NSCAA 12 - Roleplays

[Banija]

The Waterbuck's Watering Hole
A Bunyoro A&M Fan Community

Hello everyone! For those who haven't been here before, welcome to the Waterbuck's Watering Hole! We're a fan community around Bunyoro A&M's sports teams, and boy, is this a great one.

First of all- HOLY F@&@(* S&@! We're the only Banijan team left in the NSCAA?? Take a bow and take your victory lap, Waterbucks fans, because this is the greatest thing you've ever seen. Is this the greatest moment in the history of A&M basketball? By golly, I sure think it is. Man, all the big name brand schools, none of them came. The massive schools in Northern Moravica/Loyola-Istria/Kizza I College, all lost in the first two rounds. The University of Moravica, with a growing fanbase thanks to back to back NSCAA championship game appearances, did not make it. Hell, NMU didn't even make this tournament.

Sankt Adelheid- those bastards. This paragraph goes out to SAU fans, and fans of any other school in Banija. Who likes SAU? They're out there whining about their seed, and then lost in the first round by, like, 35? They can have a seat. The only school standing is us. The best school in Bunyoro. Dare I say it- the best school in Banija. Say something! Refute me! I triple dog dare you! That's right, all I hear is crickets. We're playing with house money just being in the tournament, but now that we're in the Sweet 16... Anything is possible, right?

Preview- A&M v. Richmond Racing School

The worst teams are left in this region. Not literally, but- if you ranked the teams according to their overall seeds, 1-16, in this region, all four teams left would be double digit seeds. It's insane. Nothing can be taken for granted when the theoretical lowest seeded team in the region(Richmond Racing School) is out here taking names and kicking ass.

How have they gotten here? Well, the most cinderella of Cinderella teams is the Richmond Racing School, and they are scaring everyone. They really smashed Sadeg State by 30 right here in Drawk City. Just flat out disrespectful at that point tbh. And then, had a close, 5 point victory against Karnavati College to get to the Round of 16.

So how do we match up against them? What are the keys to victory?

Key #1- don't let them get on the break

Our lineup has a freshman point guard from Equestria, and four upperclassmen, including three seniors. Outside of Kristian Lane, we're pretty damn big at each position. A 6'4 point guard, and a 7 footer at center- we've got plenty of size, and Kabula's boys play some rock solid man to man defense. So where is our advantage? Our size and strength. What we cannot do, under any circumstances, is allow them to break consistently. Obong'o is one of the game's elite centers, and he can be absolutely dominant on the back end.

But we can't take advantage of that if Obong'o is chasing. We cannot let them get on the break. That means cutting down on turnovers. Don't let them steal the ball, and challenge them if they get a long rebound. If we slow the pace down, that's advantage to the Waterbucks.

Key #2- Go to town down low

This team is experienced. We saw them last season get to the national semifinals- a lot of those guys were here. And now, with Lane running the show at point, we're able to really get into the paint. Lane is extremely small, but quick enough to blitz towards the basket. His ability to knife his way through a defense allows us to put defenders on their heels, and allows us to play the alley-oop game so very effectively. But the post-up game works. Sometimes it looks like we're playing so very old school. But it's brought us success- and we have a chance at the Elite 8.

So there you have it, the keys to the game. First? Don't let them run. Second? Play the paint game. It's not about all the three point shooting, it's about high percentage shots in the paint.

Pinch yourselves Waterbucks fans- you're not dreaming. Your eyes are not deceiving you. You are witnessing history- our school, the very best basketball team in the country. And making a name for ourselves on an international stage as well. This is real, and we are surely alive. Let's get one more, eh?

Comments

ByakadoBoy8728, 11:13 AM
Man I just got to Metropolon for the Sweet 16 and I'M SO HYPED! Let's blast Richmond Racing School to Kingdom Come.

WaterBuckLadyFan8181, 11:47 AM
Tbh we should be the Cinderella but... Richmond Racing is the ultimate Cinderella? That is scary in an opponent- they have absolutely nothing to lose. Hell, nobody on our side of the bracket has anything left to lose.

BeatSAU8382, 12:03 PM
Loool there was nothing more funny than watching SAU get wrecked in the first round.

Wolverine(She/Her), 12:14 PM
Hopefully they can ink our coach to an extension as soon as this tournament ends! I would absolutely lose my damn mind if Northern Moravica swooped in and snagged him after the season.

[Drawkland]

NSCAA 12: ONLY TWO REMAIN IN SWEET 16
Written By: Nick Fleming and Niccolo Dee

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The things we've feared have come to pass. Before this tournament started, we predicted that the age of Drawkian Dominance was over, and NSCAA 11 was just an unusually low blip on the radar on what otherwise would be a slow descent to mediocrity. The old days are over! The first round of NSCAA 12 merely confirmed this. Four of the seven entrants to the tournament were unceremoniously ousted, including the high seeded Sadeg State and Cemmendy Tech playing in Drawkland, no less. With only three schools remaining in the tournament and still five rounds to play before a champion is crowned, our chances were looking ever smaller.

Thankfully, we managed to get a couple schools into the Sweet 16, but we experienced another casualty. Also, Corinth City lost in the DCIT, but are you really surprised?

(25) DUCENTU STATE
First Round: Ducentu State University (DRK) 83–74 Kizza I College (BNJ)
Second Round: South Caddonia University (VAL) 102–64 Ducentu State University (DRK)

Ducentu State were the lowest-seeded Drawkian team to make it into the Ultra 64, but at least they made it in. If I told you that half the Drawkian field would be losing in the first round, you'd probably guess Ducentu State were one of them. This would not be the case! Going against Kizza I College, one of the more solid Banijan entries to the tournament, the Eagles valiantly battled the Cubs in a neck-and-neck affair for the first half. At the end of the first half though, Sarjo Manneh (the team's captain and starting center) had an awkward landing after going up for a rebound. He had just broken his ankle, and he'd be out for the rest of the match. At halftime the score was 40-39 in Ducentu State's favor, and missing their big man, Kizza I had a tough time adjusting. They thankfully had the halftime break to adjust, but it simply wouldn't be enough to overcome the now-energized and favored Eagle squad.

After squeaking out of a close affair thanks to the opposition being down a key player, not many expected Ducentu State to do much in the next round. After all, they were set to play the #8 team in South Caddonia. The Vanorian school, which was considered one of their weaker entries in the preseason, proved their worth as worldbeaters when they beat the now-#2 team University of Jaipur in the Flying Drawk Conference tournament after coming up short of the top spot in the regular season table. Their defense is really what shined, especially in the first round when they forced Kohnhead City into an absurd amount of turnovers, which led to Mighty Eagle's defeat via the fastbreak.

South Caddonia had their work cut out for them, facing the second mid-tier school with an Eagle mascot in a row. Ducentu State's fortunes would be similar to that of Kohnhead City. The Vanorians used their agility and smaller size to become nuisances on defense, forcing lots of turnovers with quick and shifty steals and pokes that led to far too many lost possessions for the Eagles. By halftime the score was a humiliating 50-22. The second half was a bit friendlier to Ducentu, but by then it was far too late, and South Caddonia was mainly throwing in bench players to the rotation to keep their starters fresh for the Sweet 16. Only two Drawkians remained now.

(21) ELMANDEN DISTRICT
First Round: Elmanden District College (DRK) 95–66 University of Kohnface City (KHD)
Second Round: Sabinal State (VAL) 76–85 Elmanden District College (DRK)
Sweet Sixteen: Brattleboro Technical Institute (CDG)

Elmanden District College were in a similar pickle as Ducentu. Sure, they had made the tournament with an autoberth, but they weren't highly seeded thanks to a shoddy end to the conference season. They split the home-and-home against Brat Tech in the Sky Blue Conference, and lost the rubber match in the conference championship by an overtime buzzer-beater. Since Brat Tech won the conference both ways, EDC got the berth anyway, but it left a bad taste in their mouth and made many question their viability in the Ultra 64. Those questions of viability would be mostly put to rest in the first round, when the Mechanors destroyed Kohnface City in all facets of the game. The Five Muskateers hallmarked themselves as being an average squad with a balanced and disciplined game, but Mechanors were ready to rain fire all game, and they achieved just that.

Going on to the next round, EDC would have a harder test, being the underdogs against Vanorians in Sabinal State. One could argue that the Vanorian schools had a more impressive showing over the course of this tournament, and Sabinal State was no exception. Like South Caddonia, Sabinal State was a smaller side that wasn't expected to do great things, but they shocked the world by playing well and grabbing a top seed. However, EDC has the experience at the NSCAA level and were hungry to get back to the heights they achieved over a decade ago in NSCAA 8. The following game was close throughout, as both teams exchanged blows, but an 8-0 run by EDC to end the first half turned the game from a back-and-forth affair to one where Sabinal State was just trying to get back within a possession or two. The lead was never definite, stretching to 12 points at one time and shrinking to 3 at another, but down the stretch Sabinal State simply wasn't getting the breaks they needed, and the Mechanors continued to put points on the board.

Now in the Sweet Sixteen, we have perhaps the tastiest matchup of the round. EDC and Brat Tech, who already had the rubber match in the Sky Blue championship, are now drawn together again in the real bracket. This is going to be an insane grudge match, as the Mechanors still feel like they could've won the conference championship had their buzzer-beating shot in regulation not missed, or if Brat Tech's final shot gone errant in overtime. Brat Tech managed to grab the #5 seed, as their performance in the tail end of the season highly outpaced EDC's, and pundits seem to think the Sky Blue championship was the definitive proof that Brat Tech are simply the better team. This newly-minted rivalry could be one for the ages if EDC gets the final laugh and moves on to the final. Not many teams get to play four times in one season, so EDC has a unique final shot to prove themselves.

(7) CAVSAR
First Round: Cavsar University (DRK) 99–83 Frostvale Institute of Technology (STK)
Second Round: Cavsar University (DRK) 76–64 University of Moravica (BNJ)
Sweet Sixteen: Farrer University (QUE)

Finally, we have Cavsar, the (somehow) maligned NSCF entry from Drawkland. They were one of the Top 3 Drawkian teams in the tournament, and were expected to make a deep run, but probably not near the championship. With both Sadeg State and Cemmendy Tech being upset early though, the pressure on the Gladiators is immense. Expectations are now high, but thankfully so far they seem to have delivered. Their first game was against the lone Kanyean entry to the tournament (a real downgrade from last season), FIT. The Frost Giants put up a good fight, but down the stretch Cavsar continued making shots, and FIT started missing more than they hit. Cavsar came a missed free throw away from dropping 100 in the first round, and they went onto the next round looking like the high seeds they were supposed to be.

