RotoWire – Jeff Edgerton

Hornets Venom GT showed their vulnerabilities in THE TURN, powered by AT&T, but their losses didn’t count against their 7-4 record, thus still well in the playoff race. Meanwhile, their opponent Tuesday needed a miracle run to be viable, as Hawks Talon GC stands on the outside looking in. The Hornets needed to get their mojo back on track, but the Hawks had the Venom’s number Tuesday, sweeping them 2-0.

Technical difficulties hit this game early, leaving the game at 11-7 in favor of the Hawks before the disconnection. The game would reset after 10 minutes, adjusting the end of the match to midway through the fourth quarter. The contest turned into a real shoot-em-up after the restart, as neither defense offered much resistance, especially inside. Behind BP’s stellar numbers, the Hawks held a substantial lead over the Hornets at the end of the first quarter. The Hawks continued to pour it on in the second frame, and the Hornets needed a wake-up call in a game they expected to win. The Hawks had takeovers lighting up all over the roster, and aside from some catch-up play by Snubby, they failed to gain much ground and trailed the Talon 47-34 at halftime.

BP continued his brilliant play throughout, and the Hornets could only keep pace with the Hawks in the third quarter. The Hornets mounted a bit of a charge at the end of the frame, and they were able to narrow the lead to 12. They had three chances to rattle in a three in the closing seconds, but none of them fell, and the Hawks held a 10-point lead at the adjusted end of the third quarter. A Hawks win seemed likely as the two teams entered the abbreviated fourth quarter, but the Hornets refused to fold as they cut the Hawks’ lead down to only four points with less than a minute remaining. The Hawks managed to fend them off and took Game 1, 76-73. BP scorched the Hornets with 34 points, and Snubby outdid him with 44 points and six assists in a losing effort.

BP jumped out of the gate In Game 1, and Snubbby took his turn with a hot start in Game 2. His performance gave the Hornets a makeover, and they looked much sharper against the Hawks, but the Talon still held a 21-20 lead at the end of the frame. Some errant shots by the Hawks gave the Hornets a window in the second quarter, and their stalwart defense forced mistakes that resulted in a Hornets lead midway through the frame. Behind Snubby’s 20 points, the Hornets took a 36-33 lead into the locker room.

The Hornets failed to keep the lead, as the Hawks rattled off a 19-9 third quarter as they made a play for the 2-0 sweep. The Hornets kept things close thanks to a flurry of offensive boards that gave them many second-chance opportunities. With 90 seconds left, the Hornets cut it to a two-possession game, and the Hawks began to chew the clock. A costly turnover flipped the script and the Hornets couldn’t recover. This time it was Kel’s turn to lead the team as he compiled 23 points and four steals in the win. Lee also converted his second-double-double of the series with a 14/13/6 line.

Hawks Talon GC (5-8) will try to keep rolling against Cavs Legion GC on Friday. Hornets Venom GT (7-5) will also play Friday against the Gen.G Tigers.