*Course: Multiplatform Newsroom I (JOUR200W; Spring 2020)*
A historic first season in a new arena was supposed to culminate in a conference tournament victory and an NCAA Tournament appearance for Robert Morris University. The former occurred, but the latter was halted by the coronavirus outbreak.
On March 10, exactly five years to the date of their last Northeast Conference Tournament victory, the Colonials knocked off the in-state rival Saint Francis University (PA) Red Flash by a 77-67 score to secure their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
“My favorite memory was seeing the clock run down in the final moments of the championship game. Words can’t explain how I felt in that moment,” said junior forward AJ Bramah, who posted 12 points and eight rebounds in the championship victory.
However, within the next 48 hours, the outbreak of the coronavirus stepped in to wreck the plans of individuals all across the country. The achievements of Robert Morris were no exception, as the NCAA Tournament was cancelled on March 12.
“We saw it coming because other [conference] tournaments were getting cancelled before that. I couldn’t believe it because that’s the goal, to put the Colonials out there,” said junior Charles Bain, who added that he and his teammates were “grateful to be able to play in their tournament.”
A memorable season began with the opening of the state-of-the-art UPMC Events Center in a marquee match-up against the region’s top team, the University of Pittsburgh Panthers.
After a rocky non-conference schedule which saw Robert Morris go 4-9, the Colonials soared through NEC play en route to a 13-5 record and three postseason wins to lock up their tournament bid. The cancellation of the NCAA Tournament is still hard news to deal with for those across the university.
“As a student at a low major university, the opportunity to witness your school in the NCAA Tournament and in the national spotlight is something that is a gift, not something that can be taken for granted,” said Cody Lally.
Lally is a junior who is dual majoring in sport management and marketing. He understands the Colonials will get a chance to replicate this year’s success. However, for Yannis Mendy, Josh Williams and Sayveon McEwen, the team’s three seniors, there is no next year.
“It is difficult to see such an atmosphere of excitement die off not because of a loss, but because of a virus. And I feel sad for the players who will never step on the court for a meaningful game again,” added Lally. The junior also serves as an operations and fan engagement intern in the university’s athletic department, providing him with an up-close opportunity to understand how meaningful the tournament appearance would have been to the university.
While the team is attempting to stay safe during the prolonged outbreak, the mindset for those returning has shifted to next season.
Bain said that he is already “taking notes of this year’s successes,” while Bramah affirmed that he is eager about “having a chance to run this thing back.”
Comments