From the week-long events campaigns, posters, rallies, and events held around the campus, UC Irvine students were all hyped up for the upcoming men’s basketball game on Saturday night and the experience of homecoming as a whole.
Photo Credit: UCI Athletics Department
Freshman Megha Rudresh, a regular basketball game attendee, shows her excitement for the homecoming game. “I want to see how well the boys do, as they have been doing well so far,” Rudresh states, referring to the men’s 4-0 Big West Conference standing. Rudresh speaks for many international students when she also mentions that this is her first homecoming. She admits, “I don’t really know what to expect, but I’m sure it will be good.” Expectations were raised for several students as this game—out of all other games—was so greatly promoted by the college.
And their expectations were happily satisfied. From the giant Ferris wheel, the endless booths of clubs, the jump house, and the dance performances, both students and their families were celebrating the event well before the game even began. “It’s like Disneyland,” a student says walking by in awe.
Another regular game-goer, freshman Reuben Pascual, shares his take on the game. Pascual, originally from Hawai’i, confidently states that he supports the UC Irvine Anteaters over the University of Hawai’i Warriors when he says, “It’s always fun for me because I can call or text people back home and tell them that we won.”
The game started promptly at 7 PM, and the bleachers were packed. The crowd was pumped up by the loud music, and people were decked out and cheering in yellow shirts and other UC Irvine apparel. Once the Hawai’i players came out, the crowd booed ruthlessly, but when UC Irvine’s star 7’6” Mamadou Ndiaye made an appearance, the bleacher stands exploded with enthusiasm.
Anteaters came out ready to fight, scoring the first points, but the Warriors were not going to let them get away. Within the first two minutes of the game, the Warriors made three 2-pointers, and seemed to be taking the lead for a while. Anteater fans were even more distraught at the constant fouls being called on UC Irvine players, causing the crowd to start a “bullsh*t“ chant aimed at the referees.
But the Anteaters were not going to let the Warriors have it easy either. After a quick timeout, the Anteaters came out aggressively and continued the back-and-forth battle. The fans were kept on their toes, uncertain about the outcome. The Anteaters caught up fast and kept up their game, all the way until the last leap of faith senior Alex Young took as he shot and scored a clean swish just as the buzzer rang, leaving the Anteaters up 43-38 at halftime.
With the crowd still roaring from the last play, the UC Irvine homecoming nominees graciously stepped onto the court, escorted by their family. Watching families come together like that even through sports showed how important this event is in American culture. As the princes and princesses were being called out, their fans cheered back just as they did for the players. Even during halftime, the crowd stood in anticipation as they waited for the king and queen to be announced. And when upperclassmen David Conley and Jacklyn Uweh were announced as homecoming king and queen, the crowd roared once again. [PIC 5*]
Reenergized, the Anteaters took the court again for the second half. But the Warriors had also come ready to play, as they scored first. The back-and-forth competition carried on and continued from the last half, where one minute the crowd goes wild as Mamadou scores a slam dunk effortlessly, but soon get disheartened as the Warriors make a comeback.
In the last five minutes of the game, the score was 70-69, with the Anteaters in the lead. But all the crowd could think was, “Do we have this game?” The battle continued until the very final seconds, where the Warriors make an unexpected comeback, taking that leap of faith and shooting, to score a 3-pointer just as the buzzer rang, tying the game 78-78, leading to overtime.
The crowd was going crazy now. It meant five more minutes of this high-stakes competition. Ready to keep fighting, the Warriors came out and started scoring, but the Anteaters did not let them get too ahead right away. After some time the Anteaters started to lose control of the ball. This continued until the buzzer signaled the final end of the game, leaving the Anteaters defeated 86-90.
Though disappointed at the outcome of the game, the Anteater fans still showed support to their players by staying engaged throughout the game. It was quite a battle, and it was well-fought. What should be recognized is not the score, but the sheer efforts that were put into the event as a whole, from both the players and the fans. The UC Irvine Anteaters truly showcased their spirit and togetherness in this year’s homecoming, which is something not all schools can brag about.