Men's basketball invites fans for an evening of select treatment
By Dannielle Lowe
Last Saturday night, before the men's final exhibition game against Concordia, the Athletic Marketing Department hosted a student-only event where fans were treated like VIPs for an hour.
The doors for the event opened at 6 p.m. During the pre-game hour, students who arrived early had the opportunity to not only get their picture taken with a life-size cut out of 6-10 freshman center Jasonn Hannibal, but they were also treated to a free taco bar dinner. Junior Hailey Short said the tacos were a nice change to eating at The Commons.
"The tacos are good, better than The Commons food, and it's free."
Before the game started, students filled the Chiles Center, listening to the latest cuts spun by local radio station Jammin 95.5. As the pep band warmed up, Purple Pride members took over the left side of the gymnasium, filling the front rows.
UP's official athletic fan club provided Pride members with a gift bag that included a Pilot bandana, a trucker hat and other freebies. On the court, the Pilots took care of business by defeating the Cavaliers 96-67.
"The gift bags are cool and I'm having fun," sophomore Brian Carter said. "It's always nice to win."
Despite losing the opening tip off, the Pilots quickly regained possession and fed the ball to freshman forward Kramer Knutson who hit the first shot to get the Pilots on the board. From that point on, the men were hot, sinking 11 of 12 field goal attempts, including five three-pointers.
Ten minutes into the first half, the Pilots were leading the Cavaliers 27-5. Red-shirt junior guard Walter Thompson came off the bench with a lay up and uninterrupted threes, steering the team toward victory.
The Cavilers were slow to respond to Portland's quick pull away. They continued to turn over and miss shots, which led to more Pilot points. By the end of the first half, the Pilots led the game 48-29. The men shot 70 percent from the floor, 66 percent from the three-point line and 80 percent from the free-throw line.
Halftime offered VIP fans a glimpse at the dance team and an opportunity to cheer on classmates as they competed in the halftime four-minute shooting challenge. Yet the Pilots provided the real entertainment by continuing how they started.
The second half opened with the team dropping threes like it was practice, hitting their first seven attempts from beyond the three-point line.
The men dominated on defense as well.
"It was nice to see a good team effort on the defensive side of the ball," Head Coach Eric Reveno said. "Defense will determine whether we win or lose, and offense will determine by how much."
Despite changes in starters, the Pilots ran away with the victory, ending the game shooting 63 percent from the field, 67 percent from the three-point range, and 83 percent from the free throw line. Thompson finished the game hitting six three-point attempts as the team's leading scorer with 24 points.
"It felt good to win," Thompson said. "We're looking forward to getting better and translating our hard work into wins this season."
The win offered the Pilots a victory to savor as they leave exhibition play and begin their regular season. Heading south to California, the men will play in three games at the World Vision Classic hosted by Fresno State. They play tomorrow at 8 p.m. against Fresno, Saturday against San Diego, and Sunday against Liberty.
"We're a young team but we're working hard and we're excited for the season," sophomore forward Ethan Niedermeyer.
On Nov. 17, the Pilots will return to the Chiles Center for their home opener against the Oregon Ducks.
