By Gregory Termolle
After last week’s blowout loss, the Halfway Crooks are on the other end of a blowout this week, pummeling Big Baller Brand. For once, the Halfway Crooks came out the game firing, and went into the second quarter with a 10-point lead. The Halfway Crooks sweep Big Baller Brand by taking both of their matchups this season, and improve to 4-2 with a 74-46 Week 6 win.
Big Baller Brand is still searching for their first victory of the season, as they appeared to be off from behind the arc in this one. Jared Hanson and Tom Ferranti led the way for the Halfway Crooks with 24 and 18 points respectively, the only two players reaching double-digit points on their team.
A key to the Crooks victory today was their defense, they held Brett Cody to only six points on the night. Although he’s still third in the league in scoring, that’s the first time that Cody has been held to single digit points in the game.
“We knew we had to focus in on no. 23 Brett (Cody), just because of what he can do,” the Halfway Crooks’ Matt Zocco said. “It was nice to have extra legs and extra bodies [to help stop him].”
As well as the Halfway Crooks played, Big Baller Brand won the rebounding battle, 33-23. Although the rebounding battle went their way, the ball wasn’t going their way in terms of scoring. Big Baller Brand shot 20-of-68, which is good for 29 percent on the night. On the other hand, the Halfway Crooks shot 53 percent on the night, almost doubling the percentage that Big Baller Brand shot.
Big Baller Brand’s slow start didn’t help them at all. After entering the second quarter down by 10, Big Baller Brand only put up two points in the second quarter. They weren’t able to recover from a sluggish start. Only two players were in double figures for Big Baller Brand, Matt Simmeth and Mark Keenan, who both had 10 points. Kennan was 5-of-10 on the night, and Simmeth shot 5-of-14 on the night.
Big Baller Brand looks to get their first win in a tough matchup against The Alliance, after dropping the first matchup against them, 108-74. Looking into next week, the 4-2 Halfway Crooks take on the also 4-2 Boom-Shakalaka in what should be a great matchup. The Halfway Crooks lost the first matchup against them 101-56, so they’ll be looking for revenge.
“Defensive intensity,” Matt Zocco said when asked about next week’s rematch against Boom-Shakalaka. “Bring the defensive intensity, and just keep it up (throughout the game) to come out with a win.”
