By DEVIN QUINLIN

Game 1 | Zards: 80 - Not A Dime Back: 85

NADB Stay On Top in Comeback Win Vs. Zards

It’s no secret that NADB have climbed their way to the top of the CAC A League through their defensive cohesiveness, lights-out three point shooting, and above all, their insane team chemistry. At the same time, though, there’s no shortage of talent on this team, and their top guys are as good as anyone’s. They entered this game without Connor, Black, and Coulter, finding themselves down 37-44 at the half. Zards had three fill-ins, but with all three playing at a high level, NADB needed to respond. They did just that, finishing the game shooting a staggering fourteen of twenty-five (56%) from deep, accumulating 21 assists as a team, and knocking down their free-throws in crunch time. They finished this one off with an 85-80 victory, moving to 3-0 on the season and boasting the league’s best defense through three games.

Even without three of their top players, NADB still boasts the league’s best point guard in Jon Luster, and he showed out once again in this one. Luster shot six of eleven from downtown to finish with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. After a relatively quiet first half, Luster hit a flurry of threes in the second to bring his team into the lead, and he proceeded to go a perfect eight for eight from the free-throw line to ice the game. He just doesn’t make mistakes, always limiting turnovers, shooting efficiently, and coming up clutch when he’s called on. Dre Kontopidis was also stellar in this one, dominating inside and in the mid-range as usual, but also going three of five from three. He finished with 23 points, 7 boards, and a game-high 6 assists, picking apart Zards’ zone defense from the free-throw line extended. Marcus Giese was solid inside, adding a 13 point, 12 rebound double-double, plus 1 block and 3 assists, and one thunderous dunk off an inbounds play. He does a phenomenal job on defense, especially keeping guys off the offensive glass, and he also drew a charge, a true men’s league hero. Mike Synott stepped up majorly on offense, hitting two threes and a crazy lefty floater to finish with 12 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. His defense and ball movement are always top notch, complementing his teammates well, but he continues to step up his scoring when called upon. Chris Cusano missed his first three threes, in the first half, but distributed the ball well to finish with 5 assists before the intermission. In the second half, he hit some clutch threes down the stretch to hold the lead, and finished with an impressive 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals, impacting both ends. Altogether a fantastic effort from all five players on NADB, with the stars showing up and the role playing rising to the occasion to keep the win streak rolling.

Weird outing for Zards, who had three players filling in, but all of whom played well. Dan Wohl led the scoring as usual, pouring in 25 points, plus 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot six of thirteen from three, showing off his three level scoring ability and coming alive in the second half to keep Zards in the game amidst the NADB second half push. Matt Karpowicz had a stellar game filling in, dominating inside with an 18 point, 11 rebound double-double, including two threes and some strong finishes at the rim. He also came up with 5 assists and 1 steal, showing some impressive court vision and generating ample scoring opportunities with screen assists for shooters. Mike LastName filled in at the point, putting up 18 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 2 steals, getting to the rim at will with a shifty handle and quick first step. He hit a few threes and facilitated well, and he actually did a nice job keeping Luster in check for most of the game with steady ball pressure. Dom Mastascusa was the final fill-in, and he showed off some nifty footwork down low and a smooth jumper as well. He finished with 17 points and 10 boards (4 offensive), and was a force on the interior all game. Craig Melillo struggled in this one, finishing with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. A longstanding elite shooter in this division, he will see better days and bounce back in the coming weeks, but he could not find the range in this one, as Zards fall to 1-2 on the season.

Game 2 | Spida Men: 81 - Team Takeover: 63

Spida Men Put Together Strong Second Half, Cruise to Victory

In our second 5v5, no-sub matchup of the evening, the Spida Men turned to their size advantage against Team Takeover’s four guard, one big lineup. With a tight 38-32 lead at the half, the Spida Men turned it up in the second period. They dominated the glass, finishing with 42 team rebounds to just 30 for Team Takeover, and with Jamal Brown back in the lineup, Team Takeover had no answer for for Spida Men’s fast paced offense. The Spida Men would go on to win this game, 81-63.

Danny Martin Jr. was the biggest beneficiary of Brown’s return, as he finished with a dominant 38 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He shot four of five from the free-throw line, and he picked up tons of easy buckets by sprinting in transition, where his team always does a nice job finding him and rewarding his motor. He also displayed his signature righty hook shot, getting to his spots at will and finishing effectively as always. Jamal Brown returned with a triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, making an immediate impact. He had some strong finishes inside and did a fantastic job distributing in transition, as he frequently pushes the break off of a defensive board. He still can’t shoot, but his return is a welcome sight for the Spida Men. Tim Gallivan had a strong game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. His defensive presence inside alters tons of shots, and he always comes up with a few blocks and tons of rebounds as well. His finishing on offense, paired with the threat of his long ball, opens up a ton of room for his team to operate and get to their spots, and his versatility as a player is a huge part of Spida Men’s success. Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown made his season debut with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, and he looked comfortable attacking closeouts off the catch, while Cedric White added 4 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in a well rounded effort as a role player in this one. Without Mazz to jack threes, the Spida Men rely heavily on their old-school, low-post style of play, and it worked fabulously in this one. They pick up their first win of the season after some solid performances against two of the league’s best teams.

Team Takeover falls to 0-3 on the season, and their lack of size really hurt them in this game. Jared Johnson continues to score at a high clip, finishing with 24 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He attacks effectively from the perimeter with some strong finishes and beautiful floater package, and while his shot has been off this session, he has proven to be a reliable shooter in the past. Michel Toney stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists (team high), 5 steals (game high), and 1 block. He knocked down three triples, facilitated effectively, and brought his usual defensive intensity with a nice chasedown block and 5 steals as well. Trevor Parker added 11 points, 9 boards, 1 assist, and 3 steals, playing decently but not quite up to his standards. Combined, these three shot five of twenty-four (20.8%) from three, which isn’t going to cut it against the shooting prowess of the other teams in this league. Sana Dahaba hit two of his five three-point attempts, finishing with 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Dahaba has been very solid this session, proving to be a solid shooter and reliable ball handler as well. Julian Beach did an admirable job down low in this game as his team’s only real big. He finished with 7 points, 9 rebounds (4 offensive), 2 steals, and 2 blocks, battling hard against Spida Men’s bigs and doing a lot of the dirty work on defense. There are a lot of positives on this roster, but Team Takeover will need to improve from three and on defense to pick up some wins as the season wears on.

Game 3 | Suffolk: 63 - West Coast Shooters: 88

West Coast Shooters Win In Another Offensive Masterclass

West Coast Shooters continue to run circles around their opponents in the regular season, shooting a ridiculous seventeen of thirty-five from three and tallying 24 assists and 12 steals as a group. Their offensive explosiveness paired with the defensive focus of guys like Tam and Pattyson from the Shooters Shoot squad make this a fearsome team on both ends. Suffolk was without Bolden Brace, and WCS took full advantage with a commanding 46-33 lead at the half. The second half was much of the same, as they expanded their lead, winning 88-63.

Jack Simonds made his session debut and was the best player on the floor in this one. He shot three of five from deep and I’m not sure I saw him miss a mid-range jumper all night. The stretch-big finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists (game high), and 2 steals in the win, doing a bit of everything to lead his team in points and assists. Jordan Rote is another guy who can go get a bucket at any time, as he put up 19 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Rote shot three of six from three, canned all four of his free-throw attempts, and used his lightning quick first step to get downhill at will. Matt Pattyson followed up his 19 point performance last week with 17 this week, plus 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He shot four of five from deep and continues to show off his playmaking while maintaining his presence as an elite perimeter defender. Derek Retos hit another four threes to finish with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, while Stephen Tam was impactful, particularly on defense, with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Tom Palleschi led the team with 9 rebounds and Jack Fay chipped in 7 points and 3 assists, and West Coast Shooters find themselves with the league’s best record and the largest point differential.

Suffolk were missing perhaps the best player in the league in Bolden Brace, and it showed, as they only recorded 11 assists as a team. Logan O’Donnell stepped up with 20 points, 12 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. The big man has shown off some impressive footwork over the last two sessions, but knocked down three triples in this one as well. His offensive outburst adds a needed interior presence to open up space for shooters and George Grillakis on the drive. Grillakis also had a solid game, finishing with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. WCS definitely put an emphasis on containing his drives, but he was still able to attack effectively, drawing fouls and finishing well inside. He leads the league in scoring, is second in made 2pt fgs, and is first in both made and attempted free-throws. Nick Budesheim was extremely active in this game, and his high motor effort kept Suffolk in the game for stretches. He chipped in 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, and his 4 offensive rebounds were a game-high and a boost for his team. It wasn’t enough to pull out the win, but after showing some flashes in the first two games, it’s clear that Budesheim needs to be more active in Suffolk’s offensive game plan. Sam Holtze returned with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. As one of Suffolk’s top players on both ends, he will need to shake the rust off and return to form quickly with so many competitors in this division, though I’m confident he will bounce back immediately. Yusuf Liban added 2 points and 1 rebound, while fill-in Blake LastName chipped in 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. As a group, Suffolk shot three of twenty from deep and five of fifteen from the free throw-line, which can be chalked up to a bad performance from them. Still, without Brace to control the flow of the game, Suffolk struggled on offense and will need to be better going forward to get back in the win column.

Game 4 | Ronin Blood Warriors: 83 - We The Ones!: 61

Ronin Blood Warriors Massacre We The Ones in Glorified Pickup Game

This game got out of hand quickly, as Ronin Blood Warriors went up 51-28 at the half. A completely one-sided affair, RBWs were implementing a trap press near half court for much of the game, applying too much pressure with their length and athleticism for We The Ones to handle. After the half, we ran out the time quickly, as things just got more ugly as time wore on. After probably only 32 minutes of actual basketball (if you can call it that), the refs called the game and RBW walked away with an 83-61 victory.

