The USAO women’s and men’s basketball teams welcomed professors, faculty, students, friends, family, and the Chickasha community to Drover Madness. This will help introduce both teams and the roster of drawbar dancers.
The event started with a team of eight Drover Dancers. George Plumber, the voice of Cool 105.5, introduced each member before the performance, giving the audience an idea of what to expect this season. Plumber then introduced the 14 women on the women’s basketball team. The 13-member men’s team took the stage next, with both teams seen throwing their shirts into the crowd.
The first game involved eight children playing musical chairs with a twist. When the music stopped, the kids had to do a layup before returning to their chairs. One of the youngest players made it pretty far with the help of the basketball team. However, it was a fourth-year girl who won the title of champion.
Next up was the faculty knockout game, but unfortunately, the reigning champion baseball assistant coach, Joey Pavlovich, did not return. Instead, Jadyn Wallis, Robert Blakely, Tanner Shoemaker, Annie Roberts, JP Audas, Dr. David Evans, Jose Gonzalez, Andrea Freimiller, Trixie Nyagesiva, Joe Ellison, Shaylee There were 11 contestants, including Chester. Frymiller came out first. Audas became competitive at one point in his attempt to stop Blakely, and was booed by the team when Shoemaker ejected one of his assistant coaches. Shoemaker was quickly defeated by Roberts, leaving only Roberts, Blakely, and Chester. The game ended when Chester sank a shot past Blakely.
There were three drawings that night, two for $250 book vouchers and one for television. Isabella Portillo and Evangelia Davalkoua won the vouchers, and Matija Marenovic left with the television.
For the second game of the night, two more kids raced in baggy uniforms. Competitors had to run down the court, don oversized uniforms and shoes, race back down the court, and make baskets. The youngsters who took part in the game of musical chairs are back to win this fun round.
The third game of the night showcased USAO’s 3-point shooting ability. Junior Devin Harris started the game by making 2 of 15 shots. Senior Cade Allen wowed the crowd by making 8 of 15 shots. Junior Ashley Gonzalez had seven shots and was close behind Allen. Senior Tre Edwards finished the first round with six successful shots. Allen ultimately won the second round by making the final two shots, making seven shots to Gonzalez’s six.
The final competition of the night was the dunk contest, in which four of the male athletes competed. Junior Chok Galan took first place with a simple slam, receiving 45 out of 50 points from the judges. Allen passed the ball to himself and missed, but immediately rebounded with a slam and scored 24 points. Three times, sophomore Ryan Kennedy threw the ball high against the wall, causing athletic director Mike Ross to raise his hands. Eventually Kennedy went for a slam but missed it, leading to a bad score from the judges. Edwards was the last man standing and quickly landed a decisive blow. He meant business, but the crowd loved it and won the dunk contest with a perfect score.
The event ended with Jake Ribb serving food to the crowd as they watched the USAO men’s team scrimmage in half. The men’s team opens the season at home against the University of Texas on Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m. The women’s team opens the season at home against Providence (Montana) on Thursday, Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.
Emily Lockridge is a fourth-year communications major at Oklahoma College of Science and Arts.
