It may not have had the drama of an NIT or NCAA Sweet Sixteen match-up, but Saturday's Owasco school staff charity basketball game may have provided more real value than watching all the national competitions at this point on so many different levels.

For a little more than an hour in Auburn High School's gym, students, friends and families watched as about two dozen of the staff at Owasco Elementary School played four 10-minute periods. With humor (and occasional glimpses of grace) including a series of 3 pointers from Paul “Swish” McGrath, a third-grade teacher) the event was the last in a series of March Madness lessons that the school, led by principal Mickie “Behind the Scenes” Post, has infused into their curriculum. For the last month, many lessons dealing with graphing, math, spelling and Web design have had a March Madness theme.

What may have been the highlight of Saturday night was not the good-natured playing between the High Flyers and Rim Rockers, as each of the teams was known, but an unintentional lesson many - adult or student - don't learn enough of: sharing. Both teams made it a point, especially second-grade teacher Deirdre “Never Surrender” Murphy, to pass to each other. There was no hogging the ball but a sense of inclusion in the evening. No matter how much you tried to choreograph it, it was natural, not acted.

The event was headed up by fifth-grade teacher Michael “The Organizer” Losani, who added value to the evening by making it a charity event. For a month Owasco's employees and students have been focusing on raising funds and making a donation. They chose, for the charity game, to make it Matthew House. Some had been privately soliciting pledges prior to the game, but what was most impressive Saturday night was that the teachers, students and those in attendance were able to present a $2,000 check to Matthew House. What is all the more remarkable was that this was raised without an admission fee to attend the game - you could make any size donation you wanted when you walked in the Lake Avenue doors.

So while the “Cinderella” story of Davidson College may have been squashed in the Sweet Sixteen and SU might have taken a nose dive in the NIT, the teachers, staff and students of Owasco were the real basketball winners this spring. They will likely take more away from this last month than those who have been watching their bracket choices disintegrate.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com