Saturday, September 24 was a lively night for the Andrews University campus. Amidst music concerts and Hispanic Heritage celebrations, Alumni weekend was also in full swing. On Saturday night, the Alumni vs. Cardinals basketball tournament took place, in which the Alumni took the triumphant win, 68 - 65.
Michelle Thomas (sophomore, biochemistry) commented on her experience, saying, “I wasn’t able to experience the alumni game during my freshman year, so I’m glad I was able to watch it this year. I have always loved basketball–and between the amount of fans showing up and the intensity of being neck [and] neck with each other, the game kept [us all] on our toes…It was quite a night to remember!”
It was a packed event: the bleachers and seats on the sidelines were soon crowded with students, staff, and Alumni; and as those seats filled up, only standing room remained. The players warmed up with free throws and three-pointers. The fluorescent lights flooded the whole gym space. Neon orange sneakers skidded against the freshly-shined floor.
At 9:00 PM, the event began. There were new and old faces on the court. Seasoned players on the current Cardinals team included Jesse Franklin (senior, wellness), player number 1; Andre Crayton (junior, exercise science), number 15; and Timmy Duado (senior, marketing), number 33. Familiar faces on the Alumni team included Mylon Weathers, a fresh Andrews graduate; and AU’s very own VP Nixon.
During the first half, the Alumni team always remained just a few points ahead of the Cardinals. But with the large crowd cheering them on–there was a healthy support system for both the Alumni and the Cardinals–it was evident that all players were doing their best.
The halftime break soon approached, with the score at a close 38 Alumni - 34 Cardinals. The Gymnics took the court and delighted the audience with a bold gymnastics routine full of back handsprings, round offs, two-highs, and elevators. At the end of their routine, the male gymnasts took turns running to the net and, with the help of a mini trampoline, attempted to dunk a basketball. Cheers erupted every time someone made a bucket or jumped especially high. It was a good way to keep the audience energetic. Gymnics member Matthew Bourne (freshman, music education) commented later that night: “I’m happy our performance went according to plan. The dunks were good, especially since we only practiced that portion once.”
Everyone was in high spirits by the end of the break. The Gymnics had infused the audience with more energy, and the players had gotten a little bit of downtime to catch their breaths. Good-natured betting went on among the spectators about who would dominate the rest of the game.
During the second half, however, a solid outcome remained unclear. The teams were tied 40 - 40, and scores remained close throughout the rest of the game. The middle portion of the second half was filled with missed buckets and loose balls as the players tired. At one point, two players literally dove into the audience sitting on the floor as they tried to take the ball.
The end was drawing near, and the players gave it one last push. It seemed that whenever the Cardinals caught up to the Alumni, the Alumni would pull ahead by a few points.
The last few minutes on the clock slipped away, and the audience erupted in cheers. Spectators jumped, hollered, and yelled, “Defense!” continuously.
In the last ten seconds, the Alumni were three points ahead. They tried to buy time by fouling the ball, and the tactic worked: when the buzzer went off, the end score was 68 Alumni - 65 Cardinals.
While some fans had come to support friends and loved ones, perhaps others had come to revisit their college experience for a little while. The game was a fun way to cap off Saturday night, especially for those visiting. Andre Crayton (junior, exercise science) reflected on the night, saying, “It was awesome to see some of our program’s best players from the past face off with all the young talent of the current team. A great contest.”
His fellow teammate Timmy Duado (senior, marketing) shared his experience, too: “Playing in the Alumni game [was] a very fun experience….I definitely felt [the energy] on Saturday night,” and Mugabe Menani (freshman, nursing) shared this: “This year is a whole new chapter [for the Cardinals team], and we’re just going to take every single day [to] make sure we get better. We are going to compete the hardest on the court, no matter [if we] win or lose. We will play until that final buzzer.”
Spectator Kwesi Tuffour (senior, biology) shared his satisfaction with the Alumni’s win: “I was rooting for the Alumni from the beginning of the game, and luckily they were able to secure the win in the last few seconds. The energy of the game was fantastic, and it was nice seeing the Gymnics team perform during half time to keep everyone entertained for the rest of the game.”
Nick Zimmerman (junior, business) summed up the weekend as a whole quite nicely: “It was really awesome to see the Andrews students of old walk the campus that they helped create.”
Overall, the basketball game was a lovely way to spotlight current Andrews students as well as pay homage to the Andrews students of previous years. Both teams gave their best, showing their dedication to the sport and to our wonderful school.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.