The students sqeaked past the faculty with a two-point lead to win the annual Student-Faculty Basketball Game by a score of 37-35.
Top scorer for the student team this year was junior Cortez Smith, a towering figure who posted 12 points during the game. He elicited loud cheers from the students when he slam dunked in the first quarter, but that would not be his last. Smith dunked again in the fourth quarter.
For the faculty, former soccer coach Charles Cartwright racked up nearly half of the teachers’ score, with 16 points.
Both teams put up a good fight through the entire game, showing great determination as well as sportsmanship. Playing for the students this year was a group of well- rounded athletes coached by senior Tobe Odegbo and junior Antonio Harrison.
Coaching the teachers this year were Principal Dr. Clarence Stone and Athletic Director Art Carinci.
Starting off the game for the students were Phil Burkes, Melissa Stroud, Aaron Love, Marcus Miskel, and Smith. They faced off against English teacher Jim Burger, gym teachers Tom Hurley and Ernie Taber, former soccer coach Charles Cartwright and his sidekick Jerry Macon.
The students led by 12-2 in the first quarter, with Love posting the first points of the game and Taber scoring the only points for the teachers.
Going into the second quarter, the tensions mounted for the teachers as gym teacher Jean Washington approached the scoring table and announced, “If we (teachers) don’t win this game, I’m going to fail somebody.”
But the students still showed no mercy toward the teachers. They stole the ball from security guard Shelley Spinner and pressed throughout the game.
Even the skillful ball handling of Washington paired with the forbidding size of Coach David Reese wasn’t enough to defeat the students this year.
With the start of the fourth quarter the students were down by two points, but eventually overcame the teachers in the last 30 seconds with their great determination to win. This gives the students bragging rights until next year.
The Student-Faculty Basketball Game is an annual event sponsored by The Southfield Jay.