Something strange in the air Saturday. High school basketball for Ohio teams in the Mid-Ohio Valley felt it. Marietta College felt it. I felt it.

Seven teams seeking to advance in a postseason setting. Throw in a couple of amazing finishes on the national scene and you have the perfect storm.

Noon: Checked in on a nationally-televised college men’s game featuring a school from hometown area of Iowa City, Iowa. Michigan State at Iowa.

Iowa falls behind by 13 with less than two minutes in regulation. Announcers basically calling it in and referring to the next game for both teams.

Hawkeyes enter game hitting just 6-of-52 (12%) from beyond the arc in the past two games, but knock down four straight 3-pointers in final 32 seconds to force overtime and win 112-106. Most combined points in a Big Ten game this season as Iowa finished with 17 threes.

(A weather front is starting to form.)

2:45 p.m.: Text arrives from fellow scribe, Mike Morrison, who travelled to Zanesville High School to cover Fort Frye girls in a Division III East District championship against Union Local – a team which defeated the Cadets twice during the regular season.

Text simply reads “Fort out. 48-21.”

(Clouds darkening.)

4 p.m.: Pulling double-duty, sports editor Jordan Hollland’s first stop is Pikeville High School for a Division IV Southeast District girls final between Waterford and South Gallia.

They split their two meetings during the regular season. Info starts arriving. Waterford leads 36-24 after three quarters. Short time later, South Gallia goes on 15-3 run, takes one-point lead with 4:18 remaining in regulation.

Game tied at 43 at 2:34. Final moments described as ‘insanity’ as South Gallia takes two-point lead. Waterford’s Kendal Sury fouled as time expires. She misses front end of a two-shot foul, “refs run off the court’ before second free throw attempted.

South Gallia wins 48-46.

Meanwhile, reports from home office: Parkersburg South boys basketball trails 39-23 with one minute remaining at George Washington.

(Winds pick up intensity.)

4:15 p.m.: Depart for Washington Court House, site of the Division II sectional boys final between Warren and Washington Court House. Tune in to Florida State at Miami (Fla.) men’s basketball. Keeps me company for 2 1/2 -hour drive.

No. 13 Miami has game in control, going on 22-2 run to close first half and leading 50-25. Second half, complete reversal. Miami broadcasters want to know who kidnapped their players at the break as the Seminoles eventually pull ahead 82-81.

A Hurricane 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining in regulation was immediately followed by Matthew Cleveland’s Hail Mary from 25 feet which fell at the buzzer for an 85-84 upset – only the ninth win for FSU this season.

Exaggeration from broadcasters, calling shot from “40 feet.”

(Possible Hurricane forming. Only appropriate.)

7:45 p.m.: Jordan Holland has braved the elements and made his way to Lancaster. Marietta boys stay within shouting distance of Fairfield Union in a Division II Southeast District sectional final and trail 35-29 after three quarters complete.

At Washington Court House, back-and-forth battle ensues. Eighth-seeded Warren and top-seeded Washington Court House would play a game involving 13 lead changes and 11 ties.

With 5 ¢ minutes left in regulation, game tied at 65.

8:30 p.m.: Final from Lancaster as Marietta loses to Fairfield Union 47-30.

8:35 p.m.: Same fate for Warren, which makes just 3-of-17 shots in the fourth quarter and loses 83-73.

9:11 p.m.: Belpre coaches touch base with home office. In a Division III East District sectional final, the Golden Eagles take North Adams to overtime before losing 56-49.

(Boats are rocking in the water as the storm picks up.)

10:30 p.m.: Return trip to Mid-Ohio Valley non-eventful. A feeling similar to George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg believing they have escaped further danger as the clouds start to break up and sunshine peaks through.

1 a.m.: Hold that thought. This isn’t a Hallmark movie where everyone lives happily ever after.

Look into the Marietta College athletic website. The MC men and women are unable to complete their journey in their respective Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament championship games.

Unlike their semifinal upset of John Carroll, the MC men could not find that second half magic and lost at Mount Union 95-80.

In Ada, Ohio, the MC women trailed Ohio Northern 28-26 at halftime before struggles from the field cost the Pioneers in a 60-45 loss.

In 30-plus years working with newspaper and another umpteen years of watching and listening to basketball games, never experienced “The Perfect Storm.”

Boy, what a bumpy ride!

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com