Week 8 in Review

#1 A Night in the Bear Cage 47 vs. #18 Where Brooklyn at? 27

It doesn't take a night league fanatic to understand how this game turned out the way it did.  #1 Night in the Bear Cage didn't play its best but it was more than enough to trample a struggling Where Brooklyn At?  This was nonetheless an unconventional game, something that is always good to see.  A Night in the Bear Cage played well in transition, taking full advantage of their superior athleticism.  Bear Cage also crashed the boards on O to give them a good number of second chance baskets.  Despite the score Where Brooklyn At? played a good game considering their success this year.  Good games from Danny Almond and Matt Wolfe, each with 10 pts.
Standout:
Michael Clark contributed with a number of offensive rebounds, he coupled that with 14 pts. as WBA? stuggled to find an answer for his size on the glass.

#3 Big Trouble in Little China 40 vs. #7 Buff-ucers 29

Buff-ucers has been on a tear the past few weeks, but that came to a skidding halt with this loss to a solid #3 Big Trouble in Little China.  Big Trouble played their traditional zone D that has been extremely effective the entire season.  The first half was basically the deciding factor.  Big Trouble shut down Buff-ucers main source of points in Mick Parks and Chris Getch and built a decisive 16 pt. lead in the first half.  Their offense slowed in the second half as did the D, but 16 was simply too much to come back from for the Buff-ucers.  The Buff-ucers threw up some desperate baskets late in the second half to try and narrow the score, and resorted to fouling late in the second half sepite being down by more than 10.  Good play from Kyle Nittiss with 14 and numerous boards.
Standout: 
The game ball honor goes to Big Trouble Point Guard Eddie Fay, with nasty handles and a quick and efficient stroke, he dropped 18 on a recently successful Buff-ucers squad.

#15 Milk was a bad Choice 32 vs. #17 The Big D Legends 38

Big D Legends and Nuclear Octopi are now competing in a very special category, most annoying team to play..  Big D basically a full team of subs as they got Alex Johnson-Bice, Michael Legge and Phil Purcell to come play for them.  Big D force Peter McGuire was not there.  Big D was up 20-4 at half and then basically just tried to start fights in the second half, allowing Milk to narrow the lead to 4, and that is how the game ended. Good game from Alex JB with 10 pts.
Standout:
NTJNL is dissppointed to say that no one deserved the game ball in this game.

 #2 Bella Mafia 29 vs. #8 Blazers Era 28
 This game was huge for Blazers era, with a L they may not make the playoffs, but with a W they lock one up. And for Bella Mafia they do have a chance to 3-peat. This was another close game for Blazers Era and Bella Mafia. Both teams have a tough schedule and have often had very close games, and this was one of those games again. Another prime example of how freethrows win games. Thomas Merriman (freshmen B player) made a game winning free throw with .5 on the clock. Other notables were JD and Joe Heyek shooting the ball well, and as usual Allen blowing some more.
Standout:
Under pressure the best players stand on a island alone, one of these players is Thomas Merriman. With time basically out he makes a shot that he will remember for the rest of his night league career (maybe) And good luck to both teams in what ever bracket they make.

#10 No Sympathy 48 vs.  #9 The KEG 38
Another match up that is key to the playoff picture. Both teams fighting for a spot. With a win it locks up No Sympathy into the playoffs, and a Win by the KEG gives them a better shot. But most likely only one will make the playoffs no matter the out come. No Sympathy with a 10 point win here locks up a top 10 spot at the end of the season. The KEG not living up to their expectations this year, many not only had them making the playoffs but possibly making a run at the Golden Shoe. Sorry for the KEG but the road for the Shoe ended last night.
Standout:
Stu Haley of No Sympathy dropped over 20 points last night to lead his team to another victory riding a 5 game win streak into the playoffs could be dangerous.

#4 How Much Jam ya Got Man 48 vs. #19 JSCF 28
This game was over from the beginning. JSCF really never had a chance. The game started off with JAM getting up a lot early and never looked back. Going into halftime with the score 34-10, JAM did not try at all in the second half, but still managed to get a 20 point victory. The playoff picture is set now for neither of these teams this game could change their future. JSCF never had a chance of seeing the Golden shoe, while JAM with only 1 loss locked up a playoff spot last week. However JSCF may have the chance to compete for the not so cool Silver Shoe(which goes to the best of the worse teams in the league)
Standout:
This was a sloppy game from the beginning to the end. No one on either teams performed too well. No one had a performance worth noticing in the review.

#20 Team Fugi 25 vs #22 What would Scooby do? 50
Fujji found it a little hard to compete in this game missing its two best players as a result of illness and injury.  Will Redmond and Luke Wrenn were both absent.  Consequently this game was 4v4.  A mediocre what would scooby do looked good next to an even more mediocre Fujji team.  Fujji played no D and allowed the other team to basicallly do whatever they wanted. 
Standout: Brett Joseph with 20 against a helpless Fujji squad.

#14 TWAT 0 vs. #13 Sacson5 1

TWAT forfeit

#12 Off in the Woods W vs. #11 Code Green Lights L

#16 Flanagan 58 vs #23 Octopi 20
Octopi the worst team in the history of night league, seeking their first win ever, once again come up short very short. Looks like they will end another season defeated, nothing new to this horrible team.

