Pitt Basketball Tips Off Friday with Courtside at the Cathedral

Friday, October 13

Pittsburgh, Pa.

8:00 PM

Pitt

Courtside at the Cathedral

Pitt Basketball Tips Off Friday with Courtside at the Cathedral

10/10/2017 5:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball

PITTSBURGH – Pitt men's and women's basketball open the 2017-18 season Friday, Oct. 13 with Courtside at the Cathedral on Bigelow Boulevard.

Courtside at the Cathedral festivities will begin at 8 p.m. and will feature player introductions for the men's and women's basketball teams, a two-ball shooting competition and a slam-dunk contest on an outdoor court on Bigelow Boulevard. There will also be a student half-court shot for $1,000 to the University Store. To enter students must be wearing a Zoo shirt and sitting in the student section. Seating is extremely limited so arrive early to enter the contest.

KDKA radio personality Larry Richert and Fox Sports' Kimberly Borza will serve as hosts for the events, while former Pitt standouts Gilbert Brown, Julius Page and Chris Jones will judge the slam-dunk competition. Jesse Irwin will also host pre-event activities, including dance routines, t-shirt tosses and a raffle, on Bigelow beginning at 7 p.m.

Friday's two-ball competition will feature four teams pairing a men's and women's player together; Ryan Luther - Yacine Diop, Jonathan Milligan - Kauai Bradley, Marcus Carr - Alayna Gribble and Parker Stewart - Kyla Nelson. Each team will have one minute to shoot alternating shots from five spots (with assigned points values) on the floor with the top two teams advancing to the championship round.

Juniors Malik Ellison and Jared Wilson-Frame along with freshman Shamiel Stevenson will compete for the slam-dunk championship. Each participant will have 30 seconds to complete two dunks with the top two scorers moving on to the finals.

Richert, a 30-year broadcasting veteran with deep ties to Pittsburgh, is currently the host of KDKA Radio Morning News as well as a member of the Pitt Football broadcast team. A Vector Richard Caliguiri Award winner, Richert is also the voice of NFL Films/Steelers Highlights and the public address announcer at Heinz Field for the Steelers. He is also involved in many charity organizations including Vice President of the Pittsburgh Celebrity Hockey team, Honorary Chairperson for the American Cancer Society annual Golf Classic, spokesperson for McGuire Memorial Home and the JDRF event plus the Autism Speaks annual walk.

Borza, a two-time captain of the Pitt Tennis team and one of the winningest players in program history, currently oversees the Emmy Award winning FOX Sports University Program, a partnership program that spans over 40 universities and leverages FOX Sports resources and on-air talent to provide real world learning opportunities to students across the country. Prior to her role at FOX Sports Corporate, she served as the liaison between FOX Sports Florida and professional sports team partners and as an on-air host for FOX Sports Florida, working with the Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. She also co-hosted / produced a weekly digital show that focused on pop-culture and sports news and featured such guests as Dwyane Wade, Giancarlo Stanton, and Flo-Rida. A Pittsburgh native, Borza graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2014, where she was chosen as a NCAA Jim McKay National Scholar, in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and potential to make a major contribution to the sports communication industry.

The event will take place in front of the Cathedral of Learning, one of the marquee landmarks at the University of Pittsburgh and in the city and will be a part of Pitt's Homecoming celebration. Festivities begin with a Welcome Back Reception hosted by the Pitt Alumni Association from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Cathedral of Learning Commons Room and culminate with the annual Fireworks and Laser Show presented by the Pitt Program Council scheduled to begin at 9 p.m.

Bleacher seating is limited for the event with additional standing room only viewing areas around the court on Bigelow Boulevard. Public parking will be available at O'Hara Garage and Soldiers and Sailors Parking Garage.

Season tickets and mini packages for the 2017-18 season are on sale now. Great lower level locations are available and can be reserved by calling the Panthers Ticket Office at 800-643-7488 or by clicking HERE.