4 and 5 seeds locked up…

Coming into this game as is this case with every week I picked The Defense Rest (TDR) to win.  Granted we were missing Ty, Angelo and Lou and had a sub in Musse, I didn’t care.  I wasn’t picking against my team.  On the opposite A Dwyer Situation was missing Jason and Seth.  Two very important players but they still had 4 rostered guys in Dwyer, Jamil, Nate and Sami.

I don’t recall the actual halftime stats or score  as I was playing but ADS was comfortably ahead by maybe 20 points.

Halftime standouts:

Noah Landy 4 made threes

Jamil Ball 18 pts 5 rebs 4 asts 3 stls

Nate Elfassy 12 pts, 10 rebs 3 asts

Second half the game never really became close as ADS would cruise to victory 89-68.

Player Grades:

Brian Civale A- his three ball was off but he was able to stuff the stat sheet.

Noah Landy A shot the shit out of the basketball and got some rebounds.

Musse Kassa B wasn’t trying to do too much but did take away a three from Noah smh.

Jamil Ball A+ did everything and shot efficiently.

Joe Dwyer A his three ball was off but it didn’t matter as his team won comfortably and he stuffed the stat sheet.

Sami Hameid A knocked down several two point jumpers after being left open.  Also wasn’t a defensive liability.

Nate Elfassy A+ a ridiculous triple double and 5 steals.  A really good game.

Players of the game:

Jamil and Nate both guys were instrumental in the win.  Thanks again to Alan and DP for keeping stats. Also remember next season sign-ups are open.  Don’t forget to sign up here’s the link https://cacbasketball.playbookapi.com/programs/register/

Subject: The Defense Rests mounts furious comeback to extend their win streak to 4

I had Riggin’ For Higgins as the early favorite, due to the absence of Angelo and Big Lou. Despite R4H’s recent struggles, I was optimistic that the return of France and improved play from Skelley, would give Adwaith the firepower he needed, but I was wrong. Let’s get to the gameplay.

R4H’s would jump out to the early lead (9 - 3), as their smothering defense set the tone early for them. Adwaith (6), Branch (5), and Darrien (2) would combine for a ridiculous 13 steals. The forced turnover led to easy baskets offensive and Skelley (8 Points), Adwaith (11 Points), and France (13 Points) would be the primary beneficiaries.

Civale (14 Points) and Ty (12 Points) combined for 26 first-half points, to help keep TDR within reach. Despite their struggles offensively, they were never out of this game. Riggin’ For Higgins would lead the entire second half and enjoy a slight 2-point advantage (34 - 32). 

The Defense Rests 

• Brian Civale: 14 Points

• Noah Landy: 3 Points

• Tyrone Mullings: 12 Points

• Damian Ruff: 3 Points

Riggin’ For Higgins

• Derek Skelley: 8 Points

• Adwaith Nair: 11 Points

• Darrien Higgins: 2 Points

• Jay Branch: 0 Points

• Josh France: 13 Points

After 4 minutes of play in the second half, TDR would take their first lead (40 - 37). Offensively, TY and Civale led the way, but it was the play on both ends of the court from Ruff and Noah that helped TDR distance themselves from R4H. Ruff’s (2 steals) and Civale’s (1 steal and 2 blocks) helped TDR raise the intensity on the defensive end. 

TDR would take the lead and never look back, as they strolled to their 4 consecutive win of the season.

The Defense Rests 

• Brian Civale: Civale was ridiculous! Not only did he shoot the ball well, but he was unguardable in the paint. His 25 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal performance can all be described as dominant. 

• Noah Landy: Noah had a quiet first half, but found his stride when his team needed him the most finishing with 8 points, while playing with his usual grit on the defensive end.

• Tyrone Mullings: Ty was catching bodies for the second consecutive week. No fans in attendance, but still managed to be assertive and aggressive offensively. I’m sure Keith is still kicking himself in the ass for trading out of 4 (LOL). 

• Damian Ruff: Ruff shot 50% from deep and played outstanding defense. His stats may not jump out at you, but his impact on the game was not negligible. 

Riggin’ For Higgins
 

• Derek Skelley: Skelley had another double-double as his production continued to improve from game to game. Despite finishing with 14 points, he could have easily had 20+ if was able to convert some of those easy layups he missed.

