BOOKSTORE BASKETBALL XXXI: First round ends with stripping, pubic hair
By MIKE CONNOLLY
Senior Staff Writer
Five strippers, a bottle of pubic hair and a finance professor made the end of the first round of Bookstore Basketball XXXI very memorable.
Punky Brewster opened the day by striping off an article of clothing for every point scored. Five sophomores from Pasquerilla East — Erinn Rigney, Meghan Rigney, Shaina Morphew, Krista Berghoff and Carol McCarthy — began the game wearing white undershirts, shorts, a headband and an armband. By the end of their 21-17 loss to What The Hell Are Robster Craws, Erinn Rigney was wearing only a bikini while the rest of the team was in other various stages of undress.
"We thought our bodies were hotter than our game," Erinn Rigney said about her team's strategy.
What The Hell Are Robster Craws embraced Punky Brewster's strategy as well. Matt Leonard, Bill Bingle, Gregg Michaels, Mike Wahl and Josh O'Farrell even helped by scoring the first two points for Punky Brewster.
"It was very distracting," Leonard said. "I thought it was just a ploy but then we found out they were serious."
While Punky Brewster was serious about stripping, Who's Getting Lucky Tonight? was serious about winning its first round match-up against milkflap.com.
Lucky, made up of one former and four current Welsh Family football players, used physical play and hustling to defeat Milkflap.com, an all guys team, 26-24.
"A lot of guys teams will hold back against us," Katie Rak said about the physical style of play. "They didn't hold back this game so we didn't hold back either."
Milkflap.com, made up of Brian McCabe, Paul Guzzetta, Mike Iacono, Pat Murphy and Joe Biggs, left the court immediately after the loss.
"They played very well," McCabe said as the team's only comment.
Head Bookstore commissioner Brian Clemency said Lucky's win was the first all-female win against an all-male team that he was aware of.
Late in the game, however, it looked like Milkflap would pull out a tough victory, as it led 19-15. Lucky had missed several easy shots and passed the ball poorly up until that point.
"It was one of those things were we were just missing lay-ups," Rak said. "Once we started hitting lay-ups we were fine."
Lucky battled back to take a 20-19 lead. Milkflap.com answered Lucky's answer, however, by tying the game at 21 and forcing overtime.
The extra period seesawed back and forth until Lucky took a 25-24 lead. Rak then grabbed a rebound and hit a short jumper to win the game 26-24.
"I was just at the right spot at the right time," Rak said.
One of the most revolting traditions in Bookstore Basketball entered its eighth year as Absolut Curlies VIII lost to No. 11 We Get Wet, 21-5.
Absolut Curlies, made up of five men from Zahm, continued an eight-year tradition by killing a fifth of Absolut Vodka and shaving their pubic hairs last weekend. The hairs were then put into the bottle and brought to courtside for the game.
"We were more aerodynamic today," junior Pat Amato of Curlies said.
The improved aerodynamics of Amato, Brian Zant, Chris Bystedt, Chris Roche and Pat McGarry could not overcome the superior athleticism of the five freshmen of We Get Wet, Justin Funk, Greg Bosl, Greg Durm, Matt Cox and Mitch Knapke.
Under the lights, finance professor Carl Ackermann and We've Got Your Cash Flow Right Here In Our Pants schooled Loveburger: All About The Benjamins, 21-19.
"They are a real forgiving group of guys," Ackermann said about his student teammates. "They let a guy well past 40 run up and down the court with them. I had a wonderful time."
The ski team was out of its element against No. 24 Irvin Jones as the ranked team whipped the spandex-clad skiers 21-10.
Irvin Jones, Danny Williams, Stacey Locke, Deauto Smith and Robert Allen were too athletic for Do You Want To See My Junk. Despite frequent substitution, Joe Payne, Marc Pribaz, Kevin Wolf, Jon Pribaz, Wes Jacobs, Jesse Hensley, Bill Leimhuehler, Eric Hansen, Dan Block and Kieran Norton could not keep up with Irvin Jones.
Notes:
* Bookstore commissioners released the top eight rankings for the women's tournament, which starts Sunday. Sindone's Slamming Divas received the top seed. Hardcore Strokers, which includes three Saint Mary's basketball players, is ranked second. Who's Getting Lucky Tonight, which defeated an all-male team Tuesday night, is ranked fourth.
* Irish basketball coach Mike Brey's team, Stylistics, plays tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Stepan Courts.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, April 17, 2002
