Niagra Upsets Florida A&M

On March 13, 2007, University of Niagra defeats Florida A&M 77-69 in Dayton Ohio, in the tournament opener.

The Niagra Eagles Clif Brown after scoring a bucket in the game against Florida A&M.

The win for Niagra in the NCAA Tournament, albeit a “play-in” game, was the first win for Niagra in the tournament since 1970, so it was a big deal.

The hero on the night for the Eagles was Clif Brown, who helped the team to their 12 straight win, scoring 32 points on the night.

With the win Niagra moved on to play top-seeded Kansas in Chicago just a few days later.

The Eagles would end up falling to the Jay Hawks 107-67, but the Eagles would make history in the process winning the only “play-in” game that season, and getting a chance to make history in the NCAA Tournament.

Mavericks Play First Game

On Oct. 11, 1980, the Dallas Mavericks play their first NBA game.

The franchise opened their existence with a 103-92 win against the San Antonio Spurs. Dallas won just 15 games in their first season. It would take 30 years for the Dallas franchise to win an NBA title, as they did in 2010.

The Mavericks are better known in the basketball community for their out going owner Mark Cuban, who runs up and down the court along with the players during the games. 

The Mavericks have been a staple in the NBA Playoffs since the late 2000’s and are a cornerstone in the Western Conference playoffs with Dirk Nowitzki every year, although they did miss out on the playoffs last year.