Play Hard or Go Home

In the first game, Green (CASH) forfeited, and Light Blue will pick up a 50-40 victory.

The second match-up of the night featured two teams who are currently playing great basketball in Red vs. Navy (Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club). This was an extremely close game, with no team able to pull away with a lead until late in the second half.  Red did an excellent job of stopping Navy’s best offensive source in past weeks, transition shots, which forced Navy to play at a more conservative pace and take outside shots.  At halftime, the score was 31-30 with Navy leading.

Late in the second half, Red looked they were running away with lead, when, with two minutes left, Navy went on an serious run.  After being up by 10 points, Red committed 5 consecutive turnovers, which led to easy Navy points, narrowing the lead to just two.  Finally Red was able to get things under control, and pulled out a 63-58 W, following the collapse.

For Red, big man Robert Severino has turned it on the past few games.  He is a solid low post presence who disrupts his opponents close range shots, and he has the ability to nail long-range jumpers as well. However, his best attribute is crashing the offensive glass and connecting on easy put backs, providing his team with quick points.

Additionally, Joel Morris played at an extremely high level, shooting 50% from three, and finishing with 17 points.  He looked extremely calm and collective during the game, which greatly helped his team.

 

Week 7 Games:  With one week to go before playoffs, we’ll see who can step it up.

Game of the Week:

Thursday, May 19th at 6:30 pm

Grey vs. Light Blue

This game features two teams on the playoff bubble.  Light Blue needs this game to have a chance, while Grey can lock up their spot with a W.

 

Tuesday, May, 17th

6:30 pm:  Black vs. Green (CASH)

7:30 pm:  Yellow (Boston United) vs.Red

Thursday, May 19th:

CANCELLED – Navy (Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club) vs. Purple (O’Bryant) – CANCELLED

6:30 pm:  Light Blue vs. Grey

 

Thank you for your patience. Due to our Annual Celebration, the numbers fell a little behind schedule. Here are the updated stats and standings for the past few weeks:

Current League Standings

Week 6 Stats

Week 5 Stats

Week 4 Stats

There was only one game played on May 10th, as Purple (O’Bryant) had to forfeit.  As a result, Yellow (Boston United) will pick up a 50-40 victory.

First off, if there is anything we have learned throughout the first 5 weeks of the seasons, it’s that these referees will not put up with any cussing or swearing.  There was an abundance of technical fouls administered by both officials marking an ugly finish to an otherwise great game.  Let’s just play basketball, and not worry about missed calls or judgments you may not agree with.

We had an intense first game between Grey and Black, two West End House club teams that both had a lot to prove.  There was a lot of chit chat going back and forth between both squads, and there was certainly no love lost throughout the game.

This was the first game of the season that a team finally deterred Black’s Javaughn Edmonds from getting to the rim at will.  Both Herlain Germaine and Rashad Francois did an excellent job of picking Javaughn up early in Black’s offensive sets, and staying with him as he attempted to drive to the rack.  Also, Darai Bey performed his role well as a rim protector on defense, cleaning up any mess if Javaughn got past his immediate defender.

An abundance of fouls were called towards the end of the first half, allowing Black to jump out to a 34-28 halftime lead.  These fouls truly foreshadowed what was to come in the second half.

In the second period, Akeem Hanson really turned it on, providing Grey with much needed offense after Herlain fouled out.  Akeem was able to get to the rim, slashing and getting past his defender, and he also nailed some key jump shots, keeping his team in the game.  Overall he finished with 31 points on an impressive night.

Despite, Grey’s excellent defense on Javaughn, he was able to pile on 45 points, with most coming from long range and the free throw line.

After a strong comeback attempt by Grey, they came up short at the end of the second half.  Black was just able to score at a higher rate then Grey, and ultimately picked up a 73-62 victory.

 

Games on Thursday, 5/12:

6:30 – Light Blue vs. Green (CASH)

7:30 – Red vs. Navy (Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club)

Only one game was played on Wednesday night, as Purple (O’Bryant) forfeited and Green (CASH) will pick up a 50-40 victory.

