Here's your first round recap, apologies to rednu if he was already working on this...
Midwest-- Top seeded #1 Millsaps doubled up Drew in the first half and kept rolling for a 113-72 blowout. Up next is 9-seed Buena Vista who fended off a rally attempt midway through the second half to down Northland 88-76. #14 and 5-seed UMass Dartmouth survived a defensive struggle with Whitworth 57-50 and now they'll face #21 4-seed Susquehanna after they used some clutch scoring and solid defending in the final minute to get past 13-seed Suffolk 63-58. The lower half of the bracket saw a couple upsets. 11-seed Wentworth Tech shot lights-out to take down 6-seed Earlham 89-62, the lower seed had six players in double-figures. Their next opponent is #16 3-seed Rivier who came back from 8 down at the half to edge Ramapo 64-60. The other upset winner is 10-seed Sewanee after they rallied past 7-seed Mount St. Mary 63-55. Next on their slate is #7 2-seed Hardin-Simmons who crushed Stevenson U. 98-55, Douglas Dowler had 26 in the win.
East-- Other than the 8-9 game, every higher seed advanced in this bracket. #4 Johnson and Wales had no trouble with 16-seed St. Lawrence, winning the battle of fast-break/press teams 105-70. Up next for the Spider Monkeys is 9-seed Dallas who prevailed over #23 Emory and Henry in easily the best game of the first round. Emory and Henry got a tipin with just four seconds on the clock in regulation and we went to OT tied at 69. The two teams exchanged buckets in the last thirty seconds and we went to double overtime knotted at 83. Dallas was up by 1 when they got a huge offensive rebound with fifty-two seconds left and then made their free throws to hold for the 94-89 win. Since they played so much extra time, I'm sure J-Dub will be considerate and take it easy on them tonight. Elsewhere #8 5-seed Webster got 27 points from Thomas Simas in a 87-72 Gorlok over Mt. St. Joseph and they Gorlok on to take on #12 4-seed Dickinson who shot E. Oregon out of the gym 118-67. In the lower half, #25 Christopher Newport downed 11-seed Centenary 70-63 and will now face #13 3-seed Whittier who took care of business against Ozarks 62-54. Finally, #17 E. Connecticut State used a big first half to knock out 10-seed Denison 89-78 and will take on the 2-seed #6 Penn St. Altoona after their easy 97-42 win over Alvernia.
South-- Only one upset in this bracket too (N.Coast pride!). #3 Willamette actually got outscored by a point in the second half but still easily knocked off 16-seed Ripon 73-54. Up next is 8-seed W. New England who led wire-to-wire in a 84-76 victory over Austin. #9 5-seed Vassar used superior shooting to send Augustana home 82-61 and now they'll face #20 4-seed Wittenberg after they built a 10 point halftime lead and held on for the 81-71 win over Transylvania. Allegheny became the second 11-seed to advance by besting 6-seed Palm Beach Atlantic in a close back-and-forth affair 63-57. They'll look for another upset when they take on #15 3-seed Emory who downed Macalester 78-69. At the bottom of the bracket, #24 7-seed Wisconsin La Crosse outlasted Eureka 69-61 as they advance to face #10 2-seed Merchant Marines who cruised past Salem State 81-54.
West-- Everyone's favorite-est team in the whole wide world #2 Wooster had no issues with Bowdoin in a 72-54 win, other than trying to figure out how to pronounce their school name. Bow-doo-in? Waiting for them in the second round is 9-seed Simpson after they got past S. Vermont 74-66. 12-seed Chapman was the lowest seed to win a game this round thanks to their 80-70 upset of #19 5-seed Lynchburg. Up next is #11 4-seed Greensboro who ran away from Gallaudet 105-81. In the second half of the bracket it's all higher seeds. 6-seed Emmanuel downed Texas Lutheran 73-65 and will now face #22 3-seed Trinity who cruised past Brooklyn 87-67. And finally, #18 7-seed Ursinus was a big 72-49 winner over Occidental and now plays #5 2-seed John Carroll who was a 83-56 winner over SUNY Potsdam.
Good luck to everyone playing tonight.