Die Macht » y close friends from back home

SAN DIEGO -- The NCAA tournament has a new darling after one of the most improbable finishes in the NCAA tournaments long bracket-busting history. Got Jacks? Pulling off a comeback for the ages, feisty Stephen F. Austin became the latest No. 12 seed to pull off an upset, tying the game on Desmond Haymons did-that-just-happen four-point play with 3.6 seconds left, and then holding on in overtime for a 77-75 win over Virginia Commonwealth on Friday night. "Well, miracles truly do happen," SFA coach Brad Underwood said. Pretty regularly these days. Its been a wild ride in the NCAA tournament already, a two-day run filled with upsets, buzzer-beaters and millions of crumpled brackets across the country. SFAs victory marked the fifth overtime game during the round of 64, a tournament record. SFA didnt have the biggest upset of the opening two rounds -- Mercer probably gets the nod there with its win over Duke -- but the Lumberjacks certainly had the most jaw-dropping finish. Heres how it went down: The South Regions No. 5 seed, VCU (23-10) was firmly in control after its swarming defence flustered SFA during a big second-half run. The scrappy Lumberjacks (32-2) kept hanging around and clawed their way back in the closing seconds. Two missed free throws by VCUs Jordan Burgess with 10 seconds left gave SFA a chance. The Lumberjacks worked the ball around to the wing, where Haymon launched a 3-pointer and was fouled by JeQuan Lewis just before the ball fell through the basket. "I just tried to get out and contest it," Lewis said. "(I) jumped to the side a little bit and kind of fell into him. The ref called a foul." Haymon still had some work to do, though. The crowd still buzzing, VCU coach Shaka Smart called a timeout, trying to ice Haymon. The senior didnt seem to mind, returning to the court to calmly knock the free throw down. "I was struggling shooting the ball and I knew to get it going, I was going to have to continue to try to find it (his touch)," Haymon said. "I guess I found that groove with the last shot." The tension still wasnt over. Following a missed desperation heave at the end of regulation, Haymon put the Jacks ahead in overtime on a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left. VCUs turn at glory came after SFAs Thomas Walkup made 1 of 2 free throws put the Lumberjacks up 2 with 14 seconds left. The Rams got a good look on the final possession, working the ball around to Lewis for an open 3-pointer on the wing. His shot went long, the Lumberjacks grabbed the rebound, then stormed the floor after improbably extending the nations second-longest winning streak to 29 games. Jacob Parker scored 22 points and Haymon had 17 for SFA, which moves into Sundays third-round game against the Tulsa-UCLA winner. Treveon Graham had 19 points, Burgess 14 and Lewis finished with 13 for the disappointed Rams, the third No. 5 seed to lose this tournament. "Honestly, I thought we had it," Burgess said. "We had them on the ropes, but they came back and made some tough shots and important shots to win the game." Every year, the NCAA tournament has a feel-good team fans lock onto, like Florida Gulf Coast and Dunk City last year. SFA certainly had qualifications to be this years darling: A fun-loving group of players led by a long-haired shooter they call Sunshine, a frenetic style -- at least when it comes to half-court defence -- and the nations second-longest winning streak at 29. But for Lumberjacks to become the latest lovable lower seed, they had to get past VCU, a team that had been-there, done-that with the whole underdog thing. The Rams had a magical run of their own, reaching the 2011 Final Four, and have been consistent winners since, reaching the NCAA tournament four straight years. Oh, yeah, VCU has that defence, too. Its called Havoc and it has created more turnovers and steals than any other team in the country the past two seasons. SFA plays a little D of its own -- more of the half-court variety than the Rams -- so naturally tipped passes, floor burns and scraps for loose balls filled the arena when they met on the court for the first time. The Lumberjacks picked their way through the havoc with pinpoint passing on backdoor cuts and the interior, taking a six-point lead into halftime on Parkers last-second 3-pointer. VCU made the game more chaotic -- Havotic? -- with its pressure to start the second half and started working the ball inside, racing through an 11-0 run to go up 52-43. The Rams stayed in control most of the half, but missed four free throws in the final 32 seconds to give the Lumberjacks a shot at victory. "I like the way we battled the majority of the second half, but we just didnt finish the game," Smart said. "We kind of gave them a glimmer of hope." The Jacks ran with it, earning their spot in NCAA tournament history with one improbable shot. Nate Davis Titans Jersey . -- The Tampa Bay Lightning are disappointed, though not discouraged. Steve McNair Jersey . Wiggins, who had been seen as a contender for a podium finish in Paris, was one of about 20 riders caught near the back of the peloton with 38 kilometres to go in the 218-km flat stage from Le Mans to Chateauroux. http://www.authentictitanspro.com/Ryan-tannehill-titans-jersey/ . James scored 25 points against his former team, leading the energized Heat to a 114-107 