In the game that was played, Light Blue vs. Yellow (Boston United), both teams got out to a slow start.  Nobody could seem to find the rim on offense or gain any momentum on the defensive end.  There was also an abundance of turnovers and miscommunication which altered the game play, leading to a 25-13 lead at the half for Yellow.

In the first half, Light Blue was stymied by Yellow’s 2-3 zone, forcing up contested three-point shots which didn’t seem to want to go in.  This led to Light Blue’s slow start.  When the second half began, Light Blue also showed off a zone of their own, giving Yellow trouble on the offensive end.

Late in the second half, Stephen Bouyer began to heat up, making four straight baskets in as many possessions.  He went strong to the rim, splitting the top of Yellow’s zone and finished some crafty shots that dropped.  Overall he finished with 17 points and 4 rebounds.

Following a 7-0 run in the final minutes, Light Blue was down 1 with 14.7 seconds when Bradley Simon was fouled, sending him to the line for a 1 and 1. He went on to make both shots, giving his team a 46-45 advantage.  On the ensuing play, a Yellow player turned the ball over, and Light Blue went on to take a 47-45 W.

This was an unbelievable comeback victory for Light Blue after trailing the entire game.
They worked well as a cohesive unit, minimized the arguing and came together.   I was thoroughly impressed by every player on the court.

On another note, this was the most exciting match up of the season, with Emperor Phillips and Mohamad Mansaray, the two tallest players in the league who can create on offense.  It was fun to watch them battle up and down the court, going head to head and guarding one another.

 

Week 5 Games:  

Game of the Week:

Tuesday, May 10th at 6:30 pm

Black vs. Grey

Both teams have been on a winning streak over the past few weeks, with Grey playing their best basketball of the season.  It will be interesting to see if they can keep their streak alive against the best offensive team in the league.

 

Tuesday, May, 10th

6:30 pm:  Black vs. Grey

7:30 pm:  Yellow (Boston United) vs. Purple (O’Bryant)

Thursday, May 12th:

6:30 pm:  Light Blue vs. Green (CASH)

7:30 pm:  Red vs. Navy Blue (Blue Hills Boys and Girls Club)

The first game of the night was between two West End House teams:  Grey vs. Red, which provided a solid atmosphere with lots of energy throughout the gym.

Down the stretch, the game was extremely close.  With 90 seconds left in the 2nd half, Grey had the lead and couldn’t get the ball over half court.  Two consecutive turnovers led to easy layups for Red, which gave them the lead with 30 seconds to go.  Then, with 3.5 seconds remaining, Herlain Germain hit a big basket, allowing Grey to retake the lead. A technical foul was called on a Grey player immediately following the basket, putting Joel Morris on the line for two shots.  The Red player missed both attempts, which ended the game.  Grey went on to take a 64-61 W.

For Red, a late season edition of Devon Dietz proved to be a solid acquisition.  He provided his squad with a calm demeanor on offense, and he has the ability to make shots and get to the rim.  He may be the answer they are looking for.

Throughout the game, Grey needed to find Darai Bey more down on post.  Although they came out with the win, it was a close game.  Darai has proved to be a consistent force on offense throughout the season, and if Grey wants to continue winning, they should give him more looks.

 

In the second game of the night between Navy (Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club[The only undefeated team remaining]) and Black, Navy faced their toughest test of the season, and they finally came up short.  Black was able to pull out a 58-53 victory, showing how dominant they can be.

Navy was able to stick around throughout the majority of game due to Black’s lack of ball movement on offense.  A typical Black possession consisted of one player dribbling around, not passing the ball, and taking a shot.  While this type of offense worked well at times, they did not reach the offensive ability we are accustomed to seeing.

However, I believe it was Black’s shot selection which deterred Navy from taking any lead or advantage.  Black took the ball to rim quite a bit, passing on long range jump shots, which led to few fast break layups, Navy’s best offense in past weeks.  For example, Broadway on Navy was unable to get into space and create good looks, something he was been able to do with ease in past weeks.  Due to the small amount of long rebounds that were generated by Black, Navy was unable to get to the rim, score, and, ultimately, take the lead.

