Monday, December 15, 2014

GrandMaMa's Move Winning Streak to 4

After their recent 73-39 victory this past Sunday, the GrandMaMa's have moved to 3-0 in the winter season.

The MaMa's are off to great start offensively, averaging 63.5 points per game and shooting 45% from the floor.  Even more shocking are their capabilities from beyond the arc.  Before the beginning of this season, the organization had never shot better than 35% from three point range through an entire season.  Though only having a small sample to work with, the 41% three point percentage is a welcomed addition to the offensive side of the ball.  The team is shooting 47% from inside the arc, which, if continued, would be their third best two point field goal percentage in organizational history.

On the individual side, Brandon Hunter is leading the team with 17.8 points per game while shooting 49% from the floor.  Not far behind is Kevin Morgan, who has come on strong this winter, averaging 17 points, six rebounds per game, and shooting 44% from the field.

Not to be understated, the defensive side of the ball is also performing at a top rate.  The team is only giving up around 42 points per game (41.6).  The defensive efficiency, along with the offensive output, has given the GrandMaMa's victories of 34, 34, and 16 points during the regular season this winter.

New addition Pat Cripple has fit right back into the system seamlessly.  In his second game as part of the GrandMaMa's against Vitamix December 7th, Crip scored 10 points, shot 50% from the floor, grabbed 5 rebounds, and created opportunity for the offense by creating turnovers on the defensive side of the ball.  He is averaging six points on 46% shooting in his two games this season.

Back to recent action.

As stated earlier, the 73-39 victory against Tune Squad, tied their largest victory of the year of 34 points.  Brandon Hunter (24 points) and Kevin Morgan (16) and Brent Hunter (20) all scored in double figures and combined to shoot 58% from the floor.  The youngest Hunter and Morgan also grabbed nine and seven rebounds respectively, while Matt Eberwein (3 points) led the team in that category with 10 rebounds on the night.  Justin Woo (five points, four rebounds) and Jason Hunter (five points, two rebounds) rounded out the scoring and rebounding totals.

After pushing out to a 31 point lead at halftime, the GrandMaMa's continued to push the envelope, outscoring Tune Squad 16-13 in a more defensive-minded second half.  Tune Squad could only manage five field goals against a GrandMaMa's 2-3 zone that has found new life with the additions from the offseason.

The team will look to push their regular season win streak to four games as they play a rare Monday night game against Money Team (1-1 as of this writing) at 6:30pm.


Monday, November 24, 2014

New Season, New Hope

The Grand MaMa's have always had their focus on the winter.

Badly outmatched, out-gunned, and out-manned throughout the winter, the Grand MaMa's knew their abilities as a team would shine through during the winter months in the Brunswick Mens Rec Basketball League.

Though the shine was dull, the MaMa's won their preseason opener against State Farm by a score of 45-36.

The team struggled in most aspects on the offensive side of the ball, but stepped up on defense, never surrendering the lead all game.

Brandon Hunter and first-year scorer Kevin Morgan compiled 22 points for the team, but could only manage to shoot 26% from the field (8/31) and 50% from the free throw line (4/8).  As a team the Grand MaMa's could only manage a 47% mark (9/19).

A rare night for the Grand MaMa's as Jason Hunter led the team in scoring, doing most of his damage from beyond the arc going four of six from deep.  He scored 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the floor.  He added a free throw and two rebounds.

Playing in his first game in over a year, Justin Woo added two points and a rebound, but solidified himself underneath on both ends of the floor and did not back away from any physicality on either end.

The Grand MaMa's will likely have one more preseason game before the winter regular season begins.  Pat Cripple will also likely make his debut for the team, and reports are seldom seen Brent Hunter may also be available.  A look at what a full squad could do would be a great watch this coming Sunday or Monday evening.

The Grand MaMa's next scheduled game time was not available at the time of this post.


Saturday, November 22, 2014

As the Snow Begins, So Does a New Season

The Grand MaMa's are looking ahead.

Looking ahead toward tomorrow, to be exact.

After falling in the first round of the Fall league playoffs this past Monday, the Grand MaMa's already have their sights on a redeeming winter.

Though the team fell on hard times, going 1-9 during the regular season and playoffs this past season, a new hope and inspired outlook on the more competitively even-matched winter season is upon them.

They will have their first shot at their fresh slate tomorrow against State Farm at 5pm at the Brunswick Rec Center.

The Grand MaMa's have had some questions surrounding their roster over the past few months but have started to find some answers to those questions.

Kevin Morgan, who led the team in scoring this past season at 16.8 points per game, is going to make the commitment to the team this fall.  It is the first time in the organizations history that someone else has the led the team in scoring besides Brandon Hunter, who averaged 15.8 points per game this past season.

