The Indiana University Northwest Redhawks men’s basketball team opened conference play on Saturday afternoon with a 106-74 victory over rival Indiana University Kokomo. The game was a continuation of the Redhawks’ strong start to the season and a celebration of last year’s Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) Championship winning team.
The 2023-2024 Redhawk players and coaching staff reunited in the Savannah Center, where they were awarded their championship rings in front of gathered family, friends and fans. To celebrate the occasion, Indiana University Northwest worked with the Redhawks’ sports medicine partners Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute and Northwest Health to offer one random student the chance to win $10,000 cash by shooting a half-court shot at halftime.
“Everybody wins with this,” said Ryan Shelton, Indiana University Northwest athletic director. “It’s an opportunity to bring the community together – not just the university community, but the local community as well. We’ve got a Saturday afternoon ballgame against one of our regional rivals. It’s two quality teams that have been to the national tournament in recent years.”
Last year’s Redhawks team was perhaps the most successful in school history, and the players were proud to be a part of it. Trace Williams, now a senior, was a key contributor in the latter half of last season.
“It was huge; it was the first time the school won the conference,” Williams said. “It took a lot. We had a ton of new people come in, and I didn’t play the first half of the semester. Once we got it figured out, we got rolling.”
Williams joined the Redhawks after two years playing at a junior college and does not take the opportunity to compete at a four-year college, and in front of a crowd, for granted.
“The Redhawks gave me an opportunity that a lot of schools weren’t giving me,” he said. “Coming out of two years at junior college, it can be hard to find a home. They did that for me here. It’s good to see a crowd here today, so we can show how good these basketball teams are and how good the school is.”
Home Indiana University Northwest Athletics games are always free for students, faculty and staff. Every attending student was entered into a raffle for 10 Bluetooth speakers. That included the junior varsity team members who turned out to show support for the main roster, including freshman guard Manny Paniagua, who won one of the speakers.
“Competing here means a lot to me,” he said. “I’ve always been the dog with the short leash. I didn’t get a lot of opportunities as a kid. Playing helps build a lot of character, and it’s cool that the school is doing events like this to get people to see this team and this campus – and I’m going to use the heck out of this speaker.”
The basketball players were not eligible to take the $10,000 shot – that honor went to Indiana University Northwest student photographer Shaurya Sharma. He missed but earned a speaker for his efforts.
“I was nervous. I didn’t know I was going to be by myself,” he said. “I haven’t shot a basketball in a year, so I had no practice. I wish I’d gotten a stretch in, but it was fun, though.”
The Redhawks, now 4-1 on the season, travel to Hillsdale College to take on the 4-0 Chargers. The next Redhawks home game is set for December 4 against Indiana University South Bend. To keep up with the latest from every IU Northwest athletics team, visit iunredhawks.com.
For more information about Indiana University Northwest, visit northwest.iu.edu.
