The Kinfolk topped the Shooters 47-42 March 7 for the NE Campus intramural basketball championship.

    The Kinfolk started out quickly, jumping out to an early 10-point lead in the first few minutes of the first half.

    Decent rebounding and shooting by the Kinfolk enabled them to lead at half-time 28-15.

    During the second half, the Shooters did not seem to give up at all.

    Led by Billy Mitchell’s rebounding and Donovan Blackshear’s ball handling, the Shooters seemed energized.

    However, the Shooters saw their deficit grow by as much as 20 at one point in the second half.

    The Shooters showed great hustle for every loose ball and proved they were there to win.

    The Kinfolk’s poor shot selection late in the game and bad errors allowed the Shooters to come marching back.

    But the deficit proved too great.

    The Kinfolk captured the NE Campus championship with assistance from Niffy Socombe, who led both teams in scoring with 19 points.

    Billy Mitchell led the Shooters with 13.

    Marty Martin, intramural director, was surprised by the outcome compared to the way the season started. He said the dominant teams early in the season didn’t make it far in the playoffs, but he was happy with the way all the teams played.

    Each player on the championship team received a T-shirt indicating they are NE Campus intramural basketball league champions. —NN

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    The hoops saw no compassion Monday, March 5, when the Scrubs lined up against the Kinfolk to determine who would play the Shooters for the NE intramural basketball championship.

    The Kinfolk looked to have the lower skill at the start of the game, going into the round with a 3-2 record against the undefeated Scrubs, but they proved victorious squeaking out a 45-40 win.

    In the first 30 seconds, the Scrubs retrieved the ball on the toss up to score with a quick lay-up.

    Eric “Soap” Adams, a key player for the Scrubs, explained how his team went into that last playoff game.

    “No one plays to lose. We got guys for defense and guys for scoring, and even though they do their own thing, we are a team,” he said.

    Adams played the court with an impressive show of footwork during the first half of the game, dribbling circles around the members of the Kinfolk.

    But the Kinfolk fought back with an impressive use of teamwork against the Scrubs, showing they obviously had formulated a game plan.

    Dan Foster, #10 of the Kinfolk, described his team’s use of cooperation.

    “We finally realized that we needed teamwork, and so we’re not playing around anymore,” he said.

    The game was a close one throughout the first half, with the score never separating beyond four points.

    To every lay-up or fast break came a half-court shot or three-point net, but at halftime the buzzer clocked in a 20-17 score in favor of the Kinfolk.

    The undefeated Scrubs were working hard to stay in the game.

    The second half began with a fierce return for the Scrubs as they dominated the court over the Kinfolk for a short bit, but it wasn’t enough.

    The Kinfolk immediately came back to rule the board in a show of skill and speed.

    The game stayed close for the last five minutes, but the Kinfolk were always a couple of points ahead. They were like the Babe Ruths of basketball—not showing their true skill until that last possible moment.

    The point of no return for the Scrubs came when Melvin Puly, #25 of the Kinfolk, seized the ball and dashed down the court to make a one-handed slam-dunk.

    Spectators jumped to their feet and cheered, yelling and whooping as Puly paraded across the court in victory.

    George Shaw, a fan who had attended every game of the season, said his vote was for no team in general, but he attended for the sheer excitement of the games.

    With a final 45-40 score, the Kinfolk were headed into the championship match with the Shooters. —MN