Growing up with two brothers who played on multiple teams per season, I spent a lot of time at basketball games. I’m no professional, but it is the one sport I understand on a more complex level than “the ball goes in the hoop.” I listened to my Dad critique my brothers’ games, did my best to learn about the technical aspects of the sport that only people with experience on the court see. My little brother’s brain is filled with tons of stats about college players that you would never care to know about, such as the free throw percentage of probably the entire league, recruit class, and draft.

I decided to come to Villanova the week after their basketball team lost to NC State in March Madness. Although I was sad that they lost (but not as disappointed as nova’s piccolo player), I knew that the team was strong and had the loyalty of the student body. Once the freshman class got on campus, one of the first questions we asked my orientation leader was how we could get tickets to the game. As basketball season approached, I anticipated the school spirit and excitement of the games.

The season went well - minus the upsetting loss to Seton Hall - and we began to realize that the team might be going somewhere when they came out ranked #2. Nova Nation had immense faith in our boys, but the rest of the country did not completely buy into our potential against the other semi-pro teams. We have no guys going to the NBA, and nobody who catches the public’s eye as a really intimidating player. The news made the mistake of overlooking the power behind playing for Villanova, and not en route to NBA.

A “miracle” that we made it to the Elite 8, Villanova was predicted to be eliminated by #1 ranked Kansas. The game was close the entire time, but we were able to hold them. In the final 4, Buddy Hield (now predicted to be a top 5 NBA pick) was expected to tear through our defense, but instead nova dominated 95-51. No mercy was given once they took the lead; Villanova was on fire.

After this extreme performance, the campus was literally and figuratively on fire. Screaming students poured out of the dorms, racing to get to the intersection of Lancaster and Ithan. Choruses of Let's Go Nova and I Believe That We Will Win shook the entire campus, while brave souls climbed the (greased) traffic light. Police horses herded students back into the dorm buildings, just for them to run around the back entrance and rejoin the celebration. This was my first taste of what the celebration of a championship team might be like.

I never doubt that the team can do anything that they put their minds to. The boys brought everything they had to Oklahoma and Kansas, even though these two teams should be able to outplay us. UNC is no different, but suddenly more was on the line. I had to keep myself from assuming that we would win, because anything can happen in college basketball. Walking into the Pavilion on Monday night with the rest of my school, we did not know what to expect other than that our team was not going anywhere without a fight. Due to the stress level and lack of oxygen in the Pavilion, I did now know if I was going to be able to make it through the entire game. I have never screamed so much or watched a game so intently in my entire life. At halftime I sat on the floor silently telling myself that we would come back in the second half. The second half was an emotional rollercoaster, and even with the ten point lead we knew we not to celebrate yet. With 4.7 seconds left on the clock, my entire body was shaking and I was having trouble breathing. For those 4.7 seconds, the score at 74-74, nobody breathed. We prayed, we cried, we jumped up and down. The clock started, the ball left Jenkins’s hands, and everyone’s hands went up.

I don’t honestly remember the 4.7 seconds, but I remember the explosion as the ball passed the rim of the hoop. Every one of us wanted the win just as much as every player on the court. We screamed, chanted, hugged each other, cried, and laughed. My friends and I stared at each other in disbelief. In those 4.7 seconds, we became #1.

I came to this school expecting basketball and school spirit, but what I got was one of the most memorable weekends of my life. The entire student body stampeded out of the Pavilion to Lancaster, where the riot seen on Saturday night reformed. This time, though, there was shock and amazement in the cheers of the fans. There was nobody else to beat - our team made it all the way. Completely absorbed in our victory, we celebrated all night. Helicopters circled overhead and police with horses and tear gas kept the crowds from completely burning the campus down.

When people talk about Villanova’s incredible win in 2016, the moments following those 4.7 seconds will play through my mind again.

We know that every day is a great day to be a Wildcat, but Monday night the Wildcats proved to the rest of the country how powerful Nova Nation is.

Co-Authored by Emily Dresser