The NCAA’s March Madness, even though now poaching on April lived up to its name yesterday and the Final Four matchups provided some high drama.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs, no relation to the AFL’s Western Bulldogs, or the NRL’s Canterbury Bulldogs, beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in one of the semifinals, in the process of so doing eliminating the last Aussie standing in the tournament, Ran Tut, no relation, so far as we know, to the famous Egyptian Pharaoh.
In the other game, the North Carolina Tar Heels got the better of the Oregon Ducks.
From a species-specific perspective, it would appear that teams with avian nicknames are no match for those named after dogs or those named after tar heels, although precisely what a tar heel is might prove difficult to determine.
Gonzaga won the first game 77 – 73, with the game coming down to the final seconds, and some astute strategical maneuvering on the Bulldogs’ part proving the decisive factor.
The North Carolina – Oregon game was even tighter, the final margin being one point, 77 – 76.
The final will take place on Monday night (Tuesday morning Oz time) and will result in the winner being proclaimed the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champions.
