Your Dalhousie Tigers men’s basketball team capped off a great weekend, winning the AUS men’s basketball championship at the Scotiabank Centre on March 1. The boys played great! They never gave up as was witnessed by their come from behind victories in the three consecutive games, culminating with an overtime victory in the championship game over crosstown rivals Saint Mary’s by a score of 88-78. However, in my mind, the story of the weekend for us was you – the fans. SPECIFICALLY THE DALHOUSIE STUDENTS. Those of you who showed up, you were GREAT!!! You were the difference.
I think it all started during the regular season with the men’s soccer team. The members of that team were a major cheering section for our home games – and they were great. Loud, supportive, (and with a little encouragement), “wholesome, for the most part.” Our team loved the energy, and the momentum of that group carried over to the AUS championships. University personnel, alumni, and you, the student body, were amazing. But first and foremost, as head coach, I want to thank all of you for being there. For being loud, for being supportive, for being engaged, and for being the difference. You, the students of Dalhousie, were big time fans. If you ever have seen the NCAA games, the student fanaticism is always something which I hoped we could have here. And guess what, YOU DID IT. I am absolutely certain, YOU MADE THE DIFFERENCE, in every game. From Kash’s buzzer beater against CBU, to our comeback against UNB, to our next comeback over SMU, where the boys were down 17 points in the third quarter – you never gave up and your cheering and support were the catalyst for getting us to overtime.
I want you all to know that we do not win that championship game without the student body. So on behalf of the coaching staff and the players, I want to thank you all. YOU MADE THE DIFFERENCE. I really hope that all of you take as much pride in our AUS championship as the team does. I hope all of you can watch us at the national tournament this week in Toronto. I, and speaking for the team, wish you could be there. We will do our best to make Halifax, Nova Scotia, and mostly you, the Dalhousie community, proud to be Tigers.
Sincerely,
Rick Plato, Head Coach, Dalhousie Tigers Men’s Basketball
2015 AUS Men’s Basketball Champions
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