For a long while, it looked like Howard Payne wasn't going to get a chance to defend its 2008 Division III NCAA Tournament championship. But here they are, still around. We thought Howard Payne would be in at the bottom of Pool C even with a loss, but the Yellow Jackets made it a moot point, beating Hardin-Simmons 72-65 in overtime in the American Southwest Conference championship. Lindsey Newcombe scored 17 points and had a game-high 21 rebounds, while Elaine Hobbs scored 18 for the Yellow Jackets.

Check out our women's NCAA Tournament projection. Plus, remember who's clinched automatic bids. The tournament selection shows come at 11 and 11:30 a.m. ET on Monday.

&&f-boxr&&Remember when we thought Buena Vista was a lock? Or St. Mary's? That was before WPI lost. And Ithaca lost. Oh, and just when we thought it couldn't get any worse, Puget Sound lost in the last game of the night Saturday night, giving Whitworth the Northwest Conference automatic bid. And then on Sunday afternoon, Gettysburg defeated Franklin and Marshall for the Centennial title, which may have knocked Amherst out.

So if the playoff picture looks blurry to you, you're not alone. And that's not because we finished them after 3 in the morning.

Our playoff projections. If you somehow missed Saturday's day of Division III action, scroll down.

On Sunday, Amherst got onto that Pool C bubble when Middlebury beat the Lord Jeffs in the NESCAC tournament championship. MIT made the NCAA Tournament for the first time, riding another epic performance by Jimmy Bartolotta, one of those senior guards the pundits favor this time of year. He had 37 in a 76-50 win against Springfield. Sunday's men's scores and Sunday's women's scores.