Becky, her parents and I were all huddled around the TV Saturday afternoon for the incredible ending of the double-overtime Arizona-Gonzaga game. Becky and I were rooting for Gonzaga; her parents were pulling for Arizona. I have a great video (.mov, 256K) of the final seconds. Here are three screenshots from that video:

Willing Gonzaga’s shot to fall… Watching, waiting and hoping… The agony of defeat.

Click here to view the whole video.

Better luck tomorrow, I hope, for my big Cinderella pick, Butler.

They were the Cinderella Warriors.

Newington alum Kathleen Burdelski and her Eastern Connecticut State University basketball team may have fallen just short of a Division III championship Saturday night, but their run through the tournament was downright incredible.

The Warriors with their second-place trophy — something they should be immensely proud of, despite the inevitable disappointment of their heartbreaking title-game loss. Kathleen is at right, helping hold up the trophy. Click here for more photos.

Lest anyone forget, Eastern came into the tournament ranked #20 and not expected to advance beyond the second round. Yet they won — on their opponents’ home floor, no less — against #11 DeSales to advance to the Sweet Sixten, then #8 King’s College to reach the Elite Eight. They beat #7 Bowdoin on a neutral court to advance to the Final Four. Finally, they stunned #1 Wisconsin-Eau Claire to reach the national championship game.

For more on Saturday night’s title game, click here.

Here is a photo of Kathleen, who played on the Newington girls basketball team from 1996 to 2000, and who is a friend of mine and my family’s, driving to the hoop in Saturday’s game:

CAPLIN, VALE TIED FOR FIRST IN MEN’S POOL
MIDWAY THROUGH SECOND ROUND, WHILE
SIX LEAD WOMEN’S POOL WITH 12-0 RECORD

Larry Caplin and Justin Vale ended Saturday just like they ended Friday: tied for the lead in The Living Room Times’s eighth annual men’s NCAA pool. They now have records of 35-5 in predicting the tournament’s first 40 games, for a total of 189 out of a possible 216 points.

After a record-tying 28-4 run through the first round, each co-leader made one mistake Saturday. Caplin failed to predict #5-seed UConn’s win over #4 Stanford. Vale got that one right, briefly vaulting himself into sole possession of the lead. But Vale had picked Dayton, which lost in the first round Thursday, to reach the Sweet Sixteen, whereas Caplin had rightly picked Wisconsin. So when the Badgers defeated Tulsa and advanced, Caplin rejoined Vale in the first-place tie.

Both co-leaders correctly predicted wins by #1 Oklahoma, #1 Arizona, #2 Kansas, #3 Duke, #3 Marquette, and #5 Notre Dame.

Five points behind the Caplin and Vale is Kristen Everson, in third place with 184 points. In fourth is Dan Port with 179, followed by defending champion Tom Greca with 177. In sixth place is Cam McLachlan, the only contestant to correctly predict all eight second-round games Saturday. McLachlan rose from a 19th-place tie at the end of the first round into sole possession of sixth by the end of Saturday, and has 176 points.

Meanwhile, six of the 40 contestants in The Living Room Times’s sixth annual women’s NCAA pool — including Caplin, the men’s pool leader — have perfect 12-0 records thus far in predicting women’s tournament results.

Caplin, Rick Boeckler, James Dixon, James Peters, Josh Rubin, and Matt Thomsen each have 60 points, the maximum through 12 games. Four contestants have 55 points apiece, meaning they have missed one pick. Eleven contestants have 50 points each.

There have been no upsets in the women’s tournament so far. Four games are in progress, but I will probably go to bed before they are over, meaning no further updates will be posted tonight.

In both pools, each first-round game was worth five points; each second-round game is worth seven. The pool is scored on a 5-7-10-15-20-25 basis.

The Living Room Times’s 2003 NCAA pools are dedicated to American military personnel in the Persian Gulf region.

It appears that Newington High alum Kathleen Burdelski and the Eastern Connecticut State University Warriors have lost the national championship game. I don’t have any details yet, but D3Hoops.com reports a score of Trinity (Texas) 60, Eastern Connecticut 58. It doesn’t give any information regarding time left in the game, so I presume that is a final score.

