Selection Sunday is here, but before we get to the bracket revelations, there were still a handful of conference championships to decide, including three big ones involving potential No. 1 seeds.
First, No. 4 Alabama defeated No. 18 Texas A&M in the SEC championship game in Nashville.
Memphis later upset No. 1 Houston and won the American Athletic Conference Tournament.
The day ended with Penn State nearly coming back from a 17-point deficit against No. 5 Purdue. But the Boilermakers held on to winning the Big Ten championship game 67-65.
We’ve got you covered with all the top games!
Purdue 67, Penn State 65 (Big Ten Finals)
Early meal by Edey
Purdue star Zach Edey got fed up early, scoring eight points with four baskets in the first eight minutes of the game.
Fletcher turns it on before the buzzer
As the shot clock ran out, Fletcher Loyer realized he needed to get rid of his deep 3-pointer. His shot came and gave Purdue an early 10-point lead.
No look Lundy
Seth Lundy was doubled from the post but that wasn’t a problem for him because he saw Kebba Njie slice to the basket, allowing him to throw the over-the-back dish for the dunk.
Don’t stop Dave
Dave Jenkins opened up at the top of the key to grab a 3-point shot before halftime, giving him 11 first-half points off the bench while Purdue took a 35-27 lead before the break.
Ede too big
Edey somehow got a hand on the ball to get the offensive rebound and continue possession. As Penn State scrambled around, the big man found himself 1-for-1 in the paint for the basic bucket.
Purdue power
Caleb Furst made his way to the basket along the baseline, found a way past his defender and made the hard layup to help Purdue extend their lead.
Don’t go the way of Penn State
Purdue continued his run midway through the second half to take a 14-point lead. After a Boilermakers basket, Lundy tried to be aggressive and regain two points but was called for a charge.
His face said it all about how Penn State’s second half went.
Mason does more for Purdue
Mason Gillis left open in the corner and cleared the 3-pointer to give the Boilermakers a 15-lead with seven minutes to go.
Penn State is pushing back
Lundy emptied a 3-pointer to make it a 62-56 game by just over three minutes after being 17 down.
Penn State is still alive
Myles Dread made a 3-pointer to reduce Purdue’s lead to 66-63 with 15 seconds left. Penn State successfully forced the full-court trap to a steal, with Evan Mahaffey getting the steal and Camren Wynter finding for a layup to make it a one-point play.
Traveling from Penn State gives Purdue the win
Two seconds down, Penn State appeared to be just seconds from winning. But Wynter traveled as he tried to search for his shot, giving Purdue the win.
Memphis 75, Houston 65 (AAC Finals)
And we’re gone!
It all came down to that for the Cougars (31-2) and the Tigers (25-8).
Houston was seeking his third straight AAC postseason title.
prayer = heard
Tramon Mark’s shot was somehow spot on as he threw the midfield jumper over two defenders to beat the shot clock.
Lomax to the point
Alex Lomax emptied a deep 3-pointer to give Memphis an early 24-16 lead.
Memphis keeps her going
Kendric Davis shot over his defender for the 3 to give Memphis a surprising 35-20 lead.
Here comes Houston!
The top-ranked Cougars put on a 15-3 run in one of the opening stretches of the second half to cut the Tigers’ lead to 53-48. J’wan Roberts’ putback helped Houston to a 10-point game.
Lomax gets low for stealing
Lomax collected the ball for the steal and ran Houston down the court for the layup and foul to keep the game out of the Cougars’ reach.
Stay tuned for updates!
Alabama 82, Texas A&M 63 (SEC Finals)
Hot start
Alabama’s Mark Sears scored the opening points of the game with a 3-pointer, setting up an 8-0 run for the Tide.
Set the tone
Alabama kept pouring as the first half progressed, jumping out to a double-digit lead, 24-13, with ease.
Denied!
Texas A&M struggled to find a groove as the first half drew to a close. Alabama held off the Aggies from making a field goal for nine and a half minutes while the Tide extended their lead to 33-21 in the final minutes of the first half.
Alabama led 34-23 at halftime.
More of the same
Texas A&M, despite best efforts and some clutch shoveling that kept this competitive, never managed to catch up.
In the end, the Tide rode to a 19-point victory after a dominating performance from start to finish.
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