After getting rained and snowed out at the same time Wednesday, Bookstore Basketball XXXVI returned to the courts Thursday for second round action.Team Cougar 21, Team Forfeit 5Team Cougar came to play in this male vs. female match-up Thursday."We had to represent for the men ... plus it was really freaking cold," Cougar captain Jason Larch said.While the score was lopsided, Team Forfeit gave a valiant effort. The Forfeiters were without two of their original members and were only able to recruit one other player before the game started. With a 5-to-4 player ratio, the outlook was bad from the onset.Team Cougar did not exercise chivalry, trying to get the game over as soon as possible due to the miserable weather conditions. The game was marked by sloppy play from both teams, each having trouble dribbling the wet ball. However, it was Cougar that was able to take advantage of their opportunities, scoring nearly all of their points in transition.When Cougar was not scoring on a fast break, they moved the ball around on offense, taking advantage of their extra player."Playing 5-on-4 made it pretty easy to score, there was just always an open man," Cougars guard Jim Napier said. Forfeit did not go down without a fight, however, playing aggressively, but seemed to fall just short on every opportunity. "They put up a great fight," Cougar forward Michael Urbaniak said. "They were really scrappy, especially with their defense. Toward the end they were difficult to score on." The Best of the Best of the Best 21, Los Bombones Asesinos 19In a game that lasted over an hour, these two powerhouses battled it out on Bookstore Court Four. The game, rescheduled from Wednesday due to inclement weather, was marked by turnovers, half court heaves, long passes and a lot of over the backboard shots.Despite the win, Best of the Best captain Paul Laughlin was disappointed by his team's effort."We probably had 30 turnovers ... and I got blocked by my own teammate. I think a blacked-out team could have beaten us," he said. Los Bombones Asesinos (The Chocolate Assassins) jumped out to an early lead, helped by their pump-up Spanish music that played throughout the match. They were quick to pull the trigger. And their first couple of shots hit nothing but net, but they soon cooled off.The Best were quick to respond, battling back with fast break opportunities and capitalizing on turnovers committed by Los Bombones. Both teams scored in bunches, as well, going long stretches of time without a basket.In the end, The Best were just too strong for Los Bombones, as Laughlin, the leading scorer for The Best, took over down low."I think five really tall parking meters could have beaten both of our teams combined," The Best's Andy Gloss said.
PT on the ET 21, Team 335 1In a game that was over shortly after the opening basket, PT on the ET was able to make quick work 21-1 of Team 335.It was obvious at the outset of the game that PT on the ET was much more athletic and talented on the basketball court, and until Team 335 made an off-balance jump shot late in the second half, PT on the ET was poised to shut out its opponent. After a dominating first half, PT on the ET head coach Ryan Kelley was pleased, but critical of his team's performance. "We got an 11-0 start to start the first half of the game, so I really can't complain because that's the best you can do," Kelley said. "I'm not liking the defensive output, though, and we just need to step up and stay focused. I don't like the work ethic right now, but I think we should be able to pull this one out in the end."Much to the delight of the head coach, however, PT on the ET came out firing in the second half jumping out to a quick 17-0 advantage. Team 335's lone bright spot in the game came when a fade-away jump shot somehow tickled the twine to cut the lead to 16 points. However, PT on the ET was not ready to relinquish any more of their lead and they turned up the heat to eventually secure the 21-1 victory. With the brutal wind and temperatures in the 30s, PT on the ET was somehow able to to overcome the adversity and put together a solid all around performance. "It's all about heart," birthday boy and key contributor Graham Austin said. "We just wanted it more. It's also the off-season conditioning. We've been running sprints for four months now, and I grew like three inches in three weeks so we had a solid height advantage." PT on the ET hopes to carry their momentum into the third round next week.
Engineering Giants 21, That's What She Said 8After a somewhat slow start, the Engineering Giants were able to overcome the weather as well as That's What She Said's aggressiveness to prevail 21-8.According to the Giants after the game, it was all about the basics as they were able to take control late in the first half."We got rebounds," team captain Brian Seger said. "They played pretty tight at the beginning of the game, and the score really wasn't indicative of how close the game was." The Engineering Giants jumped ahead early and appeared ready to end the game, up 20-8, but couldn't finish it off for 20 minutes.In addition to not giving up at the end, That's What She Said opened the game strong and for the first few minutes of the first half out hustled and even overpowered the Engineering Giants.When the Engineering Giants took the lead at 5-4, the game was theirs for the rest of the way.The Engineering Giants were able to step up their play and eventually matched the intensity of their opponent, but it was the fundamentals that ultimately secured the victory. "Turnovers and rebounds were huge," Seger said. "We were able to commit a few less turnovers, and that was a big key to the victory." The Engineering Giants will look to continue their aggressive play as they will matchup with a formidable opponent in round three next week.
