SPORTS
Be sure to check out these other sports stories:

Kobe's not a one-man team
GHC student featured in NASCAR fan documentary

 
 

True Ballas post first ‘W’ in 5-on-5 Basketball

By Zach Green
[email protected]
Staff Writer

Dayne Styles shoots a free throw for the All- Stars. The True Ballas lived up to their name, claiming the first win of the 2006 intramural 5-on-5 basketball season in nail-biting fashion, edging out the All-Stars 54-49 on Feb. 1.

Shortly after the jump ball, Dayne Styles of the All-Stars ran the floor and posted the game’s first field goal. By the end of the half the All-Stars lead 29-26.

As the second half opened up, the True Ballas began to show their true colors. Byron Cliatt, Quantavious Martin and Corey Pitts all drained three-pointers during the half.

With 52 seconds left on the clock the score was tied 49-49. Maddrick Long of the True Ballas went to the line with two foul shot attempts and drained both.

The True Ballas went up 51-49 with only seconds left on the clock. After the in-bounded pass, the True Ballas recovered a turnover and kicked the ball to Long, who faced the basket and put the nails in the coffin with a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded.

Though the True Ballas admit to not having practiced as a team prior to Wednesday’s action, the squad’s performance spoke volumes of the players ability to work together on both ends of the court.

“When we get in shape and learn to play better as a team, we will be all right. You also have to consider that we haven’t had a team practice,” said Long, a business administration major from Rome.

Long was also the True Ballas’ leading scorer with 19 points.

Pitts, a computer science major from Rome, who plays for the True Ballas, said, “We played a good one against one of the best teams in this league. For the first game of the season we were all a little winded, but we look forward to improving through the season and seeing this team again in the playoffs.”

Other players on the team are Hank Peppers and Ammar Abdellatif.

Leading scorer for the All-Stars was Styles with 21 points, assisted by teammates Cyril Young, Chris Strickland, Stephen Walker and Terry Albert.

In other action, C-Town, led by James Mitchell with 19 points, defeated Dem Boyz, led by Brandon Brown with 14. The final score was 43-33.

Intramural basketball is slightly different from standard play. In the place of quarters, two 15 minute halves are played. A referee is present to call all fouls, out-of-bounds and dribbling violations.

Students who are interested in viewing or participating in intramural activities, may contact David Mathis at [email protected] or stop by the gymnasium on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m.