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2021
WINTER | SEASON 47
WEEK 6
By: League Analyst
Contributing Writer
SATURDAY GAMES
Scorpions vs. South Central
BRONZE DIVISION
12:40 p.m.
San
Fernando Valley based Scorpions came through with a dagger late
in the game's final moments as Scorpions defeat South Central
for their first win of the season, 47-44.
The
battle of the rookies was led by Eric Alvarado who
finished with 20 pts, 4 rebs on 46.7% shooting. Chris Mejia
finished with 12 pts, 8 rebs while Malik Baker led
the team on the glass with 13 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 assists.
Carlos Avalos spent the majority of the game distributing
the rock but when it mattered the most, Carlos hit the game
winning shot that would give Scorpions their first dub of the
season.
South
Central is doing everything they can to earn their first win of
the season and in their 3rd game of the season, GM Ryan
Gonzalez was in street clothes helping manage the team from
the sidelines. Former Bullets player, Eric Valentine was
also helping the team from the sidelines as Miguel Ceballos
led the way with a double-double, 14 pts, 10 rebs, and 2 stls.
Juan Ramos finished with 11 pts, 6 rebs while John
Henderson finished with 7 pts, 4 rebs, 3 stls. The team shot
31.1% from the field while shooting just 23.5% from beyond the
arch.
Blazers vs. The Hills
BRONZE DIVISION
1:40 p.m.
Blazers limited The Hills to just 11 first half points as
David Garcia led all players with 16 pts, 5 asts. Blazers
earn their second straight win as Blazers defeat The Hills,
47-41.
GM
Eric Crespo is seeing the team chemistry develop as the team
combined for 12 assists while limiting The Hills to just 14.8%
shooting from 3-pt territory. Garcia shot 55.6% from the field
while shooting 55.6% from the floor. Sebestian Loera led
Blazers with 4 steals and 9 rebounds en route to 8 pts while
Julian Chavez added 8 pts, 2 stls. Justin Chavez
added 9 pts while Mario Lopez finished with 7 rebs, 4
pts.
The
Hills was led by James Dotson who finished with 12 pts, 5
stls while Ian Wilson added 11 pts. Willie Crenshaw
added 7 pts, 2 stls while Stacy Dickson finished with 5
pts, 7 rebs. GM Sergio Gomez, a former league official,
is finding out how tough the league is as The Hills remain
winless in their rookie season.
LR135 Thunder vs. Jets
PLATINUM DIVISION
2:40 p.m.
Jets
have their first winning streak of the season beating LR135
Thunder, 58-48.
Rookie
2-way player, Domo, led all players with 18 pts and he
finished with 6 asts on 50% shooting. GM Kevlin Swint
added 11 pts, 9 rebs while Rob Smitz finished with 9 pts.
Tim Conner scored 5 pts while William Hill rounded off
the top 3 scorers with 9 pts, 5 rebs. Jets out-rebounded their
opponents, 29-18, and were mentally in their opponents' head
late in the game.
LR135
Thunder was led by Troy Tuivaiti who finished with 19
pts, 3 rebs while Saiz Aguilar finished with 12 pts, 3
rebs, 2 asts. Neo Buillion added 6 pts, 8 rebs while both
Michael Johnson and Calvin Hollins finished with 4
pts apiece. LR135 Thunder will play P4E in their next match-up.
Hilltop vs. TEAMNOSNEAKYSTUFF
PLATINUM DIVISION
3:40 p.m.
Hilltop's undefeated start is no fluke as Hilltop gives
TEAMNOSNEAKYSTUFF their first L of the season, 99-68.
Jordan Demuynck led all scorers with 37 pts and he finished
with 8 three-pointers on 56% shooting. Jordan, one of the elite
rookies in Superstar this season, finished with 4 asts and was
61.5% from 3-pt territory. Kenny Wright, former Finals
MVP, made his return to Superstar with 27 pts while Brandon
Fields added 14 pts, 5 rebs. GM Lance Ortiz is
sidelined with injuries an Ross Hardwich made sure to
pick up the slack as he led the team with 7 assists, finishing
with 10 pts.
