Competition increases with playoff games
White Ben Can’t Jump defeated Team Johnson 57-48
Referees and fouling greatly influenced the intramural game.
By Whitney Hamilton (Contact)
Friday, February 29th, 2008
There might be 16 more days until Selection Sunday for the NCAA, but things have already begun heating up in the Student Recreation Fitness Center on Wednesday night. Team Johnson and White Ben Can’t Jump battled it out to get closer to the championship game.
With a nine-point lead, White Ben Can’t Jump took home the 57-48 victory against Team Johnson.
Both teams played strong defense, caught rebounds when necessary and communicated to help teammates. Team Johnson had tight passes, but balls bounced off the rim instead of going through the net.
White Ben Can’t Jump’s ability to shoot three-pointers helped in awkward spots behind the line. Throughout the night, Sam Simpson, Columbus freshman, shot multiple three-pointers to help his team.
We got gypped on calls.
Tarek Shaath, Team Johnson player
As the second half ended, both teams took a quick water break and reevaluated game plans. White Ben Can’t Jump led 24-21, and with the score so close, it was anybody’s game.
The tiredness of both teams quickly showed as the second half started. During free throws, both teams had time to catch a breath before getting back into the competitive game.
The second half allowed White Ben Can’t Jump to take a big lead. Some nice low passing and an assist from Anthony Roberts, Baxter Springs freshman, to Kevin James, Springfield, Mo., junior, gave White Ben Can’t Jump two more points to add to its score. However, before White Ben Can’t Jump got too comfortable with the lead, Team Johnson quickly responded and tied up the score at 36.
Turnovers hurt both teams as players made careless mistakes or got trapped by the opponent. Also, foul calls made members of both teams angry at the referees. Each team thought the fouls were either not fair or should have been called.
“We got gypped on calls,” said Tarek Shaath, Dodge City freshman and Team Johnson player.
Getting the rebound after a foul shot gave White Men Can’t Jump a chance to shoot from the outside. Roberts found an opening on the wing and scored a three-pointer that barely touched the net.
As the game continued, Team Johnson started to up the ante and stayed on top of its opponent. Simpson got trapped in the right corner a couple of times and had to pass the ball blindly to teammates.
Team Johnson attempted to distract its opponent by yelling during shots, but that didn‘t seem to help.
“We went out there and just played and had fun,” Zach Olsen, Madison, Wisc., freshman and Team Johnson player, said. “We’re not winning the national championship or anything.”
With two minutes left in the game, Team Johnson received three consecutive foul calls on different players, hurting its chances for a comeback. Bench players for White Ben Can’t Jump cheered from the sidelines.
“We didn’t want to foul or turn over the ball,” Robb Lamb, Republic, Mo., junior and White Ben Can’t Jump player, said. “We wanted to be smart with the ball.”
As the seconds ticked, it became apparent who was winning the game, but each team continued to play hard until the end. White Ben Can’t Jump advanced to the next game in the playoffs and will play Team Lego today.
— Edited by Patrick De Oliveira
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