STJ Basketball - My First MSG Game!

          No words could describe the anticipation I had for Thursday, November 17, 2011: the first Madison Square Garden St. John's Basketball Game of the season - and my first STJ MSG game ever! At 9:30pm, our men's team faced the Arizona 'Wildcats' in the first night of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. This was not only a very exciting night for me playing The Garden for my first time with Pep Band (I had dreamed of this day since when I first researched and wanted to join the Pep Band, months before coming to STJ!); but, it was also very exciting for our team as it was the first Garden game for most of its members too (since most of them are new to STJ), and I can only imagine the adrenaline they must have felt as their feet first touched the court of The World's Most Famous Arena. This was also a very important game for Coach Steve Lavin, whose family history includes multiple battles with cancer, including his own with prostate cancer, and we were all proud to see him there coaching the game and supporting the tournament's cause.

          I remember the exhilaration I felt as I walked through the back corridors of The Garden entering with the band, and especially how cool it was to be traveling as a group in the freight elevator! My smile and excitement backstage as we lined up to enter the arena were uncontainable, and the walk out into the lights of the arena was a breathtaking experience. It also was amazing catching my first glimpse of our team on that famous court (The Pep Band view is the best you could ask for!), and what an awesome feeling it was to watch our team play at this newly renovated home. Our players displayed much effort and energy in their game that night, though unfortunately that wasn't enough to beat highly-ranked Arizona. We lost to the 'Wildcats' 81-72, which meant we would play the earlier of the two games (the consolation round) when we came back the next day. Win or lose, the entire game was an indescribably amazing experience, playing and taking in all the sights and sounds.

The front of 'The World's Most Famous Arena'

This picture perfectly conveys my experience walking out into the lights
of the Garden floor for the first time.

Fellow Pep Band Flute Player Stephanie and me (and our flutes) extremely excited to be entering our first Garden game!

The first STJ team huddle at MSG this season (The players are wearing special tournament shirts over their uniforms.)

STJ team members focus as an Arizona player begins a free throw shot (Coach Lavin can be seen pacing in front of the media desk in this photo.) 

Me, Jessica, and Stephanie holding up our little flute and bells
section at The Garden!