Alumni return to campus for hoops exhibition
Brad Curnow | Sports Writer | @jojocornrow
OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University men’s basketball alumni team beat the Brigham Young University Alumni at the UCCU Center Tuesday night by a final of 75-58. The Alumni Game was a special event held in homage to the matchup between the two schools in Provo on Friday night.
“This is so awesome,” UVU men’s basketball head coach Mark Pope said. “We have a gym full of legends that are not only legendary people and household names, but great people. And it’s good, that’s what this valley and basketball is about.”
It took some time for the rust to shake off both squads after the opening tipoff. The UVU Alumni secured the tip, but it took several seconds before both teams figured out which direction the ball should go. Once the basket situation was figured out, it was nearly an additional two minutes before the first basket was scored.
After the ice was broken, the Wolverine Alumni went on a 9-0 run to start the game, which was capped off by a tomahawk dunk by UVU Alum Peter Brown.
The BYU Alumni second unit came in with 15 minutes to play in the half and answered the UVU run by going on an 11-2 run over a five minute span to take a 17-13 lead.
After a barrage of Cougar Alumni three-pointers, the Wolverine Alumni answered in the final five minutes of the half with an 8-2 run capped off with a three-pointer by UVU Alum Donte Williams as time expired.
After opening the second half with three consecutive three-pointers, the UVU Alumni continued a relentless attack on the basket drawing fouls on the Cougar Alumni. The Wolverine Alumni extended their lead to the final margin of 17 points in the final minute of play.
When asked if the outcome might be an indication of the game on Friday, Coach Pope looked up at the scoreboard, smiled, and said, “I would take that.”
UVU will take on BYU at the Marriott Center Friday at 7pm.
