2024-03-28 17:18:18

Around The League: January

2009.02.09 22:55

Unbeaten T-REX leads League with a 3-0 record

All three game days in the first month of 2009 are finished and all teams played their first game of the season. Here is a overview of what happened in January.

FLIGHT Division

  1. T-REX (3-0)
    As the only team to play three games in the month, T-REX simply won it all, and they did it by an average of 11.3 points. After a 17-point victory over M.I.B, they scored 21 points in just the first period against Tigers and went on for a 36-30 win. On the last game day of January, they defeat the young Chung Sing in a physical game to conclude their first month this season with 3 and zero.
  2. D.S.F. (1-0)
    There was only one game for D.S.F. in the month, when they handed Wild Beasts their second loss of the season. Michael Chan was again outstanding with 18 points and 6 rebounds.
  3. Chung Sing (1-1)
    After a win-less debut season, the expansion team in 2008 took a victory and renew their season against Wild Beasts. Dennis Chang, first played for SAMURAI then SOUTHORN Tigers, joined this team he used to coach and hope to grow these young guns for sucess. They, however, lost in the next game against T-REX, which was the only team to win all the first three games this season.
  4. Challengers (0-1)
    With the leading scorer departed, Challengers failed to have a primary option again when they start this season. Despite a 33-point effort against M.I.B., they simply could not avoid a narrow loss at 33-36.
  5. SOUTHORN Tigers ((0-1)
    Played only one game in January, Tigers was over-matched in size against the division leading T-REX and dropped the only game this month after the 36-30 loss. Dennis Chang left team and Wilson Chow will be out indefinitely, which left them much thinner in the front court.
  6. M.I.B. (1-1)
    After an embarrased loss to T-REX in the season debut, new face Wai Keung Lee scored a double-double with 23 points and 13 boards and prevented the team from losing two straight.
  7. Wild Beasts (0-2)
    After a low scoring (18-28) loss against Chung Sing in the season debut, Wild Beasts was routed by D.S.F. in the second game and dropped to 0-2 at the bottom of the division. They will look to avoid a losing hole in February, when they face Challengers, who are also looking for a first victory.

FORCE Division

  1. Photons (1-0)
    A first game against G.T. Explorers was not as easy as expected, when the defending runner-up was behind as many as four points in the second half. But Harris Wong and teammate showed why they reached the Final last season and took a 37-31 victory to start a new one.
  2. H.F.C. (1-1)
    Known as a perennial contender, H.F.C. failed as a defending champion when they lost to the then-champion Dream Team in 2008, and the Dream, if not a nightmare, comes true again in another new year to give H.F.C. a loss in season debut for the second straight time. H.F.C. then, however, boucne back strongly to rout Trojans in a 57-33 outing and showed how good are they with a league record ten dimes by Tabo before the end of January.
  3. SAMURAI (1-0)
    Addding Eric Ngain to the roster showed immediate effect in just the first game of the season, when SAMURAI can only dress seven players. Despite fouled out, the centre in new uniform managed to score 12 points and with another twelve points by Au, SAMURAI avoided a big comeback by GRIZZ and relieved as they reamin 1-0.
  4. Dream Team (1-0)
    The defending champion changed to a new uniform in white, have a centre left and some new faces joined, but Dream Team remained as quick and as young as they were in the winning season and handed H.F.C. a second straight loss in their two meetings.
  5. GRIZZ (1-1)
    GRIZZ had almost the biggest comeback in league history when they just fell short against SAMURAI. They almost earased completely the 18-point deficit in the final period. They could only come back in the next game when they defeat G.T. Explorers, even Ka Wai Fu, their leading scorer last season, scored only two points.
  6. G.T. Explorers (0-2)
    With almost a complete new team with more than ten new faces joined, the G.T. Explorers looked much improved and competitive, even they still failed to find a first win, and may be hard to, when they were put to, one might suggest, a stronger division. But a four-point lead during the second half against Photons, and stayed in the game against GRIZZ down the stretch may give reveal that they are not hopeless.
  7. Trojans (0-1)
    Trojans might start the season in a wrong match-up when they faced a full-team H.F.C. who is hungry after a disappointed loss in the season debut. Trojans played sluggish in the game and despite scoring for more than 30 points still, they allowed 57 points even the starters of H.F.C. were resting during the final period. More challenges will be coming being a team in the same division with Dream Team and Photons.