EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 12/6/2007

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Men News

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Cibona doesn't count on Vedran Morovic any more -by Dragan Jankovski
After words of Cibona's head coach Josip Vrankovic it is obvious that the team doesn't count on PG Vedran Morovic (183-G-83, college: Olney CC) any more and he is free to find a new club. Namely, during the time when he was injured and later other players replaced him and according to Vrankovic's words there is no sense that Morovic continue to practice with the team because Cibona doesn't need four PGs and also he is not badly paid.

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BELGIUM

Oostende to Protest Uleb Cup Loss -by Peter Buyse


Eurobasket has received information that Oostende is going to file an official complaint protesting the outcome of Tuesday's home loss to Belgrad.
The home team claims the shot took longer than the 0.2 seconds that were still on the clock.
According to the local tv station Focus TV it actually took at least 0.6 seconds before Tadija Dragicevic's hit the 3pt shot to win the game.

Oostende hopes that the protest will result in a 72-70 win.



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BELIZE

Mexican Universities, No match for UB!!! -by David Magana

The uiversity of belize won a tournament held this past weekend in Merida, Mexico. The University of Belize was invited by the University of Mayab to participate in a tournament along with the University of Yucatan and the Technological Institute of Merida. Here is a summary of the games:

Games played: Nov. 30, 2007- UB vs. University of Mayab
UB won 80-45
Leading scorers: Stephen Williams-18
Jorett Jones-15
Dec.1, 2007, morning- UB vs. University of Yucatan
UB won 64-41
Leading Scorers: Stephen Williams-16
Travis Lennon-14

Dec. 1, 2007, evening- UB vs. Tech.
UB won 65-50
Leading Scorers: Stephen Williams-25
Jorett Jones-17

The UB team was impressive with the full court press that they applied on each team. They started out every game with an early lead that helped them win each game. The UB team was highly complimented on the way they played and the show of sportsmanship throughout the tournament. Each player got to showcase their skills. UB played as a team and that impressed the organizers of the tournament, who are planning to make this tournament an annual event. The tournament was well organized by the University of Mayab. The UB coaching staff was invited to return to Merida to host a basketball camp and coaches clinic. The UB players and coaches were great ambassadors for the University. The universities from mexico wish to continue to build strong ties with UB in other disciplines as well. Congratulations to UB for a job well done, again!



Finals in CSSSA Basketball Tournament!! -by David Magana
This past Monday and Tuesday the CSSSA played the semi-final games in both male and female divisions, here are the results:

Monday December 3, 2007

Female GLHS def. NHS 68 - 14

Top scorers GLHS - Andrea Andrews - 22, Tiffarah Swift - 17
NHS - Ermine Ferguson - 6

Male EPYHS def. SVTHS 71 - 52

Top scorers EPYHS - Winston Pratt - 31, K Tam - 17,
SVTHS - R Flores - 14, Kyle Domingo - 11

Tuesday December 4, 2007

Female PHS def. WES 35 - 34

Top scorers PHS - Victoria Zelaya - 14
WES - Ashley Gladden - 17

Male WES def. GLHS 62 - 54

Top scorers WES - Leroy Louriano - 22, Oliver Solis - 12
GLHS - Bernard Blades - 16, Andre Diego - 15

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BOSNIA

Schedules of A1 leagues - this weekend -by Emil Suceska
A1 league serb.part

8.week

Aleksandrovac: Igokea Partizan 2 - Rudar
Bratunac: Bratunac MINS - Sutjeska
Sokolac: Glasinac - Radnik
Bijeljina: Bijeljina Plus - Vrelo
Prnjavor: Mladost 76 - Varda
Rogatica: Wolf Security - Mladost MG

A1 league croat.part

8.week

Livno: Livno - Odzak
Posusje: Posusje 2 - Brotnjo
Tomislav Grad: Tomislav - Rama
Ljubuski: Ljubuski - Mostar
Siroki Brijeg: Siroki 2 - Vitez
Busovaca (free)

A1 league bos.part

Hadzici: Bosnjak - Brcko DC
Sarajevo: Play Off - Lukavac
Kakanj: Kakanj - Velpak
Tesanj: Trica Man Hummel - Bihac
Tuzla: Student - Novi Grad
Cazin: Limometal Cazin - Velez 90:80

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CAMEROON

NCAA News... -by Yann Tientcheu
The latest meetings have been truly productive for our point guards.
Erick Nsangou (6-0, 195 Guard) scored a team high 17 pts, and added 3 rbds, 2 steals and 2 asts in a Florida International loss (73-70) against Florida Gulf Goast
on Dec. 2nd.
Patrick Mbouli (6-2, 185, Guard) contributed to Manhattan College's win over Boston University (72-65) on Dec. 1st, registering 12 pts, 8 rbds, 3 stelas and 2 assists.
Bitee Parfait (6-2, 190 Guard) had 11 pts, 5 rbds, 9 asts, 2 steals in Rhode Island university's win (77-60) over Providence on Dec. 4th.
Other players performed well at different positions.
On Dec. 2nd, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute (6-8, 230 Forward) had 14 pts, 7 rbds and 1 steal in a game lost (61-63) by UCLA to Texas. The freshman Alexis Wangmene (6-7, 241 Forward),
who is part of the Texas Longhorn men's basketball program has been averaging a solid 15.6 mns/g with 4.6 pts and 3.3 rbds per game for the past seven meetings. It should be
noted that Wangmene is getting incredible exposure with the Texas Longhorn basketball program which is currently ranked 8th in the U.S.
Stephane Bakinde (6-8, 205 Forward) is sticking to the consistency card judging by his 12 pts, 7 rbds, 1 blk and 3 steals with his Newberry Indians, who lost a tough game against
Coker University (68-70).
Yves Mekongo Mballa (6-7, 210 Forward),who plays for Lasalle University had 8pts and 6 rbds in a close loss (66-67) against Bucknell University.

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CHINA

Xinjiang, Guangdong Share CBA Lead -- Shanghai's Xu Yong Shows His Potential -by Arthur Volbert
Brandon Robinson had 32 points and 10 rebounds while Liu Jiulong had 31 points and 9 rebounds as Shaanxi blasted Yunnan 130-100. Dontae Jones had 29 points for Yunnan.

Guangdong destroyed Fujian 101-77 to keep its share of the CBA lead as six players scored in double figures. Sources tell me that Chris Porter is having a salary dispute with Fujian and this is the second straight game in which he has not played. Lu Xiaoming led Fujian with 23 points but had 8 turnovers.

Liaoning edged Zhejiang 96-91 as Bian Qiang scored 21 points, Liu Xiangtao scored 18 and Earnest Brown had 17 points and 9 rebounds. Soumaila Samake had 24 points and 18 rebounds for Zhejiang and Ding Jinhui added 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Xinjiang maintained its share of the CBA lead with a 98-85 victory over Jilin. Mengke Bateer had 22 points, 17 rebounds and 6 blocks. Babacar Camara had 25 points and 13 rebounds for Jilin.

With Tang Zhengdong out for Jiangsu, Beijing defeated Jiangsu 103-93. Zhang Yunsong and Men Wei each had 21 points for Beijing and Olumide Oyedeji had 21 rebounds.

Raheim Brown led Jiangsu with 24 points and Yi Li added 21. Meng Da returned from his suspension for fighting in international competition and had 4 points. However, the suspension appears to have had a beneficial effect for Meng. He grew three years younger and is now born in 1987 rather than 1984. It is a wonder what rest can sometimes do for a player.

Herve Lamizana had 25 points and 14 rebounds to lead Shandong to an 89-75 triumph over Guangsha. Garnett Thompson led Guangsha with 29 points and 12 rebounds.

Xu Yong (204-F-89), an athletic former sneaker camp MVP who may be the best player to come out of the class of 1989, scored 36 points on 12 of 15 shooting to lead Shanghai to a 115-100 win over Shanxi Zhongyu. Jerod Ward added 24 points and Liu Wei scored 20. Damon King led Zhongyu with 27 points.


Shaanxi 130
Tian Yu 11p+11r+1a+1s, Liu Jiulong 31p+9r+4a+4s+1bl, Dai Yong 12p+4r+5a+3s+5to, Zhang Wei 12p+6r+3a+2s+1bl, Hiram Fuller 12p+10r+2a, Hu Guang 12p+2r+5a+1bl, Bai Fan 8p+2r+1a+1s, Brandon Robinson 32p+10r+4a+5s+2bl
Yunnan 100
Yang Huai 6p+1r+1a, Yen Hsing-Su 13p+4r+5a+1s+7to, Nigel Dixon 17p+11r, Chen Zhaosheng 13p+1r+2a+4s, Wang Hsin-Kai 8p+2a+3s, Dontae Jones 29p+7r+2s, Cun Shouwei 5p+1r


Guangdong 101
Zhu Fangyu 13p+1r+3a+3s+1bl, Wang Shipeng 13p+2r+3a+2s, Liu Xiaoyu 2p+3r+3a+2s, Jason Dixon 16p+16r+2a+2s+1bl, Lamond Murray 15p+4r+3a+1bl, Ji Le 5p+6r+3a, Zhang Zhe 17p+6r+3a+4s, Chen Dawei 11p+5r+1s
Fujian 77
Zhu Shilong 7p+2r, Lu Xiaoming 23p+4r+1a+3s+8to, Yang Chao 7p+3r+1a+3s, Liu Yudong 12p+5r+1a+1s, Jameel Watkins 15p+11r+1s+1bl, Gong Songlin 8p+1s


Liaoning 96
Bian Qiang 21p+2r+5a+3s+1bl, Liu Xiangtao 18p+4r+1s+1bl, Zhang Qingpeng 4p+2r+2a+2s+0to, Li Xiaoxu 12p+7r+2a+2s, Earnest Brown 17p+9r+2a+1s+1bl, Yang Ming 11p+5r+6a+1s+2to, Patrick Simpson 11p+8r+2a
Zhejiang 91
Wang Nan 16p+4r+2a+2s+1bl, Liu Weiwei 6p+3r+2a+1s+3to, Deng Li 6p+2r+1a, Soumaila Samake 24p+18r+2a+2bl, Ding Jinhui 14p+11r+1a+1bl, Sui Xiaolong 16p+2r+1a, God Shammgod 7p+1r


Xinjiang 98
Xu Guozhong 6p+2r+2bl, Xue Yuyang 5p+4r+2bl, Mengke Bateer 22p+17r+3a+2s+6bl, David Jackson 15p+5a+1s, Jin Lipeng 18p+5r+3a+1s, Mulati Adilijiang 10p+3r+2a, Aaron McGhee 20p+7r
Jilin 85
Liu Wei2 11p+5r+1a, Wang Bo 8p+7+10a+4s, Lu Yan 6p+5r+2a, Babacar Camara 25p+13r+1a+1s, Zhao Anan 9p+4r+1s, Du Jiang 7p+1r, Cheng Zhiming 4p+3r+2a, Dejuan Tate 9p+3r+1a, Ma Yansong 6p+3r


Beijing 103
Jiao Jian 12p+6r+1a, Zhang Yunsong 21p+7r+3a, Chen Lei 3p+1r+4a+1s, Xie Libin 6p+3r+5a+1s+2bl, Men Wei 21p+2r+2a+1s, Olumide Oyedeji 17p+21r+1a+2s, Ji Zhe 17p+7r+3a+1s
Jiangsu 93
Zhang Cheng 12p+2r, Hu Xuefeng 3r+5a+1s, Yi Li 21p+2r+1bl, Fang Hui 9p+1r+1a+1s+1bl, Raheim Brown 24p+7r+1a+2s, Yang Li 4p+5r+2a+1s, Ryan Forehan-Kelly 7p+4r+2a+4s, Meng Da 4p+1r+1a, Han Shuo 10p+2r+3s


Shandong 89
Wang Gang 11p+1s, Sun Jie 22p+9r+2a+1s, Hou Bing 6p+8r+6s, Herve Lamizana 25p+14r+4a+1s+6bl, Zhou Jilin 5p+4r+1a, Lou Yandong 18p+1r+1a+1s
Guangsha 75
Garnett Thompson 29p+12r+2a, Yu Junkai 9p+3r+1a+1s, Zhang Nan 15p+5r+3a, Chou Subin 4p+3r+1a, Jia Nan 6p+5r+2a+1s, Rodney White 10p+7r+2a+2s


Shanghai 115
Liu Wei 20p+6r+11a+2s, Wang Yong 8p+3r+1a+4s+1bl, Luo Xudong 3p+4r+1a, Peng Fei 2p+3r+2a+1s, Xu Yong 36p(12/15)+7r+2a+4s, Gu Aoke 10p+1r+2s, Jia Xiaozhong 4p+4r, Jerod Ward 24p+7r+2a, Pig Miller 8p+12r+1a+1s
Shanxi Zhongyu 100
Wang Sizhang 7p+2r, Shan Tao 5p+3r+1a+2bl, Zhang Xuewen 3p+3r+2a+3bl, Pan Jiang 5p+3r+1a+5to, Yu Tao 7p+6r+1a, Yu Xuelin 4p+6r+3s, Damon King 27p+9r+3a+1s, Zhai Jinshuai 10p, Major Wingate 10p+7r+1a+4bl

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CROATIA

Zadar bumps Strasbourg for the second win in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Zadar - Strasbourg 94:65

Croatian Zadar gained the second win at the ULEB Cup as they nipped Strasbourg at the Basketball Hall Jazine yesterday. The advantage of the hosts was dazzlingly obvious. Zadar got to a better start and soon clinched a 22:17 lead after 10 minutes of action. Zadar posted a 7:0 rally early in the second frame and enjoyed a 29:17 advantage. Strasbourg could not find proper answers for the hosts' aggressiveness and Zadar later burst out with another stunning 20:6 rally to accumulate a 49:26 lead at halftime. Derrick Obasohan (199-F-81, agency: Beo Basket, college: Texas Arlington) scored 5 consecutive points for Zadar at the start of the third frame but Croatian team matched it with one more run that became deadly for the visitors. Zadar were up by 25 points after three quarters and eased to an overall victory at the end. Shammell Stallworth (197-F-80, agency: Interperformances, college: USF) fired 25 points to lead Zadar. Julius Johnson and Toni Prostran (183-G-91) delivered 12 points apiece for the winning side. Derrick Obasohan answered with 13 points for Strasbourg. Elson Mendy (200-F-85) had 10 points in a loss. Zadar outrebounded the visitors 37:34 and forced French team to as many as 17 turnovers. The hosts also limited their opponents to 35% accuracy from the field.
Zadar improved to 2-3 record and hosts Unics Kazan in Round 6 in Group I. Strasbourg fell to 2-3 and would seek for the third victory against Jerusalem next Tuesday.
Zadar: Shammell Stallworth 25, Julius Johnson 12, Toni Prostran 12
Strasbourg: Derrick Obasohan 13, Elson Mendy 10

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CYPRUS

Transfer news -by Chris Mammides
The international center Chris Kaskiris (206-C/F-79) agreed terms with Pizza express Prime Apollon. Chris Kaskiris played this seazon in Omonoia where his performance was really very good so head coach Koukoulekidis decided to sign the powerfull center in his team.

Omonoia Nicosia in order to replace the international center Chris Kaskiris who jsut sign with Apollon agreed terms with his ex team-mate in Keravnos Strovolou Sasa Mijajlovic (211-C-80, college: Hutchinson JC), ex player of Igogea in Bosnia.

Another ex Keravnos player Zelimir Stevanovic (201-F-77, college: Pittsburgh) is very close to sign in Achilleas Kaimakli, according to rumors which were taken from the sports site 24sports.cy. According to the same rumors Kaimakli team split ways with the Serbian center Ljubisa Vrcelj (211-C-84, college: Jacksonville)

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CZECH REP.

New player in Liberec -by Ondra Simecek
As it was already announced, BK Liberec was needing a new fresh blood in the team and therefore let Lukas Kraus go. New player on his position will be Pierre Wooten (192-G-80, college: Winthrop) who will stay in Liberec at least until the end of the regular season.

