It is good news from Las Vegas.
In the only Men’s NCAA Division I game being played today involving a Kiwi, Dan Fotu and St Mary’s Gaels won an extremely tight West Coast Conference semi-final 51-50.
Fotu, on the receiving end of a couple of questionable offensive foul calls, lasted just 23 minutes before exiting with a fifth foul. The former Rangitoto College forward contributed 10 points (5/6FG), a steal and a couple of rebounds in that time.
Having beaten Pepperdine in double overtime 48 hours earlier the Gaels had their fans on the edge of their seats again having to come from 11 points down in the second half.
Tomorrow they face top seed Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Championship Game – Gonzaga having won both games in the regular season .
At a glance – see who is playing where and when as the Men’s NCAA Division I Conference Tournaments continue this week.
NB All games are US time therefore a day behind NZ – ie games scheduled for March 10 in the States are played March 11 in NZ.
March 10th
Dan Fotu (St Mary’s College, California)
St Mary’s face Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference Championship Game.
March 11th
Sam Waardenburg (University of Miami)
Miami head to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament to take on Clemson.
Sam Timmins (University of Washington)
Washington Huskies play in the First Round of the Pac 12 Tournament.
Flynn Cameron (DePaul University)
De Paul face Marquette or Xavier in the Big East Tournament first round.
Izayah Mauriahooho-Le’afa (Sacramento State University)
Sacramento State take on Weber State in the Big Sky Conference play-offs first round.
March 12th
Anzac Rissetto (University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers)
Charlotte 49ers play quarter-final game at Conference USA Tournament.
Max de Geest (Long Beach State University)
Long Beach State face UC Irvine in a Big West Conference quarter-final.
Matt Freeman (UC Santa Barbara)
UC Santa Barbara will take on University of California, Riverside in Big West Conference play .
Callum McRae & Angus McWilliam (University of California, Riverside)
The third Big West Conference team with Kiwi interest are UC Riverside (7-9) and they face UC Santa Barbara in the BWC quarters.
March 13Tobias Cameron (Abilene Christian University)
Second seed Abilene Christian will take on an unconfirmed opponent in the Southland Conference Tournament semi-final.
Roll of Honour
Yanni Wetzell (San Diego State University)
Mountain West Conference Regular Season Champions
Mountain West Tournament Runners-up
Mountain West All-Conference Third Team
Callum McRae (University of California, Riverside)
Honourable Mention All-Big West ConferenceFotu and St Mary’s
LACEY LOWDOWN 