In March, it matters more.
And in mid-major conference tournaments, where the winner is likely the only team making the Big Dance, it matters even more.
Oakland University’s student section clearly knew this.
In their Horizon League quarterfinal game against Purdue Fort-Wayne, members of the student section waxed each other’s nipples to distract the free-throw shooter.
The fans reportedly were members of the swim team.
Hey, anything to get into the NCAA Tournament, right?
For Oakland’s student section, though, this isn’t new territory.
Earlier in the season, they went viral for shaving one of their heads while the opposing team was shooting free throws.
Playing the eighth-seeded Mastodons, Oakland, the No. 1 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, held the lead for almost the entire game.
An early 13-0 run by the Golden Grizzlies gave them a lead that was insurmountable for Purdue Fort Wayne.
They brought the lead down to seven with less than two minutes remaining, but there just wasn’t enough time to complete the comeback.
Oakland’s Rocket Watts, who had previously played for Michigan State and Mississippi State, led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
The Golden Grizzlies advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament, a tournament they’ve never won in their 11 years in the conference.
They’ll play seventh-seeded Cleveland State on Monday after the Vikings upset No. 2 seed Youngstown State on Thursday night.
The student section will have to come up with something to top waxing nipples to make the Horizon League final.