Week 7 in Review

#4 How Much Jam ya Got man? 59  vs. #22 What would Scooby do? 39

What would Scooby do? never figured out what to do in this game. Right from the start Scooby was JAMed on. JAM played their usual up-tempo style and Scooby had no way to stop it. The playoff picture does not look good at all for Scooby. Basically mathematically out of it, they dont have much to play for any more. 

Standout:

Peter McNitt playing very well like always. Leading his team in many categories. He is one of the few stars in this league that does not plat every second of the game. He is not focused on winning the MVP or his stats. If you ask him, he will say that its more important that his team won then his personal stats.

#5 Blazers Era 26 vs. #9 Callahan *buffucers  28   OT

This game started off very slowly in the Stage gym with the score 12-3 at the end of the first half. The lowest scoring first half this entire year. Getch said "the only reason that we won this game is because we played in the stage gym and got to use our speed against them. Blazers Era outscored team Callahan in the second half by 9 points, but in another overtime game, buffucers ends up on top. Many members the league are convinced that Blazers Era is the most over rated team in the league.

Standout:

Mick Parks is for sure the best player on their team and continued to be a clutch performer. Racking up 10+ points and being a leader on offense and defense, he gets the game ball again.

#8 Big G All Day 38  vs. #16 JSCF  28

This one was a "ugly game" says Big Gs captain David Berlinghof. Big G actaully shot under 20% from the field. "Michael may have taken more then 50 shots" says captain Berlinghof. JSCF may be considered the smallest team in the league, they have no size! Towards the end of the game JSCF started to foul and once again teams made their free-throws to lock up another W. 

Standout:

  No one thinks that any one in this game had double figures. A low scoring game with a lot of balance. The game ball here I gotta give the game ball here to the team of BIG G.

#11 No Sympathy 35 vs. #12 Sacson 5 31
Two relatively evenly matched squads squared off wednesday, where No Sympathy edged out their opponent in a sleeper Sacson 5 team.  One would not have anticipated the outcome as No Sympathy found themselves down 12-20 at the half, a deficit that can be hard to make up in short Night League games.  Edrick Chu shot and drove well to get his team up early.  However, he lost his stride when the second half began as No Sympathy shot near flawlessly in the home stretch of the game.  Stu Haley rattled home a few free throws at the end of the game to secure his team four point win.
Standout:
Game ball goes to Stu "The Lanky One" Haley and Sam Thomas, each with 12 points, in what was a less than comfortable four point victory.

#18 Where Brooklyn At? 46 vs. Nuclear Octopi 22
The Octopi continued to be the biggest joke in Night League, and once again wasted the time of another team, as they have done on wednesdays for the three past years.  Sadly enough Steve Lampert before the game said "I'm nervous that theres a chance we could lose".  Even though the Octopi have yet to win a game in their careers, there are still some unconfident teams afraid of losing to them.  They chucked up half courters the entire game and gave away careless baskets on the inbounds to contribute to Matt Wolfe's 27 pts.
Standout:
Matt Wolfe with an impressive 27, no matter what team you're playing against its hard to score 27, so that gets him the game ball.

#14 TWAT 18 vs. #3 Big Trouble in Little China 36

Big Trouble came out blazing this week, doubling their opponents score. They played well in the first half, but a struggling TWAT team essentially gave up in the second half resorting to granny style half courters. TWAT had trouble getting down low in the first half and wasn't getting any calls when they did find their way down in the paint. Big Trouble didn't play especially well in the first half but looked professional next to atrocious shooting from TWAT, who scored 6 first half points. From what NTJNL can decipher, Big Trouble is a good team but certainly not #3 material.
Standout:
Kyle Nittiss with 16, although most of them were uncontested layups late in the second half.

#17 Big D Legends 36  vs. #20 Semaca 31
Big D Legends let by their LA forward Peter McGuire tally another win. Are these sudden wins coming too late? Most of us think so considering that 3-4 most likely wont make the playoffs, but they do still like to ruin teams chances. With this lose team Semaca really establishes themselves as one of the worst teams in the league. Even though the game was close everyone knew that Big D would win.
Standout:
Peter McGuire gets another game ball to put in his room. Racking up 15+ points and "he beasted kids on D" (Lee Weir). He is the main reason why they won this game. Congrats Peter on another Game Ball. 

#1 Bella Mafia 30 vs. #21 Team Flanagan 34 
This Game was the best game of the entire year. Hint the red font will grab peoples attention. One of the worst teams in the league took down the #1 ranked team the other night. This was by far the biggest upset of year. Flanagan who got blown out by many teams and coming of a 30+ point lose to How Much Jam ya Got man? really came alive in this game. Even though two of Bella Mafias star players in Chad Sawyer and Mac Anderson were not there, Mafia has enough talent that they should have killed Flanagan. Captain Brian Flanagan said after the game "We all just played really good, the last games we all sucked, and this game we just play pretty good" Eventhough their playoff chances are most likely over, look for them to make a run for the silver shoe.
Standout:
I gotta give the game ball to Team Flanagan, beating the best team in the league is a huge statement: not only for the rest of this season, but going into next look for them to be future bracket busters.

