Hallam basketball men’s 1s team won a thriller against the University of Sheffield on Wednesday 24 April at the Canon Medical Arena, taking victory by four points.
After winning last year’s Varsity fixture for the time ever in dominating fashion (81-48), UoS wanted to repeat the feat, while Hallam looked to restore order and go back to their winning habits.
The atmosphere was electric from the players’ presentation and when the game tipped-off both teams went at it, with Uni of making the first few big plays, forcing turnovers and scoring the first points through their number 13 Nathan Hull.
The first quarter was a true defensive battle, with Uni of leading 13-9 after the first 10 minutes.
Both offenses got into their rhythm in the second quarter, trading baskets, with UoS Captain number 12 Zak Moore leading the charge with a notable steal and dunk in transition.
Moore also provoked an unsportsmanlike foul after another steal of his that saw UoS leading 31-28 going into the halftime break, where both universities’ Sports Officers had a free-throw contest to keep the crowd entertained.
In the third quarter, Hallam dominated the paint and got plenty of offensive rebounds, notably through their captain number 53 Courtney Alexander, while Uni of kept missing shots and turning the ball over.
It led to a massive 17-nothing Hallam run to close out the third period that saw the team in maroon leading by twelve (47-35) with a quarter to go.
The play of the game happened during that stretch, with Hallam’s number 47 Ignas Kliucevicius posterizing Uni of number 15 Charlie Ratliff, leaving the whole crowd in awe of such a spectacular play.
UoS, in need of a lifeline, got back in the game through individual brilliance by their number 6 Tom Kelly, who initiated the comeback and kept Uni of hopes alive in the final quarter, helping his team rally back into the game, only down four points (53-49) as we entered the last three minutes.
Both student sections showed their support throughout the event with chants, classic free-throw line boos that only got louder as the game went on and creative handmade cardboard signs.
Kliucevicius, after hitting many clutch free-throws, got a put-back dunk, making it 24 points for him on the night (game high) and giving Hallam a 59-53 lead with 1:14 left in the game.
The final few seconds saw Moore hit a three-pointer, reducing the deficit to a one-possession game, 61-58 in Hallam’s favor.
The final nail in the coffin was put by Hallam’s number 32 Nicola Giuliani, with the game-sealing free-throw to ice it (62-58).
Hallam men’s 1s did get the better of Uni of men’s 1s, but in the other basketball fixtures of the day, it was the players in black and gold that came out on top, with the women 1s winning 55-35 to kickstart the Canon Medical Arena finale, and the men’s 2s winning by a single point (52-51) at EIS earlier in the afternoon.
A few minutes after the final buzzer went off, the Varsity 2024 closing ceremony took place, with the University of Sheffield being declared the winner, coming out on top for the 10th year running.
Featured Image Credit: Wafa Zaidan Akbar