Kansas couple takes in KU win on wedding night

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - It was not a typical wedding reception, but for Eric and Faith DeVault and 19,000 of their closest friends Saturday was certainly a night to remember.

The couple watched the Kansas versus Kansas State game tonight from 14 rows behind the Kansas bench,  just hours after getting married. He in a black tuxedo and Jayhawk tie. She, in her wedding dress and comfortable shoes.

"The fact that we blew them out is just huge," said groom Eric after the Jayhawks 70-54 win over their in-state rivals. "What's a better wedding present than that?"

His new bride, not always a basketball fan herself, was likewise thrilled for her favorite team. She says the couple bonded over basketball, and now she too bleeds crimson and blue.

"I didn't know or like or ever watch a basketball game until I met him," Faith said. "And now I'm a huge KU fan."

The couple received their tickets as a wedding present before they even knew if Kansas would make the tournament final. They said Friday night's semifinal game against Iowa State had them more nervous than their impending nuptials.

Saturday, they were treated like celebrities by fans and Big 12 officials alike - walking away with a game ball and dozens of photos taken by, and with, complete strangers, who wished them well.

On Monday, the couple leaves for a more traditional honeymoon - a Mexican cruise.

They plan to be back in time for KU's first-round NCAA tournament game next weekend.