You can count five players on the court per team in a game of men's basketball, but in last night's contest between Duke and Virginia, the Cavaliers' had a sixth man: the fans.
In Virginia's thrilling 91-89 victory over No. 3 Duke, a raucous crowd greeted the Blue Devils to University Hall and helped the Cavaliers defeat a team they hadn't beaten in five years.
"We couldn't have won without the students and fans from the community," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "They gave us an unbelievable lift. We don't win without them. Our fans were the difference tonight."
The crowd of 8,242 exploded into earsplitting roars and chants such as "U-V-A, U-V-A" and "Hoo's Your Daddy, Battier?" throughout the game. But nothing compares to the chaos that erupted after Virginia guard Adam Hall's game-winning putback with 0.9 seconds left.
The fans "were unbelievable," Gillen said. "They went berserk. It was a horrific environment the whole night."
But it got even wilder at the game's final buzzer when the fans rushed the court to celebrate the "marvelous" victory. Senior point guard Donald Hand and Hall joined the postgame jubilation as they stood up on the press table and embraced one another. Gillen also gave a short speech to the sea of spectators and deemed them "the best fans in the United States."
The story was quite different only weeks ago when University Hall was voted as the easiest place to play in the nation because of the congenial fans that (sometimes) filled the seats.
But lately, crowds have proven the critics wrong, and did so with authority last night. A sea of orange filled the arena, answering Gillen's request for fans to wear orange. The team, instead of wearing its normal white jerseys for home games, also donned orange jerseys to match the crowd.
"It was a goal to connect with the community," Gillen said.
Gillen also thanked students for the victory, especially those who waited in line. Some students began camping out as early as Saturday. By the time they were allowed in the arena hours before the opening tip, the students could barely contain their excitement and created a scene that was boisterous even before game time.
"It was a great environment," Duke coach Mike Kryzejewski said. "It's always been great here. I've always felt that the Virginia fans have done a good job."
The crowd responded with a bang to Virginia's most crucial game of the season so far. Although the victory was important for the Cavaliers, it was even more special for those who came to witness it.
"It was sweet for us to win, but it was even sweeter for the fans," sophomore guard Roger Mason Jr. said. "They deserved the win more than anyone else tonight"
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