Week 4 Games – 4/26

The first game of the night between Red and Purple (O’Bryant) did not start on time, and, as a result, both teams played with only 5 kids.

For most of the game, Purple looked in control, but with 2:30 left in the second half, Deon Singletary nailed a contested 3-point shot, making it a one point game.  Following a Purple missed shot, Red was able to come down court and make a layup, taking the lead. But Purple responded, staying calm, and finding an open cutter, going up by one point with 30 seconds left.  With the game on the line, a Red player was fouled attempting a put-back layup on a missed shot, sending him to the line for two shots.  After missing the first, he was able to make the second, sending the game to overtime.

Overtime began with both squads trading baskets before Purple was able to pull away and capture the 73-66 W.

Once again, Purple looked strong on both ends of the court.  They continue to be a disciplined squad, that work well together, especially on the fast break – finding the open guys and making on-time passes leading to easy finishes.  Purple looks their best when they are able to penetrate the middle of the paint and look for cutters moving toward the rim.  Dastonte, #1, is quite keen at finding the open man, or knowing when to challenge the rim protector or take a pull-up jump shot.  I have enjoyed watching him gain confidence over the past 4 weeks.  He looks comfortable on every possession, taking opponents off the dribble, shooting and making open shots, and always looking for his teammates to score.  There is no doubt he will be a very solid player in the coming years.

One of the major problems that I noticed for Red is their constant and troubling dribbling.  When the team refuses to move the ball on offense, they remain stagnant and nothing happens. As a result, one player attempts to split a double team or beat his man by dribbling around him, which almost always leads to a turnover.  This is something they need to look at if they want to make the playoffs.

For Red, Deon Singletary is pure entertainment.  His on-court theatrics are worth noting, and coming down to watch even if you are not a basketball fan.  Deon is able to get the crowd into the game and foster a fun experience for all.

 

The 2nd game of the night between Grey and Green (CASH) was a really fun game to watch.  Green looked sharp in the beginning of the game, working well together as a team.  But over time, it became clear that Grey had the upper hand and came away with a 60-56 victory.  This was an entertaining game to watch from the opening whistle with both teams scratching and clawing for the victory:  a much different change of pace from the first game.

Coming out of halftime, Akeem Hanson had a big start, connecting on back-to-back three pointers and making a nice finish at the rim, and Grey never looked back.  Although Green was able to narrow the gap in the final 5 minutes, Grey remained composes and came away with the W.

For the second straight week, Darai Bey was a big low post presence on both ends of the court.  He is a solid rim protector on defense, altering any shot that gets to him.  He was clearly an issue for Green’s slashers when they got to the rim.  One offense, Darai had an unbelievable game going 6-7 from the field, finishing with 12 points and 8 rebounds.  But a big shout-out goes to his teammates for feeding him the ball down low in the post, good for them.

Games on Thursday: