In West Lafayette, disappointment and defiance reign after NCAA loss
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WISH) — Even as the final moments of the NCAA Championship game ticked away late Monday night, Purdue fans said they have a lot to look forward to next year.
Some 12,000 Purdue students packed Mackey Arena to watch the game on the monitors from the stands. A deafening, nearly nonstop roar filled the arena all through the first half of the game. For students like Gabriel Martino and Bella Winkler, both freshmen, there was never any question of where was the best place to watch the game.
“Being around people, the fans, and the cheering and the dancing, it just makes it so different,” Winkler said.
As UConn expanded its lead during the second half, the cheering slowly subsided, resurging whenever the Boilermakers made another basket in an ultimately futile effort to close the gap. As the final seconds ticked away, some students left the arena, but the overwhelming majority stayed until the end.
Although the season ended with the second tournament championship game loss in Purdue history and a tournament title remaining elusive, the students put on a brave face outside Mackey Arena. Pavit Hooda, Josh Williams, and Ani Gokhale, all juniors, said they were glad to see Purdue do as well as it did.
“I know their key players played their heart out,” Gokhale said. “I’m disappointed, but it’s fine.”
The game was extra special for Ultan Fallon, Cian Mansfield, and Lluis Marill. All three are foreign exchange students – Fallon and Mansfield from Ireland and Marill from Spain. They said they were glad they got to experience a deep March Madness run during their year in West Lafayette.
“University in Europe is not the same as in America,” Marill said. “I really like how proud people are of their college here and I’m really glad I had the chance to experience getting to the national championship. We’re really proud of our players regardless.”
Students after the game said they already have high expectations for next season, citing the number of players expected to return. Martino and Winkler said they have already bought season tickets for their sophomore year.