Write Up's
Tuesday, March 4th
Opening Night
S.H.N.S Vs. Rafikis: Gordon Whittemore: 9 Pts, 10 Reb and 1 Ast- Ansil Stilley: 10 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast and 5 Blocks
ZBA season five started out with a great opening game. Ansil would score the first points of the season on a beautiful drive only to have it answered by a deep three from Gordon. Pretty dish from Ansil to Sam Solomon gives the Rafikis a 15-12 lead which would be extended to 20-28 at the end of the third. Max Baker's fearless three point shooting would bring the Shadow Hunters back though, and after a missed 1 and 1, S.H.N.S would have a chance to win it down by two points, Max misses the desperation 3 attempt. Final Score: 32- 31 Rafikis
Jumping Jellyfish Vs. Spartans: Remi Sedjro: 20 Pts, 18 Reb and 2 Ast- Joe Genesio: 18 Pts, 6 Reb and 2 Ast
The Jumping Jellyfish (J.J.) were playing their first game with three players forcing those in uniform to play the whole game against the resilient Spartans. Remi scored the games first points and would score many others as well. Joe was a thorn in the side for the J.J the whole night. A third quarter score of 37-25 would be cut down considerably with Doc Roberts playing a key role, grabbing boards and scoring four points in the quarter. Final Score: 50-43 J.J
Hungry Hobbits Vs. Alcatraz: Griffin Henderson: 17 Pts, 16 Reb and 4 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 38 Pts, 11 Reb and 1 Ast
Jordin Jackson in his ZBA debut would make life heck for the team of experienced ZBA veterans, the Hungry Hobbits (H.H). The first quarter was all Jordin as Alcatraz jumped out to a 21- 8 lead cut into by scores from Andrew Falconer and Sean Wyman. Julian Baez would make his presence known early and often providing a spark for the so far lackluster Hobbits. Jordin was on pace to beat the scoring record of 41 set by Jacob Brown two seasons ago but was sidelined after a beautiful and gutsy charge was taken by Julian. With the height gone for the Alcatraz the game opened up a little bit for the younger players. Though it was a 12 point setback for the H.H Andrew Falconer and Ben Tucker would wrap up solid opening nights with 4 and 6 points respectively including 9 rebounds between the two little guys. Final Score: 56-44 Alcatraz
Thursday, March 6th
Alcatraz Vs. Rafikis: Bryan Currie: 22 Pts, 12 Reb, 4 Ast- Cam Deiley: 11 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Blk
In a match up of two unbeaten teams, it would be the Alcatraz who would rise to the occasion. an 11-7 1st Quarter score would be cut into momentarily as a pretty dish from Sam to Ansil nets the Rafikis two. The next series of possessions can only be described as lights out shooting with 5 consecutive threes in this order, Bryan, Sam, Jordin, Cam, Bryan. Bryan would hit four threes in the quarter. Then everything started going right for the Alcatraz who jumped out to a 47- 27 lead in the third. Resiliency has been the name of the game this year though and the Rafikis would reduce the lead to 11 with help from Ansil's team leading 22 Pts. Finally though their luck ran out as well as their unbeaten season. Final Score: 60-47 Alcatraz Missing*- Alc: Dejan Tisma
Incredibles Vs. Roughriders: Loro Lako: 22 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast- Jacob Brown: 17 Pts, 19 Reb, 10 Ast
It was the first game of the season for both squads and would live up to the pre-game hype. Loro would score his teams first 6 Pts in the ugly helter skelter opening minutes as the teams warmed up. Jacob Brown, ZBA legend would make his season debut in the second quarter and instantly became a presence, facilitating and scoring. At the end of the first the score would be 22-24 Roughriders. Xavier Mills, the big man out of Freeport was a big inside presence for the Incredibles who had 8 Pts and 5 Reb. Back and forth scoring would end the third at 38-42 Roughriders. With thirty seconds left and down by two Max Carr takes the ball baseline and hits a soft floater to tie up the game! Overtime would be short and sweet with Silas hitting a runner to which Bennedetto could not answer back, and Loro seals the game with two free throws marring the first ever triple- double in ZBA history for Jacob Brown and the Roughriders. Final Score: 53- 49 Incredibles Missing* Inc: Jake Angell RR: Jack VG
Spartans Vs. S.H.N.S: Jackman Mickiewicz: 15 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast- Max Baker: 28 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast
The Shadow Hunters would get a special victory tonight in what came with the debut of the Dennis Rodman/ Meadowlark Lemon of ZBA basketball, James Falconer. Doc Roberts would score the first points in the first, other highlights being lock down D from stingy Finn Zechman. Joe Genesio and Jackman would pace their team with 15 points apiece. Neither was a match for the sweet shooting touch of Max Baker, who looks as though he has the home court advantage down at the club. James Falconer would make the most of his limited touches, scoring five points and dishing an assist, Cam Turner as well showed flashes of guts, taking the ball to the rack for 4 Pts in the game. Joe Genesio then made the sweetest move in ZBA history, igniting the crowd and finishing the basket in a globetrotters type play, slowly going up for the shot, he casually let the ball drop, got the defender in the air as he finished his fake shot, picked up the ball and drove through two defenders for a fantastic finish. Final Score: 47-38 S.H.N.S Missing* S.H.N.S: Josh S.
Tuesday March 11th
Alcatraz Vs. Incredibles: Jordin Jackson: 42 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast- Silas Zechman: 20 Pts, 3 Reb, 5 Ast
Alcatraz, just off a statement victory against the Rafikis were playing with momentum and confidence but would need three quarters to finally shake off the pesky Incredibles. Loro Lako would open the game with the hot hand scoring on multiple fast breaks in the first quarter, which would end 12-8 Alcatraz. Loro would continue his hot hand and nail three threes in the second but threes from both Brian and Jordin would make it a tie game at half. Jordin Jackson, always a player to watch would control the boards and the post, soft shooting from both Bryan and Anthony Salafia would lead to a 9-2 run. The fourth quarter was all Alcatraz, too whom the hoop looked wide as the ocean. Jordin would go on to break the ZBA scoring record set two years ago with a three pointer from slightly inside half court as time expired giving the Alcatraz a fitting end to a decisive victory. Final Score: 67-51 Missing*: Inc- Jake Angell Alc- Dejan Tisma
S.H.N.S Vs. RoughRiders: 15 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Blcks- Jack VG: 7 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast
ZBA history was made twice on Tuesday, with the record breaking performance of Jordin and the debut of the youngest player in ZBA History. As the only player representing the 8th grade, Jack VG proved he wouldn't be intimidated, playing tough D and scoring 7 points on larger defenders. Sadly that was the only highlight for the RoughRiders who would drop their second straight on a poor night from the field. In the second quarter the game was still close with Josh Sardhina netting four to go along with two threes from Max Baker, described by my mom as the three point king. Gordon would start off the fourth with a three to increase the S.H.N.S lead to 12 and the RoughRiders could not rally behind a resurgent Jacob Brown, who played with a crazy intensity in the final minutes. Final Score: 52-40 Missing*: R.R- Max Carr S.H.N.S- James Falconer
Rafikis Vs. Hungry Hobbits: Ansil Stilley: 24 Pts, 15 Ast, 3 Blcks- Sean Wyman- 27 Pts, 9 Reb, 3 Ast
The Hungry Hobbits would face the imposing Rafikis with only two players and a fill in and it would show in the final score. A barrage of buckets, divided equally amongst Ansil, Cam and Chris Miller would increase the lead every quarter. Sean Wyman and Ben Tucker fought back and Sean was able to thrive being the go-to scorer using a wide array of fade away and step back jumpers to get his points. Ben Tucker as well would constantly push the ball and take it to the rack against the much larger defenders and would end the game with 6 Pts a season high. Ansil Stilley would turn the game into a highlight reel, almost dunking on a put back and wrapping the ball around his back while driving capped off with a beautiful finish. Though the score was lopsided, the kids had fun and that is the important thing! Final Score: 52-32 Rafikis Missing*- H.H- Griffin Henderson, Julian Baez and Andrew Falconer Rafikis- Sam Solomon
Tuesday March 18th
RoughRiders Vs. Alcatraz: Jacob Brown: 17 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 26 Pts, 17 Reb, 2 Blcks
The RoughRiders came into this game as the obvious underdogs but looked more and more and more like Top Dog as the game went on. The undersized RoughRiders would play scrappy D while the Alcatraz limited shot attempts as well leading to a first quarter score of 4-4. Scrappiness is the word that comes to mind when I think back on the game. The second half would open up with a steal and then coast to coast lay up from Jacob Brown, but not to be outdone Jordin Jackson would score 4 of his own. Bryan Currie was in foul trouble early which hurt the Alcatraz although he managed to score 7 Pts with 4 Fls. Jackson continued to control the inside with a monstrous swat but the two guards for the R.R continued to drive without fear into the lane. Jack VG and Jacob Brown would combine for 26 of their teams 36. The fourth was where both teams found their groove with the Alc scoring 12 and the R.R scoring 6 and eventually a 36-36 tie. Due to time restraints only one overtime could be allowed and just as tight D began the game it would end it as well, leaving both teams scoreless and niether the victory in a hard fought challenge. Final Score: 36-36 Missing* R.R- Max Carr
Rafikis Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Sam Solomon: 17 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Stl- Xander Keiter: 22 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast
This game would feature two of ZBA's most prolific scorers, both of which would not disappoint and are acknowledged above. Only the second game for the J.J they could not shake the rust off in time to avoid falling to the Rafikis. Something to look forward to as the season moves on is the arrival of big man sophomore Alex Livingston who got his first action since returning from Florida. Back and forth scoring was the nature of the game early on ending in a 10-7 J.J lead. Chris Miller would quickly cut into that lead and tie up the game with a three. Sam Solomon was a bowling ball inside getting a majority of his points from inside. On the other side of things neither Alex or Milos could seem to get into an offensive rhythm. A beautiful assist from Xander to Remi would tie the game up at 29 to start the fourth. Later on with less than a minute remaining Sam would have a chance to extend the lead to three and he does going 2 for 2 from the line in a clutch situation. Remi would then draw a foul but could not hit the free throw to cut into the lead with 47 seconds left and the J.J were forced to foul but eventually could not pull it out. Final Score: 40- 37 Rafikis Missing* Rafikis- Ansil Stilley
Hungry Hobbits Vs. Spartans: Doc Roberts: 14 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Blck- Julian Baez: 19 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast
The two teams facing each other in the late night slot were both hungry for a victory and eager to prove themselves. The same was fast and slightly sloppy but played a hich octane and up speed tempo which befits the styles of both teams. The first quarter ended with a score of 10-6 Spartans. In the 2nd Quarter Julian would make his presence felt often and early, taking some of the pressure off team captain Griffin Henderson who had scored his teams only 6 points. With a beautiful move in which Julian spins one way then back the other through two defenders the momentum shifted and the end of the third had them only down by three due to a furious comeback made necessary because of a barrage of points from the Spartans most of them coming from the Freshman Forward Doc Roberts. I can not say enough about the game Doc had. He showed his long range ability as well his finesse or lack there of inside. He was an energy spark for the Spartans and made the game fun. In the final seconds though the ball would be in Doc's hands again. Up by one point with less than a minute remaining Doc would be shooting One and One Ft's. He would nail them both capping off a spectacular night. Julian Baez did have the ball and a chance to tie the game up but squandered it by shooting from way outside with 8
seconds remaining. A running three by Griffin is what set up the FT's by Doc. Final Score: 53-50 Spartans Missing*- Nobody
Wednesday
Wednesday March 19th
Spartans Vs. Incredibles: Xavier Mills 9 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Stls- Cam Turner 10 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast
The opening minutes of the game would be dominated by the Incredibles who would go on a 10-0 run keyed by steals from both Xavier and Silas. Joe Genesio would put the Spartans on the board finally and reverse the trend. The final score of the quarter would be 16-14 Incredibles and featured the first points of the season during the debut of the freshman forward Jake Angell for the Incredibles. Doc will continue his recent hot streak tonight and is assisted for a three by team captain Jackman. Loro Lako as well would be spot on, scoring 28 in the game and burying threes from all over. Silas and Loro were a well oiled machine in the third quarter with a nice flurry of assists and buckets. On the other hand the Spartans were playing with great teamwork and shared the ball well. Cam Turner had a career high with 10 Pts and Ben Conti had a season high with 8 Pts. The 4th is when the tension was highest. The score was 50-46 Incredibles with two minutes to go. Keeping the Spartans in the game was poor shot decisions and FT shooting for the Incredibles. Silas would make two FT's to increase the lead to 4 but then three FT's would be missed by The Incredibles in the final minute. Ultimately, down by two, the ball landed in Doc Roberts hands. He heaves a deep three while all alone as time expires and gives the Spartans their second victory of the season in an incredible fashion. Final Score: 58-57 Spartans Missing*- Nobody
Jumping Jellyfish vs. S.H.N.S: Remi Sedjro: 33 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast- Finn Zechman: 18 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast
The first quarter was mostly S.H.N.S, while the score was 10-8 at the end it did not reflect the aggressive manner of the S.H.N.S, fueled by Gordon's deep three which banked in and two trips to the free throw line for team captain Finn. The entrance into the game for rookie Junior Remi Sedjro in the second quarter would spell disaster for the S.H.N.S. The quarter featured back to back to back three balls from Gordon- Remi and Max in that order as well as 10 points from Remi. Both Alex Livingston band Max Baker would draw fouls near the end of the half which ended 26-22 J.J. In the third Milos would foul out with less than a minute remaining but it would not hurt the streaking J.J who were surging behind a barrage of threes from Remi. The game was lopsided in the favor of the J.J but the fourth was wild with Finn taking a charge, only the third this season and Alex Livingston hitting a shot after being fouled from his butt. In a low scoring night for captain Xander the team would repay him for his prior contributions and turn in a dominating performance. Final Score: 54-47 J.J Missing*- James Falconer S.H.N.S
