IBL | Season XI | Division 3 | Final Four Preview

A pair of intriguing contests awaits the crowd that will assemble inside Ontario High School’s gym this Sunday evening for the Season 11 IBL Championship Weekend. The Stage has been set for the Division 1 and 2 finals. However 4 teams will have their eyes set on the Division 3 crown.

In the first game, scheduled to tip off just after 5:10 p.m, the Burger Kings, the No. 2 seed with a 7-1 record, will meet Coast2Coast, a six seed coming in off a win over No. 3 seed Mighty Healthy in the opening round. This weekend, the Burger Kings make their third consecutive trip to the divisions semi finals. This isn’t unfamiliar territory for this battle tested team. The Burger Kings have played in countless semifinal games.  A few players on the roster have even played in the championship game. The last time we seen the Burger Kings in the Championship was Season 9 when they lost to the repeating champion HiiiPower. The Burger Kings defeated the No. 9 seed Skywalkers (69-46)  last weekend in Claremont, behind the outstanding play of Charles Grays, David Aguilera (20 points each) and Vince Pryor (16 pts, 10 rbs) Joshua Payne and Mike Criscione also have made important contributions throughout BK’s season but were not in action last weekend.

Coast2Coast overcame the ever so daunting task of playing on Court 2 to prevail over third seed Mighty Healthy in the quarterfinals last Sunday. Paced by the terrific play of Jairo Lopez (26 pts, 14 rbs)  , they are hoping to clinch the team’s first championship berth. However this will be an uphill climb. After Lopez, you have to scan up and down the roster to find another player on the roster who is a viable offensive threat.

Players to Watch:

Burger Kings: Vince Pryor –  No one on Coast2Coast is capable of keeping Pryor in front of them. If his shot is falling early, it’s going to be a long day for Coast2Coast.

Coast2Coast: Jesus Alvarez – Alvarez will have to do all the dirty work for his team. That means clean up on the boards and make the hustle plays.

Wonton Soup vs. California Raisins

Now it wouldn’t be the IBL playoffs if the Cali Raisins and Wonton Soup didn’t meet. Sunday’s second Division 3 game will feature a the No.1 Seed California Raisins as they take on longtime rival Wonton Soup who finished the regular season as the fourth seed. Wonton Soup is  making their 5th trip to a divisional Final Four since Season 3 . After upsetting last season’s champs the MadVillians in the first round.

The Raisins on the other hand; shot their way past Slaughterhouse in a 79-49 debacle.Both teams met in Week 2 with the Raisins coming away with a 59-52 win. However no matter how many times the Raisins beat the Soup in the Regular season. They always find a way to lose in the playoffs. It’s sort of like a curse.GM Ashwin Sharma’s squad last reached the Final Four in Season 7, when they won it all.

Forward Jamaal Logan (16.2 ppg) leads Wonton Soup in scoring, followed by guard Brandon Taylor (11.9 ppg) and  guard Demetre Smith (11.3 ppg). After two up & down seasons with the California Swag Bears, Jaden Radcliffe jumped ship and leads the Raisins in scoring with (14.3 ppg) Kenny Saldana is the team’s second leading scorer with (13.1 ppg).

Players to Watch:

Wonton Soup: Josh Johnson–  the Honey badger seems to show up in big games and seems to always performs well while playing the Raisins.

California Raisins: Korey Davis –  Davis has been spotty all season, but with a trip to the championship game on the line look for him to have a big game, doing all the little things to help his team win.

IBL | Season XI | Division 2 Finals Preview | H.B.A.M vs. Special Delivery

H.B.A.M. vs. Special Delivery

Special Delivery vs. Special Delivery Jr. last season H.B.A.M took IBL by storm, after a subpar regular season the team got hot at the right time and ran all the way to the finish line to come away with the Season 10 Division 2 crown. Now fast forward 3 months later, H.B.A.M is back in the championship game to defend its crown. However this game means a little more to both teams. Seeing as three of H.B.A.M’s core players (Sammeon Waller (19.7 ppg, 4.6 apg) , Kevin Dunbar (15.7 ppg) & Dejuan Simmons (9.2 ppg) ) were once members of Special Delivery, a win over their former team will make this championship that much sweeter.

H.B.A.M leads the division in three of the four major team categories ( 67.7 ppg, 33.9 rpg, 14.0 apg) they however enter the game with a 8-1 record coming off wins over the Han$um Goonz (58-54) and Mile High (73-62), their lone loss coming at the hands of Special Delivery in Week 4 by 2 points (52-50).

Special Delivery enters the game as the #1 overall seed sporting a flawless 8-0 record. Coming off a blowout (70-49) semi final win over CSB.  This season has been quite an anomaly for Special Delivery. They’ve been a resilient bunch finding ways to win games. They’ve earned the right to play for the championship. Led by Alwyn “Bama” Jordan (13.1 ppg), Lester Cole (16.8 ppg), and David Schex (13.3 ppg), Special Delivery is a team that is hungry. Everyone knows what role they play and week in and week out; they go out on the hardwood and play a physical brand of basketball that has been effective all season long.

