Right from the start, the No. 9-seeded Globo Gym Purple Cobras dominated offensively, using excellent passing on perfectly executed pick-and-rolls to score five quick points.
The squad never trailed the remainder of the game, and Globo’s defense seemed to be fueled from its instant success, leading to a 45-40 upset over No. 8 seed Smooth Obturators.
The Obturators went almost six rough minutes before scoring an initial field goal. After the squad then scored another quick five points to bring it within six points, Globo pumped up its defense to force the Obturators into another four-minute scoreless run.
“We are outsized and are probably going to be for most of the tournament,” Globo point guard Ryan Voss said. “We just hope that the ball will keep rolling our way, which will lead to great opportunities for us offensively.”
The ball did roll Globo’s way for most of the first half — one reason the squad lead, 25-15, at the break.
But the Obturators made adjustments during halftime and made a game out of what looked to be an early blowout. Obturators came out in a 2-3 zone to slow down the quick-cutting Cobra players.
“They applied better pressure to start the half, and we backed off and forced a lot of jump shots,” Voss said.
Globo teammate Brian Bergman said, “We played extremely sloppy for most of the second half.”
With the change in defensive pressure, the Obturators held the Globo Gym to 15 second-half points.
The ninth-seeded squad couldn’t attack the rim as it had during the first half, so it was forced to take several jump shots. The change in offensive strategy gave the Obturators a chance to get back into the game.
John Tingey, the Obturators’ leading scorer with 20 points, scored 17 in the second half, hitting two 3-pointers and going 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. His sudden burst in scoring stemmed from the Smooth Obturators’ offensive rebounding.
“We need to develop a better strategy when we come out and play,” Bergman said. “We had no structure in the second half and made a few dumb fouls.”
After being down by 14 at one point, the Obturators fought back and after a technical foul on the Globo’s Joseph Venus, the team seemed to have all the momentum.
The Obturators forced two Globo turnovers, which turned into fast-break points and got the squad within two points with only one minute remaining.
But the Globo proved to be too much. After beating the Obturators’ press, the team was forced to foul. Globo hit five of its last six free throws, the only points scored in the final minute.
Bergman led Globo in scoring with 16 points. He also contained the Obturators’ tall and strong forwards in the post.
“We are a young team, but we can make a run as long as we limit the number of offensive rebounds we give up,” Bergman said.
