AAA Mortgage extended a slim first-half lead in the second half to beat Pomegranate and move into second place in the San Diego Hoops standings on Feb. 22. Pomegranate drops to third place in the league.

From the whistle, this game had the intensity of the playoffs, as both teams were vying for the second-place spot going into the playoffs.

The first two minutes of the game were scoreless, but then Pomegranate came out with a strong offense and managed to stay slightly ahead of AAA during the initial few minutes of the game. Seven minutes into the first half, AAA pulled ahead with a 3-point shot to lead 7-6.

While AAA was slow to start, they eventually found their rhythm and led through the rest of the half. Pomegranate closed the gap to 4 points with a last-second free throw. AAA held a 29-25 lead at halftime.

Pomegranate came out hard in the second half, and within the first minute had caught up and tied the game. AAA, sensing a renewed determination in Pomegranate, stepped up their offense and proceeded to put 9 unanswered points on the board. Pomegranate came back hard at the end, but it just wasn’t enough for a comeback win.

Larry Granville led AAA with 26 points. Jason Farr led Pomegranate with 22 points.

Pomegranate and AAA both have identical 10-4 records.

Hamburger Mary’s barely escaped with a slim 39-37 win over a much-improved 2200 Club in the second game of the night. 2200 Club had a chance to move up a spot in the final season standings with a win, and the game was intense as a result.

Hamburger Mary’s started the game stronger than 2200 Club, but 2200 Club didn’t back down. Hamburger Mary’s led 19-15 at halftime.

In the second half, Hamburger Mary’s Mike Anderson took over and fired from all cylinders. But every time his team would get a slight lead, 2200 Club would answer right back. The score was tied 35-35 with only two minutes left, making it anybody’s game. Hamburger Mary’s pulled ahead by 2 points, which was then answered by two free throws by 2200 Club to tie the score 37-37 with just over a minute left in the game.

Hamburger Mary’s put another 2 points on the board and immediately changed their tactics to play a much more conservative game with less than a minute on the clock. The strategy worked – they didn’t turn the ball over again and hung on for the win as time ran out.

Anderson led Hamburger Mary’s with 18 points. Jeff Praught led 2200 Club with 15 points.

Hamburger Mary’s improved to 8-6 with the win, good for a fourth-place ranking going into playoffs. 2200 Club stands at 4-10 and sits in seventh place.

Colorworks dominated The Loft 45-31 to remain in fifth place in the third game of the night. Both teams were on equal footing, as key players were missing on both sides. Colorworks was missing Brandon Patchett, one of their top scorers, and The Loft was missing Eddie Quintero and Chad Hermandorfer.

The Loft started with only 4 players – the fewest number of players a team can have without forfeiting. Despite the lack of players, The Loft managed to lead 7-0 in the beginning of the half, but Colorworks quickly whittled away at that lead.

Tom Nagashima seemed to be able to score at will for Colorworks, capitalizing on strong drives and effective passing. At the half, Colorworks led 24-16.

In the second half, The Loft redoubled their efforts and relied heavily on Rick Saunders and Sereeta Jones to keep the game close. With only four minutes left, Jones had to leave the game due to a knee injury. With only three players left at that point, The Loft was forced to call the game.

Nagashima led Colorworks with 25 points. Saunders and Jones scored 12 points each for The Loft.

Both teams have 5-9 records going into the playoffs.

In the last game of the night, Morgan Stanley came through with a 58-44 win over Pecs to finish the regular season with an undefeated 14-0 record.

Morgan Stanley was missing two of its key players due to injuries, while Pecs had a full compliment, which allowed them a steady stream of fresh legs throughout the game. The first half score was close, with Morgan Stanley leading 28-21.

In the second half, Paul Demke and Robert Simmons were on fire for Morgan Stanley, seemingly scoring points at will, but Pecs was able to answer these buckets via their center, Dan Newbold.

With just under four minutes left in the game, David Valenzuela fouled out for Pecs, followed almost immediately by Demke.

The last three minutes of the game gave Pecs an opportunity to catch up, but they just could not capitalize on it. Morgan Stanley rose to the occasion and with a strong defense and additional scoring by Simmons.

Demke led Morgan Stanley with 24 points. Newbold led Pecs with 21 points.

Pecs fell to 0-14 overall and remains in last place in the standings.

The playoffs began March 1 and conclude March 15 with the championship game. Results from quarterfinal games will appear in the March 9 edition of the Gay & Lesbian Times.