Difficult, indeed, but the story was that the game was played

DEKALB -- Fight and defend.

Those words echoed through a nearly silent Convocation Center during Sunday night's memorial for the victims of February 14, and while the arena hosted athletes and fans Tuesday night, the meaning remained the same.

"For the players, it's not about playing. It's about representing the university and showing we're not scared,'' said NIU coach Ricardo Patton. "It's about going to class and sitting in the front row and showing our fellow students that no one will push us around.

"We will fight and defend what is rightfully ours.''

Though the game was secondary to merely resuming athletic events, and the scoreboard somewhat irrelevant, in a perfect world Northern Illinois would have upset a heavily favored Western Michigan squad.

And they almost did.

But the events at Cole Hall 13 days ago proved to the NIU student body demonstrably and eternally that we live in something far less than a perfect world.

So NIU could not write the storybook ending they sought in the first contest here since the Valentine's Day shootings. The Huskies lost a late lead and the 10-point dogs fell 56-49 to WMU.

"We talked (before the game) about the attention this game has received, and about the stories that will be written,'' Patton said. "We'd like to write a little different headline for you.''

But as Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins said, the banner is that the game was played.

Period.

"It was a very, very difficult game to play. The game itself? We won. Who cares?'' said Hawkins, whose team underwent some brutal travel to accommodate an unscheduled event. "We felt for (NIU) and we played them with heavy hearts.

"I'm very proud of our kids' effort. Other than that, I'm just happy that we could help out (NIU) in a small way, to help them begin to return to some sort of normalcy.''

Normal was hardly the way the game began, when the two teams, both wearing red and black NIU ribbons, met at midcourt, locked arms and observed a full minute of silence, after which the two squads lined up and exchanged hugs.

Not something you see every day in sports, and just another very moving moment among many these past two weeks.

"I can't tell you how much it means to us that we've gotten such incredible support from schools around the world, and especially in our conference,'' said NIU president John Peters, who watched the game from the stands. "There's a great spirit here in this building tonight and on this campus. I believe we've never been closer.''

That's indisputable, but walking the campus Tuesday afternoon you could sense that students aren't sure yet when it will be OK to laugh out loud again.

And when the game started, it seemed many weren't sure when it would be OK to cheer out loud again.

As for the team, they played their broken hearts out, but after offering their best game of the season 48 hours before the shootings, NIU looked Tuesday like a team that skipped six days of practice and hadn't played a game for two weeks.

They were defiant in defeat, fighting and clawing to give their campus something to enjoy, even if the distraction lasted only as long as it took to leave the arena.

Yet, it was amazing just to see the facilities back up and running again and filled with athletes back at play.

"It's only because we have such great people here,'' Peters said. "This university is blessed with some truly amazing people, especially young people, who have banded together as one and with this game have made another statement.''

With the contest concluded and the fans filing out, the band played on and the cheerleaders fought through a routine.

Several had tears rolling down their cheeks.

At that moment you remember that, yes, this is the beginning of a new chapter for NIU, but it is only a beginning.

Now the attention wanes as the visitors depart. They say they'll be back soon, but those left behind to deal with their pain know it's not true.

The house will be left to the mourners. The agony remains and a sobering quiet takes over the NIU family.

The snow will turn a lonely gray and the wind will howl.

Spring, at NIU, seems a long way off.

You're sure the sun will shine again, but the tears remind you that it is a long way off indeed.

brozner@dailyherald.com