B1 East Championship
# 4 Silky Johnson 52 # 2 Nationals 47
Silky’s Defense Gets the Job Done
To say that the intensity and physical nature of the games at CRFC get taken up a notch is an understatement. Last night, the Nationals and Silky Johnson made Pat Rielly’s early 90’s Knicks teams look like the present day Phoenix Suns. Silky built a slim lead early in the first half thanks to some stellar 3 point shooting (3 for 5 in the first half) and solid defense on Trevor McAndrew (17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists). The Nationals recoverd and forged a 27 – 26 lead at the break, thanks in a large part to Derek Zundl (10 points, 13 rebounds). Despite the towering nature of Silky, and even his own teammates, Derek was a monster on the board throughout the night, having a game high 14, and 8 at the break. Silky, on the other hand, didn’t have a player with more than 2 rebounds as the first half ended, not a good sign for a team trying to keep pace with a usually high scoring offense. At the start of the second half, it looked like at least one team solved its offensive problems, as Silky used a 13-5 run to take a 39-32 lead behind the hot hand of Adam O’Connor (18 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks) and stellar point play of Mike Haven (6 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists). Somehow in this game with a bevy of behemoths, two guards led their respective teams in rebounding, showing what a little hustle and desire can do for you. Silky seemed to be pulling away as the clock wound down, ahead 46-39 with just over 6 minutes to play, but the Nationals, who have had to win some close games late, weren’t about to go out like that. Nip Jethi (14 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks) stepped up to keep the game close. Down just 1, 45-46, with 3 plus minutes to play, the Nationals were poised to make a run, alas, poor free throw shooting did them in. Over the next two minutes, all while trailing by just a point, the Nationals proceeded to go 0 for 5 from the charity stripe, adding to their game long woes (12 for 29). Cullen Roberts (9 points) hit two straight jumpers to extend the lead, and Silky hit their free throws down the stretch to ice the game. All in all, Silky did a masterful job on defense, holding Trevor to only 3 field goals and forcing bad shots from everyone else all game long. It wasn’t a pretty game, downright ugly as one team member put it later, but Silky did just enough to win the East this season and move on to the Unification game tomorrow night. Congrats to the Nationals on a spectacular season and good run in the playoffs that fell just short. Silky Johnson, the preseason 2 seed, continued its winning ways from the West, survives a brutal and much improved East division, and has a chance to add another banner to the rafters.
| # 2 Nationals 47 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Nip Jethi | 14 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 | 7 |
| Dave Lucey | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Derek Zundl | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| Tom Covert | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 |
| Trevor McAndrew | 17 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| # 4 Silky Johnson 52 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Adam O'Connor | 18 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| David Stein | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Cullen Roberts | 9 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| John Smith | 6 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Hoekwater | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Haven | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 4 |
B1 East Playoffs 2nd Round
Commentary and stats by Tibbs
# 2 Nationals 66 # 7 Slick Back 53
Nationals Cruise into Elite Eight Behind Trevor
Coming into this game, I thought Slick Back had what it takes to pull off the upset. They've been getting steady play at the guard position, have a couple guys that can shoot the 3, and have a legit star downlow in Jason Martins (10 points, 15 rebounds, 3 blocks). Unfortunately for Slick Back, Martins was held in check all night behind the outstanding defense of Nip Jethi (15 points, 7 rebounds) and Trevor McAndrew (32 points, 20 rebounds). the Nationals swarmed over Slick Back, building a 13-0 lead before allowing a bucket. That margin allowed them to be patient on offense and work the ball around to their open shooters. Despite Trevor only scoring seven points, the Nationals were ahead32-23 at the break. Clearly not satisfied with his performance, Trevor ripped off 14 points in a scant 3 minutes to open the action in the second half. That's what makes this team so dangerous, the ability to score so many points so quickly. Up ten points with 5 minutes to go, the fire alarm inturupted the game and sent everyone off the court. I thought this gave Slick Back the chance they needed to regroup and make a strong push at the end of the game, but it wasn't to be. Next season if Slick Back stays together and can find another low post presence to compliment Martins, they will be a force to reckon with. The Nationals move on to the next round looking as good as they have all season.
