HOUSTON — As Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler dribbled out the final seconds Thursday night at the Toyota Center, Tomislav Ivišić walked down the court with his arms raised in triumph at making it through the heavyweight fight.

The No. 3 seed Illini survived a gritty defensive battle in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to top No. 2 seed Houston 65-55. It was Illinois’ lowest-scoring output in a win this season.

Illinois advances to its sixth NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance since 1975 and second in three years. Since 2000, the Illini also made it to a regional final in 2001, in 2005 during the run to the national title game and in 2024.

The Illini will play No. 9 seed Iowa, which beat No. 4 seed Nebraska 77-71 in the first game in the South Region on Thursday night to advance to its first Elite Eight since 1987. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:09 p.m. Saturday in Houston.

Illinois turned a two-point halftime lead into a 44-26 advantage with a 17-0 run. David Mirković and Ben Humrichous made back-to-back 3-pointers to punctuate it, and the Illini jumped and danced off the bench into a timeout.

Houston went nearly seven minutes without a basket before Milos Uzan broke it with a 3-pointer with 11:20 to play. The Cougars clawed back within nine points on back-to-back 3-pointers by Chase McCarty with 6:32 to play. But Ivišić and Keaton Wagler followed with 3s to counter.

Houston made another late run, with Emanuel Sharp’s drive with 42 seconds to play cutting it to seven points. Illinois hadn’t scored a field goal since lengthening its lead to 58-41 with 3:41 to play, though Kylan Boswell made 6 of 10 free throws after that. But the Illini held on for the win.

Mirković led Illinois with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Wagler added 13 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

The Illini led just 24-22 at halftime against the nation’s fourth-rated defense, according to KenPom, the lowest-scoring half of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Cougars made every shot a battle in the early going. Through four minutes, Illinois shot 1-for-10 from the field and Houston 0-for-7.

Illinois found a little cushion when wing Andrej Stojaković hit a turnaround jumper at the shot-clock buzzer and then a corner 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions to give the Illini a seven-point lead with 4:23 to play in the half.

A Wagler 3-pointer made it eight points with 3:23 left in the half. But the Illini didn’t score again before halftime. Kingston Flemings’ 3-pointer with 1 second to play before halftime cut it to two.

Flemings, considered one of the nation’s top freshman guards, led Houston with seven points at halftime and finished with just 11 points. Sharp scored 17 for the Cougars.

The Illini, known for the nation’s No. 2 offense, used its defense to stay ahead in the first half. The Cougars shot 9-for-33 from the field and 4-for-17 from 3-point range.

Iowa, which knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round, continued its surprise tournament run behind 20 points and four assists from senior guard Bennett Stirtz.

Playing in front of a crowd packed with Nebraska fans, Stirtz gave Iowa its first lead of the game with a 3-pointer with 2:10 to play, and freshman Tate Sage followed with another 3 to make it 71-65 with 1:18 left.

Nebraska’s Braden Frager cut it to three with his own 3-pointer. But after a Nebraska timeout, Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras got behind Nebraska’s press with only four Cornhuskers players on the court for a dunk and a free throw after a foul. He had another big dunk with 34 seconds to play, and Iowa hung on from there.

Nebraska started the game off hot, making 6 of 10 3-point attempts in the first nine minutes. That included three from Frager and two from Pryce Sandfort, who finished with 25 points.

But Nebraska’s three-minute scoring drought late in the first half allowed Iowa to pull within 40-38. Sage hit a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to cut Nebraska’s lead to 46-43, and the Hawkeyes mounted the comeback win from there.

Illinois won its only meeting with Iowa during the regular season 75-69 on Jan. 11 in Iowa City behind a balanced performance from its guards. Boswell helped hold Stirtz to 12 points in the game.

Point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor of the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal next month, his father confirmed today.

Mario Claytor, a former Hawaii Hilo basketball player, said his son “loves Hawaii” and has a good relationship with his teammates and UH coaches. But Claytor said his son wants to seek his “value” through the portal. Claytor said the “door is open” to a possible return to the Rainbow Warriors.

