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One Step Closer

04/12/2019, 6:30pm EDT
By Ashley White

Hoop There It Is one win away from a championship and a perfect season.

            Jersey City – Hoop There It Is came into the season like a runaway train, knocking down every team in their path and the playoffs seem to be no different. The pressure is on to remain undefeated, but Hoop There It Is plays with poise, confidence, and determination.  On the other hand, Alligators were certainly thrown off their game, a far cry from some of the late performances they put together. The start of the game was intense, with great pace and both teams communicating at both ends of the floor. Hoop There It Is had some defensive breakdowns early on, which led to some easy buckets from Alligators. The ball movement from both teams was on point.  Alligators played solid defense and looked to score in the paint instead of their usual three-point barrage. However, Hoop There It Is would turn it up a level, out-rebounding their opponent and asserting their dominance the paint.  This culminated in a 12-point lead. Alligators went ice cold form the field, finished the half with very sloppy play, and posted a season low first half scoring. Hoop There It Is led at the break by a score of 28-16, with Gary Hettinger leading the way at 10 points.

            Alligators needed to turn this game around quickly and ignite a fire that just wasn’t there in the first half. They started on the right foot with a quick 5 unanswered points, complemented by some tough defense. Hoop There It Is was settling for shots and not pushing the ball for fast breaks, contrary to when they’re at their best. Things took a turn when one of the Alligators' main scorers, Alex Bially, who was already having an off night, fouled out only 5 minutes into the second half. Overall, no one from the Alligators really showed up to play.  There wasn’t enough intensity and they didn’t play the Alligators brand of basketball that got them into the playoffs. Hoop There It Is took full advantage and led by as much as 22 points.  The rest is history.  Alligators was sent packing and Hoop There It Is remains undefeated, advancing to the championship game by a score of 56-41. Alligators' Brett Bially finished with 10 points and Brett Lededer also posted 10 points in addition to his 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block. Hoop There It Is’s Gary Hettinger led the way with a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds, tacking on 1 steal and 1 assist.  Teammate Mike Minion contributed 12 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist with Jordan Wejnert adding his 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.

Tag(s): Home  Bobby Hurley Division  Wolfpack  Ballpark Bulldawgs  Hoop There it is  Probably Hungover 4.0  Scrappy SZN  JC Tropics  X-Factor  CW Express  Alligators