Players to Watch:

H.B.A.M: Shavaun Dukes–  as the teams 3^rd leading scorer, Dukes will have to pick up the slack if Waller and Dunbar get off to slow starts, as is more than capable of doing so. Dukes is the teams most efficient 3 point threat. Shooting a mere %42 from downtown.

Special Delivery: Ray Thompson– Thompson is the MKG of his team, a non stop motor, filled with hustle and can knock down the occasional 3 ball from time to time. Look for Thompson to take up the task of guarding the opposing teams best perimeter player.

Inland Basketball League | Division 1 | Semi Finals Preview

With the division 1 playoffs well under way, we can take a look back at the first round. The #7 seeded Rebels kicked off with the playoffs with an expected 73-69 victory over the #2 seed We Got Game. The two teams met in Week 7 with We Got Game coming away with the win, the Rebels were without the services of the Divisions leading shot blocker Daryl Jones (11.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 4.2 bpg) that game. That wouldn’t be the case in this playoff game, Jones made his presence felt early in the game with a thunderous slam in the 1st quarter. He continued to alter shots throughout the game and was one of the main reasons that his Rebel team came away with the win.

Soon after the reigning Champs and #1 seed Washed Up began their title defense with a 100-65 blowout win over Gary McNellys (21 Pts, 7 Rebs, 2 Asts.)  and his #8 seeded P.A.H.U. team. After McNellys hit his first shot Washed Up ceased control of the game behind the strong play of Stephan Gilling (28 Pts, 4 Rbs, 3 Asts) , Johnny Earl (36 Pts, 2 Rebs., 3 Asts, and 5 Stls.) and Justin Lamar (12 Pts, 5 Rebs, 2 Asts, 2 Stls) and never looked back.

In the third game of the evening, we witnessed the #4 seed Mile High escape with a narrow 64-63 win over the 5th seeded Knicee team. Mile High took control of the game early but allowed Knicee to hang around. Well timed 3 Pointers by Tom Krzeminski (15 Pts, 3 Rebs 5/8 3pt FGM) and a couple missed free throws/opportunities by Knicee late in the 4th quarter helped Mile High come away with the win.

In the final Division 1 Game of the evening, the #3 seed The Dynasty and the #6 seed Dino’s Finest squared off for a Semi Finals berth. The game was close in the first half however Dino’s Finest stepped on the gas in the 3rd quarter behind the strong play of… And built a sizable lead heading into the fourth quarter and never looked back. The Dynasty was without one of their key players Buai Tut as he was out due to personal reasons. After making it all the way to the finals in their first season, teams expected The Dynasty to get back to the championship game this season again. However that will not be the case.

The shocker of the evening was the #6 and #7 seeds eliminating the #2 and #3 seeds. In previous seasons those would be deemed as upsets but this season has been different, despite the team’s record, the 1-7 seeds are evenly matched and the seedings did not do these teams justice.

Now as we look forward to the semifinals We will see Max Barkeley (17.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg) and the #4 seed Mile High try to play spoiler as they take on the #1 seed Washed Up. Who will be without the services of their big man Justin Lamar who is out until Season 8.

On the bottom half of the brackets the #6 seed Dino’s Finest will attempt to play spoiler to the #7 seed the Rebels; as shocking as that sounds, the Rebels were selected by the Commissioner to take it all before the post season began. So with that said, Dino’s Finest will look to break the commissioners brackets. The two teams met earlier in the season with Dino’s Finest coming away with the win. So both teams are familiar with each other.

The Dynasty, We Got Game, Knicee and P.A.H.U will most likely return to action in Season 8 when it kicks off April 15th.

Dear NBA

Dear NBA, As a BIG fan of the league, I was truly optimistic throughout this whole lockout ordeal. Now I am truly disgusted on how the players as well as the owners forgot who they really work for. They forgot who pays for their million dollar mansions and expensive cars. We the fans are the reason they are able to play a game, for millions of dollars! We are the ones who choose to spend our hard-earned money on team merchandise and tickets to watch our favorite teams play. Yes, we understand that the NBA is a business. We as fans are the consumers. What successful business out there chooses not to take care of their customers??

By continuing this fiasco of the NBA lockout, it is clear, the NBA and its players DO NOT CARE at all about their consumers, aka us the fans. I am writing this letter in hopes that it will go viral and be seen by the players and the owners of the NBA. I want them to know that they just lost a diehard fan, and I’m SURE, I am not the only one.

