EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 2/16/2008

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Men News

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ABA

Five ABA players in the Minor League top player rankings -by Gianni Pascucci
Some ABA players have been enclosed in the ProBasketballNews.com minor league players rankings, which are released bi-annually, and cover players also in the CBA, PBL and D-League. According with that website, Anthony Anderson (5'11''-G-81, college: Massachusetts) (5'11''-G-81, college: Massachusetts) is the most outstanding ABA player, followed by Chinese star Sun Yue (6'9''-G/F-85), Tyrone Rayson (6'6''-F-80, college: East Central), Tack Minor (5'11''-G-84, college: LSU) and Terrance Greene (6'4''-G/F-81, college: Nevada). The last ranking published is as follows:

1. Morris Almond 6'6 G Utah Flash (NBDL)
2. Billy Thomas 6'6 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
3. Anthony Anderson 5'11 G Manchester Millrats (ABA)
4. Elton Brown 6'9 C-F Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
5. Desmond Ferguson 6'7 F Yakama Sun Kings (CBA)
6. Eddie Gill 6'0 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
7. Sun Yue 6'9 G Beijing Aoshen (ABA)
8. Tyrone Rayson 6'6 F Texas Tycoons (ABA)
9. Cedric McGinnis 6'9 F-C Wilmington Sea Dawgs (PBL)
10. Odell Bradley 6'4 G-F Butte Daredevils (CBA)
11. Lance Allred 6'11 C Idaho Stampede (NBDL)
12. Ryan Edwards 6'5 F Quad City Riverhawks (PBL)
13. Josh Pace 6'5 G East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
14. James Jackson 6'9 F East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
15. Kasib Powell 6'7 F Sioux Falls Sky Force (NBDL)
16. Tack Minor 5'11 G Houston Takers (ABA)
17. Ian Mahinmi 6'11 C Austin Toros (NBDL)
18. Stanley Thomas 6'5 G Chicago Throwbacks (PBL)
19. Terrance Greene 6'3 G Vermont Frost Heaves (ABA)

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ARGENTINA

More transactions -by Facundo Iatzky

Regatas san nicolas released Sherrell Ford and signed former Benhur Khayri Battle (195-F/G-81, college: William Paterson). In Ben Hur he averaged 12.5 pts 4.5 rebs and 1.9 as in 24 games.
Atletico Echague released Kenya Carruthers (13.8 pts and 4.3 reb) and signed veteran Tony Bishop (201-F-73, college: S.Alabama)
olimpia catamarca inked David Oviedo (180-G-86) who will replace Lucas Barrientos(injured)

Fernando Small (184-G-77) left Quimsa and agreed terms with Asociacion Italiana in TNA. Fernando Small is an historic player in quimsa but he wanted to play more minutes.
Veteran Carlus Groves (201-F-71, college: San Diego St.) is the new foreigner for SAn Martin Marcos Juarez. He is the replacement for Joe Williams.
Regatas San Nicolas signed Sergio Ravina (190-F-86)
San martin corrientes signed Diego Crocce (200-F/C-81) and released Calvester Ferguson (4.1 pts 1.6 reb)


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BRAZIL

Flamengo still undefeated in Nacional Masculino.- -by Ed Goodman
Flamengo Petrobras won voer FTC EAD 93-68 winning every quarter of the game. FTC EAD in the 1st tried to keep a close game but in the 2nd Flamengo open a big lead an then continues playing with pleasure. and keeping the advantage. Alirio 20 Pts. and Duda 18 Pts were the best by the winners and Gilson 13 and Joel Munoz (179-G-80) panamanian point guard wtih 12 Pts.that is having a good season in his 1st performance in the brazilian league.

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BULGARIA

Easy exam for the "Students" -by Valentin Anguelov
The 'Students' from Lukoil Academic took their final exam before the elimination phase of ULEB Cup, which is starting on Tuesday with a game versus Ventspils from Latvia.

Tonight they didn't have any problems with the second team in the ranking - Levski, as they won 93-64. The game was expected with interest, especially after the results of both teams in the last round. Levski killed Balkan in Botevgrad, and Lukoil almost slipped against Cherno More.

Everything went out of reach just after a few minutes of play in front of 500 spectators in Triadica Hall in Sofia. After a basket by Asen Velikov in the third minute of the game Levski decreased their losing to 4-5, but they didn't manage to score a single point in the next 4 minutes, as their opposition outscored them 12-0 (4-17). In the end of the quarter Lukoil led it 13-24.

In the first 4:21 minutes of the second quarter the difference went up to 22 points (17-39) and at this stage the end of the game looked pretty clear. Thanks to Hristo Zahariev who was a good addition off the bench Levski decreased the difference to 30-41, but that was the only good thing they did in the whole game. Lukoil had a 15-point lead at halftime, without even rushing things.

The second 20 minutes just confirmed the first half, and in the end Academic took it with 29 points of difference.

Levski looked like a weak shadow of what they were against Balkan. After a win with 29 over Botevgrad, there was a loss with 29 from Lukoil.

The only good thing for Levski was Hristo Zahariev's good addition with 8 points, 4 boards and 3 assists, and the fact that Rob Preston is gaining momentume despite his terrible shooting (2-9 from 3 points). The former Akron Zip finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal for 28 minutes. Stanislav Slaveykov had a decent performance with 16 points and 5 boards.

For Lukoil Pero Antic (210-F-82, agency: Interperformances) had 25 points and 9 rebounds, and Chavdar Kostov played great with 15 points, 4 assists and 2 boards. Nenad Canak was the Students' sixth man with 11 points.

by Alexander Sotirov - BulgarianBasket.com

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CBA

Minor League player rankings released -by Gianni Pascucci
Four CBA players have been enclosed in the ProBasketballNews.com minor league players rankings, which are released bi-annually, and cover players also in the ABA, PBL and D-League. According with that website, Desmond Ferguson (6'7''-G/F-77, agency: Interperformances, college: Detroit Mercy) is the most outstanding ABA player, followed by Odell Bradley (6'4''-F/G-81, college: IUPU-Indianapolis), Josh Pace (6'6''-G/F-83, agency: Interperformances, college: Syracuse) and James Jackson (5'10''-G-89). The last ranking published is as follows:

1. Morris Almond 6'6 G Utah Flash (NBDL)
2. Billy Thomas 6'6 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
3. Anthony Anderson 5'11 G Manchester Millrats (ABA)
4. Elton Brown 6'9 C-F Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
5. Desmond Ferguson 6'7 F Yakama Sun Kings (CBA)
6. Eddie Gill 6'0 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
7. Sun Yue 6'9 G Beijing Aoshen (ABA)
8. Tyrone Rayson 6'6 F Texas Tycoons (ABA)
9. Cedric McGinnis 6'9 F-C Wilmington Sea Dawgs (PBL)
10. Odell Bradley 6'4 G-F Butte Daredevils (CBA)
11. Lance Allred 6'11 C Idaho Stampede (NBDL)
12. Ryan Edwards 6'5 F Quad City Riverhawks (PBL)
13. Josh Pace 6'5 G East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
14. James Jackson 6'9 F East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
15. Kasib Powell 6'7 F Sioux Falls Sky Force (NBDL)
16. Taurean Minor 5'11 G Houston Takers (ABA)
17. Ian Mahinmi 6'11 C Austin Toros (NBDL)
18. Stanley Thomas 6'5 G Chicago Throwbacks (PBL)
19. Terrance Green 6'3 G Vermont Frost Heaves (ABA)

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CHILE

Valencia joins Boston College -by Cristian Quiroga
Center Jorge Valencia (206-C-77) who played last year in CDUdeConce is the new player of Boston College of Maipu. With that hiring, 'Eagles' are confirmed as a one of the strongest candidates for Dimayor title this season. 'I'm very glad to join Boston College, because the roster this year looks very strong and goals are so high. I feel that i completed a cicle and is good an air change', Valencia said.

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CHINA

Guangdong Takes 2-0 Lead Over Liaoning -by Arthur Volbert
Guangdong defeated Liaoning 114-105 today to take a 2-0 lead in the CBA finals. Veterans Wang Shipeng (197-F/G-83), Zhu Fangyu and Du Feng scored 26 points, 25 points and 19 points respectively.

Jason Dixon had 15 points and 10 rebounds in 29 minutes while Lamond Murray had 10 points and 7 rebounds in 26 minutes. Liu Xiaoyu played most of the minutes at point guard today, scoring 9 points. Chen Jianghua missed all 4 of his three-point attempts and scored only 2 points in 22 minutes.

Zhang Qingpeng led Liaoning with 24 points and 8 rebounds before fouling out after 45 minutes. Bian Qiang had 18 points and 3 rebounds.

Jamal Sampson had 21 points and 15 rebounds in 38 minutes and Olumide Oyedeji had 17 points and 7 rebounds in 22 minutes. But Guangdong's imports and Liaoning's imports essentially neutralized each other so the native players decided the game.

Liaoning was missing veteran native small forward Liu Xiangtao. In his place was 196 cm Lu Yao (196-F-88), class of 1988. Lu scored 14 points on 6 of 10 shooting but grabbed no rebounds before fouling out in 36 minutes. Lu's performance was acceptable but Liaoning missed Liu's veteran leadership.

