Clips down Flying Baracudas again in 3-on-3
The Clips and Flying Baracudas met for the second time this season, Monday night, to play one more game before the 3-on-3 basketball tournament begins next week.
The Flying Baracudas fought hard, but in the end The Clips’ stifling defense held off the The Flying Baracudas to secure its second win against The Flying Baracudas 2-1.
A regular game of basketball is different from 3-on-3 basketball. In USU 3-on-3 recreation leagues, teams play three games each night and the overall winner is the team that wins two out of the three games.
The first two games are played for 20 minutes or until one of the teams reaches 31 points with at least a three-point lead. If the two teams split the first two games, a third game is played that lasts either 15 minutes or until one of the teams reaches 21 points.
Thompson, The Clips’ top scorer of the night, had a total of 27 points throughout the three games, all of which came from shooting 3-pointers.
“They kept leaving us open, ” Thompson said. “I was just getting lucky. They kept leaving me open, and I took the shots.”
The first game was won by The Clips, which outscored the Baracudas 32-13. Both Clifford and Ford, with their massive size, were able to break through the defense and score often.
In the second game, The Flying Baracudas, whose members are seniors Jay Bickmore, Chris Jepson and Christian Ivins, came back with a vengeance.
Bickmore and Jepson, who scored 26 points throughout the three games, propelled The Flying Baracudas to a 37-33 win.
In the decisive third game, The Clips did just enough to outlast the Baracudas in a tight game. The Clips scored 22 points to win the final game and improved it’s seeding for the tournament, which begins Monday.
– landon.m.h@aggiemail.usu.edu