After last season's humbling Cup Finals loss to Visionaries, the Orchestra were hungry for another chance. Despite starting the season without Konstantyn Klimenko (22.4 ppg in Season 64), another chance is exactly what they got. To make the finals they surpassed expectations. Thanks in part to a mid-season shot in the arm in the form of American Guard, Sterling Koenig, they bested a long list of great teams, including:
• Wasco Tigers (a replay of the Season 61 III.6 championship)
• Vanaheim Norse (II.1 powerhouse and former mentor)
• and 3 NBBA teams: Jim Almeida Janitor Crew, southpaw army, and Flashover (a rematch of last season's Cup semifinal)
In the finals vs Splash Gang, The Orchestra came out to an early lead, shocking their opponents by stacking up a 12-pt lead in the first 9 minutes on the strength of Koenig's 7-8 shooting from the field. But Splash Gang adjusted and pulled to within 6 by the end of the period. A 4-minute drought started the 2nd period for both teams until ...