The next round was the true challenge, however. The University of Moravica from Banija are renowned for making the final twice in a row, NSCAA 10 and 11, but not coming away with the title either time. This is a true basketball school that has the pedigree and has that clutch factor to make a deep run. If the Gladiators could overcome Golden Bears, there's nothing that could stand in their way at this point. Like the game against FIT, it was full of back-and-forth action. The score was tied at 35 at halftime, and it seemed like the type of game where whichever team had the ball last would win. Towards the tail end of the second half though, a back-to-back clutch steal and defensive rebound took points off the board for UofM and Cavsar responded by getting points back on the fastbreak and suddenly taking a two possession lead late. The Golden Bears tried their best to fight back, but Cavsar took care of business on the offensive side of the ball and stretched their lead further thanks to the time-saving foul tactics and sinking their free throws.

Cavsar's reward for beating a former NSCAA runner-up is getting to face ANOTHER former runner-up in the Sweet 16. This time it's Farrer University, the Quebecois institution that make a run in NSCAA 9, knocking out Drawkland's last school in the tournament (Corps U) in the Elite Eight before going on to lose handily to New Lakeland in the championship. The Red Martlets haven't done much since that near-win all that time ago, but they've at least made the tournament again. In fact, they upset New Lakeland in the first round, a rare championship rematch, despite being one of the lowest-ranked schools in the tournament right now. They pulled off a last-second shot against Castle College to advance to this round, and now they once again have to face a big contender. This is a scary school, clearly underestimated by the selection committee. Could they pull off a cinderella run and once again stamp out the last hope of Drawkland?

TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS
This tournament, in short, has been absolutely brutal. With so many nations having big slates of schools, it was expected that many were going to go home earlier than they perhaps should've. But with the field of 64 now whittled down to 16, we're going to go through each of the four regions and give a prediction to who will escape and go on to play at Millennium Arena. By the way, last time Millennium Arena hosted the Final Four, it was NSCAA 9. Y'know, the one where the Drawkian schools were all eliminated before the Final Four. Doesn't inspire confidence, does it?

The AO region features two Vanorian squads facing two Rushmori squads. In one of two chalk matchups in the Sweet 16, #1 University of Hondo will be taking on #16 Colegio de Nuno Espirito Santo, the last Hispinas team in the tournament. I hate to say it and perhaps jinx it, but this one should be another easy win for Hondo. CdNES has faced two bottom-third teams in a row, and now have to transition to playing the best team in the tournament. I don't think they'll pull it off. On the other hand, you have South Caddonia, fresh off dispatching one of the last Drawkian teams remaining, now facing one of the last Dagan teams remaining. Starksville Medical Institute are only ranked #41 due to their bad performance in the Orange 16 Conference, but their miraculous conference championship run and win over Cavsar, as well as their decisive wins in the first two rounds of the Ultra 64, prove that they have the elusive clutch factor. I honestly think that if any upset is going to happen in the Sweet 16, it's gonna be SMI beating SCU.

The magic will likely come to an end in the Elite Eight, however. I expect Hondo to beat Starksville Medical handily, and go on to play in Centivar County.

The Esportiva region still has its best two seeds intact, with Everlin University and Brat Tech still alive. They'll both be playing lower seeded teams than expected. Everlin will be taking on the lowly-ranked and former #1 seeds (NSCAA 9) of Mount Ester, where I think they'll easily come away with the win. Meanwhile, we have the fourth matchup between Brat Tech and Elmanden District which we touched on earlier. I have no clue who's going to win that game, but I assume it's going to be a really close one.

Regardless of who comes out alive between Brat Tech and EDC, that team has the making of champions. I predict the winner of that match will also beat Everlin in the Elite Eight and cruise into the Final Four with tons of momentum.

The Rushmore region, like Esportiva, features no in-region teams still standing. The second chalk matchup of the Sweet 16 pits #2 Jaipur against #15 Mar Sara Tech. That's another crazy matchup that's basically impossible to predict. I think I'm going to give the edge to Mar Sara Tech. The Vanorians are powerful, and Mar Sara knows what it takes to produce a playoff-winning squad, at least in football. The other side has Cavsar vs Farrer, which I touched on earlier as well. I hate to jinx it, but I think this is where Farrer's cinderella run comes to an end.

The Cavsar vs Mar Sara Tech matchup that (maybe) results is a match between two teams well-acquainted with international intercollegiate sports. Allow me to totally jinx Cavsar again: I think the Gladiators will go on to the semifinals.

The Independent region, hosted this time on Sonnel, has been nothing short of murder. Both top seeds from the bracket were eliminated in the first round, busting the possibilities wide open. The second round was no better, and the highest seed remaining is #38 Wangor State from Kohnhead. Not to mention, three of the four teams left in this region are the last hope for their respective nations: only Chittorgarh still has fellow countrymen left elsewhere in the bracket. The first match pits the ultimate underdogs in Richmond Racing School against Bunyoro A&M. Bunyoro A&M barely got the nod to be included in this NSCAA from Banija, so the fact that they're the only Banijans left in the Big Dance is a shock. I think they'll make their countrymen proud and advance. Wangor State vs Chittorgarh is the other matchup. Despite Chittorgarh's lower seed, they're still a solid squad from Pratapgadh. They should be able to overcome Wangor State.

A match between two low seeds is just as hard to predict as one between two high seeds. In a match between Bunyoro A&M and Chittorgarh, I believe the Waterbucks will come away with a razor-thin win and advance to the promised land.

At this point in the tournament, I am predicting a Hondo-(winner of Brat Tech/EDC)-Cavsar-Bunyoro A&M Final Four. Sorry to all these teams for totally jinxing you, as I'm sure none of these teams will even get out of the Sweet 16 now. My bad. This tournament has been a brutal one, with nations losing almost all of their teams in the space of a single round (Pratapgadh had five schools lose in the second round, Drawkland lost four in the first, Kohnhead lost six in the first). What's surprising is the amount of nations with few entries that are still alive. Quebec, Hispinas, and NASCAR Cup Series all had a pretty low number of entrants, compared to the four (nearly five) nations that got their full entry into the tournament. Yet here they are, still sitting with a chance to make their nation proud and prove that wins and rankings aren't everything.

That's the NSCAA, though. You Can't Stop The Madness. You can only watch as it consumes all who enter the Ultra 64. One thing's for sure. No matter who comes out on top this season, they have 100% earned that title. The most competitive NSCAA of all time is soon to reach its climax, and we can't wait to see it come to fruition.

[Valanora]

Choke Artists No More

The title of being a choke artist has been one that has been circling over Vanorian schools in the NSCAA, as they routinely fail to advance past the first weekend of the competition and have never truly been contenders for the NSCAA title even during seasons that they have had some dominant and well performing schools. It was that label that had been dogging them the entire season, even as teams like Hondo, Turbani, and Everlin were looking to be among not just the elite in their own conference, but the entire NSCAA as a whole, looking to finally have a Vanorian school actually have a shot at taking home the NSCAA title. Not one, not two, not three, but a stagger four teams from the Eternal Empire remain in the Sweet Sixteen of this years' Ultra 64 after a stellar showing from the Vanorian schools in the second round of the championship tournament, meaning Vanorian schools make up a whole fourth of the remaining field. Whatever happens in the rest of the tournament, it is fair to say that after an edition of the NSCAA like this one, any idea that Vanorian schools are choke artists needs to be put to bed.

It is going to be difficult if it was not already, as any game from here on out will match teams who are just as likely as the Vanorian schools at having a good opportunity at lifting the championship trophy. There are a handful of so called "cinderella" teams left in the tournament, yet if you have gotten to the Sweet Sixteen, there is no reason to doubt your credentials at all, you have earned your right to the position and have to be taken seriously as a title contender. The Sonnel regional may be entirely blown up with upset after upset, yet that does not mean those teams that are in that regional and competing are not worthy of any potential run to the final four or championship, but it goes to show the depth in quality that this tournament has had this year. Few other editions of this tournament have had the depth in skill and quality from multiple nations schools, usually it has been the case of one or two nations having schools that are heads and shoulders above the rest who are part of the field. With nine nations still having at least a representative in the last sixteen, it further enforces the idea that the quality is there across the board in this tournament.

For the number one seed of the University of Hondo, things just keep coming up golden and they above all else will be very welcoming to the regional shifting setting from Quebec to the Eternal Empire, getting to play in front of a home crowd in their sweet sixteen game. As we fully expected, the game against Kumbhalgarh City College was one that was going to be intense and close, though we did not expect to see a defensive battle between the two schools. Tied thirty-four all at halftime, Hondo came out with a twelve to nothing run to start the second half and never looked back as their defense stifled any potential comeback attempt from Kumbhalgarh to make the game interesting in the last few minutes of the game, as the number one overall seed finished with a nine point victory, sixty-eight to fifty-nine. Their elite defensive effort when it mattered the most gives a lot of belief that the team will be able to ride their momentum and homecourt advantage, even if the games are in Raynor City, to the Final Four. Yet to get there, first they will be tested by Colegio de Nuno Espirito Santo, the last remaining team from HIspinas. Their opponent had to battle to get over the Dagan Grande Mountain in the last round and will be hoping to try and duplicate the same against Hondo, yet it is the emergence of that key defense that should tip the scales in the Empire schools' way.

The second game to be played in the Lagnthanian Arena will have South Caddonia playing against Starksville Medical Institute from Cassadaigua. The small Caddo based school was well and truly up against it in their second round match against Ducentu State University, the Drawkland school being better physically as well as having a pedigree in the tournament. However leaning on the killer fast break ball after dogging defense against the Drawkland team, South Caddonia raced to a huge lead at the halftime whistle, doubling up on their Drawkland opposition fifty to twenty two. Keeping the passing lanes clogged and using their agility, the team forced Ducentu to be completely out of their element and though they played better in the second half, they could not stop South Caddonia on the break, with the final whistle thankfully coming to the aid of the Eagles, but not before the game finished one hundred two to sixty-four for the Vanorian side. Nothing is ever easy though and SMI has a conference tournament championship to their name as well as their own impressive victory in the second round. If the team can channel the Vanorian crowd and tap into this defensive gauntlet they have created, they may yet be able to pull off another massive win.

