New-look Hoosiers debut at Midnight Madness
Whether it was being introduced in front of a vivacious crowd, competing in one of the various events or judging the men's slam dunk contest, the women's basketball team was rewarded at Midnight Madness Saturday morning for all of the hard work they have put in during individual workouts the past month. "To see all the people, it's amazing," coach Kathi Bennett said. The players were looking to feed off the energy the crowd provided and their goal was to have the best time they could. Junior Jamie Gathing said she wasn't nervous about the crowd. Instead, she said she was excited just to be a part of the event. "Last year ended on a really good note so I'm excited to come back and let people know we're here," Gathing said. "My freshman year we weren't included. Midnight Madness is so much better than it used to be years ago." Before Midnight Madness, senior Jill Hartman said a woman player needed to win the three-point shootout this year. Freshman Cyndi Valentin delivered. She won the shootout by knocking down 12 three-pointers in 45 seconds. It was a basket at the buzzer that clenched her win over sophomore Ryan Tapak. Valentin forced a playoff in the finals after she connected on her last four shots. The women's bench cheered louder after each Valentin three went through the net, as she defeated the defending three-point champion.
