Vancouver Metro Basketball League

With the playoffs just one week away and seven of the eight spots already clinched, Week Nine should determine where the pieces will fall and who will get the elusive eighth and final playoff spot. Here’s a rundown of the seeding and just who will fall where depending on the outcome of the final regular season games of the Winter/Spring 2010 season.

1st – SWAT

SWAT clinched first place with a win last week over Vancouver United and a Bullets loss to Velvet Hoop. All that’s left for SWAT is to defend their unbeaten record.

2nd & 3rd – Vancouver United or Bullets

Going into the final week the second spot is held by Vancouver United and Bullets who both hold a 6-2 record. However, Van United own the tie-breaker over Bullets after beating them this season. If both Van United and Bullets lose this week and Heart, Hustle and Soul and Remix win it leaves four teams with a record of 6-3. However, only Van United or Bullets will earn the second and third seeds due to better records versus each other – Van United 2-1 vs. Bullets, H.H.S. (1-2) & Remix (1-2)
- Bullets 2-1 vs. Van United, H.H.S. & Remix.

If Van United win – Van United gets second and the Bullets get third.

If the Bullets win and Van United lose – Bullets get second and Van United gets third.

If the Bullets and Van United lose and H.H.S. and Remix win – Vancouver United gets second and the Bullets get third.

4th & 5th – Heart, Hustle & Soul or Remix

Even though Team Serbia can tie both H.H.S. & Remix with a 5-4 record with a win and a H.H.S. and Remix loss, the fourth and fifth seeds can still only be attained by H.H.S. or Remix due to both of them owning the tie-breaker over Team Serbia. H.H.S. own the tie-breaker over Remix so here’s how this plays out.

If H.H.S. win -  they get fourth and Remix gets fifth.

If Remix wins and H.H.S. lose – Remix gets fourth and H.H.S. get fifth.

If Remix and H.H.S. both lose and Team Serbia wins – H.H.S. gets fourth and Remix gets fifth.

Whatever way it goes down these two will be facing each other in the first round of the playoffs.

6th – Team Serbia

A Serbia loss and a Velvet Hoop win would leave them each with a record of 4-5, but Team Serbia earns the sixth seed, win or lose, after owning the tie-breaker with a win over Velvet Hoop earlier in the season.

7th – Velvet Hoop

The Hooper’s locked this spot last week with a well earned win over the Bullets, who’re a possible first round opponent.

8th – Sonic Boom, Nike or EA Sports

It all comes down to the final week to determine who will get the eighth and final playoff spot. This is a log-jam with all three teams owning a record of 1-7 and each of them having beaten one another. If all three teams win this week then there are some serious problems. A play-in game of some sort would have to be devised. That will be figured out after this week. For now this is how things shape up in regards to the final seed.

If all three teams win – eighth spot is TBD by Metro League

If one team wins and the other two lose – the eighth spot goes to the team that won.

If EA & Nike win and Sonic Boom lose – Nike gets the eighth spot.

If Sonic Boom and Nike win and EA lose – Sonic Boom gets the eighth spot.

If EA and Sonic Boom win and Nike lose – EA gets the eighth spot

There you have it. You got to love the drama the final week of the season displays. Should be another stellar week to what has been one of the most competitive seasons in Metro League history.

1. SWAT (8-0)**
2. Vancouver United (6-2)*
3. Bullets (6-2)*
4. Heart, Hustle & Soul (5-3)*
5. Remix (5-3)*
6. Team Serbia (4-4)*
7. Velvet Hoop (3-5)*
8. Nike (1-7)
8. EA (1-7)
8. Sonic Boom (1-7)

**= Clinched first place
*= Clinched playoff spot

* Vancouver United own tie-breaker over Bullets
** H.H.S. own tie-breaker over Remix
*** Nike own tie-breaker over EA.
**** EA own tie-breaker over Sonic Boom
***** Sonic Boom own tie-breaker over Nike

Jason Birring (H.H.S.) – 45
Mark Tasic (H.H.S.) – 40
Joey Haywood (Sonic Boom) – 39
Clayton Crellin (SWAT) – 38
Matt Mahar (EA) – 36
Taylor Cherris-Wilding (Vancouver United) – 34
Doug Plumb (Remix) – 31
Jaime Robinson (Bullets) – 30
Edvin Malashuga (Nike) – 28
Igor Dutina (Team Serbia) – 26

Feature Game

Remix (5-3) 89 – Team Serbia (4-4) 86

In what was a battle to the buzzer, Remix, led by 31 points from Doug Plumb, pick up their fifth win-in-row taking down Team Serbia 89-86.
The game was close throughout with the lead changing hands 15 times. Serbia held the lead through the first half, taking a nine point advantage early on in the game, but Remix just kept chipping away with Plumb and new-comer Lulian keeping their squad in. Plumb was his usual self driving to the bucket and knocking down pull-ups while his teammate Lulian was on fire from the outside, nailing five three-pointers- for 23 points on the night.  With under five minutes to go down 76-72, Remix score on 10 of their final fifteen possessions, going on a 17-10 run to close-out the game and snatch the win.
Igor Dutina led Serbia in scoring with 26 points while his teammate Prince Carino chipped in with 16.

Other Scores from Week Eight

SWAT (8-0) 95 – Vancouver United (6-2) 70

SWAT maintain their undefeated season with  a blow-out win over Vancouver United. Clayton Crellin led SWAT with 38 points in a game that got out of control early. Taylor Cherris-Wilding was the lone United player who didn’t have an off night, scoring 34 points including four three-pointers.

Velvet Hoop (3-5) 77 – Bullets (6-2) 73

Velvet Hoop pull off an upset win over a depleted Bullets squad, earning their third win of the year, guaranteeing themselves the seventh seed in the playoffs. Jason Reynolds led the Hooper’s with 19 points while Jaime Robinson was the high-man for the Bullets with 30 points.

EA (1-7) 98 – Sonic Boom (1-7) 89

EA earn their first win of the season with an impressive come-from-behind win over Sonic Boom. Down 81-68 with 15 minutes to go in the game, EA go on a ridiculous 30-8 run to close out the game. EA sharp-shooter Matt Mahar was a man possessed dropping seven three-pointers for a season-high 36 points. Mahar’s teammates, Mike Schmidt added 25 points, while Matt NG chipped in with 23 points.
For the Boomer’s, Joey “King Handles” Haywood (playing his first game of the year for Sonic Boom), led all scorers with 39 points including six three-pointers, while all-star point guard Lonzell Webster scored 24. EA’s slim playoff hopes are still alive while Sonic Boom need a must win next week to stay in the race.

Heart, Hustle & Soul (5-3) 123 – Nike (1-7) 105

Jason Birring scored 45 points, while teammate Mark Tasic scored 40, leading H.H.S. to an a crushing 123-105 win over Nike. 17 year-old Edvin Malashuga (the youngest player in the league), scored a team high 28 points for Nike in the loss. Nike will need a win next week and some help from others to alive in the playoff race.

The Winter/Spring 2010 season has been one of the closest seasons to date in the Metro League with just a single game separating first from third and three teams tied for fourth. With eight teams qualifying for the playoffs, this week’s matchups should help determine just who will get in and where they’ll be seeded.

Let’s start with the first two games of  Week Eight action.

Heart, Hustle & Soul (4-3-tied for third)
vs
Nike (1-6-tied for eighth)

H.H.S. are in the playoffs, it’s just a matter of what position they will be in. A win over Nike this week will make them two games over .500, with just one more week to go . H.H.S own the tie-breaker over both Team Serbia and Remix, as they defeated both of them earlier this season. An H.H.S. win leaves them tied for third with either Team Serbia or Remix, depending on what happens between Team Serbia and Remix this week, H.H.S. will still hold the tie-breaker. Nike, which is tied with Sonic Boom for the eighth and final playoff spot, need a win this week to stay alive in the playoff race. Sonic Boom own the tie-breaker after beating Nike earlier in the season, so a Nike loss, accompanied by wins by both Sonic Boom and Velvet Hoop, eliminates Nike from this years playoffs.

