Players Lose Basketball Shoes To Thief Other Items In U-Hi Lockers Left Untouched

Thieves hit more than a dozen University High School basketball players where it hurts most: in the feet.

Burglars pried open 23 lockers in the high school’s gymnasium on Friday night, stealing at least 14 pairs of expensive basketball shoes, U-Hi officials said.

Girls’ basketball coach Bob Finn discovered the damaged lockers and missing shoes when his team arrived for practice Saturday morning.

The burglars didn’t take uniforms, letterman’s jackets or personal items that had been left in the lockers with the shoes.

“They were very selective,” U-Hi activities coordinator Bill Ames said.

They only wanted basketball shoes.

The burglars didn’t force their way into the gym and locker rooms, sheriff’s deputies said.

It appears they found an unsecured door, or had a key.

Before leaving, the thieves used a deodorant stick to scrawl profanities on the mirror of the boys’ locker room.

Victims included eight girls from the varsity and junior varsity teams and at least six boys from the junior varsity and “B” squad.

The shoes were worth between $80 and $125 per pair, Ames said. They included Nike Airs, Nike Swoops, Nike Uptempos, Nike Blacks and Nike Whites, he said.

The boys shoes were white with a crimson sash.

All of the shoes had been purchased by the student athletes or their families, Ames said.

, DataTimes