Guangdong led 31-30 after the first quarter, 54-53 at the half and 90-79 after three quarters.

The next two games of the series will be played at Liaoning and Sunday's contest is a must-win game for Liaoning.

Guangdong 114
Zhu Fangyu 25p+7r+4a+1bl, Wang Shipeng 26p+3r+2a+2s, Liu Xiaoyu 31min+9p+4r+1a+3to, Jason Dixon 15p+10r+2a+2s+1bl, Zhou Peng 1p+1r+3a+1s+1bl, Du Feng 19p+3r+1s, Chen Jianghua 22min+2p+3r+3a+3to, Lamond Murray 10p+7r+1a+3s+2bl
Liaoning 105
Bian Qiang 18p+3r+3a+1s, Zhang Qingpeng 45min+24p+8r+4a+5s+2to+6fl, Li Xiaoxu 1p+5r, Lu Yao 14p+1s, Jamal Sampson 21p+15r+1a+3bl, Gu Liye 10p, Olumide Oyedeji 17p+7r

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CYPRUS

Kition Athletic Center to stage national OPAP basketball cup finals -by Nemanja Bjedov
Move Smart Anagennisi Yermasoyeias and Intercollege ETHA will try to make their dreams come true when they face the reigning champions, K.V. Imperial AEL and Proteas EKA AEL, in the women's and men's OPAP National Cup Finals respectively, after reaching this stage of the competition for the first time in the clubs' history, tonight in Larnaca.

Despite winning the national championship titles in 2007, both sections of AEL were deprived of cup trophies last season.

After dropping out of the competition in the first round last year, K.V. Imperial AEL defeated the current cup holders, Frederick Achilleas Kaimakliou, in this season's semi-finals to advance to the finals, while the other Limassol side Move Smart Anagennisi topped Intercollege ETHA in their semi-final encounter.

Proteas EKA AEL, on the other hand, fell to Keravnos Strovolos in the final games of the last two cup editions and the Limassol powerhouse's starlet Milutin Aleksic is hopeful that his team will celebrate this time: 'I believe that it will be for one more time. AEL'

Charles Barton's men are pursuing the club's eighth title in their 15th national cup final appearance.

The women's game is scheduled for the tip-off at 17:45, while the men's final should follow at 20:00. Regular tickets for both games are priced at 10 Euros, while soldiers and student will have to pay 3 Euros.
Courtesy of: CyBasketball.com

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D-LEAGUE

Seven D-League players in the Minor league rankings -by Gianni Pascucci
Two D-League players are at the top the ProBasketballNews.com minor league players rankings, which are released bi-annually, and cover players also in the ABA, PBL and CBA. According with that website, Morris Almond (6'6''-F-85, college: Rice) is the most outstanding minor league player, followed by Billy Thomas (6'5''-G-75, college: Kansas), both of them playing in the D-League (NBDL). Five other NBDL players have been enclosed in the rankings, confirming that the D-League should be the one with the highest playing level. The last ranking published is as follows:

1. Morris Almond 6'6 G Utah Flash (NBDL)
2. Billy Thomas 6'6 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
3. Anthony Anderson 5'11 G Manchester Millrats (ABA)
4. Elton Brown 6'9 C-F Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
5. Desmond Ferguson 6'7 F Yakama Sun Kings (CBA)
6. Eddie Gill 6'0 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
7. Sun Yue 6'9 G Beijing Aoshen (ABA)
8. Tyrone Rayson 6'6 F Texas Tycoons (ABA)
9. Cedric McGinnis 6'9 F-C Wilmington Sea Dawgs (PBL)
10. Odell Bradley 6'4 G-F Butte Daredevils (CBA)
11. Lance Allred 6'11 C Idaho Stampede (NBDL)
12. Ryan Edwards 6'5 F Quad City Riverhawks (PBL)
13. Josh Pace 6'5 G East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
14. James Jackson 6'9 F East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
15. Kasib Powell 6'7 F Sioux Falls Sky Force (NBDL)
16. Taurean Minor 5'11 G Houston Takers (ABA)
17. Ian Mahinmi 6'11 C Austin Toros (NBDL)
18. Stanley Thomas 6'5 G Chicago Throwbacks (PBL)
19. Terrance Green 6'3 G Vermont Frost Heaves (ABA)

Kent Davison Moves on to Become Head Coach of Qatar's National Team -by Mohammed Malas
NBA D-League's Mad Ants President and General Manager Jeff Potter announced at a press conference Monday that Fort Wayne Mad Ants head coach Kent Davison has stepped down in order to become the head coach of the Qatar national basketball team. Assistant coach Jaren Jackson will be taking over the reigns as head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

'This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Kent. We are so proud that, of all the coaches in the world, ours was chosen to lead this fine country's national team,' said Potter. 'Kent is truly on the world stage now, and it is fun to think that we could be seeing Kent coaching Qatar in the Olympics in the not too distant future.'

Davison is the first head coach of the Mad Ants, and he has been instrumental in helping the new franchise gain so much success and popularity in the Fort Wayne community. Yet when this tremendous opportunity arose, Davison knew he had to jump on it. 'I have been coaching for 35 years, and to think that I am now the head coach of a national team, it is truly a rewarding feeling,' said Davison.

However, Davison will miss being a part of this growing franchise. 'The Mad Ants are truly special to me, and I thank them for the opportunity to coach them and to be back in Fort Wayne. From the front office on down, they are truly a first class organization and they will no doubt be a fixture in Fort Wayne for years to come.'

'This wasn't something I'd looked for - it just happened, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was a hard decision to make, and I will definitely miss the opportunities that were afforded to me in Fort Wayne. Having been one of the original eight coaches in the D-League, the experience has been a blessing for me. I will miss the players that I've had in the past as well as the NBA family, and I wish them much success in the future.'

Qatar is found in the Middle East and borders the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Davison hopes to lead the Qatar national team to the Asian Games and place high enough to qualify for the Olympics.

* Courtesy of D-League Official Website

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EL SALVADOR

Zona Premier: playoff at the start -by Jaime Arevalo
The so-named Premier Zone (made of the top ranked teams of the National League) ended its regular season last week, the one down is the final classification:
ZONA PREMIER
pos team J-J J-G J-P PTS
1. Cosmos 14 13 1 27
2. U F G 14 11 3 25
3. Santa Ana 14 11 3 25
4. Denver 14 7 7 21
5. Felinos 14 6 8 20
6. UTEC 14 3 11 17
7. Santa Tecla 14 2 12 16
8. La Jugada 14 2 12 16

All the teams advanced to the playoff, that will start tomorrow. The quarterfinal pairings will be as follows:
Cosmos - La jugada
UFG - Santa Tecla
Santa Ana - UTEC
Denver - Felinos

Zona Nacional updatings -by Jaime Arevalo
While the Premier Zone is at the playoff phase, the teams competing in National Zone have yet 3 rounds to play of their regular season. Instead of Premier Zone, only the best two teams of each group will advance to the playoffs. The current standings are as follows:
____GROUP 'A'
pos team J-J J-G J-P PTS
1 DELGADENSE 14 12 2 26
2 SAN MARCOS 14 10 4 24
3 UES SANTA ANA 14 6 8 20
4 ACAJUTLA 13 5 8 18
5 PUERTO LL 14 4 10 18
____GROUP 'B'
pos team J-J J-G J-P PTS
1 ITCA 14 10 4 24
2 ITEXSAL 14 9 5 22
3 EXBAU 14 7 7 20
4 EMBAJADORES 14 6 8 19
5 DELTA 13 1 12 12

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EUROLEAGUE

Maccabi wins in Piraeus -by Eurobasket News
Olympiakos - Maccabi 67:75

Maccabi posted a spirit-boosting road win over Olympiakos in Greece to start their Top 16 campaign. Israeli team overcame the absence of their key centre Nikola Vujcic (211-C-78, agency: Interperformances) and the loss of Marcus Fizer (203-F-78, college: Iowa St.) just 8 minutes into the game to stun one of the Euroleague favorites away from home. Olympiakos entered the game without their sharp-shooter Arvydas Macijauskas (192-G-80) who is still sidelined with injury. The teams traded baskets early on before Lynn Greer (186-G-79, college: Temple) scored 5 straight points to put the hosts up 17:13. Yotam Halperin (196-G-84, agency: Arik Krayn Services) and Alex Garcia (191-G-80, agency: Interperformances) scored 3 points to cap the first frame at 16:17 for Olympiakos. The game was kept close throughout the second term with neither side able to breath freely. The hosts secured a minimum advantage leading 30:29 at halftime. However Vonteego Cummings (192-G-76, college: Pittsburgh) hit a three-pointer and Yotam Halperin added a layup to carry Maccabi ahead at 34:30 early in the third period. Esteban Batista (208-F/C-83) and Terence Morris (206-F-79, college: Maryland) immediately initiated a 7:0 run for Maccabi as they cleared off to a 41:33 distance. Soon Yotam Halperin converted a layup to open up a double-digit lead for the visitors 50:40. David Bluthenthal (201-F-80, college: USC) and Alex Garcia came up with two triples to set a 58:46 buffer for Maccabi heading into the fourth term. Olympiakos did not give up as they kept the visiting side scoreless for more than 3 minutes at the beginning of the final period. Greer got it going for the home team as he trimmed the difference to 6 points. Maccabi finally broke the deadlock as Alex Garcia and Yotam Halperin notched treys to restore a safe distance 64:55. Marc Jackson (206-C/F-75, college: Temple) scored 4 points for Olympiakos to drag them within 7 points from Maccabi. Lynn Greer netted 5 more points for the hosts and Olympikos trailed by just 4 points with under a minute left in regulation. Yotam Halperin converted a layup to extend the gap. Alex Garcia came up with a decisive interception on the next Olympiakos possession and sealed the winning outcome for Maccabi.
Yotam Halperin and Terence Morris paced Maccabi with 16 points apiece. Esteban Batista notched 12 points in a win. Lynn Greer scored game-high 26 points for Olympiakos. Marc Jackson added 14 points in a losing case. Olympiakos outrebounded the visitors 33:30 but could not fight 54% field goal accuracy from Maccabi. Olympiakos will travel to Madrid to take on Real next week. Maccabi visits Zalgiris the same day.

