The Bryant men's and women's basketball teams tipped off their season Saturday night with their annual Midnight Madness Celebration.

 Hundreds of fans packed the Chace Center to cheer on their Bulldogs, and many left with prizes in hand.

 Among the giveaways, were a brand new recliner from Cardi's, a TV/DVD combination unit, tickets to a Boston Celtics game, and gift cards to Dick's sporting goods. Many other random prizes were also given away.

 Among the highlights of the evening was a good-natured shooting contest between Bryant President Ronald K. Machtley and Bulldog sophomore guard Orland Baeza.

Both teams were introduced after the clock struck midnight and dazzled the fans with layup and dunk routines.

Fans were also introduced to a new marketing plan called "Pack the Pound". T-shirts with the slogan emblazoned on the back were sold to students and thrown in to the crowd as giveaways. The shirts reference the student section of the Chace Center stands, known as the "'Dog Pound".

The event was organized by the Bryant Student Activities Center and the Bryant Marketing Department