Alex Loughton scored six of his 28 points in overtime and Old Dominion got its NCAA tournament bid last night, beating Virginia Commonwealth 73-66 in overtime for the Colonial Athletic Association title.

The Monarchs (28-5), who might have been able to lose and still get in the field of 65, won’t have to try their luck with the selection committee as they rode the play of the CAA player of he year.

Loughton scored on a drive with 52 seconds left in regulation and finished the three-point play to tie it. Old Dominion finished 12-for-13 from the line in the overtime. The Rams (19-12) cut a 69-63 deficit in half on B.A. Walker’s 3-pointer with 13.9 seconds left, but Drew Williamson hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds to play and the Monarchs were home free.

It is the first CAA title for Old Dominion since 1997.

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NIAGARA 81, RIDER 59

Juan Mendez scored 27 points to help Niagara clinch its first NCAA tournament berth in 35 years with an 81-59 win over Rider in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship game last night.

Starting the game with a massive dunk, the senior forward hit 10 of his first 12 shots, added 13 rebounds, and was a physical force at both ends of the floor for the Purple Eagles.

Lorenzo Miles had 16 points, while David Brooks scored 12 and added nine assists for Niagara (20-9), which lost two of the last three MAAC championship games – including last year’s 62-61 defeat against Manhattan, and all three previous appearances since joining the conference in 1989-90.

The Purple Eagles made the NCAA tournament only once before, in 1970, when they were led by Calvin Murphy.

Paul Johnson scored 12 points and had eight assists for Rider (19-11),which shared the regular season title with Niagara but ended up the second seed as a result of a tiebreaker. The Broncs appeared rattled in making their first championship game appearance since joining the conference in 1997.

The 22-point margin of victory was the largest in the MAAC championship game’s 24-year history.

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CREIGHTON 75, SW MISSOURI ST, 57

Reserves Dane Watts and Jimmy Motz combined for 26 points and Creighton hit 12 3-pointers, pulling away late to win the school’s fifth Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship in seven years with a 75-57 victory over Southwest Missouri State last night.

Watts and Johnny Mathies had 14 points apiece and Motz had 12 for Creighton (23-10), the third seed. The Bluejays lost twice to Southwest Missouri State in the regular season, but overcame 43% shooting to win their ninth Valley title – more than twice the total of any other school.

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ILLINOIS CLINGS TO TOP SPOT

Illinois was on top of the Associated Press’s college basketball poll yesterday for the 14th consecutive week, but for the first time in five weeks the Illini were not a unanimous selection, receiving 48 first-place votes and 1,725 points from the national media panel.

Sunday’s 65-64 loss to Ohio State ended any hopes of a perfect season for Illinois (29-1), which was trying to become the first team to reach the NCAA tournament without a loss since UNLV in 1991.

North Carolina (26-3), which needed a game-closing 11-0 run to beat Duke 75-73 on Sunday, stayed no. 2 for the third straight week and fifth of the last six. The Tar Heels had the other 22 votes for no. 1 and 1,701 points.

Wake Forest (26-4), which needed a buzzer-beater by Chris Paul to get past North Carolina State 55-53 on Sunday night, moved up one spot to no. 3. Kentucky (23-4), which lost 53-52 to Florida on Sunday, dropped one place to fourth.

The top four teams went 2-2 on Sunday with the games decided by a total of six points.

Duke, which beat Miami in its other game last week, moved up one place to no. 5, while Louisville, which won the Conference USA regular-season championship, moved up three spots to a season-high sixth.

Boston College dropped two spots to seventh. Arizona’s No. 8 ranking was its highest of the season, while Kansas, which has lost of four of six, fell to its season low at no. 9. Gonzaga moved up one spot to match its highest ranking of the season at no. 11.

Charlotte (21-6) lost to Louisville and South Florida last week and the 49ers’ drop from 18th to no. 25 was the biggest of the week.

This was the third straight week that the same 25 teams were ranked. The final poll will be released next Monday.