No. 7 Mean Girls 21, No. 8 Anthony Travel 12
Mean Girls advanced to the round of eight Thursday night with a victory over Anthony Travel.
The Girls led the whole way, using their size advantage to cruise to a 17-10 lead late in the game. All it took was a few buckets from Mean Girl Alex Klupchak to put the game away.
"They were a good team," Klupchak said. "But we were bigger, we were able to get rebounds and get a lot of quick outlet passes for lay-ups."
Klupchak also pointed to his team's ability to shut down Anthony Travel's offense, but, in the end, size made the difference.
"We played some tough man-to-man," he said. "Even if they beat us off the dribble, we were just too big on the inside."
Travel captain Mike Henry saw the loss a different way, though, playing down the Girls' height advantage.
"We looked tired," he said. "They pushed it more than we did. They came out ready to play, and we weren't ready."
Mean Girls moves on to play the winner of Kramer Properties and To Catch a Predator. Klupchak was confident, despite the possibility that they could be going up against the No. 1 overall seed in the next round.
"If we play the number one team, we'll have our work cut out for us," he said. "We'll have a chance. They're very good, but we'll have a chance."
No. 5 Pat Nolan Presents The Insurance Waivers 21, Wakim'ole 14
Unranked Wakim'ole's cinderella run came to an end Thursday night, as it fell to The Insurance Waivers.
Things started out well enough for Wakim'ole when Michael Wakim stole the ball and made an easy lay-up on the game's first play to give the underdogs a 1-0 lead.
Pat Nolan's squad took control quickly though. The Waivers were just too strong down low, forcing their opponents to settle for outside shots.
"We had a little bit of a size advantage," Waivers captain Matt Gibson said. "And we tried to use it."
Wakim'ole's Pat Richel said that his team was used to playing against a bigger squad.
"Every game we've had a disadvantage in side," he said. "They were good, though."
To compensate, his team was forced to take outside jumpers, and made enough to stay competitive for most of the game.
"You've just got to take what they give you," Richel said.
Wakim'ole kept it close for most of the game, until The Waivers went on a 4-1 run to start the second half. Gibson attributed to the strong second half to his team's improved outside shooting. Robert Heroman, one of those guards, was ice cold in the first half. In the second stanza, though, he caught fire and began draining long-range bombs. His final shot, a jumper from the quarter, ended the game and sent the Waivers on to victory.
"Our guards shot decently well in the second half," he said. "And we just stepped up and played good defense."