| # 2 Nationals 66 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Nip Jethi | 15 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 2 |
| Tom Covert | 8 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| Matt | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| Derek Zundl | 8 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Trevor McAndrew | 32 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 8 |
| # 7 A Team Called Slick Back 53 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Brian Mckenzie | 14 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Jason Martins | 10 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 3 |
| Adam Muzikant | 15 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Paul Revees | 14 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 2 |
# 3 CTC 46 # 6 Momenta 52
Momenta Pulls out Another Defensive Struggle
So much for the offenses opening up in this game. Plagued by poor shooting and the absence of Pistol Pete Wilson, CTC had to make sure to focus on defense in order to try and pull this game out. They went all out, limiting Momenta to 25 first half points, but only getting 19 of their own. It was especially a struggle for CTC's leading scorer Mark Katz (7 points, 10 rebounds) who was hounded all night by Momenta's exceptional defense. Brandon Freeman (15 points) led CTC in scoring for the first period, as points were hard to come by. Local Hero Ed Finn (22 points, 5 steals) tossed in 14 in the first half to pace his team. The second half found Momenta inching away, but not fast enough to completely leave CTC behind. down 46-36 with just 4 minutes left, Brian Merril (16 points, 3 steals) hit two 3's to pull his team within striking distance. With just over a minute left, and Momenta clinging to a 49-46 lead, CTC had two straigh possesions to cut into the lead come up empty, and had to watch as Finn made his free throws to seal the deal. Mr. Everything Jeff Hrkach (10 points, 16 rebounds) and Brian Vozolla (10 points) helped keep Moment's offense alive in the second half to pull out the victory. CTC will be a force to reckon with next season as their role players continue to play better and the team adapts to the physical play. Sixth seeded Momenta moves on to take on the #2 seeded Nationals next week in what promises to be an intense game. The rematch will hopefully feature the entire Momenta squad, as the last time they met Momenta was shorthanded and squandered a late lead. It's always ideal to be playing your best basketball as a team in time for the playoffs, and right now Momenta is looking like they can beat anyone.
| # 3 CTC 46 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Brian Merril | 16 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Mike Kaplan | 8 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 4 |
| Mark Katz | 7 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 7 |
| Brandon Freeman | 15 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| # 6 Momenta 52 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Ed Finn | 22 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Jeff Hrkach | 10 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 2 | 4 |
| Brad Santarpia | 7 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Brian Vozolla | 10 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Bob Clark | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
# 4 Silky Johnson 55 # 5 Kool Aid 44
O'Connor wins Battle of the Bigs
| # 4 Silky Johnson 55 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Adam O'Connor | 26 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 4 |
| Cullen Roberts | 10 | 2 | 3 | 15 | 2 | 0 |
| Josh Hoekwater | 6 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Haven | 13 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 5 |
| # 5 Kool Aid 44 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Craig Avarett | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Chris Adams | 10 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| Fred Bermont | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| Ian Whitney | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| John Mazzone | 11 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 3 | 3 |
# 1 Little Nasty 45 # 9 Tenacious D 56
Tenacious D Serves Up Nasty Humble Pie
| # 1 Little Nasty 45 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Jay Provencher | 12 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | NA |
| Mike Manning | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Tim Brady | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NA |
| John Edwards | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | NA |
| Eric Hinton | 11 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 1 | NA |
| Jason Tibbetts | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | NA |
| # 9 Tenacious D 56 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Dave Delcourt | 13 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | NA |
| Bob Cavilla | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | NA |
| Greg | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NA |
| Erik Brown | 9 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 3 | NA |
| Ben | 24 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | NA |
B1 ROUND 1 PLAY0FFS
COMMENTARY AND STATS BY Tibbs
<3/15/06 Playoffs
# 5 Kool Aid 71 # 12 Genzyme 69 OT
Kool Aid Avoids Monumental Upset, Advances in OT
Genzyme clearly came into the game with a plan on how to beat Kool Aid, and nearly got the upset as a result. Kool Aid jumped to a quick 8-0 lead, but then Genzyme’s game plan came into focus. By slowing the game down, often taking at least 30 – 40 seconds off the clock before even taking a shot, Genzyme was able to control the game at their own pace. Clawing and fighting their way up from their deficit, they trailed only 26-30 at the break. John Mazzone (33 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks) had 15 at the break to lead his team, but Genzyme was successful in keeping the pace of the game at a crawl. The second half was more of the same, as Mark Allyn (30 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) and Keith Manning (22 points, 8 rebounds) carried the offense, but kept Kool Aid having too many opportunities. As a result, Genzyme took their only lead (49-46) with just over six minutes to play in the game. Thanks to great 3-point shooting (7 for 14, 50%), Kool Aid was able to put up points even as Genzyme tried to prevent them from having many chances. Mazzone got help from Chris Adams (15 points, 4 rebounds) and Craig Avarett (10 points, 5 rebounds) who stepped up when it was needed the most down the stretch. Kool Aid regained the lead but wasn’t able to put Genzyme away for good. Down by 2 with time winding down, Allyn got an offensive rebound and hit a turnaround in the paint in order to force OT. Unfortunately for Genzyme, they weren’t able to hold back Kool Aid in the extra period, as Mazzone took over, hitting a couple 3’s and free throws to seal the deal. Kool Aid survives the upset scare and will face # 4 seed Silky Johnson in the 2nd round.
