Even with two men on their team, the Flock of Ostri could not compete with the Pangstas.
The four Pangborn women and one Walsh resident beat the Flock 21-10, dominating the majority of the game.
"It felt liberating for a team of all girls to beat one with some guys," senior Annie Kotz said.
The athletic ability, skill and cooperation of the Pangstas became evident immediately, as they scored on their first possession after a string of organized and well-executed passes.
The men of the Flock had the strength advantage and held the edge in rebounds throughout the game, but the communication of the Pangstas cancelled out any physical advantages.
"They threw some challenges at us, but I think we did all right," sophomore Liz Pawlak said.
During the second half, it became clear the Pangstas would come out on top. They had a succession of five unanswered points, only interrupted when one of the Pangstas fell while trying to defend a fast break by the Flock.
The biggest factor between the two was their movement back and forth across the court.
The Flock put up wild shots, moving the ball wherever they could. On the other hand, the Pangstas looked as if they had practiced together as they quickly moved down the court with sharp passes, resulting in easy lay-ups.
"We didn't practice before this, but we've all played Pangborn interhall football and basketball together," Kotz said.
After a career of sports together in Pangborn, there is no other way these women would rather end the year than with a few more wins in the tournament.
Zach Attack! 21, Let's Be Strong 13
A turnover forced by Zach Attack! in the first possession of the game led them to score an easy lay-up by senior Jonathan Becker. That first shot set the tone for the rest of the game, as Zach Attack! beat the all-female team of Let's Be Strong.
The game was riddled with turnovers and fast breaks, but the main difference came right in front of the basket, where the men consistently made their lay-ups.
Following half time, both sides experienced a long drought.
"We've only scored one shot since half?" senior Alex Wheeler shouted after asking the commissioner for the score long after the second half began.
From there, the Zach Attack! players realized they had to pick up the pace. And they did.
"We were never really scared we were going to lose," senior Zach Karches said.
While the men certainly picked up their game, Let's Be Strong did as well, answering almost every point scored by their opponents and even holding them at 19 for a long series of possessions. However Let's Be Strong could not recover from the 11-4 lead the men had taken at half.
"We're hoping to get as far as we can without having to try too hard," Karches joked. "A few of our players are looking to get drafted by the Nets."
Broslikethisteam.com 21, We Are Foul 8
It was all about the Bro's as Broslikethisteam.com defeated We Are Foul despite a downpour throughout the game.
Broslikethisteam.com struck early and came out with an early lead. When the Bros eased up on defense, We Are Foul would strike with a basket. We Are Foul proved that to be a tough team and didn't need to foul to stay in the game.
The weather wreaked havoc upon both teams as the court was filled with puddles and the rain continued to drive down throughout the game. It was not until late in the game that Broslikethisteam.com begin to pull away as the rain continued to pound the players.
"They played great, tenacious defense," Broslikethisteam.com junior Kevin Laughlin said.
Despite the loss, We Are Foul played well against a good opponent. The team said that overall, they played their best and battled through the rough playing conditions.
"I felt that we played a great game," We Are Foul senior Joy Feeney said.
With the win, Broslikethisteam.com advanced to the second round.
Bus Drivers 21, Five Glorious Mysteries 5
The Bus Drivers used their athleticism to overwhelm Five Glorious Mysteries en route to a blowout victory Tuesday.
Five Glorious Mysteries, consisting of two freshmen, a sophomore and two juniors from Old College, struggled in the first half to find their rhythm as their shots would not fall. They picked it up in the second half, but the speed and strength of the Bus Drivers was too much as they were able to get a number of easy layups on breakaways.
"We were outmatched, but overall it ended with everyone happy," Holy Cross junior Brendan MacAlear said. "It was a good effort and I wish we could have gone a bit further."
After the game, Mysteries sophomore Chris Brennan led both teams in a prayer as they knelt and held hands after a hard-fought game. Both teams left the prayer in good spirits as the five freshmen on the Bus Drivers looked forward to their next game against the tournament's second seed.
"You play to win the game," Eric Bens said. "The first half we were relaxed, but in the second half we didn't really play well. It was nice to just come out and enjoy playing in a game that wasn't really all that competitive."
The Berg is the Word 21, Hey Tiger, Dead in the Hole 7
The Berg is the Word rode strong perimeter defense and good passing to a win over Hey Tiger, Dead in the Hole.
The five Dillon freshmen that make up The Berg is the Word — Matt Losego, Matt Enzweiler, Taylor Guinn, Thomas Corr and Bobby Manfreda — said they found inspiration for their team's name in one of their other friends.
"We're playing in honor of a friend, Daniel Stromberg," Enzweiler said.
Corr's defense at point guard led to a number of steals, and Berg is the Word was able to convert those steals into a number of fast break opportunities. After getting off to an early lead, they never looked back as Hey Tiger essentially abandoned conventional basketball in favor of attempting trick plays. The freshmen of Hey Tiger did not seem upset about the loss.
"Losing in this manner just makes me appreciate mozzarella cheese that much more," Casey Lilek said.
Berg, meanwhile, was pleased with his team's effort as it looks to continue through the Bookstore bracket.
"We appreciated their effort and their team," Enzweiler said. "But ultimately if you're not first you're last."
