By DAN PAWLOWSKI
WAKEFIELD — The top two seeds met for Washed-Up Baller glory on Tuesday night at the Galvin as No. 1 Team Okundaye took on No. 2 Team Nadeau in the championship game.
Captain Brett Okundaye’s squad battled back from a deficit as large as 12 points in the second half, getting to within two before Team Nadeau responded with 7 straight points from the McKenna’s – Mike and Alex – to close the 7th quarter back with a comfortable 55-46 lead.
In the Washed-Up format of eight, five-minute quarters, that run to go into the final frame was key as captain Kobey Nadeau’s team finished strong to win it 65-56.
Andrew Delaire led Team Nadeau with 14 points, 9 in the 2nd half. John Evangelista had 11 points and Nadeau also finished in double digits with 10. Mike McKenna had 9 and Alex McKenna had 7.
Okundaye led his squad with 15 points, all in the second half. Andrew Quinn added 9 on three 3-pointers, Mike Tansey had 8 and Nick Lamberti, Noah Brennan and Brett Maloney all had 6 with two 3-pointers each.
Team Okundaye hit 11 triples in this game compared to 7 for Nadeau but the latter got to the line much more frequently and dominated the paint on their way to a Washed-Up trophy.
The format of Wakefield’s premier summer league hoops showcase is unique in that lineups are set for each quarter, which features a running clock. It ensures pretty even playing time for all, a blessing or a curse depending on your team’s depth and of course, your ability to work around busy summer schedules.
Okundaye’s team was shorthanded, a difference that was actually more noticeable in the first half as Team Nadeau’s defense set the tone. Team Okundaye didn’t reach double digits in any of the first four quarters.
It wasn’t until the 6th that the momentum changed with Okundaye putting his team on his back to cut a 12-point deficit in half. The team in red kept fighting to get it down to 48-46 on a Nick Lamberti 3, but as they had all game, the eventual champs responded by getting to the hoop as Alex McKenna scored 4 points in a row and Mike McKenna hit a wild, spinning layup and finished with a free throw to shift the momentum again, this time for good.
Nadeau wasn’t scheduled to start the game for his team but quickly came on to replace an injured player. He imposed his will immediately with an and-one to open the scoring in the game. Triples from Quinn and Brennan kept Okundaye in it but a step-back 3 from Evangelista made it 8-6 after one.
Nadeau pushed their lead to 18-13 in the 2nd thanks to 5 quick points from Delaire on a pull up 3 and later a double clutch at the bucket. A Nadeau triple and second chance bucket from Nick Connor made it 18-13 after 2.
The 3rd was a physical quarter as both teams battled for territory, the trophy clearly on the their minds. There were only tough buckets in this frame and a quick, 5 in a row from Evangelista on a layup and a 3 from the left wing as Nadeau went up 26-14 after three.
Okundaye cut it to 8 in the 4th with some deep 3’s and a couple nice takes by Tansey keeping them in it.
The second half was the main event.
The Washed-Up founder, Will Shea, knocked down a deep ball early and a strong finish by Delaire kept the magic number at 12 going into the 6th.
That’s when Okundaye had enough. Team Nadeau contained him as well as anyone could hope in the first 5, but it was only a matter of time as the captain scored 7 straight mostly on a couple transition 3’s, forcing a smart timeout from Nadeau with the game now at 39-34.
The quarter also featured a massive block by Billy O’Keefe on Nadeau, which led to some talk, all in a response to some earlier chatter. It wasn’t a time for refs to step in because Nadeau himself loved it. It was a sequence that sums up the league pretty well. Talk is fine. We’re all washed up anyways.
Team Nadeau weathered the storm well holding onto a 6-point lead to the 7th. A deep 3 from Quinn preceded Lamberti’s triple but Nadeau’s toughness, led by the McKeanna’s set the tone as they dug deep for the Washed-Up crown.
Team Okundaye trailed by 9 in the final quarter and wasn’t able to gain any ground as Nadeau finished up a hard-earned championship.
It was another successful season for the Washed-Up Ballers, their 7th overall. The league features six teams of mostly Wakefield players and continues to grow each season.
Offseason workouts start today. Don’t get too washed up.