Maybe it's the shoes.

Those flashy red and white, blue and white and glossy black sneakers worn by the Harlem Ambassadors gleamed beneath the Rapid City Stevens High School gym lights on Tuesday night. They teamed up with the Rushmore Rotary Club to help raise money for Storybook Island.

In the first quarter of the Ambassadors' magical mix of music, comedy and basketball gamesmanship, they led the local team, the Storybook Islanders, by 20 points - but that was beside the point.

Teri Huntshorse and Eldridge Grinnell of Rapid City brought their four children and their grandmother, Violet DeMarices, to the game.

Huntshorse admitted she had never attended a Harlem game, but thought it might be something her family would relish.

"It was time for us all to get out together," Huntshorse said.

Plus Grinnell is a huge basketball fan. He pointed out that, although the local Storybook Island team of teachers, coaches and administrators had some pretty good moves, they struggled with turnovers and rebounding.

Who did the couple predict to win the night's game?

Huntshorse promptly answered: "Harlem."

A pretty shrewd prediction because, as event organizer Mark Schreiner of Rushmore Rotary pointed out about the Ambassadors: "They've never been defeated."

John Johnson of Rushmore Rotary was impressed with the show, including the stellar play of female guards Crystal Jackson and Ashley Wilson.

"We're here to have fun," Wilson told the audience at the beginning of the game.

She led the team through some dance moves, a round of musical chairs and pinned West Middle School principal Doug Foley in a wrestling move to become the evening's wrestling champion. But she followed up the shenanigans with outstanding basketball.

Meadowlark Lemon may never have dreamed of women on his fabled team.

"This is not the Harlem Globetrotters," Schreiner pointed out.

"Same principle, different team," Johnson added.

Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.