Fans packed the Cornell gym on Monday night with the intention of seeing -- and perhaps getting an autograph from -- their favorite Pittsburgh Steelers.

Turns out they got a decent basketball game for the price of admission, too.

The Steelers beat the "Cornell All-Stars," a team made up of faculty and staff members, 68-62 in the game, which was held as a fundraiser for the Cornell Marching Band Boosters.

Players competing for the Steelers team included running backs Najeh Davenport and Justin Vincent, cornerback William Gay, tight end Matt Spaeth, nose tackle Chris Hoke and safety Mike Lorello, giving the roster a mix of NFL vets and Steelers newcomers.

"As president of the band boosters, I thought this would be a good opportunity. We got a great crowd and it's a tremendous fundraiser," said Randy Cosgrove, who in addition to being a Cornell parent, serves as the Steelers' public address announcer at Heinz Field.

"This is about my sixth or seventh (charity) game," Davenport said.

"Whenever they need an extra player, they just give me a call. Sometimes it's only about 30 minutes before the game starts, but it's a lot of fun to do for charity."

The Cornell put on an outside shooting display to stay in the game, led by middle school basketball coach Charles Langston and teacher Aaron Thomas.

Langston scored 28 points, while Thomas -- a former player for Robert Morris and varisty assistant for Moon -- led all scorers with 29. The duo combined for 13 3-pointers in the game.

The Steelers' team was led by Lorello's 26 points, while Spaeth was able to use his 6-foot-7 frame to add 19 points.

The game was played with the spirit of fun in mind, as the players made sure to keep the crowd involved. During the contest, prizes and auction items were handed out, while a halftime autograph session allowed the kids in the crowd to get up-close with the Steelers.

Perhaps the best prize went to Justin Foster, who had the winning ticket in the Join-the-Raiders drawing. Foster got to open the fourth quarter on the court with the Cornell team and, given a little help with a boost from Spaeth, put home the first basket of the quarter.

Of course, both team's wanted to win down the stretch, and Davenport, above all, enjoyed getting in the ears of the game officials.

"Man, you see those championship banners on the wall, and by halftime, we figured out how they got those up there," Davenport joked. "The refs calling the game were getting a little ridiculous."

In the end, the game was a success as a fundraiser, and better yet, Cosgrove says the team will likely make a return in 2009 for a similar event.

"We're hoping this pulls in about $2,000 or $3,000 after the Steelers get their guarantees," he said. "It really worked out wonderfully tonight, and we hope to do it again."