Texas A&M completed one of the greatest comebacks in NCAA Tournament history Sunday, overcoming a 12-point deficit with 34 seconds remaining to force overtime against Northern Iowa. The Aggies eventually won in double overtime to earn a spot in the Sweet 16.
Aggies freshman Admon Gilder scored the tying bucket in regulation after a steal, making him one of the game’s heroes. It was the type of performance that would bring his parents out of their seats and perhaps even move them to tears.
That is, if his parents hadn’t left before the comeback started.
Gilder said by the time the Aggies won, his parents were already driving home to Dallas from Oklahoma City.
“They left with under a minute to go,” Gilder told reporters. “They were walking to their car, and somebody said Admon hit the layup to tie it. So they watched the double overtime in the car on the way back to Dallas. They said sorry they weren’t there to see that, and they loved me no matter what.”
“They loved me no matter what?” Isn’t that what you say to a kid after he screws up or some sort of dream doesn’t come true? That would make me question whether my parents loved me at all. “I love you no matter what” is what the kid says to his parents after they decided he’s going to lose when the game wasn’t over yet.
It was a late game, but what if the Aggies had lost? There’s Admon, dejected on the court, scanning the crowd for his parents and they are GONE. To make it worse, they left early because they had work the next day. You couldn’t watch one more minute, then go home? That minute was the difference between being groggy and fresh the next day?
Admon says his parents won’t leave the Aggies’ next game vs. Oklahoma until it’s over; although, in his heart he probably doesn’t trust them now that he knows his parents (maybe) don’t love him.
(Via ESPN)
