By Marley Malenfant/reporter
SE Campus started its 3-on-3 basketball tournament March 6.
Four teams played in the first day of the eight-team tournament. Each game was 20 minutes long. Players looked a little stiff as they adjusted to their new teams.
Blackout played I Work in the first game. Blackout was charged with three offensive fouls in the game. Ramone Cooper of I Work took two late-game charging fouls and tied the game 12-12 at the free-throw line.
Cooper took credit for being the defensive maestro of the game.
“We had to make our shots, and we really had to step up on defense,” he said. “Defense — that’s all we need is defense. We’ll probably run a man-to-man next game and play them straight up.”
With only a few seconds left in the game, I Work player Sean Hall hit the game winner for a 14-12 win.
Hall said despite not finding open shots early in the game, he knew Blackout’s defense was going to slow down.
“I just felt it,” he said. “I had faith in shooting it. The first game is always going to be the rusty game. After you overcome it, you’ll score a little.”
The Chupacabras played the Ballers in a game that showed a little more poise. Chupacabras player Jason Hamilton said before the game that his team planned to execute the ball around the basket.
“We just plan on dominating, playing through the paint,” he said. “We like to run, even though it’s half-court. So we’re going to make them real tired and take advantage of that.”
Helder Lobato of the Ballers had no trouble finding his stroke. Early in the game, he knocked down some elbow jumpers and two shots behind the three-point line.
The Ballers, however, had no answer for Hamilton’s size in the paint. The Chupacabras won 20-14.
“I didn’t know my teammates too well,” Lobato said. “Next week is going to be better.”