Again, the effort and actual basketball being played in this game were questionable, but there were a few notable performances. Marcin Papla made his debut and started the game going a perfect seven of seven from three. He ended up shooting nine of thirteen, and while the defense wasn’t the best at times, there were some contested shots, and nine threes is nine threes no matter how you slice it. He finished with 27 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal, and I’m curious to see how he plays in a real game, though I think he’s made it clear he can shoot with anyone in this league. Deven Palmer added a smooth 22 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks, going about half speed. Not his best shooting performance at thirty percent from deep, but he was just a step ahead of everyone else on the court and will be able to get whatever he wants on offense, even in real games as well. Arinze Obiora was also impressive with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, knocking down four threes, while Ray Miller added 8 points and 5 steals and Guy Pistone chipped in 6 points and a game-high 8 assists. It’s still difficult to place RBW in the rankings, as they blew out WTOs in this game, beat Zards in a forfeit and barely lost to defending champion NADB. Time will tell, but they certainly have the talent to go far.

We The Ones were outclassed in this game, plain and simple. Ty Moore was not, though, as he shot ten of eighteen from three for 33 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Even though full court pressure, double-teams, and basically the entire defense focused on him, Moore was phenomenal, hitting deep threes of the dribble, sprinting around screens for looks off the catch, and generally being the only player on WTOs who could compete in this game. Moore is currently fifth in scoring among players who have played more than one game, and has been impressive in every outing this season. Other than that, big man Akim Sanni had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block, while Kahreem Blake chipped in 5 points, 9 boards, and 3 assists. Jordan Carter hit a three for 3 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, but ultimately there just wasn’t much to write home about for WTOs, who were missing Jalen Bruce and Grady Levi sorely in this one. They move to 0-3 on the seaso

By: JAY SHAH

WEEK 4 9/26

CCC Studios (61) v. Treys for Days (49)

Studios ride massive first half to comfortable win over Treys

After an 0-2 start, CCC Studios clearly knew they needed a spark. They got it in the form of Nick Bates and Rodney joining/returning to their lineup, and both teammates immediately showed out to lead the team in scoring. Bates was a master on the inside, grabbing 8 makes in the paint as he maneuvered around the various defenders the Treys sent his way with relative ease, not seeming to break a sweat splitting a double team or backing down a bigger defender on his way to 18 points. The only place he faltered at all was the free throw line, where he made only 40% of his tries, but his ability to get himself there remained plenty valuable. Meanwhile, Rodney had a stellar first half especially, making 3 shots from both the paint and beyond the arc, often pulling up from well past the line - clearly, he was extremely confident in his stroke and it showed as he shot over 40% from three. Chris Voukides was a late arrival but immediately made his impact felt, cashing in twelve points, also primarily from downtown. Mike Salis played the point guard role once again for this team, as he dished 5 assists and grabbed the most boards on the team to clean up the glass and dribble the ball up while setting up the offense for this team. CCC Studios looked somewhat hapless in their open to the season, but with these reinforcements in tow and their team in full gear, they look pretty frightening once again - look for them to get a serious roll going here in the midseason.

The Treys for Days had a miserable first half defensively, as it seemed like every trip CCC had down the floor against them, the Treys let in a bucket. They were doubled up at half in what was the worst halftime deficit so far this season in the league, heading into the break needing only to double their 22 points to match CCC Studios’ 44. The squad as a whole stepped it up in a big way in the second half, led once again by Dana Flood, who scored 16 points to lead the team as he looked aggressively for his own shot in the latter half. George Thissell was right behind Flood, scoring exclusively on the interior as he leveraged his size against a relatively small CCC team to decent success. It was a solid formula for the two as Thissell and Flood were both magnetic offensive presences in their respective areas (the paint and the perimeter, respectively) to allow their teammates to operate in the space in between. Chief beneficiary was Sam Issenberg, who used that space to drive to the interior time and again and drew foul after foul; Issenberg took an incredible 10 free throw attempts, though he was only able to sink 4 of them. It was a tough game after a solid win against Eastie Hoops the last time out, so they’ll be looking to get over .500 once again against a Wat Rats team coming off their own get-right win.

Next up:
CCC Studios (1-2) at Skelton’s Boys (2-1) - 10/3 6:30p
Treys for Days (2-2) v. Wat Rats (2-1) - 10/3 7:30p

Men’s League (71) v. Skelton’s Boys (59)

Men’s League hold on to early lead, withstanding each Skelton run on way to big win

Men’s League started up 3 to 0 due to Skelton wardrobe issues, and they never ended up relinquishing their lead in securing a wire-to-wire victory. The first half opened extremely well for them, with them building a significant lead to pad their initial buffer. Skelton’s Boys, however, playing with only their 5 starters and no bench, put up a significant fight, with Erik Petit in particular putting the team on his back en route to his team-leading 20 points. At the tail end of the first half, Petit, Henry Bayly and Doug Horan each put in huge buckets for Skelton to cut Men’s League’s lead from 12 at its apex to a much more manageable 5 going into the break. In the second half, Elijah Anderson got his shot going, making 4 of his 8 attempts from three and providing crucial rim protection against the suddenly oversized Men’s League squad. His 2 blocks and 12 points were crucial for Skelton as they tried to prevent Men’s League from running away on the scoreboard. The closest the margin ever got was 4 points after the first bucket of the game was scored midway through the second half, as Skelton’s Boys just couldn’t seem to find the bottom of the net at just the right time. Horan had the look of someone who in the second half could potentially break through with that game-tying basket, but his 16 points could not bring a tie to fruition. 

James Morse and Tyler Seibring led the way for Men’s League, scoring 16 and 15 points respectively. Both players used their size all over the court in fact, securing 5 steals and 2 blocks between them along with 10 boards. Morse dialed back his attempts from deep to some degree, instead leveraging his touch to make tough shots inside as he drove into the paint for his most effective usage of the night; he drew 3 shooting fouls and converted all but one attempt from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, Seibring scored inside as well but had a nice touch from deep, sinking 2 of his 3 attempts from there. Jack Anton and George Schultz held a co-lead in assists for the team, with 3 apiece, each getting theirs in a different manner, with Anton finding opportunistic cutters and Schultz dealing it to open shooters. Will Childs-Klein added 10 points on the inside, being fed with great entry passes and even throwing down a dunk on the fast break. It was a resilient performance from Men’s League, as they weathered each punch Skelton could manage without ever giving in. When they have all their players, this team is scary.

Next up:
Men’s League (3-1) at Eastie Hoops (0-3) - 10/3 8:30p
Skelton’s Boys (2-1) v. CCC Studios (1-2) - 10/3 6:30p

Wat Rats (58) v. Markit Basketball (48)

Back-and-forth first half turns testy down the stretch as Wat Rats pull out huge win

The game started out as well as possible for Markit Basketball, once again the most well-attended team on the slate this Tuesday night after being caught lacking last week. They won the tip and raced out to a pretty significant lead from there, at one point in the first half firing to a 22 to 11 lead and looking like they might have a dominant night with nearly all of their players available. The Wat Rats, however, answered with an incredible run to end the half, outscoring Markit Basketball 17 to 6 down the stretch to tie the game going into the break. The matchup was characterized primarily on both sides by voluminous turnovers - neither team could seem to take care of the ball, including one stretch midway through the first half wherein the teams combined for 5 straight turnovers without a shot attempt, followed by a timeout by the Wat Rats, followed by another turnover. It was a sloppy game, but at least the scorekeeper was generous with the steal numbers, with Markit Basketball and the Wat Rats each totalling 12 steals on the night. 

The second half turned from messy to feisty as frustration started to mount for both teams in a tough game to watch. Ian Shang and Anthony Coppola had a small dust-up, exchanging words as the refs stopped the game to separate them - luckily, Shang and Coppola made up just a few minutes later as the game wore on. The Wat Rats’ other Coppola was amazingly the highest scorer in the league on Tuesday night, grabbing 23 points solely on looks from inside the arc and including 7 points (on a massive 14 attempts) from the free throw line. Any improvement on his touch from the stripe could see M. Coppola consistently being the league’s leading scorer, a title he’s already competing for at this point. A. Coppola and Matt Coffey rounded out the top trio on offense for the Wat Rats, coming away with 14 and 11 points respectively. For the Markiters, Raj Patel found his shooting stroke once again to come away with 11 points to lead the squad, but behind him it was a very egalitarian spread, as Victor Chang had 8, George Phillips had 7, and both Shang and Kevin Dorosh had 6 points. The Wat Rats came away looking like a complete team led by star Marco Coppola who seemingly cannot be stopped, while Markit Basketball will be looking forward to getting itself right (and hopefully getting Cameron Gleichauf back into the fold) during its bye next week.

Next up:
Wat Rats (2-1) at Treys for Days (2-2) - 10/3 7:30p
Markit Basketball (2-2) - BYE

3 Stars:

• James Morse (Men’s League) - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks
• Marco Coppola (Wat Rats) - 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 5 steals, 1 block
• Nick Bates (CCC Studios) - 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block

Power Rankings:

1. Men’s League (+1)
2. Wat Rats (+3)
3. Skelton’s Boys (-2)
4. CCC Studios (+3)
5. Markit Basketball (-2)
6. Treys for Days (-2)
7. Eastie Hoops (-1)

Week 3 Write-ups

By: DEVIN QUINLIN

WEEK 3 9/19

Game 1 | Splash City: 39 - Bear: 66

Bears Pick Up First Win in Dominant Fashion

After two fairly competitive games against the league’s top two teams, the Bears finally land a win against Splash City. Up 40-12 at the half, this game was never in doubt, and the Bears won by a decisive final of 66-39.

