What better way to build anticipation for Colorado Mesa University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams then Midnight Madness? The event, hosted by both teams and The Herd last Friday night, was the third annual Midnight Madness, and madness it was as the event progressed in a packed house.
Introductions were up first on the night’s agenda, and it was the women’s team who came out first to plenty of applause and through a cloud of fog for special effect. Each player had their own style of introduction ranging from dances to popular moves to simple waves. It was a great opportunity for students who attended to get to know this season’s players and their personality. The men made their way onto the court after with their own introductions, and with both teams introduced, it was time to kick off the festivities.
Women’s head coach Taylor Wagner and men’s head coach Mike DeGeorge were brought out onto the floor and each thanked the crowd for joining the night’s festivities and promised competitive basketball all season long.
The thrilling three-point contest was first, and some of the best shooters at CMU represented both teams. Jaylyn Duran, Sophie Anderson and Natalie Bartle took part on the women’s side, while Kolton Peterson, Jess Spivey and Sam Walters represented the men.
Bartle kicked things off and found a groove in the third rack, where she drilled four out of five shots but, unfortunately, ran out of time on the last rack and ended with nine points. Anderson was up next and had trouble finding the bottom off the net but seemed to be enjoying the occasion and finished with five points. Duran, who reached the final of this contest last year, continued her success in the contest. The senior caught fire as she progressed, sinking 9/15 on her last three racks to move on to the final with 12 points.
Peterson was on fire and nailed the first perfect rack of the contest, going 5/5 on the third rack en route to 14 points. Spivey started out strong, eliciting early cheers from a loud crowd but cooled off and managed just 13 points. Walters tied Spivey with 13 points but was consistent hitting three out of five on all but one rack.
Peterson and Duran faced off in the final, and both showed fans what is yet to come. Peterson kept the sweet stroke going and again had 14 points. The sophomore from Lakewood hit went 3 for 5 on three racks and 4 of 5 on the second.
Duran almost stole the show and got the crowd on their feet with her final performance. The three-point specialist finished strong and nearly tied it up at 14 on her final rack. She hit the first three, and the crowd jolted to their feet, cheering her on with thunderous praise but Duran just missed her final two shots, finishing with a final score of 12 and giving Peterson the win.
The time was for three men to show off their hops and creativity in the dunk contest. Michael Skinner, Conner Nichols, and Damon Dubots were the participants, and each showed some flavor to their personal styles.
Dubots was up first and effortlessly threw down a reverse double clutch for his first dunk. He had some help from his teammate with an off the side off the backboard windmill flush. The 6’9 center ended his turn with a windmill just below the free throw line and finished with a 49.
Nichols was able to make just two dunks before running out of time. The senior finished a nifty double clutch that the crowd enjoyed, and followed that with an even better dunk when he soared into the air and slammed a one-handed 180. Those dunks netted him a final score of 45.
Skinner, the defending champion, was not able to complete a dunk but showed how much ups he has for someone who stands at 6’3. His athletic ability should play well for the Mavericks this season, and although the senior guard wasn’t able to net a signature dunk, it was just a tease of Skinner’s in-game dunking potential.
Finally, it was time for the free tuition raffle. A lucky student was called to the floor to make a layup, three-pointer, and half-court shot in one minute. The student was able to make the layup with ease but had trouble draining the three-pointer. The crowd erupted when he did and clamored for him to nail the half-court shot, but unfortunately, time ran out.
Midnight Madness gave students a glimpse of what’s to come for the 2018-2019 basketball season. With so much talent on display during the event, both the men and women have a chance to take the RMAC.
The men open their season on Nov. 9 in Austin, TX against Dallas Baptist University while the women head to St. George, UT on Nov. 16 to take on Saint Martin’s University.