Incredibles Vs. Hungry Hobbits: Loro Lako: 37 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast- Griffin Henderson- 25 Pts, 9 Reb, 6 Ast
Both teams started off the game fluidly with good passing and even better shooting. It was fun to watch and play in. The Hungry Hobbits then began to dominate in the second quarter. Griffin and Sean together were facilitating and scoring and getting big contributions from both Ben and Andrew leading to a halftime score of 32-19 H.H. The third quarter was a completely different story though and in which Loro had three steals. Silas had 6 assists in the quarter and a season high 8 in the game. The roles were reversed with the Incredibles beginning to find their rhythm. Scoring over 20 Pts in the quarter as compared to the H.H 10. The fourth quarter was a battle with Loro taking on the task of scoring. With 37 points in the night he was 6 points off of breaking the record. Not to be outdone Griffin would have the best game of the season for him by far almost getting the triple double and 25 Pts. The H.H stayed around though and with Silas sitting out the fourth quarter the Incredibles avoided what happened last game and won a nail biter by two after Griffins desperation three point attempt was off the mark. Final Score: 59-57 Incredibles Missing*- Julian Baez
Thursday, March 20th
Hungry Hobbits Vs. S.H.N.S: Ben Tucker: 9 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast- Max Baker: 42 Pts, 18 Reb, 2 Ast
Coming off of a tough loss the night before and playing their third game in three nights, the H.H were due for a letdown game. A first quarter score of 10-8 S.H.N.S seemed to prove the differ, but the S.H.N.S would turn the tide and not look back at the start of the 2nd. Ben Tucker was on fire in the first half scoring all 9 of his Pts but no one on the H.H could match the three point shooting of Max Baker and Gordon. Max would tie the record with an incredible 42 Pts. Getting open on screens and give and go's was the name of the game and enabled him to get countless open shots. The second half was Max vs. Griffin but when Max is on he is on. One positive things to take away from the game for the H.H was Andrew Falconers 6 Pts and and 4 Reb the game after his season high 10 Pts. Final Score: 62-32 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- James Falconer H.H- Julian Baez
Spartans Vs. Alcatraz: Jackman Mickeiwitz: 22 Pts, 14 Reb, 6 Stls- Bryan Currie: 30 Pts, 15 Reb, 7 Ast
The surging Spartans on a two game win streak would be playing the final undefeated team in ZBA this season. This game had many interesting storylines, mostly surrounding the 2-2 Spartans with the ball of energy in Doc Roberts and whether the two early losses were a fluke or not. Their game against Alcatraz certainly quelled any doubts that this team is for real. Doc would score his teams first five points, continuing his hot streak again tonight he ended with 14 Points. Bryan currie paced Alcatraz in the first and was dominant throughout. Anthony Salafia got on the board with a three in the second as the teams went back and forth. Joe Genesio also made an impact hitting some timely threes in the first half which ended 28-28. The third quarter marked the arrival of Camden Turner and an offensive surge for both teams. The fatigue bound to come with playing with only three players was effecting the Alcatraz in spite of that they jumped out to a 51-40 lead to start the fourth. In a familiar position the Spartans began their comeback, slowly but surely. On top of his game that night was Captain Jackman who would score more than ten in the fourth and hits a big three to tie the game at 56 all. Anthony would hit another jumper and the Alcatraz found themselves having to foul late in the game. Down by 4 with 47 seconds the Alcatraz could not score again and lost their first game this season, one game after a tough tie. Final Score: 71-62 Spartans Missing*- Alc- Dejan Tisma Spartans- Ben Conti
Jumping Jellyfish Vs. RoughRiders: Alex Livingston: 19 Pts, 16, Reb, 2 Ast- Max Carr: 14 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast
A two point lead in the first quarter reflected the opinions of many, that this would be a tightly defended game. Playing without Remi who had a monster game in his last appearance the J.J picked up where he left off in a closely contested game. Back to back to back scores from Max, Jacob and Milos in that order ties the game at 10. The flamboyant and ever colorful Max Carr would turn in another solid performance, and in the second scores five straight including a deep, floating three off the backboard and a chance for a three point play. Xander Keiter is difficult for any defense though and continues to cause problems throughout the night. At the half the game is tied at 22 all. Benedetto will hit a three to open the scoring in the second half but Xander responds with a two. Alex then makes a great defensive play and grabs a steal and hooks up with Xander for a bucket the other way. Xander and Jacob would combine for 6 steals in the game. In the final minutes of the third Jacob will hit a three and reduce the deficit to 7 after a flurry of activity from the J.J. Anthony Degifico also would make his presence known with points in the game including a clutch floater to bring them within five. Down by 5 with 2 minutes remaining Xander would make an un characteristic error with the ball which leads to a breakaway layup by Max Carr. The R.R would then have a minute to hit a three and tie the game but it was not to be as 4 three point shots go off the mark. After grabbing the board on a one and one FT Jacob Brown would then cut down the court with under ten seconds and find Jack VG with a chance to be the hero but his three as time expires is off the mark ending a thrilling competition. Final Score: 45-42 J.J Missing*- J.J- Remi Sedjro
Tuesday, March 25th
Spartans Vs. RoughRiders: Bennedetto Nappi: 21 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Stls- Jackman Mickeiwicz 13 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast
The Spartans entered this game on a three game win streak and were playing the resilient yet still winless RoughRiders. Bennedetto would set the pace for the RoughRiders scoring 7 of his teams first 9 points leading them on a 7-0 run to start the first. Joe Genesio would score twice in the quarter but the slow start didn't show any signs of ending for the Spartans. A brilliant all around team effort from the R.R results in nice ball movement and easy buckets for Jack VG and Bennedetto. Doc Roberts, the talk of the league in his past three games and credited by some for sparking the three game win streak was held to 2 Pts but still managed to collect 9 rebounds. Jacob Brown would have the lowest scoring game of his ZBA career with 4 points but still played his way into the record books by tying the steals record and breaking his own assists record with 8 and 12 respectively. Final Score: 49-29 RoughRiders Missing*- Nobody
Incredibles Vs. Rafikis: Silas Zechman: 18 Pts, 10 Reb, 7 Ast- Sam Solomon: 19 Pts, 9 Reb, 4 Ast
The Rafikis were coming into this game as only the second number seed this season has seen after the fall of the Alcatraz. It was a closely contested game throughout ending in thrilling fashion and just avoiding overtime. A first quarter score of 16-11 had the Incredibles on top. With both teams playing with only three, fatigue was bound to be a factor and you could see it's impact after some early clanks from deep from both teams. Sam Solomon consistently wore down the D and was able to take it inside and draw fouls. Loro Lako would manage to score 26 Pts playing with 4 Fouls and Xavier Mills again provided clutch buckets, rounding out the scoring for his team with 6 Pts. In the fourth quarter the score was 39-36 late with the Rafikis on top, a balanced scoring effort was paced by the three point prowess of both Chris Miller and Cam Deiley to accompany the inside game of their captain. Silas would hit a jumper at the elbow after a layup by Loro to take the lead. With thirty seconds let in the game Sam Solomon scoops up a rebound on a missed three by Loro and dishes it to Cam who is wide open for the three. Cam Deiley proceeds to nail the clutch shot and tie up the game at 48. With time running out, Silas takes the ball from the inbounds and euro steps nicely into the lane hitting the game winner with 10 seconds left. Sam Solomon will miss the running three as time expires capping off an intense game. Final Score: 50-48 Incredibles Missing*- Inc.- Jake Angell Rafikis- Ansil Stilley
Hungry Hobbits Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Sean Wyman: 9 Pts, 9 Reb, 2 Blcks- Alex Livinsgton: 17 Pts, 17 Reb, 6 Ast
The Hungry Hobbits started this game as they often do, hot. They would score often and early against the top team in the league record wise. Milos would continue the scoring with a coast to coast lay up following a nice dish from Xander to Alex. Griffin would respond with a three followed by one from Julian. Julian Baez would go on to hit three 3's in the first which ended in 14-14 tie. The entrance of Remi Sedjro into the game is never fun for the other team. Late in the half he would hit two 3's gaining the J.J momentum and ensuring an 8 point lead going into the half. Sean Wyman played like a banshee on the boards, in one instance he grabbed two rebounds in one play and dove to save another. Ben Tucker also grabbed a rebound and dished an assist to Griffin keeping the H.H hanging around. The third was more of the same as the J.J continued to hit timely threes while the hoop seemed to have a kid on it for the H.H. In the 4th the H.H would go on a scoring splurge as a 8-0 scoring run would reduce the lead to ten before an and 1 from Alex Livingston would seal the victory for the J.J. The H.H would not go down without a fight though as Julian would end the game with a deep three as time expires. Final Score: 55-41 J.J Missing*- H.H- Andrew Falconer
Thursday, March 27th
RoughRiders Vs. Rafikis: 15 Pts, 11 Reb, 0 Ast- Jacob Brown: 12 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Stls
Benedetto and the RoughRiders came into the game after winning their first of the season two days earlier. Benedetto continued his hot streak with a early three pointer. Back and forth scoring throughout the quarter resulted in a 11-9 RoughRiders lead. Ansil Stilley would enter the game in the second and made his presence known with a pinning block on a drive by Benedetto who continued to hurt the Rafikis with his inside play. The third quarter was much of the same as Sam Solomon and his Rafikis controlled the boards. Sam would pull down an offensive rebound and take it up for two points and the lead. Jacob Brown always cool under pressure would calmly sink a jumper to make the game 27-27 at the end of the third. Cam Deiley and Ansil would both hit threes mid way through the fourth and established a 6 point lead late. Jack VG and Sam would battle throughout the quarter down low, with Jack VG not giving an inch in the paint. It was a high intensity and emotional game but resulted in a victory for The Rafikis. Final Score: 44-37 Rafikis Missing*- R.R- Max Carr
Incredibles Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Loro Lako: 23 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Stls- Xander Keiter: 17 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast
The opening minutes resulted in sloppy play for both teams. Alex Livingston would score the first points of the game followed by a easy lay in from Jake Angell. Alex Livingston controlled the boards in the first quarter keeping multiple plays alive. The Incredibles would only manage to score 4 points in the first quarter after many missed lay ups from Silas and stingy D from the Jumping Jellyfish. Loro would revitalize the struggling Incredibles who would go on a huge run to close out the half cutting the deficit to 2 points. Xander would score 4 in a row to start the fourth in a balanced attack for the Jumping Jellyfish. A blocked shot from Milos and a three from Remi would inspire a 35-27 lead at the end of the quarter. This would have been even larger if it wasn't for Loro Lako scoring 5 points in 13 seconds. The fourth quarter was a nail biter. Remi would hit two threes in the quarter but Silas would hit two clutch free throws to make the score 44-47 and then would grab a rebound off a missed shot from Remi and take it coast to coast to trim the deficit to 1. A missed one and one would result in Silas under the hoop with a chance to give his team the lead but he would miss the lay up and second chance opportunity as the Incredibles lose in heartbreaking fashion and lock up the number one seed. Final Score: 47-46 Missing*- Nobody
S.H.N.S Vs. Alcatraz: Finn Zechman: 21 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 33 Pts, 15 Reb, 1 Blcks
Finn Zechman, better known for his defense and hustle would show a fantastic offensive display early in the game. Taking charge, Finn would go on to score his teams first 9 points. Dejan Tisma arrived to play as well hitting a three and scoring five in the quarter. There was seemingly no slowing Finn down as he scored all 14 of his teams points in the first. Jordin Jackson is always a threat though and his size advantage allowed him to do work down low grabbing boards and smoothly scoring. Jordin was hitting from deep as well but a 6 point lead was reduced to 3 as Max Baker draws the and 1 foul and makes good on it to end the half at 30-27 Alcatraz. Gordon would get hot in the second half a play a key role late in the game. He hit a three and drew a foul on Jordin to get the S.H.N.S two more points. James Falconer always entertaining would make the game interesting by attempting to get in Bryan's head. Bryan would arrive late in the third and obviously must have been rattled by James whispered words as he made an impact but only managed to score 2 in the second half. Anthony Salafia would hit a three which Max Baker would respond too with one of his own tying the game up at 37. James would then provide an assist to Max for three to which Bryan then dishes the ball on a drive to Jordin. Jordin hits a three to put his team up by two. In the final minutes Alcatraz are down by two but on an inbound the ball is stripped from Jordins hands by Gordon Whittemore who quickly scores the lay up and extends the lead to four. This would light up the upset hungry crowd (especially James) and not done yet Gordon proceeds to steal the ball on the next possession to seal the game. Final Score: 52-46 S.H.N.S Missing*-Nobody
Saturday, March 29th
Incredibles Vs. S.H.N.S: Gordon Whittemore: 20 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast- Xavier Mills: 12 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Stls
The first game of a busy 9 game schedule kicked off with a brother vs. Brother matchup. The older brother Silas would be on the wrong side of a ten point lead at halftime. The third quarter sparked a large run from the Incredibles keyed by back to back jumpers from Loro and Silas. Silas would take a charge and Loro stepped up with a big and 1 to end the third at 41-36 S.H.N.S. More smart passes from Silas and Loro allowed Xavier to connect on a couple of shots in the quarter. Gordon Whittemore though would not be denied while rebounding the ball and the S.H.N.S continued to smother the Incredibles while playing with only three players. Incredibles could not ever make up the deficit. Final Score: 60-51 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- James Falconer and Max Baker.
