Fall 2011: Co-Ed 5v5 League Champs: Dizzy Llamas White

Mark Claffey and DLW Clip CP in Double OT All but Secure First-Round Bye in CAC Madness
Dizzy Llamas White 64 Child, Please 62

I’ve watched and reported on 28 games for the CAC Co-Ed East this season (all write-ups are up, by the way, and available on the website by clicking the “Write-Ups” option under “Co Ed 5v5 East F11,” sortable by week), and I saw another four last night.  Last night’s game between Dizzy Llamas White and Child, Please was the most entertaining game I’ve seen out of all of those.  Tightly played at all points, and needed two extra frames to decide- both teams with reasonable opportunities to win.  Regardless of the final result, both teams are poised to make a run in “CAC Madness” (my phrase), which starts later in the month.

Sidebar:  Thank God for college basketball.  I mean, really.

One stark difference between the teams at the start was demeanor.  DL White was loose, shooting the ball around, somewhat disorganized; CP looked more tense (and intense), running lay-up lines and talking strategy.  Moreover, CP’s Captain Dave Grubb sat himself for the opening tip, opting instead for Matty Austin to pair with twin towers Bryan Moore and Mike Comtois.  This game was serious business.

Sidebar: While I would have started Grubb over Austin, my reasoning is not intended as a slap to Austin, who’s definitely in the running for most improved player in the Division.  Instead, it’s a credit to his mental fortitude, being able to come off of the bench without suffering any appreciable drop in performance, at least, in my opinion.  After subbing in, Grubb seemed a little off-kilter all night.  Try it next week and tell me I’m not right.

After what I can only perceive as “playful banter” between the two as the teams greeted each other- I couldn’t hear the words exchanged, Comtois won the opening tip from DL White Captain Matt Roberts.  No successful possessions for either team for more than 4 minutes, and during that span, we had four jump balls.  That’s as many as we had in all three other games.  The mood was intense and physical on both sides.

When the scoring finally did start, it was the Llamas doing most of it.  6-2 DLW with 14:05 left in the first.  Both teams playing strong defense against the other.  The Llamas would pull away a bit at 14-4 (10:25) and 16-8 (6:30), but Child, Please wasn’t going away, making a 9-3 run to bring the deficit to 3 with a minute left in the half.  Both teams tried to posture for a pivotal last shot, and where White could not, Mike Comtois launched a shot a little something like this, except it beat the buzzer, too.  Tie ballgame.  21s.

For the Llamas, it was Nicole Wolff, scoring 7 of her 17 points in the first half, along with some help from Mike Claffey (6 points), and a bucket here and there from the other players.  Pretty good balance, with just about everyone adding something to the effort.

For Child, Please, it was all about Jaws.  13 points in the first half (including 5-6 from the line), a bunch of boards and 3 blocks.  Other than that, Comtois’s 2-3 from distance and one part-the-red-sea kind of driving bucket by Shannon Robinson, and that was all we had.  21 points at the break.

Low-scoring game for two high-powered teams, but it didn’t feel sloppy.  Good offense and good defense.  Kervens on top of his game, and yours truly dialed in on the board.  Again, the teams couldn’t look more different in their halftime approaches: DLW quietly shooting around, CP tightly huddled, scheming (I’m sure).  Let’s get back at it.

Back and forth we went, until I made a note that Child, Please took the lead at (17:30), 29-28.  CP got much better balance in the second half, and with buckets from Rebecca “Squeaky” Pelletier, Austin, and Robinson to supplement Jaws and a “heating up” Comtois, CP built some cushion.  It also helped that Moore was doing it on both ends (5 second-half steals) and getting inside almost at will.  After two coast-2-coasts that Moore created with steals the other way, and with 14:40 to go in regulation, CP up, 38-31.  I made a note that the llamas were “slipping.”

But momentum is funny.  A snowball can quickly turn into an avalanche.  Mark Claffey must have sensed the same thing, because he came alive in the second half and put DLW on his back.  3-3 on three point attempts in the second half (I think each assisted by his brother), to go with a circus shot off the backboard that turned CPs’ collective stomachs.  Mark’s 18 second-half points brought White right back into things.  Specifically, one of his 3s brought them to within 55-53 with just 1:27 left in the half.

