Upper Darby, PA – The Outlaws appear to be the team to beat this year at the PGBL. They are the only unbeaten team in the league and continue to move along to an inevitable championship quest. Last night at St. Demetrios, the Kings, last years champions met up with the Outlaws for the second time. But they fell short as well. This put another notch on the gunbelt of the Outlaws and took them to 9-0. That’s the best start by a PGBL team in recent years.
Outlaws 81, Kings 77
While the score only reflected a four-point difference, the game was not as close. The Kings were chasing the Outlaws through much of the evening, who often found themselves leading by as much as ten points. On offense, the Outlaws controlled the boards and were able to score from the perimeter with a number of players when needed. George Vlahos and Pete Kada kept the tempo tipped in their favor and combined for 32 of their teams 81 points. The Kings, on the other hand, looked off balance throughout the night, making a number of turnovers when trying to get the ball to big Jim Armenakis down low. Big Jim would not be denied. Still he scored 27 points for the Kings. Former MVP Niki Veronis helped keep them in the game with his ball handling skills and shooting ability. Last night he dropped six three-pointers and a total of 25 points for the Kings.
But the x-factor here was again Laz Mackrides of the Outlaws. His ability to score from both inside the paint or the perimeter made the difference. Mackrides was able to run fast breaks, fight for rebounds and fill in when needed at any position. This is what makes him such a threat. Much of this team is also versatile and has depth. “When needed, we step up and fill in,” said George Vlahos of the Outlaws. Last night, for the ninth time this season, the Outlaws showed up, took care of business and walked away with another W.
Warriors 56, The Process 38
The Warriors had no problem dismantling The Process last night. They showed up with their leader Louie Karapanagiotidis who controlled the offensive attack, spreading out the scoring. Eight of their nine players contributed to their win, making it a total team effort.
Boardwalk Empire 60, Bucks 50
The Boardwalk Empire continued to improve, as they took out the Bucks last night. Matt Zacharides of the Empire went on a tear last night in the second half dropping 20 of his 22 points.