Bookstore Basketball XXX: Five Reasons, Versatility move to Sweet 16 round
By BRIAN KESSLER
Senior Staff Writer
As the weather cooled down Tuesday night, Bookstore Basketball XXX heated up as teams were leaving it all on the court hoping to earn a spot in the Sweet 16.
The night's early action closely resembled the preliminary rounds as No. 1 Five Reasons Your Girl Left You and No. 2 Versatility cruised to easy victories. However, the late games provided a glimpse of the competitive play to come as the field continues to narrow.
Five Reasons Your Girl Left You took advantage of its size and quickness to make quick work of unranked Team 199. Five Reasons jumped out to an early 10-2 lead on Kevin Muempfer's patented "Show it and Keep it" fast break layup. After taking an 11-3 halftime lead, Five Reasons continued its stellar play in the second half and cruised to a 21-5 win.
"They were a smaller squad but they upset the No. 32 seed," said four-time Bengal Bouts champion Pete Ryan, who scored three points. "Kevin played great, Paul [Raih] was getting all the rebounds and both Dan's [Reidy and Lustig] really hustled. We're playing well together."
Reidy led the way with six points, including the game winner. Irish Guard members Raih and Lustig cleaned up on the glass while combining for nine points.
"We got away with a lot of offensive rebounds and we'd rather not even have to get them," Ryan said. "We need to execute a little better."
No. 2 Versatility knocked off No. 31 Narnian Thugs 21-7 behind the hot shooting of Chris Dillon.
"I felt all right. It was a nice night to shoot since there was no wind," Dillon said.
Dillon, sporting a shirt that read "I love my game," drained several long range shots to key a 10-1 run that gave Versatility a comfortable 16-4 lead. From there, the second-ranked squad cruised to a 21-7 victory. Former basketball walkon John Hiltz knocked home the game winner.
"Our defense was good today," Hiltz said. "We limited their second chance shots and didn't allow them many good looks."
In other action, No. 15 Five Degree Guarantee and Phi Slamma Jamma faced off under the lights at Stepan hoping to earn a spot in the Round of 16.
Phi Slamma jumped out to an early 5-3 lead, but Five Degree Guarantee clawed back to take an 11-8 halftime lead behind the sterling play of graduate student Blake Sanz. Sanz, who scored six first half points, was able to penetrate at will and also drained some big outside shots.
"We got down 5-2 and then we really turned it up," Josh Bilz said. "Blake was scoring for the ladies. They call him the Big Easy because he's from New Orleans."
Sanz got some help from teammates Dave Lazar and John Moravek in the second half as Five Degree Guarantee came away with the 21-17 victory. Lazar and Moravek each caught fire in the second half and finished with four points each.
"I didn't have it yesterday, but I tried to make some big shots today," Moravek said. "My teammates got me the ball in the right place and I was able to knock them down."
Sanz finished with a game-high eight points.
"Blake Sanz is as poetic on the court as he is on paper," Lazar said of his Fiction Writing teacher.
In one of the most physical and competitive games of the evening, No. 4 Majestics survived a scare from unranked Irvin Jones. Majestics led 9-5 in the first half, but Irvin Jones, a team comprised of University employees, used its athleticism to cut the lead to just two at the break.
"In the first half we really played our game," Corey Hartman said. "I was pleased with our defense and with how we moved the ball."
Tempers flared in the second half and the game had to be stopped at one point to settle down the players.
"It was pretty intense out there," Hartman said. "I scouted them last night and we knew it would be a tough game."
Both teams were clearly taken out of their games late in the contest, but Majestics stepped it up late behind a strong performance from point guard Hartman.
Hartman finished with six points, including three in a row during one stretch in the second half.
Sean McCarthy was a force inside for Majestics, tallying a game-high eight points. Matt Wolbeck added five points.
All Sports Stories for Wednesday, April 25, 2001