The transfer portal opens April 7 for NCAA basketball players. Coaches from other schools cannot have direct contact with players who are not officially in the portal. But third-party representatives, such as agents, may have conversations. Claytor said about 15 schools have inquired about his son.

UH coaches and Hunkin-Claytor declined requests to discuss the situation.

Hunkin-Claytor, who grew up in Wahiawa and Laie, was a standout guard at ‘Iolani for two years through 2022. As a sophomore, he was named to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15 All-State team. He moved with his family to California in 2022.

In two years with Salesian College Prep in Richmond, Calif., Hunkin-Claytor led the Pride to Tri-County Athletic Conference titles. In both seasons, he was named the conference’s Player of the Year.

Hunkin-Claytor reportedly turned down 17 offers to sign with the ’Bows in 2024. He played in 29 games, starting the final 11, as a UH freshman in 2024-25.

This past season, he started 17 games before suffering a season-ending toe injury. The ’Bows were 13-4 in games in which he started.

If Hunkin-Claytor departs, Isaac Finlinson, Isaiah Kerr, Tanner Cuff and AJ Economou would be the returning players from a team that won the 2026 Big West Tournament and competed in the NCAA Tournament.

Habtom Samuel and Pamela Kosgei have been named the men’s and women’s Mountain West Indoor Student-Athletes of the Year for the indoor track and field season, the league announced Thursday.

Samuel won league titles in the men’s 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter finals at the Mountain West Indoor Track and Field Championships before claiming his first indoor national championship in the latter race at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Kosgei, like Samuel, swept the Mountain West women’s 3K and 5K finals to help secure her second consecutive Indoor Student-Athlete of the Year honor.

Both Samuel and Kosgei were also named to the Bowerman award watch list Thursday. Named for famed Oregon track and field coach, the award is annually given to the most outstanding men’s and women’s collegiate track and field athletes.

Mar. 26—PULLMAN — One of Washington State's longest tenured players has played his final game for the program.

Third-year sophomore guard Parker Gerrits has decided to enter the transfer portal, he announced on social media Thursday, becoming the fourth Cougar to make that decision this offseason.

A 6-foot-2 guard from Olympia, Gerrits averaged 1.7 points in 9.4 minutes per game in his WSU career, playing in 63 total games in two seasons of action. Last season, he scored a career-high 11 points in a win over Portland, finding a niche as a reserve guard.

"This has been one of the hardest decisions of my life," Gerrits wrote in his post. "There's a real weight that comes with walking away from a place that means so much, and from people who mean even more. But I know in my heart it's time for me to take my love for the game somewhere new and continue growing."

Gerrits' true freshman year was 2023-24, the final season under former coach Kyle Smith, who took WSU to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2008. Gerrits redshirted that year, then played 9.6 minutes per game as a redshirt freshman, then about the same amount this last season.

With Gerrits' departure, zero players from WSU's NCAA Tournament team now remain on the roster.

Gerrits joins forwards Eemeli Yalaho and Emmanuel Ugbo and guard Kase Wynott as WSU players deciding to enter the portal, which is set to open on April 7. It will close on April 21.

Earlier this month, wing Ri Vavers was reported to be planning to enter the portal, but he refuted that on social media. Vavers could still enter the portal, though.

Washington State also won't return point guard Adria Rodriguez, who last week opted to return to his home country of Spain and join a professional team there.

Mar. 26—SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Top-seeded UND and fourth-seeded Merrimack are playing in the first round of the 2026 NCAA men's hockey tournament.

Time: 7:30 p.m. Central.

Place: Denny Sanford Premier Center, Sioux Falls, S.D.

TV: ESPN2 (GF Ch. 26/621 HD).

Radio: The Fox (96.1 FM).

Stream:

Watch ESPN

in the U.S. or

TSN Plus

in Canada.

