IBL | Season 5 | Week 7 Recap | Division 2

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 7

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92 

UKnow vs. Quiksilver
DIVISION 2

UKnow holds on to clinch a playoff berth over Quiksilver in a close 56-54 game.

Kenny Lee led all Quiksilver players with his 17 points and 5 rebounds.  John Dang finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds. Brandon Kinard and Minh Thong finished with 9 points apiece to round out the scoring quartet for Quiksilver,

Anthony Cockrell led all UKnow players with 25 points and 15 rebounds, Dominique Beebe  finished with 12 points and 1 rebound shooting 4/10 (40%) from 3 point range. Byron Woods and Nate Apolonio (pictured above) finished with 7 points apiece. Apolonio had 10 rebounds to go along with his 7 points.

UKnow (4-3) secures the #6 spot and will take on the #7 Benchwarmers team whom defeated them in Week 6.

With the loss Quiksilver is now 5-2 and will enter the playoffs as the #3 seed. They will take on the Winner of the #7 Benchwarmers and #6 UKnow game. 

Tropics vs. Secret Agents

DIVISION 2

The Secret Agents clinch the #4 spot in the playoffs, in dominant fashion, they defeat the Tropics 74-32.

Red San Miguel  led the team in scoring with 26 points and 4 rebounds, Lonnie Bradshaw was the second  Secret Agent player in double figures he finished with 23 points and 9 rebounds. Marcus   finished with 12 points,6 rebounds while Darryial Morris  (pictured above) finished with 9 points and 10 rebounds to round out the top scorers for the Secret Agents.

The Tropics were led by Rogelio Clemente who finished with 12 points, 3 rebounds, Manuel Bernal was the second leading scorer, Bernal finished with 8 points and 2 rebounds, Adrian led the team in rebounding with 9 rebounds, but did not show up in the scoring column this game.

The Secret Agents (5-2) have clinched the #4 seed and will take on the winner of the #5 Revenge and #8 5 Guys 1 Cup game.

The Tropics finish the season with a (1-6) record they will close out their season in Week 8.

Warriors vs. Fly High

DIVISION 2

After losing a close game in Week 6, the Warriors determined to get back on a winning track, did just that, defeating Fly High 51-26.

George Ortiz (7 points, 6 rebounds) Gabriel Smith (5 points , 2 rebounds) and Jesse Lubben (4 points 5 rebounds) were the top 3 performers for Fly High.

Jorge  finished with 17 points and 5 boards. Kemoy Mathis assisted Jorge  with 7 boards, to go along with his 16 points. 

Fly High (3-4) tied for the #8 and final playoff spot, they however lost the point differential battle to the 5 Guys 1 Cup.

The Warriors (5-2) move up to the #2 spot with the win and the Quiksilver loss. They will have a 1st and 2nd round bye.

Eagles  vs.Benchwarmers
DIVISION 2
The Eagles keep things rolling and clinch the #1 spot in the conference for the playoffs. They do so by defeating the Benchwarmers 112-46.

Eric Imperio scored 43 points to go along with 3 rebounds which was a game high. He shot an incredible 10/13 (76%) from the 3 point line. Richard Vasquez picked up where Imperio left off and finished with 25 points  and 25 boards, Alex Pena logged 16 points, 16 rebounds. Evin Imperio finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds, while Spencer Hirsh rounded out the top 5 performers as he finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Sophand Soun  finished with a team high 11 points and 11 rebounds. Randy Sam finished the game as the teams second leading scorer with 8 points and 8 rebounds.

The Eagles (6-1) have clinched the #1 seed in the conference for the playoffs they will play 1 of 3 opponents (The Revenge, 5 Guys 1 Cup, Secret Agents) in the Conference Semi Finals.

The Benchwarmers (4-3) have fallen to the #7 spot and will take on the #6 UKnow team whom they defeated in Week 6.

 

Southstars vs. West Coast

DIVISION 2

The Southstars defeat  West Coast  (72-70), with the loss West Coast however still manages to hold on to the #8 spot in the standings.

West Coast was led by Anthony Barajas (27 points, 10 rebounds), Zeke Benedetti aka Nico with (20 points, 1 rebound)  Darnell rounded out the scoring trio with (10 points, 8 rebounds)

Trayvonn Booker  scored 29 points  to go along with 17 rebounds  for the Southstars. Eric Anderson assisted Booker with the scoring load and finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Gus finished with 13 points and 2 rebounds to round out the top scorers for the Southstars.

The (6-1) Southstars clinch the #3 spot after losing the tiebreaker with the Dream Team due to point differential.

West Coast (4-3) clinched the 8th a final playoff spot.

Dream Team vs. Happy Hour

DIVISION 2

Dream Team and Happy Hour in the regular season with a thrilling game, Happy Hour had the advantage early in the game, but the resilient Dream Team fought back and came away with a 72-65 win.

Happy Hour was led by James Reyes (20 points, 6 rebounds) and Reuben Medina (15 points, 4 rebounds) those were in the only players in double figures for Happy Hour.

Demetre Smith led all Dream Team scorers  with 18 points and 3 rebounds, Jamel Benson was the second leading scorer with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Brandon Taylor rounded out the top 3 scorers with 17 points and 1 rebound.

The Dream Team (6-1) clinch the #2 spot in the playoffs and will have a 1st and 2nd round bye.

Happy Hour (4-3) have clinched the #5 spot and will take on the #8 seeded West Coast in the first round.

PRIMETIME PERFORMERS

1. Diahnte Pickett (Double Dribble) [51 Points, 12 Rebounds, 4 Assists]
2. Adam Musavirr (TTB) [41 Points, 10 Rebounds]
3. Jesse Jimenez (Double Dribble) [30 Points, 15 Rebounds, 9 Assists]
4. Dre (Double Dribble) [33 Points, 4 Rebounds]
5. Aaron Sanchez Gm.2 (Wonton Soup) [27 Points, 12 Rebounds]
6. Aaron Sanchez Gm.1 (Wonton Soup) [25 Points, 13 Rebounds]

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

IBL | Season 5 | Week 7 Recap | Division 1

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 7

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92

STAT vs. Washed Up

DIVISION 1

With big man Danny Longmire out of the line-up, STAT hits a bump on their road to the championship as they fall 67-57 to the Hottest team in the Division Washed Up.

STAT was led by Jimmy Nguyen 20 points, 3 rebounds. Anthony Cockrell  finished with 15 points and 3 boards, Brandon Kinard rounded the top 3 scorers with 13 points, 2 assists. STAT was led in rebounding by Anthony Fitzpatrick, who finished with 9 points and 12 rebounds.

