LOUSERS

Reading, MA - The Hustlers looked more like Origins Unknown than Origins Unknown did last night in the Reading YMCA Fall Session Finals, running away with a 85-77 victory in front of a packed house. The final score didn't reflect the absolute thrashing that the Hustlers delivered for 80% of the game, at one point growing the lead to 32 in the second half before a late OU run made it respectable. It was, by all accounts, a dominant performance by the young Hustlers.

OU was without session MVP Chris "Big" Johnson, and the lack of the big fella hurt them on both ends of the court. The Hustlers came out firing, and their own center went to work on the OU crew on the low block. With a height advantage, and a quick first step, he kicked off the game with several straight buckets. Defensively, the Hustlers guards were suffocating Cap'n Mike and Danger Dan Fisher, giving up no easy shots. James "Stretch" Hogan IV and Shu-ter Patel were also having a difficult time around the hoop, as the younger Hustlers banged relentlessly. As OU struggled, the Hustlers managed to use their energy to knock down long range shots, or rebound the misses to get some demoralizing put backs.

For OU, nothing seemed to be working. The Hustlers forced ball-handling turnovers, passing turnovers and tough shots. Miraculously, OU kept the lead to only 14 heading into the half, but they were certainly on the ropes.

The second half started off like a horror movie for the OU guys. After an OU turnover on the first play, the Hustlers went on a 16-0 run which sucked the air out of any potential comeback. After the run, Dr. J Robinson did manage to string together some jumpers, which cut the lead to 20, with less than 10 minutes left. Finally playing like there was no tomorrow, OU pressured the Hustlers in the back court, and made a huge dent in the lead through some long range bombs by Cap'n Mike and some scrappiness by Hogan. Annoyingly, it would be too little too late. With 2 minutes left, an exhausted OU had the lead down to 7, but could get no closer.

With the win, the Hustlers hoist their first league championship trophy, and will be a challenging foe for everyone next session. OU will take a week off before getting back to business in the spring session. It is safe to say that the OU players will agonize over this loss until the ball is tipped once again.

The Original One Shining Moment

Chips and Salsa All Around!

Reading, MA - The 2008 version of Origins Unknown started off the New Year the same way they ended 2007 - winning. Taking on a depleted Chili's team, Origins Unknown played rusty, but ultimately persevered in a 63-53 victory.

The OU bunch arrived early to warm up and get the cobwebs out, but needed the first few minutes of their game to get going as well. A quick survey after the game showed that most of the team hadn't touched a ball since their last game, nearly a month earlier. On the other side, Chili's had won a week earlier in the first round of the playoffs, but showed up with only four players - and didn't quite have the legs to stay with OU for the entire game.

The first half saw OU take an early lead through hot shooting by Shu-ter Patel and Dr. J Robinson. Both players had their mid-range games working, and Shu-ter also stepped back to knock down two straight three pointers in a row to build the lead to double digits. Down low, Chili's "225 lb" big man Dan did a great job at neutralizing OU's session MVP Chris "Big" Johnson, while keeping his team close on the offensive end. OU kept the lead hovering around 10 points for most of the first half, as Cap'n Mike and Danger Dan Fisher each found their offense while struggling to find consistency.

The Chili's shooting guard and big Dan kept things interesting in the second half, as the game plodded along. Both players knocked down shots, but they were never able to make a major dent in the lead. Danger Dan heated up again, and made some difficult shots to keep OU out front. OU also battled some inconsistent officiating that saw Chili's go to the line 12-15 times, while OU shot exactly 2 free throws...the entire game.

While it wasn't a game that would win either team style points, OU did make enough plays at the right time to win fairly easily. The postgame celebration was held, of course, at Chili's.

The win vaults OU into the YMCA Fall Session Finals, where they will face off against the #2 seed Hustlers. The young Hustlers are headed to the Finals after defeating Howse Corp 100-93.