SLAMFEST PLAY HOT BOTH ON, OFF COURT

The heat at Cape Girardeau's Indian Park didn't slow anyone down as the fourth annual Memorial Slamfest cruised through the first day of competition.

Like everything else at the event, the competition gets tougher each year.

Curtis Shelton, a former guard for Southeast Missouri State University, is one of several former Southeast players in the tournament. Shelton's team, Might-T-Sharp, is the reigning tournament champion.

Shelton said, "There is definitely a lot more quality competition than there was last year."

Play continues this morning at 7:30. The championship game will be sometime around 6.

Along with the ex-Southeast contingent, a number of former college basketball players are competing. Among them is Chris Carr, the former Southern Illinois University standout who recently signed with the Phoenix Suns. A good time to see some of those players is this afternoon during the slam dunk competition, from 2 to 3, and the 3-point shooting contest, from 3 to 4.

Slamfest proceeds go to the House of Prayer at 632 Good Hope to support some of the several youth-oriented programs the church sponsors.