Green Team Escapes with Victory Despite Injuries, Thin Lineup

With just five athletes present and barely enough to field a squad, the Greens seemed destined for defeat. Instead a furious 6-1 surge down the stretch paved the way for a dramatic 26-24 victory over the Reds in Thursday night’s Outdoor Ball League first round playoff action on the outside basketball courts at Wayland High School.

As a result, the Greens improved to 6-5 overall and advanced to Tuesday night’s semifinal round where the team face-off against the Corals. Tipoff is slated for 6:45 p.m. The Reds, who finished last during the regular season, ended their campaign at 2-9.

Even with the Greens sweeping the regular season series and holding a three game edge in the standings, injuries and prior commitments led to a slim squad with no substitutions.

“We only had (five) guys show up because others couldn’t make it,’’ said Jon Bryant, who knocked down six points and dished out five assists in the win. “We just went with what we had and did the best we could while we were out there. We played together as a team and in the end, we were able to pull out the victory.”

Already down to the bare minimum of players, the Greens suffered a costly injury when James Ivker suffered a bruised elbow following a drive down low. After multiple efforts, Ivker was forced to sit out the remainder of the contest and was replaced by Dave Crismond on an emergency loan from the Whites.

In the game’s opening minutes, both teams continued to trade baskets en route to a 4-4 tie. With the contest tied at 6-6, the Reds established a 2-0 run on jumpers from Nick Hodge and Andrew Keefer before the Greens executed a 5-0 run for an 11-9 edge. Led by Mark Bonner and Rob Bonner, the Greens maintained their edge and grabbed a 15-11 lead.

Keefer, who recorded a game high nine points guided the Reds on a 6-0 run, transforming a two-point deficit into a two-point 17-15 lead.

A small scoring run by the Greens' Mark Bonner and Rob Bonner combined with a jumper by Bryant created a 3-1 run, tying the contest at 18-18 before a pair of hook shots from the post regained momentum for the Reds.

Tied at 20-20, Keefer knifed through a pair of Green defenders for a lay-up and a two-pointer from captain Joe Cerrone led the Reds to a 23-20 lead.

“We had our chances to close it out, but we couldn’t finish,’’ said Keefer. “We had them right where we wanted them, and in the end, we just came up short. It was a game we definitely could’ve won.”

Ahead 24-22, the Reds nearly pulled out the victory, but a Keefer shot rimmed out as the Greens capitalized with a pair of quick turnaround shots to tie the contest.

Capitalizing on another Red turnover, the Greens secured the win as Crismond nailed an uncontested two-point shot to cap a 4-0 run and the 26-24 victory.

“We have some great team chemistry, and even though we were down a few guys, we still came through,’’ said Bryant. “Now we have a tough challenge ahead of us and we have to be ready. The (Orange team) beat us twice in the regular season and we have to find a way to beat them.”