Nymburk lost in Moscow -by Ondra Simecek
Dynamo Moscow retained at least its share of first place in Group F on Tuesday when it outlasted visiting challenger CEZ Nymburk 94-83. Dynamo is now 4-1 and had to wait on the results of Red Star's game later Tuesday to find out if they were still tied for the group lead. Nymburk, meanwhile, fell to 2-3 and will either be tied for third or fourth place at the halfway point of the regular season. A 14-point difference in the middle quarters helped Dynamo gain leads it controlled through the finish. Robertas Javtokas scored 13 of his 20 points in the turnaround second quarter. He was matched in the scoring column by Henry Domercant, while Sergey Bykov added 19 points and Antonis Fotsis 13 for the winners. Dynamo made 78% of its two-point shots (29 for 27), one key to fictory. For Nymburk, Monty Mack (191-G-77, agency: Interperformances, college: Massachusetts) led the scoring effort with 22 points. He was followed by Blake Schilb, who scored 17, while Radoslav Rancik and Arthur Lee added 14 each. Nymburk led after one quarter but couldn't stop Javtokas inside when it counted, and Dynamo used its experience to manage the leads until the victory was in hand.

Dynamo tried to jump all over the guests by racing to a 10-4 start that Nikola Prkacin started and ended with inside shots. Dynamo's lead hit a high of 14-6 on Bykov's third basket, plus a free throw, and was still 19-12 before Nymburk rallied. Schilb buried 3 jumpers of his own in a 0-9 run that put the guests up 19-21 after 10 minutes. Javtokas, Milos Vujanic and Henry Domercant turned things around for Dynamo in the second quarter by combining for all their team's 23 points - 13 of those by Javtokas - which were good for a new 42-37 halftime lead for the hosts. Triples by Petr Samoylenko and Antonis Fotsis to open the third quarter let Dynamo reach a new high lead of 50-39. That difference climbed higher still as Dynamo limited Nymburk almost exclusively to free throws on the way to a 66-54 lead after 30 minutes. Bykov's 5 points to open the final quarter blew the game open at 71-54. Monty Mack and Rancik tried to bring the guests back, but they could get no closer than 8 points, 84-76, when Mack downed a triple with 3 minutes left. His next one and a follow-up twoo-pointer by Lee got Nymburk to within 91-83, but the final minute was all Dynamo's, as was the victory.

Points Nymburk: Mack 22, Schilb 17, Rancik and Lee 14, Benda 6, Necas 4, Benes, Chan and Slezak 2

Point Dynamo: Javtokas a Domercant 20, Bykov 19, Fotsis 13, Prkacin 8, Samojlenko a Vujanic 5, Chvostov a Domani 2

1. Dynamo Moscow 5 4 1 448:390 9
2. Red Star Beograd 5 4 1 421:391 9
3. Telindus Ostende 5 2 3 402:397 7
4. CEZ Basketball Nymburk 5 2 3 397:410 7
5. Fortitudo Bologna 5 2 3 373:409 7
6. Panellinios Athens 5 1 4 353:397 6

source: ULEBCup.com

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EGYPT

Gezira beats Zamalek 74-67 in a friendly game -by Sherif Soliman
At 8 pm last night Gezira won by 7 points when they played with Zamalek in a friendly game. WAEL BADR,KHALD EL SAIED Zamalek national team players didn't play as they are having a rest after they finish Arab champion last week. SAMEER GHOUDA the big center didn't play last night because he is suffering from some muscle pain. RAMY GENEDY gezira point guard preferred to rest ,CHRSS GANETT also didn't play yesterday. Both coaches gave junior players a chance to get some time in the game.Wael Badr (193-G-78)

EGYPTIAN federation opens importing basketball players -by Sherif Soliman
The Egyptian federation opened importing players for the first time since long time. The clubs compete to win good deals. SOMOUHA S.C. of Alexandria won DAYMOND FORNEY coming from AL JALAA (SYR.TI).Also GHRIS GARNETT the 211(611") centre coming from GARY STEELHEADS will be in Cairo this week to join GEZIRA S.C.Daymond Forney (205-F/C-76, college: Fresno St.)

Zamalek lost his first game in Damascus -by Sherif Soliman
Zamalek lost his first game from Pardis of Iran last night.The players lost cncentrating in the last quarter letting the Irany players win the game 77-68.Zamalek will face El Jeish of Syria tomorrow night,They have to win this game or leave the tournment early.Haitham El Saharty (197-F-85)

ZAMALEK getting close to the semifinal after a great win in Damascus -by Sherif Soliman
ZAMALEK players showed their power last night beating Itthad(syria) by 17 points in Damascus tournament. According to the rules Zamalek who came 2nd in group (A) will face tonight the hosts EL WEHDA(Syria) who came3rd in group(B).While the groups winners will be qualified directly to the semifinal. Zamalek players are getting better every game with a big chance to reach the final.Wael Badr (193-G-78)

Chris Garnett "I am here to win the league and go back home" -by Sherif Soliman
Chris Garnett (211-C-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Indiana SE) who joined GEZIRA S.C. this season said "I am here to lead my team to the gold,i know my self i don't like silver medals". Chris came from ATLANTA, he has a small kid. He loves his mother he told me she is a great women. He is a very kind person and shows a lot of respect to his coaches ,He is getting in shape every day.His coach told me "this is the man we need ".

GEZIRA S.C. VS SOMOUHA S.C. tonight in a friendly game -by Sherif Soliman
The game will start tonight at 6 pm in Cairo stadium. . Gezira after cancellation of Qatar camping should depend on such friendly games. Gezira will play their 3rd friendly game with Alexandria S.C next Saturday. The game will be a good chance for both coaches to see the two American players Chris Garnett (211-C-80)playing for Gezira S.C. and .Daymond Forney (205-F/C-76)Playing for Somouha S.C

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EL SALVADOR

Denver wins league -by Jaime Arevalo
The superior experience of its players allowed Denver to take the Game 4, 96-80, becoming the 2007 LSB Clausura Champion. Alejandro Cajar (190-G/F-78) was the best player on the court, ending the game at 34 points. ExSal tower Anton Kerley (206-C-81, college: Morehead St.) was guarded by three opponents at the same time, and some of the domestic players of his team disappointed.

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ESTONIA

Kalev falls short to Slask in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Kalev/Cramo - Slask 61:79

Polish Slask climbed on top of Group G standings after the 5th round of action. They overcame Kalev/Cramo in Tallinn to claim their 4th win at the tournament. Kalev meanwhile slipped to 3-2 record and occupied the 4th spot. Slask capped the close first quarter with an 8:0 run and enjoyed a 23:15 lead. Slask continued to dominate early in the second frame as they posted a 7:0 rally and cleared off beyond double figures. Kalev/Cramo were unable to score for 6 minutes before Kristjan Kangur (202-F-82) ended this scoring draught for the hosts. But Slask had a 41:27 advantage at halftime. Dominik Tomczyk (205-F/G-74) opened the third frame with a triple as Slask just kept on rolling. Kalev struggled to cut the deficit and Slask cherished a 59:45 cushion after three quarters of action. Kalev never recovered at late stages and had to surrender at the end. Rashid Atkins (182-G-75, agency: Interperformances, college: St.Joseph's) topscored with 23 points for Slask. Jared Homan (206-C-83, college: Iowa St.) contributed 13 points and 11 boards for the winners. Travis Reed (203-C-79, agency: Court Side, college: Long Beach St.) answered with 16 points and 8 boards for Kalev/Cramo. Kristjan Kangur added 13 points in a losing effort. Slask outrebounded the home team 41:34 and were more accurate from the field. Wroclaw team converted 54% of field goals, while Kalev responded with 39% accuracy. Kalev will try to improve as they play against Panionios away from home next. Slask will travel to Spain to take on Gran Canaria next week.

Kalev/Cramo: Travis Reed 16, Kristjan Kangur 13
Slask: Rashid Atkins 23, Jared Homan 13+11 boards, Dominik Tomczyk 9

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ETHIOPIA

major season will come -by Yoseph Zemede
the ethiopian basket ball ferderation announce yesterday the major league will starts next week.they added to the media the new season will attractive even if the participiating team are few.last year champion water design will have best performance relative to it's against EIG.

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FINLAND

TUNMKY&Frierson go separate ways -by Jari Vikman
Turun NMKY 66 have decided not to continue deal with Charlie Frierson. Decision was made by Turun NMKY 66 coaches Pieti Poikola and Juha Ruohonen. Frierson played 12 games and averaged 15,7 ppg/7,8 rb

KORISLIIGA: ToPo is rolling 11-0 in a row -by Rauno Hurmalainen

Korisliiga, Round 15-16: Five games tonight. ToPo (Helsinki) is rolling 14-1 record by now and 11 victories in a row. ToPo's new Head Coach Tomi Kaminen must
be a magic man, because Team is winning all close games like tonight: ToPo - Pyrinto (Tampere) 93-88. This was Team's 9th victory by less than six (6) points!
Korihait (Uusikaupunki) crushed Honka (Espoo) 92-52, when Honka had four starters on injured list: Monte Cummings (knee), Tim Kisner (back), Jukka Matinen
(groin) and Petteri Koponen (concussion). YMCA Lahti made history. Opponent Team Componenta (Karkkila) scored in Lahti only 46 pts, which is least ever in

Finnish Top League. YMCA Lahti won 104-46. Then two victories on the road. Kouvot (Kouvola) won the fourth quarter in Porvoo 18-34 and Tarmo lost 75-94.

In Joensuu local Kataja lost the fourth quarter vs KTP (Kotka) 26-43 and by the same the contest 96-103!

ToPo - Pyrinto 93-88 (49-46) (Tyson Patterson (175-G-78, college: Appalachian St.) 27, Timo Heinonen 19 - Damon Williams (199-F-73, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Colorado St.-Pueblo) 28, Damion Dantzler 26/10).

Korihait - Honka 92-52 (53-31) (Darius Glover (196-G/F) 26, Glenn Stokes 17 - Sasu Salin (187-G-91) 22, Petri Heinonen 11).

YMCA Lahti - Team Componenta 104-46 (51-20) (Davont Jackson (199-F/G-78, agency: CAA Sports, college: Barber Scotia) 30, Ville Makalainen 16 - Nick Wallery (201-F-81, college: Albany St.) 21/10, Jerome Rogers 14).

Tarmo - Kouvot 75-94 (31-38) Mark McCarroll (208-F/C-80, agency: CAA Sports, college: Pittsburgh) 18, Martin Samarco 18 - Wayne Bernard (190-G-81, college: Davidson) 22, Corey Smith 19).

Kataja - KTP 96-103 (48-39) Louis Hinnant (193-G-84, college: Boston Coll.) 23/7a, Terry Black 20 - Steve Smith (200-F-81, agency: CAA Sports, college: Iona) 26/11, James Wright 25/7a).







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GERMANY

Trier: Coach Whelton put on leave - Defraigne new coach -by Moritz Korff
Joe Whelton is no longer the Head Coach of TBB Trier (1. Bundesliga). He has been put on leave by the club-officials. Whelton worked in Trier since 2003 and led the TBB-squad to the German BBL-Cup Final Four twice. Trier lost the past five Bundesliga-games and is currently 17th in the table, a position that would mean relegation at the end of the season.
A successor for the Head Coaching job has already been found. Yves Defraigne is the man to stand at the helm of the Trier-team in the future. The former Belgian National Team Player coached first division-side Dexia Mons-Hainaut in his homeland until 2005 and moved to BBC Brussels then.

Jenkins back in Paderborn -by Moritz Korff
Greg Jenkins (206-F/C-82, college: Iona) is back on the roster of the digibu Baskets Paderborn (1. Bundesliga). Jenkins returned to the USA about three weeks ago to care for his son, who had fallen ill. Kenny Whitehead (208-C-80, college: JMU), who had been hired to replace Jenkins, will now leave Paderborn again. He had only two appearances for the Baskets in the Bundesliga.

German Cup Results December 4th and 5th! -by Michael Taylor

German Cup action from this week provided excitement for upset minded Pro A teams and introduced Bundesliga teams to this seasons tournament.

Tuesday December 4th

Giessen 46ers 104 Kaiserslautern Braves 80
PG Patrick Sparks hit 4 of 7 threes and 10 of 16 shots for 27pt 8ast as Giessen beat Kaiserslautern 104-80 Tuesday night in German Cup action at Kaiserslautern. Rouven Roussler added 15pt while Corey Rouse chipped in 14pt 7reb for Head Coach Thorsten Liebenath and the 46ers. Bursting to a strong first half, Giessen opened a 55-43 halftime lead. From there, they coasted to the win. For Kasierslatuern, Mirko Damjanovic led the way with 19pt 6reb followed by Stuart Robbins at 16pt 5reb and 13pt 11ast from Whitt Holcomb Faye. Giessen shot 56% from the floor and made 10 of 23 threes (43%). 46ers outrebounded Ktown 35-30 and dished out 23 team assists to help them advance.

digibu Baskets Paderborn 94 Soba Rhondorf Dragons 80
Steve Esterkamp scored 20pt and Tim Black added 17pt to help digibu Baskets Paderborn beat Soba Rhondorf Dragons 94-80 in German Cup action Tuesday night in Rhondorf. Head Coach Doug Spradley and team opened a 30-16 1Q before building a 58-40 halftime advantage. Kelvin Parker led the Dragons with 18pt followed by 15pt from Johannes Lange. Paderborn made 26 of 30 FT (86%) and buried 12 threes to Rhondorf's 6. Malik Moore scored 14pt, Marius Nolte contributed 13pt and Jason Edwin 10 in the Paderborn win.

Wednesday December 5th

Walter Tigers Tubingen 88 BBC Bayreuth 78
DeeAndre Hullet scored 25pt on 9 for 12 shooting and Rasko Katic added 23pt 12reb on 10 for 16 from the floor as Walter Tigers Tubingen beat Pro A BBC Bayreuth 88-78 in a Wednesday night German Cup game at Oberfrankenhalle in Bayreuth. Forwards Ray Nixon (14pt 7reb) and Bingo Merriex (12pt 8reb 4 for 4 FG) were also strong for Tubingen. Bayreuths Johannes Schlamminger topscored with 23pt followed by Jaivon Harris with 18pt in the loss. Bayreuth opened a 26-19 lead after 1Q but Tubingen responded with a 24-14 2Q for a 43-40 halftime Tubingen lead. The guests built a 58-53 heading into the 4th and held off the Bayreuth comeback to advance.

Eisbaren Bremerhaven 81 Schalke 77
Brian Brown led a balanced Bremerhaven attack with 13pt as the Eisbaren topped Pro A Schalke 81-77 in German Cup action at Schalke Wednesday night. Also reaching double figures for Head Coach Dr Sarunas Sakalauskas were Jan Lipke and Vytas Danelius with 11 and Nate Funk and Matt Haryasz with 10. Bremerhaven controlled the first half with a 24-15 1Q and 20-15 2Q and a 44-30 halftime lead. Schalke rallied in the 3rd outscoring thier Bundesliga guests 29-22 and 18-15 in the 4Q but Bremerhaven emerged with the 81-77 win. Quentin Pryor hit three threes on his way to a team best 17pt for Schalke followed by Alonzo Hird with 16pt 7reb and Matt Witt with 15pt 8ast. Both teams shot 45% from the floor and Bremerhaven outrebounded Schalke 40-29. Eisbaren also sank 13 of 15FT compared to 9 of 18 for Schalke.

Bayer Leverkusen 81 Telekom Baskets Bonn 70
Brendan Winters buried 5 three pointers on his way to a 19pt 5reb night as host Bayer Leverkusen edged Telekom Baskets Bonn 81-70 in a special German Cup edition of the Rhiene River Rivalry Wednesday night at historic Wilhelm Dopatka Hall in Leverkusen. Head Coach Achim Kuczmann and his men used a strong 21-13 3Q to open up on their 43-39 halftime lead. Tyron McCoy added 12pt while Rans Brempong and Nate Fox chipped in 11pt apiece. For Bonn, Jason Conley and Ronnie Burrell shared topscoring honors at 17pt apiece with Burrell grabbing 10boards. JJ Strasser added 12pt and John Bowler got 13reb for Bonn. Leverkusen shot 40% from the floor to Bonn's 36% and the hosts made 30 of 39 FT (77%).

Cuxhaven Bas-cats 79 BG74 Gottingen 68
Roderick Trice led 5 Cuxhaven players in double figures as the Pro A Bas-cats upset Bundesliga BG74 Gottingen 79-68 Wednesday night in German Cup action at Cuxhaven. The guests from Gottingen jumped to a 22-12 1Q but Cuxhaven turned the tables with a 26-10 2Q and a 38-32 halftime lead. An 18-13 third gave Cuxhaven a 56-45 advantage heading into the 4th where they earned the upset. Marlon Pompey added 15pt 9reb, Danny Gibson 12pt 7ast, Monta McGee 10pt 9reb and Frederik Kleemichen 10pt for Cuxhaven. Darren Brooks led Gottingen with a 16pt 10reb double double while Jeb Ivey added 15pt, Michael Schroder and David Monds 11pt each. Cuxhaven shot 46% to Gottingen's 32% but Gottingen outrebounded the Bas-cats 44-42 on the strength of an impressive 22 offensive rebounds.

