A 5v5 THU Week 2 Write-Ups
by Jason on
By DEVIN QUINLIN
WEEK 2 9/14
Game 1 | Ronin Blood Warriors: 5 - Zards: 2
Ronin Blood Warriors Get Free Win as Zards Forfeit
Game 2 | The Spida Men: 87 - West Coast Shooters: 91
West Coast Shooters Hold Off Spida Men in Win
The first game of the night was a five on five matchup between two Thursday A League staples. Despite falling to 0-2 on the season, the Spida Men have looked like a formidable team in the early stages of the season, and they were once again competitive with one of the league’s top teams. Regardless, WCS were firing on all cylinders offensively, shooting seventeen for forty-two (40.5%) from three and accumulating 20 assists as a group. They held on to their 45-39 halftime lead, winning by a final score of 91-87 to move to 2-0 on the season.
David Reynolds led the attack for WCS in this one in his season debut, dropping 27 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists while shooting seven of fifteen from three. The Spida Men really had no answer for him on the perimeter as he knocked down a flurry of threes in the first half and used that to his advantage for the rest of the game by attacking off the dribble. His three level scoring ability adds a whole new dimension to this offense. Matt Pattyson played a very strong game, putting up 19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. As one of the league’s best defenders, Pattyson shot three of four from deep and added some nice finishes inside. He has always been an above-average shooter, but his attacks off the dribble in this game helped showcase his high IQ playmaking, finishing with a game high 6 assists as well. Derek Retos shot four of nine from three to finish with 17 points, 1 rebound, 3 assists, and 1 steal, while his shooting counterpart Eric D’Aguanno struggled with his outside shot (three of twelve), but did everything else, finishing with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Hugh O’Neil made his season debut with 12 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals, dominating inside per usual and getting the ball up quickly to start transition.
The Spida Men continue to impress with two strong performances against the league’s top teams. Tim Gallivan shook off his Week 1 rust to the tune of 27 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. He was a monster on both ends, hitting three threes and finishing well on offense, while grabbing 11 boards and playing well down low. John Lithio also continues to impress, finishing with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assist, and 1 steal, just playing incredibly smart, efficient basketball on both ends. Lithio is the type of player who can fit into any system and make an impact, and he has been a huge net positive for the Spida Men this session. Nick Mazzeo finished with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal, and has been playing very well at the point guard spot this season. He had a solid look toward the end of the game to tie it up that he missed, but he also hit a few clutch ones during a late Spida Men push to keep them in the game. Danny Martin Jr. put up yet another double-double with 14 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, while Cedric White added 4 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal. The big man passing ability in this group definitely gives them a unique offensive approach, which I’m confident will lead to some wins soon.
Game 3 | Not A Dime Back: 70 - We The Ones!: 61
NADB Move to 2-0, Hold Off WTOs
Even without Dom Black and Dre Kontopidis, NADB continue to do their thing, securing a win against a gritty WTOs team behind some stellar defense and their signature ball movement. With a 37-31 lead at the half, NADB held off a late WTOs surge to win by a final score of 70-61.
Jon Luster continues his MVP campaign by playing with immense patience. He finished with 21 points, 8 boards, 5 assists, and 1 steal, going three of five from deep and hitting both of his free-throws. I would love to see a shooter of his caliber put up more than five threes, but I can’t argue with a guy who led his team in both points and assists and made almost no mistakes for the entire 40 minutes. Chris Connor shot five of twelve from three to finish with 21 points of his own, adding 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. At this point, the whole league knows about his shooting prowess, but his interior defense and passing ability continue to impress me, as his whole game has taken a jump since NADB moved up to the A League. Jeff Coulter brought his usual toughness and activity to this one with a 14 point, 10 rebound (4 offensive) double-double, plus 4 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He hit a clutch three late in the second, and continues to cement himself as the best cutter in any CAC division. Marcus Giese was productive before turning his ankle, finishing with 10 points, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 1 assist, and 1 steal. With Kontopidis out, he has done a phenomenal job holding down the paint and getting NADB out in transition. Chris Cusano chipped in 4 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, and Mike Synott came up with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in the win, as NADB continue their dominance in CAC’s most competitive division.
WTOs fought hard, relying on their guard play to hit threes and wreak havoc on defense. Ty Moore was hot early in this one, finishing five for nine from three for 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He’s proven to be a knockdown shooter in his first two CAC games, hitting five threes in each game both off the dribble and on the catch, and his offensive ability will be key to WTOs getting some wins. Jalen Bruce has also been impressive in the backcourt, going three of six from downtown for 13 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, showcasing an impressive pull-up jumper and some smooth finishes inside. Grady Levi added 7 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists (team-high), 3 steals, and 1 block, bringing some major motor to both ends and filling in any and every role he could to drive his squad to the win. Jordan Carter also had 7 points, plus 3 assists and 1 steal, while Garrett Stanowicz had a clean 7 and 7 with 4 offensive rebounds. WTOs has definitely looked better than previous seasons, but will need to string together some defensive stops down the stretch and find some chemistry instead of relying on hot shooting.
Game 4 | Suffolk: 68 - Team Takeover: 65
Suffolk Survives Team Takeover Push
Suffolk came into this season as perhaps the most talented team in this division from top to bottom, and while they are 2-0, their two wins have been battles. They held a slim 28-26 lead at the half against Team Takeover, shooting on four of sixteen from three on the game and giving up 14 offensive rebounds. Still, they managed to hold on, winning the game 68-65 and moving to 2-0.
George Grillakis was the story in this one, putting up a monster 32 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Team Takeover was genuinely incredulous that they knew exactly what move he was going to do every play, yet they still could not stop him. To Grillakis’ credit, he did drive left on several occasions, and whether or not he goes right most of the time, he can flat out score. His combination of speed and strength at the guard position is unmatched, and he will undoubtedly find himself among the league’s leading scorers at the end of the season. Grillakis aside, Bolden Brace is still the best player on this team, and he did not disappoint with 22 and 9, plus 4 assists and 5 steals. At one point in the first half, he got mad and decided to dribble down the court three times, hit three tough threes, and then go back to chilling. He’s a top tier passer in this league, but I would love to see him look for his shot more, especially in a close game like this. Mike McEneney finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block, hitting his signature mid-range jumpers and holding down the paint on defense. Bret Edwards looks much more comfortable this session, and while he went oh for four from three, he finished with 4 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 steals with some nice takes to the hoop and strong perimeter defense. Nick Budesheim chipped in 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal in the win.
Team Takeover was led by Trevor Parker’s 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 1 steal. He hit four threes and was dangerous in transition, but he shot four of fifteen from three and two of seven from the charity stripe. He really just needs some consistency with his jumper, or he needs to attack the rim more, but either way, he carries a big portion of this offense. Jared Johson showed up late to this one, but got going quickly with 15 points and 3 rebounds. He has become one of the league’s top scoring threats, as a guy who can go get a bucket at all three levels at any point in the game. Michel Toney finished with 10 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks in a stat-stuffing effort. He three monster blocks in transition, pinning shots to the glass and getting his team out in transition quickly. His defense and effort are never in question as his team’s captain, and he shot a respectable two of six from deep as well. Sana Dahaba made his debut this week and was impactful with 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. He hit a three and was poised at the point guard spot, and had a few highlight worthy hezis to get defenders jumping. Julian Beach had a strong game down low with 5 points, 12 rebounds, and 2 assists, Emmanuel Nkounkou finished with 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block, and Zach Scott chipped in 2 steals and 1 board in the loss.