BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College men's and women's basketball teams kicked off the 2017-18 season Thursday evening with a Hoops Mania event in Johnston Hall.
The hour-long event began with J. William Reynolds '03 serving as the emcee and introducing the men's and women's basketball teams by classes with music from the Moravian College Pep Band. After a performance by the Greyhounds' cheerleaders, there was a game of musical chairs that had the contestants from the crowd having to dribble from midcourt and make a lay-up before returning to claim a chair. Junior defensive lineman Nick Tone of the football team was the winner of the contest.
The men's and women's basketball team then combined for a three-point shooting contest that ended in a tie between the teams of graduate student Camille McPherson and junior Jimmy Murray and sophomore Maddie Capuano and junior Nicholas Casazza. There was another contest with members of the student body in attendance to make a lay-up, free throw, three-pointer or deep three-pointer for Moravian gear.
The men's squad then had a slam dunk contest between sophomore guard C.J. Barnes, freshman guard Shon Wilson, sophomore guard Elijah Davis and senior guard Khalil Rhett. Rhett ended up winning the contest with a dunk over men's assistant coach Ricky Hernandez.
The evening concluded with Murray being selected from a raffle to throw a whipped cream pie in the face of Head Women's Basketball Coach and Director of Athletics Mary Beth Spirk. The student body had purchased raffle tickets with either Spirk's or Head Men's Basketball Coach Justin Potts' name on them and Reynolds drew Spirk's ticket to take the pie to the face. A second pie would appear with Spirk getting Murray back only seconds later. Five members of the student body had a shot from half court to win a flat screen television but all missed to the contest for the TV will continue through the regular season that begins on November 15.
As the crowd headed out of Johnston Hall, the first 200 that had arrived received a free Hoops Mania t-shirt and there were Philadelphia soft pretzels for everyone as well.
Photos of Hoops Mania available here
