Basketball returned to the University of North Florida (UNF) on Friday as the Harlem Globetrotters visited as part of their 2022 World Tour.

The Harlem Globetrotters are well known for their unique style of basketball, consisting of plenty of goofy antics. These skills were on full display as they faced the Washington Generals in front of a sizable crowd at UNF Arena.

The Globetrotters were quick to cement themselves in a winning position, doubling up on the Generals to take a 26-13 lead through only one-quarter of play.

In a twist on the average basketball game, a dunk contest broke out early on in the second quarter. Spider Sharpless got the crowd’s attention, dunking over three teammates. After a few more dunks, the game resumed, and the Globetrotters picked up right where they left off. 

A pair of four-point shots, a facet unique to Harlem’s style of play, propelled the Globetrotters to more scoring as the second quarter progressed. Harlem’s Bulldog Mack took a hit on a screen, leading to some confusion at the free-throw line. The referee handed Mack the ball, who subsequently soared to the rim for a dunk.

Play was interrupted yet again, but this time by Granny, who later went on to enter the game in a more official manner. The chaos continued with Spider Harkless taking a name-appropriate break. Sitting atop the backboard, Harkless donned a Spiderman mask, scoring the final points of the first half quite literally from up top. 

Once halftime arrived, fans flocked to the merchandise stands to snag Globetrotters gear of their own. The floors of UNF Arena rattled underneath the dribbling of dozens of kids playing with their new basketballs. 

The Globetrotters returned to the court, taking a break to honor former player Fred “Curly” Neal, who passed away in 2020. Once play resumed, the Generals did the unthinkable and struck first. They were able to narrow the deficit to just six points late in the third quarter, a stark contrast to the 61-36 hole they faced at halftime.

The Generals fought back, though, taking a 78-77 lead late in the third quarter. A buzzer-beating dunk gave the Globetrotters the lead back. Although the score had tightened up, the lighthearted mood remained as Harlem led the crowd in ‘swag surfing’ prior to the start of the fourth quarter.

Once again, the Generals took back the lead with just over seven minutes remaining. In an unexpected twist, a young fan scored a layup to bump the lead back up to three points. The game was tight with little time remaining, but you wouldn’t be able to tell as the Globetrotters performed a series of antics, including a slo-mo replay bit using a beach ball.

The game finally resumed, with a clutch three-pointer by Spider Sharpless increasing Harlem’s lead to 99-93. The Globetrotters closed it out, winning 108-93. After all, the Generals have beaten the Globetrotters only three times — although reports conflict on the exact number — dating back to the 1950s.

While it’s far from an authentic basketball experience, the Harlem Globetrotters put on a show that even the most casual sports fan can enjoy. There were countless families in attendance, with both parents and children alike getting a good laugh from the festivities.

Following the game, all fans in attendance were able to surround the court to get autographs from and take pictures with the players. The amount of interaction between the athletes and spectators is easily one of the most prominent strong suits of the show.

With such a positive turnout, the Globetrotters may even come back to campus one day. As for basketball at UNF, though, fans still have quite a while until the Ospreys return to the court.

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