Olympiakos: Lynn Greer 26, Marc Jackson 14
Maccabi: Yotam Halperin 16, Terence Morris 16, Esteban Batista 12

Montepaschi easily beats Partizan at home -by Dragan Jankovski
The leading team of Italian Serie A Montepaschi Siena made easy win against Serbian champ Partizan Igokea 71-54. Partizan's players looked tired and mentally not ready to resist the strong Montepaschi because of the Final 8 tournament of Serbian National Cup which they won on Sunday. The hosts proved its quality and season's rating dominating from the beginning of the game. The main reason for Partizan's inconvenient 17-points defeat was 29 committed turnovers. Head coach of Partizan Dusko Vujosevic after the game shortly said: 'Much better teams than we are were defeated in Siena!'

Ksystof Lavrinovic (210-C-79) led Montepaschi adding 18 points and 5 steals while Romain Sato (194-G-81, college: Xavier) had 15 points and 4 rebounds. Center Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86, agency: Beo Basket) was the only one with double digits in Partizan scoring 13 points including 8 rebounds.

Next Wednesday Partizan will meet PAO in Athens while Montepaschi will play against Efes Pilsen.


Montepaschi Siena - Partizan Igokea 71-54
(16-9,17-18,15-9,23-18)

Montepaschi Siena: Lavrinovic 18 (5 st), Sato 15 (4 rebs), Ilievski 11, Stonerook 10 (5 rebs, 5 st)
Partizan Igokea: Pekovic 13 (8 rebs), Tripkovic 9, Kecman 8 (6 rebs), Tepic 8 (6 rebs)

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FINLAND

KORISLIIGA: Ray Ailus stays in Joensuu -by Rauno Hurmalainen
Head Coach Ray Ailus will stay in Joensuu at least one more season. Kataja (Joensuu) and Ray Ailus have agreed and signed the contract for next 2008-09 season with an option for season 2009-10. Ailus has been as a Head Coach earlier in Turku, Uusikaupunki and Kotka.

KORISLIIGA: The fourth quarter got started -by Rauno Hurmalainen

Korisliiga, Round 33: The fourth (and last) quarter of the regular season got started on Friday. Kouvot (Kouvola) took the fourth victory over
KTP - this time on the road in Kotka. KTP was leading during the half time by 11 pts, but Kouvot came once again strongly especially during
the third quarter (15-30). Kouvot won also much on the FT line (Kouvot 25/32 - KTP 11/16). Corey Smith (196-G/F, agency: Warren Sports, college: Vanderbilt) was the game MVP by scoring 31 pts. Baboucarr Bojang's (KTP) start on Top level was promising: 18 pts and 12 rbs.

KTP - Kouvot 79-89 (47-36) (Steve Smith 21, Baboucarr Bojang 18/12 - Corey Smith 31, Tuomas Iisalo 17).



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FRANCE

Round 18 Round up -by Sean Davis
Strasbourg 98 - Nancy 73

In the Round 18 Game of the Week Strasbourg defended there home court
upsetting 1st place Nancy with a 25pt victory. The first half was
neck and neck with Strasbourg leading by 5 to end the first half.
Second half was a different story with Strasbourg out scoring Nancy by
20pts on their way to a 98-73 win. Strasbourg's starting 5 all scored
in double figures led by Eddie Shannon who scored 20pts and dropped
7dimes. Aaron Pettway controlled the boards grabbing 13rebs and also
scoring 16pts. Nancy got a solid performance from Cryrill Julian who
scored 18pts while only missing 1 shot from the field. Ricardo Greer
came close to a triple double with 14pts 10rebs and 7ast.

Dijon 80 - 81 Cholet

Cholet continued their hot streak edging Dijon with a 1pt victory.
Cholet overcame an 8pt halftime deficit in the 3rd qt by out scoring
Dijon 24-13 to take a 3pt lead going into the final qt. Cholet held
on in the 4th qt to inch closer to 500 with a 9-10 record. Cholet was
led by consistent scoring among the starters combining for 60 out of
the 81 points. Deron Hayes and Nando De Colo led the way with 17pts
apiece. Dijon was led by Maleye Ndoye with 18pts and David Simon with17pts.

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GERMANY

German Cup: Moye's three-pointer lifts Tuebingen past Giessen -by Moritz Korff
Giessen - Tuebingen 66:68

Tuebingen's team captain A.J. Moye (193-G-82, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Indiana) took charge with only two seconds left in the game and hit a three-pointer to give the Tigers the lead and the win against local rival Giessen. Overcoming the 46ers in the 1/8-final of the German Cup Tuebingen broke a 7-game losing streak. The Tigers had to work hard for the victory though. 46er Johannes Lischka (203-F/C-87) enjoyed his breakout game and made 6 of 8 shots from the field missing only once from the line (7/8). Additionally the 20-year-old prospect grabbed 8 rebounds and snagged 2 steals. Though Bingo Merriex (204-F-80, college: TCU) posted a double-double for Tuebingen (19 points, 14 rebounds) Moye was the man who took the ball in crunchtime and made the decisive baskets. With 1:20 minutes remaining in the game the 46ers were ahead 63:59, but Moye answered with a trey. He was fouled on the shot and managed to convert the four-point play to tie the score. Jermaine Anderson (188-G-83, college: Fordham) netted his only two points of the night to give the Tigers the lead (65:63), but Gerrit Terdenge (205-F-75, college: Fresno St.) turned things around again by hitting a three-pointer with 14 seconds left to go. But only until Moye got up for the game winning shot...

After the game in Giessen the draw for the Quarterfinal was held. These are the results:

Tuebingen - Ludwigsburg
Cuxhaven - Bremerhaven
Berlin - Ulm
Quakenbrueck - Braunschweig/Paderborn

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HOLLAND

Rotterdam Challengers Blow Huge Lead, Loses To West-Brabant Giants -by Sanders Jackson

In the topsportcentrum on Thursday night, reeling Rotterdam Challengers staked surging West-Brabant Giants to a 51-30 halftime lead, but still found a way to not win the game, making West-Brabant Giants and former Rotterdam head coach Erik Braal's return to Rotterdam a sweet one, with the Giants perservering and winning its 3rd straight, by the score of 80-75. The Giants overcame a 65-54 deficit at the end of the 3rd quarter with a 26-10 finish. West-Brabant also dominated the glass 41-30, with the Rotterdammers also shooting blanks from the both the three-point line (4 of 21) and free throw line (11 of 23). Andre Harris (203-F-85, agency: Worldwide Hoops, college: Fairleigh Dickinson) led all scorers with 19 pts., with both Tim Blue (206-F-84, agency: Worldwide Hoops, college: Middle Tenn.St.) and Devonne Giles (203-F-83, agency: Worldwide Hoops, college: Texas Tech) with double-doubles (Blue 14 pts., 11 rebounds, Giles 14 pts., 14 rebounds). Sullivan Sykes (193-G/F-81, college: St.Joseph, IN) led the Rotterdammers with 16 pts. West-Brabant Giants are now 18-9, and Rotterdam Challengers fall to 13-11 and third straight loss.

Eiffel Towers Escape In Den Helder -by Sanders Jackson

Thursday night in Den Helder, defending Dutch champions Eiffel Towers found themselves in a dogfight with last-place Den Helder Seals throughout the first three quarters, but thanks to causing a Den Helder meltdown in the 4th quarter, they found themselves holding the long end of the stick in the end, escaping with a 71-57 win. Den Helder scored only five total points in the 4th quarter. Marcel Aarts (212-C-83, agency: R.H.Consultancy) continued his recent strong play, leading the way for Eiffel with a double-double of 17 pts. and 10 rebounds. Eiffel also destroyed Den helder on the glass with a 46-29 difference. Bradley Strickland (206-F/C-85, agency: Court Side, college: Evansville) led Den Helder with 16 pts. Eiffel now improves to 16-8, while Den Helder Seals fall to 3-22.