Two other additions this upcoming season include Justin Woo, who averaged six points and four rebounds during the team's Human Highlight Reel seasons, and Pat Cripple, who last played for the organization when they were named the Mailmen.  "Crip" averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in 18 games that season while shooting 42% from the floor.

Looking back at the fall session, there was not much take away from the 1-9 record, but if you looked hard enough, you could find some positives.

Career highlights were eclipsed this past fall, while others may likely fall during the winter season.

Brandon Hunter moved over 1000 3-point attempts in his career (1102), 2000 points (2058), and is the first player in the organizations history to play over 100 games (101).  He is also closing in on 1000 rebounds for his career with 754.

Jason Hunter will likely eclipse a few career totals this winter including 1000 total shots (985), 100 free throws (97), 1000 points (981), and 500 field goals attempted (461).  He passed the 500 total three point attempt mark this past fall, standing now at 504.

Andy Kempf surpassed 500 shots this past season (505) and is closing on career totals of 500 field goal attempts (465), 100 free throw attempts (89), 500 points (464), and 1000 rebounds (834).

Not to be outdone, sparingly used veteran big man Kerry Hunter is also chasing career marks of 500 field goal attempts (387) and 500 total rebounds (485).

The new season, although preseason, starts tomorrow.  Come along for the ride as the Grand MaMa's push towards a their first championship run this winter.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Record, and Bodies, Falling

The Grand MaMa's have fallen to 1-7 after their 50-66 loss to Panini's this past Monday.  To add insult to injury, guard Chuck Caldwell was hurt in the game prior, a 46-54 loss to We Get Buckets.

Caldwell's injury occurred during a fast break layup.  Caldwell was wrapped up from behind by an opposing player and came down awkwardly on his heel, which the team would later find to be fractured.  He will be out for the remainder of the fall season and will likely not be able to suit up again until January or February.

The Grand MaMa's have started searching for help for the upcoming winter season with the knowledge that Caldwell will be out for an extended period of time.

Player-coach Kerry Hunter has now seen action in two games, posting three points and two rebounds in limited minutes this past Monday.

The MaMa's have been unable to find any kind of rhythm this fall season, having their worst showing in their organizations history.  If there was anything positive to take away from this past Monday's game, it was that the team was easily outmatched athletically, but found ways to stay in the game until Panini's was forced to use their speed in a full court press, that created turnovers.  It was the first time that the Grand MaMa's have seen any kind of pressure of that nature all year, and it showed.

Though they beat the press on occasion, Panini's speed proved to be too much as the achilles heel of the good guys, turnovers, came to bite them again.  The press created a lot of rushed passes, bad full court passes, and poorly timed passes in general that helped Panini's keep the lead for good in the second half.

Kevin Morgan was the best player on the floor for the Grand MaMa's scoring 20 points and grabbing seven rebounds.  He was 3 of 4 from three point range and 5 of 9 from two.

The team will face Coke Boys this coming Monday at 9:05.  The Grand MaMa's lost to Coke Boys earlier in the year 57-67.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Grand MaMa's Still Trying to Find Identity in 59-46 Loss

The Grand MaMa's haven fallen to 1-4 after their 59-46 loss to Tylers last night in the Brunswick Mens Rec League.

The tale of the tape includes turnovers, poor three point shooting, and a bad fast-break defense.

The MaMa's stayed close during the first half of play, but a short run by Tylers at the end of the half pushed their lead to seven, 32-25.  The MaMa's would get no closer.

During the second half the MaMa's attempted to use their size.  This was the first game this season where they had a larger front court than the opposition. New faces Matt Eberwein and Kevin Morgan benefited from the inside-out approach, totaling 29 points and 17 rebounds between the two.  Eberwein has moved his rebounding average to over 10 boards a game (10.4).  Morgan led the team with 19 points.

Though throwing the ball inside is something the team isn't quite as used to during their normal jump shooting, attack the basket offensive approach.  During a few moments with the ball in the post, the movement would be stagnant, with no cuts to the basket, leaving the post player to force shots or to try and create something on their own.  These moments usually led to turnovers and easy baskets on the other end.

The MaMa's could also only manage a 21% outing from three point range, which derailed their offense on a few occasions.  The team is only shooting 27% from there this season and will need to move away from the three during games where the shots are not falling.

The team seems to want to utilize the inside-out approach more often going forward, especially against teams like last nights; under-sized.  Being able to find a solid post presence, especially with the size the team now possesses, will likely benefit the team in more ways than one.  Not only will Eberwein and Morgan be able to use their skills close to the basket, but with more strong cuts to the basket, and a more inside-out look, the three point shooters will have more space and more easy layups will be had.