 

Sincerely, Ex NBA Fan

-Aaron Sanchez 

IBL | Season 6 | Week 4 Recap | Division 1

2011 Fall, SEASON 6

Week 4

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92

We are now 4 weeks through the 6th season and in my eyes the greatest season IBL has thus seen.  Washed Up (4-0) has dominated teams in D1. They are not backing down from any of the top teams. After a week 1 blow-out loss Morningwood (3-1) has gotten back to what they do best, and by that I mean WINNING! The Play Makerz (3-1) sit in the #2 spot with a chance to take over 1st place if they do indeed defeat Washed Up in Week 5. The surprise in the top 4 has got to be the West Coast Pros. their record sits at (3-1) with their only loss coming in Week 2, they haven’t had that much of a difficult schedule but that looks to change when they take on the reigning champs in Week 5, that should be an intriguing match-up. The top 8 teams are all on track for the playoffs, however teams such as P.A.H.U, The Alliance, The Pack, and Filthy Empire desperately need a Week 5 win to stay in Playoff contention.

Another team that has me baffled by their Week 4 performance is IBall (2-2), this truly a wonder, one week they have only 4 active players and lose by 20+ and the next they have a full 7 man roster and beat down a team. It just confuses me. Lets see what team shows up in Week 5.  

After starting the season 2-0 Knicee has dropped two straight and hope to regroup with a Week 5 bye. 

The biggest sleeper team on my list this season would have to be The Dynasty, this team can hoop, although their record sits at 2-2, this team is one of the more talented teams in the division and can shock some teams come playoff time.

Morningwood vs. The Dynasty

DIVISION 1

Morningwood shows the up-n-coming Dynasty why they are indeed the reigning champs. They hold off Dynasty and capture an 80 – 73 victory.

 Diahnte “D-Smooth” Pickett  led all Morningwood scorers with 21 points on 9/14 shooting from the field. Andrae Lockett aka LL Cool Dre  was the teams second leading scorer, with 20 points and 3 boards. Dewayne O’Neal was the third leading scorer with 11 points and 5 rebounds while Derrick Pickett rounded out the scoring trio with 10 points and 4 rebounds.

As always the Dynasty had a balanced offensive attack with Buai Tut aka The Matrix leading the way with 21 points (8/10, 80% shooting from the field) and 15 rebounds. Holden finished the game as the teams second leading scorer with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Tren rounded out the scoring load with 15 points, 4 rebounds.

P.A.H.U vs. Filthy Empire

DIVISION 1

With both teams looking for their first win of the season, P.A.H.U takes care of business and defeat Filthy Empire 59 – 44.

 For P.A.H.U, Gary McNellys Jr. led the way with 24 points, 4 rebounds and dished out 2 assists. Mike finished with 12 points and 2 rebounds. Anthony rounded out the scoring load with 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists. After a rough start to the season, Gary McNellys Jr. (18.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg) has finally found his offensive groove.

For the second straight week McNellys took over the scoring when his team really needed it and unlike last week, his team came out victorious.

Filthy Empire was led by Darryial Morris who finished with 12 points and 1 assist. Terrell Thomas was the second leading scorer with 9 points and 3 rebounds.  Rudy rounded out the scoring trio with 7 points and 4 rebounds.

West Coast Pros. vs. The Pack

DIVISION 1

After defeating the then undefeated Knicee team in Week 3, West Coast Pros. take care of The Pack, to come away with a 58 – 50 win.

Josh led the way for West Coast with 20 points and 8 rebounds,  Shawn Layer was the second leading scorer with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Deondre and Donnell rounded out the scoring quartet with 7 points.

Sam Nogales and Tyler  (14 Points) led all scorers for The Pack, Tyler pulled in 6 rebounds, while Nogales managed to grab 3 boards.  Lonnie Rivera rounded out the top 3 scorers  with 11 points and pulled in 9 rebounds. After their Week 1 victory over The Alliance, The Pack has been on a three game skid.

Filthy Empire vs. The Dynasty

DIVISION 1

Looking to Avoid an 0-4 start, Filthy Empire battles it out with the Dynasty, but the Dynasty prove to be too much to handle as Filthy Empire falls 76 – 84.

Filthy Empire was led by Lonnie Bradshaw who finished with 21 points and 4 rebounds. Terrell Thomas was the second leading scorer with 19 points and 1 rebound and Darriayl Morris rounded out the scoring trio with 9 points and 3 rebounds.

The Dynasty had a balanced offensive attack with Buai Tut leading the way with 21 points and 4 rebounds. Walter finished with 12 points and 4 rebounds. Tren rounded out the scoring load with 15 points, 4 rebounds.

The Alliance vs. IBall

DIVISION 1

IBall got off to a hot 12-0 start and never looked back, The Alliance cut a once 28 point lead to 16 with 6 minutes remaining in the second half but IBall finishes the game on a run and capture a 85-66 win.

Mauricio notched a team-high for IBall with 20 points and pulled in 12 rebounds. Wilson Fiallos, Justin and Les, chipped in 16 points apiece, while James finished with 9 points and 8 rebounds.  Lester Cole finished with 6 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 steals. A very well-played all around game from all participants of the team.

The Alliance team was led by Jaime Villalobos who finished with 20 points, 7 rebounds.  Desean Collins  finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Aaron Sanchez was the teams 3rd leading scorer with a very quiet 11 points and 4 rebounds. Jimmy Nguyen and Ralph Chavez rounded out the scoring load with 7 points apiece. Chavez also collected 8 rebounds, while Nguyen dished out 9 assists.

Washed Up vs. Knicee

DIVISION 1

Washed Up stays undefeated by defeating Knicee in a 67 – 59 showdown this past Sunday.  Washed Up (4-0) has dominated teams in D1. They are not backing down from any of the top teams as they take on Play Makerz in Week 5.

Kenneth Ubom was the leading scorer for  Knicee as he finished with 25 points and 5 rebounds, David was the teams second leading scorer with 13 points and 4 rebounds. Odell Howard rounded out the scoring load with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Another notable performer was John Dang who finished with 7 points on 3/4 shooting.

For the first time this season, leading MVP candidate Johnny Earl (28.0 ppg) was not his teams leading scorer. Taking the reigns this game was his brother Michael Earl. Earl finished with 19 points and 12 rebounds to record his first double-double of the season. Johnny Earl was the teams second leading scorer, he finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists. Dre rounded out the scoring trio with 13 points and 8 rebounds.

Notable performers for Washed Up include Richard Coombs who finished with 7 points and 4 rebounds. Also GM Mike Criscione finished with 6 points and 2 assists. I see you out there workin’ Mike.

Play Makerz vs. Tupac Back

DIVISION 1

The Play Makerz prove to be too much to handle for the Jordan Block led Tupac Back team. Tupac Back manages to keep the game close and lose by a narrow margin of 67 – 59.

Jordan Block led the way for Tupac Back with 27 Points and 7 rebounds, Mike Swanegan finished with 11 points and 2 rebounds and Eric rounded out the top 3 scorers with 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Johnnie Green notched a team-high 22 points pulled in 5 rebounds. Aesh Dabbas chipped in 17 points and 3 rebounds, while Amos Battle finished with 16 points and 1 rebound to round out the scoring trio of the Play Makerz.

__________________________________________________________________________________+ Game

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

Nate’s Notes| Division 1 Championship Game Preview

#1 Morningwood vs. #3 Knicee

With the qualifying rounds behind us and season 5 coming to a close, two teams (#1 Morningwood- #3 Knicee) have proven that they are the top two teams in the division. They will battle it out this Sunday (Sept. 18th) for the right to call themselves CHAMPION. Knicee will have their hands full as they battle it out with a the defending champions.

Both these teams took different paths on their way to the Championship game, after finishing the regular season with a flawless 7-0 record, #1 Morningwood remained true to their seed and handled #8 Dictators in the quarterfinals, in the semi-finals took care of business defeating #4 Washed Up by a very, very large margin.

#3 Knicee finished their regular season with a 5-2 record in a tie for 2nd place but lost the tiebreaker to STAT in a Week 5 match-up. Knicee began their playoff run with a forfeit win over #6 iBall they advanced to the semi-finals where they pulled an upset over the #2 seed STAT.

For Morningwood this is their 4th Championship game appearance; they are (3-0) in Championship Round games. This is Knicee’s 2nd Championship Round game, they are (0-1) the loss coming to none other than Morningwood in Season 2 when Knicee was known as (Like Water).

This game is important to both franchise’s; Morningwood looks to continue their “Boston Celtic” dynasty ways and capture their 4th Championship in 5 seasons. Knicee looks for revenge and hope to pull an upset for the ages over the reigning champions.

The two teams met in Week 4 with Morningwood coming out on top with a double-digit victory, that was also the game where Morningwoods leader Derrick Pickett went down in the first quarter with an ankle injury that kept him out of action for 5 Weeks. Pickett is now back in the Morningwood line-up and has guaranteed a victory over Knicee to claim his 4th well technically 5th (Wednesday League) IBL Championship.

The addition of PG Jesse Jimenez has proved to be crucial to the success of this Knicee team, without Jimenez I can honestly say this team would not be in this position, Jimenez who play last season for STAT was signed by Knicee who lacked a true point guard. His defensive and athleticism has bothered other guards. He will be the X-Factor for Knicee in this championship game. Morningwoods X-Factor has always been and will be their 3-Point shooting, no one player has been responsible for Morningwoods success all of their Championships have been won with a consistent team effort.

Morningwood enters the game, with an advantage in every statistical category with the exception of APG where Knicee has a slim advantage. They are by far the heavy favorite to win this game and repeat as Champions for the 2nd time in 5 seasons.

There are only 4 Knicee players (Odell Howard, John Dang, Richard Hak and Minh Thong) who are still on the team since their last championship game appearance. There is no doubt that all these players are hungry for the division ultimate prize.

