You could see it coming a mile away.
But you still had to laugh when players from both teams broke out in full-court
dancing late in the second half of the game between the Union College Alumni
All Stars and the Harlem Wizards.
Except for a few stretches in each
half where players on both sides played some serious basketball, Sunday's contest
lived up to its billing as an afternoon of fun. As for the score,
well, the Wizards won despite some help from a pro-Union scorekeeper.
Harlem Wizards Eric
“Broadway” Jones and James “Speedy” Williams,
well known for their performances in a Nike ad, seemed to instigate most of the
on-court mayhem, halting opposing foul shooters mid-shot to fix their shorts,
tackling a threatening outside shooter, and feigning serious injury after an
inadvertent bump. Most of the Wizards' plays were punctuated by alley oops and thundering
dunks that brought gasps from the crowd.
But the alumni team had their
moments too. Ken Evans '94 used a fading jump shot to show he has lost nothing
since finishing his Union career at sixth of the all-time scoring list (1,233
points). Gerry Brescia '90 sank back-to-back three pointers late in the second
half. And Katie Smith '02 and Union Hall of Famer Robin (Romer) Chudy '93
showed the same quickness, passing and shooting prowess that made them Union
sensations.
The halftime show featured a
passing game in which Jones tried to get members of the audience to drop the
ball. In the end, down to two youngsters, it was Jones who bobbled, drawing a
crowd response, “You Are Out!”
The bleachers of Memorial Fieldhouse
were nearly filled with hundreds of local kids, many of whom were attending the
game with their Big Brother or Big Sister. Sponsored by the College's chapter
of Big Brothers-Big Sisters, the game was planned not just as a fun outing. “We
wanted to use this event to let people know how fun it is to be a Big,” said
Doug Bush, a Union College
junior who is president of the College's chapter of Big Brothers and Big
Sisters. “With a small investment of time, a 'Big' can make a huge difference
in the life of a 'Little.'”
The alumni 'Dream Team' included Ramsey
Baker '93, Kevin Bartlett '85, Gerry Brescia '90, Robin (Romer) Chudy '92,
Brendan Chudy '93, Ken Evans '94, Kurt Fox '88, Kim Mangino '86, Pete Melito
'00, Ron Prior '92, Katie Smith '02 and George Tiggle '98. The team was coached
by Bob Pezzano '72 and Jim Tedisco '72.
Union's Big
Brothers-Big Sisters program, with more than 65 matches, is one of the largest
college programs in the country. The game was made possible by funding from Union's Social Enrichment Grant and the President's
Office.
