2008 Woodie Awards
Project Mayhem finds winning formula
Andrew Wakelee
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: sports
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Last week marked the beginning of the intramural basketball season, bringing Bloomsburg intramural athletes into the warmth of the rec center just as the days get shorter and the nights get colder. Intramural basketball boasts one of the highest participation rates on campus, as dozens of teams are registered and anxious to start playing.
This past Tuesday, the team known as Project Mayhem tipped off against Team G for their eight o'clock game, the second of Project Mayhem's season. Before the action got underway, I was able to get a few words in with the team's captain, sophomore Matt Dunbar. Dunbar told me how Project Mayhem built up a sizable lead with about eight minutes left in their first game, however ended up fading down the stretch, allowing the other team to come back and win. When asked to comment on his team's previous lackluster performance, Dunbar stated, "It really gave us a reality check. We realized that we can't play like idiots just because we are breezing through the competition." Questionable substitutions and an apparent lack of desire as the game wound down doomed the team in their first match, therefore Dunbar vowed to find a solution to the problem, beginning with this game.
The game started well for Project Mayhem, coming out of the gate firing on all cylinders, building up an early fifteen-point lead. Lead by strong plays on both ends of the court from Zach Silver and dominant rebounding from Keith Hontz, Project Mayhem seemingly had avenged their late-game collapse. That was, however, until the final minutes of the half. Team G came roaring back as the half approached, capitalizing on some uncharacteristically bad shooting from Project Mayhem to cut the lead to seven. With bad memories of their last game still fresh in their mind, Dunbar's team had two options; roll over and die again, or do something about it. "There was a moment like that in the first half when we were playing Team G," explained Dunbar. "Then, we all just thought back to the first game, and decided that we couldn't get a big lead and then waste it away. We have to get a nice lead and crush the competition with one swift stroke, never giving up."
This past Tuesday, the team known as Project Mayhem tipped off against Team G for their eight o'clock game, the second of Project Mayhem's season. Before the action got underway, I was able to get a few words in with the team's captain, sophomore Matt Dunbar. Dunbar told me how Project Mayhem built up a sizable lead with about eight minutes left in their first game, however ended up fading down the stretch, allowing the other team to come back and win. When asked to comment on his team's previous lackluster performance, Dunbar stated, "It really gave us a reality check. We realized that we can't play like idiots just because we are breezing through the competition." Questionable substitutions and an apparent lack of desire as the game wound down doomed the team in their first match, therefore Dunbar vowed to find a solution to the problem, beginning with this game.
The game started well for Project Mayhem, coming out of the gate firing on all cylinders, building up an early fifteen-point lead. Lead by strong plays on both ends of the court from Zach Silver and dominant rebounding from Keith Hontz, Project Mayhem seemingly had avenged their late-game collapse. That was, however, until the final minutes of the half. Team G came roaring back as the half approached, capitalizing on some uncharacteristically bad shooting from Project Mayhem to cut the lead to seven. With bad memories of their last game still fresh in their mind, Dunbar's team had two options; roll over and die again, or do something about it. "There was a moment like that in the first half when we were playing Team G," explained Dunbar. "Then, we all just thought back to the first game, and decided that we couldn't get a big lead and then waste it away. We have to get a nice lead and crush the competition with one swift stroke, never giving up."