'This is surreal:' One more time, Coppenrath and Sorrentine fill Patrick Gym

Players and family members lined Tom Brennan Court, forming a tunnel. The lights dimmed.

Moments later, the crowd rose to its feet with a roar, the ovation warming all 3,228 souls crammed inside cozy Patrick Gym.

Taylor Coppenrath and T.J. Sorrentine took center stage to turn back the clock. 

It was 2005 for one more night.

The University of Vermont men's basketball legends received a final curtain call Saturday night, their jerseys — No. 11 for Sorrentine, No. 22 for Coppenrath — officially retired and pulled to the rafters in a crowd-pleasing ceremony prior to the Catamounts' 70-59 exhibition victory over Brown.

"The last time I was in the building on the court was when we kicked the crap out of Northeastern," Sorrentine said referencing the 2005 America East championship game to cap a UVM three-peat. "That was a lot of fun and I didn’t think any night could top that. I don’t know if (tonight) topped it but it’s right there with it.

"This was a special night for me and my family for sure. This is surreal."

Coppenrath: "I think it turned out quite well and it was actually more than I anticipated and everybody here at the university made the night super special. It means so much."

More:Coppenrath and Sorrentine: The top moments of their UVM basketball careers

More:In their own words: UVM basketball legends Taylor Coppenrath and T.J. Sorrentine

The game itself, even, had a fortuitous score line midway through the first half: UVM 22, Brown 11.

"Talk about coincidence or fate or whatever it might be, but I don’t think you could ever duplicate something like that," Coppenrath said. "It doesn’t happen very often and for it to all of a sudden be 22-11 just goes to show how special the night was and our careers were."

Indeed.

Coppenrath and Sorrentine combined for four America East player of the year awards and led Vermont to three NCAA Tournament appearances and one mighty upset of Syracuse in 2005 to put a signature touch on UVM's golden era of hoops.

In his speech, Sorrentine, of course, brought up the shot "from the parking lot" —  but with new information to unveil. Sorrentine told a story of how Brennan stared down Sorrentine enough to rattle him and send him "into panic mode" when Sorrentine dribbled from the top of the key, the shot clock winding down in overtime with UVM clinging to a one-point lead.

"Coach is beaming his eyes right through me and all of a sudden I hear, ‘Well you might as well shoot the goddamn ball,'" Sorrentine said. "I got so shook, I let the thing fly and we all know what happened next."

Earlier, Sorrentine had said: "This night allows me for one last time to be T.J. from the parking lot.

"It’s truly the last time I will have this opportunity," the Brown associate head coach said. "From here on out, I’m Stella and Callie’s daddy, Emily’s husband and Coach T."

When it was Coppenrath's turn to speak, the quiet big man from West Barnet said Sorrentine will always be remembered for that shot. Saturday's ceremony didn't change that.

"T.J. saying he’s not T.J. from the parking lot but when every March Madness rolls around sure enough that video clip is playing over and over and over and over," Coppenrath deadpanned. "I don’t think it will ever end."

Neither will the fans' memories of Coppenrath and Sorrentine. More than the Syracuse win and the shot, one of the greatest mid-major duos in college basketball history kick-started a winning culture at UVM.

And the winning hasn't stopped since.

Contact Alex Abrami at 660-1848 or aabrami@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter: @aabrami5.