The rule of thumb is to be gracious in defeat. If that’s the case, then the Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers followed that rule to perfection at the conclusion of the East Region First Four on Wednesday.
Mount St. Mary’s, who were two-and-a-half point favorites, defeated the American University Eagles 83-72. They shot over 70% from the field, and Dola Adebayo and Joey Cordilia each finished with 22 points.
The highlight of the game came when American University’s leading scorer, Matt Rogers, severely injured his right knee and had to watch the rest of the game from the bench. His mother was seen on camera crying as she witnessed her son in pain.
All the players went over to show their support for Rogers at the conclusion of the game.
AU senior forward and leading scorer Matt Rogers left with a knee injury and was ruled out for the game.
He returned to the bench on crutches.
After the game, the entire Mount St. Mary’s team made sure to shake hands with Rogers
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Before his injury, Rogers scored 7 points and grabbed 2 rebounds in eight minutes of play. This year, Rogers averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 55.6% from the field.
He also became the 15th player in American University history to score over 1,000 points and grabbed over 500 rebounds.
Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers show what the sport is about
March Madness is one of the most frenzied times in sports. March Madness can bring out the best and worst in players, coaches, and fans.
Emotions run hide in the one-or-done scenario, which is why every minute is something to savor. This is especially true for Rogers, as this ended up being his final game as an American Eagle, and the Mountaineers obviously knew that.
They demonstrated the best of what sport has to offer by walking over to comfort Rogers. While winning and losing come with the territory, a team’s character withstands the test of time, especially in how they respond to pressure cooker situations.
No matter what happens from this point forward, the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers have cemented a place among the classiest group of young men in sports in the present day.
The Mountaineers will take on the No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, March 21, at the PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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