EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 1/9/2009

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Men News

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  ABA   


The LA Slam case: a storm in a glass ? - by Gianni Pascucci

After that Usbasket.com published a new regarding the 'not played game' between the LA Slam and the Beijing Aoshen Olympian, the GM of this last team, Hsu Michael , contacted us denying that Beijing had refused to meet the Slam because 'it was not an official ABA basketball team'. Also, the coach and GM of the Los Angeles Slam Donald Sanchies published yesterday on the team website http://www.losangelesslam.com a statement that charges Maywood Buzz coach/GM Burrell Lee of having changed the schedule of the team, being the only person who said 'Beijing should not play against the SLAM, because the SLAM was a non ABA team'. In our opinion, this all should absolutely not be a'casus belli', instead is a very common situation in the ABA, where it is normal to delay and cancel games, and we would invite all the actors of this story to calm down and to concentrate back on the good, active basketball produced by their teams.



Last West Coast results - by Gianni Pascucci
During the past weekend, the Beijing Aoshen Olympian defeated two times the San Franciscio Rumble, on 136-113 on Jan. 3 and 122-112 on Jan.4, taking both the games after staying ahead in the score all time long. On Tuesday, January 6th, the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Los Angeles Slam wth a final score of 121-115. The Aces were led by an impressive scoring performance from Lou Kelly (6'5''-G/F-79, college: UNLV), who ended the game at 47 points, followed by Michael Johnson (6'0''-G-76, college: Oklahoma) with 28 points and Antwan Roberson (6'7''-F-80, college: Jacksonville JC) with 15 sealed the deal. The game was very funny: there were slam dunks, steals, blocks and all of the excitement expected from a professional game. The leading scorer for the Los Angeles Slam was JuShay Rockett (6'5''-F-84, college: Alaska-Fairb.) with 36 points.

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  ADRIATIC LEAGUE   


Lawrence Roberts one month out of the court - by Zoran Popovic
KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd power forward Lawrence Roberts (205-F/C-82, college: Mississippi St.) will be out of the court one month. Lawrence got knee injury in last few minutes in Eurocup match played against TEC Spirou Charleroi. That match KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd won 93-91 and Roberts was one of the best players with 20 points and 10 rebounds. This season Roberts average scored on 7 games in Eurocup 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assistants and in Adriatic league on 14 games average scored 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.5 assistants.

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  ANGOLA   


Angola latest news - by Rui Matias
It from beginning of the championship november 28 but must of the game just star happening now cause Desportivo 1. De Agosto Luanda and ASA went out for african cup so the rest of championship had to stop.
The challenge between the Desportivo 1. De Agosto Luanda and Petro de Luanda is the highlight of the first day of the national senior male championship of basketball, ran to 28 November.
This meeting put in dispute with the two main configurations of the country (and vice champion), respectively but this time who led the best was the vice champion who beat surprisingly the champion at his home.
In addition to this confrontation, also to highlight the Athletic Sport Aviation (ASA) that barely won Interclub.
The Recreativo Libolo rookie of the championship went to the site of Promade of Cabinda and estreiou with a victory.

Program the first day:
Sports of Hula - CDUA
Clube de Amigos de Benguela - University Lusada
Imbondeiro of Viana - Sporting Clube de Luanda
Promade of Cabinda - Recreativo's Libolo
ASA - Interclube
1st of August - Petro de Luanda

Second Day:
Sports of Hula - University Lusada
CDUA - Sporting de Luanda
Clube de Amigos de Benguela - Recreativo's Libolo
Imbondeiro of Viana - Interclube
Promade of Cabinda - Petro de Luanda-Atlttico
1st of August - ASA

The extraction was guided by the general secretary of the Angolan Federation of Basketball, Tony Suffering, in the presence of the secretaries-general of the Olympic and Paralympic Committees, respectively Mario Rosa and Antonio da Luz

The first phase of the national championship will be disputed in the system of all against all in two rounds, while the second will have two groups (A and B). The final phase, to run until May 15, 2009, will have four laps to find the national champion.

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  ARGENTINA   


LigaA Round: 10 (Regular Season, second phase) - by Eurobasket News
Estudiantes - Atenas 71-69
Estudiantes managed to crush Atenas in thriller reaching the score/points 27 in total, what is enough for the second place. Despite this defeat powerful Atenas remains on top of Liga A with 30,5. Edward Nelson (203-F-82, college: Connecticut) stepped up for the hosts collecting 18 points and 11 rebounds. Juan Mauel Rivero helped with 15, while Juan Cangelosi added 14 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Atenas got 17 points and 6 boards from Leonardo Gutierrez.

Ben Hur - El Nacional 85-109
Ralphy Holmes, who nailed 26 points and pulled down 5 rebounds, paced his El Nacional to road victory against the last ranked Ben Hur. James Moore also shined with 18 pts and 5 rebs. Durelle Brown and Sebastian Cabello netted 14 points each in loss.

Libertad - Regatas C. 68-80
Regatas grabbed this one mostly owing to Jermaine Watson and Sebastian Acosta, which combined 38 points and 7 rebounds. Jason Osborne had 28 points and 8 boards for the loosing side.

Independ.N. - Quimsa 97-89
Independiente's players nailed 97 points against Quimsa, what was more than enough for the comfortable victory. Cedric Moodie top-scored for the winners with 26 points and 7 rebounds, while Federico Marin was behind him with 23 pts, including 10 rebs. Brandon Mason shined in loss delivering 24 points.

Obras - Gimn.CR 63-48
Obras demonstrated pretty good performance, especially at the defensive end, stopping Gimnasia CR on just 48 points. Tyler Field led the scorers in Obras with 11, while Erron Mazey had 1 point less. All other players managed to score at least 2 pts. Gimnasia CR got the most from Jimmy Boston, 22 pts and 14 rebs.

Lanus - Boca Jrs 93-83
lian Olmedo was a key player for Lanus in his game collecting 20 points and 5 assists. Jon Smith also was on high level adding 18 pts and 7 boards. Raymundo Legaria contributed with 16 points in defeat.

Cicl.Olimpico - Sionista 83-84
Sionista grabbed nice 84-83 road win against Ciclista Olimpico. The winning squad had couple of players in a game mood, but the best one was Eduardo Villares with 26 points. James Williams and Anthony Glover combined 38 points and 24 rebounds for the hosts.

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  AUSTRALIA   


Julius Hodge part away - by Eurobasket
Julius Hodge (199-G-83, college: N.Carolina St.) and the Adelaide 36ers have agree to part ways yesterday evening due to financial situation, Julius played a total of 9 games averaging: 26.0ppg, 8.0rpg, 6.0apg, leading as number 1 scorer. Julius is well known in the NBA where he played for the Denver Nuggets for 3 years, and the D-Leauge playing with Idaho Stampede, Colorado 14ers and Austin Toros. Julius also shared his international experience in Italy at Cimberio Varese

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  AUSTRIA   


A Bundesliga Round: 13 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Oberwart - Gmunden 92-109
Gmunden shocked Oberwart one the road registering comfortable 17-point win. However, despite this loss the hosts remain on top on A Bundesleague together with Arkadia, who also faced with defeat in Round 13 (10-3). Deteri Mayes (189-G-74, agency: Court Side, college: Murray St.) was totally unstoppable for the winners draining 40 points (5 triples). Anthony Fisher helped with 23 points and 6 assists. Jae Youngblood shined in loss with 32 points and 4 rebounds. Gmunden 8-5 (6th place).

St.Polten - Wels 68-70
Wels grabbed 2-point road win against St. Polten mostly owing to Casey Archibald, who scored 23 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Brandon Thomas added 15 pts and 6 rebs. The hosts got 25 points and 9 boards from Martin Spieser. Wels 9-4, St. Polten 5-8.

Worthersee - Furstenfeld 92-88
Worthersee was better than Furstenfeld handing it the fourth defeat of the season (9-4). Bryan Lucas helped the hosts to jump on 5-8 record collecting 24 points and 8 rebounds. Erik Rhinehart answered with 23 points on the other side.

Gussing - UBSC Graz 86-71
Gussing outplayed the 11th ranked UBSC Graz with plus 15. Jermaine Thomas and Marquis Ledoux combined 45 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists for the hosts. Poor Graz got double-double from Bryan Grier, 16 points and 10 boards. Gussing 4-9, Graz 2-11.

Kapfenberg - Vienna 79-67
9-4 for the Bulls and 1-12 for Vienna after this game. Heinz Kugerl stepped up with 19 points and 5 rebounds, while Jeremy Fears was behind him adding 4 points less. Ravone George had 18 points, 6 boards and 5 assists for the loosing case.

Arkadia- Klosterneuburg 95-103
The box-score will be available soon. Arkadia 10-3, Klosterneuburg 6-7.



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  BAHRAIN   


Bahrain to hot for Oman - by Yousef Ahmed
BAHRAIN crushed Oman 110-52 yesterday to claim their first victory in the basketball competition of the 19th Gulf Cup, being played in Oman, writes PATRICK SALOMON. The victors revived their slim medal hopes with the result, and also virtually secured their qualification for the Fiba Asia Championship for Men, to be played in China in August later this year.

Bahrain thoroughly outclassed the hosts in the game, played at Muscat's Nizwa Sports Complex. The 58-point winning margin was also their biggest lead of the contest, and it bettered the 49-point (102-53) thrashing the Omanis received from defending champions the UAE earlier this week.

The Emiratis, meanwhile, were stunned in yesterday's other game by Kuwait, who won a squeaker 68-66. It was the Kuwaitis' second triumph in the competition, as they almost certainly secured second spot ahead of the UAE and now trail only undefeated title-favourites Qatar.

Bahrain's win was a pleasant turn-around from their opening night loss to Kuwait, when they looked to be a completely different team.

The nationals, coached by Brazilian Walter Pereira, played with a quick pace, pushing the tempo at every opportunity while using quick ball movement in the half-court set to thwart the opposing defence. On the other end, they did an excellent job preventing penetration and had complete control on the defensive glass, holding the Omanis to just one attempt per possession.

The Bahrainis were also quick to switch defenders when needed, giving their opponents no easy looks at the basket.

Bahrain raced out to a quick lead at the start of the game, and never took their foot off the gas whether playing with their starting five or bench squad. They scored 26 points in the first quarter alone, while holding Oman to just 12.

Star players Mahmood Ghuloom (187-G-79), Ahmed Al Mutawa (199-F/C-81, college: Broward CC), and Hussain Shaker spearheaded their strong performance coming out of the gate, which helped them go up 51-30 at the interval.

Bahrain looked even stronger starting the second half, greatly adding to their advantage with a 37-point third period.

Ghuloom, Mohammed Hussain, and Ahmed Abdulaziz were the protagonists. Ghuloom scored on a breakaway lay-up with less than two minutes to go in the period to take an 84-43 advantage - the first time they went ahead by 40 or more points. Hussain then converted his own fast-break lay-up before the quarter buzzer to put the Bahrainis ahead 88-44 heading into the final canto.

Starting the fourth, Sadeq Mahdi buried a long three-pointer to put Bahrain ahead by 47 (91-44), and then baskets from Abdulaziz and Omran Abdulredha on their next two possessions gave them their first 50-point lead of the game (96-46) with more than half the period still remaining.

Al Mutawa later put his stamp on the proceedings, scoring on an uncontested tomahawk slam dunk in transition for a 102-52 lead with two minutes left. He scored 7 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Ahmed Malallah (188-F-71) Dominated throughout the game Leading his team while Mohammed Qurban and Mohammed Quwayed then made their own contributions to Bahrain's end-game assault, before Al Mutawa made one of two free-throws with 20 seconds remaining to peg the final score and cap the lopsided win.

Ghuloom finished with 19 points leading all scorers for Bahrain, who had another five players in double figures. Abdulaziz added 16 while Malallah and Shaker had 13 apiece. Hussain pitched in with 12 points and Qurban 11.

All of Bahrain's players received minutes in the game. The nationals next face off with Qatar tomorrow, while Oman take on Kuwait.

No games are scheduled for today.

Source GDN

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  BELGIUM   


Belgacom Liege rules in Group A - by Eurobasket News
Belgacom Liege rules in Group A of EuroChallenge and had 69:62 win over Cajasol Sevilla on Tuesday. A 15-4 in the third period was decisive in the game as the Belgian side improved to 5-0 record. Justin Cage (198-F-85, agency: Elfus-Siegel Management (ESM), college: Xavier) paced all the winners with 16 points and Larry Owens (201-G/F-83, college: ORU) nailed 15. Triguero Juan finished the night with 17 points for the visiting team.
Galatasaray tied the leader Dexia Hainaut in Group F after 80:68 home win. Besok Huseyin led the winners with 23 points and 13 rebounds, while Antonio Graves (190-G-85, agency: Octagon, college: Pittsburgh) followed him with 18. Jim Potter (204-F-73, agency: Court Side, college: Idaho St.) notched 14 points and 10 rebounds for the visitors. Both teams are now on top with 3-2 record.
Eurobasket wrote that CSK-VVS Samara improved to 2-3 in EuroChallenge Group G campaign after 86:72 over Base Oostende. Belgian team tried hard but lost the game and fell at 1-4. Mladen Sljivancanin (200-G/F-85) paced all the winners with 20 points. Marque Perry collected 19 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, while Sergei Demeshkin netted 15. Veselin Petrovic ended up with 19 points in defeat and Robert Hite notched 15.
As a result one win in EuroChallenge out of three possible.

