WESTMINSTER, CO: Week 6 Recap | Game of the weak

The slate of games had the makings of a great week of basketball in Westminster. The battle of the last two undefeated teams proved to be more hype than substance as Impact blew out the Long Shots.

IMPACT Basketball - 98 VS. Long Shots - 69

In what was anticipated to be the game of the night, quickly turned into what seemed like another easy win for reigning champions, IMPACT Basketball. With an incredible supporting cast, dynamic duo Beau Barney and Jimmy Binnie took over Tuesday night’s game against big opponent Long Shots. Going 56% from the field and 53% from beyond the arc you would think that Long Shots would try a different approach to guarding Binnie’s hot hand but it looked like hands up defense wasn’t in their game plan. With a smooth pull up J attacking the basket and connecting on 9 of his 17 attempts from behind the 3 point line Binnie was impossible to stop(49 points 16 rebounds). Team Captain Beau Barney (22 points). was another member wreaking havoc on Long Shot’s defense; it was the Long Shots inability to hone in on IMPACT’s key players and play disciplined defense that was their undoing. Quick transition 3’s also hurt the Long Shot’s chances at taking down the undefeated team. A better game plan to stop IMPACTS dynamic duo would have been a smarter approach than the undisciplined and lack of communication that plagued Long Shot’s defense. They had every piece of the puzzle to give IMPACT a run for their money if they played smarter not harder. Derek Elliot led the Long Shots per usual finishing with 33 points and just 2 rebounds shy of another double-double.

Ciroc Boyz - 87 VS. Purple Cobras - 64

The Ciroc Boyz came into this game looking to recover from a poor performance last week and the Purple Cobras were looking to snap their 2 game losing streak. Unfortunately for the Purple Cobras all of the Boyz decided to show up for this game. With a team high of 26 points, the Ciroc Boyz were led by Richard Peterson with 20+ performances also given by Omar Juarez and team captain Chris Morgan. The only glimpse of hope the Purple Cobras showed came from Josh Graffam and help from Joseph Gutierrez. Graffam finished with 35 points and 14 rebounds recording a double-double with Gutierrez adding in 14 points 5 assists and 7 rebounds. The Purple Cobras extend their losing streak to 3 games as the Ciroc Boyz start on their road of redemption.

The Bad Boys - 90 VS. Medicinal Mambas - 84

Another great matchup that took place Tuesday night came with some heated exchanged and aggressive basketball. Medicinal Mambas missing one player, played an aggressive game of 5 vs. 4. To the Bad Boys advantage, they took opportunities to slow the ball down and play in favor of their numbers. It was a very close game until the very end. Even with one less player, Medicinal Mambas held their own and gave Bad Boys a run for their money regardless of the numbers or the disadvantage that they faced. They played smart and aggressive basketball that kept them neck and neck with The Bad Boys until the final minutes. Solid performances by Ruben Rivas (19 pts.), Dylan Vandenend (18 pts.), and team leader Aaron Lohmann (11 pts.) Carlos Matos led The Bad Boys with 33 points, Matt Rice and Josh Fieldgrove both added 17 points to the pot. Savvy guards Jeremiah Ramos and Matt Rice both recorded double doubles tonight, Rice with an impressive 17 points and 10 assists and Jeremiah Ramos chipping in 14 points and snagging 13 rebounds.

The Gladiators - 81 VS. Life Time Legends - 53

The Gladiators pick up their first win against Free Agent team Life Time Legends. A Solid performance by the entire squad led to their first victory of the season. The Legends put up a good fight until after the second half when their 9 point deficit began to increase by the minute. Winning the battle of the boards and shooting almost 50% from the field as well as above 40% from behind the arc the Life Time Legends couldn’t keep up with the fast pace offense that The Gladiators brought to the table. Both teams are now tied with a record of 1-5 on the season and will need to pick up as many wins as possible to secure solid positioning in the league tournament.

Eat, Sleep, Ball, Repeat - 95 VS. LT Ballers - 94

In the most exciting game of the night, ESBR squeezed out a win against other free agent team LT Ballers. Aggressive play and solid communication is what help ESBR together in order to defeat the LT Ballers. With stand in’s from other teams such as Ciroc Boyz’ standout Chris Morgan added to LT Ballers’ chances of winning the contest. Finishing with an impressive 38 points and 14 rebounds, it would have been a different story if Chris Morgan didn’t stand in for missing players. Solid performances from the entire squad, ESBR, was not shocking to see. All chipping in more than 10 points apiece, and two players having double-doubles (Austin Elzinga and Steven Swift) ESBR continues to be a solid team with fundamentals and chemistry. A good win for the team brings them to a league record of 2-4 surpassing LT Ballers who fall to 1-4.