Alumni Game: A Bruin Basketball Reunion

Reported By: Shelby McCormick

Photographed By: Kelly North

On Oct. 30, the George Fox University (GFU)  basketball teams played their annual alumni game in a double-header event. 

While the fan presence may have been smaller at the alumni game than during the regular season, the game is important to those with ties to the GFU Basketball program. The tradition of the alumni game is long-standing, predating the appointment of Men’s Head Coach Maco Hamilton, who has been coaching at GFU for ten years.

Both teams agree that the primary goal of the alumni game is to connect the past players to the current players. “We love bringing our basketball family together,” said Hamilton. 

For current players, seeing the alumni is also a highlight of the game. “It’s a cool opportunity to get to see the guys I used to play with, and also the chance for them to see you evolve as a player; they get the chance to watch you grow up,” said James Moore, a junior on the men’s basketball team. 

Mike Coppolino, the head women’s coach, said that his favorite thing about the alumni game was hearing the alumni share their stories or life lessons from their own time at GFU with the current players. 

While getting the players back on campus to meet the next generation is the main focus, the game also serves as an opener to the season and helps the teams prepare for the games ahead. “It’s good to now be able to take what we’ve been learning and practicing, against someone else,” said Hamilton. 

The players agree that this opportunity to compete is a valuable experience, “It’s a good start to our season, we don’t get to play a lot of full-court basketball, and when we know our own plays, it’s tough, so it's super fun to play against them,” said Emily Stevens, the lone senior on the women’s team. 

While the game is meaningful and important to the current players and coaches, it would be apparent to anyone watching the game that the group having the most fun was the alumni themselves.

The energy from the alumni bench at both games was unmatched as past players came together and cheered for every steal and basket made. The alumni were often laughing together on the bench, and most wore smiles even as they were running down the court.

Family was also an integral part of the game, with the children of the alumni sitting with them on the bench or showing their support in the stands. One child did her own cheerleading routine in the bleachers. 

The teams are ready to dive into their seasons with the alumni game under their belts. Both Stevens and Moore feel confident in their teams and are excited for the upcoming season.