Div. II Regular Season - Round 17 and various news - by Bertrand Larsimont

Bent Schoenen Waregem vs. BC Ninane 72-65
Jorn Steinbach of BS Waregem was missing due to injury.
Quarter by quarter score evolution: 14-18, 34-30, 52-44 and 72-65.
Waregem: F. Van Vooren 18; S. Robeyst 2; B. Bogaert 15; W. De Wilde 14; B. Cleymans 10; B. Raes 10; A. Steinbach 3.
Ninane: Tihon 16; Klimanek 4; Delsaute 21; Hawley 1; Kalut 11; Lebecque 4; Vanbergen 8.

BBC Boom vs. Falco Ghent 92-73
Boom: Haerbos 4; A. Druwez 24; Van Wert 4; Wuyts 2; Lambreghts 13; Salden 16; Moris 15; Van Hoecke 14.
Falco: De Backer 4; Brysse 5; Seghers 1; Van De Vondel 11; De Schepper 24; Van Haevermaet 6; Van Der Kimpe 10; Bwatu 4.

Jaga Radiators Hasselt vs. CEP Fleurus 80-75
Hasselt: D. Souveryns 27; Hendrix 18; Vanhove 10; Baert 8; Van Poelgeest 8; Clemente 5; Smolders 4.
Fleurus: Bastien 2; Poulain 2; Vanesse 9; Pourtoit 21; Jadin 7; Rozewicz 5; Penninck 20; Semijejero 9.

Essor Charleroi vs. Royal Alsec Nivelles 63-67
26-year old Marouane El Moutalibi (former player of Fath US Rabat in Morocco's Division I) scored 22 points in this game. Quarter by quarter score evolution: 15-24, 34-38, 49-47 and 63-67.
Essor: Mampuya 15; Leclercqs 15; Pellisier 9; Vermeulen 8; Stache 4; Kitieu 4; Sperolini 3; Bearzotti 3; Frippiat 1; Gevaert 1.
Nivelles: El Moutalibi 22; Vanden Eynde 12; Seny 10; Muylaert 10; Pirlot 7; Defosse 5; Karavokyros 1.

Kangoeroes Willebroek vs. Jako Pitzemburg Mechelen 82-70
Kangoeroes: --
Pitzemburg: Veldeman 5; Swaeb 15; Vangelder 3; Vandenbrande 7; Pottiez 8; Corthals 7; Van Breedam 6; Claes 8; Billet 12.

Bye: BCO Carnieres and De West Hoek Zwevezele

Delayed: Basket Bree vs. Sint-Jan Antwerp (to be played in February)

Already played: Royal Alsec Nivelles vs. Basket Bree 60-91

According to the BCO Carnieres web site, forward Duke Tshomba (196-G/F-78, college: Wichita St.) has been hired by the club in order to substitute Sead Muric (205-C-81), unavailable for at least 6 weeks due to a knee injury.




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  CHINA   


CBA Round: 23 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Xinjiang - Qingdao DS 125-84
Xinjiang reached 21-2 record as the team stormed past Qingdao 125:84. Juan Mendez led the winners with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Chris Williams and Li Yiding each scored 14 for Qingdao.

Zhejiang C. - Guandong 85-109
Dixon Jason nailed 30 points to lead Guangdong to a 109:85 victory over Zhejiang in the first game of the round. Kirk Snyder led Zhejiang with 38 points and 9 rebounds.

Shanxi Zh. - Beijing 98-83
Shanxi Zhongyu produced a 98:83 over Beijing in Regular Season Round 23. Bonzi Wells shined with 44 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Shanxi Zhongyu, while Olumide Oyedeji contributed 17 points, 22 rebounds. Dontae Jones posted 32 points and 12 rebounds for Beijing.

Shaanxi - Shandong 97-93
Shaanxi overcame Shandong 97:93 as Lee Benson scored 34 points, grabbed 22 rebounds and dished out 7 assists. Garnett Thompson and Mack Tuck each nailed 27 for Shandong.

TianJin R. - Jilin 87-103
Jilin beat Tianjin 103:87 for 11-12 record in the standings. Leon Rogers top-scored with 44 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Soumaila Samake and Yang Yuming had 16 points each. Theron Smith ended up with 25 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists for Tianjin.

Liaoning - Shanghai 109-96
Liaoning produced a 109:96 win over Shanghai as Zhang Qingpeng top-scored with 29 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Peng Fei had 24 points and 8 rebounds for Shanghai.

Yunnan - Zhejiang G. 104-120
Zhejiang Guangsha outscored Yunnan 120:104 away from home. Nigel Dixon had massive 31 points and 20 rebounds and Zhang Nan had 27 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. Gabe Muoneke finished the night with 35 points and 12 rebounds for Yunnan.

Fujian - Bayi 88-78
Fujian sent Bayi to 11-12 record defeating them 88:78. Gong Songlin led Fujian with 25 points, whilst Chris Porter had 16 points and 15 rebounds. Zhang Bo posted for Bayi 15 points.

Jiangsu - DongGuan 117-99
Harvey Donnell was unstoppabel for Jiangsu with 41 points and 24 rebounds as his team crushed Dongguan 117:99. Michael Harris had 26 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for Dongguan.



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  D-LEAGUE   


Vipers scquire Marcus Hubbard - by Eurobasket News
The NBA D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers announced today that they have acquired 6'9 power forward Marcus Hubbard (6'9''-C-83, college: Angelo St.).

The first round pick (11th overall) of the Dakota Wizards in this year's D-League draft, Hubbard attended training camp with the Atlanta Hawks before being waived on October 14th. Hubbard then joined the Wizards and appeared in 14 games (two starts), averaging 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while hitting 47.3% of his shots.

The Palm Beach, Florida, native played at Angelo State University, averaging 15.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 1.8 steals per game as a senior last year, all of which were team-highs.

As a junior, Hubbard led the team by averaging 21.7 points, 8.9 rebounds 0.8 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He also led the team in three-point shooting (38.1%) and free throw shooting (79.1%). An All- LSC South Division and Daktronics All-Region second team choice, Hubbard collected a team-high 12 double-doubles and set single-game records for Stephens Arena by scoring 36 points and making 14 field goals against West Texas A&M on January 17th, 2007.

Hubbard started his collegiate career at Kilgore Junior College, where he averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while hitting 45 three-pointers as a sophomore.

At Palm Beach Lakes High School, Hubbard was voted as the Small School Player of the Year when he led the Rams to the state final four as a junior.

Courtesy of http://www.oursportscentral.com

D-League Round: 36 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Rio Grande - Sioux Falls 94-115
The Skyforce registered an easy win against the Vipers mostly owing to Carl Elliott (6'4''-G-83, agency: SportsTalent, college: George Washington), who nailed 28 points. Bobby Jones followed him with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, while Glen McGowan also shined collecting 15 points and the same number of boards. Stanley Asumnu answered with 19 points on the other side. Skyforce 11-6, Vipers 7-11.

Ft.Wayne - Iowa 103-108
The Energy outgunned Fort Wayne 108-103 improving on 10-3 record. Courtney Sims stepped up with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Othyus Jeffers added 2 points less. DeWitt Scott contributed with 20 points and 5 boards in defeat. Mad Ants 5-10.

Albuquerque - Erie 96-95
Albuquerque grabbed this one thanks to Keith McLeod's jumper and a pair of free throw attempts in the final seconds. He finished the game with 15 points, 4 rebs and 5 assists. Will Conroy was the best player in the winning squad with 24 pts and 5 boards. Erie got 28 points from Oliver Lafayette. Thunderbirds 5-10, BayHawks 9-8.

Dakota - Reno 109-113
The Bighorns improved on 4-12, while the Wizards fell on 10-8 after this game. Damone Brown, Antonio Meeking and Dave Noel combined 61 points for the hosts. Brown had 10 more rebounds beside that. Blake Ahearn poured in 25 for the Wizards.

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  ESTONIA   


BC Kalev Cramo celebrates, while TU/Rock loses in Italy - by Eurobasket News
Two Estonian teams played their latest games in EuroChallenge. BC Kalev Cramo beat BC Kyiv 82:76 to prove that Group H will send the names of the winners in the last round. John Linehan (175-G-78, college: Providence) was unstoppable with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Nate Fox (206-F-77, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Maine) nailed 14 and Kristjan Kangur (202-F-82) scored 10. James Penn (178-G-77, college: Ohio St.) produced 19 points for the Ukrainians. The result has left Kyiv with a 3-2 record while Kalev improved to 2-3.
La Fortezza Bologna improved to 5-0 record and automatically won the group. Italian side overcame TU/Rock 95:85 at home tonight. Keith Langford (193-G/F-83, college: Kansas) top-scored for the winners with 25 points, while Tsalikis-Vouktsevits Ntousan netted 14. Gert Kullamae (198-G/F-71) produced 27 points in the losing effort.
In the National league Kuremaa SK lost to KK Parnu/Catwees 76:93. BC Rakvere Tarvas beat Tallinna Kalev 71:67 in another game. The next games of the league are scheduled for January 9th. On January 20st TU Rock will face BC Kalev/Cramo in a key game of the country.

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  FRANCE   


Le Mans grabs the first Euroleague win - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Le Mans - Air Avelino 92-88

Le Mans finally made it in Euroleague this season. It is the first victory for the French representative after 8 consecutive defeats, while Air Avelino dropped on 2-7. Even few weeks ago it was clear that these two teams won't have any chance to reach the Top 16. Dewarick Spencer (193-G-82, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Arkansas St.) stepped up for the hosts nailing 25 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 5 assists for 28 minutes. Brian Chase (178-G-81, college: Virginia Tech) followed him with 21 points, while Joao Paulo Batista (207-F/C-81, college: Gonzaga) netted 16. Air Avelino got 19 points from Travis Best (180-G-72, college: Georgia Tech) and 18 from Chris Warren (196-F-81, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: S.Carolina). Drake Diener (196-G-81, agency: Priority Sports, college: De Paul) stopped on 10 points and 4 assists.
Le Mans opened the game strongly reaching 10-point lead at the very beginning, 13-3. Later it was 21-10 and at the end of the first frame 27-19. Soon after that Drake Diener closed 8-0 run for the Italians tying the score on 27-27. Joao Paulo Batista and Brian Chase then stepped up for the hosts bringing 39-28 to their team. Chase scored the last basket in the first half for 50-37 lead. Batista, Chase and Dewarick Spencer led Le Mans to 58-43 at the middle of third quarter. NDoye Maleye drained a triple from the corner at the Le Mans' last possession for plus 20, 73-53. Travis Best, Chris Warren and their teammates finally showed some of their potential in the last quarter closing the gap on 84-79 with less than 3 minutes to go. However, the hosts were strong enough to keep their lead and to grab the first win in Euroleague 08/09.

Le Mans: Dewarick Spencer 25+7 boards+5 as, Brian Chase 21, Joao Paulo Batista 16
Air Avelino: Travis Best 19, Chris Warren 18, Drake Diener 10+4 as

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  GERMANY   


ALBA grabs the precious win in Badalona - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: DKV Joventut - ALBA 75-79

German champion ALBA Berlin made fantastic road victory in Badalona coming very close to Top 16. Both teams are on the same 4-5 record now, but ALBA would win any tie between them because of two regular season victories against the Spaniards. Even in case of three-way tie with Fenerbahce, DKV Joventut won't have a chance (2 defeats against Fener also). If ALBA succeeds to beat the last-ranked Union Olimpija in Berlin next week it will book a spot for the next stage. Immanuel McElroy (193-G-80, college: Cincinnati) led the scorers in ALBA with 26 points. Aleksandar Nadjfeji (203-F-76) had double-double, 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Casey Jacobsen (198-G/F-81, agency: Octagon, college: Stanford) also scored 12 for the winners. Jan-Hendrick Jagla (213-F-81, agency: Priority Sports, college: Penn St.) delivered 15 points for the hosts. Bracey Wright (191-G-84, college: Indiana) had 13. Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca (212-C-83) added 11 points and 7 rebounds.
DKV Joventut was a better team in the first half. The team from Badalona had 10-3 after what ALBA made a turn 13-16. However, the hosts answered with 10-0 for 23-16 after 10 minutes. Few minutes later in the second quarter Immanuel McElroy and his teammates once again tied the score, 27-27. Bracey Wright and Jan-Hendrick Jagla stepped up for Joventut after that helping it to reach 38-31. Rashad Wright scored it for ALBA in the finish of the first half setting the score on 41-37. Immanuel McElroy was on fire after the breather leading 8-0 run for his team. The teams started from zero once again thanks to Jagla's basket, 48-48. Big guy Aleksandar Nadjfeji helped Immanuel McElroy later resulting with 54-60 lead. After 30 minutes ALBA had 58-63. The game is decided at they very end. Rashad Wright gave 74-77 advantage for ALBA with a jumper, after what Joventut missed and Sesay of ALBA committed a turnover. Bracey Wright also missed and Aleksandar Nadjfeji was unsuccessful 2 times from the FT line. Jasaitis scored first and missed the second free throw intentionally, but ALBA's players grabbed the ball and Immanuel McElroy sealed this victory with dunk.

DKV Joventut: Jan-Hendrick Jagla 15, Bracey Wright 13, Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca 11+7 boards
ALBA: Immanuel McElroy 26, Aleksandar Nadjfeji 12+12 boards, Casey Jacobsen 12

Akinocho moved north - by Moritz Korff
Yunss Akinocho (198-F-87, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: Coll.Sequoias CC) who left the Proveo Merlins Crailsheim (2. Bundesliga Pro B) just recently, has found a new home in Denmark. The 21-year-old French forward made his debut for SISU Copenhagen in the Canal Digital Liga yesterday and helped his new club to defeat local rival BK Amager on the road 74:71. Akinocho played 19:46 minutes for the team of coach Jesper Krone Rasmussen and contributed 12 points and 4 rebounds to the win.

Bolt will not return to Dortmund - by Daniel Poerschke
In the 1. Regionalliga West SVD Dortmund lost their american top-scorer Stephan Bolt (198-F-84). The very athletic Bolt injured his ankle in late October and was unable to play since. But the Dortmund management decided to keep him around and he was scheduled to return - fully healthy - after the Christmas break. But Bolt decided not to come back to Dortmund, citing home sickness as the main reason. This comes a big surprise move, as the Dortmund management already decided to keep him and Jamar Nutter (188-G-84, college: Seton Hall) for the rest of the season and elected not to re-sign fan favourit Jason Price (184-G-77, college: Iowa). The team is now looking for a replacement player for Bolt.

46ers sack head coach Simon Cote - by Moritz Korff
Simon Cote has been sacked as head coach of the LTi Giessen 46ers (1. Bundesliga) following Thursday's home loss to Braunschweig (68:79). After suffering the 12th defeat of this current season (and third in a row) the 46ers dropped to 17th place in the Bundesliga table and thus, now sit in a relegation spot. The club officials appointed sport director Vladimir Bogojevic as head coach for the remainder of the season. The former German National Team player worked in the same position in Kaiserslautern during 2007-08.

The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Are Looking To Take Off Like A Delayed New Year Skyrocket Against The Artland Dragons - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
After ending 2008 on a bang with 12 wins out of 15 games, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners were missing a lot of the skyrocket feeling effect of midnight Januray 1st 2009, by starting off the new year not taking off like fireworks, but staying on the ground like firecrackers losing in Berlin and Moscow. The Deutsche Bank Skyliners host the Artland Dragons on Saturday January 10th in the Ballsporthalle in Frankfurt. 'The road is always a different environment. Berlin caught us off guard and our turnovers killed us. Moscow beat us with many three pointers. Every team has its ups and downs. We took it as a learning experience and hope to learn from it', commented American guard Titus Ivory (193-G-79, college: Penn St.). Even though the team was not on the same chapter as Berlin and Moscow, coach Murat Didin is very optimistic about the magnitude of his team. 'We still belong to the top BBL teams. We played ok in Berlin. We lost the game in the first quarter. We know our mistakes and will rebound in the first home game of 2009', stressed Murat Didin . Frankfurts January schedule doesnt get any easier with four more away games and only two home games. 'Our moral is down a bit, but we have to keep our heads up and continue to be confident. We have to take the home crowd support and get a win', said American guard Jimmy McKinney (192-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Missouri). The game will also mark the head to head competition of two friends. 'I am looking forward to playing against Lamont McIntosh (191-G-82, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Georgia St.). He is like family, but when we are on the court, it will be Frankfurt against Artland Dragons, but we will have fun on the court', expressed American Derrick Allen (203-F-80, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Mississippi)

The Deutsche Bank Skyliners had a lot of misfortune between 2005 and 2007 losing four games in a row to The Artland Dragons. They had little chances in the Dragon cave in Quackenbruck losing twice being outscored 172-129. Frankfurt lost both games at home also, but at least were still in the game by the fourth quarter. Three years ago, Frankfurt lost a close game 73-69 and two years lost 77-69 despite 33 points and 15 rebounds from American Travon Bryant (206-F-83, college: Missouri). Last season, Frankfurt was able to sweep The Artland Dragons winning a thriller away in overtime 87-75. Frankfurt won in convincing fashion at home 74-63. At that time, The Artland Dragons were one of the strongest teams in the BBL, but were outplayed by Frankfurt and led by American Derrick Allen with 25 points and six rebounds.

Just as a long era had ended in Bamberg with Dirk Bauermann in the summer 2008, so did another era with The Artland Dragons with ex coach American Chris Fleming . He had been in Quackenbruck since 1996 as a player and took over the reigns as skipper in 2000. He led the team into the BBL in 2003 and crowned his success with the Cup win in 2008. Last summer, he left the flatlands of the Artland area and went south to the Bavarian town of Bamberg. Manager Marko Beens had no easy task trying to find a formidable and experienced coach like Flemming and thus surprised everyone by appointing the young Thorsten Leibenath as coach. He had been an assistant in Giessen for six years before getting his first head coaching job with the Scottish Rocks, where he led the team to the BBL final and semi final of the cup competition. This success led to his next coaching duty back in Germany up the A5 Autobahn back to Giessen, but this time as head of the playbook. He didnt have an easy time just missing being deregulated finishing at position 16 in 2007-2008. In a way, Leibenath is similar to Flemming, because both were young and somewhat inexperienced. 'I also started to coach at a very young age. It is possible at anytime to have tough times as a coach, but it will help Leibenath so much for his future, because he started to coach at a young age', stressed Murat Didin .

Coach Torsten Leibenath overtook a ship that was sailing smoothly after two very successful seasons. Two years ago, they finished in 8th place and almost marched through the playoffs sweeping eight time BBL champ Berlin, edging Cologne in a close and hard fought series 3-2 and then running out of gas in the final losing 3-1 against Bamberg. Last season, they finished second with a record of 25-9, and surprisingly lost in the quarterfinals to Bonn 3-1. This season, The Artland Dragons belong to the talented teams with Berlin and Frankfurt on paper, but are only in 10th place. They kept a core of important players with Lamont McIntosh, Darius Hall (201-C/F-73, agency: Stanley International, college: W.Kentucky) and Chad Prewitt (206-F/C-80, agency: Priority Sports, college: Arizona St.). The two biggest signings were Americans Adam Hess (201-G/F-81, college: William & Mary) and Darren Fenn (208-C-80, agency: LimeLight, college: Canisius). However, they also got a quality three man point guard rotation with Americans Zack Whiting (193-G-84, college: Chaminade), Drew Neitzel (183-G-85, college: Michigan St.) and Will Blalock (183-G-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Iowa St.). 'All three point guards are quality players. One of them can always step up. We have to keep them in check', added Derrick Allen They have a strong ten man rotation, who like to play offensive Basketball and have many guys, who can step up and be the go to guy.

Currently The Artland Dragons rest at position ten in the BBL standings with a record of 8-8. The team is still looking to find a healthy chemistry and should be a playoff candidate in the spring of 2009. Their season has had a four part series so far. They started poorly losing three of the first four games, then won four games in a row, then had a 2-2 record and now are riding a three games losing streak. 'I think we have great guys in the team, everybody is fighting and trying to compete day in and day out, but our defense is not strongest yet. We have to get better as a team on defense', stressed German Artland Dragon Dirk Madrich (211-C-83, agency: Court Side) The injury loss to Darius Hall has hurt the team with toughness stability under the hoops. Even with this up and down trend, they did manage to defeat four possible playoff teams, Bonn, Bamberg, Ludwigsburg and Ulm. Despite their current 10th position, The Artland Dragons can beat any team in the BBL on a good night and Frankfurt needs to be aware of this. They beat Fortitudo Bolognia a few days ago in Eurocup and will be ready for Frankfurt. 'This was a great experience for us. We hate losing. Everybody played great in Bolognia and this win gives a lot of hope for the next game against Belgrad next week', added Artland Dragon forward Dirk Madrich. 'Artland is a very dangerous team. They can shoot the ball very well. Adam Hess and Darren Fenn are the key players that we have to stop,' warned Derrick Allen

The Artland Dragons are led by American Adam Hess, who is averaging 15,7ppg, 4,1rpg and 1,2 apg. This is his second time back in Quackenbruck, after playing at Chorale De Roane in France. Hess is a very strong shooter averaging 54% from the field and has European experience having won the Czech league and cup title with Nymburk. American Darren Fenn is averaging 14,4ppg, 7,5rpg and 1,2apg. This is his fourth season in the BBL and he can do it all at the center position. He can be unstoppable inside, can hurt the opponent with his three point shot and has improved his defense playing for Dirk Bauermann at Bamberg. American Lamont McIntosh is averaging 10,4ppg, 2,6 rpg and 1,5apg. The native from South Carolina, who played at Georgia State and at Verviers Perpinster in Belgium is playing his third season for the Dragons and can quickly get an opponent in a hole with his lethal outside shooting.

American Darius Hall, who learned his Basketball trade at Western Kentucky is averaging 9,0ppg, 2,6rpg and is shooting a deadly 71,4% from the field. Hall the wall is the heart and soul of the team playing his fifth season in duck town. Who could forget moments after the 2008 cup win as he was celebrating with the fans in the Colorline arena in Hamburg. He is a player, who would deserve to get his number retired once his playing days are over. American Chad Prewitt from Cody Wyoming is averaging 8,3 ppg, 3,4rpg and1,1apg. The power forward, who played at Arizona State, is playing the second time in Quackenbruck. After a brief intermezzo in Greece and a few months with Ludwigsburg in the 2007-2008 season, he made the right decision to return to the Dragons for the last months and help Chris Fleming to his first title as coach. Prewitt is a superb team player, who can defend, not be timid and mix it up with the bangers and can decide a game with his three pointer.

American Drew Neitzel from Wyoming, who played against the best NCAA players with Michigan State from 2004-2008 is a BBL rookie averaging 6,4ppg, 1,2 rpg and 3,0 apg. He is a strong point guard being able to pass efficiently with both hands, has great court vision and doesnt let anyone push him around on account of his size. He showed he could score netting 23 points against TBB Trier. American Will Blalock, who comes from Boston, played college ball at Iowa State from 2003-2006. He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2006 and played 14 games, before going to the D-League. Last season, he played at Hapoel Jerusalem and for Anaheim in the D-league. He is averaging 5,6ppg, 2,4rpg and 2,0apg. He is an excellent ballhandler, who doesnt shy from taking the ball to the hole. American Zack Whiting, who led the BBL in assists in 2007-2008 and recorded a triple double(13p,10r,10a) against Giessen has not found his rhythm yet under Torsten Leibenath averaging 4,6ppg, 2,2rpg and 2,9 apg. In the first 11 games, he was able to average more than 10 minutes per game, but in the last four games has not. It seems like there is a real point guard competition with Neitzel and Blalock.

German Dirk Madrich is averaging 3,9ppg and3,2 apg. The twenty five year old is a sound role player, who would play much more for lesser teams, but has talented players at his position here. He played 17 games for Bamberg in the 2004-2005 championship season. He then moved on to Braunschweig and got ULEB Cup experience with Strassburg in France. 35 year old German Jan Rohdewald (194-G/F-73, agency: Court Side), who is nearing the end of his Basketball career can still shoot the three pointer. He is averaging 3,3ppg and has played in Quackenbruck since 2003. His Basketball journey has also taken him to Bonn and Bamberg. American PauPaul Johnson (198-F-83, college: Rider), who played at Rider University from 2002-2006 is averaging 3,1ppg and 1,5rpg. The twenty five year old is a talented forward that comes from the bench to give support under the boards. Recently signed American Tyray Pearson (201-F-80, college: Iowa St.) was added to help fill the void left by injured American Darius Hall. Pearson showed his offensive qualities in the 2005-2006 season in Braunschweig averaging 13,9ppg and hauling down 9,4rpg. His quickness allows him to dominate in the paint especially on the offensive glass.

The Deutsche Bank Skyliners will have to restore their defense against the Artland Dragons after having had a meltdown in the first two games. The Artland Drgaons score 78,1 points per game and have enough offensive weapons. 'We have to play strong defense, lock up and rotate better. We also have to keep constant pressure on them, limit the turnovers and stop points in the paint', warned Derrick Allen The rebounding also wont be a cakewalk, because the Dragons have big bruisers who can give stability from the bench. In the last months of 2008, Frankfurt had invented their own kind of Basketball, which remained in the closet so far in 2009. 'We have to play our Basketball. We have to share the Basketball more and just play looser. We have to play with a lot of intensity and take the fight to them and not let them take it to us', explained Titus Ivory. Frankfurt has many offensive weapons and should utilize them to the fullest. 'We have to concentrate on what we do well, which is in the post, pick and roll and knocking down shots', analysed American guard Jimmy McKinney. Even though The Artland Dragons won a tough game in the Eurocup, they know that Frankfurt wont be a stroll in the park either. 'Frankfurt will be tough to play and we have to prove that we can win on the road. The key to victory will to be focused for forty minutes and not let Frankfurt get rolling', expressed Artland Dragon Dirk Madrich.

After two quick bitter loses within 72 hours to the powerhouses Berlin and Moscow, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners want to give their fans a belated new years gift with a win. However after the strong finish to 2008, teams will be ready and gunning to see if Frankfurt can keep their strong defense in tact and keep using their deep rotation to the full maximum. 'All teams are dangerous. We have targets on our backs. Every game will be a challenge and we will have to step up and take the challenge', added guard Titus Ivory. Frankfurt will need to have an overall strong performance and not let the Dragon machine get rolling and take as many Artland Dragon weapons out of the game. 'We are playing against a team where every guy likes to have the ball. They have many offensive players that like to score. We have to make a great effect and let them only play with one ball', stressed coach Murat Didin . The Deutsche Bank Skyliners host The Artland Dragons on Saturday Januray 10th at 18:30

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  GREECE   


Partizan blasts Panionios in crucial game - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Partizan - Panionios 80-57

Partizan trashed Panionios On Telecoms in Belgrade with plus 23. It was the crucial game for both teams. With this victory Partizan stays in the race for Top 16, while Panionios said goodbye to it, despite there is one more round to be played. Partizan and Efes Pilsen currently have the same 4-5 record in Group D. Panionios fell on 3-6, while AJ Milano will host Real Madrid today in very important game. Czech prospect Jan Vesely (210-F/C-90) led Partizan last night with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Uros Tripkovic (196-G-86) and Stephane Lasme (203-F-82, college: Massachusetts) scored 12, while Milenko Tepic (198-G-87, agency: Beo Basket) delivered one point less. Aaron Miles (186-G-83, agency: Octagon, college: Kansas) was better than the others in loss collecting 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Ivan Zoroski (195-G-79, agency: Octagon) scored 12 and Lonny Baxter (203-C-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) nailed one point less.
It was amazing beginning for Partizan. In the front of 6.550 spectators in 'Pionir' Panionios made 2-7, followed by magnificent 20-0 run by the host team. Uros Tripkovic and Petar Bozic (197-G-78) nailed two triples later for 30-9 after ten minutes. Jan Vesely scored 11 points in the first quarter. Aaron Miles and his teammates woke up after that cutting the margin on 44-33 at the half time. Soon after the breather Milenko Tepic and Uros Tripkovic drained 2 triples for plus 19, 52-33. At that point of game it was already clear that Partizan will take this one in style. Third quarter ended 59-42 and later it was 62-44. After another triple by Petar Bozic, Partizan touched 67-44 with less than 7 minutes to go. In the last round Partizan goes to Moscow, while Panionios waits AJ Milano.

Partizan: Jan Vesely 19+10 boards, Uros Tripkovic 12, Stephane Lasme 12, Milenko Tepic 11
Panionios: Aaron Miles 14+5 boards+5 as, Ivan Zoroski 12, Lonny Baxter 11

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  HUNGARY   


Garland in Kormend, Aliakseyeu in Szolnok - by Tamas Deri
KJ Garland (186-G-84, agency: AMI, college: NC-Asheville) will arrive tomorrow to Hungary and will spen a two-weeks tryout with the team of Polaroid-Lami-Ved Kormend. The 186 cm tall, american combo guard graduated on the University of North Carolina Asheville and was a key player of the men's bball team. Garland helped the Bulldogs to win the regular season of the Big South Conference, and got the 2nd place after they lost against Winthrop in the Conference's Final. He averaged 13.6 points and 6.0 assists per game in his senior season. He was drafted by Iowa Energy in the D-League, but left after the pre-season.

Mikalai Aliakseyeu (212-C-78, agency: Globalsports/Globalevents, college: Buffalo) is back to Hungary! The belarus big man helped last season the team of Falco to get the first title in club's history and signed a great deal in Ukraine in the summer. He did not get too much time on the court - only 13 minutes/game - and left his team before Christmas. After releasing Jamal Basit, the management of Szolnok was looking for a new inside player and contacted Kolja's agents. He agreeded with the offer and will arrive this weekend to Szolnok.

Standings - A Division
A Division Standings
 1. Albacomp 8-2 
 2. Dombovar 8-3 
 3. Atomeromu 7-2 
 4. PVSK Panth. 7-3 
 5. Falco 7-4 
 6. Kormend 6-4 
 7. Univer KSE 6-4 
 8. Soproni 6-5 
 9. ZTE KK 6-6 
 10. Kaposvari 5-7 
 11. Szolnok 4-7 
 12. Marso-Vagep 3-7 
 13. Debreceni 1-9 
 14. EnterNet-NTE 0-11 


A Division Round: 12 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Debreceni - Dombovar 84-89
Dombovar grabbed 5-point road win against poor Debreceni improving on 8-3 record in Division A. Jerome LaGrange (192-G-78, college: Livingstone) was a key player for the winning squad delivering 36 points, including 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Steve Dagostino and Gergely Kutasi scored 18 points each in loss. Their Debreceni remains on just 1 win in 10 appearances.

Univer KSE - Soproni 83-84
Soproni outsmarted Univer KSE jumping on 8th place with 6-5. Alvin Cruz shined for the winners with 24 points and 5 rebounds, while Gergely Kortelyesi added 20 points and 11 boards (7 off). Akos Horvath answered with 21 points on the other side. Univer 6-4.

Kaposvari - Atomeromu 89-82
Larry Welton and Laszlo Orosz combined 48 points and 13 rebounds for Kaposvari leading it to fifth victory of the season. Experienced Robert Gulyas came up with 23 points in defeat. Kaposvari 5-7, Atomeromu 7-2 (third place).

ZTE KK - Marso-Vagep 89-74
Easy one for ZTE mostly owing to Calvin Watson, who collected 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Marso got 25 points from Roy Booker. ZTE moved up on 6-6, while Marso dropped on 3-7.

Albacomp - Falco 102-79
Albacomp remains the best ranked team in the league after home victory vs Falco. Rashad Bell came up with 31 points and 10 rebounds, wile Balasz Simon helped with 20 pts. Zoltan Horvath replied netting 19 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in defeat. Albacomp 8-2, Falco 7-4.

Round 12 - by Balazs Radics

Albacomp - Falco Szova KC 102-79 (32-31, 19-17, 30-15, 21-16)
Albacomp: SIMON 20/9, Hanga 10, RADOVICS 16/6, BELL 31/6, MORRISON 17, Sub: Doyne 6, Keller 2,
Falco Szova KC: Kalman 7/3, Hudson 12/6, Csirics 12/6, HORVATH Z. 19/6, VRSALJKO 18, cS: Perincsics 9, Borszeki , Lakatos 2, Vida.

KAPOSVARI KK - ATOMEROMU SE 89-82 (26-29, 23-17, 22-16, 18-20)
KAPOSVAR: MARCIULIONIS 6/3, Vojvoda 8/3, WELTON 27/12, HOFFMANN 18/6, OROSZ 21. S: Kiss K. 7/3, David 2.
ATOMEROMU: Nichols 4, WILLIAMS 11, Gosa 11, Johnson 12, CSAPALR-NAGY 18/15. s: GULYAS 23/3, Meszaros Z. 3, Kiss Zs., Panta.

DEBRECENI KE - PLANET LEASING DOMBOVAR KC 84-89 (15-26, 22-17, 31-25, 16-21)
DEBRECEN: D'AGOSTINO 18/9, KUTASI 18/18, Maxwell 11/3, KENNERLY 16, VARE 15. s: Takacs D., Kovacs I 6/6, Szabo T., Erdei.
DOMBOVAR: Jerome LaGrange (192-G-78, college: Livingstone) 36/15, McCullough 6, CLARK 11, BODI 23/3, DILL 13/3, s: Deak, Molnar M., Szoke B., Balogh L.

UNIVER KECSKEMET - SOPRONI SORDOGOK 83-84 (26-22, 19-18, 20-23, 18-21)
KECSKEMET: Haynes 17/9, HORVATH . 21/3, Molnar A. 5/3, KLAIBER 18/3, Danielson 13/6. s: Szabo Zs. 6, Toth P. 3, Horti.
SOPRON: CRUZ 24/15, BROOKS 17/3, Couisnard 9/3, KORTELYESI 20/6, Dies 9. s: Csorvasi, Boldizsar 3/3, Vesztergom 2, Halmai.


ZALAKERAMIA ZTE KK - MARSO VAGEP-NYKK 89-74 (30-17, 26-20, 18-18, 15-19)
ZALAKERAMIA: HINNANT 10, WADSON 23/3, Kaman 14/6, JONES 12/3, Helbich S. 5. s: GASPAR 12/6, Trepak 7/3, Simon L. 2, Toth A. 4, Baki, Starics, Bodor. MARSO VASGP NYKK: Szavics 9, BOOKER 25/9, Wehner, Sitku 6, Helbich Z. 17. s: Vujacsics 6, FARKAS A. 11/3, Siska.



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  IBL   


ELKHART EXPRESS ENDS THREE YEAR RUN - by John Gary
cpourtesy oursportscentral.com It became official this past sunday when Express owner Daimon Bethea, sighting loses and corporate sponsorship backouts decided that his team could not make it to a fourth IBL season. 'The paper work has been filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Bethea told reporters.' The team lives behind many great memories from its play-off spring runs that led to a championchip and a near miss last spring. Many great players graced this once proud franchise and they will be missed by a community suffering from a bad econmy. 'I will be exploring options in Europe and NBA CHINA the pro game is where i fit in, Bethea was qoted as saying in a prepared statement.

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  ICELAND   


Upsets in first round after Christmas. - by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Iceland Express League started with some upsets after Christmas break.
Thor lost to Keflavik at home 76-93. Thor playing without Cedric Isom (188-G-84, college: E.Texas Baptist) league leading scorer. Will be out 2 more week with broken hand.
Gudmundur Jonsson (191-G-84) 24 pts for Thor.Hordur Hordul Vilhjalmsson (-G-88) 20 for Keflavik.
Skallagrimur pick up their first win of the season when they beat Breidablik 73-58. Team got very good performance from 3 players. Sveinn Davidsson 16 pts. Landon Landon Quick (185-G-85) 21 pts 14 rebs & 8 assist & Igor Beljanski (201-C-78, college: Chaminade) 20 + 13 rebs.Nemanja Sovic (198-F-77, college: Pfeiffer) 11+ 11 and Daniel Gudmundsson 12 for Breidablik.
Stjarnan who was in 11 place before this game beat Grindavik team that is in second place 90-88. Grindavik leading the game from beginning.
Good start for new coach at Club Teitur Orlygsson. Justin Shouse (180-G-81, college: Mercyhurst) 27 + 8 assist. Fannar Helgason (199-F-84) 24 + 16 rebs. Jovan Zdravevski (197-F-80) 14 for Stjarnan. Pall Vilbergson 21. Brenton Birmingham (195-G-73, college: Manhattan) 20 for Grindavik.

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  IRELAND   


Jerrah Young " Our team is very talented and we have a great coach in Douglas Leichner" - by Mariano Galindo
1- What do you think about Ireland ?

I think Ireland is a great place. The people here are very friendly and have helped make the transition from America very easy.

2- Are you happy in Irish Superleague?

I am happy with Superleague. I have set foot into a great situation here with the UCC Blue Demons, which has helped my game flourish a great deal. Before coming here my agent Nate McCray, strongly expressed how this would be a great situation for me. Our team is very talented and we have a great coach in Douglas Leichner.

3- Is your first professional season, do you think that your performances are being good?

I do feel that I am playing well in my first professional season. I have improved my overall game quite a bit since I've been here, thanks to the help of Coach Leichner. Even though I say this I always take the time out after every game to reflect on the mistakes I made and how can I improve on them. I am never satisfied with where I am and always strive to get better.

4- Tell us how was your basketball life in Toledo College?

My freshman year of basketball I spent at West Virginia under Coach Beilien. After I decided that I needed to part ways, I attended the University of Toledo. Here I had a few up and down seasons trying to find a happy medium. When my senior year came my coach had raised the levels of expectations for me and I answered his call. I had a good senior year with some big break out games, which in turn helped me get more publicity.

5- After it, you played in Eurobasket Summer League last 2008. Did you enjoy?

Yes I enjoyed the Eurobasket Summer League. It was a very good event for me to compete against good talent and at the same time showcase my skills and abilities for the European market. My agent had me working out with my personal trainer, Kirk Vickers, getting ready for the event. It turned out for the best and I had a really good performance while at Eurobasket. Actually Eurobasket is how I ended up in Ireland. They heard about me through one of the Eurobasket contacts and got in touch with my agent to work things out. I have to give thanks also to Darrly Reshaw who really helped me out with the overseas process as well.

6- Now, you are in one of the stronger teams in Ireland . What are your goals for the next three months?

The focus for the next few months will be the same as it was from the beginning, and that is to continue to give 110% every time I am on the court. I will consistly continue to push myself in order to improve myself and thus help my team win.

7- Do you think that Demons are able to win the Irish Superleague?

Yes! I definitely believe that my team can win the Superleague. We are currently 12-1 right now and if we continue to play basketball the way we've been playing than we should not be denied. Our team goal from day one has been to win the National Cup Title and also the Superleague Title. I am very confident that we will accomplish these goals.

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  ITALY   


Le Mans grabs the first Euroleague win - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Le Mans - Air Avelino 92-88

Le Mans finally made it in Euroleague this season. It is the first victory for the French representative after 8 consecutive defeats, while Air Avelino dropped on 2-7. Even few weeks ago it was clear that these two teams won't have any chance to reach the Top 16. Dewarick Spencer (193-G-82, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Arkansas St.) stepped up for the hosts nailing 25 points. He also grabbed 7 rebounds and dished out 5 assists for 28 minutes. Brian Chase (178-G-81, college: Virginia Tech) followed him with 21 points, while Joao Paulo Batista (207-F/C-81, college: Gonzaga) netted 16. Air Avelino got 19 points from Travis Best (180-G-72, college: Georgia Tech) and 18 from Chris Warren (196-F-81, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: S.Carolina). Drake Diener (196-G-81, agency: Priority Sports, college: De Paul) stopped on 10 points and 4 assists.
Le Mans opened the game strongly reaching 10-point lead at the very beginning, 13-3. Later it was 21-10 and at the end of the first frame 27-19. Soon after that Drake Diener closed 8-0 run for the Italians tying the score on 27-27. Joao Paulo Batista and Brian Chase then stepped up for the hosts bringing 39-28 to their team. Chase scored the last basket in the first half for 50-37 lead. Batista, Chase and Dewarick Spencer led Le Mans to 58-43 at the middle of third quarter. NDoye Maleye drained a triple from the corner at the Le Mans' last possession for plus 20, 73-53. Travis Best, Chris Warren and their teammates finally showed some of their potential in the last quarter closing the gap on 84-79 with less than 3 minutes to go. However, the hosts were strong enough to keep their lead and to grab the first win in Euroleague 08/09.

Le Mans: Dewarick Spencer 25+7 boards+5 as, Brian Chase 21, Joao Paulo Batista 16
Air Avelino: Travis Best 19, Chris Warren 18, Drake Diener 10+4 as

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  JAMAICA   


Samuels six blocks helps Louisville shutdown South Florida - by Leonard Whyte
Tampa, FL (01-08-2009): Freshman center Samardo Samuels, although hampered by early foul trouble, still swatted away six shots as the University of Louisville overcame a pesky University of South Florida team 71-57 last night in its Big East conference opener. The victory was in doubt until Louisville pulled away during a crucial eight-minute stretch in the second half. Samuels stat line also included nine points and four rebounds in 23 minutes on the floor. Louisvilles next opponent will be Villanova University in another Big East clash on Saturday at noon. This game will be broadcasted live on ESPN.

Tulsa victorious in C-USA opener - by Leonard Whyte
Hattiesburg, MS (01-08-2009): Junior center Jerome Jordan scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lift Tulsa over the University of Southern Mississippi 67-58 last night in the Conference USA opener for both teams. Jordans jumper with 4:39 to go in the second half gave Tulsa its first lead at 60-58 as Tulsa won its second straight game to improve to 10-5 on the season. It also gave him his fifth double-double of the season. Tulsas next game is at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte on Saturday as it plays back-to-back road games.

Cedarville equals best start in history with win over Ohio Dominican - by Leonard Whyte
Cedarville, OH (01-08-2009): Junior forward Ricardo Alliman bagged his eighth double-double of the season (17 points and 11 rebounds), and senior center Daniel Rose contributed 15 points off the bench as NAIA Division II No. 5 Cedarville University defeated Ohio Dominican University 87-65 last night in an American Mideast Conference game. The victory was the ninth straight for Cedarville and equaled the school mark for the best start through 18 games. Cedarville, who entered the game leading the NAIA nationally in field goal percentage defense at 36 percent, held their rivals to only 33 percent shooting on its way to a 17-1 record, and a 2-0 start in the AMC. Junior forward Christopher Walker, the third member of the Jamaican trio, finished with a balanced eight points, five rebounds, and five assists.

Spencers double helps Notre Dame rout OSU-Mansfield - by Leonard Whyte
South Euclid, OH (01-08-2009): Junior forward Paul Spencer came off the bench to deliver the first double-double of his college career when he scored 10 points and hauled down 10 rebounds to help Notre Dame College rout Ohio State University-Mansfield 114-48 in its final non-conference game before beginning the American Mideast Conference (AMC) portion of their schedule. The 114-point outburst is a season-high for Notre Dame and their highest offensive output since November 2007 when they scored 155 points. The victory was the second in a row for Notre Dame and the fourth in its last five games, and kicked off a four-game home stand which continues on Saturday against Northwestern College-Ohio.

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  KUWAIT   


American Guard Josh Cooperwood signs with Jahra Club - by Corey Washington
Josh Cooperwood (193-G-80, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Tennessee St.) arrived in Kuwait Wednsday morning in enough time to get a little rest before his first day of training with Jahra Club. Cooperwood is a very talented guard with a good attitude on and off the court. Terrific scorer, has a great long range shot, and can score in traffic in any situation. Unselfish, passes the ball more often than not. Tenacious on defense, has the ability to steal the ball easily, and can rebound too.
Jahra plays Kuwait Club on 18 January, giving us a look at two teams projected to make the Golden 4. With the national players back from the Asian Cup, the teams should match up well.

*****************************************************
  NBA   


NBA Round: 70 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Magic - Hawks 106-102
Another good performance by the Orlando Magic for 28-8 record. Dwight Howard was central figure of the game as he drained 23 points and grabbed 19 rebounds. Rashard Lewis and Hidayet Turkoglu scored 20 points apiece. Turkoglu had 7 rebounds and 8 assists beside that. Josh Smith shined in defeat collecting 21 points and 9 boards. Hawks 22-12.

Bobcats - Cavaliers 81-101
LeBron James top-scored fro the Cavs in this home victory with 21 points. Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson netted 15 pts each. Raymond Felton added 15 points for the loosing side. Cavs 28-6, Bobcats 13-23.

Raptors - Wizards 99-93
Andre Bargnani once again shined for the Raptors, this time nailing 25 points with 4 of 5 from behind the arc. Chris Bosh helped with 18 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. The Wizards got 32 points and 7 boards from Antawn Jamison. Raptors 15-21, Wizards 7-27.

Rockets - Celtics 89-85
The reigning champion faced with 6th failure in 8 appearances. This time it was the home defeat against the Rockets. Ming Yao was unstoppable in the paint nailing 26 points and also registering 8 boards and 4 assists for 36 minutes. Aaron Brookes added 19 pts. The hosts got 26 points, 5 boards and 4 assists from Paul Pierce.

Grizzlies - Nets 89-100
The New Jersey Nets were too strong for the Grizzlies mostly owing to Vince Carter, who had 25 points, 6 rebounds and 12 assists. Jianlian Yi was behind him with 20 pts and 6 boards. OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay combined 49 points in loss. Nets 18-18, Grizzlies 11-25.

76ers - Bucks 110-105
Andre Igodala is in a great shape. This time he scored 28 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and handed out 6 assists helping his 76ers to beat the Bucks on the road. Richard Jefferson had 27 points and 5 boards for the hosts. 76ers 15-20, Bucks 17-20.

Thunder - Timberwolves 87-129
Easy on for the Timberwolves (10-25). The Thunder fell on poor 5-31. Randy Foye stepped up for the hosts pouring in 32 points and dishing out 6 assists. On the other side Russell Westbrook had 16 points and 12 assists.

Heat - Nuggets 97-108
Linas Kleiza, Chauncey Billups and JR Smith delivered 21 points each in Nuggets' victory against the Heat. Dwayne Wade was on high level in defeat scoring 31 points. The Nuggets improved on 25-12, while the Heat dropped on 18-16.

Pacers - Suns 113-110
13- 22 for the Pacers and 19-13 for the Suns after this very exciting game. Danny Granger was a key player for the winners with 37 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Amare Stoudemire answered with double-double, 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Hornets - Jazz 90-116
26-point home win by the Jazz for 21-15 record. Paul Millsap came up with 27 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists, while Mehmet Okur added 20 points and 7 rebs. The Hornets got 26 points and 7 assists from Chris Paul, falling on 21-11.

Pistons - Trail Blazers 83-84
Travis Outlaw made a wining fadeaway jumper for the Trail Blazers with 8.9 seconds remaining. He finished the game with 14 points in total. LaMarcus Aldride was the best player in the host team with 26 points and 6 rebounds. Tayshaun Price had 26 points and 8 rebs. Trail Blazers 21-14, Pistons 21-12.

Lakers - Warriors 114-106
The top ranked NBA team, LA Lakers, celebrated against the Warriors on the road with plus 8. Pau Gasol (7'0''-F/C-80) was totally unstoppable nailing 33 points and pulling down 18 rebounds. Kobe Bryant added 21 pts, 5 rebs and 5 as. Jamal Crawford had 25 points and 9 assists for the hosts. Lakers 28-6, Warriors 10-27.

Gooden returns for the Chicago Bulls, Deng maybe tomorrow - by Eurobasket News
Since he sprained his right ankle Dec. 19 in Boston, Drew Gooden (6'10''-F-81, college: Kansas) insisted he wouldn't return unless he felt 100 percent.

Gooden returned Tuesday night even though lingering swelling dropped how he felt below triple digits.

'There's still swelling, but I'm well enough to play,' Gooden said. 'Who cares about the aftereffect? It's a huge stretch for us.'

Gooden, who played a surprising 33 minutes, consistently has talked about how much it has meant to him to be a team captain this season.

This is a contract season for the seven-year veteran, and leadership apparently is as important as statistics.

'I felt a little in sync offensively,' Gooden said. 'I tried to take it to the basket and finish strong.'

Gooden, who had missed eight games, finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds for his team-leading eighth double-double. He shot 12 free throws.

Miller time: Brad Miller played 105 games for the Tim Floyd Bulls, so he knows losing. The Kings' center also knows he doesn't like it.

'It [stinks],' the always blunt Miller said.

Miller is available, and his contract conveniently expires in The Summer of LeBron, otherwise known as 2010.

That's the year LeBron James and other high-profile free agents are available. Thus far, Miller has generated little interest.

'A lot can happen between now and the [Feb. 19 trade] deadline,' Miller said. 'I don't think about that stuff. I just play hard and try to win.'

Layups: Del Negro said Friday is a possibility for Luol Deng (6'7''-F-85, agency: Arik Krayn Services, college: Duke) 's return from his sprained left ankle. Deng, who missed his sixth straight game, confirmed that possibility, although he sounded less definite. The crowd of 18,060 marked the lowest for a Bulls home game since 17,032 watched a victory over Golden State on Jan. 10, 2005. Andres Nocioni missed his first 10 shots and finished 1 of 11.

Courtesy of http://www.chicagotribune.com

Trading Miller possible, not guaranteed - by Eurobasket News
Ed Stefanski said Tuesday that he's just as disappointed in the 76ers' record this season as everybody else, and that he would consider a trade to improve the team as the Feb. 19 trade deadline draws closer.

It's clear that the Sixers need a 3-point shooter. They are last in the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage at 29.4 percent.

Their most tradeable player is point guard Andre Miller (6'3''-G-76, college: Utah), who is in the final season of a contract that pays $10 million this season. He would be attractive to a team looking to cut salary after the season while adding depth this season.

Miller knows this. But he said he won't ask for a trade to a contender if the Sixers don't improve their position in the next few weeks.

'I'm almost 33,' Miller said. 'Every player wants to be on a contender, but I don't want it to seem like if I was going that way, that it would be a bailout on the team. But I do understand that it's a business. I'm not going to fall into that trap. I'm just going to continue and go out and do my job.'

Miller also said he hasn't talked about a contract extension. Stefanski said he has talked to Miller's agent, Andy Miller (no relation), but that 'both sides haven't decided what they want to do.'

That could indicate that Miller isn't sure he wants to stay with the Sixers, just as much as the Sixers aren't sure they want him back.

'It's not really important right now,' Miller said.

'Every player thinks about (an extension) for a little bit, but I'm just trying to block it out and concentrate on the rest of the season.'

Stefanski said last summer that he wasn't in a hurry to give Miller a contract extension because he had other pressing needs, such as signing free agent Elton Brand (6'8''-F-79, college: Duke), re-signing Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, and giving an extension to coach Maurice Cheeks, who was fired in December.

Stefanski also said he's not 'shopping' Miller.


Brand news

Elton Brand, who missed his ninth game Tuesday with a right shoulder dislocation, said he's on track to return by mid-January. The Sixers said Brand would miss a month when he suffered the injury Dec. 17 against Milwaukee.

'It's feeling good,' Brand said. 'It's much better than when the injury first happened.'

The Sixers came into their game against Houston 2-6 without Brand.

Brand said he hopes to start practicing with the team sometime in the next week. But it hasn't been easy watching the Sixers play without him.

'This is very disheartening,' he said.

Courtesy of http://www.courierpostonline.com/

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  NCAA1   


Harvard shocks No. 17 BC days after Eagles upset top-ranked UNC - by Eurobasket News
Boston College coach Al Skinner had been warning his players all along. It showed they didn't listen.

Jeremy Lin (6'2''-G) scored 27 points to lead Harvard to an 82-70 upset over No. 17 Boston College on Wednesday night, three days after the Eagles upset previously top-ranked North Carolina.

'I tried to pre-warn them,' said Skinner after one of the Eagles' more disappointing regular season losses in many years. 'We were capable of being this team and capable of being another team.'

The Eagles (13-3), who had their 10-game winning streak snapped, defeated the unbeaten Tar Heels 85-78 in Chapel Hill for one of the school's biggest regular season wins to move into the Top 25.

'I told them its a short trip from the main house to the big house to the out house,' Skinner said.

Corey Raji paced BC with 16 points, Tyrese Rice had 14, Joe Trapani had 12. Rice was held to three points until the final four minutes.

Oliver McNally had 17 points and Andrew Pusar 13 for the Crimson (8-6), who had never beaten a ranked team before and had lost 15 of their last 16 games against the Eagles. Lin added eight assists before fouling out with about a minutes left.

'Obviously it's a special night for us and for our basketball program,' Harvard coach Tommy Amaker said. 'To be able to come across town and play against an outstanding basketball team, especially after what they experienced in their previous game.'

Harvard opened a 57-45 edge with 9:04 to play when Peter Boehm nailed a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired and made it 62-48 just under two minutes later when McNally hit a 3 in front of his own bench. McNally was jumping up and down excitedly afterward.

Harvard led 66-50 after Doug Miller's layup with 5:06 to play before the Eagles tried to use fullcourt pressure to get back into the game.

