Panthers vs. Steelers: Battle on the Basketball Court
When Pitt students take on professional athletes, it’s a sight to see
On March 31st, 2016 a group of Pitt students competed in a charity basketball game against famous professional athletes. The Fitzgerald Field House was packed with fans sporting black and gold or blue and gold. Pitt basketball fans were brought back to the days where the Pitt basketball teams played before the Peterson Events Center was built in the early 2000’s.
Pre-game activities were a hit among attendees. A tailgate inside the Field House hosted food, games, and the best type of fans out there- Pittsburgh sport fans. T-shirts were given out free to fans along with Pitt Business towels. The stands were abuzz with the excitement of seeing the Steelers play. Someone even thought to bring a Charlie Batch poster to cheer on the athlete.
Taking the court at the beginning were famous players from the local National Football League team the Pittsburgh Steelers. Among the notable Steelers present were Charlie Batch, and Louis Lipps. The Steelers came out to “Black and Yellow,” the famous Wiz Khalifa song- very fitting.
On the opposing side, Pitt students are ready for the challenge. Steve Najib, Jaron Moore, Jennifer Brashayko, Ryan Foley, Dan Gryzbek, Julie Fedick, Sean Leone, Tina Benno, Mario Nicolia, Kevin Murray, Amy Check, Aaron Hank, and Jared Quinn make up the team, and they seemed ready to rally to victory.
The National Anthem was sung, and we were ready for tip off! The Steelers won the tip, and started the quarter off with a rough streak of 5 missed 3-pointers, but kept the quarter exciting with 2 slam dunks. They ultimately ended up leading the quarter with a score of 18-12, Steelers.
The second quarter had the theme of “Sweet Caroline,” as the song blared through the speakers. The Pitt students came-from-behind, perhaps due to the fuel of one of Pitt’s unofficial anthem. The half ended with the score 26-27, Pitt.
The second half was a rough one for the Panthers. They ended up being down by 10+, but came back to make the game a 67-60 defeat. The Steelers are not only victorious on the football field, but they’re unstoppable on the basketball court.
At halftime, the players generously signed autographs for anyone that wished. They laughed, took pictures, and chatted with everyone in attendance.
I ran to the Pitt bench to catch up with the students after the game. Dan Gryzbek, a junior, had many nice words to say about the experience. I asked him how he got chosen to play.
“I am an RA (resident assistant) in Forbes Hall,” he answered. “My resident director nominated me. Interacting with the players was great. They were very lighthearted and made the game a great time.”
I asked him to rate the experience 1 to 10, 10 being the best.
“Probably a solid 8.” He explains, “The whole experience was great but I would have liked to play a bit more, and a bit better!”
Well, what do you think? Do you think the Pitt students held their own against professional athletes? I sure do. The entire game was entertaining, and you could tell every player was having a great time. The event was also a great fundraiser, with all proceeds supporting the PittAdvantage Grant. It was a great night of service, and basketball. What could be better?