BLOOMINGTON SOUTH, MN: Week 4 Recap

If you were not in the gym at Bloomington South Lifetime Fitness on Wednesday night, you missed out on some of the best Ultimate Hoops action that has ever been played.

Three games came down to the final minute, including two games between four the top contenders in Bloomington South that went into overtime.


Tropics vs. Inception

The Tropics were focused and ready to show that they are a contender this season. They started off the game with a 24-4 run and looked to be in top form.

Inception was able to close the gap within 6 multiple times in the second half, but they couldn't get any closer than that and wound up losing by 16.

Inception's Jay-R Ramirez played well for Inception with 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Matt Messina added a double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Final Score: Tropics 69 - Inception 53

Player of the Game: Mitch Hanson, who has been the leader for the Tropics all season, had another brilliant performance with 25 points and 10 rebounds.


Rebels vs. Thundercats

One of the most anticipated games of the season saw the Rebels and Thundercats, both coming into the game undefeated, square off against one another. From the opening tip, the level of competition was amped up and you could tell that both these teams were hungry for a big win.

The Thundercats were shooting well and breaking down the Rebel defense in the first half. They went into the break with a 5-point lead. In the second, the Rebels turned it up a notch and the teams were tied at 53 with 10 seconds remaining on the clock.

A scary moment towards the end of regulation saw Derek Batiste go crashing into the scorer's table after a nice defense play. Spectators and players alike held their collective breathes hoping that Batiste was okay, and thankfully, he was able to get up only a little bit shaken.

Meanwhile, with the Rebels getting a final shot at the end of regulation, Joe Thomas shot a three that went in...and out. The game went into overtime.

In the overtime period, with Batiste sitting on the sidelines, the Rebels took advantage and were able to snatch the 3-point victory.

This was one of the better UH games I can remember watching. I can only hope that these two teams see one another again in the playoffs. Noe Mendez led the Thundercats with 25 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

Final Score: Rebels 59 - Thundercats 56

Player of the Game: While Joe Thomas had 20 points for the Rebels, Dustin Dupont is the Player of the Game with 19 points, 4 steals and 3 assists.


Timberpuppies vs. St. Baul

With captain Kyle Wenzel not present for the game, the Timberpuppies and St. Baul went head-to-head in primetime.

The T-Pups' used their size to control things in the first half. The team only finished 5-of-16 from 3, but finished 20-of-35 from inside the arc.

The defense turned up for both teams in the second half, as scores went from 45-41 in the 1st to 22-26 in the second. The game got physical, too, and the teams combined for 37 fouls and 49 free throws.

St. Baul forced the game into overtime and capitalized with a 1-point, staying undefeated and sending the Pups to 2-2. One can't help but wonder if the outcome would've been different with Wenzel in attendance.

The Pups had all 5 starters in double figures, with Mike Byrne leading the way with 15. St. Baul saw Greg Regenscheid get 14 points and 6 rebounds on 4-of-7 shooting.

Final Score: St. Baul 75- - Timberpuppies 74

Player of the Game: Ryan Samuelson with 22 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds. His free throws towards the end of the game were also clutch for St. Baul.


Riddlers vs. Thunder

The Thunder came into this game never having beaten the Riddlers and looking to get the upset. The Riddlers, meanwhile, were still without Andy Steingas due to injury and his brother Charlie was also not present for the game.

The game held close for much of the first half and the Riddlers had a slim 3-point lead at the break. Mark Buettner was scorching the Thunder defense from the field and from the free throw line, where he was able to get 12 free points on 15 attempts.

The Riddlers extended their lead to double-digits in the second half and ended up winning by 9. The Thunder committed 25 fouls to the Riddlers 9 (31-7 free throw advantage), which undoubtedly was the key to the game.

Final Score: Riddlers 70 - Thunder 61

Player of the Game; Nick Roell had an 11-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist game, but Buettner was definitely the difference for the Riddlers. He finished with 27 points and 3 assists.


Huskies vs. Clem's Kidz

Sure, the Huskies won by 40 points, but let's focus on the real issues that were brought up in this game:

The Huskies' awful defense. Giving up 45 points - including 8 straight in the second half - was a poor sign and will not get by against better teams.

Just kidding.

The Huskies dominated from start to finish in this one and looked impressive. Junius Ho and Ronnie Olson each finished with double-doubles and Heath Stoll added 16 points. Tommy Ng had a rare 6-6-6 game, which may have explained why his shooting was so hellacious (2-of-12).

Benjamin Wagner was again the lone bright spot for Clem's Kidz with 22 points and 15 rebounds.

The Huskies will have a much tougher test next week in the T-Pups.

Final Score: Huskies 85 - Clem's Kidz 45

Player of the Game: The Huskies' Josh Hoyle, who played only 33 minutes off of the bench, but scored 29 points on 17 shots with a 30.2 PPR.


Blazers vs. Panthers

In a matchup of two 0-3 teams, the Blazers and Panthers were both looking for a much-needed win.

While the Panthers shot poorly - 36% from the field and 3-of-23 from downtown - the Blazers could not take advantage of all the missing. The Panthers had 13 offensive rebounds and forced 16 turnovers from the Blazers.

In fact, Jake Perron of the Panthers was able to accomplish the rare feat of scoring double-digit points (12) while having a negative PPR (-4.0) thanks to 1-of-6 from three, 1-of-5 from the free throw line and 3 turnovers.

The Blazers had only two players in double figures: Bill Suek and Tim Baird with 11. They ended up losing by 5 and dropping to 0-4, while the Panthers got their first franchise victory.

Final Score: Panthers 52 - Blazers 47

Player of the Game: Andy Heieie, who scored 10 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Heieie's interior defense was also important for helping the Panthers get the win.


Lakers vs. Raptors

The Raptors were hoping to upset the Lakers with Daniel Whiteside returning to the team.

While the game started out close and was 26-21, the Lakers finished the first half on a 20-2 run and went into the break with a 23-point lead.

The Raptors played a nice second half and outscored the Lakers by 14, chipping into the lead and bringing it within 5 on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately, they could not get stops at the end and wound up losing by 9.

Jordan Jensen led the Raptors with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Not including Jensen, the Raptors shot only 31% from the floor.

Final Score: Lakers 75 - Raptors 66

Player of the Game: While Kevin Craft's 9 points and 13 rebounds were impressive, and Brandon Buesgens added 18 points, Ryan Hericks came off of the bench for 21 points and 6 rebounds to give the Lakers the win.


The Bulls vs. Blue Chips

Although The Bulls came into the game 0-3, and the Blue Chips have looked like a strong team through three games, the late additions of DeAngelo Purnell and Grant Dudinsky to the roster turned the tide in this game, along with the absence of Sam Halverson.

The Blue Chips went down early and were never able to recover, trailing by 15 at the break and going down by more than 20 throughout the second half. Purnell and Dudinsky combined for 33 points, 14 rebounds and 6 steals, while Steven Ellis added 14 on a perfect night of shooting (6-of-6) from the floor.

The Blue Chips were led by Chris Daly's 17, but the rest of the Blue Chips shot a miserable 27%. They lost by 27.

Final Score: The Bulls 77 - Blue Chips 50

Player of the Game: While The Bulls had a number of impressive individual performances, Roderick Powell scored 21 points on 11 shots and added 5 steals.


Next week, we have key matchups between the Thundercats and Lakers, Blue Chips and Thunder, Huskies and T-Pups that will all likely have playoff implications. Additionally, Inception and Clem's Kidz will both be looking for win #2 and the Tropics will try to show they belong in the contender discussion against the Rebels.