Cougs were among the 6,400 teams at the world’s largest 3-on-3 street basketball tournament last weekend in Spokane.

The 25th annual Spokane Hoopfest spanned more than 42 city blocks, just enough space for more than 450 courts, all those teams and 3,000 volunteers.

“Hoopfest has a special place in our hearts,” said Lindsey Wilson, a mental training coach who has worked with the WSU women’s basketball team. “It’s hard to describe – it’s more than just a tournament.”

Wilson played for the team To Be Announced, which won the women’s elite championship for the fifth straight year, beating Every Blessed Day 20-10 on the Nike Center Court in the heart of Riverfront Park.

The elite division was comprised of players with the most Hoopfest experience. The brackets were organized by divisions based on sex, height, age and basketball experience.

Ballers travelled from all over the Pacific Northwest to play in the tournament.

Also representing WSU were the Knight Crawlers, a team of instructors and one alumnus who made their Hoopfest debut in the adult competitive division.

“I like the free shirt, and I think it’s awesome the way the whole city is shut down for Hoopfest,” said Sky King, a WSU marketing instructor who played for the Knight Crawlers.

Despite losing twice and being forced into the consolation bracket, the Knight Crawlers said they still managed to enjoy themselves.

In the men’s elite six-feet-and-under division, Desert Horse defeated Real Drama 20-17. In the six-feet-and-over division, the Spokane Club fell 20-14 to Roots Basketball.

A number of WSU athletes also showed up to the tournament, where they hosted a raffle for free tickets to this year’s Apple Cup.

“It’s nice to see everyone coming together to play basketball and all the Coug fans showing appreciation to the team,” senior wide receiver Vince Mayle said of the festivities.

Among the most popular events were the high school free throw competition, the slam dunk contest and the Toyota Shootoff in which players shot from a long distance for a chance to win a 2014 Toyota Tacoma.

Another highlight was the base-line, one-handed jam by Los Angeles’ Cameron Lewis that won the slam dunk contest and made the packed bleachers erupt with applause.

“It comes down to a basketball-crazy town with people who will support it,” said Hoopfest Executive Director Matt Santangelo, a former Gonzaga player. “The spirit – that’s why people play, volunteer and sacrifice time to travel here.”