The Kingdom Ballers and 76ers met at North Highland Assembly of God's Church Gymnasium, on 15 October, to play in their fourth game of NOSBL XVII. The Kingdom Ballers were 0 - 3 and the 76ers were 1 - 2. Though the 76ers carry the history of winning four NOSBL titles, the Kingdom Ballers had no reason to question their ability to compete because they have the players to challenge every team in the league. The main difference between the two teams is the ability to maintain continuity. The 76ers have had their core players for several years. The Kingdom Ballers have a difficult time keeping dominant on-board to build a team around. That has kept the Kingdom Ballers from knowing how to manage and win games. That is what was on display, yesterday, against the 76ers.
Though the Kingdom Ballers and 76ers traded leads, during the first half, the 76ers managed to close out the half with a 42 - 32 point lead. For some strange reason, the Kingdom Ballers failed to notice that Tim Sanks (the league's 2-time scoring champion) was on the floor. Tim Sanks scorched them with 19 points and Willie Tennyson turned and jump-hooked for 14 points. The difference in the game, for the Kingdom Ballers, was their unwillingness to follow up on jump shots for rebounds and/or second shot attempts. I consistently witnessed four players watching Lamont Shuford battle the boards alone. Willie Haynes led the Kingdom Ballers with 9 first half points.
The second half was more productive, for the Kingdom Ballers, as they outscored the 76ers 39 - 34. Unlike the Kingdom Ballers, the 76ers are used to close wins and know how to manage personnel and time to their advantage. Tim Sanks continued to lead the 76ers with 11 points and Marcus Watkins added three 3-pointers for 9 points. The 76ers defeated the Kingdom Ballers 76 - 71 and improved their record to 2 - 2. The Ballers dropped to 0 - 4.
The scorers, for the Kingdom Ballers, were: #31 Willie Haynes with 12 points, #21 Wason Davis with 16 points, #84 Christopher Mathis with 10 points, #32 Santonio Howard with 17 points, #11 Lamont Shuford with 14 points, and #2 Darrell Sumbry with 2 points.
The scorers, for the 76ers, were: #1 Tony Campbell with 6 points, #23 Tim Sanks with 32 points, #24 Marcus Watkins with 9 points, #34 Willie Tennyson with 20 points, #40 Bryan Short with 6 points, and #45 Lester Hood with 3 points.