The time of the Grand MaMa's next game was not available at the time of this article.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Grand MaMa's Suffer Second Largest Loss in Organizations History

Back in 2010, when the now Grand MaMa's were the Reignmakers, the team lost their opening divisional-placement game by 27 points to Young and Reckless 59-32.

The team combined to shoot 8% from three point range, only made 14 total shots on the night (25%) and scored only 12 points in the second half.  Only two members of this year team were playing that day as Brandon Hunter (5/23 from the floor) led the team that night with 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Fast forward almost four years later.

The Grand MaMa's (1-3) fall to The Family by 26, losing 72-46.

The numbers from the two games are extremely similar as the team only shot 18% (6/34) from three and 26% (19/72) total for the game.  The MaMa's could only put up 15 points in a second half where shots within 5 feet of the basket seemingly rolled off the rim all night long.

The Family spread the game out early, scoring 24 of their 39 points in the first half off of three pointers and truly never looked back; they totaled half of their points from beyond the arc spreading the Grand MaMa's 2-3 as thin as they could.

On the offensive end, the Grand MaMa's had a fairly balanced scoring attack, point total wise, with Brandon Hunter leading the team with 12 (7 rebounds), followed by Kevin Morgan with 11, Jason Hunter with 9, and Matt Eberwein with 8 (11 rebounds).  Andy Kempf (4 points, 11 rebounds) and Chuck Caldwell (2 points) rounded out the scoring effort that was never going to be enough on this evening.

There were some positives to take from the game, though you have to dig a little.  The team is starting to hit the glass harder as a unit, grabbing 41 rebounds.  Eberwein and Kempf are closing in on averaging 10 rebounds a game, though only through four games, and Chuck Caldwell is nearly 3 rebounds a game(3.8) over his career total (1.9).  The Grand MaMa's will also likely never face a team quite as talented as The Family for the rest of the fall season and even throughout its upcoming winter season.  The Family has been a staple in the Brunswick Rec League Upper Division, routinely finishing at the top of the standings there for the past few seasons.  The Grand MaMa's have finished near the top of their division respectively, but in the League's Lower Division.

The Grand MaMa's are also still a bit slim when it comes to their overall roster numbers as Kyle Komer, Justin Woo, and Brent Hunter were all absent from this nights contest.  Woo and Hunter will likely be out the entire fall.  Player-coach Kerry Hunter has yet to dress for a contest this season.

The Grand MaMa's will look to bounce back next Monday.  Time for their game has not been disclosed at the time of this article.

Friday, October 3, 2014

The Grand MaMa's Score Their First Win

With a large scoring output, The Grand MaMa's (1-2) defeated Long Shots by nearly 30 points this past Monday, 76-50.

The MaMa's had three players in double figures, Brandon Hunter (24), Kevin Morgan (20), and Jason Hunter (17).  Brandon Hunter added ten rebounds for the first double-double of the teams season.  Morgan and the oldest Hunter sibling combined to shoot 4 of 10 from three point range and 10 of 15 from inside the arc.

Matt Eberwein (8 points) and Andy Kempf hit the glass hard totaling 12 and 10 rebounds respectively.

Chuck Caldwell added seven points and four rebounds as the Grand MaMa's shot 47% from two point range as a team.

The good guys led by only 8 points headed into the half, but as they have in the past, opened it up in the second, outscoring the Long Shots 44-26.  They constantly found open shot underneath and behind the defense of their opposition resulting in layups and uncontested baskets.  The 2-3 zone worked to perfection as the MaMa's held the Long Shots to only 5 three pointers.

The Grand MaMa's will take on their toughest opponent to date facing The Family this coming Monday at 8:10.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Career Milestones Outlook

After completing final career statistics up to and including the Human Highlight Reels season, there are a few players with a few milestones that have been made and will be looking to make this upcoming season.

Note: The totals for the first two games of the Grand MaMa's season has not been included.

Brandon Hunter
  • Eclipsed 1000 career three-pointers attempted
  • Needs only 100 points to total 2000 for his career
  • Needs only 9 games to total 100 for his career
  • Closing in on 1000 career rebounds with 702 (had 219 last season)

Jason Hunter
  • Closing in on 1000 total shots for his career (909)
  • Needs 9 more free throws to total 100 for his career
  • Needs 98 more points to total 1000 for his career
  • Will likely total more than 500 field goals (436) and three-point attempts (473) after this season

Andy Kempf
  • Needs 82 more field goal attempts to reach 500
  • Only 48 shot attempts from reaching 500 for his career
  • Needs 22 more free throws to reach 100 for his career
  • 78 points away from 500 total
  • Closing in on the career 1000 rebounds mark with 745 (he totaled over 300 last season)

Kerry Hunter
  • 39 shot attempts away from 500 total for his career
  • Needs only 23 rebounds for reach 500 for his career

Kyle Komer
  • Needs 29 points to total 500 for his career

Organizational Statistics
  • 91 total games played
  • FG - 1393/3229 - 43%
  • 3P - 666/2167 - 31%
  • Total - 2059/5396 - 38%
  • FT - 601/960 - 63% (only 40 more to total 1000 team career free throws)
  • 5412 points - 59.5 points per game
  • 3089 rebounds - 33.9 rebounds per game
We will keep you updated on when and where career statistics are surpassed.

