B2 5v5 THU Week 3 Write-Ups
by Jason on
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:
- Calypso North Stars (+3)
- Furious Rim Ticklers (+3)
- NNHS (+1)
- Julius Swerving (-3)
- NNHS (-1)
- BADDIES (+2)
- Lexington Steals (0)
- Run and Gun (-2)