'a crescendo of deafening silence...'

      With fingernails down to the nubs and heart palpitations setting in, the Panther Faithful were in complete pandemonium when Joey closed out his personal nine point run with a finishing drive that finally brought  The Boys to a 55-all tie with the clock showing only four ticks and running. Then, faster than a cruise missile undetected by the best IBM anti-missile software, Scranton, went unchecked up the sideline and drained the desperation- 3 as the clock ran out to register the biggest 'W' in their history. Give them credit for their game plan and their execution because both were probably their best efforts in years. Give The Boys credit for their pretty solid 'D' on a night when we couldn't make a bucket in the entire first half. Without that effort it would've been over at the break. And then when it seemingly was slipping away, they made a defensive stand in the last 2:10, kept Scranton off the board in three critical trips, where a score or foul meant the end, and rallied to tie it only to take the dagger at the bitter end.

     Pepin emptied silently leaving only the parents and friends, the Bball alums, and a few hardcore fans to try and parse through the final seconds, heads shaking, voices muted, disbelief rampant. It was better to be able to get away from there where you could realize, with the rest of the Panther Nation, that getting nicked, and on the final possession, is how it ends for everyone but the champion at Salem. But as long as the dream glows brightly, the human in all of us never considers 'us' to be on that endangered species list (unfortunately prophetic at this juncture). And the fact that for two seasons The Boys had been perfect at Pepin made the mortality check that much harder to swallow.

      The Panther Express has given everyone another great ride this year. 26 and 4, and hosting in the Sweet Sixteen are not to be sneezed at. It is now a hallmark for a 'national' program. In continuing a fairy tale run of six years of getting 'firsts' for the program, being tagged as a host for this round extended our string. Many thought that a return to the Final Four was to be that first but it wasn't to be. We salute Ryan Sharry, and his senior classmates for their excellence including being ready at every tip time to win 103 games over their careers, and to 'TheBigDog' himself for being the Northeast's POY, as decided on D3Hoops. It's going to take some giant efforts to fill that position next year, and probably more than one guy to do it. But there's plenty of talent, athleticism, muscle and cohesion that will return in Jake, Joey and NolanT., Peter, Jensen, NateB., Dylan, 'LongJack' and DeanB. Expecting new precincts to be heard from as well with 'Winston' to prove his worthiness, Bert Nasciemento to maybe become a dial-up jump shooter, or Hunter to do the same, and Eamon Cuddy to become a bigger contributor. The rest of the nescac wishes they were in our position.

      There's info out there also that who JeffB. has 'in the pipeline' should keep the 'Nervous Nellies' from the anti-depressants. Was looking forward to going back to Salem and perching on my lawn chair at the arena, till The Boys got to town, discussing their chances with members of the local constabulary while we also had a tete-a-tete over the legality of their 'open--container' ordinance. Oh well, suppose that can wait till next year. And remember, "off The Vendor's chair, down The Alibi stair, past Duke Nelson's snoring, nothin' but net."Be well. Clubbo.