2008 Woodie Awards
Sayonara, West Pine
Bills close chapter at historic gym with loss to Temple
Brian Hayes
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Sports
No sooner had Women's Basketball Coach Shimmy Gray-Miller finished addressing the crowd of Billiken fans than the lights began to shut off after the last contest scheduled in the Bauman-Eberhardt Center.
More affectionately referred to around campus as the West Pine Gym, the building opened in 1920 and was the home court for the women's basketball and volleyball teams. Now, those days are over.
As the finishing touches are put on the new Chaifetz Arena in the coming weeks, the athletic department and its teams will begin making the transition to a new era in Billiken athletics. For all the nostalgia and history that remain in West Pine, it seems as though everyone around campus is eagerly awaiting the opening of the new arena.
"It will boost our program-not just basketball, but the whole athletic department," sophomore guard Theresa Lisch said.
Gray-Miller said she is "ecstatic" to move into the arena, which will seat approximately 10,600 people. The Chaifetz Arena complex, will become the home court for men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball next season. It consists of the single-concourse arena, a two-court practice facility that will be the site for volleyball games and a three-story office building for the athletic department.
While all eyes in the athletic department are on their future home, the future of West Pine Gym has yet to be decided. The Billikens were trying to make the last entry into the history books a positive one when Temple came to town on Wednesday, Feb. 27, but the co-leaders of the Atlantic 10 had other plans.
The Billikens seemed to have control throughout most of the first half. They began the game on a 9-2 run and didn't allow Temple to take the lead until there were nine minutes left in the half.
A strong finish by Temple, though, left the Billikens down 34-36 at halftime. Coming out of the break, the two teams traded baskets, with SLU tying the game five times in the first five minutes, before a 3-pointer by Lisch gave the Billikens their first lead of the half, 47-44.
More affectionately referred to around campus as the West Pine Gym, the building opened in 1920 and was the home court for the women's basketball and volleyball teams. Now, those days are over.
As the finishing touches are put on the new Chaifetz Arena in the coming weeks, the athletic department and its teams will begin making the transition to a new era in Billiken athletics. For all the nostalgia and history that remain in West Pine, it seems as though everyone around campus is eagerly awaiting the opening of the new arena.
"It will boost our program-not just basketball, but the whole athletic department," sophomore guard Theresa Lisch said.
Gray-Miller said she is "ecstatic" to move into the arena, which will seat approximately 10,600 people. The Chaifetz Arena complex, will become the home court for men's basketball, women's basketball and women's volleyball next season. It consists of the single-concourse arena, a two-court practice facility that will be the site for volleyball games and a three-story office building for the athletic department.
While all eyes in the athletic department are on their future home, the future of West Pine Gym has yet to be decided. The Billikens were trying to make the last entry into the history books a positive one when Temple came to town on Wednesday, Feb. 27, but the co-leaders of the Atlantic 10 had other plans.
The Billikens seemed to have control throughout most of the first half. They began the game on a 9-2 run and didn't allow Temple to take the lead until there were nine minutes left in the half.
A strong finish by Temple, though, left the Billikens down 34-36 at halftime. Coming out of the break, the two teams traded baskets, with SLU tying the game five times in the first five minutes, before a 3-pointer by Lisch gave the Billikens their first lead of the half, 47-44.
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