March madness hits Bluff on Tuesday

Once again it's Saturday night and I'm stuck in front of the computer waiting.

Three Rivers is a win from going to the NJCAA National Tournament but I can't be there because, well, it's Saturday night and somebody's got to come up with the headline.

Since the Raiders lost, 82-56, there will be a for-all-the-marbles Game 3 at The Bess on Tuesday night.

Now, unless Mississippi State ends up in the NIT and plays Tuesday night (they did but won't be on TV), or you're a fan of one of the two teams in the NCAA Tournament play-in game, there's no excuse not to be at The Bess.

Seriously, you can catch Law & Order in a re-run this summer.

What's better than a Three Rivers-Mineral Area game?

What's better than basketball in March?

The last time these two teams played with a region title on the line, it went three overtimes. The last time the best-of-3 series went the distance, the final game was decided in overtime -- the Raiders won that game 112-100 in 1989 at Three Rivers.

After suffering their worst loss in a region championship game the Raiders will need all the help they can get from fans Tuesday. The 26-point margin of victory was the second-largest in the history of the region finals after Three Rivers' 97-66 win in 1980.

This team has come a long way since a 2-2 start when some fans were wondering if this would be the first losing season for Gene Bess. He wasn't worried.

"We have a lot of work to do," Bess said in the preseason. "But I like the potential of this team and we'll just keep getting better."

They did, winning all but one region game -- at Mineral Area -- to pick up the top seed.

Both games in this series have not started well for the Raiders. They trailed 13-2 early in Game 1, only to rally and win in overtime, while Saturday night, the Cardinals jumped out to a 22-8 lead and never looked back.

For the Raiders to punch their dance ticket to Hutch, Three Rivers will need to be hitting on all cylinders from the second the ref throws up the ball.

The guards will need to slow Rickey Claitt and Willie Hassell while Three Rivers' bigs will have to control the boards, get to the free-throw line and convert.

In four games this season, the two teams have split.

Throw all of that out the window. It's March, it's win or go home, it's what all those laps around Bacon Park are about.

I'll be there -- if the wife lets me.

Update: TRCC assistant coach Brian Bess won't be there. He'll be at home listening to the game because of his ejection Saturday night.