They were starting to get pumped for what was not only the first official game of the basketball season, but also a huge rival game against Western North Carolina University.
As I entered the stadium, I was handed a "Beat Western" button and followed the flood of students to the Bulldog Nation cheering section and took my seat with my group of friends.
Everyone was sporting some sort of Asheville gear or colors.
There were also a handful of students rocking the body paint - everything from faces to stomachs to arms were painted, and some girls even added glitter to their ponytails for an extra touch.
Although the players were only warming up, the tension was already high as the student section - divided into baseball players, tennis players, runners, frat boys, and students - began eyeing the Western fans to sum up our cheering competition.
We would not be out cheered.
As the clock signaled the start of the game, our warm-up cheers progressed into full on scream cheers.
The bleachers shook as we stomped defense... Your own thoughts were drowned out when we screamed for every basket... You could hear a pin drop in the student section as our arms went up in the air and we froze for free throws... Then made the simultaneous "whoosh" as the ball went in...
All of theses cheers encompassed the night.
But we needed them to carry us through the game because Western put up a fight.
Their defense was spotless and their 3 point shots seemed like they would never go anywhere but the net.
By the end of the first half, we were barely maintaining our neck-in-neck battle with them.
But as they hit the bench, something must have happened between my friend and I stating that "Asheville needed to get their act together" and the buzzer signifying the end of halftime, because we came back onto the court ready to play.
Although it was still a battle during the second half, we were able to maintain more of a lead.
Regardless, we did not let up on our cheering.
With about five minutes left, we were leading 69 to 61.
But as the clock dwindled down to about one minute, we had two free throw shots.
And it was all over.
As one of the players, Trent, made the last two baskets - Asheville fans instantly starting cheering because we knew it was over.
We not only won our first game of the season...
But also our first home game...
AND beat Western 71-61!
Every Asheville fan left the stadium with their head held high and new bragging rights.
0 comments:
Post a Comment