Hartford

They were not denied the NCAA tournament on Sunday afternoon. Nah. That happened earlier. The buzzer beater to Texas. The buzzer beater to Yale. The stinkbomb at Houston.

Sunday, actually, was a day to celebrate, even amid the remorse of lost opportunity. It was a day to celebrate the wonderful tradition that's been established around UConn basketball. That's what carried the day. A day to celebrate the passion pit that was the XL Center, a day to celebrate the resolve of the players, who refused to let extended moments of frustration prohibit another late rally.

And when it was 53-48 in the final minutes, the 17-point deficit down to five and the place officially berserk, there wasn't a person in the house who didn't believe.

Bet there were many college basketball fans across the country watching the American Athletic Conference championship game thinking, "God, I wish my team had onions like that."

It made even the most pessimistic UConn fans - and based on Twitter, it is a growing legion, sadly - think that they were going to pull another Lazarus. It recalled the line about how if the dream is big enough, the facts don't count.

Alas, the facts counted a little too much Sunday. SMU was too big, too long and too experienced to allow another miracle at the mall. Here's hoping, though, that whether you were part of the 13,365 or watching at home, you were prouder to be a UConn fan at 5:30 than at 3:30.

"We didn't give it away. They came and took it," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said.

Indeed. The Mustangs are no Sallys. They are a deserving AAC champ.

"It's amazing when you play in an atmosphere like this," SMU coach/statesman Larry Brown said. "You realize the tradition they have and why."

It is not the end of the season. The National Invitational Tournament awaits. But it was an opportunity for the fans of Hartford at least to salute Ryan Boatright for the final time. Boatright fouled out with 45 seconds left. He left to a rousing ovation.

"I'm extremely proud of my teammates," Boatright said. "They came out and they battled. Purv (Rodney Purvis) stepped up huge. I'm just disappointed in my play. I missed a lot of shots that should have been easy knockdown shots. I just didn't show up and be the player I can be. But my teammates fought and played a tremendous game. I'm disappointed I played like that."

Typical Boatright, only assuming all the responsibility. He didn't play well because 1) he plays every minute of every game; and 2) he hit the deck twice, the second of which resulted in what appeared to be a shoulder injury.

Put it this way: The kid's number belongs on the walls of Gampel Pavilion. You want to huff and puff and pronounce Shabazz and Kemba were better? Fine. Free country. Semantics. There's still no denying this kid's mettle.

"To Ryan, the heart of our team, I just want to thank him," Ollie said. "He's just a warrior. I love him to death. … It's tough on your body. Ryan's been playing every minute. I know he takes a lot of blame, but there's no blame on that kid. He's got heart, he's got desire. I'll go with him any day. Ryan has been a soldier and we wouldn't have been in this situation if it weren't for his stellar play all season. We're not going to say our goodbyes to him yet because we have a postseason left, but I'm going to miss him."

Boatright: "I can't put it into words. All I can say is I became a man here at UConn. I came in an 18-year-old, immature kid and I'm leaving a grown man. I learned a lot from my teammates and from KO as a ballplayer and as a person. I'm happy and thankful for the opportunity to play at the University of Connecticut."

Let's revisit that line: He came in as a kid and left as a man. Only the entire point of college. Clearly, Ollie and Boatright were great for each other. Funny how a few clods like to criticize Ollie for his diction sometimes. But he sure sounds like a damn insightful guy to me.

"Gifts and blessings don't happen immediately all the time," Ollie said, alluding to this season. "You have to go through experiences like this and really understand how it feels, what you're gaining from it and the inner strength you gain from it."

Now comes the NIT. Not what we wanted, but then, another opportunity to watch this bunch of kids who honored UConn's tradition with maximum effort all weekend.

"If you can't get geared up, then I don't want you on my team," Ollie said. "You put on UConn jersey. It's important when you put that jersey on. That's my message."

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro.

Twitter: @BCgenius