Gallaudet
- Dec 21, 2021
- 5 min read
Gallaudet Bison (1-7) vs. Wilson Phoenix (4-4)
Saturday, December 12, 2021 @ 2:00 PM Washington, DC Gallaudet Field House
THE SCHOOL
Gallaudet University is a private, congressionally chartered research university in Washington, DC. Gallaudet is the only university in the world specifically for deaf and hard of hearing students. Founded in 1864 (during the Civil War, apparently), GU enrolls 1,451 students and has an endowment of $183 million.
The Gallaudet Bison compete in the United East Conference in NCAA Division III. Gallaudet athletics is mostly known for the invention of the football huddle. In 1894, the Bison played a deaf high school and feared the other team would steal their ALS signs. So they gathered closely several yards behind the line of scrimmage and communicated with everyone's backs to the other team. This slowly diffused around the country, and Gallaudet's invention became the way teams communicated plays for generations.
Wilson College is a private, Presbyterian, liberal arts college in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. The Wilson Phoenix compete in the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC). Wilson was a women's college until recently; they've only been co-ed since 2014.
THE TOWN
Getting to Gallaudet is pretty easy. From the College Park metro stop, you take the Green line to Fort Totten and switch to the Red line, taking that to the NoMa-Gallaudet stop. From there, GU's campus is just about a ten minute walk.
Gallaudet is just outside the very trendy NoMA neighborhood. Named for being north of Massachusetts Avenue, NoMa is densely packed with unfinished luxury apartment buildings as far as the eye can see. Really - it's massive, soulless, far-too-expensive apartments lining the streets for blocks. I'm sure there are lots of nice things about this neighborhood, but my primary takeaway is always the obviously rapid gentrification that is currently taking place.
Gallaudet is pretty close to Union Market, a fashionable food hall that seems incredibly popular. However, I was more interested a different spot a couple blocks away. A. Litteri is an Italian grocery store that's been around for ninety-five years. In the back, they've got a deli and - oh my goodness - it's delicious. Look at this massive sandwich. The bread, the meat, the toppings - all of it was perfectly placed. My one disappointment is that I don't know when I'll be back to try it again. Needless to say, A. Litteri gets a very high rating from me.
Gallaudet's campus is surprisingly large for being in the middle of a big city. It has lots of green space and lots of buildings with spires. If you were dropped in the middle of campus, you likely wouldn't know you were at a deaf university in Washington, DC. It looks just like any other college campus.
The Gallaudet Field House is a fairly small,
circular brick structure near the entrance to campus. There's nothing fancy about it - it feels like it's thirty-five to forty years old and the lighting is terrible (I struggled to get a good picture). But, it really is surreal to watch something as familiar as a basketball game in an environment built for deaf people. You expect a PA announcer during the game, a specific type of cheering, and casual vocal conversation among fans. All of these are unnecessary at Gallaudet, where the gametime action can be hauntingly quiet. Again, there's nothing special about the Field House, but its environment is unmet by anyone else.
THE GAME
Getting on Gallaudet's campus is surprisingly difficult. Presumably because of a mix of COVID restrictions and the fact that there's an elementary school on campus grounds, you are required to fill out an online form before getting to Gallaudet and you must show a photo ID upon entrance. This makes it pretty difficult to get to a basketball game, but I get why this is required.
I got to the gym about fifteen minutes before tipoff and there was - uh - basically no one there. However, people (almost entirely students) trickled in, and by halftime, there was a solid crowd there. Allison and I sat about halfway up the center section and every row below us ended up being nearly full, as well as many of the ones above us.
Without question, Gallaudet's cheerleading squad is the most active squad I've seen. At every game break, they lined up in front of the crowd and did a cheer, rarely repeating themselves. Also, they signed the national anthem while a recording played. Unfortunately, instead of "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Can't Stop the Feeling" by Justin Timberlake played for about three seconds before it was fixed. I couldn't stifle my laughter.
If most of the fans are deaf or hard of hearing, how are you to cheer? One way Gallaudet fans cheer/intimidate the other team is by quickly and repeatedly stomping their feet. In late-game situations or when the other team went to the free throw line, all the Bison fans stomped their feet, all at once. This is great for four reasons:
1) It's fun to do.
2) It's an easy way for a mostly non-vocal group to contribute to the game.
3) It mimics a bison herd.
4) It works. It gets really loud and it must be somewhat off-putting to the opposing players. Honestly, more teams should adopt this strategy.
Also, if you're a head coach and your players are deaf or hard of hearing, how are you supposed to talk to your team? Can you yell at them? Turns out - you can. Head coach Kevin Kovacs spent much of the game rapidly signing and wildly gesticulating his thoughts to the players.
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Wilson's #2, Warrick Godwin, got off to hot start, hitting two early three-point shots to give the Phoenix a 9-4 lead, but the Bison came back and forced a tie with 10 minutes left in the first half. A back-and-forth battle ensued until a cold stretch for Wilson gave Gallaudet a 7-point lead begore Wilson hit a late shot before the buzzer. Gallaudet led at halftime, 33-29.
The battle continued after the break as Wilson got back into the lead and led 46-44 halfway through the second period. With excellent interior defense, back-to-back big baskets by #31 Milosi Viena, a big three-point shot by #3 Corey Smith, a breakaway layup by #23 Enow Otto, and a shot clock-beating three by #5 Rory Lewis that led to a hyped up crowd, Gallaudet clawed their way to a seven point lead (59-52) with two and a half minutes remaining. Things looked good for the Bison.
But Wilson never led up. After Lewis' three-point shot, Wilson's #13, Darryl Garib answered with one of his own. Warrick Godwin immediately followed that basket with a quick steal and layup, and the Phoenix forced a shot clock violation on the other end. Suddenly, now only down 2, Wilson had the chance to tie or take the lead with about a minute left.
They chose the second option. Despite the furiously stomping crowd, Godwin hit the last of his 23 points on a deep three-pointer that gave Wilson a 60-59 advantage with 54 seconds remaining. Gallaudet was called for a charge on their possession and Wilson hit their free throws, preserving the W for the away team. Wilson ended the contest on an 11-0 run.
Final: Wilson 63, Gallaudet 59
It doesn't matter how many more college basketball games I see; I'm never going to go to another one like Gallaudet. A truly unique experience, the Gallaudet game was everything I hoped it would be. They didn't ask, but I appreciate the Gallaudet community for showing me a tiny slice of their lives. Go Bison.
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