John Bowllan led the scoring with 17 points on three of five shooting from three, adding 11 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Bowllan has been extremely active on both ends for the Bears this session, but finally got his offense going in this game, making some impressive fade-away threes from the corner and finishing well inside on the break. Danny Shapiro put up 13 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists (game-high), and 2 steals in the win, going three of six from deep and facilitating well from the point guard spot. He also had a mean ankle breaker in the mid-range on a stepback, making his defender touch earth. Will Estes was on fire in the first half, finishing with another double-double of 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 assist. His offensive production has been a bright spot for the Bears this session, and his defensive rebounding has always been stellar. Will Ross still looked a bit rusty, but shot three of five from three to finish with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Paul Cooley finished with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal with some nice passes and finishes inside (even though Mark took one away). Baris Durgun added 5 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals in the win, bringing solid defensive play, while Ted Blake was instrumental in the win with only 2 points, but 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He facilitates incredibly well from the free-throw line extended and gets his team so many extra possessions with his offensive rebounding. Fill-in Rory Palmer added 5 points and 9 rebounds. Overall a strong game for the Bears, and the first win in the young career of interim head coach Sam Blomberg. It’s been reported that former head coach Jason Behrens shed a single tear upon hearing the news of Blomberg’s first career win.

Splash City just couldn’t get much going on offense in this one, going four of twenty-seven from three and generating only 5 assists as a team. Bryden Goings finished with 13 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal, shooting an impressive three of five from deep and hitting both of his free-throw attempts. Definitely a solid game from him in the backcourt, while point guard Mike Pang also played solid with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. He had some crafty finishes at the rim, converting two and-ones and definitely providing a steadying presence for his team. Other than that, there wasn’t much production from Splash City. Matt Wulbrecht finished with 5 points and 3 boards, Colman Shea added 4 points, 7 boards, and 1 steal, and Ben Bennet chipped in 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal. Just not a lot of cohesion among this group, though there is some talent on the roster. They will see better days.

Game 2 | Team Ahern: 54 - Pirates: 47

Team Ahern Pull Out Strong Win Against Pirates

Team Ahern have seemingly found their groove, moving to 2-1 on the season and looking like one of the top teams in this division. With the Pirates making their debut, I wasn’t sure what to expect from them, but they look to be a solid team as well. Still, Team Ahern led 25-20 at the half and maintained their lead to finish the game with a 54-47 win.

Nick Martin was impressive for Team Ahern, using his size to dominate both ends. He finished with 15 points, 11 rebounds (5 offensive), and 1 steal, finishing well inside but also showing off some Dirk-esque one-legged fadeaways in the mid-range. He will be their key player going forward. Anthony Scanzo-Masiero still needs to be added to the roster, but he is a long-range sniper, going four of ten in this one to finish with 16 points and 5 rebounds. This guy is a professional chucker, and as a chucker myself I absolutely love to see it. Does he take terrible shots? Yes. Did he hit four threes when no one else in this game hit more than one? Also yes. Shooters shoot! Ethan Collins finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds (3 offensive), and 2 blocks. He couldn’t quite get his mid-range shot going, but he still had a major impact on both ends. Eric Bauman finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal, and I would love to see him look for his shot more, as he’s proven to be an efficient three-point shooter, albeit on low volume. Cam Letalien finished with 1 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists (game-high), 1 steal, and 2 blocks, showing off his versatility and distributing well to cutters and shooters, while Zach Gordon was tough inside with 3 points, 10 rebounds (4 offensive), 1 steal, and 1 block. Dave Bonaiuto hit a three to finish with 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal, while Doug Watford added 4 boards and 1 assist in the win. Strong performance from Team Ahern, who definitely seem to be getting more comfortable playing with each other.

The Pirates had a lot of unforced errors in this one, which I will chalk up to first game jitters. Other than that, they looked like a solid group and I expect them to be competitive. Nick Fay was getting his all game, putting up 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals on some strong takes inside. He also hit a three and shot three of four from the charity stripe, establishing himself as his team’s main offensive threat early in the season. Patrick O’Loughlin had a strong 10 point, 13 rebound double-double, plus 2 assists and 1 steal. As a guard, 13 defensive rebounds is impressive, and he also had some nice drives to the rim. Mike Cellucci added 10 points of his own to go along with 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He shot zero for five from three, but his form and the eye test tell me that he will be the main shooting threat on this team, and I expect him to start canning a few threes every game once he finds his rhythm. Ian Vieira finished with 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists, but he should’ve had more dimes as his team missed some easy layups. Either way, he did well driving and facilitating. Tom Banks added 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, while Myles O’Loughlin chipped in 2 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block, with both guys making a strong impact on defense. A lot of bright spots here for the Pirates, who look to be a solid team but will need to show out against one of the other top teams to establish themselves as a top team instead of a middle team.

Game 3 | Plenty of Lotion: 65 - The Substitutes: 36

POL Move to 3-0 In Easy Win

Much like the first game, not much to say here. Plenty of Lotion are a top two team in this division and they just outmatched the Substitutes in every facet of the game. With a 43-14 lead at the half, this game was never close, and POL win by a decisive 65-36 final score.

Guy Pistone continues to do his thing, finishing with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. He shot five of nine from three, even though someone on the Substitutes kept yelling to let him shoot, which was just strange behavior given that they shot seven of thirty-four from deep as a team. Either way, Pistone is the clear second best player in this division, and he will continue to lead his team game after game. Drew DeBari got his three ball going, shooting three of seven to the tune of 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, always solid and reliable in the backcourt as a shooter and facilitator. Anthony McDaniels added 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Yancy Brown was active with 8 points (two of four from three), 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. Dan Ollquist and Garrett Vinett were in a rebounding battle with each other despite being on the same team. Ollquist finished with 4 points, 16 rebounds (4 offensive), 2 assists, and 3 steals, while Vinett came up with 3 points, 17 rebounds (5 offensive to get the edge), 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Even without the scoring, both guys were instrumental in the win, and absolutely dominated the glass. Solid performance from POL, who face off against Miyagi-Fang next week in the battle of the top top teams.

The Substitutes just didn’t have it tonight without Yianni Grupen. Doug Law stepped up with 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists, shooting four of thirteen from deep and making some nice passes from the top of the key to penetrate POL’s zone defense. Other than that, no one else scored in double figures. Matt West hit two threes for 6 points and 5 rebounds, Ryan Pitcher put up 5 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in a well-rounded game. Gal Hulli grabbed 11 rebounds to go along with 4 points and 2 assists, while Lexi Kimball put up 4 points and 3 boards in the loss. M. Rutherford (add him to the roster please), was active with 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, but the Substitutes will need more offensive production to win some games this session.

B2 5v5 THU Week 3 Write-Ups

By: JAY SHAH

WEEK 3 9/21

Lexington Steals (53) v. Furious Rim Ticklers (60)

Yeakley’s three point shooting downs the Steals as Lexington’s post work goes unrewarded

The Lexington Steals squad didn’t manage to come away with the win today, but it did seem like they found their groove scoring, or at least had a strong offensive game plan they can draw from in the future. Specifically, Scott Saveriano and James Long operated primarily down low out of the post, and were consistently able to either back their defenders down with their size and strength or operate around them with crafty spin moves. They led the team in scoring with 15 and 14 points respectively, also using their positioning down low to make passes to the outside when their offensive prowess began to draw double teams and their teammates did a nice job kicking the rock around the perimeter to find open shots. Eli Brick especially did a great job finding teammates, including a near alley-oop to Saveriano for one of his four assists. A few more makes from behind the arc would’ve made a huge difference in this contest; look for the Steals’ shooting luck to improve on open looks and an uptick in points on the board to follow.

Jeff Yeakley, in contrast, couldn’t seem to miss after his first few shots for the Furious Rim Ticklers. Yeakley ended with an incredible seven makes from three point range on fifty percent shooting, even using the threat of his deep ball to draw a foul on an attempt on his way to a team- and night-leading 26 points. Yancy Brown and Drew DeBari saw how hot he was from range and found him over and over again, dishing a combined nine assists in the process. DeBari and Brian Phillips rounded out the top trio of scoring for the Rim Ticklers, as DeBari followed Yeakley’s lead in cashing in from deep (also on fifty percent shooting) while Phillips took advantage of the gaping holes in the paint created by the team’s outside shooting to put buckets in from the paint, though he also fired away from range. Despite the team’s name, the Rim Ticklers seem to live and die on their three ball, and on this Thursday night they couldn’t have done much better.

Next up:
Lexington Steals (0-3) v. NNHS (2-1) - 9/28 9:00p
Furious Rim Ticklers (2-1) at A Team Has No Name (1-2) - 9/28 6:00p

Run and Gun (49) v. NNHS (56)

Run and Gun fall apart late as NNHS pulls even and then ahead in second half

Run and Gun had it going early, as they went into the half with a 7 point lead (up 25 to 18). The deep, well-attended roster was full of contributors, with Eduardo Deleon returning to a featured role with 23 points, including 4 of 9 shooting from deep and 3 of 4 from the charity stripe. The wily guard often took over possessions on his own, whether deciding to pull up off the dribble from behind the arc and finding the bottom of the net in critical game situations or driving along the baseline and twirling up a crafty lay-in. Stevy Alves, the team’s tallest player, was able to operate close to the basket, and the threat of his size caused NNHS to foul him repeatedly, as Alves made 5 separate trips to the line. However, Alves was unable to make them pay for fouling him, and instead bailed them out by shooting only 3 of 9 from there - a crucial 6 points to miss out on, given the final differential of 7. Robinson Tejeda was another crucial piece for the team Thursday night, as his inside scoring and three steals helped keep Run and Gun ahead early, able to match baskets with NNHS despite their prolific second half. Jeremy “Jermz” Gomes and player/coach Rafael Figuereo got themselves going from deep, as they combined for 3 makes from behind the arc on 6 attempts - look for both to shoot more going forward on this roster loaded with disparate talent. Run and Gun did, however, have some trouble with the refs due to their vocal nature, as their callouts from the bench got to the point where Anton Polanco drew a technical, leading to a couple free points for NNHS.

