A Freshman Basketball Player’s Perspective on the Blue Jay’s Championship Run
Written by Ruairi Cronin
My name is Ruairi Cronin, and I am a freshman on the men’s basketball team. I will be talking about everything from the electric home environment to the ecstatic national tournament. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championship game between USJ and St. Joe’s of Maine was the first time in GNAC history that these two teams faced each other in the conference final. The final score was 78-59, and as the final buzzer rang, the significance of that win went much beyond those figures. We had won another GNAC trophy and as a freshman, I got to experience the ecstatic feeling of being a champion. I was even happier for our seniors, Jalen Samuels, Tyree Mitchell, Jared Simmons, Neill Dickey, and Amadou Kamara. It was a great achievement to bow out of their college basketball career with a ring!
During the GNAC final, the USJ home crowd was electric. The stands were a sea of white, and supporters were dressed spiritedly, waving banners and cheering together. I felt a sense of pride and joy as a result of the excitement that was evident throughout the entire arena. The support from the fans gave us constant motivation to give it our all on the court.
Yet, the GNAC championship was really a prelude to the national tournament which marked the next phase of our adventure. We sat through a taxing eight-hour bus ride that took us from Connecticut to Virginia. After a successful Thursday practice, we were ready to play Geneva. Geneva were worthy opponents. We had to give it everything to come away with the win. Much like USJ, the atmosphere was also electric. Randolph Macon had a packed-out gym, and their fans were accompanied by marching bands and an orchestra. The final score was 97-83, and we headed straight back to the hotel and started preparing for our next-round matchup.
As we arrived at the second-round matchup against Randolph-Macon, we were greeted by an electric atmosphere that was filled with anticipation. The marching band echoed through the air, setting the stage for the showdown that lay ahead. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our day as we came out second best. However, we bowed out fighting. We cut down a 20-point second-half deficit down to five with four minutes to go. However, it wasn’t meant to be as we ended up losing 75-64, but we definitely have a lot to be proud about.
All in all, the GNAC championship and the national tournament were both great learning curves and a unique experience that I was grateful to be a part of. I hope to be a part of many more in the future as we continue to improve.
Photograph provided by: Ruairi Cronin
