Bru Dogs fall to Warriors despite leading big in second half

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 by Dr Hoopz

Bru Dogs fall to Warriors despite leading big in second half

Winning is everything! Teams have begun to heighten their level of play heading into the post season. Hoop Dreams are currently on the longest win streak of their franchise history with victories over MFA 3.0 and the Unknowns. The Warriors, Usual Suspects and No Mercy still remain the top teams, while the Bru Dogs and Blazin Aces are a toss up. Ve-Nice has come along way since the first couple of weeks. Looking ahead teams will now need to monitor playing time and win each possession going down the stretch to secure the elusive gold cup.

This past weekend the Warriors showed they are vulnerable to speedy guards, thanks to Tony Ngo’s returned to the Bru Dogs. Down by three points to the Warriors at halftime, 34- 31, Justin Waters took over early in the second half but fell off late. Costly turnovers were the demise of the Dogs and eventually loss to the Warriors. Game two showed that the latter cannot operate perfectly without post play, where the Suspects defeated No Mercy in triple overtime.

Game one proved that clutch or key players must step up their game to bring home the ‘dub.’ In the Warriors case, Kabov provided the spark off the bench to lead the Warriors to victory scoring seventeen second half points. Justin Waters failed to get the ball late, forced into quick shots and turnovers resulting in a dismal 0 – 5 field goal attempts, finishing off the second half.

The keys to winning the gold cup are five significant things:

Rebounding

Bru Dogs consistently missed opportunities to convert in the lane against Juwan Smith and Larry Johnson. Andrew Schmoller was constantly hounded by double and triple teams that prevented easy opportunities in the second half. Unlike the first half Schmoller was unstoppable with put-backs and lay-ins at the rim.

Larry Johnson and Juwan Smith controlled the boards late in the game, boxing out Schmoller. Smith grabbed multiple defensive rebounds to give Kabov the time needed to score on easy drives to the cup.

Bench Play

The bench of the Warriors consisted of a total of seven players, with J. Rush in street clothes, which allowed the Warriors to attack with fresh legs against the Bru Dogs starters. Tony Ngo was bombarded with a three quarters press and constant trapping in the corner.

Corner traps allow for easier trapping with essentially four players guarding the ball. Strong ball defense gave the Warriors opportunities to feed ‘the hungry’ Kabov.

First play off the bench, Kabov hit a corner three and made a steal that forced the Dogs to scramble on the defensive end.  Kabov finished with 23 points and 2 rebounds in the debut.

Turnovers

Warriors committed timely turnovers without the proper lineup in the first half. The Warriors second half adjustment made Ahmdi the primary ball handler, resulting in quicker offensive options before the Bru Dogs could get back on defense.

Ngo ran out of steam late in the second half, making easy lay-ins impossible despite possible fouling.

Free Throws

Warriors 14/21 – 67%

Bru Dogs 4/10 – 40%

The free throw disparity was in part by Kabov ability to attack the Bru Dogs front line. Kabov shot 89% on 8/9 free throws to seal the win.

Justin Waters finished with game high 31 points in loss [ball handler]

Go-To-Guy

Kabov ability to work both ends of floor was beneficial to the Warriors and ultimately destroyed any aspirations of winning by the Dogs. Kabov finished with only one steal but the hustle and savvy work ethic help the overall Warriors attack.

Waters finished with a game high 31 points but most of the damage was done mid-way through the second half. Multiple three point shots behind the arc forced the Warriors into timeouts. The Dogs three point specialist, Marc Doche drop in only one three point attempt in the loss.

The difference between Kabov and Waters was the ability to attack consistently on the offensive end. Turnovers and constant trapping of Ngo made it less likely to get Waters the ball. Kabov took over and made the most of those turnovers, in addition to J. Smith mini sky hooks over the smaller W. Vudmuska.

Winning is not easy to do in this league. Keys to winning described above are any receipt for success in rec ball, along with scoring more than the opponent.

Teams will now work on getting the proper rotation down going into the post season. The Warriors are a vulnerable squad in the backcourt, as others teams. However, No Mercy has the strongest and quickest guards but fall short on the front line strength against the other squads.

Bru Dogs are destined to upset one of the elites in the playoffs, only if adequate players are available to shoulder the load on the boards and backcourt responsibilities. W. Vudmuska, M. Doche and J. Waters are the best three point combination in the league. Entry passes to Schmoller and quick outlets to open shooters will help, only if Doche and Vudmuska convert on easy opportunities. Waters is automatic.

LEAGUE NOTES: All players be sure to arrive early prior to the tip-off to prevent delay. A technical foul will be assessed to the tardy team and play will commence shortly after. For questions or concerns see your nearest Hoopz Staff member. Playerz and Fanz be safe and keep the facility in tact for our friends.

Player	FT	Reb	Ast	PF	Pts
Marc Doche	0-3	6	1	4	9
Tony Ngo	2-4	2	5	4	6
Andrew Schmoller	0-1	9	0	3	12
Will Vudmaska	0-0	8	0	4	4
Justin Waters	2-2	8	4	4	31
TOTALS	4-10	33	10	19	62

___________________________________________________________________________________ 

Player	FT	Reb	Ast	PF	Pts
Deante Horton	2-4	6	1	1	4
Obai Ahmadi	0-0	4	2	3	0
Juwan Smith	0-1	5	2	4	13
Larry Johnson	4-6	5	2	1	13
Christian Wright	0-0	1	1	0	0
Ryan Clayman	0-0	5	1	0	12
D. Kabov	8-9	2	1	2	23
TOTALS	14-20	28	10	11	65

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