NNHS played a unique style of game in this league, taking only 6 threes and making none of them. Instead, the team combined for a massive 22 makes from inside, relying on driving layups and midrange jumpers to make their hay. Charlie Rao led the team in energy and in scoring, parlaying his steal, 3 blocks, and 4 offensive boards into 14 points almost entirely from within the paint, with a couple more chances just rimming out. Rao continues to come on strong for this team. Matt Wood backed Rao up in scoring, grabbing 13 points for himself as his 3 attempts from three fell short, but his touch from midrange was dialed in. Mike Gately did an excellent job at all the little things in this one once again, crashing the boards hard and skying high for rebounds and finding his teammates for a team-leading 3 assists. Spencer Schneider, the team’s third-leading scorer with 8 points, used his height to great effect on both ends, leaping over defenders as he drove to the hoop while also compiling 2 steals, 3 blocks, and 3 offensive boards. The team was down at half and searching for answers, and it appeared the halftime break provided those for NNHS, as they stormed back quickly to tie the game with 13 minutes left in the second, scoring again right after to force a Run and Gun timeout. They didn’t look back after that, never relinquishing the lead again.

Next up: 
Run and Gun (0-3) at Julius Swerving (2-1) - 9/28 8:00p
NNHS (2-1) at Lexington Steals (0-3) - 9/28 9:00p

Calypso North Stars (57) v. A Team Has No Name (54)

Three point shooting carries the day for North Stars once again as Evans’ work inside comes up just short in furious rally by No Name

The Calypso North Stars have been watching lots of Golden State Warriors basketball the last few years, as they made only 8 baskets from within the three point line and combined for a massive 36 attempts from deep, cashing 12 of them (33%) for over half of their 57 points. Tony Caletti once again led the way for the team in scoring with 5 of those makes on his way to 23 points, and Trevor Britton followed closely behind with 4 more to compose the entirety of his 12 points. Britton started quite slowly in terms of shooting, as he spotted up time and again from deep in the first half but was consistently unable to find the bottom of the net. But with the first half winding down and A Team Has No Name looking to take a slim 1-point lead into the break, Britton pulled up and heaved a prayer from half court that splashed in for a 2-point North Stars lead. Jake was a key piece defensively, as he grabbed a steal and the 2 of the team’s 3 blocks, crucial to providing some paint presence against an offense that wanted nothing more than to live under the basket. Also of note was that the North Stars seemed to be thrown by the court change this week, as the first half saw them turn the ball over repeatedly by shooters with their heels out of bounds along the left sideline; they cleaned this tendency up throughout the matchup.

Micah Evans (NOT also known as Michael Chroney) starred again for A Team Has No Name, driving over and over, contorting to find an angle that afforded enough space to put up a solid jumper or layup. He had 7 makes from within the paint and took 6 trips on top of that to the free throw line. He unfortunately wasn’t able to cash in on a regular enough basis for the No Name’s, making only 5 of his incredible 11 attempts, but his activity on the court in general speaks to his level of involvement in the game. Evans ended the contest with 19 points, 3 steals, a block, 3 assists, and 7 boards, including an impressive 3 on the offensive glass that he regularly efficiently finished or from which he found an open shooter. Steven McGuire led the way on the boards, cleaning up the North Stars’ misses with 11 defensive boards, and piling on 3 blocks as well as he effectively stonewalled the paint off from their advances. Eric Bradanese was firing away from deep once again, cashing 15 points including his 3 makes from deep and also grabbing a couple steals and a block. Ben Seyoum and Evans were key in the No Name’s late game push, as the North Stars clung to a relatively slim lead while Evans and Seyoum pushed relentlessly to tie the game up in regulation. The two went back and forth, with Seyoum scoring a final minute bucket to pull the team within 3 - unfortunately, the No Name’s lack of timeouts led to a desperation heave from Evans at the buzzer from midcourt that caromed harmlessly off the backboard.

Next up:
Calypso North Stars (3-0) at BADDIES (2-1) - 9/28 7:00p
A Team Has No Name (1-2) v. Furious Rim Ticklers (2-1) - 9/28 6:00p

Julius Swerving (43) v. BADDIES (53)

BADDIES grab first legitimate win of the season facing off against short-handed Swerving in much needed get-right game

It was an extremely egalitarian scoring performance from the BADDIES, as each player saw significant minutes in a tight 6-man rotation and everyone scored at least 5 points. Matt Roberts scored 10 solid points, coming on especially in the second half with some mid range jumpers and crafty, up and under layups that belied his size. In the first half Roberts still operated largely from the low post, but he looked to pass more than score, finding cutters and shooters on the perimeter as he surveyed the floor looking out above his opponents as he dished 4 assists. Michael Weinstein and Alan Gomez tied for the team lead in points with 12 apiece, combining for an additional 8 assists and making 4 three balls. They were an effective backcourt, with Weinstein bringing the ball up and Gomez playing as a prototypical shooting guard. It was a great team game for the team, getting their first actual win of the season over a team that’s had significant success to open the slate this year.

Meanwhile, Julius Swerving was missing each of its top 3 scorers from their win last week over the Lexington Steals, and they felt the deficit, struggling hard to score points on any sort of consistent basis. The BADDIES raced out to a massive first half lead, at one point down 13 to 2 in the opening 10 minutes. Dan Popko got the team going and was largely their only bright spot, especially early as no one else could seem to bank any points at all, as the team went into halftime down 14, with only 18 points themselves. Swerving did manage to turn things around in the second half, even winning the half by 4 points, but by that point, they had been dug into a hole too deep to climb out of. Devon Yablonski and Dave were able to supplement Popko’s 19 points with some shooting from deep of their own, with Dave contributing 10 points. Popko and Yablonski also starred on the defensive end, combining for 6 steals and 2 blocks, while Popko really did it all, coming up with 10 boards as well, including 2 on the offensive glass. Look for Julius Swerving to come back in a big way next week if they get some of their offensive stars back in action. 

Next up:
Julius Swerving (2-1) v. Run and Gun (0-3) - 9/28 8:00p
BADDIES (2-1) v. Calypso North Stars (3-0) - 9/28 7:00p

3 Stars:

• Jeff Yeakley (Furious Rim Ticklers): 26 points (7/14 3PM), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
• Dan Popko (Julius Swerving): 19 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 block
• Tony Caletti (Calypso North Stars): 23 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Power Rankings:

1. Calypso North Stars (+3)
2. Furious Rim Ticklers (+3)
3. NNHS (+1)
4. Julius Swerving (-3)
5. NNHS (-1)
6. BADDIES (+2)
7. Lexington Steals (0)
8. Run and Gun (-2)

Corporate 5v5 Week 2 Write-Ups

By: JAY SHAH

Big Ballers LLC (31) v. Fast PP (38)

Lack of bench dooms Big Ballers as Fast PP has stamina to finish

The star for Fast PP was Barry Scudder-Davis, who finished with thirteen points to lead Fast PP to victory. He had one of Fast PP’s two three pointers, and dominated defensively, leveraging his strength and athleticism to nab four steals. The biggest difference between the two teams, however, was not Fast PP’s overwhelming talent but rather their deep bench, especially in comparison to Big Ballers, who had to play their five starters for the entirety of the contest. Andrew Zaccardi and Zack Driscoll both posted five points to tie for second-leading scorers for Fast PP, with Zaccardi posting a couple assists and Driscoll with three of his own. Ilya Yudkovich and Garrison Doodlesack led the effort on the boards, grabbing nine boards apiece, including a total of five for the team on the offensive glass. Yudkovich, while not scoring much himself (two points), led the team’s backcourt, barely coming off the court at all as he directed the team’s offense, dribbled the ball up the floor, and set effective plays for Fast PP.

Meanwhile, Mertcan Cokbas led the entire league in scoring on September 18th, putting in twenty points, over sixty-five percent of his team’s total points. He was effective driving down low, grabbing six buckets in the paint as he used his strong left hand to force his way through a thicket of defenders time and again. Cokbas struggled, however, on his efficiency from beyond the three point line, making only two of his twelve attempts. He did have as tough a time making his thoughts known to the referees. Jonathan Fabry was the team’s facilitator, dish five dimes as well as making one of his four three point attempts. Sean Cunningham was the team's second-leading scorer, putting in six points, coming on much stronger and hunting for his own shot in the second half especially. The Big Ballers as a team started to put together a run or two in the latter half, but their eleven point halftime deficit was too much to overcome in the end, as their late scoring burst fell seven points short when the final buzzer sounded.

McBuckets of Nuggets (43) v. Chop Wood (40)

Chop Wood unable to finish out comeback attempt as McBuckets of Nuggets rides Cassel’s shooting to victory

Christopher Cassel did not have an excellent start shooting, but he found his stroke as the game wore on, and it proved to be the difference in the contest. With a final line of four of eleven from deep and just one shot in the paint, it was clear that Cassel knew exactly what his role is on this team and how to execute it. He also went to the charity stripe five times, managing to draw a foul on a three point attempt. Cassel put in work on the boards as well, grabbing seven boards to tie for the team lead with Brett Barclift, with the pair pulling down five on the offensive glass to provide crucial second chance buckets to propel the team to a narrow victory. Barclift and James Latham-Smith closely rounded out the top trio of scorers for McBuckets, scoring six points apiece. Marc Davenport chipped in with four points including a nice buzzer beater to end the first half. Look for McBuckets of Nuggets to score plenty going forward.