RoughRiders Vs. Hungry Hobbits: Sean Wyman: 13 Pts, 11 Reb, 3 Ast- Jack Vose-Gimbel: 11 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast
Game two of the marathon Saturday kicked off with a match up between two teams hungry for a win. The Hungry Hobbits ended up being hungrier. RoughRiders got out to a early lead as Bennedetto would end the first with a fade away jumper to increase the lead to three. Julian Baez continued his flashy play around the basket and would score 14 in the game. The third quarter ended with a spurt from the R.R as Jack VG would score 6 straight for his team and a out back by Max Carr gave the R.R a 30-29 lead into the fourth. The Hungry Hobbits were playing for their first win though and would not be refused. Sean would eventually tie the ball game with a smooth drive through the lane and Griffin would follow that play up with a lay in of his own to give the Hungry Hobbits a two point lead with less than a minute left. Jacob Brown's desperate heave would be off the mark and the H.H got their first win under their belt heading unto the playoffs. Final Score: 44-42 H.H Missing*- Ben Tucker and Andrew Falconer
Alcatraz Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Alex Livingston: 24 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Stls- Dejan Tisma: 9 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Blck
The second to last game of the regular season pitted two top tier teams against one another. Dejan Tisma would light up the crowd as he blocks his brother Milos as he shoots a lay up. But the rest of the quarter was all J.J who fueled by a resurgent Alex Livingston would take an 8 point lead into the second. The size and strength of Jordin Jackson though is hard to match as he finished with 16 of his teams points, a season low, yet formidable still. A deep three by Dejan from the top of the key would tie the game up going into the half. Xander Keiter though, always a threat to score would play lights out in the third keeping his team in it with a flurry of fade always and short jumpers. An And 1 from Alex is responded too by a three from Bryan Currie, Bryan would then hit another in succession. The game was close until the end and featured a buzzer beater lay up from Bryan off a deep pass from Jordin Jackson as the Alcatraz finally put the J.J away. Final Score: 49-47 Alc Missing*- J.J- Remi Sedjro
Rafikis Vs. Spartans: Doc Roberts: 8 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast- Sam Solomon: 36 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast
A balanced attack early was the name of the game for the Rafikis who used great ball movement to jump out to a 9-6 lead early on. Be n Conti would draw the foul but go 1 for 2 from the line but Cam Deiley would respond with a three, he had 20 in the game which matched his season high. The one free throw from Ben Conti would end up being the only point scored in the second for the Spartans as the Rafikis jump out to a 21-7 lead. Sam Solomon and Cam Deiley would each hit two threes in the first half and the Rafikis out paced the Spartans even with only three players. A 51-26 Rafikis lead heading into the fifth quarter of a five quarter game all but completely locked up the number one seed for the Rafikis. A comeback is mounted off buckets from Doc, Jackman and Camden but in the end it was now here nearly enough as the Rafikis end their season with a decisive victory and the number one seed. Final Score: 61-40 Rafikis Missing*- Raf.- Ansil Stilley
#1 Rafikis Vs. #8 Hungry Hobbits: Griffin Henderson: 15 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Stls- Sam Solomon: 27 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl
The first game in the playoffs would make history as due to only three players in attendance for the Hungry Hobbits, Lydia Henderson, a freshman became the first female to play for the ZBA. She would score 4 points in her debut but sadly could not lift the underdogs to victory. Sam Solomon and Cam Deiley continued their torrid pace from deep both hitting a three in the first which ended 14-8 as Sean Wyman's 4 Pts in the quarter kept things close. Fatigue was a large factor in the game and was noticeable but Lydia Henderson entered the game in the second and dished an assist to Sean who had 11 in the game. Julian Baez, who had 15 Pts would hit a three but Sam Solomon would respond with two more. By the fourth quarter the game was out of reach due to the arrival of Ansil the Rafikis were fresher and playing with more depth. Rather than let things get out of hand though, the H.H would respond to adversity well. Griffin Henderson would hit three 3 Pointers in a row followed by one from Julian in a victory for the Rafikis. Final Score: 52-45 Rafikis Missing*- H.H- Ben Tucker and Andrew Falconer
#4 Alcatraz Vs. #5 Spartans: Bryan Currie: 20 Pts, 12 Reb, 4 Stls- Joe Genesio: 16 Pts, 11 Reb, 4 Ast
The game began with high expectations of both teams, and the game itself was one for the ages. The game would consist of 4 regular time quarters and two over time minutes to be decided. The highlight of a high scoring first was an up fake from Camden Turner which had Jordin Jackson leaping out of his shoes and past Cam who calmly hit the lay up. Ben Conti who had a season high 14 Pts in the game would split the D and make the lay up followed by a three from the hot handed Doc Roberts to increase their first half lead to 26-18. Alcatraz begins it's comeback though, slowly and surely the deficit is trimmed to 4 to start the fourth. Jordin Jackson and Bryan Currie would combine for 48 of their teams 57 points but the player of the game would have to be Doc Roberts. He hit a deep three as time expired to beat the Incredibles in the regular season and would hit another as time expired to send the game into overtime. The first over time consisted of a lay up from Jordin and then one from Joe and time would expire after a missed shot from Jordin. In the second Overtime there was no score except the winning one. Bryan Currie hustled back on a missed shot from the Spartans and Jordin found him under the hoop as time expired and the Alcatraz survived an upset scare in thrilling fashion. Final Score: 57-55 Alc. Missing*-None
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #7 RoughRiders: Max Carr: 10 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast- Alex Livingston: 20 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Stl
Never in my five years of doing ZBA have I seen back to back double overtime games. This year I was blessed with that opportunity. The first quarter ended 7-3 Jellyfish but two three pointers from Benedetto would reverse the lead by the end of the half as RoughRiders took a 1 pt advantage. Stingy D was prevalent throughout with buckets being earned. Remi, Alex and Milos playing without Xander for the first time all season stepped up late with boards from Alex and clutch jumpers by Remi. Jacob Brown always poised would hit two free throws late in the game to make it 26-24 with a minute left. Alex would then increase the lead with two layups making it 30-25 until a lay up by Jacob set up a three from Benedetto as time expired to send the game into over time 30-30. In the first overtime the teams traded threes as B-Detto kept up his sharpshooting from outside but in the second over time Remi drove through the lane almost untouched to complete his 11 pt night as the Jumping Jellyfish survived Jacob Brown's 14 Pts and 3 steals as well as solid team effort from the R.R. Final Score-35-34 J.J Missing*- J.J- Xander Keiter R.R- Jack V.G
#3 S.H.N.S Vs. #6 Incredibles: Finn Zechman: 33 Pts, 7 Reb, 5 Stls- Loro Lako: 25 Pts, 3 Reb, 1Stl
The last game of the first round of the playoffs would feature a rematch between the game 7 played earlier in the day. This time around though, the result would be different. A high scoring first quarter featured a lay up and assist to Silas from Jake Angell as well as impressive rebounding from Josh Sardinha. The second quarter offered the S.H.N.S a chance to increase their lead, which they took. Playing without the ZBA's third leading scorer for the second straight game Orange displayed a balanced attack from deep and inside with Finn providing offense down low accompanied by a three from Gordon. Both Finn and Josh would have season highs in the game, Finn with an impressive 33. Loro would then begin to knock down shots from deep, a sight that would scare any team in the ZBA. Silas would end a ferocious third quarter comeback in which the score of 30-21 at the half would be changed to 37-35 going into the fourth. Finn would start the fourth with a coast to coast lay in but with two minutes left Silas draws the foul and goes 2 for 2 at the line making the score 41-39 until Gordon would hit a clutch three to make it 44-39. The scoring would then go Silas for two, Finn hits two free throws and Silas responds. An assist from Silas to Loro would make for a clutch three and a tie ball game with thirty seconds left. Finn, always cool under pressure responds with a jumper but it is Silas who takes home player of the game honors, connecting on an and 1 with 6 seconds left to make the score 49-48, to which the S.H.N.S fail to answer. Final Score: 49-48 Inc. Missing*- S.H.N.S- Max Baker and James Falconer
#1 Rafikis Vs. #4 Alcatraz: Ansil Stilley: 19 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Reb-Anthony Salafia: 18 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast
In the first game of the second round of the playoffs Anthony Salafia would score 13 more than his previous season high and the Alcatraz would get a fairly easy victory in a match up between two juggernauts. Jordin Jackson opened up the scoring with two Pts, followed by a bucket from Anthony and a early lead of 15-7 Alc. Balanced scoring for both teams featured buckets from everyone playing in the second quarter. Jordin Jackson added 14 to the final total and Dejan Tisma had 6 assists when all was said and done. At the start of the third consecutive layups from Sam Solomon could not get the Rafikis any momentum and they entered the fourth down by 17. Ansil was the one bright spot for the Rafikis who had a nice lay up and lead a furious comeback which reduced the deficit to 9 until Bryan nails a three to end the run. The Rafikis wouldn't get any closer and entered the loser bracket to close out the Saturday marathon of 9 games. Final Score: 51-39 Alcatraz Missing*-None
Monday, April 1st
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #6 Incredibles: Milos Tisma: 6 Pts, 13 Reb, 4 Blcks- Xavier Mills- 6 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast
Silas opened up the scoring with a fast break layup to which Xander would answer with a floater. Playing with only three and as the only seed lower than 4 still undefeated, the Incredibles faced an uphill battle. Back and forth scoring early featured a jumper from Loro and a put back from Milos who would also have a season high 13 Reb. Xavier Mills then cuts the lane for the easy bucket. Incredibles could do no wrong in the first quarter going on a 13-0 run until Xander ended the first with a bank shot to end the quarter at 19-6 Inc. X-man continues the torrid pace for the Incredibles but the J.J would respond with 6 straight points by Alex and Milos. Milos would come up huge on defense for the J.J, known as a prolific blocker he rejected 4 shots in the game. And Remi would close out the half with a beautiful cross over and layup to make it 26-14 Inc. The lead seemed to keep shrinking, whether from fatigue or just being out matched the third ended with the Inc. only up by 9. Loro would then make a great steal and convert the lay up to bring the lead back up to 11. Xander follows a putback by Alex with a three. Alex would be fouled twice late as the J.J continued to control the boards but the lead would never be less than 7 and the Incredibles moved on to the Alcatraz leaving the J.J in disbelief. Final Score: 47-37 Inc. Missing* Inc.- Jake Angell
#3 S.H.N.S Vs. #7 RoughRiders: Anthony Degifico: 4 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast- Gordon Whittemore: 9 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast
The first elimination game of the playoffs would be a hard fought match up, representing the desire to win and will to remain in contention. A low scoring first had the score at 7-5 R.R, at three minutes remaining the score was 2-2. Gordon hit a three in the quarter. Benedetto would score 5 straight in an exciting second to which crazy lay ups by Jacob Brown and Finn Zechman were very entertaining. In the third the S.H would take the lead for the first time all game at 18-15 after a Gordon layup. The lead would increase from there until a strong drive from Jacob cut the lead to five. A three from Max is responded to by spinning drive by Jack V.G. the quarter would end 25-21 S.H. Back and Forth scoring was the nature of the fourth, A lay up from Anthony Degifico and a three from Benedetto allowed the r.R to retake the lead at 30-29 but an and 1 by Finn would give the S.H the lead for good. A three from Max and a steal and lay in by Gordon increase the lead to 7 until Jacob hits a three. Fighting hard until the end Jacob Brown and his crew would suffer a second round loss as the S.H.N.S converted their free throws. Jacob ended the game with a lay up with ten seconds left and a round of applause followed for the leagues leading assister and stealer. The S.H.N.S would live to fight another day. Final Score: 39-33 S.H.N.S Missing*- R.R- Max Carr
#5 Spartans Vs. #8 Hungry Hobbits: Ben Conti: 12 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast- Griffin Henderson: 22 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast
After watching the seventh seed get eliminated, the Hungry Hobbits became determined to be, only the second upset of the playoffs to this point. A 19-6 Spartans lead at the end of the first seemed to quell any notion of the previous statement occurring. The Hobbits jumped on the Spartans early in the second of a five quarter game with 4 straight out of the gate and Grffin would hit a mid range jumper over Jackman's outstretched hand. Sean Wyman would block a Ben Conti lay up but it was a rare occurrence that Ben would not be able to reach the hoop, scoring two less than his previous season high Ben also racked up 12 Reb to get his first double -double. Julian would then score 6 straight to cut the deficit to 6 as the Spartans begin to fold. Andrew Falconer scores as well as the H.H run continues. Sean then would tie up the game, he had 16 Pts which was fueled by 9 rebounds from the undersized big man Andrew Falconer, a season high. Ben Conti would retake the lead for the Spartans with a three Pt play. The Spartans had a one point lead to end the third. The Spartans then go down early in the fourth but a floater from Joe and a turnover by Sean give them a chance to tie up the game, after failing to convert the game seemed to go downhill from there. Threes by Griffin and Julian forced the Spartans to resort to fouling with two minutes left and Griffin would make good on every free throw except one, scoring 9 pts in two minutes. The Hungry Hobbits dealt the Spartans a surprising blow and kept their championships alive with a well played game. Final Score: 55-45 H.H Missing*-None
Tuesday, April 2nd
#1 Rafikis Vs. #3 S.H.N.S: Max Baker: 22 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Ast- Chris Miller: 22 Pts, 8 Reb, 4 Ast
Both teams having survived two playoff games were still not in places they wanted to be. Entering the playoffs ranked as they were both teams were hungry for a championship. Playing without Sam Solomon, their captain, for only the second time all season the Rafikis faced an uphill battle. Chris Miller more then made up for his absence though scoring a season high 22 Pts and matching the ZBA's third leading scorer point for point. Max Baker though would score the games first five points getting off to a hot start. Buckets from Finn Max again increase the lead to 9-0 until a steal and drive by Ansil put the Rafikis on the board. Chris would then score but a Max Baker response increases the gap to 8. Gordon would get on the board with a three but a small comeback by the Rafikis, keyed by assists from both Chris and Ansil to one another cut the deficit to 6 as the first comes to a close. Finn opens up the scoring in the second but Cam Deiley of the Rafikis would follow it with a pull up jumper. Rafikis eventually reduce the lead to 4 but a three from Gordon bumps it back to 7. Ansil hits a sweet shot at the buzzer from ten feet out to end the half with the score being 24-19 S.H. Chris hits a three to open scoring in the second half to which Max answers with a three of his own. The third quarter would end with a 7 pt lead for the S.H. Cam Deiley has a great block on a Gordon lay up and Ansil and Chris would score five straight until a fast break by Gordon puts them up by four. Chris, a spark for the Rafikis all night draws the foul on a lay up and goes 2 for 2 from the line but a four Pt deficit has the Rafikis resorting to fouling. Two free throws from Max and a steal by Gordon seal the Rafikis fate as the 1 seed is eliminated early on in the 2014 ZBA playoffs. Final Score: 41-33 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- Josh Sardinha Raf. Sam Solomon
#4 Alcatraz Vs. #6 Incredibles: Jordin Jackson: 11 Pts, 13 Reb, 5 Ast- Silas Zechman: 24 Pts, 9 Reb, 7 Ast
The two remaining undefeated teams had a combined seeding of ten but yet both teams had been dominating throughout the playoffs. The Alcatraz struck first, and second with buckets from Jordin and Anthony. Silas would then dish an assist to Xavier. An early 11-4 lead for the Alctaraz was largely due to 9 of the 11 coming from the big captain and scoring title holder Jordin. the end of the 1st quarter presented a lopsided score 21-9 in favor of the black squad. Loro and Jake take on some of the scoring responsibilities early in the second but Bryan hits two threes and has the Alcatraz up by seven after a flurry of good defensive plays for Loro including a block and steal. Halftime presents a 9 Pt lead. Jordin scores 5 more en route to a 35 point game, his combined Pt totals against the Incredibles in their two meetings would be 77. As the fourth began though Xavier Mills hits a jumper responded too by a lay up from Dejan. An assist from Silas to Loro, one of his 7 in the game will cut the lead to two. Another assist to Loro and the game is tied until a three from Jordin puts the Alactraz up. Bryan and Jordin both score but a three by Loro brings the deficit back to two with a minute and a half reaming in regulation. The game is tied with 39.7 seconds left as Jordin misses a one and one free throw, Silas grabs the board and draws the foul. He makes both free throws and his team is up by 2. After misses free throws from both teams the ball ends up in Jordin's hands under the hoop as time winds down. He will back Silas down in the post and hits the lay up as time expires. In overtime there is no score with 15 seconds remaining. Alactraz get the ball to Jordin who spins in the post... right into Silas who is standing with his feet set and draws the charge. 4 Seconds on the clock, the inbound goes to Silas who sprints the length of the court, blows by Dejan and shoots a leaner with no time to spare. He banks it in and steps onto the court to be mobbed as the crowd goes nuts. A typical ending to another thrilling ZBA playoff game. Final Score 55-53 Inc. Missing*- none
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #8 Hungry Hobbits: Remi Sedjro: 21 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast- Sean Wyman: 10 Pts, 15 Reb, 3 Ast
Following such a dramatic game, this match up would prove to be very anti climatic. Alex and Griffin would trade buckets to start the game. And a three from the prolific scorer Xander Keiter would end the first at 12-8 J.J. A small spurt from the J.J increases the lead further but an and 1 conversion from Griff makes the score 19-12 in the second. Julian baez would hit five straight for the H.H, his final stats included 11 Pts and 3 Stls. Remi Sedjro though coming off a 4 point game would be the difference for the J.J. the H.H had no answer for his inside-out game. Sean Wyman as well played hard and was credited with his second double-double of the season with a season high 15 Rebounds. The 4th quarter began at 40-25J.J but the H.H never quit. Ben Tucker would add to their point total as well as Sean early in the quarter and a three from Griffin would be the final score of the game as the J.J moved on to the final night of games. Final Score: 54-36 J.J Missing*- None
Thursday, April 4th
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #3 S.H.N.S: Xander Keiter: 19 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast- Max Baker: 20 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast
For the teams in this game the road to the championship would require three straight victories. Max opened up the game with a three pointer assisted by a steal and pass from Gordon Whittemore, his teammate. Xander Keiter would then nail back to back to jumpers to get the J.J on the board. Max would score all ten of his teams points in the first quarter. Solid defense from Milos who contributed a block and good chemistry between Xander and Remi would give the J.J a 4 point lead at the end of the first. The game is tied at 20 after a 5-0 run for the S.H.N.S. Milos, always a fearsome presence in the paint blocks another shot, this one ending the first half. Xander Keiter continues to score at will at the start of the third but Finn, always a hustle player grabs two rebounds and hooks up with Max for a deep three. The score is 30-29 J.J to start the fourth. Chippy play starts the fourth as the teams prepare for the final stretch. Milos gets his third block which leads to a lay up for him and deep three from Remi. The rebound game will be key though and second chance opportunities allow Gordon to score two. He would have 11 rebounds in the game contributing to a double digit scoring effort as well with 16. James Falconer, a solid rebounder would add 4 rebounds to the teams total as well. The score is 39-37 J.J with a minute remaining, Finn then gets fouled and goes 1 for 2 from the line but Max grabs his miss and hits a three to put them up by two. A ferocious drive by Remi leaves the game tied up at the final buzzer and were headed to overtime. Gordon draws first blood on a jumper and hits two free throws later. A three by Milos puts the J.J down by one but Max Baker goes to the line and hits both as the J.J were forced to foul and the J.J cannot respond leaving only three teams left. Final Score: 47-44 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- Josh Sardinha J.J- Alex Livinsgton
#3 S.H.N.S Vs. #4 Alcatraz: Gordon Whittemore 18 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 26 Pts, 17 Reb, 2 Blcks
Dejan Tisma scores the first points of the game and the Alc will score the next four Pts as well. Max Baker who would continue his unreal three point shooting in this game will hit a three to cut into the lead. Bryan will get a steal, the first of four for him in the game and connects on a lay up. Finn and Gordon hit back to back shots but Dejan Tisma responds with 4 straight to close out the first half down by three to the S.H.N.S. Max Baker starts the third with a three to combat two threes from Bryan earlier in the quarter. The Shadow Hunters would go on a 8-0 run ended by a lay up from Dejan who then goes to the free throw line and hits 1 of 2. Max will hit a three to end the third and puts his team up by 12 despite a night in which Jordin would score 26 Pts. The Alcatraz turned up the pressure to start the fourth and would reduce the lead to five on a three from Bryan. James Falconer would re enter the game at this point, mid way through the fourth, after leaving early in the third with an ankle injury. The
Alc. would find themselves down by three with one minute left but a clutch three from Max puts his team up by 6 in a night where he would out score the leagues most deadliest with a 29 pt game, Max also had 7 rebounds under his belt by the games end. The Alc. seemed to lose the will to fight at that point and could not find a spark. The Shadow Hunters would go on to win an improbable second straight game and were headed to the championship to face the team which had given them their only loss in the playoffs. Final Score: 55-48 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S-Josh Sardinha
Tuesday, March 4th
Opening Night
S.H.N.S Vs. Rafikis: Gordon Whittemore: 9 Pts, 10 Reb and 1 Ast- Ansil Stilley: 10 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast and 5 Blocks
ZBA season five started out with a great opening game. Ansil would score the first points of the season on a beautiful drive only to have it answered by a deep three from Gordon. Pretty dish from Ansil to Sam Solomon gives the Rafikis a 15-12 lead which would be extended to 20-28 at the end of the third. Max Baker's fearless three point shooting would bring the Shadow Hunters back though, and after a missed 1 and 1, S.H.N.S would have a chance to win it down by two points, Max misses the desperation 3 attempt. Final Score: 32- 31 Rafikis
Jumping Jellyfish Vs. Spartans: Remi Sedjro: 20 Pts, 18 Reb and 2 Ast- Joe Genesio: 18 Pts, 6 Reb and 2 Ast
The Jumping Jellyfish (J.J.) were playing their first game with three players forcing those in uniform to play the whole game against the resilient Spartans. Remi scored the games first points and would score many others as well. Joe was a thorn in the side for the J.J the whole night. A third quarter score of 37-25 would be cut down considerably with Doc Roberts playing a key role, grabbing boards and scoring four points in the quarter. Final Score: 50-43 J.J
Hungry Hobbits Vs. Alcatraz: Griffin Henderson: 17 Pts, 16 Reb and 4 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 38 Pts, 11 Reb and 1 Ast
Jordin Jackson in his ZBA debut would make life heck for the team of experienced ZBA veterans, the Hungry Hobbits (H.H). The first quarter was all Jordin as Alcatraz jumped out to a 21- 8 lead cut into by scores from Andrew Falconer and Sean Wyman. Julian Baez would make his presence known early and often providing a spark for the so far lackluster Hobbits. Jordin was on pace to beat the scoring record of 41 set by Jacob Brown two seasons ago but was sidelined after a beautiful and gutsy charge was taken by Julian. With the height gone for the Alcatraz the game opened up a little bit for the younger players. Though it was a 12 point setback for the H.H Andrew Falconer and Ben Tucker would wrap up solid opening nights with 4 and 6 points respectively including 9 rebounds between the two little guys. Final Score: 56-44 Alcatraz
Thursday, March 6th
Alcatraz Vs. Rafikis: Bryan Currie: 22 Pts, 12 Reb, 4 Ast- Cam Deiley: 11 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Blk
In a match up of two unbeaten teams, it would be the Alcatraz who would rise to the occasion. an 11-7 1st Quarter score would be cut into momentarily as a pretty dish from Sam to Ansil nets the Rafikis two. The next series of possessions can only be described as lights out shooting with 5 consecutive threes in this order, Bryan, Sam, Jordin, Cam, Bryan. Bryan would hit four threes in the quarter. Then everything started going right for the Alcatraz who jumped out to a 47- 27 lead in the third. Resiliency has been the name of the game this year though and the Rafikis would reduce the lead to 11 with help from Ansil's team leading 22 Pts. Finally though their luck ran out as well as their unbeaten season. Final Score: 60-47 Alcatraz Missing*- Alc: Dejan Tisma