UPDATE: Yup, it’s true. According to the Final Four site, Eastern led for most of the game’s first ten minutes, but never had the edge in the second half. The Warriors trailed 33-21 at halftime and 42-25 with 15 minutes left in the game. Even with 3:40 left, ECSU was still down 56-48.

Yet the Warriors went on a 10-2 run — including two baskets by Kathleen — and rallied to tie the game at 58-58 with 38 seconds to go. But Trinity’s Allison Wooley made a jump shot with 11 seconds left to put her team up 60-58, and Eastern star Allison Coleman missed the potential game-tying jumper at the buzzer.

Congratulations to Trinity on its national title, and congratulations to ECSU on a great season and an incredible tournament run. Way to go, Warriors!

UPDATE: My Dad apparently listened to the game on the online radio broadcast. He commented, “Burdelski (had) nine points & many fine plays. Trinity had big height advantage with 3 players over 6 feet. They are deserving champions & Eastern gave them a real battle. ECSU, team & school, can be VERY proud.”

UPDATE: D3hoops.com has an article online now, and promises more coverage later. They also have audio MP3 files of the radio announcers’ calls of Trinity’s go-ahead basket and ECSU’s buzzer shot.

The official Final Four site also has an article now, and photos.

The Eastern Connecticut site has an article, too.

UPDATE: I posted some more about the game above.

UPDATE: The Hartford Courant has an article about the game. So does the Associated Press. And the San Antonio Express-News has an article and photos.

CAPLIN, VALE AGAIN TIED FOR LEAD

Gonzaga nearly busted dozens of brackets Saturday, but Arizona pulled out the double-overtime win and sanity prevailed, with last night’s co-leaders — Justin Vale and Larry Caplin — emerging once again at the top of the Living Room Times men’s pool leaderboard with 33-5 prediction records through 38 games.

Vale had taken sole possession of first place earlier today, but fell back into a tie for the lead when Wisconsin advanced to the Sweet Sixteen. Vale had picked Dayton, which was knocked out in the first round. Caplin had picked Wisconsin, so he moved up the leaderboard to tie Vale.

Both Vale and Caplin now have 175 points out of a possible 202. Kristen Everson is in third place, five points behind, with 170. She is followed by Dan Port with 165, Josh Rubin and defending champion Tom Greca with 163, Cam McLachlan with 162, and Matt Kagan with 160. Each first-round game was worth five points; each second-round game is worth seven points.

Less than 45 minutes until tipoff of the NCAA women’s basketball Division III title game, featuring Eastern Connecticut State University and Newington High alum Kathleen Burdelski. Go Warriors!

I realized I left a few things out of my prayer at the beginning of war. So here’s an addendum:

May God grant our local, state, and federal government and law enforcement officials the widsom to respect the rights of antiwar protesters, to restrict their movements only insofar as necessary to maintain order, and to punish acts of civil disobedience only to the extent provided by law, without any additional harshness in the punishment because of the protesters’ political views.

May He grant antiwar protesters the wisdom to respect law enforcement officials, to follow the law as much as possible within their consciences, and to freely accept — without false accusations of “interference” or “violation of rights” — the legal consequences that will naturally follow if they do violate the law in an act of conscience or civil disobedience.

May God grant antiwar protesters the wisdom to remember that opposing a particular government decision is not contradictory with supporting the troops who are carrying out that decision, since the troops themselves have no role in the decision. In other words, may God help those opposed to the war remember that they should still support the troops fighting the war.

May God grant citizens who support the war the wisdom to respect the opinions of antiwar protesters. May He help us remember that, as long as the protesters are not denouncing the troops or denouncing America as a whole, they are not “traitors” or “un-American,” and they should not be criticized as such for simply opposing a particular government policy or series of policies. In other words, may He help us eliminate the sentiment “America: love it or leave it” from illegitimate use.

May God help all citizens conduct themselves with dignity, respect, wisdom and nonviolence throughout this period of disagreement.

