A 5v5 THU Week 3 Write-Ups
by Jason on
By DEVIN QUINLIN
Game 1 | Zards: 80 - Not A Dime Back: 85
NADB Stay On Top in Comeback Win Vs. Zards
It’s no secret that NADB have climbed their way to the top of the CAC A League through their defensive cohesiveness, lights-out three point shooting, and above all, their insane team chemistry. At the same time, though, there’s no shortage of talent on this team, and their top guys are as good as anyone’s. They entered this game without Connor, Black, and Coulter, finding themselves down 37-44 at the half. Zards had three fill-ins, but with all three playing at a high level, NADB needed to respond. They did just that, finishing the game shooting a staggering fourteen of twenty-five (56%) from deep, accumulating 21 assists as a team, and knocking down their free-throws in crunch time. They finished this one off with an 85-80 victory, moving to 3-0 on the season and boasting the league’s best defense through three games.
Even without three of their top players, NADB still boasts the league’s best point guard in Jon Luster, and he showed out once again in this one. Luster shot six of eleven from downtown to finish with 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. After a relatively quiet first half, Luster hit a flurry of threes in the second to bring his team into the lead, and he proceeded to go a perfect eight for eight from the free-throw line to ice the game. He just doesn’t make mistakes, always limiting turnovers, shooting efficiently, and coming up clutch when he’s called on. Dre Kontopidis was also stellar in this one, dominating inside and in the mid-range as usual, but also going three of five from three. He finished with 23 points, 7 boards, and a game-high 6 assists, picking apart Zards’ zone defense from the free-throw line extended. Marcus Giese was solid inside, adding a 13 point, 12 rebound double-double, plus 1 block and 3 assists, and one thunderous dunk off an inbounds play. He does a phenomenal job on defense, especially keeping guys off the offensive glass, and he also drew a charge, a true men’s league hero. Mike Synott stepped up majorly on offense, hitting two threes and a crazy lefty floater to finish with 12 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. His defense and ball movement are always top notch, complementing his teammates well, but he continues to step up his scoring when called upon. Chris Cusano missed his first three threes, in the first half, but distributed the ball well to finish with 5 assists before the intermission. In the second half, he hit some clutch threes down the stretch to hold the lead, and finished with an impressive 9 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals, impacting both ends. Altogether a fantastic effort from all five players on NADB, with the stars showing up and the role playing rising to the occasion to keep the win streak rolling.
Weird outing for Zards, who had three players filling in, but all of whom played well. Dan Wohl led the scoring as usual, pouring in 25 points, plus 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot six of thirteen from three, showing off his three level scoring ability and coming alive in the second half to keep Zards in the game amidst the NADB second half push. Matt Karpowicz had a stellar game filling in, dominating inside with an 18 point, 11 rebound double-double, including two threes and some strong finishes at the rim. He also came up with 5 assists and 1 steal, showing some impressive court vision and generating ample scoring opportunities with screen assists for shooters. Mike LastName filled in at the point, putting up 18 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, and 2 steals, getting to the rim at will with a shifty handle and quick first step. He hit a few threes and facilitated well, and he actually did a nice job keeping Luster in check for most of the game with steady ball pressure. Dom Mastascusa was the final fill-in, and he showed off some nifty footwork down low and a smooth jumper as well. He finished with 17 points and 10 boards (4 offensive), and was a force on the interior all game. Craig Melillo struggled in this one, finishing with 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, missing all seven of his three-point attempts. A longstanding elite shooter in this division, he will see better days and bounce back in the coming weeks, but he could not find the range in this one, as Zards fall to 1-2 on the season.
Game 2 | Spida Men: 81 - Team Takeover: 63
Spida Men Put Together Strong Second Half, Cruise to Victory
In our second 5v5, no-sub matchup of the evening, the Spida Men turned to their size advantage against Team Takeover’s four guard, one big lineup. With a tight 38-32 lead at the half, the Spida Men turned it up in the second period. They dominated the glass, finishing with 42 team rebounds to just 30 for Team Takeover, and with Jamal Brown back in the lineup, Team Takeover had no answer for for Spida Men’s fast paced offense. The Spida Men would go on to win this game, 81-63.
