Crimson Tops Cream in Alumni Game

NORMAN -- In a heated contest from the tip to the final buzzer, Team Crimson held on to win 84-79 in OU's fifth annual Legends Alumni Game at Lloyd Noble Center on Saturday afternoon.

Chris Black, a letterwinner in 1993 for the Sooners, led all scorers with 22 points on eight made field goals for Team Cream.

Aside from being the leading scorer, Black praised the program's alumni weekend, which began during Head Coach Lon Kruger's first season in Norman.

“It felt great,” Black said. “I was here 10 or 15 years ago. It's a blessing. All these years later, these guys, we're still friends and still communicating through text or social media. What's most exciting is being able to bring my son and his friends and see them get into it. OU for life.”

Kelley Newton, who played for the Sooners from 1998-2000 and is ranked third all-time in program history for three-point percentage (.420), helped pace the winning team with 18 points on six three-pointers.

Beau Gerber aided Team Crimson with 15 points and 12 rebounds, the only double-double recorded on the afternoon.

“I'm always happy when we get a win,” Gerber said. ”Every time I come back here I get memories from whenever I was here. This is one of my favorite weekends of the year. It's great to see all the older guys and get to hear their stories from back in the day. It's just a great weekend overall.”

Also suiting up in Crimson, Bryatt Vann poured in 17 points while collecting four rebounds, while Darryl “Choo” Kennedy added six points and five boards. Sooner alum Cade Davis drained four from long range on his way to 14 points.

James Fraschilla, who graduated just three months ago, made it to double-figures for the winning squad with 12 points.

“It was a great time, although it was a little different being back as an alum,” Fraschilla said. “It was fun to play with these guys that I either grew up watching or played with. This weekend is great for all the current and former players. Former players get to reunite with their teammates and it connects many generations.”

Contributing in the scoring column for Team Cream was Michael Neal and Carl Blair each with 12, while Tyler Neal posted 11. Blair also pulled down nine rebounds.

“It's a lot of fun and a great family atmosphere,” Michael Neal said. “Once you get going it really brings you back to whenever you used to play. It just feels like a big family here, and when they do this every year you just look forward to seeing your family.”

Tyler Neal, who suited up for Oklahoma from 2011-14, expressed his gratitude on being a part of this special Sooner Family weekend.

“We're lucky to have someone like Coach Kruger to believe in the program and to realize how important these things are and to put this on once a year,” Neal said. “He just understands that the fans love this and gives them a chance to interact with the current team and the past guys.”

Bo Overton (1980-83) coached the victorious team while Mike McCurdy (1973-75) and Alvan Adams (1973-75) led the Cream Squad.

Saturday afternoon's game capped off the Family Weekend, which also included Friday's Tip In Club Golf Classic and Wayman Tisdale's Scholarship Fund Dinner inside the Lloyd Noble Center. Recognized at the dinner were OU's rebounding, steals and blocked shots leaders.

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FINAL POINT TOTALS

Crimson Team (84)
Kelley Newton - 18
Bryatt Vann - 17
Beau Gerber - 15
Cade Davis - 14
James Fraschilla - 12
Darryl "Choo" Kennedy - 6
TJ Franklin - 2

Cream Team (79)
Chris Black - 22
Carl Blair - 12
Michael Neal - 12
Tyler Neal - 11
Raymond Whitley - 8
Barry Honore - 6
Johnnie Gilbert - 4
Sam Grooms - 2
Sam Thompson - 2

Players Mentioned

James Fraschilla

Sponsors

University of Oklahoma Athletics