| # 5 Kool Aid 71 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Chris Adams | 15 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Craig Avarett | 10 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Fred Bermont | 9 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 3 |
| Ian Whitney | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Jean Cadet | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| John Mazzone | 33 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 3 | 2 |
| # 12 Genzyme 69 OT |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Keith Manning | 22 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Mark Allyn | 30 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Mike Bush | 5 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 2 |
| Pucci | 12 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Pradeep | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
# 6 Momenta 83 # 11 GDI 62
Team Effort Lifts Momenta into 2nd Round
GDI came into the game with an upset in mind; Momenta probably came out looking past GDI and to next week’s game against # 3 CTC. Both teams definitely came out sloppy. GDI held their own for the first 10 minutes of the game, trailing only 21-20 thanks to turnovers and poor shooting by Momenta. At that point, the real Momenta decided to stand up and take control of the game. Asserting themselves on defense, as much as offense, Momenta built a 35-26 halftime lead and just took off from that point on. The second half posed no challenge, as GDI’s defense wilted before the assault of Momenta’s scorers. Local Hero Ed Finn (32 points, 4 assists) wasn’t alone on the court by any stretch of the imagination; the Voz (20 points, 10 rebounds) and big man Brad Santarpia (14 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists) lent a helping hand. Although he didn’t light up the scoreboard, Mr. Everything Jeff Hrkach (8 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks) put on his best Andrei Kirilenko impression to pack the stat sheet. Not to be outdone, John Masso (9 points, 8 rebounds) rounded out the solid all-around play of Momenta on this day. GDI, who came into the game knowing it would be an uphill battle, competed gamely, forcing Momenta to play well to win. Jon Charwick (19 points, 7 rebounds) worked the paint, while Chris (17 points, 4 assists) ran the perimeter game for GDI. Chuck Lounsberry (13 points, 3 steals) and Bob Corning (10 points, 13 rebounds) each put up double digits for their squad, who will come into next season with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove. Momenta moves in the tournament to play 3rd seed CTC in a rematch of a close game which Momenta won back in week 6 to knock CTC from the ranks of the unbeaten. Rematches are always intense, and add to that the win or go home mentality of the playoffs, and this one will be epic.
