First Loss; Coach Fined; Realignment

There has been a whirl of activity over the past two weeks since the Mailmen played, and lost, their last basketball game to Boston Road 71-68.

After the loss the team, rightfully so, wasn't in the best state of mind.

"Well, we got outplayed down the stretch," injured big man Kerry Hunter said after, "I don't like to make excuses and talk about the officiating, it didn't feel like the best officiated game. But we didn't shoot well from beyond the arc and just made mistakes down the stretch."

Other team members weren't as willing to quiet their discontent for the officiating.

Brandon Hunter - "I don't want to talk about it, I really don't. You see us out there busting our (expletive) just as much as the other guys. We are shorter, so guys can knock us around and jump over our back. Terrible. We didn't lose this game. Not the way I saw it."

Pat Cripple - "Inside we didn't stand a chance, 7 players on one side, 5 on ours."

Coach Jason Hunter - "I'll come right out and say the officiating was terrible tonight. You know you try not to complain during the game, we just try to make our point known. But after awhile of going to the basket and getting hammered, then coming down to the other end and getting a phantom call on us. C'mon. C'mon. They lost the game for us, they really did. We play the same kind of basketball every night. Scrappy, fast-break. I think once we started talking to the refs it was over. Over for us. Just the worst job of officiating I've been a part of since we've been in this league."

A week after the comments made, Jason Hunter was fined $5,000 from the league.

"I knew that the sanctions would come down on me afterward," Hunter said in a phone interview this past week. "But it had to be said, have to stick up for my guys out there. We just want a fair deal out there."

The Mailmen led last in the second half when Boston went on a short run, tying the game. Boston had a chance to win in as time expired, but a corner three was off the mark. That's when fouls called against the Mailmen came into effect, and the full court shot by Andy Kempf at the end of overtime missed its target and the team fell to 2-1 on the regular season.

The Mailmen shot poor from behind the arc. Only mustering 24% (6/25) which is well below their 33% shooting touch on the year. They also missed an opportunity on the free throw line, only managing 2 of 6. The tean battled back inside however, getting to the basket. They worked up 46% of everything inside three, a touch better than their season average.

"We recognized the three wasn't falling," Kerry said after the game, "It was good that we got to the hoop, had some good follows. We have to battle more inside since we are always the smaller team on the floor."

The Mailmen should get taller this Sunday however as Kerry Hunter may make his season debut coming off of knee surgery.

"I ran a lot this week, more than previous weeks," Kerry said in a phone interview today, "it's getting better. I'm probably still not at 100%, but I feel strong enough to give it a go. Hopefully I help more than I hurt Sunday."

The Mailmen will take on a new divisional opponent, Tune Sqaud (0-3) as the league was realigned after the last league games. Make It Drizzle was also moved to the 2nd Division as both teams were not faring well in Divison 1. This realignment was used to balance the play from both Division's and now teams will only play most other teams in their division once. All teams will still make the playoffs.

Let's hope for a W and no settlements off the hardwood.