March Madness is off to a flying start already even though there are still a lot of first-round games left to play. There are no favorites when it comes to the NCAA tournament as rankings go out the window as soon as a game starts. And it is a major reason behind the excitement of the tournament. The games that have been played so far did not disappoint and lived up to the anticipation and more. However, losing is not a nice feeling as this might spell the end of some young star’s careers after working hard to reach the main event.
Emotions were through the roof during the first-round game between Utah State and Missouri. It was a closely contested game. However, the Missouri Tigers took care of business.
March Madness is in full swing
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A #7 seed the Missouri Tigers came away with a 76-65 win against a #10 seed the Utah State Aggies. With this, the Tigers moved to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2010 thanks to their inspired defense. Missouri forced their opponents to one of their worst performances of the season beyond the arc. With their immaculate switching and closing out of the Tigers, they forced the Aggies to go 4-for-24 from three-point territory. Furthermore, Utah State had 15 turnovers which led to a massive 23 points.
Kobe Brown and D’Moi Hodge starred for Missouri scoring 19 and 23 points respectively. Forward Taylor Funk led Utah State with 16 points in the losing effort. It was an emotional moment for both sets of fans and everyone involved as the game drew to a close.
The Tigers were closing in on their first-ever win in the NCAA tournament in 13 long years. So they were going through it all and had to hold on to their nerves. On the other hand, the Aggies were on the verge of elimination with their years of hard work coming to a crashing halt.
Fans react to the emotional rollercoaster
The Missouri Tigers had a slender four-point after the first half. However, the Utah State Aggies came out strong after the break and went on a wild 25-9 run and took the lead. However, no lead in March Madness is safe, and it was clear once again as the Tigers came back to finish the game. With a little over one minute of regulation left, Missouri was leading the game by 12 points. And the camera panned over to a Utah State cheerleader who could not control her emotions. As the video posted by Bleacher Report went viral on Twitter, many fans flooded the comment section. Here are some reactions:
it’s prolly her last game too man that stuff is sad
— Darius Snow (@realdsnow) March 16, 2023
most likely her last game too this is sad and yall are lame for this post. trying to get people to make fun of her have some shame
— t r i s t a n 🇵🇹 (@ttristcn) March 16, 2023
This is a bad take on your part @BleacherReport….this young woman may have just experienced her last game as a cheerleader and may never do this again in her life…the abrupt end of this all is probably settling in. #BeBetter
— Justin Martin (@jmartin_7) March 17, 2023
Many fans commented that it could be her last-ever game as a cheerleader and showed support. Some fans praised the cheerleader for truly caring and rooting for her team.
Actually think it’s awesome she cares that much…not sure why it needs to be mocked on social media…
— #KNP Jay (@jayhastings79) March 16, 2023
Imagine being mocked for being upset that something you've put your heart and soul into is coming to an end.
— Comic Guy Steve (@ComicGuySteve75) March 16, 2023
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It could be the end of her college career as well. Not sure why this is supposed to be funny
— ajsteventon (@ajsteventon) March 16, 2023
On the other hand, a lot of fans even criticized the fans who made fun of the cheerleader for showing emotion.
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The Missouri Tigers will next face the Princeton Tigers who registered one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history. Princeton shocked everyone as they won their game against the Arizona Wildcats who were one of the favorites to many, including President Joe Biden. It will be interesting to see how Princeton fares against Missouri in the Round of 32 next.