By Maggie Downs
The Cincinnati Enquirer

The Xavier University basketball team left fans with a taste of disappointment chased with a dose of pride Sunday.

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos from Sunday's game

Fans of all ages gathered across town to watch the Musketeers battle Duke in Atlanta, one of the "Elite Eight" playoff games. The Blue Devils outlasted Xavier 66-63 to reach the Final Four.

"It's a little depressing because they were this close," said freshman Alexandria Brown, 19, as she held her thumb and finger a centimeter apart. "But you can't help but be proud they made it so far."

The game was a nail-biter for supporters of the Musketeers, who have never advanced farther in the tournament.

Across the Xavier campus, bursts of noise barged from the dorms each time the team scored - or fell behind.

A boisterous crowd gathered at the Gallagher Student Center to cheer on the home team while watching large-screen TVs. Fans there reacted as if choreographed, raising arms high for each basket, recoiling and grimacing for each time Duke scored.

Robert Engstler, 26, a student from Germany, captured the scene on his digital camera.

"It's very exciting to see my team's game on the television," he said.

Brian Vanaski, 22, and Megan LaBarbera, 21, were filled with pride, even as the final score fell.

"I always like to root for the underdog," Vanaski said.

LaBarbera, a senior, said the season rounds out her school career.

"To be able to go out with a team like this, and to see this much camaraderie at the school, makes it that much better," she said.

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E-mail mdowns@enquirer.com