Fights, cops, broken noses, fire trucks, arguing players, ambulances, and a championship game were all part of the excitement of the Intramural Basketball League on Wednesday night.
The concluding night of the league ended up full of more excitement than the league had planned for.
Players came prepared to fight for their championship places as it was the night that would end the 2001 Intramural Basketball League. But some of the players got more than they expected.
Lucas Rucks is a referee for the first time this year and knew that this season would be an exciting experience.
“I’m by far the best referee this league has ever had,” Rucks said, mocking his fellow referee Farshid Holakouee. “The season ran smooth, and we have only had three fights tonight. We all had a fun time this season.”
The night began as any regular night of intramural basketball began, basketball-loving boys ready to get sweaty and show off their skills to one another. The first team to start the competition was the Aztecs, who beat Blokoss for 9th place. Then the Space Saucers took 7th place because the Players never showed up and forfeited.
Paul Badeau, a player from Space Saucers, was very disappointed that the Players forfeited because he just came out to play. He didn’t care for all the competition that the league had and he was really let down when the opposing team didn’t show up.
Then the excitement really began. The Warriors took 5th place over the Pony Kegs by sliding by with a win of 57-56. This close game did not end without either team putting up a fight. Brandon Gallagher, a player from the Pony Kegs, suffered a broken nose due to another player’s elbow coming down hard on him. Although the injury was not that serious, cops, a fire truck, and an ambulance were all present. Officer Steve Caristophel, who came to the accident, stood at the edge of one game watching in amazement after Gallagher had already been taken to Mercy Hospital. He was amazed that a league like this had such serious and skilled players.
“This is my first season as a score keeper and it has been pretty enjoyable. It’s really fun. It just gets frustrating and hard because all the guys yell at you because they get fouled,” said Tarryn Knight.
She went on to whisper that they are far too competitive and take this league far too seriously.
The night went on only to get more exciting. Ninos Malos took 3rd place as the Eastsiders fell behind them, coming in 4th, with a game score of 59-52. Elvis Rodriguez led Ninos Malos to victory as the high scorer of the game with 25 points.
“We’ve been playing for three years. It is really competitive, but that is what makes it so fun. It’s one big league, kind of like the March madness tournament. This year our team has stepped up and we won third place which is a big deal to us because we have never made it this far,” said Ivan Orozco. “Our ultimate goal was to beat the LBZ Walcuz but they are a really tough team who is sure to take it this year.”
The last and most important game of them all was the championship game held at 10:15 p.m. The LBC Walcuz and Theta Chi went head to head for the third time this season to see who would prevail as this year’s Intramural League Champion. Not only does the champion take home the largest trophy, but they also take home the pride of being the best team in the league.
The game was full of excitement and competition. Referees were getting yelled at, time outs were called, players were subbed, and the game was taken very seriously. Josh Schekel kept Theta Chi alive by scoring a total of 16 points throughout the game. He did not give up once throughout the game and continued to wear down the opponent. His teammates agree that he is their strongest player, but Schekel was not enough to shut down high scorers Brian Smith and Marques Mascarinas, who each scored 14 points for the LBC Walcuz. The LBC Walcuz showed Theta Chi that they were going to keep their record clean this season and that they wanted to remain undefeated. Due to the skills of center Dock Ellis and the hard work of team members, LBC Walkcuz were able to show their opponent what they were made of by beating them 53-49.
“The league was pretty cool. It keeps you in shape and it’s fun competition. My team came together and we didn’t have any let down. We went undefeated which was our goal for the season,” Ellis said. “My right- hand man Brian Smith was the one who got this team together. He got a few friends to play and I got a few guys to play and we all just came together and gelled well together.”
Overall this season of intramural basketball seemed to please a number of people. The players all seemed to enjoy the competitive games and the fun environment. The league continues to grow and improve every year and the players seem to get even more into what they are doing.
“This league is something that is very fun for students to get involved in. I have looked forward to playing with these guys every year and I will miss playing next year. The competition this year was really good and the skills of the teams seem to be improving every year,” said Smith.
Runner@csubak.edu