Eagles' First Annual Blue and Gold Night a Success
SPRINGFIELD, OH - On Thursday October 25th, the Clark State Community College Men's Basketball Team held their first annual Blue and Gold Night to kick off the 2018-2019 season. The evening was filled with a three-point shootout, dunk contest, and a thrilling intrasquad scrimmage. Players and fans were able to enjoy a competitive night full of excitement and a hard fought 40 minute scrimmage. The teams were split evenly and events were competitive until the final buzzer.
Blue and Gold Night began with a brief introduction from Assistant Coach Mark Schult, and immediately went into the three point shootout. 7 players from the Eagles were selected, and the final round ultimately came down to Davion Bell (Centerville) against Ben Harris (Springfield). By taking advantage of the last ball on the rack or the 'money ball,' Harris was able to edge out Bell by a final score of 17-11.
The dunk contest featured 7 different players from the Eagles roster. High flying wings Cedric Baldwin (Beavercreek) and Jonathan Willis (Trotwood) were upset in the first round, as big man Jomar Bailey (Middletown) used his 6'7" athletic frame to his advantage to advance to the championship round. He faced Shayne Sims (Cincinnati), who pulled off a Dwight Howard-like performance to steal the crown.
For the final event of the evening, teams were split evenly into home (white) and away (blue) jerseys. The blue team had an early lead that was quickly taken away by the white team's full court pressure, led by freshman guard Brandon Hardin (Louisville, KY). Ignited by the aggressiveness of Hakeem Thomas (Cincinnati) and AJ Ferguson (Richmond, IN), the blue team was back into it, and by halftime it was all tied up at 34-34.
Thomas and Javon Herron (Trotwood) pushed the blue team to an early 10 point in the 2nd half, and from that point on the white team was playing uphill. With 12 seconds remaining, Hardin sank a 3 to put the white team down 1. Upon getting fouled on the inbound pass, Baldwin sank 1/2 free throws to give blue a 64-62 point lead. Harris missed a contested look as the buzzer sounded to conclude the evening.
The Clark State Men's Basketball team would like to thank all of those who made this evening possible. Our sponsors this season include: Mercy Health, Chick-Fil-A, Lowes, Cadillac Jack's, Wendy's, and Domino's. Photos were provided by JR Menifee (@JaysTelevision or 513-582-0846). We'd also like to thank the Women's Basketball team (@ClarkStateWBB) for judging the dunk contest and working the scorer's table. Finally, a special thanks goes out to all of the fans who attended our first Blue and Gold Night. We hope to see you back at our home games!