March Madness Earned Its Name

MARCH MADNESS EARNED ITS NAME for a reason. Crazy upsets and thrilling finishes always highlight this annual NCAA basketball championship. And maybe one of the most memorable upsets occurred in 1996 when Valparaiso University took on the University of Mississippi.

The 13th-seeded Crusaders earned their bid by winning the Mid-Continent Conference tournament, so many believed they had little chance against fourth-seeded Ole Miss. But the underdogs played an aggressive zone defense, forcing Mississippi out of its inside game and making the Rebels shoot from the perimeter.

The score at halftime read 38–34 in favor of Ole Miss, and the contest remained close throughout the second half. Leading 69–67 with 4.3 seconds remaining, Mississippi’s Ansu Sesay drew a foul and could have clinched a Rebel victory. But Sesay missed both chances.

Following a time-out, Valparaiso’s Jamie Sykes inbounded the ball under the Ole Miss basket. He rifled a pass beyond midcourt to Bill Jenkins, who quickly tossed to Bryce Drew, son of Crusader head coach Homer Drew, on the right wing.

Off balance and leaning away from the basket, Drew threw up a shot from well behind the three-point line. Miraculously, it swished through the net at the buzzer, giving Valparaiso a 70–69 victory.

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POINT Winning is fun. Victors deserve to celebrate. But the joy multiplies when several family members play or coach on the same team. The family feels doubly bonded—through sports and through blood. The Drews experienced that extraordinary victory together.

Jesus tells the story of another father and son celebrating in the New Testament. When the father’s prodigal son returns home after making a bunch of bad decisions, the father welcomes him back and throws a huge celebration. In the same way, Jesus celebrates when his children who have wandered off through poor choices return to him and ask for forgiveness.

GOAL! Think of some times when your family celebrates. Now imagine the party that occurs in heaven when somebody prays to enter God’s family. Praise God for the joy of those family celebrations.