But it was Lin's poise that helped Harvard maintain control down the stretch.

'We were glad we had this opportunity to play them after they took out UNC,' Lin said.

Lin continually isolated against a number of BC defenders that tried to stop him, driving the lane and setting up teammates.

'He got in a rhythm,' Skinner said.

A dejected Skinner didn't have a feeling how his team would play when it resumes Atlantic Coast Conference play against Miami on Saturday.

'I don't know,' he said. 'What do you expect?'

Despite a quick 6-0 spurt that closed the gap to 66-56, BC couldn't climb back.

The Crimson led by six at the half and made it 35-27 on Lin's steal and breakaway layup on the first possession of the second half.

Lin's 3-pointer from the left corner gave Harvard its first double digit lead of the game, 42-31 with 16:55 to play.

There was a quick indication that BC may have not been into it mentally against the Crimson. On its first possession after a Harvard miss, Raji's outlet pass grazed the back of center Josh Southern's head as he ran down the middle of the floor, and Trapani ended the possession by hitting the side of the backboard with a baseline jumper.

Later in the half, six Eagles players were on the floor after a time-out and Tyler Roche ran off -- with a few working the scorer's table yelling to get his attention -- just before they inbounded the ball.

Just like the past few days where BC's basketball team's win over the Tar Heels was overshadowed by the saga involving the school's football program, there was a large media contingent on hand before the game, but most of them left after the school's press conference announcing that football coach Jeff Jagodzinski was fired.

In the first half, BC led 17-11 before Harvard scored 10 consecutive points over a 1:47 stretch en route to a 33-27 halftime edge.

Courtesy of http://www.sportsline.com
CBSSports.com wire reports

Blue Devils hold off Curry and Davidson - by Eurobasket News
Davidson guard Stephen Curry (6'3''-G-88) may be the best show in college basketball this season. But he ran into a team Wednesday night that knows how to draw the curtain.

Curry scored 29 points, including 21 in the second half, but No. 2 Duke withstood a late rally and held on for a 79-67 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

The game was the last opportunity for Curry and Davidson (10-3) to make a national statement before returning to the relative anonymity of the Southern Conference. And Curry certainly made his case. He matched his nation-leading average of 29.2 points against a team that held its previous opponent, Virginia Tech, to 12 second-half points in a 25-point victory on Sunday.

Curry was much more troublesome than the Hokies were, and Duke (13-1) used as many as a half-dozen defenders on him throughout the game.

Its a special team that can be able to do that, I guess throw different guys at you and not miss a beat, Curry said. Ive seen a lot of defenses, a lot of different personnel. They did a great job.

He still wound up as the leading scorer in the game. Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer each had 22 for Duke.

Even so, Duke Coach Mike Mike Krzyzewski was happy with his defense against Curry, a junior who led Davidson to the Round of 8 in last years N.C.A.A. tournament before the Wildcats fell to the eventual champion Kansas.

I thought we did a good job on Curry, defending his 3, Krzyzewski said. Curry was 1 of 8 from 3-point range. He didnt get open looks.

Complimenting Curry's ability as a player, Mike Krzyzewski added: He's just never out of it. All the attention that you give him, it creates things for other people.

Curry went without a shot through the first eight minutes. He missed his first four shots, including one that was blocked under the basket when the 6-foot-3 Curry tried to go against Dukes 7-1 Brian Zoubek.

The raucous Duke student section made sure to let Curry hear about it, although the fans were relatively tame. Among the offerings were, You cant shoot! and the obligatory shot at his baby-face appearance: Isnt it past your bedtime?

Curry made four of his final five shots in the half to finish with a team-best 8 points as Duke built a 37-24 halftime advantage.

Curry was riveting even when he was not scoring, the anticipation rising each time Davidson had the ball against the superior Blue Devils.

He may be the best player in the country, Mike Krzyzewski told reporters on Sunday.

Of course, Duke is one of the best teams in the country, and appeared on its way to an easy win against Davidson. The Wildcats looked out of it in the second half when Duke took a 57-31 lead with 14 minutes 33 seconds left.

Davidson rallied to 69-61 with 3:53 remaining, but Lance Thomas hit two free throws to restore the double-digit lead with 2:40 left, and Duke held that advantage down the stretch.

They put you on your heels, Davidson Coach Bob McKillop said. Ive been doing this for 20 years against Duke. They expose you, they undress you.

I am delighted with the way our guys responded in the second half and never quit and never gave up.

Curry may be gone from the national spotlight for the rest of the regular season, but he is not likely to be forgotten come tournament time. Davidsons 10-3 start all three losses have come against ranked teams - and Currys marquee value will surely garner attention from the N.C.A.A. tournament selection committee in March.

Courtesy of http://www.nytimes.com

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  NCAA2   


Washburn Knocks No. 2 SW Baptist From Unbeatens - by Eurobasket News
Kansas- Lekheythan Malone (6'6''-F-85) had 21 points and DeAndre Eggins had his first double-double at Washburn as the Ichabods beat No. 2-rated Southwest Baptist 83-72 Wednesday, January 7. The loss was the Bearcats' first of the season and gave the Ichabods their second win against a top-10 team in 2008-09.

Washburn is 9-5 overall and 5-2 MIAA (tie for second).

Malone was 8 for 16 from the field with seven rebounds and three steals and Eggins had his first double-double as an Ichabod with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Covier Carter had a career-high 14 points off a 3-for-6 effort from the field and a 7-of-8 effort from the free throw line.

After a 2-2 tie to open the game the Ichabods went on an 8-0 run and extended that to a 14-1 run to lead 16-3 at the 14:23 mark. The Bearcats got within seven points at 4:56 and then within three at 2:44 when Ryan Dougherty hit a 3-pointer. Steve Feighny later made a pair of free throws to give WU at five-point halftime lead.

SBU led twice early in the second half, both times by one point and then Malones dunk with 14:52 put Washburn up for good, 42-41. A 3-pointer by Carter at 10:21 made it a 10-point game before the Bearcats clawed back within five with 8:16 remaining.

Carter made four straight free throws near the 2:00 mark and then a lay-up by Paul Byers with 1:14 gave the Ichabods a 15-point lead.

Washburn shot 44 percent from the field and SBU shot 40 percent. The Ichabods made their first 10 free throws and ended up 70 percent from the line (19 of 27) while SBU was 63 percent (19-30).

Washburn won the rebound battle, 46-35 and committed one fewer turnovers, 18-19.

James Williams led Washburn with five assists, Mario Scott had four and Malones three steals led the team.

Matt Rogers, the MIAAs leading scorer and the nations leading shot blocker, had 17 points and a block. His point total led his team, as did his nine rebounds.

Notes
Washburn improved to 27-13 in the 40th meeting against SBU in series history. The Ichabods are 15-3 against SBU in Lee Arena.
Mario Scott, DeAndre Eggins and James Williams started at guard and Paul Byers and Lekheythan Malone started at forward. This is the first time this combination has been used.
The Bearcats still lead the MIAA at 5-1. Washburn and MSSU are second at 5-2 and three teams are 4-2.
Malone is averaging 15.9 points a game in his 10 starts and 9.3 in his four off the bench. He shoots 53 percent as a starter and 36 percent off the bench
Washburn is now 3-1 against ranked teams this year. The Ichabods have beaten No. 2 SBU, No. 3 BYU-Hawaii and No. 21 Northwest Missouri.
DeAndre Eggins had his first double-double at Washburn with 14 points and 10 rebounds. His rebound total was a career high. He has now scored in double figures in eight straight games.
Lekheythan Malone had his fourth 20-plus point game and WU improved to 4-0 when he reaches that total.
Covier Carter had his first double-figure scoring game at WU with 14 points, a career high. He also set a high with his seven free throws. His previous high was four points on December 29 at Missouri Western.
SBU lost for the first time this year after starting 12-0 and 5-0 in the MIAA. The Bearcats were one of five teams undefeated through January 4 in NCAA II.

Courtesy of the Washburn

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  PBL   


VFH Press Release - by Richard
South Burlington, VT The Vermont Frost Heaves are proud to announce their partnership with the Northeast Sports Network to provide live basketball coverage of Frost Heaves upcoming 2008/2009 Premier Basketball League season. The partnership allows Frost Heaves fans around the world to watch action live on their computer and view archived game webcasts on Northeast Sports Network.
'We are extremely proud to be affiliated with the Vermont Frost Heaves in bringing professional basketball to the internet,' Northeast Sports Network CEO Eric Berry said. They are the preeminent professional sports team in Vermont and we are pleased to bring this exciting coverage to Vermont and a worldwide audience.'
We are very excited about our partnership with NSN to bring fans around the globe, the webcasts of our games for the upcoming season, Michael Healey, GM of the Frost Heaves said. NSN is becoming a leader in their field and it seems like the timing is perfect for us to join forces. We are looking ahead to the future and we believe this partnership will take us both a long way.
We are obviously very pleased by this newest development in the growth of our business model, added Northeast Sports Network COO Jim Davis. 'This partnership with the Vermont Frost Heaves is full of synergy. Our goal of providing live video streaming of local sports and community events with professional broadcasters is ideally served with this partnership and will provide the friends and fans of Vermont Frost Heaves basketball with a new avenue of watching their favorite team.
Northeast Sports Network will stream 14 Frost Heaves games live over the internet during the 2009 season.
Northeast Sports Network is dedicated to publishing comprehensive high school sports information for Vermont and New Hampshire on the web. Northeast Sports Network publishes schedules, scores and standings, and streams live games complete with professional announcers for high schools, colleges and professional sports teams participating in athletics throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. Northeast Sports Network is headquartered in Lyndonville, Vermont.
The Vermont Frost Heaves are in just their third season of competition but they have already achieved great success, winning championships in their first two seasons. The Frost Heaves are a professional basketball team that plays in the Premier Basketball League (PBL).
Courtesy of Vermont Frost Heaves

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  PHILIPPINES   


DEFENDING CHAMPION REALTORS ROUT ELASTO PAINTERS IN GAME 1 - by Benny Lirio

Just in case the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have forgotten it, the Sta. Lucia Realtors just reminded their challengers who they're up against.
The defending champions delivered the message strongly in the form of a lopsided 101-84 victory in the opener of their KFC-PBA Philippine Cup quarterfinal series Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Nelbert Omolon scattered a game-high and personal conference-high 30 points and Joseph Yeo scored 12 of his 26 points in the third quarter, including a 3-for-3 stint from the behind the arc as the Realtors took away any hopes of a comeback by the playoffs first-timers.

With their fourth straight win dating back to eliminations, the Realtors registered their longest win streak in the conference and in almost a year and need just one more victory to clinch their spot in the semifinals.

Game 2 of the best-of-three series is slated Friday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

'Our defense stepped up tonight,' said Sta. Lucia head coach Boyet Fernandez after the game. 'Our goal was to contain and limit Gabe (Norwood) and Sol (Mercado) in the first half and try to limit Rain or Shine's outside shooting. I thought we really did a good job on those targets.'

Fernandez was also all praises for Yeo.

He stepped up up his game when Marlou (Aquino) went out of the game,' he said.
Game 1 of the series was virtually a mismatch.

The Elasto Painters kept the game close only the first quarter before the defending champions ripped the game wide open with excellent shooting and outstanding defense.

Rain or Shine's poor showing could have likely been caused again by poor shooting. Almost two weeks after being held by Barangay Ginebra to all-time franchise lows in scoring (58 points) and field goal shooting (27.3%) in a 63-58 loss in their final game in the eliminations, the Elasto Painters again struggled offensively all night. Against the Realtors, they made just 27-of-81 shots (33 percent) and managed just 10 assists.

Aside from Omolon and Yeo, team captain Dennis Espino was the only other Realtor in double digits with 10 points although the rest of the players Fernandez fielded for the night scored two or more.

Jay-R Reyes (202-C-84) led Rain or Shine with 16 points on a 6-of-13 shooting and rookie Sol Mercado added 13, despite making just 2-of-13 shots.

Mercado and fellow rookie Norwood, who carried the load for the team in the elims, was visibly not in their elements.

Norwood, who managed just nine points, made noise late in the third period but for the wrong reasons.

The top rookie pick threw the ball at Omolon after the Sta. Lucia forward nearly swiped his head after trying to steal the ball. Norwood was called for a flagrant foul-penalty 2 which would mean an automatic one-game suspension depending on the results of an evaluation to be conducted by the PBA Technical staff.

Yeo, Mercado and Ryan Arana, who rushed in when the incident took place, were slapped with technical fouls in the bench-emptying incident which happened at 5:55 mark of the third period and with the Realtors ahead by a mile 65-47.

Yeo and Omolon made five technical free throws at the resumption of play before Yeo knocked in a 3-pointer to give Sta. Lucia a huge 73-47 advantage with 5:39 remaining the third. (DBC)
The scores:
Sta. Lucia 101 - Omolon 30, Yeo 26, Espino 10, Gonzales 8, Aquino 6, Reyes 4, Williams 4, Miranda 4, Mendoza 3, Gregorio 2, Coronel 2, Daa 2.
Rain or Shine 84 - Reyes 16, Mercado 13, Salangsang 10, Norwood 9, Tang 9, Arana 9, Isip 7, Wainwright 7, Dulay 2, Andaya , Ibanes 0, Ejercito 0.
Quarterscores: 23-17, 50-37, 85-62, 101-84. PBA.PH



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  POLAND   


Young out of Anwil, Adams in? - by Michal Falkowski
American player Travis Young (184-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Marshall) won't be playing in Anwil Wloclawek this season. Only after two days of spending in Wloclawek, the board of the club did manage to part ways with him. Young didn't want to agree on some of medicial examinations. It means that Anwil is still looking for another combo guard. Tommy Adams (191-G-80, agency: Passing Lane, college: Hampton) is linked with the team, although he has still valid contract with Polonia Warsaw. But after Jitim Young joined Polonia, everything is possible.

