Fans got their first dose of the wild and exciting side to March Madness on Tuesday when St. Francis and Alabama State needed a chaotic last-second basket to decide a winner in the First Four battle of 16-seeds.
But Wednesday’s contest between American and Mount St. Mary’s, also a 16-seed play-in game, featured the more somber parts of the NCAA Tournament.
American’s Matt Rogers, a senior, twisted his knee twice early in the first half and had to be assisted off the court and walked to the locker room. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game shortly after.
The Eagles, who had kept up and even led briefly, would not be the same after losing their leading scorer and the Patriot League Tournament MVP.
Mount St. Mary’s pulled away for the 83-72 win, the Mountaineers offense practically unchecked without the 6-foot-9 Rogers in the paint to halt their advances.
Rogers averaged 17.0 points and 5.6 rebounds this season and was named a finalist for the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award, handed out to the best mid-major player in the sport.
He ranks sixth in program history for points scored (1,849) and ninth in rebounds (758), while playing in a program-record 136 games. His college career likely came to an end with his team’s play-in loss.
Rogers was visibly emotional as he left the court in the first half, reminding fans of the devastating finality an injury like his (especially combined with a tournament loss) can bring.
American, champions of the Patriot League, qualified for its first NCAA Tournament since 2014.
Rogers spent five years in the nation’s capital despite having multiple opportunities to transfer to bigger programs.
He chose to remain an Eagle so he could play in the NCAA Tournament for the program that gave him a shot, but that dream came to an abrupt end on Wednesday.
Mount St. Mary’s, MAAC champions, now advances to face No. 1-seeded Duke on Friday after winning its first March Madness game since 2017 (first tournament appearance since 2021).
