Sand Springs hosts Harlem Wizards in Rotary Club fundraiser
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Basketball season started early this year in Sand Springs as the Sandite All-Stars took on the Harlem Wizards Thursday evening at the Ed Dubie Field House.
Coach Dustin Morrow led a ragtag group of local teachers, coaches, and pastors in a valiant effort against world-class talent, but the home team fell 79-73 in an exhibition fundraiser for the Sand Springs Rotary Club.
The Rotarians will keep a large portion of ticket sales and a quarter of merchandise sales, but will donate 100% of concession proceeds to Head Sandite Football Coach Dustin Kinard’s pancreatic cancer treatment fund. Together with the Sandite Basketball Association they raised $350 for Kinard.
The game was a bit of a homecoming for the Wizards, though they have never played in Sand Springs before. One of their founding members and a brief co-owner, Marques Haynes, is a graduate of Sand Springs’s former black high school, Booker T. Washington. Haynes led the Washington Ramblers to State Titles in 1940 and 1941 and a Negro National Tournament Championship in 1941, helped Langston University to four Conference Championships, and is considered to be the greatest ball handler of all time.
The current roster of Wizards includes former Globetrotter and college All-American Eric “Broadway” Jones, All-American and Globetrotter Arnold “A-Train” Bernard, Globetrotter and Nike Slam Dunk Champ Devon “Livewire” Curry, Lloyd “Lunatik” Clinton, Leon “Space Jam” Sewell, and Brandon “Werm” LaCue.
The Sandites fielded more than a dozen teachers, three pastors, Mayor Mike Burdge, and Salvation Army Athletic Director Jimmie Walker III.
Jamel Thompson, the voice of the Wizards, got laughs throughout the evening with his quick wit and clever nicknames for the Sand Springs players. While many players were compared to celebrity look-a-likes, Burdge was dubbed the “Fountain of Youth” as the oldest player on the court.
Walker won the opening tip-off and took it to the house for a layup. The Wizards rallied from an 8-2 deficit to a 20-12 lead before Ben Riggs hit a three-point buzzer beater at the end of the first quarter.
Wide Receivers Coach Darrack Harger was a strong point in the second period, snagging several rebounds for the Sandites and scoring a few layups and a dunk.
Thirty-year Berryhill music teacher Carol Hilborn scored late in the second period and the Sandites took a 38-34 lead into the half.
Offensive Coordinator Kenny Gooch brought much-needed height to the game, while HillSpring Pastor Brent Kellogg brought much-needed comic relief with his frequently missed layup attempts.
The Wizards gave Sand Springs an extra six points at halftime and helped them with rebounds and free shots throughout the night to keep things competitive, but ultimately prevailed 79-73 to continue their 2,000+ game winning streak.
The Sand Springs Rotary Club has a large charitable presence in Sand Springs, hosting events like the Downhill Derby, and making donations towards park efforts like the Rotary Super Splash Pad in Case Community Park and the Sand Springs Rotary Centennial Park. As a whole, the international Rotary community aims to eradicate polio worldwide.
