Wisdom and Grace Take the Court

Age is Only A Number - Wisdom and Grace Take the Court

Written By - "MC"

With age comes wisdom.  So it was no surprise that two of the oldest squads in the Gold Division were sporting some serious basketball knowledge, experience and as Jack Liu a.k.a. "Windex" would say, "some old man tricks" as Chinese United Methodist Church squared off against Harvest Holy Ground Church this past Wednesday night at El Camino High School.  The game nearly ended before it even started when CUMC only had a four man roster with 30 seconds before tip-off.  But by grace, a fifth starter miraculously arrived and we were all set for the big showdown.

Early on it was CUMC exhibiting great ball movement along the perimeter and high post area.  Give Jay Taylor a Craftsman tool set because he was setting up shop on the high post.  They consistently got the ball through Harvest Holy Grounds 2-3 Zone defense which resulted in easy baskets and an early lead.  HHGF played a bit flat to open the game, but Ken Che a.k.a. Last Rights, took matters into his own hands as he kept his team in contention.  Both teams kept things rather conservative, saving their energy for the epic battle that was to come. 

Peter Fong a.k.a. "The Archaeologist", dug up some scoring opportunities with his deft mid-range shooting.  Some crafty play from Darryl Wong and Jay Taylor got them some well deserved hustle points and rebounds as they jostled with Harvest's three headed rebounding monster of Chi Lee a.k.a. "Bulldozer", David "The Tin Man" Tin, and "Windex".  Holy Grounds Kevin Wong made a trio of three pointers during the first half to keep the game close.  CUMC kept the lead going into halftime as both sides pondered the chess game that was to be a very exciting second half (at least for people who like a slow tempo, half-court match up).

The second half was a back and forth struggle as these veteran gladiators of the hardwood traded steals, baskets, and momentum.  Maybe the difference between the two seasoned squads was a fifteen year old on the Holy Ground squad named Edwin Li and a newly married man who just back from his honeymoon named Victor Chan a.k.a. "Poker Face".  Their defense, hustle, and boundless energy gave their teammates some much needed rest. 

As the game came to a close, Holy Ground unleashed the ace held firmly up their sleeve: the 2-2-1 Full Court Press.  Don Lee a.k.a. "The Prophet" decided to turn up the heat defensively and its execution was good enough to slow down (yes I said slow down) CUMC's offensive set.  Late game rebounding and timely scores down the stretch from "Last Rights" and Wong gave their team the victory...right?  Well, "The Archaeologist" and his band of warriors made one last push to even the contest.  A much needed three point bomb with about a half minute remaining brought them to within three, but "The Prophet" and "Last Rights" delivered last rights to CUMC from the charity line. 

Final Score

Holy Ground  50

CUMC - 43