Friday's game served as a real nail biter for Bonnies fans, and a rowdy group of alumni kept the energy up, hoping for a true Cinderella ending.

One fan said, "Bonnies haven't been in the championship for years and years, here we go, they are ahead!"

Another exclaimed, "It's just amazing. Win or lose, just being here, and getting this far is an amazing source of pride for anyone who is a Bonaventure alumni."

The 14th seeded Bonnies faced the third seeded Seminoles from Florida State. Florida State trailed Bonaventure for the majority of the game, making the Bonnies that much more anxious.

"Andrew Nicholson. That's it. He's going to take us to the Final Four, we're going all the way."

With standing room only at the watch party, Bonnies fans showing their deep pride and dedication.

"Today, you can see the place is absolutely jammed with fans and it's great to see," said the restaurant manager.

Scott Verrenti from the Bonaventure local chapter said, "We've got a really strong alumni base in Rochester so we knew we'd have a really good turn out to support our team, for those who couldn't make it to Nashville."

Verrenti gathered hundreds of alum together in Pittsford for the game. He said Bonaventure being on the road to the Final Four is nothing but beneficial.

"What this is going to do for admissions and enrollment and marketing and fundraising, the impact we won't feel for a couple years actually."

Friday's matchup brought back many memories; some remembering when the Bonnies made a run in the 1970 NCAA tournament.

"We went to the final four, that's when we had Bob Lanier on the team, and those were great Bonaventure years, and it's been a long time coming but boy are we happy," said an alum.

"I was a cheerleader. As a matter of fact, I was there the day of the Final Four. I was also there in the regionals when Bob Lanier hurt his leg, so it was awesome," said another.

But with less than ten minutes on the clock, the Seminoles crept up for a win. And victory by Florida State with a 66 to 63 win.

But the Bonas pride remained.

"Florida State is a real tough team," a Bonnies fan said.

"They had a heck of a year and it's just a building block. We expect them to be doing this for years on out," Verrenti explained.