No referees, just good old-fashioned fun
Basketball tournament promotes homecoming spirit
Seventy-five teams registered for the annual 3-on-3 intramural basketball tournament. The tournament was held from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Student Recreational and Fitness Center.
Joe Preiner
Thursday, November 1st, 2007
All students could hear when walking into the Student Recreation and Fitness Center Tuesday evening were the sounds of basketball shoes and balls hitting the floor. More than 75 teams registered for the annual 3-on-3 intramural basketball homecoming tournament.
Photo by Sarah Leonard
Aaron Rogers, Manhattan sophomore, drives up for two between Shawnee juniors Mandy Smith and Marcus Rivers.
The tournament was divided into three divisions: men’s, women’s and co-recreational. The event, which took place from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. tested the skills and endurance of players.
“We’ve all been here since 5 o’clock,” Koytt Nichols, Springhill sophomore, said. “It sucks.”
Tournament rules were simple. The first team to score 11 points won and advanced. To maintain a timely tournament, a 12-minute limit was set for each game. Teams tied at the end of the time played overtime, and the team that scored first won.
There were no referees for the tournament, so the honor rule was brought into play, with teams calling their own fouls. Every shot was contested and numerous times players could be seen sliding across the floor on their stomachs to keep the ball in play.
When each game came to an end, it was obvious who won or lost. Victorious teams celebrated with fist pumps and high fives, while the defeated simply left quietly. Good sportsmanship was shown by all players at the conclusion of each game with a handshake.
As the evening wore on, the crowd watching play grew thinner. Teams that advanced stayed to watch competitors and cheer for friends. At 10 p.m., as the last players walked off the courts, the talk was not of the hard-fought battles or crushed dreams. Instead, it was talk of things to come, such as homework that awaited students at home.
Nichols, who threw his team together just hours before the first tip-off, said he enjoyed the tournament.
“It’s fun to play in,” Nichols said. “The level of play is pretty good. It’s competitive.”
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
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