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Wednesday, July 27th - 2011 FBA FINALS
14 years ago
Yo from RoPo!
SUMMARY:
STA @ LOR: W #2 Thrust (62-18) 122, L #4 Firestorm (53-27) 118 OT (LOR leads 3-2)
INJURIES:
No one injured.
BOX SCORES:
TBA
CAPSULES:
STA | 19 30 25 28 OT20 | W 122
LOR | 27 24 21 30 OT16 | L 118
Mary Wooten (Sheep, F) is not your typical baller. For one thing, your typical baller didn't used to be a nun. A devout, habit-wearing nun.
Mary grew up in Cumberland, Maryland, where she was educated in the schools established by the Ursuline furry order. Taught by nuns in class, she was coached by them as well when they encouraged the 6 foot and growing ewe to join the high school basketball team. Young Mary excelled at the sport and quickly made a splash in Western Maryland and the Potomac Highlands, leading her team to their best regional championship run in history. Her coaches were so impressed, they spoke openly of young Mary's chances at receiving a sports scholarship to college and possibly one day going pro in the FBA. Few of them expected her to enter the convent after graduation.
Wooten has never given her reasons for entering the convent right out of school. When Furballer magazine interviewed her mother superior, the raccoon didn't know either, though she hinted that Wooten may have been trying to escape difficulties with her family. She did confirm that the young ewe played basketball with the other postulates while they were cloistered, (Not a strange thing at all-- the Vatican officially recognized basketball as an approved sport for nuns in the 1950s. --ed.) and that she, in her own words, "dominated that court like Deborah on Israel." It took 15 months before her pleadings reached the determined young ewe that she would serve the Lord best taking her skills to the world then bottling them up inside His church. And soon after Wooten left the convent, she did get a full-ride sports scholarship, she did continue to excel at her sport, and she did get picked up in the second round of the 2006 FBA Draft.
While she's easily the greatest ex-nun ever to play in the league, her career has been humble. Never starting, often kept in deep reserve, the Habit-- as her teammates called her-- never got stellar stats, but still clearly belonged in a pro league. Her value lay more as a relief player to give her teammates rest, both during and between games. Her training in the order was useful in cooling down and guiding her teammates. While she only made two buckets in the entire 7-game series of the 2009 FBA Finals, everyone on the Huntsville Mayors were clear that the Habit did her part to win the club's first title in 9 years.
It's a curious bit of fate that Wooten was signed by the Stanislaus Thrust in the off-season, the very team she helped defeat in 2009. And it's curious again that she's making her second Finals trip in 3 years. But the Thrust need her now more than ever.
Buck Hopper (Rabbit, PG) used to be known as one of the most emotional players in the league. Even before he played his first game, he was so grief-stricken at the loss of his beloved uncle that he had to take time away from practice to be with his family. Since then, the bunny has ferociously gotten in the face of players he thought got away with fouls, has openly taunted predators who looked down on him, has gone out of his way to drive home that he was prey that could play better than any predator. Time, maturity, and the unforgiving training of his former teammate and current assistant coach Manuel Katz (Tabby cat) helped break B-Hop of his attitude problems. But it would take more than Katz's stern gaze to bottle up the emotions that overflowed after Game 4.
B-Hop refused to go to the mic in the post-game interviews, leaving his teammates to field questions about the team's superstar. "He's-- not taking it well," Michael Porter (Mallard, F) understated. "He threw a few things. Said some things. Some mean things. He's-- dealing with all this in his own way."
Later, Manuel Katz offered his own opinion, based on years of working closely with the rabbit. "This is very hard for him," the tabby explained. "After last year, we knew he needed help, and we got him help. Pedro [Peter Conner (Cougar, PF)] and Cletus [Swinton (Pig, C)] have been magnificent additions to the team, they've played so hard to support the conejo, and together we beat the Bikers. To have lost so badly to the 'Storm after that-- to lose because of height, because we don't have enough tall players, tall enough players-- it is very hard for him. When we're this close." He sighed and added, "I also think he promised his girl he would beat them."
All of that could be felt as the series went into its fifth game, the last match in Lorain, possibly the last match of the series and the season. With the Firestorm up 3-1, the fans packed the Fireplace, roaring for their team, eager to see the confetti fall and the Healy Davis Trophy awarded to their club. The analysts all predicted the same thing-- easy Lorain victory. Guaranteed, no chance the Thrust could win. It was what it had been from the beginning-- the Firestorm were simply too tall, too big, too dominant on defense. The Thrust didn't have the size or the height to win this one. In 48 minutes, it would all be over.
With those words being spoken over the airwaves, the Thrust huddled into a circle on the court. Usually Hopper, as team captain, would be in the middle pumping up his teammates. But this time it was Wooten who stood in the middle, offering her own quiet words of encouragement and faith, despite the enemy sea of fans all around. Head coach Don Von Wasser (Dolphin) explained to one reporter, "Wooten asked to lead the huddle. We all agreed it was a good idea."
The cetacean wasn't without his own strategies. Susan Kruegar (Raccoon, F/C), who had been instrumental in shaking up the front court to get the team's lone win this series, returned to deep reserve for St. Peter to return to power. But Doral (Gecko, SG) remained at the 2 guard position, bringing up last year's first round pick, Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, SF), or Katz 2.0, as his teammates like to call him. The lineup strategy was simple. Now the club looked much more like the high-offense machine that took the 2009 Finals to 7 games, but most importantly, that won a critical Game 5 on the road. It was clear Von Wasser was banking on his team doing that again.
And now he probably wishes he'd put money on it.
The game opened like it was a continuation of Game 4. With Erich Haber (Mink, C), Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF), and now Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, SF) starting, the Firestorm front court had triple towers with all three players towering over 7 feet. That meant ridiculous defense on every attack, as B-Hop had all four of his first four shots from the post swatted down, and not a single offensive rebound for his team in the first quarter. The frustration boiled over quickly for B-Hop, but some early time outs and quick talks with Wooten kept the bunny focused. The rest of the team struggled around the towering minks who scored at will, with Haber's and Melbourne's hook shots sailing well over the heads of Swinton and Conner. The Thrust did manage to score some backdoor points, drawing the defense away from the weak side for the kickout shots, but it was hardly enough to stay in the game. The Sauce quickly fell back by 8 points to end the first.
A sharp-eyed fan caught the new strategy on his oPhone, later uploading the video to his social networking page. "All right , [expletive] defense!," Von Wasser spat to his players as she splashed in his tank. "There's no way for us to stop those minks in the paint, so stop trying. We're going to hit them as hard and as fast as we possibly can. You know we're in desperation mode here. Now play like it!" Doral sat down for the second quarter, putting rookie Blythe Nacht (Red Fox [silver phase], G) in. With both of their biggest defenders riding the pine, the team was armed for furious offense. And physical. When Hopper hip-checked Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, SG), the crowd booed the bunny when he was given the charging foul. But the collision had put De Hugo on the floor, and when Hopper had Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) screened off him again to go at the lion, De Hugo hesitated, giving Hopper the space he needed to put up a high floater than snapped silk. The hip-check was peanuts, though, to Swinton's shoulder charge right into Haber's chest, shoving the mink back right into the pads. The crowd roared when the official let the play go and counted the pig's bucket, adding to the home team's frustrations.
In the second half of the quarter, the Thrust began to find their groove. Taking coach's advice, B-Hop scored less and assisted more, driving inside to collapse the mink trio, then kicking out to his teammates. Suddenly, Michael Porter and Blythe Nacht became invaluable as the two 3-point shooters worked opposite sides of the court, offering two kickouts and forcing the 'Storm to split their D. And just when it looked like they were going to figure it out, B-Hop punished them with a phenomenal pass fake that sent the minks out to the edges, giving a wide open layup to the bunny. By halftime, the Thrust had trimmed the deficit to just 2.
The new strategy was working, but at a cost. The team was working hard to keep moving around the court and setting up the buckets off the quick pass, and even after the halftime break, the players were visible fatigued. Strategy changed again as Von Wasser put Kruegar and Wooten onto the floor along with Doral and Randy Catcher (Bullfrog, G). With extra height and extra D, Doral and Dig 'Em hit at the 'Storm hard, fearlessly drawing fouls from rough, physical play. When Gerry Cross (Mink, SF) was forced to kick out of a shot to Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G) on the shoulder, it couldn't have been an accident when Doral lept in front of him putting a hand on the back of his head-- and giving the mustelid a face full of his gecko crotch. That drew a foul-- and a smirk from the lizard-- as Silverthorn then became almost totally ineffective that quarter, missing all six of his following shot attempts. And the defense didn't stop there. When Chrys Brachy (Maned Wolf, C) put out his long arm to try to block a shot from Haber from the middle of the key, the clever mink hesitated, crouching to let the wolf fly by and leave him open. But when Haber lifted the ball to shoot for real, Randy Catcher lept in and slapped the ball down, recovering, and slinging the ball up court to Doug Smith (Coyote, G) for the young coyote's first slam dunk this Finals series. Remarkably, the Thrust managed to outscore the 'Storm again, taking their first lead at the end of the third.
With the crowd nervous now, Lorain head coach Delenna Dresden (Ferret) furiously worked up a new strategy. "Control the skies!" she barked to her team. "Remember that! That's how we win! That's how we succeed!" Her team took that to heart as Tevetoğlu returned to the lineup to recapture that indefensible high-arc shooting. But as soon as the 'Storm did that, Von Wasser put in his heavy offense club once more. Still exhausted and overplayed, they fought hard to keep up with the heavy Lorain scoring. No one fought harder than Hopper who kept leading the charge, bringing up the ball and getting his teammates to the cup with crisp distribution of the ball. It was in the final minutes that Carlito broke out, giving his team a chain of second chance points by putting up tip-in after tip-in and getting some of the most unlikely rebounds jumping up among the minks. In one incredible play, Melbourne had to stretch out her arm to grab a defensive rebound as it came off the rim-- and before she could plant her feet again, Carlito flew in, stripped the ball from her outstretched palm, then reverse-dunked around Haber all in one fluid motion. That earned a huge cheer from Katz, who later hugged his protege in a following time out.
The score remained close as the 'Storm kept the ball high for those unstoppable arcing shots. The dagger seemed to go in when Haber swatted down what would have been a brilliant turnaround fade from P-Con, preventing the tying bucket. When Lorain recovered the ball with less than 23 seconds left, they confidently held to it, thinking they had the win. When the ball was passed to Melbourne, the mink held the ball high and unreachable to wait out the clock, but in a play that couldn't have been in anyone's book, Hopper came up to defend the towering mink. Cameras spotted Buck smiling up at hir as he put a paw on hir rear, and stroked hir tailbase. That made Melbourne smile and lower the ball-- which B-Hop quickly slapped out of hir paws, recovered, spun-moved around Bent to go at the hoop and throw down a rim-rattling crusher with 0.3 seconds left to tie the score and force overtime.
Dresden argued with the officials over the contact which was deemed legal since B-Hop had not tried to push off or push against Melbourne. Still, the move rattled the mink so badly, shi sat down for OT, looking miserable on the bench. With the first extra minutes of the series coming up, Haber looked uncharacteristically annoyed-- maybe that's why Swinton won his first tipoff entering the quarter. That gave the Thrust a critical possession ahead of the Firestorm as the brief quarter turned into a tit-for-tat scoring battle. Each side managed to snap silk on each possession, the Firestorm with their unstoppable top shelf shooting, the Thrust with their rapid passes and quick looks off the assists. Peter Conner took off in OT, showing incredible conditioning and very little fatigue despite his extended minutes. With Melbourne sitting down, he played hard and rough against Renard Antouille (Boar, F). In one phenomenal play, the big cougar went up at the cup with Antouille planting his feet and holding him back-- but despite being too far to reach the basket, St. Peter just elevated and slung the ball down the drain for the points and the foul. That extra point was the dagger as the Firestorm kept scoring on their possessions, but couldn't quite keep up. The Sauce were still a point ahead when they had the last possession in the final seconds, forcing the 'Storm to desperately go for an intentional foul. But Hopper played keepaway as long as he could, and before he was grabbed, he passed to the underused Blythe Nacht he put up the final shot from behind the arc-- and sank it, sealing a 4-point overtime victory for the Thrust.
The crowd wailed as the Thrust teammates piled on top of Nacht and cheered. With the series going to Game 6, the match returns to Rabbit Valley Pavilion. Mary Wooten took questions after the game, and after she confirmed that she found B-Hop's stroking of Melbourn's tail tasteless but effective at keeping the team in the game, she addressed one reporter's concerns about the Thrust having not yet won a game at home this series.
"I have faith," she said, sounding confident in the microphone. "My coach back at the convent always told me, 'If you want to win, you have to give every ounce of yourself to your training, to your playbook, to your team to be the very best you can make of what you are. God takes care of the rest.'"
STA @ LOR: W #2 Thrust (62-18) 122, L #4 Firestorm (53-27) 118 OT (LOR leads 3-2)
INJURIES:
No one injured.
BOX SCORES:
TBA
CAPSULES:
STA | 19 30 25 28 OT20 | W 122
LOR | 27 24 21 30 OT16 | L 118
Mary Wooten (Sheep, F) is not your typical baller. For one thing, your typical baller didn't used to be a nun. A devout, habit-wearing nun.
Mary grew up in Cumberland, Maryland, where she was educated in the schools established by the Ursuline furry order. Taught by nuns in class, she was coached by them as well when they encouraged the 6 foot and growing ewe to join the high school basketball team. Young Mary excelled at the sport and quickly made a splash in Western Maryland and the Potomac Highlands, leading her team to their best regional championship run in history. Her coaches were so impressed, they spoke openly of young Mary's chances at receiving a sports scholarship to college and possibly one day going pro in the FBA. Few of them expected her to enter the convent after graduation.
Wooten has never given her reasons for entering the convent right out of school. When Furballer magazine interviewed her mother superior, the raccoon didn't know either, though she hinted that Wooten may have been trying to escape difficulties with her family. She did confirm that the young ewe played basketball with the other postulates while they were cloistered, (Not a strange thing at all-- the Vatican officially recognized basketball as an approved sport for nuns in the 1950s. --ed.) and that she, in her own words, "dominated that court like Deborah on Israel." It took 15 months before her pleadings reached the determined young ewe that she would serve the Lord best taking her skills to the world then bottling them up inside His church. And soon after Wooten left the convent, she did get a full-ride sports scholarship, she did continue to excel at her sport, and she did get picked up in the second round of the 2006 FBA Draft.
While she's easily the greatest ex-nun ever to play in the league, her career has been humble. Never starting, often kept in deep reserve, the Habit-- as her teammates called her-- never got stellar stats, but still clearly belonged in a pro league. Her value lay more as a relief player to give her teammates rest, both during and between games. Her training in the order was useful in cooling down and guiding her teammates. While she only made two buckets in the entire 7-game series of the 2009 FBA Finals, everyone on the Huntsville Mayors were clear that the Habit did her part to win the club's first title in 9 years.
It's a curious bit of fate that Wooten was signed by the Stanislaus Thrust in the off-season, the very team she helped defeat in 2009. And it's curious again that she's making her second Finals trip in 3 years. But the Thrust need her now more than ever.
Buck Hopper (Rabbit, PG) used to be known as one of the most emotional players in the league. Even before he played his first game, he was so grief-stricken at the loss of his beloved uncle that he had to take time away from practice to be with his family. Since then, the bunny has ferociously gotten in the face of players he thought got away with fouls, has openly taunted predators who looked down on him, has gone out of his way to drive home that he was prey that could play better than any predator. Time, maturity, and the unforgiving training of his former teammate and current assistant coach Manuel Katz (Tabby cat) helped break B-Hop of his attitude problems. But it would take more than Katz's stern gaze to bottle up the emotions that overflowed after Game 4.
B-Hop refused to go to the mic in the post-game interviews, leaving his teammates to field questions about the team's superstar. "He's-- not taking it well," Michael Porter (Mallard, F) understated. "He threw a few things. Said some things. Some mean things. He's-- dealing with all this in his own way."
Later, Manuel Katz offered his own opinion, based on years of working closely with the rabbit. "This is very hard for him," the tabby explained. "After last year, we knew he needed help, and we got him help. Pedro [Peter Conner (Cougar, PF)] and Cletus [Swinton (Pig, C)] have been magnificent additions to the team, they've played so hard to support the conejo, and together we beat the Bikers. To have lost so badly to the 'Storm after that-- to lose because of height, because we don't have enough tall players, tall enough players-- it is very hard for him. When we're this close." He sighed and added, "I also think he promised his girl he would beat them."
All of that could be felt as the series went into its fifth game, the last match in Lorain, possibly the last match of the series and the season. With the Firestorm up 3-1, the fans packed the Fireplace, roaring for their team, eager to see the confetti fall and the Healy Davis Trophy awarded to their club. The analysts all predicted the same thing-- easy Lorain victory. Guaranteed, no chance the Thrust could win. It was what it had been from the beginning-- the Firestorm were simply too tall, too big, too dominant on defense. The Thrust didn't have the size or the height to win this one. In 48 minutes, it would all be over.
With those words being spoken over the airwaves, the Thrust huddled into a circle on the court. Usually Hopper, as team captain, would be in the middle pumping up his teammates. But this time it was Wooten who stood in the middle, offering her own quiet words of encouragement and faith, despite the enemy sea of fans all around. Head coach Don Von Wasser (Dolphin) explained to one reporter, "Wooten asked to lead the huddle. We all agreed it was a good idea."
