EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 5/21/2008

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Men News

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ARGENTINA

Championship point -by Facundo Iatzky
Libertad did it. With a fantastic deffensive game, Libertad Sunchales won 84-77 on the road and put the serie 3-0. If libertad wins on Wednesday in Santiago del Estero, they will be the champions. At first, libertad was better with an amazing Sebastian Ginobili (190-G-72, agency: Interperformances), but then Quimsa showed what they deserved be in the finals with a good second quarter. Anyway in the second half, -both foreigners Robert Battle (200-C-81, college: Drexel) and specially Laron Profit (196-G/F-77, agency: Octagon, college: Maryland) with another outstanding performance helped their team.

Libertad (84): Sebastian Ginobili 17, Pablo Moldu 11, Laron Profit 27, Andres Pelussi 13 Robert Battle 14 (St), Juan Pablo Sartorelli 0, Marcos Saglietti 0, Jorge Benitez 2, Emilio Dominguez 0. coach: Julio Lamas

Quimsa (77): Jonathan Treise 0, Julio Mazzaro 21, Cleotis Brown 23, William Mc Farlan 9 Gabriel Mikulas 13 (St) Victor Cajal 7, Alejandro Reinick 0, Sebastian Castineira 4 y Andres Rodriguez 0. coach: Fabio Demti.

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ASIAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS

Asia Champions Cup. Finals -by Eurobasket News

Championship Game

SABA Battery - Rayyan 82:75
The Iranian powerhouse SABA Battery clinched the second straight Asia Champions Cup title yesterday. They overpowered Qatari Rayyan in the championship game in Kuwait. The game turned into a dramatic contest with the sides keeping it on level terms for the major part of the game. However DaJuan Tate (196-G/F-81, college: Mountain St.) accounted for a couple of key points in the dying minutes to propel the SABA Battery to an impressive success. SABA Battery and Rayyan exchanged the blows early in the encounter with the Iranian outfit grabbing a 16:15 lead at the first intermission. Rayyan relied on solid performance from Eric Chatfield (191-G-79, college: N.Mexico) to regain the control over the game in the second quarter. Rayyans American import came up with 15 points in the frame and Qatari team claimed a 10-point advantage at halftime. The things changed radically in the third stanza and SABA Battery started to claw their way back. DaJuan Tate and Gabe Muoneke (200-F-78, college: Texas) teamed up to ignite a 32:14 rally that put SABA in front 61:53 after three quarters of action. Eric Chatfield came up with a trey to tie it all at 68 late in regulation. DaJuan Tate answered with 7 straight points to carry SABA to safe distance and they ensured the winning outcome at the end. DaJuan Tate scored 30 points to lead all scorers. Gabe Muoneke added 26 points, while Hamed Hadadi (218-C-85, agency: Huss Sport Agency) nailed 18 points for the winners. Eric Chatfield knocked down 29 points to pace Rayyan. Yaseen Ismail (204-F-80) accounted for 15 points and Dalron Johnson (206-F-81, college: UNLV) had 13 in defeat.

SABA Battery: DaJuan Tate 30, Gabe Muoneke 26, Hamed Hadadi 18
Rayyan: Eric Chatfield 29, Yaseen Ismail 15, Dalron Johnson 13


Bronze Medals Game

Wasl - Riyadi 87:82
Al Wasl stepped on the pedestal as they outgunned Riyadi in the Bronze medals final yesterday. The victory marked a historic event for the Emirates basketball as Wasl became the first ever team from the country to grab medals at the Asia Champions Cup. Riyadi meanwhile returned to the event after a 10-year pause and failed to overcome the result that achieved in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 (Bronze medals).
The Lebanese team got to an aggressive start and cleared off to a 29:20 distance at the end of the first frame. However Ivorian import Herve Lamizana (208-F/C-81, college: Rutgers) stepped up for Wasl and paced them back into fight. Wasl trimmed the gap to 3 points at halftime as the tension mounted. The teams traded baskets in what turned out to be a seesaw third frame. Still Wasl found the way to jump in front as they grabbed a 65:63 lead heading into the fourth stanza. The pressure escalated on both sides in the dying moments but Herve Lamizana was superb as he kept it cool and doomed Riyadi in the crunch time. The Ivorian tallied game-high 30 points to propel Wasl to a historic third-place finish. Ibraheem Ahmad contributed 22 points and Rashed Al-Zaabi launched 15 for the winners. Joe Vogel (211-C-73, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Colorado St.) answered with 28 points for Riyadi. Fadi El Khatib (197-F-79, agency: Pro Management Agency) came up with 26 points in a losing case. So the 19th Edition of Asia Champions Cup was successfully completed with Wasl suffering the only loss at the tournament and registering an impressive record as for the teams that was widely taken as underdogs before the competition.

Wasl: Herve Lamizana 30+9 boards, Ibraheem Ahmad 22, Rashed Al-Zaabi 15
Riyadi: Joe Vogel 28, Fadi El Khatib 26



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AUSTRALIA

Ingles draft plans on hold -by Eurobasket News
South Dragons star Joe Ingles (203-G/F-87) has decided to withdraw as an early entry candidate for the 2008 NBA Draft, instead focusing his attention on being selected for the Boomers Olympic team. Ingles, who recently returned from a month of NBA-style workouts in Chicago, told the Herald Suns Grantley Bernard that he would now look towards the 2009 NBA Draft.

'There was some realistic chance to have a crack (at being drafted), but now I'll stay for the Boomers and be 100 per cent focused on that,' Ingles said. 'I want to make that team more than anything and I'll be going pretty hard at that. I nominated (for the draft) while I was over there, but right now I'm going to pull out and do the Boomers stuff. It's been a longer goal than the NBA and I'll play this (NBL) season with the Dragons and then do the same thing again next year. Playing at the Olympics has been a dream for years now, so I couldn't really go past it.'

Ingles will now put the NBA on hold until his final year of draft eligibility, but said that the tough training schedule he followed in the US would have benefits in his quest to earn Boomers selection. During his time in Chicago, the Dragons star trained with and scrimmaged against fellow NBA aspirants, lifting weights for up to six hours a day. The result were a noticeable improvements in his game and his body, adding a couple of kilograms to his frame.

'Originally I went over to have a look and see what happens and it ended up going well and I improved a lot in a short time. I'll go back next season and do the same thing,' Ingles said. 'It was five or six hours a day, so the body is pretty tired. I had maybe five or six days off the whole time and went pretty hard, but all round I think l've put everything up a notch, so it's been a really positive experience.'

Courtesy of: www.nbl.com.au

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AUSTRIA

Oberwart back in the saddle -by Eurobasket News
Oberwart - Furstenfeld 97:82

Obwerart stepped closer to the Bundesliga title after they held off Furstenfeld in Game 3 of the Final. More than 2000 spectators witnessed Oberwart thumping their opponents at home and claiming a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. The Gunners got to a better start as they led 7:2 in the opening minutes. Milan Stegnjaic scored 11 points in the first frame and allowed the hosts to accumulate a 30:22 lead. Oberwart opened the second quarter with a same aggressiveness and quickly jumped to a 7:3 run to stretch the gap to 12 points. However Anthony Shavies (191-G-83, college: Missouri St.) scored 5 quick points late in the frame to cut the gap to 7 points at halftime. Oberwart once again looked dominant early in the third frame as they cleared off to a 16-point distance. But the Panthers stayed competitive and Samo Grum teamed up with Shelton Colwell (202-F-80, agency: Court Side, college: Missouri St.) to stay within 10 points from the hosts heading into the final period. Michael Dale fired from downtown to cut the deficit to 6 points early in the fourth frame. But the Gunners reacted fast tallying a 10:3 run to pile up a 13-point advantage midway through the frame. Furstenfeld never recovered in the dying stages and the Gunners celebrated the second victory in the series. Jay Youngblood (196-G-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Kent St.) led the charge with 25 points for Oberwart. Domonique Crawford (193-G-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Youngstown St.) nailed 21 points and collected 8 boards, while Jason Johnson (202-F/C-77, college: Tennessee St.) added 14 points in a win. Shelton Colwell answered with game-high 29 points and 15 boards for the Panthers. Anthony Shavies chipped in 16 points in a losing effort. The hosts sank 51% from the field, while limiting their opponents to 46% accuracy. Game 4 is scheduled for Thursday.

Oberwart: Jay Youngblood 25, Domonique Crawford 21, Jason Johnson 14
Furstenfeld: Shelton Colwell 29+15 boards, Anthony Shavies 16

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BOSNIA

Bosnian League 8, 12TH round - Borac again... -by Elvir Halilovic

Results:
Borac Nektar - Igokea Partizan 80:77
Siroki Prima Pivo - Zrinjski Mik Company 88:68
Grude - Bosna ASA BH Telecom (Wednesday May 21TH)
Slavija - Sloboda Dita (Wednesday May 21TH)

Standings:
1. Siroki Prima Pivo 9-3 1004:909 +95 21 pts.
2. Bosna ASA BHT 9-2 875:738 +137 20 pts.
3. Igokea Partizan 8-4 1050:927 +123 20 pts.
4. Borac Nektar 6-6 927:905 +22 18 pts.
5. Sloboda Dita 6-5 840:876 -36 17 pts.
6. Zrinjski MC 3-9 981:1083 -102 15 pts.
7. Slavija 3-8 837:974 -137 14 pts.
8. Grude 2-9 835:937 -102 13 pts.

Borac Nektar Igokea Partizan 80:77
(18:20, 20:28, 21:17, 21:12)
Banja Luka, SD Borik; Att.: 1.500; Ref.: Jovanic, Duskaj, Okuka
BORAC NEKTAR: Franklin 20, Z. Jovanovic 23, Stupar 3, Rothbart 5, V. Jovanovic 1, Gemaljevic 9, Djurasovic 3, Pavlovic, Milinovic 3, Velimirovic 5, Popovic 8, Josipovic
Coach: Milos Pejic
IGOKEA PARTIZAN: Tosic 10, Patterson 3, Bocka 6, Stazic, Djurica, Vucurovic 15, Cup, Wright 3, Lydeka 13, Stefanovic 13, Kovacevic 2, Allen 12
Coach: Zoran Sretenovic


Siroki prima pivo Zrinjski Mik Company 88:68
(24:19, 20:8, 21:13, 23:28)
Siroki Brijeg, SD Pecara; Att.: 500; Ref.: Husaric, Lakic, Drmic
SIROKI PRIMA PIVO: Bubalo 12, Planinic 5, Grays 6, Stemberger 9, Dijan 11, Zupic 18, Sola 16, Naletilic, Susak 1, Fajardo 1, Bethel 3, Ezugwu 6
Coach: Ivan Velic
ZRINJSKI MC: Filipovic 3, Bisko 3, Norac, Petric 8, Oroz 9, Dzidic, Simovic 4, Brecic 15, Vuckovic 4, Buhac 7, Planinic 13, Grbavac
Coach: Nedjeljko Zelenika



Sime Spralja of Siroki Prima pivo got injured -by Eurobasket News
Siroki Prima pivo suffered unexpected defeat in Banja Luka against Borac Nektar previous week-end. But after that game another problem happened to team from Siroki. It could be a big one as Sime Spralja (206-F/C-83), who got injured, was the third scorer as well as the third rebounder of Siroki in Adriatic league. After preliminary control it seems that Spralja injured knee meniscus. Team's doctors did not want to forecast how long he won't be able to help his teammates before complete examinations.

Except Spralja, Gray also got inconvenient elbow beater but he will probably be ready for tonight's game against Zrinjski. Game will start at 20:00h and it is expected that Siroki make an easy win.

Standings - BIH League
D1 Standings
League 8
 1. Bosna S. 9-2 
 2. Siroki 9-3 
 3. Igokea 8-4 
 4. Sloboda Dita 6-5 
 5. Borac Nektar 6-6 
 6. Slavija 3-8 
 7. Zrinjski MC 3-9 
 8. Grude 2-9 
Places 9-14
 1. Posusje 10-14 
 2. Zenica Celik 10-14 
 3. Hercegovac 10-14 
 4. Leotar 9-15 
 5. Capljina 8-16 
 6. Vogosca 2-22 


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BULGARIA

Willie Deane: "Good bye, Lukoil" -by Vladi Lazarova
24 hours after winning their 6th consecutive National title, in Lukoil Akademik must open their eyes and start thinking on one main question: Who will be their starting playmaker for the next season. This will be the biggest problem for 'The Students', because to replace a pure leader like Willie Deane III (186-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Purdue) is not an easy job. 186 cm tall point guard decided to say 'Good bye' and to leave for his good. 28-years old Deane was the best player in the squad of Zeljko Lukajic from the moment he arrived in late November to replace Stevin Smith. The disappointing level of the National league in Bulgaria and the total absence of any kind of competition and rivalry in PRO A this year, forced Willie to pack his luggage. The participation in ULEB Cup is not enough motive for the American to sign a new deal with Akademik.
In his last game on Monday against Balkan (90:68), Deane played like for the last time. He scored 39 points and stayed away only on 2 points from his personal record in the championship this season: 41 points against Spartak Pleven on 5th May in semifinals. Yesterday in 'Balkan' arena in Botevgrad he was on fire: 18 pts in the first 8 minutes, including 5/5 from the three point range. Dunks in NBA style for the fun of both teams fans.
Deane is leaving Bulgaria with two gold medals: one for the Cup and one for the title. He reached 1/8-final in ULEB Cup too, where Lukoil lost to Dinamo Moscow. For 13 games in Europe he has 18,5 ppg, 4,1 rebounds and was number one for assists with 6,7 per each match in ULEB. In Bulgaria he played 47 games: 18,6 ppg, 3,9 rpg, 5,3 apg. His future is still unclear. There is a big possibility to see him back in Russia, but before that Willie will do his best to go step again over the land of his dreams - NBA.

Daniel Dimitrov is the new head coach of Cherno more -by Vladi Lazarova
Daniel Dimitrov is the new head coach of Cherno more. He is replacing his former teammate in the Men's National team Spas Natov, who resigned a week ago. Now Dimitrov, who turned 41 on 15th May, will try to invite him to stay in the squad like his assistant. Daniel is one of the well known names in the society of young and capable coaches in Bulgarian basketball. His coaching career started in Spartak MVR in 2005/2006 and moved to Dunav Russe in 2006/2007. This year Dimitrov came back in the capital to work with Slavia, but couldn't find enough money to build a stronger team and didn't qualify for PROA.
Dimitrov was one of the best National team players. He was a great long distance shooter and spent a lot of years in CSKA, Cherno more, Kompakt, Akademik and Levski. The last season of his professional career Daniel spent in Spartak Evroins.
In Varna he will be responsible to build a new team and help some of the young players to grown up and start their basketball way in Men's league.
Three foreign players of 'The Sailors' - Lithuanian center Augustinas Vitas and two Americans Todd Galloway and Bryce Sheldon are leaving the club.

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CAPE VERDE

Fiorentina Santo Antao Regional Champions -by Pedro Gomes
Fiorentina won the Santo Antao Region championship, Saturday, by beating Maritimo for the second time in playoffs.

In the first game, played last week, Fiorentina beat Maritimo 84 to 28, and in the second game, Saturday, 54 to 28. This showed, clearly the level of play between these two teams.
And also the lack of investment in the sport, in the Island.

Fiorentina, also, won the Opening Tournament, at the beginning of the season. The Santo Antao champions will now represent the island in the National championships.

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CYPRUS

Two players from AEL's roster in the NBA's early entry list. -by Chris Mammides
Great success for the Cyprus Basketball once more, two players from AEL's roster, the Croat Sasa Cuic (208-F-83, college: Oregon St.) and the Russian Vasili Zavoruev (196-G-87) belong to the NBA's early entry list. The list has 87 names allover the world and from all the leagues world widely. The Russian shooting guard is currently in the 20th place while the Croat center is at the 45th position. Another two players are currently playing in the Greek league, the Serb point guard Milos Teodosic of Olympiakos has the nineth position in the list while the Greek point guard of PAOK, Dimitris Verginis (194-G-87) has the 26th position.

Ilunga off to Sweden, Garcia to Switzerland -by Nemanja Bjedov
Now the ex-Aspis APOEL center Jo Jo Garcia will finish the current season playing for Lugano Tigers in Switzerland, while the ex-Proteas EKA AEL guard Olivier Ilunga (185-G-84, agency: Interperformances) will continue his career in Sweden where he signed for 08 Stockholm HR.

Garcia's new team is currently losing 2-0 in the playoff final series against Benetton Fribourg Olympic. It is still unclear if Garcia will play the next season for the Nicosia powerhouse.

Source: www.cybasketball.com

Panteli and Stulianou have been called for the Cyprus NT -by Chris Mammides

Another two players have been called in the preselecting Cyprus NT yesterday the two players are Iacovos Panteli (188-G-85) of BMC AEK Larnakas and Stratis Stulianou (195-F-83) of Achilleas Kaimakli. Iacovos Panteli is among the top guards in the Cyprus league with very steady percentages from the arc, good organisational skills and very good defence as he is among the top 'thieves' of the league, on the other hand Stratis Stulianou is an experience player with lots of physical power who can help in the rebounding area and in the defence.

These two players were added in the 31 players who have been called earlier on and now the two national coaches Christos Stylianidis and Linos Gabriel have to choose the top performers to build up the new Cyprus NT. Its the very first time in which the selection is to be made with such a big number of players.

Eurobasket.com wishes all the best to the Cyprus NT.



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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Don Bosco Win First Game -by Herubey Grassals

Julio Vidal, Franklin Matos (190-G-82) & Robert Sanders (201-F-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Providence) combined for 61 points to lead Centro Juvenil Don Bosco to defeat San Sebastian 97-98 on the first game of the semifinal of the Superior Baketball Tournament of Moca.


Julio Vidal lead all players with 26 points, Franklin Matos (190-G-82) had 19 and Robert Sanders finish with 16 points and 14 boards; for San Sebastian, Amaury Filion (206-C/F-81) had 24 points and Darnell Miller (195-G-82, college: W.Georgia) finish with 14 points.





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FYR MACEDONIA

The show starts today ! -by Eurobasket News
Play-off finals series of Macedonian championship officially begins today. Feni Industrija will have a chance to capture National championship title for the first time in club's history. But its opponent is reining Macedonian champion Strumica, who will for sure try to defend its title.

As a reminder Feni Industrija this season already won National Cup of FYROM. Feni's head coach Emil Rajkovic is very satisfied with performance of his team so far. 'We already made fantastic result winning National Cup and we will try to finish this season with double crown. Strumica is a very dangerous opponent. We will go to win and it doesn't meter are we play at home or on the road. We have a home court advantage because of our place in regular season but there is a long way to go in order to win the championship. We need to beat Strumica four times and it not an easy job. We already beat them 4 times this season but play-off final is something totally different. I can only give a promise that my team will try to show its best. We will give 100% of our ability and I am a big optimist. I expect a good basketball from both teams and I am sure fans will enjoy watching the final series. As I mentioned above our main mission is to exploit our advantages on the court and I am sure good result will come to us'.

Feni Industrija finished regular season on top with score 26-4. Later the team from Kavadarci was better than Pelister in the quarterfinals and Rabotnicki at the semis. Strumica finished regular season on the second place with score 22-8. They were better than MZT Skopje at the semifinals 3-1.

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GEORGIA

Giorgi Tsintsadze close to triumph abroad -by Eurobasket News
Giorgi Tsintsadze (192-G-86) and his Rock grabbed 3-0 in the Final series in Estonia. With 22:15 in the opening quarter the guests opened their third-series victory for 73:63 over Tallinna BC Kalev/Cramo. Giorgi Tsintsadze paced the winners with 21 points. Brian Cusworth collected 20 points and 9 rebounds, whilst Silver Leppik netted 16. Gregor Arbet top-scored in defeat with 19 points and 7 rebounds and Kristjan Kangur collected 14 points and 9 rebounds.
More then 3500 spectators came to support Tallinna BC Kalev/Cramo and hoped for their first win in the Finals. TU/Rock did not mind playing abroad and started with 22:15. Giorgi Tsintsadze and Brian Cusworth were on top for the teams, but in the second period even their record were not enough. Tallinna BC Kalev/Cramo bounced back with 21:14 to tie the game at 36 points for both teams.
In a game where you need more than the other team you try to risk and that was what the hosts tried to do. They missed however some important baskets as the margin reached minus 6 for them. Right from that time Rock paid more attention to defense and celebrated the win. The visitors won the last quarter 14:10 and the game 73:63.
In the opener the arch-rivalry of Estonian basketball entered the crucial stage as the teams clashed in the KML Final series. The first game however did not quite resembled of a heated battle of two well-matched squads. TU/Rock adjusted their game for just one quarter before taking off to a stunning rally that left Kalev far behind. The teams traded baskets early in the encounter keeping close. Kalev grabbed a 20:18 lead after the starting quarter but TU/Rock quickly denied the deficit. They held their opponents to 13 points in the second period and surged ahead to a 42:33 lead at halftime. Kalevs defense could not limit the hosts onslaught in the third stanza as TU/Rock fired 29 points and stretched the gap to as many as 19 points. The home side outmuscled the visitors under the rims and looked confident in the field shooting 56% of field goals. Kalev had little to answer with in the fourth term as the dominance of TU/Rock was pretty clear. The sell-out crowd at the Tartu Sports Hall celebrated a comfortable victory for their favorites in the first game of the best-of-seven series. Silver Leppik launched 21 points to pace TU/Rock. Brian Cusworth provided 18 points and 19 boards, while Tanel Tein had 17 points in a winning clause. Giorgi Tsintsadze ended up with 9 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. Rait Keerles replied with 13 points for Kalev. Valmo Kriisa chipped in 12 points in defeat. TU/Rock outrebounded the visitors 40:23 and held Kalev to 37% accuracy from the field.

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GERMANY

Schwenningen Panthers: The planning is already in full swing -by Moritz Korff
The work.id-Panthers Schwenningen (Regionalliga South-West), formerly known as KGJ Schwenningen, have announced some decisions with regard to the 2008-2009 campaign these days.
Georgi Bujukliev will come back to Schwenningen and take over the head coaching job. Also Alen Velcic did return and was named the new manager. Meanwhile, the Panthers' leading scorer of this past season and member of the 2007-2008 Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga South-West First Team, Brandon Adair (196-F-85, college: Va.Wesleyan), is going to play one more season in Schwenningen. As will Tomislav Topic (206-C/F-78), Marco Schlafke (185-G-82) and Russos Makris (185-G-84). Michael Spoecker (195-G/F-80) leaves the club as well as Dusan Cvetkovic (193-G-78). Player/Coach Michael Heck (193-G/F-71), who was standing at the Schwenningen-helm during the past two years, will most likely join another team which is closer to his home.

