1990 Regular Season

Simeka eclipsed a sixth consecutive finish inside the top 3 and their third #1 seed in that time span. Brody Rizzo dished and dimed his way to his second MVP honors. Rizzo thus becomes just the sixth player in OBA history with multiple MVPs. He averaged 19 points and 11 assists a game, a remarkable accomplishment for perhaps the league's top point guard. Aided by Sol Renfro and Alex Zaragoza, Simeka had never looked stronger. Both of the previous year's finalists, runners-up Soup and reigning champion Gin City, finished in second and third place respectively. Byron No battled through injuries throughout the year to be nominated to the All-OBA second team as the Porkers' lone representative. The Anderson-October duo proved successful as the Murdlock Monocles earned their third playoff appearance in four seasons.

Malachi Lewis shined in his second season with the Irving Crows as he ended up among the top 5 scorers in the league. He and big man Felix Grant propelled the Crows to the #5 spot. The big surprise of the 1990 season was the Kennedy Hooks, who improved their win total by 4 to clinch their first playoff appearance in franchise history! Although they struggled defensively, their high octane offense pushed them over the edge to the sixth position. The Team of the River Galloway and the Ensylvan Drakes both clinched playoff spots in the last week of the year with victories and a loss by City Van East.

The Sunrisers dealt with heartbreak in the final week but overall hung their hat on the progress they made from the previous season. For the Boothtown Mobsters, Aaron Batista put together yet another dominating campaign but fell just shy of the postseason.

Although it was going to be a tall task for the Mescudi Moonmen to return to the playoffs, the season ended in bittersweet emotions. In a situationally meaningless game in the final week, Mescudi played host to the struggling Irving Ri

1989 OCS Finals
#2 Soup 77, #4 Gin City Porkers 80
IT WAS FIREWORKS AT THE SOUP BOWL!!!! Back and forth, haymaker after haymaker, this was an instant classic. Neither team led by more than six points in the first half. Every time Soup tried to pull away, the Porkers came battling right back. Gin City's Ibrahim Mohammed, known as one of the most intimidating defenders in the league's history, came through with a 20-point showing before halftime. While Soup's Clarence Poole struggled to stop Mohammed, Poole contributed 14 points of his own before the break. The game was tied at 44 at the start of the second half, but the drama ensued. Otis Carter, the Porkers' point guard, netted nine consecutive points at the top of the half. Soup's Horace Suggs balanced the pick-and-roll with Poole well, scoring 15 points in the second half in those sets. With 3:00 to go, Soup took a 70-67 lead on a Suggs 3-ball from the corner. The Porkers called a timeout to get things situated. Star Byron No was getting locked up all night, only contributing 13 points and had a handful of turnovers as well. Gin City knew he had to step his game up in the closing minutes. From there, No tied things up with a pindown 3-pointer. The teams traded buckets until it got to Soup leading 77-75 with 0:35 seconds remaining. The Porkers set up a nice 3-man game with Carter, Mohammed and No on the right side of the court that led to Carter laying it in at the 0:23 mark.

Soup attempted to score on a Clarence Poole post entry, but hands were swiping left, right and center. Eventually, Carter stripped Poole of the ball and ran the other way. Suggs poked it out of bounds on the Gin City side of the court, but there was much controversy regarding who last touched the basketball. After the officials convened, the call was overturned and Soup retained possession. However, No intercepted the impending in-bound pass and called the final Porker tim

1989 Semifinals
#1 The Team of the River Galloway 65, #4 Gin City Porkers 96
Not much to say here other than what occurred was what was expected. Byron No took advantage of Stanley Sweetney's absence, as the Porkers star netted 43 points in the victory. Sweetney looked absolutely devastated in sweatpants and a hoodie, while No carved up the Team's defense like a Christmas ham. It was ugly. Tavian Jarvis was the lone bright star for the Team, and that word "bright" is used relatively. Jarvis had 18 points on a woeful 6/20 from the field. It was abysmal. On the winner's side, one of the huge positives was that the starters were able to be pulled fairly early to avoid any further injury. Porkers big man Ibrahim Muhammed posted a 20-point double-double and added three blocks as well.