Thursday December 6th

NewYorker Phantoms Braunschweig @ MiddleDeutcher BC 8:15pm tip BBL.TV

December 11th

Science City Jena @ USC Heidelberg 7pm tip


January 10th

ratiopharm Ulm @ TBB Trier 8:15pm BBL.TV



Ludwigsburg: Young has to go -by Moritz Korff
After adding Anthony Richardson (201-F-83, agency: 540 Sports, college: Florida St.) the club-officials of EnBW Ludwigsburg (1. Bundesliga) came to the conclusion that there were too many forwards on the roster. As a consequence they decided to waive Frank Young (196-F-84, college: W.Virginia). The 23-year-old played ten Bundesliga-games for Ludwigsburg in this current season, his first as a pro.

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GREECE

Division B': Match Day 9 - Great victory for Lavrio. -by Chris Mammides

As eurobasket stated last week, Olympiakos Volou is just a step before the total catastrophy, like Poseidon and Siatista last season, Olympiakos Volou which begun the season with great expectations, a Croat Technical Advisor and good management team, all of a sudden everything collapsed in no time!! Good players such us Nanis, Tsolis and many other already left the team and during the ninth round of the league, the presentation of the team against Alimos was basically with young players. The results and the scorers were the following:
Olympiakos Volou - Alimos 69-107
Quarters: 15-34, 36-68, 53-86, 69-107
Olympiakos Volou.: Brouziotis 6, Kryoneritis 8, Politis 38(4), Karathanos 17.
Alimos: Koutsoukos 6, Thomas 6, Anthis 7, St. Vrynas 23, Gratsos 15, E. Vrynas 15, Kallimanas 18, Tzougarakis 17 (1).

Goumenisa - Anegennisi / Floga 87-75
Quarters: 22-25, 34-42, 67-51, 87-75
Goumenisa: Baggi 29 (7), Imeridis 5 (1), Hatzinikolaou 13 (1), Marenidis 9, Klepkos 5, Andreadis 7, Antoniadis 12 (1), Gotsos 7.
Anagennisi / Floga: Rozolis 8, Galanidis 7, Touloumis 11 (2), Pittakas 10, Sidiropoulos 3 (1), Zarogiannis 9, Spyropoulos 14 (2), Pallis 11, Tsakaleris 2.

KAOD - Ermis Lagkada 81-61
Quarters: 14-11, 38-32, 53-48, 81-61.
KAOD: Bourdanos 4, Papadopoulos 1, Kiosses 6, Filiousis 5, Michaelidis 8, Maslarinos 10, Koukouravas 18, Daliaris 18.
Ermis: Troulialis 5 (1), Paritsis 2, Bellos 7, Papakonstantinou 16, Vourlitis 3, Siolios 4, Gamouras 7, Akepsimaidis 8, Dimitriadis 9.

Makedonikos - Amyntas 63-92
Quarters: 16-27, 31-51, 47-74, 63-92.
Makedonikos (New head Coach Leras): Dalpas 3, Tanakidis 20, Mitsakis 2, Logias 14, G. Karipidis 14, Samourelis 10 (1).
Amyntas: Zoupas 24, Barbas 10, Samothrakis 6, Boutros 9, Dorkofikis 15, Korizis 10, Vogiatzis 8, Moumouris 6, Vathrakokoilis 4.

Milonas - Near East 57-78
Quarters: 8-20, 24-39, 34-54, 57-78.
Milonas: Kalaitzakis 3, Ventouris 10, Karababas 4, Vlavianos 5, Kiritsis 8, Efstratiou 7, Ballas 14, Bikas 4, Bourazanis 2.
Near East: Nikou 4, Lykogiannis 4, Neofytou 10, Kouklakis 11, Papoulidis 10, Gavanopoulos 9, Papargiropoulos 13, Stamatis 6, Michalos 8, Karabas 3.

Ikaroi Serron - Lavrio 47-57
Quarters: 9-11, 22-28, 33-45, 47-57.
Ikaroi Serron: Pehlivanis 12, Sdrakas 15, Tsanakas 3, Asimakis 7, Topouzis 10.
Lavrio (Christos Serelis ): Trikaliotis 2, Rallis 7, Kousoulas 8, Bakas 7, Giannakopoulos 16, Agapitos 6, Psileas 11.

Ikaros Kallitheas - Komotini 86-83
Quarters: 18-17, 40-37, 63-63, 86-83
Ikaros: Tsopokis 4, Martzos 4, Georgiou 17, Emmanouilidis 15, Katranas 2, Delichristos 6, Karastamatis 6 (1), Katoufas 23, Koukouras 8 (2),
Komotini: Mouzakitis 4, Dinas 15 (3), Koutsovasilis 28 (8), Tsakonitis 6, Veli 11 (1), Souflias 11, Holevas 4, Lehoudis 2, Halil 2.

Top Scorers after 9 weeks
Dimitris Prokos (192-G-74) of Aigio 190 points
Giorgos Tirlas (198-F-80) of Aigio 174 points
Nicos Papakonstantinou (182-G-84) of Ermis Lagkada 155 points
Panagiotis Nanis (195-F/G-80) of Olympiakos Volou 154 points
Nick Psileas (200-F-80) of Lavrio 153points
Sotiris Katoufas (206-F-79) of Ikaros Kallitheas 150 points
Michalis Tanakidis (190-G-81) of Makedonikos 148 points
Konstantinos Pehlivanis (192-G-79) of Ikaroi Serron 147 points
Tassos Baggi (187-G-75) of Goumenissa 138 points
Panagiotis Tsolis (194-F-81) of Olympiakos Volou 131 points
Giorgos Filiousis (198-G-77) of KAOD 130 points
Kostas Dinas (189-G/F-80) of Komotini 130 points
Dimitris Karatzios (202-F-78) of Doukas 130 points
Tasos Dimitriadis (201-C-82) of Ermis Lagkada 127 points

Mihalis Ifantis (204-F-72) of Alimos 113



Dusan Ivkovic in AEK Athens -by Chris Mammides
The Greek Serbian experience Head Coach, Dusan Ivkovic belongs officially to the coaching team of AEK Athens, together with Vangelis Angelou will be the coaching duet of the Athenian team trying to bring the team back tothe road of success.

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HUNGARY

2nd Extreme Basketball Show (Slam Dunk Show) by Face Team in Hungary -by Gabriel Zippenfenig

The second extreme basketball show by Face Team will be held at the Arena of Albacomp Basketball Team on 29th December in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

Face Team has already performed at many basketball halftime on many big events such as NBA Europe Live Tour 2007, Supercup 2007 in Bamberg, Germany, in Euroleague at the O.A.K.A. Olympic Arena at Panathinaikos vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv game's halftime, at the 2006-2007 Championship winner Montepaschi Siena in the playoff in the Italian Championship and money other basketball games and events around the World!

The Face Team Acrobatic Basketball Team includes slam dunkers, freestylers (ball handling, dribbling), and acrobatic dunkers who are the most spectacular part of the show. The team is getting famous all around the world with their Slam Dunk Show and has many fans from lots of countries. If you have a chance to come to see their show to Hungary, do not hesitate to check their website (www.faceteamshow.com) and get in touch with the team's secretary via e-mail for further information.


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INDIA

Robinson rules out return -by Yudhistir Krishna

Three years ago, he was the toast of the nation. A one-man scoring machine who helped India stun Asian giant South Korea in the FIBA Stankovic Cup basketball tournament in Taipei and during majors in the last few years, he carried the country's hopes on his strong shoulders.

Today, S. Robinson, Indian basketball's biggest star, is a bitter man.

The two-year ban imposed on him by the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association for missing the National championship's State camp last December, has changed him in a big way.

“I'm not going to play for Tamil Nadu anymore. And I've also put a full stop to my international career,” said the 27-year-old former Indian captain who helped Tamil Nadu to five senior National titles.


“I've gone through so much in a last one year. Everybody has a saturation point… I've crossed that. From now on, I'll just play for my club and institution,” he said.


“A lot of strange allegations have been thrown at me. Our General Manager, Prem Lamech, has decided to fight my suspension legally,” Robinson, who left Indian Overseas Bank and joined Writer-India as its Business Development Manager recently, said. “Our club Writer also plans to change its base to either Bangalore or Puducherry.”


Robinson sunk in 36 points — almost half the team's total — in that Stankovic Cup stunner against South Korea, but he said, “basketball is not a one-man show. And time doesn't stop for anyone.


“We need to change… when every country is changing, bringing in pro leagues, making the sport glamorous, why not we? We still play on outdoor cement courts and we don't have a pro league though we've been talking about it for years.“Ten years from now, I'm sure the situation will be the same. I've given up on Indian basketball,” Robinson added.


With the two-year TNBA ban stopping him from playing in the State, Robinson now realises that the time has come to take care of his life.

“I've had a long look at my career. This is a sort of transition period for me, the teenaged guy has gone, I'm a more matured person now, money makes a major difference,” said the Indian centre who played in the Maldives League last month.


“The leg injury I suffered during the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne early last year was a warning for me. Nobody bothers about the players. A few years ago, Gopinath was the No. 1 controller in the country, but he was forgotten after he had a knee injury at the National camp in 2003. I've now decided to concentrate on my job.


“Still, that doesn't mean my dedication to basketball has gone any less, I still practise and go to the gym to stay fit. And I might take up coaching after a few years,” Robinson said.



*****************************************************
JAMAICA

James almost perfect in Cumberland victory -by Leonard Whyte
Lebanon, TN (12-4-2007) - Forward Rodney James went 5-of-6 from the field on his way to 10 points as Cumberland University defeated University of Cumberlands 69-62 to improve their record to 4-2. James, formerly of Link-Up All Stars in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL), is hitting 60 percent of his shots from the field so far this season.

Southeastern Illinois routs Oklahoma City -by Leonard Whyte
Oklahoma City, OK (12-4-2007) - Forward Andree Wilson, formerly of St. George's Slayers in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL), scored 14 points to help Southeastern Illinois College rout Oakland City 94-46 in the Wabash Classic Tournament. SIC is now 8-1 as they prepare to host the next three games starting Wednesday night against Shawnee College.

McCarthy representing Jamaica well in Bolivia -by Leonard Whyte
Miami, FL (12-5-2007) - Fans may have noticed that Kali McCarthy was not around during St. George's Slayers unsuccessful attempt to defend its Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL) title last weekend. That is because McCarthy is in Bolivia playing for UBI de Sucre in the Bolivian league. He has played three games thus far resulting in a 2-1 record. Both victories came in overtime as UBI de Sucre tries to qualify for the Bolivian Championships and also the South American Club Championship. This is McCarthy's first professional stint and he is averaging 19.3 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game. He also played on the South Florida Summer Pro Am championship team in 2007. “I am happy that I have been given the opportunity to show that there are good basketballers in Jamaica too,” McCarthy said.

Pikeville rolls over Central Baptist -by Leonard Whyte
McKenzie, TN (12-4-2007) - Ewan Linton is quietly having a productive season at Pikeville College in Kentucky. Linton, formerly of Running Rebels in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL) is averaging 14 points and eights rebounds per game, and is shooting 61 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free throw line. He leads the team in rebounding and has so far produced a season-high 20 points and 14 rebounds while reaching double figures in nine games. Pikeville is 8-2 after Saturday night's 90-69 triumph over Central Baptist College, a game in which Linton scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.

Missouri-Rolla falls at Indianapolis -by Leonard Whyte
Indianapolis, IN (12-4-2007) - Guard Owain Hall, formerly of St. George's Slayers in the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)/National Basketball League (NBL), had a season-high 15 points but Missouri-Rolla University went down 84-53 to Indianapolis University on the road in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match-up. UMR were suffering their third straight defeat and are 2-4 at present.

Cedarville wins six in a row -by Leonard Whyte
Cedarville, OH (12-4-2007) - NAIA Division II No. 4 Cedarville University recorded its sixth straight victory last night when the perimeter players connected on 17 three-pointers to bury Wittenberg University 73-58 in a non-conference game. This is just the fourth win for Cedarville over Wittenberg in 16 tries, and their first in three years. Ricardo Alliman pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds to help the Yellow Jackets outrebound their opponents 44-32.

*****************************************************
JORDAN

Brunson with Ward in College Sports Club -by Mohammed Malas
College Sports Club management had approved yesterday the signture of the american power forward Ty Brunson (203-F/C, college: Mass.-Lowell) who arrived to Amman before two days, Brunson is the friend of his new team mate Jamal Ward who signed with the team before nearly a week.

Brunson was awarded as Slam Dunk Contest Winner in Danish League All-Stars Game in season 2004-2005 when he was playing with ABK Aalborg (DEN-Basketliga), He also had played before in Germany, Czech Republic and ABA league in the US.

- Zain:
Jonathan Jones - Center
Nate Johnson - Forward

- Orthodox:
Chad Hendrick - Forward
Chris Campbell - Guard

- Arena Amman:
Simeon Haley - Center
Josh Cooperwood - Guard

- Al Riyadi/Aramex Amman:
None till now

- Al Wihdat:
Anthony Steward - Forward
Johnny Phillips - Center

- Hussein Erbid:
Robbie Banks - Center
Glen Summerall - Guard

- College Sports Club:
Jamal Ward - Forward
Ty Brunson - Center

- Al Awdah:
None till now

Arena gets an american duo for their team -by Mohammed Malas
- Arena Amman basketball team management has decided to stregthen their squad with two american imports who are Simeon Haley (213-C-75, college: Missouri) and Josh Cooperwood (193-G-80, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Tennessee St.).

Haley who is a center was a part of Etoile du Sahel's success in winning the title of the Tunisian league last season, His career is full of experience in other countries he played in such as Mexico, China, Serbia and some US leagues, While Cooperwood was in top 5 with Antranik club in lebanese league's stats table in scoring and assists, The american guard played two seasons in Israel before two years ago and part of this season in Mexico.

# Jordanian teams imports until now....

- Zain:
Jonathan Jones - Center
Nate Johnson - Forward

- Orthodox:
Zack Anderson - Center
Chad Hendrick - Forward
Chris Campbell - Guard

- Arena Amman:
Simeon Haley - Center
Josh Cooperwood - Guard

- Al Riyadi/Aramex Amman:
None till now

- Al Wihdat:
Anthony Steward - Forward
Johnny Phillips - Center

- Hussein Erbid:
Robbie Banks - Center
Glen Summerall - Guard

- College Sports Club:
Jamal Ward - Forward
Ty Brunson - Center

- Al Awdah:
None till now

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KOREA

3rd Round Starts In The Korean Basketball League -by Rick Ross

Dongbu Promy has led the league in 2 Rounds
Mounting a record of 15 Wins & Only 3 Losses as they Continue
To strive consistantly each Round, KT&G and KCC has done a great
Job in staying high in the Charts both recording 11 Wins & 7 Losses
To tie for 2nd place.

Coach Ross Rick One Of the assistant Coaches with LG Sakers who will open the 3rd Round of play
Tonight against Samsung is in a tie for 4th place with SK Knights, Spoke to Eurobasket on his teams

Play and stated that Consistancy was the key to there success and that after losing 5 of the 9 games

In round 2 showed their inability to win and be beaten and stressed pointers that you play each Game day by day

But you prepair daily and you must be significantly game ready for each contest to endure the 54 game season,


BlackSlamer - Samsung - KTF - Orions - and Mobis Round Out the
Ten Teams all Looking to better their Standings in the Up and Coming Rounds.

Two new Imports have arrived Gyasi Cline-Heard (202-F-79, college: Penn St.) (202-F-79, college: Penn St.) who replace Travis Garrison
Of SK Knights and Aaron Carlton (206-C-79, college: Mo.-Kansas City) will try-out for Orions.



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KOSOVO

With Basketball against traficcking -by Edona Shabani
As the part of the common campaign of BC” Sigal Prishtina, OSCE and Ministry of Justice, “Invest in sport- prevent trafficking” on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 in the Sports and Youth Hall will take place a basketball game evening.

In women's category from 5:00 pm will take place the match between BC”Sigal Prishtina” and “Toyota Women League “ team, whilst on 7:00 pm in men's category BC” Sigal Prishtina will meet with Macedonian team from Skopje “ Vardar”.
The match Sigal Prishtina - Toyota League will be judged by Alban Vula and Fisnik Ramadani and monitored by Remzi Ramadani.

