2018-19 SEASON
Sunday
It is deja vu for Illinois State. For the second time in 39 days, the Redbirds lose on a shot from halfcourt, this time on a heave by Missouri State’s Jarred Dixon in a 66-65 loss. Says coach Dan Muller: “You get struck by lightning once it feels weird. You get (struck) twice … this stinks and feels bad. Those guys are crushed.”
Tuesday John Beilein
On his way to No. 2
Michigan coach John Beilein’s ejection in a 75-69 loss at Penn State is worth a second look. It doesn’t happen just any decade. It is the first time he’s been thrown out a of a game since 1979 while at Erie Community College, which also was his first.
No. 19 LSU’s 73-71 win at No. 5 Kentucky bridges a lot of time. It is the first time the Tigers win a road game vs. a ranked Kentucky team since 1980 and is only the sixth time they’ve beaten the Wildcats in Lexington in a series that dates to 1933.
No. 2 Duke’s comeback from 23 points down with just over 9 minutes to play to beat Louisville, 71-69, is the largest second-half comeback of Mike Krzyzewski’s career (1,462 games). It is also the largest Duke comeback since a famous Dick Groat-led rally from 29 down to beat Tulane, 74-72, in 1950 — a game in which Duke scored the final 22 points.
Wednesday
Campbell’s Chris Clemons surpasses Danny Manning and Oscar Robertson on the NCAA all-time scoring list on the same night, scoring 48 points in an 87-84 win vs. Hampton. The 48 points give him 2,978 and vault him into ninth all time. Next up: No. 8 Hersey Hawkins (3,008).
Thursday
The NEC might have the oddest game of the year. Bryant shoots 69.2 percent from the field (36 for 52), scores 104 points … and loses. In regulation. Sacred Heart defeats the Bulldogs, 105-104, as Sean Hoehn scores six of his 33 points in the final 12 seconds.
• Wofford (22-4, 14-0 Southern) all but wraps up the conference regular-season title with a 95-84 win vs. VMI behind 19 points from Storm Murphy. Only AP No. 3 Gonzaga ranks higher on CollegeInsider.com’s mid-major poll — teams fans might want to consider when filling out their brackets in March. The top five: