HOGS DEVASTATED BY PUNK REFS AND COLD SHOOTING IN TIGHT GAME
The Sweathogs fell 78-71 in the championship game vs. Fort Garry. It was a devastating loss because the Sweathogs had previously handed Fort Garry their only defeats of the season during regular season play - so they knew they were beatable.
Things started out rough for the Hogs as Fort Garry jumped out to an early lead, however, they made the common mistake of leaving Dennis "the Claw" Dare open in 3 point land and he quickly erased the deficit with back to back 3's. Throughout the first half the Hogs had trouble finishing, as many lay-ups, rebounds and shots narrowly missed. Trailing 35-23, the Hogs cranked up the defence and forced some turnovers, changing the momentum, Ollie hit two 3's and Cuff hit one to cut the deficit to 35-32 in a one minute span. By half time, FG had a 40-35 edge. Firsthalf highlights saw Ollie go 3/3 from long distance while Dennis was 2/4. Billy worked his ass off on defence and cut hard to the basket for a couple of lay-ups. The Hogs didn't seem to get any breaks from the refs either as Fort Garry went to the line several times while the Hogs struggled to get any calls.
The Hogs came out firing in the second half with a 9 point run including Neil dropping a deuce, Ollie a 3 and J-Bone hitting from the line to open a 44-40 lead. Unfortunately, the lead was not maintained and the Hogs battled back and forth for the first 10 minutes of the half. Eventually the game was tied up at 55, before FG began pulling away... the Hogs could not hit the shots when they needed them and FG drained some timely 3's and tough shots in the face of Hogs D. They also continued their relentless parade to the foul line, ending with a ridiculous total of 27 points from the foul line. The reffing was just that brutal. On the other side, the Hogs' trips to the line were few and far between, generating 14 points.
In the end it was a sad story and it was hard to believe what had transpired... losing to FG was a bitter pill to swallow after so many great games this year. Highlights of the game stat-wise: Oliver 23 pts and 4 steals; Neil 11 pts (4/8 shooting); Cuff 11 pts and 4 steals; Kangas 10 boards; Dennis 9 points (3/5 on 3 pointers).
Lowlights: Hogs 27 fouls, FG 17 fouls. Also, Dennis getting his "5th foul" when the score sheet plainly said it was his 1st...
SEMI FINAL: SWINE HOT FROM THE LINE IN BIG WIN
With several vocal supporters in the stands, the Hogs were ready to rumble on Saturday night at the U of W Duckworth Centre. For the first time in a long-time, the Sweathogs entered a game with a full 10 man roster as Neil "Stretch" Pawlyk returned from a lengthly absence to play in the crucial semi-final game. Neil's return was key as the Hornets boasted one of the larger big men in the league, with a man mountain in the post position. It was to be a tough battle for Neil and J-Bone inside and they worked well, alongside Hollywood and the Kid as the Hogs crashed the boards hard in a game in which no outside shots were dropping for either team.
The first half saw the Hogs come out with some jump as Dennis nailed a 3 to get the scoring started. That was quickly followed up by Neil and J-Bone hitting some sweet post moves to stake the Sweathogs to an early 7-0 lead. The Hornets quickly closed the gap however, hitting a 3 and a few deuces of their own to turn the tables and take a 9-7 lead. The remainder of the half saw a lot of fouls and missed shots. The Sweathogs worked very hard on D, managing to contain the offensive threats of the Hornets and allow them very few clean looks at the hoop. The last few minutes of the low scoring first half saw the Swine open up a six point lead, mainly by hitting from the line. The score at the half, Sweathogs 28, Lost Hornets 22. Keys to the first half were the fundamentals - free throw shooting (Cuff 4/4; Bill 2/2; Neil 2/2; Ollie 2/3 as the Hogs went 11/14 from the line) and rebounding (J-Bone 5; Kevin 4; Kangas 6, Neil 3). Oliver also grabbed 3 steals in the half, many of them late as he pressured the ball handler up the court. Following a rough first half with a number of fouls on each side, the referees warned both teams at the half that any commentary would result in a technical foul in the second half... and they weren't kidding. Jeff and Neil led first half scorers with 6 points each. Another first half highlight was an aggressive block and solid body-check by Kevin as he got full value for his foul early on.
The Sweathogs came out dropping bricks in the second half, unable to muster any offense early as the Hornets got back into the game with both teams even at 30 points after a few minutes. After that, the game was a see-saw battle that saw the Hogs hold a 5 point lead, but unable to pull away and distance themselves on the scoreboard. Again, there were a lot of calls made, some quite suspect, but one non-call resulted in Cuff questioning the ref and picking up his first (and only!!) technical of the game. Much to the delight of his teammates, he stopped there and did not punt the ball into the stratosphere this time. Aside from one 3-pointer from Oliver, the Hogs did not hit outside shots, however, they only took a handful of attempts from long range. Instead, they took the ball to the hoop, with Bill and Cuff drawing several fouls and Ryan, Jay and Neil continuing to battle inside for boards, drawing more fouls. Oliver had a sweet double-clutch under-hand scoop driving right up the middle and hitting a highlight reel shot. Down the stretch the Hogs saw their lead grow to 10 points and then fall back to 5 with about a minute and a half to go, before the game was iced with solid foul shooting. The Hornets had a chance to close the lead to 4 points with about a minute left, when Neil came up with a monstrous shot block, swatting the Hornet and keeping the ball in play. The second half story was much the same as the first as the Hogs went a solid 12/15 from the line (Jeff 3/4; Bill 4/4; Ryan 2/2; Neil 2/2). Kangas crashed the boards hard, picking up 5 second half rebouds for a team leading 11 on the game. The offense was spread out once again as Cuff led all scorers with 13 points. He was followed by Neil and Bill with 10 each and Jay with 9. Final score: Sweathogs 61 - Lost Hornets 51.
The game was sweet revenge for long-time Hogs, who recall that they had been eliminated in a first-round upset by the Hornets several years ago. The Hogs now proceed to THE DANCE - their second consecutive trip to the finals will take place on Monday night vs. a veteran laden Fort Garry squad. Fort Garry finished first overall, with their only two defeats coming at the hands of the Sweathogs. Game time is Monday, March 8th - 7:30PM. Come on out and see the Hogs go for the REPEAT. Post-game beverages to follow at C&M's.
QUARTER FINAL: CUFF LEADS HOGS TO ROUND ONE VICTORY
The Sweathogs took a decisive 65-50 win over Showtime in round one of the play-offs on Friday night. No story available at press time as the reporter was still out having celebratory post-game beverages.
Highlights: Cuff - 17 points; Mann - 10 rebounds; Oliver - 13 points; Kevin - two fat elbows in his face, one pushing match, oneejection; Bill - one solid elbow to the chest, a two-handed shove and an ejection; Cade - one 3 pointer and a slow-motion Matrix style 3-point play; Hollywood - several steals and boards while demonstrating "lock-down" technique on defense; Dave - a few patented jumpers and solid defensive steals; Dennis - two 3-pointers and expert play-calling from the coach; Neil - played role of Matt Foley, motivational speaker from the sidelines - look for the big man to have an impact in round two when he returns to action on Saturday night.