Chop Wood kept the game close throughout the matchup, led by Marc Napolitana with thirteen points. Robert Moran dominated the game on the glass, grabbing six boards on each end while chipping in a block and a steal, also leading Wood with two assists. Napolitana and Justin Haskard led the way in steals, nabbing two each. Maloney put up eleven points as the second-leading scorer for Chop Wood. The team never seemed to find a strong enough groove overall, however, scoring points in spurts but never sustaining a run long enough to grab a convincing lead, and as McBuckets of Nuggets heated up down the stretch (especially the aforementioned Cassel), Chop Wood didn’t seem to have the outside shooting to answer. In the end, it was a close call for McBuckets, but Chop Wood will have to be disappointed in their inability to grab the lead and hold on to it.

Vericel (30) v. Baldins (27)

Baldins come close but no cigar as Vericel leaves them hunting for one more bucket

In the lowest scoring contest of the night, Vericel spotted the Baldins an initial three to zero head start (due to wardrobe malfunctions), but the Baldins couldn’t hold the lead as Vericel outscored them thirty to twenty-four in regulation. Mitchell Crossman led Vericel on both ends of the court, scoring eleven points including two of his team’s three threes and stealing the ball three times in addition to a solid block. Crossman was all over the court, hounding Baldins’ ball handlers as soon as they crossed half court without fail throughout the game. Beyond Andrew Dunn (eight points), the rest of the Vericel squad couldn’t get too much going offensively, but they knew how to play the Baldins well enough that they squeaked out a victory. Dunn and Trevor Wells conducted the offense, dishing two assists apiece, while Sean Moose was a physical defensive presence, racking up four fouls along with a block. 

The Baldins were led by Luke Lindholm (eight points) and Madison Ryan (seven points), with the latter pulling up without much if any hesitation from behind the arc. She found her stroke near the end of the first half, making a huge triple, and doubled up in the second half with another. She led the team in three point attempts with eight, but for this team to succeed going forward, Ryan will probably need to keep firing with even more regularity. Lindholm was the best athlete on the floor, grabbing four steals to go with his four makes in the paint, as he cut across the court and to the hoop decisively on a number of occasions, with only the strongest of defensive efforts from Vericel putting a stop to his scoring. Sean Ryan starred in his role as the conductor of the offense, though he and the team will rue his missed chances at the charity stripe, as his one of four line from there represents the final deficit. This team was effective on the defensive end, switching constantly and communicating well enough to wall off the paint despite a distinct lack of size, but that did not transfer all that well to the offensive end, where the team struggled to score. The Baldins will need to find more ways to score going forward.

Los Market Baskets (31) v. HRP (32)

J. Flaherty and E. Walko trade buckets as HRP takes last minute lead to victory

Los Market Baskets will be disappointed in the outcome, as HRP took a lead in the final couple minutes which they never relinquished. John Flaherty scored half his team’s total points, making a solid thirty-three percent of his nine attempts from deep. Danny Hincks and Erik Zuk were key for HRP, each chipping in seven points, and John Hincks rounded out the team’s scoring with an inside basket of his own. HRP’s free throw shooting was less than stellar, as they made just two of their seven attempts from the line, but in the end, they had just enough on offense to pull out the win. D. Hincks was stellar for HRP in the other phases of the game, grabbing a steal, two blocks and three offensive boards (of a team-leading eight total) to put Los Market Baskets on their heels.

The Baskets were led in scoring by Ethan and Doug Walko, who poured in eighteen and six points respectively. D. Walko in particular looked like the best athlete on the floor, flying around for two steals and two blocks, as well as a team-high seven boards. E. Walko was a late arrival but immediately made his impact felt, grabbing passes from D. Walko and Nick Perkins and immediately turning downhill with smooth movement that affirmed his equally clean shooting stroke. Ethan put the ball in from around the court, cutting into the paint on dribble drives successfully five times while also making thirty-three percent of his six attempts from beyond the arc. Doug Walko and Jack Howland will feel some regret after their performances at the charity stripe, with each making only one of their combined eight attempts, failing to make more than thirty percent at the line in a one-point game. Look for the Walkos to step up even more going forward, as they were the engines of this team despite a disappointing loss.

WEEK 2 WRITE-UPS

By: HARRY DEMAKES & IAN CUNDALL

Quick start carries Gun Club to victory

Heading into the Gun Club, Civale matchup, the big news was Harry getting his reinforcements back as Nair, Karim and Big Guns were all in the gym and ready to play. Getting those three back was important for Harry as Eloi was still out. For Civale, Civale was ready to make his season debut which was much needed after the trouble they had scoring the week before. To the action!

The Gun Club lived up to their name to start this one as they came out firing from deep. For the first five minutes, they literally couldn’t miss. Nair, Puskas, Nair (4 point play), Karim and Nair hit five consecutive threes, while Civale’s team was struggling to hit the rim. It was 16-2 after this initial burst and then over the next three minutes things didn’t get much better as Harry pushed his lead further to 22-4 after a Nair layup and free throw. Nair was getting whatever shot he wanted, Harry was setting screens to force switches and Karim and Pushes were doing a good job spreading the floor. 

Civale’s team meanwhile was getting good looks, but just couldn’t capitalize, especially from deep. Joe hit an ugly three with six minutes left in the half that cut the lead to 23-13, but that would be their only three of the half as they went 1-10 from deep. Soon after that, two noteworthy events occurred as Guns got on the board with a nice runner and Civale blocked Harry into oblivion. That block was followed by a bucket from Remy and finally, the lead was down to single digits. The last few minutes of the half were played in a two point window, with Harry up by 9 or 11. The highlight was a strong take from Glynn where he got fouled also (missed the FT) and eventually things settled at halftime with Harry holding a 29-18 lead. 

Civale’s team closed the half on a 14-7 run as they finally got locked in defensively after that poor start. Joe was doing a much better job on Nair and Tom also had a couple impressive blocks. On offense, Remy led the way for them with six points, while Glynn chipped in five. For Harry, Nair was the majority of their offense with 20 first half points, while the rest of the team combined for nine.

The second half got going with Civale’s team continuing their run and cutting the lead to four at 30-26 as Civale was on fire. He knocked down a couple three's and was also finishing at the hoop. Nair was getting hounded every time he touched the ball as Civale had decided he was going to force Harry’s secondary players to beat him. Puskas took it upon himself to do that, knocking down a pair of threes and Karim hit one as well to push the lead back to 43-30 with 12 minutes left. Civale had seen enough after this run and called a timeout to try and stop the momentum.

Immediately after the timeout Harry’s team had a great sequence where Karim passed it to Harry who tipped it out immediately to Nair for a wide open three. This was Nair’s only field goal of the half, but it was a big one as it pushed the lead to 15. The game seemed over at this point and it looked like we were in for five minutes of garbage time to end the game. Harry’s team got really sloppy in this stretch and slowly Civale began to chip away at the lead. Joe hit his second three and all of a sudden the lead had been cut in half to eight at 49-41. Harry’s team answered immediately as Guns hit a deep three to push the lead back to 11. The game was surely over at this point, but Harry’s team kept missing free throws or turning the ball over and Remy and Civale hit a couple buckets to make it a six point game with 14 seconds left. I assumed Civale would foul to extend the game there, but he surprisingly didn’t and instead surrendered. Final score Gun Show 54, Civale 48.

Gun Show

Nair B+ - Strong start, but really struggled in the second half where he disappeared for long stretches.

Karim B- - Double-double is nice, but against better teams he’s going to have to contribute more on offense.

Puskas B - Hit three triples and provided good energy.

Harry C+ - Initiated the offense well, but would have liked to see a bit more scoring.

Guns C+ - Had to shake off the rust in the first half, but recovered and hit a clutch three in the second half.

Civale

Civale C - Carried his team on offense in the second half, but questionable game plan at the start was too much to overcome and his decision to not extend the game was puzzling.

Remy C+ - Hit a couple shots, but missed too many easy ones and took a lot of shots to get his 12 points.

Joe B- -  Played really well on defense outside of the first few minutes, but didn’t do enough on offense.

Glynn B+ - Had some nice moments on both ends including an acrobatic finish for an and one.

Clarke B - Really solid on defense including a couple blocks and almost double-digit rebounds.

Great One C - Didn’t have many opportunities, but did hit one three.  

Turnovers galore in the Miller Bowl!

This was our game of the night as Miller took on his old team from last season. Both teams were coming off easy week 1 wins and this was going to be a good test for both teams to see where they stand. Everyone was here, except for Danner. TO THE ACTION!

The opening half was just the beginning of this eye bleeding rock fight of missed threes and turnovers. At least Cam was able to mix in some assists as he led everyone with 6 first half assists. Lynch, was off from deep, but hit a couple jumpers to led his team with 9 first half points. Gray and Bauman combined for 12 in the first half. A welcomed site in a game where points were scarce. The other side was just as ugly, with Calderan leading all scorers with 10 points. The kind of start he was looking from himself, but the finish would be ugly. Miller was naturally firing away, but was taking a lot of tough shots which led to bad misses. He did score 7 in the first half, going 5/6 from the line.

This poor excuse of a basketball game went into the half tied. Both teams combined for 17 TOS and 15 missed threes. God help us all. BACK TO THE ACTION!

Thankfully for my sanity SDL Lynch joined the game in the second half and put poor Issac in the post torture chamber. He hit him with a wide variety of moves with some nifty footwork. Lynch would score 17 second half points and almost defeat the other team by himself. No one else on Cam’s team would go over the 4-point mark this half. Cam did pick up 4 more assists and added 3 more TOs, including the worst behind the back pass of anyone’s lifetime. Miller and company won’t keep fighting, but their offense was the absolute shits. They only registered 2 assists on the game and went a cool 0-12 from three. Not the numbers you would equate to offensive success. WOOF!

