On Friday, Oct. 27, at Bill George Arena, the John Brown University’s men’s basketball team defeated the Barclay College Bears during the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Toilet Paper Game. The game displayed incredible talent, persistent dedication and a demonstration of teamwork that captured the spirit of basketball, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats.
The Toilet Paper tradition has its origins back in 1984, going from an elaborate prank by a group of students to an essential part of Spirit Day, a JBU event celebrated every year. This year, students were encouraged to wear blue, enjoy some BBQ at the cafeteria and shoot some hoops to win prizes.
Jaime Alonzo, a freshman computer science major said, “I won a shirt and [also] my friends, we were all very excited and prepared for the TP game. Everyone told me it was going to be amazing.”
In preparation for the game, fans traded in canned goods for a roll of toilet paper to toss. This is part of JBU’s partnership with Kimberly Clark for the last seven years, where they have donated 4,000 rolls of toilet paper for the game. The remaining 2,000 rolls were donated, along with the canned goods, to the Manna Center in Siloam Springs.
At 7 p.m. the basketball game started while JBU students, faculty and Siloam Springs community members were already prepared to throw their toilet paper rolls. Junior guard Drew Miller scored the first basket of the match, and the crowd filled the arena with toilet paper and cheers.
“I liked the support of all the people there, I did not know that the tradition was as famous as it is!” Alonzo added.
The energy during the game was evident, and the crowd’s emotions reflected the ups and downs of the match. Sophomore Malachi Reeves, one of the players of the night, shared his excitement on the first game of the season, “The TP game is one of my favorites because is the one where we have more audience, it is really cool when everyone gets hyped.”
Reeves also mentioned that while it can be a bit frustrating when he’s eager to keep playing but people keep tossing paper, overall, he finds it exciting.
After the game, there was a mixture of excitement and euphoria in the players from both teams as well as the crowd who were still shouting from the thrilling encounter.
“We really celebrate in the locker room after a win, and it’s such an incredible feeling. I can’t wait for the upcoming games that will follow,” Reeves added.
Photo Courtesy of Geoshan Lee