The UTSC Maroons, reigning intramural Division 1 champions, defeated the UTSC Raccoons 70–58 in a spirited game Tuesday night.
Both teams were looking to get ahead of their rivals early in the standings, with their records at 1–1 apiece going into the game.
The regular season fixture coincided with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and both sets of players sported bright pink shoelaces in honor of the cause.
From the start, both teams were showing signs that they were desperate to avoid defeat. The intensity turned into a nervy, mistake-ridden few opening minutes, with both teams failing to keep possession.
Ravi Prem converted two of three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt, which seemed to settle the Maroons’ nerves, but both teams continued to be wasteful in the interior.
The Raccoons approached the game with energy and guile, frequently driving into the lane, but were rebuffed by a disciplined Maroons defence that was quick to close down their opponents and react on rebounds.
As the game wore on, the Maroons offence began driving to the basket and capitalizing on shots. They lead 37–21 at half time.
The Raccoons came out for the second half intent on closing the gap, and reduced the deficit to 45–40 with 10:25 left. Ali Dib and Michael Megerssa combined for 23 points in the half, but that was as close as the score came.
The Raccoons’ comeback attempt was marred by simple turnovers and rushed shots. After an exchange of baskets, the Maroons opened up a 15-point lead to make it 60–45 with 4:53 remaining. They then went on win the game.
“Both teams performed with a lot of heart. There was a lot of pride on the line out there,” said Maroons’ coach Nigel DeSouza. Strategically and tactically, DeSouza said his team did not play to its potential, but he was happy with their effort.
“We want to set the standard [for ourselves] of scoring 80 points a game and letting the opposing team score 40 points. We want to maximize our potential, and with constant work and effort, we’ll get there.”
Raccoons’ coach Ryan Gonzalez lamented his team’s squandered chances, and said they would have to go back to working on “fundamentals.”
“We couldn’t shake the jitters … in the first-half. We missed a lot of open shots and easy lay-ups we usually make,” Gonzalez said. “We were getting the looks, we just couldn’t convert.”
Maroons’ talisman Michael Myers, who scored eight points in the game, agreed with his coach, and said that he and the team have to improve collectively if they are to retain their title.
It was Myers who suggested integrating breast cancer awareness with the game because of the high attendance the team usually gets.
He hopes the game will act as a “build-up event” for a similar one he plans to organize with the Heart and Stroke Foundation in February.
