Winter 2011: Corporate League Champs: Banner 18

Commentary by TIBBS & LINDS...

Banner 18 70  5 Man WolfPack 55

Banner 18 to play for Corp Title, again

The 5 Man WolfPack had been playing some great ball the last couple weeks, and did so for the first 15 minutes of this game, but just ran into the Buzzsaw that is Banner 18. 

Things started out so well for the Pack. Muse and Sachin were running the break and converting, while Jim and Ben were playing great D and keeping Banner 18 from doing the same to them.  But then disaster struck when Ben went down and need to leave the game to get stiches (hope you're all right Ben!).  The Pack was up 20-15 with 12 to go in the first and it just all fell apart. Suddenly shots stopped falling, the D wasn't as intense and Ben had left a hole that just couldn't be filled.

Melvin led the charge to take over the game, tossing in 14 points before the break, while Marlin was swatting shots into the wall.  And here we thought the art of the blocked shot was dead, Marlin brings it back with 5 monster swats. 

Wolfpack made a brief run to get back into the game to start the second half, but the shots just weren't falling for Muse or Jim.  Just a tough way to end the season, I would have liked to see what was possible if Ben had been able to keep playing and keep giving them high quality minutes. His play particularly took a step up the last couple weeks.

Banner 18 will play for the Corp 5v5 title on Monday April 25th, but I hear rumblings already that they'll be without the OPoY, Serrano (what you didn't see the awards yet? They're here: http://www.cacbasketball.com/tibbsblog.php?newsid=562).  That won't help them beat Team Smell!

The Team You Could Smell Like 61  Grand Nationals 42

Team Smell back to Defend the Title

A 25-5 run to start the second half put the game away for Team Smell as they waltzed into the Finals for the second consecutive season (and second straight for the Corporate 5v5 league). Good scoring balance, an intense defensive effort, and most importantly, better attendance than in the round 1 game led Team Smell in this one.

The GNats looked like they were going to put up a fight for all 44 in this one.  Broadway Joe and Derek tossed in a couple early 3s to pace the offense, and really, that was all the offense.  Against the Team Smell zone, no one could get anything going to the basket.  Koons presents a hell of a formidable rear guard.  Even still, GNats were only down 4 at the break and poised to take this thing down to the final minutes. Everyone knows you just want to keep it close until the end when you're the underdog, and then anything can happen.

Well Jay A and Elijah weren't going to let that happen to them.  They busted out of the gate with 15 combined points in the early stages of the second half to lead the run.  It helped that Greg and Desmond chipped in a couple baskets of their own. I mean, really, a total team effort if you take a look at the box score. 

Now they face Banner 18 *again* for the title on April 25th !

Didn't you people see the awards yet? http://www.cacbasketball.com/tibbsblog.php?newsid=562