No. 3 Team 3 def. No. 11 Uncle Drew
No. 3 Team 3 faced off against No. 11 Uncle Drew in an Elite Eight matchup that was close for much of the contest before Team 3 finally came through in the last few minutes to power past Uncle Drew, 21-14.
Team 3, which consists of five seniors, used its two big men, seniors Erik VanEperen and Mike Broghammer, to secure the paint, which helped them garner rebounds and consistent possession.
VanEperen and Broghammer scored most of Team 3's points in the paint, as Uncle Drew did not have the size to compete down low. Broghammer and VanEperen utilized post-up moves, including turnaround jump shots, to attack the paint while seniors Joe Williams and James McClay made mid-range jumpers to attack from the perimeter.
"We obviously had size to cover and post up in the paint," VanEperen said. "Mike Broghammer shot incredibly well and James McClay maneuvered really well inside to score for us."
While Team 3 used size to its main advantage, Uncle Drew used agility and defense. Notre Dame staff member Tyrell Atkins and assistant strength and conditioning football coach David Grimes kept Uncle Drew in the game, quickly transitioning between defense and offense to record steals and easy points.
However, it was not enough as Uncle Drew could not convert enough mid-range jumpers or score consistently in the paint. Atkins said they could have been more consistent and aggressive shooting the ball.
"We could have just been more aggressive and make better shots," Atkins said.
Team 3 will face off against No. 2 Romeo Medical Clinic in the semifinals today.
No. 1 Sophomores at Holy Cross def. No. 9 Onions!!!
No. 1 Sophomores at Holy Cross faced off against No. 9 Onions!!! on Wednesday night in a fierce and heated contest, which ended in a 21-11 victory for Sophomores at Holy Cross.
Sophomores at Holy Cross, the defending champions from last year, consists of four sophomore members of the Holy Cross men's basketball team - Zoe Bauer, Alajowon Edwards, George Stainko and Darrell McIntyre - and Beau Bauer, who works for Notre Dame Sports Properties.
The game started off fairly evenly and Sophomores at Holy Cross went into the second half leading 11-8.
In the second half, tensions were high and both teams committed hard fouls. Eventually, Sophomores at Holy Cross began to pull away. A turning point came in the middle of the second half when McIntyre got out on the fast break and slammed home a dunk.
Onions!!!, made up of senior Brian Dunlap, junior Killian Frailey, senior Ryan Robinson, senior David Harrington and senior Chris Herlihy, could not mount a comeback in the second half and only scored three points.
Dunlap said the chemistry of Sophomores at Holy Cross was hard to beat.
"They are really good at pressuring on defense and they forced a lot of turnovers," Dunlap said. "You can tell they have been playing together for a long time, and their practice in the offseason really paid off."
Sophomores at Holy Cross, meanwhile, enjoyed moving onto the semifinals for the second consecutive year.
"We had a blast," McIntyre said with a laugh.
Sophomores at Holy Cross looks to continue its winning streak today in the semifinals against No. 4 D.G.P.
No. 2 Romeo Medical Clinic def. No. 7 Former Team 13
In what appeared to be a close matchup at the beginning, No. 2 Romeo Medical Clinic quickly took control of the game and defeated No. 7 Former Team 13, 21-14.
Romeo Medical Clinic used its significant height advantage and solid defense to physically dominate its opponent. The all-junior squad of Dom Romeo, Tom Hickey, Tyler Sonsalla, Jack Gardner, Tim Fulnecky, Kevin Timperman and coach Jude Rhodes said it wished it had the opportunity to play against former Irish basketball player Jack Cooley, who did not play for Former Team 13.
"It would have been great to prove our offense against Jack Cooley," Romeo said. "But, it was a shame that he was too afraid to go up against us."
Without Cooley playing, Former Team 13 - comprised of senior Tim Whelan, sophomore Connor Malone and juniors Andrew Sauerwein, Paul Frierott and Chris Vanderschans - still held its ground.
"We played tough today, and it was very physical," Whelan said. "I think we were definitely overmatched height-wise, so we did what we could."
Frierott and Sauerwein worked cohesively, providing each other with assists. However, Romeo Medical Clinic's defense proved too overbearing and forced Former Team 13 to shoot primarily from the outside.
After the first half, Romeo Medical Clinic led 11-6. In the second half, Hickey and Romeo worked their way into position and hauled in rebounds underneath the basket. Hickey led his team with seven points. His dunk off an assist from Sonsalla to start the second half set the tone for the rest of the game as Romeo Medical Clinic then went on a 4-1 run to secure the lead.
Romeo said the win was a great team effort.
"We look at ourselves as a family, not a team, and this not as a game, but as a microcosm of our life," Romeo said.
Romeo Medical Clinic will face Team 3 today at 6 p.m. in the semifinals.
No. 4 D.G.P def. No. 5 RD.NC.JR.KG.TP
From the outset, No. 5 RD.NC.JR.KG.TP. showed off its skilled perimeter play, but it wasn't enough to beat No. 4 D.G.P, which pulled out a 21-18 victory.
Senior Ryan Dunbar, junior Nate Carr, junior Jeremy Riche, freshman Travis Pate and sophomore Kevin Gates of RD.NC.JR.KG.TP. moved the ball efficiently and made two early field goals before D.G.P could answer.
Third-year law student Mauri Miller, second-year law student Brian Pasciak, first-year law student Chris Stewart, men's basketball coordinator of operations Harold Swanagan and athletic department compliance intern Alex Stone made up the roster for D.G.P.
The team tried to keep the ball in the paint and make post plays but surrendered the ball several times in turnovers under the basket.
D.G.P settled down and scored on a post play to make the score 2-1. RD.NC.JR.KG.TP. responded with a long shot from behind the arc to push the score to 4-1. The perimeter-post showdown continued until D.G.P expanded its offensive game to the perimeter. D.G.P tied the game at seven before pushing the score to 9-7.
RD.NC.JR.KG.TP. played from behind in the second half. D.G.P .went on a 4-1 run to extend their lead, while RD.NC.JR.KG.TP.'s shots refused to fall. RD.NC.JR.KG.TP. foughd back in the game but D.G.. answered shot-for-shot ano created a 17-13 lead.
RD.NC.JR.KG.TP. pulled within one after a layup and free throw that closee the score to 18-17. After extending its lead to 20-18, D.G.. secured the win on a layup that made the final margin 21-18.
After the game, Stewart expressed his team's love for the spore.
"I think we're all just out here because we enjoy the game," Stewart said. "We love basketball. And me and Swannie [Swanagan] are old, so we like to get exercise."
D.G.P will take on No. 1 Sophomores at Holy Cross in today's semifinal round.