Forwards

26 Dylan James—29 Ellis Rickwood—9 Will Zellers

7 Mac Swanson—17 Cole Reschny—21 Ben Strinden

19 Cody Croal—15 Jack Kernan—14 Tyler Young

22 David Klee—20 Cade Littler—24 Josh Zakreski

Defensemen

4 Jake Livanavage—2 Bennett Zmolek

25 Abram Wiebe—6 E.J. Emery

16 Andrew Strathmann—18 Keaton Verhoeff

13 Sam Laurila

Goaltenders

35 Jan Špunar

31 Gibson Homer

1 Zach Sandy

Not in lineup: F Ollie Josephson (inj), F Anthony Menghini, F Dalton Andrew, D Jayden Jubenvill, D Ian Engel

Forwards

29 Caelan Fitzpatrick—12 Parker Lalonde—21 Caden Cranston

11 Nick Pierre—23 Justin Gill—10 Trevor Hoskin

19 Mark Hillier—20 Nolan Flamand—26 Michael Emerson

28 Ryan O'Connell—6 Daniel Astapovich—16 Ty Daneault

Defensemen

4 Seamus Powell—24 Austin Oravetz

2 Nathan King—17 Cam Kungle

3 Filip Nordberg—7 Ethan Beyer

8 Hunter Mayo

Goaltenders

Max Lundgren

Ryan Keyes

Not in lineup: F Benjamin Yurchuk, F Joseph Henneberry, F Jack Richard, D Trent Ballentyne, D Matthew Campbell, G Nils Wallstrom

Referees — TBA (CCHA)

Linesmen — TBA (CCHA)

Supervisor — Marco Hunt (CCHA)

UND's line is as expected — no Ollie Josephson (lower-body injury). Jack Kernan slides into his spot as the center of the third line. . . Merrimack is using the same lineup as the Hockey East championship last Saturday. . . UND is looking for its first NCAA win since 2021, when it beat American International in Fargo. . . The Fighting Hawks are playing their first game in the state of South Dakota. It is the 29th different state UND has played in. . . The officials are from the CCHA, but they also work Big Ten games.

Mar. 26—MOSES LAKE — Though March Madness has wrapped up for Washington college teams, there are still plenty of teams in the state competing in spring athletics ahead of their break. See where your favorite team is heading this week.

BBCC

Baseball (7-11)

March 28 @ Wenatchee Valley, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 1 vs Spokane, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

Softball (4-9)

March 27 vs Blue Mountain, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 28 vs Treasure Valley, noon, 2 p.m.

CWU

Baseball (9-15)

March 27 vs Northwest Nazarene, noon, 3 p.m.

March 28 vs Northwest Nazarene, noon, 3 pm.

Softball (7-19)

March 27 @ Western Washington, noon, 2 p.m.

March 28 @ Western Washington, noon, 2 p.m.

EWU

Tennis (8-6)

March 28 @ Northern Arizona University, 10 a.m.

Men's Golf

March 30-31 @ Seattle U Redhawk Invitational, Chambers Bay Golf Course

Gonzaga

Baseball (9-12)

March 27 @ Pacific, 6 p.m.

March 28 @ Pacific, 3 p.m.

March 29 @ Pacific, 1 p.m.

March 30 vs Nevada, 1 p.m.

April 2 vs Pepperdine, 6 p.m.

Men's Golf

March 30-31 @ Seattle U Redhawk Invitational, Chambers Bay Golf Course

Rowing

March 28-29 @ San Diego Crew Classic, Mission Bay, CA

Men's Tennis (6-5)

March 27 vs Santa Clara, 2 p.m.

March 29 vs San Diego, 11 a.m.

Women's Tennis (8-7)

March 28 @ Pacific, 10 a.m.

March 29 @ Saint Mary's, 10:30 a.m.

UW

Baseball (10-14)

March 27 vs Northwestern, 7 p.m.

March 28 vs Northwestern, 7 p.m.

March 29 vs Northwestern, 1 p.m.

March 31 @ Oregon State, 6 p.m.

April 2 vs Valparaiso, 7 p.m.

Softball (27-6)

March 27 @ Iowa, 4 p.m.

March 28 @ Iowa, 11 a.m.

March 29 @ Iowa, 10 a.m.

April 2 @ Saint Mary's, 2 p.m.

April 2 @ Stanford, 5 p.m.

