Students gather to cheer Bears on in basketball playoffs

Despite not being able to follow the game at home, the UNC community was able to watch the first game of the semi-finals of the Big Sky basketball tournament on TV Tuesday at the University Center Fireside Lounge. The game was against Montana University.

“Even though we can’t all go to Utah to support our basketball team, we can show our support at home by watching the semifinals together,” said Student Body President Justin Puckett.

Walt Francis, the special assistant to the director of athletics, said the University of Northern Colorado’s basketball team was at the absolute bottom in ranking four years ago.

“Now, we have moved up in rankings and even made it to the semifinals,” Francis said. “There should be a bigger crowd tomorrow than tonight if we win, and it will be aired either on ESPN or ESPN2. Being on national television is always good exposure for the university.”

Students like Matt VanDriel, a senior triple major, and Harrison Sundgren, a senior physical education major, said they would have gone to Ogden, but they could not make it because of prior commitments and busy schedules that kept them in Greeley.

“I’m going to go to the NCAA game if we win, and we won’t know the information until Sunday, though,” VanDriel said. “I usually try to come to the games, and if I can’t make it, I try to know what’s going on with the different teams.”

Andrew Ransom, a junior chemistry major, said he would have been in Utah supporting the basketball team if not for a test on Thursday.

“I would definitely consider going to the NCAA (tournament) if we win,” Ransom said.

Jeremy Scarbrough, an undeclared freshman, said he has always been a fan of college basketball and predicted UNC would play against Weber State in the final round.

“I think we’ll win the finals,” Scarbrough said.

Matt Dunsmoor, a senior political science and marketing major, said the viewing was a big deal, and it showed commitment to where the athletic program has landed and also shows significant unity within the university.

But despite the positive collaboration, the Bears fell 68-63, and the team will have to wait to see if it has a chance at the National Invitation Tournament, known as the NIT. They no longer have a chance to go to the March Madness tournament.