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HUNGARY

Round 18: Falco beat Pecs -by Tamas Deri
With this easy victory against the 2nd place team Pecs FALCO KC made a very big step to start the playoffs from the first position.

FALCO KC-SZOMBATHELY - PVSK-EXPO CENTER-PECS 105-75
(26-21, 27-15, 28-17, 24-22)
Szombathely,Att.: 3.000, Referees: Vigh P., dr. Benczur T., Hegedus T.
FALCO: Laszlo Kalman (186-G-72, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 35/12, Varadi 11/3, Bam Doyne (193-G-84, college: Mississippi) 25/15, Arnas Kazlauskas (204-C/F-76, agency: Court Side) 14/6, Nikola Aliakseyeu (212-C-78, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents, college: Buffalo) 12, Borszeki 3/3, Draughan 5/3, Feigl, Will, Coach: Srecko Sekulovic
PECS: Wittmann 3/3, Gergely Kutasi (190-G-84, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 15/12, Denes 11/6, Nick Williams (192-G-83, agency: Beo Basket, college: Cincinnati) 14/3, Czigler 6, Aleksic 6, Grebenar 8, Hosszu 3/3, Toth N. 9/3, Coach:Stojan Ivkovic
Layups: 8/16 (50 %) - 14/29 (48,3%)
2pointers: 14/24 (58,3%) - 3/9 (33,3%)
Three Pointers: 14/26 (53,8%) - 10/22 (45,5%)
Field Goals: 36/66 (54,5%) - 27/60 (45%)
Free Throws: 19/20 (95%) - 11/15 (73,3%)
Rebounds: 33 (25def/8off) - 24 (17def/7off)

KKK: Edwards left, Hendlein out for some weeks -by Tamas Deri
The management of KKK and american guard Carl Edwards (196-F-81, college: Charleston) agreeded to break the contract as the player got a very impressive offer from Argentina. Roland Hendlein (201-F-86, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) injured his ancle in a practice, so he will not be able to play for some weeks. The two other foreigners, Mike Kinsella (213-C-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Marquette) and Matija Ceskovic (192-G-81, agency: Court Side) will stay until the end of the season and try to help to keep the team in the first divison.

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IBL

Vancouver's new IBL squad announces 'Name the Team' contest -by Trask Frost
Vancouver, British Columbia— The International Basketball League is excited to announce that the Vancouver, British Columbia team has launched a 'Name The Team Contest' today. The contest is open for fans to nominate a team name from now until March 9, 2008.

Fans can enter the contest by going to www.basketball.bc.ca and submitting their name nomination. On March 10, 2008 the Top 10 nominations shall be chosen and posted for a week long online vote to choose the winner. The person who originally suggested the successful name will receive 2 courtside season tickets ($2,000 value) for the first season of the Vancouver IBL schedule (if more than 1 person suggested the name there will be a draw for it between them).

As announced in September of 2007, Vancouver will join the IBL for the 2009 season. The team is owned by Vancouver resident Jonathan Mara. Mara has been a member of the Basketball BC Board of Directors for the past four years and Assistant Coach of the White Rock Christian Warriors senior boys' high school basketball team for the past five years.
'We are excited to have the involvement of the local basketball community in helping to name the Vancouver team,' said Mara. 'This team will truly be community based team, as the majority of players will be former standout BC high school players who have now finished their collegiate careers and are looking to take the next step as professionals.'
Mara believes the people of Vancouver will embrace the IBL and the up-tempo style that has become the league's hallmark. 'The games are entertaining for even casual fans of the sport because the pace and scoring are so consistently high,' said Mara.
In three seasons, IBL teams have averaged over 126 points per contest in games that last about two hours. For more information about the IBL, or for pictures and video of teams and players, visit www.iblhoopsonline.com.

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ICELAND

Iceland Express League games. -by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Skallagrimur lost to Grindavik 89-95. Leading most of the game but Grindavik won 4 quarter 31-15. Leading scorers for Skallagrim. Darrell Flake (193-F-80, agency: IceBasket, college: McKendree) 33. Milojica Zekovic 21. Allan Fall 19 + 11 assist.
For Grindavik. Pall A. Vilbergsson 36. Jonathan Griffin (191-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Mo.-St.Louis) 27.

Fjolnir 67 IR 112. Fjolnir is getting closer to drop down from top league if they play like tonight. Sean Knitter (204-F/C-82, college: Lafayette) 22 pts for Fjolnir. For IR. Nate Brown (183-G-80, agency: IceBasket, college: St.Peter's) 23 + 11 assist. Hreggvidur Magnusson 21
Sveinbjorn Claessen 18.

KR vs Keflavik. Game for the top seat. Bad shooting % and less rebound was the problem for Keflavik tonight. Bobby Walker zero pts in first half. Tommy Johnson 2 in first half. These are they main scorer on the team. Hard to win when this happen. KR playing good defense these days.
Top scorers for KR. Joshua Helm (198-F-82, agency: IceBasket, college: Mercyhurst) 18 + 15 rebs. Jeremiah Sola 14. Palmi Sigurgeirsson 13. For Keflavik Tommy Johnson 15.
Keflavik & KR now tight in top seat.

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IRAN

Cage and Samake the new imports of BEEM -by Mohammed Malas
BEEM basketball team announced the signature of the american point guard Calvin Cage (183-G-84, college: Buffalo) and Samake Soumaila (215-C-78, agency: CAA Sports) for the reminder of the season to replace Kevin Jobity and Michael Dawson..

Cage was graduated from Buffalo university in NCAA in 2006, He played professionl bball in Cyprus, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, While Samake played in NBA before with both Los Angelos Lakers and Pheonix Suns adding to his bright career in Italy, Slovenia,Saudi Arabia and China in the last 4 seasons.

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LIBERIA

Lone Stars abroad -by Kristian Santiago
Lets take a quick look at Liberian players in Europe and the U.S. and how they performed so far in their respective leagues.

- In France , Boakai Lalugba (200-F-81, agency: Court Side, college: Bucknell) is currently posting 11,5 ppg , 4,7 rpg and 1,8 bpg for JL Bourg Basket in the Pro B.
His team is currently placed second behind Rouen and is looking for promotion to the Pro A , the highest league in France.

- In Spain , Varnie Dennis (202-F-82, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: Cal Poly - SLO) contributes with 10,3 ppg and 6,4 rpg for Gestiberica Vigo in the LEB Bronce and the team leads currently the league.

- In Germany, Patrick Flomo (203-F-80, college: Ohio) is back on the court after a heavy knee-injury forced him out for quite some time.
He scores 2,7 ppg and 1,5 rpg in limited playing time for Telekom Baskets Bonn who are in the reace for the play-offs in the BBL.

- In the U.S. , Edwin Ejike Hart (203-F, college: Florida CC) is not playing in the NCAA D1 this season because he is academically ineligible. He was supposed to play for New Orleans but is not listed on the roster anymore. Burleigh Porte (203-C) averages 10 ppg and 7,8 rpg for Olney CC in Illinois and should be atracting some D1 coaches.

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MEXICO

Soles advance to the Northern Division Final -by Eurobasket News
Soles - Fuerza Regia 89:86

Soles de Mexicali completed the win in the Northern Division semifinal series against Fuerza Regia. The fourth game appeared to be decisive as Soles drove to a hard victory and sealed the winning outcome at 3-1. Coming off the quite successful first edition of Liga Americas where they clinched the second spot Soles were ready to continue their winning streak in the local tournament. But Fuerza were not about to give up too easily. They stood up to the challenge and entered the game aggressively. Chris Jackson (208-C-81, college: N.Mexico St.) paced Fuerza as they grabbed a 27:24 lead after the opening frame. Soles kept their opponents in visibility but could not deny the deficit. Fuerza maintained the advantage at the interval 44:41. But finally Soles de Mexicali started to take over. James Penny (198-F-76, college: TCU) was unstoppable for the hosts as they surged ahead and finalized the third stanza with a 6-point advantage. Fuerza kept the intrigue burning as they trimmed the margin to minimum. Nevertheless Soles used all their experience to secure the win at the end and advanced to the Conference Final. James Penny produced 28 points to lead Soles. Horacio Llamas (211-C-73, agency: Interperformances) contributed 16 points and 10 boards for the winners. Chris Jackson answered with 25 points and 10 boards for Fuerza. Fred Hooks (198-F-82, college: Humboldt St.) had 21 points and 14 boards in defeat.
Soles de Mexicali will now take on Santos in the best-of-five division final series for the chance to qualify for the LNBP Grand Finale. Game 1 of the series is scheduled for February 16.

Soles: James Penny 28, Horacio Llamas 16+10 boards, Richard Lopez (192-G-78, college: Cal.Baptist) 11
Fuerza: Chris Jackson 25+10 boards, Fred Hooks 21+14 boards

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NBA

NBA All Star Weekend - Friday (Rookie Challenge) -by Darryl Reshaw
The NBA All Star weekend is in the big easy and this mega sporting event is lighting up the city of New Orleans.

After enduring Hurricane Katrina New Orleans and it's residents have expereinced some difficult times.

