A crowd of over 200 people packed Student Center Ballroom D on Wednesday night to watch Mike Massey and Steve Lillis perform several of their signature billiards trick shots.

Massey is a nationally known trick shot artist, a three-time ESPN Trick Shot Magic champion and a nine-time world champion.

Lillis is the president of Gospel Trick Shot Ministries Inc., an organization started in 1997 to attract a young audience that might not attend church.

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“The goal of the organization is to use trick shots to send spiritual messages, while still entertaining people,” Lillis said.

Lillis and Massey have been traveling together since the late 1970s, playing in hundreds of tournaments.

“Mike was the trick shot artist, and I was the competitive player,” Lillis said. “I pretty much learned by watching him.”

Lillis said the energetic crowd was helpful to both of the players.

“The crowd tonight was great,” Lillis said. “There were about 125 people here a half hour before the show started. You could feel the electricity in the air…it makes Mike and I want to go out there and make everybody feel good.”

Keesha Little, a freshman studying fashion merchandising from Blue Island, said her favorite trick shot was “The Boot.” Massey placed a boot on the floor, 12 feet away from the table. He then set a cue ball near the side pocket, and jumped the cue ball straight into the boot.

Another shot performed had an audience member lie on the table and place a billiards ball on his mouth. Lillis then hit the ball off of his mouth into the side pocket, all without injuring the participant. This was the favorite shot of Paul Kennedy, a senior studying cinematography and theater from Crystal Lake.

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“I came out to see trick shots and to see what people had to say,” Kennedy said. “It was good to see something that somebody else can do that you can’t.”

Southern Illinois University Bowling and Billiards manager Bill Null said SIU students interested in billiards have several opportunities to play.

“We’ve got a billiards team and a league night on Thursdays,” Null said. “The league is open to all students, all you have to do is show up.”

The billiards team is playing a “dog and cat fight” on Nov. 12, which will pit the Salukis against the Cougars of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The teams will then play again during the spring semester.

Reporter Jarel Loveless can be reached at [email protected].