In the Esportivan Regional, Everlin kept doing what it has been doing all season, scoring buckets and putting up great defense in a complete domination against a Loyola-Istria team that the Jungle Cats thought they were going to get far more resistance from after a stellar first round performance. It may be a case of the team is underestimating themselves even now, even after having a top end NSCAA defense as well as a great offense, to think themselves as such a hefty favorite and worthy of their seeding in the tournament. While it is true that the Blue Thunder are more renowned for their play on the gridiron than the hardcourt, they were a good team and Everlin just completely rolled over them, ninety to sixty-five, that it felt more like a preseason exhibition than an Ultra 64 game. Mount Ester University is a former number one seed themselves, back in NSCAA 9, and have ridden a great amount of skill to get to the Sweet Sixteen, defeating the Drawk Corps and Chandigarh Military Academy in their first two games. Will it be a tale of Everlin continueing to showcase their dominance or will the Quebecois school find a way to get a third upset and one game away from the Final Four?

Sabinal tried, they really did, and to have gotten to this position after being one of the weakest Vanorian teams to enter into the competition is a real testament to the growth that we have seen in Sabine and Caddonia, as well as South Caddonia's advancement. Unlike their southern neighbors against their Drawkland opposition, Sabinal State was not able to overcome one of the tournament's blueblood schools and even though they kept it close, a small run by Elmanden was the difference, as Sabinal did not have the same sort of defensive ability as South Caddonia to frustrate their opposition into bad shots and turnovers. It was a worthy attempt but one that ended nine points short of a bid for overtime and the craziness that can occur there.

Finally we have the Raiders of Mar Sara Tech, whose brilliant hot streak keeps their blaze burning as brightly as the moniker for the city's best football team. Empress Jessica I University was supposed to be a stern test and one that would see if the Raiders hot streak to end the season was that of mere luck or if the team had finally actually started playing up to their abilities, being ranked as the second best team in the nation in the preseason. A calm, cool, and collected twenty nine point victory, ninety-seven to sixty-eight, should be all the evidence anyone needs to be certain that this Raiders team is indeed quite talented and have gotten out of their own way to actually play up to their billing from the preseason. It all gets put to a might test though with the number two overall seed in University of Jaipur will be there opponent, the regular season champions from the Flying Drawk Conference. Jaipur continues to shoot absolutely well in the championship tournament, which was one of their calling cards during the regular season, only to be contained by South Caddonia and their elite defense in the conference tournament championship game. The Raiders are red hot but are they ready to face down one of the elite teams of the tournament and emerge victorious? If they play like they have the last two months, the answer will be an emphatic yes!

[Chromatika]

Sixteen teams remain! Will you make it to the final eight?

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Results

[Pratapgadh]

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We've Got The Elite Eight!

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Written By Swara Servaia

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With the end of the Sweet 16 round, we finally have our Elite Eight contestants which include two schools from Pratapgadh, Chittorgarh University and the University of Jaipur. The Elite Eight also includes two schools from Drawkland, one from Banija and three from Valanora who was known as the choke artists of NSCAA. Not anymore though as some Vanorian schools were already favourites to finally win an NSCAA title, they are much closer this time. Pratapgadh started well, with seven teams surviving the first round. That was it though, as five out of seven schools submitted in the second round of the tournament. The top two schools of Pratapgadh now have a great responsibility on their shoulders to bring the NSCAA title back home. Will they succeed in their mission? We will know soon.

Let's talk about the second round of the tournament before we talk about the Sweet 16 matches. It was a huge disaster for us as five out seven Pratapgadhi schools collapsed and will now be returning home. The favourites to reach the Final Four was the University of Suryapur, who became victims of a shocking upset against Starksville Medical Institute when they lost by sixteen points. Other schools who were also expected to reach the Sweet 16 were Chandigarh Military Academy and Kumbhalgarh City College also fell to Mount Ester University and the University of Hondo respectively. We knew the Aces of Kumbhalgarh City College couldn't defeat the University of Hondo, but the Strong Hearts fell a bit hard against Mount Ester University with a sixteen point loss. Many believed the Strong Hearts to be lucky to reach this level, they will be looking to prove themselves in the next edition I guess. Bundi University was knocked out by Brattleboro Technical Institute as expected and Richmond Racing School struck again by defeating Karnavati College. Luckily, the Pillars of the University of Jaipur defeated Unibersidad sa Cebuenas by ten points and the Fireflies of Chittorgarh University defeated the University of Concord Heights by sixteen points. Both teams defeated their opponents convincingly, so there was still some hope in the Pratapgadhi fans. People had a panic attack when Pratapgadh fell this hard, but the Pillars and the Fireflies saved the day.

Now onto the matches from the Sweet 16! Let's talk about the match between the Pillars and Mar Sara Tech from Valanora. The fans in Concord Heights decided to watch the match anyway, even after the Pillars knocked out the University of Concord Heights. There was more support for Mar Sara Tech in this match for one obvious reason. The Pillars had the usual starting five which included captain Kaushal Surerka, Bhargav Murarka, Gajanan Bagri, Moksh Birla and Punit Dwivedi. Kaushal Surerka has been praised throughout the tournament for being a great captain for his side and Punit Dwivedi has been a key player for the team. Both of them will most likely make the national team in my opinion. Mar Sara Tech quickly took the match away from the University of Jaipur and scored a few points. However, not many as the defensive play of the Pillars gave them tough competition. It didn't take too much time for the Pillars to get into the attack and neutralized the game. By the end of the first half, the score was 40-42 with Mar Sara Tech leading the game by two points. That ain't a big lead, but a good morale boost for the Vanorian team. The coach of the Pillars, Kapish Vajpai, decided to sit Gajanan Bagri, Bhargav Murarka and Moksh Birla and decided to continue with captain Kaushal and Punit. He brought in Raghvendra Nigam, Raja Sewak and Navneet Mehrotra for the second half. Now the Pillars decided to adopt a more aggressive play for the second half which worked well in their favour. The Pillars scored a total of forty-three points in the second half while the Vanorian side only managed to score thirty-two points. With that, the Pillars came out victorious and celebrated their entry into the Elite Eight. Mar Sara Tech was the only Vanorian side to have been eliminated in this round. Things are getting even harder as the Pillars will be playing Cavsar University from Drawkland. One of the two Drawkian teams left in the tournament, Cavsar certainly don't want to disappoint their fans. An ultimate battle between the elite and the newcomers (sort of) for the Elite Eight round, the best team will go on to the Final Four and leave for Drawkland.

Yes! Many fans criticised the Fireflies for their performances in the first half of the regular season. Now guess what, the Fireflies are in the Elite Eight! The bemused Drawkian fans watched the game, knowing that the Drawkian Dominance was over. They watched as two non-Elite teams clashed to get their spot in the Elite Eight. It was Chittorgarh University versus Wagnor State College from Kohnhead. The Fireflies decided to make a few changes to their starting five. The usual players from the starting five were captain Chinmay Mittal and Vaibhav Maheshwari. Instead of having Deepak Surana, Nilesh Niraniya and Raghu Singhal, they brought in Anil Thakur, Pawan Kumavat and Mandaar Vaid. The match was quite even between the Fireflies and Wagnor State College throughout the first half, both scoring points quite often. The defensive side of the Fireflies looked a bit weaker, but nothing to worry about, only if it was a regular-season match. The score was 39-40 by the end of the first half, with the Fireflies leading by just one point. This was going to be a hard match for Chittorgarh University, so coach Mohan Rathi decided to bring in Eshwar Swarnkar and Mudit Jindal, sitting Anil Thakur and Vaibhav Maheshwari. These were the only changes as he decided to let Pawan Kumavat and Mandaar Vaid continue. The second half was also intense between the contest between the two games. A lot of points were scored throughout the match and neither team's defence was great. The Fireflies managed to outscore the Kohnhead side and win the game by six points, marking their spot in the Elite Eight. Great performance from this team, but they still need to work on their defence.

Being the only two Pratapgadhi teams left, they can feel quite a bit of pressure. These two schools started this whole thing, promoted basketball in the whole nations and were the original members of the National College Basketball Council (NCBC). Will we get to see these titans create history and bring the NSCAA title back home? We don't know, but they have achieved a lot this year, so there is no shame in losing now. Let's keep the hype up and support our teams and as always, rally around Pratapgadh.

[Banija]

Rural Banija goes to Drawkland as Bunyoro A&M's Ultra 64 run shines the spotlight brightly upon the Byakado school


Odongo Lukwiya throws down a dunk late in A&M's Sweet 16 victory over the Richmond Racing School

BYAKADO, BUNYORO- Bunyoro A&M have shocked both Banija and the multiverse at large with their stunning run to, and in, the NSCAA tournament. Ending the regular season 18-12, and probably being on the outside looking in, this team said that they were built for tournament basketball, and they have been on fire. Four games and won at their own conference tournament in Valanora, to take them from the bubble to the ranks of the automatic qualifiers. And then, they've continued their hot streak in the tournament. They've won three games, all in impressive fashion. There is just one more team between A&M and what would be an improbable appearance in the Final Four, and that team is Chittorgarh University of Pratapgadh.

An exciting tournament. 8 teams left from four nations. Banija is the only nation with one team left, that team being A&M. Pratapgadh and Drawkland both have two teams left, to compete for a spot in the Final Four in Drawkland. And Valanora has 3 teams left. They're guaranteed a minimum of one berth in the Final Four, while Everlin University will work to earn that second spot. But this article won't be a preview. A mini celebration, of sorts. I'm sure everybody's wondering, especially our foreign readership- who are A&M? What are they about? What does the fanbase look like? We'll do the deep dive into that team and their school and their community.

Bunyoro A&M- What is the history of the school?

The first question when you think about a University- who are they? When you ask that question, you have to dive into the history of Universities in Banija. While we had an education system strictly for royals, for a long time, we did not have a formal, modern-style University established until 1841, when Loyola University was established in Istria, Banija's biggest city. Established by the Mormon church with the help of Catholic missionaries from Quebecois(hence the name Loyola), it is the country's oldest school. Soon after the establishment of that university, Northern Moravica University was also established, but in Herzegovina City.

