Mabee Madness by: Delani Bauer

On Oct. 28, Hardin-Simmons University (HSU) hosted its annual Mabee Madness event to kick off the men’s and women’s basketball seasons. The event’s sponsors included Buffalo Wild Wings, Flying Bison and First Financial Bank.

Mabee Madness took place in the Mabee Athletic Complex, where doors opened at 6:15 p.m.. The first 100 students received free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings.

Upon entering the gym, students were greeted with tables offering free Mabee Madness T-shirts and purple HSU rally towels. Attendees also had the chance to enter a raffle featuring prizes provided by the sponsors and the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The event officially began at 7 p.m. with the introduction of the women’s basketball team and coaching staff, followed by the men’s team and staff.

The women’s basketball team won the dance battle against the men’s freshmen and managers. Each group performed choreographed routines to custom music mixes followed by winner selection by the crowd on hand.

The HSU dance team also performed a high-energy hip-hop routine that showcased polished choreography followed by earned applause from the audience.

Raffle drawings took place throughout the evening. The first raffle winner received a Buffalo Wild Wings gift basket while the second received a Flying Bison gift basket.

Both basketball teams selected two students each to compete in a three-point contest. Participants shot from five different spots on the court for one minute. In a close finish, the women’s team won both rounds.

HSU’s award-winning Spurs dance team performed next, followed by a cheer routine and pyramid performance from the HSU Cheerleading team. Both teams kept the crowd energized throughout the night, waving poms and cheering courtside.

Six lucky students were chosen through raffle tickets to participate in a student knockout contest. The game followed traditional knockout rules, with the grand prize awarded by the event sponsors.

The dunk contest featured five HSU men’s basketball players. Each participant was given two attempts while the winner was determined by the crowd.  To conclude the night, First Financial Bank raffled off a $50 Visa gift card to one lucky student.

The HSU men’s and women’s basketball teams will begin their seasons on Nov. 7 against Texas Lutheran University in the Mabee Athletic Complex.