Lebron came within a possession of its first win of the season, but a late push wasn’t enough as Brokeball Mountain stole the 53-51 victory in men’s 5v5 intramural basketball at the Student Recreation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 11, making Lebron 0-2 on the season.
After dropping its opener to Bucky’s Balls 58-45, Lebron treated this game against Brokeball Mountain as a test of growth. With both teams searching for early-season rhythm, the game carried extra weight for Lebron looking to settle into its identity. Economics senior and team captain Harrison Davis worked all game to organize the offense and bring composure, especially as the game became more physical and momentum swung back and forth across all four quarters: racking up six fouls on Lebron and four on Brokeball Mountain.
Despite an early three knocked down by Davis followed by sport management junior Dylan Hartman’s swat to deny a last-second layup, Brokeball Mountain ended the first quarter up 10-8.
“We’re playing a little better,” Davis said. “We’re getting more open looks than what we were before.”
With no subs, the physical first quarter took a toll in the second. Lebron had to defend repeat possessions as Brokeball Mountain upped the tempo. Fatigue showed and Brokeball Mountain took a 26-23 lead into halftime.
“No subs definitely kills us,” Hartman said. “Having to play the full 40 minutes is tough.”
Brokeball Mountain came out firing in the third quarter, racing out to a 32-23 lead on consecutive layups and a strong rebounding game. Lebron responded with layups and a three-pointer by Hartman to close the gap 35-32. Brokeball Mountain ended the third up 41-35 after a scoring run that kept Lebron at a distance.
“At the end of the day we just have to play better,” Hartman said.
The fourth quarter was a battle from inbound to buzzer, as Lebron brought the fight to tie it at 42 apiece in the first two minutes. Lebron and Brokeball Mountain traded shots, with the lead flipping multiple times, including a clutch 3-pointer by mechanical engineering junior Luke Rollins to make the game 45-44 Lebron with just four minutes remaining.
In the final minute, Brokeball Mountain pulled off a 53-51 win after a controversial foul to leave Lebron just short of a comeback. Lebron argued an elbow to the head for two shots at the line to tie it, but the referee’s wouldn’t give in. Despite the loss, the team showed resilience and kept the game within reach until the final buzzer.
“We kept coming back,” Hartman said. “We were down pretty much the whole game and the fact that we brought it to a one-possession game gives us something to look forward to.”
Up next, Lebron will face The Guzzlers at the Student Recreation Center on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 5:45 p.m.
