Competitive basketball and the fight against breast cancer crossed paths Sunday as Brandeis hosted the second annual Hoops Against Cancer basketball tournament. The event, founded by a New York-based non-profit organization called Brothers McWilliam, includes 16 universities hosting their own tournaments. The finalists at each school will advance to intercollegiate play. The organization raised $430 at Brandeis as Gosman was packed with students participating in the double-elimination tournament, the three-point contest and the free-throw contest.

In the end, a team calling itself The Hood took home the men's championships and another called The Champs captured the women's championship. The Hood starred men's basketball standout Kwame Graves-Fulgham '08, while The Champs' roster was filled by varsity women's basketball players, including captains Catherine Brady '05 and Emily Malkin '05.

Kendall and Scott McWilliam started the foundation two years ago when their mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The foundation donates money to various centers for cancer research, and the proceeds from this year's event are being given to the Gillette Center for Women's Cancers.

"My brother Scott and I were living in New York City and our mom, Daryl, was diagnosed with breast cancer," Kendall said. "So we quit our jobs and moved back to the area to help out, and we came up with the idea to unite a lot of the colleges. We had 14 colleges and we raised $20,000, so we decided to do it again."

Members of the Waltham Group played a part in the event by manning the front table and collecting money.

"The brothers are really great and passionate, and they have so many people supporting their cause," the Waltham Group's Becky Pynoos '05 said. "It's a great thing for Brandeis to be involved in."

The brothers were very active on the court, cheering on players and handling all the tournament brackets. Kendall said what really makes the event exciting for him is the ability to combine his love of basketball with raising money.

"We were watching March Madness two years ago, and thought this would be a great way to get colleges involved," Kendall said. "Working with Brandeis has been fantastic."

Last year the Brandeis team won first place at the final event. This year's finals are being played on April 10 at Tufts University.