Morningwood should take this game by 20 or more points, they have too many weapons for Knicee to contain. Both teams have depleted benches so their will be few substitutions throughout the game.

Bottom line is Morningwood will capture their 4th Championship in 5 Seasons.

Division 1 Final	PTS	REB	APG	SPG	BPG	TPG	2PT%	3PT%	FG%	FT%
Advantage	M	–	K	M	M	M	M	M	M	M
Morningwood	72.3	34.0	7.1	6.7	3.4	6.7	0.58	0.35	0.49	0.56
Knicee	63.2	34.0	8.7	5.8	1.1	7.9	0.53	0.33	0.46	0.46

Nates Notes| Playoff Recap | Division 2

 

 

#5 The Revenge vs. #8 5 Guys 1 Cup/ #4 Secret Agents

The Revenge handles the #8 seeded 5 Guys 1 Cup but run out of magic as the fall to the #4 seeded Secret Agents.

The Revenge entered the game as the higher seeded team at #5, 5 Guys 1 Cup ended the regular season on a run that landed them in the #8 spot. Both these teams squared off in an opening round match-up for the right to meet the #4 Secret Agents who were in attendance waiting on their future opponent.

The Revenge controlled the game and came out with a 52-36 victory. Alex Hernandez [5 Guys 1 Cup] (18 Points, 9 Rebounds) led all scorers, Aaron Ford [The Revenge] (16 Points, 7 Rebounds) was the games second leading scorer, Dre [5 Guys 1 Cup] and Hassan Ahmed [The Revenge] finished as the games third leading scorer(s) with 9 points apiece. Dre also tied for a game high in rebounds with 9.

In the quarterfinal round the #5 Revenge and #4 Secret Agents met, the Secret Agents were well rested seeing as they hadn’t played a previous game like the Revenge did, the Secret Agents began mounting a small lead from the start of the game and the lead grew slowly. Late in the second half the Revenge went on their final run, that wasn’t enough however as the Revenge fell 53-40.

Lonnie Bradshaw [Secret Agents] (24 Points, 16 Rebounds) led all scorers for the game, Darryial Morris [Secret Agents] (14 Points 8 Rebounds) was the games second leading scorer. Red San Miguel rounded out the scoring trio for the Secret Agents as he finished with (10 Points, 4 Rebounds)

The Revenge was led by Aaron Ford (11 Points,4 Rebounds), Adarsh (9 Points, 5 Rebounds) was second in the scoring column , Abdul Aziz finished with (6 Points, 9 Rebounds) and was the third leading scorer for the Revenge.

The #4 Secret Agents will take on #1 Eagles in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

#6 UKnow vs. #7 Benchwarmers

Amidst a mid game collapse, UKnow almost found a way to lose to the Benchwarmers for the second time in 3 weeks. UKnow however recovers to capture the 59-52 victory and advance to a quarterfinal match-up with Quiksilver.

UKnow started the game with a 5-4 advantage and took and early lead but the Benchwarmers managed to crawl back into the thick of things as the game went on. Early in the second half UKnow seemed to have the game in control, until the teams “outspoken” player Xavier Goss picked up a technical foul. UKnow’s team captain went over to talk to Goss but Goss would not hear of it, and an argument ensued on the court…mid game. Despite the scene UKnow quickly re-composed and finished the game.

Anthony Cockrell [UKnow] (14 Points, 11 Rebounds) led all scorers for the game, Domo Beebe [UKnow] (13 Points, 2 Rebounds) was the games second leading scorer while Sophand Soun [Benchwarmers] (12 Points, 4 Rebounds) rounded out the top 3 performers for the game.

After their near collapse in the first round UKnow was set to take on Quiksilver. Quiksilver is the #3 seeded team in the playoffs, in Week 7 UKnow and Quiksilver met with UKnow coming out on top (56-54). With the loss still fresh in the mind of the Quiksilver players they came into this game with a vengeance.

The game began the same way as the previous week, with UKnow using their quickness and athleticism to have a deadly zone defense. UKnow jumped out to an early lead and things were flowing all too well, that is until the bench players came in. Quiksilver took the lead early in the second half and never looked back coming away with a 48-37 victory.

Byron Woods [UKnow] (17 Points, 2 Rebounds) led all scorers for the game. Anthony Cockrell [UKnow] (13 Points, 7 Rebounds) took a backseat to Woods and was the games second leading scorer.

Harry Yoo [Quiksilver] (10 Points, 8 Rebounds) rebounded from a lackluster performance in Week 7 and gave his team a much-needed boost in this playoff game. John Dang [Quiksilver] (11 Points, 5 Rebounds) was QS second leading scorer, Brandon Kinard [Quiksilver] (8 Points, 9 Rebounds) burned UKnow with multiple lay-ups driving in on the baseline for the scores.

