Issue date: 11/5/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: John Schnatter Sophomore guard Mike Lewis (left) hands an autographed team picures and schedules for the 2009 Colonel team Thursday.

Eastern's men's and women's basketball teams put on their first show of the season Thursday night in the university's seventh annual Halloween Hoopfest. 

The event was free to the public, and more than 1,000 students, alumni, parents, and children came out to support Colonel basketball and enjoy the evening's festivities.

Doors opened at 6 p.m., and Alumni Coliseum soon filled up with people celebrating Halloween in a variety of different costumes.

Kids were dressed in anything from Spider-man to ghosts. There were vampires, witches, princesses and even a ninja or two. 

Eastern cheerleaders and the Colonel himself gave out gift bags and free Halloween Hoopfest T-shirts.

The lobby was filled with different games and activities especially for children dressed for Halloween. Candy was free at several booths, along with different prizes. Judges chose the best costumes of the night and were announced later in the festivities. 

Eastern basketball events began with the lights going out in the arena. With music blasting, both the women's and men's teams took the court.

Both teams fell into their lay-up lines with the lights still out. The men put on a show by dunking on almost every trip to the hoop. One by one, the players took turns getting up and throwing down to fire up the crowd, offering a preview of the upcoming dunk contest just minutes away.

The warm up was followed by a 3-point contest. The contest featured two teams, each made up of one man and one woman from Eastern's teams. Senior guard Robin Mestdagh and junior Nadia Mossong took home bragging rights by winning the contest.

One of the crowd's favorite events of the night was the slam-dunk contest. 

The contest featured junior college transfer Spencer Perrin and defending champion Justin Stommes.

Perrin was up first and did not disappoint.

Starting in the corner, Perrin tossed the ball up and caught it in mid-air off the bounce. He then brought the ball around and threw down a powerful windmill dunk, getting a rise from the crowd.

Stommes was next, coming from under the basket to put down a reverse windmill dunk well above the rim. 

Continued...

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