Danny Martin Jr. was the biggest beneficiary of Brown’s return, as he finished with a dominant 38 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He shot four of five from the free-throw line, and he picked up tons of easy buckets by sprinting in transition, where his team always does a nice job finding him and rewarding his motor. He also displayed his signature righty hook shot, getting to his spots at will and finishing effectively as always. Jamal Brown returned with a triple-double of 14 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block, making an immediate impact. He had some strong finishes inside and did a fantastic job distributing in transition, as he frequently pushes the break off of a defensive board. He still can’t shoot, but his return is a welcome sight for the Spida Men. Tim Gallivan had a strong game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks. His defensive presence inside alters tons of shots, and he always comes up with a few blocks and tons of rebounds as well. His finishing on offense, paired with the threat of his long ball, opens up a ton of room for his team to operate and get to their spots, and his versatility as a player is a huge part of Spida Men’s success. Lucio Dahlstedt-Brown made his season debut with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, and he looked comfortable attacking closeouts off the catch, while Cedric White added 4 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block in a well rounded effort as a role player in this one. Without Mazz to jack threes, the Spida Men rely heavily on their old-school, low-post style of play, and it worked fabulously in this one. They pick up their first win of the season after some solid performances against two of the league’s best teams.
Team Takeover falls to 0-3 on the season, and their lack of size really hurt them in this game. Jared Johnson continues to score at a high clip, finishing with 24 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He attacks effectively from the perimeter with some strong finishes and beautiful floater package, and while his shot has been off this session, he has proven to be a reliable shooter in the past. Michel Toney stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists (team high), 5 steals (game high), and 1 block. He knocked down three triples, facilitated effectively, and brought his usual defensive intensity with a nice chasedown block and 5 steals as well. Trevor Parker added 11 points, 9 boards, 1 assist, and 3 steals, playing decently but not quite up to his standards. Combined, these three shot five of twenty-four (20.8%) from three, which isn’t going to cut it against the shooting prowess of the other teams in this league. Sana Dahaba hit two of his five three-point attempts, finishing with 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Dahaba has been very solid this session, proving to be a solid shooter and reliable ball handler as well. Julian Beach did an admirable job down low in this game as his team’s only real big. He finished with 7 points, 9 rebounds (4 offensive), 2 steals, and 2 blocks, battling hard against Spida Men’s bigs and doing a lot of the dirty work on defense. There are a lot of positives on this roster, but Team Takeover will need to improve from three and on defense to pick up some wins as the season wears on.
Game 3 | Suffolk: 63 - West Coast Shooters: 88
West Coast Shooters Win In Another Offensive Masterclass
West Coast Shooters continue to run circles around their opponents in the regular season, shooting a ridiculous seventeen of thirty-five from three and tallying 24 assists and 12 steals as a group. Their offensive explosiveness paired with the defensive focus of guys like Tam and Pattyson from the Shooters Shoot squad make this a fearsome team on both ends. Suffolk was without Bolden Brace, and WCS took full advantage with a commanding 46-33 lead at the half. The second half was much of the same, as they expanded their lead, winning 88-63.
Jack Simonds made his session debut and was the best player on the floor in this one. He shot three of five from deep and I’m not sure I saw him miss a mid-range jumper all night. The stretch-big finished with 23 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists (game high), and 2 steals in the win, doing a bit of everything to lead his team in points and assists. Jordan Rote is another guy who can go get a bucket at any time, as he put up 19 points, 7 boards, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Rote shot three of six from three, canned all four of his free-throw attempts, and used his lightning quick first step to get downhill at will. Matt Pattyson followed up his 19 point performance last week with 17 this week, plus 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He shot four of five from deep and continues to show off his playmaking while maintaining his presence as an elite perimeter defender. Derek Retos hit another four threes to finish with 12 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, while Stephen Tam was impactful, particularly on defense, with 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. Tom Palleschi led the team with 9 rebounds and Jack Fay chipped in 7 points and 3 assists, and West Coast Shooters find themselves with the league’s best record and the largest point differential.