Noerdlingen re-sings Avi Kazarnovski -by Manuel Schust
Newcomer VPV Giants Noerdlingen re-signed israelian center Avi Kazarnovski (209-C-80, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement).
After extending the contract with Ty Shaw (202-F/C-79, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Albertson), Kazarnovski is the second player to remain with Noerdlingen.

Avi Kazarnovski was a big help for VPV Giants Noerdlingen's promotion to BBL. The 28-year-old averaged 10 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season in ProA. Before joining Noerdlingen, he already played several years in Germany, one season for Freiburg and three for Chemnitz.

Brandon Lincoln stays in Essen -by Moritz Korff
The ETB Wohnbau Baskets Essen have re-signed another member of last seasons' roster which won the championship in the 2. Bundesliga Pro B. Today the club announced that topscorer Brandon Lincoln (193-G-83, college: Oregon) turned down several offers from other teams to guide ETB through its first year in the Pro A. During this past campaign Lincoln averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 30 games. His first season in Germany ended with being named to the Eurobasket.com All-German 2. Bundesliga Pro B 2nd Team.

Bundesliga Playoff results Tuesday May 20th! -by Michael Taylor

The fantastic basketball action of the 2007-2008 Bundesliga playoffs continued Tuesday night with two exciting games and surprising results. ALBA Berlin advanced to the semi-finals with a 95-73 Game 3 victory and 3-0 sweep over Eisbaren Bremerhaven. Earlier Tuesday evening in Quakenbruck, Telekom Bonn used a tremendous fourth quarter and thrilling finish to edge host Artland Dragons 77-76 at Artland Arena.

Tuesday May 20th, 2008

ALBA Berlin 95 Eisbaren Bremerhaven 73 (ALBA sweeps series 3-0)
A 30-19 1Q set the tone in Tuesdays 95-73 Game 3 win and helped ALBA Berlin finish their first round series with a 3 games to 0 sweep of Eisbaren Bremerhaven. The ALBA perimeter attack led the production as Immanuel McElroy topscored with a game best 23pt on 5 for 6 three point shooting. Bobby Brown added 17pt 7ast while Julius Jenkins and Aleksandar Nadjfeji chipped in 14pt apiece to the win. C Patrick Femerling also reached double figures with 10pt 6reb. Head coach Luka Pavicevic saw his team shoot 59% from the floor and drill 14 of 28 threes while dishing out 22ast as a team. Berlin used their strong start to build a 55-33 lead effectively ending the series by halftime. A 26-18 3Q gave ALBA fans the chance to celebrate their teams performance as they took a 81-51 lead into the 4th. Bremerhaven was led by Brian Brown's 20pt and Matt Haryasz 17pt. Nate Doornekamp and Ivars Timermanis scored 13pt apiece in the loss. Bremerhaven shot 44% from the floor and made 6 of 17 threes 35%. Berlin advances to the next round awaiting the winner the brose Baskets Bamberg-Ewe Baskets Oldenburg series.

Telekom Baskets Bonn 77 Artland Dragons 76 (Bonn leads series 2-1)
Miah Davis took a top of the key handoff from John Bowler and drove hard to the hoop laying up a right hand fingerroll off glass before the buzzer lifting Telekom Baskets Bonn to an amazing 77-76 road win over Artland Dragons Tuesday night at Artland Arena. The dramatic result came from a sideline inbound play with 3.8sec to play. Artland led 72-70 with 1min40sec after big points from Leon Rodgers. Bonn's John Bowler has his post move goaltended evening the score at 72 with 1:25 to play. Artland's John Goldsberry gave the Dragons a lead 74-72 with a strong driving lefty layin. Miah Davis missed a perimeter shot with 40sec keeping the score 74-72. Artland milked the clock before Lamont McIntosh miss a wing jumper with 20sec. Winsome Frazier buired a transition three giving Bonn a stunning 75-74 lead with 14sec left. Artlands attack was finished by a Leon Rodgers tip in with 3.8sec remaining giving Artland a 76-75 lead. After a timeout, Bonn's Michael Koch and team could celebrate the fantastic finish and 2-1 series lead. The game opened with Artland moving into the drivers seat. After a 23-15 1Q which saw Lamont McIntosh sink early three pointers, Artland built a 30-19 lead before Bonn battled back and cut the halftime margin to 43-36 for the Dragons. Bonn trimmed the deficit to 62-58 heading into the 4th. The exciting fourth quarter added to the fantastic post season the Bundesliga is enjoying. Game 4 is set for Thursday May 22nd at 4pm in Bonn.



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GREECE

Stats Leaders - A2
A2 Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
1 Fotiou, Sporting 18.8
2 Kaklamanos, Trik 17.5
3 Liakopoulos, Pag 17.2
4 Totsios, Iraklis 17.0
5 Moulakis, Xanthi 16.5
Rebounds Per Game
1 Despos, MENT 9.3
2 Koutroulias, Ilis 8.5
3 Symeonidis, Iraklis 8.4
4 Bucci, Peristeriou 7.7
5 Moutran, Sporting 7.2
Assists Per Game
1 Karydas, MENT 5.5
2 Moshovitis, Perist 4.8
3 Kantartzis, Halkid 4.3
4 Liakopoulos, Pagr 4.0
5 Kekelis, Ionikos 3.3
Steals Per Game
1 Karydas, MENT 2.6
2 Tomaras, Halkidas 1.9
3 Bucci, Peristeriou 1.8
Blocks Per Game
1 Trybanski, Perist 1.7
2 Psathas, Halkidas 1.2
3 Harismidis, Trikala 1.0
3 Koutroulias, Ilis 1.0
2FGP
1 Mandic, MENT 66.0
2 Despos, MENT 65.0
3 Zaras, ICBC 63.0
3FGP
1 Manojlovic, Pener 55.0
2 Panagiotopoulos 49.0
3 Apostolopoulos, Ir 46.0
Free Throws
1 Panagiotopoulos 91.0
2 Spanos, Ionikos 89.0
2 Aposkitis, Falirou 89.0


Eurobasket.com All-Greek A2 2007-08 Season Awards -by Eurobasket
#s#
#e#6


Kaklamanos


Henjak


Harismidis


Panaras


Karidas
Player of the Year - Nikos Kaklamanos (189-G-81) of AS Trikalla
Guard of the Year - Nikos Kaklamanos (189-G-81) of AS Trikalla
Forward of the Year - Dimos Fotiou (197-F-82) of AO Sporting Athens
Center of the Year - Hrvoje Henjak (214-C-78) of Panorama GS
Bosman Player of the Year - Hrvoje Henjak (214-C-78) of Panorama GS
Domestic Player of the Year - Nikos Kaklamanos (189-G-81) of AS Trikalla
Defensive Player of the Year - Tassos Harismidis (203-F-81) of AS Trikalla
Coach of the Year - Dimitris Papadopoulos of Apollon Patras

1st Team
Nikos Kaklamanos (189-G-81) of AS Trikalla
Theodoros Panaras (195-F-76) of Panorama GS
Dimos Fotiou (197-F-82) of AO Sporting Athens
Tassos Harismidis (203-F-81) of AS Trikalla
Hrvoje Henjak (214-C-78) of Panorama GS

2nd Team
Athanasios Karidas (182-G-81) of MENT Vassilakis
Nikos Liakopoulos (201-F-76) of HSBC Pagrati Athens
Costas Totsios (191-G-78) of Iraklis Thessaloniki
Nikolaos Papanikolaou (210-F-85) of Ilysiakos Athens
Giorgos Anagnostopoulos (207-C-80) of I.C.B.S.

All-Domestic Players Team
Nikos Kaklamanos (189-G-81) of AS Trikalla
Theodoros Panaras (195-F-76) of Panorama GS
Dimos Fotiou (197-F-82) of AO Sporting Athens
Tassos Harismidis (203-F-81) of AS Trikalla
Giorgos Anagnostopoulos (207-C-80) of I.C.B.S.

All-Bosmans Team
Bojan Jovanovic (186-G-82) of I.C.B.S.
Ralph Bucci (193-G-75) of DASH Peristeri Athens
Vukadin Mandic (200-F/G-82) of MENT Vassilakis
Glenn Sekunda (203-F-73) of Iraklis Thessaloniki
Hrvoje Henjak (214-C-78) of Panorama GS

All-Defensive Team
Athanasios Karidas (182-G-81) of MENT Vassilakis
Theodoros Tsiotras (198-G-87) of AO Sporting Athens
Vangelis Margaritis (202-F/C-82) of DASH Peristeri Athens
Tassos Harismidis (203-F-81) of AS Trikalla
Cezary Trybanski (215-C-79) of DASH Peristeri Athens

All-Newcomers Team
Christoforos Choumas (194-G-85) of AO Sporting Athens
Evangelos Morfis (193-G-85) of AO Sporting Athens
Theodoros Tsiotras (198-G-87) of AO Sporting Athens
Giannis Athanasoulas (198-F-87) of Ilysiakos Athens
Nikolaos Papanikolaou (210-F-85) of Ilysiakos Athens

Play offs comments from Kostas Flevarakis -by George Manousidis
Eurobasket ask Coach Kostas Flevarakis (Swedish National Team Head Coach and ex PAOK Head Coach with last season record 7W-8L) to make his comments for the play offs.
Panathinaikos: This team has stability in the management, great roster and excellent coaching team, in every section substantial ness, the main claimant of the title.
Every team must have Panathinaikos as example.
Olympiakos: The team faced some problems in the middle of the season.
Coach Yiannakis came in the middle of the season and did a very good job.
Olympiakos with Coach Yiannakis must have success over Maroussi.
And dont forget if Olympiakos overcame Maroussi (very possible scenario) it would be very hungry for the title even the experience of Panathinaikos.
Maroussi: I said before 4-5 months Maroussi is not in the right position in the league that the team can be. Marousi is like Panathinaikos has stability in the management with mr. Vovos, has a good roster and a very good coach.
Soulis Markopoulos is one of the greatest coaches in Greece.
Panionios: Team builds for the third place, and follows target. Yiannoulis is back and Panionios is fresher than Maroussi (possible opponent) or Olympiakos. Maybe has more pressure after the last results of Maroussi.

Eurobasket: A personal question coach. Where (team) are you going to be in the next season?
Coach Flevarakis: I have some proposals from Greek and European teams but my main premise is Swedish National team, if I can find a team to combinate with the Swedish National team is OK.

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IBL

Standings
IBL Standings
East
 1. Elkhart E. 10-1 
 2. Holland B. 8-5 
 3. Battle Creek K. 7-5 
 4. Windy City S. 7-8 
Midwest
 1. Gary S. 11-3 
 2. G.Rapids F. 4-7 
 3. Elgin R. 3-6 
 4. USA All-Stars 1-19 
Southwest
 1. C.Oregon H. 6-9 
 2. Portland C. 6-10 
 3. Las Vegas 4-4 
 4. Los Angeles 2-6 
 5. Shanxi Zh. 0-1 
West
 1. Vancouver V. 13-3 
 2. Bellingham S. 11-2 
 3. Snohomish C. 9-6 
 4. Edmonton C. 4-2 
 5. Tacoma J. 4-9 


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IRAN

SABA Battery defends Asia Champions Cup title -by Eurobasket News
SABA Battery - Rayyan 82:75

The Iranian powerhouse SABA Battery clinched the second straight Asia Champions Cup title yesterday. They overpowered Qatari Rayyan in the championship game in Kuwait. The game turned into a dramatic contest with the sides keeping it on level terms for the major part of the game. However DaJuan Tate (196-G/F-81, college: Mountain St.) accounted for a couple of key points in the dying minutes to propel the SABA Battery to an impressive success. SABA Battery and Rayyan exchanged the blows early in the encounter with the Iranian outfit grabbing a 16:15 lead at the first intermission. Rayyan relied on solid performance from Eric Chatfield (191-G-79, college: N.Mexico) to regain the control over the game in the second quarter. Rayyans American import came up with 15 points in the frame and Qatari team claimed a 10-point advantage at halftime. The things changed radically in the third stanza and SABA Battery started to claw their way back. DaJuan Tate and Gabe Muoneke (200-F-78, college: Texas) teamed up to ignite a 32:14 rally that put SABA in front 61:53 after three quarters of action. Eric Chatfield came up with a trey to tie it all at 68 late in regulation. DaJuan Tate answered with 7 straight points to carry SABA to safe distance and they ensured the winning outcome at the end. DaJuan Tate scored 30 points to lead all scorers. Gabe Muoneke added 26 points, while Hamed Hadadi (218-C-85, agency: Huss Sport Agency) nailed 18 points for the winners. Eric Chatfield knocked down 29 points to pace Rayyan. Yaseen Ismail (204-F-80) accounted for 15 points and Dalron Johnson (206-F-81, college: UNLV) had 13 in defeat.

SABA Battery: DaJuan Tate 30, Gabe Muoneke 26, Hamed Hadadi 18
Rayyan: Eric Chatfield 29, Yaseen Ismail 15, Dalron Johnson 13

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ITALY

Larry Wright and Banco di Roma, "Yes I remember him" -by Glenn Wiley
Coming from a small college to winning a championship ring coupled with an Italian and European championship he did it all. Larry Wright an ex-Grambling player and just recently his Alma mater former coach was selected 14th in the 1976 NBA Draft. Just two years later he was on a championship team with the Washington Bullets.
After some sporadic playing time he opted to travel overseas and chose Italy as the place to highlight his ball handling skills and deadly jump shot to the delight of the crowds
With home court advantage he helped defeat Olimpia Milano led by superstar Mike DAntonio 2 games to 1 therefore giving Roma its first ever Italian championship. His success continued the following year by rewarding Roma with its first ever European title. Larry was named MVP after scoring 27 points in the final.
After retiring from the game Larry became an assistant coach, a scout for a couple of NBA teams and then he landed the head coaching duties at Grambling until his release this past April. Thanks for the memories Larry.

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LATVIA

Barons regains the lead -by Eurobasket News
Barons/LMT rebounded quickly after a stunning loss in Game 2 of the Final series against ASK Riga to retain the lead. Trailing 0-1 in the championship series ASK Riga however managed to tie things up routing their opponents 96:78 in the second game. Barons led 26:21 after the opening stanza but ASK Riga quickly denied the deficit and built a 13-point advantage going into the final quarter. Barons failed to recover and suffered a massive blow. Gatis Jahovics (200-F-84, agency: FCM) scored 17 points to lead the charge for ASK Riga. Dwayne Broyles (196-F/G-82, college: JMU) notched 15 points, while Raitis Grafs (210-C-81, agency: Interperformances, college: Valparaiso) and Curtis Millage came up with 14 points apiece in a winning case. Demetrius Alexander (204-F/C-75, agency: CAA Sports, college: Alabama) answered with 14 points and 5 boards for Barons.
However two days later the teams returned to Barons court and the regular season champs held off their opponents to post the second win in the Final best-of-seven series. The home team jumped to an early lead as they enjoyed a 27:21 advantage after the starting period. Barons mounted the pressure in the second stanza and stretched the gap to as many as 14 points at halftime. But ASK Riga refused to give up and struck back right after the long intermission. A well-balanced offensive performance from ASK Riga squad allowed the visitors to cut the deficit to just 2 points before the final quarter. Barons reacted immediately tightening up defense in the final frame. The nervousness influenced the outcome for both sides but the hosts proved cool in the final seconds sealing victory from the charity stripe. Dainius Adomaitis (202-F-74) scored 18 points to pace Barons. Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) launched 15 points, while J.P. Batista (206-F/C-81, college: Gonzaga) added 14 in a win. Raitis Grafs replied with 13 points for ASK Riga. Dwayne Broyles and Gatis Jahovics nailed 11 points each in a losing case. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday.

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LEBANON

Wasl clinches Bronze medals at the Asia Champions Cup -by Eurobasket News
Wasl - Riyadi 87:82

Al Wasl stepped on the pedestal as they outgunned Riyadi in the Bronze medals final yesterday. The victory marked a historic event for the Emirates basketball as Wasl became the first ever team from the country to grab medals at the Asia Champions Cup. Riyadi meanwhile returned to the event after a 10-year pause and failed to overcome the result that achieved in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 (Bronze medals).
The Lebanese team got to an aggressive start and cleared off to a 29:20 distance at the end of the first frame. However Ivorian import Herve Lamizana (208-F/C-81, college: Rutgers) stepped up for Wasl and paced them back into fight. Wasl trimmed the gap to 3 points at halftime as the tension mounted. The teams traded baskets in what turned out to be a seesaw third frame. Still Wasl found the way to jump in front as they grabbed a 65:63 lead heading into the fourth stanza. The pressure escalated on both sides in the dying moments but Herve Lamizana was superb as he kept it cool and doomed Riyadi in the crunch time. The Ivorian tallied game-high 30 points to propel Wasl to a historic third-place finish. Ibraheem Ahmad contributed 22 points and Rashed Al-Zaabi launched 15 for the winners. Joe Vogel (211-C-73, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Colorado St.) answered with 28 points for Riyadi. Fadi El Khatib (197-F-79, agency: Pro Management Agency) came up with 26 points in a losing case. So the 19th Edition of Asia Champions Cup was successfully completed with Wasl suffering the only loss at the tournament and registering an impressive record as for the teams that was widely taken as underdogs before the competition.

Wasl: Herve Lamizana 30+9 boards, Ibraheem Ahmad 22, Rashed Al-Zaabi 15
Riyadi: Joe Vogel 28, Fadi El Khatib 26

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NBA

San Antonio scrapes through into conference Final -by Eurobasket News
New Orleans - San Antonio 82:91

The defending champions stayed in the race for the title after they finally posted a road win in the series against the Hornets. It came just in the right time as San Antonio drove to a hard-fought success in Game 7 of the series at the New Orleans Arena. Emanuel Ginobili (6'6''-G-77, agency: Interperformances) fired 26 points to lead the Spurs to a crucial victory. The Hornets meanwhile got to know they had a great team but it was just too early for them to make big things happen. Tony Parker (6'0''-G-80) scored 17 points and Tim Duncan came up with 16 points and 14 boards for the winners. The visitors led from the start and played a suffocating defense on the Hornets chasing them all over the court. The Spurs enjoyed a 51:42 advantage at halftime and continued to tighten it up after the long break. Michael Finely hit from outside and Tony Parker scored layup to give the Spurs a 63:50 cushion in the third period. Michael Finley knocked down another trey, while Robert Horry added one more treble to stretch the gap to 17 points late in the quarter. But the hosts were not done just yet. Jannero Pargo (6'2''-G-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Arkansas) nailed 7 points in a row and the Hornets shaved the margin to 4 points with over 3 minutes to go in the game. Jannaro Pargo found the rhythm as he dropped another three-point attempt and the home side trailed by only 3 points with under 2 minutes left. However Tony Parker converted a jump shot for the Spurs and then Emanuel Ginobili was deadly from charity stripe to seal it for San Antonio. David West (6'8''-F-80, agency: Octagon, college: Xavier) responded with 20 points and 9 boards for the Hornets. Cris Paul and Jannero Pargo combined for 18 points apiece in a losing case. Tyson Chandler posted 13 points and 15 boards as New Orleans ended their run just short of the Western Final. San Antonio meanwhile will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Lakers as soon as Wednesday night.

Spurs Forced to Sleep on Plane -by Bryan Floyd
The San Antonio Spurs, fresh off a Game 7 win over the New Orleans Hornets, were planning a quick getaway to Los Angeles to prepare to face the Lakers in the Western Conference finals. Instead, they spent the night in their grounded plane in New Orleans.League sources have confirmed a report from French radio station RMC, which quoted Spurs guard Tony Parker as saying the team learned at 2 a.m. Central Time that due to a technical problem, their plane would be stuck on the ground until 7 a.m. According to the report, Parker said the Spurs could not find hotel rooms in New Orleans, leaving the team no option but to sleep on the plane. San Antonio uses the charter company Champion Air, which has announced it is ceasing all operations at the end of May.


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NCAA1

Paulsen to Lead Herd at Bucknell -by Kevin Cochran
Bucknell has hired Dave Paulsen of Division III Williams as their new head basketball coach. He replaces Pat Flannery who retired after 14 years as the coach of the Bison. Bucknell was 12-19 last season, but won Patriot League titles in 2005 and 2006. They also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament both years by scoring upset wins over Kansas and Arkansas. Flannery will remain at Bucknell as a fundraiser.

Paulsen is a two time National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Coach of the Year. He was 170-53 in eight years at Williams, highlighted by the 2003 Division III National Title. He has also been a head coach at LeMoyne and St. Lawrence.

Arizona Recruit Faces NCAA Issues -by Kevin Cochran
Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings, the nations top rated high school player, still is not eligible to play for the Wildcats. Jennings has achieved the qualifying score on his standardized tests, but has yet to be cleared by the NCAA.

Jennings originally took the SAT while playing for Compton (CA) Dominguez High School, and scored poorly. After transferring to Oak Hill (VA) Academy, he achieved a qualifying score, but the NCAA is questioning those results. They are asking Jennings to take the test again due to the large change in his results. Sources are reporting the 61 guard will have two chances to retake the exam and prove his test result is legitimate. It is not clear how high Jennings will have to score to satisfy the NCAA.

Dunlap joins staff at Arizona -by Kevin Cochran
Denver Nuggets assistant coach Mike Dunlap has left his position with the NBA team to become the associate head coach at Arizona. He will replace Kevin O'Neill , who served as the interim head coach for the Wildcats during the 2007-08 season. Before joining the Nuggets, Dunlap was the head coach at Metro State University in Denver, where he went 248-50 in 9 seasons, and won NCAA Divsion II National Championships in 2000 and 2002. He has also been a head coach with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia's NBL, and at California Lutheran University.

Mike has been an invaluable resource to my staff, said Nuggets Head Coach George Karl . Coach Olson is getting one of the top minds in basketball and well miss him greatly. We wish him the best of luck at Arizona, where we know he will be very successful.

Dunlap was a candidate for head coaching positions at Oregon State, Stanford, and California, and interviewed with the Chicago Bulls about their head coaching job in early May. He has been an assistant at the University of Southern California, University of Iowa, and Loyola Marymount Unversity.

Iowa and Iowa State lose top scorers -by Kevin Cochran
Iowa and Iowa St. will enter the 2008-09 season without their top scorers. Both players claim differences of opinion with the head coach led them to leave for new programs.

Tony Freeman (6'1''-G-86) who led Iowa with 13.8 points per game, has left the Hawkeyes and will transfer to Southern Illinois. He started 40 of his 86 career games at Iowa, and will have one year of eligibility remaining with the Salukis. 'Basically, the (postseason) conversation I had with (coach Todd Lickliter ) insinuated that I wasn't compatible with the system, 'said Freeman. He went on to say that he believes Lickliter did not value his ability, and that Southern Illinois told him he is needed to help lead and mentor young players. Freeman's AAU coach, Nick Irvin, is the brother of SIU Assistant Lance Irvin

Iowa St. is losing Wesley Johnson (6'7''-F-87) after his relationship with coach Greg McDermott turned sour. 'I came to him in the middle of the season and and told him I wasn't happy,' he said. 'We talked about it. After that, it just wasn't the same.' Johnson has not decided where he will transfer, but TCU and Kentucky are expected to be among the interested schools. He averaged 12.4 points last season, and will have two years of eligibility left.

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NIGERIA

LSBBA sanction Dodan Warriors coach, official -by Olusegun Ikuesan
...Over attack on Medical personnel, league secretary

The disciplinary committee of the Lagos State Basketball Association, LSBBA rose from a meeting last Friday and view the conduct of two officials of Dodan Warriors Basketball Project, Coach Dosu Mensah and Josiah Ahmedu.

The Committee headed by the association chairman, Babs Ogunade condemned the action of both officials for trying to bring the game into disrepute.

Coach Mensah who is the head coach of the Warriors Academy was banned for two matches involving either the Warriors Academy or Dodan Warriors for assaulting medical personnel on Sunday (May 11) who were attending to an injured player of the team, Coach Mensah was also found wanting a day after (May 12) when his side Warriors Academy failed to comply with registration procedure after repeated warning by providing the players' processed licenses.

The budding coach was also accused of insulting match officials on Monday (May 12) and kicking the substitution seat placed in front of the officiating table, the association therefore imposes a N10, 000 fine on him to serve as deterrent to others who may want to repeat such act, said Ogunade, LSBBA boss.

Josiah Ahmedu on his part was found wanting in his conduct by inciting Dodan Warriors basketball club players on Sunday (May 11) to go all out and 'kill' players of the opposing team (Islanders) in a Lagos City League game a statement the association did not take lightly accusing him of making statement that is capable of causing body harm to players on the court.

Ahmedu was banned for two matches from all matches involving the Dodan Warriors teams; he is also to pay a fine of N20, 000 to the coffer of the LSBBA for beating the City League Secretary on Tuesday (May 13).

LSBBA Chairman who is zone-1 representative on the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF, says all lovers of the game must work together for the good of the game and should refrain from acts that are capable of sending away fans and sponsors.

'The Association condemn indiscipline in all its ramification and anybody found whose action is capable of bringing the game into disrepute will not be spared.

'We all say we need the assistance of the corporate bodies in the country to come to the aid of basketball in particular and sports in general but who will want to associate with a sport were team officials have no regard for constituted authority or for other teams, Ogunade queried.

'We have to ask ourselves whether we like the state where the game is today or we want it to move forward.

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NPBL

Standings
NPBL Standings
 1. Elmira B. 8-3 
 2. NY Strikeforce 6-3 
 3. MD Bayraiders 6-3 
 4. Alexandria A. 5-4 
 5. HV Hawks 3-8 
 6. Delaware D. 1-3 
 7. NY Monarchs 1-5 


Week 10 results -by Gianni Pascucci
The Elmira Bulldogs improved their record to 8-3 defeating Westchester Monarchs 140-128 after that the guest team had ended the first half ahead 70-68. The Bulldogs were led by the league's leading scorer David Ruffin (6'4''-G/F-84, college: Hartford) who finished with 37 points. Lester McNair (6'2''-G, agency: All-Star Basketball Services, college: Buffalo St.) added 21 points while both Demontric Doddles (6'7''-F-78, college: Mansfield (PA)) and Kevin Hill (6'5''-G/F, college: Mansfield (PA)) had solid games, finishing with 18 and 15 points. Westchester was led by Telron Spell (6'4''-G/F-82, college: Bridgeport) who finished with a very impressive 36 points. The Delaware Destroyers took their first win in the league, clearly defeating the New York Strikeforce on the road at Albertus Magnus High School, 126-87. The Strikeforce, equipped with only a seven man roster were not able to defend and maintain any type of lead through out the entire game. Michael Parker (6'4''-G-80, college: Springfield) and Cordal Johnson (6'7''-C-77) scored 20 pts each in the loss. Johnson also had 9 rebounds, 2 asst, and 2 steals, Parker had 11 rebounds 2 asst, and 1 steal. Leading scorer for the Destroyers was Sherman Brittingham (6'5''-F-82, college: California (PA)) with 27 pts followed by Jesse Fells (6'0''-G) with 20 pts. In the last game of the road, the Maryland Bayraiders felt to the Alexandria Avengers at home 118-124.

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PARAGUAY

Metropolitan league updating -by Gianni Pascucci
Defeating Universidad Autnoma de Asuncin (UAA), 98-90, Sportivo San Lorenzo climbed the table and is now at the first place. Veterans Luis Fernando Dose (201-F/C-65) and Humberto Rivero (183-G-75) scored 18 and 17 points, respectively, to lead San Lorenzo, while Orlando Martinez (187-G/F-72) was the game top scorer, with 23 points in losing effort. In the other game of the round Olimpia prevailed over Ciudad Nueva, 62-50.
The games of the previous Round ended as follows:
Universidad Catolica - Ciudad Nueva 72-58
Sportivo San Lorenzo - Olimpia 77-62
The updated standings are the ones down:
1. San Lorenzo 4,75
2. UCA 3,
3. Olimpia 3,
4. Ciudad Nueva 2
5. UAA 1,50

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PHILIPPINES

Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference
PBA Standings
 1. Talk N Text 7-3 
 2. Red Bull 7-3 
 3. Coca-Cola 6-4 
 4. Air21 5-4 
 5. Magnolia 5-4 
 6. Sta Lucia 5-4 
 7. Alaska 4-6 
 8. Purefoods 3-5 
 9. Welcoat D. 3-7 
 10. Ginebra 2-7 


PBA Fiesta Cup Results -by Lorenzo Gahol
#s#
#e#4


Seigle


Canaleta


Cardona
May 16 (Fri) Araneta Coliseum
Air21 104 Coca-Cola 86
A21: Nino Canaleta (196-F-82) 21 pts, 5/5 3Pt FG, De Ocampo 21 pts
CCT: Dixon 15 pts, 10 rebs

Purefoods 81 Magnolia 88
MBM: Danny Seigle (198-F/G-76) 27 pts, 9 rebs
PG: Villanueva 18 pts, Rhalimi 17 pts, 17 rebs

May 17 (Sat) Xavier University Gym, Cagayan de Oro
Talk N Text 90 Sta. Lucia 80
TNT: Mark Cardona (180-G/F-81) 31 pts, 6 rebs
SLR: Omolon 31 pts

May 18 (Sun) Araneta Coliseum
Alaska 101 Red Bull 90
AA: Miller 24 pts, 7 rebs
RBB: Parada 27 pts, 23 rebs

Welcoat 70 Ginebra 105
BGK: Chris Alexander (215-C-80) 24 pts, 21 rebs, 4 blks
WD: Gainous 13 pts, 15 rebs

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POLAND

Players abroad -by Eurobasket News
Hlebowicki Michal and his Barons/LMT rebounded quickly after a stunning loss in Game 2 of the Final series in Latvia against ASK Riga to retain the lead. Trailing 0-1 in the championship series ASK Riga however managed to tie things up routing their opponents 96:78 in the second game. Barons led 26:21 after the opening stanza but ASK Riga quickly denied the deficit and built a 13-point advantage going into the final quarter. Barons failed to recover and suffered a massive blow. Gatis Jahovics scored 17 points to lead the charge for ASK Riga. Dwayne Broyles notched 15 points, while Raitis Grafs and Curtis Millage came up with 14 points apiece in a winning case. Demetrius Alexander answered with 14 points and 5 boards for Barons.
However two days later the teams returned to Barons court and the regular season champs held off their opponents to post the second win in the Final best-of-seven series. The home team jumped to an early lead as they enjoyed a 27:21 advantage after the starting period. Barons mounted the pressure in the second stanza and stretched the gap to as many as 14 points at halftime. But ASK Riga refused to give up and struck back right after the long intermission. A well-balanced offensive performance from ASK Riga squad allowed the visitors to cut the deficit to just 2 points before the final quarter. Barons reacted immediately tightening up defense in the final frame. The nervousness influenced the outcome for both sides but the hosts proved cool in the final seconds sealing victory from the charity stripe. Dainius Adomaitis scored 18 points to pace Barons. Hlebowicki Michal ended up with 2 points and 7 rebounds, Giedrius Gustas launched 15 points, while J.P. Batista added 14 in a win. Raitis Grafs replied with 13 points for ASK Riga. Dwayne Broyles and Gatis Jahovics nailed 11 points each in a losing case. Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday.
Wojcik Adam and his Pierrel lost in Quarterfinal series to Air Avellino in Italy. In Game 2 Wojcik Adam scored 4 points and nailed 7 points in the last game. Pierrel Capo D'Orlando can celebrate a great season.

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PORTUGAL

Liga Uzo Finals game 5 -by Luis Rocha
Ovarense beat Porto at home by 69-57. Its the first time in this season finals that the Ovar team is in the lead. They won fair and square. Porto put up a good fight but Ovarense step into the court decided to solve things and get the third win. They won all quarters, they find Elvis Evora (205-C-78, agency: Global Sports Plaza) on a good day (one of the very few this season...) and simply were more colectiv. Porto didnt made some easy things of the game happen, and above all their inside game was almost unexistent. Paulo Cunha (199-G/F-80) (Porto) was the game MVP, he played well (this season he just lacks consistency) scoring 10 points, getting 6 boards, stealing 4 balls, giving 2 assists and 2 blocks. Good job for him, but not enough to made his team win.

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QATAR

SABA Battery defends Asia Champions Cup title -by Eurobasket News
SABA Battery - Rayyan 82:75

The Iranian powerhouse SABA Battery clinched the second straight Asia Champions Cup title yesterday. They overpowered Qatari Rayyan in the championship game in Kuwait. The game turned into a dramatic contest with the sides keeping it on level terms for the major part of the game. However DaJuan Tate (196-G/F-81, college: Mountain St.) accounted for a couple of key points in the dying minutes to propel the SABA Battery to an impressive success. SABA Battery and Rayyan exchanged the blows early in the encounter with the Iranian outfit grabbing a 16:15 lead at the first intermission. Rayyan relied on solid performance from Eric Chatfield (191-G-79, college: N.Mexico) to regain the control over the game in the second quarter. Rayyans American import came up with 15 points in the frame and Qatari team claimed a 10-point advantage at halftime. The things changed radically in the third stanza and SABA Battery started to claw their way back. DaJuan Tate and Gabe Muoneke (200-F-78, college: Texas) teamed up to ignite a 32:14 rally that put SABA in front 61:53 after three quarters of action. Eric Chatfield came up with a trey to tie it all at 68 late in regulation. DaJuan Tate answered with 7 straight points to carry SABA to safe distance and they ensured the winning outcome at the end. DaJuan Tate scored 30 points to lead all scorers. Gabe Muoneke added 26 points, while Hamed Hadadi (218-C-85, agency: Huss Sport Agency) nailed 18 points for the winners. Eric Chatfield knocked down 29 points to pace Rayyan. Yaseen Ismail (204-F-80) accounted for 15 points and Dalron Johnson (206-F-81, college: UNLV) had 13 in defeat.

