Avageros 38 - Ball So Hard 57

BSH - Brandon Hoyem 20, Adi Baybay 10

Avageros - Jose #00 15, Abe #6 9

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The Vancouver Metro league is starting to show some signs of parity, as far as a matchup, scoring, and outcomes.  The former champs hit the hardwood with the same “professionalism” they show every week they come through the door.  Avageros has been hit with injuries the last few seasons, but you can always count on them to give maximum effort.

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The first half was like watching a master class in Chess!  Each move and counter move was calculating yet deliberate.  Baiting, probing, chasing, and attacking was the name of this game.  The longer I watched this game the more brutal it became!  There was a lock on the rim for Avageros, that no one could see!  Avageros shot a season-low for the first half that would leave them with 12 points. Ball So Hard didn’t look like ballerinas either! They fumbled around with the ball like it was covered with hot popcorn butter!  BSH would take a 12 point lead into the half, but the crowd was baffled by what they just witnessed!

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The 2nd half would see Avageros open up for 26 2nd half points, but BSH would score over 30 to keep their cushion throughout this game.  Brandon Hoyem dominated this game with 20 points and 12 rebounds! 

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Academy 106 - TTP 86

Academy - Jacob Mand 42, Jonas Sorrano 27, Tyrone Asenuguan 17

 TTP - Matt Jackie 16, Matt Anza and Dan Maczkov 12 each

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One thing you will always get with Academy is…a track meet!  The young legs and also the talent of this team is still a diamond in the rough.  Yet they will surprise you, blitz you, and do whatever it takes to get the “W”.  TTP is no pushover in this league, and they have one of the fastest guards in the league in Matt Anza. Josh Kagande found out the hard way to just how speedy Matt is. Josh is no slouch in the speed dept, but in a steal attempt, Matt went right around him like he was stuck in cement shoes!  That would be one of the only highlights in this game for TPP.

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Even though they put up a bunch of points in the first and 2nd half, TTP would not get closer to fast “skating” of Academys fast break.  Jacob Mann would go “enfuego” on TTP. It seemed like Jacob was not only in the zone, but untouchable. Seemed like everything he put up was falling in!  Academy would claim another victim in their quest for earned praise. 

Game note.  Josh Kagande is eagerly awaiting the official word on if he has broken the one game assist record.  Stay tuned.

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Stallions 91 - Duncan Donuts 72

Stallions - Mark Halfnights 30, Jeff Chan and Luis Ayala 11 each

 Duncan Donuts - Wellun Huang 17, Ryan Szeto 16

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After galavanting around on the East Coast for an undetermined amount of time, like Dennis Rodman hitting Atlantic City during a Chicago Bulls playoff run!  The Stallions decided to touch down and grace us with a brand of basketball that is usually reserved for basketball “Royalty”!  Duncan Donuts are showing signs of jellying as a team, but still, have kinks to work out.  This week would be a bad week to work out kinks, but they are dealing with the “All Jet Lag” team this week!

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“Jet Lag Johnson” had his foot on the Stallions tail almost the entire first half!  Even though they scored 44, their defense was a “Siv” allowing 42 points.  Not all the credit went to the Stallions “Cleveland Cavalier” type defense.  Duncan Donuts took advantage of wide open three-pointers to keep the game close.

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Both teams got scrappy in the 2nd half, diving for every loose ball.  Jeff Chan exhibited his patented “E-Brake” technique while hustling for a loose ball on the sideline, and again on a pump-fake layup that had his defender flying by and into the blue safety pads that surround the court!  The night would belong to Mark Halfnights as the hero for the Stallions!  Mark not only hit the boards and scored inside, he would hit on 4 three-pointers that would help his team break away from DD.  Ryan Szeto hit on 4 of DDs 12 three-pointers in the loss.

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Sofa King Good 100 - Two Fifty Crew 82

SKG - Alex Koong 47, Kanwur Grewal 20, Will Chaing 11

 TFC - Luka Petkovic 38, Connor Power 19

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The confidence level between these two teams were through the roof of the world famous Richmond Oval!  Both with young talented players ready to get at each other.  Experience in Metro League favored Sofa King Good, but Two Fifty Crew came in more than optimistic about upsetting the former multi-time champions in SKG!

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The first half caught SKG by surprise somewhat as TFC was able to match bucket for bucket with the high powered SKG squad!  Missing one of the Luca/Luka tandem, Luka and Conner Power would go bananas on the offensive end and the defensive end!  TFC was able to take a few small leads in the first half, and ended up duelling to a 1 point depict at the half.

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Just as you thought SKG would go on one of their patented runs to help create space between their opponents, TFC would make runs of their own.  Undaunted by their opponents “championship pedigree”, they would continue to attack the “Palmer Zone”.  Late in the 2nd half the game would see TFC with a one-point lead, and it looked bleak for SKG.  As champions do, SKG would get a few big stops on TFC that would lead to clutch 3 point shots by Alex Koong, and some crucial inside scores that would help break the score wide open.  SKG would escape with a big victory over a talented team.

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Sonic Boom 61 - SWAT 92

Swat - Jomari Reyes 35,  Blake Porite 21, Graham Smith 17

 Sonic Boom - Connor Rockandel 17, Terrell Kinch and  Joel Kibangula  12 each

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I’m not sure, but I think SWAT plays better with less players. Seems like every time they are short handed, they play the lights out! Sonic Boom had a few more players than usual, which was literally unusual! Even though both teams were finding success on the offensive end in the first half, SWAT looked like they were in a “fast forward” machine!  Speed was definitely the weapon of choice for SWAT, as they would counter SB’s 34 first half points with 55 of their own!

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The 2nd half would see SWAT turn up the defense, and begin to absolutely dismantle the SB defense! SB would go into a zone defense to slow down the fast moving SWAT attack, but that was only a bandaid for the on going onslaught that kept coming again and again! Jomari Reyes was in a “half” zone as far as his scoring mentality.  SB had no answer for him as he went around and over SB for layups and three pointers!  Connor Rockandel and Terrell Kinch tried to manage the rebounding, but it would not be enough as SWAT would win this one easily. It was hard to see SB fall apart completely on the defensive end. They will definitely be in the lab working on that for next game.

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