And The Band Played On

Both coaches knew going in that the pace would be slow, methodical, and quite possibly the first team to score 25 points would win.

"I think we both knew we were putting our fans to sleep," said Stockton head coach John Hammann. "But that's typical Lena-Stockton basketball. It's physical, and it's a defensive slug fest where every possession's important."

In all honesty, the game, itself, was a snoozer. In spite of eight lead changes, some hard fought scrambles for loose balls, and a free throw clinic put on by the Panthers in the fourth quarter that helped them escape with a 35-28 win that wa...