#15 Milk was a Bad Choice 57 vs. #10 Off in the Woods 43
Classic Night League game. Close game at half, which developed into steady lead-building in the second half. Off in the Woods proved they need to work on their ball handling as they turned the ball over on every other posession in the second half. Both teams shot well which kept the score high. The game was capped off by a reverse dunk by Milk's Bennett Wakenight, the second reported Night League dunk for the class of 2011's class. Clearly as it was a reverse he is already comfortable dunking so we look forward to others in the future.
Standout:
Bennett Wakenight, aside from the dunk he also had 16 pts. The team had balanced shooting all around.



#7 Magical Forest of Gluckman W vs. #13 Code Green Lights L
 
 

Week 5 Review

#4 How Much Jam Ya got man? 40  vs. #17 Team Flanagan 8

This was the 7:45 game played in the stage gym, which faired well with How Much Jam. Getting to play on a full size court with a 3-pt line really helped Jam. 5 minutes into the game Jay took down Jams Captain Neal Sutton, which resulted in a bench clearing brawl. With Jay having to sit out and Neal sitting the rest of the half. Every team has that moment where they truly become a team, and this moment was that for Jam. Showing that they will protect their players in any situation. This may be a turning point for them this season,

Standout:

Peter McNitt is this game POTG. Putting up aroung 20 pts and had at least that many rebounds. This was his best game of his short career. Not only a vocal leader but also a leader with his playing ability and leadership on and off the court. A real role model for future Night League participants

#19 Big D Legends 30 vs. #1 A Night in the Bear Cage 38
Big D Legends are the best of the worse when Peter McGuire is playing. Bear Cage playing their first game with the #1 ranking came out with a W. Having the target on their back for the first time this year, they did win but did not impress the league and could hurt themselves more then help. This made out to be a great game featuring the #1 team. This one  Started out as a close game and remained so until the final ticks. With Bear Cage making clutch shots as the game was coming to an end. Making free throws and jumpers at the end to win by 8.
Standout:
In this one no one on either team had a great game, but I gotta give the game ball to the Bear Cage team. Led by all-nightleague player Charlie Tilson and a great surrounding cast, their team shares the game ball in this one. Spreading the wealth

#5 Blazers Era 24 vs. #7 Big G All Day 23   2-OT-FTS
In a game of size vs inteligence, Blazers Era came out on top after looking flat for most of the game. With Michael Phillips at point guard and David Berlinghof knocking down the floaters, Big G all day got out to a 17-11 lead. However, once Michael Phillips went to hockey for the second straight week, leaving in the second half, Blazers Era scored a little while Big G all day couldn't get the ball in the hoop. This game then went into ot after a last second lay up from Konrad VonMoltke of Big G all day tied the game with no time left. In OT, Big G held the ball the entire time hoping for a game winning shot, but failed to convert. Finally in double OT, Blazers Era beat Big G all day in a free throw battle. Which only lasted one round with Allen Beyer making his first and Phil Purcell failing to convert from the charity stripe.
Standout:
No one player had a standout performance in this one. The scoring was distributed very evenly, therefore the game ball goes to Allen Beyer who made the game winning freethrow



#6 The KEG 37 vs. #18 Semaca 32
This was a very interesting match-up because KEGs best player: Schoder could not make it. Due to his absence it made for a dandy. Team KEG having to give Turner more PT, because Schoder was not there, really showed on the scoreboard. Kevin and Semaca carrying team Semaca with nearly all of their points, but the KEG sneaks out with a W. It was close throughout and this game was a prime example of the depth of Night League.
Standout:
Semaca with 16 points does not get the POTG due to their defeated season, and gaurd Greg Smart gets the game ball. His speed and quick dribble was tough for team Semaca to keep up with. Smart slashing and dashing to a W.

#16 John Scheyer's Cousin's Friends 27 vs. #8 Buff-ucers (Callahan) 33
A game that was not as close as the score board says. Buff-ucers were under control for the majority of the game. After the game Getch stated "We won 33-27 Hammes hit a ton of shots as usual." Even with a great shot he could not carry his team to the finish line. They were able to keep Hammes in check for the most part. Everyone knows that he has great range and that you have to guard him even if he is 30+ feet away.
Standout:
Mick Parks leading the Buff-ucers again to victory. Mick recieving another game ball for his standout play. Putting up 10+ points again leading his team to another victory. Mick with his consistent play making him a likely member of the all-nightleague team.




#20 Team Fujji 28 vs. #21 Where Brooklyn At? 33
This game was a little more one sided than the score entailed.  Where Brooklyn At essentially dominated the game early on mounting a 9-0 run in the opening half before letting up a few careless baskets to ease up the lead.  WBA was by 10 at half and then began giving up easy baskets anew by playing less than stellar D.  Good effort from Will Redmond who was the top scorer on the losing team with 10.

Standout:

Steve Lampert, the big man for Where Brooklyn At? was strokin' it and dropped 14 this wednesday along with most of the teams boards.

