Sixteen years. That is how long it had been since Duquesne’s Men’s Basketball team beat our crosstown rivals, the Pittsburgh Panthers, in the annual City Game between the schools. For fifteen straight years, Pitt Basketball won the annual game between the two schools at Consol Energy Center, and on December 2nd, the newest chapter in the storied rivalry between the two schools was written. This is the story of that night.
It started like any other Friday. Go to class. Grab lunch. Get work done before the weekend. And then chill with the boys before the weekend’s activities started. Although this night was slightly different as, in the words of Mac Miller, “There’s a Party on Fifth Ave.” and we were invited to help pack the student section at PPG Paints Arena to get loud for the Dukes. It was indeed PACKED, as we were forced to take to the 200 Level as the floor and 100 Level were filled, or at least what that’s what the mean old usher said to us as we tried to go down. We honestly expected the game to be not the best for Duquesne, but the Dukes stayed with Pitt in the first half, with the lead going back and forth, and only down by one point at the half. At this point, we thought:
“What if we come back to win it? Nah, there’s still another half to go..”
After sitting with a couple of our other friends for the first half surrounded by Pitt fans, we decided to try again to get on the floor, expecting similar results as the first time. We passed through no questions asked, and got seats in the front of the 100 level, right next to some very enthusiastic Red and Blue Crew section leaders. And as the second half started, Duquesne took the lead, and never looked back. The energy in Section 118 and on the floor rivaled that of playoff hockey, as with every Duquesne basket, the energy increased to the point of “We actually might win this game.” Then between one of the Pitt players shooting free throws, one of The Crew leaders asked me,
“You want to help me out running this?”
“Yeah man let’s go!” I reply.
Immediately I start leading the full student section in chants and losing my voice in attempts to get more people hype for the game. It didn’t hit us that we were going to win this game until the one Crew leader in our section I was with told me:
“I gotta help them storm the court then, lead this for me, see you out there.”
It was like being given the keys to a Ferrari. I had the entire section to help lead in chants, and they actually chanted along. My friends and I had the entire section excited and chanting along as the Pitt students started leaving the building and the clock winded down. With one minute left, the message started being relayed:
“Once that hits zeroes, we’re storming the court…”
As the clock hit the final few seconds, the crowds began to form by the stairs as what felt like half the Duquesne student body stormed the court, and mobbed the players and the City Game trophy. One of my friends and I even were able to get a picture with our school’s President on the court after the game as we were on the court. The feeling on the court was pure euphoria, and the atmosphere carried back over across to campus, as inside our building there was an amazing party atmosphere that took over the entirety of the floors not just in the rooms. The party went on long into the night, 5:00 am to be exact, as we celebrated the first win in sixteen years over Pitt. The feeling was pure euphoria. Easily one of the best nights of my life, if not the best. Fifteen years of losing all erased in one amazing night. To quote former Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz "This is our....city".
Or at least until next year. Roll Dukes.
