B2 5v5 TUE Week 2 Write-Ups
by Jason on
By: DEVIN QUINLIN
Game 1 | Plenty of Lotion: 50 - Bears: 44
POL Mount Major Second Half Comeback To Overcome Bears
Plenty of Lotion had nothing going on early in this one, trailing 20-32 at the half with no one shooting well, and the Bears capitalizing on defensive lapses. They flipped the switch in the second half, though, outsourcing the bears 30-12 in a dominant defensive effort. Their offense wasn’t quite as high-powered as it was during Week 1, but they got the job done, pulling out the 50-44 victory.
Guy Pistone had another solid game this week, tallying 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists in a near triple-double performance. While he wasn’t able to slice through the lane quite as easily as he did in Week 1, he was still the best offensive player on either team, getting some clutch buckets in the second half and distributing well with a league-high 9 assists, cementing himself as a top playmaker in this division. Garrett Vinett also had a stellar game, putting up 7 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block, dominating the defensive end and hitting a few nice jumpers as well. Yancy Brown added 8 points and 1 block, canning all four of his free-throw attempts, while Jeff Yeakley added 7 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, and 1 block, hitting two threes in the win. Anthony McDaniels also added two threes, finishing with 6 points and 3 rebounds, while Drew DeBari came up with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Dan Ollquist was also solid with 3 points, 5 boards, and 1 steal. Great comeback by POL, who fought their way back in the second half mostly through their defensive pressure.
Heartbreaking loss for the Bears, who simply couldn’t generate enough offense in the second half to hold their big lead. Danny Shapiro led the way once again, putting up 12 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. As his team’s best offensive player, I would love to see him look for his own shot more, especially off dribble hand-offs near the top of the key. Will Estes has been another bright spot for the Bears this season, coming up with 11 points and 6 boards while hitting two threes and three of his four free-throw attempts. His offensive jump has been much needed for the Bears, who have not shot the three ball well, and his defensive toughness has always been there. Other than these two, no one else scored in double figures. John Bowllan came up with 5 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, while Ted Blake added 4 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block, both guys making a lot happen but not scoring much. Will Ross returned after missing Week 1, and he looked rusty (one for nine from three). However, he is probably their best overall player, and is a consistent knockdown shooter. He will be a big add on both ends once he finds his rhythm again. This team has the pieces, but they need to close out some games to get back into the win column.
Game 2 | The Substitutes: 50 - Team Ahern: 57
Team Ahern Pull Out Victory Against Gritty Substitutes Squad
Team Ahern dominated portions of this game, yet found themselves down 23-25 at the half and winning by a final of only 57-50. The Substitutes deserve a lot of credit for battling on both ends and hitting some clutch shots throughout the game, but ultimately Team Ahern had too much size inside, and despite missing all their free-throws, they held on for the win.
Nick Martin was a force inside in this one, putting up 16 points, 10 rebounds (6 offensive), 1 assist, and 1 block. While he did go zero for three at the free-throw line, he was unstoppable rolling to the rim, especially in the second half. His 6 offensive rebounds were a league-high, and he used his physicality well on both ends. Ethan Collins added 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, just a monster athlete in this division. His impact on both ends was noticeable, as he was all over the court once again. Eric Bauman hit two threes to finish with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 steal, while Zack Gordon had a very impressive game with 9 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 assists. Similar to Martin, he was just too imposing inside, but showed off some versatility with a team-high (tied) 4 assists as well. Asher Bean added 6 points, 4 boards, 4 assists, and 1 steal on some tough takes to the cup to go along with some flashy dimes. As a unit, Team Ahern grabbed 22 offensive rebounds and had three players tally 4 assists (Cam Letalien: 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 2 blocks), using this size to their advantage and sharing the ball to come away with a nice win.
The Substitutes were definitely physically outmatched in this one, but they hit ten threes and stole the ball ten times to keep themselves in this game. Yianni Grupen was on fire in this one, going for 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Grupen shot five of nine from downtown, and was instant offense for his team. While I’m not sure the Substitutes will be able to compete with the better teams in this division, I do think Grupen will be one of the top offensive threats, and he will have to carry his team on that end going forward. Paul Habelow played a nice game, putting up 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals, showing off a smooth looking shot and a nice handle. He will need to put up more than four threes to take some of the offensive burden off of Grupen. Doug Law added 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, hitting some impressive threes in the process, while Lexi Kimball hit two threes of her own to finish with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals (game-high). While they may lack some offensive firepower, the Substitutes have some solid pieces. They will need to find some chemistry and continue to shoot the three ball well to win some games this session.
Game 3 | Miyagi-Fang: 72 - Splash City: 48
Miyagi-Fang Dominate in Easy Win
This game was never close, as Miyagi-Fang gave Splash City a brutal welcome to the B2 Tuesday division after a bye in Week 1. With a 42-19 lead at the half, Miyagi-Fang were just the better team, as they cruised to a 72-48 victory without much resistance.
Dan Lerner came alive with 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 assists, slicing through the lane at will and going two of three from downtown as well, in an impressive offensive showcase. John Harding did much of the same, adding 22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists (game-high), and 2 blocks. This duo puts so much downhill pressure on defenses, and I’m just not sure how other teams will be able to stop both. Joe Dwyer couldn't find his three ball, but did everything else, putting up 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. After missing Week 1, his return adds yet another offensive threat. In their supportive roles, the rest of this team did exactly what they needed to. Djordje Vlajkovic came up with 6 points, 16 rebounds (5 offensive), 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, just dominating inside on defense, while Greg Eusden added 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist as well. Harry “Poing Gawd” Demakes added 7 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal in the win.
Splash City just couldn’t find the range in this one, going five of thirty-two from three and being outrebounded 18-54. Matthew Wulbrecht shot only one of eight from deep, but found a rhythm as the game progressed to finish with 17 points and 1 rebound. He was strong on the attack and hit all four of his free-throws, and with solid form, I expect him to hit some more threes going forward. Amy Peters finished with 12 points and 2 steals, but shot two of twelve from three. Most of her shots were pretty close, and like Wulbrecht, I expect her to find the range as the season progresses. Vijay Jeevanandam added 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals, and I thought he could have looked for his offense more. Four players scored 2 points for Splash City, with Ben Bennet adding 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, and 1 block as he patrolled the paint well on defense. Tough outing for Splash City, but they have some nice pieces and had a tough initial matchup with the heavy favorites.