SABA Battery: DaJuan Tate 30, Gabe Muoneke 26, Hamed Hadadi 18
Rayyan: Eric Chatfield 29, Yaseen Ismail 15, Dalron Johnson 13

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ROMANIA

CSU Ploiesti, UMobitelco trade victories in the Final -by Eurobasket News
CSU Ploiesti and UMobitelco won a game apiece in Ploiesti to open the Romanian Division 1 Final series. Umobitelco have been one of the loudest sensations of the playoffs as they gained the speed and entered the Final series ready to take over the crown from the reigning champions CSU Ploiesti. And UMobitelco steered by New Zealand coach Tab Baldwin showed they are ready for the challenge. They got to an impressive start of the first game in the series. Branko Cuic (196-G-78) and LeVar Seals (194-G-82, agency: N.E.T., college: De Paul) paced the visitors to a 24:13 lead in the opening frame. However Reggie Elliott (196-G-73, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: Mercer) capped the frame with a number of accurate shots to trim the deficit to 4 points. The hosts quickly denied the deficit early in the third stanza but UMobitelco answered with a 12:3 run to restore a safe distance. Bojan Obradovic (206-F/C-77, agency: Beo Basket) completed his 12-point first half tally allowing the home side to trail by just 4 points at the interval. CSU Ploiesti kept it close throughout the third stanza and headed into the final quarter down by just 2 points. Bildary put the hosts up at the start of the final period and CSU Ploiesti seemed to be back in the driving seat. But Krstanovic and Brad Buckman (203-F-84, college: Texas) struck back for the visitors as UMobitelco regained a 9-point lead and coasted to an overall victory in the dying minutes. LeVar Seals and Branko Cuic came up with 19 points apiece for UMobitelco. Brad Buckman scored 13 points, while Milan Medvedj (183-G-79) delivered 10 points and 10 boards in a winning case. Bojan Obradovic answered with 14 points for CSU Ploiesti. Arvydas Cepulis (195-G-79) and Rashard Griffith (212-C-74, agency: Edge Sports, college: Wisconsin) scored 13 points apiece in a loss.
However it was a different story next day. CSU Ploiesti pulled together to step up with a sizzling performance. They outscored the visitors 24:9 in the first stanza to take control. The gap remained at 15-point mark at the long break before being stretched to 20 midway through the third stanza. UMobitelco struggled to stay in the race and collapsed in the final term allowing the hosts to cruise to the first win in the series.

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RUSSIA

Sharon Drucker in talks with Samara -by Anderi Maminov
Israeli coach - Sharon Drucker is in talks with Samara and is one of the candidates to take the coaching role at the club.Samara General Manager Sergei Timofeev has confirmed that Drucker is one of the main candidates to be the head coach of the club.along with other two coaches that Samara isl looking at.'Sharon Drucker is one of the candidates for the Head coach role,we are talking with him but with other coaches too' said Timofeev. Drucker already coached in Russian Superleague with Ural Great in the 2005-2006 season and won the Eurocup Challenge cup.a season after he signed with Lituanian side Rytas Vilnius but moved in same year to Belgium to coach Telindus Oostende and won the Belgian ChampionshipThis year he won the Belgian cup with Oostende and this week was eliminated from the Belgian semi finals playoffs.

Fifth place belongs to Triumph Lybertsy -by Eurobasket News

In the battle for the fifth place in Russian Superleague Triumph Lybertsy celebrated at the second game against Unics in Kazan 77-69. As the Triumph won the first game in Moscow they finished season 07/08 on fifth position.


Visitors played a bit better first quarter while the second period belonged to UNICS. Teams went on the half time almost equalized. It was 35-37 for Triumph. Third period brought much better performance from Triumph. Mostly owing to Sergei Toporov (197-F-81) and Dmitriev they made a bigger lead having plus 9 at the beginning of the last quarter. At the last 10 minutes Triumph kept its advantage with routine.
Sergei Toporov paced the winners scoring 25 points. Mire Chatman (187-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: UTPA) followed him netting 16 points. On the other side Virgil Stanescu (207-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances, college: S.Alabama) was the best in Unics with 21 points. Triumph played those two games without its power forward Ognjen Askrabic, who is slightly injured.

Interesting is that both teams finished regular season in top 4. Triumph was on the fourth place with 16 wins and 8 defeats while Unics was even better ranked. Team from Kazan finished it on very good third place with score 17-7. Naturally those two teams had bigger ambitions after the regular season but Unics lost against Ural at the quarterfinals while Dynamo Moscow beat Triumph.


Unics - Triumph Lybertsy 69-77
(18-22,17-15,12-19,22-21)

Unics: Stanescu 21, Sergeev 16, Keiru 9
Triumph: Toporov 25, Chatman 16, Dmitriev 14



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SERBIA

Are Branko Milisavljevic and his Marousi capable to create a miracle in Greece ? -by Dragan Jankovski
Tomorrow is a crucial game of Greek semifinal series between Marousi and Olympiakos. Marousi celebrated at the previous game in Athens and tied score on 2-2. It is already fantastic result and Marousi is for sure the biggest surprise in Greek A1 league this season. One of the main reasons for this great result is amazing performance of Serbian PG / 2G Branko Milisavljevic (193-G-76, agency: Beo Basket) in quarterfinal series against Aris Thessalonica, who reached Euroleague TOP 16 this season. For 3 quarterfinal games against Aris Branko Milisavljevic collected 85 points. It is also important to say that Marousi stopped Aris on its way to qualify for Euroleague 08/09.

That wasn't the end of Marousi's surprises this season. After first defeat vs Greek giant Olympiakos, Marousi beat them in the second game after over time 97-90. Branko Milisavljevic had the most important role in extra five minutes and together with Boudouris made great surprise. After that win most of the people thought that Marrousi is not able to make another one against Olympiakos but miracle happened once again. Fourth game and win 86-75 brought Marousi a step away from the final of Greek play-off. Branko Milisavljevic shined again leading his team to win netting 20 points with fantastic shot percentage, FT 10/10, FG 2/5, 3-pts 2/3. He also dished out 4 assists to his teammates.

The decisive 5th and totally unexpected game will be played tomorrow at 19:00h (local time) in Pireus. Complete basketball public expected to see Olympiakos in the final almost a week ago. The same thoughts also had a green Panathinaikos of Zeljko Obradovic but they will have to wait until tomorrow night to see are Branko Milisavljevic and his Marousi capable to create a real miracle.

Zoran Savic will make a move to Fortitudo Bologna, Dragan Sakota stays -by Dragan Jankovski
Contract between AXA Barcelona and its general manager Zoran Savic expired and it is certain they won't extend it. New station for Serbian basketball legend will be Fortitudo from Bologna. According to the sources from Italy, Savic already agreed terms with Fortitdo and both sides waits the end of ACB league after what the team will promote Savic as a new GM.

Savic won't be the only Serbian in Fortutudo next season. Dragan Sakota remains a head coach of famous Italian team. Experienced Sakota moved to Fortitudo at the middle of the current season after what the team started to play much better. They finished on 8th position of Italian Serie A qualifying for the play-off. Despite good performance against participant of Euroleague Fnal 4 Montepaschi Siena, especially in the first two games which Siena won with plus 3, Fortitudo was not able to record a win in quarterfinal series loosing it 3-0. However, management of the team showed happiness with results after Sakota's promotion as a new head coach. Both sides had an option in the contract to terminate it when Fortitudo finish season but that did not happen. Thus it is sure that well respected Serbian coach Dragan Sakota will continue his work in Bologna.

Fortutudo has an extreme big ambitions for the next 4 years. Its management wants to return the team on the place where it was and deserves to be. As a reminder, during the last 10 years Fortitudo five times played in the final of Italian Serie A winning one title. They also won Italian Supercup on season 04/05 and two times participated on Euroleague Final 4, once in the final game. One of the main facts which proves this story is that the club is planning to build new modern basketball arena.

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SEYCHELLES

Hawks stay unbeaten, Bullets stop losing skid, Rockets win -by Carlos Pereira
PLS HAWKS used a big fourth-quarter performance to beat Angels 104-80 to stay unbeaten in five games, while Cascade Bullets stopped a three-game losing skid with an 86-78 defeat of Praslin Warriors.

The two games were played at Victoria Gymnasium last Saturday the same day MBU Rockers beat RC Dynamics 83-75.
Defending League and Cup champions PLS Hawks, who finished runners-up to three-time champions MBC Sebam of Madagascar in this years 16th Indian Ocean Club Championship in Mauritius, distanced themselves from Angels in the fourth quarter, which they won 35-12.
They lost 24-27 after the first 10-minute spell, but recovered to clinch the second and third 20-19 and 25-22 to lead 69-68 at the end of 30 minutes of play.
Rodney Loz scored 26 points, Neddy Oye Fanchette got 21 and Heribert Derjacques added 19, including five 3-pointers one short of the season-high six treys held by Premium Cobras Nigerian Alao Solomon and Bayas international playmaker Giovanni Laval.
The Hawks are on a maximum 10 points after five wins, while Angels have seven points after two wins and three losses.
Coach Grgoire Scholastiques Cascade Bullets also left it late against Praslin Warriors.
They trailed by seven points 59-66 at the end of 30 minutes of play, but made up for the latest disappointments with a big fourth-quarter performance of 27-12 for an 86-78 victory.
The win was the Bullets second in seven games and they have nine points, while the Warriors boast eight points after two victories and four losses.
In the days other match, Cyril Agrippine (26 points) and playmaker Nigel Sinon (30 points) combined for 56 of MBU Rockers points in an 83-75 victory over RC Dynamics.
Like PLS Hawks and Cascade Bullets, the Rockers also took the initiative in the fourth quarter which they won 28-19 after being led by a point 56-55 at the end of the third quarter.
Current runners-up MBU Rockers have 11 points after five wins and a loss, the same total as leaders Baya.
As for RC Dynamics, they are fifth with nine points after an even win-lose record of 3-3.
Meanwhile, Mont Fleuri defeated RA Sisters 51-33 for their first win in three matches in the womens league last week to shoot to fourth position in the six-team standings with four points.
RA Sisters lead the table with six points after two wins and two defeats.
In three Mens Division Two games, Mont Fleuri Dawgz beat RA Herons 70-55, Pointe Larue Falcons trounced Fire Brigade 91-47 and Anse Etoile defeated RA Rockets 75-70.