#2 Soup 78, #6 Murdlock Monocles 67
Basketball fans who were prepared to watch competitive contests were disappointed on Saturday night. Although the nightcap was closer than its predecessor, it wasn't by much. Soup's Clarence Poole couldn't be stopped by anybody on the Monocles side, no matter who they threw at him defensively. He dominated the paint, putting Murdlock's Io October on a poster not once, but twice in the span of seven basketball minutes. Horace Suggs kept the Monocles court general Ish Anderson in check, holding him to 15 points and six assists. Anderson also coughed up the ball a few times, leading to Soup points. Soup led by as much as 22 in the second half, and by the time Murdlock tried slicing it away, it was too late.

#2 Soup vs. #4 Gin City Porkers
Two storied franchises are going at it to seal the most exciting decade in OBA history thus far. The defensive-minded Soup have their sights set on a 3-peat, the first in over a decade. However, standing in their way will be a scorching hot Gin City squad whose offensive dominance has yet to be matched. The three-headed monster of No, Muhammed, a

1989 Regular Season

Unlike the previous season, which had multiple 30+ win teams, only one squad clearly stood above the rest - The Team of the River Galloway. Stanley Sweetney eclipsed his second MVP award, leading the league in both scoring and rebounds. He was aided by the surprising rookie Tavian Jarvis in their efforts to claim the top spot from the rest of the league.

The defending champions had a noticeably improved regular season compared to 1988. Horace Suggs and Clarence Poole made for one of the most entertaining duos to watch. Despite slipping to third, the Simeka Sleuths remained a force to be reckoned with. They came together with more of a focus on off-ball movement and stout defense. Thanks to Byron No, Ibrahim Mohammed and Otis Carter having healthy seasons, the Gin City Porkers made their return to the fourth seed. They are considered a threat, as they ended the season on a 10-game winning streak.

Tyrone Buckley put together another stellar campaign, improving the Dachshunds seeding position by two. Ish Anderson carried the Murdlock Monocles with his own phenomenal season, earning First Team honors. In Boothtown, Aaron Batista proved to fans why he was so sought after coming into the league. Batista is only in his third season, and has notched a First Team nomination.

The competition for the #8 seed was tight at the very end. Dovinwitt was on their way to another incredible season. However, major injuries hampered their chances. The Louds became much more vulnerable from there, going 3-7 in their final ten games. By virtue of the +/- tiebreaker, they rode their early success to the final spot. Luva was unable to surpass the Louds, despite a strong season; the Mountaineers struggled defensively throughout the year. Nachtigen also showed steady progress, posting a winning season for the first time. Byron Jackson became one of the most exciting young prospects to observe. Keep in mind - the T

THE JOURNEY ENDS - As was expected in the dwindling weeks of the season, Luva Mountaineers legend Sinclair Journey has decided to hang up the shoes. Journey posted an extensive and impressive resume in his 15 seasons with Luva, as seen below. Largely seen as a fan favorite for his style, his efforts, and his service to the community, Journey will be revered across the country even after his playing days.

Sinclair Journey
1986 MVP
x4 All-OBA
Champion (1982, 1983, 1985)
OCS Finals MVP (1982, 1983, 1985)

Congratulations to Sinclair Journey on an exceptional career!

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JOHN HAMILTON RETIRES - Renowned sharpshooter John Hamilton announced to the media he will be retiring from the Bishops. While Hamilton's career wasn't chock full of accolades, he still played a pivotal role in the Bishops success, including multiple trips to the OCS Finals. Further, he retires as the career leader in 3-point field goal percentage by a considerable margin. Hamilton was a one-time member of the All-OBA team.



Congratulations to John Hamilton!