Strong Finish

What up what up! I hope that everyone has been ok while I have been away. Everything has been good for me, I've been able to stay healthy and have a pretty good stretch of overall games here lately. In our last four games we have went 2-2 and with four games left in our regular season, we need a strong finish.

Our first game during this stretch we went on the road to play Galil Giboa, a very good shooting team that plays a lot of pick and roll. We started out very slow in the first quarter falling behind a 20 point deficit, but we were able to battle back in the second quarter to tie the game with defense. In the second half, we jumped on them early out the gate to take the lead but late in the fourth quarter they made three consecutive three's that made the difference in the game. We weren't able to get the stops when we needed and Galil beat us 87-83. I finished the game with 28 pts. & 5 rebs.

The second game was against Holon, who was coming in our gym confident because they had two big wins in their previous games. The defense we played in the first quarter was unbelievable holding them to four points (two free throws and lay-up from a turnover) and taking a commanding lead 26-4. They were never able to get the lead within 16 the rest of the game and we went on to win 93-74. I was perfect from the floor and the only missed shot I had was a free throw. Final stat line was 23pts, 7rebs & 5assts.

Game 3 was on the road against Benei Hasharon, a team that we are competing with for a playoff spot. The game started out well for us but I picked up two cheap fouls and that seem to put things in a down spiral. I sat out most of the first half while Benei Hasharon built up a 10pt lead a halftime. The second half we came out flat and the defense just completely vanished. We lost 97-74, I had 5pts and a big headache after this game.

Last night we played Netanya, the second place team in our league at home. Our defense once again lead us to a great victory 92-74. It was a great team effort and the key was keeping them off the offensive rebounds and out of transition because they are a very athletic team. In the second quarter we were able to develop a double digit lead and later held off a strong rally they made to get back in the game. I had 20pts and 4rebs.

Now we just have to learn how to bring our home defensive intensity on the road and we will have a strong finish going into the playoffs. Until the next blog....Dueces!!

Son Of The City

Time for Healing

Hey whats going on everybody! Got an afternoon practice today so I figured I would take the time to catch you up on whats been going on with my team and I. This season has been sort of a roller coaster for my team because we started the season off with injuries and changes to our roster but once we got our foundation and chemistry, we started to get back on track. The start of the second half of the season has started off the same way the beginning started....with injuries.

After winning 4 in a row, we took our winning streak into Jerusalem feeling good about how we were playing. It was a great game by both teams and the score went back and forth. With the score tied at 84, the game was coming down to making big plays. With only 12 secondsremaining, I had to come up with a 1-on-1 stop on the defensive end on their go to guy. After coming up with the stop, we had 4.9 seconds to go the length of the court to win it. I got a good running start as I caught the inbound pass and went the length of court and missed the floater at the end of regulation. In over time Jerusalem made some big shots and came away with the victory 101-95. I ended the game with 12pts and a couple assist.

After that game, we suffered a severe blow to our team losing our key power forward for the seaon with a knee injury. So we have been a little undermanned the last few games and it really took notice because we lost our best rebounder. This is a part of the game and we must improvise and keep proceeding forward. We had a lot of games to go and all the teams are in a pack for playoff spots. We have to put a winning streak together to ensure that we have a spot in the end when the playoff teams are decided.

As for me, the New Years break was a good time for me to really heal up and work on my conditioning. Since then I have been shooting 55% from 3-point line and 92 % from the foul line, which tell me that my legs are back in shape and feeling good. Thought I would include this photo of the windmill dunk I did in a game as proof my legs are feeling well. (During the game, not warm-ups LOL). Its almost march and time seems like it has flown by...I'm ready to watch March Madness and watch the Cards put together a late run.

Larry

New Start

What's going on everyone! I know its been awhile since I last blogged but the team has been on a long break and we have been practicing a lot. During this time it has really given us a chance to gain some team chemistry and work on our team defense. The aura around the team has been pretty good, especially since we were riding a two game winning streak going into the break. Our first game out of the break was against Afula at home last night.

We start the game fast and jumped out to an early lead of 8-2 with some easy transition baskets. Our defense started slowing down since guys were a little fatigued due to the lack of game conditioning from the break. That allowed Afula to lead 48-43 at half time and that is way too many points to allow them on our home court in one half. In the second half, the guys caught their second wind and our defense picked up because of it. We were able to take the lead in the first couple of minutes of the half and never looked back. We held them to 28 total points in the second half and came away with the victory 91-76. It wasn't the prettiest game of the season but it was a win against a team that was ahead of us in the standings and extend our winning streak to 3. I finished the game with 26pts, 3 rebs. and 3 stls.

Now that the second half of the season has started, it feels good to start it off with a win. Next game is against a tough Ashkelon team on the road, so we have to buckle down this week and have some good practiced and be prepared. Until the next post....Be Blessed!

LO

Seasons Greetings

Season Greetings! I hope that everyone is having a happy holidays as we come to the close of the 2009 year. Everything has been going pretty well this month and the team has really picked it up. We are on a two game winning streak and you can see the confidence in the team really growing. Practices have been really competitive now that everyone is healthy and its paying dividends in the games.

Few games have gone by since I last blogged : Netayna, Nahriya and Ramat Gan. Netanya is a very fast and athletic team that likes to get up and down the floor to finish on the fast break. We had moments where we controlled the game and had out shot at the win but we could not get defensive stops. In the crucial part of the game, they were able to score on us and wound up beating us 94-87. It was a bad shooting night for me ( 7/16 fg's) and I ended the game with 19pts.
Next Game was against Nahriya at home and it was a game that we needed. From the beginning of the game we looked like a team with something to prove. We were aggressive on defense and able to get a lot of deflections to start fast breaks. We jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. We went on to win this game 78-68. I played very little in this game because I was out the previous three days of practice with a bad groin. I could have played if necessary but it was best not to increase risk of further injuring myself.
Our last game to date we had to go on the road and play against Ramat Gan. This is a team that has been struggling and is looking for their first win, so we knew they would come out fighting. Our offense came out executing in the first half but our defense wasn't at the intensity as the last game. Mid-way through the third quarter our defensive presence and we were able to stretch out lead out to 20. From there we went on to win the game 79-70, putting us on a two game win streak. I had 26pts this game but it felt good just to be back on the court and not out injured for a change.

Next game on the schedule we got Afula who has started the season very well so it should be a good game. Hope that everyone has a safe and sound New Year's and love & blessings to everyone!

Son Of The City

Games

Hey whats up! Sorry for the long hiatus between blogs but I will definitely catch you up to speed on whats been going on. So since my last blog we have played 3 games and gone 1-2. First game was against Galil at home, which was a must win cause we hadn't won at home. It was a good game and both teams played hard but we fell short in the end 76-64. I had 23pts but missed a couple of big shots in the 4th quater for my team.

In the second game we played away at Holon. We didn't open up the game well and I didn't last very long in it as well. On a fast break in the second quarter, I went up for a dunk attempt while a player on the other team was trying to draw the charge; I jumped pretty high but the charge took my legs from beneath me making me land hard on my back. It was a pretty scary moment for me because I laid on the floor and I really couldn't move. After 10 minutes I tried to stand but couldn't from the pain. They immediately took me to the hospital for X-rays but everything was negative and I just had a massive bone bruise. The team rallied behind my absence and came away with the win.

The Third game was against Bnei Sharon at home and we were attempting to win our first home game. They jumped up early but double figures but we responded with runs of our own to take a double figure lead in the third quarter. We were not able to sustain our lead and with 9 seconds remaining, we missed a go ahead 3 and lost 83-79. I had 17pts but this lost we really tough for me cause this is the first game we played with a healthy roster and didn't think we would lose. But thats why we play the game...next on the schedule is Netanya!

See you guys in a few days when I'm blogging about a victory...Peace!

Son Of The City

Game 2

Whats going on everyone! I've been getting a lot of questions about Jeremy Tyler from the Louisville fans and for my comments about the recent article written on him in the media. I meant to comment on it last week in my blog after we played them but it slipped my mind. But I think it is really tough to send a 17 year old kid to another country with nobody to guide him. My parents barely let me go to camps out of state by myself, let alone another country for 9 months. I thinks thats a lot to ask of a kid and especially if his maturity level is not that of a professional. These coaches are very light on him compared to what he would've got if he would've went to U of L, so it might have been tough for him to handle Coach P. I wish the kid the best of luck in his future career.

Last week we played against Maccabi at home and it was a sold out crowd. They jumped on us early from the gate and had us down 16-1. We made a run that cut the lead to 1 but that is the closest we were able to get. We stayed within 6 to 8 points the entire game but when we had our opportunities to cut into the lead, we couldn't take advantage. Early in the 4th qtr. Maccabi went on an 11-0 run and put the game out of reach.They were just better than us at every facet from top to bottom and beat us pretty good 89-62. I finished the game with 23 pts. and 3 rebs. and felt a lil better in this game than I did last week. So that is a good sign that my wind is coming back and my game conditioning is getting better. Now I just have to get these legs stronger and keep my team positive after the slow start to the season.

This week we have Galil at home and it is a must win for us. Gonna do all I can to make it happen.....Peace

STC

First Game

Ciao! (Sigh)...things have been a little tense around the team so far, simply because we have faced adversity early on in the season. Injuries, new players coming to the team and trying to play with each other all contribute to the adversity that the team is facing. On top of that we play the other top 4 teams in the league for our first four games. I think that we have a very good team this year and it will all come together very soon.

Last Monday we played an away game at Haifa and I was excited because it was really my first game and I was looking to really help the team bounce back after a tough loss last week. I was a little worried about my conditioning since I hadn't been able to run or play for a month but all that went out the door when the game started. The first half was going back and forth for both team exchanging the lead but we went in the half down by one. We didn't play well at all on defense and we didn't box out allowing them to get easy shot after easy shot. In the second half both team still played even but Haifa made a 10-0 run that really made the difference in the game and we were never really able to retake the lead. We had our opportunities in the end but we couldn't get any defensive stops or defensive rebounds. We lost 84-76 and I ended up with 19pts 3rebs & 3 stls. I really felt a lot of responsibility for letting my team down in the second half because I wasn't my normal self and I was exhausted. The lack of conditioning and only 5 days of practice really came back to haunt me.

This week I have have been doing some extra cardio and weight training to get my shape back. Regardless, each week I will get better and the team will as well. This week we face Maccabi at home and it is sure to be a tough one. Last year we let them escape with a three point win at our place, I'm going to do my hardest to not to let it happen again this year.

Its good to see that college basketball season is about to get under way. I've been able to check out my Alma Mater(University of Louisville) in their two exhibitions and its good to see the new guys in uniform after playing with them in the summer. I think they will be pretty good this year with a senior lead backcourt and dominant big man in the middle. I will be watching to see if they open the season with a three guard/two forward line-up. 'Til next week.....Peace!

STC