HOUSTON — Two women’s basketball teams punched their tickets to the Final Four on Sunday. The UCLA Bruins topped the LSU Tigers 72-65 while the South Carolina Gamecocks survived a close game with a 54-50 win over the Duke Blue Devils.
Six-year-old Shai Levin-Srinivasan, of Houston, was sweating it out during the Gamecocks’ see-saw battle because he picked them to win it all in his Yahoo bracket.
“Duke vs. South Carolina was the most exciting game so far because South Carolina was losing and I thought I was about to lose my champion,” Shai said. “But then South Carolina made a comeback in the 4th quarter, winning the game 54-50!”
This kid is obsessed with college hoops and he knows his stuff. Shai’s Yahoo bracket ranks 36th in the country. That’s better than 126,343 other fans. The Roberts Elementary student has 54 of 63 correct picks so far.
South Carolina will play the winner of the Texas-TCU game, which takes place Monday night. Shai picked Texas to win tonight and he’s pumped for the game, according to his mom.
Don’t tell the Longhorns or Horned Frogs though, but Shai will be cheering for South Carolina till the end.
“South Carolina is my favorite team because they won last year and I won my family bracket contest by picking them last year,” Shai explained. “Also, they’re really good.”
Shai’s mom Ragini said her precocious son also enjoys adding color commentary while watching games with his dad Brandon.
“Even though my parents both went to Duke, they supported South Carolina in the game because of my bracket,” he said.
Sorry, Coogs, but Shai and his parents hope Duke wins it all on the men’s side.
It’s not just fun and games for this Houston ISD student. He’s learned a few life lessons along the way.
“Watching basketball teaches me that focus is important to win the game because if you don’t focus you will not win,” Shai explained. “The thing that you are trying to do will go higgledy piggledy and you won’t be able to get the ball in the basket!”