VBL / VWL Week 4
Cough Syrup vs Tru Height (64-69)
In a tightly contested Gamebreaker thriller, Tru Height edged out Cough Syrup 69-64, improving to 3-1 on the season. Both squads brought energy and firepower, trading runs and big moments all game long. Despite the loss, Cough Syrup (1-3) showed flashes of brilliance and battled to the end.
SHAMAR (#3) put on a show for Cough Syrup, dropping 24 points on 10-16 shooting, while Jamal (#23) added 16 points and Slim (#5) chipped in 12, including two flashy assists leading to back-to-back dunks. After falling behind by double digits in the first half, Cough Syrup rallied in the third behind SHAMAR’s scoring spree and Jamal’s timely three-ball to take a narrow lead into the fourth. AJ Harris, despite taking a scary fall on the blacktop, returned to finish with 9 assists and kept the offense flowing.
But Tru Height stayed composed under pressure. Player of the game Bernard Ireland (#23) and Brandon Jamar each finished with 16 points, while Brandon Towns (#1) added 11 and made big plays late. A key 8-0 run in the final Gamebreaker moments helped Tru Height snatch the win, with clutch contributions from Deshaun (7 pts) and Will Brooks anchoring the closing stretch.
Cough Syrup gave VBL fans plenty to cheer for, but Tru Height proved they know how to close. In a game filled with momentum swings, it was experience and execution that made the difference—plus a little Gamebreaker magic to seal it at the beach
Westside War vs United Nation (60-40)
The Westside War continued their dominant run, improving to 4-0 with a convincing 60-40 victory over United Nation. Corey Hall and Jordan Robinson led the way with 17 points each, powering Westside’s offense and keeping them as the last undefeated team standing. Robinson, returning from suspension, took over the third quarter with back-to-back buckets that helped stretch the lead into blowout territory.
For United Nation (1-3), the game marked the season debut of Veniceball Legend Keith Closs, who reminded everyone why he’s a staple of the beach courts by knocking down an early three-pointer and bringing energy on both ends. After a quick bucket by Angel tied the game at 2-2, United Nation hung tough early, but Westside built a 16-10 lead by the end of the first and never looked back.
Giles and Quies paced the scoring for United Nation with 8 points apiece, while Jamaican Jay chipped in 7, including a timely three-pointer. Angel aka "Juan Stockton" facilitated the offense with 6 assists, helping spark a second-quarter run that included consecutive buckets from Oz and Quies to close the gap.
Westside’s depth once again shined, with Ray Bass adding 5 points, Jordan Roach scoring 6, and Trey contributing 4. Their collective effort, on both ends, overwhelmed United Nation down the stretch as Westside closed out another statement win on their quest to stay undefeated
Crept Protect vs Hidden Empire (51-46)
Crept Protect bounced back to an even 2-2 record after outlasting Hidden Empire 51-46 in a gritty, grind-it-out game that came down to the Elam Ending. Led by the dynamic duo of Solo Bailey and Omari Ferguson, Crept closed the game on an 8-0 run, flipping a late deficit into a statement win. Ferguson, the Player of the Game, poured in 16 points and 5 assists, while Bailey added 18 points, including clutch baskets throughout the contest.
Crept jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead behind Solo’s early scoring burst, but Hidden Empire clawed back to even it at 10-10 after the first. The second quarter remained tight, with Raimek Taylor giving Crept a lift off the bench, but Hidden Empire carried a 21-17 halftime lead thanks to key buckets from Amir Smith and Mr. Merryweather.
In the third quarter, Hidden Empire caught fire, led by Young Mouth, who knocked down back-to-back threes and sparked an 8-0 run that gave them a 37-31 edge. However, he would go cold down the stretch, finishing 3-for-11 from three-point range. Crept Protect weathered the storm with Solo’s steady offense and strong team defense, cutting into the lead heading into the fourth.