Regal Barca too strong for the Polish champ - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Asseco Prokom - Regal Barca 64-76

Regal Barca was victorious in Sopot last night securing the top of Group B with 8 wins and just 1 defeat. Despite this failure, the Polish champion still has a chance to reach Top 16. Today's game between Zalgiris and SLUC Nancy will be very important for Asseco Prokom. Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) paced his Barca to this victory registering double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. Roger Grimau (196-G-79) also drained 14, while the big guy David Andersen (212-C-80) helped with 12 points and 8 boards. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis) shined in defeat collecting 19 points and 5 rebounds. Patrick Burke (208-C-73, college: Auburn) had 13, while Daniel Ewing (191-G-83, college: Duke) contributed with 11 points in loss.
Asseco Prokom had furious first quarter. After opening 3-3 and 7-6, the hosts made 8-0. Przemyslaw Zamojski (198-G/F-86, college: Independence CC) drained it at the last Prokom's possession in the first frame setting the score on 20-12. Patrick Burke made a jumper at the beginning of the second quarter pulling his Prokom up to plus 10, 25-15. However, it was kind of a signal for Braca's players, which immediately responded with amazing 18-0 run. The hosts missed couple of shots and committed few turnovers letting Barca to grab 30-37. Ersan Ilyasova and David Logan exchanged triples after that and Logan made a lay up for 35-40 at the half time. Crucial period of the game was the middle of third quarter, when Barca created 9-0 run. Lay up by Andersen helped the Spanish team to made 48-58 before the last quarter. Prokom was not able to treat until the end.

Asseco Prokom: David Logan 19+5 boards, Patrick Burke 13, Daniel Ewing 11
Regal Barca: Ersan Ilyasova 14+10 boards, Roger Grimau 14, David Andersen 12+8 boards<<>><<>>

Polonia Warszawa sign Jitim Young - by Eurobasket
Polonia Warszawa agreed terms with 28-year old American guard Jitim Young (188-G-81, agency: Edge Sports, college: Northwestern). Young played most recently at MAFC Budapest (Hungary) where he played 26 games and average: 19.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 3.3apg, 2.4spg, 2FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 65.2%; Jitim is well known in D-League where he played for Sioux Falls Skyforce, and many international experience in Greece, Dominican Republic, and Hungary where he was awarded Eurobasket.com All-Hungarian League Honorable Mention -08 when playing 26 games for MAFC Budapest and 19.3ppg, 5.0rpg, 3.3apg, 2.4spg, 2FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 65.2% as accumulated average.

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  RUSSIA   


CSKA cruises past Efes Pilsen in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Efes Pilsen - CSKA Moscow 55-74

The reigning champion registered an easy victory in Istanbul improving its score in Group D on 7-2. Efes Pilsen missed a chance to book a spot for Top 16 yesterday demonstrating not so brilliant performance. The hosts fell on 4-5 record, the same as Partizan Belgrade, who outplayed Panionios On Telecoms. Trajan Langdon (192-G-76, college: Duke) was a key player for the winning squad in this game. He spent 28 minutes on the court nailing 27 points. Langdon made 3 of 3 attempts for FG2 and 7 of 10 from behind the arc. Erazem Lorbek (210-F/C-84, college: Michigan St.) followed him with 12 points and 6 rebounds, while J.R. Holden (185-G-76, college: Bucknell) added 8 points and 4 assists. Marvis Thornton (194-G-77, college: St.John's) was the only one in a game mood for Efes scoring 19 points. The second scorer in defeat was Cenk Akyol (196-G-87) with 7 points.
CSKA opened the game well creating 7-0 run at the middle of the first quarter for 11-16. Thanks to Trajan Langdon's triple at the buzzer, the reining champ had 12-19 after 10 minutes. Efes Pilsen managed to close the gap on 19-21, and later thanks, to Milos Vujanic (192-G-80) and Marvis Thornton, the hosts made a turn with 9-0 run. It was 31-29. CSKA responded with 5-0, but Preston Shumpert (198-G-79, college: Syracuse) made two FTs for 33-34 at the half time. Trajan Langdon and Matjaz Smodis (205-F-79) were on fire at the beginning of third stanza bringing the first double-digit lead to CSKA. Nothing has changed until the end of the period, 46-56. Efes Pilsen was not able to score any point almost 4 minutes in the last frame, what CSKA exploited to extend lead on 14. Soon after that, visitors made another nice run, this time 10-0, for 48-68. It was clear that Efes won't have any chance during the final couple of minutes. In the last round CSKA will host Partizan, while Efes goes to Madrid.

Efes Pilsen: Marvis Thornton 19, Cenk Akyol 7
CSKA Moscow: Trajan Langdon 27, Erazem Lorbek 12+6 boards, J.R. Holden 8+4 as

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  SERBIA   


Lawrence Roberts one month out of the court - by Zoran Popovic
KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd power forward Lawrence Roberts (205-F/C-82, college: Mississippi St.) will be out of the court one month. Lawrence got knee injury in last few minutes in Eurocup match played against TEC Spirou Charleroi. That match KK Crvena Zvezda Beograd won 93-91 and Roberts was one of the best players with 20 points and 10 rebounds. This season Roberts average scored on 7 games in Eurocup 12.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assistants and in Adriatic league on 14 games average scored 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.5 assistants.

Partizan blasts Panionios in crucial game - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Partizan - Panionios 80-57

Partizan trashed Panionios On Telecoms in Belgrade with plus 23. It was the crucial game for both teams. With this victory Partizan stays in the race for Top 16, while Panionios said goodbye to it, despite there is one more round to be played. Partizan and Efes Pilsen currently have the same 4-5 record in Group D. Panionios fell on 3-6, while AJ Milano will host Real Madrid today in very important game. Czech prospect Jan Vesely (210-F/C-90) led Partizan last night with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Uros Tripkovic (196-G-86) and Stephane Lasme (203-F-82, college: Massachusetts) scored 12, while Milenko Tepic (198-G-87, agency: Beo Basket) delivered one point less. Aaron Miles (186-G-83, agency: Octagon, college: Kansas) was better than the others in loss collecting 14 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Ivan Zoroski (195-G-79, agency: Octagon) scored 12 and Lonny Baxter (203-C-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) nailed one point less.
It was amazing beginning for Partizan. In the front of 6.550 spectators in 'Pionir' Panionios made 2-7, followed by magnificent 20-0 run by the host team. Uros Tripkovic and Petar Bozic (197-G-78) nailed two triples later for 30-9 after ten minutes. Jan Vesely scored 11 points in the first quarter. Aaron Miles and his teammates woke up after that cutting the margin on 44-33 at the half time. Soon after the breather Milenko Tepic and Uros Tripkovic drained 2 triples for plus 19, 52-33. At that point of game it was already clear that Partizan will take this one in style. Third quarter ended 59-42 and later it was 62-44. After another triple by Petar Bozic, Partizan touched 67-44 with less than 7 minutes to go. In the last round Partizan goes to Moscow, while Panionios waits AJ Milano.

Partizan: Jan Vesely 19+10 boards, Uros Tripkovic 12, Stephane Lasme 12, Milenko Tepic 11
Panionios: Aaron Miles 14+5 boards+5 as, Ivan Zoroski 12, Lonny Baxter 11

Marko Cvetkovic joins Radnicki Invest Inzenjering - by Dragan Jankovski
Experienced small forward Marko Cvetkovic (197-F/G-77, agency: Beo Basket) agreed terms with A league participant Radnicki Invest Inzenjering. Cvetkovic played last season for Crvena Zvezda averaging 1.9 ppg and 1.5 rpg in 21 games. He also played 12 matches in ULEB Cup adding 2.7 ppg and 1.8 rpg. The Red-and-whites reached the semifinals of Serbian Cup Radivoj Korac. The team also stopped on the same stage in the Superleague play-off. Cvetkovic joined Zvezda in April 2007, after he finished the season with Zdravlje Actavis. In the past Cvetkovic changed many teams. He was a member of Ergonom, Marso (Hungary), Vojvodina and Sloga. Radnicki Invest Inzenjering currently has 6 wins and 9 defeats. The same score also have Vizura, Tamis and Masinac. Novi Sad is with 5-10 on 11th place, while the last ranked teams are Sloga and Zdravlje. It just means that management of Radnicki Invest Inzenjering wanted to add experienced player, who will at least help the team to avoid relegation.

Serbian A league continues next week-end. The most important games are between Radnicki Invest Inzenjering and Sloga, as well as Mega Hypo Leasing - Ergonom.

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  SLOVAKIA   


Handlova signed Paraik for a month try out - by Martin Galajda
MBK Handlova signed power forward Vladimir Paraik (204-C/F-85). Team signed him for a month try out contract. He was signed until end of January. Former youth national team player started this season in Poprad. He played for Slovak teams Banik Cigel Prievidza, K-Cerno Slavia SPU Nitra, BK Vahostav Zilina, Chemosvit Svit and Chemosvit Poprad. Part of the season 2006/2007 spent in Czech Mlekarna Kunin. Paraik is Slovakian Junior Championships All-Star Team member from 2004.

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  SLOVENIA   


Tournament ''Zasavje 2009'' - by Uros Vujic
This weekend Zasavje organised a tournament of 4 regional teams, Zagorje, Rudar Trbovlje, Hrastnik and Litija. In the tournament opener at Zagorje, Trbovlje recorder a victory over Hrastnik 82-78 and Zagorje beat Litija 85-58. The second day of the tournament was held at Trbovlje, where Litija won the 3rd place by defeating Hrastnik 79-64. In the finals Trbovlje defeated Zagorje 85-75 and won the tournament. The best scorer of the tournament was Marjan Vidovic from Trbovlje who had 41 points in two games.
Litija inked Danijel Majstorovic (184-G-89) from Rogla for the rest of the season.

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  SPAIN   


ALBA grabs the precious win in Badalona - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: DKV Joventut - ALBA 75-79

German champion ALBA Berlin made fantastic road victory in Badalona coming very close to Top 16. Both teams are on the same 4-5 record now, but ALBA would win any tie between them because of two regular season victories against the Spaniards. Even in case of three-way tie with Fenerbahce, DKV Joventut won't have a chance (2 defeats against Fener also). If ALBA succeeds to beat the last-ranked Union Olimpija in Berlin next week it will book a spot for the next stage. Immanuel McElroy (193-G-80, college: Cincinnati) led the scorers in ALBA with 26 points. Aleksandar Nadjfeji (203-F-76) had double-double, 12 points and 12 rebounds, while Casey Jacobsen (198-G/F-81, agency: Octagon, college: Stanford) also scored 12 for the winners. Jan-Hendrick Jagla (213-F-81, agency: Priority Sports, college: Penn St.) delivered 15 points for the hosts. Bracey Wright (191-G-84, college: Indiana) had 13. Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca (212-C-83) added 11 points and 7 rebounds.
DKV Joventut was a better team in the first half. The team from Badalona had 10-3 after what ALBA made a turn 13-16. However, the hosts answered with 10-0 for 23-16 after 10 minutes. Few minutes later in the second quarter Immanuel McElroy and his teammates once again tied the score, 27-27. Bracey Wright and Jan-Hendrick Jagla stepped up for Joventut after that helping it to reach 38-31. Rashad Wright scored it for ALBA in the finish of the first half setting the score on 41-37. Immanuel McElroy was on fire after the breather leading 8-0 run for his team. The teams started from zero once again thanks to Jagla's basket, 48-48. Big guy Aleksandar Nadjfeji helped Immanuel McElroy later resulting with 54-60 lead. After 30 minutes ALBA had 58-63. The game is decided at they very end. Rashad Wright gave 74-77 advantage for ALBA with a jumper, after what Joventut missed and Sesay of ALBA committed a turnover. Bracey Wright also missed and Aleksandar Nadjfeji was unsuccessful 2 times from the FT line. Jasaitis scored first and missed the second free throw intentionally, but ALBA's players grabbed the ball and Immanuel McElroy sealed this victory with dunk.

DKV Joventut: Jan-Hendrick Jagla 15, Bracey Wright 13, Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca 11+7 boards
ALBA: Immanuel McElroy 26, Aleksandar Nadjfeji 12+12 boards, Casey Jacobsen 12

Regal Barca too strong for the Polish champ - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Asseco Prokom - Regal Barca 64-76

Regal Barca was victorious in Sopot last night securing the top of Group B with 8 wins and just 1 defeat. Despite this failure, the Polish champion still has a chance to reach Top 16. Today's game between Zalgiris and SLUC Nancy will be very important for Asseco Prokom. Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) paced his Barca to this victory registering double-double, 14 points and 10 rebounds. Roger Grimau (196-G-79) also drained 14, while the big guy David Andersen (212-C-80) helped with 12 points and 8 boards. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis) shined in defeat collecting 19 points and 5 rebounds. Patrick Burke (208-C-73, college: Auburn) had 13, while Daniel Ewing (191-G-83, college: Duke) contributed with 11 points in loss.
Asseco Prokom had furious first quarter. After opening 3-3 and 7-6, the hosts made 8-0. Przemyslaw Zamojski (198-G/F-86, college: Independence CC) drained it at the last Prokom's possession in the first frame setting the score on 20-12. Patrick Burke made a jumper at the beginning of the second quarter pulling his Prokom up to plus 10, 25-15. However, it was kind of a signal for Braca's players, which immediately responded with amazing 18-0 run. The hosts missed couple of shots and committed few turnovers letting Barca to grab 30-37. Ersan Ilyasova and David Logan exchanged triples after that and Logan made a lay up for 35-40 at the half time. Crucial period of the game was the middle of third quarter, when Barca created 9-0 run. Lay up by Andersen helped the Spanish team to made 48-58 before the last quarter. Prokom was not able to treat until the end.

