By Allison Dooley/reporter
Week three of the NE intramural basketball tournament continued Friday with four games played in the campus gym. Those who stayed for the closing saw an intense match that took two overtimes to settle.
Instead of creating their own names, the teams were numbered.
Game one of the afternoon was a closely matched contest between Team Six and Team Two. Team Six gave a great effort but could not overcome the hot shooting of Team Two.
After a scoreless two minutes, Donny Manor scored the first basket of the game for Team Six. Team Two matched the basket and started pulling away with a big lead, but that didn’t stop Team Six’s Tony Hola, who hit back-to-back 3-pointers and led his team on a 13-2 run to take back the lead by one point.
The game was tied at halftime, 28-28, and remained close throughout the second half. Every time Team Two would score, Team Six matched it at the other end of the court. The game ended with Team Two winning, 54-52.
Nelson Johnson had 14 points leading his team to victory. Teammate Daniel Lim had 13 points, nine of them in the second half. Donny Manor was the leading scorer for the losing team with 21 points.
In game two, Team One pulled away with an early lead and breezed to an easy victory over Team Three.
Jay Pena scored a 3-pointer just seconds into the game, giving Team One the lead and momentum for the rest of the game. Team One dominated the first half. Dustin Myers hit two back-to-back 3-pointers in the closing minutes before halftime as well as a buzzer-beater to give Team One a 43-21 lead at half.
“My team is working like a machine today,” said Team One coach Dolyn Mayo.
Team One continued the domination in the second half. Myers and teammate Mitch Zaelit shined as the two players combined for 48 points led by Myers’ unselfish passing and clutch shots and Zaelit’s hot shooting. Zaelit finished with 30 points, and Myers added 18 along with eight assists. The final score was 76-39 as Team One easily handled Team Three. Daniel Castellanos scored 15 points in a losing effort for Team Three.
Game three of the afternoon featured a tight battle between Team Two and Team Five. Team Two had a 29-25 halftime lead and proceeded to pull away in the second half. With timely passing and hot shooting, Team Two cruised to a 53-37 victory. Leading scorers for Team Two were Carlos Cooper with 11 points, Cesar Martinez with 11 points and Chriss Cooper with six points.
Fans were treated to a spectacular competitive finale as Team Four and Team Six battled into double overtime. Both teams battled intensely throughout the 40-minute game. Just seconds before the halftime intermission, Team Four mounted a fast-break attack with Ed Amerson scoring an easy layup, cutting the Team Six lead to two points.
After the halftime break, Team Four went on an offensive run and took a 50-39 lead. Trailing by 11 points with three minutes left in regulation, Team Six started its incredible comeback led by Manor. Team Six played tough defense, forced several turnovers and hit several clutch shots to trail by three points with the game winding down.
With three seconds left in regulation, Team Six’s Manor hit a 3-pointer to tie the game and force it into overtime.
Team Four had plenty of opportunities to win the game, but timely turnovers and missed free throws cost them a victory in regulation.
The three-minute overtime was brutal and physical. Neither team could establish a lead or momentum. Team Four would score, and next time down the court Team Six would score. Spectators were treated to an exciting and intense game as neither team backed down. The first overtime ended in a 56-56 tie.
The second overtime was as intense as the first. Both teams made big plays and rebounds. With the second overtime coming to an end, Team Four worked the ball around for a shot, and Manor emerged the hero sinking the winning shot. Team Four won the game with an incredible 59-58 double overtime comeback victory.
Leading scorers for the winning team were Manor with 29 points and Hola with nine points. Leading scorer for the losing team was Amerson with 21 points.
The tournament continues Friday with week four competition starting at 1:30 p.m. in the NE Campus gym.
