As Loyola-Chicago left the court after an NCAA defeat to Michigan, Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt leaned up from her wheelchair to hug each player.
She had given them a pre-game pep talk in the locker room before every game and had become a bigger celebrity than any of the scorers on court.
Ahead of her favourite's national semi-final, the mayor of San Francisco announced that the day would be known as Sister Jean Schmidt Day in the City and County as a tribute to her support of the team.
It was the furthest the team had got in the competition since 1963.
Stay up to date with the latest news stories from a Christian perspective. Sign up to our daily newsletter and receive more stories like this straight to your inbox every morning.
