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UD fans show support with massive ‘white-out’

By Doug Harris, Staff Writer Updated 8:21 PM Saturday, February 6, 2010

DAYTON — Pete Luongo was reluctant to wear a complimentary white T-shirt over his red sweater for the basketball game between the University of Dayton and Xavier on Saturday, saying he was already too warm. But fellow fans insisted.

“They finally talked me into putting it on,” said Luongo, 66. “I told them it hurt my reputation as a dresser.”

The UD marketing department staged the first “white-out” in program history for the clash with Xavier, helping the Flyer Faithful get involved by draping T-shirts across all 13,435 seats. And there was mass participation.

The promotion turned UD Arena into an ocean of white — at least in the first half. The students went back to their traditional red after halftime.

“I thought it was awesome,” UD senior guard Marcus Johnson said. “For them to come out and support us like that — I know they put white T-shirts on the seats — but it was crazy. It was a crazy atmosphere out there.

“That’s as loud as I’ve ever heard it, and it was that way on every bucket, every rebound, every stop, every call.”

Fans also received rally towels and shook them often.

“You walk out on the court, and it looks tremendous with the fans in white shirts,” UD coach Brian Gregory said. “Everybody got a free T-shirt, so everybody’s happy. The towels were great. And obviously, God’s a Flyer because he made it white outside for us (with a snowstorm).”

One person with UD ties wore neither white nor red, though. The former Christi Hester, an ex-Flyer basketball star who is married to Xavier coach Chris Mack, was dressed in Musketeer blue while seated behind the team’s bench.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2125 or dharris@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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