The "after" picture, with short hair agianst Niagara. Photo: The Griffin newspaper

Hold off on the jokes, people. Gaby Belardo has a new haircut—and yes, he lost a bet.

The fan-favorite sophomore guard had sported long hair all season, usually held back by a small headband during games. But as of last week, Belardo’s long locks were cut off, leaving barely more than a buzz cut on the head of the San Juan, Puerto Rico native.

The incident began a few weeks back, when Belardo went bowling with a few other members of the basketball team, including Elton Frazier, Tomas Vazquez-Simmons, Julius Coles and Eric Kindler.

After Belardo bowled, according to him, a 144 and a 130 in the first two games, others in the group insisted he was just getting lucky.

“They were saying it was a fluke,” Belardo said. “So I told them, ‘No, I’m nice at bowling. I used to play back in Puerto Rico.’ ”

Gaby with long hair, just in case you forgot.

The bet was on. According to Belardo, if he bowled under 100, he would have to cut off his hair. If he won the bet, he said a friend volunteered to let him use his car for a week.

“I got to like 80-something,” Belardo reluctantly admitted to.

There’s no telling if the 21-year-old has learned his lesson, but he is certainly feeling repercussions from his bet.

“When I come outside, my head is just freezing,” Belardo said with a smile.