Men's Golf

March 26-28 @ The Goodwin, Stanford CA

Rowing

March 27-28 @ Sarasota, FL

Gymnastics

April 2 @ NCAA Regionals, Corvallis, OR, 2 p.m.

Men's Tennis (7-10)

March 27 @ Nebraska, 3 p.m.

March 29 @ Wisconsin, 11 a.m.

Women's Tennis (13-1)

March 27 vs Northwestern, 4 p.m.

March 29 vs Illinois, noon

Track and Field

March 28 @ Peyton-Shotwell Invitational, 11 a.m.

April 2 @ Texas Relays, Austin, TX

WSU

Baseball (10-12)

March 27 vs Nevada, 4 p.m.

March 28 vs Nevada, 2 p.m.

March 29 vs Nevada, noon

March 31 @ Seattle U, 4 p.m.

April 2 @ San Jose State, 6 p.m.

Men's Golf

March 26-28 @ The Goodwin, Stanford, CA

Women's Golf

March 29-31 @ Silicon Valley Showcase, Millbrae, CA

Rowing

March 28 @ San Diego Crew Classic, 10 a.m.

March 29 @ San Diego Crew Classic, 9:20 a.m.

Women's Tennis (9-6)

March 28 @ Saint Mary's, 10:30 a.m.

March 29 @ Pacific, 11 a.m.

Track and Field

April 2 @ Mike Fanelli Invitational, San Francisco, CA

Wenatchee Valley

Baseball

March 28 vs BBCC, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

April 1 @ Columbia Basin, 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

Softball

March 27 vs Columbia Basin, 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

March 28 vs Walla Walla, noon, 2 p.m.

Mar. 26—SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Ten years ago today, I sat in a hotel room in Cincinnati and had an idea.

With the unpredictability of the NCAA men's hockey tournament, I wondered if I could even predict the results better than a coin. The answer was a resounding no.

In Year 1, the coin correctly predicted UND would win the NCAA national title. I did not. The battle was on.

I've now beaten the coin five years in a row. But an NCAA rules change last summer allowed Canadian Hockey League players to retain their NCAA eligibility, and it has led to even more parity this season in college hockey and a deep tournament field.

We'll see what 2026 brings.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan State over UConn. Dartmouth over Wisconsin. Michigan State over Dartmouth.

Comments: Michigan State has just about everything you want in a team — high-end skill, tenacity, scoring ability, tough defending, elite goaltending and a good mix of younger/older players. Although UConn is playing well, that's going to be a tough matchup. Dartmouth is coming into the tournament hot; Wisconsin is not. We'll see if that matters. Beware of Dartmouth's Hayden Stavroff. He has one of the best releases in the country. The Badgers, meanwhile, need their goaltenders to play better to make a run.

The coin's picks: Michigan State over UConn. Wisconsin over Dartmouth. Wisconsin over Michigan State.

Schlossman's picks: North Dakota over Merrimack. Providence over Quinnipiac. North Dakota over Providence.

Comments: Like Michigan State, North Dakota has just about everything you want in a playoff hockey team. This is a hard, direct team. When the Fighting Hawks are at their best, they're an extremely difficult out. They've lost one regulation game in two months, two in the last four months. Providence isn't flashy, but when NHL teams are trying to sign your fourth-line center, you know you've got impressive depth up the middle.

The coin's picks: North Dakota over Merrimack. Quinnipiac over Providence. Quinnipiac over North Dakota.

Schlossman's picks: Minnesota State over Western Michigan. Denver over Cornell. Denver over Minnesota State.

Comments: There will not be many goals scored in this regional. All four teams are impressive on the defensive end. Whoever comes out of this regional will be battle-tested. Western Michigan is a contender to win back-to-back NCAA titles, but losing defensemen Joona Väisänen and Cole Crusberg-Roseen to season-ending injuries hurts big-time. In 17 of the last 19 NCAA tournaments, at least one No. 4 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed. So, I've got to pick at least one. Denver, meanwhile, is red hot with Johnny Hicks in net.

