AAA Mortgage started the game with only four players and paid the price. In what was perhaps the upset of the season, second-seeded AAA fell to seventh-seeded 2200 Club 53-36 in the quarterfinals of the San Diego Hoops playoffs on March 1.

2200 Club went on a 10-0 run before AAA Mortgage was even able to score. They played a strong offense and effectively shut down S.D. Hoops’ leading scorer, Larry Granville. At the half, 2200 Club held a commanding 27-9 lead.

2200 Club kept up the pressure in the second half by continuing to play a disciplined defense and driving for the baskets, keeping AAA on the defense.

AAA managed to score 12 points with 14 minutes left in the game and a fresh set of legs, but they just couldn’t overcome the early lead that 2200 Club had built.

AAA had been the overwhelming favorite coming into the game. They picked up their slack in the second half, but it was too little, too late.

Sergio Villegas led 2200 Club with 14 points and Granville led AAA with 22 points.

The Loft was missing Chad Hermandorfer and Eddie Quintero from the game, leaving them at a considerable disadvantage as third-seeded Pomegranate won 62-37 during another quarterfinal match-up on March 1.

Pomegranate hit the ground running, knowing that if they could tire out The Loft, they could control the game. Pomegranate hit the board first, but the Loft was always close behind, keeping themselves within 12 points at Pomegranate’s largest lead. The Loft went on a 7-point run and forced Pomegranate onto their heels for the first time in the game, with five minutes left in the first half. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough. Pomegranate took a time-out to regroup and then redoubled their efforts, forcing full-court runs and hard drives on the basket. Their strategy worked, and The Loft began to slow down. At halftime, Pomegranate led 31-21.

In the second half, The Loft tried hard, but ran out of steam. Much to their credit, The Loft continued to drive and put up a defense, but fresh legs off the Pomegranate bench ensured the victory.

Jason Farr led Pomegranate with 20 points and Paul Wash led The Loft with 16.

Even though Danny Player and Ray Robinson were missing from the Morgan Stanley starting lineup, the top-seeded team still was able to dominate last-place Pecs in a 53-29 quarterfinal romp.

For about three minutes, it looked like the missing players could result in a huge upset, but Morgan Stanley’s Paul Demke and Robert Simmons stepped up to the plate and played their hearts out to make sure that didn’t happen. Morgan Stanley led 26-17 at the half.

In the second half, Pecs managed to score only 12 points additional points. On the other side, Morgan Stanley doubled their score.

Demke led Morgan Stanley with 23 points and Dan Newbold led Pecs with 10.

In a small upset, fifth-seeded Colorworks Painting beat fourth-seeded Hamburger Mary’s 58-43 in the last of the quarterfinal games played on March 1.

This was an excellent game to watch, full of fast breaks, strong offense and effective defense. The teams were very evenly matched, and it all came down to who wanted it more – not that Hamburger Mary’s didn’t try. Colorworks held a slim 27-24 lead at halftime.

Mike Anderson of Hamburger Mary’s did his best to keep the offense going in the second half, and also to keep some of his players calm after they earned a couple of technical fouls.

Colorworks’ Tom Nagashima led with 24 points and Brandon Patchett added 17. Anderson led Hamburger Mary’s scoring with 13 points.

The results of the semifinal games played on March 8 will be published in the March 16 issue of the Gay & Lesbian Times.