ASU Final Four game updates

Less than 10 minutes until game time. The Jaguars are stretching. Alaska-Anchorage is shooting around the horn. About half the ASU fans are wearing their "Blackout" t-shirts. Fans are starting to file into the arena. It looks to be a smaller crowd than Wednesday's game, but I expect the arena to fill as fans from the nightcap will come in at the second half of this contest.

With TV broadcasting the game, there will be 487 timeouts. If nothing else, it will be slow. About to have the national anthem.

ASU 9, Alaska-Anchorage 5, 15:51 until halftime

Garret Siler's scored twice inside. Demetrius Howard hit a 3-pointer. Steve Smith scored on a reverse layup. The Seawolves are playing a 2-3 defense, but the Jaguars are splitting it. Tyrekus "A.J." Bowman and Ben Madgen have forced, and missed, a few jumpers. They need to settle down if ASU is going to be successful.

ASU 21, Alaska-Anchorage 5, 8:56 until halftime

What a difference a day makes. The Jaguars took an early lead and now they're playing with confidence. Daniel Dixon's playing like an All-Star at guard. Dixon hit a 3-pointer. Bowman just nailed another. Augusta State is playing lights out.

ASU 25, Alaska-Anchorage 9, 3:56 until halftime

The Jaguars are taking advantage of their quickness and pounding the ball inside. Bowman has 13 points. He could end up with 40 if he stops taking those fadeaway jumpers. Ben Madgen has zero points. Siler's been on the bench for 10 minutes with two fouls. And the Jaguars have a huge lead. If they can extend this lead to 20 at halftime, it'd be a heckuva cushion.

ASU 28, Alaska-Anchorage 11, Halftime

One more half like this and the Jaguars are going to the Division II championship game. The Jaguars have dominated with speed and athleticism. Bowman has 13 points, Dixon has five. Howard and Siler has four.

Augusta State has scored 14 points in the paint to Alaska-Anchorage's zero.

It's the fewest points the Jaguars have allowed in a half all season. It can't be this easy, can it?

The Seawolves were held to 19 percent shooting in the first half. They were 1-for-12 from three-point range.

Augusta State, meanwhile, was by no means perfect. The Jaguars only shot 37 percent themselves. They shot 2-for-8 from the perimeter. And they had eight turnovers.

Siler returns to the game in the second half with two fouls. Madgen will be seeking his first points of the game.

ASU 33, Alaska-Anchorage 25, 15:32 remaining

Of course it wasn't going to be easy. The Seawolves have opened the second half with four 3-pointers. Bowman hit a 3-pointer. That's ASU's lone bucket this half.

Alaska is collapsing its defense on Siler, making things difficult for him.

The Seawolves go to the line with a chance to cut the lead to six.

ASU 38, Alaska-Anchorage, 11:58 remaining

The Jaguars got a huge 3-pointer from Howard. Siler followed with a layup. The Seawolves are on him like a blanket.

Bowman just went to the bench to catch his breath. Alaska-Anchorage has been heaving up 3-pointers like Central Oklahoma. We'll see how that works out for them.

ASU 44, Alaska-Anchorage 38, 7:59 remaining

Sorry about the last post. Anyway, the game's a dogfight. Alaska-Anchorage is hitting 3-pointers and the Jaguars are trying to find some sort of offense. The good news: Augusta State is one foul away from going into the bonus. That could be huge down the stretch.

ASU 52, Alaska-Anchorage 46, 3:27 remaining

Siler's scored six points the past three minutes. He now has 16. He's going to the line to try to convert a three-point play. The Jaguars are trying to hang on. The clock just will not seem to run fast enough.

ASU 56, Alaska-Anchorage 50, FINAL!

Jaguars advance to the championship game Saturday. The ASU fans are going nuts, absolutley bonkers. What kind of party will there be in Springfield tonight?