Lagun Aro GBC managed to secure one of the final spots for the ACB playoffs after beating Banca Civica 61-65. Still without Paul Davis, the Sevillian team was unable to win in a low-scoring game that was decided in the final minutes. Salgado and Baron were the best players on the court.

Yesterday's Olympic draw has many basketball fans talking and all of a sudden, it's getting a little more real each day. 88 days until London 2012.

CLEVELAND-- A good crowd turned out and that set the table for a great event. The evening had two quality teams and the NCAA tournament bid on the line. The 2012 Mid-American Conference championship at the Quicken Loans Arena Tournament with Akron and Ohio was also featuring shooting sensations Alex Abreu of the Zips and D. J. Cooper of the Bobcats.

CLEVELAND-- It will be the sixth straight time that the University of Akron (22-10) will be in the Mid-American Conference championship game. The Zips knocked off arch rival Kent State 78-74 in the conference semi-finals. Tournament time is what coach Keith Dambrot has his Akron team ready for year in and year out.

It seems as if he was a basketball coach forever. The last 16 seasons he has been at the helm of the Miami University men’s basketball program. Charlie Coles, 70, educator and basketball coach, announced his retirement. He made it official following the RedHawks loss to Toledo 60- 53 in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Miami ended the season at 9-21.

DETROIT-- University of Detroit-Mercy sophomore Ray McCallum Jr. gave his father a wonderful birthday present with the Horizon League championship and automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Of course, it was really a team present to head coach Ray McCallum from all of his Titans as they beat Valparaiso on the road 70-50.

YPSILANTI-- First year Northern Illinois University head coach Mark Montgomery has had a hard season with mostly underclassman. His pair of Norwegian sharpshooters got hot at the right time as NIU nipped Eastern Michigan 55-52 in the Mid-American Conference playoffs. NIU goes on to Cleveland where the action will take place through the weekend and the MAC Final will be televised on ESPN on Saturday.

First-year head coach Rob Murphy was named Mid-American Conference Men’s Basketball Coach of the Year for the 2011-12 season. EMU won the MAC West Division with a 9-7 conference mark.