It was a warm fall night in the Van Nuys gym but the inside of the gym might have been on fire!
And it was ladies’ night that started the show!
In the first game of the triple header in the XvsX league we had team Candyse in purple vs team Ariel in black and red. Both teams had something to play for as it was the quarter finals.
Team Candyse in colors resembling the Phoenix Suns started the game raining threes, while team Ariel in black/red tried to push the pace but were making unfortunate turnovers. Team Candyse had the bigger lineup and rebounding was essential throughout the game. They controlled 3s and the inside of the paint early in the game. The center, Tony, on team Candyse was controlling and tipping on every loose rebound in the paint! Her defenders were out of breath trying to contain her. Candyse would score some easy points in the center of the lane. It was a close, up and down 1st half as both teams were exchanging buckets and took turns holding the lead.
The second half was closer as both teams exchanged 3s with Benton leading the way for team Ariel and Porter leading the 3s for team Candyse. Candyse (@og_only_thankz) led her team in shots and was motivating her team to push the momentum.
Candyse was a coach on the court and had some amazing leadership skills. This game was neck in neck till the very end. But It was @Mermaidmulaa (“pointgod” as referred to in the stands) with the flaming style for team Ariel that really showed what she was about.
Team Ariel (@Mermaidmulaa) was looking to push the pace and get her teammates involved the entire game. She was looking for her teammates at every chance she had. An Ariel’s teammates would come through, hitting the shots when it mattered most. It all came down to the final minutes when team Ariel found a wide-open layup towards the end of the game; her great sense of the game flow along with her teammates’ strengths is really what pulled this win together for Team Ariel. Teammate (03-Porter) made lots of threes and had some great range. The final score was Team Ariel wins 48 -39, with overall great effort from both sides making this Valley basketball trio of games exciting from the jump!
The second game of the night was also a thrill with competition running high.
Two teams, Team Ivan and Team Kwah, also played this basketball game with intensity in the quarter finals, with both teams looking to make the semi-finals round and qualify for the money game as whoever would win this matchup would advance to the next round to compete in the Balloon Games for cash awards. This game was chippy from the beginning as both teams started hot.
Impossible shots were made, with fade aways, in-out dribbles, step back and all of the above. The energy was that of a street game, but in the gym! There was some confusion during the game at times as some players didn’t know if they were playing NBA rules or high school rules, and there was also confusion about where the 3 point line was. Number 29 (Dashawn Gomez) on team Kwah had a lot to say but he also was proving it on the court, hitting threes from either the red line or black line. Tensions ran high and there were technical fouls called. Shots were flying from everywhere with a lot of high flying shots, acrobatic layups and fadeaways. Team Ivan started off strong.
The announcer was also on fire cracking jokes and adding his own touch to the game. Number 50, a wing player for the white team, was explosive, cutting through the defense with the euro step. It was a fast-paced and tight game that came down to a steal and an alee-oop. Team Ivan (black) came away with the win at 82-77. Team Ivan was able to take the overall rhythm of the game. And walk away with the W.
Some stats of the basketball game:
- 4 players hit 4 3 pointers!
- #03Juice led Team Ivan in scoring 20 points
- #50- Kwah Gredic’s game was recognized by all stars in the stands
The third game was a blowout. (I want my tacos!)
Players number 3 and 41 really showed some talent and skill while stealing the night!
XvsX saved their best for last. The clock hit 11 and I was still at the edge of my seat. As number 3 speedy had moves for days. He looked like a young John Wall out there. The defense looked lost trying to guard him. The white team had no answer for 41 and 3. Speedy and Rocket played some impressive organized basketball. The defense just wasn’t big enough or fast enough to guard them.
Number 3 was hitting everything at a certain point using his quickness and handles. 41 was too strong for the rest in the paint.
The Schedule for Thursday night’s game was:
Games 10-28
- 8pm – women’s game $700 TEAM ARIEL @mermaidmulaa vs TEAM CANDYSE @og_only_thankz
- 9pm – team Kwah/Tre Williams (co captains) vs team Ivan – cash game qualifier
- 10pm – Team Rome @romeflynn VS Team Holly @HollyBThere
With Team Holly and stand out player Eric Williams taking the Win! Here was some of the star players of the game:
41- Eric Williams
03- Speedy
48-Rocket
In conclusion, tonight’s basketball games had a different feel, we noticed a ton of cuts and 3 pointers that had the crowd going crazy!
Metta World Peace showing up was also a big thing for everyone, having an NBA champion in the gym really shakes things up.
Eric Williams took MVP for the night, and our Team Ariel by far took the best team.
Thank you to all of our XvsX and YMCA family for coming together on this exciting night.
Want a recap of our last game? Click here!
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