Earl M. led Washed Up  with 19 points, 7 Rebounds , Earl J. had 14 points shooting (3/8 from 3 point range).  to go along with his 7 rebounds . Mike Criscione finished with 12 points and 3 rebounds to round out the top scorers.

STAT (5-2) moves on to the playoffs as the #2 seed, they will take on the #7 seeded Fly Society team whom they defeated in Week 1.

Washed Up (5-2) remains the #4 seed and will take on #5 Do Work in the first round of the playoffs.

I Ball vs. Knicee

DIVISION 1 

Knicee defeats IBall 56-40 to secure the #3 spot in the division and will play IBall in the first round of the playoffs.

I Ball, had two  players in double-figures. Wilson Fiallos notched  a team-high 14 points and pulled in 1 rebound . Tony Bell chipped in 11 points and 1 rebounds. Daimon finished with 9 points and 3 rebounds to round out the scoring trio.

Knicee was led by Jesse Jimenez (pictured above)  18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists.  Minh Thong and John Dang finished with 10 points apiece, , Richard Hak was the third notable performer as he recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.  The Big Man in the middle Odell Howard once again did not have his best offensive game but picked up the slack on the boards, he finished with a game high,15 rebounds.

With the win Knicee (5-2) secures the  #3 spot in the division, they will take on #6 seeded IBall in the first round of the playoffs this Sunday.

I Ball (3-4)  will enter the playoffs in the #6 spot, they will take on #3 Knicee once again.

 

Do Work vs. Fly Society

DIVISION 1

After a week 6 blowout loss to Knicee (71-41) , Do Work returned to action in week 7 and took on Fly Society, the game was close throughout, in the end Fly Society could not get over the hump due to fatigue setting in and Do Work escaped with a 62-60 win.

Do Work was led by Adam 21 points, 5 rebounds 9/10 from the field. Dominic Smith and Edwin  finished as the second leading scorers with 12 points a apiece. Ronnie finished with 9 points, shooting 3/9 from downtown.

With a short active roster, Ralph Chavez led all Fly Society scorers with 19 points, 16 rebounds. Desean Collins pulled in 4 rebounds and finished with 16 points. Jaime Villalobos was the third leading scorer as he finished with 11 points, 6 boards, Chavez however spent the majority of the game walking up and down the court due to fatigue issues.

Do Work (4-3) clinched the #5 Spot and will take on #4 Washed Up in the first round.

Fly Society enters the playoffs with a 2-5 record and as the #7 seed, they will take on the #2 seeded STAT team.

Speed Kills vs. Morningwood

DIVISION 1

With one final shot at the playoffs Speed Kills took the court to battle it out with undefeated Morningwood, Speed Kills stayed close in the first half but in the end Morningwood prevailed 73-56.

Rich Cobbarubias led all scorers for the game, he finished with 27 points, shooting 10/26 from the field. Andrae finished with 19 points . The Big man in the middle Dewayne O’Neal (pictured above) finished with 14 points and 17 rebounds to record his 6th double-double in 7 games, Marcus Pringle rounded out the top 4 scorers with 13 points and 9 rebounds, 1 rebound shy of a double-double.

Di’Mon Phelps led the way for Speed Kills with 19 points, 4 rebounds shooting an efficient 5/8 from the 3-point range.André was the second leading scorer with 12 points, and 7 rebounds.  Mike was the third leading scorer as he finished with 11 points to round out the scoring trio.

Morningwood (7-0)enters the playoffs as the #1 overall seed. They will take on the winner of the Canyon City/ Dictators game.

With the loss Speed Kills (1-6) is  out of the playoff picture. They will finish off their season in Week 9.

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

Nates Notes| Playoff Preview | Division 2

#5 The Revenge vs. #8 5 Guys 1 Cup

With the #1-#4 Seeds having first round byes , #5 seed The Revenge open up the Division 2 playoffs when they take on the #8 seeded 5 Guys 1 Cup. This is the first playoff appearance for both teams, the winner of this game will take on the #4 seed the Secret Agents in a match-up later in the evening.

The Revenge enter the game led by Max Andrade (12.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Hassan Ahmed (12.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG), and Aaron Ford (8.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG). Ahmed is the perennial 3-point shooter for this team, he led the team in makes for the regular season with 12. Andrade is the muscle in the post, the majority of his baskets come in the paint or after a missed shot. Ford assists Andrade in the front court as they do most of the dirty work for this team.

On the other side of things for the #8 seeded 5 Guys 1 Cup, they weren’t predicted to be in this position, I don’t think they had any idea that after their 1-3 start to the season. Their Week 7 victory over the #JETS (68-58) gave them enough points to win the point differential battle over (Fab 7, X-Men, and Fly High) which landed them in the #8 spot. Alex Hernandez has led the charge for this team, he finished the regular season averaging (17.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG) on of the key reasons that 5 Guys improved was due to the fact that they acquired PG Jose Vasquez (11.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.2 APG). Vasquez was the illusive ball handler that set this team over the top, they transformed from a yakking up 3 point shots to running pick and rolls and dribble drive penetration leading to and one baskets.  Castro is the 3rd leading scorer on this team he finished the season averaging a double-double (10.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG).

Although 5 Guys 1 Cup is the #8 seed I have a feeling they might send The Revenge home, the offensive potential for this team is limitless. Both teams are equipped with 3 point shooters and can rebound the ball reasonably well.  I see 5 Guys 1 Cup advancing to the second round to take n the #4 Secret Agents. 

#6 UKnow vs. #7 Benchwarmers

When these two teams met in Week 6, it was a heated battle, both teams were fighting for a playoff berth at the time and the winner of that game would clinch a berth while the other would have to enter Week 7 in a must win predicament. The Benchwarmers came out with a 50-46 victory. UKnow recovered from the defeat quickly and defeated the #3 seeded Quiksilver in Week 7 to clinch a playoff berth.

UKnow is one of the more inconsistent, yet talented young teams in the conference. It seems that every week you get a different team, in terms of team chemistry and offensive/defensive rhythm. Anthony Cockrell (18.6 PPG, 8.4 RPG) leads the way for this team, Byron Woods (12.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG) proved to be a great asset and tremendous offseason pick-up for this young team. The two have led this team to the #6 spot and a chance to get revenge on the #7 Benchwarmers. UKnow started the season with a 9 man roster but will most likely field a roster of 5-7 players for their playoff run due to some players not having enough regular season games played ( Xavier Goss, and Solin Bit).  Their Week 7 victory over Quiksilver was with only 5 players and stellar defense being played.

