College basketball is a fickle thing. On any given night, the best teams -- the ones with the best recruiting, the most money and institutional advantages -- can lose to the poorest, cheapest, smallest schools in the country. This doesn't happen systemically. More often than not, the big boys win. But every once in a while ... you know what? I don't need to tell you. You're a college hoops fan. You already know.

Which is why losing streaks like Division II Mercy College's 43 games -- dating to the 2007-08 -- are truly remarkable. Not a single upset in the mix. Not one off-game from an opponent. Forty-three straight outings in which one team lost to the other, and that losing team was always the same. It's pretty impressive when you really think about it. (OK, so maybe "impressive" isn't the right word. It's more "freaky" than "impressive." But you get the idea.)

In any case, Mercy College's streak came to a glorious end Monday night. The Flyers topped the New York Institute of Technology 89-88; Hasaan Powell led the way with a career-high 27 points. Well done, Mercy. The hard part is officially over. Actually, just kidding: The hard part is never making it. The hard part is maintaining your success after you've made it. Just ask the Beatles. (Did that make sense? I have no idea! Ask the Beatles that, too.)