The match between Sigal Prishtina - Vardar will be judged by Mehdi Gashi, Faton Kurshumliu and Daut Mehemeti , and as the monitor will be Lulzim Maloku.

www.basketbolli.com

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LATVIA

ASK Riga surrenders the lead in the fourth term to lose in Italy -by Eurobasket News
Benetton - ASK Riga 73:63

ASK Riga were close to upsetting Benetton in Italy but fell just short at the end. Latvian team enjoyed a 4-point advantage at the start of the fourth period but Benetton recovered in the dying stages. Oktay Mahmudi managed to pump the hosts up and Benetton turned the momentum. They exploded with a massive 14:1 rally in the final three minutes to grab their second straight victory in ULEB Cup.
ASK Riga stayed up by 5 points at halftime 33:28. Latvian team enlarged the margin to 12 points early in the third stanza. Reece Gaines (198-G-81, college: Louisville) scored 6 consecutive points for the home team but ASK Riga still remained in front 54:50 after 30 minutes of action. Sandis Valters (193-G/F-78, agency: Arik Krayn Services) got his fifth foul midway through the final period and left to the bench. Benetton reacted immediately as they spurred ahead with a knocking down rally. Reece Gaines led the hosts with 16 points. Lionel Chalmers (183-G-80, college: Xavier) produced 15 points in the winning effort. Sandis Valters delivered 18 points before getting fouled out. Aerick Sanders (202-F-82, college: San Diego St.) contributed 15 points in the third defeat for ASK Riga. Benetton outmuscled the visitors under the rims grabbing 40 rebounds. They also forced their opponents to 20 turnovers. ASK Riga will take on Lukoil Academic in the 6th round. Benetton will play against BK Kyiv in Ukraine next week.

Benetton: Reece Gaines 16, Lionel Chalmers 15, Mario Austin (206-F/C-82, college: Mississippi St.) 12, Angelo Gigli (209-F/C-83) 12+10 boards
ASK Riga: Sandis Valters 18, Aerick Sanders 15

Ventspils march confidently through ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
FMP - Ventspils 70:76

Latvian Ventspils maintained their winning pace in the ULEB Cup as they completed a successful trip to Serbia. They edged local FMP to climb to 4-1 record in Group B. FMP meanwhile slid down to 1-4 record in the ladder. Ventspils had to overcome a 5-point halftime deficit to claim an important road win. FMP held on to a 44:39 advantage at the interval but Vitols and Uvis Helmanis (204-F-72, agency: Stanley International) nailed three straight triples to open a 2-point lead for the visitors early in the third stanza. Both teams remained contestant throughout the third quarter and Ventspils held on to a narrow 58:57 advantage after three quarters. Ventspils were able to extend the gap to 4 points 5 minutes into the final term. However finally Uvis Helmanis netted a trey and later Raimonds Gabrans (188-G-84, agency: FCM) capitalized on a unsportsmanlike foul from Nemanja Protic (182-G-86) to clear off Ventspils for good. Justin Love (189-G-78, college: St.Louis) provided 21 points, 6 boards and 6 assists for the winners. Uvis Helmanis scored 17 points in the 4th straight victory for Ventspils. Dragan Labovic (207-C/F-87) replied with 12 points and 5 boards for FMP. Nemanja Protic tallied 10 points for the home team. FMP outrebounded the visitors 26:22 and forced them to 20 turnovers. But the hosts struggled in accuracy converting 40% from the field. Ventspils answered with 55% from the field.
Ventspils will now travel to Turkey to face yet undefeated Besiktas. FMP will play against Ovarense away from home.

FMP: Dragan Labovic 12, Nemanja Protic 10
Ventspils: Justin Love 21, Uvis Helmanis 17, Raimonds Gabrans 8

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LIGA AMERICAS

PBL All Stars and Soles de Mexicali successful in competitions day 1 -by Eurobasket

The opening day of newly created Liga Americas was not a big success for local Cangrejeros de Santurce. The host team lost to Mexican Soles de Mexicali by a single point 74-75. That was a real horror as the winning point were made 1.6 second before the end of the game and it was awesome Richard Lopez (192-G-78, college: Cal.Baptist), who made decisive 3-pointer. Soles were already close to celebrate the victory, when they were 3 points ahead just over a minute till the end. But Richie Dalmau's 3-pointer tied the game. But the last seconds belonger to Mexican team and amazing Lopez's shot is unforgetable.

However the opening game was between U.S. team PBL All Stars and Metros de Santiago from Dominican Rep. Americans managed to edge Dominican Rep team 95-91. Metros was already 22-9 ahead after the first quarter and everyone thought they would will it easily. But PBL All Stars started to catch up and managed to get the lead 2 minutes before the end. It was enough to increase the lead even more and record first victory in the tournament.

Day 1 games:
PBL All Stars - Metros de Santiago 95-91 (Tatum 18, Perez 17, Burditt 14, Pradia 14 - Curbelo 23, Diaz 19, Solano 17, Paniagua 14)
Cangrejeros de Santurce - Soles de Mexicali 74-75 ()



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MALAYSIA

Malaysia NT confident of winning SEA gold despite ball change -by Hector Santos
THE Malaysian men's basketball team only trained with the new official ball of the Korat SEA Games (Mikasa) for the past two days as opposed to their regular Molten ball used in international competitions but are still confident of giving hosts Thailand and Philippines a run for the gold medal.

Men's basketball team manager Chow Chee Khin said although the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) uses the Molten brand ball as the official ball for international competitions, the Korat SEA Games organising committee approved the Mikasa brand for the Games.

“Definitely this will affect our chances of finishing with the gold but we have the confidence and I believe that we can perform well with the new ball,” said Chee Khin.

He added that the Malaysian Amateur Basketball Association (MABA) had encountered difficulties in obtaining the ball, manufactured in Japan, as it is not available in Malaysia.

“We only managed to buy it from Singapore three days ago and used it for training just two days ago. Tomorrow we leave for Korat for the Dec 7-12 competition.

“People might say that all balls are the same.

“It may be true and yet, it's not true. Different brands have different finishing and therefore has a different feel to it.

“So we need to get used to it,” he said, adding that the new ball was different from the previous one in terms of size, quality and hand feel.

He added that Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines are all equally strong in the men's event and it will all depend on the players' performance on the day of competition.

The men's competition here will be held using a round robin format as only five countries are participating - Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Cambodia.

In the 2005 Manila SEA Games, basketball was not included as the Philippines was under suspension from FIBA.

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MEXICO

Mexican Nationals Find Success in NCAA Division I -by Justin Brink


Mexican Nationals Find Success in NCAA Division I -by Justin Brink


Mexican Nationals Find Success in NCAA Division I -by Justin Brink


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NAIA

Scores and Highlights -by Brandon Woudstra
In a battle of NAIA Top-20 ranked teams, the No. 19 Union University Bulldogs fell to No. 5 Mountain State University (W. Va.) 100-89. With the loss, the Bulldogs dropped to 4-3 on the season, while the Mountain State Cougars remained perfect at 7-0.

Matthew Matthew Guymon (6'4''-G-87)'s two free throws with five seconds left clinched Oklahoma City University's 65-62 victory over John Brown (Ark.) on Thursday at Abe Lemons Arena. Matthew Guymon, a sophomore from Edmond, Okla., put the Stars up 65-60. John Brown's James Manthe sank two free throws with two seconds remaining for the final margin. OCU, ranked No. 1 in NAIA men's basketball, improved to 3-3, 1-0 in the Sooner Athletic Conference. John Brown fell to 6-2, 0-1.

Trevecca (6-0) defeated Fisk University (1-4) 99-77 in the Cumberland University Rosa Stokes Memorial Classic continuing their undefeated run to start the 2007-2008 season

In NAIA II

Despite a season-high 14 points from Brian Kirk, the Union College Bulldogs dropped a home Appalachian Athletic Conference contest 67-45 against No. 21 King ( Tenn. ) College on Tuesday.

Christopher Walker poured in a career-high 31 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Yellow Jackets to their fourth straight win in a 94-88 decision at Notre Dame in a match-up of NAIA Division II Top 25 teams. No. 4 Cedarville upped its record to 4-2 while at the same time dealing the No. 14 Falcons, 2-4, their third consecutive setback.

The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team remained unbeaten on the season, extended the team's home winning streak to 17 straight, and handed head coach Scott Flemming his 400th career win as the Cougars downed Daemen (N.Y.) College 80-63 in non-conference action on Saturday night in the Physical Education Center.

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NBA

The Bobcats are close to signing Anderson Varejao -by Eurobasket News
The Charlotte Bobcats announced that they agreed to propose a three-year deal to Cleveland restricted free agent Anderson Varejao (6'9''-C-82). The Cavs have now one week to match the Bobcats offer. The offer is worth around $17 million. Anderson Varejao was recently in the dispute with the Cavs about the terms of a new contract and did not play in a single game for the Cavs this season. Last season Brazilian forward averaged 6.8 points and 6.7 rebounds and played in the NBA Finals together with Cleveland. The Cavs are reported to have interest in matching the offer and are still eager to have Varejao on the squad.
Meanwhile it was another game day in NBA. LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) remained sidelined with a finger injury and watched the Cavs being hardly beaten by the Nets at home. The hosts won the opening frame 22:19 but later Richard Jefferson (6'6''-F/G-80, college: Arizona) took charge as he finished with season-high 36 points and led the Nets to the 9th win in the season. He sparked the visitors to a 9:0 rally early in the third stanza which saw New Jersey piling up an unassailable lead. Shannon Brown (6'3''-G-85, college: Michigan St.) answered with 20 points for struggling Cleveland.
Sacramento Kings overcame Utah Jazz 117:107 despite losing Kevin Martin (6'7''-G/F-83, college: W.Carolina). Kevin Martin went down with a strained right groin in the third period and would miss up to six weeks now. John Salmons (6'7''-F-79, college: Miami, FL) stepped up for the Kings in the fourth quarter as he dropped 13 points to pace Sacramento past Utah. The Kings overcame a 3-point deficit going into the final stanza and celebrated their 7th win in the season. Kevin Martin scored team-high 25 points before getting injured. Ron Artest contributed 23 points and 8 boards for the Kings. Deron Williams (6'3''-G-84, college: Illinois) had game-high 30 points for Utah. Carlos Boozer (6'10''-F/C-80, college: Duke) secured 19 points and 11 boards as the Jazz suffered their 6th loss.

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POLAND

Kalev falls short to Slask in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Kalev/Cramo - Slask 61:79

Polish Slask climbed on top of Group G standings after the 5th round of action. They overcame Kalev/Cramo in Tallinn to claim their 4th win at the tournament. Kalev meanwhile slipped to 3-2 record and occupied the 4th spot. Slask capped the close first quarter with an 8:0 run and enjoyed a 23:15 lead. Slask continued to dominate early in the second frame as they posted a 7:0 rally and cleared off beyond double figures. Kalev/Cramo were unable to score for 6 minutes before Kristjan Kangur (202-F-82) ended this scoring draught for the hosts. But Slask had a 41:27 advantage at halftime. Dominik Tomczyk (205-F/G-74) opened the third frame with a triple as Slask just kept on rolling. Kalev struggled to cut the deficit and Slask cherished a 59:45 cushion after three quarters of action. Kalev never recovered at late stages and had to surrender at the end. Rashid Atkins (182-G-75, agency: Interperformances, college: St.Joseph's) topscored with 23 points for Slask. Jared Homan (206-C-83, college: Iowa St.) contributed 13 points and 11 boards for the winners. Travis Reed (203-C-79, agency: Court Side, college: Long Beach St.) answered with 16 points and 8 boards for Kalev/Cramo. Kristjan Kangur added 13 points in a losing effort. Slask outrebounded the home team 41:34 and were more accurate from the field. Wroclaw team converted 54% of field goals, while Kalev responded with 39% accuracy. Kalev will try to improve as they play against Panionios away from home next. Slask will travel to Spain to take on Gran Canaria next week.

Kalev/Cramo: Travis Reed 16, Kristjan Kangur 13
Slask: Rashid Atkins 23, Jared Homan 13+11 boards, Dominik Tomczyk 9

Turow nips Jerusalem at Tipsort Arena -by Eurobasket News
Turow - Hapoel Jerusalem 78:68

Polish Turow remained on top of Group I as they outmuscled Jerusalem at the home court yesterday. The win saw Turow improve to 4-1 record in the ladder, while sending Jerusalem to 3-2. The game did not quite live up to the expectations of the crowd of supporters in Zgorzelec in the first half. Jamie Arnold (203-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: Wichita St.) and Timmy Bowers (188-G-82, college: Mississippi St.) scored 8 points apiece for the visitors in the starting frame and Jerusalem got in front 19:15. Timmy Bowers and Jamie Arnold continued their onslaught in the second term as they maintained the advantage and ensured a 7-point gap between the teams at the interval. But a strong defensive effort from Turow kept their opponents scoreless for about 5 minutes in the third quarter and allowed Polish team to surge ahead 55:49 after three quarters of action. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis (IN)) scored 5 consecutive points for Turow midway through the fourth period and the hosts cleared off to a 64:53 distance. Timmy Bowers came up big for Jerusalem once again as he cut the deficit by 4 points however David Logan drained another impressive three-pointer to give the home team a sigh of relief. David Logan finished with game-high 34 points for Turow. Thomas Kelati (195-G/F-82, college: Washington St.) provided 14 points for the winners. Timmy Bowers secured 17 points and 6 boards for Jerusalem. Sharon Shason (206-F-79, agency: Arik Krayn Services) nailed 15 points in defeat. Turow outmuscled Jerusalem in the paint and pulled down 30 rebounds including 11 offensive ones. They also committed just 8 turnovers and converted 48% from the field.
Turow will now play against Eiffel Towers in Round 6 away from home. Jerusalem travels to France to clash with Strasbourg.

Turow: David Logan 34, Thomas Kelati 14, Slobodan Ljubotina (207-F/C-84, agency: Beo Basket) 13
Jerusalem: Timmy Bowers 17, Sharon Shason 15

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PORTUGAL

Shawn Hopes return to USA -by Bruno Baltazar

Shawn Hopes (201-C-84, agency: Interperformances, college: Oakland) the Barreirense center had to leave for personal reasons the team ,now the team is looking for replace him in the next days.
He was referred as a great player near the basket but he didn't had the chance to prove the credentials due to personal reasons.

There's a door open for Shawn return in the future.



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ROMANIA

CSU Ploiesti loses to Akasvayu -by Eurobasket News
Akasvayu - CSU Ploiesti 73:65

CSU Ploiesti fell to 1-4 record in the ULEB Cup as they lost to Akasvayu in Girona. The hosts dominated the major part of the encounter and deservedly celebrated victory at the end. Spaniards opened up a 9 point advantage after 10 minutes of action. The gap just kept on growing in the second quarter as Akasvayu piled up a 42:24 cushion at the interval. Reggie Elliott (196-G-73, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: Mercer) sparked with 4 straight points in the third stanza to mark ambitions of CSU Ploiesti. But Akasvayu quickly denied them as Arriel McDonald (191-G-72, college: Minnesota) connected from afar and Sada capped the third term with free throws to make it a 62:41 lead for the hosts heading into the fourth period. Reggie Elliott and Arvydas Cepulis (195-G-79) continued to deliver baskets for Romanian team but it was never enough for the visitors to revive the intrigue. Arriel McDonald paced the home side with 14 points. Roman Montanez (193-G-79), San Emeterio and Marc Gasol (212-C-85, agency: Interperformances) scored 10 points each for the winners. Arvydas Cepulis netted game-high 22 points for CSU Ploiesti. Rashard Griffith (212-C-74, agency: Edge Sports, college: Wisconsin) chipped in 15 points and pulled down 10 boards in the fourth loss for CSU Ploiesti. Romanian team outrebounded Akasvayu 37:30 but committed 18 turnovers. CSU Ploiesti converted 41% from the field and 72% from free throw line.
CSU Ploiesti are scheduled to take on Hanzevast in the 6th round. Akasvayu will face Galatasaray at home court on December 11.

