By Benjamin Whiting/reporter
It hit the NBA first, but basketball fever has now spread to the NW Campus as well in this year’s intramural tournament.
Paul Caffrey, assistant professor of health and PE on NW, headed the tournament for the first time. The games were scheduled Nov. 6-20.
Six teams composed of 36 players signed up for the tournament and then spent the first two weeks playing against each other to determine which teams would advance to the finals.
After this, Caffrey sorted the teams with the four best records into a single elimination bracket to determine the overall winner.
Team two, undefeated heading into the finals, scored a victory in the first game, defeating team three by a score of 16 to 13. In the second game, team five won against team four, also by a three-point margin.
The two teams with the best won-loss records faced each other in the championship game, a fitting end to the tournament. Team five triumphed, winning the game 16 to nine.
One of the team’s two best players struggled throughout the game with a back injury, which might have prevented a more competitive outcome.
Games during the tournament went to 16 points: one point for shots inside the three-point arc and two points for those outside.
The tournament did not employ any referees, so each player called his own fouls. While this certainly presented opportunity for abuse, Caffrey said the players all understood that any out-of-control disagreements would result in cancellation of the entire tournament. But the players settled any arguments relatively peacefully.
Caffrey said he hopes to build on this semester’s turnout and attract more participants in the spring.
Referees and a score clock are two things he wants to implement if there is enough involvement.
Caffrey can be contacted by e-mail at paul.caffrey@tccd.edu or by phone at 817-515-7658.
