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All-Stars intramural b-ball champs

By Zach Green
[email protected]
Staff Writer

Referee Rick Hasse stands between the champion All-Stars (left) and the runner-up True Ballas. The All-Stars are (front row from left) Jonathan Little, Terry Albert, Chris Strickland and (back row from left) Dayne Styles and Stephen Walker. The Tru Ballas are (front row from left) Byron Cliatt, Corey Pitts, Asheron Dorsey and (back row from left) Quantavious Martin, Hank Peppers and Maddrick Long. In a hard-fought contest in the Georgia Highlands College gymnasium, the All-Stars claimed the Spring 2006 Intramural 5-on-5 Basketball Championship with a 53-34 win over the Tru Ballas on April 15.

As the first half opened up it was apparent just how badly each team wanted the title. Hank Peppers dominated the paint for the Tru Ballas while Terry Albert had 13 points by the end of the half for the All-Stars.

Jonathan Little was once again nearly flawless from behind the arch for the All-Stars, while Ammar Abdellatif�s vicious defense kept the Tru Ballas within striking distance.

All five of the starters for the Tru Ballas scored in the first half. As the halftime buzzer sounded the scoreboard read 24-21 in favor of the Tru Ballas.

Coming out of the half the All-Stars became an entirely different team.

Turning up the ferocity, Dayne Styles, Terry Albert, Chris Strickland, Little and Stephen Walker put another 32 combined points on the board for the All-Stars in the second half, while holding the Tru Ballas to only 10 second-half points.

With one minute, 25 seconds left on the clock, the All-Stars could smell victory as the scoreboard read 50-32 in their favor. Two points from the Tru Ballas free-throw shots were not going to be enough.

Little ended the season in style, draining a signature three-point shot only moments before the buzzer sounded, signifying the end of another exciting season of intramural basketball action.

Albert, the game�s leading scorer with 20 points, said, �We really showed up today. This was the game that mattered and we knew that.� Peppers led the Tru Ballas in scoring with 18 points.

Styles commented for the All-Stars, �I knew all of these teams had potential, but thankfully we had the most. I just tried to lead the team the best I could, and I�m proud of how hard we played today.�

It is undeniable that both teams had their hearts in this contest. Even the referee had an emotional attachment to the season. Blowing his whistle to get the gym�s attention before the start of the second half, he reflected on how enjoyable his involvement in the program had been.

The man in the stripes was certainly pleased with the performances that took place in the championship game.

The rest of the All-Stars also commented on the day�s performance. Little said, �The only way we could win was to keep shooting the basketball. I did that, and luckily it went in most of the time.�

Strickland said, �I�m the chain that held this team together. They call me the �clutch master.��

Walker said, �Whew. I�m just a white man living in a black man�s world.�

Ryan Lloyd and Cyril Young were not on hand to comment on the All-Stars title, but both were valuable players to the team throughout the season.