Akasvayu: Arriel McDonald 14, Roman Montanez 10, San Emeterio 10, Marc Gasol 10
CSU Ploiesti: Arvydas Cepulis 22, Rashard Griffith 15+10 boards

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RUSSIA

No weak spots for Russia in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News

Four Russian representatives in ULEB Cup claimed simultaneous victories in the 5th round of action. It once again proved the tendency for domination of Russian teams at this season's ULEB Cup scene. Unics Kazan rebounded after a number of unsuccessful outings in both Russian Superleague and ULEB Cup to thump Eiffel Towers 108:79 in Netherlands. The outcome was mainly built in the opening frame as the visitors left no chance for Eiffel Towers outscoring them 30:11 and sending a strong message to the crowd at the Maasport Sports&Events Centre. Eiffel Towers had momentum in the second quarter as they managed to outplay 7 points and trailed by 12 points at halftime. But Unics reestablished the distance early in the third stanza. Tariq Kirksay (199-F-79, college: Iona) scored 6 straight points, while Victor Keyru connected from afar to accumulate a 71:44 lead for Unics. Eiffel Towers had little chances as Unics wisely held on to the advantage and ensured their second win in Group I. Tariq Kirksay led all scorers with 26 points and 12 boards for Unics. Sergei Chikalkin (196-G-75) netted 21 points in a win. Darrell Tucker (206-F-80, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: USF) and Greg Stevenson (198-F-78, agency: SportsTalent, college: Richmond) provided 14 points in a losing effort. Unics entered the game with a new coach. Aco Petrovic was appointed to guide the team through the end of the season.

Triumph improved to 4-1 record in Group E as they beat Antwerp Giants 88:67 at home court. And here the result was pretty readable after the starting frame. Triumph stunned their opponents 30:12 in the first frame and dictated the pace thereafter. Mire Chatman (187-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: UTPA) finished with 16 points as he led well-balanced hosts' offense. Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) drained 14 points, collected 6 boards and dished out 3 assists, while Uros Slokar (210-F/C-83) nailed 13 points for the winners. The Giants responded with 14 points from Brandon Gay (203-F-82, college: San Diego). David Toya (200-G/F-76, agency: Court Side) had 12 points as Antwerp fell to 1-4 record in the ladder. Triumph will next play against Buducnost at the Triumph Sports Palace.

Dynamo Moscow drove to a positive 94:83 result against Nymburk at home court. The hosts entered the game aggressively and grabbed a 14:6 lead early in the encounter. Sergei Bykov (190-G-83) nailed a three-pointer and added a free throw to lift Dynamo to a 19:12 advantage but Nymburk found the right answer. Blake Schilb (201-G-83, college: Loyola, IL) scored 6 points igniting a 9:0 rally that saw Nymburk surge ahead 21:19 at the end of the first quarter. Robertas Javtokas (211-C-80, agency: Interperformances, college: Arizona) however scored 13 points in the second term and carried the home team back in front 42:37 at the interval. Petr Samoylenko (186-G-77) and Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) nailed three-pointers early in the third stanza and piled up an 11-point distance between the opponents. Sergei Bykov later nailed 5 straight points for Dynamo as they went up by 17 points and actually never looked back. Robertas Javtokas and Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) led the action with 20 points apiece. Sergei Bykov produced 19 points for Dynamo. Monty Mack (191-G-77, agency: Interperformances, college: Massachusetts) had 22 points for Nymburk. Blake Schilb added 17 points in the third loss for Czech team. Dynamo found themselves at the top of Group F with 4-1 record. They will next face Upim on the road.



Khimky celebrate tough win over Pamesa -by Eurobasket News
Khimky - Pamesa 81:78

Khimky withstood 36 points from Ruben Douglas (193-G-79, college: N.Mexico) to beat Pamesa at home in the 5ht round of ULEB Cup. Ruben Douglas recorded tournament-high 9 triples and was close to carrying his team to their 5th victory. But Khimky overcame an 11-point deficit after the first frame to edge Pamesa in a thriller at the Basketball Center of Moscow Region. Ruben Douglas netted 5 treys in the starting quarter to set the tone for Valencia and lifted them to a 27:16 lead. But Khimky found the touch in the second quarter as Teemu Rannikko (189-G-80) and Anton Ponkrashov (200-G-86) led the hosts to a 48:47 lead at halftime. The teams exchanged the baskets early in the third frame but Khimky finalized the period on a 69:64 cushion. Ruben Douglas opened the final term with his 9th three-pointer, while Dejan Milojevic (200-F-77, agency: Beo Basket) added a layup to make it all square at 69. The game remained close and the teams were tied at 78 with 30 seconds left in regulation. After a couple of turnovers Anton Ponkrashov came up big as he drained a buzzer-beating triple to seal the win for Khimky. Khimky guard ended up with 24 points for the home side. Daniel Ewing (191-G-83, college: Duke) had 17 points, while Kelly McCarty (201-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: S.Mississippi) contributed 11 points in the 5th straight victory for Russian team. Albert Miralles (208-C-82, agency: Interperformances) scored 13 points for Pamesa. Albert Oliver (187-G-78) secured 10 points in defeat. Khimky occupied the top spot in Group D with perfect record. Pamesa are behind with a single loss. Khimky will travel to France to take on Nancy in the next round. Pamesa will play against Frankfurt in Germany.

Khimky: Anton Ponkrashov 24, Daniel Ewing 17, Kelly McCarty 11
Pamesa: Ruben Douglas 36, Albert Miralles 13, Albert Oliver 10

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S.AFRICA

LOP All-Star Weekend in Newtown -by Tshepo Ditshego
It's All-Star weekend this Saturday the 8th of December in Newtown starting at 10am. It all starts with the Under 16 Hood to Hood finals, followed by the U 18 hood to hood finals and the Hood All-stars vs the And 1 Wizzards. Hood to Hood is an inner city tournament run by by Busi & William in Beruit, Berea.

There will also be the Hip Hop Pop & Lock performances, dance battles, and performances by Lungelo, Tito from Zulu Mob, and Slikour the Ventilator from Skwatta Camp will close the day.

The main event of the day is the League of Professionals All-Star game which starts at 13:20. It will feature the best players from the LOP, who will be showcasing their talent on the day.

At half time there will be a shootaround competition with the spectators. The MVP trophy and prize presentation will be awarded immediately after the game. If the last event is anything to go by you don't want to miss this one.

For more info checkout www.lopbasketball.co.za or listen to YFM for more details.

The All-Stars are as follows:

No. Name Club
1 Elvis Wits Alumni
2 Emmanuel Kabongo Wits Rebels
3 Fumani Maraleng Tlou MGI
4 Hector Pringle Wits Rebels
5 Ibrahim Kurubally Tlou MGI
6 Joseph Mazibuko Wits Rebels
7 Judd Simantov Special Guest
8 Katlego Makgata Tuks
9 Lesego Molebatsi Special Guest
10 Mark Campbel Wits Alumni
11 Mfundo Dube Tlou MGI
12 Nathi Wits University
13 Neo Mothiba Tuks
14 Nyakalo Ntuping Wits Rebels
15 Peter Khause Wits Rebels
16 Quinten Denyssen Special Guest
17 Rammy Moorkey Wits Rebels
18 Shane Bamuza Tuks
19 Tebogo Mphafudi Tuks
20 Thabang Glass Tlou MGI
21 Thami Khukulela Wits University
22 Tsakane Ngubeni Special Guest
23 Tshepo Matsie Tuks
24 Tuca Motaung Tlou MGI
25 Wisani Chauke Tlou MGI
26 Ulrich LeKay Tuks
Coach A Naftal Chongo
Coach B Tshiamo Ngakane

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SERBIA

Crvena Zvezda wins in thriller Vs Oostende, defeats of Hemofarm and FMP -by Dragan Jankovski

Crvena Zvezda made very important win over Telindus Oostende in Belgium 73-72. Team from Belgrade grabbed fourth win thanks to winning 3-pointer at the buzzer by Tadija Dragicevic. 20 seconds remaining in the game Oostende had advantage of 5 points (72-67) and it seemed that the winner is already known but Mirko Kovac (199-F-83, agency: Beo Basket) and Tadija Dragicevic (205-F-86) didn't think the same. With two successful attempts from behind the arc they brought fourth win for red and white team in ULEB Cup. Steven Markovic (190-G-85) scored 20 points for Zvezda (15 in the first half). Game winner Tadija Dragicevic almost recorded double-double as he collected 17 points and 8 rebounds. Oostende got 14 points and 4 rebounds from Chuck Davis (202-F-84, college: Alabama).

Galatasaray Cafe Crown beat Hemofarm STADA 86-71 but Serbian team still has a big chance to qualify for the next stage of ULEB Cup. Turkish team played good and had advantage during the entire game while Hemofarm struggled with shots from behind the arc as they made only 7 of 30 attempts. Chris Owens (204-F-79, college: Texas) scored 21 points while Dee Brown (185-G-84, college: Illinois) added 20 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists for Turkish team. Yong PG Stefan Markovic (191-G-88) netted 19 points including 4 rebounds for Hemofarm STADA.

FMP suffered 9th consecutive defeat (Adriatic league and ULEB Cup) so Panthers currently has score 1-4. Ventspils outplayed them like visitors 70-76. Justin Love (189-G-78, college: St.Louis) led Ventspils adding 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. FMP got 12 points and 5 rebounds from Dragan Labovic (207-C/F-87). After the game FMP's head coach Vlada Vukoicic said: “ I am very said because we didn't exploit a chance to make bigger advantage when we could and also because of lot of mistakes which we commit against much experienced rival. We were equal rivals until 36th minute after what we practically stopped playing”.



Telindus Oostende - Crvena Zvezda 72-73
(16-25,22-16,15-11,19-21)

Telindus Oostende: Davis 14 (4 rebs), Petrovic 13 (12 rebs, 4 st), Ivory 11
Crvena Zvezda: Markovic 20, Dragicevic 17 (8 rebs), Cook 10


Galatasaray Cafe Crown - Hemofarm STADA 86-71
(23-21,25-18,20-19,18-13)

Galatasaray CC: Owens 21, Brown 20 (4 rebs, 8 as), Hite 17 (7 rebs)
Hemofarm STADA: Markovic 19 (4 rebs), Joksimovic 18 (5 as), Marshall 10


FMP - Ventspils 70-76
(19-15,25-24,13-19,13-18)

FMP: Labovic 12 (5 rebs), Protic 10
Ventspils: Love 21 (6 rebs, 6 as), Helmanis 17



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SLOVENIA

Rogla adds Jokic, Sivka breaks shin bone, Zagorje inks Delalic -by Zeljko Zule

As we forecast, Rogla inked their former member Igor Jokic (204-F-80) ex APOEL.

His new teammate Bostjan Sivka (200-F/C-76) broken shin bone and will be sidelined at least two months.

Zagorje signed Amir Delalic (209-C-69) till end of the season ex Trepca.



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SWITZERLAND

Pascal Perrier-David registered a triple-double for Fribourg -by Eurobasket News
Hapoel Galil Elyon- Benetton Fribourg 65:85 (19-15, 14-27, 9-16, 23-27)

Swiss Benetton Fribourg improved into a positive record after a road win in Israel. Trailing 19:15 after the first 10 minutes Fribourg had a road victory over Hapoel Galil Elyon 65:85. Tresor Quidome (192-G-80, agency: Interperformances) led the winners with 20 points. Ken Johnson (210-C-78, college: Ohio St.) collected 14 points and 9 rebounds, while Pascal Perrier-David (184-G-75) and Sloan scored 13 each. Pascal Perrier-David registered a triple-double for Fribourg as he added also 10 rebounds and 10 assists to his points. Jai Lewis (201-F-83, college: George Mason) top-scored for the hosts with 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Hapoel Galil Elyon opened the game with 19:15 in the opening quarter and stayed even in the game. The Swiss side replied with 0-8 charge and put grabbed 24:31. A 14-27 spurt in the second quarter led to 33:42 at halftime.
A defensive start of the third period kept Fribourg in front. Quidome and Perrier-David helped put Fribourg ahead 35:51. The guests even increased to 42:58 after thirty minutes of the game. Another 23:27 in the last lifted Fribourg to 3-2 in the group. Hapoel Galil Elyon shares the bottom with Austrian Gmunden at 1-4.

Hapoel Galil Elyon: Jai Lewis 22+13 rebs, CLIFF BROWN 15
Benetton Fribourg: Tresor Quidome 20, Ken Johnson 14+9 rebs, Pascal Perrier-David 13+10 rebs+10 ast, Sloan 13

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TAIWAN

07-08 SBL Preview: Dacin Tigers -by Chris Wang
-- Last season: 17-13, 4th in regular season; lost to Taiwan Beer 4-2 in Finals

-- Key additions: Yue Ying-li (BOT), Yang Yu-min (dmedia)

-- Key subtractions: Cheng Chan-jun, Yo Yu-lun

-- Key changes: Liu Jia-fa, who has coached Dacin for 7 years and the major builder of the team's run-and-gun, three-pointer-shooting style, was relieved of his duty and replaced by former ETSN head coach Chiu Da-tsun.

-- Analysis:

The story for Dacin this year started on the sidelines. Former head coach Liu Jia-fa led the Tigers to the SBL Finals twice in four years and lost both times. The results obviously was not enough for the management, who happened to be no one else but the CTBA President Wang Jen-da.

Discussion of whether the president of a national basketball federation should own a basketball club has been going on for years. The answer is negative, of course. But Wang wasn't listening anyway, so that's another story.

Chiu is expected to transform Dacin into more of a balanced, inside-outside team rather than putting up a bunch of threes. In other words, Tien Lei (202-F-83) will be asked to play more in the paint to complement his polished perimeter game.

Dacin did add two NT players in Yue Ying-li and Yang Yu-min. Yue and Yang are both scorers who should be able to share some of Tien's responsibility of carrying the team on his own. Yue's defensive ability and intensity is also a plus.

However, I still think Dacin has a problem with its rotation. As long as it plays Tien at forward, someone has to fill the conter spot. That player was Lee Fong-yong last season, who was almost always undersized versus opposing center.

Dacin failed to develop 202cm Lin Hwan-chao, who bolted for Azio then joined Yulon this season, in the past. 208cm center Kang Chao-hsiang also saw limited playing time and improvement. Expect Lee and young Tsai Jun-min to play the undersized center once again this year.

The small forward is set though. Lin Yi-huei has shown steady improvement at th three during the past three seasons. Chen Tse-wei, another three-point shooter who had a brilliant outing during last year's playoffs, will be the backup forward at 3/4 spot.

In the backcourt, Dacin will be able to put two combo guards Su Yi-chieh and Wang Chih-chun on the court. But Su suffered two consecutive left wrist injuries in the past year and is still under rehab. Wang, who also had recurring concussion problem due to a freaking injury last year, is also injury-prone.

Therefore, Dacin might choose to pair either Su or Wang and veteran shooter Yang together. However, that leaves another potent scorer Chang Chi-feng out of the mix. Dacin is simply overloaded in the backcourt. If everyone is healthy, Chen Ching-wen, Lo Yu-chun and Shi Chi-chen will have a hard time finding playing time.

Based on current roster, it will not be easy for Chiu Da-tsun to incorporate his style to this team as Dacin still lack of inside presence and defense. It will also take some time for the players to adjust to his style of play.

You can still count on Tien Lei to bring his 20-10 game every night, but Dacin will be the most inconsistent and unpredictable team out of this season's "Big Three" -- which means Taiwan Beer, Yulon and Dacin.

-- Roster:
(#, Name, Po., DOB, Ht.)
11 Chang Chi-feng F/G 1981.4.22 183
12 Lin Yi-huei F 1986.3.24 191
14 Yen Jia-wei F 1980.4.5 188
18 Chen Tse-wei F 1985.1.30 200
21 Cheng Shi-han F 1984.8.2 191
38 Yao Jun-jay F 1982.3.8 192
46 Yue Ying-li F 1984.8.9 195
1 Tien Lei F/C 1983.6.1 202
23 Tsai Jun-ming C 1988.2.10 198
25 Kang Chao-hsiang C 1987.4.19 208
81 Lee Fong-yong C/F 1980.12.15 197
4 Su Yi-chieh G 1987.1.28 181
5 Wang Chih-chun G 1982.4.23 182
6 Chen Ching-wen G 1987.11.4 185
8 Lo Yu-chun G 1988.5.7 185
13 Shi Chi-cheng G 1983.1.8 181
17 Yang Yu-min G 1979.10.22 180

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TURKEY

Besiktas Cola Turka improved to 5-0 in Group B in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Besiktas Cola Turka improved to 5-0 in Group B with a 64:73 victory on the road against Elan Chalon. Sinan Guler (192-G-83, college: Carroll (MT)) scored 20 points and 9 rebounds while Kaya Peker had 19 points and 5 rebounds.

Galatasaray Cafe Crown beat Hemofarm 86:71 but Serbian team still has a big chance to qualify for the next stage of ULEB Cup. Turkish team played good and had advantage during the entire game while Hemofarm struggled with shots from behind the arc as they made only 7 of 30 attempts. Chris Owens (204-F-79, college: Texas) scored 21 points while Dee Brown added 20 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists for Turkish team. Stefan Markovic netted 19 points including 4 rebounds for Hemofarm.

