Wagner College's NCAA tournament dream ends with loss to No. 1 seed North Carolina
NEW YORK -- It made the Tri-State Area proud, but the Wagner College men's basketball team is out of the NCAA tournament.
The Seahawks' journey ended Thursday with a 90-62 loss to No. 1 North Carolina in the first round of the West Region.
Despite the defeat, their classmates are still proud beyond words.
The watch party at Wagner was full of highs but, sadly, more lows.
Students crowded around to watch their team compete in March Madness, knowing the Seahawks had never gotten this far in the tournament. They played their way into the first round with a win over Howard in the First Four.
"I'm excited for Wagner. I think it's really great they're up ... they're up there," one student said.
The tiny Staten Island school earned its spot in the big dance by winning the North East Conference Tournament, but it faced big competition Thursday against one of the great programs in college basketball history.
"It's really cool we made it this far," one student said.
"Proud of them, no matter what," said Justine Carranza, a junior on Wagner's softball team.
"It's amazing, coming from a super small school. It's really good to see them compete with a big school," another student added.
Students watched with anticipation the whole time, hoping the underdogs would come out on top. But while this Cinderella story has come to an end, many are looking forward to the next time.
"Win or lose, I think they tried their best," junior Aldin Radoncic said.
Faculty members also said they are proud of the players, adding they're already legends on the campus and have helped put Wagner on the big-time college sports map.
"Sometimes they say Wagner is a hidden gem, and this shows we are not so hidden anymore. We are not the best-kept secret anymore," said Tommy Tressler-Gelok, the assistant dean of campus life.
Due to injuries, the Seahawks had only had seven healthy players, which means most of them had to play the entire game with no breaks.