CHAMPS! Green Takes Hopatcong Title

The jawing and the trash talking started during warm-ups and didn’t let up the entire night. Even when the game ended, the trash talking continued. Even when the players were walking out of , heading north, south, east and west, the trash talking continued.

It was a physical game with lots of one-upmanships, lots of in-your-face challenges. In the end, Green held on to beat Pink, 62-61.

Green came to the championship game flexing its muscles. With seven players available, they were a little older, a little brawnier but no less brash. And they had Mike Tobin.

Pink, on the other hand, had the speed and the youth and the swagger. And Matt Tobin.

The game started with Green sinking three straight baskets while denying Pink on all three return trips. The trash talking was in full gear. Hunter Guard, playing for Pink, sank a three-pointer to quiet things down. Green led after the first quarter, 19-14.

In the second quarter, Green increased their lead over Pink going into half time leading, 36-29.

Going one-on-one against each other all night long, Matt Tobin won a crucial battle ending the third quarter when he muscled his way past his brother, Mike, on a reverse layup to tie the game at 50.

The play of the game came early in the fourth quarter when Green’s Marlon Windbush double pumped in mid-air and hit a three pointer from the top of the key. The crowd went wild.

The fourth quarter was all Green until Hunter Guard hit a baseline three-pointer with 5:45 left to put Pink ahead, 57-56.

With 1:30 to go, Mike Tobin drove to the basket and pulled up, hitting a short jumper to put Green ahead for good.

Green Team: Mike Tobin, Marlon Windbush, Jon Corrigan, Dan Cotreau, Bobby Duncan, Nick DelCorpo and Anthony Bumbaco.

Pink Team: Matt Tobin, Hunter Guard, Kyle Henderson, Ivan Bertrand, Mike Pryor and Mario Cicero.