Sports

Green Team Crowned Champion

After countless days of sweat, pain and toil on the court and in the weight room, the Green Team saw its efforts come to fruition on Thursday as it secured a 40-30 victory in the Intramural Basketball championship. With impeccable strategy and veteran leadership, Green Team was a juggernaut throughout the regular season, and that trend continued into the postseason. Ricky Goldstein ’12 said, “[The Gray Team] was a well-built team, but we sought out their few weaknesses and let our guy Vijay Rajkumar [’13] go to town on them.” The championship was particularly special for Drew D’Alelio ’12, who has now won three consecutive Intramural Basketball championships. D’Alelio’s Intramural Soccer team also emerged victorious in the Intramural Soccer championship this fall. “D’Alelio was a huge leader on our team,” said Goldstein. “He’s won the trifecta, and he’s a great athlete and winner on the court.” “I’m extremely honored to have won three Intramural Basketball championships,” said D’Alelio. “It serves as my reminder that despite being 5’4’’, there is a place in the world of basketball for me. But I couldn’t have done it without my teammates.” The Green Team took an early lead and prevented the Gray Team from scoring for most of the first half. This lead emerged as a result of the Green Team’s swarming defensive strategy, a “Triple-X Zone Cobra,” according to Goldstein. Myles O’Neil ’12 was crucial to the Green Team’s victory as a force on both offense and defense. Goldstein said, “He took down a few girls in the way, but he showed no pity or remorse, and that’s really what made our team so special.” However, the Gray Team was able to come back in the end of the first half, and the score was nearly even at halftime. After a compelling halftime speech by D’Alelio, an experienced team motivator, the Green Team’s offense lit up for the second half and pulled away from the Gray Team. The Green Team got consistent scoring from O’Neil and D’Alelio, while the Gray Team struggled to find its rhythm offensively. D’Alelio said, “If Myles hadn’t made those clutch lay-ups down the stretch, we probably wouldn’t have won the game.” Zen Wolfson ’14, a newcomer to cluster athletics, compared the experience of playing in the Cluster Championship to a “religious awakening.” “When I stepped on the court, a tingle went up my spine. I could feel that great things would soon come to my team. Since we’ve won, this has been the best week of my life. Cluster Basketball has made wildest dreams come true,” said Wolfson.