NE basketball opens with Worthless v. Ryders
by Brian Wainstein, Reporter

   The air was charged as the Ruff Ryders and Team Worthless faced off for the first match of the NE Basketball League.

   Team Worthless lived up to its name as the Ruff Ryders dominated the game, with a half time score of 37-20.

   The Ruff Ryders won with an endgame score of 68-43.

   The Boondock Saints won the second match against the NE All Stars coming back from a half time score of 28-25 to the beat the All Stars with a score of 60-54.

   The first matches will be played in a round-robin style with the scores used to place the teams in a direct elimination bracket.

   League students are using the west end of the court to play on so that non-league players can still shoot recreationally.

   During the initial matches, all shots will score two points.

   The final, single elimination rounds will be played on full court.

   Three-pointers will be allowed in elimination matches.

   The basketball league is part of the New Games and falls under the North East Wellness Program's choices for physical activities.

   "The program touches on different aspects of a person's wellness," Dr. Joy Thetford, professor of physical education, said.

   "The New Games focus on the physical aspect, just as the current seminars focus on the mental," she said.

   Other New Games include bowling, putt-putt, sand volleyball and a run/walk. "We want events that don't involve big teams.

   We want people to come on their own or with a few friends and meet other people," she said.

   "Intramural activities were an important part of going to school for me.

   "I might have seen certain people in only one class, but with activities we could get to know each other," she said.