Our Legacy basketball team, Team Dyniewski, took to the hardwoods last night to battle “Countrywide,” the defending three-time North Richland Hills recreation league champions. This is the team that destroyed the Wildcats 96-32, the Wildcats squad that beat us last week by nine. We went into the game with much fear and trepidation. Our main goal was to not allow this team to hang a hundred on us. Josh had told us earlier in the day that if they got to 75 points, we would just pull out and run a four-corners-type offense and slow it down as much as possible to run out the clock. Hold them under a hundred. That was the plan.
Seven minutes into the game, we were leading 21-15. We were tied at the half, 29-29. We were tied 56-56 with two-minutes to play. They were frustrated. They were bickering among themselves, pointing fingers of accusation after every missed shot or turnover. Yelling at the refs. We were energized. We were playing as a team. We were actually running with these guys and had a real shot at winning this thing! Coker, nursing his torn calf in street clothes, was cheering us on from the sidelines. The crowd of seven could sense something special was happening.
We missed a bucket and committed a foul at the other end, leading to free throws and a two-point deficit with 13-seconds to play. Our missed layup on our ensuing possession forced us to foul after the rebound, putting them at the free-throw line with 4.1-seconds remaining. To our great delight, their man made only one of the shots, giving us a glimmer of hope. All we needed was a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie and send the game to overtime! We were still alive!
Alas, (Kipi, that word is for you) Jared’s try at the horn came up short and the clock expired on what would have been the greatest upset in North Richland Hills rec league basketball history.
We lost 59-56.
Now…..are you ready for this?
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
Are you ready?
OK. Here it is:
They only had four players.
Yes, they only had four players. That’s it. Four.
We brought ten. We had five on the floor and five on the bench at all times. It was ten on four.
Their point guard fouled out at the end. We played the final 14 seconds with a five-on-three power play.
And they still beat us.
At tip-off time they only had three guys in the gym. They had to call one of their teammates at home and get him to come up just so they wouldn’t have to forfeit. And they still beat us. They were full-court pressing us off made shots. They only had four players and they were forcing turnovers on the press!
It would have been a whole lot worse if Jared Jones hadn’t shown up. Jared scored about 48 of our 56 points on three-pointers. He was raining them in from all over. 25-footers. With men in his face. Over double-teams. He was deadly. I don’t think he missed one. Jared missed our first two games and will miss several more because he’s taking Monday night classes to improve his life or something. I’m going to call UTA this afternoon and tell them my name’s Jared Jones and I’m dropping my Monday night class. If they say, “But, Jared, you’ve got a 98-average in that class,” I’m going to say, “Don’t worry about it. Drop it.”
We still have to play “Countrywide” one more time. I’m scared to death they’re going to bring five.
Peace,
Allan
I was wondering when you were going to get to the part about “they only had 4 players and 3 at the end” This sounds just like Aaron’s take on the game that he told me last night. Well…except for the officiating part.
Go Team Legacy! I mean, Team Dyniewski!
What’s the meaning behind the team name?
All I have to say is Ouch!!! for next time you play them if they even have 5 show up… Good luck though.
You guys turned the ball over against a 4 man press? Is this just a men’s league? I would see if Caitlin Bailey is availible, she could help you guys at least get the ball across the timeline and then you guys could just sit back and watch her score. Was Michigan State only playing with 4 players Monday night too?
Josh Dyniewski is the one who collected our money, filled out the roster, and took care of all the paperwork at the city. We hadn’t even thought of a team name. So when the schedule came out, it had us listed as “Team Dyniewski.” We didn’t change it. This way we can better distance from whatever happens with this thing. Everything’s automatically Josh’s fault. It’s his team!
Alas?