Nicyah Hastings-Atkins, 9, right, plays with a basketball as Malachi Suggs, 10, center practices his moves and A’Niyah Black, 13, watches outside of the Eurma C. Hayes Center on Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, in Carbondale.

“We saw Malachi walking over there,” Hastings-Steele said. “Nicyah saw he had a basketball, so we asked if he wanted to play.” The group had never met before this evening. (Ryan Michalesko | @photosbylesko)

Staff photographer Ryan Michalesko can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @photosbylesko.

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