BSU, UP team up for hoops

Jeremy Love-Smith rises to block a layup in the semifinal game April 27.

By Kamiko Chamble

Members of University Police ditched their uniforms and radios for jerseys and play calls as they faced off with students on the basketball court.

The University Police and Black Onyx: The Black Student Union co-hosted their 3v3 Basketball Tournament at Memorial Hall on Saturday, April 27. The goal of the event was to help foster a positive relationship between UP and the student body.

“We just wanted students to see us in a different light,” UP Investigator Jessica Facteau said.  

The tournament fostered a positive environment which inspired competitors and onlookers alike to cheer, jeer and celebrate no matter who won or lost. A microphone was passed around, leading to playful commentary on the games which helped generate excitement throughout.

“The most exciting part of this event for me was the commentary. I feel like the commentary was what really made it fun and it just brought the vibe,” BSU Event Coordinator Zanaeja Dandy said. 

The camaraderie was exactly what the organizers wanted the tournament to inspire.

“We wanted to bring the community together especially towards the end of the semester when it starts to get really hot and everybody’s outside,” BSU Vice President Angelina Briggs said. 

This event was first hosted by UP in 2019 and was such a success that UP was hoping to host the event annually. That plan was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Facteau said.

“This year we decided to bring it back,” Facteau said.

To put this event together, Facteau had to find officers who would be interested in participating.

Facteau reached out to police departments first, and “a large group” of officers showed their interest, officer Cameron Garceau said.

After garnering support among officers, Facteau approached the BSU because she knew the organization had tried to host a similar event in the fall. From there, they decided to co-host the tournament.

UP went all out for the event, providing custom T-shirts, pizza and fruit cups while also organizing the donation pool, which paid for the grand prizes of the tournament. Prizes included new name-brand basketballs and gift cards.

BSU was in charge of garnering student interest in the event. In total, nine student teams competed against the UP squad and the State Trooper team.

Team University Police competes in an elimination game April 27. 

“Honestly, University Police did a lot of hard work and heavy lifting when it came to putting this event together, “ Black Onyx Historian Sydney Wise said. “BSU did all of the tabling, so that means we tabled in the ACC telling everyone to sign up and come play.”  

UP and BSU created a fun environment for everyone in attendance.

“I do think this tournament strengthened our relationship with the college community because we get to see people, interact with them, laugh — I feel like we really laughed a lot. It’s just always good to have a good relationship with the students,” Garceau said.