Incredibles Vs. Roughriders: Loro Lako: 22 Pts, 3 Reb, 2 Ast- Jacob Brown: 17 Pts, 19 Reb, 10 Ast
It was the first game of the season for both squads and would live up to the pre-game hype. Loro would score his teams first 6 Pts in the ugly helter skelter opening minutes as the teams warmed up. Jacob Brown, ZBA legend would make his season debut in the second quarter and instantly became a presence, facilitating and scoring. At the end of the first the score would be 22-24 Roughriders. Xavier Mills, the big man out of Freeport was a big inside presence for the Incredibles who had 8 Pts and 5 Reb. Back and forth scoring would end the third at 38-42 Roughriders. With thirty seconds left and down by two Max Carr takes the ball baseline and hits a soft floater to tie up the game! Overtime would be short and sweet with Silas hitting a runner to which Bennedetto could not answer back, and Loro seals the game with two free throws marring the first ever triple- double in ZBA history for Jacob Brown and the Roughriders. Final Score: 53- 49 Incredibles Missing* Inc: Jake Angell RR: Jack VG
Spartans Vs. S.H.N.S: Jackman Mickiewicz: 15 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Ast- Max Baker: 28 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast
The Shadow Hunters would get a special victory tonight in what came with the debut of the Dennis Rodman/ Meadowlark Lemon of ZBA basketball, James Falconer. Doc Roberts would score the first points in the first, other highlights being lock down D from stingy Finn Zechman. Joe Genesio and Jackman would pace their team with 15 points apiece. Neither was a match for the sweet shooting touch of Max Baker, who looks as though he has the home court advantage down at the club. James Falconer would make the most of his limited touches, scoring five points and dishing an assist, Cam Turner as well showed flashes of guts, taking the ball to the rack for 4 Pts in the game. Joe Genesio then made the sweetest move in ZBA history, igniting the crowd and finishing the basket in a globetrotters type play, slowly going up for the shot, he casually let the ball drop, got the defender in the air as he finished his fake shot, picked up the ball and drove through two defenders for a fantastic finish. Final Score: 47-38 S.H.N.S Missing* S.H.N.S: Josh S.
Tuesday March 11th
Alcatraz Vs. Incredibles: Jordin Jackson: 42 Pts, 11 Reb, 2 Ast- Silas Zechman: 20 Pts, 3 Reb, 5 Ast
Alcatraz, just off a statement victory against the Rafikis were playing with momentum and confidence but would need three quarters to finally shake off the pesky Incredibles. Loro Lako would open the game with the hot hand scoring on multiple fast breaks in the first quarter, which would end 12-8 Alcatraz. Loro would continue his hot hand and nail three threes in the second but threes from both Brian and Jordin would make it a tie game at half. Jordin Jackson, always a player to watch would control the boards and the post, soft shooting from both Bryan and Anthony Salafia would lead to a 9-2 run. The fourth quarter was all Alcatraz, too whom the hoop looked wide as the ocean. Jordin would go on to break the ZBA scoring record set two years ago with a three pointer from slightly inside half court as time expired giving the Alcatraz a fitting end to a decisive victory. Final Score: 67-51 Missing*: Inc- Jake Angell Alc- Dejan Tisma
S.H.N.S Vs. RoughRiders: 15 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Blcks- Jack VG: 7 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast
ZBA history was made twice on Tuesday, with the record breaking performance of Jordin and the debut of the youngest player in ZBA History. As the only player representing the 8th grade, Jack VG proved he wouldn't be intimidated, playing tough D and scoring 7 points on larger defenders. Sadly that was the only highlight for the RoughRiders who would drop their second straight on a poor night from the field. In the second quarter the game was still close with Josh Sardhina netting four to go along with two threes from Max Baker, described by my mom as the three point king. Gordon would start off the fourth with a three to increase the S.H.N.S lead to 12 and the RoughRiders could not rally behind a resurgent Jacob Brown, who played with a crazy intensity in the final minutes. Final Score: 52-40 Missing*: R.R- Max Carr S.H.N.S- James Falconer
Rafikis Vs. Hungry Hobbits: Ansil Stilley: 24 Pts, 15 Ast, 3 Blcks- Sean Wyman- 27 Pts, 9 Reb, 3 Ast
The Hungry Hobbits would face the imposing Rafikis with only two players and a fill in and it would show in the final score. A barrage of buckets, divided equally amongst Ansil, Cam and Chris Miller would increase the lead every quarter. Sean Wyman and Ben Tucker fought back and Sean was able to thrive being the go-to scorer using a wide array of fade away and step back jumpers to get his points. Ben Tucker as well would constantly push the ball and take it to the rack against the much larger defenders and would end the game with 6 Pts a season high. Ansil Stilley would turn the game into a highlight reel, almost dunking on a put back and wrapping the ball around his back while driving capped off with a beautiful finish. Though the score was lopsided, the kids had fun and that is the important thing! Final Score: 52-32 Rafikis Missing*- H.H- Griffin Henderson, Julian Baez and Andrew Falconer Rafikis- Sam Solomon
Tuesday March 18th
RoughRiders Vs. Alcatraz: Jacob Brown: 17 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 26 Pts, 17 Reb, 2 Blcks
The RoughRiders came into this game as the obvious underdogs but looked more and more and more like Top Dog as the game went on. The undersized RoughRiders would play scrappy D while the Alcatraz limited shot attempts as well leading to a first quarter score of 4-4. Scrappiness is the word that comes to mind when I think back on the game. The second half would open up with a steal and then coast to coast lay up from Jacob Brown, but not to be outdone Jordin Jackson would score 4 of his own. Bryan Currie was in foul trouble early which hurt the Alcatraz although he managed to score 7 Pts with 4 Fls. Jackson continued to control the inside with a monstrous swat but the two guards for the R.R continued to drive without fear into the lane. Jack VG and Jacob Brown would combine for 26 of their teams 36. The fourth was where both teams found their groove with the Alc scoring 12 and the R.R scoring 6 and eventually a 36-36 tie. Due to time restraints only one overtime could be allowed and just as tight D began the game it would end it as well, leaving both teams scoreless and niether the victory in a hard fought challenge. Final Score: 36-36 Missing* R.R- Max Carr
Rafikis Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Sam Solomon: 17 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Stl- Xander Keiter: 22 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast
This game would feature two of ZBA's most prolific scorers, both of which would not disappoint and are acknowledged above. Only the second game for the J.J they could not shake the rust off in time to avoid falling to the Rafikis. Something to look forward to as the season moves on is the arrival of big man sophomore Alex Livingston who got his first action since returning from Florida. Back and forth scoring was the nature of the game early on ending in a 10-7 J.J lead. Chris Miller would quickly cut into that lead and tie up the game with a three. Sam Solomon was a bowling ball inside getting a majority of his points from inside. On the other side of things neither Alex or Milos could seem to get into an offensive rhythm. A beautiful assist from Xander to Remi would tie the game up at 29 to start the fourth. Later on with less than a minute remaining Sam would have a chance to extend the lead to three and he does going 2 for 2 from the line in a clutch situation. Remi would then draw a foul but could not hit the free throw to cut into the lead with 47 seconds left and the J.J were forced to foul but eventually could not pull it out. Final Score: 40- 37 Rafikis Missing* Rafikis- Ansil Stilley
Hungry Hobbits Vs. Spartans: Doc Roberts: 14 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Blck- Julian Baez: 19 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast
The two teams facing each other in the late night slot were both hungry for a victory and eager to prove themselves. The same was fast and slightly sloppy but played a hich octane and up speed tempo which befits the styles of both teams. The first quarter ended with a score of 10-6 Spartans. In the 2nd Quarter Julian would make his presence felt often and early, taking some of the pressure off team captain Griffin Henderson who had scored his teams only 6 points. With a beautiful move in which Julian spins one way then back the other through two defenders the momentum shifted and the end of the third had them only down by three due to a furious comeback made necessary because of a barrage of points from the Spartans most of them coming from the Freshman Forward Doc Roberts. I can not say enough about the game Doc had. He showed his long range ability as well his finesse or lack there of inside. He was an energy spark for the Spartans and made the game fun. In the final seconds though the ball would be in Doc's hands again. Up by one point with less than a minute remaining Doc would be shooting One and One Ft's. He would nail them both capping off a spectacular night. Julian Baez did have the ball and a chance to tie the game up but squandered it by shooting from way outside with 8
seconds remaining. A running three by Griffin is what set up the FT's by Doc. Final Score: 53-50 Spartans Missing*- Nobody
Wednesday
Wednesday March 19th
Spartans Vs. Incredibles: Xavier Mills 9 Pts, 7 Reb, 2 Stls- Cam Turner 10 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast
The opening minutes of the game would be dominated by the Incredibles who would go on a 10-0 run keyed by steals from both Xavier and Silas. Joe Genesio would put the Spartans on the board finally and reverse the trend. The final score of the quarter would be 16-14 Incredibles and featured the first points of the season during the debut of the freshman forward Jake Angell for the Incredibles. Doc will continue his recent hot streak tonight and is assisted for a three by team captain Jackman. Loro Lako as well would be spot on, scoring 28 in the game and burying threes from all over. Silas and Loro were a well oiled machine in the third quarter with a nice flurry of assists and buckets. On the other hand the Spartans were playing with great teamwork and shared the ball well. Cam Turner had a career high with 10 Pts and Ben Conti had a season high with 8 Pts. The 4th is when the tension was highest. The score was 50-46 Incredibles with two minutes to go. Keeping the Spartans in the game was poor shot decisions and FT shooting for the Incredibles. Silas would make two FT's to increase the lead to 4 but then three FT's would be missed by The Incredibles in the final minute. Ultimately, down by two, the ball landed in Doc Roberts hands. He heaves a deep three while all alone as time expires and gives the Spartans their second victory of the season in an incredible fashion. Final Score: 58-57 Spartans Missing*- Nobody
Jumping Jellyfish vs. S.H.N.S: Remi Sedjro: 33 Pts, 3 Reb, 3 Ast- Finn Zechman: 18 Pts, 7 Reb, 3 Ast
The first quarter was mostly S.H.N.S, while the score was 10-8 at the end it did not reflect the aggressive manner of the S.H.N.S, fueled by Gordon's deep three which banked in and two trips to the free throw line for team captain Finn. The entrance into the game for rookie Junior Remi Sedjro in the second quarter would spell disaster for the S.H.N.S. The quarter featured back to back to back three balls from Gordon- Remi and Max in that order as well as 10 points from Remi. Both Alex Livingston band Max Baker would draw fouls near the end of the half which ended 26-22 J.J. In the third Milos would foul out with less than a minute remaining but it would not hurt the streaking J.J who were surging behind a barrage of threes from Remi. The game was lopsided in the favor of the J.J but the fourth was wild with Finn taking a charge, only the third this season and Alex Livingston hitting a shot after being fouled from his butt. In a low scoring night for captain Xander the team would repay him for his prior contributions and turn in a dominating performance. Final Score: 54-47 J.J Missing*- James Falconer S.H.N.S
Incredibles Vs. Hungry Hobbits: Loro Lako: 37 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast- Griffin Henderson- 25 Pts, 9 Reb, 6 Ast
Both teams started off the game fluidly with good passing and even better shooting. It was fun to watch and play in. The Hungry Hobbits then began to dominate in the second quarter. Griffin and Sean together were facilitating and scoring and getting big contributions from both Ben and Andrew leading to a halftime score of 32-19 H.H. The third quarter was a completely different story though and in which Loro had three steals. Silas had 6 assists in the quarter and a season high 8 in the game. The roles were reversed with the Incredibles beginning to find their rhythm. Scoring over 20 Pts in the quarter as compared to the H.H 10. The fourth quarter was a battle with Loro taking on the task of scoring. With 37 points in the night he was 6 points off of breaking the record. Not to be outdone Griffin would have the best game of the season for him by far almost getting the triple double and 25 Pts. The H.H stayed around though and with Silas sitting out the fourth quarter the Incredibles avoided what happened last game and won a nail biter by two after Griffins desperation three point attempt was off the mark. Final Score: 59-57 Incredibles Missing*- Julian Baez
Thursday, March 20th
Hungry Hobbits Vs. S.H.N.S: Ben Tucker: 9 Pts, 5 Reb, 1 Ast- Max Baker: 42 Pts, 18 Reb, 2 Ast