Recently the city has had some positive sporting moments with the New Orleans Saints in 2006, LSU winning he National Championship in college football and the returned of their NBA franchise with Chris Paul this season.

The NBA community has done an excellent job by creating a variety of community related events this weekend aim to benefit the youth and the low income residents of the city.

The Rookie Challenge features the best young players in the league and the Sophmores who are second year player dominated the rookies as usual with a 136-109 victory.

The game was a typical no defense type of game that featured a lot of dunks, alley oops, turnovers and easy layups.

Daniel Gibson (6'3''-G-86, college: Texas) (6'3''-G-86, college: Texas) tourched the Rookie team with 33 points while making eleven 3pt shots and capturing the games MVP award.

The Rookie team was led by Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) and Al Horford (6'10''-F/C-86, college: Florida) with 23 and 19 points respectively.

The sophmore team also had good performances from Rudy Gay (6'9''-F/G-86, college: Connecticut) with 23 points and Brandon Roy (6'6''-G-84, college: Washington) with 17 points and 7 assists.

Tonight the city will be host a variety of celebrity parties throughout the French Quarters and Bourbon Street.

Saturdays events should be exciting with the Dunk Contest, Three point shooting contest and NBDL All Star game.

By Darryl Reshaw

NBA stars set for exhibition match in Dubai -by Mohammed Malas
By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter (Gulf News)

Dubai: Some of the top players from the NBA will arrive in Dubai for an exhibition match at the Al Wasl Club next month.

The two-day basketball extravaganza has attracted current NBA players such as Monta Ellis (192-G-85), Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Florida Intern.), Rafer Alston, Steve Blake, Speedy Claxton, Marquis Daniels and Bernard Robinson for the exhibition matches planned at Al Wasl Club indoor stadium on March 7-8.

The NBA stars will be joined by four of the top basketball players from the Arab world, Lebanon's Fadi Al Khatib and Esmail Ahmad, Syria's Michel Madanli and Qatar's Yaseen Esmail.

The event will be held under the patronage of Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum by the UAE Basketball Association.

Dallas tries to trade in Jason Kidd -by Eurobasket News
Two days ago the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets agreed on mega-deal that was supposed to send Jason Kidd (6'4''-G-73, college: California) and Malik Allen (6'9''-F/C-78, college: Villanova) to Dallas. The Mavericks were about to give in Devin Harris (6'3''-G-83, college: Wisconsin), Jerry Stackhouse (6'6''-G-74, college: N.Carolina), DeSagana Diop (7'0''-C-83), Devean George (6'8''-G-77, college: Augsburg) and two first-round draft picks alongside with cash considerations. The trade was seemed a done deal as Jason Kidd missed yesterday's game against Toronto. But it never worked that smoothly. Devean George took advantage of the rule that allowed him to block the trade. He announced his unwillingness to take part in a 7-player exchange and locked the decision. The league rules administer the right of players being on a one-year contract and completing the last season with the same team to deny their sending to any other team. The situation turned out to be rather surprising for Dallas management as Devean George spoke out of his desire to leave the franchise for the lack of playing time. However the deal is still possible. Numerous sources claim the possibility of the trade as being quite high. The Mavericks are weighing the opportunity to include Keith Van Horn in the trade as a replacement for Devean George. Any other options were already rejected by the Nets. They were rumored to include Eddie Jones (6'6''-G-71, college: Temple) and Nick Fazekas (6'11''-F-85, college: Nevada) or Juwan Howard (6'9''-F-73, college: Michigan). Devean George's agent started negotiations with the Nets' president Rod Thorn. The NBA trading deadline is on February 21.

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NEW ZEALAND

Kantrail Horton joins the Jets -by Eurobasket News
The Manawatu Jets are now preparing for the upcoming NBL season. The team is coming off one of the worst seasons in franchise history as they registered 4-10 record last year and missed the playoffs. With a new head coach on board the Jest are hoping to improve their performance and bring more positive emotions to the fans. Tim McTamney actually returns to Manawatu as he guided the team back in 2000 and 2001. So American guard Kantrail Horton (185-G-77, agency: Interperformances, college: Iowa St.) became one of the first additions to the Jets squad. The 30-year-old Iowa State graduate played for the Waikato Pistons in 2005 under the guidance of Tim McTamney . There he averaged 19.6 points, 7.2 boards and 3.1 assists per game. He also played in Italy, Austria and Portugal.
Horton will join his fellow countryman Keith Davis (198-F-81) who also signed for the Jets for the upcoming season. Manawatu captain Stacey Lambert (190-G-76) re-signed with the franchise for the season alongside with James Paringatai (202-F-86), Riki Dalzell (198-F/G-82), Paul Bristol (178-G-85) and Daniel Simon (186-G-82). Kane Hokianga (191-G-81), Miles Pearce (205-C/F-78) and Darryl June (202-F-70) also return to the squad. Meanwhile the Jets also lost a couple of their key performers. Aaron Howell (188-F) decided to leave to Taranaki, Reece Cassidy (200-F/G-82) joined Auckland, while Matt Te Huna (190-G-83) headed to the Saints. Manawatu also managed to sign the former Nelson Giants prospect Ben Valentine (208-C-82).
Simon Mori will work as an assistant coach. Most of the players will join the team early in March. Manawatu tip off their NBL campaign on March 14.

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PANAMA

Cibona rebuffs Warren bid -by Miguel Sanchiz
Cibona Zagreb has rejected a two offers for its Panama forward Chris Warren (196-F-81, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: S.Carolina). According to the Manager of Cibona,the were rejected offers from Spanish giants TAU Baskonia and Israeli champions - Maccabi Tel-Aviv.according to the Manager,both teams offered a buyout offer for Warren but were both rejected immediately as they see Warren as their most important player. Chris Warren is a member of the Panama National Team since 2004 when he participated with Panama in CentroBasket 2004. Later on, he helped Panama classify for its four time to a Basketball World Championship, when he again played in the National Team in the Pre-Worlds held in Dominican Republic.

Cibona rebuffs Warren bid -by Miguel Sanchiz
Cibona Zagreb has rejected a two offers for its Panama forward Chris Warren (196-F-81, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: S.Carolina). According to the Manager of Cibona,the were rejected offers from Spanish giants TAU Baskonia and Israeli champions - Maccabi Tel-Aviv.according to the Manager,both teams offered a buyout offer for Warren but were both rejected immediately as they see Warren as their most important player. Chris Warren is a member of the Panama National Team since 2004 when he participated with Panama in CentroBasket 2004. Later on, he helped Panama classify for its four time to a Basketball World Championship, when he again played in the National Team in the Pre-Worlds held in Dominican Republic.
Cibona Zagreb has rejected a two offers for its Panama forward Chris Warren (196-F-81, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: S.Carolina). According to the Manager of Cibona,the were rejected offers from Spanish giants TAU Baskonia and Israeli champions - Maccabi Tel-Aviv.according to the Manager,both teams offered a buyout offer for Warren but were both rejected immediately as they see Warren as their most important player. Chris Warren is a member of the Panama National Team since 2004 when he participated with Panama in CentroBasket 2004. Later on, he helped Panama classify for its four time to a Basketball World Championship, when he again played in the National Team in the Pre-Worlds held in Dominican Republic.


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PARAGUAY

America de Pilar defeats sol de America -by Gianni Pascucci
Wednesday nigh in Pilar, America Pilar met Materopolitan League champions of Sol de America in a test match to prepare the upcoming National League. The game was very close, ending 74-74 its regular time, and America de Pilar prevailed 84-81 after the first overtime. The nigh before, the Quadrangolar had ended with the following results: Amèrica 84 - Crucecita 70 and 1º de Mayo 92 - Dep.Obrero 86. In consequence, the final standings of the Pilar Leaguye Quadrangolar has been:
1. 1 de Mayo 11,75
2. America Pilar 11,50
3. Deportivo Obrero 9
4. Crucecita 6,25
The first playoff game between America Pilar Basquet Club and 1 de Mayo will be played tonight

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PBL

Minor League player rankings released -by Gianni Pascucci
Some PBL players have been enclosed in the ProBasketballNews.com minor league players rankings, which are released bi-annually, and cover players also in the ABA, CBA and D-League. According with that website, Cedric McGinnis (6'9''-C-77, college: Georgia Southern) was the best in PBL (but has now moved to the ABA team Millrats), followed by Ryan Edwards (6'5''-F-83, college: Missouri Baptist) and Stanley Thomas (6'5''-F-80). The last ranking published is as follows:

1. Morris Almond 6'6 G Utah Flash (NBDL)
2. Billy Thomas 6'6 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
3. Anthony Anderson 5'11 G Manchester Millrats (ABA)
4. Elton Brown 6'9 C-F Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
5. Desmond Ferguson 6'7 F Yakama Sun Kings (CBA)
6. Eddie Gill 6'0 G Colorado 14ers (NBDL)
7. Sun Yue 6'9 G Beijing Aoshen (ABA)
8. Tyrone Rayson 6'6 F Texas Tycoons (ABA)
9. Cedric McGinnis 6'9 F-C Wilmington Sea Dawgs (PBL)
10. Odell Bradley 6'4 G-F Butte Daredevils (CBA)
11. Lance Allred 6'11 C Idaho Stampede (NBDL)
12. Ryan Edwards 6'5 F Quad City Riverhawks (PBL)
13. Josh Pace 6'5 G East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
14. James Jackson 6'9 F East Kentucky Minors (CBA)
15. Kasib Powell 6'7 F Sioux Falls Sky Force (NBDL)
16. Taurean Minor 5'11 G Houston Takers (ABA)
17. Ian Mahinmi 6'11 C Austin Toros (NBDL)
18. Stanley Thomas 6'5 G Chicago Throwbacks (PBL)
19. Terrance Green 6'3 G Vermont Frost Heaves (ABA)

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QATAR

Kent Davison Moves on to Become Head Coach of Qatar's National Team -by Mohammed Malas
NBA D-League's Mad Ants President and General Manager Jeff Potter announced at a press conference Monday that Fort Wayne Mad Ants head coach Kent Davison has stepped down in order to become the head coach of the Qatar national basketball team. Assistant coach Jaren Jackson will be taking over the reigns as head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

'This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Kent. We are so proud that, of all the coaches in the world, ours was chosen to lead this fine country's national team,' said Potter. 'Kent is truly on the world stage now, and it is fun to think that we could be seeing Kent coaching Qatar in the Olympics in the not too distant future.'

