The Fall 2 Intramural Sports season, which featured 3v3 basketball, volleyball, futsal, and spikeball, crowned its champions as the fall semester came to an end. Basketball and Futsal both have men’s and CoRec leagues, while volleyball has three leagues: men’s, women’s, and CoRec. If you are interested in watching any of the championship games, they were live-streamed on the URI Campus Rec YouTube channel.

My Experience:

I participated in the men’s basketball league for the first time this semester. 3v3 basketball in IM Sports is different in the sense that there are no referees. These fun yet competitive games consist of one 16-minute period with a running clock. Once the 16-minute period concludes, the game continues after a short break. Time is no longer a factor in the game, and the teams play to a set score. This score is determined by taking the winning team’s score at the end of the timed period and adding six points to that score. For example, if the score from a game after regulation was 22-17, the two teams will continue to play until one of the teams reaches 28 points. It is also important to note that the scoring system for the 3v3 league uses ones and twos, meaning that a made basket inside the three-point arc rewards one point, and a score from behind the arc is worth two points.

In the 3v3 men’s basketball league, my teammates and I had championship aspirations from the start. In a league with 51 teams, we knew it would be tough but still believed we could be the champs. The strategy we employed in these games was to shoot as many “good” threes as possible. In a scoring system where made baskets behind the three-point line are worth double the points of those inside the line, it made sense to shoot a lot of threes—especially when everyone on our team could shoot the ball. This strategy boded well for us in the regular season as we went 3-1 with two dominant wins over strong teams. We were first out of the 51 teams in points per game going into the playoffs and were the overall 10th seed out of 33 playoff teams. After another dominant win in the first round of playoffs, winning 32-14, the championship was one game closer. Unfortunately, our season came to an end in the second round of the playoffs due to an uncharacteristic team-wide poor shooting performance. Our strategy ended up costing us in the playoffs when the shots weren’t falling. We ultimately lost 19-18 in what was our lowest-scoring game of the season.

Championship Reviews:

CoRec Futsal Championship

In the CoRec Futsal championship, Smiley FC took on Back That Pass Up. For those who aren’t familiar with futsal, it is a game of soccer that is played in a gymnasium. This fast-paced, condensed version of soccer is played inside the perimeter of a basketball court. The goals, which are smaller than typical soccer goals, are placed on the baselines of the basketball court. In the two 18-minute halves that make up a futsal game, Smiley FC claimed victory over Back That Pass Up 6-2. The MVP of the game for Smiley FC was senior Nick Powers, who scored two goals and played stifling defense in the championship win. The secret to Smiley FC’s success, according to Powers, was their smiles and shoes. “Probably the smiles, smiles all around. We always laugh, win or lose,” said Powers. Before the season started, the players on Smiley FC did a “Secret Santa” where each player on the team picked out another player’s shoes to wear for the season. This showcased some of the best team chemistry I have ever seen from an IM sports team. Powers’ advice for anyone looking to participate in CoRec futsal: “Have fun, and join teams with people you don’t know.”

Men’s Futsal Championship

It was Chicken Little taking on Blue Steel in the men’s futsal championship. In a competitive matchup, Chicken Little led after the first half 1-0. Blue Steel then struck first in the second half, tying the game at one goal apiece. Team Chicken Little, however, responded with two back-to-back goals, creating a gap that Blue Steel was never able to recover from. Chicken Little won the championship with a score of 6-3, and Matewos Ashenafi was the MVP, scoring three goals. Ashenafi attributed his team’s success to their chemistry and experience playing together. “I think the fact that all of us showed up to every game was a really big factor,” he said.

CoRec 3v3 Championship

Young Shootas played Bryan Riggs in the CoRec 3v3 basketball championship game. In what was a closely contested game throughout, Young Shootas came out on top, winning 20-12. Ella Riley delivered the game-winning deep two-pointer for the Young Shootas. Senior team captain Aidan Young was the MVP of the game and had this to say about intramural sports: “It’s so easy, and it’s so much fun. I’ve been doing it since my freshman year, and I actually met a lot of my friends doing intramurals,” said Young.

Men’s 3v3 Championship

The men’s 3v3 basketball championship between BronJulio and Cade & Em did not disappoint. The two-seed BronJulio was able to fight off underdog 16-seed Cade & Em and win the championship 20-17. Junior Luke Brogioli was the MVP of the game with seven points and five blocks. Brogioli had this to say about what led to their team’s success: “Everyone showing up and being there. People bringing energy,” said Brogioli.

Volleyball Championships

In the CoRec volleyball championship, Busta Spikes played Block Party. In intramural volleyball, the game is formatted as a best two-out-of-three series of sets, with each set going to 25 points. The CoRec championship only saw two sets, as Busta Spikes took down Block Party 25-22 and 25-18, winning the championship. James Gbaba was the MVP of the championship game for Busta Spikes.

Dimes Only defeated TAXI+1 in the men’s volleyball tournament. Dimes Only won the first set 25-17 and the second set 25-20, winning the championship match 2-0. The team did not lose a single game all year and finished the season 7-0.

Costco Girls won the first set in the women’s championship 25-22 over the Volleyballers. The Volleyballers, however, bounced back, winning the second set 25-19 and sending the match to a third set. The Volleyballers’ momentum continued as they won the third set and claimed the women’s volleyball championship.

 

Fall 2 Takeaways

The Fall 2 Intramural Sports season brought exciting competition and lasting friendships, as highlighted by the champions’ experiences. By building teams and meeting new people, intramurals have something to offer for everyone. Take the advice from intramural champions: have fun, bring energy, and make new connections. Don’t miss your chance to join the action—try Spring IM Sports!