All Fun and Games at Chancellor's Friends and Family Day

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

More than 2,500 fans flocked to the Petersen Events Center to enjoy an afternoon of hoops, prizes and courtside fun at the fourth-annual Chancellor’s Friends and Family Day. And, during a halftime ceremony, former Pitt star Lorri Johnson became the first player in the history of the women’s program to have her jersey retired.

Pitt women’s basketball team took on Boston College on Sunday, Jan. 13, and family day ticket holders received complimentary food, snacks and soft drinks and children ages 12 and young got to take home free T-shirts.

Chancellor Patrick Gallagher and Athletic Director Heather Lyke presented Johnson — the leading scorer in school history — with a framed version of her No. 24 jersey during a halftime ceremony. Fans received white towels with Johnson’s No. 24 on it and waved them during the action.

The popular annual event was planned by a committee led by Senior Vice Chancellor for Engagement Kathy Humphrey and featured pre-game activities like inflatable games, face painting and balloon artists and backdrops for selfies across the concourse of the Pete.

The Panthers hung on against Atlantic Coast Conference foe Boston College before falling 59-55. Among the highlights of the day were an acrobatic half-court shot at the halftime buzzer by Pitt junior Jasmine Whitney.

Category:
Campus
Tags: basketball women's basketball special events
  • Chancellor Patrick Gallagher welcomed a large crowd of Pitt friends and family to the fourth-annual Chancellor’s Friends and Family Day event held at the Pitt vs. Boston College women’s basketball game on Jan. 13. More than 2,500 attended the game to cheer on the Panthers, making it the most-attended friends and family day game to date. (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)
  • At halftime, Pitt honored former basketball standout Lorri Johnson by retiring her #24 jersey. She was joined on court at halftime by Chancellor Patrick Gallagher; Athletic Director Heather Lyke; and former Panther Head Coach Kirk Bruce, who coached Johnson during her standout career from 1987-92, when Johnson scored 2,312 points. (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)
  • Lorri Johnson was given a standing ovation at halftime when her #24 jersey was retired. She joined other Pitt basketball greats Don Hennon, Billy Knight, Charles Smith and Brandin Knight as the fifth basketball player to have their jersey retired at the Petersen Events Center. (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)
  • Senior Vice Chancellor for Engagement and Secretary of the Board of Trustees Kathy Humprhey made her way around the concourse, meeting and greeting Pitt friends and family, including Skyelar Beattie. Skyelar spent the afternoon alongside her mother, Aimee Obidzinski, assistant manager of visual services in University Communications, as she shot photos of the pre-game activities and the halftime jersey retirement ceremony for the University. (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)
  • Kennedy Arnold and her cousin, Jacob Zielinski, niece and son of the School of Medicine’s Lauren Zielinski, respectively, watched a balloon artist at work. Kids waited patiently for their turn to pick from a variety of balloon designs like ladybugs, unicorns and swords and also to have their faces painted by volunteers stationed along the concourse in the Pete. (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)
  • Cole Runyon (center) uses his strength to heave a giant bean bag onto one of the inflatable games in the lobby of the Petersen Events Center. Cole is the son of Jocelyn Runyon, research project manager in the Department of Plastic Surgery, and is joined by friends Emilia Dalton (left) and Addison Jacoby (right). (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)
  • Skylar Salay (left), daughter of Melessa Salay, project manager with Center for Research on Health Care, made her own model of a double helix DNA out of pipe cleaners and beads. This craft was part of an information table Erin Saltmarsh, community engagement coordinator, staffed for the All of Us Research Program on the concourse of the Petersen Events Center. (Aimee Obidzinski/University of Pittsburgh)