Davison is the first head coach of the Mad Ants, and he has been instrumental in helping the new franchise gain so much success and popularity in the Fort Wayne community. Yet when this tremendous opportunity arose, Davison knew he had to jump on it. 'I have been coaching for 35 years, and to think that I am now the head coach of a national team, it is truly a rewarding feeling,' said Davison.

However, Davison will miss being a part of this growing franchise. 'The Mad Ants are truly special to me, and I thank them for the opportunity to coach them and to be back in Fort Wayne. From the front office on down, they are truly a first class organization and they will no doubt be a fixture in Fort Wayne for years to come.'

'This wasn't something I'd looked for - it just happened, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity. It was a hard decision to make, and I will definitely miss the opportunities that were afforded to me in Fort Wayne. Having been one of the original eight coaches in the D-League, the experience has been a blessing for me. I will miss the players that I've had in the past as well as the NBA family, and I wish them much success in the future.'

Qatar is found in the Middle East and borders the Persian Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Davison hopes to lead the Qatar national team to the Asian Games and place high enough to qualify for the Olympics.

* Courtesy of D-League Official Website

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ROMANIA

Catalin Burlacu -by Bogdan Bocaniala
Catalin Burlacu (210-C-77, agency: Court Side) won Italy Cup with his team Air Avellino in the game against Virtus Bologna with the score 73-67.

This is first big success for Air Avellino. The best player was Devin Smith (196-G/F-81, college: Virginia) how scored 18 points.

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SERBIA

Montepaschi easily beats Partizan at home -by Dragan Jankovski
The leading team of Italian Serie A Montepaschi Siena made easy win against Serbian champ Partizan Igokea 71-54. Partizan's players looked tired and mentally not ready to resist the strong Montepaschi because of the Final 8 tournament of Serbian National Cup which they won on Sunday. The hosts proved its quality and season's rating dominating from the beginning of the game. The main reason for Partizan's inconvenient 17-points defeat was 29 committed turnovers. Head coach of Partizan Dusko Vujosevic after the game shortly said: 'Much better teams than we are were defeated in Siena!'

Ksystof Lavrinovic (210-C-79) led Montepaschi adding 18 points and 5 steals while Romain Sato (194-G-81, college: Xavier) had 15 points and 4 rebounds. Center Nikola Pekovic (210-C-86, agency: Beo Basket) was the only one with double digits in Partizan scoring 13 points including 8 rebounds.

Next Wednesday Partizan will meet PAO in Athens while Montepaschi will play against Efes Pilsen.


Montepaschi Siena - Partizan Igokea 71-54
(16-9,17-18,15-9,23-18)

Montepaschi Siena: Lavrinovic 18 (5 st), Sato 15 (4 rebs), Ilievski 11, Stonerook 10 (5 rebs, 5 st)
Partizan Igokea: Pekovic 13 (8 rebs), Tripkovic 9, Kecman 8 (6 rebs), Tepic 8 (6 rebs)

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SLOVAK REP.

Pezinok clears off atop of Extraliga ladder -by Eurobasket News
Pezinok broke loose on top of the Extraliga. In Round 25 Pezinok outscored Komarno 92:88 to improve to 19-6 record. Komarno got to a better start as they led 27:19 after the opening frame. But Pezinok revived in the second quarter and started to trim the deficit. They soon denied the margin and surged ahead 72:67 after 30 minutes. Komarno fight bravely in the final period but were not able to tame the league leaders. Andrej Lukjanec (203-F/C-69) topscored with 23 points for Pezinok. Dusan Snopko (195-G-75) provided 18 points for the winners. Stipe Pivac (204-F/C-78, agency: Heinrich Sports) answered with 20 points for Komarno as they fell to 11-14 record.
Meanwhile Inter Bratislava stumbled in Round 25. They visited Nova Ves and suffered a 72:85 defeat. Nova Ves looked dominant from the start and won the first three quarters. It was enough to build an unassailable 19-point lead heading into the fourth term. Inter managed to cut the deficit by 6 points but it was far from being enough to spark the intrigue. Vladimir Hovanak (194-G-82) paced the hosts with 15 points. Lubos Dzubak (208-F/C-88) contributed 10 points for the winning side. Richard Duris (193-G/F-82) replied with 21 points for Inter. Bratislava team slipped to 18-7 record and dropped to the second spot.
Svit tied Lucenec at the third spot as they beat their rivals 70:62 at home. Darko Pezer (197-G/F-82, agency: Heinrich Sports) knocked down 17 points for Svit. Peter Praznovsky (205-F-78, agency: Court Side, college: Tarleton St.) had 24 points for Lucenec.

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SLOVENIA

Miletic joins Furstenfeld -by Zeljko Zule
Dragan Miletic (195-G-82, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents) has left Gussing to joint Furstenfeld. He averaging 30,3 minutes, 21,5 points (FG 43%, 3P 34%, FT 76%), 3,1 rebounds, 4,4 assists, 1,8 steals and 3,1 turnovers in 17 games of Austrian Championship - First Stage.

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U.S.VIRGIN ISL.

Peltier clutch at the free throw line -by David Edole
The Missouri State University-West Plains Grizzly Basketball team picked up its 24th win of the season in dramatic style Tuesday night, Feb. 12, when they downed the State Fair Community College Roadrunners 95-93 in a double overtime thriller at the West Plains Civic Center.
The 24-4 Grizzlies solidified their second place ranking in the Region 16 standings with Tuesday's win over their counterparts from Sedalia, Mo. Missouri State-West Plains is now 4-3 in the region, two games behind first place Three Rivers Community College, Poplar Bluff, Mo., which is 6-1 in the region and 21-5 overall. State Fair (16-11) is fourth with a 2-4 region record.
'We were very fortunate tonight,' Grizzly Basketball Head Coach Brian Ostermann said following Tuesday night's victory. 'Our kids were resilient and found a way to win the game. When you do not play your best and still win, it really shows a lot of courage.'
The game was tight throughout the contest, with State Fair going into the halftime break with a 38-37 advantage. The battle continued in the second half, and the teams ended regulation in a 76-76 tie. The Grizzlies and the Roadrunners each scored 8 points in the first overtime period, but the Grizzlies finally gained the advantage in the second overtime, outscoring the Roadrunners 11-9 for the victory.
The Grizzlies started each half of regulation strong, Ostermann said, but the Roadrunners would fight back and take the momentum away from the Grizzlies. 'We thought they were going to close us out, but they had a couple of silly fouls, and we were able to step up and make some key free throws in that situation. That was certainly critical to come back,' the coach said.
Four of those free throws came from 5-11 freshman Devon Peltier (178-G), who netted them all in a row. 'VI is a heck of a little guy,' Ostermann praised. 'He gets his earful from Coach O pretty much all of the time, and that youngster just responds every single time. I can't be prouder of anybody, maybe anyone I've ever coached!'
Game statistics for each team show how close the contest was. The Grizzlies connected on 35 of 88 field goal attempts for 39.8 percent, seven of 26 three pointers for 26.9 percent and 18 of 23 free throws for 78.3 percent. They also had 44 rebounds, 18 assists, 12 turnovers, five blocks and 10 steals. The Roadrunners hit 34 of 75 field goal attempts for 45.3 percent, 11 of 29 three pointers for 37.9 percent and 14 of 17 free throws for 82.4 percent. They also had 33 rebounds, 22 assists, 12 turnovers, four blocks and seven steals.
Morris Smith IV led the Grizzlies in scoring with 23 points, but Paul Carter and Danny Sanders were close behind with 22 and 21 points, respectively. Others scoring for the Grizzlies included Rolando Little with 9 points, Peltier 7, Raason Young 6, Amaurys Fermin 3, and Wayne Jackson and Mark Smith Jr. each with 2. State Fair's Sanijay Watts led all scorers with 28 points

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UAE

NBA stars set for exhibition match in Dubai -by Mohammed Malas
By Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter (Gulf News)

Dubai: Some of the top players from the NBA will arrive in Dubai for an exhibition match at the Al Wasl Club next month.