#13 TWAT 27 vs. #11 Magical Forest of Gluckman 33
The first half showed promise for TWAT as they accumulated a good shooting percentage from the field.   The lanky one Stu Haley stepping in as the 5th man, dropped 8 in the first half and talked equally as much shit, angering a 230 pound Chris Gluckman.  After the half, D on the part of TWAT fell apart and Joey Reifenberg found his stride after being ice cold in the first half.  Extremely impressive game from TWAT's John Cook, dropping 14, Gluckman guard Ben Miller said after the game "Cook is a monster, probably the strongest kid I've seen on the court this season".
Standout:
Joey Reifenberg with 12.  He recieves the game ball by virtue of his team winning, but was slightly overshadowed by versatile play from Cook.0

#12 Code Green Lights Inc 23. vs. #3 Big Trouble in Little China 29
Code Green Lights finally got a taste of defeat this week as they encountered their first top five opponent in Big Trouble in Little China.  The score was close at half time (12-11, in favor of BTLC), but the better team pulled away in the end.  CGL's Danny Noren broke through Big Trouble's  tough zone D to score a few second half baskets, but it was not enough.  Big Trouble crashed the boards all game long to secure a somewhat comfortable six point victory.
Standout:
Eddie Fay had 13 and got his team a W for the week, now putting them at 4-0.


#15 Milk was a Bad Choice 22 vs. #14 Sacson 5 30
This was a pretty standard night league game, which was later spiced up with some contreversial post-score celebrations from Sacson 5 guard Zach Mandell. After scoring he imitated Gilbert Arenas' gun shooting routine, and has yet to be suspended from Night League.  Besides this, iffy shooitng from both sides kept the score low, as the game came down to rebounds and turnovers as many games do.  Sacson shut down six five center Bennett Wakenight, and in turn limited their offense as a whole.

Standout:
Jacob Laser had 10, stats that could potentially get him back into the race for our MVP rankings.

#2 Bella Mafia Quackafella Records 62  vs. #22 What Would Scooby Do? 37
After dropping in the rankings due to some weak wins, Bella makes their case for the #1 ranking in this game. Chad Sawyer making his night league debut. And proved himself to be a all-nightleague type of player. This game was never close, Bella had it in cruise control from the start, never looking back. Scooby never had a chance in this game and they knew they were going to get run over.
Standout:
Chad Sawyer ran away with this one putting up 20+ in his first game ever. He was very anxious to get his first W under his belt. He said he has been waiting three years to get the first career win and he got that gift the other night and a number one ranking as well. Congrats Chad on the great debut

Week 4 in Review

#5 How Much Jam Ya Got Man? 26 vs. #7 Off in the Woods 22
A game featuring two top 10 programs, but Off in the Woods could not stay perfect in this one. Yes, JAM beat Off in the Woods the other night without captain Neal Sutton who had a business function. A low scoring affair with the game all square at half with the score 12-12. The Experience of JAM helped them pull a win out of their ass. This game is a prime example of free throws do matter. Peter McNitt stroking from the charity stripe late in the game to give JAM another W
Standout:
Tyler Wislow gets this games game ball knocking down his mid range jumpers in the second half and also a huge factor on defense being one of the bigger guards in the league he is tough to get passed.

#18 Big D Legends 39 vs. #11 Big G All Day 51
his matchup between the Bigs was just as tense as expected. With Big D Legends playing with their star Peter McGuire, Big G All Day knew they would have to stop him and David Berlinghof's box & 1 defense did the trick. Once Berlinghof and Michael Phillips started dropping shots early, both dropping career highs led by Phillip's 21, Big G could resort to the triple team on Peter McGuire to keep him from winning the game himself. This game was later called with a few minutes remaining due to arguing by Big D Legends psycho Gallagher, but it was a hard fought game by both sides.
Standout:
Mike Phillips gets the Standout player of the game putting up 21 points in the first half, then going to play a hockey game which he was severely late for. This game really showed how dedicated Mike is to this team.

#3 Blazers Era 20 vs. #2 A Night in the Bear Cage 23

Certainly the game of the week, and a contreversial one as well.  Blazers Era, the initially the #2 ranked team was surpassed by a more athletic Night in the Bear cage squad.  They knew that to get their spot back, they had to win this game.  #1 in out MVP rankings, Charlie Tilson played a good role in this win, putting up 12 against a solid defensive team in Blazers Era.  The game was close the whole time, and came down to layups and free throws late in the game.  Considerate deliberation will come on the part of NTJNL to decide Blazer's new home on the week four rankings
Standout:
Charlie Tilson, got to the hoop consistently to lead his team to a sweet victory over the Blazers.  This is exactly the type of play that will keep him his top spot in the MVP rankings.

#4 The KEG 25  vs. #12 Buff-ucers 32
This was one of the best match-ups the NTJNL has seen this year. The match-up consists of two teams that dont rank very close to eachother in this game. The KEG with superstar talent you would think would take over the game. The Buff-ucers with some ugly losses and a very balanced attack came up with the biggest upset so far this year. The blanace of Buff-ucers was too much for Schoder and the KEG to handle. A team that is fighting for a playoff spot needs wins like this to boost them into the post-season.
Standout:
Mick Parks and Patrick Callahan accounted for majority of the buff-ucers points and played stout D. They both kept Schoder in check throughout the game. They both get this games players of the game award.

