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Hundreds of West Virginia University fans waited outside the WVU Coliseum Sunday to welcome home the West Virginia men’s basketball team from its Big East Conference Tournament Championship.
The Mountaineers defeated No. 22 Georgetown 60-58 Saturday night at Madison Square Garden to win its first Big East title in program history.
"We wanted to win this for our state first, because the people there love us so much and they support us so much," said tournament Most Outstanding Player Da’Sean Butler. "I definitely know it means the world to them."
The team was expected to arrive back at the Coliseum at 2 p.m., but delays caused the team to not arrive until around 4 p.m.
Char Phyles, a Morgantown resident and WVU graduate, got to the Coliseum at noon with her husband, Mike, to watch the welcome home ceremony.
"(The team) did a great job," Char said. "Everyone thought they were slackers, and they proved them wrong. It makes me proud I graduated from West Virginia."
Mike said the couple had season tickets when WVU head coach Bob Huggins was a player.
"Bobby promised us we would get a Big East Championship, and he came through," Mike said. We knew he would."
WVU staff member Pat Reeves was also on hand for the event. A Clarksburg, W.Va., native, she said the win means so much to the state because it doesn’t have a professional team.
"This is our team, and we love them like our own kids," Reeves said. "I know some of the players, but I’m proud because this is my school and my state."
Although outnumbered by adults, there were some students in attendance.
Zach Stevens, a Charleston, W.Va. native, said Saturday’s win reminded him of four years ago when West Virginia reached the Sweet 16.
"I just drove around Morgantown to see the chaos," Stevens said. "A lot of people told Huggins he would never get wins at WVU, but he’s done just that."
Huggins appeared to be emotional again Sunday when he faced the hundreds of supporters at the Coliseum.
"Thank ya’ll so much for what you do and what you mean to us," Huggins said. "This is special place, and I hope you all understand how much we appreciate you."
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