Previewing 7/18 Prime Time League games

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

Here is a rundown of what Iowa basketball fans can expect to see Sunday afternoon at the North Liberty Community Center, as the Prime Time League concludes its regular season. The PTL playoffs get underway on July 20. This weekend’s games are all rematches of contests on June 20:

McCurry’s/Mike Gatens Real Estate (3-3) vs. L.L. Pelling Company/Goodfellow Printing (3-3)

3 p.m., New Gym

Perhaps the one game on Sunday filled with the most uncertainty, this contest between McCurry’s/Mike Gatens Real Estate and L.L. Pelling Company/Goodfellow Printing is a rematch of a June 20 battle that went down to the wire.

In that contest, Pelling/Goodfellow led most of the way, only to see McCurry’s/Gatens take the contest from it in the game’s final minutes, winning 74-71.

One thing is simple with this game. The winner has a chance at a first round bye if it receives some help later in the afternoon. The loser will definitely be playing in the first round of the playoffs on July 20.

Both teams enter Sunday’s match-up coming off disappointing defeats. McCurry’s/Gatens was pounded 109-85 by a Vinton Merchants/Hawkeye Title & Settlement team it had a prior victory against. In that game, Iowa sophomore Cully Payne had 24 points to lead the way for McCurry’s/Gatens, but only had four assists in defeat.

Meanwhile, Pelling/Goodfellow is coming off a tough 94-83 loss to George Etre, Inc./Culver’s of Coralville, who is currently tied for first place with Vinton/Hawkeye. Pelling/Goodfellow was without the services of sophomore Eric May, who was out due to illness. However, it did receive a nice contribution from incoming freshman Zach McCabe, who finished with 18 points.

Fans not able to make it out to the North Liberty Community Center on Sunday can tune into KRUI 89.7-FM for this contest, which will be called by my former Daily Iowan colleagues Rob Miller and Robbie Lehman.

Vinton Merchants/Hawkeye Title & Settlement (4-2) vs. Bob’s Your Uncle & Monica’s/Iowa City Ready Mix (1-5)

4:30 p.m., Old Gym

With this contest, the scenarios are pretty simple. At 1-5, Bob’s Your Uncle & Monica’s/Iowa City Ready Mix will be the No. 6 seed in the PTL playoffs regardless of Sunday’s outcome.

As for Vinton/Hawkeye, a win plus a Etre/Culver’s loss to Jill Armstrong of Lepic-Kroeger Realtors gives it the regular season crown and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.

The last time these two teams met on June 20, Vinton/Hawkeye defeated Bob’s/Ready Mix, 108-101. In that contest, Iowa junior Devon Archie had what has turned out to be his best outing of the summer with 14 points. Vinton/Hawkeye comes into this contest tied for first place after downing McCurry’s/Gatens on July 11, 109-85.

As for Bob’s/Ready Mix, it has lost three straight games, and has proven to be heavily dependent on the likes of incoming Iowa freshman Devyn Marble. In a 88-79 loss last week to Jill Armstrong, Marble nearly came away with a triple-double, putting up 10 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

Jill Armstrong of Lepic-Kroeger Realtors (3-3) vs. George Etre, Inc./Culver’s of Coralville (4-2)

4:30 p.m., New Gym

The scenario here is real simple for Etre/Culver’s. Beat Jill Armstrong on Sunday, and it is assured the No. 1 seed in the PTL playoffs, thanks to a 102-100 win on July 6 over Vinton/Hawkeye breaking the first-place tie.

This game is a rematch of a classic battle on June 20 that ended up with Etre/Culver’s pulling out a 110-107 overtime victory after trailing by 19 points at the half.

Leading the way for Etre/Culver’s is incoming freshman Melsahn Basabe, who has been a double-double machine this summer. In last week’s 94-83 win over Pelling/Goodfellow, Basabe came away with 31 points and 14 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Jill Armstrong found a way to win last week against Bob’s/Ready Mix, despite only having five players available. In the 88-79 win, Iowa junior Andrew Brommer had a double-double, finishing with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Jill Armstrong looks to have junior Matt Gatens back on Sunday after he missed last week’s contest due to illness.

*Be sure to visit HawkeyeDrive.com Sunday evening for extensive coverage of all the action at the North Liberty Community Center.*