Crunching the Numbers
WPH Press, Tucson, AZ
Starting in 2020, the WPH has crunched tens of thousands of shots, tracking the aces, kill shots, return of serve kills, first-strike kills, errors, 6+ shot rallies won, and hinders for dozens of classic matches in handball’s recent and distant past. The thousands of numbers we’ve crunched have provided handball fans and players with the blueprint to win matches.
After a 20-month hiatus, November saw the return of the Race 4 Eight tour and the GAA ranking tournaments with the 2021 R48 Tucson Memorial and the GAA Golden Gloves, respectively.
On this edition of Crunching the Numbers, we’ll track the +/- point differentials, points scored vs. points lost, percentage of points won, and the match record from the top four finishers at the WPH R48 X Stop #1 Tucson Memorial and the GAA Golden Gloves (IRE).
Top Four 2021 WPH R48 Tucson Memorial Point Differentials, Points Scored vs. Lost, Percentage of Points Won, Match Record
1st: Carroll: +82, 150-68 (69%), 5-0
2nd: Lucho: +37, 103-66 (61%), 3-1
3rd: Danos: +32, 82-50 (62%), 2-1
3rd: Lenning: +31, 79-48 (62%), 2-1
Top Four 2021 GAA Golden Gloves Point Differentials, Points Scored vs. Lost, Percentage of Points Won, Match Record
1st: Brady: 121-59 (67%), +62, (4-0)
2nd: Shanks: 104-71(59%), +33, (3-1)
3rd: Kerr: 97-86 (53%), +11, (3-1)
3rd: Mulkerrins: 88-56 (61%), +32, (2-1)
- Most points scored: Carroll: 150
- Highest percentage of points won: Carroll (69%)
- Lowest percentage of points won: Kerr (53%)
- Largest points differential: Carroll: +82
- Lowest points differential: Kerr: -11
Carroll and Brady remain the top two players in the sport, as evidenced by their impressive title runs in their season’s first events. With both claiming the first titles of the season on opposite sides of the Atlantic by winning 69% and 67% of their points, respectively, we should expect a showdown in Music City at the USHA Four Wall Nationals in December
David Fink
WPH Senior Statistician