Fueled by an opportunistic offense and a patient defense, the Ballers overwhelmed Team 536, 21-11, Wednesday night. Although the Ballers seemed a little unsure in the first minutes of the game, they quickly recovered and gained enough composure to pull ahead of their stumbling opponents, 6-3. From that point on, a win seemed certain as the Ballers extended their lead.Off-campus junior fan Matt Goulet was quick to point out attributes that made the Ballers so successful."We have taller guys, the other team is drunk [and] the other team smoked at half-time," Goulet said. "It's pretty much a blowout."The Ballers combined a solid short game and a number of key steals to extend their lead. Battling blustery winds, Keenan sophomore Bob Laney boasted one of the more impressive plays of the game, capitalizing on an alley-oop after a break away boost their lead to 13-6. "We were able to get a lot of open looks at the basket," Laney said. "We broke down their defense, and they had a hard time shooting after that." With the score at 19-11, Team 536's fate seemed certain as the Ballers secured two consecutive points for the win. Keenan sophomore J.J. Vega made a layup for the final point of the game. Vega said the team's attitude was one of the primary deciding factors in the win."We took the game seriously," Vega said. "We came to win."
Play High Score High 21, Rhodie 14Captain Niklas Doebler's team entered its game Wednesday with high hopes in mind.But following its win over Rhodie, the team walked off the court with high expectations. Doebler's Play High Score High relied on its slight height advantage and solid rebounding en route to a 21-14 victory. Early on in the game, Alumni sophomore fan Nate Barbera predicted size would be the deciding factor in the matchup."It has kind of been a back and forth game," Barbera said. "I think height might become a factor as the game goes on. [Rhodie] will get tired of jumping for the ball." Barbera's prediction proved correct.Rhodie jumped out to an early 9-7 advantage and appeared as if it would maintain that lead throughout the remainder of the game. But Play High Score High quickly surged back to narrow the lead at 9-9 over their visibly worn opponents just before the end of the half.From that point on, the team turned on its jets and played a much more offensive-minded game, scoring four consecutive points in the second half."It just took us a while to get adjusted and used to the screen," off-campus senior Todd White said. "Once we got up 11-9, we never looked back." Doebler credited the team's positive attitude for the win."We like to ... score as high as possible, just like our name says. We have high spirits and that's what helps us play at a high level."
Seabiscuit 21, Number 1 13In a game that pitted the all-male Seabiscuit team against the all-female Number 1 team, the matchup proved to be a battle of more than just the sexes. Wednesday night's game was one that set height against speed. Ultimately, Seabiscuit's height was the decisive factor in the team's 21-13 victory. "We couldn't stop them inside," Saint Mary's senior Katie Boyce of Number 1 said. "We just didn't have their size. I think if we had a chance to play them again, we would have used Catlin Conaty more at the post and we would have alley-ooped Deirdre Mangan more."Number 1 kept Seabiscuit racing up and down the court and played with an aggressive defense. With their strength lying in outside shooting, the Number 1's made the matchup more competitive than the score indicated. Saint Mary's senior Katie Boyce of Number 1 said she was proud of her teammates, saying they played with a lot of heart. "We were playing for every girl in America," Boyce said. But despite a hard-fought effort from Number 1, Seabiscuit secured a 14-11 advantage and kept their opponents at arm's length for the remainder of the game. "We came out flat in the second half, but after that we picked it up and pulled together," Stanford sophomore Kevin Faist said. After their triumph over Number 1, the members of Seabiscuit walked off of the courts admittedly relieved. "We were just trying to retain our pride," Stanford senior Brandon McNee said. "They played really well."Stanford junior Tim Rohman agreed."We had the luck of the Irish with us tonight," Rohman said.
Peasant's quest 21, LA BAM 11Sometimes the best offense is a good defense.Peasant's quest exemplified this mantra, capitalizing on their height advantage and dogged defense to create scoring opportunities.Peasant's quest utilized aggressive play and solid blocking to overcome their opponents' attempts at scoring. Although LA BAM showcased a solid passing game, they were unable to capitalize on their scoring opportunities.By half-time, Peasant's quest had the game in hand. The team jumped out to an early 15-5 advantage - a lead it never relinquished. Once Peasant's quest started making shots, they afforded LA BAM little opportunity for scoring.The team quickly gained control of the pace of the game to wear out their opponents. Fueled by an especially potent offense in the second half, Peasant's quest walked off the courts with a 21-11 win to extend their Bookstore Basketball run.