The Benchwarmers enter this playoff game with many things to wonder, after their Week 6 victory over UKnow (50-46) they were in the #4 spot until Week 7 came about where they took on the #1 seeded Eagles. The game with the Eagles was not in any way a pretty game, the Eagles won by 66 points (112-46). In Week 2 the Eagles defeated UKnow by 12 points (59-47). So in a way UKnow should have defeated the Benchwarmers in Week 6. The Benchwarmers are led in scoring by Des F. (15.8 PPG), Charlie Iem (11.0 PPG) and Steven Iem (10.5 PPG). Sophand Soun leads the team in rebounds with 53 rebounds through 7 games, he is also averaging (9.3 PPG)

IF and I repeat IF UKnow can repeat their gutsy Week 7 performance they will indeed get this win and move on to play the #3 seeded Quiksilver team, however if UKnow has another defensive lapse kind of game look for the Benchwarmers to come out with the victory. 

#5 Happy Hour vs. #8 West Coast 

The two teams met in Week 6 with West Coast getting the better of Happy Hour and coming out with a 57-45 win. Both these teams have the potential to win a championship, it’s a shame that only one will be remaining after this opening round playoff game.

Happy Hour is filled with 3-point shooters, they run several offensive sets through the game and their main goal throughout the game is to get their teammates involved. The are led by Reuben Medina (17.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG), James Reyes (12.5 PPG, 8.7 RPG, Ben Bonja (11.7 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and Pierre Recinto (11.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG). Thats 4 players averaging double figures in the scoring column, I didn’t get to see much of Happy Hour throughout the season, however I did catch their Week 7 game with the Dream Team where they came up just short of pulling out a victory.

West Coast is led by Zeke Benedetti aka Nico who finished the regular season averaging (16.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG), Anthony Barajas is a crucial post presence and will snatch any rebound that comes his way, he is the second leading scorer on this team averaging (13.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG). Benedetti and Barajas seem to have this chemistry while they are out on the court together, they look for each other as teammates should. Darnell leads the team in rebounds with (7.7 RPG) and is a tough defender.

This is my MUST SEE game in the first round for division 2, both teams can score as well as defend, the better team shall prevail. 

#6 Cali Raisins vs. #7 Brea Jr. 7:30

The #6 Cali Raisins return to action to take on the #7 seeded Brea Jr. 7:30 in the first round of the playoffs. Both teams seemed to have a “bye” week in Week 7 the Raisins were/are vacationing in Miami while Brea Jr. 7:30 took the court to battle it out with Wonton Soup but never really took the court…losing by 69 points (100-31).

The Raisins clinch their playoff berth in Week 6 and played the waiting game to see what spot they would end up in. After all Week 7 games played out and tie breakers were broken the team landed in the #6 spot. They are led by Jordan Ramos (14.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 3.0 APG), Kevin Chow (9.2 PPG, 3.8 RPG) and Kwasi Mensah (7.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG). Ramos is a do-it all point guard with remarkable foot speed and WILL cause havoc on the fast break.

Brea Jr. 7:30 is led by Won Lee (13.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG), Max Chung (8.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG), and Jacob Kang (8.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG) they’ve mustered up a 4-3 record, and may have the potential to make it as far as the second round. This team lacks height and a “go-to player” their Week 7 loss to Wonton Soup just shows that they aren’t at the level as the other D2 élite teams, they may have had a favorable schedule to finish with a 4-3 record.

The Raisins will come out with a victory in this game, any team that loses by 60+ with all there players in the line-up just does not belong in the playoffs. 

 

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

Nates Notes |Playoff Preview| Division 1

#1 Morningwood vs. #8 Canyon City Basketball/Dictators

After 7 Weeks of play the reigning champions Morningwood (7-0) are ready for the “real” season, they start their title defense as they take on Canyon City/ Dictators (Depending on a tiebreaker between both teams).  Morningwood enters the game with a flawless 7-0 record, this is their second undefeated season, the last time they entered the playoffs with a 7-0 record was Season 2 where they hoisted the trophy at the end of their playoff run. The team seems adequately prepared for this run, the big man in the middle Dewayne O’Neal leads the way for this team he has finished his 5th consecutive regular season averaging a double-double (15.9 PPG, 14.0 RPG).  Below O’Neal on the stat sheet is one half of the Pickett brothers Diahnte Pickett (14.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG), Rich Cobarrubias finished the season as the teams third leading scorer with (14.1 PPG).

Canyon City Basketball (1-5) and the Dictators  (1-5) as well as everyone other team, entered the season with high hopes to earn a playoff berth and play for a championship, both teams have only recorded one win this season but are still very much in the discussion for the 8th and final playoff spot. The two teams will square of in a tiebreaker game and the winner will take on Morningwood in the first round. Canyon City Basketball is led by Phil Conklin (15.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG), and Travis Campbell (14.8 PPG, 5.8 RPG).  The Dictators are led by Tongun (13.8 PPG, 9.0 RPG), Lonnie (11.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG), Andrew (12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Sam (10.0 PPG, 4.4 RPG).

Both teams will encounter one of their greater challenges of the season when they take on the Champs, there will be no (#8 Golden State – #1 Dallas) upset look for Morningwood to breeze by any of these two teams, with their stifling defense, their accurate 3-point shooting, and most of all their post presence Dewayne O’Neal. The injured Derrick Pickett will most likely not suit up for this first round playoff match-up as his presence on the court will not be needed.

#2 STAT vs. #7 Fly Society

If you’ve been in the IBL the past two seasons, you would know one of the hottest rivalries is between the two youngest teams in the division STAT and Fly Society. These two teams have played each other once in the past two seasons splitting the two games with STAT coming out on top this current season. The teams have gone opposite ways in terms of Win/ Losses (STAT 5-2-Fly Society 2-5) but Fly Society has found a way to sneak into the playoffs to play spoiler. If there was any team that STAT would not want to face in the first round it would have to be Fly Society, due to the simple fact that both these teams match-up very well with each other. In their previous regular season match-ups neither team won by a margin larger that 2 points .

Fly Society has had a rough road to this point, they’ve had several personnel issues through-out the season, but have pulled it together for this playoff run. They’ve lost their last 3 regular season games and released key players (Jairo Lopez, and Damien Ephriam). Jaime Villalobos (11.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG) is nursing an injured ankle, team GM Desean Collins (11.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG) is “broken” the majority of the time, and in their last regular season game big man Ralph Chavez (15.6 PPG, 11.4) literally ran out of gas, as he could not get subbed out of the game due to match-up reasons.  We all know what to expect from these 3 players but the X-Factor for this team is Robert Aguilar (8.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG) Aguilar has a smooth offensive game and may cause problems for the opposition.

