B1 5v5 Week 2 Write-Ups
by Jason on
WEEK 2 Write-ups
By DEVIN QUINLIN
Game 1: Mainely Love: 78 - Men’s League: 56
Mainely Love Dominate Their Way to the Top of the Standings
Mainely Love had three players in the gym at 6:20 when the game was finally ready to start, as James Morse and Harrison Taggart walked in a minute later. With almost no warmup and starting the game down 2-0 on two technical free-throws, it didn’t even matter. Mainely Love were unstoppable on offense, and after going into the half up 46-32, they only expanded their lead on the way to an easy win.
Morse was unstoppable from the jump. He was jacking threes without hesitation, finishing the game seven of ten from deep and eight of eight from the line. His final statline of 33 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 steals on this type of efficiency is the most impressive performance in the league thus far. Harrison Taggart was also impressive, especially early on. He put up 22 and 6, plus 1 assist and 1 steal on three of five from three. He has a smooth all-around game, effortlessly getting to the rim and always in control. Tom Palleschi played a strong game down low, adding 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. His footwork and finishing are extremely polished and he holds down the paint on defense. Matt McDonough chipped in 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal, but his team-high 4 assists were beneficial to his team’s ball movement and offensive rhythm, while CJ Jordan added 1 point, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He doesn’t look for his shot much, but his rebounding, tough defense, and general scrappy play clear the way for guys like Morse and Taggart to go off on offense. Mainely Love are looking like the team to beat in this division.
Men’s League struggled in this game. Charlie Bagin looked like the only player who came ready to go, finishing with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a game-high 5 steals. He has some nifty finishes inside, but also shot three of six from downtown and generally went hard on both ends. Impressive game from him, but his team let him down. George Shultz hit the two technical free-throws prior to the game, but struggled to find his shot in this game. He put up 15 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, and 3 steals, shooting three of nine from three, but with a few garbage time buckets. He’s a great shooter and I expect him to bounce back, but his off-ball catch and shoot threat will be extremely important for his team’s success this session. Big man Will Childs-Klein made his debut this week with 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. He showed some nice touch inside and out, and his team could benefit from him being more involved on offense. Other than these three, Matt Goodwin chipped in 6 points and 4 rebounds and Josh Salter 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist, which is simply not enough to overcome most of the teams in this league. Tyler Seibring will have to have an enormous impact in every game he’s available for Men’s League to compete.
Game 2: Intramural Heroes: 77 - Hartbreakers: 72
Intramural Heroes Hold Off Heartbreakers to Secure Week 2 Win
Intramural Heroes went into the half up 41-25 on a hot shooting start, even without big man Tim Gallivan. The Hartbreakers got rolling as the second half progressed, but couldn’t overcome the early deficit. Credit to the Heroes for their solid defense down the stretch.
Cedric White had another stellar game with 20 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He struggled from the free-throw line, shooting four of eight, but did everything else. Great footwork inside, reliable mid-range jumper, and solid paint protection make him one of the best bigs in the league. Brendan Farley also had a great game, shooting four of nine from three and drawing tons of defensive attention early on, and then controlling the offense from there. He ended with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, and a game-high 8 assists, finding open guys and using the threat of his shot effectively. Nick Weber has been one of the best defenders this session, continuing that this week with 5 steals and 1 block, plus 7 rebounds and 1 assist. He’s not the most prolific scorer, but he put up 14 points this week, hitting some mid-range jumpers and finishing super well inside off of offensive boards and smart cutting. Shane Farley added 7 points, 11 rebounds, and 1 steal with a solid overall performance, while fill- in Chris Almodar (wrong spelling sorry) put up 14 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. Steve Lazarro also filled-in nicely with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, always playing intelligent ball on both sides and showing off some incredibly crafty finishes.
The Hartbreakers continue their string of cryptic regular season performances despite some impressive outings from individuals. Tucker Landy put up a 25 point, 11 rebound double-double, plus 1 assist and 1 steal. Always a dominant B1 player, Tuck rarely makes mistakes and can fill it up in a hurry. Devin Jensen is perhaps the most talented player in any CAC division, finishing with a near triple-double of 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, plus 2 steals and 1 block. He shot four of ten from three, imposing his will offensively at the end of the game, but it was too little too late. Oliver Hart went off in his shooting role, going a perfect five for five to finish with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block, including a clutch fadeaway with under 30 seconds left to keep his team in it. Impressive shooting display from him. Joe Kamataris chipped in 9 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block, showing his improved shooting and always stellar defense. Aidan Kanell and Sean Dempsey didn’t score, but combined for 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Sam Dowden’s absence played a role in this loss, and Phil has yet to return, so we’ll see what the Hartbreakers can come up with as the season progresses. Credit to Intramural Heroes for an impressive win without some of their best players, though.
Game 3: FCHWPO: 56 - Mid-Range Magicians: 45
FCHWPO’s Stifling Defense Put Them Over the Top
FCHWPO has some high level talent between the Sellew brothers and Johnny McCarthy, with others filling in different roles nicely, but their offensive attack has been lacking so far. Still, they pull out the win in week 2, leading 27-25 at the half and pulling away to win 56-45 with some excellent defense.
