From the cheap seats

Kumar Bhooshan
Sports Editor

They weren't crucial wins. They weren't pivotal conference wins. But the Cougars' victories weren't just scoreboard numbers. They were triumphs of the spirit.

Lately I've heard a lot about the men's basketball team, and none of it has been positive. With wins over Quincy University and a victory Saturday against the University of Missouri-St. Louis, our Cougars have found themselves on, dare I say it, a bit of a win streak.

The two wins may not seem like much, but the only other streak the Cougars have had so far this year is a 10-game losing stretch. Given the record of six wins and 15 losses, the back-to-back wins probably aren't worth a lot of shouting. But I would like to commend the Cougar basketball team on the two wins because they symbolize victories over the adversity that has plagued the team.

In the last month much has been said about players who have been injured, ones who quit or those who, for whatever reason, are no longer on the Cougar roster. But I want to express my appreciation for all the hard work that Marty Perry, Nick Hartwig, Luke Humphrey, Brandon Hilton, Ben Garwitz, Garrett Thomas and Andrew Gajewski have put in all year.

I think they have been through a great deal and deserve a pat on the back for staying together as a team.

Despite having to play with a new starting five each game for a long stretch of the season, the Cougars have been able to put together their most successful week so far this year.

Sadly, now the wins are too little too late. But the Cougars weren't exactly winning when they had a full roster either. Perhaps the best that can be said is that these wins will bring new hope for next year's team.

While all on the Cougar team deserve admiration for their continuing efforts, I think special recognition should go to Hartwig, the only senior on the squad. I bet at the beginning of the year, Hartwig never would have imagined his final year as a Cougar would have turned out the way it has. I'm sure that his leadership on this team has had to go above and beyond anything anyone expected in December.

Although we SIUE fans can't hope for a conference championship or a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II tournament seed and even if SIUE doesn't win another game this year, these two wins are a symbol of hard work and a team that has stuck together despite adversity.