After their Week 1 come from behind victory over Fly Society (46-45), STAT has slowly gained the respect of several league analysts as they’ve defeated 3 other playoff bound teams. Most of their victories have been by double digits. This team is the best defensive squad in the division holding the majority of their opponents under the 50 point mark  (47.5 PPG) this season. The off-season acquisition of Anthony Fitzpatrick went unnoticed by many, he however has been a crucial piece to STAT’s success this season averaging (14.7 PPG, 9.8 RPG), the Big Man Danny Longmire has also been playing his best basketball since his first IBL Season with CFB. Longmire is averaging a double-double (12.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG). The play of Longmire and Fitzpatrick has freed up the 3 point specialists ( Robel Kevorkian 9 3Pts Made and Jimmy Nguyen 11 3 Pts. Made). The X-Factor for this STAT team is the play of point guard Brandon Kinard (9.6 PPG), Kinard is having one of his best offensive seasons to date, a lot of credit has to go to his improved jump shot and superb speed.

This game will indeed be intense, and will most likely go down to the wire. I can certainly see both teams coming out with the victory, however the game will go according to which players show up. Fly Society has made some noise from the #7 spot before as they upset a #2 seed before; they defeated the #2 seed Brown Mambaz in Season 3. Lets hope STAT takes note of this teams talent and not their record.

#4 Washed Up vs. #5 Do Work

Besides the game above, this is one of the more intriguing match-ups of the first round. #4 Washed Up takes on #5 Do Work, for the past two season Do Work has been in the IBL’s “ELITE” conversation but after losing in the Finals to Morningwood last season the team has had a major face-lift. They’ve replaced their leading scorer from a season ago Kenneth Ubom with newcomer Adam (16.6 PPG, 8.8 RPG) one of the Do Work “Originals” that did stick around for this season Dominic Smith is the team second leading scorer averaging 11.6 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.2 APG).

After losing their first 2 games of the season Washed-Up has been on a quiet 5 game win streak.  After Morningwood this team seems to be the favorite to win the championship. They’re led by Richard Coombs (18.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG), Earl M., (18.3 PPG, 8.8 RPG) and Earl J. (13.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG).

Washed Up has an offense that consists of 3 point shooting and second chance points. Do Work will have a hard time containing the shooters for this team, this game can swing either way, but I see Washed Up keeping their Win Streak alive to meet the winner of the (#1 vs. #8) match-up.

#3 Knicee vs. #6 IBall

These two teams met in Week 7 with Knicee prevailing 56-40. Knicee seems to finally found the on switch and chemistry seems to be there for this team. That is what they’ve lacked most in their losses. Knicee will be without the services of PG Marcus Angeles (23.3 PPG)  as he is ineligible for any playoff action with only 3 out of the mandatory 4 games played.

Knicee is led into this first round match-up by John Dang (15.9 PPG, 8.3 RPG) Dang has been the cornerstone of Knicee’s offense for multiple seasons now. Behind Dang is free agent pick-up Jesse Jimenez (11.8 PPG, 5.0 RPG) Jimenez was the teams leading scorer in their Week 7 match-up with I Ball, he finished with (18 points and 5 rebounds). The key component to this game will be who can rebound the ball, Knicee had a major advantage with Odell Howard (13.3 RPG) and Minh Thong (7.7 RPG)  in their front court to snatch rebounds they out rebounded IBall (37-22) in Week 7. Howard had a game high 15 boards.

I Ball enters the game with their 16 point loss in the back of their minds. I Ball does not seem to have any statistical advantage over Knicee for the season, however behind a stellar performance from Tony Bell (12.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG) , Wilson Fiallos 11.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG),  and Daimon (9.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG) a #6 over #3 upset may be plausible.

Knicee is way to stacked at the guard position and the big men will eat up every board of the rim for second chance opportunities. Knicee should take this game and advance to the second round.

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

IBL | Season 5 | Week 6 Recap | Division 2- Eastern Conference

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 6

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92 

 

UKnow vs. Benchwarmers
DIVISION 2

The Benchwarmers hold on and squeeze out a close game  over an inconsistent UKnow Squad

Charlie Iem.  finished with a team high 15 points . Steven Iem and Sophand Soun finished the game as the teams second leading scorers with 12 points each. D.Yem rounded out the scoring trio with 11 points.

Byron Woods led all UKnow players with 23 points and 8 rebounds, Anthony Cockrell  finished with 15 points and 4 rebounds each, they were the only two performers in double figures.

UKnow (3-3) sits in the #6 spot, but NEED a Week 7 win, to clinch a playoff berth.

The Benchwarmers (4-2) have clinched their very first playoff berth in the teams short history.

 

Warriors vs. Secret Agents

DIVISION 2

 

The Secret Agents win a tight one, over the Warriors, the game came down to the wire but in the end the Secret Agents squeezed out a 51-48 victory.

Lonnie Bradshaw (pictured above)  led the team in scoring with 17 points and 10 rebounds, Red San Miguel was the second  Secret Agent player in double figures he finished with 13 points and 3 rebounds.  Darryial Morris  finished with 11 points  to round out the top scorers for the Secret Agents.

Domo Cole  finished with 20 points and 7 boards. Jorge assisted Cole  with 12 boards, to go along with his 10 points. Lester Cole  finished with a team high 17 rebounds.

The Secret Agents (4-2) move to Week 7 and have crawled into the #5 spot.

The Warriors (4-2) are in the #3 spot and have clinched a playoff berth a loss in Week 7 will only affect their positioning in the standings.

 

 

Quiksilver vs. Fly High

DIVISION 2

After a lackluster offensive performance in Week 5, Quiksilver determined to get back on a winning track and they did just that, defeating Fly High 56-40.

 

Gabriel Smith (9 points, 7 rebounds) Jon McNair (8 points , 1 assist) and Jesse Lubben (6 points 3 rebounds) were the top 3 performers for Fly High.

Kenny Lee and Harry Yoo (pictured above)  led all Quiksilver players with his 12 points. Yoo pulled in 7 boards and led the team in rebounding.  John Dang rounded out the top 3 with 11 points and 6 rebounds.

With the win Quiksilver is now 5-1 and are still very much in a fight for that #1 seed.

Fly High (3-3) are still very much in the thick of things, they need a win in Week 7 and some other teams to lose, to clinch the 8th and final playoff spot.

 

 

Eagles  vs.The Revenge
DIVISION 2
The Eagles keep things rolling and hold on to the #1 spot for the second week in a row as they defeat The Revenge 64-37.

Richard Vasquez scored 14 points to go along with 12 rebounds which was a game high. Eric Imperio picked up where Vasquez left off and finished with 13 points  and 3 boards,   Evin Imperio logged 9 points, 2 rebounds. While Spencer Hirsh rounded out the top 4 performers as he finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds.

The Revenge were led by Hassan Ahmed who finished the game with 12 points and 3 rebounds, Abdul Azziz finished with 12 rebounds while Max Andrade and Adarsh finished with 9 points each to round out the top scorers for The Revenge.

