A 5v5

Commentary by QUINLIN & WEITZER...

MAMBAS 109  Spida Men 103

MAMBAS Win with Help From Spida Men

This was a weird game because the MAMBAS only had four players, so they borrowed Hallvard Lundevall from Spida Men since both teams wanted to play, but then Lundevall was unstoppable and dropped 41 points, so it's difficult to know what this matchup actually looks like. Spida Men gave up a guy who proceeded to give them 41, but the MAMBAS are a very good team and were missing Mike Gillespie, who has proven himself to be one of the best players in the league. So who really knows, but ultimately this was a great game to watch.

As mentioned, Hallvard dropped 41 with 8 boards, 1 assist, 4 steals, and 1 block. He also shot eight for nine from the line and seven for fourteen from deep, despite missing his first three threes. Crazy game from him, he could definitely make his way into the MVP discussion if he keeps this up. Jamal did his thing with 27 points, 9 boards, 4 assists, and 1 steal, while Mazz added 20, 2 boards, 5 assists, and 1 block on six of thirteen from deep. Tim Gallivan came up with 19 points and 10 rebounds, plus 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block, while Cedric White and Danny Martin Jr. had 13 points each. Cedric added 7 boards, 7 assists, and 1 steal, while Danny had 8 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal. Old man Dion Hughes came up with 9 points, 3 boards, and 1 steal while shooting 100% from the field, but he didn't get any minutes in the second half. Old or not, he can shoot the ball, get him in the game.

For the MAMBAS, their four players all played well and they've quickly established themselves as a force in the A League. Sayvonn Houston is a monster down low, and I'm not sure anyone can stop him. The big man had 26 points and 8 rebounds, adding two threes as well. James Welch had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals, while backcourt mate Chris Green had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Matt Pattyson had 12 and 10 with 7 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. The Welch-Green-Pattyson combo at the guard spots is deadly, as all three guys can shoot the lights out but manage to share the ball at a high level. With these three doing it all, Houston eating in the post, and Mike Gillespie in attack mode, the MAMBAS could most definitely make a championship run.

So You're Telling Me There's A Chance 5  West Coast Elite 2

SYTMTAC Picks Up Forfeit Win

SYTMTAC picked up their first win of the season. Though it was only through a West Coast Elite forfeit, they scrimmaged Spida Men after their game for a 15 minute-half. Spida Men won, but there were definitely some bright spots for Keith's team. I didn't keep any stats, but Aidan Stanowicz looked good, as did Billy Brown. Ty LastName also looked good, hitting some threes as well as some great finishes in traffic over a team with three great big men. Add in Keith, Moses Lynn, and Ellis Jones and get Loubins Francois some new shoes, and this team has a respectable roster. Can they beat other teams in the league? Hard to know, but they definitely have some A League pieces and could make some noise as the season progresses.

DRBL 79  Deuce's 71

DRBL Holds Off Surging Deuces to Remain Undefeated

DRBL was, unsurprisingly, up 48-28 at half against Deuce's. Early into the second half, Jamal Fiin told me he thought his team could most definitely beat Deuce's, especially if leading scorer George Grillakis was there. I respectfully told him that that was an absurd take, and that while his team is solid, they simply could not beat DRBL. I still kind of believe this, but I'm gonna have to eat my words, because Deuce's mounted a crazy comeback without their leading scorer, and while they fell short, they looked good.

Cam Powers showed up this week and immediately made a huge impact with 28 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals. He does just about everything you'd expect from a small guard, and controlled all aspects of the game on the offensive end. Will Rowe also really impressed me this game. The big man only had 12 points (felt like more), but he added 12 rebounds and 5 assists. His ability to kick out and find cutters is such an underrated quality to have in a big man as it adds a whole new dynamic to the offense and opens up shots for his entire team. Kostas Tatsis made a big impact in his first game with 13 points and 3 boards, plus a strong physical presence. Warfa filled in again, adding 9 points, on three of seven from deep, plus 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

DRBL may have let a big lead slip, but they still won the game. Lasse Gummerus continues his reliable play with 17 points, 8 boards, and 1 assist on three of four from downtown. Will Brodnitzki added 12 points, 8 boards, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks, while Anthony Colozzo added 12 points, 2 boards, 5 assists and 2 steals on four of seven from deep. Jonah St. Clair continues to make winning plays for this team, this time adding 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Mike Thompson struggled with his three this game (one for eight), but still put up 10 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He made a few crazy passes, but also got a few hockey assists as well, so it was impressive to see him contribute even when he wasn't hitting his routine thirty-foot bombs. He also hit some clutch free throws down the stretch to finish five of nine from the line.

DRBL will be tested next week against Spida Men, and while I expect them to win, they can't have another mental lapse like this did in this game. Deuce's is going up against Team Takeover in a battle of two talented but underachieving teams. I expect that to be a battle.

Shooters Shoot 92  ZARDS 87

Team Takeover 59  Treys For Days 63

Treys for Days Steal a Late Game Win

Our final game of the night was another battle, this time between two of the bottom teams in the league. In my power rankings last week, I put Team Takeover in 8th, just one spot above Treys for Days. I basically said that the Parker and Toney combo is more reliable than Wes is by himself, but then Dana Flood showed up for Treys for Days, and his impact was felt.

Wes Schroll struggled a bit this game, but still put up 21, 9 boards, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Skill aside, Wes goes hard at all times. He fights for every board, he hustles back on defense, and he's relentless on the attack. Once he finds his jumper again, he'll be unstoppable. Kevin Lafrancis was reliable as usual with 8 points, 10 boards, 1 assist, and 2 steals, while captain Kevin McGovern added 8 and 5, plus 5 assists, and 3 steals. While he doesn't put up the best numbers, he's a great decision maker and a crafty slasher who can shoot and find teammates. As mentioned, though, Dana Flood was the difference in this game. He put up 19 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 8 steals, and 1 block. He's got a great shot, though he struggled this game (two for seven from deep), and his high game IQ makes him a tough opponent because he can read the floor and put up weird statlines like 8 steals.

This was a tough loss for Team Takeover, as they led early on. Trevor Parker came out firing and getting back to his usual self. He put up 20 points, 7 boards, and 1 steal on six of eleven from deep, but he did go zero for five from the line. Jared Johnson broke out today with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, though he only shot one for seven from three. He's most definitely a shooter, so look for him to hit more threes, but if he can keep up his slashing, he'll become a force in the league. Michel Toney had an off game, but still finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. He only put up five threes, and while he tried to get others involved and control the offense, he needs to attack more if this team is going to win any games. The big man combo of Kyle Szewczyk and Joel Nkounkou put up 6 points and 5 rebounds each, with Kyle adding 2 steals and 1 block. Both guys could do a lot more if the offense found more of an identity and incorporated them both.

Treys for Days should have a relatively easy win next week against SYTMTAC, while Team Takeover should have a pretty even matchup with Deuce's. If they can contain Will Rowe in the post and limit George Grillakis and Cam Powers penetrating the lane, they can definitely win.