Fans get first glimpse of Men’s and Women’s Basketball at Hoopfest

NORMAL – Doug Collins Court exchanged the nets for hoops as the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams hosted their annual Hoopfest Friday night.

The event began with player introductions. The Women’s team welcomed 5 new faces to Redbird Arena while the Men’s team welcomed 11 new players, the majority of which redshirted last season.

Once both teams took the court, 3 players on each side took part in a 3-point contest. In a rematch of last year’s championship, Zach Copeland came out on top over Tete Maggett in the final round 16-11.

Next, the Women’s team took part in a red vs. black scrimmage. The black team came out on top 17-16 thanks to 12 points from Lexi Wallen, 6 of which came from beyond the arc.

In the Men’s scrimmage, the white team was victorious over the red team 33-27, and it was the newcomers that shined on both sides of the ball. Dedric Boyd led all scorers with 13 points. Big man, Abdou Ndiaye showed his range from beyond the arc, draining a trio of 3-pointers. Freshman Harouna Sissoko contributed 11 points of his own in the scrimmage.

Men’s Basketball begins their season with a home exhibition game against Truman State on Wednesday October 23rd. WZND will have a live broadcast of the game beginning Wednesday night at 5:50.

Women’s Basketball begins their season with a home exhibition game against Lindenwood on Wednesday October 30th. WZND will also have a live broadcast of the game beginning Wednesday night at 6:50.