The "First Four" Universities in Banija are the four universities that were established during our colonization period and before we gained our independence, in 1906. Those universities are Loyola University(Istria campus only), Northern Moravica University(public), Sankt Adelheid University(Teus Catholic), and the Ankole College for Creative Studies. Upon independence in 1906, the country felt it important to establish public schools in all parts of the country, to improve Banija's then very poor education standards. So the 10 Universities established between 1906 and 1909 across the country were called 'national universities'- as they were established in the three years following our independence.

Bunyoro A&M is in this second set of 'national universities'. These schools are the Kabaka's Military College(Army), Banijan Royal Naval Academy, University of Moravica, Hangaza Technological University, Aksum State University, Kizza I College, Bunyoro A&M University, Pumbasa University, University of Ankole, and Mamari University. Both Loyola-Busukuma(Mormon) and the Islamic University of Busoga(Shia Islam) were established during this time period immediately following independence as well, but are not considered "national universities" since they are private schools.

Bunyoro A&M- Who are their fanbase?

As the first public school in the Bunyoro Region, they draw support from all across the region. Now, the Bunyoro Region is an interesting one when it comes to sports, especially college sports. Sankt Adelheid remains the most popular team in Bwubanza. But the Teus Catholic school has a hard time gaining fans, especially the sidewalk alumni type of fans, outside of its immediate community in the region's largest city, Bwubanza.

Bunyoro is Banija's most rural region. A lot of that surrounding area finds themselves being massive A&M fans. Back in the day especially, A&M worked hard to make themselves "the region's school", and they were largely successful. Ergo, even though they do not have as big of an alumni base as some other schools in the country, it gives them the ability to compete with bigger schools.

Sports wise, Bunyoro finds themselves starved of elite sports. What do we mean? Not only were they Banija's only region not to have a team in the S-FPL, it's been years since they've had a team in the top-flight even when the BSL was still around. Banija's biggest domestic sports league is easily soccer, and the Bunyoro Region is nowhere to be found. So if you follow domestic sports in Banija, that's not where you would have heard of the region. Now, Bunyoro Regional Sporting Club, although a third tier soccer team, is arguable the biggest club lacrosse team in the multiverse. But that's said... It's club lacrosse. Doesn't exactly mean much.

While historically, the Bunyoro Region was not a basketball region, it has seen a massive uptick in interest in the sport across the last two decades. It's the only region in the country where basketball is more popular than gridiron- although association football, of course, is still king. The recent abundance of talent at home have improved A&M"s fortunes in the sport, and on the roster, 6 of 10 players are actually from the Bunyoro Region.

With that noted, the school has a decent sized alumni base. However, they have a strong base of loyal. rural supporters around the region. And with their team in the best spot they've ever been in, well, they are going to get to Drawkland in droves. A different crowd than the normal Banijan fanbases that we see. Light on the urban and suburban- heavy on rural. More traditional Banijans, more farmer-esque types. Much more likely to be grumpy if they don't like the food. Much more likely to have a number of street vendors trying to make a quick buck selling Banijan food that Drawk police will likely have to crack down on.

But they're here, and in huge numbers. Along for the ride. Enjoying the party. Will they took over Metropolon tomorrow night by clinching a spot in the NSCAA Final Four?

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Daily 2021
O-State, EC on collision course in Sadeg
by Kent Swisher, Senior College Basketball Writer

The quarterfinals of the DCIT look to be a bit of a closed shop, as six schools hail from just three nations--Banija, NASCAR Cup Series and Baker Park, with Newmanistan and TJUN-ia rounding out the field.

Osheana State was the only higher seed to win among the four games at Skyhawk Valley Arena, and they will face Loudon Empire University, the Newmanistani college that upset #2 University of the Caribbean at Port Town in overtime; Loudon lost two of three against University of Ezra in conference play so it's difficult to judge their strength coming in, but the Falcons won't underestimate anyone at this point.

The other game to be played will have Penske College of NASCAR Cup Series taking on Endborough College; the Germans have carried over their confidence from the latter part of the season right through the two rounds they've played in Drawkland. The NSCAA-UAC tie in this game is Kellerville State, which Penske handled easily in both meetings.

Wins by both Commonwealth teams would set up a historic first ever meeting between men's & women's squads in a competitive game, a fact that many of the fans who've traveled to Sonnel from Baker Park found humorous.

In the top half of the quarters, form held truer as three of the four teams that received byes advanced to the last eight, including both Banijan schools.

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
All The Right Steps

The Sweet Sixteen gives way to the Elite Eight and eight mighty schools are now about to do battle to head to Drawland for the chance to play for the championship and the Final Four. This is an unprecedented stage for the Vanorian contingent, much the same as last round was, and the sides that are left in the tournament from the Empire are among the very best the NSCAA has to offer and have shown that yet again. Much as we predicted in our last article, the matchups that the four Vanorian schools had went largely as expected, which is a bit of a surprise to be completely honest with the Ultra 64 tournament being notorious for having a lot of chaos, check the first round of the Sonnel Regional for the proof of that just in this year's edition alone. The Sweet Sixteen saw three Vanorian schools enter as the favorite and one that was the underdog and the games more or less went as predicted, with three schools advancing to the Elite Eight and one not being able to find a way to make half the field be from the Empire. It would have been quite the sight after a history of choke artistry to have half the Elite Eight be Vanorian schools, but it was not to be, perhaps in the future if the schools continue to progress in this upwards trajectory.

Getting to play in front of a Vanorian crowd was definitely a major boon for both the University of Hondo as well as South Caddonia University, as there was definitely a home court advantage that could be felt in the entire arena despite the games being in the capital rather than in Hondo or Caddo itself. There were pennants and jerseys aplenty being worn of the two Empire schools and many others in the royal blue of Hondo and the prussian blue of South Caddonia, as fans from across the Empire were jammed into Lagnthanian Arena, a capacity crowd of thirty thousand in attendance for the back to back games. If there was any doubt left in anyone's minds if continuing to enter the NSCAA was a good idea for the Vanorian schools, the performance of the entire Empire contingent this season and then the outpouring of support for the teams in these two games should have erased it all and ensured that the Vanorian Universities will continue to enter into the competition for years and years to come. There may yet be even more growth in upcoming seasons where the VSC might even bid to bring the Final Four to the Eternal Empire.

Colegio de Nuno Espirito Santo was trying to do best by Hispinas, being the last representative of the Rushmori nation in the Ultra 64 tournament but having to play against the number one overall seed in a pro Hondo crowd was likely always going to be an ask too far. With a trio of senior and pair of juniors starting for Hondo, the experience of the team was not about to let them being lulled into a false sense of security and the team exploded from the opening tip-off, scoring twelve points before their opponents even got a bucket. It was a sign of things to come for the poor school from Hispinas, as Hondo looked like they were not missing many shots and Ben Eliasson was cleaning up the glass quite well, Hondo going into the locker rooms at halftime up forty-seven to thirty-one. The Vanorians would not let up in the second half either and their defense clamped down in the last five minutes holding the Hispinas school to only four points to close out the game and victory, eighty-nine to sixty-two. Freja Lundin lead all scorers with eighteen points as well as eight rebounds and four assists for the senior forward in the victory.

They then got to watch a very tight affair between South Caddonia and Starksville Medical Institute from Cassadaigua, as the Caddo based school had defied all expectations to have reached this stage and now they had the whole of the Empire now cheering them on. SMI was a far tougher foe for SCU than CdNES had been for Hondo and the two teams were going back and forth, tit for tat the entire game. As SCU would hit a massive three or block a shot, there SMI was to match the shot or to grab a steal, and the sides went into the locker room tied at thirty. The Dagans were playing a smarter passing game than most who had faced SCU so far and moving the ball before SCU could clog up the passing lanes, slightly negating their elite defense. Yet Lucio Carrero was on fire in the second half, hitting six of seven from the field, including two from beyond the arc and the ball was in her hands with ten seconds to go and the teams tied at seventy-three. She pump faked to get her defender out of position, stepped back and launch a three, the clock going to 0:00 as the ball hit the backboard and straight down into the net, a game winning three point shot as the crowd roared in celebration. Now two Vanorian teams will play in two days time and one will be into the esteemed lands of the Final Four, as Hondo will look to defend its number one seed status and South Caddonia continues to defy all expectation.

In the Rushmore Regional, there is not much to really say about Everlin taking on Mount Ester from Quebec, it looked to be a very much lopsided matchup when the two teams advanced out of the bracket and that was exactly what it turned out to be. The Jungle Cats roared out to an early twenty to four lead thanks to their very familiar stellar shooting and elite defensive effort and never really looked back, continuing to justify their first seed status and why a few people thought that they were the best team in the NSCAA during conference play. Samuel Bråthen continues to have hot hands as the guard lead all scorers with thirty-one points despite being rested the last eight minutes of the game and Everlin going on to win by a score of ninety-two to sixty-three. The guard is going to have needed the rest as the Jungle Cats now get to have a very difficult game in order to find their way into the Final Four as Elmanden District College from Drawkland looks to prevent a second Vanorian team from reaching the last four and continue to show why Drawkland schools are considered the true bluebloods of the NSCAA.

As for Mar Sara Tech, as you can guess they were the lone Vanorian representative not to have won their game in the Sweet Sixteen, but when their opponents where University of Jaipur, the number two overall seed in the tournament, it is fair to understand why. The Raiders were not supposed to make it this far after their horrible start to the season and then the very poor seeding and match that they got in the first round, but in both instances they found a way. That likely is because of four senior starters, meaning it will get more difficult for the Raiders next tournament, yet they can look back on this run and be proud of themselves for a good season and getting this far, at least once the sting and bitterness of defeat has finally been swept aside.

[Drawkland]

NSCAA 12: THE MOST IMPORTANT ROUND AWAITS
Written By: Nick Fleming and Niccolo Dee

---

Another round has gone by in the Ultra 64, and a collective sigh of relief was had by all Drawkian college basketball fans. Every round of this tournament is precarious, but when you only have two schools remaining, it's especially anxiety-inducing. A single upset turns your season from a nearly guaranteed late playoff berth to being on the brink, all your hopes remaining on a single school to somehow get the job done. Yet, in spite of being on the brink of total elimination, the two Drawkian schools left came up big and have gone on to the Elite Eight.