#16 Semaca 25 vs. #19 John Scheyer's Cousin's Friends 28   OT
This weeks only OT game was a thriller. A close game throughout between two very even teams. Both teams looking to record their first win of the season. JSCF led by gaurd  Mitchell Hammes who couldnt make it, so they had to play amazing without him.
Standout:
No one
No one on either teams is any good other then Mitchell Hammes who is JSCF best player and has one of the best shots in the league

#22 Team Fujji 37 vs. #10 The Magical Forest of Gluckman 53
Teams Fujji, although the score really did not reflect it, showed a lot of improvement this week.  For one, they actually attempted to win a game against a very solid MF of G team.  Gluckman got out to an early lead and essentially held it throughout the game.  In the second half after switching from zone to man D, Fujii managed to lower the deficit to 10, but to no avail.  Very balanced scoring from MF of G as they have potential for good perimeter shooting with Reifenberg and Schroeder but also the presence of a physical player such as Chris Gluckman down low.

Standout:
Peter Schroeder with 18, got hot in the first half and fizzled a little in the second.  Balanced scoring from the whole team but edged out team mates by 4 or 6 points this game.  NTJNL is always looking for fresh faces to compete for a birth into the MVP rankings.

#14 TWAT 26  vs. #20 Where Brooklyn At? 22

TWAT found itself in a little crisis before the game.  They were down to 3 men as Tim Kinsella is out for the season after surgery and Tim Sullivan was not present.  They made up for it tenfold by picking up Big Trouble in Little China players Eddie Fay and Charlie Engleman.  Where Brooklyn At? was up 3 at half with an emberassing 11-14.  TWAT got some good bounces in the second half and Where Brooklyn At? resorted to fouling during 1 and 1 to stop the clock.  A few careless fouls early on in the game became key turnovers in a narrow four point win for a now 3-1 TWAT squad

Standout:

John Cook with another 10+ point game, this time with 14.  It could have easily been at least six or seven more if not for some iffy free throw shooting.

#23 Nuclear Octopi 0 vs. #8 Big Trouble in Little China  1
Nuclear Octopi did not show up to this game. Even if they did show up it wouldn't have been much different. Considering that Nuclear octopi is yet to win a game in three years and Big Trouble in Little China is a team that has a golden shoe on their mind.

#21What Would Scooby do 18 vs. #15 Milk Was a Bad Choice  32
A Must win game for Milk if they wish to make the top playoff bracket. They can afford only one more lose if they want a chance at the golden shoe. After a tight first half, Milk started a full-court press which a team like What Would Scooby do can not handle. Milk was very balance with their leading scorer with only 9 points. This will be a huge factor in coming weeks if they can stay that balanced
Standout:
Conor O'Donovan gets the game ball not only scoring the most points on Milk but also recording a game high number of rebounds.

#17 Flanagan 29 vs. #7 No Sympathy 30
Looking at the numbers, no one would have foreseen this close of a game.  Unfortunately for No Sympathy, former NT basketball player Nathan Alter made an unannounced appearance and dropping 10.  Not a terribly impressive game from No Sympathy, as they claimed that the shots just weren't falling.  Good rebounding however on the part of team Flanagan, which helped them keep close.  Despite good rebounding from team Flanagan and poor shooting from No Sympathy, the #7 squad still managed to get out with the W.
Standout:
The lanky one once again, Stu Haley scoring nearly half his teams points with 14 (assisted with 12 from Sam Thomas).  Stu could become the most unlikely of candidates for the MVP rankings if he continues to score in the double digits.

Week 3 in Review

#14 Sacson 5 26 vs. #17 Slippery Doorknob (Flanagan) 23

In the depths of New Trier's gyms emerged one of the better games of the night between these closely matched teams.  It was a close game throughout, and very consistent shooting from both sides.  SD forward Brian Flanagan was really on this Wednesday with 15 pts. against the number 14 sleeper in Sacson 5.  The game really came down to free throws at the end of the game.  Careless fouls from SD got Sacson 5 to the line one to many times at the close of the game as they sealed it with a three point win as time expired.

Standout:

Edrick Chu with 12 points, and the owner of those clutch free throws at the end of the game.  He was minorly overshadowed by Flanagan but the game ball traditionally goes to the winning teams leading scorer.

#13 TWAT 23 vs. #23 Nuclear Octopi 15

TWAT didn't quite cover the 42 point spread that was set before them, but a 4 on 2 defensive scheme was working against them.  TWAT sent two men down the court to play D and left the other three on the offensive end to receive long passes.  This plan backfired as rebounding became an issue in this four on two battle.  TWAT went up 13-0 in the first half and then implemented this 4v2 plan.   Nuclear Octopi on the other hand showed promise in that they were not as outlandish as they have been in the past, yet they still managed to frustrate the ref beyond belief. 

Standout:

John Cook with 10 pts. and 10+ boards, giving him his second Double Double of the season against a less then stellar Nuclear Octopi squad.