#3 Quiksilver will take on the #2 Warriors in the bottom bracket of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

#5 Happy Hour vs. #8 West Coast/ #4 Double Dribble

These two teams met in Week 6 with West Coast getting the better of Happy Hour and coming out with a 57-45 win. However in this Opening round match-up Happy Hour was aware that their season was at stake and came away with a (59-41) win to send West Coast home.

James Reyes [Happy Hour] (17 Points, 7 Rebounds). Led all scorers for the game, Anthony Barajas [West Coast] and Reuben Medina [Happy Hour] were the games second leading scorers with (14 Points) apiece. Matt and Zeke Benedetti aka Nico [West Coast] rounded out the games leading scorers with (11 Points)
each.

With the win #5 Happy Hour earned the right to battle it out with the #4 seeded Double Dribble team who was under manned with their leading scorer Diahnte Pickett absent.

Double Dribble got out to an early lead extending their lead to as much as 14 points, but Happy Hour came storming back late in the 2nd half, in the midst of the Happy Hour run Derrick Pickett subbed into the game for Double Dribble and gave them a much-needed boost. Pickett hit the game winning shot for Double Dribble who escaped with a 66-65 win.

James Reyes [Happy Hour] (21 Points, 5 Rebounds) led all scorers for the game, Jesse Jimenez [Double Dribble] (20 Points, 6 Rebounds) was the games second leading scorer.

Dre [Double Dribble] (19 Points, 2 Rebounds) Charlie H. [Double Dribble] (14 Points, 10 Rebounds). Pierre Recinto [Happy Hour] (14 Points, 4 Rebounds), Reuben Medina [Happy Hour] (12 Points, 8 Rebounds, 5 Assists) rounded out the top performers for the game.

#4 Double Dribble advances to the Western Conference Semi-Finals where they will take on the #1 Seeded Wonton Soup for the 3rd time in 3 seasons.

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

The #6 Cali Raisins almost forfeited the game, with most of their players arriving from vacation earlier in the day, they were late to the game. Brea Jr. had an early 14-0 lead which was cut to 14-12 in less than 4 mins. The Raisins defense held Brea Jr. 7:30 to 28 points for the game as the Raisins came away with a 48-28 win to advance to the quarter finals of the bottom bracket in the Western Conference playoffs.

Jordan Ramos [Cali Raisins] (15 Points, 5 Rebounds, 4 Assists,4 Steals) led all scorers for the game, Kevin Tung [Cali Raisins] (12 Points, 9 Rebounds) Korey Davis [Cali Raisins] (10 Points, 3 Rebounds), Kwasi Mensah [Cali Raisins] (9 Points, 6 Rebounds), and Won Lee [Brea Jr. 7:30] (8 Points, 2 Rebounds) were the game’s top performers.

With the win the Raisins advanced to the quarterfinals to take on the #3 Southstars. The Raisins controlled the game and had a double-digit lead for the majority of the first half. Early in the second half the Southstars went on a run and cut the lead to 10 (51-41) but that was as close as they came, the Raisins closed the game on a 6-16 run and came away with a (67-47) win.

Jordan Ramos [Cali Raisins] (16 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 5 Steals) led the Raisins, Korey Davis (14 Points, 3 Rebounds), Kevin Tung (12 Points, 4 Rebounds), Kwasi Mensah and Kevin Chow rounded out the scoring quintet with 12 Points each.

The Southstars were led by Trayvonn Booker (17 Points, 4 Rebounds) Eric Anderson was the only other Southstar player in double figures he finished with (14 Points, 5 Rebounds)

The #6 Raisins will advance to take on the #2 seeded Dream Team in the Western Conference Semi Finals.

h2>– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 

+ 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 3 Recap | Division 2

2011 SUMMER, SEASON 5

by Nathan Apolonio/ @NDAx92 

Eastern Conference

Quiksilver vs. Secret Agents
DIVISION 2

The Secret Agents have no answer Kenny Lee (26 Pts.  7 Rbs. 3 Asts.) and Quicksilver as they fall 84-53.

The absence of the teams leading scorer and rebounder Lonnie Bradshaw proved to be too much to over come for the free-agent squad. Darryiall Morris and Red San Miguel led Secret Agent players  with 15 points apiece,  Morris also recorded 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Lee Gellada rounded out the top 3 and finished  with 12 points.

Kenny Lee led all scorers  with his 26 point and  7 rebounds outburst . Harry Yoo finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds while  John Dang  recorded a quiet triple-double with 13 points 10 rebounds 10 assists,  Brandon Kinard finished with 12 points  to round out the top 4 scorers on Quiksilver.

Quiksilver (3-0) takes on the Fab 7 (2-1) in a week 4 match-up between the #1 and #4 ranked teams in the division.

The Secret Agents (2-1) return to action when they take on 5 Guys 1 Cup (1-2) in Week 4.

5 Guys 1 Cup vs. Diehards
DIVISION 2

5 Guys 1 Cup record their first W of the season by defeating the men of Diehards 50-45 in a closely contested game.

Armando Uranga (13 points, 4 rebounds) Gabriel Salazar (11 points , 6 rebounds) and Jason Marin (8 points 3 rebounds) were the top 3 performers for the Diehards.

