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1985 Quarterfinals

#1 Simeka Sleuths 67, #8 Remolvo Choristers 87
THE UNTHINKABLE HAS HAPPENED!!! HOLY SCHNIKIES!!! The 1985 Remolvo Choristers become the first #8 seed to knock off #1 in the first round!!! In considerable fashion as well!!

The Choristers came out firing on all cylinders. Harlow Rivers scored 35 points in the victory. Garrett Newston, previously a role player that showed promise as a #2 option early in the regular season amid the Rivers suspension, put up his first ever 20 point game for Remolvo. On the Sleuths' side, they simply couldn't keep up. Brody Rizzo had his worst playoff performance yet with six turnovers and going 5/22 from the field. Sol Renfro was the leading scorer for Simeka with 18. Remolvo has now had at least one playoff win in each of their postseason appearances.

#4 Luva Mountaineers 82, #5 Irving Crows 74
The Crows held the lead early, holding a seven point advantage at the half. There were points where it looked like Irving was going to cruise into the second round. The Mountaineers had other plans. The Crows' lead never grew into double digits. Every time the lead grew to nine points, Luva ran off a couple big buckets in a row. Freddy Duncan was the leading scorer this time for the Mountaineers with 27 points, employing a well-timed floater multiple times throughout the game to shoot over the outstretched arms of Crows' big man Felix Grant. Late in the second half, Sinclair Journey rattled off nine consecutive points to mount the comeback and take the lead for Luva for good. He finished with 24 points and eight rebounds. While Irving didn't emerge victorious, there was plenty to be proud of off of a surprisingly successful bounce-back season.

#3 Murdlock Monocles 89, #6 Gin City Porkers 76
Murdlock shut down any chances for a Gin City title defense. Io October was the star of the show for the Monocles, putting up a career-high 41 points in the win. He flashed a little bit of perimeter game to go along with his already excellent midrange game. It was also a contest in which he showed the most aggression on the drive, laying the ball in against taller defenders or kicking it out to teammates. Surely, the Monocles also benefited from Ibrahim Mohammed falling ill prior to the game. While Mohammed played, it was certainly visible that his sickness was affecting his endurance and speed.

#2 McQuelsey Woodpeckers 81, #7 Boothtown Mobsters 74
This was as entertaining as advertised. Navon Oren and Bryson McMurray went to war for their teams. Bucket after bucket, neither one was willing to let down. This went down as one of the best playoff games in the history of the league. McQuelsey was up by three at half, thanks in part to a buzzer-beating half court shot from Mickey Kirkland. The teams traded the lead five times in the last two minutes of the second half. Oren hit a three, McMurray landed a middie, Oren laid it in, McMurray swished a 35-footer. Back and forth they went until McMurray hit another long three-pointer, causing the Mobsters to foul and send the Woodpeckers to the free throw line. Oren and McMurray embraced afterwards, clearly aware of the spectacle they both put on. Oren ended up with 43 and McMurray had 47.

#4 Luva Mountaineers vs. #8 Remolvo Choristers
Remolvo was certainly not the opponent the Mountaineers were expecting to face in the second round. Despite the seeding, this might be Luva's toughest challenge yet historically in the playoffs. Sinclair Journey vs. Harlow Rivers for a trip to the OCS Finals will certainly attract fans, especially considering the two players will likely guard each other for a majority of the game. Will Luva make their fourth OCS Finals in five years? Can Remolvo recover from their embarrassing performance in last year's championship?

#2 McQuelsey Woodpeckers vs. #3 Murdlock Monocles
A battle of two of the league's founding teams with a chance to host the Finals on the line. A league MVP on McQuelsey's side. A young talented squad that has far exceeded expectations on Murdlock's side. Will McMurray be affected by the wear-and-tear of the last week's first round game? Will Io October and Ish Anderson repeat their high-flying offensive explosion?

It's time for the semifinals!!!!!

1985 OCS Finals

#3 Murdlock Monocles 90, #4 Luva Mountaineers 95
IS IT TIME TO CALL IT A DYNASTY??? It took a full team effort to win championship #3 for Luva in one of the highest scoring games in OCS Finals history. The Murdlock City Gym was concert-level loud for the Finals. Fans that couldn't get into the venue tailgated in the parking lot and plastered the game on televisions. In no time at all, it was time for tip-off.