The team will take on Long Shots this coming Monday at 7:20.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Grand MaMa's Filling Out Roster, Fall to 0-2

The Grand MaMa's started out on the right foot even before the game started.

Being able to dress more than 5 guys has been an issue for the team throughout their years, no matter what the name.  On this night however, 6 guys would give it a go.

Newly acquired Kevin Morgan made his debut for the MaMa's, scoring 4 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.

The team is still moving forward with identifying a team chemistry.  Having 8-10 guys on the roster, though rarely suiting them all up at once, has the team working on team chemistry night in and night out.

Still unavailable for this past Mondays 57-67 loss to Coke Boys include Kyle Komer, Justin Woo, Brent Hunter, and Kerry Hunter.

As for the contest, both Brandon and Jason Hunter led the team with 16 points a piece and Matt Eberwein (6 points) led the team with 8 rebounds.  Though the team could only muster 23 total rebounds on the night as the Coke Boys athleticism and height proved to be too much for the Grand MaMa's.

The team shot fairly well from three, hitting on 39% (11/28) of their attempts from long range; Chuck Caldwell was 75% from there (3/4).  Yet the team only shot 40% inside the arc and struggled to find any space inside as every shot was contested by the length of the Coke Boys big men.  The Grand MaMa's shot 40% (21/53) total for the game.

The good guys will look forward to next Monday in search for their first win of the shortened fall season.

Time of the game was not available at the time of this writing.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Season Preview - Grand MaMa's Fall in Fall Season Opener

Another new season; another new outfit; another new team; same goal.

The new-look Grand MaMa's have their sights set on a championship run this coming Winter.  A goal that has been part of the organization since their inaugural season a mere 5 years ago.

Many of the same faces are back from a year ago and years past, along with some new arrivals.

Brandon Hunter, who leads the organization in scoring (21.2) is back after leading the team in scoring   (20.4 ppg) and field goal percentage (49%) last winter.

Jason Hunter (10.4 ppg), Andy Kempf (11.9 rpg), Chuck Caldwell (8.2 ppg), Kyle Komer (8.5 ppg), and Justin Woo (6 ppg) also return for the Grand MaMa's.

Big man Kerry Hunter has moved farther away from seeing the floor, though has not escaped it entirely.  The veteran center has transitioned to a "player-coach" role this season, which gives Hunter the option to only play when needed.  He averaged just over 6 points and nearly 6 rebounds last season in 13 games.

Two new faces you will see this season include Matt Eberwein and Kevin Morgan.  Both join the GMM's after not playing in the Brunswick Men's Rec League last season and look to not only bring height, but athleticism, another scoring punch, and toughness to a team that needs a little of it all.

Check back here weekly as the Fall Season is getting underway.  The Grand MaMa's organization will use this season as a team-building couple of months to prepare themselves for another championship run this winter.

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Grand MaMa's Come Up Short in Fall Opener

A too familiar occurrence happened this past Monday night for the new-look Grand MaMa's; they only had 5 guys to dress in their 55-67 loss to Paninis.

With Kyle Komer (undisclosed), Kevin Morgan (illness), Kerry Hunter (back), and Justin Woo (not available for the fall season) not able to go the GMM's set out against a larger, more athletic Paninis with no subs and a new face to build into their team chemistry.

Matt Eberwein showed that he will be a valuable part of this organization down the road as he totaled a near double-double with 11 points and 8 rebounds in his first contest for the teal and purple (though the new team jerseys are not available as of yet, the team went with last years red and yellow attire), shooting 50% from the floor.

Brandon Hunter led the team with 19 points, Jason Hunter followed with 18, but the two combined to only shoot 7 of 24 from beyond the arc (29%).  Andy Kempf (4 points, 6 rebounds) and Chuck Caldwell (3 points, 6 rebounds) could only muster so much as Paninis rotated players in and out all evening.

The Grand MaMa's closed the gap to within 10 late in the second half after trailing by more than 20 early on, but could get no closer as the speed and athleticism of the opposition just proved to be too much.