Miller lead his team 10 second half points, getting the majority from the line. This game was close until the 3 minute mark of the second half. That’s when Lynch dragged his team over the finish line. Hell of a game from him with his MVP running mate on the other side. Vault yourself into MVP consideration big dog. 58-46 Final Miller who?

Grades:
Cam B+: Cam was a couple buckets away from a triple double. Bad shooting night though and 5 turnovers. Did great on Miller though.
Lynch A+: Was the best player in this game by far.
DTO C-: Pretty mediocre showing, 0fer from deep and more TOs than assists,
Bauman B-; Double digit scoring is big, but was off from deep and I want some more boards.
KG D+; Great game to Ofer from deep.
Gray A: Gray looks a lot better freed from the clutches of Ian.

CALDERAN
Miller D: I’m going to be harsh on Miller here. 0 assists? Trash, help your teammates. Also, he should have been the best player on the floor and he wasn’t.
Paul B; Great first half, but went missing the next one.
Issac B: Solid showing, but did get cooked on defense. Nice double-double.
David C: Needs to look for his shit more.
Taha D: This pains me, but Taha is probably the best playmaker on this team. Can’t have 4 TOs

Hit or Miss living up to its last name!

I didn’t have high hopes for this game, because I knew where it was heading, but stranger things have happened. Both teams had everyone, which is a miracle for the 6:15p game. TO THE ACTION!

Nate’s team had a shitty first game, but they still showed up for this one. Props to them! This half had a similar beginning to their first game with Ghost getting loose early for buckets. He led the team with 9 first half points. Obviously, they need Ghost to get buckets and pretty much everyone else needs to contribute. Joel, had 6 first half points and Nate added 6 of his own, but of the other three guys only Troy added 3 points. This has to be a full team effort every week if they want to compete and not be everyone’s free win.

X Personalities pulled ahead in this one, thanks to Roberts feasting on poor Nate. I thought Nate might stand a chance guarding someone his size, but no dice. Roberts had 15 first half points. Koller joined his running mate with 10 points and secured the first half double-double. He also took another first half sub, he must be slowing down at his older age. X Personalities cruised into the half up 35/24. It was pretty clear where we were headed here. BACK TO THE ACTION!

Padavick joined his teammates in their stat padding game of the week. He had 12 second half points and a bunch of boards. Roberts went for seconds at the Nate buffet and Koller completed another half double-double. Ian led the team with 4 assists, 3 in the second half. The bench duo of Packard and OTTOMATIC were solid too. Good team building game. Hit or Miss went to die in the second half. They just can’t keep up with teams on either end so far. Nate scored 7 points in this half, Ghost 6 and Joel 5. That just isn’t nearly enough for this team. The secondary guys aren’t doing their part either. They did win the turnover battle though, so that’s a good thing. 73-49 X Personalities. They’ll get some competition next week against Noah’s team.

GRADES:
Koller A: Big man’s double double. Hit a three.
Padavick A-: Good showing, cut down on turnovers.
Roberts A: Another good scoring night. Ian B; Good all around game.
Packard B: Better showing this week.
OTTOMATIC B: Good Ott game, just off from deep.

HIT OR MISS
Joel D: Score points.
Nate B-: Solid job getting to the line, no TOs, only assists, but he got roasted on D.
Ghost B: Standard good Ghost game, but missed his FTs.
Troy D: Gonna need more than this pu pu platter of nothing.
Maloof D: reference above to Troy.
Silva C+: Nice work on the boards, but we need more points.

​​

WEEK 3 WRITE-UPS

By JAY SHAH

Wat Rats (53) v. Men’s League (72)

Men’s League blowout Wat Rats in second half after tight first half

The Wat Rats started out hot, scoring a solid 35 points in the first half and holding a slim, 2-point lead going into the break. Dylan Stockdale paced the team early, making a couple 3-pointers and dishing 3 total assists. Nicholas Goodman was similarly involved, getting 7 buckets from in close as well as grabbing 3 boards on the offensive glass, along with a couple assists. Marco Coppola once again led the team in scoring, grabbing 25 points, including 5/13 shooting from deep and adding another 3 assists. Joe Martin led the team in boards, grabbing 11 including an incredible 6 on the offensive end, really making Men’s League fight for every rebound even on their own end. In general, the Wat Rats did their best to make every inch of their collective height count, especially against Men’s League’s big man, Will Childs-Klein.

Childs-Klein, however, had a strong game on the boards himself. He grabbed 4 offensive boards and 13 on the defensive end, chipping in 8 points from in close as well. It was a balanced offensive performance from Men’s League’s 5 total players, with every one of them playing the entirety of the game - but every not one of George Schultz, Jack Anton, Childs-Klein, JP Wilkinson, or Tom Smith ever let up, never showing signs of fatigue. Wilkinson led the team in scoring, making 7 buckets in close on cutting drives and 2 threes. Smith and Schultz followed Wilkinson closely on the scoreboard, grabbing 17 and 16 points respectively. The real difference in the second half, however, was how the team locked down defensively - Men’s League grabbed 8 steals and 5 blocks, with Childs-Klein getting 4 on his own. The second half saw Men’s League ratchet up the intensity in all phases, and it showed, with the Wat Rats getting more than doubled up (39-18). Anton in particular really picked it up in the late going, finding his shooting touch on his way to grabbing all of his 10 points in the second. Look for him to shoulder a bigger scoring load for Men’s League going forward.

Next up:
Wat Rats (1-1) v. Markit Basketball (2-1) - 9/26 8:30p
Men’s League (2-1) v. Skelton’s Boys (2-0) - 9/26 7:30p

Markit Basketball (67) v. Skelton’s Boys (75)

Spirited second half runs from Markit Basketball not enough as they fall to Skelton’s Boys

It was a balanced scoring performance from Skelton’s Boys, as they had every player make a bucket. Erik Pettit led Skelton in shooting, getting 19 points, relying minimally on his sweet stroke from deep, where he went 3 of 4. Elijah and Jon Bassett rounded out the scoring, with 19 and 15 points each. The team as a whole had active hands and feet, jumping into passing lanes on their way to 11 steals, with Elijah getting a couple blocks as well to emphasize the defensive presence they had in the game. The final score in general belies the dominance Skelton showed throughout the game, wherein they also showed out on the glass with 12 offensive boards and clean work on their opponents misses as well. 

Meanwhile, relatively short-handed Markit Basketball (missing key pieces Cameron Gleichauf and defensive menace Victor Chang - at least for most of the game) showed heart in the second half, but ultimately did not have the firepower on either end to slow Skelton for long enough. Justin Dorosh and Peter Chang did their best to keep Markit in the game with 18 points apiece, and especially late, but their runs ended up being too little, too late, including an 8-0 run to open the second half. Last-minute arrival Victor Chang showed exactly what the team was missing, immediately imposing his size and shooting touch, grabbing an offensive board and a 3-point make in his few possessions on the court at the very end of regulation. George Phillips had the look of a difference maker throughout the game, leaping high for rebounds, leading the team in assists, and shooting 2 of 3 from deep - Phillips’ usage should tick up throughout the season. Raj Patel started the game out hot, making an early three and generally being active around the court, tying with Phillips for the team lead in boards, but his shots stopped falling over the course of the game, and Markit fell behind 38-24 at the half, in what turned out to be an insurmountable deficit.

Next up:
Markit Basketball (2-1) at Wat Rats (1-1) - 9/26 8:30p
Skelton’s Boys (2-0) at Men’s League (2-1) - 9/26 7:30p

Treys For Days (67) v. Eastie Hoops (56)

Treys make hay inside as Eastie Hoops’ shooting isn’t enough to hold off the Days’ second-half onslaught

It was a back-and-forth first half, with Eastie Hoops barely behind at the break 35 to 36. Ryan WIllis was the leading scorer for Eastie, pulling up without hesitation from beyond the arc and making 6 of 13 deep balls. Willis also showed off his athleticism on the defensive end, grabbing 3 steals and a block (a defensive line matched only by teammate Kyle Coughlin). The team was also extremely adept at getting offensive boards, getting 10, highlighted by Gary Howell-Walton and Christian Garcia, who used positioning and fight more than height or even hops. The aforementioned Coughlin was Eastie’s second-leading scorer, making 2 threes on his way to 14 points. Chisom Nnadi rounded out the top trio despite a late start, but his physical style of play led him to foul trouble as he ended the game with 5 fouls. On the bench, Nnadi bemoaned the team’s jump-shooting style of play, especially when the team’s shooting streak wore off down the stretch. 

Treys For Days brought out the defensive clamps in the second half, allowing only 21 points and cutting Eastie’s 70-point pace to a final score of 56. Dana Flood returned to the Treys to lead them in scoring with a solid 18 points. Luke Davidson made his impact felt on both end of the floor, grabbing 11 points from the paint and the free throw line and stealing the ball 4 times with his aggressive on- and off-ball defense. He also took a big hit from Nnadi to take possession on a charge just before halftime, lighting up the Treys bench and starting a swing in momentum that wouldn’t subside for the remainder of the game. Big man George Thissell was second in scoring with 12 points, banging hard down low to get himself easy looks right at the bucket. Multiple Eastie players tried to draw charges on Thissell as he backed them down with his strength, but the refs didn’t see much untoward as no whistles were heard, despite Eastie’s pleas to the contrary. Richard Kruszkowski was a solid defensive presence throughout the contest with 2 steals and 2 blocks, and even made a surprising three to the delight of his teammates. Treys For Days look like they could be the best team in the league when their key players are present - let's see if they can keep up their pace.