Suffolk were missing perhaps the best player in the league in Bolden Brace, and it showed, as they only recorded 11 assists as a team. Logan O’Donnell stepped up with 20 points, 12 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals. The big man has shown off some impressive footwork over the last two sessions, but knocked down three triples in this one as well. His offensive outburst adds a needed interior presence to open up space for shooters and George Grillakis on the drive. Grillakis also had a solid game, finishing with 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. WCS definitely put an emphasis on containing his drives, but he was still able to attack effectively, drawing fouls and finishing well inside. He leads the league in scoring, is second in made 2pt fgs, and is first in both made and attempted free-throws. Nick Budesheim was extremely active in this game, and his high motor effort kept Suffolk in the game for stretches. He chipped in 12 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block, and his 4 offensive rebounds were a game-high and a boost for his team. It wasn’t enough to pull out the win, but after showing some flashes in the first two games, it’s clear that Budesheim needs to be more active in Suffolk’s offensive game plan. Sam Holtze returned with 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. As one of Suffolk’s top players on both ends, he will need to shake the rust off and return to form quickly with so many competitors in this division, though I’m confident he will bounce back immediately. Yusuf Liban added 2 points and 1 rebound, while fill-in Blake LastName chipped in 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. As a group, Suffolk shot three of twenty from deep and five of fifteen from the free throw-line, which can be chalked up to a bad performance from them. Still, without Brace to control the flow of the game, Suffolk struggled on offense and will need to be better going forward to get back in the win column.
Game 4 | Ronin Blood Warriors: 83 - We The Ones!: 61
Ronin Blood Warriors Massacre We The Ones in Glorified Pickup Game
This game got out of hand quickly, as Ronin Blood Warriors went up 51-28 at the half. A completely one-sided affair, RBWs were implementing a trap press near half court for much of the game, applying too much pressure with their length and athleticism for We The Ones to handle. After the half, we ran out the time quickly, as things just got more ugly as time wore on. After probably only 32 minutes of actual basketball (if you can call it that), the refs called the game and RBW walked away with an 83-61 victory.
Again, the effort and actual basketball being played in this game were questionable, but there were a few notable performances. Marcin Papla made his debut and started the game going a perfect seven of seven from three. He ended up shooting nine of thirteen, and while the defense wasn’t the best at times, there were some contested shots, and nine threes is nine threes no matter how you slice it. He finished with 27 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal, and I’m curious to see how he plays in a real game, though I think he’s made it clear he can shoot with anyone in this league. Deven Palmer added a smooth 22 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks, going about half speed. Not his best shooting performance at thirty percent from deep, but he was just a step ahead of everyone else on the court and will be able to get whatever he wants on offense, even in real games as well. Arinze Obiora was also impressive with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals, knocking down four threes, while Ray Miller added 8 points and 5 steals and Guy Pistone chipped in 6 points and a game-high 8 assists. It’s still difficult to place RBW in the rankings, as they blew out WTOs in this game, beat Zards in a forfeit and barely lost to defending champion NADB. Time will tell, but they certainly have the talent to go far.
We The Ones were outclassed in this game, plain and simple. Ty Moore was not, though, as he shot ten of eighteen from three for 33 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Even though full court pressure, double-teams, and basically the entire defense focused on him, Moore was phenomenal, hitting deep threes of the dribble, sprinting around screens for looks off the catch, and generally being the only player on WTOs who could compete in this game. Moore is currently fifth in scoring among players who have played more than one game, and has been impressive in every outing this season. Other than that, big man Akim Sanni had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 1 block, while Kahreem Blake chipped in 5 points, 9 boards, and 3 assists. Jordan Carter hit a three for 3 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, but ultimately there just wasn’t much to write home about for WTOs, who were missing Jalen Bruce and Grady Levi sorely in this one. They move to 0-3 on the seaso