The cetacean wasn't without his own strategies. Susan Kruegar (Raccoon, F/C), who had been instrumental in shaking up the front court to get the team's lone win this series, returned to deep reserve for St. Peter to return to power. But Doral (Gecko, SG) remained at the 2 guard position, bringing up last year's first round pick, Carlos Syevens-Quiles (Calico Cat, SF), or Katz 2.0, as his teammates like to call him. The lineup strategy was simple. Now the club looked much more like the high-offense machine that took the 2009 Finals to 7 games, but most importantly, that won a critical Game 5 on the road. It was clear Von Wasser was banking on his team doing that again.
And now he probably wishes he'd put money on it.
The game opened like it was a continuation of Game 4. With Erich Haber (Mink, C), Aisha Melbourne (Mink, PF), and now Serhan Tevetoğlu (Turkish Angora Cat, SF) starting, the Firestorm front court had triple towers with all three players towering over 7 feet. That meant ridiculous defense on every attack, as B-Hop had all four of his first four shots from the post swatted down, and not a single offensive rebound for his team in the first quarter. The frustration boiled over quickly for B-Hop, but some early time outs and quick talks with Wooten kept the bunny focused. The rest of the team struggled around the towering minks who scored at will, with Haber's and Melbourne's hook shots sailing well over the heads of Swinton and Conner. The Thrust did manage to score some backdoor points, drawing the defense away from the weak side for the kickout shots, but it was hardly enough to stay in the game. The Sauce quickly fell back by 8 points to end the first.
A sharp-eyed fan caught the new strategy on his oPhone, later uploading the video to his social networking page. "All right , [expletive] defense!," Von Wasser spat to his players as she splashed in his tank. "There's no way for us to stop those minks in the paint, so stop trying. We're going to hit them as hard and as fast as we possibly can. You know we're in desperation mode here. Now play like it!" Doral sat down for the second quarter, putting rookie Blythe Nacht (Red Fox [silver phase], G) in. With both of their biggest defenders riding the pine, the team was armed for furious offense. And physical. When Hopper hip-checked Leonardo De Hugo (Lion, SG), the crowd booed the bunny when he was given the charging foul. But the collision had put De Hugo on the floor, and when Hopper had Bill Bent (Armadillo, PG) screened off him again to go at the lion, De Hugo hesitated, giving Hopper the space he needed to put up a high floater than snapped silk. The hip-check was peanuts, though, to Swinton's shoulder charge right into Haber's chest, shoving the mink back right into the pads. The crowd roared when the official let the play go and counted the pig's bucket, adding to the home team's frustrations.
In the second half of the quarter, the Thrust began to find their groove. Taking coach's advice, B-Hop scored less and assisted more, driving inside to collapse the mink trio, then kicking out to his teammates. Suddenly, Michael Porter and Blythe Nacht became invaluable as the two 3-point shooters worked opposite sides of the court, offering two kickouts and forcing the 'Storm to split their D. And just when it looked like they were going to figure it out, B-Hop punished them with a phenomenal pass fake that sent the minks out to the edges, giving a wide open layup to the bunny. By halftime, the Thrust had trimmed the deficit to just 2.
The new strategy was working, but at a cost. The team was working hard to keep moving around the court and setting up the buckets off the quick pass, and even after the halftime break, the players were visible fatigued. Strategy changed again as Von Wasser put Kruegar and Wooten onto the floor along with Doral and Randy Catcher (Bullfrog, G). With extra height and extra D, Doral and Dig 'Em hit at the 'Storm hard, fearlessly drawing fouls from rough, physical play. When Gerry Cross (Mink, SF) was forced to kick out of a shot to Monty Silverthorn (Pine Marten, G) on the shoulder, it couldn't have been an accident when Doral lept in front of him putting a hand on the back of his head-- and giving the mustelid a face full of his gecko crotch. That drew a foul-- and a smirk from the lizard-- as Silverthorn then became almost totally ineffective that quarter, missing all six of his following shot attempts. And the defense didn't stop there. When Chrys Brachy (Maned Wolf, C) put out his long arm to try to block a shot from Haber from the middle of the key, the clever mink hesitated, crouching to let the wolf fly by and leave him open. But when Haber lifted the ball to shoot for real, Randy Catcher lept in and slapped the ball down, recovering, and slinging the ball up court to Doug Smith (Coyote, G) for the young coyote's first slam dunk this Finals series. Remarkably, the Thrust managed to outscore the 'Storm again, taking their first lead at the end of the third.
