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There are two ways of looking at this game. Option One: The Rainmakers and Access One got together to put on a textbook defensive tutorial, as Rain edged Access 36 to 29. Option Two: The Rainmakers and Access One got together to put on a tragic offensive nightmare, as Rain edged Access One, 36 to 29. 

    Either way, the contest was tightly contested throughout, with 8 different lead changes in the game. The 2nd half was especially close and until 2 minutes left in the 2nd half, neither team’s lead rose about 4 points. Access One last saw a lead with 5:08 left in the 2nd, but Lindz Fleming strip steal and layup gave Rain a lead they would never surrender.  

    Speaking of Flemings defense, his 5 steals and 2 blocks stood out in a game where defense was the theme. Dominic Lopez and Andrew Rodriquez, both dangerous from outside, chipped in 9 each. On average, while Rain only shot 37% from the field, they were a sizzling 5/11 from the arc. They will likely continue that trend, if this team follows its Rey Meyer legacy.

    For Access, Ryan Yakos was only a point away from a double-double, putting up 9 points and 10 rebounds. That effort lead Access to a 25-19 rebounding advantage. The Access 2-3 zone was for most part highly effective. But that rebounding advantage and tough 2-3 was offset by 18 turnovers.

     Access will likely improve going forward by getting Kevin Fennell and Jesse Vazquez more shots. They combined for an impressive 62.5% shooting. As for Team Rain, their pedigree suggests they will likely improve too. 5 of their 7 players have CSL experience on teams that went a combined 16-8 in the Fall CSL regular season.