Since the start of the annual student-faculty basketball game in the mid 1990’s, the student team has never lost to the faculty team. Coming off the closest game ever in 2009 (a seven-point victory for the students), there was great anticipation that this would be the year for the faculty team. Rumors abounded that the student team was weak, losing many great players to graduation! But, in the end, youth and energy prevailed yet again.
The first quarter saw the student team jumping out to an early 10-0 lead that was extended to 21-6 with some fantastic shooting and swarming defense. What appeared to be an easy, resounding victory, though, quickly vanished. The faculty team hung tough, whittling down the 15-point lead to as little as seven points with superior outside shooting and a dominating inside game to slow the action and force the students into taking some bad shots. By halftime, the students were ahead 36-27.
The faculty controlled the pace of the game in the third quarter. The 200+ students cheered on both teams as players made Sportscenter-worthy plays. At the end of the third quarter, the students were still leading, 49-40.
Determined to win this year, the faculty started the fourth quarter knocking down a 3-pointer to cut the lead to six points, their closest deficit since game began. As the pro-student crowd grew tense, bracing themselves for a potential collapse of the student team, the students responded with some clutch shooting of their own. With just under two minutes to play, the score was 58-50. The faculty team showed a strong defense, but the students walked off the court with a 61-53 victory.
Maybe 2011 will be the year the faculty team ends the streak!
-- by Sean Fedyna, MS4