Alex Hernandez finished with a double double as he logged in 20 points and 10 rebounds.  No player besides Hernandez scored in double figures but two players (Josh and Jose Vasquez) finished with 8 points apiece. The win was crucial for 5 Guys as they are looking to go on some type of streak to make a run at a playoff berth.

The Diehards( 1-2) will take on a talented UKnow Squad (1-2) in Week 4.

While 5 Guys 1 Cup (1-2) will square of with the Secret Agents.

Fab 7 vs. Warriors
DIVISION 2

With the right personnel the Warriors cannot be stopped in this conference, the Fab 7 finds that out the hard way, Warriors take the game 50-43.

Fabian Armas finished with 19 points and 4 rebounds for the talented yet young and inexperienced Fab 7 squad.  Spencer Stueve is a rebound shy of a double-double and finished with  14 points and 9 rebounds. No other Fab 7 player scored in double-figures for the game.

 Lester Cole led the Warriors in the scoring column and finished with 17 points and 5 boards. Like the Fab 7 who had a couple of players score in double figures, Cole was the only Warriors player to score 10+ for the game. Domo Cole and Kemoy Mathis assisted on the scoring load and chipped in 7 points apiece.

The Warriors (3-0) take on the (2-1) Eagles in Week 4.

The Fab 7 (2-1) square off the undefeated conference leading (3-0) Quiksilver team in Week 4 as they look to pull off an upset.

Tropics vs. Benchwarmers
DIVISION 2

The Benchwarmers  get back on the winning track as they defeat the winless Tropics in dominant fashion 73-50.

Rogelio Clemente led the Tropics with a 18 points and 3 rebounds, Manuel Bernal finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds and Danny and Sylvester contribute with 8 points apiece for the game.  Although the Tropics had balanced scoring, the real problem was on the defensive end.  

Des F. recorded a game high with  26 points and his 4 rebounds shooting 4/6 from 3 point range. Sophand Soun finished the game as the second leading scorer with 16 points and 7 rebounds.  Charlie Iem finished with 14 points  and Randy Sam rounded out the top 4 with 8 points and 2 rebounds.

The Tropics (0-3) will take on  The Revenge (1-2) in Week 4 and hope to get their first win.

The Benchwarmers (1-2) will take the court in Week 4 to battle it out with Fly High (2-1).

Fly High vs. The Revenge
DIVISION 2

It seems that every week, Fly High ends up in a nail biter, the same can be said for their Week 3 match up when the took the court the battle THE REVENGE and came out with a 44-41 victory in OT.

For Fly High Jon McNair led the way and scored a team-high 15 points. Gabriel Smith led the team in rebounds with 11 but also contributed on the offensive end with 9 points.  Chris Hodgeman (8 points 8 rebounds) was a basket and two rebounds away from recording a double double.

The Revenge was led by Hassan Ahmed who finished with 14 points and 4 rebounds. He was the only Revenge player to see double digits in the game.  Salmaan and Adarsh finished with 9 points apiece and the teams leading scorer Max Andrade finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Fly High (2-1) looks to carry on with their winning ways in Week 4 when they take on the (1-2) Benchwarmers.

The Revenge (1-2) look to get back on the winning track when they take on the winless (0-3) Tropics in Week 4.

UKnow  vs. X-Men
DIVISION 2

UKnow  struggled to defend and box out for the second straight week, the X-Men took advantage of the lack of defense and their latest acquisition Dante went off for 32 points and led all scorers and his team to a 66-48 victory.,

Anthony Cockrell led all UKnow players with 27 points and 9 rebounds ,  Byron Woods  scored 14 points to go along with 11 rebounds for his first double double of the season and Nate Apolonio rounded out the top 3 with 5 points and 5 rebounds. Lack of intensity put this game out of reach in the first half for this team.

The X-Men were led by Dante who recorded a double double with 32 points and 10 rebounds and seemed to be the spark the X-Men were missing.  Kevin Jackson benefited from the scoring of Dante and poured in 20 points to go along with 3 rebounds and Darren Bitterolff rounded out the top 3 with 10 points and 8 rebounds. The X-Men won the battle of the boards, UKnow had no big bodies in the paint.

The X-Men (1-2) take on the (1-2) #JETS in a week 4 pre rivalry game.

UKnow (1-2) hopes to regroup in Week 4 as they take on the men of Diehards (1-2)

Eagles  vs. #JETS
DIVISION 2

The Eagles continue their winning ways as the #JETS keep slumping, Eagles take the game 73-54.

Eric Imperio scored 18 points which tied for a game high. Giovanni Du Bose picked up where Imperio left off and finished with 16 points  and 5 boards,   Spencer Hersh logged 14 points, 8 rebounds and  Evin Imperio was the 3rd leading scorer with 12 points.  These guys were the offensive force behind the Eagles, who put this game out of reach.

