Buzzards claim intramural title

Cold weather and NCAA March Madness did not deter about 75 hardcore fans from witnessing the IU Division 2 intramural basketball championships Saturday in Assembly Hall.\nAfter a 45-minute delay, the Buzzards beat Case-A-Day 56-47 to repeat as Division 2 Champions.\nThe Buzzards were undefeated heading into the game, but this year's team differed a bit from last year's, with some members graduating and some deciding not to play.\n"We want to dedicate this game to all of the players who are gone from last year's team," senior captain Joe Halter said. \nBoth teams were energized from the tip-off, but it didn't take long for the Buzzards' Loren Hamm, a junior, to take over. Hamm made a three-point basket and then a steal, going the length of the floor for a lay-up in the first half. He followed that with four more points to bring his total to nine, giving the Buzzards a 30-23 lead at halftime.\n"We needed to go out and play hard in the second half," Buzzard senior Jordan Ablon said. \nAlbon said he wasn't satisfied with the Buzzards' seven-point halftime lead, but the defending champions began the second half where they left off -- with a quick lay-up. \nCase-A-Day forward Eric Banks answered that bucket with a three-pointer, and Case-A-Day pulled within two points with 15 minutes remaining in the game. Case-A-Day then shrunk the Buzzard lead to one point with four minutes left, but that was the closest it would come.\nThe Buzzards pulled away, using free throws and an 8-0 run in the final minutes to repeat as Division 2 champions. \nHamm, in his first season with the team, led all scorers with 14 points. The championship and the honor of playing in Assembly Hall was something special, he said.\n"It really is a dream come true to play at Assembly Hall," Hamm said.\nHalter said repeating last year's championship performance wasn't easy.\n"It's much harder to repeat than to win the championship the first time," Halter said. "It feels great though, because this was our last time"