B2 5v5 MON Week 2 Write-Up
by Jason on
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.