Turk Telekom beat Guilford from England 67:107 at Guildford Spectrum. Turk Telekom entered the game on a 3-1 record and in status of one the Group A leaders. They began to prove their ambitions right from the start as Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, agency: Beo Basket, college: Connecticut) and Michael Wright (203-F-80, college: Arizona) once again combined their efforts to pace Turkish team. The Heat could hardly match their opponents' tempo as they struggled in accuracy and were hardly beaten under the rims. Turk Telekom quickly gained a safe 32:23 lead. Tony Dorsey (200-F-70, college: N.Alabama) tried hard for the home team but it never allowed Guildford to come any closer. The visitors extended the gap to 14 points at halftime. Both El-Amin and Wright simple could not miss as virtually every shot they made found target. The third frame became a nightmarish experience for the Heat as they managed only 10 points while Turk Telekom piled up a 31-point advantage heading into the final stanza. The Heat never recovered and suffered another loss in the tournament.
Khalid El-Amin paced the visitors with game-high 28 points on 6/8 shooting from beyond the arc. Michael Wright provided sufficient help with 26 points and 5 boards. Tony Dorsey stepped up with 24 points and 9 boards for Guildford. Daniel Gilbert had 23 points and 4 assists in a losing effort. Turk Telekom outrebounded the hosts 41:27 and forced the Heat to 16 turnovers. Turkish team shot 59% from the field, while limiting Guildford to 38% accuracy. Next week Turk Telekom will host Siauliai, while Guildford Heat will take on Bosna at home.

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U.KINGDOM

No remedy for Khalid El-Amin in Guildford -by Eurobasket News
Guildford Heat - Turk Telekom 67:107

Guildford were unable to recover from their losing skid and lost the 5th straight game in ULEB Cup. This time the Heat fell short to Group A favorites Turk Telekom at Guildford Spectrum. Turk Telekom entered the game on a 3-1 record and in status of one the Group A leaders. They began to prove their ambitions right from the start as Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, agency: Beo Basket, college: Connecticut) and Michael Wright (203-F-80, college: Arizona) once again combined their efforts to pace Turkish team. The Heat could hardly match their opponents' tempo as they struggled in accuracy and were hardly beaten under the rims. Turk Telekom quickly gained a safe 32:23 lead. Tony Dorsey (200-F-70, college: N.Alabama) tried hard for the home team but it never allowed Guildford to come any closer. The visitors extended the gap to 14 points at halftime. Both El-Amin and Wright simple could not miss as virtually every shot they made found target. The third frame became a nightmarish experience for the Heat as they managed only 10 points while Turk Telekom piled up a 31-point advantage heading into the final stanza. The Heat never recovered and suffered another loss in the tournament.
Khalid El-Amin paced the visitors with game-high 28 points on 6/8 shooting from beyond the arc. Michael Wright provided sufficient help with 26 points and 5 boards. Tony Dorsey stepped up with 24 points and 9 boards for Guildford. Daniel Gilbert (197-G-83, college: Buffalo) had 23 points and 4 assists in a losing effort. Turk Telekom outrebounded the hosts 41:27 and forced the Heat to 16 turnovers. Turkish team shot 59% from the field, while limiting Guildford to 38% accuracy.
Next week Turk Telekom will host Siauliai, while Guildford Heat will take on Bosna at home.

Guildford: Tony Dorsey 24+9 boards, Daniel Gilbert 23
Turk Telekom: Khalid El-Amin 28, Michael Wright 26, Erwin Dudley (204-F/C-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Alabama) 11

*****************************************************
ULEB CUP

Turow nips Jerusalem at Tipsort Arena -by Eurobasket News
Turow - Hapoel Jerusalem 78:68

Polish Turow remained on top of Group I as they outmuscled Jerusalem at the home court yesterday. The win saw Turow improve to 4-1 record in the ladder, while sending Jerusalem to 3-2. The game did not quite live up to the expectations of the crowd of supporters in Zgorzelec in the first half. Jamie Arnold (203-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: Wichita St.) and Timmy Bowers (188-G-82, college: Mississippi St.) scored 8 points apiece for the visitors in the starting frame and Jerusalem got in front 19:15. Timmy Bowers and Jamie Arnold continued their onslaught in the second term as they maintained the advantage and ensured a 7-point gap between the teams at the interval. But a strong defensive effort from Turow kept their opponents scoreless for about 5 minutes in the third quarter and allowed Polish team to surge ahead 55:49 after three quarters of action. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis (IN)) scored 5 consecutive points for Turow midway through the fourth period and the hosts cleared off to a 64:53 distance. Timmy Bowers came up big for Jerusalem once again as he cut the deficit by 4 points however David Logan drained another impressive three-pointer to give the home team a sigh of relief. David Logan finished with game-high 34 points for Turow. Thomas Kelati (195-G/F-82, college: Washington St.) provided 14 points for the winners. Timmy Bowers secured 17 points and 6 boards for Jerusalem. Sharon Shason (206-F-79, agency: Arik Krayn Services) nailed 15 points in defeat. Turow outmuscled Jerusalem in the paint and pulled down 30 rebounds including 11 offensive ones. They also committed just 8 turnovers and converted 48% from the field.
Turow will now play against Eiffel Towers in Round 6 away from home. Jerusalem travels to France to clash with Strasbourg.

Turow: David Logan 34, Thomas Kelati 14, Slobodan Ljubotina (207-F/C-84, agency: Beo Basket) 13
Jerusalem: Timmy Bowers 17, Sharon Shason 15

Zadar bumps Strasbourg for the second win in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
Zadar - Strasbourg 94:65

Croatian Zadar gained the second win at the ULEB Cup as they nipped Strasbourg at the Basketball Hall Jazine yesterday. The advantage of the hosts was dazzlingly obvious. Zadar got to a better start and soon clinched a 22:17 lead after 10 minutes of action. Zadar posted a 7:0 rally early in the second frame and enjoyed a 29:17 advantage. Strasbourg could not find proper answers for the hosts' aggressiveness and Zadar later burst out with another stunning 20:6 rally to accumulate a 49:26 lead at halftime. Derrick Obasohan (199-F-81, agency: Beo Basket, college: Texas Arlington) scored 5 consecutive points for Zadar at the start of the third frame but Croatian team matched it with one more run that became deadly for the visitors. Zadar were up by 25 points after three quarters and eased to an overall victory at the end. Shammell Stallworth (197-F-80, agency: Interperformances, college: USF) fired 25 points to lead Zadar. Julius Johnson and Toni Prostran (183-G-91) delivered 12 points apiece for the winning side. Derrick Obasohan answered with 13 points for Strasbourg. Elson Mendy (200-F-85) had 10 points in a loss. Zadar outrebounded the visitors 37:34 and forced French team to as many as 17 turnovers. The hosts also limited their opponents to 35% accuracy from the field.
Zadar improved to 2-3 record and hosts Unics Kazan in Round 6 in Group I. Strasbourg fell to 2-3 and would seek for the third victory against Jerusalem next Tuesday.
Zadar: Shammell Stallworth 25, Julius Johnson 12, Toni Prostran 12
Strasbourg: Derrick Obasohan 13, Elson Mendy 10

ASK Riga surrenders the lead in the fourth term to lose in Italy -by Eurobasket News
Benetton - ASK Riga 73:63

ASK Riga were close to upsetting Benetton in Italy but fell just short at the end. Latvian team enjoyed a 4-point advantage at the start of the fourth period but Benetton recovered in the dying stages. Oktay Mahmudi managed to pump the hosts up and Benetton turned the momentum. They exploded with a massive 14:1 rally in the final three minutes to grab their second straight victory in ULEB Cup.
ASK Riga stayed up by 5 points at halftime 33:28. Latvian team enlarged the margin to 12 points early in the third stanza. Reece Gaines (198-G-81, college: Louisville) scored 6 consecutive points for the home team but ASK Riga still remained in front 54:50 after 30 minutes of action. Sandis Valters (193-G/F-78, agency: Arik Krayn Services) got his fifth foul midway through the final period and left to the bench. Benetton reacted immediately as they spurred ahead with a knocking down rally. Reece Gaines led the hosts with 16 points. Lionel Chalmers (183-G-80, college: Xavier) produced 15 points in the winning effort. Sandis Valters delivered 18 points before getting fouled out. Aerick Sanders (202-F-82, college: San Diego St.) contributed 15 points in the third defeat for ASK Riga. Benetton outmuscled the visitors under the rims grabbing 40 rebounds. They also forced their opponents to 20 turnovers. ASK Riga will take on Lukoil Academic in the 6th round. Benetton will play against BK Kyiv in Ukraine next week.

Benetton: Reece Gaines 16, Lionel Chalmers 15, Mario Austin (206-F/C-82, college: Mississippi St.) 12, Angelo Gigli (209-F/C-83) 12+10 boards
ASK Riga: Sandis Valters 18, Aerick Sanders 15

Khimky celebrate tough win over Pamesa -by Eurobasket News
Khimky - Pamesa 81:78

Khimky withstood 36 points from Ruben Douglas (193-G-79, college: N.Mexico) to beat Pamesa at home in the 5ht round of ULEB Cup. Ruben Douglas recorded tournament-high 9 triples and was close to carrying his team to their 5th victory. But Khimky overcame an 11-point deficit after the first frame to edge Pamesa in a thriller at the Basketball Center of Moscow Region. Ruben Douglas netted 5 treys in the starting quarter to set the tone for Valencia and lifted them to a 27:16 lead. But Khimky found the touch in the second quarter as Teemu Rannikko (189-G-80) and Anton Ponkrashov (200-G-86) led the hosts to a 48:47 lead at halftime. The teams exchanged the baskets early in the third frame but Khimky finalized the period on a 69:64 cushion. Ruben Douglas opened the final term with his 9th three-pointer, while Dejan Milojevic (200-F-77, agency: Beo Basket) added a layup to make it all square at 69. The game remained close and the teams were tied at 78 with 30 seconds left in regulation. After a couple of turnovers Anton Ponkrashov came up big as he drained a buzzer-beating triple to seal the win for Khimky. Khimky guard ended up with 24 points for the home side. Daniel Ewing (191-G-83, college: Duke) had 17 points, while Kelly McCarty (201-F-75, agency: Avi Zilberman, college: S.Mississippi) contributed 11 points in the 5th straight victory for Russian team. Albert Miralles (208-C-82, agency: Interperformances) scored 13 points for Pamesa. Albert Oliver (187-G-78) secured 10 points in defeat. Khimky occupied the top spot in Group D with perfect record. Pamesa are behind with a single loss. Khimky will travel to France to take on Nancy in the next round. Pamesa will play against Frankfurt in Germany.

Khimky: Anton Ponkrashov 24, Daniel Ewing 17, Kelly McCarty 11
Pamesa: Ruben Douglas 36, Albert Miralles 13, Albert Oliver 10

No weak spots for Russia in ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News

Four Russian representatives in ULEB Cup claimed simultaneous victories in the 5th round of action. It once again proved the tendency for domination of Russian teams at this season's ULEB Cup scene. Unics Kazan rebounded after a number of unsuccessful outings in both Russian Superleague and ULEB Cup to thump Eiffel Towers 108:79 in Netherlands. The outcome was mainly built in the opening frame as the visitors left no chance for Eiffel Towers outscoring them 30:11 and sending a strong message to the crowd at the Maasport Sports&Events Centre. Eiffel Towers had momentum in the second quarter as they managed to outplay 7 points and trailed by 12 points at halftime. But Unics reestablished the distance early in the third stanza. Tariq Kirksay (199-F-79, college: Iona) scored 6 straight points, while Victor Keyru connected from afar to accumulate a 71:44 lead for Unics. Eiffel Towers had little chances as Unics wisely held on to the advantage and ensured their second win in Group I. Tariq Kirksay led all scorers with 26 points and 12 boards for Unics. Sergei Chikalkin (196-G-75) netted 21 points in a win. Darrell Tucker (206-F-80, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: USF) and Greg Stevenson (198-F-78, agency: SportsTalent, college: Richmond) provided 14 points in a losing effort. Unics entered the game with a new coach. Aco Petrovic was appointed to guide the team through the end of the season.

Triumph improved to 4-1 record in Group E as they beat Antwerp Giants 88:67 at home court. And here the result was pretty readable after the starting frame. Triumph stunned their opponents 30:12 in the first frame and dictated the pace thereafter. Mire Chatman (187-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: UTPA) finished with 16 points as he led well-balanced hosts' offense. Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) drained 14 points, collected 6 boards and dished out 3 assists, while Uros Slokar (210-F/C-83) nailed 13 points for the winners. The Giants responded with 14 points from Brandon Gay (203-F-82, college: San Diego). David Toya (200-G/F-76, agency: Court Side) had 12 points as Antwerp fell to 1-4 record in the ladder. Triumph will next play against Buducnost at the Triumph Sports Palace.

Dynamo Moscow drove to a positive 94:83 result against Nymburk at home court. The hosts entered the game aggressively and grabbed a 14:6 lead early in the encounter. Sergei Bykov (190-G-83) nailed a three-pointer and added a free throw to lift Dynamo to a 19:12 advantage but Nymburk found the right answer. Blake Schilb (201-G-83, college: Loyola, IL) scored 6 points igniting a 9:0 rally that saw Nymburk surge ahead 21:19 at the end of the first quarter. Robertas Javtokas (211-C-80, agency: Interperformances, college: Arizona) however scored 13 points in the second term and carried the home team back in front 42:37 at the interval. Petr Samoylenko (186-G-77) and Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) nailed three-pointers early in the third stanza and piled up an 11-point distance between the opponents. Sergei Bykov later nailed 5 straight points for Dynamo as they went up by 17 points and actually never looked back. Robertas Javtokas and Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) led the action with 20 points apiece. Sergei Bykov produced 19 points for Dynamo. Monty Mack (191-G-77, agency: Interperformances, college: Massachusetts) had 22 points for Nymburk. Blake Schilb added 17 points in the third loss for Czech team. Dynamo found themselves at the top of Group F with 4-1 record. They will next face Upim on the road.



No remedy for Khalid El-Amin in Guildford -by Eurobasket News
Guildford Heat - Turk Telekom 67:107

Guildford were unable to recover from their losing skid and lost the 5th straight game in ULEB Cup. This time the Heat fell short to Group A favorites Turk Telekom at Guildford Spectrum. Turk Telekom entered the game on a 3-1 record and in status of one the Group A leaders. They began to prove their ambitions right from the start as Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, agency: Beo Basket, college: Connecticut) and Michael Wright (203-F-80, college: Arizona) once again combined their efforts to pace Turkish team. The Heat could hardly match their opponents' tempo as they struggled in accuracy and were hardly beaten under the rims. Turk Telekom quickly gained a safe 32:23 lead. Tony Dorsey (200-F-70, college: N.Alabama) tried hard for the home team but it never allowed Guildford to come any closer. The visitors extended the gap to 14 points at halftime. Both El-Amin and Wright simple could not miss as virtually every shot they made found target. The third frame became a nightmarish experience for the Heat as they managed only 10 points while Turk Telekom piled up a 31-point advantage heading into the final stanza. The Heat never recovered and suffered another loss in the tournament.
Khalid El-Amin paced the visitors with game-high 28 points on 6/8 shooting from beyond the arc. Michael Wright provided sufficient help with 26 points and 5 boards. Tony Dorsey stepped up with 24 points and 9 boards for Guildford. Daniel Gilbert (197-G-83, college: Buffalo) had 23 points and 4 assists in a losing effort. Turk Telekom outrebounded the hosts 41:27 and forced the Heat to 16 turnovers. Turkish team shot 59% from the field, while limiting Guildford to 38% accuracy.
Next week Turk Telekom will host Siauliai, while Guildford Heat will take on Bosna at home.

