Rookie Players become Champions

It all starts in one’s backyard believing in a dream of a ball and flashing lights. 
When one hears of basketball, no one hears the screeching of dusty old sneakers off of the pavement or the ricocheting of a ball off of a goal without a net. When the general populous hears of basketball, they think about the NBA, NCAA, and the Harlem Globetrotters offering soul competition and entertainment to the masses that win to attain fame. 
On Friday March 21 the Southern University Men’s Federation held their 5 on 5 sporting event at the Horace Wesley Moody Sr. Intramural Sports Complex. 
 Both men and women students of Southern University were invited to hoop it out with hopes of becoming Intramural Sports League Champions.
To qualify to play students couldn’t have a scholarship or collegiate basketball background. Players had to have either raw talent or a rookie background. 
“This league is just for fun, but these people can hoop,” said freshman Business Management major Taylor Williams.
“Southern will sometimes recruit from intramural sports seeing that the talent here is above exceptional,” said Director of Campus Recreation Coach Melvin Robinson. “Pete Richardson offered a student a chance to play varsity on the football team so there’s room to see who will be picked up, “finished Robinson.
First two teams to play were the Girls on Fire vs The Dominators. 
The Girls on Fire offered a collegiate level of play and set the tone like the title that was given to them. Their defensive combat batted away, and The Dominators could have and even stop the ball from The Dominators gaining momentum down the court. Not only did they offer an impeccable and yet overpowering defensive strategies but as well a driving ball down the court and brought every shot to connect with the net.
The candle that was lit to only offer competition ended in an inferno with the win from the Girls on Fire 40-25. 
Bria Reed and Desiree Bagby scored the team high of 13 points for the Girls on Fire and Brianna Arnold scored the high of 8 points for The Dominators.
The women were awarded pink shirts accosting their sportsmanship conduct within the game. 
Now the men came onto the court. Only witnesses that stood and watched could claim the game as fierce and one could only feel the intensity these students brought to the game. 
This game was the Splackavellies against the Rockets.
The crucial moment of the game was when the buzzer sounded and the game was sure to come to close until they looked at the scoreboard and there lied a score of 51-51.
Two minutes were added to the clock and the terms of sudden death made intensity of the game increase ten-fold. The crowd stood on their feet and watched the game in awe of the raw talent that was standing before them. 
“Make sure the clock is right, I don’t want to hear that anyone is cheating,” said Robinson. 
The Splackavellies, clad in black, were a team of men under the ranks of six foot even offered quick bursts of energy while shooting the ball. It was almost as a beam of light was flashing towards your eyes and the ball would connect with net. 
The Rockets was a team of men that stood over six feet, led with fluent maneuvers and went to the basket with ease. It’s a tactician’s game with this team as they led with planning to force and yet ease the ball into the paint. 
Once the trials of sudden death ended the Splackavellies took the title of men’s Intramural Sports Champions with the score of 60-57.
At the end, the intensity almost ended in a brawl, nevertheless they were awarded green shirts for their hard work achieved in the game. 
Lance Howard with an effort from the Rockets with 22 points and coming up from behind was Thadius Fortune with 19 points.
For the Splackavellies, Jerome Wilson scored a team high of 22 points to accost the win. 
Both Intramural teams will advance to Louisiana Tech and face other intramural teams from all over the state from April 25- April 27.