By Jon Gulliver
Staff writer
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| Aroostook Republican photo/ Jon Gulliver Ross Saunders comes out of the bleachers to throw one down before the formal “Midnight Madness” activities got underway. |
PRESQUE ISLE — The University of Maine-Presque Isle, on Nov. 2, kicked off basketball season with a “Midnight Madness” celebration, bringing the fans, players and campus community together for a fun-filled few hours of hoops.
To attract a bigger crowd midnight was replaced with a 7:30 p.m. start time, but the name was kept because of its alliterative qualities and because it has become synonymous with the beginning of the college basketball season all over the nation.
Bonnie DeVaney, the director of career services at UMPI, organized the event.
“We wanted a really fun way for the students to kick off the basketball season and I was involved in the very first Midnight Madness a long time ago when I was in college and we just wanted to bring some excitement,” said DeVaney.
The interactive event not only introduced the year’s Owls, but also featured selected fans taking part in free throw and three-point contests. There were also scrimmages between UMPI students and faculty and staff. The men’s and women’s teams also participated in 10-minute inter-squad scrimmages. The first 100 students who walked through the doors received commemorative “Midnight Madness” T-shirts.
Junior Rashell Saucier of Washburn is a member of the UMPI women’s basketball team and experienced “Midnight Madness” last year.
“I just really like the atmosphere,” Saucier said. “I like when the crowd gets into it — my favorite is it turns on the excitement for the season, so I step foot on the court and I think I can’t wait.”
Junior Kyle Corrigan of Caribou, who plays for the men’s team, is also no stranger to this kick-off event.
“Get all the fans to come out and show their support, it’s great,” Corrigan said.
A nearly full house attended this “Midnight Madness,” Corrigan said it’s not uncommon to see big crowds like that at regular season games, provided the students aren’t on break.
Getting fans into the bleachers is a priority for the athletic department, that’s one of the reasons UMPI Athletic Director Chris Corsello likes “Midnight Madness.”
“It creates a lot of nice energy for everyone,” she said.
Corsello says from the middle of last basketball season fan interest increased and she hopes that continues into this year.
“We are working a lot more with the local media, trying to make sure everyone knows our schedule,” Corsello said. “We’ve got some community posters that we are putting out with all the schedules, working with the area middle and high school students inviting them for some special halftime entertainment and even special nights for community members with giveaways. So I think we have a really exciting year planned.”