The Grand MaMa's will look to bounce back next Monday.  The time of the game has yet to be disclosed at the time of this article.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Highlight Reels Open Playoffs With a W

The Human Highlight Reels were in a state of confusion before their game began two Sundays ago.

Walking onto the big stage of the playoffs, the Highlight Reels were set to face Great 8; yet Great 8 was unavailable to play that night.

The Highlight Reels opening act was then switched to read "versus Paninis - Black".

The Highlight Reels faced this opponent before, winning by more than 10 points earlier in the season.  This contest was much closer than that.

The Reels struggled from the floor most of the evening, shooting only 31% from the field all night long (21% from three), and could only manage a tie with their new first round opponent headed into half time.

Paninis did hit a half-court buzzer beater to close out the half, but it was waved off due to the quick thinking of forward Andy Kempf, who took a charge as the shot went up.  The referee's deliberated for a minute or so until they decided to wave off the basket.

Thankfully for the Highlight Reels, Kempf had his wits about him at an opportune time.

With the three point lead erased for Paninis, the Highlight Reels locked down a little more on the defensive end and battled harder on the glass, which helped push them to a 53-49 first round victory.

Kempf also led the team on the glass, grabbing 14 rebounds. He has tallied double digit rebounds in six straight contests.

With team leading scorer Brandon Hunter struggling from the field (10 points, 7 rebounds), Jason Hunter stepped up where scoring was needed.

The oldest Hunter brother went 4 of 8 from three and scored 18 points along the way to lead the team.  The scoring output from both Hunter brothers will be relied upon in the playoffs if they want to make a deep run.

Justin Woo (4 rebounds) and Chuck Caldwell added 8 points a piece and veteran Kerry Hunter clogged up the middle on the defensive end on his way to 4 points and 3 rebounds.

The Human Highlight Reels will face NBN for their second round game this coming Sunday at 9pm.  The Highlight Reels defeated NBN earlier in the year by nine points.  Brandon Hunter led the team in both points (21) and rebound (6) in that contest.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Regular Season Review - Playoffs Await

The Human Highlight Reels finished off their regular season with a 71-60 win over Team Yuengling. The final outcome was not nearly as close, though the score not being THAT close, as the number indicate.

Brandon Hunter lead all scorers with 29 points and shot 58% from the floor.  Andy Kempf, Justin Woo, and Kerry Hunter grabbed 12, 7 and 6 rebounds respectively as the Highlight Reels dominated on the offensive and defensive glass.  Jason Hunter and Kyle Komer who put in 14 points collectively on the offensive side of the ball, pressured Team Yeungling most of the night up front that led to a handful of fast break steals and easy layups on the other end.

As a group, the team shot 40% from three point range (8/20) and 45% from the field elsewhere (21/47).  The combined group effort on both ends has started to see the team push towards the playoffs with some momentum.

The Highlight Reels has won two in a row, including four of their last five games.  During their current winning streak the team is scoring at a much higher rate - 74 points per game - than during any part of the season this year.  That is nearly 13 points above their year average of 61.9 points per game.  The Highlight Reels are also starting to find some consistency from three point range shooting 42% from deep over their past two games, also 13 percentage points over their team average this year of 31%.

A big reason for the increased team scoring output comes with a couple of hot shooters headed into the post season.

Brandon Hunter is on one of those streaks, shooting 44% (11/25) from three over the past two games and has also made 69% of his two point shots, going 9 of 13 from the floor.  Hunter has pushed his three point percentage over 30%, climbing steadily to 32% over the past few weeks.  It is somewhere he and his older brother Jason have struggled this winter season.

Speaking of Jason, he has also started to find a little bit of a touch from long range.  His three point percentage has also climbed steadily from the basement.  Just about a month ago, the oldest Hunter brother was shooting a mere 25% from three.  Over the past 5 games, Jason is shooting 56% from deep, going 9 of 16, and tied a season high in points with 18 two Sundays ago.  Hunter's three point percentage has jumped to 33% on the year which is just a tad above his career total of 32%.

Andy Kempf, who is having his best rebounding output on his career, has grabbed over 10 rebounds five games in a row, topping 15 rebounds twice.  He is averaging nearly 12 rebounds a game, easily his best mark, and is also finding some sort of touch from beyond the arc as well.  Never a strong point during his tenure in the Highlight Reels organization, Kempf has taken 14 three pointers on the year, making five of them for a career high of 36%.  He has only taken 18 three point shots over his career before this season, connecting on only three (17%).

Not to be outdone by his younger counterpart, Kerry Hunter grabbed a season high 14 rebounds two Sundays ago and his having a quality year after thinking of retirement over the past year or so.  Back problems have limited the big man to only 13 games this season but his totals are only slightly down in each category from a few years ago.  The eldest Hunter is averaging 6.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.  Those totals are only mere half-point totals less than during his extended time on the Price is Right where he averaged 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest.  His career totals are 8 points and 7 rebounds per game.

