University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn Basketball Holds First Night Celebration
10/19/2019 9:24:00 AM | General, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
The line started forming almost four hours before the event. By the time the doors opened, the line of people leading to the north entry of Gampel Pavilion extended nearly the entirety of Hillside Road
It wasn't an ordinary Friday night in Storrs. It was the unofficial beginning of basketball season with the annual First Night celebration, which this year was paired with the SUBOG fall concert for the first time ever. So the packed house at Gampel was treated to the introduction of the basketball players and coaches, a three-point contest, a dunk showcase and a concert by T-Pain.
Prior to the event, multiple players said how excited they were to come out and put on a show for the fans.
"I'm very excited," freshman Akok Akok said. "I came here last year. I had a great time. To come out here tonight and do the same thing that the guys did last year is incredible."
"I just want to have fun, meet all these people, feel this atmosphere," freshman Anna Makurat said. "I think it's going to be great."
"Just seeing all the fans for the first time before the season starts," junior Josh Carlton said. "It just reminds you that the games are around the corner, so just that feeling of the season being back."
Other players recognized the UConn fans for their support and excitement even before the season actually begins.
"It's really special," sophomore Olivia Nelson-Ododa said. "We have a great fan base. We have great people that turn out for our games and just to have a glimpse of that tonight on First Night is really something special."
"The atmosphere is what I'm most excited about," freshman James Bouknight said. "It just shows that even though we've been down a couple of years, UConn is UConn and we have to live up to that."
"It says a lot," sophomore Christyn Williams said. "We have the greatest fans ever so it shows how much they care."
Women's head coach Geno Auriemma said that this event is a great way to introduce the younger players to the type of crowd they will be seeing at every home game.
"Being in that environment tonight I think is gonna excite them, it's gonna energize them, it's gonna give them a sense of euphoria," Auriemma said. "It's gonna be cool to see their faces and see them react. That's what it's supposed to be. It's fun for the students, it's fun for the fans and ultimately, it's fun for the players. So that's the whole point of tonight."
Men's head coach Dan Hurley humorously said he wants his team to have fun but not embarrass themselves at the event.
"You just hope that no one gets stuck on the rim on a dunk," Hurley said with a laugh. "I just hope the guys don't completely blow it in the three-point contest, shooting air balls and bricks, and just suck all the life out of the season before we even get to it by melting down tonight."
When player introductions began, Gampel was nearly full and very loud. Even former UConn All-American and current Boston Celtics point guard Kembba Walker was in attendance for the festivities.
First, the players from both teams were introduced one by one to a thunderous applause as they walked across the stage throwing T-shirts to the crowd. The player that received the loudest applause was senior Crystal Dangerfield, but Alterique Gilbert and Nelson-Ododa weren't too far behind. Some players, like Williams, broke out a few dance moves on the stage as well.
The coaches were introduced the same way and both got a chance to address the Gampel crowd. Hurley told the fans he appreciates their support and that his team is working hard to bring a championship back to Storrs. Auriemma noted that nowhere else could you get so many people to celebrate basketball in the middle of October and he hopes to see the same type of crowd all season long.
After the teams warmed up, it was time for the three-point contest. The participants for the men's team were Gilbert, Tyler Polley, Brendan Adams and Christian Vital. On the women's side, Dangerfield, Makurat, Megan Walker and Molly Bent took part. Each player had 60 seconds to hit as many of the 25 shots as possible, with the final ball at each of the five stations being worth two points.
Vital and Polley moved onto the men's final where Polley won 16-15. For the women, Makurat and Bent advanced to the final. Bent won 17-15 on her final shot just as the buzzer sounded. The crowd went crazy as Bent was smothered by her teammates.
Next up came the dunk showcase, which Bouknight, Adams and Sidney Wilson participated in. To the delight of Hurley, none of them got stuck on the rim, but rather all made some flashy dunks. The highlight of the showcase was Bouknight dunking over all 6-foot-9 of fellow freshman Richie Springs. Then, to cap off the event, Nelson-Ododa threw down a one-handed slam dunk which got the crowd and the players extremely hyped up.
After that, the crowd settled in for a concert from T-Pain. Another successful First Night celebration is in the books. Next up are a couple of exhibition games for each team before both seasons begin three weekends from now.
