Sam Kuhna ’13 | Staff Writer

In the first game of the week for the Neighborhood Club season the revamped Wizards fell to the Knicks 46 to 22.

Saturday morning marked the opening of the recreational basketball season, meaning a fresh start for both teams. However, the Wizards wished they had started on Sunday.

“We couldn’t shoot the ball,” said Wizards guard Cole Semansion ’14. “We probably shot about one percent.”

Like most games over the past weekend, offense was at a minimum. Both teams struggled shooting from the outside, giving the edge to the Knicks, a more drive-oriented team. This inside scoring was led by the Knicks guard Dylan Demkowicz ’13 (U of D) who had a game high of 15 points.

The ability of the Knicks to get penetration allowed for them to kick the ball out to open shooters. While they weren’t making their three point shots, their mid range game was working.

“We really hit a lot of jumpers,” said Knicks guard Josh Gall ’13. “Although the threes weren’t there, we had plenty of good possessions.”

This along with great defense led to a blowout in the second half. Despite the Knicks inability to rebound, they contested virtually every shot leading to a great defensive game.

“It was a good win,” said Knicks forward C.j Elliott ’13. “Despite bad shooting, Dylan was able to get layups and play great defense for the team.”

On the opposite bench was sheer disappointment. The smaller Wizards felt they had outplayed the bigger Knicks throughout the game. However, it didn’t show on the scoreboard.

At halftime the Knicks led by a slim margin of 14 to 11. But halftime gave the Knicks a chance to recoup, leading to a quick run and break the game open.

“Once they started making shots we started to panic and everyone tried to take over the game by themselves,” said Wizards forward Bennett Jackson ‘14. “We just have to play as a team better.”

Jackson was a pleasant surprise for the Wizards with six points and multiple rebounds. Richie Kish ‘14 also added six. The backcourt of Clay Kreisler and Jimmy Menchl both ’14 combined for only three points and struggled to shoot the ball from the perimeter.

Both teams look forward to next weeks games. The Knicks take on the Heat and Bucks, while the Wizards try to get back on track against the Nuggets and Supersonics.

Photos by Mikey Sullivan ’13