Rainmaker Griffin makes a reverse slam as the Harlem Globetrotters take on the Washington generals at the Tyson Events Center Monday, March 31, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

If you weren’t at the Tyson Events Center Monday evening, you missed a great show. The last time I saw the Harlem Globetrotters I was just a pup. But they are just as funny now as they were then. Check out my galleries for more photos from the evening.

Special K Daley and Scooter Christensen do their antics as the Harlem Globetrotters take on the Washington generals at the Tyson Events Center Monday, March 31, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Billings’ Travonti Johnson intercepts a pass intended for Sioux City’s John Bentley during Bandits arena football action at the Tyson Events Center Friday, March 28, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

As you probably already know, most of us will be receiving tax rebates in May. The idea of the rebates is for all of us to spend that money, which is suppose to stimulate the economy.

I figure it is my Patriotic duty to spend that money and help our economy. And since I’m feeling very Patriotic, I decided that not only will I spend the whole thing, but I plan to spend about double my rebate. And actually, I am so Patriotic I decided to spend my rebate before I even received it.

Or at least that the excuse I used to buy a new camera this week. I picked up a Canon 40D yesterday and tonight’s Bandits football game was the first real road test for it. I thought the camera was going to be good, but it exceeded my expectations. For the photo buffs out there, the photo above was shot at ASA 3200, 1/800 second @ f/2.8. I normally expect images shot at ASA 3200 to look noisy and grainy. I think it’s looking pretty sweet for ASA 3200.

I’ll have to take it out on a few more road tests before I say that I am officially in love, but right now I’m kicking myself in the butt for not buying a 40D during basketball season.

Anyway, for the Bandits fans out there you can see more photos in the photo gallery.

College of the Ozarks players Kayli Combs and Janessa DeMuth react as time expires against Northwestern during the NAIA championship basketball game in Sioux City, Iowa, Tuesday, March 18, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

It was a busy week covering the NAIA national basketball tournament, but it was also a fun week. Of all of the annual assignments we have, this is probably the one I always look forward to the most. The media gets the royal treatment all week long. The Tyson Events Center is a great venue for shooting photos. And the action is always top-notch. It makes for a fun week.

College of the Ozarks players celebrate their double overtime win against Hastings during NAIA basketball action in Sioux City, Iowa, Monday, March 16, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

It’s getting exciting at the Tyson Events Center this week. Top-ranked College of the Ozarks needed a double over time to pull off a win against Hastings. It’s good to see them win. They have a great team and an awesome bunch of fans. Be sure to check out the photos from their game and all of the other NAIA games from tournament.

Holy cow! That was the most exciting finish to a basketball game I have ever seen. If you weren’t at the NAIA National Basketball Tournament, you missed a great game when Morningside College took on Minot State. Morningside seemed to have the game under control, then Minot State made a great comeback. Morninigside was up by 1 point and Minot State had the ball with 1.8 seconds on the clock. They shot, they missed, they got the rebound, then they made the shot. But did they make it before time expired? One ref said yes. One looked at the instant replay. The final outcome of the game wasn’t decided until a couple minutes after time ran out. The pictures tell the story:

Minot State Celebrates……

Then they wait for the refs decision….

Morningside wins …..

Minot State falls …

Lindenwood’s Raymond Stephens celebrates his victory over Dana’s Burke Barnes during the 133 pound championship match at the NAIA National Wrestling Championship in Sioux City, Iowa, Saturday, March 8, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Last night we had extremely early deadlines due to some technical difficulties in another department, so that made it a bit of a challenge covering the NAIA National Wrestling Championships that were in town. My game plan was to shoot the first two matches and high-tail it back to the office.

None of our area wrestlers made it to the finals so I didn’t have to worry about shooting them, so I just had to get a good photo from the evening and hopefully one that told the story of the night.

I got lucky. Lindenwood was leading in the team standings and they only needed one champion to clinch the team title. They had four wrestlers in the finals including two in the first two matches of the evening. Their first wrestler loss. Then Raymond Stephens wrestled at 133 ponds and came from behind to win his individual title and clinch the team title. His jubilation gave me a nice photo that told the story of the evening and allowed me to make deadline.

Players prepare for a team photo at Bandits football media day at the Tyson Events Center Monday, March 3, 2008. Their season officially starts this Saturday when they play at Wichita. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

Brent Copple participates in the polar plunge during Freeze Fest II at the Long Lines Family Rec Center Saturday, March 1, 2008. (Jim Lee/Sioux City Journal)

I’m back in Sioux City after shooting the first half of the Iowa Girls’ State Basketball Tournament, and what a great day to be outside shooting photos. I was covering Freeze Fest, but with today’s weather they should have called it Spring Fest. They had a polar plunge, and I did stick my fingers in the water to see how cold it was. Even with temperatures in the 50’s, that tank was still pretty cold. Better them than me.

And what a great day for basketball. Congratulations to both Heelan and the South Sioux City girls basketball teams on their state championships! Way to go!