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U.KINGDOM

Thunder join BBL -by Dave Ryan
The British Basketball League have confirmed that Worthing Thunder Basketball Club will compete in the BBL Championship from the commencement of the 2008/09 season in September.
The south coast town, and the Sussex region, has a long and established history of high-level basketball and Worthing Thunder have been in existence since 1999. Thunder were EBL Division 1 champions in 2005/06 and 2006/07, whilst they finished third in that division last season; during that period, they lost only eight league games. In 2006/07, they completed an EBL Division 1 double as they added the playoff crown to their regular season title, and they were runners-up in that competition in 2005/06. In each of the last two seasons, they have finished as runners-up in both the National Cup and National Trophy competitions, and they also won the latter of those in 2003/04.
'Worthing Thunder are a very strong addition to the BBL,' said the league's Chief Operations Officer Andy Webb. 'They have an established programme and a track record of success - both at the senior level and with the junior programmes that are now considered to be so important to BBL clubs. The club has a strong foundation in the local community with a number of successful community initiatives already in place. Through their recent forays in the BBL Trophy, it is evident that they have the capability to compete at the top level of the professional game here in the UK, and their collection of EBL trophies in recent seasons is certainly an impressive one.
'Franchise development is key to the league's strategy for developing the game of basketball going forward and we are delighted to welcome the Thunder into the league, and pleased that the region will once more get the chance to savour BBL basketball. The BBL will provide the necessary support to the club to ensure that their transition to the top division is as smooth as possible, and I would like to wish them the best of luck for the new campaign.'
Frank Gainsbury, Worthing Thunder's Chairman, made the following comments, 'The club has made great strides since its formation some nine years ago and the continued successes achieved during this time in the EBL have provided a solid basis for progression into the top basketball league in the UK.
'As a club we are mindful of the improvements we have to make both on and off the court to step up to the BBL, but we are sure that that this can be effectively achieved with the enthusiastic support of our loyal fans and our management team. We are looking forward to the challenges ahead and we know that our fans cannot wait to see BBL basketball back again in Worthing after so many years. Next season will be a landmark for the club and we hope that Thunder will continue to develop and grow into a successful BBL Franchise.
'Our continued development of an already successful junior programme, and the ongoing opportunities to link into other community related initiatives, are essential requirements for the Club to meet their targets. We consider that it is essential that the club continues to evolve - not only at the top level - but in all areas of our community. We look forward to contributing to the future success of the BBL and to basketball in Worthing and Sussex generally.'
The organisation has long believed that they could compete at the top level, and last season's roster boasted some of the foremost talent from their region, many of whom have BBL experience. That includes Pat Bates, Daniel Hildreth (184-G-76), and Ciaran Burns (196-F-82); whilst Dan Midgley, brother of Everton and GB star Richard, also played for the Thunder last season. Other recent BBL stars have also featured for the club, including Gaylon Moore (200-F-78, college: Union (TN)), who spent four years there and won EBL Player of the Year in 2003, before joining the Kularoos Plymouth Raiders in 2005 and being the BBL's fourth leading rebounder this year.

Standings - EBL Conf.
EBL Standings
 1. Manchester M. 16-2 
 2. Reading R. 16-2 
 3. Worthing T. 14-4 
 4. Bristol A. 10-8 
 5. Leopards 9-9 
 6. Sheffield A. 8-10 
 7. Derby T. 8-10 
 8. Taunton T. 5-13 
 9. Coventry C. 4-14 
 10. West Herts 0-0 
 11. W.Anglia F. 0-18 


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UKRAINE

Azovmash Recover After Game 1 Loss -by Alexei Naumov
Azovmash Mariupol defeated BC Kyiv 76:81 in Game 2 of the Superleague Finals, in spite of a fantastic 4th quarter surge by the home side.

The defending champions knocked Kyiv down with a 29:12 first quarter, during which Yahor Mesheriakau was simply unstoppable.

Serhiy Lishchuk joined the game in the second stretch and gave his team more energy, but his opponent Viacheslav Kravtsov improved Kyivs game in the paint. Still, the home side had difficulty handling Mariupols guards, who managed to increase the gap to 18 and it was only Marko Maravics half-court buzzer beater that cut it to 15 points at the end of the 2nd quarter.

Kyiv managed to get back in the game early in the 3rd frame, reducing Azovmashs lead to 9. But an 11:1 response cooled them down and the margin grew to21 at the start of the last quarter.

Kyiv refused to throw the towel in, though, outscoring the opponents 27:11 in the final stretch and coming back within 7 points with two minutes to go. But the time (as well as the foul limit for key players) ran out before they managed to catch up, leaving the Kyiv side without the home court advantage.

Game 3 is in Mariupol on May 22.

Game stats as well as updated playoff leaders are available on the Official Website of the Ukrainian Basketball Federation.

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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Wasl clinches Bronze medals at the Asia Champions Cup -by Eurobasket News
Wasl - Riyadi 87:82

Al Wasl stepped on the pedestal as they outgunned Riyadi in the Bronze medals final yesterday. The victory marked a historic event for the Emirates basketball as Wasl became the first ever team from the country to grab medals at the Asia Champions Cup. Riyadi meanwhile returned to the event after a 10-year pause and failed to overcome the result that achieved in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 (Bronze medals).
The Lebanese team got to an aggressive start and cleared off to a 29:20 distance at the end of the first frame. However Ivorian import Herve Lamizana (208-F/C-81, college: Rutgers) stepped up for Wasl and paced them back into fight. Wasl trimmed the gap to 3 points at halftime as the tension mounted. The teams traded baskets in what turned out to be a seesaw third frame. Still Wasl found the way to jump in front as they grabbed a 65:63 lead heading into the fourth stanza. The pressure escalated on both sides in the dying moments but Herve Lamizana was superb as he kept it cool and doomed Riyadi in the crunch time. The Ivorian tallied game-high 30 points to propel Wasl to a historic third-place finish. Ibraheem Ahmad contributed 22 points and Rashed Al-Zaabi launched 15 for the winners. Joe Vogel (211-C-73, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Colorado St.) answered with 28 points for Riyadi. Fadi El Khatib (197-F-79, agency: Pro Management Agency) came up with 26 points in a losing case. So the 19th Edition of Asia Champions Cup was successfully completed with Wasl suffering the only loss at the tournament and registering an impressive record as for the teams that was widely taken as underdogs before the competition.

Wasl: Herve Lamizana 30+9 boards, Ibraheem Ahmad 22, Rashed Al-Zaabi 15
Riyadi: Joe Vogel 28, Fadi El Khatib 26

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WBA

Cartersville is back in the league -by Gianni Pascucci

After a season away, the Cartersville Warriors are returning to the WBA Exposure League. The Warriors finished the 2006 season in 2nd place after losing in a double OT thriller to the Rome Gladiators. Team's General Manager David Archer opted to hire Bobby Rouse (6'5''-G/F-76, college: USC-Salkahatcie JC) as Head Coach for the 2008 WBA season. Rouse was the Assistant Coach/Director of Player Personnel on the 2006 runner up team that saw 10 players go on to receive professional contracts that fall. He tabbed Jackie Copeland as his Assistant Coach, and the team inked players Lance Perique (6'8''-G/F-83, college: Georgia St.), Golden Ingle (5'11''-G-81, college: Kennesaw St.), Jeremy Law (6'5''-G-82, college: Jacksonville St.) and Lemarr Farr (6'4''-G-83, college: Lambuth). The WBA season starts on May 24 and the Warriors will be ready to compete for the first places.





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Women News

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AUSTRALIA - Women

Abrams inks new two-year deal -by Eurobasket News
The Canberra Capitals have further strengthened an already potent 2008/09 ADF WNBL roster after captain Kellie Abrams (175-G-78) agreed to a new two year deal. The four-time championship winning guard has been a key member of the Capitals outfit since her debut season in 1996 and has now played 214 games for the club. She was averaging 7.8 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game last season until she suffered a fractured left hand during training between rounds 17 and 18, which, as a result, kept her out for the rest of the season. Canberra fell 60-54 to the Dandenong Rangers in the elimination semi-final.

The Capitals have lost ADF Opal point guard and crowd favourite Tully Bevilaqua to retirement and US import Crista Hays in the offseason but have been extremely active in the player market, highlighted by securing the signature of the highly sought after AIS graduate Marianna Tolo.

Tolo, a 19-year-old 196cm centre and ADF Opals squad member, is coming off a stellar season for the AIS where she averaged career highs in points (14.6) and rebounds (6.2). The club also signed promising forward and junior Australian representative Chantella Perera from Dandenong and workhorse Michelle Musselwhite from Sydney Uni.

The 1999/00, 2001/02, 2005/06 and 2006/07 champions also boast the dynamic Natalie Hurst, Jessica Bibby, Tracey Beatty and young ADF Opals star Abby Bishop who are all under contract with the club.

Courtesy of www.wnbl.com.au

Stats Leaders - WNBL
WNBL Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
1. Porter, SYD 24.2
2. Cox, TOW 21.5
3. Randall, BUL 18.1
4. Camino, ADE 17.6
5. Wilson, PER 16.6
Rebounds Per Game
1. Crouse, TOW 12.1
2. Francis, AIS 10.8
3. Randall, BUL 9.7
4. Bishop, CAN 9.3
5. Gahan, ADE 8.9
Assists Per Game
1. Macleod, BEN 5.2
2. Porter, SYD 4.7
3. Glaubitz, BUL 4.2
4. Richards, PER 4.1
5. Hunt, AIS 4.1
Steals Per Game
1. Bevilaqua, CAN 2.6
2. Milner, BUL 2.1
3. Richards, PER 2.0
Blocks Per Game
1. Crouse, TOW 2.3
2. Beatty, CAN 2.2
3. Tolo, AIS 1.7
2FGP
1. Shiels, SYD 62.5
2. Fryters, ADE 60.0
3. Beatty, CAN 58.3
3FGP
1. Penaluna, BUL 66.7
2. Gahan, ADE 58.1
3. Lorenzini, SYD 50.0
Free Throws
1. Cumming, AIS 95.0
2. Ebzery, AIS 90.5
3. Veal, SYD 88.9


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GERMANY - Women

Eurobasket.com All-German DBBL Awards 2007-08 -by Eurobasket
#s#
#e#6


Hibbert


Woods


Thoresen


Tulikihihifo


Page
Player of the Year: Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Guard of the Year: Da'Love Woods (165-G-82) of BBV Leipzig Eagles
Forward of the Year: Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Center of the Year: Julie Anne Page (188-F/C-83) of TV 1872 Saarlouis
Newcomer of the Year: Tina Menz (175-G-88) of ChemCats Chemnitz
Most Improved Player of the Year: Margret Skuballa (185-F-87) of BC Marburg
Bosman Player of the Year: Julie Anne Page (188-F/C-83) of TV 1872 Saarlouis
Import Player of the Year: Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Domestic Player of the Year: Katharina Kuhn (191-C-80) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Defensive Player of the Year: Melissa Dennett (188-F-83) of Eisvogel USC Freiburg
Coach of the Year: Hans Brei of TSV 1880 Wasserburg

1st Team
Da'Love Woods (165-G-82) of BBV Leipzig Eagles
Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Rebecca Thoresen (179-F-78) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Ofa Tulikihihifo (180-G/F-84) of BG 74 Goettingen
Julie Anne Page (188-F/C-83) of TV 1872 Saarlouis

2nd Team
Diana Adela Pop (175-G-71) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Bracey Barker (185-F-85) of evo New Basket Oberhausen
Melissa Dennett (188-F-83) of Eisvogel USC Freiburg
Desire Almind (180-F-82) of TV 1872 Saarlouis
Mirna Paunovic (185-F/C-76) of Eisvogel USC Freiburg

All-Domestic Players Team
Alexandra Mueller (175-G-83) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Sarah Austmann (182-G/F-85) of evo New Basket Oberhausen
Romy Baer (187-F-87) of TV 1872 Saarlouis
Katharina Kuhn (191-C-80) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Anna-Christine Gorg (190-F-87) of Herner TC

