Brandon McArthur rolled down the basketball court in his wheelchair, his arms pumping furiously while his wheelchair's tiny front lights blinked rainbows of color.
As UF's first baseman got to the baseline, he was met by an impenetrable force: a member of the Florida Force wheelchair basketball team.
His drive to the basket impeded, McArthur began laughing and passed the ball to UF pitcher Tommy Toledo behind the 3-point line.
McArthur, Toledo, third-baseman Jon Townsend and catcher Brett Bentley teamed up with a disabled Gators baseball fan to play wheelchair basketball Wednesday at the SFCC gymnasium in honor of Disability Awareness Day.
"Even if we get blown out, we're here to make people happy," McArthur said. "That's what counts."
The event was designed to show respect for disabled people and to show what they can accomplish, said Zach Griner, SFCC's Student Government programming chairman.
The fan who played on the Gators' side, SFCC student Robbie Lumpkins, suggested the idea for a wheelchair basketball game at a Student Government meeting in January.
Lumpkins, 34, attends every Gators baseball game, is on first-name basis with the players and was surprised that the players could clear some time from their schedules to attend the event.
The Gators didn't find out they were going to be playing wheelchair basketball until Wednesday morning, and it was clear they weren't prepared when they first sat in their sports wheelchairs. Their shots often fell short during practice because they were deprived of the power they usually get from their legs.
The final score of the 15-minute game - 38-34 in favor of UF - was a bit deceiving. The referee awarded the Gators 7 points for each basket and 10 points for 3-point shots. In actuality, the Florida Force hit 17 shots to UF's five.
"I knew they were killing us in shots," Toledo said. "That was a good workout. My hands hurt already."
