In early round play, Courtesy Flush edged Chris Brown Beat Down 21-19 Wednesday afternoon. The marquee matchup between two 'serious' teams proved to showcase more sweatbands than impressive plays, as missed lay-ups, dropped balls and passes to nobody ruled the day.
"Winning this game was pure jubilee," Courtesy Flush captain MBA student Doug Cannon said. "It was a good game between two really good teams, make sure you say that."
Courtesy Flush got on the board first, opening up the game with a three-basket run before Chris Brown fought back. The teams traded a series of air balls, disrupted only by the occasional untied shoe or fogged-up glasses. Courtesy Flush however managed to maintain the offensive and defensive edges, and went into the half up 11-7 after roughly 30 grinding, windy minutes.
"It was a good game. It was a good match up. They were good sports," Chris Brown captain senior Jared Zenk said. "Too bad we lost."
Once again Courtesy Flush took control of the opening minutes in the half, opening up with a 3-1 run. As the clock continued to run, slowly, Courtesy Flush's slightly less mediocre play pushed them to a 17-12 lead. However, the increasingly freezing winds seemed to stimulate McLovin look-alike Zenk and his Chris Brown Beat Down compatriots, who went on a 7-3 run. With the game on the line, Courtesy Flush scored the final basket to send Chris Brown down the drain.
French Toast 21, Four Girls and A Guy 6
The French Toast girls downed the team formerly known as EnchantÈe Wednesday in open bracket action.
EnchantÈe changed their name to Four Guys and A Girl after to one of their players, Molly "Prime Minister" McCarthy, shaved her head for the St. Baldrick's Foundation.
French Toast put up a tough fight against their more experienced opponents. Their defense held from the start of the game, but had just run out of the luck by the end of the first half, and carried over into the second.
French Toast had taken some harsh falls in their blond wigs, gold sparkle leggings, knee highs, bandanas, and green shirts blazed with "Money $hots" across the front in their fight against the ever-professional, yet still entertaining opponents. So entertaining that McCarthy ended up carrying around French Toast player Kate Tooher on her back, helping her reach the basket and try to make a shot.
Four Girls and A Guy dominated most of the game on both sides of the ball, as all of their players scored multiple times.
"We played our hardest, but Molly [McCarthy] tore it up," French Toast captain Jenny Plagman said. "Also, Sierra [Smith] scored some major points. Tell their future competitors to watch out, and be ready for the return of French Toast next year."
McCarthy, ever the politician, gave her opponents high praise.
"French Toast clearly came to play, and we'd like to thank them for sharing their orange slices with us," she said. "Good game ballers. See you next year!"
French Toast player Maggie Reagan added: "I hope these girls take it all. They are the bomb-diggity!"
Care Bears 21, Infield Fly 8
In the end, Care Bears, sporting knee-high socks and bathrobes, were no match for Infield Fly and their sweater vests, leggings, and pink polos.
Putting up their best effort, Infield Fly kept throwing up the shots but found nothing but iron. Care Bears didn't relent, holding a 10-point lead for most of the game.
Despite their large lead, the Care Bears still unhappy with their play, calling for each other to return to fundamentals, and they were especially fond of the bounce pass.
The Care Bears also didn't prove so caring when they "accidentally" knocked a ball into the face of one of their female opponents. She came out unharmed and back into the game pretty fast.
"We really packed the box defense, and I think it worked out," Care Bears' captain Alex Reiner said, "Bounce passes were key. Nothing turns anyone on as much as a good bounce pass or a Care Bear."
Infield Fly took the loss gracefully.
"My team went out with full force and aggression," captain Jenna Zigman said "But we were distracted by the cuddliness of the bears."
Slippery When Wet 21, Marry Me Mary Flynn 17
Covered in baby oil and sporting tiny shorts, Slippery When Wet trailed for the majority of the game, but were able to step up offensively in the last few minutes which led to their victory over Marry Me Mary Flynn.
"It created unmatched team unity," Slippery freshman forward Pat Kissing said of the team's bonding ritual.
With offensive excellence throughout the game, Marry Me Mary Flynn maintained a lead, with some tied scores that they quickly broke out of, largely thanks to the abilities of members Jay Williams and Jeff Boward.
Slippery When Wet represented Alumni Hall, while Marry Me Mary Flynn was formed by the men of St. Edward's Hall.
For the majority of the game, Slippery When Wet was trailing by one point, and generated just enough offense to keep up with their opponents.
"It was a tough battle, but we prevailed in the end," freshman Michael Vega said.
Fortunately for the upcoming opponents of Slippery When Wet, the team announced that this was the last game where they will utilize the defensive support of baby oil.
Anne Franks of Lafayette 21, Team Nullset 6
Anne Franks of Lafayette took the lead at the offset, which they were able to easily maintain for the rest of the game, and easily defeated Team Nullset.
"Our team's offensive strategy is through quick ball movement," Anne Franks junior center Doug Hummon said. "We're looking for the open guy who's cutting to the basket, and we're always moving around."
Early on in the match-up, it looked like Team Nullset might have stood a chance against their very strong opponents.
"Junior center Dan Moeller lit up the scoreboard with a team high of three because he was the only one to play more than once this week," Nullset freshman forward Michael Johnson said.
The offensive strategy of the Anne Franks quickly took over the court and showed in the final score of the game, 21-6.
"Our strategy was pretty simple. Pass the ball to the open guy and lay it in," Anne Franks sophomore forward Kyle Looft said.