With the crowd nervous now, Lorain head coach Delenna Dresden (Ferret) furiously worked up a new strategy. "Control the skies!" she barked to her team. "Remember that! That's how we win! That's how we succeed!" Her team took that to heart as Tevetoğlu returned to the lineup to recapture that indefensible high-arc shooting. But as soon as the 'Storm did that, Von Wasser put in his heavy offense club once more. Still exhausted and overplayed, they fought hard to keep up with the heavy Lorain scoring. No one fought harder than Hopper who kept leading the charge, bringing up the ball and getting his teammates to the cup with crisp distribution of the ball. It was in the final minutes that Carlito broke out, giving his team a chain of second chance points by putting up tip-in after tip-in and getting some of the most unlikely rebounds jumping up among the minks. In one incredible play, Melbourne had to stretch out her arm to grab a defensive rebound as it came off the rim-- and before she could plant her feet again, Carlito flew in, stripped the ball from her outstretched palm, then reverse-dunked around Haber all in one fluid motion. That earned a huge cheer from Katz, who later hugged his protege in a following time out.
The score remained close as the 'Storm kept the ball high for those unstoppable arcing shots. The dagger seemed to go in when Haber swatted down what would have been a brilliant turnaround fade from P-Con, preventing the tying bucket. When Lorain recovered the ball with less than 23 seconds left, they confidently held to it, thinking they had the win. When the ball was passed to Melbourne, the mink held the ball high and unreachable to wait out the clock, but in a play that couldn't have been in anyone's book, Hopper came up to defend the towering mink. Cameras spotted Buck smiling up at hir as he put a paw on hir rear, and stroked hir tailbase. That made Melbourne smile and lower the ball-- which B-Hop quickly slapped out of hir paws, recovered, spun-moved around Bent to go at the hoop and throw down a rim-rattling crusher with 0.3 seconds left to tie the score and force overtime.
Dresden argued with the officials over the contact which was deemed legal since B-Hop had not tried to push off or push against Melbourne. Still, the move rattled the mink so badly, shi sat down for OT, looking miserable on the bench. With the first extra minutes of the series coming up, Haber looked uncharacteristically annoyed-- maybe that's why Swinton won his first tipoff entering the quarter. That gave the Thrust a critical possession ahead of the Firestorm as the brief quarter turned into a tit-for-tat scoring battle. Each side managed to snap silk on each possession, the Firestorm with their unstoppable top shelf shooting, the Thrust with their rapid passes and quick looks off the assists. Peter Conner took off in OT, showing incredible conditioning and very little fatigue despite his extended minutes. With Melbourne sitting down, he played hard and rough against Renard Antouille (Boar, F). In one phenomenal play, the big cougar went up at the cup with Antouille planting his feet and holding him back-- but despite being too far to reach the basket, St. Peter just elevated and slung the ball down the drain for the points and the foul. That extra point was the dagger as the Firestorm kept scoring on their possessions, but couldn't quite keep up. The Sauce were still a point ahead when they had the last possession in the final seconds, forcing the 'Storm to desperately go for an intentional foul. But Hopper played keepaway as long as he could, and before he was grabbed, he passed to the underused Blythe Nacht he put up the final shot from behind the arc-- and sank it, sealing a 4-point overtime victory for the Thrust.
The crowd wailed as the Thrust teammates piled on top of Nacht and cheered. With the series going to Game 6, the match returns to Rabbit Valley Pavilion. Mary Wooten took questions after the game, and after she confirmed that she found B-Hop's stroking of Melbourn's tail tasteless but effective at keeping the team in the game, she addressed one reporter's concerns about the Thrust having not yet won a game at home this series.
"I have faith," she said, sounding confident in the microphone. "My coach back at the convent always told me, 'If you want to win, you have to give every ounce of yourself to your training, to your playbook, to your team to be the very best you can make of what you are. God takes care of the rest.'"
I'm laughing at Doral and Hops' strategies. I wonder if Val saw that!
Great game, overtime. The series us gettig better and better.
The series just keeps getting better! I didn't think the Thrust would give up their chance for the championship title so easily. Though, Silverthorn may also need a little therapy after that incident with Doral.
And I'm sure Val has some choice words for B-Hop, as well x3
Seeing the Thrust get a little, ahem, hands on more seem to give them personality. Like, a team that would skirt the rule book down to the letter. I LIKE that. It's kinda the trick that all athletes and competitors know. Get away with what you can.
Exciting series! We're back home, time to turn it up a notch!