We're about halfway through the conference season, if you plan on winning a division title now would be a great time to win the rest of your games.
Last Night
#12 Dallas 62 #23 Louisiana 60 (OT)
This was a hell of a game with both teams making runs and leading for short periods of time throughout. Louisiana was up by 1 at the half and extended the lead midway through the second but visiting Dallas came storming back to tighten the game back up. It was tied at 50 with four minutes left when the defenses got dialed in and the scoring slowed down. Louisiana made a key 3ptr to take the lead then the teams traded tip-ins in the last minute. Dallas went to the line with thirteen seconds left but couldn't sink them both to take the lead, then a 3ptr by Louisiana fell short and we went to extra time. The overtime period was a weird one. Dallas scored 7 straight points and then Louisiana scored the final 5. That wasn't a good trade of the home team and Dallas escaped town with a key road victory.
Also considered: #5 Webster out-Gorloked Aurora 57-47, #7 Allegheny got past Grove City at home 68-61, #14 Kenyon cruised past Denison 69-48, #15 W. New England scored with one second left to edge S. Vermont 55-54, and #19 Emerson downed Emmanuel 60-49.
Sim blowout watch: Everyone covered and a couple sims actually kept it close. Roanoke fell to #10 Lynchburg 60-82, St. Johns lost to #4 Hamline 41-80, Anna Maria covered against #2 Nichols 61-79, and Shendoah kept it respectable at #8 Palm Beach Atlantic 64-76.
ITaLRbHAGotN: Westfield St. opened up a 9 point lead at the break and held on for the 83-76 victory over Worcester St. That gives Westfield and davinius the season sweep, putting them in a tie for first place with the tie-breaker. Westfield and kneehouse are going to need some help to take the division title.
GotN
#14 Kenyon (18-1)(jsajsa) at #7 Allegheny (17-1)(ezekialstarr)
Next up is a big game in the North Coast east division. Allegheny is one game in the loss column head of Kenyon for the division lead going into the first of two between these two. A home win opens up a two game lead while Kenyon will look to move into first with the road upset. ezekialstarr has won all four games between these two and his team is favored by 1 at home.
Also considered: #17 Sewanee at #1 Millsaps, #8 Palm Beach Atlantic at North Carolina Wesleyan, Ozarks at #12 Dallas, #15 W. New England at Suffolk, #19 Emerson at Newbury, #20 Millikin at Augustana, Hendrix at #23 Louisiana, and Kalamazoo at #25 Calvin
Sim blowout watch: Washington (MD) is getting 55 points on the road at #6 Ursinus while Concordia Moorhead is a 53 point home dog hosting #4 Hamline.
ITaLRbHAGotN
Defiance (16-3)(nm1brownsfan) at Mt. St. Joseph (13-6)(cokeman)
We pay a visit to the Heartland conference with the cross-divisional game between the two division leaders. Defiance is 9-0 so far and has a two game lead in the standings while MSJ is 8-1 with just one game separation over their pursuers. This series is dead-even at ten games apiece and the visitors are favored by 8.