Next up: 
Treys For Days (2-1) at CCC Studios (0-2) - 9/26 6:30p
Eastie Hoops (0-3) - BYE

3 Stars:

• JP Wilkinson (Men’s League) - 21 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
• Erik Pettit (Skelton’s Boys) - 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal
• Marco Coppola (Wat Rats) - 25 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Power Rankings:

1. Skelton’s Boys (+2)
2. Men’s League (+2)
3. Markit Basketball (-2)
4. Treys For Days (+1)
5. Wat Rats (-3)
6. Eastie Hoops (+1)
7. CCC Studios (-1)

WEEK 2 WRITEUPS 9/18

By: CHAS BELLS & CHRIS STULL

6:15 Bros VS Drop Step

Matty got things going with a drive looking like playing 2 days a week is helping his game 2-0. Jet came out firing nailes a 3, then Jet drives in, Eth adds a scoop drive,S.Mul adds Ord put in, then he goes 2-2 it was an ugly 11-2. Murphy finally gets a post bucket for DSM. But A’o ft’s Jet 3, AO 3 it was 19-4. This was shocking DSM couldnt through the ball into the ocean, they looked cursed so many in and outs, and To’s. The write up is short for a reason as this game didnt change, Bro’s dominated this game start to finish, and it was neither exciting or close 52-34. 

Bros

Jet-A-Hes been practicing that 3 ball!! Jet looks like Jet which is huge for this team. 

J.Mul-B- Rock solid, 3 steals, played very much within himself. Like to see more 3’s but he didnt need to. 

S.Mul-A+-Not only doing his normal swatting/rebounding but added 17 pts, a 3 and 4-4 from the line. 

Eth-B-So solid and whats scary is hes just going to keep getting better every week. 

Stull-C-) Hustled hard but my man getting no 3pts love. 

A’O-B- Looked sharp. Could be a huge addition to this team. 

DSM

Randal-C+- Rebounded his butt off, but just wasnt his night. 

Kerr-D- Worst game ive ever seen him play. He will have better days. 

Murphy-B- Was a bright spot almost had the double double, and 3 dimes. 

Matty-B- Hustled hard, basket had a lid on it. 

Jimmy-B+- Block party!!!!

7:55 Team Slick VS W&S

No Mchfear for this one, but Roberts dont care as he gets 2 in the post. Kap responds with a floater. Joel nice cutting basket, but EJ nails a 3 5-4. Joel nifty move gets 2, but Kap has the answer with drive by 7-6.Roberts with the nice left hand, then adds a triple off Clarke hustle 11-7. Joel scoop 13-7. Kap keeping pace as he gets 3, then Frano high off glass, Kap adds fancy footwork hoop for the lead14-13. Dany gets the lead back, then Joels adds obrd put in, then Marlier splashes a 3 ball 21-14!! Dany adds 2 more, but Kap starts the come back with drive, Amir adds a big 3, but Dany keeps the elad with floater 25-19. Kap drains 3 ball, but Marlier gets cutting hoop, Kap said stop that and hit another trey, Frano adds middy we were tied 27 all good half of ball. 

Frano cleans up the glass to start 2nd half, then adds cutting hoop 31-27. Roberts post work, and then patient again ties up the game at 31. Kap was on one tonight as after some action he hits yet another 3, and adds floater 41-37. W&S trying to hang around but Amir ruins dreams witha splash 3. Game would stay with in the 5 to 7 point range, but Kap and the boys have Ej’s sqad out to a 2-0 start 54-47. 

Team Slick 

Kap-A+ Not sure how he can pplay better, or do more.

Frano-B- Hes was good not great, but did what they needed too. 

EJ-B+- Not a ton of stats, but I think he played a really greatbasketball game. 

Butter-D- Love the hustle, just try and be a little more careful haha. 

Amir-Doing his job hitting treys. 

W&S

Roberts-B+- He was a constent force, tried to will his boys.

Dany-C+- expecting alot more from him, he did some nice things but 0-8 from 3. 

Joel-B+- Very active in the 1st half ran out of gas a bit, only 2 2nd half points. 

Clarke-C-) Very quiet game from the husting big man. 

Marlier-A- Played is role perfect I thought. 

8:45 PM Buddys VS Corp X

Buddys huge underdogs in this one didnt play like that as Dutton Drives in right away. Mazz responds with a 3, but Worth takes the lead with floater 4-3.B.Robb gets 2 in the post, and then dennis adds p n roll hoop, Dennis steal and finish it was 9-4. Buddys did not quit Dutton tough take, but Mazz was a crafty drive 11-6. Worth float action, but Mazz see’s a 3 go through 13-10. Skelley nice post move, but Mazz with the answer yet again with drive 15-12. Dutton slashing hard gets 2,then Worth jimmy gives them the lead 16-15. Then yup you guessed it Mazz 3 to get the lead back, but then Worth splashes trey and another 23-18 at the half Buddys up!

Kielley J riding the momentum 25-18. Ian 1-2, then Mazz 3, Dennis adds cutting bucket 26-24. Skelley gets hoop to stop the bleeding 28-24. Then Mazz witht he left ahnd, and then cannes a 3 30-29 Corp up. Kielley ends that with 3, Stephenson 1-2 but a Skelley obrd put in make it 35-30. Stephenson huge bucket, then Mazz steal and fin, then mazz take for the lead 36-35. Dennis lines up a big time 3, and it was good 39-35. Buddys gets Corp to miss some ft’s and we ewere tied, but then team Budds decided to foul B.Robb. B.Robb hits the clutch ft but misses the 2nd. Worth comes down the court for the final shot, hold waits, gets good screen, the shot was up  and………….. Just missed right Copr survives 41-40. 

Buddys

Skelley-B- he was solid, nothing crazy just did his thing. 

Kielley-C+- Not as effective as last session yet. Love his hustle and fight though

Worth-B-) awesome in the 1st half, but the scoring dried up. 

Dutton-B-) Hustle was there but when you lose by 1 and see 1-6 from the line, you dont love it. 

Corp X

Mazz-A- hes had better statiscalgames, but this dude is showing his compete leve. 3 more steals, 3 more blocks 

Dennis-B+- Really controlled the rebounding, what a monster the former Chasmanian Devil of the session is. 

B.Robb-C-) Man he doesnt look like hismelf right now

Ian-D- Nearly invisible 

Stephenson-D- Very quiet, not much impact

Bonvie-D- Not as impactful as i thought, he will find his spots soon.

WEEK 2 Write-Ups

By DEVIN QUINLIN

Game 1 | Handler’s Handlers: 49 - SAUS: 55

SAUS Survive Handlers’ Comeback Attempt, Move To 2-0

SAUS jumped out to a big lead in this one, leading 18-6 with about 10 minutes left in the first half (which includes their 0-3 start for not having CAC jerseys). All the sudden, though, Handler’s Handlers turned it around with some swarming defense and efficient ball movement, closing the gap to a 24-21 lead for SAUS at the half. Kevin Toth went down with an injury in the first half, which opened the door for the Handlers to mount a comeback, but to SAUS’ credit, they fought off the second half push and held on to win 55-49.

Cam McCann was hot all game, finishing five for ten from three to the tune of 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block. His catch and shoot was on point, and he finished a few nice layups and iced both of his free-throws at the end of the game to seal the game for his team in a clutch offensive performance. John Capin was equally clutch, as he scored only 2 points in the first half, but came alive to finish with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot three of four from three, all in the second half, and handled most of the ball handling duties down the stretch with Toth on the bench. Definitely an excellent pickup for SAUS, as Capin’s smart play probably won them the game. Kevin Toth finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals in about 12 minutes of play, just getting whatever he wanted on both ends. Wishing him a speedy recovery. Mike Baker finished with 5 points and 9 rebounds, playing hard inside and finishing a few layups, while Gareth Goh was solid, hitting his only shot attempt to finish with 3 points and 3 assists. Griffin Haas added 4 assists and 2 steals, but I thought he played pretty well and had a larger impact than his box score indicates. Good win for SAUS without their two best players, as they move to 2-0 on the season.

Handler’s Handlers definitely found more of a rhythm in this one, but still struggled with their shooting, going five of thirty from three and ten of twenty from the line. Brian Horan showed up late, but still led his team in scoring with 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 block. He’s shown a nice ability to finish on the drive, though he shot only one of seven from three in this one. Jack Gallagher added 11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, hitting two threes and canning three of his four attempts at the charity stripe. He’s been very solid in both games this session, making plays on both ends and converting open looks. Ryan Kuchar played well at the point, finishing with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. He couldn’t get the three ball to fall, but had some impressive finishes at the rim. Danny H finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists (game-high), 2 steals, and 1 block in a stat stuffing effort. He did a fantastic job facilitating and getting his team out in transition and he was active on defense as well. Ben Handler hit two threes to finish with 6 points, 1 assist, and 1 steal, while Sean Lovett added 2 rebounds and 1 steal, and Billy Christopher was extremely active to chip in 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal from the guard spot. Definitely some bright spots for the Handlers, who really just need to convert a few more open shots to get back into the win column.

Game 2 | Gino Time: 62 - Unreliables: 51

Gino Time Jump Out to Early Lead, Hold On for Win

Gino Time have cemented themselves as league favorites with a strong win over the Unreliables, dominating the first half to lead 35-17 at the break. Samir Shah went down early in the first, so David Pendergast (Mark It Zero) filled in for the entire game, but it didn't matter, as Gino Time dominated inside and came up with a 62-51 win to move to 2-0 on the season. 