Sidebar: To be entirely candid, that last minute and a half was a bit of a blur for me.  In such an important game, I focused first on making sure that score and fouls and game-altering information were completely accurate (which I did).  The other pieces were secondary, and with so many fouls (on both sides), fast paced action, and worrying about a very loose power cord for the scoreboard, doing that much wasn’t a simple task.  What that means, for purposes of this write-up, is that I can’t specifically recall what happened on each possession, but I do believe the following to be true:

• The llamas tied the game at 55 with about 1:10 left.
• CP (Moore or Comtois) hit a bucket to bring it to 57-55, CP with 52.2 left.
• DLW tied the score at 57 with 32 seconds to go.
• Comtois held the ball for the final shot.
• Comtois fired one from deep that did not ring true, rebound to DLW, but not enough time to get off a clean shot.

57s.  OOOOvertime.  Awesome.  Everybody exhale for a bit while I tell everybody who’s got what fouls.

First OT (3 minutes running time, clock stops at 1:00, team fouls continued from regulation (both teams in the bonus), one time out each)

Comtois wins the tip, steps up and buries a 3.  Clutch.  60-57, CP.  Mark Claffey tries to answer, but misses.  CP misses inside the arc, Minotaur gets the board.  Can you breathe?  Me either.

Minotaur in the lane, draws a foul on Comtois (his 4^th),hits the first, misses the second, but he alertly gets the offensive board and putback.  60-60.

Comtois, Grubb and Moore pass the ball back and forth, waiting for the last shot.  Moore is really calling for it, but time is running out.  And Moore would shout “Noooo!” each time the ball got more than a pass away from his hands.  With time expiring, the ball is passed to Grubb, who doesn’t get a good look and the ball caroms off the backboard, wide left, to Wolff, who calls TO with 1.2 left.  The llamas get a surprisingly good look, but it rims out…

And we go to…

DOUBLE OT (2 minutes running time, clock stops at :30, team fouls continued from regulation (both teams in the bonus), one time out each)

Comtois wins the tip (again), passes to Moore, who drives the lane and gets fouled (by Mark Claffey, his 4^th).  Moore drills both foul shots.  62-60, CP.  Mark Claffey hits a reverse high off the glass, 62s.  Time is running out again.

As before, Comtois again tries to hold for the last shot.  He pops up right near the Awesome Table, but without anyone around accidentally and inexplicably dribbles it off his high top and out of bounds with just 16.7 seconds to go.

Llamas ball, Wolff draws Squeaky’s first foul and makes both shots, 64-62 DLW.  7.9 seconds left.

Moore tries for, but misses a three at the buzzer.

Cue the confetti and music.  It\'s a really corny song, but people seem to like it...

And Mark Claffey, for bringing your team up and over in the clutch in the Game of the Week (maybe the season), you are the Week 8 Pyramid Breweries Player of the Week.  Pick up the armband for the regular season finale at the scorer’s table.

Oh, that’s right.  This was just a regular season game.  Wait ‘till CAC Madness really starts…

Game Notes:

- 20 of Mark Claffey’s 23 came in the second-half (and later).

- Jaws was a monster out there.  Had a huge game (32 pts, 16 boards (7 off.), 7 steals (5 in the second half),  4 blocks and 2 assists) and is the Pyramid Breweries Player of the Week Runner-Up.  Comtois, Minotaur, and Wolff all get Honorable Mention for their play.

- Carissa Everett had 6 rebounds on the night, co-leading her team with Minotaur.  How she got in the middle of all those huge players to get at least half of them confounded me.

- Minotaur had one first-half rebound.  That is not a misprint.

- The Llamas went 17-27 (63%) from the line and Child, Please went 14-23 (60.8%).  Though there was plenty of griping about fouls, Kervens called it evenly, and appropriately for the game.  19 fouls on DLW and 20 on CP, for the record.  He called two personals in double OT- one on each side (and both players hit both shots).  Kervens handled the game about as well as anybody could have, and nobody got jobbed, not the least little bit.  This game was absolutely decided by the players.

- While Comtois might not be as sympathetic a character as, say, Harvey, it’s tough not to feel bad for him on that late turnover.  Truth be told, it was his play in great part that kept CP right there and in position to win the game multiple times, so don’t get too down on yourself, Reddick.

- Everything about this game was symmetrical.  Points, aggression, fouls, effort, talent, hustle, mistakes, “star” play, opportunities.  Everything.  Though it was two days after Halloween, it was a treat to watch.  Personal thanks out to both teams for making it such a fun game to watch.

Scores, Box Scores & Write-Ups

Regular Season: Week 9

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