AJ
Hollins led TNSS with 19 pts while Haze Jitmier added 14 pts.
Dean Cello finished with 15 pts while Michael Earl
returned to Superstar with 8 pts, 4 rebs. Omar Alameddine
was missing in action and has made his case for the team's MVP
as TNSS drops their first game of the season. GM Franklin
Canales knew he was going to hear it from Omar after the
game, and he finished with 5 pts, 2 rebs on 66.7% shooting.
Chicle vs. Stay Up
BRONZE DIVISION
6:00 p.m.
Chicle
scratched the L column for the second time this season as Stay
Up continues their ascend to the top of the rankings. Stay Up is
on a 2 game winning streak after being Chicle, 71-64.
Vincent Rodriguez III, former MVP, dished a team-high, 5
assists and he finished with 4 three-pointers, 24 pts. Jimmy
Rodriguez, another former Finals MVP, finished with 28 pts,
12 rebs while Fernando Esteban added 4 pts. LJ Besong, on
a tear in Gold Division, was the 3rd leading scorer with 11 pts.
GM Tyler Su has to be delighted with the team's progress
especially after playing without their best 1 on 1 defender in
Jerome Anderson.
Jae
Simbol led Chicle with 17 pts, 5 asts while AJ San
Antonio added 16 pts. Jeff Briegel added 11 pts, 8
rebs while Steven Trujillo finished with 8 pts, 3 rebs.
The team shot 41.4% from 3-pt range and 46.3% overall. Last
season, Chicle went 7-1 before losing to the Finals against
Public Enemy. With their second loss of the season and match-ups
against other elite Bronze Division teams, GM Chris Duran
has to be concerned with Chicle's second loss of the season.
ACODJ vs. Block Party
BRONZE DIVISION
7:00 p.m.
ACODJ
had just 5 players suited up... and that was enough for
Punishers to invite ACODJ to the Block Party. Block Party
continued their undefeated season with a 75-69 victory.
GM
Anthony Camacho led Block Party with 24 pts while Ricardo
Orgeta finished with 12 pts, 10 rebs and 4 three-pointers.
Ismael Venegas added 11 pts while Rob Talamontes
finished with 17 pts, 7 rebs. Block Party combined for 13
three-pointers shooting 38.2% from downtown. The team was
efficient from within the arch, shooting nearly 60% from inside
the 3.
Sway Madon scored a team-high, 27 pts and he finished with
10 rebs on 61.1% shooting. GM Ben Reaves added 23 pts, 5
asts while Chris Gallegos added 31 pts. Javis Johnson
scored 6 pts while Roy Samaniego finished with 2 asts, 2
rebs. Once again, there's this FREE AGENT post on the social
media page and GM Ben Reaves may look into the Free Agent
post, to prevent playing with just 5 players. lol
Note: The League Commissioner apologizes for plugging the Free
Agent post. If he had his way, he would run with just 5 players
too, just to boost up his scoring average.
Breakdown vs. Los Lobos
GOLD DIVISION
8:00 p.m.
Quetzacoatl, a powerhouse Gold Division team the last 2 seasons,
drifted apart with many of their players starting anew with Los
Lobos. Steve Carpenter, their former teammate, was
acquired by Breakdown just in time for this match-up and Steve
was hot from the get-go, scoring 34 pts to lead all players.
Breakdown defeats Los Lobos, 76-69.
Breakdown combined for 12 three-pointers as Carpenter led the
team with 5 three-pointers and 5 assists. Steve shot 62.5% from
3-pt range while shooting 64.7% overall. Eric Alvarez led
Breakdown with 8 rebs while Brandon Chavez added 19 pts,
5 rebs and 3 asts. GM Pablo Sanchez finished with 3
dimes, 5 rebs while Matt Zamora added 3 dimes, 8 pts. It
was the first time Breakdown played at Chino SWEAT and the team
shot exceptionally well, hitting 90.9% of free throws and 50% of
their field goal attempts.