Guildford: Tony Dorsey 24+9 boards, Daniel Gilbert 23
Turk Telekom: Khalid El-Amin 28, Michael Wright 26, Erwin Dudley (204-F/C-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Alabama) 11

CSU Ploiesti loses to Akasvayu -by Eurobasket News
Akasvayu - CSU Ploiesti 73:65

CSU Ploiesti fell to 1-4 record in the ULEB Cup as they lost to Akasvayu in Girona. The hosts dominated the major part of the encounter and deservedly celebrated victory at the end. Spaniards opened up a 9 point advantage after 10 minutes of action. The gap just kept on growing in the second quarter as Akasvayu piled up a 42:24 cushion at the interval. Reggie Elliott (196-G-73, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: Mercer) sparked with 4 straight points in the third stanza to mark ambitions of CSU Ploiesti. But Akasvayu quickly denied them as Arriel McDonald (191-G-72, college: Minnesota) connected from afar and Sada capped the third term with free throws to make it a 62:41 lead for the hosts heading into the fourth period. Reggie Elliott and Arvydas Cepulis (195-G-79) continued to deliver baskets for Romanian team but it was never enough for the visitors to revive the intrigue. Arriel McDonald paced the home side with 14 points. Roman Montanez (193-G-79), San Emeterio and Marc Gasol (212-C-85, agency: Interperformances) scored 10 points each for the winners. Arvydas Cepulis netted game-high 22 points for CSU Ploiesti. Rashard Griffith (212-C-74, agency: Edge Sports, college: Wisconsin) chipped in 15 points and pulled down 10 boards in the fourth loss for CSU Ploiesti. Romanian team outrebounded Akasvayu 37:30 but committed 18 turnovers. CSU Ploiesti converted 41% from the field and 72% from free throw line.
CSU Ploiesti are scheduled to take on Hanzevast in the 6th round. Akasvayu will face Galatasaray at home court on December 11.

Akasvayu: Arriel McDonald 14, Roman Montanez 10, San Emeterio 10, Marc Gasol 10
CSU Ploiesti: Arvydas Cepulis 22, Rashard Griffith 15+10 boards

Ventspils march confidently through ULEB Cup -by Eurobasket News
FMP - Ventspils 70:76

Latvian Ventspils maintained their winning pace in the ULEB Cup as they completed a successful trip to Serbia. They edged local FMP to climb to 4-1 record in Group B. FMP meanwhile slid down to 1-4 record in the ladder. Ventspils had to overcome a 5-point halftime deficit to claim an important road win. FMP held on to a 44:39 advantage at the interval but Vitols and Uvis Helmanis (204-F-72, agency: Stanley International) nailed three straight triples to open a 2-point lead for the visitors early in the third stanza. Both teams remained contestant throughout the third quarter and Ventspils held on to a narrow 58:57 advantage after three quarters. Ventspils were able to extend the gap to 4 points 5 minutes into the final term. However finally Uvis Helmanis netted a trey and later Raimonds Gabrans (188-G-84, agency: FCM) capitalized on a unsportsmanlike foul from Nemanja Protic (182-G-86) to clear off Ventspils for good. Justin Love (189-G-78, college: St.Louis) provided 21 points, 6 boards and 6 assists for the winners. Uvis Helmanis scored 17 points in the 4th straight victory for Ventspils. Dragan Labovic (207-C/F-87) replied with 12 points and 5 boards for FMP. Nemanja Protic tallied 10 points for the home team. FMP outrebounded the visitors 26:22 and forced them to 20 turnovers. But the hosts struggled in accuracy converting 40% from the field. Ventspils answered with 55% from the field.
Ventspils will now travel to Turkey to face yet undefeated Besiktas. FMP will play against Ovarense away from home.

FMP: Dragan Labovic 12, Nemanja Protic 10
Ventspils: Justin Love 21, Uvis Helmanis 17, Raimonds Gabrans 8

Crvena Zvezda wins in thriller Vs Oostende, defeats of Hemofarm and FMP -by Dragan Jankovski

Crvena Zvezda made very important win over Telindus Oostende in Belgium 73-72. Team from Belgrade grabbed fourth win thanks to winning 3-pointer at the buzzer by Tadija Dragicevic. 20 seconds remaining in the game Oostende had advantage of 5 points (72-67) and it seemed that the winner is already known but Mirko Kovac (199-F-83, agency: Beo Basket) and Tadija Dragicevic (205-F-86) didn't think the same. With two successful attempts from behind the arc they brought fourth win for red and white team in ULEB Cup. Steven Markovic (190-G-85) scored 20 points for Zvezda (15 in the first half). Game winner Tadija Dragicevic almost recorded double-double as he collected 17 points and 8 rebounds. Oostende got 14 points and 4 rebounds from Chuck Davis (202-F-84, college: Alabama).

Galatasaray Cafe Crown beat Hemofarm STADA 86-71 but Serbian team still has a big chance to qualify for the next stage of ULEB Cup. Turkish team played good and had advantage during the entire game while Hemofarm struggled with shots from behind the arc as they made only 7 of 30 attempts. Chris Owens (204-F-79, college: Texas) scored 21 points while Dee Brown (185-G-84, college: Illinois) added 20 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists for Turkish team. Yong PG Stefan Markovic (191-G-88) netted 19 points including 4 rebounds for Hemofarm STADA.

FMP suffered 9th consecutive defeat (Adriatic league and ULEB Cup) so Panthers currently has score 1-4. Ventspils outplayed them like visitors 70-76. Justin Love (189-G-78, college: St.Louis) led Ventspils adding 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. FMP got 12 points and 5 rebounds from Dragan Labovic (207-C/F-87). After the game FMP's head coach Vlada Vukoicic said: “ I am very said because we didn't exploit a chance to make bigger advantage when we could and also because of lot of mistakes which we commit against much experienced rival. We were equal rivals until 36th minute after what we practically stopped playing”.



Telindus Oostende - Crvena Zvezda 72-73
(16-25,22-16,15-11,19-21)

Telindus Oostende: Davis 14 (4 rebs), Petrovic 13 (12 rebs, 4 st), Ivory 11
Crvena Zvezda: Markovic 20, Dragicevic 17 (8 rebs), Cook 10


Galatasaray Cafe Crown - Hemofarm STADA 86-71
(23-21,25-18,20-19,18-13)

Galatasaray CC: Owens 21, Brown 20 (4 rebs, 8 as), Hite 17 (7 rebs)
Hemofarm STADA: Markovic 19 (4 rebs), Joksimovic 18 (5 as), Marshall 10


FMP - Ventspils 70-76
(19-15,25-24,13-19,13-18)

FMP: Labovic 12 (5 rebs), Protic 10
Ventspils: Love 21 (6 rebs, 6 as), Helmanis 17



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URUGUAY

Welcome advanced to the second stage -by Eurobasket
Welcome joined the seven team already classified to play the second stage of the Uruguayan League, Although Welcome was defeated last night, it can not be reached by any other team. The eight teams for the new stage will play twice (at home and on the road), with each other team. The best four will then advance to the semifinal playoff. The other teams are Defensor Sporting, Bigua, Malvin, Trouville, Hebraica, Union Atletica, and Atenas.
The results for last nigh round were
Bigua 90 - Leandro Garcia Morales (186-G-80, college: Texas A&M) 28 points, Mark Alan Bortz (208-F-82, college: Buffalo) 16, Kevin Young (206-C-84, college: Missouri) 12
Defensor Sporting 75 - David Jackson (196-G-82, college: Penn St.) 25 points, Nathan Mielke (210-F-81, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) 7
- - -
Paysandu 87 - Cory Largent (201-F-80, college: W.Carolina) 31, Louis Truscott (198-F-78, college: Houston) 6
Atenas 83 - Hakeem Rollins (202-C/F-83, agency: CAA Sports, college: Washington) 27 points and 18 rebounds,
- - -
Trouville 94 - Mauricio Trasante (183-G-86) 22, Thurman Zimmerman (196-F/G-83, college: S.Carolina St.) 12, Delano Thomas (203-F-82, college: Shawnee St.) 7
Welcome 90 - Kevin Nelson (192-G-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Park) 23 Jamaal Wise (196-F-83, college: Rhode Island) 21 points and 13 rebounds
- - -
Union Atletica 83 - Mark Flavin (211-F/C-82, college: Maine) 27, Dainmon Gonner (198-F-80, college: SE Missouri St.) 19
Olimpia 76 - Ruben Nembhard (191-G-72, agency: Duran International, college: Weber St.) 22, Reque Newsome (203-C-82, college: S.Indiana) 16
- - -
Hebraica 87 - Grady Reynolds (198-F-80, agency: Strategic Sports, college: St.John's) 32 points, Carlos Wheeler (203-F/C-78, college: Campbellsville) 11
Aguada 85 Josh Murray (201-F-79, college: IUPU-Indianapolis) 25, Kenya Carruthers (201-F-79, college: Ks Wesleyan) 25
- - -
Sayago 74 - Alejandro Barrios (205-F-79, agency: Edge Sports) 21 points and 11 rebounds, 'Pop' Thornton (201-F-74, college: W.Kentucky) 14
Malvin 69 - Fernando Martinez (170-G-79) 27, Alexander Blackwell (205-F/C-70, agency: Duran International, college: Monmouth) 3 Kim Adams (203-F/C-82, college: Arkansas St.) 10 Nathan Mielke (210-F-81, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee)

Welcome advanced to the second stage -by Walter Sobrero

By Hector LOPEZ


Welcome joined the seven team already classified to play the second stage of the Uruguayan League, Although Welcome was defeated last night, it can not be reached by any other team. The eight teams for the new stage will play twice (at home and on the road), with each other team. The best four will then advance to the semifinal playoff. The other teams are Defensor Sporting, Bigua, Malvin, Trouville, Hebraica, Union Atletica, and Atenas.
Welcome joined the seven team already classified to play the second stage of the Uruguayan League, Although Welcome was defeated last night, it can not be reached by any other team. The eight teams for the new stage will play twice (at home and on the road), with each other team. The best four will then advance to the semifinal playoff. The other teams are Defensor Sporting, Bigua, Malvin, Trouville, Hebraica, Union Atletica, and Atenas.
The results for last nigh round were
Bigua 90 - Leandro Garcia Morales (186-G-80, college: Texas A&M) 28 points, Mark Alan Bortz (208-F-82, college: Buffalo) 16, Kevin Young (206-C-84, college: Missouri) 12
Defensor Sporting 75 - David Jackson (196-G-82, college: Penn St.) 25 points, Nathan Mielke (210-F-81, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) 7
- - -
Paysandu 87 - Cory Largent (201-F-80, college: W.Carolina) 31, Louis Truscott (198-F-78, college: Houston) 6
Atenas 83 - Hakeem Rollins (202-C/F-83, agency: CAA Sports, college: Washington) 27 points and 18 rebounds,
- - -
Trouville 94 - Mauricio Trasante (183-G-86) 22, Thurman Zimmerman (196-F/G-83, college: S.Carolina St.) 12, Delano Thomas (203-F-82, college: Shawnee St.) 7
Welcome 90 - Kevin Nelson (192-G-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Park) 23 Jamaal Wise (196-F-83, college: Rhode Island) 21 points and 13 rebounds
- - -
Union Atletica 83 - Mark Flavin (211-F/C-82, college: Maine) 27, Dainmon Gonner (198-F-80, college: SE Missouri St.) 19
Olimpia 76 - Ruben Nembhard (191-G-72, agency: Duran International, college: Weber St.) 22, Reque Newsome (203-C-82, college: S.Indiana) 16
- - -
Hebraica 87 - Grady Reynolds (198-F-80, agency: Strategic Sports, college: St.John's) 32 points, Carlos Wheeler (203-F/C-78, college: Campbellsville) 11
Aguada 85 Josh Murray (201-F-79, college: IUPU-Indianapolis) 25, Kenya Carruthers (201-F-79, college: Ks Wesleyan) 25
- - -
Sayago 74 - Alejandro Barrios (205-F-79, agency: Edge Sports) 21 points and 11 rebounds, 'Pop' Thornton (201-F-74, college: W.Kentucky) 14
Malvin 69 - Fernando Martinez (170-G-79) 27, Alexander Blackwell (205-F/C-70, agency: Duran International, college: Monmouth) 3 Kim Adams (203-F/C-82, college: Arkansas St.) 10 Nathan Mielke (210-F-81, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee)



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ZAMBIA

2007 National Basketball Championships -by Jay

The Zambia Basketball Association national championships draws are ready and qualified teams are expected to converge at the National Sports Development Centre in Lusaka this weekend.

In the draws defending champions Hetro Bullets have a tough pick in Lusaka City Council Looters. Bullets are also northern zone men's league champions while Looters finished third in the southern zone.

Women's defending champions Green Buffaloes play UNZA Honeys a side they met and beat four times this season. Buffaloes qualified as southern zone league champions for the third consecutive year.
Unfortunately only two women clubs from the Northern zone will take part hence all southern zone based clubs qualify to the national championships.

National Pension Scheme Authority Hurricanes who struggled to finish second in the midlands league face Kitwe's Lechwe Steel.

Sprite Champions Green Eagles draw Ndola's First Quantum Mining Minerals Nets a side they beat 95 - 94 at the same stage of the competition last year.

Women's new league entrants Rim Oilers face southern zone league runners up Breakthrough Sports Academy Shells while Copperbelt Energy Corporation Queens will play the Nets of Lusaka.

There are no sponsors for this tournament which was until last year sponsored by the Zambia Dairy Processors Association. However, ZBA will award deserving teams from its own resources should no sponsor come on board.

The programme is as follows:


SATURDAY 8th DECEMBER

09.00 hrs: Technical Meeting

09.00 hrs: BSA Shells Vs Rim Oilers (Women)

11.00 hrs: Heroes Play Utd Vs Muf.Orginal Magnets (Men)

13.00 hrs: CEC Queens Vs Nets (Women)

15.00 hrs: NAPSA Hurricanes Vs Lechwe Steel (Men)

17.00hrs: Hetro Bullets Vs LCC Looters (Men)


SUNDAY 9th DECEMEBR

10.30hrs: Green Buffaloes Vs UNZA Honeys (Women)

12.30 hrs: LCC Looteresses Vs Ndola Woosters (Women)

14.30 hrs: Green Eagles Vs FQMM Nets (Men)

The semi finals will be played on Saturday 15 December as follows:-

09.00 hrs: 1st semi - final (Women)

12.00 hrs: 1st semi - final (Men)

14.00 hrs: 2nd Semi - final (Women)

16.00 hrs: 2nd Semi - final (Men)


Championship matches take place on Sunday 16 December.





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Women News

*****************************************************
AUSTRALIA - Women

The Flames sign Molly Lewis -by Eurobasket News
Sydney Uni Flames announced the signing of former AIS player Molly Lewis (182-G-89). A 18-year-old guard will be a part of the Flames franchise through the rest of the WNBL season. Molly Lewis played for Junior Opals Team at the World Championship in Slovakia this year. There Molly Lewis averaged 2.6 points and 0.4 assists per game. Her stats for AIS in the current season came up to 2.5 points in 7 games played. Molly Lewis is reported to be ready to play for the Flames on Friday as they take on the Perth Lynx.
Meanwhile another AIS player Cayla Francis (192-C-89) was named WNBL Player of the Week for Round 9. AIS centre was a mastermind in two victories for AIS during the round. She tallied impressive 34 points, 12 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals in a 87:83 win over Christchurch on Friday. She later contributed 15 points and 18 boards in a 92:81 road success over the Perth Lynx. This victory saw AIS improve to 5-7 record for the season. Francis now averages 15.3 points per game and leads the league in rebounding with 13.6 boards per game. Cayla Francis also was the part of both U19 and U21 Australian squads participating in the World championships this summer. She averaged 12.1 and 8.6 points for U19 and U21 teams respectively.
AIS are now one win shy of the Top 4. They will next take on Adelaide next Friday.

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BOSNIA - Women

First and second week in A1 serb. part -by Emil Suceska
1.week

Vrbas - Bijeljina 51:64
Rudar - Borac IEFK 65:58
Neimarstvo Trebinje 03 - Mladost 92:68
Brcko DC (free)

2.week
Brcko DC - Mladost 51:82
Bijeljina - Rudar 48:62
Borac IEFK - Neimarstvo Trebinje 03 (16.12)
Vrbas (free)

Standings:
1.Rudar 2-0 4
2.Mladost 1-1 3
3.Bijeljina 1-1 3
4.Neimarstvo Trebinje03 1-0 2
5.Borac IEFK 0-1 1
6.Vrbas 0-1 1
7.Brcko Distrikt 0-1 1

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EUROCUP (W) - Women

Nadezhda upset Tarbes for the first time in EuroCup this season -by Eurobasket News
Nadezhda-Tarbes 68:57 (18-16, 19-13, 23-15, 8-13)

In the game for the first place in Group K Nadezhda overcame Tarbes 68:57. That was the 4th victory for the Russian team and the first loss for the French in the tournament. Olga Ovcharenko (184-F-79) nailed 14 points for the winners. Elen Shakirova (192-C-70) netted 13, while Anastasiya Verameyenka (191-C-87) and Victoria Shagan (178-G-79) scored 11 points each. Kristen Mann (188-F-83, college: UCSB) produced 19 points in defeat.
Savasta opened the game for the visitors with a three pointer. Russian team replied with 5-0 run and then managed to take 18:16 after the first 10 minutes of the game. Kristen Mann scored the last five points for her team to reduce to 2 points. In the second quarter Gisella Vega (188-C-82) gave the guests 26:27 lead. Due to 11-2 Nadezhda went to the lockers with 37:29.