Guard Kyle Komer has been limited to only 10 games this season with the Highlight Reels but has again proven to be a valuable leader on both sides of the floor.  His percentages are down from just this past fall, but his totals are slightly above that same season.  Komer is shooting 44% from two point range and 35% from three, yet has pushed his scoring totals up to 8.5 per game (8.3 in the fall) and 3.5 rebounds per game (3.3 in the fall) this season.  He is also shooting a team high 80% from the free throw line.  Komer's career totals include 12.1 points per game shooting 44% from the field.

New comers Justin Woo and Chuck Caldwell has also added some more depth on the glass and guard play this season as well.  Though limited to 10 and 9 games respectively this season, Woo has made his presence felt underneath and is coming off an 8 point, 6 rebound night this past Sunday.  He is averaging 6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.  Caldwell, who had one of his better scoring total games just two weeks ago with 12 points, has solidified the top of the 2-3 zone along with Komer and Jason Hunter.  He is averaging just a touch over 8 points per game to go along with two rebounds per game.

The Human Highlight Reels will attempt their fourth playoff run tonight at 6pm in the Brunswick Rec Center.  Finishing third of fourteen team in the conference, the Highlight Reels will face 14th ranked Great 8, who only had one win during the regular season.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Highlight Reels Win One, Lose One as Playoffs Near

There was some good and some bad over the past two weeks when it came to Reels basketball.

Lets talk bad news.

The past two games, the Highlight Reels were only able to dress 5 individuals each game.

Against the Winking Lizard, Kyle Komer and Kerry Hunter were out; against Soda Slingers, Komer and Justin Woo were out.  The limited, or nonexistent, subs left the Reels battling themselves on both nights on both ends of the floor.

The lack of subs in the Winking Lizard contest showed especially, where the Reels only managed to score 44 points and shot 26% from everywhere on the floor.  Turnovers, lack of defensive movement, and lack of ball movement told the tale, along with the poor shooting performance from the floor.  Though holding Winking Lizard to 49 points, the good guys could not muster enough energy to push themselves over the road bumps in that contest.

Brandon Hunter had an off night, shooting 4-14 from the floor, averaging the team at 26%.  He did make it to the free throw line seven times, making five.  Justin Woo took 10 shots on night; five three pointers, three two pointers, and two free throws, yet could only connect on one of his shots (from three) for the game.  Chuck Caldwell was 2-10 from three and missed both of his two point attempts. Jason Hunter started to turn his three point shooting around with a 50% night (3-6), but missed all three of his two point attempts.  Andy Kempf had the best percentages and easily the best game of the night scoring 10 points on 4 of 9 shooting and grabbing 17 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.

The team fell back to .500, though for only one week.

The game against Soda Slingers seemed night and day from a week ago.

The Highlight Reels shot 43% from three point land, 41% from everywhere else, and made 75% of their free throws for a 77-61 routing.

Brandon Hunter had a big turnaround game scoring 26 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.  He was just a tad under 50% from three point range going 6 of 13, making three of six from two, and hitting on both of his free throws.

Jason Hunter continued his short, hot, shooting streak from deep going four of five.  He also made three of his give two point attempts to total 18 points.

The remaining three Highlight Reels scored in double figures as well.

Andy Kempf had another big game on the glass, gobbling up everything in sight for 19 rebounds.  He added another three pointer amongst his 11 points.  Chuck Caldwell added two three pointers of his own in way to 12 points and Kerry Hunter returning from an ailing back grabbed 14 rebounds and scored 10.

The 44 total team rebounds is one of their best showings on the glass in recent weeks and slightly above their yearly team average.  The ball movement was crisp and with purpose most of the game, leading to many open looks not only from three but in fast break layups and cuts under the basket.

With only one game left before the double elimination playoffs in March, the Human Highlight Reels hope to continue their momentum heading into the post season.  The team will hope to dress more than five in the near future when they battle Yuengling this coming Monday at 6:30.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Human Highlight Reels Move to 6-5 After Win

A game that was seemingly closer than it should be, the HHR came away with a 63-54 victory over Thee Money Team.

Money Team came into the matchup with a 2-7 record.

Three point shooting from the opposition kept them in the contest most of the night.  TMT led 15-11 early, after making five three pointers to start the contest.  The Reels held them to only two the rest of the first half which led them to the 36-30 advantage at halftime.

Yet after pushing the lead to double digits toward the middle of the second half, they began to flounder for the second time in two games.  The defense gave up three straight three pointers and the offense came to a stop, giving TMT control of the momentum in the ball game.

