Last
Thursday, December 9, the Bilkent men's and women's basketball teams faced Hacettepe for
the second time this season, as Ayva Cup play continued. Both Bilkent teams played
dynamic, fast-paced games, but went down to defeat at the hands of their opponents.
Bilkent's women in fact substantially improved their performance against the strong
opposing team, especially in the area of defense. They held the Hacettepe women to 32
fewer points than in the first game, and lost by a considerably smaller margin. The final
score of last week's game was 46-34, compared to a 78-36 loss in the earlier matchup.
The real shock came in the men's game, in which Bilkent was completely overpowered for the
first time this season. Hacettepe opened up a large lead in the first quarter, which made
the difference in the game. In the following three quarters, the Bilkent players managed
to adapt, and scored many quick two-pointers. However, Hacettepe answered with baskets of
their own, and ended up romping to an 82-53 victory.
It is important to note that Bilkent, which defeated Hacettepe in the teams' first matchup
on November 25, still maintains a strong position in the Ayva Cup overall standings, with
a 5-3 record. If our team can get off to a faster start and press their opponents hard
from the very beginning of play in their next outings, they will have a good chance of
winning not only those games, but very possibly the cup as well.
Both Hacettepe teams should be congratulated for maintaining their discipline and
condition throughout their respective games against Bilkent last week. The men's
dominating play in the first quarter seemed to stun the Bilkent spectators into silence,
which undoubtedly discouraged the Bilkent players in turn.
Of course the Bilkent crowd is being affected by the time of year as well. As the end of
the semester approaches, projects and midterms become the overwhelming concern for
everyone. Still, we hope that many more Bilkent students, and also other members of the
Bilkent community, will come out and cheer "our teams" on to victory in their
remaining Ayva Cup games. As we all know, enthusiastic support can make all the difference
to the players on the court!
Emre Kırtunç
(COMD/IV)
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