Throughout the month of January, Chandler Gymnasium was dominated not by the men’s and women’s varsity basketball teams, but by athletes from other varsity teams and non-athletes alike competing for the venerated black, purple, and gold “INTRAMURAL CHAMPIONS” t-shirts and — most importantly — pride.
Intramural (IM) basketball is a staple of the Winter Study experience. The league, as noted by its coordinator Director for Intramural Sports Kris Hoey, is “a great place for students to exercise, to socialize, and to compete,” she told the Record. “I think that for students who are not varsity athletes, there aren’t really that many outlets for competition, and I think this is a valuable one.”
IM player Harlan Warnsman ’27 echoed Hoey. “It was cool playing with friends, seeing the standings get updated, and having something to play for and really get into,” he said. “For people that are really competitive, it was fun to be able to compete for something.”
While IM basketball previously had two divisions — a division for all students and a division for female and nonbinary students — the two divisions were merged into one this year due to fewer sign ups.
Hoey consulted the two teams who had signed up for the female and nonbinary league, and they agreed to combine the leagues. One of these teams, the Hoop-Hopping Lax Legends, was primarily composed of members of women’s lacrosse. Despite a 0-3 IM record, their win-to-loss ratio was not reflective of the camaraderie, energy, and drive they brought to each game.
“I’m hopeful for next year that the word gets out … because I think that would just be really fun — it brings somewhat of a different atmosphere and competitiveness that I think is exciting,” Hoey said of the female and nonbinary league.
This year’s IM basketball season culminated in the championship game between Jax and the Birds, two undefeated teams primarily composed of members of football. There was no shortage of theatrics during the game: The matchup featured a patriotic rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before tipoff, an Instagram livestream of the contest featuring commentary from Will Sheskey ’24.5 and Michael Sheskey ’26, and a knockout competition at halftime.
The first half was dominated by Jax, who impressed with exceptional 3-point shooting. Calvin Jackson ’24 opened the game with a stepback 3 from the wing, and George Papadopoulos ’26 got hot early from the 3-point line, forcing the defense to step up.
However, when the defense did, he had no problem getting to the basket for a finish both in half-court sets and in transition offense. Playmaking prowess and physicality from Tim Landolfi ’24 helped Jax settle into their offensive tempo, and a 3-pointer from Jack Dickinson ’24 sent the team into halftime with a formidable 29-15 lead.
As the teams caught their breath, the halftime knockout contest brought over 45 participants to the court, where Sam Jaffe ’26 emerged victorious over Warnsman before the second half began.
Whatever was said in the Birds’ halftime huddle was undoubtedly effective — as they commanded possession, a comeback no longer seemed like a pipe dream.
While the first few minutes saw both teams struggling to garner offensive momentum, the Birds’ defense was much improved. Relying on clean looks near the basket, the Birds gradually began mounting their comeback. Will Baker ’27 led the effort, penetrating the paint for some finishes and hitting tough fadeaways. Austin Bongo ’27 worked a pretty spin move, scored a layup through contact, and finished the 3-point play at the free throw line
With just under seven minutes remaining, the score was deadlocked at 32-32. Only five points were scored between both teams during the final minutes — a defensive showdown for the history books.
After Jax retook the lead with less than a minute left, the Birds found themselves down two points with under 30 seconds remaining in the game.
To describe what followed, there is no saying more apt than “big time players make big time plays.” In a moment that will be hard to forget in the annals of IM history, the Birds came down the court, and Charles Willmott ’25 looped from the wing to the top of the key, received the ball, and hoisted up a 3 over two Jax defenders — in it went. The Birds emerged victorious with a one-point advantage in a thrilling 35-34 contest, capping off an exciting IM season.