A late timeout settled the good guys however as the Reels started to find open baskets and shot a season-high 26 free throws (19/26, 73%), most of them coming late in the contest, to seal the victory.

Although their schedule has been light as of late, the Reels are almost fighting themselves late in ball games.  Hopefully the trend does not continue as the playoff push has begun.

The road however gets a bit tougher next week as the team will face off against Winking Lizard, who was 7-2 as of the latest standings.  Winking Lizard actually leads the entire league in defense, allowing only 389 points in nine games, which is around 43 points per game.

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Kempf Reaches 100

A positive to take away from this past weeks game is Andy Kempf, who pulled down his 4th double-double of the season and has eclipsed 100 points for the the season. This is the first time in his career that he has totaled more than 100 points in one season.  His next closest point total came during the Price is Right winter season where he totaled 90 points.

Kempf is averaging career bests* in both points (7.7) and rebound (10.9) this year.

* Kempf did average 13 rebounds in a shortened stint during the Price is Right fall season.

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Hunter Reaches 100

For the fourth winter season in a row, Brandon Hunter has reached the 100-mark in rebounds.  Hunter only needs 42 points to also reach his fourth 300 point, 100 rebound season.

Hunter leads the team in scoring at 19.8 points per game and is third in rebounds per game with 8.4, which is a career best on the glass.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Reels Move Back to .500

It may not have been pretty, but the Human Highlight Reels have moved back to playing .500 basketball.

A 60-49 victory over Panini's-Black this past Monday will hopefully get the ball rolling in the right direction for the team; a team that started to show a little consistency on the offense end with great ball movement.

Dressing a near full roster this past Monday, the Reels have seemingly begun to find some fluidity to their offense.  Panini's was giving up a lot of open space in the middle of the key with their own version of the 2-3 zone and the good guys took advantage shooting 11 of 23 from the floor inside the arc, good enough for 48%.

Over half of the teams offense came from those baskets as well as the 11 free throws the team made (11/15, 73%).

Though the three ball wasn't falling at a great clip (9/28, 32%), they made some big ones when it was needed.  Throughout the first half, the HHR relied a little more heavily on the long ball, taking 17 three pointers which left them with a 26-23 lead at the half.

But as the ball movement increased, the three point attempts dropped and the lead widened.  The Reels only took 11 three pointers in the second half and started to convert more open looks under and around the basket, something that started to look for late in the first.

A large lead towards the middle of the second half quickly dropped to only four after a few turnovers and defensive letdowns.  Yet a quick timeout by coach Jason Hunter settled the team down and the team pushed back out to a double digit lead by the end of the game.

Brandon Hunter led all scorers with 29 points; Andy Kempf led on the glass with 11.

The Human Highlight Reels will face Thee Money Team this coming Monday at 7:25.  Thee Money Team currently stands at 2-7, slating them 7th out of 8 teams in Division III.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Human Highlight Reels Searching for Answers after 49-51 Defeat

Questions.

That is what the Human Highlight Reels have after falling to 4-5 on the year this past Sunday.

After only scoring 17 points in the first half against a Division III opponent, the Reels changed gears offensively. Big man Kerry Hunter hit all three of his three point attempts in the second half and leading scorer Brandon Hunter also hit his three three pointers. Yet for the first time this season, their legs began to fail them.

Missing Kyle Komer due to an illness and Justin Woo for personal reasons, the Reels only suited up five. The advantage then fell to State Farm, who suited up 7 and repeatedly brough in fresh legs off the bench as the good guys floundered. Easy baskets, layups, and second chance opportunities...along with another poor shooting performance...pushed State Farm to an unreachable 51 points.

The positives to look forward to still include the schedule, which benefits the Human Highlight Reels. The remaining schedule puts them up against teams from the lower Division III, only one of which has a winning record.

State Farm moved to 7-2 in Division III after the win this past Monday.

The Reels stand at 4-5, which is still good enough for third in the 8 team division, and will face Division III opponent Paninis-Black this coming Monday who are 3-6.

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Short Handed HHR Pull off Team Victory

With their smallest dressed lineup to date with only five guys, the Human Highlight Reels went up against the Monstars this past Monday.

The Monstars, in turn, suited up eight.

However, with no subs available, the good guys came up with a 62-47 victory, anchored by leading scorer Brandon Hunter (30 points, 8 rebounds) and a defensive 2-3 zone that held the opposition to only 15 points in the second half.

Without Kyle Komer, Justin Woo, and recovering big man Alex Yablonsky in the lineup, the Reels had to ensure that they played better team basketball and made their open shots when they had them. 

Check.