In my opinion, the Elite Eight (really the quarterfinals of any sport) is the round that truly matters the most. The early rounds are bound for chaos. The big teams are likely to go through and the weaker teams are likely to crash out. You really can't anticipate how the tournament is going to turn out until you get to this climactic stage. This is where the pretenders are sent home more often than not, and where the big teams have the first legitimate test in many cases. The four teams that survive are generally all teams that could come away with the championship. The semifinals are merely the coinflips that decide who is lucky enough to be the champion, but the quarterfinals are what decide who's good enough to be the champion.

We are now at this point. In this Elite Eight, we will see who truly has the make to be a champion. More on the remaining contenders in a moment, but first let's take another look at those surviving schools still flying The Grand Pentad in their rafters.

(21) ELMANDEN DISTRICT
First Round: Elmanden District College (DRK) 95–66 University of Kohnface City (KHD)
Second Round: Sabinal State (VAL) 76–85 Elmanden District College (DRK)
Sweet Sixteen: Brattleboro Technical Institute (CDG) 68–75 Elmanden District College (DRK)
Elite Eight: Everlin University (VAL)

The former champions of the NSCAA had their work truly cut out for them. After managing to comfortably defeat their first two opponents, they would face arguably their toughest test of the entire tournament. A final, winner-take-all rematch against Brat Tech. The first two were merely the teams feeling each other out in conference play, while the third match was for the Sky Blue Conference title. When Brat Tech won it in overtime, many assumed this was the final statement in this pseudo-rivalry. Fate would have it that the Brats and the Mechanors would have to duke it out once more, and this time it would be in the Ultra 64. This was, in my opinion, the most exciting matchup of the Sweet 16, and boy did the teams deliver on the court.

The game would start out heavily in favor of Brat Tech. The Dagans got off to a 10-4 start to the game, and began to extend their lead throughout the course of the first half. Elmanden's shooters weren't hitting their shots consistently, and Brat Tech took advantage of all their possessions. It was starting to look like a lopsided affair, as the score was 42-34 at halftime. Everything changed in the second half, though. Elmanden was playing from behind for the entirety of their second game against Brat Tech in the Sky Blue regular season, and they simply couldn't overcome the Brats. This time, though, their defense woke up. Several key turnovers that turned into points started a Mechanor comeback, and they didn't stop there. EDC ended up hitting a 16-2 stretch in the second half which turned the game on its head and completely reversed momentum in Tundra Falls. By the time Brat Tech got their act back together it was too late - Elmanden held on and came away with the win that nullified both their losses earlier in the season.

Now they have another test in front of them, albeit one with less bad blood behind it. Everlin University, one of Valanora's three remaining schools, awaits the Mechanors in the Elite Eight. Everlin-Elmanden Elite Eight? Exceptional. You could point to the fact that Everlin is a #4 seed compared to EDC's #21, but Brat Tech was #5. The seedings no longer matter. EDC has an elite unit. They may not be as dominant as they were in their magical NSCAA 8 run, but they're still a force you can't ignore. It's hard to predict matches this late in the season, but Elmanden has scored 10 fewer points each round (95 -> 85 -> 75). This seems to suggest Elmanden will score 65 points against Everlin - either this will be a tightly-won defensive slugfest or a blowout loss that clinches a Vanorian finalist.

(7) CAVSAR
First Round: Cavsar University (DRK) 99–83 Frostvale Institute of Technology (STK)
Second Round: Cavsar University (DRK) 76–64 University of Moravica (BNJ)
Sweet Sixteen: Cavsar University (DRK) 100–57 Farrer University (QUE)
Elite Eight: University of Jaipur (PRT)

Screw anybody that thought Cavsar couldn't get the job done. Through three rounds, the Gladiators have managed to dispatch not one, but two former NSCAA runner-ups. Both the matches against FIT and UofM were by fair margins, but not too comfortable throughout. This was not the case against Farrer University. Sure, the Martlets were punching a bit above their weight class for the first few rounds, but nobody expected a blowout of this proportion. A Cavsar offense that nearly scored 100 in the first round finally got the job done here, while Farrer only scored two more points than their seed. The halftime score was a lopsided 46-20, and things only widened after the break. It was domination on all sides of the ball.

This next round will not be the same. The highly-seeded Cavsar has been the better team in all their rounds up until now. For the Elite Eight, they'll be going against the much higher-regarded University of Jaipur. The Pratapgadhi school is seeded #2, making this one of two chalk matchups in the Elite Eight (and the only one that actually matters). The Gladiators have their work cut out for them, and while their offense has been the main highlight this tournament, it'll be put to the test against a Jaipur squad that's won all their games by 9 points or more. Is it possible to say who will come out on top anymore? Many pundits expected Cavsar to make a run to the Final Four, and this is where they have to put up or shut up.

TOURNAMENT PREDICTIONS
We touched upon this earlier, but we're now in the most important round of the bracket. The Final Four is important obviously, but the Elite Eight determines who will be flying out to Centivar County in the first place. As we said, whoever wins here has the makings of a champion, and merely need things to go their way in the final rounds to get the crown they deserve. Let's take a look at each matchup.

The AO regional will be contested in Valanora, against two Vanorian schools. With only three schools left in the bracket (the most of any nation), this is a huge game. It guarantees that Valanora will have a representative in the Final Four, and both schools are ones that could win it all. University of Hondo and South Caddonia University are the two parts of the first chalk matchup in the round. Hondo absolutely has the advantage here, especially when it comes to the size of the fanbase. Ultimately, it's a toss-up as to who will be coming to Centivar County, but to be on the safe side we'll say the #1 seed in Hondo will be the winners.

The Esportiva regional in Newmanistan is a very intriguing matchup. You have the #4 seed Everlin University taking on #21 Elmanden District College. EDC is a peculiar school, as they haven't looked strong all season but have managed to pull another deep run from their hearts. Meanwhile, Everlin have been contenders from the get-go, and this is merely another stepping stone to a potential final run. This game is more crucial to Vanorians than Drawkians, though. For us, EDC is just one of our remaining schools who we pray can stay alive long enough to have a chance at a championship. For Valanora, this is a way bigger game. They're already guaranteed a Final Four matchup, as the AO regional is contested between two Vanorians. If Everlin wins, one of the Final Four matchups will also be Valanora vs Valanora, which means that a Vanorian school is guaranteed a shot in the championship game. If EDC comes away victorious, Valanora has to fight for one more round to make the championship, and will be entirely eliminated if EDC wins that one as well.

The Rushmore regional is what we'd consider the most interesting matchup of the Elite Eight. This chalk tie puts Jaipur and Cavsar head-to-head, which both schools being their nation's best chance of making a championship run, as their other remaining countrymen are low seeded and will need a lot more to go their way to make it that far. It's impossible to tell who will win, but I think even Sadeg State fans will agree that we can stop hating Cavsar long enough to wish them well. This is a big match for us, on par with the Everlin-EDC match for Valanora. If we manage to get both EDC and Cavsar to the Final Four, we have a chance at replicating the NSCAA 8 championship with an all-Drawkian final. Neither Valanora nor Pratapgadh can do this, as all their schools are on the same side of the bracket.

Finally, the maligned Sonnel regional pits the two underdogs against one another, Banija's rural representative in Bunyoro A&M vs Pratapgadh's big name basketballers in Chittorgarh University. Bunyoro is punching way above their weight level in this year's cinderella story, while Chittorgarh is trying to prove to the world that they were extremely underestimated in their seeding. There's a reason they're one of the biggest Pratapgadhi basketball schools alongside Jaipur, and they proved it by being one of two left from their nation. Once again, these are all essentially impossible to predict. Bunyoro A&M are the last Banijans left in the bracket though. They will be much hungrier to stay alive and keep the legend of Banijan basketball going.

At stake here is a chance for a guaranteed Vanorian finalist, and a guaranteed Pratapgadhi finalist. There's also going to be the chance for Drawkland to have an all-Drawkian final, though this season is much too competitive for something like that to happen. Banija would just be happy to have somebody flown to Centivar County, though at least they know one of their nations will have a shot in the DCIT championship against one of two Baker Park outfits.

The gauntlet has been prepared. Who will play in Centivar County this weekend? Tonight we find out.

[Chromatika]

Who makes it to the Final Four? Find out NOW!

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Results

[Drawkland]

Forgot to link last cutoff's results on this thread. Somehow, nobody noticed
We now have the "championship" field set.

---

Semifinal Scores

[Banija]

Bunyoro A&M Head Coach Aloysius Kabula, the day before A&M's Final Four game with Cavsar University

The music in the building was deafening. Now, A&M fans had come out in full force to Centivar County, but of course, Cavsar was local. It was always going to be advantage in the crowd to Cavsar University as soon as they made the Final Four, and Kabula wanted to be prepared. He estimated that the 100,000 capacity arena would be about 70-30, or 75-25, in favor of the local school. A&M was fully capable of filling their half probably anywhere in the multiverse- besides Drawkland.

Therefore, he wanted his guys to be ready. This was truly a miracle run. IT wasn't that many weeks ago when Bunyoro A&M seemed like they were on a one way ticket to the DCIT. But now they had earned a second banner to hang- the Final Four, to go alongside their conference tournament championship banner, to hang in the rafters. But to be ready for Cavsar University meant two things- be ready for their size, and be ready for the fans.

So to practice for what he felt would be constant noise levels of Gladiators fans, Kabula made sure to have this last practice with just a constant wall of sound. It bothered him- but even the coaches needed to be ready for it. Kabula blew his whistle. "GUYS! COME IN!" It was hard to hear, but the players eventually jogged back to the huddle. Kabula even insisted on keeping the music on in these huddles- since they might have to hear him throughout a lot of noise during a timeout. "OK! LET'S DO SOME SHOOTING DRILLS! JUST LIKE WE"VE DONE THEM ALL WEEK." He was screaming to simply be heard.

They had been running the same shooting drills ever since they learned who their opponent was. The smallest player on Cavsar University was their 7'11 two guard. Needless to say, their size advantage gave them a massive advantage. A&M's plan to negate that was to try and run as much as possible. If you didn't allow Cavsar to set up their defense, or you got them turned and running backwards, there's much less of a chance they can use their defense to try and block you.

So the beginning of the practice had a lot of outlet drills, with rebounders trying to find guards as quickly as possible to start the break. But obviously, they'd need to score in the halfcourt eventually. The practice strategy looked interesting. The assistant coaches had paddles with them. A player would shoot. The assistant would contest with the paddle. The extra length the paddle gave was able to simulate the heights of these Drawkland players. While one simply couldn't simulate the phsyicality in practice, at least the height would have the players used to adjust their arcs and release points for a game like this.

