Tuesday, April 23, 2013 | TechNews sports@technewsiit.com CIARAN KOHLI-LYNCH 7 NBA play-offs continue in dramatic fashion Nathan McMahon STAFF WRITER The 2013 NBA playoffs began this Saturday. The Miami Heat is the team to beat in the East while teams like the Spurs and Knicks look to prove they are real contenders. The New York Knicks are taking on the Boston Celtics in their first round series and the New Yorkers took game 1 with a score of 85—78 and a game high 36 points from Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo Anthonywas named the NBA scoring champion. The other East game 1 available at press time was the first round series between the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls. The Bulls remained without superstar Derrick Rose and struggled offensively as the Nets beat them 106— 89 behind a cool 22 points from Deron Williams In the West the Denver Nuggets took on the Golden State Warriors and beat them in the first game of the series 97—95 with a game— winning layup by Andre Miller with 1 second remaining to take a 1—0 lead in the series. The other series to start in the West is between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Memphis Grizzlies. The Clippers took game 1 easily 112—91 behind a strong rebounding effort by the Clippers. One of the East series yet to start is between the top seeded Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks where Brandon Iennings has predicted the Bucks winning the series. The other East series is between the Indiana Pacers and Atlanta Hawks and it should be an easy win for the Pacers. In the West, the top seeded Oklahoma City Thunder is taking on the Houston Rockets who are looking for an upset behind Iames Harden. The Los Angeles Lakers will be without Kobe Bryant after his torn Achilles injury as they take on the San Antonio Spurs. Year-in review for national, local, ||T sports Ciaran Kohli-Lynch SPORTS EDITOR As this is the last TechNews Sports section of this year, I would like to take a look at the big developments in IIT Athletics and the world of sport over the last 12 months. There is much to talk about in a period that saw London host an extraordinary Olympic and Paralympic Games, Europe’s best soccer teams battle it out in Poland and Ukraine at 14th European Championships, the first freshman winner of the prestigious college football Heisman trophy, and much more. In London, two competitors made their own special marks on Olympic history. Iamaican sprinter, Usain Bolt secured the self— coined “double—triple,” taking the 100M, 200M and 4x100M gold medals on the track for the second time. Bolt was forced to beat training partner Yohan Blake 7 who actually beat Bolt in the Jamaican team trials 7 in both individual events, as he made it six gold medals in six events over two Olympic Games. Going into the Olympics, swimmer Michael Phelps needed three medals in order to become the most decorated Olympian of all time. After failing to medal in the 400M individual medley, Phelps recovered to win four gold and two silver medals in London, firmly securing his place in the record books. Phelps had previously declared he would retire after the London Games, and now spends his time working on his philanthropic project, the Michael Phelps Foundation, which aims to develop the sport of swimming and promote healthy lifestyles. There were many other notable sport stories of the past year. The Spanish national soccer team celebrated their second consecutive triumph in the European Championships, secured bya 4—0 demolition of Italy in the final, in Warsaw Poland. Also in soccer, FC Barcelona forward Lionel Messi set the record for most goals scored in a calendar year, with 90 goals. In college football, there was the presentation of the Heisman Trophy to a freshman for the first time since its inception in 1935. Johnny Manziel threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns, as he led Texas A&M to a 10—2 record in their first season in the Southeastern Conference. Closer to home, Illinois Tech’s Men’s Soccer went 8—9—2 in a season which saw them lose to St. Xavier University in the first round of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletics Conference semi—final, while the Women’s team narrowly missed out on playoffs with a 4—12—1 overall record. Men’s soccer striker Liam Barrett was named on the 2012 NAIA Men’s Soccer All—American honorable mention team, as well as being named CCAC Player of the Season, scoring 17 goals, and providing six assists. In cross—country, the Men’s team finished sixth of twelve in the CCAC Championships, while the Women’s team went two better, finishing fourth. Alaskan Abby Iahn had a terrific team for the women’s cross country team in particular, finishing in the top 30 at the NAIA national championships, while also claiming the CCAC Runner of the Year award, after winning the CCAC Conference meet on November 3. Women’s volleyball finished 12—23 overall, with sophomore middle blocker Taylor Duman being named to the CCAC 2nd Team All—Conference. Iunior libero Brittany Mead, and senior middle blocker Samandy Fulgence, each earned CCAC All—Academic honors. Also, in their first season since being reformed, the Men’s basketball team finished 4—14. In Swimming & Diving, the Scarlet Hawks sent 14 swimmers to the national championships in Oklahoma City. At the event, the team broke four school records, and won two national titles. The Men’s team finished fifth of sixteen teams, while the Women finished eighteenth of nineteen. Ian McNair won the national championship title for the 3M diving, and was also named the 2013 NAIA Male Diver of the Year. Finally, the baseball team finished 11—26 overall, and 10—19 in the CCAC. They now look forward to the CCAC tournament in Whiting, IN, starting April 30, along with a game against the Maranatha Baptist Bible College at US Cellular Field 7 home of the Chicago White Sox 7 on May 7. @— And now...a comic! Sam Kepp TECHNEWS WRITER ISSUE OF THE WAIT. . . THIS IS THE LANTECHNEWS SEMESTER? m w BUT THAT MEANS THAT THE SEMESTER NTLL Be ENDING sooN. .. AND THAT MEANS THEREB A LOT OF WORK TO no. .. WORRY, WORRY, wow, 817‘ ILL SAM EVER STOP woRRY, WORRY, WORRY, WORRY, WORRY, WGRRY, worm, WORRY, WORN... WORRYING’? TUNE IN NEXT SEMESTER To FIND OUTl (HAVE A GREAT SUMMER, BIEKYBODY‘.)