By Sam Leventhal
The battle between The Land and Wake and Blake was hard-fought from both sides, but this week’s overtime thriller resulted in Wake and Blake escaping with the slim victory, 75-74.
The Land were, once again, lead by Brett Cody who finished the contest just shy of a triple double with 37 points on 39 attempts, 17 rebounds and seven steals. Unfortunately, this massive performance from Cody just wasn’t enough to stop Wake and Blake with their new addition of Aaron Samuel.
In his debut, Samuel went for 33 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks, leading Wake and Blake to a victory.
Kicking off the contest, it seemed as if it was going to be the Brad DeGregorio show. However, an ankle injury early second half would see DeGregorio exit the game, but not before he could do just enough damage to The Land. He would end with what seemed to be a more than dominant display of 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.
A few missed baskets would almost cost Wake and Blake late in the fourth quarter, but a steal by Samuel and a dunk on the other end as time expired put the game into overtime.
In overtime, Wake and Blake saw their life flash before their eyes when Gueber Docteur had also gone down with an injury that resulted in the end of his day as well. With The Land facing a one-point deficit and the clock ticking down, the ball was in the hands of star performer Cody, who missed a go-ahead three. Alec Ward quickly jumped on the offensive glass and retained possession in the dying seconds. He then put up one of his signature turn-around jumpers that would hit the back of the rim, securing Wake and Blake the victory, 75-74.
In the loss, The Land pulled out one of their best performances of the season. Three players reached double figures, two of who ended with double doubles. Next up, they will face their biggest challenge yet in The Brotherhood, who remains undefeated and looks like they can’t be matched.
Wake and Blake showed why they are still a team to beat in this league. Now, sitting at 3-3 in the standings, they will have to show that they can continue their success against a competitive Blood, Sweat and Beers squad who improved to 5-1 this week.