The two-day basketball extravaganza has attracted current NBA players such as Monta Ellis (192-G-85), Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Florida Intern.), Rafer Alston, Steve Blake, Speedy Claxton, Marquis Daniels and Bernard Robinson for the exhibition matches planned at Al Wasl Club indoor stadium on March 7-8.

The NBA stars will be joined by four of the top basketball players from the Arab world, Lebanon's Fadi Al Khatib and Esmail Ahmad, Syria's Michel Madanli and Qatar's Yaseen Esmail.

The event will be held under the patronage of Shaikh Rashid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum by the UAE Basketball Association.

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UKRAINE

Denys Lukashov is crushing Budivelnyk farm team -by Alexander Muzyka
BC Kyiv youngsters made the crush for Budivelnyk before the Superleague teams had to meet each other. Interesting but 'young wolves' played without Vitali Cherni who has gone to Turkey with Ukrainian U-16 NT. But his one-game substitute Denys Zhuravliov made the best with his players even without help of one of the key players Ruslan Otverchenko and Vladyslav Podolian. Everything was understood after the first quarters' 37:16 when guards Andri Lebedyntsev and Denys Lukashov (187-G-89) with forward Maksym Pustozvonov made a zero from 'builders' defense. Second half was a triumph of Roman Dmytrenko (who rarely has a lot of playing time) and Lukashov. BC Kyiv's shooting guard has appeared everywhere and demoralized Andri Busyhin players in a total. Maybe it should be right to say that Budivelnyk felt itself good when the game has ended...
Lukashov and Dmytrenko were the best here scoring 48 points in a total. Oleksandr Tyschenko made a double-double.

Farms
Budivelnyk - BC Kyiv 68:106 (16:37, 20:17, 11:27, 21:25)
B: K.Ivanov 29 + 5 tos, Shuravin 12 + 4 rbs, Masliuchenko 8 + 5 rbs, Husev 6 + 4 rbs + 4 tos, Abdrakhmanov 5 + 6 rbs, Vivdych 4 + 6 rbs, Makhotka 2, Romashov 2 + 6 tos, Bilichenko 2
K: Lukashov 27 + 9 rbs + 5 ast + 4 stl, Dmytrenko 21 + 6 rbs, Pustozvonov 17 + 5 rbs, Lebedyntsev 15 + 6 tos, Tyschenko 11 + 14 rbs +| 3 ,ls, Novikov 7 + 6 rbs, Lipovyi 3, Sandul 2 + 4 rbs, Sulyma 2, Dobrikov 1, Otverchenko 0

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VENEZUELA

Oops!! -by Yelitza La Torre
Former NBA Carl Herrera (206-C-66, college: Houston) wants to finish his basketball career as a player before to take others responsibilities.
'It was a much appreciate surprise to hear about it, but it is not in my agenda as immediately plan…maybe in two or three years!' Carl Herrera.
41 years old Carl Herrera (206-C-66, college: Houston) is an active player in the new professional basketball organization Deportivo Tachira.

Tulio Cobos is getting ready! -by Wolfgang Lucena
With 11.5 points per game, 5.7 rebounds and about to receive his diploma degree in general studies, our vinotinto Tulio Cobos (197-C-86) is getting ready for new challenges. The Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, 6'5'' power forward Tulio Cobos (197-C-86) (aka, Baby Shaquille), could be one of those outstanding players for the renovated Venezuela's Mayor National Team. Cobos has been one of those power men for a period of two seasons at NEO. He has an important roll in the basketball team and his statistics are witnesses of it. So far, he is really concern about his college master degree in the new university that he will be enrolling to.

'I love the idea to play for my country in the Mayor National Team. I will be getting ready while the Federation makes the decision to call me'. Tulio Cobos.

Walcott is surprised with the possible offer -by Antonio Gomez
Omar Walcott Roberts said yesterday, to Diario Panorama, that he was surprised when he heard, in the television news, that he was being considered to the coaching assistant job in the new staff for the venezuelan national team. The new head coach could be the former NBA player Carl Herrera Allen.

Nestor Salazar, actual head coach, will be dismissed because of his commitments with Cocodrilos de Caracas in the Liga Profesional.

'I got up in the morning and heard in the news that my name was on the short list. Carl Herrera could be a great coach for the national team. I've been waiting for this opportunity during a lot of time. I would like to be the assistant coach', said Walcott in the Pedro Elias Belisario Aponte Arena, in Maracaibo.

Daniel Garcia dancing Gaitas -by Wolfgang Lucena
Paul Romero, president of Gaiteros Del Zulia, didn't hesitate to get in touch with Daniel Garcia (193-G/F), at soon as he found out about this 6'5'' lefty shooting guard, who was born in Caracas, Venezuela.
As everybody knows, Gaiteros Del Zulia always gets room for new talents; Daniel has been played 2 years at NCAA level and 2 years at NAIA level as well. Florida International University (FIU) was his first big step towards this level and then, he was moved forward, looking for better opportunity in the basketball court until he finished his university career at Florida Memorial University(FMU). His final stats are witness of his good level; 15.93 points per game, 5.86 rebounds, 1.82 assist, 1.86 steals and he lost 2.46 balls.

In a conference call, Daniel Garcia (193-G/F), didn't miss the opportunity to thanks to Paul Romero, President of the Musical team, for the chance that he is receiving from him in his Professional Basketball Organization as Gaiteros Del Zulia.
'I'm very excited…I'm looking forwards to participate in the next level, especially because it will happen in the country of my birth. I am going to do my bests as a professional and make my dreams come true. In Venezuela, the sky is the limit,' Daniel Garcia



I'm here for the championship!! -by Wolfgang Lucena
With two invitations in his pocket for the 2008 NBA summer league, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors, Daryl Magic Dorsey just thinks about the LPB cup. . 'I know that it's a competitive league and there are great basketball players into it…but, I am going to do my best to be with Guaros De Lara in the championship series.' As soon that 2008 professional basketball league (LPB) finishes, Daryl Dorsey will fly from Venezuela straight to Orlando for a NBA summer league. Daryl Dorsey (185-G-81, college: S.Indiana) lives with his brother Daunte Culpepper (NFL Quarter back) during the off season.



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Women News

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FIJI - Women

Netball and basketball go in hand-in-hand in Fiji -by Eurobasket News
Mere Rabuka is one of the leading players of Fiji Netball National team. But it would never be an obstacle for her to participate in the qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympic Games. The Fiji Basketball Nation Team head coach Michael Whippy is weighing the opportunity of including Mere Rabuka to the squad. She led Fiji to the Netball World championship held in New Zealand last year. If Rabuka joins the National Basketball team she will play alongside three other netball inductees. Matila Waqanidrola, Lusia Robanakadavu and Matelita Shaw have already agreed to take part in the Olympics qualifying tournament. Michael Whippy is hopeful about is hopeful about Mere Rabuka joining the team during the next week's training camp. Fiji will clash with Brazil and Spain at the qualifying stage to the Olympic Games. The winners of their pool will automatically qualify for the Beijing Games. Fiji will take on Spain on June 9.

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HUNGARY - Women

Laszlo Galos dismissed -by Csilla Kantor
Laszlo Galos, head-coach of Seat Foton Gyor was dismissed from his title on Wednesday. He came to the team 2006 from Szolnok. As it has already been decided, Peter Tapodi is following him as the new head coach. The contract has been signed for 2 and a half year. The main reason for the change is the underachievment in the last games, mainly against Szeviep Szeged (56-66) in the Eighth Finals of the Hungarian Cup.

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ISRAEL - Women

The regular season end,the playoffs start -by Netanel Dahan

The battle for a ticket to the Upper playoffs end.
Ramat Hasharon
Raanana Hertzliya
Elizur Ramla
Maccabi Ramat Hen
Maccabi Ashdod
And Elizur Holon advance to the Upper playoffs.
yesterday(Thursday) the regular season come to the end,the playoff start,in the lower playoffs :
Bnei Yehuda,Maccabi Tel Kabir,Hapoel Tel Aviv.
The 18 round games:
Raanana Hertzeliya 86-Tel Kabir 74.
Score for Hertzeliya:
Mistie Williams 29 pts
Tanisha Wright 27 pts,12 ast
Abiola Wabara 13 pts
Neda Djuric 6 pts
Noa Ganor 4 pts
Katia Levitzky 2 pts

to Tel Kabir:
Constance Jinks 21 pts
Shaun Gortman 17 pts
Yael Cherkov 15 pts
Michelle Woods 12 pts
Shiri Porat 4 pts.


Ramat Hen 76 - Bnei Yehuda 72.
Score to Ramat Hen:
Armintie Price 25 pts, 10 reb
Taj McWilliams Franklin 25 pts, 13 reb
Shiri Sharon 12 pts
Chen Shtain and Edwina Brown 6 points each one,
Sharon Zeevi and Lena Mustafina 1 pt each one.

to Bnei Yehuda:
Renee Taylor 27 pts
Sugiery Monsac 22 pts
Dionnah Jackson 12 pts
Rivi Grinboym 6 pts
Chen Segal 3 pts
Tal Salz 2 pts.