The coin's picks: Western Michigan over Minnesota State. Cornell over Denver. Western Michigan over Cornell.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan over Bentley. Minnesota Duluth over Penn State. Minnesota Duluth over Michigan.

Comments: This regional features an interesting contrast in styles. Michigan and Penn State are high-flying offensively. Bentley and Minnesota Duluth will counter with structured defensive teams. The Bulldogs could give a lot of fits to the Big Ten squads, especially if Adam Gajan is at the top of his game. Penn State and Michigan rank 1-3 in most penalty minutes per game. Minnesota Duluth has the No. 2 power play in the country. The Plante brothers will feast if Penn State is undisciplined.

The coin's picks: Bentley over Michigan. Penn State over Minnesota Duluth. Penn State over Bentley.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan State over North Dakota. Denver over Minnesota Duluth. Michigan State over Denver.

Comments: Michigan State was our preseason pick to win it all, and we don't feel there's any reason to change that. The Spartans were the last Big Ten team to win an NCAA title 19 years ago in St. Louis. Could they end the Big Ten drought in Las Vegas?

The coin's picks: Wisconsin over Quinnipiac. Western Michigan over Penn State. Wisconsin over Western Michigan.

In baseball, the NCAA calls the second phase of its tournament  a “Super Regional.” No such moniker exists for March Madness, but it would be apt for the men’s basketball drama about to unfold in Washington this weekend.

UConn vs. Michigan State, Duke vs. St. John’s on Friday, the winners play for the East Regional’s portal to the Final Four on Sunday. It doesn’t get much bigger, or better, than this.

“It’s pretty brutal on Twitter,” said UConn coach Dan Hurley, who favors the graphic analogy, after the matchups were set. “And socials between (UConn and St. John’s) fan bases, but I think we have to try to come together Friday night against our opponents so we can have a blood bath on Sunday.”

This Date In UConn March Madness History: Huskies lose heartbreaker despite Allen’s 36 points

If these four teams were in different regionals, they might all be gathering in Indianapolis next week for the Final Four without busting too many brackets, but the metrics dictated this grouping as far as the selection process went. It put St. John’s and UConn, the two best teams in the Big East, already having met three times, in the same bracket. Duke, the No. 1 seed, and Michigan State, No. 3, will have their say in this, but it’s safe to say this quadrant of the country is itching for Coach-a-mania IV between Hurley and Rick Pitino.

In a way, it is vindication for the Big East, which got only three teams in the Field of 68, largely because of out-of-conference performances four months ago. UConn assembled a tough schedule and went 5-1 against nonconference opponents, positioning itself for a No. 2 seed. The Johnnies did not fair well out of conference, but dominated the league, won two of three against the Huskies and were put on the No. 5 line.

“I think it speaks to the quality of what us and St. John’s are this year,” Hurley said. “I think they’re a great team. I think we’re a great team. I think it was much needed. I think with coming off of a three-bid year, obviously, Seton Hall was close. They did their part in the nonconference. Seton Hall got hurt by the overall league this year. I just think us and St. John’s are two of the best teams in the country.”

UConn, after beating Furman and UCLA in its subregional in Philadelphia, and St. John’s, which survived the second round in San Diego with a dramatic, high-degree-of-difficulty winning shot from Dylan Darling to beat Kansas, have major obstacles still separating them. Michigan State, the only program ever to deny UConn at a Final Four, in 2009, have a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo and come out of the formidable Big Ten. Duke, ultimate ACC blue blood and, one might argue, the one school UConn fans love to hate more than any conference rival, stands in Pitino’s way.

St. John’s, despite their seeding, are one of the “it” teams in the field. Pitino, 73, also in the Hall of Fame, has taken Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to Final Fours, winning championships with the latter two, and has few demons left to wrestle. But Duke is one. In 1992, he was knocked out of the Final Four on a game-winning shot by Christian Laettner, two years after Laettner broke UConn’s heart in the school’s first Elite Eight. UConn eventually slayed Duke on the way to championships in 1999 and 2004. So UConn and St. John’s have common ground, hating on Laettner … but then again, didn’t everybody?

