SMC in the "Elite Eight" of the NIT!

Karl and I went to the Saint Mary's vs. Davidson Round 2 NIT game last night, and I've never seen McKeon Pavilion so packed and rowdy!!! The players were clearly very pumped up too. Instead of writing a lengthy recap of the game, I'll give you the final score: 80-68, Saint Mary's! The students stormed the court after the game and the feeling inside the stadium was one of pure joy. We stuck around afterwards to talk to some of my students and everyone was so excited that it felt like they'd won the NCAA Tournament. (Wouldn't it be sweet redemption if Saint Mary's won the entire NIT??)

Next up: Saint Mary's takes on the number one seed in their bracket, San Diego State, on Wednesday night (tomorrow!) at 6 p.m. Pacific Time. Hopefully with tip-off at 9 p.m. for all of you Eastern Time Zoners out there, you'll be able to catch this one on TV. It's either on ESPN or ESPN2. Check your local listings.

Here are a few photos from the game (if you click on these you can see much higher-res images):

McKeon Pavilion...capacity 3,500

Stephen Curry from Davidson and Patty Mills from SMC - two of the best college players in the country

Omar Samhan shooting a free throw

SMC huddle during at timeout

Former NBA player Chris Mullin was there

Craziness on the court after the big win!

Go Gaels