The end of the game

I was standing by my seat, staring out at the 5,000 seat arena. I had that feeling between excitement and nervousness. This was one of the biggest basketball games of the season, and I was going to experience it. TV camera’s were being set up as we set up our instruments. This was going to be a good game.
Then the doors opened.
A sea of green flooded down through the arena gates and into the student section. Binghamton was making this a “white-out” game, and soon the sea of green turned white with “BU Zoo” t-shirts. The BU Pep Band was playing some tunes, and we were waiting our chance to flaunt our mad musical skills to the Bearcat audience.
And then finally a stream of fans decked in UMBC apparel trickled into enemy territory. Although not as numerous as the BU fans, we still had a lot of spirit and filled up the majority of the seats next to the Pep Band. It was nice to see students making the 4 hour bus ride to support the home team.
Words can’t do justice to the game. At times it was impossible to hear oneself think because the BU fans were cheering so loud. We tried to compete, but I’m sure our cheers and yells were hard to hear over the deafening sounds of the stadium.
We started off good, making the first basket, but then things went downhill from there. BU slowly crept ahead on the scoreboard and we tried to keep up. The refs made several bad calls on our team, leading to several free throws for Binghamton. That was all they needed to secure a lead in the game.
During the last ten minutes of the game, you could tell that UMBC was getting frustrated. Coach Monroe, who had already taken off his jacket during the first five minutes of the game, was yelling instructions to his players from the sidelines.
During the last 3 minutes of the game, BU had victory in their sights. We tried several times to make a basket, but all of our attempts ended in either a turn over or a foul. By the end of the game we were pretty upset at the refs, who had made some very bad calls, and I’m not just saying that because UMBC lost. I’m told that even the ESPN anchors were commenting on the lack of calls made by the refs.
And at the sound of the final buzzer, instead of a sea of black and gold, a mob of BU fans stormed the court. Confetti fell from the ceiling as fans hugged each other and rejoiced in their first ever championship win. I caught a glimpse of our team before they headed back to the locker room. Chauncy Gilliam looked like he had tears in his eyes. They were so close to winning their second chance to play in the NCAA tournament, and now it was all over.
After the game, the bus was real quiet. It had been a long weekend, but we were hoping to make it all the way to the NCAA tournament. As we sat on the bus waiting to begin the long trip back to Baltimore, we had a visit from two special guests: Jay Greene and Coach Randy Monroe.
As Jay walked up the steps, you could see the defeat in his eyes. It was his senior year, and it would have made his year to go to the NCAA tournament. He told us how much he appreciated our support. “You guys are the best band in the conference.”
When Coach Monroe boarded our bus, his tie was undone and he looked tired. It had been a great season for his team, and he was sorry to see it end in such an upset. He also thanked the band for their support and reminded us that the basketball team supports us in all that we do.
So now I sit in my seat next to Andrew Cleveland, who is playing Pokemon on his laptop while The Little Mermaid (don’t ask why) is playing on the overhead TV. It’s been a long weekend, but I’m glad that I got to experience this during my first year at UMBC. Two trips to two tournaments, and many memories that will not be forgotten. I’m ready to do it again next year. And who knows, maybe we’ll go all the way. GO BIG DAWGS!