Coming off of a tough loss the night before and playing their third game in three nights, the H.H were due for a letdown game. A first quarter score of 10-8 S.H.N.S seemed to prove the differ, but the S.H.N.S would turn the tide and not look back at the start of the 2nd. Ben Tucker was on fire in the first half scoring all 9 of his Pts but no one on the H.H could match the three point shooting of Max Baker and Gordon. Max would tie the record with an incredible 42 Pts. Getting open on screens and give and go's was the name of the game and enabled him to get countless open shots. The second half was Max vs. Griffin but when Max is on he is on. One positive things to take away from the game for the H.H was Andrew Falconers 6 Pts and and 4 Reb the game after his season high 10 Pts. Final Score: 62-32 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- James Falconer H.H- Julian Baez
Spartans Vs. Alcatraz: Jackman Mickeiwitz: 22 Pts, 14 Reb, 6 Stls- Bryan Currie: 30 Pts, 15 Reb, 7 Ast
The surging Spartans on a two game win streak would be playing the final undefeated team in ZBA this season. This game had many interesting storylines, mostly surrounding the 2-2 Spartans with the ball of energy in Doc Roberts and whether the two early losses were a fluke or not. Their game against Alcatraz certainly quelled any doubts that this team is for real. Doc would score his teams first five points, continuing his hot streak again tonight he ended with 14 Points. Bryan currie paced Alcatraz in the first and was dominant throughout. Anthony Salafia got on the board with a three in the second as the teams went back and forth. Joe Genesio also made an impact hitting some timely threes in the first half which ended 28-28. The third quarter marked the arrival of Camden Turner and an offensive surge for both teams. The fatigue bound to come with playing with only three players was effecting the Alcatraz in spite of that they jumped out to a 51-40 lead to start the fourth. In a familiar position the Spartans began their comeback, slowly but surely. On top of his game that night was Captain Jackman who would score more than ten in the fourth and hits a big three to tie the game at 56 all. Anthony would hit another jumper and the Alcatraz found themselves having to foul late in the game. Down by 4 with 47 seconds the Alcatraz could not score again and lost their first game this season, one game after a tough tie. Final Score: 71-62 Spartans Missing*- Alc- Dejan Tisma Spartans- Ben Conti
Jumping Jellyfish Vs. RoughRiders: Alex Livingston: 19 Pts, 16, Reb, 2 Ast- Max Carr: 14 Pts, 4 Reb, 2 Ast
A two point lead in the first quarter reflected the opinions of many, that this would be a tightly defended game. Playing without Remi who had a monster game in his last appearance the J.J picked up where he left off in a closely contested game. Back to back to back scores from Max, Jacob and Milos in that order ties the game at 10. The flamboyant and ever colorful Max Carr would turn in another solid performance, and in the second scores five straight including a deep, floating three off the backboard and a chance for a three point play. Xander Keiter is difficult for any defense though and continues to cause problems throughout the night. At the half the game is tied at 22 all. Benedetto will hit a three to open the scoring in the second half but Xander responds with a two. Alex then makes a great defensive play and grabs a steal and hooks up with Xander for a bucket the other way. Xander and Jacob would combine for 6 steals in the game. In the final minutes of the third Jacob will hit a three and reduce the deficit to 7 after a flurry of activity from the J.J. Anthony Degifico also would make his presence known with points in the game including a clutch floater to bring them within five. Down by 5 with 2 minutes remaining Xander would make an un characteristic error with the ball which leads to a breakaway layup by Max Carr. The R.R would then have a minute to hit a three and tie the game but it was not to be as 4 three point shots go off the mark. After grabbing the board on a one and one FT Jacob Brown would then cut down the court with under ten seconds and find Jack VG with a chance to be the hero but his three as time expires is off the mark ending a thrilling competition. Final Score: 45-42 J.J Missing*- J.J- Remi Sedjro
Tuesday, March 25th
Spartans Vs. RoughRiders: Bennedetto Nappi: 21 Pts, 5 Reb, 3 Stls- Jackman Mickeiwicz 13 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast
The Spartans entered this game on a three game win streak and were playing the resilient yet still winless RoughRiders. Bennedetto would set the pace for the RoughRiders scoring 7 of his teams first 9 points leading them on a 7-0 run to start the first. Joe Genesio would score twice in the quarter but the slow start didn't show any signs of ending for the Spartans. A brilliant all around team effort from the R.R results in nice ball movement and easy buckets for Jack VG and Bennedetto. Doc Roberts, the talk of the league in his past three games and credited by some for sparking the three game win streak was held to 2 Pts but still managed to collect 9 rebounds. Jacob Brown would have the lowest scoring game of his ZBA career with 4 points but still played his way into the record books by tying the steals record and breaking his own assists record with 8 and 12 respectively. Final Score: 49-29 RoughRiders Missing*- Nobody
Incredibles Vs. Rafikis: Silas Zechman: 18 Pts, 10 Reb, 7 Ast- Sam Solomon: 19 Pts, 9 Reb, 4 Ast
The Rafikis were coming into this game as only the second number seed this season has seen after the fall of the Alcatraz. It was a closely contested game throughout ending in thrilling fashion and just avoiding overtime. A first quarter score of 16-11 had the Incredibles on top. With both teams playing with only three, fatigue was bound to be a factor and you could see it's impact after some early clanks from deep from both teams. Sam Solomon consistently wore down the D and was able to take it inside and draw fouls. Loro Lako would manage to score 26 Pts playing with 4 Fouls and Xavier Mills again provided clutch buckets, rounding out the scoring for his team with 6 Pts. In the fourth quarter the score was 39-36 late with the Rafikis on top, a balanced scoring effort was paced by the three point prowess of both Chris Miller and Cam Deiley to accompany the inside game of their captain. Silas would hit a jumper at the elbow after a layup by Loro to take the lead. With thirty seconds let in the game Sam Solomon scoops up a rebound on a missed three by Loro and dishes it to Cam who is wide open for the three. Cam Deiley proceeds to nail the clutch shot and tie up the game at 48. With time running out, Silas takes the ball from the inbounds and euro steps nicely into the lane hitting the game winner with 10 seconds left. Sam Solomon will miss the running three as time expires capping off an intense game. Final Score: 50-48 Incredibles Missing*- Inc.- Jake Angell Rafikis- Ansil Stilley
Hungry Hobbits Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Sean Wyman: 9 Pts, 9 Reb, 2 Blcks- Alex Livinsgton: 17 Pts, 17 Reb, 6 Ast
The Hungry Hobbits started this game as they often do, hot. They would score often and early against the top team in the league record wise. Milos would continue the scoring with a coast to coast lay up following a nice dish from Xander to Alex. Griffin would respond with a three followed by one from Julian. Julian Baez would go on to hit three 3's in the first which ended in 14-14 tie. The entrance of Remi Sedjro into the game is never fun for the other team. Late in the half he would hit two 3's gaining the J.J momentum and ensuring an 8 point lead going into the half. Sean Wyman played like a banshee on the boards, in one instance he grabbed two rebounds in one play and dove to save another. Ben Tucker also grabbed a rebound and dished an assist to Griffin keeping the H.H hanging around. The third was more of the same as the J.J continued to hit timely threes while the hoop seemed to have a kid on it for the H.H. In the 4th the H.H would go on a scoring splurge as a 8-0 scoring run would reduce the lead to ten before an and 1 from Alex Livingston would seal the victory for the J.J. The H.H would not go down without a fight though as Julian would end the game with a deep three as time expires. Final Score: 55-41 J.J Missing*- H.H- Andrew Falconer
Thursday, March 27th
RoughRiders Vs. Rafikis: 15 Pts, 11 Reb, 0 Ast- Jacob Brown: 12 Pts, 7 Reb, 6 Stls
Benedetto and the RoughRiders came into the game after winning their first of the season two days earlier. Benedetto continued his hot streak with a early three pointer. Back and forth scoring throughout the quarter resulted in a 11-9 RoughRiders lead. Ansil Stilley would enter the game in the second and made his presence known with a pinning block on a drive by Benedetto who continued to hurt the Rafikis with his inside play. The third quarter was much of the same as Sam Solomon and his Rafikis controlled the boards. Sam would pull down an offensive rebound and take it up for two points and the lead. Jacob Brown always cool under pressure would calmly sink a jumper to make the game 27-27 at the end of the third. Cam Deiley and Ansil would both hit threes mid way through the fourth and established a 6 point lead late. Jack VG and Sam would battle throughout the quarter down low, with Jack VG not giving an inch in the paint. It was a high intensity and emotional game but resulted in a victory for The Rafikis. Final Score: 44-37 Rafikis Missing*- R.R- Max Carr
Incredibles Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Loro Lako: 23 Pts, 4 Reb, 3 Stls- Xander Keiter: 17 Pts, 4 Reb, 1 Ast
The opening minutes resulted in sloppy play for both teams. Alex Livingston would score the first points of the game followed by a easy lay in from Jake Angell. Alex Livingston controlled the boards in the first quarter keeping multiple plays alive. The Incredibles would only manage to score 4 points in the first quarter after many missed lay ups from Silas and stingy D from the Jumping Jellyfish. Loro would revitalize the struggling Incredibles who would go on a huge run to close out the half cutting the deficit to 2 points. Xander would score 4 in a row to start the fourth in a balanced attack for the Jumping Jellyfish. A blocked shot from Milos and a three from Remi would inspire a 35-27 lead at the end of the quarter. This would have been even larger if it wasn't for Loro Lako scoring 5 points in 13 seconds. The fourth quarter was a nail biter. Remi would hit two threes in the quarter but Silas would hit two clutch free throws to make the score 44-47 and then would grab a rebound off a missed shot from Remi and take it coast to coast to trim the deficit to 1. A missed one and one would result in Silas under the hoop with a chance to give his team the lead but he would miss the lay up and second chance opportunity as the Incredibles lose in heartbreaking fashion and lock up the number one seed. Final Score: 47-46 Missing*- Nobody
S.H.N.S Vs. Alcatraz: Finn Zechman: 21 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 33 Pts, 15 Reb, 1 Blcks
Finn Zechman, better known for his defense and hustle would show a fantastic offensive display early in the game. Taking charge, Finn would go on to score his teams first 9 points. Dejan Tisma arrived to play as well hitting a three and scoring five in the quarter. There was seemingly no slowing Finn down as he scored all 14 of his teams points in the first. Jordin Jackson is always a threat though and his size advantage allowed him to do work down low grabbing boards and smoothly scoring. Jordin was hitting from deep as well but a 6 point lead was reduced to 3 as Max Baker draws the and 1 foul and makes good on it to end the half at 30-27 Alcatraz. Gordon would get hot in the second half a play a key role late in the game. He hit a three and drew a foul on Jordin to get the S.H.N.S two more points. James Falconer always entertaining would make the game interesting by attempting to get in Bryan's head. Bryan would arrive late in the third and obviously must have been rattled by James whispered words as he made an impact but only managed to score 2 in the second half. Anthony Salafia would hit a three which Max Baker would respond too with one of his own tying the game up at 37. James would then provide an assist to Max for three to which Bryan then dishes the ball on a drive to Jordin. Jordin hits a three to put his team up by two. In the final minutes Alcatraz are down by two but on an inbound the ball is stripped from Jordins hands by Gordon Whittemore who quickly scores the lay up and extends the lead to four. This would light up the upset hungry crowd (especially James) and not done yet Gordon proceeds to steal the ball on the next possession to seal the game. Final Score: 52-46 S.H.N.S Missing*-Nobody
Saturday, March 29th
Incredibles Vs. S.H.N.S: Gordon Whittemore: 20 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast- Xavier Mills: 12 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Stls
The first game of a busy 9 game schedule kicked off with a brother vs. Brother matchup. The older brother Silas would be on the wrong side of a ten point lead at halftime. The third quarter sparked a large run from the Incredibles keyed by back to back jumpers from Loro and Silas. Silas would take a charge and Loro stepped up with a big and 1 to end the third at 41-36 S.H.N.S. More smart passes from Silas and Loro allowed Xavier to connect on a couple of shots in the quarter. Gordon Whittemore though would not be denied while rebounding the ball and the S.H.N.S continued to smother the Incredibles while playing with only three players. Incredibles could not ever make up the deficit. Final Score: 60-51 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- James Falconer and Max Baker.