Bunyoro A&M Head Coach Aloysius Kabula, immediately preceding the Final Four Game

..... "Starting at point guard, from the Equeesssssstrian States, coming in at 5'9, we have KRISTIANNNNNN LANE!" The Public Address announcer bellowed into the mic as the A&M fans cheered their small point guard. Kristian Lane was the first player announced. The rest of the A&M starting lineup was announced with enthuisiasm, and then Kabula's name was called. The cheers became loud as he waved into the crowd.

Kabula sat and watched the Cavsar Starting 5 get introduced, with their head coach at the end. He shook Coach Les Benson's hand, who naturally towered over Kabula. Kabula looked out, simply enjoying the moment. Just like he told his players- drink it in. Getting to a NSCAA Final Four is hard- and who knows when they'll be back? They were blessed to have this opportunity- but now that they were here, they would have no choice but to grab it by the horns.

[Drawkland]

Kyle <3

---

4:38 pm

are you still gonna have people over tonight?

Yeah, it's the Final Four!

have you ... showered?

Kyle ...

you know the answer already

i'm coming over right now

---

It had been almost a week since Sophie had found Kyle following the crazy upsets of the NSCAA first round. Since then, Kyle had taken a vow that he wasn't going to leave his couch until all Drawkian teams were eliminated from the tournament. He was expecting the rest to lose out of the next couple rounds, but obviously this didn't come to pass. He relinquished his vow once he ran out of food and water in arm's length, so he compromised and said he wouldn't shower until the last team was eliminated, but he would at least leave his couch.

For obvious reasons, Sophie was not exactly thrilled with the fact that her boyfriend hadn't bathed in a week. She showed up at his door on the afternoon of the Final Four. She let herself in, and found Kyle cleaning up part of the living room and setting things out for a get together.

"Hey Soph!" Kyle said cheerily. His mood had improved considerably since Cavsar had managed to keep Drawkland's hopes alive by making the Final Four.

"Hey sweetie." Sophie was a little wary. She walked across the room to give her lover a hug, but once she got within a few feet of him she crumpled her nose and nearly gagged. "Eugh, Kyle, you smell so disgusting. You have to take a shower."

"Sophie, we talked about this!" Kyle insisted. "It's a good luck thing at this point! You know how superstitious I am when it comes to sports."

"You're going to have people over smelling like this, dude?" Sophie asked incredulously. "Nobody is going to want to stay here if you're like this! You're gonna have to watch the game from the back wall so nobody gets bothered by it. You really expect your friends to put up with this? And look at how greasy your hair is!"

"C'mon, it'll just be for two more days! And if Cavsar loses I'll be showering tonight anyway. This tournament is super important and I think it's crucial that I do everything I can to help my fellow Drawkians."

"Kyle, you're being ridiculous."

"Okay, maybe I am, but you have to admit it's been working. We're still alive in the tournament!"

"Maybe that's just because Cavsar is a good team," Sophie postured. "You didn't shower since that opening round and both Ducentu State AND Elmanden District got eliminated, remember?" She had done her research in hopes of swaying him. It clearly was working.

"Well, true ..." Kyle admitted, rubbing the back of his neck, then cringing a bit when he could feel the grime from it. "But I still think that this is what'll put Cavsar over the edge."

"Kyle, just take a shower." Sophie put her hands on his shoulders and looked in his eyes, trying to keep her eyes from watering. "For me. And for the nostrils of your friends."

Defeated, Kyle sighed and hung his head. Sophie immediately sprang backwards and retched a bit from having his disgusting unwashed hair right next to her face.

"Sorry!" he said immediately, then took a look at the stairs to his bedroom and bathroom. "Fine, I'll go shower."

"Yay!" Sophie smiled and raised her arms in triumph.

"But!" Kyle continued, raising a finger at Sophie. "If Cavsar loses tonight, I'm officially blaming you. It'll be YOUR fault."

Sophie nodded, with a joking solemn look on her face. "I accept this responsibility. Now please go shower, your friends will be here in less than an hour."

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
One Small Step For Valanora, One Giant Leap For the Empire

Both Hondo and South Caddonia came into their game in the nation's capital knowing that regardless of what happened, Valanora was going to have its first ever representative in the Final Four of the NSCAA and it was going to be a major stepping stone for Vanorian universities going forward. Regardless of which institution, they would all be able to point to the winner of the game and use them as an example of what can happen when the teams give it their all and commit to the school. All three of the schools that remained of the Vanorian contingent all have experienced players, with starting lineups that are almost exclusively seniors and juniors, and those players bring with them invaluable experience and leadership as they have been part of the heartbreak and disappointment of previous years. It is no surprise that these teams are having the best ever performance of Vanorian schools when they have players who have stuck it out through the hard times and have learned from what their previous mistakes to get to this place. Hondo and South Caddonia were going to guarantee that a Vanorian team would be in the Final Four and Everlin had a chance to make sure one would be in the championship game should they find a way to win their own regional final.

Thirty thousand people were in the stands, with royal blue, prussian blue, and orange spotted throughout the arena, though it was clear that Hondo had the lions' share of the supporters, being the larger school from a bigger city and from the mainland of Valanora proper. However South Caddonia had gotten to the game by playing excellent defense and that was what they were going to try and do again, but the task was going to be much more difficult with the excellent shooting of Hondo's guards as well as the quick ball movement of their fellow Vanorians. Hondo had to find a way to keep South Caddonia in a half court game, as that is where they looked to be the weakest and easiest to defend rather than in transition and on fast breaks. Being careful with the ball was going to be the biggest key for Hondo, as they had seen on game footage how the Caddonians had been able to make their opponents turn the ball over significantly more than normal and were able to convert those turnovers into a lot of fast break points, one of the biggest contributors to SCU being in the Elite Eight.

The first half was a bit of a stalemate, as the two schools tried to feel each other out and both were shooting rather poorly from the field as both teams were perhaps going up against the best defenses either had faced in the entire season. The normally sharp shooting Hondo team was held to just thirty-two percent from the field and the two sides were tied twenty-eight a piece going into halftime. However the second half changed all that and both teams started to hit their shots, even while heavily contested and it started to turn into a trackmeet. Tied seventy-five each with thirty seconds to go, Hondo inbounded the ball and moved it up court and around the arc. Ben Eliasson took the pass from Freja Lundin at the free throw line, pivoted, and drove the basket putting off the backboard and in, giving Hondo the two point lead with six seconds to go. SCU quickly inbounded and passed upcourt, Olympia Solorio putting up a desperate heave that went in, with SCU thinking they had just pulled off the upset. Yet video review showed that Olympia's foot was on the line and it was a two, not a three, instead sending the teams into overtime.

In the extra period, Hondo went seven from seven from the field and Rasmus Björk had eight points, while SCU went five from nine and were unable to keep up their high defensive efforts. It was a valiant effort from the Caddo based school, a school that no one thought would even have had a chance to make the tournament at the start of the season and yet they had given the number one overall seed the best game of the Ultra 64 tournament so far. While heartbroken, there was no ill will between the two teams at the end of the game, Hondo emerging as ninety-one to eighty-seven winners, the teams exchanging handshakes and SCU wishing Hondo the best of luck and to bring home the championship back to Vanorian shores. Hondo definitely felt like they got let off the hook a bit with the result, given how closely they had been to being knocked out, a few inches of a foot crossing the three point line. In order to win the title, they now knew they were going to have to bare down and have the two best games of their season if they were going to win the NSCAA trophy, but they had managed to survive the best defense in the NSCAA and put ninety points on them, so there were positives to take into Drawkland.

The question was, who was Hondo going to face in their Final Four game, was it going to be fellow one seeds and Vanorians in Everlin, or would the blue bloods of Drawkland and Elmanden District College be awaiting them, having that home court advantage that Hondo and South Caddonia had so enjoyed over the last four days? Everlin had been doing what everyone expected a first seed to do in the tournament, they were winning comfortably on every step of the journey and truly looked like they had been worthy of the high praise that had been put upon them during most of the regular season before their unexpected elimination in the conference tournament. With the play that they had been putting on during the Ultra 64 tournament, it was looking more and more like that had been a small bump in the road or merely an off night for the Jungle Cats and that they were going to do everything in their power to showcase that they were among the most elite of the teams this season. If they could find a way to overcome the Drawkland school and make it to the Final Four, then there could be no one who could dispute that claim and it would also give Valanora an ensured place in the Championship game itself.

Elmanden tried to slow Everlin down to open the game, to keep the high scoring team from getting comfortable or falling into a rhythm, a wise course of action considering Everlin was one of the best shooting teams in the entire NSCAA during the regular season, as were the majority of the Vanorian universities. What Elmanden seemed to forget was that Everlin also had a formidable defense and the Jungle Cats were still building up a small lead on the Drawkland school despite their efforts to slow Everlin down, with the Junge Cats keeping Elmanden shooting only nine from twenty-three from the field in the first half, having a thirty to twenty-one lead at the half time whistle. Samuel Bråthen took over in the second half and nothing that Elmanden tried seemed to slow down the senior guard and the Jungle Cats raced out to a twelve to nothing run to start the second half and never looked back, the final whistle coming with Everlin wining seventy to fifty-nine, Samuel Bråthen having nineteen points and four assists to lead the way for the Jungle Cats.

This means Hondo will be taking on Everlin, a battle of two first seeds and two Vanorian schools, each one looking to be the first Vanorian team to ever make the championship game. Both teams are known for great shooting, but Everlin on paper has a better defense than Hondo and that could be the edge in what looks to be a very even game on paper. Coming into the season, they were ranked as the third and fourth best teams in the Empire respectively, both having been ranked behind Mar Sara Tech and Raynor University, but these two teams had none of the trouble that the two major teams had and now are fighting for that honor of being the first team from the Eternal Empire to make it to the Championship. Hondo is the number one overall seed and had the more difficult conference but Everlin has simply been an unstoppable force in the tournament. It is going to be a night and game to remember as one team will make history and an entire nation will be looking on with wonder.

[Chromatika]

Welcome to the Final Four! Who will have a chance to fight for the NSCAA 12 Title? Cutoff!

---

Results

[Banija]

The Waterbuck's Watering Hole
A Bunyoro A&M Fan Community

Hello everyone! For those who haven't been here before, welcome to the Waterbuck's Watering Hole! We're a fan community around Bunyoro A&M's sports teams, and boy, is this a great one.

