BY PHIL BARENGOLTS
A new basketball season has dawned on the Hemenway hardwood.
In the C-league, early action saw What’s Happening Now defeat BarGul-MusLinMan 41-36 in a defensive struggle. Jessica Ernie Ellsworth ’01 played an excellent defensive game, coming up with key steals to build What’s Happening’s lead. With her play at the top of the zone and Robin The Cradle Wall’s ’01 presence in the middle, BarGulMusLinMan had to rely on the jump shot. Sarah An Apsel A Day ’02 kept BarGulMusLinMan close in the first half with her sweet stroke and Gorillas in the Misty Light ’01 sparked a late rally with her deft three point touch to bring her team within three. Craig Cronheim Gonna Get You Sucka ’01 came up with some big free throws to put the game away for good.
The second game was a much more up-tempo affair that featured the running and gunning Legal Aid squad versus Dim Summa Jamma. Legal Aid jumped out to a twenty point lead early in the first half behind Barry Roe, Row, Row Your Boat ’02 and his hot shooting hand. Neill Before Zod Tseng ’01 kept Dim Summa within striking distance as he and Castles Made of Sandy Chung ’02 sparked an early second half comeback to get their team within fifteen. That’s when for Sara Doctor in the House? Altschuller ’02 took over the game. She snagged boards, had two steals to spark the fast break and scored from inside and outside. A late burst saw Lincoln Out of the Frying Pan ’01 light a fire. Pan’s turnaround jumper gave Dim Summa hope, but Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Alexander ’02 sealed the deal with a couple of layups, and Legal Aid ran away with a 74-39 victory.
Meanwhile, the caliber of play in the A-league has gone up. It’s Easy started the night off with a victory over the Cambridge Gunners 50-43 behind an insane three point shooting night from Lars She Blows!! Johnson ’01. Brian Who’s the Ross ’02 kept the Gunners close with excellent defense and Andrew Lorne Michaelson ’02 fueled a mini-comeback early in second half. It proved to be too little too late as the pressure did not phase point guard Cool Hand Luke McFarland ’01, who kept the game at his team’s pace throughout.
In the only blowout of the night Showtime II defeated Hickory High 81-61. The game was close through the first half as Hickory’s Mark A Judgment on the Melitz drove through the soft Showtime defense for a number of layups. Mike Smoked Salmon ’02 soon closed off the lane as he took over on the defensive glass and limited Hickory’s Shawn Travis Tritt ’01, who was a monster on the offensive glass up to that point. Toby Or Not To Be Stock ’01 pulled Hickory within five early in the second half before it was lights out as Jason Up a Kreag Without a Paddle ’03 hit five threes, and Jonathan That Mitchell Never Fly ’02 grabbed every loose ball to bring Hickory High back down to earth.
The final game of the night featured last year’s champs against this year’s early favorites. The Outlaws handed the Harvard Law Stars their second defeat 75-67, severely hurting the Stars chances of repeating. The Outlaws jumped out to a double digit lead after Steve Heather Lochear ’03 converted a four point play and Derrick McDuffie the Crime Dog ’03 powered his way to a number of easy scores. Never underestimate the heart of a champion, though, as the Stars caught fire behind the inside and outside games of Peeping Tom Cotton ’02 and Dominic Nissan Lanza ’02, who pulled the Stars within six with a three, followed by a steal and layup by Sashi If It’s Brown Flush It Down ’02. With a chance to pull within one possession, Brent You Can Bickley Your Nose, but You Can’t Bickley Your Friends ’03 blocked the Stars’ three point attempt to claim victory and the inside track to a playoff spot.
B-league play provided the biggest turnaround of the week when Crouching Gulley Hidden Yaghmour came from 11 down at the half to win by 13 over Well Hung Jury 58-45. The jury jumped out to the big lead as Evan For Whom The Belosa Tolls ’02 showed off his three point touch and Pastrami on Ryan Kane ’02 played his usual all around game, hitting from outside and driving to the hoop. But the Ang-Lee inspired squad pulled themselves together, and with the help of stellar shooting from Andy Healy Balloon and Kevin Super Colan Blow ’01, they mounted a furious second half run. After going down five the Jury tied the game when John Orsini Meeny Miny Mo ’02 drained a 15-footer, but two quick buckets and a tip in from Steve Moeller-Sally Field ’01 clinched Crouching Gulley’s win.
In another comeback En Fuego defeated Under 70 by a score of 51-37. Down two at the half, Fuego’s Oren Hatch Epstein ’03 took over the game by cutting to the hoop and hitting spinning bank shots while Eddie Manheimer Steamroller ’03 sank a soft floating jumper in the lane. Ned Gannon Fodder ’02 had been keeping Under 70 safe on the boards before Dan Deep Woods Hoffman ’03 started to muscle in for some offensive rebounds. Dave Sohn Of A Gun ’02 attempted to carry Under 70 on his shoulders, but he alone could not salvage a victory.
In the Willis Reed memorial game, the Jugadores defeated the Law Dawgz 65-45. Adam Admiral Nelson ’03 scored nearly all of the Law Dawgz first-half points with a an NBA-style inside game, but Drive a Steig Through My Heart Olson ’01 kept the Dawgz at bay with treys. All Alon The Watchtower Neches ’01 had been giving the Jugadores excellent board work before an ankle sprain. The Jugadores played down a man for the remaining ten minutes of the first half, and Casey Swing Low Sweet Chariot ’03 made the most of the big man’s absence, working the glass. But Neches would return in the second half. Hobbled, Neches provided the interior presence Victor Hu Let The Dogs Out ’01 needed to flourish, as he started to pour in the buckets and widen the gap to its final margin.