Tough start for Bulldogs doesn’t dampen fans’ spirits

You didn’t need a TV to watch the game last night.

You could have caught it through a living room window while walking the streets near Gonzaga University. You could have seen it from a sidewalk behind a huddle of students who brought their TV to a front porch. You could almost have kept score by counting the cheers and groans of thousands of Zags fans.

School spirit was high Monday night before tipoff as Gonzaga took on the Baylor Bears in the NCAA Championship game. Students chanted “Go Gonzaga, G-O-N-Z-A-G-A.” Many houses boasted freshly spray-painted bed-sheet banners – Timme Time was a popular choice.

The importance of the moment wasn’t lost on students.

“It’s the greatest night of the year,” Kaitlyn Wiens said. “If we lose I’ll cry. I will be unwell if we lose.”

And as special as the night was, Gonzaga students are used to the Zags’ dominance at this point.

“It feels like this is something almost like normal,” Wiens said. “Basketball’s such a big part of how we build our community.”

No one’s been talking about anything other than basketball for the last few days, Gonzaga students said.

“You feel like you’re a part of the team, even if you’re not,” Emma Flood said.

The night didn’t get off to a good start, though. The Zags found themselves down 29-10 at one point in the first half.

That rough start deflated Zags fans in the neighborhood somewhat. But not entirely. Every Bulldogs point or Baylor turnover still drew hopeful hollers.

As the first half ended, few students had given up hope.

“Ten-point game, let’s go,” a voice carried through the neighborhood at the buzzer.

“That’s nothing.”