McDonald Stuffs the Stat Sheet, Red Storm Stay Perfect on Hump-Day Hoops

A 33-and-23 masterpiece, an 18-point statement from the league’s only unbeaten, and a Knicks comeback in the East Shoreline Catholic Academy gym — the first Wednesday of July delivered fireworks a few days early.

Around the League

Red Storm 64, Huskies 46. The league’s lone unbeaten kept the zero in the loss column, and they did it with a balanced attack that the Huskies simply couldn’t match. David Orr was everywhere, stuffing the sheet with 16 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, a block and a pair of triples. Jason Erxleben splashed three treys on his way to 14, and Danny Gardner flirted with a triple-double, posting 12 points, 10 boards and a game-high six dimes. The problem for the Huskies? Ryan Florentine was magnificent — 29 points, 16 rebounds, five steals and two blocks — and it still wasn’t nearly enough, as Red Storm pulled away by 18. Jon Fiorillo chipped in 11 with a couple of threes, but the supporting cast couldn’t keep pace.

Knicks 53, Black Mamba 47. Black Mamba hosted, but the Knicks left with the win behind a big night from Taylor Houghton, who filled it up for 26 points to go with nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. Jeremy Staub was a menace on both ends — 13 points, three treys, four steals — and Eric Hogarth did the dirty work for a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double. Colby Morawski did his best to keep the hosts afloat with 17 points and eight boards, and Paul Votto added a nine-point, 10-rebound effort, but the Mamba came up six short and remain in search of that first win.

Green Wave 61, Bulldogs 40. This one belonged to Jeremy McDonald, and it wasn’t close. His 33-point, 23-rebound, five-assist, five-steal line was the stat sheet of the week, the kind of one-man wrecking crew performance that turns a game into a formality. Tyler Copple provided plenty of thunder himself with 20 points and two blocks, giving Green Wave a devastating one-two punch. Khalid Jabarkhail led the Bulldogs with 14 and a pair of threes, and Mason Carey nearly notched a double-double with 10 and nine, but Green Wave cruised by 21.

The Standings

Red Storm sit alone at the top at a perfect 3-0, riding a plus-23 differential and a W3 streak. The big mover of the week is Green Wave, who leapt three spots into second at 2-1 on the strength of their blowout. The Knicks climbed a rung to third, also at 2-1, thanks to their road win. It was a rougher night below the cut line: both the Huskies and Bulldogs slid two spots after taking their second straight losses, while Black Mamba hold steady at the bottom, still hunting for win No. 1.

Movers & Shakers

Star of the week goes to Jeremy McDonald, whose 33 points and 23 rebounds led the league in both scoring and boards — and he tacked on five assists and five steals for good measure. Absurd.

Right behind him, Ryan Florentine was a two-way terror in a losing effort, dropping 29 points with 16 rebounds and pacing the entire league in both steals (5) and blocks (2). Taylor Houghton rounded out the 20-point club with his 26-piece for the victorious Knicks.

The dimes crown belongs to Danny Gardner, whose six assists topped the week as part of his tidy double-double.

Speaking of which, it was a big night for double-doubles — five in all: Gardner and David Orr for Red Storm, Florentine for the Huskies, Eric Hogarth for the Knicks, and, of course, McDonald’s monster line for Green Wave.

See you next Wednesday, Shoreline.