A 23:15 in the third quarter was a great opportunity not to worry in the last quarter. Olga Ovcharenko's jump-shot made the score 60:44 after 30 minutes. First seven points in the fourth quarter belonged however to the French side, but then Nadezhda spurted with some important baskets. Olga Ovcharenko's last two free throws brought a 68:57 victory for the hosts that improved to 4-1.

Nadezhda: Olga Ovcharenko 14, Elen Shakirova 13, Anastasiya Verameyenka 11, Victoria Shagan 11
Tarbes: Kristen Mann 19, Gisella Vega 12+9 rebs

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EUROLEAGUE (W) - Women

Standings
Euroleague Standings
Group A
1. CSKA 5-0
2. MKB Eur. 2-3
3. Fenerbahce 3-2
4. TTT Riga 3-2
5. Villeneuve 1-4
6. Napoli 1-4
Group B
1. UMMC 5-0
2. Wisla 3-2
3. Bourges 1-4
4. USK Praha 1-3
5. Halcon 2-3
6. Sibenik 2-2
Group C
1. Gambrinus 4-1
2. Spartak MR 4-1
3. Lotos 2-3
4. USVO 2-3
5. Kosit 2013 2-3
6. Dexia 1-4
Group D
1. Ros Casares 4-0
2. Pecsi 3-1
3. Dynamo M. 2-2
4. Faenza 2-3
5. TEO Vilnius 1-3
6. Mondeville 1-4


UMMC is the first to reach 5-0 -by Eurobasket News
UMMC Yekaterinburg - Halcon Avenida 90:64 (23-18, 19-19, 27-12, 21-15)

UMMC Yekaterinburg is the first team to take 5-0 record in EuroLeague Women. In the game against Halcon Avenida Russian team won 90:64. A fascinating second half was fatal for the guests that fell at 2-3. Agnieszka Bibrzycka (184-F/G-82, college: Abil.Christian) led the winners with 17 points. Sandrine Gruda (192-F/C-87) netted 16, while Deanna Nolan (180-G/F-79, college: Georgia) added 10. Alessandra Santos (200-C-73) top-scored for the visitors with 16 points.
Russian UMMC proves the ambitions for this season in Euroleague. Vodopyanova with a jump-shot opened the game for the favorites and Jones made 23:18 in the end of the first. De Mondt tied the score for the visitors at 23:23, but Agnieszka Bibrzycka's three brought back plus five for UMMC. Harrower with a jump-shot kept the advantage at the half, 42:37.
And things quickly took a decisive turn in the third quarter as Yekaterinburg went on a 16-3 run. The hosts were managed to dominate in the court and played their own game. Deanna Nolan closed the quarter with 69:49. It was not a big deal to keep the score for good in the final quarter. Jones opened it with a jump-shot and then Kuzina scored 90th point for her team as a total. UMMC wins 90:64 and look forward to finish the group with zero.

UMMC Yekaterinburg: Agnieszka Bibrzycka 17, Sandrine Gruda 16, Deanna Nolan 10
Halcon Avenida: Alessandra Santos 16, Ana Montanana (186-F-80, college: George Washington) 15+9 rebs

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HUNGARY - Women

2nd Extreme Basketball Show (Slam Dunk Show) by Face Team in Hungary -by Gabriel Zippenfenig

The second extreme basketball show by Face Team will be held at the Arena of Albacomp Basketball Team on 29th December in Szekesfehervar, Hungary.

Face Team has already performed at many basketball halftime on many big events such as NBA Europe Live Tour 2007, Supercup 2007 in Bamberg, Germany, in Euroleague at the O.A.K.A. Olympic Arena at Panathinaikos vs. Maccabi Tel-Aviv game's halftime, at the 2006-2007 Championship winner Montepaschi Siena in the playoff in the Italian Championship and money other basketball games and events around the World!

The Face Team Acrobatic Basketball Team includes slam dunkers, freestylers (ball handling, dribbling), and acrobatic dunkers who are the most spectacular part of the show. The team is getting famous all around the world with their Slam Dunk Show and has many fans from lots of countries. If you have any chance to come to see their show to Hungary, do not hesitate to check their website (www.faceteamshow.com) and get in touch with the team's secretary via e-mail for further information.


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ICELAND - Women

Three games in top league. -by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Valur 64 KR 87 another loss for Valur but KR on a great roll. Their 5 win in a row. Top scorer for Valur Molly Peterman 29. For KR Monique Martin 31. Hildur Sigurdardottir 20 pts. 13 rebs, 9 assist.
Fjolnir 51. Hamar 75. Two teams fighting on the bottom of the league with Valur. Good win for Hamar. Top scorers for Fjolnir. Efemia Sigurbjornsdottir 14. Edda Gunnarsdottir 12. For Hamar. La Kiste Barkus 36 + 13 rebs. Hafrun Halfdanardottir 10.
Keflavik 100. Haukar 79. Keflavik keeps the top seat after this win but Haukar drop down to 2-3 place with KR. Top scorers for Keflavik. TaKesha Watson 21 + 11 assist. Margret Kara Sturludottir 20. Rannveig Randversdottir 17. Palina Gunnlaugsdottir 16.
For Haukar. Kiera Hardy 27. Telma Fjalardottir 13 + 13

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KOSOVO - Women

"Toyota Women League" team -by Edona Shabani
As a part of the campaign” Invest in sport- prevent trafficking” on December 5, 2007 on 5:00 pm will take place the match between SIgal Prishtina and Toyota Women League. The member of the Professional Council engaged on working with women's league, Resmije Juniku together with the Coach of the Champion of the league BC” Bashkimi”, Mr. Agron Ceku appointed the Toyota Women team.
As the part of this team are going to be this players: Arbnore Percuku,Dafina Krasniqi,Elinda Musliu,Majlinda Avdiu,Iliriana Berisha,Liridona
Krasniqi(Bashkimi),Valbona Bytyqi, Vlora Idrizi,Aurora Muhaxheri (Penza) Albina Ramizi,Donjeta Demi(Drita) and Kaltrina Mehmeti (Trepca).

Their meeting will take palce on Wednesday, 4:00 pm in the Sports and Youth Hall in Prishtina.

www.basketbolli.com

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RUSSIA - Women

Nadezhda upset Tarbes for the first time in EuroCup this season -by Eurobasket News
Nadezhda-Tarbes 68:57 (18-16, 19-13, 23-15, 8-13)

In the game for the first place in Group K Nadezhda overcame Tarbes 68:57. That was the 4th victory for the Russian team and the first loss for the French in the tournament. Olga Ovcharenko (184-F-79) nailed 14 points for the winners. Elen Shakirova (192-C-70) netted 13, while Anastasiya Verameyenka (191-C-87) and Victoria Shagan (178-G-79) scored 11 points each. Kristen Mann (188-F-83, college: UCSB) produced 19 points in defeat.
Savasta opened the game for the visitors with a three pointer. Russian team replied with 5-0 run and then managed to take 18:16 after the first 10 minutes of the game. Kristen Mann scored the last five points for her team to reduce to 2 points. In the second quarter Gisella Vega (188-C-82) gave the guests 26:27 lead. Due to 11-2 Nadezhda went to the lockers with 37:29.

A 23:15 in the third quarter was a great opportunity not to worry in the last quarter. Olga Ovcharenko's jump-shot made the score 60:44 after 30 minutes. First seven points in the fourth quarter belonged however to the French side, but then Nadezhda spurted with some important baskets. Olga Ovcharenko's last two free throws brought a 68:57 victory for the hosts that improved to 4-1.

Nadezhda: Olga Ovcharenko 14, Elen Shakirova 13, Anastasiya Verameyenka 11, Victoria Shagan 11
Tarbes: Kristen Mann 19, Gisella Vega 12+9 rebs

UMMC is the first to reach 5-0 -by Eurobasket News
UMMC Yekaterinburg - Halcon Avenida 90:64 (23-18, 19-19, 27-12, 21-15)

UMMC Yekaterinburg is the first team to take 5-0 record in EuroLeague Women. In the game against Halcon Avenida Russian team won 90:64. A fascinating second half was fatal for the guests that fell at 2-3. Agnieszka Bibrzycka (184-F/G-82, college: Abil.Christian) led the winners with 17 points. Sandrine Gruda (192-F/C-87) netted 16, while Deanna Nolan (180-G/F-79, college: Georgia) added 10. Alessandra Santos (200-C-73) top-scored for the visitors with 16 points.
Russian UMMC proves the ambitions for this season in Euroleague. Vodopyanova with a jump-shot opened the game for the favorites and Jones made 23:18 in the end of the first. De Mondt tied the score for the visitors at 23:23, but Agnieszka Bibrzycka's three brought back plus five for UMMC. Harrower with a jump-shot kept the advantage at the half, 42:37.
And things quickly took a decisive turn in the third quarter as Yekaterinburg went on a 16-3 run. The hosts were managed to dominate in the court and played their own game. Deanna Nolan closed the quarter with 69:49. It was not a big deal to keep the score for good in the final quarter. Jones opened it with a jump-shot and then Kuzina scored 90th point for her team as a total. UMMC wins 90:64 and look forward to finish the group with zero.

UMMC Yekaterinburg: Agnieszka Bibrzycka 17, Sandrine Gruda 16, Deanna Nolan 10
Halcon Avenida: Alessandra Santos 16, Ana Montanana (186-F-80, college: George Washington) 15+9 rebs

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U.S.VIRGIN ISL. - Women

Akeema Richards and Western High girls' basketball looking to break through to state title in 07-08 -by David Edole
by Derek Toney
YOU TUBE VIDEO
Western High basketball coach Tiffany Silver thought heading into last season the only way her team would be at the girls' state Final Four is with a ticket. With a roster littered with freshman and sophomores, the Doves found theirselves on the court at UMBC's Retriever Athletic Center last March playing for another state crown.

Returning to UMBC isn't a hope for Western this season. A year older, the defending Baltimore City champion Doves are on the short list of Class 3A title contenders.

"We are very young this year," Western junior guard Akeema Richards. "We were young last year, but we have a lot of expectations this year."

"We're still very young as far as sophomores and juniors, but we have a little more experience as far as playing experience," said Silver. "We're positive as far as the outlook on the season and how it should end, yet still a little hesistant being as though I still have a lot of players that are learning to play the game and learning how to be champions."

Silver is looking for Richards, arguably the top player in the City league, to provide on-court guidance. As a sophomore, Richards, 5 feet, eight inches, led the Doves in scoring (14.3 points a game), assists (4.5) and steals (125 total).

"Her strength was her humility, she didn't know how great she was, she just played hard because that's all she knew," said Silver. "Now, this is her junior year, I want her to realize her greatness. She's still not there yet, where as though I want her to be able turn it on and off. She does it as a reaction instead of a plan."

"What I really need to work on this season is being a leader and my aggressiveness," said Richards, who admitted she's been struggling in the preseason. "I'll be ready as the season goes along."

Senior Kiara Foreman and sophomore Ashley Craig returns to the starting lineup with Richards. Sophomore Miquel Stevenson (5-9 guard) headline the other five returning contributors. Junior guard Keirah Hicks, a transfer from Southside Academy, should be an immediate contributor.

Silver is looking for big things from her freshman class including Achiri Ade (6 foot center), guard Raiya McKnight (5-8) and Tenicia Spencer (5-5). The Doves will have 11 underclassmen on their roster with Kiara Foreman, Shari Williams and Umika Smith as the only seniors.

Last season, Mischa Minor, Taqwisha Richardson and Shea Ellison was the veteran backbone for the Doves, who lost to Largo from Prince George's County in the state finals. Western said its overall inexperience caught up with them.

"We just hard time with them being a senior oriented team. They had more experience than we did," said Richards. "We need to be smarter and mentally tougher on the court so when we get in those situations, when legs and arms are tired, we'll have our mental toughness."

"We were babies last year led by a sophomore and four of five freshman playing 20 minutes a game so to get back there was great," said Silver. "They [Largo] had eight or nine seniors on their team that had fought and fought every year in 4A against Roosevelt [two-time defending state 4A champ Eleanor Roosevelt from Prince George's] and they got moved down to 3A and we kind of caught the luck of the draw."

After setbacks to Largo and, in 2006 to River Hill in the finals, Western wants to claim its first state title since 1995 when Silver, a protege of legendary Western coach Breezy Bishop, was a freshman. Richards said she doesn't believe in the theory of third time's the charm.

"It's not about luck. It's about doing what you got to do to get it done and get that win," said Richards. "If you want something, you go after it."

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VENEZUELA - Women

Moving forward -by Wolfgang Lucena
Our great point guard Katerine Monasterios, aka “Kate” received a scholarship from Frank Phillips College at Borger Texas.
“Kate” has been playing a good level of basketball with the Distrito Federal women's basketball team in all its level. When she was 11 years old until she turned 20, Monasterios has a tremendous record as Venezuelan player with 16 points per games, 7 assist and becoming a sniper from the three point line with 7 by game. She earned the best scoring player in the U-16 South American Basketball Tournament Colombia, Bogota 2000. Now she is taking this new challenge, we are sure that she will be good ad for FPC.

Good Luck Kate… Make us proud!!

The year of Mirna Araujo. -by Wolfgang Lucena
Mirna Araujo (183-F-87) # 11(Barinitas Barinas, Venezuela) was the leader of the game Dowling College vs. Molloy College on December 1 with 18 points followed by Molly Tubridy with 16 points. Last season Mirna didn't play because she had a small problem with her transcript from high school. This season 2007-2008 the 6'1'' junior guard has improved her scoring ( 9 points a game, 4 blocks and 5 steals) while showing a consistency that Dowling coach Joe Pellicane attributes to better conditioning.

“This is my College, this is my team, and this is my year” - Mirna Araujo

With only 6 official games, Miss Vinotinto is the 4th best scoring player of Dowling College.

TROMPETA!


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ZAMBIA - Women

2007 National Basketball Championships -by Jay

The Zambia Basketball Association national championships draws are ready and qualified teams are expected to converge at the National Sports Development Centre in Lusaka this weekend.

In the draws defending champions Hetro Bullets have a tough pick in Lusaka City Council Looters. Bullets are also northern zone men's league champions while Looters finished third in the southern zone.

Women's defending champions Green Buffaloes play UNZA Honeys a side they met and beat four times this season. Buffaloes qualified as southern zone league champions for the third consecutive year.
Unfortunately only two women clubs from the Northern zone will take part hence all southern zone based clubs qualify to the national championships.

National Pension Scheme Authority Hurricanes who struggled to finish second in the midlands league face Kitwe's Lechwe Steel.

Sprite Champions Green Eagles draw Ndola's First Quantum Mining Minerals Nets a side they beat 95 - 94 at the same stage of the competition last year.

Women's new league entrants Rim Oilers face southern zone league runners up Breakthrough Sports Academy Shells while Copperbelt Energy Corporation Queens will play the Nets of Lusaka.

There are no sponsors for this tournament which was until last year sponsored by the Zambia Dairy Processors Association. However, ZBA will award deserving teams from its own resources should no sponsor come on board.

The programme is as follows:


SATURDAY 8th DECEMBER

09.00 hrs: Technical Meeting

09.00 hrs: BSA Shells Vs Rim Oilers (Women)

11.00 hrs: Heroes Play Utd Vs Muf.Orginal Magnets (Men)

13.00 hrs: CEC Queens Vs Nets (Women)

15.00 hrs: NAPSA Hurricanes Vs Lechwe Steel (Men)

17.00hrs: Hetro Bullets Vs LCC Looters (Men)


SUNDAY 9th DECEMEBR

10.30hrs: Green Buffaloes Vs UNZA Honeys (Women)

12.30 hrs: LCC Looteresses Vs Ndola Woosters (Women)

14.30 hrs: Green Eagles Vs FQMM Nets (Men)

The semi finals will be played on Saturday 15 December as follows:-

09.00 hrs: 1st semi - final (Women)

12.00 hrs: 1st semi - final (Men)

14.00 hrs: 2nd Semi - final (Women)

16.00 hrs: 2nd Semi - final (Men)


Championship matches take place on Sunday 16 December.