If you weren’t among the dual colored throng of fans crowding the Nielsen bleachers last Tuesday night for the women’s and men’s Purple and Gold week games, you missed out on a night of collective school spirit, CAB prizes, a chance to show off a snazzy gold shirt, and some pretty entertaining basketball.
Although the men ultimately lost to St John Fisher with a final score of 75-62, head coach Drew Hannan said that “the game came down to the last minute” and that he’s optimistic for the success of the team’s near future, despite setbacks.
“We have struggled all year to put together a forty minute team effort, but of late we have begun doing that and putting ourselves in position to beat some of the best teams in the conference (Nazareth, Ithaca, St. John Fisher, etc.),” said Hannan. “The last five games have been by far our best games all year and, as a coach, all I can ask is that our guys continue to work and continue to get better.”
Although Hannan said the team needs to hone their ability to “make plays late in a game, whether it be executing on offense or getting stops on defense,” he’s exceedingly proud of their “resilience and perseverance.”
“The sheer amount and types of adversity we have faced this year would cause most people to lose their edge, their motivation,” said Hannan, “but not these guys, which is our biggest asset.” Hannan attributes the team’s positivity and determination not only to the character of individual players and the moral of the group but also to the enthusiasm of fans.
“The fans of late have been the best, most supportive group since my time here,” said Hannan. “Their support during games and encouragement away from them is what is helping to keep these guys going through this tough stretch.”
Hannan added that the fans were particularly uplifting. They were “amazing and into the game,”
said Hannan. “The effect is obvious if you just read some of the posts our players made after the game. They were all about how great the fans were and how much the guys love, appreciate, and need it.”
Team member Seth Shay agreed with Hannan’s appraisal of the spectators. “Our fans were extremely involved and supportive. This kind of home court support is crucial in close games and I truly believed it affected the way we played,” said Shay. He added “ The school spirit here at Houghton College is as good as I have ever seen it in my 4 years. I’m proud to be a Highlander when I look to the stands and see a mass crowd of purple and gold. As a team, we want to thank all of you for your support!”
The women also lost their game to St. John Fisher with a final score of 70-80, but senior team-member Michelle Persons said that the Houghton team rallied during the second half. “The second half was much better offensively and defensively,” said Persons. “We talked at half-time about communicating better on defense, which in turn would help our offense flow better as we made it a team effort.”
Persons said that the accuracy of the Fisher player’s foul shots hurt the Houghton team and that if the women “had played a better first half, the outcome definitely would have been different… The team stepped up the intensity the second half immensely, we just couldn’t close the gap.”
Several players are currently recovering from injuries which have created additional obstacles for the team, and Persons said, “They bring a lot to the team and we would be very glad to have them back.”