The stale air of Ragan-Brown Field House hung thick on Thursday April 24, as two teams competed in the Intramural Basketball All-Star Game.

“Anytime you compete you want to win,” said senior Joe McManus. “Being an All-Star Game, just being selected by the players in the intramural league is an honor.”

Students from around the campus competed on the same court where hall of famers like M. L Carr and World B. Free once played.

The action was intense as a series of scoring runs and trash-talk followed the players up and down the court. The competitive fire of these recreational players motivated them when their energy drained away.

The game was not about a trophy, a shirt or any other trinket to indicate athletic prowess. This game was about pride: pride in themselves and in their newly acquired teammates.

An intense first half of basketball was filled with streaks and hard fouls. The score was an uneven 40–25 in the favor of the ‘Squirrels’ team, who were dressed in white jerseys.

With only a five minute break for half time, the players re-hydrated with water, caught their breath and planned out game plans for the second half.

The second half began with each team employing their “big” lineup, preferring size and a physical game style over finesse and scoring.

Three point shots were lofted in the air, only to find the back iron of the rim. The game was going to be won by the mid-range jumper and penetrating drives into the key.

With 15 minutes left in the game the score tightened to 46–34, and the ‘Geese’ team, dressed in Guilford’s signature maroon colors, blocked shots, boxed out the lane for crucial rebounds, and hustled for every loose ball.

Just like the ferocious Guilford geese that take over our campus every winter, they were not going to give up without a fight.

The two ladies who played on the all-star teams had a particularly difficult game, as they were required by league rules to be on the court for every minute the ball was in play, but displayed high levels of sportsmanship throughout the match.

After closing the gap to 5, the ‘Squirrels’ clung to their lead in the closing moments.

The game turned into a foul-fest in the final moments. Both teams were gassed, standing slump shouldered around the free throw line, wishing that they had a few more timeouts to help them regain composure.

The game ended with a final score of Geese 70, Squirrels 74.

“The score was a little higher than a normal intramural game,” said MacManus. “But so was the sportsmanship.”