WSU basketball to host Newman in charity exhibition
Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall praises Shaquille Morris (24) towards the end of the championship game.
Wichita State Athletics announced the men’s basketball team will play a charity exhibition game against Newman on Nov. 6 at Charles Koch Arena with a 7 p.m. tipoff.
The proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross to help out with hurricane relief and other disaster relief efforts.
Both WSU and Newman will promote the game to get the maximum amount of ticket sales. Since both teams are located in Wichita, attendance is expected to be high.
Visit Wichita will also partner with the schools to help with the ticket sale efforts.
The two teams have most recently played each other during the 2014-2015 season. This will be the fifth meeting between the two.
Gregg Marshall, Wichita State men’s basketball head coach, stated to GoShockers that the exhibition is more than just playing a game.
“This game combines two things that Wichitans are passionate about – basketball and helping others in need,” Marshall said. “We hope it’s an event that not only Shockers and Jets, but our entire community can rally around.”
The Newman Jets are also excited to raise money for a good cause, but they’re also excited to face Wichita State because of their success and projected success for the upcoming season.
“We’re looking forward to having our guys play in a great atmosphere against one of the best teams in the country, knowing that it’s all for a worthy cause,” Newman’s head coach R.J. Allen told GoShockers.
The CEO of Visit Wichita, Susie Santo, released a statement to get Wichitans informed and excited about the event.
“With heavy hearts, we’ve all seen the devastation which has resulted from various recent natural disasters, and now, as a community we have an opportunity to help our friends in other cities affected by these tragic events.
We encourage everyone to come out, enjoy a showdown between two local teams, kick off a great season of basketball and support a great cause.”
Tickets will be priced at $15 and $20 each. Wichita State season ticket holders get first pick at the tickets. Any unclaimed tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
Aliyah Funschelle was a sports reporter covering men's basketball for The Sunflower. She studied sports management at Wichita State, and worked as a Campus...
Hanna Deines • Oct 27, 2017 at 9:19 am
Why cant the game take place in Intrust BANK area (its why we built the thing – to get more purpose and raise awareness about the issue – then you are able to raise more $$)