Overall, Navy didn’t have the offensive firepower to stay with Black.  Black is an offensive juggernaut, that can essentially score at will, and Navy simply didn’t have the pieces to score at a high rate.  Although it was a close game, when Black wanted to pull out the victory, they were able to with ease.

 

 

Games will be played on Tuesday, 5/3 and Wednesday 5/4 at 6:30 and 7:30.

There are no Thursday games this week.

Schedule:

Tuesday, May, 3rd

6:30 pm: Red vs. Grey

7:30 pm: Black vs. Navy Blue (Blue Hills Boys and Girls Club)

Wednesday, May 4th

6:30 pm: Yellow (Boston United) vs. Light Blue

7:30 pm: Green (CASH) vs. Purple (O’Bryant)

Thursday nights games were very exciting for the Play Hard or Go Home League, with 3 overtimes being played throughout the night.

The first game between Black and Yellow (Boston United) should have been over early in the second half, but numerous sloppy plays by Black allowed Yellow to creep back into the game and eventually send it to overtime.

Early in the match, Black seemed to be dominating the game through its offensive potency and superiority.  Everyone was playing at a high level for the squad, hitting 3’s, slashing to the rim and making pull up jump shots – they seemed unstoppable.  The team also did a great job in their 2-3 zone, getting their hands up and deflecting the passes of Yellow.  Both Jose Bey and Denny impressed the crowd with their gameplay, getting to the rim and making bit shots.

In the first half, Yellow didn’t play poorly at all, they simply couldn’t keep up with Black’s scoring ability:  Black was just the better team.

Early in the second half, Black jumped out to a 48-28 lead and the game seemed to be over, BUT, they almost seemed to give up.  Yellow was able to crawl back into the game, gaining the lead with 3:30 left in the second half.  Following the takeover, Javaughn Edmonds was able to convert on back-to-back easy fastbreak dunks/layups, putting them up by 3.  With 23 seconds left, Yellow was able to tie the game up, and it eventually went to overtime.

In the extra period, Black dominated the game, coming out with the 76-72 victory.

Black is definitely the team to beat going into the second half of the season, but they way they let Yellow back into the game scares me as they move down the stretch. If they are able to close out each game, they are definitely the favorites to win the championship.

 

In the battle of the blues, Light Blue vs. Navy Blue (Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club), there was an exciting finish, which was exacerbated by a questionable call late in the first overtime.

In a major change of pace from the first match, this game featured two teams who truly wanted to win.  Light Blue showed a great amount of passion and desire to come out with the victory – hustling on every play and willing their way to the finish.

In the final 5 minutes no team could capitalize on offense.  Each squad missed easy shots and it was a sloppy on both ends.  Two bummed layups from Navy Blue, which would have allowed them to come out with the victory, missed their mark, but Light Blue was unable to counter and score on their offensive side.  With 15 seconds left in the second half, Bradley Arcene hit a big 3 point shot, giving his team their first lead since early in the second  half.  Navy responded quickly  tying the game with layup, essentially sending it to overtime.

It took a while for both teams to get going in extra time, but Light Blue was able to hit a 3, going up by 2 points.  After a quick made 2 point shot by Navy, Dexter Newsome was fouled for Light Blue, sending him to the line for a pair of free throws.  After missing the first, he was able to convert on the second, putting his team up by a single point.  Then, with .1 seconds left in the first overtime, a Navy Blue player was fouled on a layup attempt, getting two shots at the charity strike.  After missing the first by a long ways, the second shot barely hit it’s mark, sending the game to a second extra period.

Eventually, Navy Blue was able to pull out a 75-70 win, truly showcasing their run-and-gun game play, getting up the court early and often and converting with easy layup opportunities.

Although Light Blue was unable to come out with the victory, they showed a lot of grit throughout the entire game.  I loved the way they played, and I can only hope that it isn’t too late for them to the make the playoffs.

 

Week 5 Games:  Games will be played on Tuesday, 5/3 and Wednesday 5/4 @ 6:30 and 7:30.

FEATURED GAME:

Wednesday, May 4th at 6:30 pm

CASH vs. O’Bryant

In the battle between rival school teams, it will be interesting to see which squad comes out with a big W.

