Double the March Madness By Donna Klinger
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FEATURE SPRING 2021
IN A YEAR WITH STOPS AND STARTS in the schedule and other challenges due to COVID-19, the Mount St. Mary’s University men’s and women’s basketball teams both punched their tickets to the NCAA Division I Tournament by winning the Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship. This is the first time that both teams went to the Big Dance in the same year since 1995. The Mount is the only team in the NEC to ever achieve this feat. The campus community and Frederick County community recognized the special nature of this achievement, especially during a pandemic. Local businesses displayed posters declaring their support for the teams, and restaurants featured the games on their television screens. Physically distanced and masked, students filled Knott Arena to 10% capacity to watch the men’s and women’s games. The pep band and cheerleaders contributed to the spirited atmosphere.