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Dwyane Wade added 24 points and Chris Bosh had 22 for the Heat, idle since a 90-84 loss Tuesday at Indiana. Jeffery Simmons Jersey . Jackson Houck added a goal and two assists for the Giants (28-23-10), who halted a five-game slide, while Tyler Morrison, Mason Geertsen and Dominik Volek each scored once. Matt Bellerive scored both goals for the Blazers (12-43-5), who are 1-9-0 in their last 10 outings. Jurrell Casey Womens Jersey . In the calls, Hernandez discussed the murder of Odin Lloyd, including his "belief about his criminal liability" and the "extent of his control over persons charged as accessories," according to the request filed Thursday in Fall River Superior Court.CLEVELAND - The NBA All-Star weekend is the unofficial halfway mark of the NBA season and to say Anthony Bennetts rookie campaign hasnt gone quite as expected so far would be an understatement. The 20-year-old rookie from Toronto, the first Canadian ever selected with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft when the Cleveland Cavaliers grabbed him in 2013, has had anything but a storybook beginning to his professional career. While the rest of the NBAs best and brightest spent their weekend in New Orleans for All-Star festivities, Bennett was just the second No. 1 pick to not be selected for the annual Rising Stars game, composed of the leagues best rookie and sophomore players since Washingtons Kwame Brown in 2001. Bennett is patient when asked about his struggles. After starting his professional career 0-for-15 from the floor, hes had to get used to talking about it. "Well, its not the way I planned it to go, I can say that," Bennett said. "Im pretty sure everything will turn around soon. Im working hard and Ive got my teammates with me. The coaching staff has been helping me a lot so Ive just got to keep my head up and go hard." While his start hasnt been ideal, Bennett has faced the music and remained calm amid pressures and criticisms coming from all angles. Speaking in the Cavaliers locker room before a recent game in Cleveland, Bennett was frank about his struggles this season, while also confident that the tide was turning. "Its overwhelming, but Im pretty level headed," Bennett said. "Ive got nice teammates who have been in the league a few years. They can tell me a lot of what theyve been through. Ive been humble, level headed and working every day." The advice from teammates and coaches is the same: keep working. A visit to the Cavaliers practice facility showed he is taking that advice to heart. Long after everyone else has left the floor, Bennett remained. Practising free throws under the watchful eye of an assistant coach, Bennett looked like any other NBA rookie. "Everybody has had their part," Bennett said of the Cavaliers organization. "Helping me with my game, shooting after practice, or pulling me aside and giving me pointers here and there. Everybody has been really helpful." Injuring his shoulder prior to the NBA Draft, Bennetts rookie season was derailed before it began. Missing the Las Vegas SSummer League where rookies get their first taste of NBA life, while also being unable to train during the offseason, Bennett came into the Cavaliers training camp with extra weight to accompany the extra pressure that every first overall pick carries with him.dddddddddddd. Playing sparingly at the beginning of the season, Bennett has worked hard to shed the extra pounds and get into game shape so hes ready to go when his name is called. Last Tuesday night, in a victory against the Sacramento Kings, Bennett posted his best performance to date, recording 19 points and 10 rebounds. He followed up the next night with a two-point, two-rebound performance. Bennetts roller-coaster experience serves as a reminder of the patience necessary when drafting young players each year. With half a season behind him, Bennett is starting to get a feel for what to expect each night he steps onto the floor as a pro. "In college it would be one game, someones a seven-footer, but the next game someone is six-foot-six," Bennett said. "Everyone is pretty much the same size now. Youve got to go hard every time." In addition to staying after practice for extra work, Bennett often returns for a second session. How does the first overall pick deal with the lows that have accompanied his season thus far? With a little help from his hometown friends. "My close friends from back home, theyve been with me from the start, before this [being in the NBA], so they see my ups, they see my downs. They know what Im going through." After a game where he hasnt performed well, or even gotten the chance to get off the bench, they are the ones who help keep Bennett focused on whats in front of him. "Every time I have a bad game or am feeling down, I hit them up and they tell me to keep staying with it," Bennett said. "Theyll come out here and after bad games theyll go with me straight to the gym. Thats something thats really helpful for me and Im thankful for it." As Bennett begins to show flashes of why the Cavaliers wanted him in the first place, he isnt allowing an unexpectedly difficult beginning make him lose sight of the fact that hes living his NBA dream. "Its a huge honour. Its a blessing, you know? I just cant let this opportunity slide for me. I have to work hard every day. This is my job. I have to work hard and be happy about it." ' ' '