Ed
Hernandez had his highest scoring game of the season with 32
pts and he finished with 8 three-pointers and 5 asts. Tray
Caples, the team's leading scorer, added 16 pts, 9 rebs
while GM Christian Preciado added 2 pts, 2 rebs. Alex
Ortiz finished with 6 pts, 10 rebs while Julio Arroyo
scored 9 pts, 3 rebs. Lupe Pena re-joined his Quetzacoatl
teammates and he finished with 3 asts in his season debut.
Wastemanz vs. Zu's Finest
GOLD DIVISION
9:00 p.m.
Three
players scored in double digits for Wastemanz as Wastemanz
defeat Zu's Finest, 77-66.
GM
Warren Forbes led Wastemanz with 22 pts and he finished with
6 three-pointers, 7 rebs and 2 asts. Zander Smith added
19 pts, team-high 5 asts, 2 stls while Tyler Peterson
added 13 pts, 5 rebs, 3 asts. Wastemanz did most of their damage
from beyond the arch, knocking down 15-of-36 (41.7%) 3-pt
attempts. The team combined for 15 dimes and committed just 2
turnovers.
GM
Ben Reaves led Zu's Finest with 22 pts and he finished with
5 rebs, 2 stls. Nate Reaves added 16 pts, 2 rebs while
Jay added 13 pts. Jarris Jordan finished with 12 pts
while brother Jeff Jordan came down with an injury early
in the 2nd half.
SUNDAY GAMES
Cali Shockers vs. Buckets
BRONZE DIVISION
6:30 p.m.
Buckets lost for the second time this season as Cali Shockers
win their second straight with a 66-64 win in OT.
Ajaun McLaughlin led all scorers with 22 pts, 3
three-pointers, 7 rebounds and a team-high, 2 steals. GM
Michael Weston finished with 15 while Greg Hamilton
finished with 10 pts. The team had 4 players score in double
figures as Donovan L made his season debut with 11 pts,
10 rebs and 3 asts. Cali Shockers combined for 16 assists while
shooting 30.4% from beyond the arch. Cali Shockers, a rookie
team mixed with season one players and veterans Uzoma Kalu and
Jason Fielder, is beginning to look like a well-rounded team and
wins over Chicle and Buckets has Cali Shockers a team to watch
out for in Bronze Division.
Buckets had a balanced scoring attack as 4 players scored in
double figures. Derrick Tamanaha finished with 17 pts but
was well below his average of 30 ppg. Center Jonathan Spaniol
had his best shooting performance of the season with 15
while David Williams added 12 pts, 4 asts. Moe
Hamdallah scored 11 pts while GM Jonathan Wynn
finished with 4 dimes, 4 pts. Tamanaha had a chance to win the
game in regulation but Cali Shockers played exceptional defense,
limiting the MVP to his worst shooting performance of the
season.
City Boyz vs. SkyRyse
GOLD DIVISION
7:30 p.m.
City
Boyz continued their hot streak early in the season winning
their 3rd straight, 69-57, over SkyRyse.
GM
LJ Besong is having a breakout season in both Bronze and
Gold Division and on Week 6, LJ has his best game in Gold. LJ
finished with 18 pts, 2 rebs and 6 asts. LJ shot 56.3% from the
filed converting 9 of his 16 shot attempts. Brandon Ortiz
was the second leading scorer with 17 pts and he led the team
with 7 asts. Udengwu Nnadi led City Boyz with 22 pts
while Trae Booker grabbed a team-high, 14 rebs, 3 stls en
route to 5 pts. The team combined to shoot 34.5% from beyond the
arch while limiting SkyRyse to just 16.7% from 3-pt territory.
Nick Pacitti led SkyRyse with 15 pts while Jack Kagele
added 13 pts. GM Donovan Morris finished with 5 pts,
5 rebs while Andrew Bongo led the team with 14 rebs, 9
pts. SkyRyse shot just 28.6% from the charity stripe while
shooting just 3-for-18 from beyond the arch.
Prodigy Plug vs. The Rock
GOLD DIVISION
8:30 p.m.
"Finally.... The Rock has come back.... to Superstar
Basketball..."
The
Rock returned to action in a surprisingly close game as the
whole city suited up to play against former Champions, Prodigy
Plug. The Rock had a full roster with 13 players as Prodigy Plug
won another close match-up this season, 66-64.
