I was not quite a junior in high school when I first stepped on the Niagara University campus. My sister would be going there in the fall - studying musical theater nonetheless - among the Vincentian monks.
Later that year, I attended a Purple Eagles' basketball game. Ironically, they were playing the University at Buffalo. At this point I knew little of UB. It was simply another college we passed in the car on our way to see my sister at Niagara.
The game was a barnburner, coming down the last final seconds. To the dismay of the home crowd, Turner Battle hit a pull-up jumper from about 15 feet to win the game for the Bulls.
Now, some six years (or maybe more - once you get to be my age, they all seem to run together) later, I found myself on that same court on the second floor of the Gallagher Center. This wasn't the first time I'd played at Niagara since I first watched that game from the stands, but it would be my last.
What a way to go out.
In another tight game, we beat the Purple Eagles 86-80 in front of the usual packed house at Niagara. I texted my sister immediately following the game- needless to say, she was a bit upset.
It's always a thrill playing at Niagara - the gym isn't big by any means (it seats maybe as many people as my high school gym) but the energy the crowd brings is great. I say this mainly because - due to its proximity to UB - there is always nearly as many Buffalo fans in the stands as there are Purple Eagle fans.
This makes for an amazing basketball environment as student sections banter back and forth with increasingly inventive and insulting cheers while the players go at each other on the floor.
::elapsed time: 30 minutes::
So I'm sitting here staring at my computer screen trying to figure out a way to tie up the end of this blog post. As you can see, it's been a half hour and I've got nothing. It's a good thing today was the last day of classes for the semester because I think my mind just left on a little vacation.
