Florida Gators
Midnight Madness!
Midnight Madness Launches Hoops Season
Saturday, October 18, 2003 | Women's Basketball
Gator fans celebrated the beginning of basketball season at the University of Florida's annual Midnight Madness presented by AllTel on Friday night. A crowd of 8,263 fans witnessed the Midnight Madness activities Friday in the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, a building dubbed as the "House of Horrors" by ESPN Magazine in 1999.
Gates opened at 9 p.m. as Gator fans poured in, quickly filling the lower bowl of the O'Connell Center. The men's and women's basketball teams signed autographs for 90 minutes before the pep band, cheerleaders and Dazzlers performed.
Tishona Gregory won the women's three-point contest with a score of 20 points before the women's squad broke into groups and scrimmaged for three minutes. Tamia Williams led the defensive effort while Briana Phillips scored five points for the Orange Team, which won 15-5.
The slam dunk contest was won by David Lee who ignited the crowd by dunking over head coach Billy Donovan who was seated in a stool in front of the basket. Lee edged newcomer Mohamed Abukar and special entrant, Vanessa Hayden, of the women's squad.
The men's team closed with a 10-minutes scrimmage in which the white team of Lee, Abukar, Matt Walsh, Bonell Colas, Ryan Appleby and Chris Capko edged the blue team 31-23.
The men's and women's teams will have quick turnarounds in preparing for the season, as the women's squad opens its exhibition season on Nov. 6 at the O'Connell Center against the Premier Players, while the men's team will host the EA Sports All-Stars on Nov. 10.
During the pre-basketball activities, women's head coach Carolyn Peck showed Gator fans her fancy footwork by participating in the Step Show in which a $500 prize was awarded.
--30--
