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Heffernan narrows La Salette’s lead to 1 in men’s Benny hoops

With just three games remaining in Sonoma Valley Men’s Recreational Basketball’s Jack Benny (39-and-over) Sunday Night League play, there’s an intense, full-fledged race for the regular-season title and the top-seed for the postseason playoffs going on.

La Salette is still alone in first-place with a 10-2 record, but now by only one-game over hard-charging second-place Heffernan Insurance Brokers (9-3), who are followed in the standings by Murphy’s Irish Pub (7-5), Patt’s Copy World (7-5), R&B Custom Builders (3-9), and Cary’s Sports Bar and Grill (0-12).

Actually, the four spots for the postseason playoffs are already filled with La Salette, Heffernan, Murphy’s and Patt’s Copy, but their seedings won’t be set until the end of the regular season.

In last Sunday evening’s week-12 action at the Altimira Middle School gym, Murphy’s Irish Pub dealt La Salette its second loss of the season with a convincing 65-49 triumph, led by Jeff Kellogg’s game-high 29 points with four treys, Jamie Svanda’s 17 with three treys, Beni Comma’s 13 with three treys, and two each by John Malinkowski, Steve Mellinger and Rich Tunheim. La Salette was paced by John Barr’s 20 points with five treys, Don Fowler’s 17, John Reed’s and Kenton Lewis’ five apiece, and Manny Azevedo’s two.

R&B Custom Builders downed Cary’s Sports Bar and Grill 61-51, led by Ron Hall’s game-high-tying 20 points – including 10-for-10 from the free-throw line – Al Martinson’s and Chris Nufo’s 12 each, Chris Schnabel’s six, Dino Minatta’s four, and two apiece by Larry Philpot, Craig Brown and Danny Dwyer. Pacing Cary’s were Edwin Hidalgo’s game-high-tying 20 points with four treys, Chris Rossi’s 14, Gary Johnson’s nine, Pat Dudy’s five and Ryan McCracken’s three.

Heffernan Insurance Brokers won on a forfeit by Patt’s Copy World.

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On March 3, Heffernan Insurance Brokers nipped Murphy’s Irish Pub 53-51, led with a game-high 17 points each by Bill Gutnehzer and Devin Ajax, who had five treys, Joe Neely’s 14, Clem Moore’s three and Steve Matuszak’s two. The Pub was paced with 11 points each by Malinkowski, who had three treys, and Comma, Mellinger’s and Kellogg’s 10 apiece, and Svanda’s nine on three treys.

La Salette edged Cary’s Sports Bar and Grill 48-43, led with 13 points each by Aaron Smith and Aaron Lockes, who had three treys, Fowler’s 12, Lewis’ eight and Mike Glasbrenner’s two. Pacing Cary’s with a game-high-tying 14 points apiece were Dudy and Rossi, who had three treys, Tyler Nethaway’s eight, Matt Ingersoll’s five and Jay Ashe’s two.

Patt’s Copy World toppled R&B Custom Builders 58-44, led by Dave Studdert’s game-high 17 points, Mike Brennan’s 16, Lenny Clayburg’s 13, Mark Fidler’s eight and Scott Summers’ four. R&B was paced by Nufo’s 16 points, Martinson’s 13, Schnabel’s six, Minatta’s three, and two each by Philpot, Brown and Dwyer.