NEWELL—On Thursday, March 7, the Newell Youth Basketball Program held a basketball game fundraiser at the Austin Auditorium. Community members supported the youth basketball teams with free-will donations at the door. Student teams were divided by grade, with first through fourth graders playing basketball games against their classmates. The fifth and sixth graders played against their parents, with a few girls’ varsity basketball players joining in on the parents’ side.
The evening began with the first and second grade basketball game. The net was lowered to 8 feet high, with four eight-minute quarters. No score was kept for this age group. Third and fourth graders played next, boys vs. girls, with a 9-foot-high net. The halftime score was 12-4 with the boys winning. The boys continued to lead with a score of 20-10 at the end of the third quarter, and ended up winning the game with a final score of 28-10.
The final showdown was next: the fifth and sixth graders versus the parents. The net was returned to 10 feet high, and the competition was friendly but fierce. The score at halftime was 16-13, with the kids in the lead. After halftime, the kids were unstoppable. By the third quarter, the students were ahead, 32-21, and the final score was 36-28 with the fifth- and sixth-graders winning it all.
The grandstands were completely full and the crowd went wild cheering for the youth. The night was full of laughter, sportsmanship, and community. Funds raised from the event will go toward essentials, such as jerseys, for the youth basketball program.
