Between the boys & girls leagues in Empire State Takeover's inaugural summer, two teams have been the models of consistency week in and week out. On Saturday, donning the top seed in their respective leagues, they look to get the job done.
On the boys side, Team 518 has done it in a dominant fashion. They're sitting at 12-0 and are outscoring their opponents by an average of 21 points per game. Their closest game was their most recent one - a 49-39 W over possible semifinal opponent Man Up. They've done it with a combination of skill & ability, teamwork, and dependability. In a summer league with teams occasionally struggling to suit 5 players in tough July weeks, 518 has never dressed less than 8. They did it on the defensive end, holding teams to a fraction under 45 points per game... the only team in the boys league allowing less than 60 POINTS per game. That's not a typo. They've done it on the offensive end by using their superior size & strength, and making the extra pass to get easy baskets. They have made and attempted the fewest threes in the league, but they also average the most points. They've been led in production throughout by 6'8" Guilderland senior standout Andrew Sischo, who's averaging 17.9 points per game and consistently gets 10+ rebounds. A quickly-expanding all-around game has turned him from a 'project' to a bona fide scholarship level player. They have been aided throughout by many, but especially 6'5" Schalmont senior standout Zac O'Dell, South Kortright rising junior Tyler Lamport, 6'4" Saratoga Springs senior Alex Skaine, and his high school teammate Adam Anderson, a rising junior who has been one of the unheard of surprises in the league. As expected, they will have nearly the full roster on hand today and look to finish off the unblemished record. They play the winner of Man Up & Bellevue, both depleted squads today, in semifinals at 1:30. If they win, they'll tassle with the Upstate Select/Rising Stars winner at 4:00.
It hasn't been a walk in the park for Outwork, and their record was blemished from the start, but they've consistently been the team that's shown they have all the pieces to get the job done. After allowing 11 threes in a season-opening loss, they went on a 7 game winning streak and hold the top seed at 8-2. They've had dominant stretches, but it hasn't come quite as easy as it has for their counterparts on the boys end. They've had to show some grit in grinding out the close one. In the 2nd week, one that had a wild combination of close games, Outwork won their games by 2 & 3. What has proven to give them an edge is that everyone on the team has different strengths and are allowed to play to them, and it can be anyone in a black uniform that steps up on a given night. Last week, it was Mount Anthony Union (VT) junior Madison Little's time to shine. The week before that, rising senior Kathryn Frasier, her high school teammate, stepped up to the plate. In weeks prior, it came from Kingston sophomore Chloe Chaffin, Northampton (MA) junior Lauraine Joensen, Brianna Legacy (another Mount Anthony junior), and even Hoosick Falls senior Megan Flynn, known more as a rebounder & gritty work girl, has shown that she can be a big offensive threat. Every regular on the team has scored at least 7 in a win. Outwork has shown the ability to pick up the slack as a group when 1 or 2 girls are missing, which has gone a long way toward their success. They will need to show that again, with the aforementioned Madison Little and 6'3" Pine Plains junior Ashley Starzyk missing, but they certainly have the ability to hold down the fort. They'll take on a Lady Knicks squad in semifinals that is undermanned but physically imposing at 12:30. If they win, they'll take on the winner of All Day & Havoc in the finals at 2:45.
No comments:
Post a Comment