"Dr. J" Shines in Losing Effort

Reading, MA - A true "4 on 4" match-up took place Thursday night between Chili's and Origins Unknown, as both teams were without subs for most of the game, and proceeded to slug it out for 40 minutes. OU did its best to shake off a tough first half in which they fell behind by 15 points, but ultimately couldn't get over the hump, succumbing to the Chili's team 77-69.

OU started out hot, with Cap'n Mike knocking down several three pointers, and the rest of the gang out-running the bigger Chili's team. Chili's kept pace by using their "love" advantage, and some ridiculously hot shooting from their power forward Pat. With James "Stretch" Hogan blanketing him, Pat spot up, spun and shot his way to nearly perfect first half shooting.

Meanwhile, OU was getting good looks, but shots that normally fall for the veterans seemed to be just a bit off. Coming off a couple of great games for OU, Danger Dan Fisher was getting great looks against his shorter defender, but he wasn't able to score with the same consistency as in previous games. "It was pretty frustrating", said Fisher, "I'd just like to put together a couple good games in a row." Hogan too was frustrated with the bad bounces at the rim, as he got the looks he wanted, but saw many of his trademark cuts end with the ball just bouncing short or long.

After Cap'n Mike cooled off, he really cooled off, and as the OU offense stalled, Chili's capitalized by building a 15 point lead.

OU changed the momentum in the second half. Actually, to be fair, Dr. Greg Robinson (now known as "Dr. J" for Dr. Jumper) changed the momentum. After trading baskets for the first five minutes, Dr. J started spotting up for mid-range jumpers. Guarded by their big man, Dr.J was able to find open shots, and promptly ripped off 15 out of 17 OU points. The run pulled OU into a tie with the suddenly reeling Chili's team with only a few minutes left. But, the defending champs (Chili's - not OU) settled down and once again built a small lead. Trailing by only 2 with 39 seconds left, Hogan fouled out. OU pushed the ball up the court, but Dr. J found himself with an off balance shot to tie, which didn't go down. From there, OU couldn't manage another point, while Chili's banged home their foul shots.

OU falls to 3-1 and third place in the league. Chili's gains a spot in the standings (to second), and pulls even in the win column with OU. After a bye for the July 4th Holiday, OU squares off against the undefeated Howse boys.

Updating Cap'n Mike's free throw shooting - He did not make a trip to the line for the 3rd straight game (take it to the hole you wuss).

Bada Bing Gets Whacked

Reading MA – Bada Bing and Origins Unknown squared off in a good ol’ fashion shoot out at the YMCA last night, with OU coming out on top for the third straight game 70 sumpthin’ – 60 sumpthin’. OU was paced by Danger Dan Fisher and James “Stretch” Hogan IV, both of whom scored well into double digits. Chris “Big” Johnson also had a monster game, gaining excellent position and using his height and “love” to his advantage.

Showing up for the first time this session (for Bada–Bing) was none other than ex-Evans sharp shooter “Z”. Diminutive in stature, but deadly on the court, Z was closely guarded by Danger Dan most of the night and struggled to find consistency, even though he made some tough shots. He did score his fair share of points, but only by shooting 30 shots.

OU once again used the T-E-A-M concept on offense, sharing the ball with regularity and jumping out to a first half lead by taking advantage of mismatches and defensive lapses. Cushioned by their lead, OU did lose some momentum heading into the end of the half. After draining his first two three pointers, Cap’n Mike lost some mojo and missed several wide open three point attempts (hard to believe, I know). But Danger Dan, Big Chris, and Stretch Hogan continued their attack with each player streaking at opportune times. Hogan, in an attempt to break the single game offensive rebound record, was positively relentless getting to the basket - and following his own shots. He ended the game with 17 offensive rebounds - for a new league record (just kidding).

The second half saw Dr. Greg Robinson and Shu-ter Patel getting into the action. While Patel struggled with a new knee brace that was throwing his shot off, Dr. Greg started heating up like a mid-June afternoon. Danger Dan also continued to push the tempo and go mono e mono with Z to build the lead back up.