RoughRiders Vs. Hungry Hobbits: Sean Wyman: 13 Pts, 11 Reb, 3 Ast- Jack Vose-Gimbel: 11 Pts, 6 Reb, 1 Ast
Game two of the marathon Saturday kicked off with a match up between two teams hungry for a win. The Hungry Hobbits ended up being hungrier. RoughRiders got out to a early lead as Bennedetto would end the first with a fade away jumper to increase the lead to three. Julian Baez continued his flashy play around the basket and would score 14 in the game. The third quarter ended with a spurt from the R.R as Jack VG would score 6 straight for his team and a out back by Max Carr gave the R.R a 30-29 lead into the fourth. The Hungry Hobbits were playing for their first win though and would not be refused. Sean would eventually tie the ball game with a smooth drive through the lane and Griffin would follow that play up with a lay in of his own to give the Hungry Hobbits a two point lead with less than a minute left. Jacob Brown's desperate heave would be off the mark and the H.H got their first win under their belt heading unto the playoffs. Final Score: 44-42 H.H Missing*- Ben Tucker and Andrew Falconer
Alcatraz Vs. Jumping Jellyfish: Alex Livingston: 24 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Stls- Dejan Tisma: 9 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Blck
The second to last game of the regular season pitted two top tier teams against one another. Dejan Tisma would light up the crowd as he blocks his brother Milos as he shoots a lay up. But the rest of the quarter was all J.J who fueled by a resurgent Alex Livingston would take an 8 point lead into the second. The size and strength of Jordin Jackson though is hard to match as he finished with 16 of his teams points, a season low, yet formidable still. A deep three by Dejan from the top of the key would tie the game up going into the half. Xander Keiter though, always a threat to score would play lights out in the third keeping his team in it with a flurry of fade always and short jumpers. An And 1 from Alex is responded too by a three from Bryan Currie, Bryan would then hit another in succession. The game was close until the end and featured a buzzer beater lay up from Bryan off a deep pass from Jordin Jackson as the Alcatraz finally put the J.J away. Final Score: 49-47 Alc Missing*- J.J- Remi Sedjro
Rafikis Vs. Spartans: Doc Roberts: 8 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast- Sam Solomon: 36 Pts, 2 Reb, 3 Ast
A balanced attack early was the name of the game for the Rafikis who used great ball movement to jump out to a 9-6 lead early on. Be n Conti would draw the foul but go 1 for 2 from the line but Cam Deiley would respond with a three, he had 20 in the game which matched his season high. The one free throw from Ben Conti would end up being the only point scored in the second for the Spartans as the Rafikis jump out to a 21-7 lead. Sam Solomon and Cam Deiley would each hit two threes in the first half and the Rafikis out paced the Spartans even with only three players. A 51-26 Rafikis lead heading into the fifth quarter of a five quarter game all but completely locked up the number one seed for the Rafikis. A comeback is mounted off buckets from Doc, Jackman and Camden but in the end it was now here nearly enough as the Rafikis end their season with a decisive victory and the number one seed. Final Score: 61-40 Rafikis Missing*- Raf.- Ansil Stilley
#1 Rafikis Vs. #8 Hungry Hobbits: Griffin Henderson: 15 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Stls- Sam Solomon: 27 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Stl
The first game in the playoffs would make history as due to only three players in attendance for the Hungry Hobbits, Lydia Henderson, a freshman became the first female to play for the ZBA. She would score 4 points in her debut but sadly could not lift the underdogs to victory. Sam Solomon and Cam Deiley continued their torrid pace from deep both hitting a three in the first which ended 14-8 as Sean Wyman's 4 Pts in the quarter kept things close. Fatigue was a large factor in the game and was noticeable but Lydia Henderson entered the game in the second and dished an assist to Sean who had 11 in the game. Julian Baez, who had 15 Pts would hit a three but Sam Solomon would respond with two more. By the fourth quarter the game was out of reach due to the arrival of Ansil the Rafikis were fresher and playing with more depth. Rather than let things get out of hand though, the H.H would respond to adversity well. Griffin Henderson would hit three 3 Pointers in a row followed by one from Julian in a victory for the Rafikis. Final Score: 52-45 Rafikis Missing*- H.H- Ben Tucker and Andrew Falconer
#4 Alcatraz Vs. #5 Spartans: Bryan Currie: 20 Pts, 12 Reb, 4 Stls- Joe Genesio: 16 Pts, 11 Reb, 4 Ast
The game began with high expectations of both teams, and the game itself was one for the ages. The game would consist of 4 regular time quarters and two over time minutes to be decided. The highlight of a high scoring first was an up fake from Camden Turner which had Jordin Jackson leaping out of his shoes and past Cam who calmly hit the lay up. Ben Conti who had a season high 14 Pts in the game would split the D and make the lay up followed by a three from the hot handed Doc Roberts to increase their first half lead to 26-18. Alcatraz begins it's comeback though, slowly and surely the deficit is trimmed to 4 to start the fourth. Jordin Jackson and Bryan Currie would combine for 48 of their teams 57 points but the player of the game would have to be Doc Roberts. He hit a deep three as time expired to beat the Incredibles in the regular season and would hit another as time expired to send the game into overtime. The first over time consisted of a lay up from Jordin and then one from Joe and time would expire after a missed shot from Jordin. In the second Overtime there was no score except the winning one. Bryan Currie hustled back on a missed shot from the Spartans and Jordin found him under the hoop as time expired and the Alcatraz survived an upset scare in thrilling fashion. Final Score: 57-55 Alc. Missing*-None
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #7 RoughRiders: Max Carr: 10 Pts, 9 Reb, 1 Ast- Alex Livingston: 20 Pts, 12 Reb, 1 Stl
Never in my five years of doing ZBA have I seen back to back double overtime games. This year I was blessed with that opportunity. The first quarter ended 7-3 Jellyfish but two three pointers from Benedetto would reverse the lead by the end of the half as RoughRiders took a 1 pt advantage. Stingy D was prevalent throughout with buckets being earned. Remi, Alex and Milos playing without Xander for the first time all season stepped up late with boards from Alex and clutch jumpers by Remi. Jacob Brown always poised would hit two free throws late in the game to make it 26-24 with a minute left. Alex would then increase the lead with two layups making it 30-25 until a lay up by Jacob set up a three from Benedetto as time expired to send the game into over time 30-30. In the first overtime the teams traded threes as B-Detto kept up his sharpshooting from outside but in the second over time Remi drove through the lane almost untouched to complete his 11 pt night as the Jumping Jellyfish survived Jacob Brown's 14 Pts and 3 steals as well as solid team effort from the R.R. Final Score-35-34 J.J Missing*- J.J- Xander Keiter R.R- Jack V.G
#3 S.H.N.S Vs. #6 Incredibles: Finn Zechman: 33 Pts, 7 Reb, 5 Stls- Loro Lako: 25 Pts, 3 Reb, 1Stl
The last game of the first round of the playoffs would feature a rematch between the game 7 played earlier in the day. This time around though, the result would be different. A high scoring first quarter featured a lay up and assist to Silas from Jake Angell as well as impressive rebounding from Josh Sardinha. The second quarter offered the S.H.N.S a chance to increase their lead, which they took. Playing without the ZBA's third leading scorer for the second straight game Orange displayed a balanced attack from deep and inside with Finn providing offense down low accompanied by a three from Gordon. Both Finn and Josh would have season highs in the game, Finn with an impressive 33. Loro would then begin to knock down shots from deep, a sight that would scare any team in the ZBA. Silas would end a ferocious third quarter comeback in which the score of 30-21 at the half would be changed to 37-35 going into the fourth. Finn would start the fourth with a coast to coast lay in but with two minutes left Silas draws the foul and goes 2 for 2 at the line making the score 41-39 until Gordon would hit a clutch three to make it 44-39. The scoring would then go Silas for two, Finn hits two free throws and Silas responds. An assist from Silas to Loro would make for a clutch three and a tie ball game with thirty seconds left. Finn, always cool under pressure responds with a jumper but it is Silas who takes home player of the game honors, connecting on an and 1 with 6 seconds left to make the score 49-48, to which the S.H.N.S fail to answer. Final Score: 49-48 Inc. Missing*- S.H.N.S- Max Baker and James Falconer
#1 Rafikis Vs. #4 Alcatraz: Ansil Stilley: 19 Pts, 10 Reb, 2 Reb-Anthony Salafia: 18 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast
In the first game of the second round of the playoffs Anthony Salafia would score 13 more than his previous season high and the Alcatraz would get a fairly easy victory in a match up between two juggernauts. Jordin Jackson opened up the scoring with two Pts, followed by a bucket from Anthony and a early lead of 15-7 Alc. Balanced scoring for both teams featured buckets from everyone playing in the second quarter. Jordin Jackson added 14 to the final total and Dejan Tisma had 6 assists when all was said and done. At the start of the third consecutive layups from Sam Solomon could not get the Rafikis any momentum and they entered the fourth down by 17. Ansil was the one bright spot for the Rafikis who had a nice lay up and lead a furious comeback which reduced the deficit to 9 until Bryan nails a three to end the run. The Rafikis wouldn't get any closer and entered the loser bracket to close out the Saturday marathon of 9 games. Final Score: 51-39 Alcatraz Missing*-None
Monday, April 1st
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #6 Incredibles: Milos Tisma: 6 Pts, 13 Reb, 4 Blcks- Xavier Mills- 6 Pts, 3 Reb, 1 Ast
Silas opened up the scoring with a fast break layup to which Xander would answer with a floater. Playing with only three and as the only seed lower than 4 still undefeated, the Incredibles faced an uphill battle. Back and forth scoring early featured a jumper from Loro and a put back from Milos who would also have a season high 13 Reb. Xavier Mills then cuts the lane for the easy bucket. Incredibles could do no wrong in the first quarter going on a 13-0 run until Xander ended the first with a bank shot to end the quarter at 19-6 Inc. X-man continues the torrid pace for the Incredibles but the J.J would respond with 6 straight points by Alex and Milos. Milos would come up huge on defense for the J.J, known as a prolific blocker he rejected 4 shots in the game. And Remi would close out the half with a beautiful cross over and layup to make it 26-14 Inc. The lead seemed to keep shrinking, whether from fatigue or just being out matched the third ended with the Inc. only up by 9. Loro would then make a great steal and convert the lay up to bring the lead back up to 11. Xander follows a putback by Alex with a three. Alex would be fouled twice late as the J.J continued to control the boards but the lead would never be less than 7 and the Incredibles moved on to the Alcatraz leaving the J.J in disbelief. Final Score: 47-37 Inc. Missing* Inc.- Jake Angell
#3 S.H.N.S Vs. #7 RoughRiders: Anthony Degifico: 4 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast- Gordon Whittemore: 9 Pts, 6 Reb, 2 Ast
