SAN ANTONIO —

As the two teams stood on the court, huddled together before the beginning of the Final Four game in San Antonio, the letters “A-U” already rang out from the crowd. Almost everyone in the stands was wearing purple and terrible towels with the Ashland University logo on them flapped wildly above the heads of the faculty, staff and parents who had made the 1,400-mile trek one way or another.

Fred and Holly Finks sat right behind the players’ bench, joining the other Eagle fans in a literal wall of support. Signs bounced up and down: “Ramsey for President,” “Making it look easy #KariDaugherty,” “Kent State called, they want their all-star back. #10,” and “It’s Miller Time.”

The crowd shouted for rebounds, for defense, for baskets, until finally they just roared. Ashland University didn’t have a very large crowd, but they had a loud one. And tonight, they were apart of this team too.

A moment happened in the first half of the game that really stuck with me. Kari Daugherty was running down the court, getting back on defense, when she pointed at an open Bentley player and shouted for Tenyak to guard her. Tenyak saw, responded, and the girl missed her shot. It was a brilliantly clear moment that showed how much of a team the Lady Eagles are. They always have each other’s backs. The amount of observation and preparation each girl brings to the court is always shared with their teammates. They look out for each other, take care of each other and in the end, they all end up winners. Literally.

As the game continued, it became clear that Bentley hadn’t been rattled, but they weren’t confident either. As they went on a hot streak, the crowd screamed their support. The Eagles never needed to feel naked or alone. People believed in them.

As the first half drew to a close, Bentley went on a 14-0 run, gaining momentum and discouraging the spectators. The crowd grew quieter, worried about what the future half would hold.

But now, it was time for the basketball players to encourage the spectators, and as the seconds clicked down to zero, Stutzman hit a three that threw the crowd back into a frenzy. Everyone from Ashland was working together to make sure that we had the best team in San Antonio.

During the second half, there was a small moment where it looked like Coach Ramsey was going to have a heart attack, she was so short of breath. She was playing just as hard as her girls. And while I’m not even going to pretend like I’m playing these games or acting as a team member, I am a witness. We all have been witness. And I think we’ve been left breathless too.