When I awoke on the morning of Nov. 22, 2008, a distinct feeling of anticipation greeted me as I rolled out of bed.

When the Billikens took on the Eagles of Boston College, not only did they face their first major opponent in the new arena, I also covered my first basketball game as a journalist. It turned out to be quite the affair.

The Bills defeated Boston College 53-50. More importantly, however, the highly discussed arena atmosphere appeared and showed that it wasn’t going to be much ado about nothing.

Perhaps the Boston College game holds a special place in my heart because of what it means to my experience as a journalist. I will always remember receiving my first set of press credentials, granting me access to a vantage point of a basketball game that I had never experienced before.

A certain buzz that I had never felt before at a SLU basketball game electrified the crowd. As the game progressed, the student section became more and more a part of the action, causing missed shots and poor decision-making from the Eagles.

Thought it now seems distant, the importance of that victory has only grown over the past few months. A few weeks after losing by three points to the Bills at Chaifetz, Boston College went on to defeat the then number one-ranked North Carolina Tarheels in Chapel Hill.

Although the electricity of the crowd provided a major aspect of the allure of the game, what took place on the court served as one of the great signs of potential for the future of the basketball program.

I could have chosen plenty of Saint Louis sporting events throughout the course of this year to pick as my favorite; however, the basketball game against Boston College holds special significance because it showed the impact the crowd at Chaifetz might have in the future, as well as what my future as a journalist might hold.