ALPHARETTA, GA: Ultimate Hate Make Strong Statement, Winning with Four

Recap by Spencer Wingate

Ultimate Hate 92, Gametime Design 80 [BOXSCORE]

Ultimate Hate entered their matchup against Gametime Design with just four players. However, that did not stop them from advancing to the semifinals and keeping their unbeaten record enact. The game remained close throughout until ironically Ultimate Hate’s four players wore down Gametime Design.

Kelvin Porter led a balanced effort totaling 29 points and 15 rebounds while Marcus Sims and Julien Wilson each contributed 23 points. The story of the game was Ultimate Hate’s never ending energy and ability to crash the offensive glass. Their hustle and determination led to an impressive 21 offensive rebounds. Gametime Design put up a valiant effort but fell short in knocking off Ultimate Hate. The advantage of having more players did not matter as Gametime Design simply did not have the athleticism to keep pace with Ultimate Hate. In the semifinals Ultimate Hate will take on Young Guns Wednesday, June 12th.

Recap by Spencer Wingate

Young Guns 80, Black Ops 74 [BOX SCORE]

In a back and forth game from start to finish overtime was needed for Young Guns to top Black Ops. Reed Buck’s 35 points and eight rebounds led the winners and allowed them to march into the semifinals. Alfredo Alonso paced Black Ops with 27 points and 13 rebounds but ultimately they fell short.

The game remained tight as both teams were able to find their spots and score the ball efficiently. Each team shot 46% from the field and was able to play their style of basketball. However, from the tip in overtime Young Guns refused to lose. They took the ball aggressively to the basket and were able to pull away and earn the victory. Young Guns will now be faced with the daunting task of taking on Ultimate Hate on Wednesday, June 12th.

Recap by Robert Alfonso

The opening round of the UH Life Atlanta playoffs opened up with some eye-popping performances and some dominating results. There was also an upset, which may have opened some eyes.

A pair of games that cannot be denied for their excellence and excitement were Mamba 3.0 getting 47-points apiece from Taylor Patterson and CJ McElrath. Also, the way the Oak City Warriors cruised to victory on Sunday showed they are serious playoff contenders.
Here are the results:

Mamba 3.0 125, Art of Buckets 94 [BOX SCORE]

Playing a team with superior perimeter shooting is difficult. Especially, when everyone is on, which is exactly what happened for Mamba 3.0.

Taylor Patterson, who is arguably the best shooter in the league, had a shooting contest with teammate CJ McElrath. Both matched each other shot for shot against an Art of Buckets team that sat in a zone for most of the contest. Big mistake!
The duo took turns hitting from NBA range. McElrath started it off from the opening tip and never let up. He scored 28 points at halftime, which is difficult to do at any level with a running clock. If he wasn’t knocking it down Patterson was on the other side of the court letting it fly. They both finished with 47-points apiece.

Mamba also received some serious contribution from Sonny Givens who finished with 21 points and 16 rebounds. However, the biggest benefactor of the excellent offensive output was Tommy Thompson. The crafty point guard dropped off 18 assists.

Art of Buckets could not get into any offensive rhythm. Nor could they find the bottom of the basket. They managed to crack the 90-point plateau but most of that came in a late surge in the second half. Leading the surge was Kenny Britt with a team-high 32 points. Bryan Gates added 29 points.

Oak City Warriors 105, Enough Said 72 [BOX SCORE]

Being a talented team is difficult because sometimes the challenge is competing with yourself. This was the problem for the Warriors, who were virtually going through the motions on the court. However, once they got going they were hard to stop.

Leading the way was Marquis Babb who poured in 29 points, despite not having his best shooting performance. However, the glue guy was Brian Finneran. Ol’ Mr. Reliable lived up to the name scoring 24 points, grabbing nine rebounds and just helping keep the team together. Jamario Moon added 23 points.