By Georgetown

Two years ago, Illinois played Arizona in the NCAA men's division 1 tournament, known more colloquially as March Madness. They were down 15 points with a little over three minutes to go, and it seemed, a one-loss team was about to get their second loss. Bruce Weber, who had just began coaching Illinois, during the huge coaching merry-go-round that saw Roy Williams leave Kansas for UNC, then Bill Self leave Illinois for Kansas, then Bruce Weber leave Southern Illinois for Illinois. This was magic pulled out of a rabbit's hat. Some Illinois kept coming back, kept scoring points, and eventually, inexplicably, won that game.

Last year, George Mason took on powerhouse UConn. It was classic David vs. Goliath. Mason would take a lead, then see UConn claw back, eventually tying it, forcing it to overtime. When a big-time team like UConn forces you into overtime, that's usually it. Thanks Cinderella, your dance is over. Please take your coat and see your way to the exit. Except this Cinderella put up a fight, threw punches, and kept scoring. And UConn, was felled by the proverbial stone, this one orange, thrown by the kids who could.

Watch enough basketball games, and you begin to get a rhythm of how most games go, how games where one team is able to keep a ten point lead tend to lead to victory. As time clicks to 8 minutes, the team with a significant lead can often see victory within grasp. And so it was with the Tarheels and the Hoyas.

Let's take stock, and look at the situation. College basketball is played in two twenty minute halves, with numerous events causing the clock to stop and start again.

9 minutes 56 seconds. Deon Thompson of the Tarheels makes it 73-65. Jeff Green (Georgetown) misses a two point layup, with Wright making the rebound. Danny Green (Tarheels) misses a 3 point jumper. Jeff Green rebounds. Hibbert (Georgetown) misses two point shot. Deon Thompson gets the rebound, but Sapp (Georgetown) misses a 3 pointer, then Hansborough (UNC) rebounds, and Hibbert eventually misses a 2 pointer, then Ginyard (UNC) rebounds, and a foul is made by Rivers. Two free throws later, and UNC is up 75-65.

The time is 7 min 19 seconds remaining. 2 minutes and 37 seconds elapsed, with Georgetown having four attempts to score, and coming out with zero points.

This doesn't get any prettier, at least, not right away. DaJuan Summers (Georgetown) misses a two pointer. Hibbert misses a two point tip shot. DaJuan misses a three point jumper. Then, it's UNC's turn. Danny Green misses a three point jumper. Wright misses a two pointer. Jeff Green (Georgetown) makes one of two free throws. Georgetown is down 75-66, by 9 points, and there is 6 minutes 2 seconds left.

In nearly four minutes of play, Georgetown has scored 1 point and UNC 2 points. Ten shots were attempted. None made. Ineptitude? Good defense? You decide. Either way, it's drama.

5 minutes 36 seconds and Jessie Sapp (Georgetown) makes 2, and it's 75-68, now a 7 point game. Ellington (UNC) misses a three pointer. Jeff Green makes a two pointer, and it's 75-70. Five point game with a little over five minutes to play. Five points is a nervous lead, especially with five minutes to go. Hibbert is teetering at three fouls. Five and he's out.

Hibbert makes two more points at 4 minutes 22 seconds (score: 75-72), but then must foul at 3 minutes 48 seconds, his fourth. Wright makes both free throws. UNC has been deadly accurate in free throws all evening, eventually making 29 of 34.

Then Georgetown makes two free throws of its own, and it's 77-74 with 3 minutes 15 seconds to go.

Patrick Ewing Jr cuts the lead to 1 by making a two point layup. It's 77-76. But Hansborough, the talented UNC center is fouled by Ewing, and the lead goes back to three, 79-76.

Sapp makes a two pointer to get it back to 1 point, but Hansborough makes two more, to bring the lead up to 3. There's one minute 41 seconds left. Jeff Green misses a two pointer. So does Hansbrough. There's 48 seconds left. Will the three point lead hold? Should Georgetown go for two now, and hope to make up the difference sometime later.

Jonathan Wallace, with an arm in the way, wants it tied, and lets fly from deep. Game tied, 32 seconds to go. It's 81-81.

In ten minutes time, UNC only scores 8 points, while Georgetown scores 16 points, and there were times where Georgetown looked like it would catch up, but kept missing and missing, and UNC would inch ahead and inch ahead, but just not enough.

Overtime was basically a disaster for UNC. UNC would score three points. Georgetown 15 points. An exercise in futility. This team which had scored 50 points in the first half sputtered to a halt, almost through it's own fault.

I was rooting for Georgetown. My brackets have them winning it all, but being down 10-11 points with 10 minutes to go, and I thought there was no way. And Georgetown kept having opportunities, but kept being unable to take advantage. And you know what? I didn't notice that UNC was also not taking advantage. But then, I felt, at any point, they could explode, or at worse, just keep pace, and let that ten point lead be the cushion to victory.

Hibbert, the center that plays a key role for Georgetown was at three fouls much of the way, and even when he picked up his fourth, he managed key blocks and rebounds to keep Georgetown in it. And when they tied, it seemed momentum had changed, and when the lead was 2, then 4, then 6, then 10, and you knew UNC had blown it, that the team that was once John Thompson the third's father's was now his own.

Thompson, junior, the dad, Big John, as they call him, looked forlorn with ten minutes to go. Sorry, son, the road the final four is tough. A few bad calls, otherwise, it'd be all yours boy. But miraculously, Big John saw Little John's team keep in it, and make plays, and cut the lead, and cut the lead, until the final thirty seconds, when Georgetown tied it. And even then, UNC held for the last shot, and lofted a three pointer. And it went.

And went.

And clanged off the back iron.

And there were two seconds left to try to win in regulation.

And then it was overtime.

And then it was Georgetown.

And Big John smiled.

Georgetown was back. Back to the final four. Back in good hands. Back where he had left her so long ago.

It wasn't the miracle of Illinois, nor George Mason's miracle boys over UConn, but it was good. In a tournament that's not had its share of excitement, this was a win worth savoring.