Although the fall semester is coming to a close, Recreation and Fitness’s open run basketball tournament is still going very strong, said Intramural Sports Assistant Matthew Wright.

Wright said the weekly open run basketball tournaments started last semester and so far, the sport has been just as successful this time around.

“It’s a one-night, double-elimination tournament that we’ll have every Wednesday night,” he said. “You can sign up as a team or an individual.”

Wright said, while the tournament is only one night, there’s no shortage of action. There is always a game going on, with no time in between, he said.

The games are short and compact, he said, so players have to be prepared to make their mark on the court as soon as they step on it.

“If we have five or six teams, we can play a little bit longer,” Wright said. “But, for example, if we have eight, the games will be shorter. It will be somewhere between 10- to 15-minute games.”

Students who invest their time in the tournament won’t be disappointed with playing time, Wright said.

“We have double elimination, so everyone will have a chance to play two games,” he said.

The weekly tournament is the perfect way to meet new people, said Mechanical Engineering major John Hoops.

“I love being able to play with my team,” he said. “I have a team that I’ve been playing with since March, and this is how I met them actually.

“Now, I go to their house every Friday and hang out with them. It’s brought us together.”

Hoops, who also works as a wellness attendant at the college, said the addition of the weekly tournament has been a welcome change.

“Last semester, there was an actual intramural season, now it’s just this tournament every Wednesday, which I like more,” he said. “[With a season], it’s hard because some people don’t show up, and players could be stuck with a sucky team the whole semester.”

The weekly tournament is held every Wednesday, and it runs from 5:30 p.m. all the way to 9 p.m. when the gym closes.

Anyone interested in playing in the tournament can just show up, but Wright does prefer if students sign up at www.imleagues.com/occc. The only requirements are a valid OCCCC student ID and proper athletic attire.

For more information about the open run basketball tournaments or any of the intramurals offered on campus, contact Wright at matthew.j.wright@occc.edu or call the Recreation and Fitness office at 405-682-7860.