• Adwaith Nair: Adwaith did enough to help his team to win. He was impactful on both ends of the court, to the tune of 25 points, 14 rebounds, 6 steals, and 4 assists.  What else can you ask for?

• Darrien Higgins: Darrien scored 5 points, but I think his biggest impact came on the defensive side of the basket totaling 2 steals and 1 block.

• Jay Branch: Branch was absolutely dealing, as finished with 8 assists to go along with some fantastic defense. I know as a first-round pick, some folks are expecting more gaudy scoring numbers, but this dude can really facilitate the offense. 

• Josh France: France played well in his return, and finished with 18 points (13 in the first half). I think fatigue got the best of him, as he ran out of gas in the closing minutes. I don’t think TDR is mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet, so I’m sure he’ll be back in full swing next week. 

The Spring 2024 season is right around the corner and sign-ups are now open! Sign-up information can be found here: https://cacbasketball.playbookapi.com/programs/register/

All teams looking to return need to sign up and pay for the league by Friday, April 19th. Email Tibbs @ jason@cacbasketball.com with any questions.

Subject: TDR takes sole possession of 4th place in the standings with an emphatic victory over District 10

After 5 minutes of play, TDR jumped out to the early 10-point advantage (17-7). Angelo Cerbone who finished with 31 points, 17 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block would be the primary catalyst for this hot start, but the entire team would eventually get in on the fun.

Nick Lynch did his best to keep District 10 within reaching scoring the team's first 7 points, but an accidental collision with Noah Landy forced him out for the remainder of the game. I hope he’s ok. 

TDR would go into the half leading 49 - 25 with no signs of looking back: 

The Defense Rests

• Angelo - 19 Points
• Ty - 14 Points
• Civale - 13 Points
• Ruff - 1 Point
• Noah - 2 Points 

District 10

• Nick - 12 Points
• Chris - 7 Points
• Dan - 4 Points 
• Neil - No Points 
• Pat - 2 Points 

Once he went down, to say TDR feasted would be an understatement. How else would you describe a 49 to 14 run? They would finish with 5 players in double-digits (Angelo 31, Ty 26, Civale 25, and Noah 10). The birthday boy Ruff was the exception, but what he didn’t accumulate in points, he racked up in other categories such as assists (10), rebounds (8), and blocks (2).

Civale had another productive outting scoring 25 points, to go along with 2 blocks and 8 rebounds. Lastly, Ty stole the show with 26 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, and 2 ridiculous blocks. He had fans in attendance, so he had to try for once. 

Needless to say, it was another dominant victory for TDR as they continue to build momentum heading into the playoffs. The leagues have officially been put on notice.

The Defense Rests

• Angelo - Played a fantastic overall game. Not only has he gotten better and better as the season has gone on, but when in attendance, he makes this team extremely difficult to beat.
• Ty - I wish Ty would play like this every week. He is by far one of the most talented players in the league and this performance is evidence of what he can do when he’s locked in. 
• Civale - Struggled a bit from deep, but that didn’t slow him down, and still finished with 25. 
• Ruff - Only cares about winning, so getting the W was the cherry on top of his birthday celebrations. He continues to be a fantastic facilitator and creates easy looks for his teammates.
• Noah - Did it all on both ends of the court. Started slow in the first half, but really saw his production increase over the last 20 minutes. 

District 10

• Nick - Missed a majority of the game due to an unfortunate accident, but was on pace for 50+ points before getting injured. I hope you’re ok! 
• Chris - With Nick out, big bro stepped up and led his team in scoring with 21 points. He did what he could, but D10 was clearly overmatched. 
• Dan - was more assertive than I’ve seen finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Most notable is his 2 - 5 output from beyond the arc. 
• Neil - didn’t score a lot but grabbed a few rebounds and worked his ass off defensively. He played his role well. 
• Pat - Shot the ball well from deep going 40% and finishing with 14 points. Did his best to keep the score respectable, but this team isn’t built to function without Chris. 

"The Spring 2024 season is right around the corner and sign-ups are now open! Sign-up information can be found here 
https://cacbasketball.playbookapi.com/programs/register/
All teams looking to return need to sign-up and pay for the league by Friday April 19th. Email Tibbs @ jason@cacbasketball.com with any questions"