BELLINGHAM, Wash. – For the third year in a row, the Bellingham Slam will face the Western Washington University men’s basketball alumni team in an exhibition contest during the university’s annual Back 2 Bellingham alumni weekend.
The event, dubbed the Back 2 Bellingham Battle, is set for 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 20 at WWU’s Wade King Center. The game will pit the Slam against a squad comprised of former Viking standouts from the past decade. With several players on the Slam being Western graduates themselves, this is sure to be a fun and unique event.
In last year’s exhibition, the Slam defeated the Vikings Alumni 133-106 with guard Morris Anderson and forward Tyler Amaya combining to score 46 points for the Slam. Guard Grant Dykstra, who will be inducted into WWU’s Athletic Hall of Fame next month, scored 21 points for the Alumni.
The exhibition was first held in 2015 with the Slam prevailing in exciting fashion over the WWU alumni, 108-100 at Carver Gym. The match-up has been hosted by Western’s Wade King Center the past two years while Carver Gym undergoes renovations.
The Slam will be led by player-coach Tyler Amaya and its lineup will be made up of players who suited up for the Slam during their 2014 International Basketball League championship season as well as the Seattle Pro-Am league last year. This exhibition will serve as a tune-up for the Slam as they prepare for the 2017 Seattle Pro-Am with the hopes of improving on their semi-final finish last year.
The WWU alumni side is expected to feature a mixture of senior players who completed their eligibility this past spring, along with former standouts who suited up for the Vikings over the years. The first two Back 2 Bellingham Battles have included appearances from former Vikings Ricardo Maxwell, Anye Turner and Preston Vermeulen, among others.
A full roster for both teams will be announced about a week before the event.
Seating is limited for the game and is expected to sell out. Advance tickets may be purchased online at www.bellinghamslam.com or by calling (360) 734-SLAM.
(Bellingham Slam press release)
