The Southern University Jaguars reminded the country Thursday afternoon what makes the NCAA Tournament so magical.
Just two years ago, the program was in shambles. Yet, with less than two minutes remaining in their second-round matchup against top-seeded Gonzaga at EnergySolutions Arena, the Jaguars were down by just one. The 12,000 in attendance suddenly became fans of a team from thousands of miles away.
No, Southern did not become the first No. 16 seed in history to topple a No. 1 seed as the Bulldogs scored the game’s final five points to win 64-58, but for head coach Roman Banks, that fact became secondary to his team’s gutsy performance.
“Nobody in our wildest dream in two years of having this job thought we would be here,” Banks said, visibly on the verge of tears. “It’s emotional, but the thing that’s more emotional for me is that those guys believed in me, believed in my vision and they never gave up. It’s exciting to see what a group of young men can do if they believe.”
Gonzaga will move on to play Wichita State on Saturday, but the Jaguars became the darlings of the Salt Lake portion of the bracket. Using stingy defense and great shooting from the perimeter, Southern trailed by just three at the half. For the game, the Jaguars shot 10-of-23 from behind the 3-point line and tallied eight blocks.
Even when Gonzaga stretched the lead to 11 in the second half as Player of the Year candidate Kelly Olynyk took over, the Jaguars stayed strong and tied the game at 56 with 3:46 to play when Derick Beltran hit a clutch jumper. The crowd went wild.
“The more I watched film on them, the more I thought, ‘This could be a real grinder,’ ” said Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. “They don’t give you many easy opportunities. They’re very patient on offense. I think everybody was so moved by their effort and their resilience and confidence. If I wasn’t coaching on the other sideline, they’d be a tough team not to root for.”
Despite the elements of a potential upset and a raucous crowd the NCAA Tournament is known for, the reactions of the Southern players after the game were the most powerful reminder of what captivates the nation this time of year. Though they were fighting against the longest of odds, the Jaguars fully expected to win.
“Coming into the game, we thought we were going to make history,” Jameel Grace said. “No one comes into a game expecting to lose. We’ve always expected to come into a game and win the game. It doesn’t feel good at all. No one likes to lose and, unfortunately, that’s just the way it worked today.”
Beltran, who led Southern with 21 points, shared a similar sentiment.
“We came into the game trying to win the game,” he said. “It’s not a good feeling because we’ve worked so hard all year long. It just don’t feel good.”
Beyond close games and crazy fans, it’s those raw emotions that make this tournament the best event in sports. With no money to play for, Banks’ pride and Beltran’s disappointment become that much more authentic.
Though Southern’s ride has ended, it’ll be exciting over the next few weeks to see what the winning team’s group of young men can do if, as Banks said, they believe.