By Alwyn Jimmy, Part Time Staff Writer
Originally Published March 19, 2024
In front of a packed gymnasium at Saint Vincent College, the men’s Saint Vincent basketball team pulled off a nail-biting victory in overtime to book their place in the final of the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament, beating Chatham 88-83. As the final whistle barely echoed through the screams of both the players and the delirious crowd, there was a real belief that this year could be the one. Around the same time, news filtered through that Geneva had just edged past Grove City in similar fashion. The Bearcats were to face Geneva in the PAC Championship.
The Bearcats stepped out onto the court to lively crowd. They started brightly, scoring six without reply. Yet after this, things derailed for the visitors as Geneva would outscore them 18-2 over the next several minutes. Bolstered by the crowd, Geneva finished strong, going into the break with an eleven-point lead. The Bearcats endured a nearly 8-minute scoreless stretch from which they never truly recovered from. The second half continued in a similar fashion as Geneva continued to consistently outscore the visitors, and as the final whistle loomed, the gap only continued to widen. There were wild scenes of jubilation as the referee signaled the end of the game as the home crowd stormed the court.
Despite the harsh defeat, Coach Don Paul Harris remained positive. He chose to focus on the journey to the final itself and commended his opponents.
“Geneva is a very good team. We split the season series with them, each winning at home, and both games being decided by under five points,” Harris said. “If anything, I think this shows how important the entire season is and securing that home court advantage throughout the conference tournament.”
Harris said that while he would have loved for there to be a different result at the championship for the players—particularly seniors—and for the fans, there can only be one winner.
“I thought Geneva played a great team game and deserved to win it,” Harris said. “For myself, the staff, our guys, we just need to remember this feeling, learn from it, and let that drive us going forward.”
Although competing in the ECAC tournament was not the initial plan for the Bearcats, Harris and his team were grateful to still have a chance to continue beyond the season end. He still feels it is something to be proud of.
“This was a great year. Looking back on the season to this point, it was a very enjoyable one with a group of men that I have enjoyed spending time with both on and off the court,” Harris said. “Last season, being the first season back, everyone was trying to get to know each other as we went. This year we added some new pieces, but we had many return from last season to build relationships that could grow deeper. Guys had a better chemistry with others on the court.”
The last time the Men’s Basketball Team won the PAC Championship and entered the NCAA Tournament was 2016. They beat Thomas More College 65-62 and went on to face #5 John Carroll University in the first round of the tournament. Harris and the Bearcats certainly hope to take another shot at this after a historic season record of 23 wins to 5 loses.
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