 

Tuesday, May, 3rd

6:30 pm:  Red vs. Grey

7:30 pm:  Black vs. Navy Blue (Blue Hills Boys and Girls Club)

Wednesday, May 4th

6:30 pm:  Yellow (Boston United) vs. Light Blue

7:30 pm:  Green (CASH) vs. Purple (O’Bryant)

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:

Our first overtime game of the season came between Light Blue and Red in the day’s first contest.  Right from the start, Light Blue seemed to maintain the upper hand, connecting on all cylinders and playing together extremely well, but Red never seemed to go away.  Whenever Light Blue went on a run, Red quickly countered and narrowed the lead within minutes.

After starting the second half on a 12-4 run, Light Blue began to look disorganized. After their lead evaporated, Light Blue began to play well again, passing and cutting, making layups and playing solid D, and their lead returned.  But they could never manage to sustain a high level play for long stretches of time, enabling Red to stick around.

The end of the game is where the fun started.  With 1:25 left, Joel Morris completed an old-fashioned three point play and cut Light Blue’s lead to one point.  Following that play, Red seemed to fall apart, with a technical foul being called, sending Light Blue to to the line with 41 seconds left.  After one made free throw, Red came down and missed a three point attempt, which would have given them the lead, and it looked all but over for the squad.  The next possession, Myrto St. Fleur got fouled, and made one of two attempts giving Light Blue a three point advantage.  With 24 seconds left, a jump ball was called on Red’s offensive side of the floor, and the possession arrow was in their favor.  After a few bad attempts, Dexter Newsome caught the ball in the corner and, with two hands in his face, rose up and nailed the three point shot, tying up the game and sending it to overtime.

After trading possessions to begin overtime, Light Blue eventually pulled away with the victory, but it was an exiting game to watch.

Overall, Emperor could not be stopped for Light Blue.  He finished well around the rim and Red did a fantastic job finding him down low on multiple possessions.  He is definitely a player to watch, finishing with 22 points on 10 of 12 shooting.

 

The second game was surprisingly similar to the first, minus the overtime theatrics.

But first, let me start by saying how entertaining Dark Blue (Blue Hill Boys and Girls Club) is to watch.  They crash every offensive rebound (which sometimes hurts them on defense), slash and drive to the rim, and, most importantly, they have fun in the process.  They also have some serious talent and play well together as a group.

But back to the game. It became clear very early on that Green (CASH) is a school team that has played together multiple times in the past.  They worked extremely well as a unit, and are a resilient bunch of players.  Whenever Dark Blue went on a run, CASH remained composed in the face of adversity.  They never panicked and continued to make smart decisions.

In the second half, the game play quickly increased.  Both teams were trading possessions at a rapid pace, and neither held the upper hand.  When Dark Blue would crash the offensive glass, Green would get out quickly on a fast break and beat their opponents down the court.  This led to a bunch of easy buckets, keeping Green in the game.  Then, with 5 minutes remaining, Green began to unravel.  They could not seem to keep up with the fast paced style that Dark Blue possessed.  A few big free throws by Keow on Dark Blue set the team over the edge and they captured a 61-57 victory.

The highlight play of the day came as Parris (or Pretty Boy Parris as he is named on the score sheet) drove to the rim on a fast break. He euro-stepped his opponent and completed the nice finish around the rim.  It was a great display of talent.

 

Week 4 Games:

FEATURED GAME:

Thursday, April 28th at 7:30 pm

Light Blue vs. Dark Blue

In a match-up of the blues, we’ll see if Light Blue can keep their momentum going after picking up a big victory in week 3.  But I don’t know if they can keep up with Dark Blue’s fast-paced mentality.

 

Tuesday, April 26th:

6:30 pm:  Red vs. Purple (O’Bryant)

7:30 pm:  Grey vs. Green (CASH)

Thursday, April 28st:

6:30 pm:  Yellow (Boston United) vs. Black

7:30 pm:  Dark Blue vs. Light Blue

 

Week 3 Statistics

Standings after Week 3