The students came onto the basketball court looking for an easy win, and that's just how their Monday game against a staff/faculty team began. In a story that took both halves to play out, they hung on for a 62-54 victory in Bardo Gym. Early in the game, intramural assistant Jeremy Bottorf said, the students could not miss (and the staff/faculty team couldn't buy a basket). Students built a 20-point lead, but staff/faculty battled back as Allen Regan who led all scorers with 21 chipped away with 3-pointers. It wasn't until about three minutes left in the first half, when Regan hit his fourth 3-pointer, that the students realized their single-digit edge. Terribly outrebounded, staff/faculty started boxing out the big men and the pendulum soon swung in their direction. The second half could not have started any better for the staff/faculty team and Wildcat athletic director Scott Kennell, who appeared to be a man on a mission as he scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half. The staff/faculty team went on a 10-2 run to start the half, taking a 33-32 lead. The students fought back and soon the game was a seesaw matchup. Still on a run, the staff/faculty team cashed in on missed free throws and were able to keep pace. Jami Hughes and Mike Hersh had key steals, and Regan, Wyatt Decker and Matthew Strayer ran the fast break perfectly. Angel Stroud, Chet Rogers and Rick Wyland worked hard under the boards, outrebounding the students in the second half. Students regained and increased their lead late in the game as four students scored in double figures. Blake Smith, Emanuel Small and Mohamed Idries each scored 14 points, and Kyle Parkins added 12. Larz Fernandez chipped in with 4 points, and Ryan Hushon and Will Montague each added a bucket. Staff/faculty kept climbing back, helped by a student team that made only two free throws in 13 attempts, but the students claimed a hard-fought win. In addition to Regan and Kennell's totals, Angel Stroud chipped in 6 for staff/faculty, Decker added 5 points, and Wyland and Strayer each had 2. "A big 'Thank you' to everyone who participated in what was one of the best staff/faculty-student basketball games in a long time!" said Bottorf, who also provided photos.
The students came onto the basketball court looking for an easy win, and that's just how their Monday game against a staff/faculty team began. In a story that took both halves to play out, they hung on for a 62-54 victory in Bardo Gym. Early in the game, intramural assistant Jeremy Bottorf said, the students could not miss (and the staff/faculty team couldn't buy a basket). Students built a 20-point lead, but staff/faculty battled back as Allen Regan who led all scorers with 21 chipped away with 3-pointers. It wasn't until about three minutes left in the first half, when Regan hit his fourth 3-pointer, that the students realized their single-digit edge. Terribly outrebounded, staff/faculty started boxing out the big men and the pendulum soon swung in their direction. The second half could not have started any better for the staff/faculty team and Wildcat athletic director Scott Kennell, who appeared to be a man on a mission as he scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half. The staff/faculty team went on a 10-2 run to start the half, taking a 33-32 lead. The students fought back and soon the game was a seesaw matchup. Still on a run, the staff/faculty team cashed in on missed free throws and were able to keep pace. Jami Hughes and Mike Hersh had key steals, and Regan, Wyatt Decker and Matthew Strayer ran the fast break perfectly. Angel Stroud, Chet Rogers and Rick Wyland worked hard under the boards, outrebounding the students in the second half. Students regained and increased their lead late in the game as four students scored in double figures. Blake Smith, Emanuel Small and Mohamed Idries each scored 14 points, and Kyle Parkins added 12. Larz Fernandez chipped in with 4 points, and Ryan Hushon and Will Montague each added a bucket. Staff/faculty kept climbing back, helped by a student team that made only two free throws in 13 attempts, but the students claimed a hard-fought win. In addition to Regan and Kennell's totals, Angel Stroud chipped in 6 for staff/faculty, Decker added 5 points, and Wyland and Strayer each had 2. "A big 'Thank you' to everyone who participated in what was one of the best staff/faculty-student basketball games in a long time!" said Bottorf, who also provided photos.