My home-state team, the UConn Huskies, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen this afternoon. Hooray!

Now I’m pulling for my adopted favorite team, Gonzaga, against #1-seed Arizona. I started rooting for the Zags (a.k.a. Bulldogs) in the mid-1990s, long before they were on the map. (I liked them because they have a funny name.) Needless to say, I was delighted when Gonzaga became a Sweet Sixteen staple in 1999, 2000, and 2001. Now, I’m hoping to see them do it again today against the Wildcats.

A little part of me will be seriously ticked off if Gonzaga wins, because I had initially picked them on my bracket to reach the Elite Eight, then came to my senses and picked Arizona. If the Zags win, it will prove that my “senses” were wrong and I should have trusted my gut instinct. But that’s okay — I’d still rather see Gonzaga win than lose. Plus, I may go to the West Regional in Anaheim next weekend, and I’d love to see them play. So, go Zags!

Meanwhile, Tulsa is leading at the half, and looks to become a serious Cinderella as a #13 seed in the Sweet Sixteen.

VALE BREAKS TIE, TAKES LEAD

UConn gave Justin Vale sole possession of the lead in The Living Room Times’s eighth annual NCAA men’s pool, as the #5-seed Huskies’ win over #4 Stanford boosted Vale ahead of former co-leader Larry Caplin.

Vale is a perfect 3-for-3 in picking today’s games so far, and 31-for-35 in the tournament. He has 161 points out of a possible 181. (Each first-round game was worth 5 points; each second-round game is worth 7.)

Kristen Everson is second with 156 points. Caplin is third with 154. They are followed by Josh Rubin (149), Dan Port (144), and defending champion Tom Greca (142).

Meanwhile, ten constants are tied for the lead through eight games in the Times’s sixth annual women’s pool. The leaders, with perfect 8-0 records and 40 points apiece, are James Dixon, Ben Benack, Larry Caplin, Josh Rubin, Rick Boeckler, James Peters, Sara Hamilton, Kim Stone, Matt Thomsen, and Matt Kagan. Fourteen contestants are tied with 35 points.

Top U.S. commander Gen. Tommy Franks, in first briefing, says operations under way in north, south, west Iraq, and in and around Baghdad.

The Eastern Connecticut State University women’s basketball team stunned the #1-ranked team in the country at the Division III Final Four on Friday, winning 52-49 in overtime — thanks to two game-sealing free throws by Newington High School alum, and my friend, Kathleen Burdelski!!!

ECSU will play in the national championship game against Trinity-Texas tomorrow (Saturday) night at 8:00 PM Eastern!!! (audio broadcast)

HOLY CRAP!!!!!!

A group hug after the victory!! More photos.

I shouldn’t be surprised by Kathleen’s key free throws. I remember how in high school, having made the varsity team as a freshman, she was fouled late in Newington’s season-opener against South Windsor — her first-ever high-school game — and had to go to the line for crucial, game-deciding free throws. She made them.

It’s hard not to be surprised, however, by the Warriors’ incredible tournament run. Eastern came into this NCAA Division III tournament ranked #20 in the nation, but the Warriors have now upset four consecutive higher-ranked teams. Their latest victim, #1 Wisconsin-Eau Claire, had won 22 games in a row, and had not lost to a Division III team all season. Until the Warriors beat them.

This is the first time in Eastern’s history that the Warriors have advanced as far as the title game. They lost in the national semifinals in 1991 and 1992.

Wow.

GO WARRIORS!!!!!!!!

The Butler Bulldogs saved my bracket, or at least my pride, Friday evening.

Up until the #12-seeded Horizon League champs defeated #5 Mississippi State, I had correctly picked only two mild upsets (Gonzaga, Arizona State), I had missed both of the big ones (Central Michigan, Tulsa), and both of my predicted Sweet Sixteen Cinderellas (#12 Weber State and #14 Holy Cross) had bit the dust on the tournament’s first day. I pride myself on successfully predicting Cinderellas (Valparaiso in 1998; Gonzaga in 1999; Creighton, Southern Illinois, and Kent State last year), so all of this was a major blow to my ego.