In Week 7 the Eagles (5-1) take the floor to battle it out with the The Benchwarmers(4-2)

The Revenge fall to (3-3) and will take on the (1-5) Diehards in Week 7.

 

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

IBL | Season 5 | Week 6 Recap | Division 2- Western Conference

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 6

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92 

Cali Raisins vs. TTB

DIVISION 2

With playoff positioning on the line the Cali Raisins, squeeze out a W in a close game with TTB in a 54-51 thriller.

The Raisins were led in scoring by Kwasi Mensah and Jordan Ramos, both players finished with a team high 15 points apiece, Mensah also had 10 rebounds while Ramos finished with 8 . Kevin Chow  was the third leading scorer, he finished with a  12 points and 4 rebounds.

Adam Musavvir led the way for TTB as he finished with 14 points and 8 boards .Brian Soo  assisted Musavvir  with the scoring load and finished  with 11 points . Patrick Sucicunco rounded out the top 3 scorers, he finished with 10 points and a rebound

TTB (2-4) has a crucial match up in Week 7, they must defeat Double Dribble, and pray that West Coast loses to the Southstars, they need to win to be in contention for the 8th and  final playoff spot.

The Raisins end their regular season with a (4-3) record, they have clinched a playoff berth, but will not know their exact position in the standings until all Week 7 games are played.

Southstars vs. Wonton Soup

DIVISION 2

Wonton Soup defeat a shorthanded Southstars  squad (48-66) and take sole possession of first place in the division with a 6-0 record.

Eric Anderson  scored 15 points  to go along with 8 rebounds  for the Southstars. Jimmy Nguyen assisted Anderson with the scoring load and finished with 13 points and 2 rebounds  shooting 3/8 (%38) from 3 point range.  Trayvonn Booker finished with  11 points and 12 rebounds to round out the top scorers for the Southstars.

Aaron Sanchez  (pictured above) led  Wonton Soup with 20 points, 11 rebounds , assisting Sanchez was Desean Collins, Collins finished with 16 points and 4 rebounds. Jamie Johnson  rounded out the scoring trio as he finished with 11 points.

The (5-1) Southstars are now tied for the 2nd spot in the Division, a week 7 match-up with West Coast will close out their regular season.

Wonton Soup (6-0) have clinched the #1 overall seed in the and conference. They take on Brea Jr. 7:30 in Week 7 as well as 3-point lay-ups.

Double Dribble vs. The Bankers

DIVISION 2

Double Dribble shows the Bankers, the bank is indeed not open on Sundays, Double Dribble got off to a slow start but as soon as they found their groove they put the game out of reach, to come away with a  70-40 win.

Chuy Contreras led all Double Dribble scorers  with 16 points and 20 rebounds for his 1st double-double of the season. Dre assisted Contreras and finished with 15  points. Charlie H. finished with a double-double (13 points, 16 rebounds)  Jesse Jimenez (11 points, 9 rebounds)  rounded out the scoring quartet for Double Dribble.

Steven led all scorers  with 17 points and 4 rebounds, Justin was the second leading scorer with 13 points. Steven Mataluvantz rounded out the top 3 scorers with 6 points and 4 rebounds.

Double Dribble 4-3 have clinched a playoff berth.

The Bankers (1-5) are out of playoff contention and will wrap up their season in Week 8.

 

Two teams that are sleepers, in the upcoming playoffs are West Coast and Happy Hour. The two teams met in Week 6 with West Coast coming out on top 57-45.

West Coast was led by Anthony Barajas (19 points, 6 rebounds), Zeke Benedetti aka Nico (pictured above) with (15 points, 5 rebounds)  Mat rounded out the scoring trio with (11 points, 9 rebounds)

Happy Hour was led by James Reyes (17 points, 10 rebounds) and Pierre Recinto (14 points, 2 rebounds) those were in the only players in double figures for Happy Hour.

Despite the loss, Happy Hour has clinched a playoff spot with their 4-2 record.

West Coast however has a Win and you’re in scenario for Week 7.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – + Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

IBL | Season 5 | Week 6 Recap | Division 1

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 6

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92

STAT vs. Canyon City Basketball

DIVISION 1

STAT clinches the #2 spot in the playoffs, after defeating Canyon City Basketball in
Week 6 by a score of 85-44.

STAT was led by Anthony Fitzpatrick (pictured above)  19 points, 7 rebounds.  Robel Kevorkian returned from his two-week hiatus and finished with 18 points and 9 boards off the bench, Brandon Kinard rounded the top 3 scorers with 15 points, 3 assists. STAT had 2 other performers that finished with 10+ points. Big Man Danny Longmire finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds.  Nate Apolonio was really that spark for STAT as he busted the game open shooting 4/5 from 3 point range to finish with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Canyon City Basketball was led by Sergio Serna and Carl Agcamaran both players finished with 15 points apiece,  Serna however had  the upper hand in the rebounding column, he finished with 11 rebounds.  Travis Campbell  finished with 10 points to round out the scoring trio for Canyon City Basketball.

STAT (5-1) moves into Week 7 on a 4 game win streak, they’ve defeated their opponents by an average of 15.8 points a game. They have clinched the #2 seed in the playoffs.

Canyon City (1-5) now falls to the #11 spot. They’re playoff hopes are very much alive, they need to win out by a wide margin, to win the point differential with Speed Kills, and the Dictators.

I Ball vs. Dictators

DIVISION 1 

I Ball gets back on a winning track after a Week 5 loss and defeat the Dictators in Week 6 57-40. They now move up to the #6 spot and have clinched a playoff berth.

For I Ball, it was a team effort that helped record the double-digit win. They had four players in double-figures. Daimon notched  a team-high 16 points and pulled in 1 rebounds . Tony Bell chipped in 14 points and 8 rebounds. Anon finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Wilson Fiallos rounded out the scoring quartet with 10 points and 8 rebounds.

The Dictators had a dominant performance from Tongun , he finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds with the majority of his buckets coming in the paint. Sam  finished with 9 points while Craig rounded out the top 3 with 7 points and 3 rebounds.

As crazy as it sounds the Dictators (1-5) are still very much in the playoff hunt, but they do not control their own destiny, in Week 7 they need to win by a very wide margin and hope that Speed Kills, and Canyon City Lose.

I Ball (3-3)  will enter Week 7 in the #5 spot, they have clinched a playoff berth. With a loss they will fall to the #6 spot, but with a win they secure the #6 spot.

 

Do Work vs. Knicee

DIVISION 1

After a week 5 blowout loss to STAT (40-56) , Knicee returned to action in week 6 and took on Do Work, the game was fairly close in the first half, Knicee however blew the door open in the second half and came away with a 71-41 victory.

