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Raucous Crowd Cheers Billikens to Education Day Victory

by Joe Barker on 02/02/2023

02/02/2023

It’s not every basketball game you see the officials cover their ears because the arena is so loud.

That was the case Wednesday at Chaifetz Arena where a packed crowd taking part in the annual Education Day game arrived on time and made their presence felt. The SLU Athletics Department invited students from 56 schools around the St. Louis metropolitan area to attend the SLU women’s basketball game.

A large crowd cheered on the SLU women's basketball team in its Wednesday, Feb. 2, game against George Mason. Photo by Joe Barker.

A large crowd cheered on the SLU women's basketball team in its Wednesday, Feb. 2, game against George Mason. Photo by Joe Barker.

 A total crowd of 7,582  were able to attend the game and see the Billikens win 68-56 over George Mason. 

"It was a really big win," head coach Rebecca Tillett said. "There were so many students here to watch. We talked as a team before the game that some of those kids, this may be the only college game they can go to in their young life, so let's make an impression on them.”

The students arrived before game time and got to burn some energy in the Chaifetz Arena pavilion. The young students took part in basketball games, Billiken, Billiken, Goose (a take on Duck, Duck, Goose) and other activities. Upstairs in the pavilion, the students could get their faces painted and get balloon toys and other gifts.

The students were fed lunch and were all in their seats for the early 11 a.m. tip-off. Prior to the opening tip, the students were encouraged to take part in a “moment of loudness.” The crowd delivered, unleashing a loud sound that had the game’s officials covering their ears. 

"It's fun," senior guard Kyla McMakin said. "It's a good environment even though it's loud and hard to hear. You get goosebumps. Every big play, no matter who was making it, to hear the crowd erupt, you get goosebumps. That really creates a lot of energy to keep making those big plays because I really like the sound of that crowd. I thought we were really trying to put on a show for them."

Students cheer on the Billikens on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Photo by Cristnia Fletes.

Students cheer on the Billikens on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. Photo by Cristina Fletes.

From the opening tip, the students cheered on the Billikens.

“The students were great,” Tillett said. “I thought they did a great job cheering for us. The energy was great. ... Those are special moments for the community so I want to thank everybody that came."

Brooke Flowers, a St. Louis native and graduate of Metro Academic & Classical, had a big day. She notched the first-ever triple-double in SLU women’s basketball history when she scored 10 points, grabbed a season-high 18 rebounds and tallied a school-record 11 blocks. 

Flowers also established a Saint Louis single-season blocks record. She lifted her total to 96, topping the previous record of 90 set by Arlene Lampe in the 1984-85 campaign. She said she was motivated by the crowd. 

"It was a really special time," Flowers said. "It was one of those full-circle moments that you probably won't ever forget. I've been to an Education Day game on the other side in the stands watching. Just to have that happen today, it felt really special."

Schools Invited