Crusaders Play at Denver Nuggets Game

Photos by Viki Eagle. Copyright Red Cloud Indian School.

Crusaders Play at Denver Nuggets Game 

By David Ladeaux '13

It was a cold and snowy evening in the city of Denver, Colorado on March 23rd as ten of Red Cloud's basketball players rolled into the Pepsi Center not only to watch the game but to play during the halftime. 

En route to Denver, there were multiple cars stuck off the highway because of the bad snowstorm. The Red Cloud bus had to make detours in Colorado but they eventually arrived in Denver, just in time for a pregame workout. 

During the halftime show, the ten Red Cloud players divided into two teams to play against each other. There were many highlights of the halftime game. First, Kelon Clements '15 almost had a dunk but the ball slipped out of his hands, so he laid it up for the easy two points. Later, he snapped a deep three. “It made the crowd go crazy," said junior Ryan Hussman. Colby Hunter '15, Kobe O'Rourke '16, and Clements led the halftime scoring attack. Hussman scored two points but also air balled a three. “Don't ever pull a three in front of 19,000 fans for the first shot,” advised Hussman.

In addition to the halftime game, the ten players got to meet the whole Nuggets team and received an autographed ball and clipboard. They also had a hour-long workout with the Denver Nuggets trainer Steve Hess, who showed them what the Nuggets do before every game. The team was very lucky and got full backstage passes after the game, where they got to take pictures with the players. They also got to see the whole Pepsi Center, even the locker rooms. “They all had new pairs of shoes for every game,” remarked Hussman. 

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for a high school student,” said Brannon Cousin '14. The players were rewarded not only for their excellence on the court but also for their hard work and dedication in the classroom. “It felt great to be rewarded for our accomplishments and it motivates us to excel in the future,” added Hussman.

The Nuggets game had a sold out crowd because the fans wanted to see their 15th win in a row. The top scorer of the game was Danilo Gallinari with 19 points. Kenneth Faried had 17 points and nine rebounds for the game. The Nuggets had to play without their two top players, Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler. The final score of the game was 101-95 in favor of the Nuggets. During the game, there were many ESPN-worthy dunks!

Check out these photos from the game.