Millennium Broadway wins basketball title

Is there a dynasty in the Hotel Employees Basketball League? Some think it's beginning to look that way, as a result of this year's championship game. In a match-up that could be compared in excitement to this year's Duke vs. Butler NCAA final, the Millennium Broadway came away with its third Hotel Basketball Championship in the last four years, with a 36-30 win over the Waldorf- Astoria.

The Waldorf-Astoria led the entire first half, which star ted out as a highly defensive battle. Victor Bias (16 points) and the Waldorf opened up an early 8-2 lead.

However, the Millennium chipped away at the lead and got to within one point at halftime, 14-13.

The Millennium opened things up in the second half with a 10-3 run, behind the scoring of John Cuello (18 points), but the Waldorf stayed within striking range the rest of the way, and it came down to some key steals late in the game.

The Millennium Broadway, winners of the 2007 and 2008 championships, won a tight battle against Hilton New York, 43 - 38 to reach the finals, while the Waldorf-Astoria was the hottest team of the second half of the season, winning six of their last seven games, including a 49-40 win over the perennial power- house Harvard Club to get them to their first appearance ever in the finals.

Prior to the championship game, the Second Annual Hotel Legends game took place, featuring players of present and past, who are over age 40. Like last year's Legends Game this year's contest showed that basketball helps keep people young. The Sheraton's Eddie Daniel (14 points) and George Pierce (12 points) led Team Black to a 57-40 victory over Hotel Pennsylvania's Bobby O'Brien (10 points) and Team Green.

Congratulations to the Millennium Broadway of their third championship in four years and congratulations to all the other teams, players and legends for making the 2010 Hotel Employees Basketball League season so memorable.