Random thoughts from region basketball tournament

After sitting through four games that lasted from noon until 10:30 p.m., here's a few observations on what took place in the quarterfinal round of the Central Region men's basketball tournament Saturday at Bresnan Arena.
Augustana looked tough, though it might be because New Mexico Highlands didn't put up much of a fight. If the Vikings shoot the ball like they did in the first half Saturday (59.3 percent), they're going to be tough.
Mesa State got past Winona State by making free throws when the Warriors didn't. Mesa State is going to have to play better in Sunday's semifinals to advance.
No surprise that Taylor Witt and Matt Schneck led St. Cloud State to the 82-77 victory. The Huskies had some problems at the free-throw line late, but Witt is a clutch player.
In four games, there were 172 fouls called, and teams combined to make 177 of 240 free throws. These games had little flow because of all the whistles.
You could say Minnesota State was lucky to beat Colorado School of Mines, but depth is one of this team's strengths and that was clearly the difference in an 84-80 victory. The Mavericks looked nervous in the first half, and this team needs a dose of confidence before Sunday's semifinal game against St. Cloud State. Not sure how you accomplish that before then.