 Do Work was led by Adam 14 points, 11 rebounds 7/13 from the field. Aaron Singleton finished as the second leading scorer with 13  points and 7 rebounds.Ronnie finished with 8 points, shooting 2/14 from downtown, just a terrible performance from a short-handed Do Work team that had four active players for this game.

Knicee was led by John Dang (pictured above)  23 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists.  Lionel Brown  finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, Richard Hak was the third notable performer as he recorded 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Minh Thong had an above par game with 13 points and 11 rebounds, for his first double-double of the season. The Big Man in the middle Odell Howard did not have his best offensive game but picked up the slack on the boards, he finished with a game high,17 rebounds.

With the win Knicee (4-2) secures the  #3 spot in the division. They will close out their regular season in Week 7.

Do Work (3-3) has clinch a playoff berth but still not secured their spot. They need to win in Week 7 to not fall to the 7th or 8th spot.

Speed Kills vs. Washed Up

DIVISION 1

Washed Up is the third hottest team in the division, since losing their first 2 games they’ve been on a 4 game win streak, storming through the bottom half of the division, in Week 6 they took down a talented Speed Kills team. Washed Up won by a score of 70-57.

Earl M and Earl J. led Washed Up gang with 29 points apiece, Earl M. had 15 rebounds  to go along with his 29 points, to record a double-double. Those were the only two washed up players that were in double digits also the only two players to score more than 5 points.

Di’Mon Phelps led the way for Speed Kills with 19 points, 4 rebounds shooting an efficient 5/8 from the 3-point range.André was the second leading scorer with 12 points, and 7 rebounds.  Mike was the third leading scorer as he finished with 11 points to round out the scoring trio.

Washed Up (4-2) have slid into the #4 spot in the standings.

With the loss Speed Kills (1-5) is  out of the playoff picture. They are in a strange 3 way tie for the #8 spot.

Morningwood vs. Fly Society

DIVISION 1
With an ankle injury to their leading scorer Jaime Villalobos, Fly Society gets dominated by a barrage of 3-Point shots from Morningwood, the final result a 80-62 romping.

Andrae led all scorers for the game, he finished with 20 points, shooting 6/12 (50%) from downtown . Diahnte Pickett and Rich Cobarrubias finished with 19 points and 6 rebounds each. The Big man in the middle Dewayne O’Neal (pictured above) finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds to record his 5th double-double in 6 games.

Despite leaving the game late in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury, Jaime Villalobos led all Fly Society scorers with 16 points, 7 rebounds. Desean Collins pulled in 5 rebounds and finished with 13 points. Ralph Chavez was the third leading scorer as he finished with 11 points, 6 boards, Chavez however spend the majority of the game on the bench in foul trouble.

Fly Society will enter week 7 with a (2-4) record they must win to clinch the #7th or #8 spot.

Morningwood (6-0) enters Week 7 as the only undefeated team in the Division, the have clinched the #1 overall seed from the playoffs.

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

IBL | Season 5 | Week 5 Recap | Division 2- Eastern Conference

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 5

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92 

UKnow vs. Secret Agents
DIVISION 2

UKnow took down the Secret Agents in their Week 5 match-up, the final score was not an indication of how UKnow controlled the game, they were able to eliminate all the role player scoring of the Secret Agents and forced Lonnie Bradshaw and Darryial Morris to score the majority of the teams baskets. Although the final score was remotely close (57-55) due to a Secret Agents run, from a barrage of 3 point shots late in the second half.

Lonnie Bradshaw  had a quiet all around game but led the team in scoring along with Darryial Morris the pair finished with 16 points apiece. Red San Miguel was the third  Secret Agent player  with double figures, he finished with 14 points and hit clutch 3 point baskets down the stretch for the Agents.

Anthony Cockrell (pictured above) led all UKnow players with 21 points and 10 rebounds, Byron Woods and Xavier Goss  finished with 9 points each. Solin Bit finished as the fourth leading scorer with 7 points and 4 rebounds.

UKnow (3-2) moves into Week 6 sitting in the #6 spot surging through their past two opponents, they are one win way from clinching a playoff berth. They take on the (3-2) Benchwarmers in Week 6.

The Secret Agents (3-2) move to Week 6 tied for 7th place. With their loss to UKnow they have fallen 5 spots in the rankings. They take on (4-1) Warriors in Week 6.

Warriors vs. Quiksilver
DIVISION 2

With the absence of the teams leading scorer Kenny Lee, Quiksilver gets caught in an offensive struggle with defensive powerhouse the Warriors, Quiksilver kept the game close throughout but in the end the Warriors made a few more plays to capture the 40-31 win.

Kemoy Mathis returned to the line-up and  led the Warriors in the scoring column and finished with 16 points and 12 boards. Jorge assisted Cole and led the team in rebounding with 9 boards, to go along with his 4 points. Domo Cole (pictured above) finished with 6 points. 

No Quiksilver player scored in double figures, John Dang  led all Quiksilver players with his 9 points and  4 rebounds. Harry Yoo was the second leading scorer with 6 points and a game high 11 rebounds.  Richard Hak rounded out the top 3 with 5 points and 6 rebounds.

With the loss Quiksilver moves to (4-1) and falls to the #2 spot in the standings behind the Eagles. Quiksilver has the tie breaker over the Eagles, so if the regular season would end today with both teams tied, Quiksilver would be the #1 seed in the playoffs. Quiksilver has already clinched a playoff berth, they are now battling for position and the loss does not help their cause.

The Warriors (4-1) move on into Week 6 on a roll, they have already clinched their second playoff berth in team history. In Week 6 they take the court to battle it out with the (3-2) Secret Agents.

Diehards vs. Benchwarmers

DIVISION 2

The Benchwarmers win a very low scoring game over the men of the Diehards . The Benchwarmers have been flying below the radar these first 5 weeks of the season, they have managed to record a 3-2 record through 5 games and sit in the #5 spot. In Week 5 the Benchwarmers recorded a  key win over the Diehards.

Miguel Larios (12 points, 16 rebounds) Ernie Hernandez (10 points , 2 rebounds) and Steve Lovario (8 points 4 rebounds) were the top 3 performers for the Diehards.

Steven Iem. (pictured above) recorded a game high 30 points shooting 13/23 (44%) from the field. Randy Sam finished the game as the second leading scorer with 6 points and 4 rebounds. Sophand Soun rounded out the scoring trio with 6 points and 4 rebounds.

The Benchwarmers (3-2) will take on the (3-2) UKnow in Week 6.

Diehards (1-4) will take the court in Week 5 to battle it out with the #JETS (1-4).

