The Brandeis Haiti Initiative once again hosted Hoops for Haiti-a basketball game which pits University faculty against students-this past Sunday, and once again, the event proved to be both successful and wildly entertaining.

The event raises money for Camp Empowering Through Education, a camp started by Brandeis alumna Shaina Gilbert '10 that works to educate nearly 100 Haitian children each summer and is staffed each year by current Brandeis students.
Brandeis Haiti Initiative Co-President Amanda Dryer '13 explained that the event not only creates unity within the community by joining students and faculty members, but also highlights the importance the University places on social justice.

Dryer explained that the event was purposely placed on Admitted Students Day as a way to tell the students "welcome to the family. This is what we do here."

Given the amount of fun that the event proved to be for both spectators and participants this year, it appears that the event could become a staple in Admitted Students Days for many years to come.

After going into the half down by five points, 25-20, coach Michael Coven led the faculty on the comeback trail during the second half, as the team stormed back to win 51-43 in a thrilling encounter.

Coven, who had guaranteed a victory for his team before the match, was pleased with both the outcome of the game and the sentiment of the event, which is in its fourth year.

"That's one of the things I love about Brandeis, that we are socially aware," he said. "It's a great cause."

Basketball aside, a plethora of the individuals at the Red Auerbach Arena admired the Brandeis Haiti Initiative and that the event highlighted the University's commitment to social justice.

"It's always great to come out and do a charity event. I've heard it's a great event, and I'm happy to take part," said men's basketball forward Ishmael Kalilou '15, who played for the student team.

Kalilou was one of several members of the men's basketball team to take part in the event and, on a lighter note, said beforehand that he was looking to "take the game over" in response to Coven's guarantee of a faculty victory.

Ultimately, Coven's guarantee proved to be merited, but the game wasn't short of drama.

For quite some time, it appeared that it would be Kalilou's day. Once the game began, he drained back-to-back three-pointers that allowed the students to jump out to a 9-2 lead after the first five minutes.

The faculty, however, responded with a 9-3 run of their own to cut the students' lead to one point with six minutes left in the first half.

With both sides constantly changing players to give everyone a chance to play in the fun spirit of the event, it took time for each squad to develop a rhythm, and the first half drew to a close with the students leading 25-20.

One of the bright spots for the faculty was Darryl David '08, who now works for the University in the Office of Student Activities. David, who had six points in the first half, knew that the key to the second half was to "just have fun."

After the students pushed their lead to 29-26 with 15 minutes left in the second half, the faculty began clawing their way back with mid-range jumpers.

They took the lead and never looked back with 6:09 remaining. David dribbled behind his back and converted a layup in traffic to give the faculty a 32-31 lead. That particular play proved to be crucial, as the faculty would not relinquish the lead after that point.

The faculty pushed their lead as high as 10 points, which resulted in a 45-35 advantage with 3:05 remaining and survived a final push by the student team over the last three minutes that cut the lead to within six points at 47-41. However, the faculty team's abilities proved to be just too much for their student opponents, however, as they were able to cruise to the 51-43 victory.

Despite the outcome of the game, participants on both sides were appreciative of the overall sentiment of Hoops for Haiti.

"It's a beautiful thing to be part of. It's just a blessing," said David of the event.

Senior Vice President for Administration Mark Collins, who coached the student team, was equally appreciative of the cause.

"We all had a great time for a great cause, so I'm happy I was here," he said after the game.

Coven joked afterwards that, while he has enjoyed his time coaching the men's soccer team, his time had come to move on to bigger and better things.

"I want to thank Brandeis for the past 40 years, but I'm headed to the NBA right now," Coven said.