Getting into the spirit

With 15.5 seconds left in the basketball game and a score tied at 38, this game was a nail biter. \nAnd like any other game, both teams on the court committed fouls, looked to their coaches for support and had a crowd of fans on the sidelines cheering them on throughout the 30 minutes of play. \nBut this wasn't any other basketball game. It was the Special Olympics basketball game, sponsored by Spirit of Sport. Proceeds raised during the annual event benefit Special Olympics Indiana and give athletes the chance to participate in the national games each year. Currently SOS is the longest-running fund-raiser for Special Olympics Indiana, and since its beginning in 1976 has raised more than $310,000. \n"They love it. They wait for this night for weeks," said Special Olympics Outreach committee member sophomore Christine Acker. "They appreciate this night on such a higher level."\nThe game Friday night was no exception. A crowd had formed around Wildermuth Gym's Court No. 1 to watch a close game between the Monroe County Cutters and the Bartholomew County Bulldogs. These teams have played before; they know each other and both teams desperately wanted to win. The Bulldogs coach, Darryl Sutton, said he and coach Susie Fox try to give all players on the team equal playing time, but when a game gets tight, it's hard. Like anyone, the players want to win. \n"We've come here for four years in a row," Fox said. "This is a fantastic opportunity, not only for the athletes, but for what the IU students do too."\nWith the minutes ticking down and the best players from each team in the game, the crowd screamed "defense" and "basket" from the sidelines and held up homemade posters for their respective teams and players. The crowd, made up of sorority and fraternity members, IU football players, the IU Student Association and other organizations were there as Hoosier Partners. Hoosier Partners donate $50 to be paired with a Special Olympics athlete and support them during their basketball game. \nThe crowd fell silent for a second as a Cutters player grabbed the ball in the final moments of the game and took a shot. The ball sailed through the air and -- basket! The crowd erupted in cheers and screams of excitement and disappointment. The Cutters won the game 40 to 38. \nThe teams and their Hoosier Partners flooded the court to celebrate the end of the game as more Spirit of Sport participants migrated over to the court to see what the commotion was over at Court No. 1. With such a nail biting and suspenseful ending everyone wanted to know about the outcome of the game. \nBulldog player Brad Kiel, 26, shrugged off his team's two-point loss; he said he knew the Bulldogs were the better team on the court and even though he didn't win, he has the best coach ever.\n"I like my coach, she's the best coach I've met," he said pointing to Fox. "I love playing on my team."\nNext year will be the Bulldog's year, Kiel said. He's already looking forward to coming back to Spirit of Sport to play in the Special Olympics basketball game next year, but the Cutters will have to watch out for the Bulldogs. \n"(We're going to) come back next year and (play) again," he said. "And beat that team next year."\n-- Contact Senior Writer Katie Schoenbaechler at kmschoen@indiana.edu.