Ramla 80 - Elitzur Holon 57
Score to Ramla:
Sherill Baker 20 pts
Shay Doron 18 pts
Michelle Snow 15 pts, 12 reb
Jackie Johnson 11 pts, 9 reb
Laine Selwyn and Tali Noy 8 pts each one.

To Hulon:
La'Tangela Atkinson 21 pts, 23 reb!!!
DeTrina White 17 pts, 11 reb
Ivory Latta 15 pts
Shiran Zairy andna Haleli 2 pts each one.

Electra Ramat Hasharon 67-Hapoel Tel Aviv 48
Score to Tel Aviv:
Tamara Bowie 23 pts, 13 reb
Shachar Alterman 11 pts
Edneisha Curry 8 pts
Shira Haelyon 6 pts.

To Ramat Hasahron:
Monqiue Coker 22 pts,7 reb
Jia Perkins 15 pts
Tatyana Troina 10 pts, 11 rebs
Shimrit Gigi 8 pts
Dada Vilipic 4 pts.
The playoff games wil start in monday.



Liron Choen in Spain -by Gil Goshen


THE SPANISH CUP QUARTER - FINAL

CLUB BALONCESTO SAN JOSE - EXTRUGASA : 71-61.

Liron team CLUB BALONCESTO SAN JOSE won the game vs. EXTRUGASA 71:61.

Liron - agency GG basketball played 35 minutes and had 11 points 2/4 50% for two points 1/4 25% for 3 points 4/4 100% from the free line . 2rb.
ast. 7
Liron Cohen (173-G-82)

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ITALY - Women

Serie A1, day-19: stats and results -by Carlo Grilli

Levoni Taranto - Gescom Viterbo 74 - 58
(21-14, 39-30, 55-43)
LEVONI TARANTO: Marianna Balleggi (188-F-74) 7 (2/5, 0/1), Corbani C. dnp, Greco M. 6 (3/8, 0/1), Bello M. (0/1, 0/2), Zimerle A. 11 (1/2, 3/7), Sauret Gillespie A. 11 (4/6, 0/1), Summerton L. 14 (6/8), Prado F. 4 (2/3), Frohlich L. 9 (2/4, 1/1), Brunson R. 12 (4/14). Coach Corno Aldo
GESCOM VITERBO: Danzi D. 2 (1/1), Santucci L. 6 (1/3, 1/1), Nicolini E. dnp, Brunelli G. , Smith B. 19 (7/11), Maslowski M. 11 (5/12, 0/1), Limoura L. dnp, Siccardi V. 11 (5/11, 0/1), Gorla L. 2 (1/1, 0/1), Crepaldi C. 7 (2/7, 1/5). Coach Agresti Claudio

Lavezzini Parma - Germano Zama Faenza 52 - 63
(18-18, 35-39, 42-51)
LAVEZZINI PARMA: Maiorano M. 3 (1/4), Stabile S. 2 (1/3, 0/4), Paparazzo E. 2 (1/5), Zanoni I. (0/1), Battisodo V. (0/1), Rejchova M. 4 (2/4), Mahoney M. 7 (2/6, 1/3), Zanon M. 6 (0/2, 2/2), Screen J. 16 (2/5, 2/8), Sulciute E. 12 (4/6). Coach Scanzani Maurizio
GERMANO ZAMA FAENZA: Eric M. 15 (4/8, 2/8), Maria Chiara Franchini 11 (4/5, 1/5), Ramon E. 2 (1/1), David I. 9 (4/8), Casadio G. 3 (1/1), Jokic D. 13 (6/10), Bandini E. dnp, Knezevic A. 2 (1/1), Dos Santos C. 8 (3/11), Morsiani L.. Coach Rossi Paolo

Italmoka Pozzuoli - Pool Comense 93 - 88
(32-16, 52-44, 71-71)
ITALMOKA POZZUOLI: Nunzia Paparo (165-G-77) 7 (1/3, 1/2), Cirov T. 23 (6/9, 3/3), Ferazzoli I. dnp, Franchetti M. , Minervino M. (0/1), Grima H. 14 (3/5, 2/3), Linguaglossa E. dnp , Grasso A. 16 (6/10), Andjelic N. 17 (0/1, 4/5), Dixon T. 16 (5/10, 1/2). Coach Palumbo Carlo Fulvio
POOL COMENSE: Bouderra F. 26 (8/12, 2/3), Bestagno E. dnp, Fabbri V. 6 (3/4), Slavcheva G. 14 (3/6, 2/6), Turner L. (0/1), Invernizzi M. 4 (1/2), Hall V. 19 (6/14, 1/2), Zampella A. 15 (0/1, 5/8), Tunguz B. dnp, Sarni S. 4 (2/7, 0/1). Coach Ricchini Roberto

Carispe La Spezia - Fiera di Roma Pomezia 57 - 62
(15-15, 32-27, 48-44)
CARISPE LA SPEZIA: Bestagno M. 2 (1/1), Corradini L. , Pastore C. 1 (0/4, 0/1), Callens E. 13 (4/9, 1/2), Templari E. dnp, Newton C. 18 (6/11, 1/3), Bagnara B. 3 (0/3, 1/6), Vukovic V. 10 (2/2), Sarti R. (0/4), Willis C. 10 (4/9, 0/1). Coach Papini Giovanni
FIERA DI ROMA POMEZIA: Di Battista F. (0/1, 0/1), Servillo M. dnp, Hodges D. 13 (0/5, 3/9), Cinili S. 2 (1/1), Mendes Da Silva T. dnp, Scimitani S. (0/1), Machanguana C. 23 (7/19), Lichnerova J. 7 (2/3, 1/3), Milica Beljanski (185-F-83) 15 (3/8, 1/1), Gattini C. 2 (1/5). Coach Incecchi Sandro

Acer Priolo - Famila Wuber Schio 75 - 63
(22-19, 44-41, 59-48)
ACER PRIOLO: Angela Gianolla (171-G-80) 20 (2/6, 3/4), Bonfiglio S. dnp, Palie S. 9 (1/1, 1/2), Milazzo O. dnp, Fabbri E. 2 (0/1), Seino T. 18 (5/7, 1/1), Sciacca B. 6 (0/3, 2/3), Pascalau F. 8 (2/8), Meneghel R. 4 (1/3), Phillips T. 8 (3/7). Coach Coppa Santino
FAMILA WUBER SCHIO: Consolini C. dnp, Moro E. (0/2, 0/2), Butler D. 9 (3/4, 1/3), Donaphin B. 10 (4/8), Tassara S. (0/1), Masciadri R. 12 (2/3, 2/4), Ngoyisa B. 17 (7/11, 0/1), Ress K. 2 (0/2), Ciampoli F. (0/1, 0/1), Macchi L. 13 (2/8, 1/4). Coach Orlando Sandro

New Wash Montigarda - Umana Venezia 46 - 51

(9-16, 22-33, 31-35)
NEW WASH MONTIGARDA: Gatti G. 5 (2/3, 0/1), Colico R. (0/1), Zanotti E. dnp, Fazio M. 13 (5/8, 1/2), Rossi C. 1 (0/3), Smith D. 3 (1/3, 0/1), Dimitrova E. 4 (2/3), Albertazzi S. , Ruzickova M. 11 (4/8), Lawless E. 8 (2/8). Coach Fossati Fabio
UMANA VENEZIA: Sottana G. 2 (1/3), Modica F. 10 (3/6, 1/5), Johnson S. 14 (6/11, 0/1), Sanford N. 2 (0/3), Andrade M. 5 (1/5, 1/3), Nadalin J. 4 (2/3, 0/1), Eva Giauro (204-C-86) 2 (1/2), Romagnoli A. 2 (1/2), Vujovic A. 10 (2/4, 2/6), Zampieri A. dnp. Coach Riga Massimo

Phard Napoli - Banco di Sicilia Ribera 87 - 70

(22-14, 42-23, 66-45)
PHARD NAPOLI: Paterna S. (0/1, 0/1), Cirone M. 9 (0/1, 3/4), Mauriello P. 14 (1/1, 4/5), Giauro S. 2 (1/3), Adia Barnes 13 (6/13), Gentile I. 7 (2/3, 1/7), Horasan Y. 10 (5/9), Ndiaye A. 2 (1/3), Lesdema N. 6 (3/7), Holland-Corn K. 24 (7/9, 2/5). Coach Molino Nino
BANCO DI SICILIA RIBERA: Farris S. 6 (3/4), Duffy M. 16 (2/6, 2/5), Favento S. dnp, Bona G. NE , Riccardi E. 6 (1/1), Montagnino J. 7 (0/5, 1/6), Perfetti C. 8 (1/4, 2/5), Pys'Mennik O. 7 (2/5, 1/3), Razmaite D. 16 (6/12, 0/2), Morrison Jara Z. 4 (2/3). Coach Anselmo Paolo Francesco



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LATVIA - Women

Baltic Woman`s Basketball League -by Gunars Gailitis
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