The Binghamton University men’s basketball team’s first-ever NCAA championship appearance aired in Lecture Hall 1 yesterday. Scores of students wearing green and white settled into the small black seats to watch the Bearcats battle Duke on CBS. Although the fans were disappointed that Binghamton had lost, many of them enjoyed the excitement while it lasted.
Bearcats fans stood up and clapped as freshman Matt Mullins banked the last shot in the final five seconds of the game. They then exited Lecture Hall a little less noisy than when they came in.
“I did not expect anything like this whatsoever [from this season],” said freshman Aylon Pesso. “I mean, if we won it would have been even better, but it’s still a good start. Now we are starting to become a real college.”
Sophomore Paul Mathai echoed Pesso’s words.
“It was really exciting,” he said. “To have a [program] come from Division III to Division I in less than 10 years and make it to the NCAA championship and see them on CBS is something that we should be proud of.”
Freshman Brian Presser talked about how the basketball team was able to get the students to pull together as one.
“Honestly, it’s real nice to have a team on the television you could root for,” he said. “It’s cool to have the whole campus just rally around one cause like a basketball team making it to the final level.”
When it came to the game itself, many fans felt that there were drawbacks, other than Duke’s skills, that took the game out of the Bearcats’ hands.
“They were definitely undersized,” said Paul Mundiani, a BU student. “They played hard in the beginning, but committed a lot of fouls. Then they just fell back in the second half, but I was real glad that it [wasn’t] a total blowout.”
Lauren Schmitt, a sophomore, felt that the Bearcats had some great moments and some bad ones.
“I thought the [Bearcats] came out really excited in the beginning,” she said. “They were staying with [Duke] for a while, but as the game went on [the other team] was able to just make more of the shots. I think we are on the map now. A lot more people know our name. My friends were all like, ‘Wow, your school is on CBS.’”
For most students, the experience was what the entire game was about. Many called it a “historical event” to be remembered for years to come.
“I had a great time,” Pesso said. “I hope that they learn from their mistakes in this game and use it next year when they make it again to the championships.”
Pesso was more than satisfied with the team’s season and hopes that the program continues to progress.
“It was trial and error experience this season, and we made it to the NCAA championships,” he said. “Hopefully next season we’ll get a little bit further.”
One thing is for sure for the fans: The unity of the school is stronger, and it’s all thanks the efforts of the basketball team.
“Win or lose, it’s just nice to see everyone just wearing green,” Presser said. “Having school spirit and really getting hyped up about something like this just brings joy to this campus.”