On Sunday night, former Oregon basketball stand outs came together with the top local high school talent in a charity game to raise money for Northwest Christian University scholarships. The former Ducks took a 130-119 victory, but the high school all-stars refused to fall far behind.

Coaching the college/pro all-stars was fittingly former Oregon point guard Kenya Wilkins. The event featured many former Oregon basketball players in: Aaron Brooks, A.D. Smith, Jordan Kent, Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson (host/NCU Head Coach), Bryce Taylor, Maarty Luenen, Joevan Catron and recent graduate E.J. Singler.

Coaching the high school all-stars was Churchill’s Kelly Bokn. The high school all-stars were headlined by Mercedes Russell and NCU recruit Keidren Johnson. While the event’s purpose was solely to raise money for the NCU Scholarship fund, the two sides seemed to take their opposing competitors seriously at times, making for an eye-popping two hours of basketball.

“That’s one of the reasons why we did it; all these kids grow up in their driveways saying 3, 2, 1 hit the shot against E.J. Singler, Ridnour or whoever and all the girls are watching Mercedes Russell,” Luke Jackson said. “It was just a cool event for the community and I thought it went really well. It was exactly what I wanted it to be: just a celebration of basketball.”

As soon as the whistle blew, it was apparent that both sides were ready to go. After a pair of threes from Mason Richards of South Eugene high school, Brooks and Taylor began to put on a show, helping the fans remember why they were the best during their collegiate playing days.

From blinding dribble moves by Brooks to silencing one-handed dunks by Taylor, the college/pro all-stars got ahead in a hurry, getting the crowd in a roar every time they came down the floor. While the high school all-stars kept up with their outside shooting, the mere skill and size were simply too much for them to answer.

But what made the event magical was the mere atmosphere it was being played in. Aside from the humidity that plagued the packed gym, the local community from all sides of town seemed to be there for the same reason: to help support a good cause.

“It feels so good; it felt like I was rewinding the clock coming back here playing in front of everybody and what a great cause,” Jordan Kent said. “To not only raise money for NCU, but to get a lot of these Oregon guys back together and for it to be so successful the first year is wonderful because that means we’re going be able to reciprocate it for years to come.”

One of the better match ups  in the game was Malik Morgan going against Brooks due to their similar height and playing style. With the occasional exchange of smiles between the two, it was confirmed that the two not only had mutual respect for each other, but it was one of the moments as a player where time seemed to slow down and all you can think about is how great the moment really is.

“It was fun but we didn’t get that W,” Malik Morgan jokingly said after the game. “The experience was pretty good and it showed us what it takes to a good player. I see what they (college/pro players) can do so I just have to stay in the gym.”

The two-half game ended with a score of 130-119 with the college/pro all-stars coming out on top. Leading the college/pro all-stars was Taylor who finished with 23 points on 10-16 shooting while Morgan led the high school all-stars with 18 points and five assists.

Overall the event was a success and it served the sole purpose it was set out to produce from the beginning. From auctioning off players’ jerseys during halftime to signing autographs and taking pictures with fans after the game, the 2013 Barnstorm All-Star game did everything right from beginning to end.