This is some scene here at SUNY New Paltz. More than an hour before the game, the North Salem fans had a tent set up in the parking lot and were tailgating in the pouring rain, loud music and all.

Then, still an hour before gametime, the bleachers were already almost filled up with the blue-and-yellow colors one one side while nine Malverne fans sat and stared across the court.

Out in the lot, when a North Salem school bus, presumably full of fans, pulled in an ovation went up from the tailgaters. And when certain NS people walked into the gym, more ovations. And at one point, the North Salem players, who were stretching about 50 minutes prior to gametime, began cheering the arrival of more fans. This is great.

When North Salem entered the gym for warmups half an hour before game, another loud ovation, and the players walked single file past the stands, slapping hands with all those in the front row on the way.

Pregame introductions it sounded like Madison Square Garden in here.

I have no idea of North Salem can or will beat Malverne, but this whole experience, starting at the County Center last week, has been amazing, and I cannot imagine what it would be like at Glens Falls Civic Center if the Tigers reach the Final Four.

I do know that there’s a hotel shortage up in that area for some reason next week, and North Salem being there can’t possibly help that.