SWAT (7-0-first place)
vs
Vancouver United (6-1-tied for second)

One of the biggest games of the season. A United win and they can control their own destiny going into the final week as they already own the tie-breaker over the Bullets. A SWAT win and a Bullets loss and first place is theirs, regardless of what happens when the two faceoff with eachother  next week.

The second two games of the night have some serious playoff implications as well.

Remix (4-3-tied for third)
vs
Team Serbia (4-3-tied for third)

Just like the SWAT and Van United matchup, this too will be one of the best games of the season. Both of these teams are in the playoffs, it’s just a matter where they’ll be seeded. A win by either guarantees them either fourth or fifth place, depending on the outcome of H.H.S’s final two games. A loss by either team, guarantees them at least sixth place.

EA (0-7-tenth place)
vs
Sonic Boom (1-6-tied for eighth)

A Sonic Boom win and they are guaranteed a playoff spot. A win this week and next week, accompanied by a Velvet Hoop loss this week and next, and the Boomer’s could climb to as high as seventh. EA could slip into eighth spot with a win over the Boomer’s this week and a win over H.H.S. next week. They would also need Sonic Boom to lose next week as well as Nike lose their final two games. Not looking good for EA.

Final game of the night.

Bullets (6-1-tied for second)
vs
Velvet Hoop (2-5, seventh place)

Bullets could find themselves in a three way tie for first with a win and SWAT loss. The Bullets play SWAT next week which could be a matchup for the top spot in the league standings if Van United win this week and lose next week. Van United own the tie-breaker over the Bullets if it comes down to a tie. Velvet Hoop are alone in seventh and can hold that spot to themselves with a win over the Bullets this week.  Even if the Hooper’s pull off two wins over the next two weeks they still can’t get any higher then seventh as they lost to Team Serbia and Remix earlier in the season. However, Velvet Hoop could slip out of the playoffs with consecutive losses this week to the Bullets and next week to Nike. Velvet Hoop owns the tie-breaker over Sonic Boom if the two remain tied at the end of the season. A loss this week by both Velvet Hoop and Nike, would set-up a final week showdown for the eighth and final spot. Sonic Boom holds the tie-breaker over Nike if both the Boomer’s and Nike lose their final two games. Confused yet?

Vancouver Metro League Standings as of Week Seven

1. SWAT (7-0)
2. Vancouver United (6-1)
2. Bullets (6-1)
4. Heart, Hustle & Soul (4-3)
4. Team Serbia (4-3)
4. Remix (4-3)
7. Velvet Hoop (2-5)
8. Nike (1-6)
8. Sonic Boom (1-6)
10. EA Sports (0-7)

Feature Game

Remix (4-3) 80 – Sonic Boom (1-6) 75

Led by 37 points from Doug Plumb, Remix pick up their fourth win a row in what was a grind-it-out game versus Sonic Boom.
Both teams traded buckets throughout the first half with the lead changing eight different times before Remix took a four point lead, 38-34,  into the break. Remix would not relinquish that lead in the second half, which saw Plimb and his squad begin to take over. After dropping 23 points in the first 25 minutes, Plumb took to a different role in the final 25, distributing the ball to his teammates which led to many open jumpers. Jesse Tupper worked the glass for Remix, hauling in the offensive rebounds, resulting in 15 points while Edvin Malashuga added 10 points with some deadly outside shooting.
The Boomer’s, who have struggled this season, just couldn’t seem to keep pace in the second half.  Down 62-56 at the 15 minute mark of the second, the Boomer’s hit a rough patch going 10 possessions without a bucket, resulting in a 12 point lead by Remix, 68-56, which Sonic Boom never could come back from. Boomer’s Lonzell Webster scored 15 points and Stacey Barton added 16.  SWAT’s Tommy Nixon, who played his third game of the night as a fill in for Sonic Boom, scored a team high 22 points.