But my most audacious pick of all was predicting that #12 Butler would reach the Elite Eight. And, thanks to Brandon Miller’s game-winning shot with five seconds left in the second-to-last game of the first round, that’s still possible.

Butler guard Brandon Miller celebrates after his shot propelled his team to a first-round stunner.

Admittedly, I’m still 35 points behind the leader of my own pool, tied for 31st place out of 43 contestants — largely because the only Midwest Region games I got right were the victories by the #1 and #2 seeds. (Yup, I went 2 for 8.) But at least I brag about Butler… and I can still root for further miracles.

Hooray for the Bulldogs! Bring on Louisville!

TWO PLAYERS EQUAL ALL-TIME FIRST-ROUND RECORD
Caplin, Vale tied for lead with 28 correct picks in 32 games

Pool co-leaders Larry Caplin and Justin Vale matched Lou Ruggiero’s all-time Living Room Times record for the best-predicted first round in a men’s NCAA tournament, correctly picking 28 of the first 32 games in the 2003 tourney.

Ruggiero went 28-4 in predicting the 1996 first round en route to winning the Times’s first annual men’s pool. This year’s contest is the eighth annual pool, yet Ruggiero’s mark had never previously been matched.

Caplin had a chance to break Ruggiero’s record with a 29-3 mark; he was 27-3 through this year’s first 30 games. But he didn’t predict #12-seed Butler’s late upset of #5 Mississippi State, producing his fourth error of the tournament. Previously, Caplin had failed to predict upsets by #9 Utah, #10 Arizona State, and #13 Tulsa.

Vale, on the other hand, did predict Butler’s upset, and the Bulldogs’ dramatic win instantly boosted him from a second-place tie into a first-place deadlock with Caplin, ending Caplin’s hold on sole possession of the lead. Vale’s only errors in the tournament thus far have been failing to predict upsets by #11 Central Michigan and #13 Tulsa, and falsely predicting upsets by #9 N.C. State and #11 Pennsylvania.

Caplin and Vale each have 140 points each out of a possible 160. (Each first-round game is worth 5 points.) Josh Rubin, Kristen Everson, and depending champion Tom Greca are five points behind the co-leaders with 135 points apiece. Dan Port and Kim Stone have 130. Eleven players are tied with 125.

The Oregon Duck supports our troops, and so should you! :)

The Duck seemed to want a taste of battle himself. He had a bit of a tussle with the Utah mascot, leading both to be temporarily removed from the arena. But they later returned and made up at midcourt:

CAPLIN RETAKES LEAD, THREATENS FIRST-ROUND RECORD

Larry Caplin, a 59-year-old Michigan resident and Becky Zak’s uncle, retook sole possession of the lead in The Living Room Times’s eighth annual NCAA men’s pool Friday night — and if the next four games turn out as he predicted, he will set an all-time record for success in prediciting the first round in a Times men’s pool.

Caplin has gotten 25 of 28 games right so far. The record for success in predicting a men’s first round was set in 1996 by eventual champion Lou Ruggiero, who correctly picked 28 of 32 first-round winners.

Caplin picked #2 Florida, #5 Mississippi State, #6 Maryland and #7 Indiana to win tonight’s last four games. If all four of those teams win, he will surpass Ruggiero with a 29-for-32 mark. If three of them win, he will tie Ruggiero’s record.

Caplin correctly picked all four early evening games Friday: victories by #2-seed Wake Forest, #4 Louisville, #6 Oklahoma State, and #7 Michigan State. He moved ahead of Josh Rubin and Kim Stone, with whom he had been tied, at the conclusion of the Michigan State-Colorado game. Rubin and Stone had picked #10 Colorado.

Rubin and Stone are now tied with Kristen Everson and Justin Vale in a four-way tie for second place, with 24-for-28 records. Out of 140 possible points, each of them has 120, five less than Caplin’s 125. Three players have 115 points, and ten have 110. Each first-round game is worth five points.