This was supposed to be the year Vermont was rebuilding.

After the Catamounts turned the Events Center into their playground for the second consecutive season, sharpshooter Kyle Cieplicki couldn’t have been more pleased with the result.

“To come in here with this type of atmosphere, it’s definitely a very good feeling to come out of here with a win,” said Cieplicki, who had a team-high 17 points. “It’s just going to help us because our whole core is intact for next year.”

What does that mean for Binghamton?

Senior guard Andre Heard, who played his heart out during the America East tournament with an average of 24 points per game, is graduating. Forward Sebastian Hermenier, who heard chants of “MVP” throughout the season, is gone. If Vermont, the second-youngest team in the nation, was able to beat Binghamton on its home court, when will Bearcats fans ever get to see their team on the NCAA bracket?

“This was a very successful season,” said head coach Al Walker. “We’ll take 12-4 and the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament every season. This is a season to be proud of.”

Successful season, absolutely. But a season to be proud of, Bearcats fans beg to differ.

You’re proud of a season in which you’ve accomplished something special. When all was said and done, the Bearcats were at the same position they were last year: a loss to Vermont in the semifinals. The only difference this season? Binghamton was the favorite.

Now, had Hermenier, the heart and soul of this basketball team, been playing, the outcome might have been different. But with the score at 20-5 and the Events Center crowd going crazy, believing this was finally Binghamton’s year, a seven-point loss is unacceptable.

After a devastating defeat, nobody wants to hear Walker talk about how his team won for the first time ever at Vermont, Hartford and Boston. On their own court, the Bearcats had a golden opportunity to make it to the AE championship game, but they let it slip away.

With all of the parity throughout the conference, Binghamton’s goal was to capture the crown and earn its first bid to the NCAA tournament. If you don’t accomplish your goals, how can you be proud of yourself?

“It was their day today, that is the bottom line,” Walker said confidently at the postgame press conference.

Meanwhile, as another year passed, somber Binghamton fans exited the Events Center wondering if their day will ever come.