Andy’s Lawncare is the 2014 MBL Champions. Jason Isaacson, Derek Fletcher, Jason Dourisseau, John Turek, Andre Smith, Brett Dougherty, Scot Abels (Marshall/WBR)
In a game full of second chances, Andre Smith is probably thankful that he got his. After missing the front end of a 1-and-1 to tie the game with 35 seconds remaining in regulation, Smith rebounded his own missed free throw put in the basket with less than 15 seconds in overtime to put his Andy’s Lawncare team up 104-98 and seal a victory over two-time defending MBL champion, Bank of Nebraska, in a 104-101 final.
Smith and former Huskers and current pros, John Turek and Jason Dourisseau, combined to score 82 of the team’s 104 points in the victory. On the other side, former Husker Wes Wilkinson had 28 points and former Creighton Bluejay Justin Carter had 23 points to lead the way for Bank of Nebraska. It was an up and down game with several lead changes.
While it was close throughout the first half, Andy’s Lawncare came out leading through a large part of the first half behind Turek’s 16 points and Dourisseau’s 15 points (on five three-pointers.) However, at the 4:45 mark, Bank of Nebraska took their first lead of the game at 46-44 before heading into halftime tied at 55.
Andy’s came out strong again in the second half jumping out to a five point lead, 71-66, with 12:15 to go. But then Wilkinson brought Bank of Nebraska back with one of his seven three pointers in the game to give Bank of Nebraska the lead back at 77-76. Both teams continued to battle back and forth, but B of N jumped out to an 85-80 lead off of a Klaye Rowe three-point play with 7:09 remaining.
Both teams continued to trade baskets with Bank of Nebraska holding the lead, but Dourisseau hit an impressive reverse layup to cut the lead to 91-89 with 1:25 remaining. It was at this point that fatigue started setting in as free throw makes would determine the winner.
After a rebound and drive down the court, Smith was fouled and missed the front end of a 1-and-1 that could tie it but Andy’s received a second life after Bank of Nebraska’s Rowe missed two free throws to try and extend their lead. On the ensuing possession, Turek was fouled by Carter behind the three-point line which gave Andy’s a chance to take the lead with 20 seconds remaining. However, Turek only made one of the three foul shots and Andy’s was still down 93-92.
Carter was fouled and only hit one of two from the line. On the ensuing possession, Dourisseau drove the lane and was fouled with 10 second remaining. He calmly sank the two free-throws to tie the game at 94.
Both teams had an opportunity to get the win in the final seconds of regulation. After a timeout, an inbounds pass to Wilkinson under the basket was slapped away to half court where Jason Isaacson found Dourisseau for a 35-foot shot that just caromed off the rim at the buzzer sending it into overtime.
The overtime period is where Dourisseau took over hitting an early basket and eventually a three-pointer that gave Andy’s a six point lead with :29 seconds remaining. Ben Imig for Bank of Nebraska hit a three pointer with 20 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 101-98 before Smith was fouled, which setup the game sealing play. James Parrott hig a three in the final seconds to get the 104-101 final. It was a fitting end to another successful MBL Summer League.
Semi-Finals
Andy’s Lawncare 108, Judd Knispel Agency 74
The Judd Knispel Agency was short already with the absence of Nick Bahe, who was working the Boy and Girls High School All-Star Games for NET, but were also without Creighton senior-to-be Austin Chatman. Chatman has been instrumental in the Agency’s success this summer. Although Ali Farokhmanesh, Jahenns Manigat and Matt Dorwart tried to put up a fight against Andy’s Lawncare, they ran out of gas in this one.
After going into halftime up 49-30, Andy’s Lawncare went for the jugular early in the second half behind a 17-2 run in the first few minutes, including 15 by Andre Smith, to blow the game wide open. Smith finished with 36 points on an amazing display of inside and outside shooting, while John Turek contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds of his own. Manigat led the way for Judd Knispel with 22 points.
Through the tournament heading into the final, Andy’s defeated their opponents by an average of over 31 points a game. That is pretty impressive based on the skill in the league this summer.
Bank of Nebraska 91, UNO Alumni 74
After the amazing three games in one night run by UNO Alumni last Thursday night, they gave Bank of Nebraska quite a run as well early in that contest. Bank of Nebraska was only up 37-35 in the first half until a late 8-0 run, capped by a James Parrott three-pointer, started the beginning of the end for UNO Alumni’s run. Bank of Nebraska went into half with a 52-40 lead.
They continued the balanced scoring attack in the second half extending the lead to 66-46 with 13:12 remaining and then got their biggest lead of the night at 72-48 at the ten minute mark of the second half. B of N strolled to the 91-74 victory.