Justin Funk and Jim Kilroy saved their best Bookstore Basketball performances for last. The two seniors, who have both played deep into the tournament for the last four years, led We Get Wet to a 21-17 victory over Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment in Sunday's championship game. Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment played the game without two of its top players. Jerome Collins was drafted by the St. Louis Rams earlier in the day, and his team thought it best that he not play and risk injury. Rhema McKnight was also unable to play, forcing Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment to pick up two substitute players. The contest was extremely close, with the two teams trading baskets for much of the first half. We Get Wet took an 11-9 lead into the intermission.In the second half, though, We Get Wet went on a scoring run. Kilroy and Funk settled into an offensive groove and knocked down several consecutive shots. The team also played excellent defense, spearheaded by the shot blocking of Jordan Cornette and the pressure Funk applied on Ben Nickol. When Funk connected on a jumper from 15 feet, We Get Wet ended a 8-5 run to stretch the score to 19-13. Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment responded, however. Led by the scoring of Joe Nickol, the team went on a 4-1 run to bring the score to 20-17. But with a chance to cut the deficit to two points, Nickol missed a jumper.Jordan Cornette grabbed the rebound and fired a pass to Kilroy, who drove the length of the court and hit the winning layup.Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment captain Joe McClyde was disappointed with the loss, but proud of his team's performance in the tournament. "Both teams played really hard," McClyde said. "We played well, but both teams were really good."Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment impressed We Get Wet with their tough, physical play. Kilroy felt Looking for a Sponsor at the Moment was one of the better teams he had seen in his four years of Bookstore. "They played great," Kilroy said. "It wasn't going to be easy, that's for sure."Kilroy and Funk were honored after the game for their performances throughout the tournament. Funk, who led all scorers in the championship game with 11 points, was chosen as tournament Most Valuable Player. Kilroy, who contributed seven points Sunday, was named Mr. Bookstore, a title given to the player who most embodies the philosophy of the tournament. The two players felt honored and humbled to receive the awards."It's special," Kilroy said. "This is something we've been doing for four years. It really means a lot."The two seniors were even more satisfied to win the tournament after coming close for the past three years. "It feels good to finally win it all," Funk said. "If it was going to happen one year, I'm glad it was this year."
