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IM athletes get into the game
By Trinity Graeser
Collegian Freelancer
As midterms loom, Hillsdale students are doing
more than just hitting the books-they're also hitting the courts.
"They really get into this stuff," observed one spectator
at a recent men's intramural basketball game between Serious
Biznuss and The Club. It was a close game that went into overtime
with a final win by Serious Biznuss.
Competition is intense in men's IM basketball. Serious Biznuss,
a team captained by Charger quarterback Bill Skelton, has been
undefeated most of the season, with a record of 9-1.
"Skelton's teams have been solid the
past few years, and this year is no exception," said senior
Andrew Towne, student director of men's intramurals.
Skelton said his teams have been undefeated
in previous years but have never won a championship.
"We've always lost in the semi-finals,"
he said. "I'm not sure what happens. Maybe we're cursed.
But we just go out there and have a good time."
Other teams have been working hard to keep
up with Serious Biznuss.
"Unlike the past few years, there are
quite a few teams who could make a deep run into the playoffs,"
Towne said.
The faculty team, captained by assistant basketball
coach Sam Hargraves, is one of those teams. Even though they've
had to forfeit a number of games this season because of a lack
of players, they have a team standing of 8-3, and "they
will be a tough out in the play-offs," Towne said.
"Watch out for Sammy Hargraves,"
Towne said. "He hit 12 threes in a game last year."
Other men's teams to watch during the upcoming
playoffs are Tha Toes, (11-1), The Club (8-3), and the Niedfeldt
Reds (8-3). These teams will get to fight it out in the play-offs,
which begin Sunday. The championship game will be held March
18th at 9 p.m.
Women's regular season play ended March 4,
and play-offs began last Sunday.
In the semifinals last night, the Kappa team
beat the Chi-O's by three points. The Kappas, with a record
of 9-4, will be playing in the championship game against the
winner of the game between Team Girl Squad and the Pi Phis.
Team Girl Squad is undefeated, while the Pi Phis stand at 4-8.
The championship game will be played next
Wednesday at 8 p.m.
Senior Amanda Heisman is the main student
director of women's intramurals. Heisman said that women's IM
basketball has been very competitive this season.
It will be a tough battle for the team hoping
to beat Team Girl Squad. Undefeated thus far this season, all
but one of the girls are from the Charger volleyball team. This
is their first year playing IM basketball together, and all
but three have played basketball before.
Tessa Bloemers, freshman and captain of Team
Girl Squad, said that their coach, senior basketball player
Mike Clark, has provided them with a number of plays.
Bloemers seemed confident about how her team will perform in
the playoffs. "I think that if we just continue playing
like we've been playing, we'll do ok," she said.
Close games have frequently been the norm over the course of
the season.
One game between PBP and KKG went into double
overtime, with the Kappas finally pulling out a win.
And a game last Monday between KKG and Team
Girl Squad went right down to the wire, with Team Girl Squad
edging the Kappas by a few points for the second time this season.
"It was a very intense, competitive,
fast game," said Heisman, who plays for KKG. "All
this makes for interesting tournament play!"
Other teams weren't as concerned about winning.
The Lip Smackers were one such team, winning one game and losing
11.
Sophomore Becky Smith said she didn't expect
the other teams in the league to be so experienced, but that
she and her Lip Smackers teammates "just wanted to learn
to play and have fun. And I think we've accomplished that."
On the men's side, the Hillsdale Liberals,
who won only one game this season, were also unconcerned about
winning. Senior Bjorn Amundson attributed their record to a
"lack of skill."
"Our biggest loss was against The Club,
with a score of 105-33," he said. "We didn't really
score in the second half."
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