Men’s A Intramural Basketball team Smokin’ Trees, Strokin’ Threes learned this past week how students’ packed schedules during the quarter can hurt intramural teams. Already facing a tough game against The D-League All Stars , their struggles were exacerbated by the absence of George Murphy, a 4th year and an invaluable post presence and emotional leader who was unable to play due to exhaustion after pulling an all-nighter to finish a term paper. STS3 started fast, but their tempo was matched by their opponents. Neither team was able to gain the upper hand in the first half, which ended 25-24 in favor of The D-League All Stars.
STS3 is led by their point guard Ryan Mendoza, a student at SBCC. A baller in every sense of the word, Mendoza does it all. The team’s offense runs through him as he opens up the floor for his teammates with his fearless drives into the paint, where he regularly scores despite being one of the smaller guys on the floor. There to take advantage of the open space is Eric “Berg” Bergman, Colin Hall, and Brent Boone. Berg, a third year at UCSB, is a lanky and fluid player who was able to provide a constant threat with his mid-range game. Hall, an SBCC student, showed how difficult he is to guard one-on-one with a few Iverson-esque crossovers that left his defender swiping at his shadow. Brent Boone, a UCSB senior, is a constant threat from beyond the arc, and is the team’s defensive ace. His “petal-to-the-metal” approach to the game allows him to guard the opponent’s best player, game after game, regardless of size or weight differences. Zach Cowan and Joey Lejano, both fourth year UCSB students, are the team’s forwards, and had their work cut out for them without Murphy. Cowan, who measures in at 6’6”, is a versatile big man in the Dirk Nowitzki mold who can go inside and bang on the boards, or step out for jumpers. Lejano is a constant burden to opposing teams on the boards, and conjured up images of Moses Malone as he would repeatedly time his jump perfectly to grab his own rebound and put away an easy two points. With a lack of subs, Brad Franchini, a senior at UCSB, was able to give starters much needed rest and contribute with relentless hustle on defense.
In the second half, fatigue and frustration reared their ugly heads towards STS3. Cowan and Hall continued struggling with their jump shots, and Boone’s three-point game went cold. This, in addition to disagreements over calls by the referee led to less than courteous words being exchanged between Boone and the officials, resulting in two technical fouls and an ejection. Realizing he had lost his cool, Boone gracefully bowed out of the game and the arena. Already short on bodies, and still unable to find a shooting rhythm, STS3 was unable to prevent a double-digit loss. Despite emotions running high during the game, it was all love and smiles from STS3 team members afterwards. A busy quarter can cause snags in an Intramural Sport season, and STS3 was unable to overcome some obstacles this week. However, with their positive attitudes and short memories, they will all be on the court next week ready to earn a victory.