Adam
Flash aka "The Best Player in The Gym", once again proved
why his new nickname is well earned. Adam was 5 for 5 from the
line and was clutch when it mattered the most, hitting 2 clutch
free throws to seal Prodigy Plug's 3rd win of the season. Adam
is 2 for 2 in game winners this season and he finished with 17
pts, 7 rebs and 3 asts. Darae Elliot, one of the elite
rookies this season, finished with 18 pts, 8 rebs and 2 stls.
Jeff Briegel scored 12 pts, 4 rebs while Isaiah Watson
added 9 pts, 4 stls. Playoff P led the team with 6
assists and he finished with 7 pts, 3 rebs and an another ankle
breaker that was worthy of a Top 10 feature (when it comes
back).
Former
DIAMOND Division MVP, Sean Harris, tied a team-high, 15
pts and was an efficient 71.4% from the floor. The former
Killmonger player is a good fit for The Rock and GM Ben Sin
has a lot of talent in this season's edition of The Rock.
Kenny "Action" Jackson hasn't hooped in a year (or so he
says) and he finished with a team-high, 4 asts, 12 pts and 3
three-pointers. Perry added 12 while Chris Ashanti tied a
team-high, 12 pts. For a season debut, The Rock did
exceptionally well and the rest of Gold Division needs to have
their eyes on a potential Playoff team.
P4E vs. SkyRyse
PLATINUM DIVISION
9:30 p.m.
SkyRyse won their 2nd game in a row by keeping P4E winless in
their rookie season, 77-70.
Markus Monroe led all players with 22 pts and he finished
with 5 assists, 2 three-pointers on 57.1% shooting. When Markus
is in a zone, there's no stopping him and some would argue he's
the best 2 way player in Superstar. The team-high 22 pts was
impressive but what doesn't show up on the box score is his
willingness to shut down the best player on the opposing team.
The best offensive players in Superstar - the Ryan Carters, the
Derrick Tamanahas, the Al Browns... can put up offensive numbers
but their ability to shut down the opposition's best player is
nowhere near Markus' ability to lock down the team's best
talent. Reigning MVP Donovan Morris finished with 17 pts,
11 rebs, 3 asts while Josh Gordon added 11 pts. Chris
Reaves had his best shooting performance this season finishing
with 16 pts, 4 asts while Marcus Bell added 5 pts, 7 rebs.
Kenny Barnes led P4E with 15 pts while Juice and
Oliver O finished with 12 apiece. Percy Lemle added
14 pts while Khalil finished with 8 pts, 4 rebs. GM
Don Weyrick isn't used to these winless starts but the
schedule gets easier for P4E as they face teams in the bottom of
the standings in their next few games.
Concrete vs. The Heights
PLATINUM DIVISION
10:30 p.m.
Defending Champions, The Heights, put on a show as All-MVP
Ryan Carter danced his way to a game-high, 41 pts. Carter,
likely to be named Player of the Week for Week 6, was an
efficient 56% from the field while dishing out a team-high, 8
assists. The Heights defeated Concrete, 102-79, as The Heights
improved to 2-1 this season.
AJ
Basco is showing potential as one of the top rookies in
Platinum and he finished with 12 pts, 1 asts. Zach Hodskins
made his Superstar debut finishing with 19 pts while
Isaiah Watson finished with 21 pts, 5 rebs, 5 stls. Adam
Flash led the team with 8 rebs while finishing with 9 pts. GM
Min Park has to be delighted with his team's ability to play
team ball and complement the league's best offensive player. On
other teams, their players are go-to player but for The Heights,
it isn't about stats but Championships.
Concrete had 5 players score in double figures as Neil Carter
led the way with 20 pts, 6 rebs and 4 asts. Aesh Dabbas
had a double-double with 17 pts, 11 rebs while Jeff Cordell
added 10 pts. Kahliel Wyatt, another elite rookie
this season, finished with 18 pts, 5 rebs on 3 asts.
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Game
Previews and Recaps are written by league analysts on Saturdays
and Mondays. If there is a typo on your name, please e-mail
commish@superstarbasketball.org. Thank You.
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