#2 Blazers Era 27 vs. #4 The KEG  26

 For the second straight week the Game of the Week has lived up to its hype. This one featuring two top 5 teams that are still looking to find their bearings atop the leaderboard. The KEG who, for the mostpart has one of the easiest schedules among the top teams looked to secure what was probably the harder wins of the season.  Blazers Era on the other hand still has some work to do to show that they belong at #2. It was a great game that came down to the wire was basically settled on free throws. MVP candidate Scott Schoder said after the game "We blew it from the line but thats our fault. We were probably 3 for 10, this definitely goes to show that free throw shooting wins games in night league.
Standout:
No one really had a game to remember in this match-up but Andrew Miller gets todays game ball because of the hard work on D and making some difficult shots in time of need


#1 Bella Mafia 23 vs. #7 No Sympathy 18
 
Another Great match-up this week featuring two playoff teams. Bella did not come close to covering the spread of 18 points cause No Sympathy was in control the entire first half, holding the most powerful offense to under 15 points. Bella Mafia was down 15-14 midway thru the 2nd half and went on a 9-0 run to put it away. Cook was a fill in for them and was good on the boards but too much Taylor Mcginnis with 13 of Bellas total. Tommy had 5 and Thomas had 6.Only three players for Bella scored in this game and that could potentially be a problem come playoff time. They could really use the all around Chad Sawyer
Standout:
Taylor Mcginnis gets the player of the game award. Him and Tommy have been their most consistent players each and every week. Both adding to their great Night League Reume with another good win.

#21 What would Scooby do? 35  vs. #8 Off in the Woods 47

Still no team has beaten off in the woods. This will stand for at least the next couple weeks due to no games. This was a close game despite the end result. off in the woods never trailed, but WWSD? was able to keep it within 6 until the last 2 minutes, when desperation turned into fouls that led to easy points for off in the woods. it was an even game, with the difference being the height of sam adler and how well off in the woods was able to control the clock at the end of the game.
Standout:
This game consisting of  co-mvps. First, Sam Adler had 31 points and Second, Brett Joseph with 23 points

#11 Big G all Day 37  vs. #16 Semaca 30
 
Big G All Day getting a must win game in order to make the playoffs over Semaca despite being the second team in only two weeks to have to play the majority of the game with only four players. John Nickel went down in the first minute of the second half after he tripped over  Semaca. This was a balance attack by Big G All Day with all four players getting at least 8 points. Big G All Day struggled rebounding at times being down a man but was able to find the backdoor all day on offense.
Standout:
Phil led Big G All Day in scoring with 13 points, but the game ball goes to Joe Russell. Down a man, he was often able to overpower two of Semaca's players to bring in needed defensive rebounds to keep Big G All Day's playoff hopes alive.

#18 Big D Legends 44 #19 John Scheyer's Cousin's Friends 40

Two unrostered players headed the Legends in this week's win over JSCF.  Peter McGuire (who dropped 35 last week) and John Gallagher, an NT sophomore player himself brought loads of experience to the court.  It was pretty tight and JSCF was even up by five at half but power and athleticism on McGuire's behalf got the Legends the win.  He drove the ball well and drew some key fouls down the stretch in this four point win.  Good efforts from former NT feeder player Mitchell Hammes, and Dillon Joffe each with 15 pts.
Standout:
For the second week in a row, Peter McGuire earns the game ball with 23 pts. easlily (and consitently at that) racking up nearly half the team's points.  If only he were a rostered player he could undoubtedly compete for the top spot in the MVP rankings.

#10 Code Green Lights 59 vs. #22 Team Fujji 32

Code Green Lights with a dominating 27 point victory over one of the leagues worst teams this Wednesday.  Although beating #22 is nothing to yell about, they showed what a solid 2-3 zone can do to an unexperienced team.  The D forced low percentage outside shots that were ultimately scooped up by a member of the CGL.  Fujji also suffered in that they are one of the leagues few five man squads, which makes it hard for the team to have the necessary energy to compete at a high level for all 30 minutes.
Standout:
Balanced scoring from this team, but Danny Noren edged out his team by a few points with 15 against a 1-2 Team Fujji.

#3 Night in the Bear Cage 21 vs. #12 Buff-ucer 17
This great match-up was a game with players that do not have any respect for each other and required two refs. Not a very high scoring game considering that both teams rely on their D to win games. Jack Monty had to sub for Bear Cage and was basically playing for the other team. So it was more like a 6 v 4 game instead of a 5 v 5. Buff-ucers could have easily won the game but Patrick Callahan couldn't knock down the easy short range shots. Buff-ucers guard Chris Getch said after the game, "Patrick missed a fuckload of lay-ups" and you just can't win games doing that.
Standout:
Getch and Tilson share the game ball as they were matched up on eachother all day. they both proved to the league that they can score with a man on them.

#20 Where Brooklyn at?   vs.  #6 Big Trouble in Little China WIN
TBD

Week 2 in Review

Player of the week:
This goes to Peter McGuire not a night league player that is on a roster, and does not go to New Trier but dropped 35 points against the second best team in the League. Hes a player that can shoot and also post you up down low if he wants.  

Week 2 Results

#14 Milk was a Bad Choice 30 vs. #10 No sympathy 42

 No sympathy improved their record to one and one with a win over Milk Was a Bad Choice.  No sympathy, while lacking size inside made up for it tenfold with impressive perimeter shooting.  Dan Hill, guarded by Michael Liberman, coming off a solid 18 point game last week was No Sympathy's main focus on D.  They succeeded in shutting him down as the game never got to within ten after the half.
Standout:
The Lanky one himself Stu Haley shot the ball well and dropped 18 in a smooth win over a stuggling O-2 team (last weeks loss to #1 Bella Mafia)

#7 Magical Forest of Gluckman 24 vs. #6 Big Trouble in Little China 37

In the lone 7:45 game this week, Big Trouble in little China took advantage of the big gym with very solid 3-point shooting.  BTLC focused on shutting down Chris Gluckman down low and then guarding Reifenberg around the perimeter.  Big Trouble in Little China attributed this smooth victory to scooping up loose balls and rebounding the ball well.  Another solid performance from Matt Reifenberg with 12 pts, staying in contention for a spot somewhere in the MVP rankings.
Standout:
Graham Wanders with a good game of 14 pts, nine of them coming from 3-point territory.