Other Scores from Week Seven

Bullets (6-1) 98 – EA Sports (0-7) 59

Bullets got double-digit scoring from four different players, led by Ben Lee’s 28 points, easily taking care of  EA, 98-59. EA had four double-digit scorers of their own, led by Matt Mahar’s 13 points. Bullets remain tied with Vancouber United for second place in the Metro League standings, while EA sits alone in last.

Heart, Hustle and Soul (4-3) 100 – Velvet (2-5) 66

H.H.S. made it a family affair, with five of their seven players scoring in double-digits, snapping their three game losing streak. Mark Tasic was the high-man with 35 points while Jason Birring added 21. Andrew Ewert led Velvet Hoop with 17 points.

SWAT (7-0) win by default over Team Serbia (4-3)

Vancouver United (6-1) win by default over Nike (1-6)

Vancouver Metro League Standings as of Week Six

1. SWAT (6-0)
2. Vancouver United (5-1)
2. Bullets (5-1)
4. Team Serbia (4-2)
5. Heart, Hustle & Soul (3-3)
5. Remix (3-3)
7. Velvet Hoop (2-4)
8. Sonic Boom (1-5)
9. Nike (1-5)
10. EA Sports (0-6)

Feature Game

Sonic SWAT 84 – Remix 74

This week’s feature game wasn’t even an official Metro League game, as members of Sonic Boom teamed up with members from SWAT to face Remix in a friendly game. Remix were supposed to face Nike, but the members from Nike must have been caught up watching the opening night of the Canucks playoffs, as they pulled a no-show, conceding the game to Remix. With five Remix players still looking for a game, Sonic Boom’s Lonzell Webster & Stacey Barton joined forces with SWAT’s Mark Starkey, Tommy Nixon, Nedim Malushaga and Soda Wadden for a game versus Remix. The game was tight throughout the first half with just six points being the biggest lead. As the lead flip-flopped though the first, it was clear either team was going to give up and that this would go down to the wire. Tied at 40 at the half, Sonic SWAT came out gunning in the second half with Tommy Nixon (25 points) going to the rake extensively, giving his squad a slim lead. Remix, however, wouldn’t let up, as Doug Plumb (27 points) took his team on his back dropping threes, driving the lanes and getting to the stripe. Edvin Malushaga, the younger brother of Nedim Malushaga, was also chipping for Remix, dropping an impressive 18 points (not bad for a high school junior). In the end Sonic SWAT would pull it out, edging Remix 84-74 in what was a fun and exciting game that had zero impact on standings, but was just an excuse to play one more game.

Other Scores from Week Six

Bullets (5-1) 78 – Heart, Hustle & Soul (3-3) 73

Jaime Robinson scored 20 points for the Bullets as they maintain tied for second place overall with a grind-it-out win. H.H.S. all-star Jason Birring led all scorers with 43 points in the loss.

SWAT (6-0) 110 – EA Sports (0-6) 54

SWAT had three players score 20 points or more in a lopsided win over EA. Tommy Nixon led SWAT with 35 points, while EA’s Greg Washington scored 25 for the losing side. SWAT continue to stay undefeated, while EA is still searching for win number one.

Team Serbia (4-2) 124 – Vancouver United (5-1) 84

This wasn’t even a contest as Serbia took advantage of a depleted United squad who were playing without their top scorer, Hardeep Bassram. Igor Dutina went off, scoring 45 points to lead the Serbians. Kerri Westmore led United with 23 points.

Velvet Hoop (2-4) defeated Sonic Boom (1-5) – Score to follow

Remix (3-3) win by default over Nike (1-5)

Jason Birring (H.H.S.) – 48
Doug Plumb (Remix) – 36
Andrew Sturgeon (SWAT) – 31
Igor Dutina (Team Serbia) – 29
Anthony Lao (Nike) – 26
Chris Horwood (Velvet Hoop) – 24
Lonzell Webster (Sonic Boom) – 23
Rod Diguangco (Nike) – 23
Tommy Nixon (SWAT) – 22
Kerri Westmore (Vancouver United) – 21
Taylor Cherris-Wilding (Vancouver United) – 21