Xander Kirshen led the way on offense with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 block. With a lot of defensive attention on McCarthy and Chris Sellew after they knocked down some early 3s, Kirshen stepped up by canning three of his six attempts from deep and finishing a few buckets inside. Clutch performance from the lefty. Eric Sellew continues to dominate every aspect of the game except scoring, putting up 12 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 block. He hit five of his six free throws and knocked down his only three, using his size to control the entire game on the defensive end. I still think he could put up 25-30 points every game if he were more aggressive, but he’s also much better than me so I won’t tell him how to play. Johnny McCarthy added 11 points of his own, plus 11 boards, 2 assists, and 1 steal while shooting three of six from deep. He’s always calm and never forces shots, moving the ball well after the defense keyed in on him as a shooter. Chris Sellew struggled with his shot, but still played well with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists (game-high), and 1 block. He’s got a smooth shot, so I expect his one for seven game to improve. Aidan Cyr added 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and converted both of his free-throws. He took a tough shot early in the game, so hopefully his shoulder is ok and he’s good to go next week. Meech Ramirez hit a three and added some excellent defense to finish with 3 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, including 4 offensive rebounds to get his team extra opportunities on both ends.
The Mid-Range Magicians fall to 0-2 after another subpar offensive outing. They simply bring too many guys to each game and can’t find a rhythm or build any chemistry. Bogut King continues to play pretty well, getting an 11 point, 11 rebound double-double with 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. He’s a great post presence on defense, but he’s not the guy you want leading your team in scoring if you’re going to win games. Someone else needs to step up and add more than 11 points. Zack Zahner has shown some nice shooting, putting up 11 points of his own, plus 2 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 steals. He hit his only three attempt and some nice middies as well, and with Clifford Bouchereau out, he needs to be their main offensive threat. Jack Albanese has been an impressive defender so far, getting 1 steal and 2 blocks, but also adding 9 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist and converting both of his free-throws. James Smith hit two threes on eight attempts to finish with 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist, but I expect him to continue to get shots up and make more in the coming weeks. Giannis Valoumas and Andrew Dodds each hit one three, Valoumas finishing with 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 steal. The points are too spread out among the whole roster, and the Magic will need a go-to-guy if they’re going to bring their offensive game up to par.
Game 4: Treys For Days: 69 - Bears: 63
Treys For Days Outlast Bears in Close Battle
Treys For Days secure their first win of the session in a tough game against the Bears. The return of Dana Flood and Wes Schroll boost Treys For Days toward the top of the league, as both guys have dominated A League in previous sessions. They led 45-39 at the half, maintaining their 6 point lead to end the game with a 69-63 win.
Dana Flood made his presence known in his B1 debut, finishing with 23 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. He was effortlessly getting inside and finishing over and around defenders, he hit three of his five threes, and as always, came up with a monster block. Smart all-around player who makes this Treys for Days team dangerous. Wes Schroll added 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks, which is a good statline, but I expect better from him. Once he picks it up, he will be a force inside and on the break. Still, his 3 blocks was a game-high and he led both teams in rebounding as well. George Thissell chipped in 10 points of his own, plus 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He’s another talented player whom I expect more from. He only shot two threes, which needs to go up, but his finishing inside and defense were on point as usual. Luke Davidson showed off his crazy athleticism, throwing down a dunk on the baseline and finishing with 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block. He’s fantastic getting past his man into the lane to get a nice floater off or dumping it inside to a big. Devin Santilli put up 8 points, 5 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals, while Kevin McGovern added 5 points, with 2 boards, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He hit his only three-point attempt and played his smart game per usual. Rich Kruszkowski added 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist with some solid interior defense, and John Scola came up with 1 points, 4 boards, and 1 steal. Solid outing from Treys For Days, who will need to build on this momentum in the coming weeks.
The Bears fall to 0-2 on the season, but have faced two strong teams and kept it competitive with both. Danny Shapiro continues to impress, putting up 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He hits tough shots, moves the ball well, and has been their leader in shot creation this session. Sam Blomberg also had another strong performance with 15 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and a game-high 5 steals. He shot two of five from three, three of four from the FT line, and continually made tough shots in the lane. His quickness on defense makes him a pest, and despite his size, his 5 steals show his defensive impact. Will Ross continued his hot shooting, going three of four to finish with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. He’s knockdown, and moves well off-ball while Shapiro and Blomberg probe in the lane from the guard spot. Jake Tomkinson (please add him to the roster) found his shot this game, going a perfect three for three from deep to finish with 11 points and 2 assists. He makes some excellent passes, and would have more assists if his teammates finished shots. Tyler Blake also makes excellent passes, finishing this game with 5 assists and 7 rebounds, grabbing offensive boards and patrolling the middle on defense. I like the way the Bears play, and I expect them to rebound from their 0-2 start and finish in the top half of the league. Regardless, they will always come to compete and make things difficult for the other team.