#9 TWAT 23 vs. #15 Code Green Lights INC. 30
Turnovers were the deciding factor in this battle in the main gym.  CGL showed up blasting their pump up music and it seemed to have worked.  They showed up big bringing talent from last year's sophomore team in Michael Quirke.  He dropped dimes the whole game and contributed six points of his own. TWAT turned over the ball too many times to come out with the W.  CGL was up 18-4 at half and TWAT started a comeback with 8 second half points from Nathan Seeley (ten in the game).
Standout:
Michael Quirke brought significant experience to the court this monday and we definitely seek to see more of this is future weeks.  He had six points and seven assists.


#4 Night In the Bear Cage 33 vs. #16 Semaca 27
This game had the largest spread because we thought that they would play with Tilson their best play and have five men on the court. But this was not the case Bear Cage didnt have Tilson and only had 4 guys but still won the game. This shows that their team is one of the most athletic teams in the league by still winning games with only 4 players.
Standout:
Alex Johnson-Bice and Laackman both share the game ball. Both scoring 12 points and as proven by their 4v5 play that they can both hustle back and play great D


#23 Nuclear Octopi 26  vs. #21 Team Fujji 29

Team Fujji sneaking by the worst team in night league with a 3 point victory. Fujii also establishing themselves as one of the worst teams in the league. If either team is hoping to make the playoffs (which they wont) they need to start playing harder and as a team.



#1 Bella Mafia 30 vs. #3 How Much Jam Ya Got Man? 27 
The best match-up of the year so far consisted of two championship caliber teams. A tight game through out with the largest lead of only 6 by How Much Jam. Going into the half Jam was up by four playing solid on defense, but the experience and clutch play capability of Tommy Blanchard led Bella Mafia to huge victory. If we see these match-up in the post season we will be in for a dandy.
Standout:
Tommy Blanchard was held to only a single basket in the first half, with solid D from How Much Jam Ya Got Man? Putting up ten points in the second half, and with no turnovers in that half as well that gets him the game ball. Not only driving on his opponents but showing the league that he is a shooter as well.



#11 Sacson Five 25 vs. #12 Off in the Woods 27

Sacson 5 came onto the court confident as always dawning their traditional short shorts.  The Sacson 5 would have loved to beat Off in Woods so badly but it just wouldn't come.  Off in the Woods' center Sam Adler kept Sacson 5 busy on D, leaving a strong supporting cast to rack up uncontested shots.  The game was close though, coming down two a one point margin.  Zach Mandell was thrown out before the end of regulation for abusive language to the ref. Jacob Laser made two free throws to put it into OT, but consistent shooting got the W for Off in the Woods.
Standout:
A player whos name isnt heard around the league, Lucas Pluta get the player of the game award. Putting up 14 points accounting for about half of his teams points and was always the teams leading scorer in the first game.


#22 Big D Legends 44 vs. #2 Blazers Era 46
How is Blazers Era #2 and only beat one of the worst teams in Night League by 2? Well a Loyola student Peter McGuire played for Big D and had over 35 points this game using his size and strength to over power the opposing team. But the depth of Blazers Era helped them get their first win of the season with a bye the first week. Allen Beyer making a buzzer beater to win the game has gotten some talk around the league this week.
Standout:
Allen and Peter share this weeks player of the game award. Yes Allen had 18 points and the winning shot, but Peter did score 30+ points and is Big Ds only decent player. Allen showed promise by taking it to the hoop while mainaining a good stroke from the outside. 



#18 John Scheyer's Cousins Friends 32 vs. #5 the KEG  44
The KEG did not cover the spread but however they were in control majority of the game. JSCFs may be a little under rated this year but the KEG proving themselves as an elite team. With a tough game next week against #2 Blazers era is their only tough game on the schedule this season. If they pull off a win it will prove to the league that the KEG is here to win.
Standout:
Scott Schoder gets the player of the game award leading the team with 18 points and for sure getting a double double. Scotts got the inside game, but he will need to earn some respect with his mid range and outside shot in order to take home a MVP award this season. 



#13 Big G All Day 33 vs.  #8 Buffucers 32
A hardfought game, one of two to come down to a one point margin.  Both teams stuck to a very aggressive game plan, not settling for outside shots.  In what was possibly this weeks biggest upset, Big G All Day rebounded the ball well against an athletic Buffucers squad.  Big G all Day guard Michael Phillips made a tough drive to the rack on the last play to score the final two points, followed by a last ditch half courter from Patick Callahan.  Solid performance from Mick Parks with 18 points, making him a very legitimate contender for Night League's MVP rankings.
Standout:
Michael Phillips with 15 points, and most notably the game winning shot to put them up by two.

