CULLOWHEE – On Monday, October 28, the Western Carolina Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams hosted Mountain Madness at the Liston B. Ramsey Regional Activity Center to a packed student section. The ceremonies were led by Student Body President David Rhode, who is a known advocate of school spirit initiatives. Students were greeted with free pizza, as advertised.
The night kicked off with player introductions, followed by remarks from Women’s Basketball coach Kiley Hill and Men’s Basketball coach Mark Prosser. Hill went first, getting the crowd fired up and reminding everyone that the Women’s team works just as hard as the Men’s and, rightfully, deserves equal support from the fans. Coach Prosser followed with a call for an attendance spike. Last year’s home attendance numbers were lackluster, with only 18,794 in total attendance and a 1,566 average turnout, making the Catamounts “homedogs” (home underdogs) in the Southern Conference.
The rest of the night went as follows: a Three-Point Challenge, decided by a half court heave; a dance-off, won by participants from the Women’s Basketball Team; a game of Tic-Tac-Toe which encompassed the length of the court; and finally, a stellar Dunk Contest which turned into a free-for-all with no real prize (which was, frankly, for the better). There was also a gift card given out to the loudest student of the night, won by freshman Maquela Moore.
Ultimately, this was all an effort to drive up excitement for the season. How successful this was in raising attendance and bettering school spirit will be fascinating to watch unfold. The Women’s team played their first home game on November 5 against Virginia Wise, a 64-55 win. The Men’s first bout at Ramsey will be this coming Saturday, November 9, at 12 p.m. against Gardner-Webb.
Here are some highlights of the event:
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- As advertised, students were greeted with pizza (over 20 boxes worth).
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- Paws warms up before the big night.
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- Paws exits the tunnel alongside the Basketball Teams.
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- Players on both teams were introduced, one by one.
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- Coach Prosser addresses the student section.
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- Senior Forward Onno Steger in the Three-Point Challenge.
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- Freshman Guard/Forward Alyssa Walker heaves up the game-winning shot.
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- A closer look at Senior Forward Carlos Dotson’s custom adidas Harden B/E 3 shoes.
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- Paws alongside Student Body President David Rhode.
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- Freshman Guard Travion McCray rises up for the reverse slam.
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- …and again, this time for a powerful windmill.
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- McCray’s teammates cheer him on.
