First Round Knockout By OU

Reading, MA – The “playoffs” in any sport usually bring a certain level of excitement for the players and fans. There is a heightened energy when the playoffs start, and even more-so in a one-and-done, win-or-go-home, scenario. Such was the case, last night, in the first round of the Burbank YMCA Men’s Basketball League playoffs. Origins Unknown weathered a good start and some acrobatic shots by the young Hustlers, and used well-balanced scoring and defense to dominate the final 30 minutes and cruise to the 88-68 win.

With Dan Fisher and Shu Patel out of town, all four remaining OU players took it upon themselves to step up their game, and did-so, by each scoring in double figures and leaning on each other to make the right plays at the right time.

The Hustlers did bring eight players, enthusiasm, and a small crowd with them to the game. And, although they did make some noise on offense, they were not able to maintain any momentum. The first half featured some textbook off-the-ball movement and weak-side passing by the veteran OU team. OU focused on exploiting the height and player mismatches throughout the first half, which helped get everybody involved. Frequently, that exploitation included posting up the smaller defender and going right over them, or dumping the ball to the weak-side for lay-ups. Even without subs, the constant pressure from all four offensive options helped OU open up a ten-point lead at the half.

Greg Robinson held a shooting clinic for the Hustlers in the second half, as he powered OU ahead for good by making 6 of 7 shots from the field. Robinson finished the game with 20 points, and was a key to keeping the offense balanced, as legs began to tire. Although it took a few minutes to get warmed up from a late arrival, Pete Martin had an excellent offensive night as well. After sitting at half-court and stretching his hamstrings out during a teammates free-throw, Martin went on to score 10 points (including a timely three pointer), while dishing the pill for lay-ups when the defense collapsed.

I could probably just cut and paste this paragraph from my other posts… but, James “Stretch” Hogan IV had another monster double-double in the win, scoring 22 points and grabbing many-a rebound. The Hustlers simply had no answer for Hogan under the hoop, as he used his crafty moves and excellent footwork to penetrate their defense.

Cap’n Mike contributed to the win, scoring 32 points. He also capped the game off by getting a baseline pass and doing a poor-man’s Michael Jordan up and under lay-up to a few unimpressed “oooohs and ahhhhs”.

The win sends OU into the second round of the playoffs for a match-up against second seeded Howse Corp. Howse Corp finished the regular season with a 6-3 record, but lost their own Cap’n Rusty to a freak band-saw accident towards the end of the season. It is unclear who will be on the court for Howse in the next round, as they had a fluctuating roster for much of the year. No matter who shows up, it is sure to be a competitive game as both teams have a long history of on-the-court battles. Howse got the best of OU back in week 6, but OU is determined to bounce back in the rematch.