10 Bee readers still have three teams in Final Four Challenge

SANDPOINT — If your Final Four bracket took a beating this weekend, take solace in the fact that so did everybody else’s, as the usual assortment of upsets wreaked havoc on the brackets, including a historic No. 16 seed UMBC throttling No. 1 seed Virginia.

Despite boasting the best defense in the country and most slump-proof résumé in the country with a 17-1 mark in ACC play, Virginia was not just beaten but run away from, as the Retrievers captured everyone’s imagination for one night. Alas they came back to earth, falling to middling Kansas State in the next round.

Among the more than 50 entries in the Bee Final Four Challenge, and chance to win $100 in cash, only 10 still have three teams alive in the contest. Many had Virginia, North Carolina and Arizona, which left a lot of red ink on the master list.

Leana Nitcy (GU, Vill, Duke), John Nitcy (Mich, Vill, Kan), James Mize (GU, Vill Duke), Don Holland (Mich, Vill, Duke), Bill Temple (GU, Vill, Duke), Jan Temple (GU, Pur, Kan), Sanday Maras (Mich, Vill, Duke), Alyssa Hew (GU, Pur, Duke), Harold Hew (GU, Vill, Duke) and Susan Drinkard (GU, Vill, Kan) each have three Final Four teams still alive.

However, a handful of others have two, including the likes of higher seeds Michigan, Texas Tech and West Virginia that could still end up being in play depending on how the brackets shake down next weekend. Will the upsets continue? We can only hope.

Thanks to all of the Bee readers who submitted an entry, and may the best fan win. See the Bee next Tuesday, after the latest bracket mayhem, for an update on the leaders.