Captain Greg Eusden was a monster in this one, putting up an impressive 14 point, 12 rebound (6 offensive) double-double, plus 2 steals and 3 blocks. He did well to fill the lane on the break, but finished nicely in half-court sets as well. His length and athleticism on defense make him a matchup nightmare for any big, and he set the tone for his team in this one. Chris Cameron wasn’t far behind with 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, showing off a beautiful jumper and a few nice finishes as well, while Max McKee added 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, though he shot better last week. Regardless, both of these guys can light it up and will continue to get them up as the season progresses. Darren Hartwell finished with an efficient 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, and while he didn’t reach double digit assists in this one, he played excellent defense on McDonough and had some nice attacks in transition. Erik Maynard had a relatively quiet game offensively, but still played well with 8 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, while Jack Chen hit two threes to finish with 6 points and 1 assist. Jon Ross (2 points, 4 rebounds) led his team with 4 assists, while Bo Cramer added 4 boards, 1 steal, and 1 block. While the Unreliables did mount a pretty nice comeback, this game was never really in doubt, as Gino Time were a force on the interior and continue to cause matchup problems for opponents.

For the Unreliables, Matt McDonough scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block. While his shot was a bit off, he was still effective on both ends and managed to lead the game in scoring. Eric Fleming wasn’t far behind with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals, dealing in the midrange while going two of three from deep as well. Nate Koslof finished with 1 point, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal, while TJ Green added 4 points, 3 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Samir Shah unfortunately got hurt very early in the first half going for a rebound, so David Pendergast filled in for basically the entire game and added 7 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block. Hard to judge this game from the Unreliables, who had only four of their own players and no subs, going up against the top team in this division. I still view them as a top team when fully staffed. Best wishes to Samir.

Game 3 | Mark It Zero: 36 - Thank You University: 55

Mark It Zero Secure Win in Battle With Thank You Uni

Mark It Zero jumped out to some big leads in the first half, but Thank You Uni continually fought back to keep this game competitive from start to finish. With the score tied 36-36 at the half, this was anyone’s game. Mark It Zero pulled away in the end behind some clutch free-throw shooting and strong rebounding, finishing this one off 64-55.

Cam Daniels led Mark It Zero in this one, finishing with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Daniels was highly efficient and consistently made the right reads from the point guard spot, and he knocked down all five of his free-throw attempts, including four to seal the game late in the second half. Brian Civale made his session debut with 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. Civale is a bucket, that’s really all there is to it. He immediately hit a three to start the game, and hit two more and finished four of five from the free-throw line. He also matched Thank You Uni’s physicality on defense, accumulating 3 blocks along the way. James Mulvehill was a force inside, finishing with 11 points, 16 rebounds (5 offensive), 1 assist, and 4 steals, constantly moving on both ends and causing disruption in Mark It Zero’s favor throughout the game, while hitting the final two free-throws to finish the game off. David Pendergast struggled with leg cramps in this game after playing nearly the entire game before, but still finished with11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He still has a whole other gear to his game, as he transitions from the 4v4 to the 5v5 setup. Jeremey Levenson was extremely active in this game, finishing with only 2 points, but grabbing 10 boards (3 offensive), dishing out 1 assist, and garnering 1 steal in an awesome display of defensive intensity. Rob Lunder added 1 rebound, 3 assists (team-high), and 1 block in a solid effort, as Mark It Zero get into the win column.

Thank You University were led by Eli Vogel’s 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Vogel truly did it all for his team in this one, shooting three of seven from three, attacking the rim in transition, defending at a high level, just whatever it took to win. Very impressive performance from a versatile player. Ben Hayes shot a blistering four of five from three in the first half, finishing with 12 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal, but his gravity from his early shooting display opened up the game for the rest of his team after he drew so much defensive focus in the second half. Kevin Toomey finished with 8 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, hitting a three and using some fancy footwork for some strong finishes inside, while Anthony Paolillo added 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in a well-rounded effort inside. Andrew Pratt chipped in 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block in the loss. Thank You Uni have looked solid in these first two games, and with a full roster I expect them to be competitive with most teams in this division.

Game 4 | First Team CAC Benchwarmers: 77 - Bricksquad: 45

Benchwarmers Come Alive, Dominate in Win

After getting absolutely cranked last week, the Benchwarmers came back with a vengeance (and some new players) this week, putting together a dominant win. With a 36-14 lead at the half, they never looked back, beating Bricksquad by a 77-45 final score.

Zack Gray was back, though he only used his signature behind the back move once in this game. Flash or not, he finished with 25 points, 8 rebounds (6 offensive), 4 assists, and 5 steals (league-high), and he’s proven he can score with anyone in this league. He hit three threes, but also followed up his 8 steal performance from the first game with 5 this week. Noah Colon made his season debut and was the best player on the floor with 19 points, 11 rebounds (5 offensive), 6 assists, and 1 steal. He hit all three of his free-throws, and was simply relentless attacking the rim for some strong finishes in traffic. He also led his team with 6 assists, really just getting whatever he wanted. John Z added 8 points, 11 rebounds (5 offensive), 3 assists, and 1 steal, showing off some smooth finishes and smart passing, while Jason (fill-in) added 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals while going about half speed. Bugra Akaktan hit his only three point attempt and some nice mid-range jumpers for 9 points and 1 assist, while Matt Mackay added 8 more points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in the win. Joe Walsh grabbed 5 rebounds and 1 assist, and Chris Alphen put up 4 boards and 2 steals. Altogether, this was a dominant win for the Benchwarmers in which the whole team contributed. They finished with 20 offensive rebounds as a unit, stole the ball 14 times, and dished out 16 assists, while knocking down seven of eight from the line. Great team win for them.

Bricksquad struggled in this one, though they had a few bright spots on offense. Big man Tenzin Pharachesur finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 steal with some strong finishes at the rim, while Nanu Adu added 10 points, 2 rebounds, and a league-high 7 assists, all while laughing at his own teammates’ airballs and turnovers. Even with the offense struggling, Adu was really distributing the ball well and getting his guys great looks all game. Julius Zuckerman had a solid game with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, finishing well inside. I think he could look for his offense a bit more. Dahlha Cheshatsang hit two threes for 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, playing pretty smart ball all around. Fill-in Clark added 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals in the loss. Bricksquad definitely have some talent, but they are not in shape and don’t really try to rebound, giving up plenty of easy buckets. Still, there’s some promise here, and I think they can put it together with captain Dahlha Cheshatsang back in action.

WEEK 2 WRITE-UPS

BY: SHAWN WISE & DREW DEBARI

The Lost Boys vs The Reboot

The Lost Boys found themselves this week with a statement win against The Reboot. The Lost Boys put on a clinic in this game. Andre’s pick swapping with Jamil during the draft definitely paid off for them in this game. Aidan was unguardable/unguarded. I’m not sure which one it was since they switched the person guarding him multiple times, but he continued to get wide open looks. Drew led all players with 11 rebounds and had an efficient 19 points on his way to his first double-double of the season. Ryan has a scary fall in the second half going up for a rebound with Jamil. Luckily, he was alright and able to lead his team with 24 points, 9 rebounds.

This game was not pretty and it was not a good week for everyone but Rich and Jamil. The rest of the team combined for just 9 points. Ghost was missing his patented mid-range jumpers. Chris Whitney missed several good looks as well. I love Drew’s hustle on the boards but there is no way Drew should ever out rebound Chris Whitney let alone get twice as many. I’m going to chalk this one up to just a bad night for now. Hopefully they’ll be able to reboot for the next game.

Final Score: The Lost Boys win 81-53 

Player of the game: Aidan Enright

GAME 2

Ok so with Jamil playing the late game, I thought this one would have a little less Jawing to start…I was wrong.  However it wasn’t between teams.  Emmanuel quickly got T’d up just a couple minutes in to the game, and continued to talk with the ref (whose name is Justbelieveme - fact).  At one point Justbelieveme saw an Eye Roll from Emmanuel and exclaimed “yo you’re acting like a female.”  Entertainment AND basketball people.

On to the actual game. The basketball in the first 10 minutes could be described as shaky as best, as no one really went on a run or did anything special.  Halfway into the first half the score was sitting at 11-9 Miller Time.  A sweet play followed the halfway point with Ty getting a great steal, going to the length of the floor, trailed by Marcus who had a great finish at the rim.  Kyle on MT hit his first 3, but proceeded to miss his next 5. As soon as I wrote that he popped one from NBA range to hit his 2nd of the day.  But MT was cold overall, and was trailing 25-19 at the half.  Quick fashion note – I may be an old man, and I know the kids like the short shorts these days, but Ty’s shorts were shooooooort.  Like the size my 7 year old daughter wears.  Just saying bro - no one needs to see those upper thighs.

Quick stat note -  Kunal was 3/7 from at the half (didn’t attempt one in the 2nd half), but his 3’s were interesting.  Banked one in, a couple airballs.  But hey I’d take 3/7 any night.

Again the 2nd half started out pretty uneventful with BH seeing their lead peak at 8, only to go completely cold for a few minutes in a row.  With just over 10 to play, Alex Yuen sets up Kyle for a sweet dime, which ignited Kyle on a hot streak and also gave MT their first lead of the half at 36-35.  (And yes Alex looked over to make sure he got his assist).  Kyle would hit a few more as MT extended their lead to 8 with just 5 to go, and from there most of BH decided to call it a night.

Final score Miller Time 51 - Brick House 45

Player of the game: Would have definitely been Emmanuel if BH had gotten the win.  He did a little bit of everything to try and will his team to a victory. But honors go to Kyle Miller, who dropped 21 of his teams 51 on 5/11 shooting from 3.

GAME 3: Live ’95 vs The Swish Kebabs

Well rested after a week 1 bye, Live ’95 came out energized and ready to play. This might have been one of the better games I have seen from Marquis. He picked up right where he left off last season making his first 3 of the season. Slow starts plagued Marquis at times last season but that was not the case this season. He would have 16 of his eventual 28 points at halftime. His 2nd round draft pick, Jake Jobe, looks like he might be the steal of the draft (21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals). The two of them look like they already have great chemistry and play well