All-Imports Team
Da'Love Woods (165-G-82) of BBV Leipzig Eagles
Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Rebecca Thoresen (179-F-78) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Ofa Tulikihihifo (180-G/F-84) of BG 74 Goettingen
Desire Almind (180-F-82) of TV 1872 Saarlouis

All-Bosmans Team
Diana Adela Pop (175-G-71) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Katarzyna Dluzyk (175-G-82) of SV Halle Lions
Mirna Paunovic (185-F/C-76) of Eisvogel USC Freiburg
Katja Zberch (189-C-78) of ChemCats Chemnitz
Julie Anne Page (188-F/C-83) of TV 1872 Saarlouis

All-Defensive Team
Diana Adela Pop (175-G-71) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Sarah Hayes (173-G-84) of Eisvogel USC Freiburg
Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Melissa Dennett (188-F-83) of Eisvogel USC Freiburg
Sarah Austmann (182-G/F-85) of evo New Basket Oberhausen

All-Newcomers Team
Auguste Reiser (173-F-89) of TSV 1880 Wasserburg
Tina Menz (175-G-88) of ChemCats Chemnitz
Mandy Hanel (170-G-86) of Herner TC
Nadja Protzig (178-F-89) of SV Halle Lions
Nadine Grieb (183-C-87) of TV 1872 Saarlouis

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GREECE - Women

Greek National Team 2008 -by Eurobasket
#s#
#e#6


Kalentzou


Hatzinikolaou


Kaltsidou


Papamichail


Kosma
Dimitra Kalentzou (174-G-78) of Esperides / Glyfada
Olga Hatzinikolaou (181-G-81) of Esperides / Glyfada
Katerina Spatharou (172-G-83) of Panathinaikos Athens
Stella Kaltsidou (187-C/F-83) of Esperides / Glyfada
Pelagia Papamichail (189-F/C-86) of Mask Cosmopel Kastoria
Afroditi Kosma (187-F/C-83) of Athinaikos
Evangelia Katopodi (188-F/C-87) of Iraklis Thessaloniki
Aikaterina Deli (166-G-75) of Panionios Athens
Vassiliki Zerva (175-G-87) of Panionios Athens
Theoni Tzegiannaki (162-G-85) of Aris Holargos
Katerina Sotiriou (187-F-83) of Aris Holargos
Dora Mastrogiannidou (188-F-80) of Paghiakos
Angeliki Nikolopoulou (178-G-91)
Androulakis

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HUNGARY - Women

MKB Euroleasing snatches win away from Pecs -by Eurobasket News
Pecsi - MKB Euroleasing 63:64

The Hungarian A Division Final tipped off yesterday in Pecs. The local Pesci hosted MKB Euroleasing in the best-of-five series opener. The game turned into a real drama with the outcome being figured out in the final seconds. Both teams entered the playoff stage with equal records of 23-1 and Pecsi appeared on top just due to additional results. However MKB Euroleasing bereaved Pecsi of the home-court advantage in the first game. MKB jumped to an early lead as they managed to outscore the hosts 23:19 in the first frame. However the hosts quickly drew level as they prevailed in the second stanza 15:13 to trail by just 2 points at the break. The things got even tighter in the third period when the teams traded baskets and came out of the quarter all square at 45. But an inspirational performance from Olexandra Gorbunova (186-F-86) propelled the MKB Euroleasing to a hard-fought last second win at the end. She finished with 20 points and 6 boards for the visitors. Edit Eordogh (180-F-75) contributed 16 points, while Dora Horti (195-C-87) nailed 10 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for the winners. Anna Vajda (191-F/C-84) and Dalma Ivanyi (178-G-76, college: Florida Intern.) answered with 14 points apiece for Pesci. Zsofia Fegyverneky (178-G-84) had 10 points in a losing case. MKB Euroleasing outrebounded their opponents 31:25 and shot 40% from the field. Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday in Sopron.

Pesci: Anna Vajda 14, Dalma Ivanyi 14, Zsofia Fegyverneky 10
MKB Euroleasing: Olexandra Gorbunova 20, Edit Eordogh 16, Dora Horti 8

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JAPAN - Women

Oga Yuko opened the season in WNBA for her Phoenix Mercury -by Eurobasket News
Yuko Oga (170-G-82) opened the season in WNBA for her Phoenix Mercury. Yuko Oga scored 4 points and made 1 assist in the opener. Candace Parker however made her debut the one to remember as she tallied 34 points, 12 boards and 8 assists in her first game for the Sparks in WNBA. She overcame the previous best scoring tally for the rookie established in 1997 by Cynthia Cooper at 25 points. Candace Parker narrowly missed triple-double what could have been the second time in the history of both NBA and WNBA for rookie to notch it in the debut. Oscar Robertson remains the only player to reach the result in his first encounter in 1960. Candace Parker led the Sparks to a hard win over the defending champions Phoenix Mercury in the regular season opener. The sensational rookie took the floor in the fourth period. With the scoreline reading 79:79 she netted 10 consecutive points for the Los Angeles to singlehandedly carry them to an 89:86 lead with just over 3 minutes left. She later accounted for a jumper that put the Sparks up 97:94 with 12 seconds to go. Cappie Pondexter missed a three-pointer and the Sparks sealed the winning outcome from charity stripe. Lisa Leslie contributed 17 points and 12 boards, while Sidney Spencer scored 14 points for the winners. Cappie Pondexter that just returned after an exhausting season in Turkey registered 32 points for the Mercury. Diana Taurasi scored 24 points in defeat. Phoenix Mercury by the way is the defending champion opf WNBA.

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MALI - Women

Maiga starts another season in WNBA -by Eurobasket News
Hamchetou Maiga (185-G/F-78, college: ODU) that recently celebrated second place in her native Brno in Euroleague campaign is hungry for another battles. Even right after her Gambrinus extended their overwhelming dominance in the Czech ZBL destroying their arch-rivals USK Praha in the third game of the Final series to complete a sweep. USK Praha looked hapless at the moment as Brno outfit piled up a 56:27 cushion at the interval. The visitors never recovered in the late stages and Gambrinus eased to yet another championship title. Tamika Whitmore scored 23 points to pace the hosts. Hana Machova nailed 22 points and Hamchetou Maiga added 13 points and collected 8 rebounds for the winners.
In the opener of WNBA Alexis Hornbuckle helped however her Detroit Shock to prevail against Houston Comets 85:66 in the season opener. Tennessee graduate posted 8 points and franchise-record 7 steals to contribute in the teams success. Katie Smith knocked down 21 points and Plenette Pierson added 17 points for the winners. Tina Thompson answered with 17 points for the Comets. Mwadi Mabika and Matee Ajavon had 12 points apiece in defeat. The hosts bridged the third and fourth terms with a 20:1 run that put them up for good. The Shock also forced the visitors to 23 turnovers. Hamchetou Maiga nailed 2 points and made 1 assist.

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PORTUGAL - Women

Portugal finished 4th in Nations Tournament in Spain -by Bruno Baltazar
Portugal finished the nations tournament in the 4h place that was held in Santiago de Compostela .
In the 1st day Portugal confrotted the powerful team of Ctalunya that had the Spanish Liga star players, early it left in the air that hardly would lose the game.
Although Catalunya great start,Portugal responded well to tie (32-32) with 3 minutes of the end of 1st half. In the 2nd half the Catalans had come back to always run away in the scorer, obtaining a superior advantage of 20 points that had kept until end. Final result 50-75.

In the game of attribution of 3rd and 4th place, Portugal against Basque country, Portugal came back to enter badly in the match allowing that the adversaries gained an advantage that ours team never fought back. In the final of the tournament Catalunya team won against Galiza.
In Portugal we have to put a highlight to the fallowing players: Luiana Livulo (187-C-91) and Sofia Silva (-76) (both with junior age)did a good tournament and showed they might be a future good players.
Great organization to also point out.

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SERBIA - Women

Third title for Sonja Petrovic of French Bourges -by Dragan Jankovski
Sonja Petrovic (189-F-89) and his team Bourges from France captured another title this season. After winning of French championship and Federation tournament, Bourges captured National Cup of France. In the final game Bourges was better than Lille 63-51. Sonja Petrovic spent 22 minutes on court collecting 9 points and 5 rebounds. Bourges also had an important role in Euroleague this season reaching semifinals.
Sonja Petrovic started career in Crvena Zvezda from Belgrade and later moved to FC Barcelona. She is a member of French champion since previous summer.

Another two Serbian players participated in the final of French National Cup. Ljubica Drljaca scored 6 points for Lilles while Jasimina Ilic did not succeed to make any basket.

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WNBA - Women

Standings
WNBA Standings
Eastern
 1. Connect. S. 2-0 
 2. Indiana F. 1-0 
 3. Detroit S. 1-1 
 4. Washingt. M. 0-1 
 5. New York L. 0-1 
 6. Chicago Sky 0-1 
 7. Atlanta D. 0-1 
Western
 1. L.Angeles S. 1-0 
 2. Minnesota L. 1-0 
 3. Seattle S. 1-0 
 4. Sacram. M. 1-0 
 5. Houston C. 0-1 
 6. Phoenix M. 0-1 
 7. S.Antonio SS 0-1 


Lot of new transactions -by Eurobasket News
Detroit Shock terminated the contract with Wanisha Smith (5'11''-G-85, college: Duke), who played pre-season at New York Liberty. The team also cut forward Michelle Campbell (6'2''-F-84, agency: Merit Sports, college: Rutgers), ex player of Turkish Belediyspor and Latvian Cesis.

Experienced Latasha Byears (6'1''-F-73, college: De Paul) and Houston Cornets parted ways. Byears has a huge WNBA experience as she played 3 years at Los Angeles Sparks and 4 years at Sacramento Monarchs. Later, she moved to East playing in Turkey, Russia and Bulgaria.

Indian Fever released Laine Selwyn (5'7''-G-81, college: Pittsburgh), who used to play 2 years for Elizon Ramla in Israel. After graduation, Salwyn spent one season Israeli Ramat Hasharon and later she joined Besiktas from Istanbul.

Sharnee Zoll (5'7''-G-86, college: Virginia) will reinforce roster of Los Angeles Sparks. Zoll was a member of USA U19 National Team which went gold on World Championship 2005. She also played for U21 NT on World Championshp in Tunisia. At the same time Sparks released Crystal Smith (5'6''-G-84, college: Iowa) and Tiffany Stansbury (6'3''-F/C-83, college: N.Carolina St.).

Sacramento Monarchs inked Crystal Kelly (6'3''-F-86, college: W.Kentucky) from the Houston Cornets. Monarchs parted ways with DeMya Walker (6'4''-F/C-77, college: Virginia), Izabela Piekarska (6'5''-C/F-85, college: UTEP), Linda Froehlich (6'2''-F/C-79, college: UNLV) and center Varya Berezhynska.

Seattle Storm sent away Kristen O'Neill (6'1''-G/F, college: Washington), former player of Spanish Estudiantes and Burgos. Team from Seattle also doesn't count any more on Doneeka Lewis' service.

Atlanta Dream waived Carla Thomas (6'3''-F/C-85, college: Vanderbilt), who had a very good last season in French ASPTT Arras. She played 25 games in LFB averaging 14.6 ppg and 8.5rpg. She got prestigious award Eurobasket.com All-French LFB Center of the Year -08.