The statistical problem with March Madness/March Sadness is that only one team gets to end the season on a win and this year IT WAS US!!
On Saturday, March 19, 2016, the Tommies applied every lesson they’d learned this season and did absolutely everything right. They played like stone cold champs, handed Benedictine their first loss of the season and in doing so, took the National title.
We won.
We won?
We won!
WE WON!!
The University of St. Thomas is the 2016 NCAADIII Men’s Basketball National Champions.
It’s still hard to believe, despite the “National Champions” t-shirt hanging in the kitchen.
Saturday, the grandkids came over early in the afternoon. Ty and Megan had a rodeo to get to, so the kids were having a sleep over with Nana. It was shaping up to be a fun day no matter what. In the middle of the afternoon, while the kids and I were baking cookies, Josie arrived home for Spring Break!
Before tip-off, Katie came over, as did my folks, bearing pizzas.
UST got off to a fast start, outscoring the opponent 9-2 in the first few minutes of the game. The announcers were clearly expecting the undefeated Bennies to wake up and take a switch to these Midwestern upstarts.
It never happened.
Over the course of the last three years, I’ve been privileged to see several of the young men who started every game this year do amazing things. I know from experience that at least four members of this team are each capable of grabbing a game by the throat and bending it to their will, winning practically single handed if necessary. On Saturday night, they all played that way. Ryan Saarela, who fouled out the night before, played the game of his life. At one point, the announcers called him Mr. Perfect, as he was 11 for 11 at that point. Eventually, he did miss a shot or two but it hardly mattered; he played like the Super Hero version of himself.
They all did.
As Zack put it “Did that kid who made all the points get MVP or was it that other kid who had even more points?”
By half time, Babalouie insisted that I chant “Go Tommies!” as he charged up and down my kitchen, dunking on the hoop attached to the cupboard door. My Dad said the other team didn’t look like they even belonged on the court with ST. Thomas. We warned him not to talk like that! We were only up by six and there was more than three minutes left. That’s a long time on a basketball court.
But every man on our team brought their A game to this fight and it was wonderful seeing all of them have terrific games. The announcers didn’t seem to believe what they were watching until the clock ran down to the last minute. Only then did they realize that the unthinkable was happening before their eyes and the undefeated Benedictine was falling. Getting trounced, in fact.
The Tommies jumped on the back of the favorites and rode Benedictine like bronc busters. When the buzzer sounded and the dust settled, the undefeated lay broken at our feet and the Tommies were National Champions.
There was shouting, jumping up and down, singing and crying all over town.
Ty and Megan got to the house in the morning and we all went to Mass together. When we got home, Jay was already making us breakfast. He’d landed while we were in church and wasted no time decorating the kitchen with Champion swag and getting the sausages on the griddle.
Thank goodness; being National champ didn’t make him too important to cook breakfast for his adoring family.
We were celebrating both grandkids birthdays as well as a National Title. I baked a cake and Adam and Katie came for dinner.
Monday, Jay and I went for dinner with the lovely Mr. Curry and his even lovelier wife; we opened a bottle of champagne they’d been saving for the proper occasion. Drained it like Taylor Montero from ten feet.
I was sound asleep by 10:10 last night.
It was a very emotional few days.
No one in the family even cares that everyone’s brackets are completely busted.
WE’RE NUMBER ONE!
We’ve had at least one team before that went into the post season undefeated only to be upset in tournament play. Upsets happen all the time. It’s what puts the crazy in March Madness. It’s really hard to win every game. In fact, it’s darn near impossible and that’s what breaks so many hearts in March Sadness. I’ve always said it’s better to lose early (during the season) than to lose late (post season). This year proves it!
MARCH HAPPINESS!
No matter what happens from here on, those young men are National Champions. Nothing can ever change that.
National Champions.
Wow.
That sounds really good.