By Sam Federman
Nothing in the world matches the energy, intensity, and emotion of championship games in one-bid leagues. Especially those held on campus.
While the NEC title game was far from a Van Gogh on the floor, it delivered one of the most memorable nights for the conference in many years. Saint Francis went into Detrick Gym and defeated heavy favorite Central Connecticut 46-43 to punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
The listed capacity at Detrick Gym is 2654. The listed attendance on Tuesday was 3204. That's 120% of capacity.
You couldn't sit down, move, or leave your seat all night, and it came down to the wire.
CCSU - feeling all of the pressure - came out tight, barely scoring, but held SFU down to keep the game close the whole way. With the game tied at 43 in the final seconds, Daemar Kelly made a mid-range jump shot to give the Red Flash the lead, and then Central turned the ball over.
Rob Krimmel - who has been part of the Saint Francis program since playing there in the 1990's - is headed to his first NCAA Tournament in year 13 at the helm.
It's heartbreak for the Blue Devils, who were, by far, the best team in the NEC all year, but couldn't finish the fairytale.