The first elimination game of the playoffs would be a hard fought match up, representing the desire to win and will to remain in contention. A low scoring first had the score at 7-5 R.R, at three minutes remaining the score was 2-2. Gordon hit a three in the quarter. Benedetto would score 5 straight in an exciting second to which crazy lay ups by Jacob Brown and Finn Zechman were very entertaining. In the third the S.H would take the lead for the first time all game at 18-15 after a Gordon layup. The lead would increase from there until a strong drive from Jacob cut the lead to five. A three from Max is responded to by spinning drive by Jack V.G. the quarter would end 25-21 S.H. Back and Forth scoring was the nature of the fourth, A lay up from Anthony Degifico and a three from Benedetto allowed the r.R to retake the lead at 30-29 but an and 1 by Finn would give the S.H the lead for good. A three from Max and a steal and lay in by Gordon increase the lead to 7 until Jacob hits a three. Fighting hard until the end Jacob Brown and his crew would suffer a second round loss as the S.H.N.S converted their free throws. Jacob ended the game with a lay up with ten seconds left and a round of applause followed for the leagues leading assister and stealer. The S.H.N.S would live to fight another day. Final Score: 39-33 S.H.N.S Missing*- R.R- Max Carr
#5 Spartans Vs. #8 Hungry Hobbits: Ben Conti: 12 Pts, 12 Reb, 2 Ast- Griffin Henderson: 22 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast
After watching the seventh seed get eliminated, the Hungry Hobbits became determined to be, only the second upset of the playoffs to this point. A 19-6 Spartans lead at the end of the first seemed to quell any notion of the previous statement occurring. The Hobbits jumped on the Spartans early in the second of a five quarter game with 4 straight out of the gate and Grffin would hit a mid range jumper over Jackman's outstretched hand. Sean Wyman would block a Ben Conti lay up but it was a rare occurrence that Ben would not be able to reach the hoop, scoring two less than his previous season high Ben also racked up 12 Reb to get his first double -double. Julian would then score 6 straight to cut the deficit to 6 as the Spartans begin to fold. Andrew Falconer scores as well as the H.H run continues. Sean then would tie up the game, he had 16 Pts which was fueled by 9 rebounds from the undersized big man Andrew Falconer, a season high. Ben Conti would retake the lead for the Spartans with a three Pt play. The Spartans had a one point lead to end the third. The Spartans then go down early in the fourth but a floater from Joe and a turnover by Sean give them a chance to tie up the game, after failing to convert the game seemed to go downhill from there. Threes by Griffin and Julian forced the Spartans to resort to fouling with two minutes left and Griffin would make good on every free throw except one, scoring 9 pts in two minutes. The Hungry Hobbits dealt the Spartans a surprising blow and kept their championships alive with a well played game. Final Score: 55-45 H.H Missing*-None
Tuesday, April 2nd
#1 Rafikis Vs. #3 S.H.N.S: Max Baker: 22 Pts, 10 Reb, 4 Ast- Chris Miller: 22 Pts, 8 Reb, 4 Ast
Both teams having survived two playoff games were still not in places they wanted to be. Entering the playoffs ranked as they were both teams were hungry for a championship. Playing without Sam Solomon, their captain, for only the second time all season the Rafikis faced an uphill battle. Chris Miller more then made up for his absence though scoring a season high 22 Pts and matching the ZBA's third leading scorer point for point. Max Baker though would score the games first five points getting off to a hot start. Buckets from Finn Max again increase the lead to 9-0 until a steal and drive by Ansil put the Rafikis on the board. Chris would then score but a Max Baker response increases the gap to 8. Gordon would get on the board with a three but a small comeback by the Rafikis, keyed by assists from both Chris and Ansil to one another cut the deficit to 6 as the first comes to a close. Finn opens up the scoring in the second but Cam Deiley of the Rafikis would follow it with a pull up jumper. Rafikis eventually reduce the lead to 4 but a three from Gordon bumps it back to 7. Ansil hits a sweet shot at the buzzer from ten feet out to end the half with the score being 24-19 S.H. Chris hits a three to open scoring in the second half to which Max answers with a three of his own. The third quarter would end with a 7 pt lead for the S.H. Cam Deiley has a great block on a Gordon lay up and Ansil and Chris would score five straight until a fast break by Gordon puts them up by four. Chris, a spark for the Rafikis all night draws the foul on a lay up and goes 2 for 2 from the line but a four Pt deficit has the Rafikis resorting to fouling. Two free throws from Max and a steal by Gordon seal the Rafikis fate as the 1 seed is eliminated early on in the 2014 ZBA playoffs. Final Score: 41-33 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- Josh Sardinha Raf. Sam Solomon
#4 Alcatraz Vs. #6 Incredibles: Jordin Jackson: 11 Pts, 13 Reb, 5 Ast- Silas Zechman: 24 Pts, 9 Reb, 7 Ast
The two remaining undefeated teams had a combined seeding of ten but yet both teams had been dominating throughout the playoffs. The Alcatraz struck first, and second with buckets from Jordin and Anthony. Silas would then dish an assist to Xavier. An early 11-4 lead for the Alctaraz was largely due to 9 of the 11 coming from the big captain and scoring title holder Jordin. the end of the 1st quarter presented a lopsided score 21-9 in favor of the black squad. Loro and Jake take on some of the scoring responsibilities early in the second but Bryan hits two threes and has the Alcatraz up by seven after a flurry of good defensive plays for Loro including a block and steal. Halftime presents a 9 Pt lead. Jordin scores 5 more en route to a 35 point game, his combined Pt totals against the Incredibles in their two meetings would be 77. As the fourth began though Xavier Mills hits a jumper responded too by a lay up from Dejan. An assist from Silas to Loro, one of his 7 in the game will cut the lead to two. Another assist to Loro and the game is tied until a three from Jordin puts the Alactraz up. Bryan and Jordin both score but a three by Loro brings the deficit back to two with a minute and a half reaming in regulation. The game is tied with 39.7 seconds left as Jordin misses a one and one free throw, Silas grabs the board and draws the foul. He makes both free throws and his team is up by 2. After misses free throws from both teams the ball ends up in Jordin's hands under the hoop as time winds down. He will back Silas down in the post and hits the lay up as time expires. In overtime there is no score with 15 seconds remaining. Alactraz get the ball to Jordin who spins in the post... right into Silas who is standing with his feet set and draws the charge. 4 Seconds on the clock, the inbound goes to Silas who sprints the length of the court, blows by Dejan and shoots a leaner with no time to spare. He banks it in and steps onto the court to be mobbed as the crowd goes nuts. A typical ending to another thrilling ZBA playoff game. Final Score 55-53 Inc. Missing*- none
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #8 Hungry Hobbits: Remi Sedjro: 21 Pts, 7 Reb, 1 Ast- Sean Wyman: 10 Pts, 15 Reb, 3 Ast
Following such a dramatic game, this match up would prove to be very anti climatic. Alex and Griffin would trade buckets to start the game. And a three from the prolific scorer Xander Keiter would end the first at 12-8 J.J. A small spurt from the J.J increases the lead further but an and 1 conversion from Griff makes the score 19-12 in the second. Julian baez would hit five straight for the H.H, his final stats included 11 Pts and 3 Stls. Remi Sedjro though coming off a 4 point game would be the difference for the J.J. the H.H had no answer for his inside-out game. Sean Wyman as well played hard and was credited with his second double-double of the season with a season high 15 Rebounds. The 4th quarter began at 40-25J.J but the H.H never quit. Ben Tucker would add to their point total as well as Sean early in the quarter and a three from Griffin would be the final score of the game as the J.J moved on to the final night of games. Final Score: 54-36 J.J Missing*- None
Thursday, April 4th
#2 Jumping Jellyfish Vs. #3 S.H.N.S: Xander Keiter: 19 Pts, 4 Reb, 4 Ast- Max Baker: 20 Pts, 11 Reb, 1 Ast
For the teams in this game the road to the championship would require three straight victories. Max opened up the game with a three pointer assisted by a steal and pass from Gordon Whittemore, his teammate. Xander Keiter would then nail back to back to jumpers to get the J.J on the board. Max would score all ten of his teams points in the first quarter. Solid defense from Milos who contributed a block and good chemistry between Xander and Remi would give the J.J a 4 point lead at the end of the first. The game is tied at 20 after a 5-0 run for the S.H.N.S. Milos, always a fearsome presence in the paint blocks another shot, this one ending the first half. Xander Keiter continues to score at will at the start of the third but Finn, always a hustle player grabs two rebounds and hooks up with Max for a deep three. The score is 30-29 J.J to start the fourth. Chippy play starts the fourth as the teams prepare for the final stretch. Milos gets his third block which leads to a lay up for him and deep three from Remi. The rebound game will be key though and second chance opportunities allow Gordon to score two. He would have 11 rebounds in the game contributing to a double digit scoring effort as well with 16. James Falconer, a solid rebounder would add 4 rebounds to the teams total as well. The score is 39-37 J.J with a minute remaining, Finn then gets fouled and goes 1 for 2 from the line but Max grabs his miss and hits a three to put them up by two. A ferocious drive by Remi leaves the game tied up at the final buzzer and were headed to overtime. Gordon draws first blood on a jumper and hits two free throws later. A three by Milos puts the J.J down by one but Max Baker goes to the line and hits both as the J.J were forced to foul and the J.J cannot respond leaving only three teams left. Final Score: 47-44 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S- Josh Sardinha J.J- Alex Livinsgton
#3 S.H.N.S Vs. #4 Alcatraz: Gordon Whittemore 18 Pts, 8 Reb, 3 Ast- Jordin Jackson: 26 Pts, 17 Reb, 2 Blcks
Dejan Tisma scores the first points of the game and the Alc will score the next four Pts as well. Max Baker who would continue his unreal three point shooting in this game will hit a three to cut into the lead. Bryan will get a steal, the first of four for him in the game and connects on a lay up. Finn and Gordon hit back to back shots but Dejan Tisma responds with 4 straight to close out the first half down by three to the S.H.N.S. Max Baker starts the third with a three to combat two threes from Bryan earlier in the quarter. The Shadow Hunters would go on a 8-0 run ended by a lay up from Dejan who then goes to the free throw line and hits 1 of 2. Max will hit a three to end the third and puts his team up by 12 despite a night in which Jordin would score 26 Pts. The Alcatraz turned up the pressure to start the fourth and would reduce the lead to five on a three from Bryan. James Falconer would re enter the game at this point, mid way through the fourth, after leaving early in the third with an ankle injury. The
Alc. would find themselves down by three with one minute left but a clutch three from Max puts his team up by 6 in a night where he would out score the leagues most deadliest with a 29 pt game, Max also had 7 rebounds under his belt by the games end. The Alc. seemed to lose the will to fight at that point and could not find a spark. The Shadow Hunters would go on to win an improbable second straight game and were headed to the championship to face the team which had given them their only loss in the playoffs. Final Score: 55-48 S.H.N.S Missing*- S.H.N.S-Josh Sardinha