Fab 7 vs. The Revenge
DIVISION 2

The Revenge get back on the winning track as they defeat the Fab 7 59-44

Fabian Armas led the Fab 7 with a 19 points and 9 rebounds, Victor Navarro finished with 15 points and 3 rebounds, Freddy Valencia did not have much of an offensive game but he delivered while out on the floor as he collected a team high 12 boards.

The Revenge was led by Krutav Patel who finished with  17 points, 5 rebounds, Adarsh was the second leading scorer as he finished with 16 points and 6 boards. Aaron Ford and Max Andrade finished with 11 points apiece to round out the scoring quartet.

The Fab 7 (2-3) take on the (2-3) 5 Guys 1 Cup in Week 6.

The Revenge (3-2) look to ride their winning momentum into week 6 as they take on the (4-1) Eagles team.

Eagles  vs. X-Men
DIVISION 2
With their only loss coming in Week 1 to Quiksilver, the Eagles have been on a roll since then, they have won 4 straight.
They continued their winning ways as they defeated the X-Men by a wide margin 78-40.

Richard Vasquez scored 23 points to go along with 14 rebounds which was a game high. Evin Imperio picked up where Vasquez left off and finished with 17 points  and 3 boards,   Eric Imperio logged 12 points, 3 rebounds. While Spencer Hirsh led all players as he finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

The X-Men were led by Dante who finished the game with 24 points and 10 rebounds, Lazonn Goff finished with 5 points while Darren Bitterkoff and Norm finished with 4 points each to round out the top scorers for the X-Men.

In Week 6 the Eagles (4-1) take the floor to battle it out with the The Revenge (3-2)

The X-Men fall to (2-3) and will take on the (0-5) tropics in Week 6.

 

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.

IBL | Season 5 | Week 5 Recap | Division 2- Western Conference

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 4

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92 

Cali Raisins vs. Double Dribble

DIVISION 2

With both teams battling for playoff position the Cali Raisins fall to their Division 2 counterpart Double Dribble in a 65-62 thriller.

Diahnte Pickett led all Double Dribble scorers  with 31 points and 6 rebounds. Dre assisted Pickett and finished with 13 points and . Jesse Jimenez (11 points, 7 rebounds)  rounded out the top 3 scorers for Double Dribble.

The Raisins were led in scoring by their PG Matt Virata he finished with a team high 19 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists . Jordan Ramos  was the second leading scorer, he finished with a  13 points and 3 rebounds. Kwasi Mensah (11 points, 9 rebounds) was the third leading scorer along with Korey Davis who also finished with 11 points.

Double Dribble (3-2) look to clinch a spot in the playoffs in Week 6 when they take on  The Bankers (0-4).

The Raisins (3-3) will close out their season in Week 6, when they take on TTB (2-3). A win will guarantee the Raisins a Top 9 finish.

 

 

Southstars vs. Wet Bandits
DIVISION 2

The Southstars defeat the Wet Bandits (57-47) and are in a virtual tie for 1st place in the conference with the (5-1) Dream Team.

Jose  scored 19 points  shooting  (5/9) from 3-point range to go along with 2 rebounds  for the Southstars. Trayvonn Booker assisted Jose with the scoring load and finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds 2/5 (%40) from 3 point range.  Jimmy Nguyen finished with  12 points and 7 rebounds to round out the top scorers for the Southstars.

Brandon Parham led the way for the Wet Bandits and finished with  13 points and 15 boards .Victor  assisted Parham  with the scoring load and finished  with 13 points . Nigel Leos was a monster on the boards as he finished with a game high 16 rebounds.

The (5-0) Southstars will square off with the only other undefeated team in the Division (5-0).

The Wet Bandits (0-5)  will take on Brea Jr. 7:30 (3-2) in Week 6. With 5 losses the Bandits are virtually eliminated from Playoff Contention.

 

 

Wonton Soup vs. Dream Team

DIVISION 2

The Dream Team got their wish granted when they took on the reigning 2x time Division champion Wonton Soup, however despite their promise of a victory, the champs showed why they are indeed the reigning champions of the division as they defeated the Dream Team 64-55.

Aaron Sanchez led  Wonton Soup with 24 points, 10 rebounds as he returned after missing Week 4 play, assisting Sanchez was Jaime Villalobos, Villalobos finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Larry Thompkins (pictured above) rounded out the scoring trio as he   finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Brandon Taylor led all scorers  with 17 points and 6 rebounds, Demetre Smith was the second leading scorer with 16 points shooting 7/9 from the field. AJ Miles rounded out the top 3 scorers with 15 points and 6 rebounds.

Wonton Soup (5-0) will take on the (5-0) Southstars in Week 6.

The Dream Team (5-1) have a bye week.

 

 

Toon Squad vs. Dream Team

DIVISION 2
The highly anticipated match-up between the two Rival teams took place in Week 5. From the time the two teams took the court for their lay-up lines an electric vibe could be felt in the arena, both of these harbor animosity towards each other, for a reason, no one knows but them. They were dying to play each other for the first month of the season and finally got their wish granted. Dream Team got out to an early lead and had a double-digit lead for the majority of the game, the game also seen jawing between the crowd and players, Dream Team seemed to have the game in hand but mid second half, the Toon Squad began their run and cut a once 19 point lead to 10. The game was called due to fan/player interaction that got out of hand and the Dream Team was awarded with the win.

 

 

 

 

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IBL | Season 5 | Week 5 Recap | Division 1

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

Week 5

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92

STAT vs. Knicee

DIVISION 1

Since their buzzer beater win in Week 1 over Fly Society (46-45)  , and a 4th quarter lapse in Week 2 to lose to the reigning champs Morningwood (56-50), STAT has blown out their opponents by an average of 21.0 ppg and have solidified themselves as the second best team in the division. Their Week 5 match-up with then 3-1 Knicee seen STAT just outplay the previously #2 ranked team and come away with a 56-40 victory.

For Knicee things have been the opposite, they started the season 3-0 and ran into a hungry Morningwood team in Week 4 to record their first loss of the season 69-63. The bright spot for Knicee this season besides their potential playoff berth has been the guard play of  Marcus Angeles (23.3 ppg) and John Dang (15.6) they have been the cornerstone of the offense, Angeles was not present in the loss to STAT so with his presence the game could have swung in either direction.

In the Week 5 game with Knicee;  STAT was led by Danny Longmire  15 points, 12 rebounds.  Anthony Fitzpatrick finished with 13 points and 8 boards, Brandon Kinard rounded the top 3 scorers with 11 points, 3 assists. Jimmy Nguyen was really that spark for STAT as he busted the game open shooting 3/7 from 3 point range to finish with 9 points. 

With the absence of the teams leading scorer Marcus Angeles a dimension of Knicee’ offense was not there, the returning Lionel Brown was the only Knicee player who seemed to feel the game offensively, he finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds.  John Dang was the second leading scorer for  Knicee as he finished with 5 rebounds and 10 points, big man Odell Howard was a non factor in this game, he finished with 7 points and 8 rebounds.

