Nothing’s quite like watching people do what they love most.

That’s all you can think when attending any Unified game. Look around and all you see is happiness and passion in people’s faces.

Last Wednesday, our wonderful Unified Basketball team competed against the Glencoe Crimson Tide. Two groups with healthy compositions of all high school grades, each who have been practicing and doing what they love, with assistance from other volunteers.

The game was a nail-biting back and forth to the very end, but a strong showing from Glencoe’s offense resulted in a 26-36 win for the Crimson Tide.

Like any other sport, what is often the most entertaining thing to observe are big personalities, both on and off the court.

Our Unified Basketball team has absolutely no shortage of such.

WBN had the privilege of interviewing two of these personalities–Bryce Barham and Reagan Peterson. 

In particular, Barham had an impressive game, dropping 12 points in total, more than 40% of Wilsonville’s points. He employed a very active and positional style, taking any chance he could to give himself an opportunity to shoot. He opted for relatively safe, reliable shots, with all of his points being shot from or within the two line. That’s not to say he didn’t have hustle though–there was more than plenty of that. Barham was often the first to lead the charge back on defense.

Barham is quoted as feeling “good” about both his great performance on the court last Wednesday and his role as a player on Unified Basketball. Unprompted, he took the moment to appreciate his team: “I like to be around all my teammates.”

While it’s hard to be as flashy and skillful as Barham on the court, Reagan Peterson is a solid player and an even better teammate. She showed real resilience, consistently hustling up and down the hardwood and making great supportive passes to others.

In her interview, Peterson describes the competitive game versus the Crimson Tide as “good” and “fun.”

Unified Basketball is a fantastic experience for anyone looking to watch an entertaining sport being played by people who love what they are doing.