With the game out of reach, Big Johnson showed his athleticism as he skied for a errant shot under the hoop. Witnesses said that it looked as if Johnson would scrape his head on the backboard if he hadn’t ducked at the last moment.

Next week, OU will face its first major test when they take on Chili’s in a battle of the first place teams. Chili’s is coming off of a championship, and has added a top flight swingman to their already tough arsenal.

e-FISH-ent

Reading, MA - The Celtics weren't "The Celtics" Thursday night, as they squared off against Origins Unknown. Unfortunately, they were missing two or three of their top producers, and came to play with only four members. OU seized the opportunity and shook off a sluggish first half to pull away from the undermanned Celtics by 20+ points.

Leading the way in his return from a missed game was Danger Dan Fisher, who's efficient shooting and boundless energy led the OU attack. He scored at least 20 first-half points on scorching hot shooting from the floor. Everything was going down for the fisherman - pull-ups, jumpers, and drives. Fisher wasn't alone, however.

With all six teammates together for the first time in a while, each player took turns doing their part in the win. James "Stretch" Hogan IV and Chris "Big" Johnson controlled the middle on both offense and defense, while Shu-ter Patel and Dr. Greg Robinson worked their mid-range games to perfection. Patel, in particular heated up for several minutes at a time, dropping jumpers late in the game as the contest became out of reach. Cap'n Mike helped coordinate some fast breaks, and went from being stone cold to mildly warm when faced with several open three pointers. "I didn't even want to shoot them," said Cap'n, "But, Big Johnson and Shu-ter were setting screens that blocked my defender out of the picture for several minutes at a time." "It's amazing what '500 lbs of Love' (the duo's new nickname) can do for a struggling shooter!"

OU takes on newcomer Bada-Bing next week in the late, late game.

Cap'n Mike didn't make any trips to the line in the game. He remains 0-1 for the season - Enjoy Mr. Anonymous.

Dynamic Duo Returns To Power OU

Reading MA – Back in action after their disappointing winter session, Origins Unknown took the court with a renewed energy against the newly formed Free Agents team. The Free Agents, who were obviously playing together for the very first time, had some size but lacked the athleticism to keep up with the OU team, falling by nearly 30 points.

OU welcomed back Shu-ter Patel and James Stretch Hogan IV into their line-up – and the dynamic duo made an obvious and immediate impact. OU was on fire from the start, as the Free Agents struggled to find their rhythm. OU dominated the early going, opening up a sizeable lead through excellent team passing and the Free Agents misfires. FA did have a sizeable middle man, but his surrounding cast had no ball handlers, and little luck getting him the ball. After a 13-3 run to open the game, FA had seen enough and decided to call a time out to stop the bleeding.

The OU attack was well-balanced, with all five members contributing on the offensive and defensive end. Patel, still recovering from a knee injury, considers himself a little gimpy – but this hardly showed in his shooting stroke. He knocked down several mid to long range shots on his way to a great night. Chris “Big” Johnson battled the big man from FA, both offensively and defensively. Johnson, who has played with much more confidence as he has got comfortable with the “OU way”, asserted himself and had another stellar performance.

Perhaps the biggest key to the attack was Stretch Hogan. Hogan once again proved to be an impossible match up for the opposing team, not only offensively, but with his defense and floor prowess. Hogan plays in constant attack mode, which often takes it’s toll on his defender – which turned out to be the case last night. Granted, he wasn’t matched up against Ben Wallace, but it was still an impressive overall performance.

OU built the lead to 20 as the first half ended. The second half saw FA make a small run at OU, cutting the lead to a respectable 12, only to see Dr. Greg Robinson and the gang push it back to 25+. Robinson was often the man making FA pay for playing sloppy help defense, cutting for lay-ups and pull ups. The OU assist machine was running at an all time high with everyone contributing and sharing the pill, equally.

With a 1-0 record, OU will look to continue their winning ways next week against the Celtics.

Cap'n Mike finished 0 for 1 from the line. We'll track my free throw shooting this session for kicks and giggles.