Fallin' Hard

Reading, MA - In the above video caught by paparazi at Jay Peak in Northern VT, Cap'n Mike gives surfing a shot... the results are pretty much as you'd expect for an nonathletic athletic guy like the Cap'n. Much like the Cap'n in the video, Origins Unknown fell hard this week at the Reading Center. OU and Stifflers Mom locked horns in a mid-season battle, and while OU played hard, the crew never quite overcame a slow start and eventually lost, 66-63.

The game followed the recent trend of unreasonably poor first half shooting for OU. With both Cap'n and Pistol Pete Gray clanging jumpers off the YMCA rims, Stifflers took advantage to jump out to a double digit lead. The Stiffler's lead was built through balanced inside and outside scoring, as Kevin P anchored the post and the athletic guards patrolled the three point line.

Match-ups like this prove to be toughest for OU, as they are typically more of a perimeter oriented team, and tend to play more of a finesse game. OU 'bigs', Shu-ter Patel and Pat Two-Point Murray did their best to box out the bigger SM bunch, but their opponents were tenacious on the offensive glass at times. OU finished the half treading water, and found themselves in a hole with only 20 minutes remaining.

OU came out of the halftime break with a bit of fire in their belly, and after a timeout in which they reiterated that they should work the ball around on every possession, the squad proceeded to - you got it - go three straight trips up the court with zero passes! It was hard to be upset with the play however, as Shu-ter Patel, Danger Dan Fisher and Pistol Pete all hit their shots and dropped the lead below 10 for the first time since the beginning of the game.

After a technical foul on Stifflers, and a couple additional free throws on an ensuing trip, OU cut the deficit to 4. They would actually pull closer as the clock wound down, but missed a late three to tie, and ultimately ran out of time as a 3/4 court shot sailed comfortably away from the miracle they needed.

The loss brings OU back to .500 in the league, with an upcoming game against Millwall. Cap'n was 5-6 from the line during the game, and now sits at 12 for 16 on the year.

OU Drains Daggers To Down Howse

Reading, MA - Two teams with almost as much history as the Celtics and Lakers locked horns at the Readingdome Thursday night, and while the game was ugly at times, there were still flashes of greatness found throughout Origin Unknown's 81-70 victory over Howse Corp.

Howse Corp suited up 5, including ageless wonder Rusty Howse, Dennis, Dave, Gage, and the dynamic Danny M. OU countered with Cap'n Mike, Shu-ter Patel, Danger Dan Fisher, Pat "One Man SWAT Team" Murray, and Pistol Pete Gray. The match-ups were seemingly even to start the game, but OU came out of the gates colder than ice and lacking any defensive effort. The lackluster beginning for OU led to an early run for Howse, and in a matter of 10 minutes the lead had ballooned to 13. Rusty and Dan were bombing from deep and OU looked sluggish and out of sync. The game was only 10 minutes old, but OU was on the verge of getting blown out to compound their disappointing loss to Nick B in their previous game. Two critical things happened around the 10-minute mark: Cap'n Mike called a timeout to "Doc Rivers" his team on the bench, and he also removed the uncomfortable shirt under his jersey, which was clearly bad luck and causing OU to play like poo. Little did they know that these brilliant moves would prove to be difference makers.

OU started clawing back into the game through more patience on offense, and a renewed focus on defense. It wasn't pretty, but as the half came to a close, OU had brought the lead down to 4.

The second half saw OU make an impressive run, as Pistol Pete and Cap'n Mike got hot from the outside, one right after another. On several successive trips up the court, the pair each drained three pointers to swing the deficit quickly into a double-digit lead. The momentum had officially shifted during this stretch, and the entire OU team started to feed off the positive energy.

While the offense was finally clicking, Shu-ter Patel and gang started to lock down the defensive glass, which helped OU get out in transition and push the tempo. Patel and Murray, who both appeared to finish with double digit rebounds were key to OU's success. "It was a great second half for us, and a lot of fun," said Murray after the win.

The win gets OU to 3-2 in the league with an upcoming game against Stiffler's Mom. Cap'n Mike was 0-0 from the line, and 3-4 from the line in the previous loss to Nick B (nothing to see here...). He sits at 7-10 on the year.