STAT (4-1) moves into Week 6 on a 3 game win streak where they will take on Canyon City Basketball  (1-4), this team could easily be 5-0 and the only undefeated team in the division, with their one loss coming at the hands of the defending champs (Morningwood) by 6 points in Week 2.

Knicee (3-2)  now goes back to the drawing board as they try to regroup after their second consecutive loss. However the 2 losses have come to the two teams above them in the standings, they will take on the #4 ranked (3-2) Do Work in Week 6 to break the tie for the #3 spot in the division.

 

 

Canyon City Basketball vs. Dictators

DIVISION 1 

The Dictators manage to squeeze out their first victory as they defeat Canyon City Basketball 56-51.

Canyon City Basketball was led by Phil Conklin  21 points, 9 rebounds.  Travis Campbell  finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds and Sergio Serna rounded out the scoring trio with his 8 points.

The Dictators had a dominant performance from Lonnie , he finished with 17 points, 9 rebounds with the majority of his buckets coming in the paint. Sam  finished with 13 points, 3 boards while Andrew finished with 12 points and 6 rebounds to round out the scoring trio for the Dictators.

The Dictators (1-4) are still very much in the playoff hunt, but they do not control their own destiny, they need other teams to record more L’s or else their season is over. The Dictators will take on (2-3) IBall in Week 6.

Canyon City (1-4) now falls to the #10 spot behind the Dictators and Speed Kills. They will take on the #2 ranked STAT (4-1) team that is chasing the #1 spot in Week 6.

 

 

Do Work vs. Morningwood

DIVISION 1

In their second game without SF Derrick Pickett (9.8 ppg), the game came down to the wire for Morningwood as Do Work had a chance to steal the game but Morningwood sealed the game in the final seconds with clutch free throws, to come away with a 54-48 victory to maintain their flawless 5-0 record.

The champs have had a “weather the storm” kind of season so far, every obstacle they’ve seemed to overcome. They remain the only undefeated team in the division; defeating the 5 teams below them in the standings, Dewayne O’Neal (16.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG)  is leading the team in scoring this season as he is the cornerstone to their offense. Diahnte Pickett is having a breakout season averaging (13.4 PPG, 3.2 RPG), they have been the cornerstone to Morningwoods success this season.

Do Work was one of the top teams for 2 seasons in the IBL, however this summer season has seen an overhaul of their roster as only 3 players (Dominic Smith, Aaron Singleton, Aaron W.) remain from their championship season in Season 3. They sit at (3-2) and with one more win will clinch a playoff berth.  If this team wants any shot of making a little noise in the playoffs (if they even make the playoffs), they should regain the services of leading scorer Donte Smith (27.0 PPG) who has silently retired from IBL play.

In their Week 5 game with Morningwood, Do Work was led by Dominic Smith 17 points, 6 rebounds 3/8 from 3 point range. Josh and Edwin had 10 points apiece to round out the top 3 scorers. Edwin finished with 10 rebounds also to record a double-double.

Dewayne O’Neal led all scorers for the game, he finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds . Diahnte Pickett finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds.  Those were the only two scorers that scored in double figures for Morningwood. With Pickett out of the line-up scoring should be at a minimum for 3-Pt threats Rich Cobarrubias and Marcus Pringle as they usually feed of Pickett’s drive and kicks, in Week 5 Cobarrubias finished with 6 points shooting 2-7 from 3 point range. Pringle finished with 4 points but made up for his lackluster performance on the boards with 9 rebounds.

Injury Update:

SF Derrick Pickett is recovering smoothly and will be out for 3-5 more Weeks.

Morningwood (5-0) enters Week 6 as the only undefeated team in the Division, they’ll take on a slumping Fly Society squad (2-3).

Do Work (3-2) takes on Knicee (3-2) in Week 6 as both teams look to lock themselves into that #3 spot in the standings.

I Ball vs. Washed Up

DIVISION 1

Washed Up and I Ball go back and forth all game with Washed Up coming out on top 39-38 in this offensive struggle of a game. I Ball had a chance to win with 2 seconds left on the clock, an I Ball player threw up a baseline heave that went in but it was after the buzzer had sounded.

Richard Coombs led Washed Up with 10 points, 6 rebounds, but was forced to sit out the majority of the 4th quarter after suffering an ankle injury. Tony finished with 3 rebounds,  assist  and he was the second leading scorer with 7 points. Mike Criscione was the third leading scorer with 6 points.

Wilson Fiallos notched  a team-high 17 points and pulled in 4 rebounds . Tony Bell chipped in 13 points and  8 rebounds. The rest of I Ball was almost non-existent in the game as the combined for 8 points.

Washed Up (3-2) have slid into the #5 spot in the standings looks to continue their winning ways in Week 6, as they take on Speed Kills (1-4)

I Ball (2-3)  enters Week 6 in the #6 spot, they take on the (1-4) Dictators in Week 6.

 

Speed Kills vs. Fly Society

DIVISION 1

Since the arrival of newly acquired teammate Larry Thompkins (10.5 ppg) in Week 3 things haven’t been a walk in the park for Fly Society. Fly Society was predicted to be a viable contender in the division at the start of the season. However they have been dominated by Rookie teams such as ( Washed Up-Fly Society 79-60) in Week 3 and ( IBall-Fly Society 62-47) in Week 4. In Week 5 Fly Society was looking to get back to their winning ways as they took on the #8 ranked Speed Kills ( 1-3) in Week 5. No one predicted and or expected this game to go down to the wire, but it did and Fly Society came crawling out of this heated battle with a 62-60 victory in overtime.

GM Tony El-Asar led the way for Speed Kills with 18 points, 3 rebounds shooting an efficient 5/9 from the field. Di’mon Phelps was the second leading scorer with 14 points, he also hit the crucial three-point basket to send the game into overtime.  André was the third leading scorer as he finished with 12 points to round out the scoring trio.

Ralph Chavez led all Fly Society scorers with 24 points, 14 rebounds on (11/17) shooting. Jaime Villalobos pulled in 11 rebounds and finished with 10 points. Jairo Lopez was the third leading scorer as he finished with 16 points, 1 board. The rest of the Fly Society roster combined for 12 points.

Fly Society will enter week 6 with a (2-3) record in desperate need for a win to get back into the playoff picture. They however will play the undefeated Morningwood.

Speed Kills (1-4) is very much still in the playoff picture, they take on Washed Up in Week 6 a loss will more than likely put them out of playoff contention.

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+ Game Previews, recaps and write-ups are articles written by Nathan Apolonio.