Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Men’s Club Basketball downs Clemson

On October 27-28, North Carolina State University Men’s Club Basketball is hosting the Battle of the Brickyard basketball tournament. With 16 teams competing from three different states, competition is thick in the air at NC State Carmichael Gym. With this being NC State Men’s Club Basketball’s first tournament of the year, they are off to a great start! State has two teams competing, Team Wolf and Team Pack. Earlier today, Team Pack defeated Clemson Orange by a mere two points.

In their second game of the day against Elon Gold, Team Pack came out powerful and won 71-52. They held the lead for a majority of the game, finishing the first half with 38-26, as they really demonstrated cohesive teamwork as the game progressed. Team Pack scored the first basket, blocked Elon Gold’s first shot, and kept that momentum up for the rest of the game.

The high energy of both teams made the game a fun and exciting one as both were eager to advance in the tournament. Team Pack was stocked with fast-thinking and skilled individuals who all played very well together. The team element was definitely strong as the men continued to assist and score, assist and score. Elon Gold demonstrated some of their frustration in the second half by voicing their disagreements with referees or their dismay verbally on the court.

After sustaining a Team Pack player injury in the first half, the rest of the players went on to try their hardest throughout the game. Enthusiasm was evident throughout as the team competed well both offensively and defensively. The tournament’s running clock kept players on their toes, always moving, and presumably exhausted. However, Team Pack had a larger amount of men on the bench than Elon Gold did so they were able to have a consistent flow of fresh legs coming on and off the court.

Aggression and intensity was prevalent throughout the game by both teams as they both strived to come out on top. As my first time sitting courtside at a basketball game, there was more shouting and communication that I had expected. But that turned out to be for the best as both teams did their best, with Team Pack finishing as victors.

With the rest of the tournament still in question of who will win, it is important to note that this tournament does not recognize an MVP. All teams are guaranteed at least three games and play in a pool of four. The bracket of 16 will be presented again on Sunday as Saturday’s games come

to their ends and provide the lineup for the following day. Team Wolf and Team Pack games will be available to watch on PackTV’s Youtube channel.