 

Week 1 in Review

Standout Performance of the Week:
This weeks performance of the week goes to Greg Smart putting up a career high 28 points in the frist game of the year and only his 2nd game in the last two years. No one expected him to play this well, but now he is a player every team has to look out for. Next week his team is playing John Scheyer's Cousin's Friends
Week One Results 
14. Milk was a Bad Choice 34 vs. 1. Bella Mafia 44

This game started off close and Bella Mafia couldn't run them out of the gym. Milk was a bad choice kept it within 15-20 the entire game and got it to the teens at some points. The number 14 team: Milk was a bad Choice looked a lot better then the 14 seed so watch out for them in the coming weeks.

Standout:

Thomas Merriman accounted for many of the Mafias points and is one of few that hustle back on D. He is looking to become a part in the race for MVP.

8. No Sympathy 22 vs. 3. How Much Jam Ya Got Man? 34

This game was close the entire time the largest lead was 12; the final score. How much Jam was up only 5 at the half with a lot of mistakes. But with new additions to the team they were able to keep No Sympathy away towards the end of the game. Down the wire the team with more experience came out on top of this heated rivalry 

Standout:

Henry Falter had a solid game offensively with 8 points with at least 7 missed free throws, but this new addition played very well on the defensive side of the ball and was only two points away from a double double 

17. What would Scooby Do?26 vs. 15. Sacson5 39
Two teams that create a great matchup really proved it to be a good game. Sacson5 looking to be a sleeper team to make the top playoffs and may sneak in if they can get some key wins like this one. A team with some talent but is capable of losing to a team that is much worse. They did not show many weaknesses in this game coming out strong and controlling the tempo from the beginning
Standout:
Jacob Laser not only the tallest player, but the most affective on offense to. Leading the game with 15 points and easily had a double double accounting for majority of his teams rebounds. He will be crucial part of his teams success

13. Flanagan 30 vs 18. Off in the Woods 34
This was the only upset in week 1. Off in the woods coming out strong and fighting all the way to the end to sneak out with a W. Team Flanagan looked flat at the beginning but tried to build momentum but struggled to do so. This game shows how important free throws are. Some say Off in the Woods won because of them.
Standout:
Sam Adler in his junior debut came up clutch making his shots from the free throw line to secure a win for his team. Also the leading point scorer with 14

19. Big D Legends 23 vs. 6. The KEG 70

The KEG came out firing this week, showing their capability to dominate a game from minute one to thirty.  A suprising game from starting point guard Greg Smart, who dropped 28 in his junior year debut.  Blazer's Era guard JD Matsas made an appearance for the Big D Legends, as they found themselves a man down, he had 18 points in this oblideration. One of the most exciting things in Night League happened in this game. Scott Schoder dunked, the first person in our grade to do so in a game. Something everyone wishes they could see.
Standout:
Greg Smart with 28 pts. A lot of them were off of fast break chances, but 28 points is 28 points and almost half his teams total. His ability to run the court may cause havic for other teams.

23. Nuclear Octopi 17 vs. 22 Code Green Lights INC. 48

This game offered some of the lower ranked teams a chance to compete agaisnt teams of a similar caliber.  The game however turned out to be fairly one sided in the 21 point win for the CGLI. The Nuclear Octopi stayed true to their name, giving very little effort but having a blast doing it.  Cowboys was their theme for this week.  The Octopi attempted several oops and half courters, one of which was successfully done by NO forward Connor McLane.
Standout:
Michael Brocksmith with 14 points. Leading his team to a must win game over the worst team.

10. Big G All Day 19 vs  5. A Night in the Bear Cage 32

Big G All Day missing their best player Mike Phillips could have used him during the game. A Night in the Bear Cage: the much stronger and athletic team in this matchup didn't win by as much as they could have. But their defense looked very promising holding Big G All Day to less then 20 points

Standout:

MVP candidate Charlie Tilson with more then 1/3 of his teams points with 12. Used his speed and his athletic ability to power over the small Big G All Day team. 

9. Buff-Uchers 30 vs 12. Semaca 17
One of the most exciting games this week despite the score. LJ Haboush subbing in because of a shortage of players did his job, injuring one of team Semacas best players Alex Semaca. This happened when they went up for a rebound and the stronger LJ over powered Semaca sending him to the floor. 
Standout:
Mick Parks with a game high of 17 points, outscoring the entire other team. This puts him second on the avg PPG, behind the KEGs gaurd Smart with 28

21. Fujii 14 vs 11. TWAT 34

It was a battle of long range tries in the stage gym this wednesday. Members of team Fujii threw up numerous long range shots early in their posessions, but were fruitless in their efforts.  TWAT capitolized on the iffy shooting by crashing the boards and transitioning to set up a very sound half court offense, in this easy 20 point victory.
  Standout:
 John Cook with 12 points and 14 boards. Proving that he can be both a big man and a scorer in the league

7. Magic Forest of Gluckman 29 vs 16. Where Brooklyn At?  12

The second matchup that the stage gym saw this wednesday was a battle of defense.  The score was kept low (12-4) at the half, due mostly to rock solid D from both squads.  In the second half Magical Forest of Gluckman showed why they are a top 10 team, continuing with good D and forcing a few key turnovers, consequently giving MF of G easy fast break points.
Standout:
Matt Reifenberg with 10 points, making his night league debut after making the decision to not play at the varsity level.  He brings a lot of experience and technique to the court and will definitely be a factor in MF of G's future success.