Don't Call It a Comeback

          At the semifinal game versus George Mason University, things went downhill very quickly. Despite the fact that we had a couple hundred U.S. soldiers in our fan section, GMU's Doc Nix was more than a match for their motivational power. We encountered him last year at the Band Jam, and this time we were up against his team. It's hard to overstate how sloppy the Huskies were playing; see this text I sent to Harrison.

"Put a fucking bullet in my head, it's 7-31 with 3:36 left in the first half. We've missed every foul shot."

          This was after they failed to score a single point until about ten minutes in. Then, in the second half, a miracle unfolded before our eyes. With an uninterrupted string of three 3-point shots, the Huskies were back in, and with less than twenty seconds left in the game, they clinched a layup for a 69-67 upset. To call it a come-from-behind victory would be a crime against language. Shay and I went in for a hug, a laugh started deep in my chest, and I felt all of my tension melt away. Highlights of the post-game celebration: high-fiving the Army, bumping fists with Peter Roby, barking like a dog, and the prospect of the afterparty.
          Alaric and I hosted the festivities once again, and the mood was exuberant. We put on ESPN hoping for an account of the game, but it was not to be. During several rounds of Drug Dealer, I repeatedly got the dealer card and consistently defended my spot on the throne - first buying everyone out in a 30-second speed round, then winning again with a slow, steady grind. As the night progressed, our conversation got sillier, tabling three or four topics for half an hour before returning to them. Jared, Gavin, Peter and I spent some time in their room discussing movies; eventually, only Jared and I were left awake, sitting and talking by the ice machine until seven in the morning. Here's hoping that tomorrow night brings home the CAA championship win.

          Quotes of the day:
"Time to go to work." - random guy in the elevator
"We have a lot of good songs, but we need more awesome songs." - Anthony
"You might have a lot of fans, but we've got the fucking U.S. Army." - Alaric
"Buy him a plane ticket because fuck you!" - Clay
"He's got a knife!" - Jared
"You're gonna go up to heaven and there's gonna be penises everywhere." - Corey
"Go back to your hole on Whore Island!" - Peter
"He has the dreamiest hair of all the trumpet players." - Jake

Doc Nix - the opposition is strong.