| # 6 Momenta 83 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Ed Finn | 32 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Jeff Hrkach | 8 | 5 | 2 | 15 | 8 | 4 |
| John Masso | 9 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Brad Santarpia | 13 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 4 | 6 |
| Brian Vozolla | 20 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 |
| # 11 GDI 62 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Chuck Lounsberry | 13 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| Bob Corning | 10 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 2 | 4 |
| Jon Charwick | 19 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 |
| Matt Nowiki | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Chris | 17 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
# 7 A Team Called Slick Back 63 # 10 Seriously, That’s Enough 53
Spencer Leads Surge Past Seriously
Seriously learned a hard lesson the last time these two teams met. You’re not going to win the game, or even be competitive if you let Jason Martins go off on you. Well, Seriously took that lesson to heart last night, Martins was held to just 5 first half points on only 1 field goal. Meanwhile, the game was tied at 26-26 at the break thanks to a spectacular 3 point play by Dave Kichen (32 points, 10 rebounds), who pulled out all the stops on this night. The second half wouldn’t be so kind to Seriously, as Anthony Spencer (14 points) led Slick Back on a 17-5 run to open the second half. Adam Muzikant and AJ Vacanti scored 12 points apiece, and Martins (13 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists) fell just short of his second triple-double. Defense played a key role for Slick Back, holding STE’s second leading scorer, Erik Swift, to just 7 points before he fouled out. Once the lead got up to double digits it stayed their, despite the best efforts of the Grease to rally his team around him. Next year, Dave, will bring that elusive playoff victory that you’ve been striving for. As for Slick Back, they move on to face # 2 seed Nationals in another rematch that should prove interesting. The Nationals prevailed back in week 3 by ten points, but this is a much improved Slick Back team than when these teams last met.
| # 7 A Team Called Slick Back 63 |
| Player PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Brian Mackenzie 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Tony Spencer 14 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| Jason Martins 13 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 8 | 2 |
| Adam Muzikant 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| AJ Vacanti 12 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Paul Reeves 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| # 10 Seriously, That's Enough 53 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Dave Kichen | 32 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 3 |
| Erik Swift | 7 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Jeff Nulsen | 8 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 |
| Keith Ward | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Mark Frahm | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
# 8 Ruckus 62 # 9 Tenacious D 66 OT
Tenacious D Exploits Ruckus Zone to Advance
The only ‘upset’ of the night came in the 8/9 game. Tenacious D had a much more difficult time against Ruckus in this game, as Glen Goff (27 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals) came out determined not to let this game get out of hand. Ruckus, behind an effective 2-2 zone defense, jumped to a 27-20 lead early in the first half. Tenacious D, eventually figured out how to break it, as Erik Brown (13 points, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks) and Ben (11 points, 3 steals) flashed to the high post (free throw line) and distributed the ball from that vantage point. It’s the best way to break a zone, especially without a fifth man in the middle to disrupt cutters. Tenacious used a 15-2 run to seemingly claim a 32-29 halftime lead, but #9 for Ruckus (18 points, 6 rebounds) hit a half court runner as the clock expired, and upon review, released the ball in time for a 32-32 tie at the break. Dave Delcourt (24 points, 7 assists, 3 steals) led TD in the second half and got help from Bob Cavilla (16 points, 7 rebounds) as well. Ruckus never switched out of its 2-2 zone, even after Tenacious had clearly figured out how to break it. As a result, TD built a 55-46 lead and looked prime to run away with the game and cover the spread. Glen wouldn’t hear of it, and put his team on his back, abusing TD down low to help his team slowly crawl within a point, at 59-58. TD then went on to hit only 1 of 5 free throws in the closing seconds to give Ruckus a chance. Facing a two point deficit, Rucks came down and tossed up a three for the win that rimmed out. But Glen came down with the rebound and hit a fade away at the buzzer to force OT. In the extra period Tenacious went back to cutting through the middle of the zone to build a quick 6 point lead and hang onto it as the game came to a close. Can a #9 seed beating a # 8 seed, essentially two teams of equal standing and record, really be considered an upset? Who knows, but in the spirit of March Madness, it’s a debatable question. Unfortunately for the winner of a 8 vs 9 game, the #1 seed always awaits in the next round. In this case its Little Nasty, who rolled to a 89-49 victory in week 4. Can Tenacious D use their improved play of late to knock off undefeated Nasty and advance? We’ll find out next week during another night of Madness!
| # 8 Ruckus 62 |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Chris Louis | 7 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Fritz David | 10 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 6 |
| Glen Goff | 27 | 3 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Richardo | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| ? | 18 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| # 9 Tenacious D 66 OT |
| Player | PTS | STL | BLK | REB | AST | TO |
| Dave Delcourt | 24 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 7 | 4 |
| Bob Cavilla | 16 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Sam Stern | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Will Conkling | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Ben | 11 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Erik Brown | 13 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 3 |
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"Tibbs"
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