The ball moved quickly and efficiently throughout the contest. It wasn't rare to see four, five, or six passes on one possession a good handful leading to wide open layups or three pointers. A few times, after the ball movement and offensive movement by the players, two guys would be open in the same spot actually leading to someone "stealing" a pass from a teammate.

The open layups were an added bonus, as were the free throws. The good guys shot 17 free throws on the evening and made 12 of them, well over their sub 60% mark for the season. Brandon Hunter went 3 of 6, Jason Hunter 4 of 4, leading free throw shooter Andy Kempf was 4 of 5, and Chuck Caldwell added one more (1/2).

Back to Brandon.

His 30 points came on a night where the team needed a little offensive output from his direction. Hunter scorched the Monstars in the first half with four three pointers (4/8) and followed up with three more in the second (3/6). He added the three previously mentioned free throws and three more buckets from the field (3/6).

Even with the great effort of the team offensively, they only led 34-32 coming out of halftime to much more athletic team. The 2-3 zone had given up six three pointers in the first half, but as the Monstars broke down physically and mentally (picking up a technical foul late in the half), the Reels held their opponents to zero three pointers in the second half, which helped to open up the game.

It was a great team effort all around, possibly the best team game that the Reels have played all season, and it resulted in their third victory on the year. The HHR currently sit at 3-4.

The team hopes to have Komer and Woo back for their upcoming game on Monday at 6:30.

Sunday, January 12, 2014

The HHR Split a Pair - Still Looking to Find Winning Mentality

It has been a long four weeks for the Human Highlight Reels.

Check that.

It has been quite a winter season for the Human Highlight Reels.

After finding some semblance of offense December 16th versus Boston Rd., the good guys couldn't stop much on the other side of the floor January 5th against Powerstrokes falling 85-95; thus dropping their record to 2-4.

Recent news coming from camp is that athletic big-man Alex Yablonsky, who has only played in three games so far this season, had surgery to repair a swollen knee.  There is no timetable for his return.

Not that the team was fairing well with him in the lineup, winning once and falling twice, but the team seems to still be looking for some kind of consistency.  Missing one of the key pieces to your team makes for a tough go of it.

Surprisingly in the game against Boston Rd, the HHR were without Yablonsky and guards Kyle Komer and Chuck Caldwell, yet came away with a 67-56 victory.  Though Brent Hunter, receiving leave from his overseas contracts, helped to fill that void.  The big story in that game however, was the play of big men Kerry Hunter and Justin Woo, who combined for 24 points an 18 rebounds, shooting 47% from the floor (3/6 from three, 5/11 from two point range) and made 5 of their 6 free throw attempts.  The eldest Hunter came up large in the second half, scoring all 12 of his points and grabbing 8 of his 11 rebounds.  To equal out the attack, Woo scored 8 of his 12 points in the first half and hit two three pointers.

The good times fell to the wayside however during the next contest against bitter rival Powerstrokes. After a long two week hiatus due to the holiday season, the Reels came out flat and fell behind 37-59 at the half.  Switching from their patented 2-3 zone to a more conventional man-to-man style in the second half, the Reels made the game interesting down the stretch, but Powerstrokes connected on 18 three pointers and the good guys could only get as close as 10 falling to Powerstrokes for the second time this season.

Tensions boiled near the end of regulation after energetic Andy Kempf fouled a member of the opposition trying to score with less than ten seconds left on the clock.  Benches cleared and words were thrown, yet luckily no punches, and the game was officially called with 9.6 seconds remaining.

The outcome of the game may have opened up the opportunity for the HHR to start using the man defense more often.  Usually out-sized, that style of defense slowed the Powerstrokes attack in the second half, making them work harder for baskets; especially the three pointers which they made a devastating 14 times in the first half, compared to only four in the second.

It is something we may see down the road.

Some other positives to take away from the game was the scoring attack from the teams top performers on the year.  Brent Hunter suited up for his likely final game of the season for the Reels and totaled 30 points and 8 rebounds, leading the way.  Brandon and Jason Hunter scored 18 points and grabbed 5 boards each rounding out the offense.  They each took 15 shots total from the floor as well, with the older brother, Jason, hitting just one more attempt (7/15 to 6/15).  Brandon added six free throw attempts, hitting on three.

Defensive woes aside, the Human Highlight Reels may have started to turn the corner offensively, as they have been struggling all year.  Hopefully with a new found team mentality, especially after the events following the game this past week, the Reels can find away to pull themselves above .500 for the season and make a strong push heading into the halfway point of the season.

The Human Highlight Reels schedule becomes a bit "softer" in the upcoming weeks.  It starts this coming Monday at 9:15pm against the Monstars.

League standings were not updated at the time of writing.