There are a number of annual sporting events that are eagerly awaited by fans. There is the Army Navy game, the Yale Harvard Game and the “Iron Bowl” between Alabama and Auburn, to name a few.

Shippensburg University had its own traditional matchup Friday morning: the Crimson and Cream midnight basketball game hosted by Kappa Omega. The game helps fund Kappa’s community commitments, says Tymere Harris, who alongside Keith Hutton form the fraternity’s membership.

The limited membership didn’t stop Kappa from packing Henderson Gymnasium for an event that would rival those hosted by the largest houses in Ship’s Greek Life. Spectators packed on the wall of bleachers during warm-ups alone, and more flooded into the other side of the court during the first half of the game.

During warmups, players practiced dunking and shooting while music played, and Harris and Hutton coached and prepped their respective teams.

Leading team Crimson was Hutton, and taking command over team cream, the home team for the game, was Harris. Both coaches state that there were no ringers from the university team, and that they personally recruited the players from the community to play in the game.

The game followed the NCAA structure of two periods. A fierce two periods they were. Music played throughout the game, and both Hutton and Harris were equipped with microphones to taunt each other and pump up the crowd, creating an energetic atmosphere throughout the whole event.

The game was neck and neck throughout the first, culminating in a team cream lead with a score of 40-38.

Then came, as it does at all big sporting events, the halftime show, and Kappa Omega planned for a night of entertainment. First up was the dance group Urban Flow, who performed a floor routine in combination with a contemporary dance while wearing custom black UFO-themed basketball jerseys. 

Next was Elite Modeling Team, the runners-up for Spring’s “Ship’s Got Talent.” They, too, wore black custom jerseys, but with the addition of their trademark eight-inch heels.  

The final halftime performance came courtesy of SU Heritage Dance Company, who performed alongside a setlist designed to get the audience ready for the second half of the game.

Tensions rose during the second half, as both teams Crimson and Cream jockeyed to maintain the lead. With nearly every goal Cream scored, Harris would take a victory sprint past his brother, now a rival coach.

In the end, though, it would be team Crimson that won 81-84. The result was less important than Kappa Omega’s efforts to pull off an exciting event that lasted into the small hours of the morning.

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