Frenzied fans drive Grand Canyon at NCAA Tournament

For three hours on Friday the Spokane Arena was filled with walls of purple and roars of, “Let’s go Lopes!”

The matchup between Grand Canyon and Saint Mary’s was the most-attended basketball game of any during Spokane’s NCAA Tournament first-round matchups, and the crowd energy was electric.

Between the Gonzaga fans who attended the game to cheer against rival Saint Mary’s and the passion that Grand Canyon fans have for their team, it felt like the game was being played in the Antelopes’ home town of Phoenix. The Antelopes never faltered and pulled off the upset – the first tournament win in program history.

Spencer Ball grew up in northern Michigan and decided to attend Grand Canyon because of the tight-knit community and the weather.

“I love that I got to come on this trip and see a new state I’ve never seen before,” Ball said. “I love being a part of the best fans in the nation – ‘The Havocs.’ Everyone loves our athletes and we want to be there to support them. We love being Lopes.”

The university allowed 250 students to fly from Arizona to Spokane for the weekend to bring the hype of the student section – ranked by ESPN as tops in the nation. The tickets sold out in just a few minutes.

The Arena played host to four first-round games on Friday. Each game had fans packed throughout the Arena, many of whom traveled long distances in support of their teams, including three from Alabama.

Last year’s national runner-up, the San Diego State Aztecs, headlined Friday’s first session with a close win over Alabama Birmingham. The Aztecs had a large section of fans compared to UAB, bringing a passionate West Coast fan base, “The Show,” to Spokane.

Calvin Byrd, father of Aztecs sophomore guard Miles Byrd, traveled from Las Vegas to watch his son.

Miles Byrd played a minimal role during the Aztecs’ run last March, but he has stepped into a pivotal role off the bench this season. Calvin Byrd attended all six of the Aztecs’ tournament games last year, and said he was coming to this game regardless of where it was located.

Serving as an assistant coach at Pacific in the West Coast Conference for 10 years gave Byrd a lot of respect for Spokane and its love for basketball. Before coaching, Byrd played at Villanova.

“I mostly left here with an ‘L,’ but Spokane is a great town and it is great for our fans,” Byrd said. “Plus, San Diego State travels really well.”

Friday’s other big upset unfolded when Yale beat Auburn.

Just a week ago, Yale had to hit a buzzer-beater in the Ivy League Tournament championship game to make the tournament. Not only did Yale punch its ticket to the tournament, but it defied the odds and sent Auburn home early.

Stetson Griffin grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and attended Friday’s game as a diehard Yale fan.

“There is nothing I love more than New Haven pizza and Yale basketball,” Griffin said. “I love my town.”

He bought a flight to Spokane and his ticket to the game within an hour after the Selection Show. He said the traveling was well worth it.

“It has been so great to watch my team exceed expectations, and become a great Cinderella story,” Griffin said. “Now they’ve given me a reason to come on Sunday.”