Men’s Club Basketball wins tournament at Lynchburg College

By PAIGE WALTON

This past weekend, Mary Washington’s men’s club basketball team went 6-0 at a tournament hosted by Lynchburg College, winning the entire tournament and representing UMW with pride. With only half of the team able to attend, sophomore historic preservation major Brandon Martin initially thought the team would win only a few games, but credits the team’s hard work and each player’s individual contributions as the fueling force for their winning streak.

Sophomore point guard and computer science major T.J. Flood recognizes his team’s resilience as a strong suit to compound what they lack in height. Despite being only the team’s second tournament together, Flood says the chemistry was evident with each player “fixing a plate” (making many baskets) in every game, with over 90 points by the end of the tournament. “No one was selfish and we all got each other involved,” Flood said.

With the team mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores, they looked to junior business major Zack Wohleking for leadership and control of the rotations, according to Flood. “It’s not every day you see a team at our level put up 95 points in two consecutive games. I was pleasantly surprised with the production we got out of our younger guys. They really showed out. You can’t really ask more out of a team when they go undefeated,” Wohleking said.

Wohleking, Flood and Martin all agree that their team’s athleticism and ability to run the court and tire the other teams out helped contribute to their success. “We ran so much that we had guys who couldn’t walk right at the end of the tournament because of fatigue,” Wohleking said. In such a fast paced sport, communication between players is everything, with Flood saying how “we all talk to each other on the floor whether it’s good or bad. No hard feelings between any of us.”

Club college sports offer a great opportunity for student athletes to stay involved and engaged in the sport they love while still having time for academics, jobs, and a social life. President of the club, senior communication and digital studies major Mikey Barnes, was in charge of organizing the team and is currently figuring out what is next for UMW’s formidable club basketball team.