Notebook: Niang’s team loses first CCL game of summer

Cyclone Fanatic’s coverage of the 2013 YMCA Capital City League is brought to you by our good friends at Heartland Finishes. 

 
Iowa State’s standout forward Georges Niang’s Capital Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine team suffered its first loss of the summer in Wednesday night YMCA Capital City League action.

Niang, who is averaging 43 points and 11 rebounds in league play, scored 48 in a 131-128 loss to Naz Long’s ADIO Chiropractic roster. Long scored an evening-high 49 points while going 10-for-23 from 3-point range.

The scoring outburst moved long up to second in the league’s scoring race. His average is now up to 43.7 per game. Fellow Cyclone Sherron Dorsey-Walker is averaging 45.3 points per contest thus far.

What is even more impressive about Long’s big night is the fact that he somehow snagged 20 rebounds.

Through four games, Niang’s Capital Orthopedics team is still sitting at the top of the league standings alone at 3-1. 

Other notes from Wednesday

*** Freshman guard Matt Thomas scored 44 points in a loss. Thomas, who is now averaging 36.3 points per game, buried 6-of-12 3-point attempts. He was 11-for-15 from inside the arc.

*** The CCL’s leading scorer, Iowa State freshman Sherron Dorsey-Walker, scored 27 on Wednesday but he did much more than that. “SDW” dished out nine assists while recording five rebounds along the way. 

*** Junior college transfer K.J. Bluford is getting better by the game. Bluford scored 25 in a win last night but more importantly, went 7-for-13 from 3-point range. He’s averaging 21.3 points per game on the season.

*** Bluford’s teammate and fellow JUCO transfer Dustin Hogue went 10-for-17 from the field to score 21 points in Walnut Creek YMCA’s 113-104 win over Phoenix Renewable Resources.

*** Freshman guard Monte Morris continued to impress on Wednesday night. In his team’s loss, Morris dropped 39 while going 16-for-29 from the field. He also dished out seven assists and six rebounds. Morris is fourth in the league in scoring right now at 39.8 per game. 

*** And last but not least, the Bubu Palo–Percy Gibson led Coca-Cola roster defeated Morris’ Renaissance Granite team by a 114-93 final. Palo led the way with 25 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Gibson went 8-for-15 with 20 points and 10 rebounds.