The ASU women’s basketball team begins practice later this week, but it took the floor with some everyday sharpshooters for charity on Tuesday night when it partnered with the Arizona Osteoporosis Coalition for the sixth annual Fitbones Hot Shot Team Challenge at Wells Fargo Arena.

The event was designed to raise money for the coalition, as well as awareness about the disease that is especially prominent in women.

“Basketball is one of the best exercises you can do to build strong bones because it involves jumping,” said Kitty Woodward, AZOC program coordinator and acting administrator. “[This event] has promoted a lot of public awareness for bone health and involved a lot of younger people by giving them a little bit more [of an] idea of what they need to do to keep their bones strong as they’re aging.”

Twenty-six teams of four players each, ranging from young girls in basketball jerseys to adult men that work for Arizona Public Service (APS), tried to accumulate the highest score possible by shooting from a variety of different “hot spots” on the floor that were each given a specific point value. After two rounds, the top three youth and adult teams advanced to the Fitbones Finals before a champion in each age division was crowned.

“It’s really like a community event,” said ASU head coach Charli Turner Thorne, who is on the board of directors of the AZOC. “A lot of people just pitch in, shoot a few baskets, have a little fun, listen to some tunes and make a few bucks for our coalition.”

ASU players kept score for the teams, which allowed them to interact with the participants.

“There was a little club team out here, and you just think back to when you played club as a little girl,” senior forward Kayli Murphy said. “They look up to you — literally and figuratively.”

Free bone density screening was also offered at the event, as well as raffle prizes that included autographed merchandise, tickets to sporting events and various gift packages.

“You get a benefit from [participating] as well,” said Sara Santiago-Hatfield, an ASU criminal justice and Spanish junior, of the bone screening. “It was worth it to come out and support and raise awareness of [osteoporosis].”

Santiago-Hatfield said she also enjoyed getting the chance to shoot on the same court that the ASU men’s and women’s basketball teams use for all their home games.

“It was very, very cool,” she said. “I thought I was going to be terrible, but I did pretty [well], actually. The music and the people and cheering on your teammates [were] a good motivation, so I really enjoyed it.”

ASU opens its regular season on Nov. 15 when it hosts South Dakota State.

Reach the reporter at gina.mizell@asu.edu.