The first half was physical. Luva star Sinclair Journey had to change his game up a little bit. Typically being able to score from anywhere on the floor, the Monocles played tough defense of him outside. Journey was forced to play back-to-the-basket bully ball down low. Io October had most of the defensive duties on Journey and was fairly successful. Journey was held to 10 points in the first half, a relatively low halftime total for him. Luva's Devin Harris and Freddy Duncan were automatic from three, which helped take the weight off of Journey's shoulders. The Monocles were keeping pace, thanks to October's 16 and Ish Anderson's 14 first half points. Luva found themselves up by five at the half.

The Mountaineers maintained their confidence and trusted their game plan in the second half. The used more off-ball movement, down screens and cuts to get players open. Journey erupted after halftime, landing SIX consecutive shots from downtown and extended the lead to as high as 11. Murdlock would not go away. Anderson used his length to make absurd passes to open teammates who consistently took advantage of them. Anderson finished the game with 12 assists, nine of which came in the second half. The Monocles closed the gap down to two points, but it ultimately wasn't enough. Luva continued to put the ball in the hoop, mostly by Journey and Harris. The Mountaineers did not miss a free throw in the final minute of action and went on to claim a third championship in four years.

Sinclair Journey finished with 43 points and eight rebounds on the night, becoming the second player to win three OCS Finals MVPs. The surefire future Hall-of-Famer continues to add to an already impressive resume. Luva also becomes the third franchise in league history to win at least three titles, along with The Team of the River Galloway and the Mescudi Moonmen.

1985 Luva Mountaineers Championship Banner


Congratulations to the Luva Mountaineers on winning title #3!

1986 Season

The second season with 24 teams was a smashing success! A matter of five games separated the #1 and the #8 seed. Competition was taken to another level once again, allowing for the league to grow even further in popularity.

The defending champion Luva Mountaineers have not missed a step, staking their claim to the #1 spot for the second time. In another addition to his already stacked legacy, Sinclair Journey becomes just the fifth player to win both a regular season and OCS Finals MVP. The things he did on the basketball court were magical.

Simeka lost out on the series tiebreaker to the Mountaineers and are anticipating the opportunity for their getback in the OCS Finals, should both teams reach there. The combined margin of victory for both regular season games was five points.

The Dovinwitt Louds went from middle of the pack to #3 behind an improved defensive effort all around. The Murdlock Monocles remained strong on the way to the fourth position. Bryson McMurray shined once again for the Woodpeckers with some help from Vic Lucas and Mickey Kirkland. The Bay's traditional sharpshooting kept them in any game and they snatched the #6 seed. Felix Grant had perhaps his best season as an Irving Crow en route to the #7 seed.

It came down to the final week between the Gin City Porkers and the Irving Ricos. Essentially, the winner of the game was going to the playoffs. Byron No was exceptional in this one and led the Porkers to their fourth consecutive playoff appearance. Pablo Ruiz had a great season for the Ricos as their captain. Despite falling short of the postseason, the Ricos had plenty to build on for the next year, as 1986 was their best season in a very long time.

Without anyone saying anything directly about it, Harlow Rivers' time in Remolvo is effectively over. Eliminated from the postseason in the penultimate week at home in a blowout loss to the Louds, fans gave a standing ovation. They chanted "Thank you Harlow!" over and over. Despite the rocky road they walked together, Rivers was the catalyst behind the brightest successes for the Choristers. Rivers acknowledged the crowd, waving and mouthing "thank you" while holding back tears. It was an emotional, bittersweet night for sure.

Still seeing strong play from Stanley Sweetney, The Team didn't have enough to crawl their way back into the playoff hunt. The Razors vastly improved, thanks in part to new shooting guard Kevon Alexander. Ensylvan's Tate Lendon-Tornery was a great presence in the paint on his way to an All-OBA Second Team placement.

Boothtown, despite another indescribable campaign from Navon Oren, were perhaps the most disappointing team in the league. The expectation was that they would make progress, rather than regress. In a positive note, Oren immediately shot down any rumors of disgruntlement between him and the Mobsters. He confirmed that he is happy in Boothtown. Soup, quickly becoming a fan favorite team, again showed promise but were careless with the basketball again. Soup generated the most revenue off of merchandise, due in part to their customized "Soup" branded bowls. Go figure.

It was another year older for Hitts Weckerthaul, who again struggled to keep up with the pace of the younger players in the league. Bojan Turk kept the Moonmen in many games as a rim protector and a rim-running big, earning First Team honors. The Desherd City Dachshunds and City Van East Sunrisers both battled through various injuries throughout the year. The chemistry of both teams was visibly disjointed.

The Kennedy Hooks, Convenance Canines, Veñuto Valor, and Novak Junction Hustlers only got wins by beating up on each other throughout the season. The Bara Cudas were bad defensively, although Jefferson Connors is proving to be a great leader for them. The Nachtigen Titans were truly awful. They did have a unicycle juggling clown at halftime during a game. So that's something. I guess.

1986 All-OBA Teams


1986 Playoffs
#1 Luva Mountaineers vs. #8 Gin City Porkers
The Porkers barely escaped elimination by the skin of their teeth to earn their trip to Luva. This Mountaineers team has the league's MVP and one of the most exciting players in the OBA's history in Sinclair Journey. At this point, we all know what he can do and how effective he is in involving his teammates. A strong candidate to repeat, the pressure is mounting for Luva. Can the Mountaineers fend off the Porkers? Can Gin City improve their defense just enough to pull off the upset?

#4 Murdlock Monocles vs. #5 McQuelsey Woodpeckers
The Monocles can't keep using inexperience as an excuse. This is a talented squad that just can't seem to get over the hump. Visitors to two OCS Finals, they don't plan on coming out of the playoffs empty-handed. Bryson McMurray and the Woodpeckers are looking to bring McQuelsey back to glory. Will Murdlock make another run to the Finals? Can McMurray put himself up with the Isaac Revons and Deacon Mosses of Woodpeckers royalty?

#3 Dovinwitt Louds vs. #6 The Bay Bishops
After many years of standing on the outside and looking in, Dovinwitt will finally get their chance at a postseason run. Their matchup against The Bay will be a battle of strong defense and strong offense. The Bishops will fire off shots at will. Can the Louds keep pace? Will the defensive wall of Dovinwitt be too much, stifling the Bishops?

#2 Simeka Sleuths vs. #7 Irving Crows
The Sleuths have always been almost there. Last year, as the #1 seed, they were embarrassed by the Choristers. The talent is there - Brody Rizzo, Sol Renfro, Esteban Grover and Alex Zaragoza are so fun. They soar and fly through the air. The Irving Crows, coming in as an underdog, have one of the best defensive players in the league in Felix Grant. Grant is one of the few players outside of the usual top five that can alter the trajectory of a game - and his team - by himself. Can he get enough help to upend the Sleuths? Can Simeka finally get over the hump?

It's time for the 1986 playoffs!!!

1986 Semifinals

#1 Luva Mountaineers 70, #5 McQuelsey Woodpeckers 82
Wow! What an upset! This game had a championship atmosphere attached to it. Geographically close rivals, the Edgeworth Court was packed to the nosebleeds. Luva started off with a 23-10 lead that convinced fans that the Mountaineers would be on their way to yet another OCS Finals. However, McQuelsey charged back violently. It essentially started when Bryson McMurray absolutely YAMMED on Sinclair Journey. The Woodpecker fans erupted while even some Luva supporters were stunned and shocked. Every photographer in the building knew, at that moment, they were going to make a lotttttttt of money off of prints. McMurray's epic jam, 17 first half points and Mickey Kirkland's knocking down threes helped McQuelsey dominate their way back and lead by five points heading into the second half.

From there, Luva could do nothing to stop them. The margin floated between five and nine points for the majority of the second half. Freddy Duncan had a fairly disappointing game for the Mountaineers. Journey finished with 24 points in the losing effort. On McQuelsey's side, McMurray scored 37 points with 14 rebounds and five assists.

#6 The Bay Bishops 74, #7 Irving Crows 66
This game did not have as much anticipation as the Luva/McQuelsey matchup. Arguably, though, it was more competitive. Junior Black was the big scorer for the Bishops, landing 28 points in the victory. He also dished out 13 assists, seven of which to John Hamilton, who finished with 25. The Crows weren't going away easily; Felix Grant rebounded the ball a whopping 18 times. While The Bay didn't score much in the paint, that didn't matter as they fired off a 51% clip from distance. Irving led by a point with 2:43 to go before Black stripped Dipper Buskus of the ball on two straight possessions to lay the ball in on the other end. From there, The Bay free-throwed their way to another OCS Finals, their first since 1978.

#5 McQuelsey Woodpeckers vs. #6 The Bay Bishops
It has been 14 years since McQuelsey's exciting victory over the Ensylvan Drakes in the OCS Finals. The Bay has never won despite two previous attempts. The Woodpeckers have the best player on the floor - arguably in the league - in Bryson McMurray. The Bishops have the most dastardly shooting duo perhaps in history. Will McMurray prove to be a capable leader and add his name to the legacy of successful Woodpeckers? Will glory finally ring down in The Bay for their first title?

There is a lot on the line in the 1986 OCS Finals!