A five point victory for Duke's fifth national championship made for one passionate campus celebration.
As the Blue Devils' men's basketball team fought their way over the Wisconsin Badgers late in the second half Monday night, students watching the game in Cameron Indoor Stadium abandoned their seats to stand courtside. When the final buzzer sounded, the crowd erupted—storming the court, embracing one another and crying tears of joy. Students then poured onto the Main Quadrangle on West Campus and surrounded the celebratory bonfire, reveling in the win with screaming, selfies and, in some cases, streams of tears.
"I'm super excited," said freshman Michelle Zhu while taking pictures of her friends with the bonfire. "It was so intense. The second half was super clutch."
Even in the excitement of the immediate moment, many students took a step back to appreciate the significance of the evening—with many snapping pictures to preserve the memory.
"I'm glad that I'll have this forever, and I'll be able to connect with everyone in this class about it," junior Jake Leaman said before embracing his girlfriend.
The University brought in more than 100 extra security personnel to campus for the game. Beginning at 4:30 p.m. Monday, security was enhanced around campus, and students were required to show their DukeCards to access campus buildings and busses. The extra security did not dampen the excitement, however.
"It was thrilling," freshman Sam Brougher said. "It was great to be in Cameron. The atmosphere was incredible. It doesn't quite feel real."
Students from all schools and years—as well as faculty, staff and community members—mingled at the bonfire, watching benches go up in flames as the team gave their post-game press conference more than 600 miles away.
"I couldn’t think of a better way to begin my time at Duke," freshman John Clarke said. “I’m beyond ecstatic.”
Though well over 1,000 students—undergraduate, graduate and professional alike— packed Cameron, people viewed the game from all over campus. Many watched from dormitory common rooms or from spaces like The Loop Pizza Grill.
“It was crazy," sophomore Erik Garrigo said of the viewing atmosphere at The Loop. "The place was packed and people were on the tables."
The bonfire was put out a little before 1 a.m., and students dispersed to other parts of campus to continue their celebrations. Many ventured to popular off-campus destination Shooters II Saloon, which stayed open after hosting a watch party Monday evening.
Several alumni made a pilgrimage back to campus to celebrate the outcome as well.
"We had an incredible season," said Arun Sharma, Trinity '12. "Coach K has proved that he can win it a million different ways. He can win it with freshman talent and senior talent, and this is an incredible addition to his legacy."
Claire Ballentine, Alex Griffith and Jake Herb contributed reporting.
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Adam Beyer is a senior public policy major and is The Chronicle's Digital Strategy Team director.