A capacity crowd filled Hornet gym Friday night to initiate the men?s and women?s 2000 basketball season at this year?s “Late night at the nest.”

The event began at 11:00 p.m., and consisted of an hour of lip sync?s put on by players as well as cheerleaders and the Hornet dance squad. When the musical exhibition concluded at around midnight, the 2000 men?s and women?s rosters were introduced to the crowd, and the men?s team put on a 15 minute scrimmage followed by a slam dunk contest.

“The event went very well,” said men?s coach Jerome Jenkins. “We really appreciate the effort that went into it, and it was great to see the fans get into it. Hopefully we?ll get that type of crowd at every home game.”

With the season kicking off next month, “Late night at the nest” served as a precursor of things to come for this year?s basketball team and newly hired women?s coach Carolyn Jenkins is excited with how the event set the stage.

“This was a fun event for the players,” she said. “We enjoyed preparing for it, and the more fun the crowd had, it just became that much more fun for us. It was great to see the stands packed, and even people standing on the baseline.”

The slam dunk contest helped the men?s team showcase a little bit of athletic ability, and was won by newcomer Jay Richardson, a transfer from Cuesta Junior college.

The event also served as the first official basketball event at the newly upgraded Hornet gym. The improvements, which exceeded $300,000, include a new lighting system, new chairback bleachers, a scorer?s table, and a new sound system.

The last four years the men played at Memorial Auditorium, but they have made the move back to campus in hopes to heighten the fan?s experience and contribute to the success of the program.

“The move back to campus is one that will benefit the program in a number of areas,” Athletic Director Debby Colberg said. “The need to go downtown to practice and compete has cut into our student-athlete?s study hall, workouts and meal times.”

Colberg expects a lot more sudents to show up now that the men are back on campus. “Our student body will also be given a greater opportunity to attend games and support the program by playing our games in Hornet Gym. We made the move to Memorial Auditorium the same year we began our affiliation in the Big Sky Conference (1996-97), and it has been difficult to draw a large number of students to games at a downtown facility.”

The first exhibitions at Hornet Gym will be held Saturday Nov. 4 for the men against TCS, and Tuesday Nov. 7 against Holy Names for the women.