Hurley will join Pitino and Izzo in the Hall of Fame one day, as virtually every coach with at least two championships is inducted eventually. This third trip in four years to the Round of 16 only adds to his body of work, but he’s aiming for select company in his quest for three championships, as is captain Alex Karaban, the remaining starter from the 2023 and ’24 champions.

“I definitely don’t want my career to end so doing everything in my power to help lead this team to make sure that happens and get the win,” Karaban said, after scoring his career high 27 points vs. UCLA. “Do anything possible to make sure I get the win. …  I don’t go into a game thinking what if we lose? That’s the worst mentality to have. Think about winning nonstop, and just helping this team out.”

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So let’s make the large leap and assume it comes down to UConn vs. St. John’s.

Here’s the storyline: What teams can you remember playing three times in a season with such wildly different results? St. John’s won handily at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6, and even more handily in the Big East final on March 14, with star center Zuby Ejiofor dominating the Huskies both times. In between, Ejiofor was a nonfactor as UConn won by 32 in Hartford on Feb. 25. Anyone who tries to predict what would happen Sunday, what new wrinkle Pitino might pull out of the sleeve of his fancy suit, what adjustment Hurley and his staff might use to counter the last game, is giving you a snow job. If that’s where we land, let it play out and enjoy it.

The only thing that could make this super regional even more epic would be if Duke were still coached by Mike Krzyzewski, but his replacement, Jon Scheyer, has not gone the way of others who replace such legends. He’s kept Duke, top overall seed, in the national conversation. But no matter how hot St. John’s is, losing to a No.5 won’t sit well in Durham, N.C.

Next up for UConn men on rugged road to Final Four? A showdown between Dan Hurley, Tom Izzo

What we’re about to see are clashes of college basketball’s titans, colorful personalities, personal rivalries, traditional rivalries, conference rivalries, storied programs, drama, pressure, intensity and intrigue — was somebody looking to prevent two Big East teams reaching the Final Four? — and all in one place. It would’ve made a hell of a Final Four, and it’s no garden variety regional. It is, indeed, the super regional.

“It stinks a little bit that they threw us both in the same region,” Hurley said. “It feels like the combination of St. John’s being underseeded, as well as putting us both in same region. It’s probably a little bit early, but obviously, I think we’ve got to … support each other.”

Mar. 25—MANKATO — Natalie Bremer has reached the pinnacle of Division II women's basketball. The Lake City graduate and Minnesota State University, Mankato senior guard was named the WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year.

Bremer was named an All-American on Tuesday, then received the top award Wednesday. She became the first player in the history of Minnesota State, Mankato to be named the Player of the Year.

One year ago, Bremer was honored as a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. This year, her best of four terrific seasons at Mankato, she took things to the top.

"It is very cool to see that all the hard work I've put into basketball my entire life has now reaped this kind of reward; it is awesome," Bremer said. "I think I was able to win the award because I've been able to grow all aspects of my game over the years. It's not just the stats, but that I've been showing up in other areas of the game. I've impacted the game in lots of ways."

The school's all-time leading scorer (2,371 career points) averaged 21.8 points per game this season while shooting 49% from the field, 37% from 3-point range and 88% from the free-throw line. She also grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game.

Bremer had 21 games of 20 or more points, including four times scoring in the 30s. She became the Mavericks' all-time leading scorer this season with 2,371 career points.

Minnesota State, Mankato finished 29-3 this season, including 21-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Mavericks lost to Minnesota Duluth, 72-63, in the NCAA Central Region Tournament.

Besides being the Mavericks' first national Player of the Year, she became just the fifth Mankato player to be named All-American. There, she joined Elsie Ohm, Lisa Walters, Heather Johnson and Joey Batt.

Mavericks coach Emilee Thiesse lauded her for her success and commitment.

"Natalie has cemented herself as one of the very best in all of Division II Women's Basketball," Thiesse said. "She is a proven leader and performer who has left an indelible mark on our program. Natalie has fully embraced the values of Mavericks women's basketball and her continued growth and development as a player reflect her outstanding work ethic and competitive drive. We are extremely proud of Natalie for this honor; she is truly deserving of this incredible recognition."

