B1 5v5 TUE Week 3 Write-Ups
by Jason on
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:
- Skelton’s Boys (+2)
- Men’s League (+2)
- Markit Basketball (-2)
- Treys For Days (+1)
- Wat Rats (-3)
- Eastie Hoops (+1)
- CCC Studios (-1)