You know you're in for a wacky evening...

...when the national anthem before the game you're about to watch is played by a girl with a violin.

But, actually, that's not how my Friday night began. It commenced with a two-hour drive through the rain in rush hour traffic to meet an old friend of mine, Kevin, and his friend, Marty, at Vito and Nick's Pizzeria at 84th and Pulaski in the Ashburn neighborhood of Chicago.

Since it was Lent, we ordered the All You Can Eat Smelt Dinner, which includes salad, bread, butter and french fries. I was hungry after my driving ordeal, so Kevin and I ordered the Combo Basket appetizer while we waited for Marty, which consists of deep-fried "mushrooms, poppers, zucchini & onion rings." (Yes, it was a lot of fried food, but we resolved to try the pizza next time, which the menu boasts is the "Best Chicago Thin Crust Pizza Anywhere!")

We washed it all down with bottles of beer (non-alcoholic in my case) that were served with those little beer glasses that you just don't see anymore. When I remarked to the waitress that they were perfect for stealing, she just smiled at me and said something like, "Go for it!" (By the way, Vito and Nick's is a full-service Chicago establishment; it serves both brands of beer: Old Style and Old Style Light.)

The three of us set out for the game at Marist at 115th Street at about 6:40; I was sure we wouldn't get a seat. Marty, who is an alum and actually played for the RedHawks (in those pre-politically correct days when they were know as the Redskins), led the way.

There was, mercifully, only one price for admission: $4.00. I wouldn't have to face any embarrassing questions about whether, or not, I was a senior. It was a good omen.

We entered the gym and the atmosphere was positively electric. The unmistakable scent of Upset was in the air. When I remarked about the size and enthusiasm of the Marist student section (they drowned out the violinist during the national anthem, despite dirty looks from the principal) my friend Kevin told me, "Mike, they have to be here." Oh.

But, still.

I'd seen Curie and their big man, 6'9" sophomore Cliff Alexander, once before, in their City Championship loss to Simeon at Chicago State a few weeks ago. (The Condors had lost only two games all season before last night, both to the Wolverines.) Alexander had a much better game last night than the previous one, scoring 17 points and taking down 13 rebounds. But while he can be an intimidating presence on the court, Marist's center, 6'5" Nic Weishar, who is also a sophomore, didn't seem fazed. In fact, Weishar played with the poise and maturity of an upperclassman last night. (Don't be surprised to hear more about this kid in the future.)

In fact, the whole Marist team played with a great deal of confidence last night. (They definitely deserved to win this game.) The RedHawks are obviously well-coached and execute, execute, execute. Even when they were down by about nine points in the first quarter, the RedHawks just kept hustling and playing their game. When Marist pulled to a 31-31 tie at halftime my friends and I looked at each other as if to say, "We may have a game on our hands here!"

And we did.

As I mentioned before, the gym had a heightened sense of excitement, and as the third period ended, my friend Kevin leaned over to me and said out of the side of his mouth, "This is going to be a wild and woolly fourth quarter..." And no sooner did he utter those words than the Curie coach was called for a technical foul. There was indeed tension in the room.

While I kept waiting for Curie to pull away from Marist (it's only a matter of time, I thought), the RedHawks just kept coming back, and at one point in the fourth quarter were ahead by five points! Is this really happening? But then the Condors went on a ten-point tear and took a five-point lead over the Mount Greenwood squad. Okay, I thought, game over. But, again, not so fast.

When Condor guard Malcom Hill-Bey missed the front end of a one-and-one, Marist had the chance for the last shot, a beautiful three-pointer by junior Lexus Williams with about two and a half seconds remaining on the clock.

The RedHawks had upset the mighty Condors of Curie, 63-62!

It was truly thrilling and the student body -- who didn't really look like they were forced to be there -- rushed the court and the Marist players proceeded to cut down the net from the basket.

As we walked out of the gym, hoarse from cheering and still a little stunned by what we had just witnessed, I asked rhetorically, "Whose idea was it to come to this game?"

To which my friends responded, "Hey, Mike, what game do you think we should see next week?"

Well, Marist's next opponent is Bogan, another highly-ranked team. They play on Wednesday night, but I'm busy.

I'll have to check the schedule for next Friday night.