The crowd becomes quiet as the opposing team prepares to shoot a free throw. The player starts his shooting motion when three or four students start to scream and make crazy noises. His shot misses.

This is one of many things that students do at basketball games to try and help the basketball team to a victory.

“The student section is definitely a big influence at basketball games, because if the student section is fired up, everyone is,” junior Kylee Dinkel said. “I think that the section can help make or break a team.”

In the past, most fans typically do not show up to support the girls. Instead, they begin to arrive during the fourth quarter in anticipation of the boys game.

“I do wish more students would show up for the girls games,” assistant girls basketball coach Abby Maska said. “In my opinion, there is no such thing as a home court advantage in girls sports. Go cheer those girls on. Trust me, they work hard enough to have earned your support.”

The student section has gotten into trouble in years past as a result of rule 52. It is a sportsmanship rule in which fans are suppose to show class and not put down the other team.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been impressed with their enthusiasm and their creativeness; sometimes I know they’ve gotten in trouble for being too creative, but I still appreciate their enthusiasm,” boys basketball coach Rick Keltner said.

During the game, the student section can get quiet at times, but it doesn’t take much to get them fired up again.

“The student section definitely gets the teams fired up,” Maska said. “Canning a three followed by dead silence is pretty anti-climactic, but nailing a three and the crowd going crazy just gets the team going.”

Throughout the game the student section is very loud with its attempts at helping the basketball teams.

“I think our student section is like a sixth man so to speak they make the energy level go way up,” Keltner said.