Bremer has determined that she will not try to play professional basketball, meaning her playing career is officially over.

That is a strange thought for her, but she is gradually beginning to wrap her mind around it.

"I think I first picked up a basketball when I was 2 years old," Bremer said. "And I've been competitive in it for as long as I can remember. So now that I'm done playing here in Mankato, it will be different."

The line that composer Herman Hupfeld penned back in 1931, then was sung by Sam to a pensive Elsa 11 years later in “Casablanca” before Rick so rudely cut him off, is as true now as it was then.

The fundamental things still do apply.

The New Mexico Lobos defeated Saint Joseph’s 84-69 Tuesday night at the Pit, sending UNM to the National Invitation Tournament’s final four (note the lower case; it’s nice, but it’s still only the NIT and not the Big Dance).

Big Dance? Back in November, Lobo fans had no reason, maybe even no right, to expect this team to be within sniffing distance of the NCAA Tournament — or to be 26-10 and one of 14 Division I teams (out of 365) still playing as of this writing. First-year coach Eric Olen, the new kid in school, had to assemble a completely new roster.

Yet, here they are.

How have they done it?

Clearly, the roster Olen assembled bristles with talent. Just as clearly, Olen and his staff have coached them well.

So, yes, the Lobos are good at basketball. They can shoot, run, jump, bang bodies in the paint. All of that — but there’s more.

What’s that sound I hear? It’s there, if you listen carefully.

It’s the sound of fundamentals.

Let’s start with Tomislav Buljan, UNM’s principle low-post threat. Buljan’s tenacity in the paint, combined with the sophisticated low-post moves he likely developed back home in Croatia, produced the majority of his season-best 27 points against St. Joe’s.

But Buljan, who was 5-of-23 shooting 3-pointers this season before Tuesday — hoisting them only as a last resort — was 2-of-2 on 3s vs. the boys from Back East. He also hit a nice little turnaround “jumper” that gave the Lobos a 13-point lead, 72-59, with 5:43 left in the game.

“Jumper” is in quotation marks here advisedly, because Buljan’s feet barely left the floor when he took those shots.

Essentially, they were one-hand set shots — the shot that coach Jerry Maier taught us in fifth grade at Sandia Base Elementary in the ‘50s; the man was a stickler for fundamentals. It was the shot that ruled college basketball back when Mr. Hupfeld was writing his songs in the ‘30s.

Whatever works, fundamentally speaking.

“Right now I feel very confident,” Buljan said. “I have to give a shout out to our assistant coach, Mikey (Howell). He’s been working with me (on shooting from outside the paint).”

Correct me if I’m wrong — I’m not — but European basketball players tend to be more fundamentally sound than their American counterparts. Nikola Jocic is Exhibit A, but Buljan’s gaining ground.

After the game, I asked Olen where he’s placed fundamentals in the overall picture of recruiting a roster, whether this season at UNM or in past years at UC San Diego.

“We’re always looking for that,” he said. “Just knowing how to play. It’s described a lot of different ways. Feel, basketball IQ. There a lot of adjectives for it.

“We try to evaluate that. It’s hard, because it’s not something that’s objective … I think smart wins, and I think we have a smart basketball team.”

Lobos senior Luke Haupt, after all, is a coach’s son. Freshman Jake Hall plays like one.

Hall, a record-setting 3-point shooter, was 3-of-7 on 3s Tuesday. It was a 3-pointer he didn’t make, though, that stands out in this discussion.

With the Lobos up by 10 with 1:54 left, almost in the barn but not quite, Hall was being guarded on a defensive switch by 6-foot-10 St. Joe’s shot-blocking phenom Justice Ajogbor.

Hall, trapped on the baseline, gave Ajogbor one of his patented shot fakes — can’t get much more fundamental than that— put up a shot that hadn’t a prayer of going in but drew a foul and hit three free throws. Game over.

The season isn’t over, and that’s a tribute to all concerned — the players, the coaches, the 24,547 Pit fans who put aside their NCAA Tournament longings and came to watch three NIT games.

As time goes by, this team just gets fundamentally more interesting.