For the #JETS Corey once again led the way as he tied with (Eric Imperio) for a game high in points (18) No other #JETS player scored 8 or more points besides David Bogle who recorded 8 points to go along with 6 boards. The #JETS have been on a two game skid since winning their Week 1 game.

In Week 4 the Eagles (2-1) take the floor to battle it out with the (3-0) Warriors.

The #JETS (1-2) have sort of pre rivalry match-up in week 4 when they take on the X-Men (1-2) who are coming off a huge win in Week 3.

 

Western Conference

Cali Raisins vs. Dream Team

DIVISION 2

Dream Team proves that they are indeed a contender, defeating  Double Dribble in Week 2 and now the Cali Raisins in Week 3 by a score of 59-51

Micheal S. led all scorers  with 22 points but failed to show up in any other statistical category, Malcolm G. was the second leading scorer with 13 points and 4 rebounds. Justin Benson and Demetre Smith rounded out the top 4 scorers with 9 points apiece.

The Raisins were led by their PG Jordan Ramos who finished with a game high 26 points and 8 rebounds.  Korey Davis was the second leading scorer as he finished with 9 points and 5 boards.  The Raisins were missing their perennial 3 point threat Matt Virata, so if these teams should come across again look for those 6 points to be made up.

Dream Team (3-0) now sit atop the division and conference, they take on West Cost (2-1) in Week 4.

The Raisins (1-2)  have hit a slump this season,  they take on H.A.M (0-3)  in their Week 4 match-up.

Wet Bandits vs. Toon Squad
DIVISION 2

The Toon Squad like the Dream Team is another new/old team in the Division that’s undefeated, they took the court to battle it out with the Wet Bandits and came away with a 57-46 victory.

Chris Powell (pictured above) led the way for Toon Squad and finished with  17 points and 4 boards . Desmond Irenen assisted Powell with the scoring load and finished  with 15 points and 11 rebounds to record his 2nd double double of the season. No other Toon Squad player was even close to double digits. Although a few guys (Ashford Ball and Lawrence Stephens) finished with 6 points each.

Jeff Akune led the way for the Wet Bandits as he finished with 14 points and 5 rebounds  while Victor added 13 points and 2 boards,Nigel Leos and James Lim both finish the game with 8 points each but that proves not to be enough to defeat the Toon Squad.

The (0-3) Wet Bandits take on the (2-1) Happy Hour in Week 4.

The (3-0) Toon Squad will take on the (3-0) Southstars in a match-up with the two undefeated teams.

West Coast vs. Wonton Soup
DIVISION 2

Although the game was close throughout the first half, the second half is when the champs ceased control of the game and put it out of reach, after a second half scuffle Wonton Soup extended their 10 point lead to 20 and then to 30 and kept things rolling with a victory over the previously Undefeated WestCoast 68-38.

Larry Thompkins led the Wonton Soup with 21 points, 2 rebounds and an emphatic dunk to put his stamp on the game, assisting Thompkins was Aaron Sanchez who finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds, Robel Kevorkian rounded out the scoring trio as he finished with 10 points a 5 rebounds.  Wonton was missing their versatile PF Jaime Villalobos but managed to come away with a 30 point win, you can say that champs are on the road to a 3-peat.

Now on the other side of things for West Coast they were led by Zeke Benedetti aka (Nico) who finished with 17 points and 4 rebounds, Anthony Barajas finished with 13 points and 6 rebounds but fouled out early in the second half, so his presence was severely missed. No other player scored over 5 points for West Coast.

West Coast (2-1) moves on to face the young legs of the undefeated (3-0) Dream Team in Week 4.

Wonton Soup (2-0) renew their rivalry with Double Dribble (2-1) in a pivotal Week 4 match-up.

Southstars vs. TTB
DIVISION 2

TTB proves to be no match for the Southstars who come away with a 69-59 win.

Trayvonn Booker  scored 24 points to go along with 9 rebounds  for the Southstars. Jimmy Nguyen assisted Booker with the scoring load and finished with 14 points and 2 rebounds shooting 4/10 (%40) from 3 point range.  Jose 13 points (3/8 from downtown) and Gus 10 points (2/5 from downtown) were the top scorers for the Southstars in this one.

Although they lost TTB had a very potent and offensive minded attack 4 of their 5 players scored in double figures. Patrick Suiciano (29 Pts. 7 Rbs.) led the way for his team, Spencer Chyon was the second leading scorer and finished with 22 points and 4 boards, Andrew Esparza recorded a double double (12 Pts. 10 Rbs.) and Adam Musavvir rounded out the top scorers with 10 points and 7 rebounds.

TTB (0-3) will take on The Bankers (0-2)  in Week 4.

The (3-0) Southstars are set to play the (3-0) Toon Squad in a Week 4 match-up between the two undefeated teams in the conference.

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