On Monday, the BU Zoo organized its first-ever road trip, heading to Hamilton, N.Y., to watch the Bearcats take on the Colgate Red Raiders. Pipe Dream’s Randy Benjenk was there with them; the following is his running diary of the night’s events.

Dear Diary,

4:30 p.m. — My companions and I have boarded the bus. We’re about to embark on a journey of historic proportions. Our destination? Hamilton, N.Y. We’re on the BU Zoo’s first-ever bus to an away game, headed to the Binghamton-Colgate match. It’s a far cry from the chartered coach bus of the upper-crust locals, but our high spirits (and bags of Cheetos) will keep us Zoo-ers content.

6:42 p.m. — Finally, we’ve arrived in civilization (if I can call it that). Hamilton is a one-stoplight town, and suddenly, I miss Binghamton’s cozy Kennedy Fried Chicken and Rathskeller pub. The Raiders play on a court that can be compared to a high school gymnasium, only without the fan support. They don’t have a cheer team, dance team or even the all-essential kick line. The 50 or so Bearcat supporters outnumber the locals, and suddenly it hits me: Binghamton home basketball games average more fans than Colgate University’s total population. It’s strange to heckle the Raiders as they can hear every insult we taunt, but we’ve already dubbed #42 Peter Minchella “Chinstrap” anyway. The bandage on his chin makes him a ripe target for torment, and the Raiders are unsettled by our hostility on their home court.

7:55 p.m. — Halftime. Morale is high. As time expired in the first half, Duane James hit a 3-pointer to tie the score at 31. Afterwards, two fellow Zoo-ers were selected to compete against Colgate fans in a halftime shooting contest. Wouldn’t you know it? The Bearcats won both. The Zoo has enough free pizza now to last us through the journey. Could this be an omen of good things to come?

8:23 p.m. — How fortuitous! Binghamton is up four points and has taken control of the game. The slow Bearcat start was merely a fluke; this game is Binghamton’s now. Our heroes are going to take home a 4-1 record and local bragging rights after victories over Cornell and Colgate. I can’t wait to write my “View From the Zoo.”

8:25 p.m. — Ruin! Colgate is up five! How did that happen so quickly? Colgate’s fan section seems to have doubled in the last minutes — possibly in response to the Binghamton spirit — or due to the mandatory attendance of other Colgate athletes. Chinstrap really took it to us with a huge block, and the Raiders fans are almost as loud in celebration as the BU Zoo is in abusing the referees.

9:20 p.m. — There’s a somber silence on the bus as we stomach the day’s series of events. Binghamton lost to Colgate. Colgate! Where did we go wrong? Alas, the journey has a silver lining. As we ride through the dark back streets of central New York, we ponder the implications of the trip. Twenty years from now, when the Bearcats upset Syracuse in the Carrier dome, the Zoo will be there. Those students will look back and wonder who started it all. The answer, dear Diary, is our ragtag outfit of painted faces and BU basketball fanatics.