside the field of 68 for the NCAA tournament.

Texas A and M closed the season

losing three in a row and four of their last five.