Hidden Empire briefly regained control late, going up 45-43 behind big shots from Smith and Kevin, but Omari Ferguson took over in Gamebreaker time, rattling off six straight points to close the game. Despite the loss, Amir Smith continued his stellar season with 16 points, 12 boards, and 2 blocks, while Young Mouth’s volume shooting helped keep Hidden Empire close—until Crept’s late-game execution shut the door.
Timeless vs BBJ (65-62)
In the most dramatic finish of the weekend, Timeless pulled off a stunning 65-62 comeback victory over BBJ, handing them their first loss of the season. After trailing by double digits entering the fourth, Timeless flipped the script with a ferocious 10-0 closing run in the Gamebreaker mode, improving to 1-3 on the season and breathing new life into their campaign.
Timeless was led by Player of the Game Chris Mitchell (#44), who delivered a monster debut with 28 points on 13-of-15 shooting. He was a walking bucket all afternoon, including 15 points in the fourth quarter alone to spark the comeback. Juice (#1) played the role of hero, drilling the game-winning three to cap off his 12-point performance on 5-of-6 shooting. Bryce Mitchell added 9 points, while Elvin Rodriguez contributed 8, helping Timeless outscore BBJ 31-17 in the final period and Gamebreaker to seal the improbable win.
On the other side, BBJ (3-1) looked dominant for three quarters. They stormed out to an early 13-4 lead, thanks to Zach Hinton’s hot start, where he scored 9 of his 19 points in the opening frame. Hezi God dazzled again, posting a game-high 27 points and 9 assists, controlling the tempo and lighting up the scoreboard for most of the game. BBJ seemed in full control after a 9-0 third-quarter run pushed their lead to 43-31.
Trey Savage pitched in with 7 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting clip, while Treydeuce and Buddha added 5 and 4 points respectively. But the wheels fell off in the final minutes. BBJ struggled to find clean looks down the stretch, while Timeless turned up the defensive pressure and executed flawlessly to steal the win.
While it’s a tough loss for BBJ, the squad still showed why they’re one of the most dangerous teams in the VBL. For Timeless, the win was more than just a W—it was a statement.
Hoopbus vs WHN — “The Rematch” (40-36)
In the most anticipated showdown of the season, the undefeated Hoopbus faced off against the surging WHN squad, winners of two straight. The packed crowd at Venice Beach got everything they came for—a gritty, back-and-forth battle that went to overtime, but in the end, Hoopbus stayed perfect, grinding out a 40-36 win to improve to 4-0 on the season.
Back-to-back Player of the Game and MVP contender Baller Bree put on another all-around clinic, finishing with 11 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. She also gave the crowd the play of the day—putting Amiah Simmons on skates with a vicious crossover before calmly sinking a pull-up jumper that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
The first half was a defensive chess match. Drew Edelman came out aggressive, scoring four quick points and finishing with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while MJ (13 pts, 6-12 FG) gave Hoopbus a jolt in the second quarter, helping them take a slim 16-13 halftime lead.
WHN fought back hard, riding the energy of Amiah Simmons, who hit a go-ahead three in the first and went on to lead all scorers with 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Alisha Wilson chipped in with 11 points (5-9 FG), while Icey added 6. WHN momentarily grabbed a 30-29 lead late in the fourth thanks to Icey’s bucket, but Christina (4 points) responded with back-to-back baskets for Hoopbus, sending the game into Gamebreaker mode at 33-all.
In the Elam ending period, it was clutch time for Hoopbus. Bree and MJ stepped up again, while Drew Edelman’s interior presence helped anchor the final push. Bree knocked down two cold-blooded free throws to seal it, and Hoopbus walked off with another hard-earned W.
Though WHN falls to 2-2, their fight was undeniable. Players like Kameria and Rachel Loob came up with timely plays, and the team showed they can hang with the best. But until someone can dethrone them, the road to the VWL title still runs through Hoopbus.