With the basketball season just days away, the most exciting time for Retriever fans is coming.  Nothing beats going to the RAC, cheering on the basketball teams, and having that feeling of victory afterwards.  This year the season starts on Friday at 7:00 p.m. when the Women’s Basketball takes the floor against nationally ranked Virginia, who is ranked 14th in the pre-season coaches polls.  Naturally when seeing a team like UMBC play a nationall ranked team you are to expect a loss.  But that ma not be the case this year.  With the game at home and the returning firepower of the Retrievers, there may be no better time to get an upset victory over an unexpecting Cavaliers team.  But it does not matter how much potential  team has if there is no crowd to play in front of.

Every coach will tell you, and Phil Stern certainly did at Midnight Madness, the crowd is a sixth man.  The team feeds off it’s energy, and it disrupts the play of the opposing team.  While the men’s basketball team has not had much trouble getting people to games the last two season, the women’s team has, despite being a high-scoring and fun team to watch.  Last year the biggest crowd was under 900, less than one fifth of the average men’s basketball crowd.  So this weekend when the basketball season starts up go support your Retrievers, especially the women’s team.  Playing Virginia is no easy challenge, but there is no better feeling as a fan than when you see you are frustrating an opposing crowd.  Shock the Cavaliers and Pack the RAC.  The goal for the attendance of the first game: 1,000.  See if you can meet that.  True fans support their teams, and those teams include women’s.  It’s a Friday night and it’s free.  Hang out with friends, watch good basketball, and help your Retrievers score a big upset to kick of the season.  And wear your black and gold.