First of all- a joyous and a sad day at the same time. Guys, I'm waking up right now and I STILL can't believe it. We were so close to the championship game... And then that happens. I was at the game. Just my arms in the surrender cobra position. I'm still here in Drawkland- have two more nights on my reservation at the hotel in Centivar County. I'm gonna bus down to support our brothers at H&U in their title game tonight.

Even our marketing guy, who runs the twii.tur, who's paid to be able to react to all these situations, who lived tweeted the entire game, didn't get anything out for 10 minutes after. And I can't blame him.

Let's rewind the last 12 seconds of this game, ok? Kristian Lane, who hasn't scored but has a shocking number of assists(11!), having the ball at the top of the key. We're down 60-59. An anklebreaking crossover and spin move leaves Leon Claussen in the dust. Lane splits the defense, as he has all season long. Being so small, these 8 foot Drawk front court stray from their assignments and gravitate towards the 5'9 Equestrian, eager for the opportunity for a highlight reel block, in a massive moment, on the sport's biggest stage. But once again, Lane ready for it. Colquitt steps up, Lane bounce passes around her to a wide open Wanyanga Obong'o on the block. He catches the ball, and slams it home, uncontested. 9.8 left.

Everybody scrambling, because they need to play defense. Leon Claussen races down the floor, and Coach Les Benson calls timeout as soon as he crosses half court. 6.7 seconds left. 61-60 in favor of A&M. Our fans going nuts. Not a single butt in a seat. Zoe Sparks inbounding for Cavsar. Claussen gets the ball. He gets a screen and goes baseline. As he starts to go up, a trailing Kristian Lane gets a lot of the ball and knocks it out of bounds. A stunning block! Obviously Claussen wasn't able to get the ball above his head, but still- perfectly timed by the Equestrian. The 5'9 Equestrian point guard, blocking an 8'3 Drawk guard in the biggest moment of his career.

There was still 1.1 seconds left, however. This time, Leon Claussen in-bounded the basketball on the baseline. A&M didn't bother to put anyone on the ball- not enough time for a second pass, and considering the size differential, a person on the ball wouldn't make any difference anyways. Just a second guy in the paint instead. Prevent somebody crashing the rim for a lob pass. Then, tragedy. Zoe Sparks started in one corner, then ran around the three point line to the other corner, a few Gladiators players setting screens for her.

As she came off the last off ball screen, Claussen passed her the basketball. She caught, turned, and shot the ball, with Odongo Lukwiya trailing, and desperately leaping, trying to challenge the shot. But she landed, right arm in the air in shooting form, and the ball went through the basket right as the buzzer sounded. Right in front of the Cavsar bench and the Cavsar student section. She turned to the student section and held her arms up in the air in celebration while her team mobbed her, and a number of student section members of their long-suffering fanbase mobbed her.

Our players just looked on. Slowly walked back towards the bench. Hugged each other. There was a Cavsar marching band member who had thrown his drumstick into the air in celebration, and was desperately looking for it while rest of the band played the school fight song. The saddest moment. I have absolutely nothing else to say.

But let this not be the saddest moment. This is probably the greatest season in the history of A&M basketball. NSCAA Final Four? Brought us so many exciting moments. A fantastic conference tournament run in Valanora. Upset after upset here in Drawkland, to win our regional and make the Final Four. We went toe to toe with the world's best, and proved that we belong. Don't be sad that it ended- be glad that it happened.

Also, like I said earlier- I'll be driving(or getting a taxi) down to Sadeg to watch Heshima & Usian play for the DCIT. Hopefully you guys can support our Banijan brothers in their quest to win a title! It ain't SAU, so national pride baby!

I have nothing more to say. I'll post some of the instant reactions you guys sent us last night.

Instant Reactions

Antu Hairte

Gosh DAMN it. You know, I thought this team was truly blessed for a tournament run after we beat Richmond Racing School. IT was already a tournament run at that point, yes- but the chance to be the first Banijan school to win a NSCAA championship? Would've been nuts. As soon as Zoe Sparks curled around that screen, I knew it was over. She had too much space, and she's got too much of a clutch gene. Even from 17 feet- it was always going to be good. What a fucking season though. A&M for life!

Jombo Ndiaye

Man fuck. Sports bring you so many highs and so many lows, and this was heartbreaking. Kristian Lane is a fucking hero though. What a kid. Just 18! 5'9, his opposite is 8'3. He didn't score today, but he didn't have to. While his size was a problem on defense, Coach Kabula did a good job of hiding him and having him be a massive nuisance on the perimeter. On offense, because he was so small and quick, the defense would repeatedly lose him. He only had three shots on the day, all were blocked, and didn't get to the line. But 12 assists and 3 steals? What. A. Man.

Kabiru Sey

I was at the on-campus watch party for this game. We all went nuts when we threw down that dunk to take the lead... And went nuts again when Lane, of all players, had a huge freaking block. But you could hear a pin drop when Sparks hit her shot. Insane. I'm definitely gonna be at the airport when they get back in-country though. What a season.

Assan Sonko

Wow. Just wow. Hell of a season. I was watching with my girl and my brother and just... Silence. What a year though. There's no better life than being a Waterbucks fan- I wouldn't trade this school for any other in the multiverse.

[Commonwealth of Baker Park]

© Sporting Times Weekend 2021
EC looks to add to overflowing trophy case
by Kent Swisher, Senior College Basketball Writer

Caren Hunter has seen plenty of basketball in her nearly 20 years coaching at Endborough College, but until now had never seen an all-women's team face another Baker Park school lining up their men's team.

The Germans now have another feat to add to their lengthy list of firsts in history, as they defeated Osheana State 74-62 to advance to the final of the Drawkland Collegiate Invitational, a consolation event for NSCAA schools who missed out making the Ultra 64. Just don't tell Hunter that there's no value in being best of the rest.

“You know what, people who talk like that either have never won anything, or they've had everything handed to them on a silver platter. If there's a cup or a trophy or a plate at stake for winning, I'm going to treat it like it's the last thing I might ever win.”

The Germans will face off against Heshima & Usian University, who defeated their Banijan rivals University of Northern Morivica in the semis. Hunter is undaunted by the challenge of facing another all-male tean.

"This the 36th game we've played, I think we are beyond the worries of which gender is in the opposing unis. We're going to go out and play the game with the confidence that we won't be intimidated by the event, or some sense that we are the underdog. I think we are on an equal footing with Heshima & Usian, whether they think the same thing isn't my problem to worry about"

EC will be looking to capture their 99th trophy since 1952, far and away the most by any basketball team--male or female--in UAC history. Hunter reaffirmed that she would celebrate like it was the first & last championship win regardless.

"We will always live by the words of Miss Aldine (Atkinson, EC head coach from 1946-73, winner of 13 National Championships) 'we laugh & cry when we win, we cry then laugh when we lose. Neither of things changes us, as we'll always have Endborough College on our t**s'" (laughter)

[Drawkland]

Our first invitational champion has been crowned.

---

Final Scores

[Valanora]

Valanora Times
Once More, With Feeling

It is only fitting that Hondo's two most difficult games in the Ultra 64 tournament have come at the hands of their fellow Vanorian schools, each a surprise to have gotten to where they were in the first place, but that is sort of the Vanrian story for this NSCAA. While in years from now there might be a retroactive reflection on Hondo having run the gauntlet to the Championship game as the number one overall seed in the tournament, the story actually is the collective success of Vanorian schools as a whole during this edition of the NSCAA and how it might change from here on out, how the perception of Vanorian universities might change as well. Whatever happens tomorrow night in Drawkland, as Hondo takes on the home nation school of Cavsar University, a Drawkland school that has much animosity given to it by its fellow schools, it will not be able to exceed the shine that has been the overall success of Eternal Empire institutions and the erasure of the image of being choke artists who did not belong on the same court as the Dagans, Banija, Newmanistan, and Drawkland schools. This tournament is not about one single university, it is about a collective effort to make amends for years of suffering by fans and alumni and to finally come good on all the promise that they had pitched in joining the competition.

What should have been no surprise was the margin of error and how close the game between Hondo and the Jungle Cats of Everlin turned out to be, as two of the best defensive teams in the NSCAA from the regular went head to head against one another. It was a fairly common trait among the Vanorian schools, part of the way that those inside the Empire are taught to play the game, and most sports in fact. Where other nations might zero in on a players potential athletic or raw physical ability, Vanorian coaching and managing has always been about having the technical and tactical aspect of the game mastered, this has worked wonders in both basketball and ice hockey for Vanorian teams across the years, as these two sports in particular in theory necessitate a certain level of physical and athletic ability, of which Vanorians typically are on the lower end when compared to others. While most Vanorians are lithe to athletic in their builds, a trait that remains despite most of the elven population no longer occupying the Empire lands, they are not the sort of specimens you'd expect in the respective games, lacking the size and strength compared to most other competitors. They have had instead learned to win in other ways and the great defensive efforts of the teams in this years NSCAA is proof of that.

It was an ugly first half and one that would have likely turned off most of the neutrals watching the game in person or on television, as the vastly packed one hundred thousand seated arena had to endure a first half where both teams looked like they were going to not let the other score or get into any sort of rhythm. Center John Knudsen for Everlin was dominating the paint, not allowing any layups or short jump shots to be put up uncontested, gathering three blocks in the first half and generally keeping the probing drives of Hondo's guards under wraps, even in pick'n'roll situations. However on the other end, the slight height advantage for Hondo was paying dividends and they were making the shot selection for the Jungle Cats difficult and contested as well. It seemed like the game was going to be a completely defensive battle with both sides shooting under thirty-five percent from the field and the score Hondo twenty-nine and Everlin twenty-eight at the half time whistle. Despite the grindiness of the game, both teams looked relatively confident heading to the locker rooms.

Everlin decided to forego its traditional unorthodox two point-guard lineup with a shooting guard but Hondo remained the same yet both teams started to look more lively in the second half, sinking shots and actually playing some entertaining basketball. Senior point-guard Mathias Johansen was marshalling his troops well for Everlin and keeping the Jungle Cats in stride with a Hondo team that looked more like themselves in the second half with both shot selection as well as hitting those shots that had been taking the wrong bounce in the first half. When Hondo would punch, Johansen would take the Jungle Cats down and counter-punch, personally tying the game at sixty-three points each with twelve seconds to go on a hesitation move and then a lay up that brought the two teams level for the seventeenth time on the evening. Yet with as good as Hondo was playing, there was too much time left on the clock and it seemed inevitable as Maj Nyman received the pass in the corner and quickly let the shot fly before time expired, the ball swishing through the net as it hit nothing but net and Hondo had a game winning three pointer. Elation for one Vanorian team, heartbreak for the other, yet class between them both as they exchanged handshakes and hugs as they gained control of their emotions after the initial outpouring.

