(3) FINANCIAL VENTURES vs (4) SK WAR DOG
CHAMPIONSHIP – Tuesday (6/21) 8:30pm at Murry Bergtraum HS
| Team Notes | Team | Score | Team | Team Notes |
| Financial Ventures has survived two offensive duds from MVP candidate (F) Kev Chang to make it to the title game, and the reason for that is their defense. And their patience. Against NFZ, they ran a gambit, playing a pressure 2-3 zone that forced the Flyers to try and finish in the paint vs their bigs or shoot over the top.
SKW will field a similar lineup with a love for hoisting 3FGs, but they won’t be able to go into the post as regularly as they did vs NFZ. In this game, the guards will need to step up and knock down a few shots to open things up. Ventures still has more depth in the bigs dept. If (C) Jiang Yu can occupy one of SKW’s bigger forwards, (C) Rich Chang will see some mismatches. |
 FVG 7-2 |
51-54 |
 SKW 8-2 |
The truth is, coming into the West as a 4 seed was misleading. The other seeds were also 5-2, but only SHA had the pedigree to match SK War Dog, and they put them to rest on Sunday with a slugfest. War Dog has mostly been the favorite in every one of their match-ups and that won’t change tonight.
Like FVG, their win was less than convincing, but this deep into the playoffs, you do whatever you can to win. FVG’s pressure 2-3 D was effective vs NFZ due to their lack of a consistent mid-range option, but SKW doesn’t have one either. What they do have is better slashers in (G) Pat Youreneff & (G) David Wong that means better transition offense too. If FVG can’t contain SKW’s counter attack, it will be a long night. |
| Key Player: Jason Chin
The other reason FVG survived just 6 ppg from Chang? Jason Chin. His clutch shooting, best exemplified by the game-winner in OT on Sunday, has been the difference offensively for FVG, a team that hasn’t found a lot other options so far. They’ll need another good one from Chin tonight whether anyone finds the stroke or not. FVG’s anemic offense can least afford Chin going cold. |
 Pos: G Ht: 5-9 Wt: 175 12.5 ppg 4.0 3pg 1.5 apg |
 Pos: GHt: 5-10 Wt: 175 16.7 ppg 3.7 3pg 3.3 rpg |
Key Player: Kash Miah
Theoretically you would never play a zone against a team with a shooter like (G) Kash Miah. No player in D1 gets hotter faster than Miah. And he is savvy enough to manufacture ways of scoring and getting it going. FVG’s length and speed on the edges is what makes their 2-3 tough against shooters. So, Miah will have to get as creative as ever to get clean looks in this one. |