Hondo now goes against Cavsar not as one school taking on another, but the will of a nation against that of a school whose nation knows nothing but success when it comes to the sport, that is considered the blue blood of the sport both on the university as well as the international team level. Drawkland is one of the elite in basketball, they are expected to have a participant in the championship game or perhaps even both, it would not be seen as being out of place. Vanorian basketball is something of a footnote, despite its relative success in the IUBC, it still continues to fail as any real challenger in the IBC and until this season, failed to be credible in the NSCAA. Hondo may be the number one overall seed in this tournament but make no mistake about it, they are the underdogs in this one game as the weight of history of two nations on the complete opposite ends of the spectrum of success will have their representatives going at it. A storybook ending for Hondo would be a storybook ending for all those who support the game in the Empire, as it will mean that this collection of schools did what had been thought impossible a few months before and finally made their mark on the NSCAA in the most Vanorian way possible.

[Drawkland]

---

Cavsar Makes The Championship Game!

---

Gladiators to Represent Drawkland in NSCAA Final

Hello there, and welcome back to the Cavsar Chronicle! While our conservative expectations for the NSCF season seemed to pan out, with the Gladiator gridiron team falling short of the playoffs but earning a Karmin-Falce Auto Bowl win, our basketball squad has done something differently entirely. If you haven't been following our NSCAA season so far, we were placed in the Orange 16 Conference, and had an impressive but not blowaway run that resulted in us winning the regular season title. We would go on to wipe the floor in the conference tournament until we met the lowest seeded team in any conference championships, Starksville Medical Institute, who went on to win the game and the tournament title.

All of that is water under the bridge now. With the Ultra 64 getting underway, 208 teams were instantly dropped to 64 in contention for the true title. Half the field was whittled away round by round, including Starksville Medical and every other member of the Orange 16 Conference that made the cut. Four Drawkians fell in the first round, and another in the second. With still four rounds to go to determine a champion, only two Drawkian schools remained. It was starting to look like NSCAA 9, the season where Drawkland had a full slate in the tournament but was eliminted by the Elite Eight.

Through all of this chaos, Cavsar has managed to break through and beat everybody in front of them. They dropped 99 on Frostvale Institute of Technology (Saint Kanye's only entry to the Big Dance), had a late rally to beat University of Moravica (Banija's school with back-to-back NSCAA championship losses), and bested Farrer University (Quebec's former runner-up from NSCAA 9) by almost 50 points. Most of these games were relatively easy matches against bottom-half seeds, but wins are wins, and Cavsar were the only Drawkians besides the NSCAA 8 champions Elmanden District College left.

Once the time came for the Elite Eight, the competition stepped up considerably. The 7th-seeded Gladiator squad was set in a chalk matchup with the #2 team in the tournament, University of Jaipur from Pratapgadh. This game was expected to be a tight back-and-forth affair. The Pillars had been a nearly unstoppable force during the course of the conference season, and they still looked strong through three rounds. Jaipur had played three straight chalk matchups, and were set for a fourth against us. There was no way you could say they didn't deserve to be there, so it was expected to be the sort of game where whoever has the ball last will come away with the win.

For the first half of the game, this projection was entirely accurate. The Pillars and the Gladiators were outpacing each other's defenses, with the baskets swishing constantly. All the shooters were in a rhythm for both sides. At halftime, the score was 47-45 in favor of Jaipur. Even though they were technically trailing, this wasn't a deficit you could really feel. If Cavsar won the tipoff (as they should, with the height advantage), they'd probably get right back into the lead on their first possession. This did come to pass, and it wasn't until the late second half that momentum started to turn.

After Zoe Sparks hit a nice stepback three, Jaipur would get the ball back on a long possession, but come away empty after a bricked shot and a defensive rebound for Cavsar. The Gladiator offense sped down the court, and with some space to work with, Leon Claussen launched a nice three-pointer to suddenly widen what started as a 2-point lead to an 8-point one. Jaipur would go down and just barely miss their next shot, and Cavsar would go down and sink another three. Jaipur got their next shot, but Cavsar's defense woke up and was clamping down. Over the last five minutes of play, Cavsar's defense got four turnovers off steals from Jaipur, and turned them all into points on the other end.

Out of seemingly nowhere, the Gladiators had gotten on a hot streak and had taken a decisive lead before the waning minutes. Though Jaipur battled hard through to the final whistle, but the damage had been done. They were knocked out of the tournament, and Cavsar was heading back to Drawkland to play in the Final Four.

Centivar County isn't exactly a comfortable drive from Cavsar and the surrounding areas, but compared to going to a different region? Everybody could make that drive, especially thanks to the obscene number of tickets on sale to fill Millennium Arena. Not to mention, Cavsar were the last hope for Drawkland, so plenty of college-neutral pro-Drawkland fans would also be in attendance. Bunyoro A&M would be the opponent. Despite being in a rural area, had a very dedicated fanbase back in Banija, and a surprisingly massive amount of them came in to support the last bastion of Banijan basketball in the tournament. All of this, with both schools being the furthest they'd ever managed in the tournament, was a recipe for a wild crowd in the building.

The crowd was cooking, and this quickly became an issue for the teams as the match started. With such a huge crowd, in some cases ten times larger than these teams are used to, noise was a big issue. It was difficult for either offense to get to a good rhythm, and both teams feasted on the defensive side of the ball. Still, it was a blow-for-blow contest where no team managed to build more than a three-point lead through the entire course of the game. Unlike the previous round against Jaipur, this was absolutely going to be a game that came down to the wire. With a clutch assist, Kristian Lane dished the ball to Wanyanga Obong'o on a slam dunk that got A&M the lead with 9.8 seconds to go, 60-61.

Leon Claussen would dash up to floor and Les Benson called the timeout once he got past halfcourt so the Gladiators could set up one more play to save our season. Zoe Sparks got the ball to inbound and kicked it to Claussen, who would attempt a baseline shot for the win. To literally everybody's surprise, the 5'9" Lane would elevate and poke the ball free from Claussen and send it out of bounds with just over a second remaining. We would get one last chance, but only enough time to inbound and throw up the prayer shot to take the lead. Fortunately, a three wouldn't be necessary to win.

Claussen got the ball to inbound this time. Not bothering to waste a defender on covering Claussen at the baseline, the coverage in the court was much tighter. As he has hundreds of times in his career, Benson had drawn up a beautiful play. Zoe Sparks started from one corner and broke past two expertly executed blocks to get close to Claussen. Leon flung the ball to Sparks, who was now wide open. With just enough time to throw it up, Sparks sent it ahead of Odongo Lukwiya's attempted block, and it was a no-doubter. As the buzzer sounded, the ball went nothing but net. The already loud crowd went absolutely insane, sending the entire arena into a frenzy. Sparks was mobbed by her teammates as the pep band launched the fight song, and it was official. Cavsar had won 62-61 and go on to the NSCAA 12 Championship.

Now we have a pretty conventional matchup in the championship. #7 Cavsar vs none other than #1 University of Hondo from Valanora. However, if you asked anybody who wasn't paying attention which Drawkland NSCF school made the NSCAA championship this season, they'd probably guess Sadeg State. But guess what? The Skyhawks got not only eliminated, but blown out by a bubble team in the first round! The Gladiators proved that this season they were the far better team by making this run to the championship. Win or lose, we bested our new "rivals" in Sadeg this season, and that's something they can't take away from us.

As for the matchup itself, it's going to be a hard one to call. Hondo has been dominating the court, posting one of the best defenses in the entire competition. They looked like a true #1 seed throughout the course of the tournament, facing a chalk matchup in every round of the bracket until now. Thanks to our defeat of Jaipur, Hondo would have to settle for playing a "lower" seed in the final. This game could honestly go either way. I know I'm a Cavsar student, so I have to say that we will be good enough to win, but this is a hard decision. Hondo might simply be the better team, bar none. I wouldn't be surprised if the game gets ugly for us early. I think every neutral would prefer an exciting game that comes to the wire, but you can't count on that.

The implications of this game are also very tasty. Hondo are the last remaining school from Valanora. The Empire has had many woeful seasons throughout their long NSCAA history. This tournament was the first time any of their schools got to the Final Four. They got two in the semis, with Hondo and Everlin fighting for the opportunity to represent their nation in the championship. This season has been the breakaway to destroy their penchant as a nation of chokers and mediocre college basketball success. Even if Hondo doesn't come away with the win, I think everyone can agree it was a successful season, and one we'd hope to see again.

For our Gladiators, this is also a big one. Not as big as potentially being the first NSCAA champion from our nation, as both EDC and Sadeg State beat us to that. However, those jerks at Sadeg State keep trying to make us look as bad as possible. The fact that they have an NSCAA (and now NSCF) trophy and we don't? That's just fuel on the fire, and something that's hard to overcome. This is our best, and perhaps our only chance to come away with the basketball championship. A loss here means at least three years of torment from Skyhawks fans berating us, and likely even more. If we win, we'll be the third Drawkian champion and bring Drawkland even with Cassadaigua in the NSCAA title count.

As I said earlier, it would just be great if it's a fun matchup to watch. Nobody wants to see a gross blowout (besides the fans of whichever team is winning), so hopefully it's a great game. The pressure is on for both teams, who are both clearly worthy of a championship. I'm as excited as anyone else to watch these games, which is why I managed to snag a ticket to watch the game in-person. I know one thing's for sure: I'm bringing earplugs. Good luck to all the players, and Go Glads!

Written by Eric Benson

[Chromatika]

It's been a long road getting from there to here...

On one hand, the consensus #1 team at the start of the tournament, their sword bloodied with the blood of two of their countrymen, ready to prove that Valanora's sporting empire stretches beyond that of just the football pitch or the ice hockey rink but also to the hardwood floors of the court. On the other, the unlikeliest of schools to represent the host country, the arena likely to be rocking with the chants of the hometown crowd.

Who will take the title? Cutoff!

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Result