Asseco Prokom: David Logan 19+5 boards, Patrick Burke 13, Daniel Ewing 11
Regal Barca: Ersan Ilyasova 14+10 boards, Roger Grimau 14, David Andersen 12+8 boards<<>><<>>

LEB Gold: Autocid signs Carles Marco - by Natxo Mendaza
Autocid Burgos officially announced the signing of Carles Marco (180-G-74), who will replace injured Ivan Corrales (182-G-74). Corrales got injured in early December, but it was during the game his team played against Tenerife when everything got worse. After medical examinations, Corrales was diagnosed a a serious problem in a ligament of his right knee, that could prevent him from playing the remainder of the season. As such, Autocid Burgos management reacted quickly and contacted Carles Marco, who already played some ACB games this season with iurbentia Bilbao Basket and Ricoh Manresa -where he also served as temporary replacement for injured players-. Marco is expected to make his debut this weekend against C.B. Valladolid.

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  SWITZERLAND   


LNA Round: 13 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Nyon - SAM Massa. 112-67
Nyon rallied past SAM Massagno before the home fans. Julien Rahier and Ivan Mcfarlin led well-balanced charge with 18 points each. Gino Lanisse added 15 points for the winners. Ollie Bailey responded with 22 points for SAM Massagno.

Fribourg - Geneva 92-68
The defending champions posted the ninth win as they outscored Geneva at home court. Tresore Quidome and Oliver Vogt came up with 14 points apiece for the winners. Marcus Sloan had 10 points and 15 boards for Fribourg. Mike Jefferson answered with 19 points for the Devils in defeat.

Vacallo - Lugano Tigers 89-62
Vacallo refused to slow down in the championship as they thrashed Lugano for the 12h success. Matt Schneidermann delivered 20 points to lead the way for the league leaders. Nikola Dacevic added 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Dejan Lukovic scored 16 ponts for the winners. Derek Stockalper nailed 18 points for Lugano. Kameron Gray had 17 points for the Tigers in the loss.

MGS - Starwings 39-59
Sheray Thomas and Amin Wright scored 14 points apiece to lead Starwings past MGS in an incredibly low-scoring affair. Douglas Scott was the only MGS player to score in double figures as he accounted for 15 points in defeat. The win allowed the Starwings improve at 8-5 record in the third spot in the ladder.

Boncourt - Monthey 77-65
Boncourt grabbed the fifth win as they fired down Monthey at home court. Emmanuel Messy debuted for the hosts in a stunning manner delivering 33 points and 8 rebounds in the win. Jeff Fahnbulleh added 17 points and 21 boards for Boncourt. Kareem Johnson had 21 points and 10 rebounds for Monthey as they slipped at 7-6 record.



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  TANZANIA   


Savio outclass Oilers in Kili RBA league - by Carlos Pereira
Savio trounced Oilers 57-47 in the Dar es Salaam regional basketball league popularly known as 'Kili RBA' at the National Indoor Stadium in the city over the weekend. George Tarimo scored 24 points as Savio proved too strong for Oilers.
The winners led by 30 points against 24 of Oilers at the breather and showed enormous character to outclass their opponents in the final half. Despite fighting with determination Oilers failed to match their rivals and had to concede a ten-point deficit after full time.
Karim Ezekiel and Lusajo Somali managed 18 and 10 points respectively for defeated Oilers. Vijana City Bulls are the mens reigning champions of Kili RBA league and JKT Stars are the tournaments ladies defending champions. The Dar es Salaam regional basketball league which kicked off on December 20 will reach its climax in March. The league involves 14 men teams and six women teams.

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  TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO   


Raptors drill by UTT! - by Albert-Lee Young
Yet another Big-Four contender fell victim to the University of Trinidad & Tobago basketball team (100-91) in the Stag Super 10 Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night at the Jean Pierre Complex. It was only on Monday that UTT defeated the other South Zone top contender Sando Petro Jazz.

This time it was K-Brand Marabella Raptors turn, as UTT (6-2) made a big statement when they handed the South Zone champs their second loss (3-2) of the tournament.

But there was a glimmer of hope for Raptors to write off the script as they led by the end of the first quarter 28-12 despite the hot hands of shooting guard Kenyatta Alfred who top scored for UTT with 22 points. Led by the exciting Ako Pascal with a game high 32 points, Raptors control the tempo with an extended lay-up display and with 4:27 minutes left in the second quarter they jump to a 41-31 advantage.

But there would be no denying UTT. We must win this game, UTT coach Terry Layton said. Although we allow them too much room, our centres came up big as our guys were looking inside for them. By the 7:33min mark in the third quarter centre Shawn Lawrence score a dunk on an assist from Kensley Sandy to put UTT ahead, 51-50. With starting centre Miguel Sansavior in foul trouble, coach Layton turned to Lawrence and Kiewan Bacquain. And they executed well with Bacquain getting 10 of his 20 points in the third quarter and Lawrence added seven to put UTT 74-67 in the led at the end of the period.

In the fourth UTT held on in a manner befitting a contest with Raptors Ako Pascall taking on UTT with his penetration and UTT Kensley Sandy responding with 7 points. With less than three minutes remaining Lawrence was fouled out and Sanaviour re-entered the game with UTT leading 89-80. Then it all fell apart for Raptors with 1:50min left as Sanavior punctuated yet another UTT possession with an emphatic dunk on an assist from point guard Dwayne Mosses for a 91-83 led. And with 37 seconds remaining UTT finish the session with Sansavior & Bacquain scoring two exclamation dunks for a well deserved 100-91 victory.

For UTT Kenyatta Alfred had 22pts & 4 assists; Kensley Sandy 20pts & 5 assists; Kiewan Bacquain 21pts, 11 rebs, 2 blks & 3 steals; Shawn Lawrence 15pts, 8rebs & 1 blk; and Miguel Sanavior 10pts, 4 rebs & 3blks.

Ako Pascal led Raptors with 32pts. Damian Cato added 16pts & 11 rebs; Kurt Baptiste had 11 pts; and Lucinao Cedeno got 10pts & 6rebs.

In the first game of the night, Akil Paynter scored 20 points and Barry Sandy contributed 16 points as Royal Extra Lions (4-3) beat Diego Martin All Stars 70-65. For All Stars (2-4) Akil La Roache scored 22pts; Keston Reid 13pts & 8rebs; Douglas Mc Neily and Roland Guischard both added 11pts each.




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  TURKEY   


CSKA cruises past Efes Pilsen in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague: Efes Pilsen - CSKA Moscow 55-74

The reigning champion registered an easy victory in Istanbul improving its score in Group D on 7-2. Efes Pilsen missed a chance to book a spot for Top 16 yesterday demonstrating not so brilliant performance. The hosts fell on 4-5 record, the same as Partizan Belgrade, who outplayed Panionios On Telecoms. Trajan Langdon (192-G-76, college: Duke) was a key player for the winning squad in this game. He spent 28 minutes on the court nailing 27 points. Langdon made 3 of 3 attempts for FG2 and 7 of 10 from behind the arc. Erazem Lorbek (210-F/C-84, college: Michigan St.) followed him with 12 points and 6 rebounds, while J.R. Holden (185-G-76, college: Bucknell) added 8 points and 4 assists. Marvis Thornton (194-G-77, college: St.John's) was the only one in a game mood for Efes scoring 19 points. The second scorer in defeat was Cenk Akyol (196-G-87) with 7 points.
CSKA opened the game well creating 7-0 run at the middle of the first quarter for 11-16. Thanks to Trajan Langdon's triple at the buzzer, the reining champ had 12-19 after 10 minutes. Efes Pilsen managed to close the gap on 19-21, and later thanks, to Milos Vujanic (192-G-80) and Marvis Thornton, the hosts made a turn with 9-0 run. It was 31-29. CSKA responded with 5-0, but Preston Shumpert (198-G-79, college: Syracuse) made two FTs for 33-34 at the half time. Trajan Langdon and Matjaz Smodis (205-F-79) were on fire at the beginning of third stanza bringing the first double-digit lead to CSKA. Nothing has changed until the end of the period, 46-56. Efes Pilsen was not able to score any point almost 4 minutes in the last frame, what CSKA exploited to extend lead on 14. Soon after that, visitors made another nice run, this time 10-0, for 48-68. It was clear that Efes won't have any chance during the final couple of minutes. In the last round CSKA will host Partizan, while Efes goes to Madrid.

Efes Pilsen: Marvis Thornton 19, Cenk Akyol 7
CSKA Moscow: Trajan Langdon 27, Erazem Lorbek 12+6 boards, J.R. Holden 8+4 as

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  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS   


Duncan steady, consistent as ever - by David Edole
The topic of conversation Wednesday afternoon at the Spurs practice facility was Tim Duncan (208-F-76, college: Wake Forest) his offensive numbers and how they have gone up for him at age 32 instead of down.

The consensus among the gathered media types was that this was a Big Deal. A lone voice sounded in dissent.

Why are we even talking about this? Duncan said, quickly transforming himself from interviewee to interviewer. I dont think my numbers are that much different than in years past.

Duncan, of course, is right. And perhaps that is the biggest news to come out of the Spurs season so far.

Thirty-four games into his 12th NBA season, Duncan appears to be as fresh and as limber as he did 34 games into his first.

Heading into tonights home game against the injury-decimated Los Angeles Clippers, Duncan is averaging 20.8 points, his most since 2003-04, and shooting 51.9 percent from the field. Those numbers are up slightly from 19.3 points and 49.7 percent last season.

On his way to an 11th consecutive All-Star appearance, Duncan has quarterbacked the Spurs to a 23-11 record, good for first place in the Southwest Division by a game over the New Orleans Hornets (21-11). The Spurs and Nuggets (25-12) are tied for second in the Western Conference behind the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers.

Duncan shrugs off the incremental increase in his offensive statistics. He doesnt know what the fuss is about.

Everything is kind of running through me right now, maybe more so than in the past, Duncan said. It helps that the ball is going in a little bit more than usual.

With fellow All-Stars Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili sidelined for much of the first month of the season, and with much still in flux since their return, the Spurs have leaned on

Duncan even more than usual. He has obliged by turning in his best season in four years.

It is not supposed to be this way for NBA big men, who typically have the shelf life of unrefrigerated cottage cheese. At an age when many of his forefathers were beginning a hasty decline, Duncan is putting together a season worthy of MVP consideration.

In addition to scoring, Duncan is also grabbing 10.4 rebounds per game. He is one of only two players in the league to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds, joining Minnesotas Al Jefferson.

Duncan has also seen an uptick in his nightly workload. He is averaging 35.4 minutes per game, again his most since 2003-04, and is the Spurs only player to start every game.

Before you go scrambling for Duncans birth certificate I am as old as you thought I was, he assured the media Wednesday consider coach Gregg Popovichs explanation for his star forwards midlife anti-crisis.

His body is the best its been in a long time, Popovich said. He got in great shape over the summer. He worked very hard, and he has been our most consistent player to this point.

Some of Duncans best work came when his team needed him most.

The Spurs were 1-4 on Nov. 7, and Parker had just sprained an ankle to earn a spot next to Ginobili on the injured list.

With their Big Three reduced to just one for the next seven games, Duncan carried the Spurs to a 5-2 mark, averaging 19.3 points to help them stay afloat in the ultra-competitive West.

During that time, Duncan was as vital off the floor as he was on it, tutoring and encouraging rookie point guard George Hill and newcomer Roger Mason Jr., whose roles ballooned radically.

Hes done with this group exactly what hes done with every group weve had, Popovich said. Hes like a chameleon. Its just incredible, the empathy and leadership he shows to make those guys feel comfortable.

Duncan kept it up after Parker and Ginobili returned, opening December with a string of eight consecutive double-doubles, part of the 21 hes posted this season.

Over the course of the Spurs upcoming three-game homestand, Duncan will have his mettle not to mention his scoring numbers tested again.

Tonight, he will face the games best shot-blocker in the Clippers Marcus Camby. Sunday brings a visit from Superman himself, Orlandos Dwight Howard.

Wednesday, Duncan gets to tangle with the Lakers twin 7-footers, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

If recent history holds, Duncan will hold his own. He has been to the Spurs this season what the North Star once was to wayward sailors.

You know hes going to be there every night, Popovich said. Hes so consistent, you take him for granted.

And, despite Duncans protestations to the contrary, that is something worth talking about.

By Jeff McDonald - Express-News

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  UKRAINE   


Three loses in EuroChallenge campaign - by Eurobasket News
Three Ukrainian representatives lost their latest games in EuroChallenge campaign. Khimik Yuzhny lost at home, while BC Kyiv and BC Sumykhimprom came with nothing from abroad.
Benetton Olympic celebrated the initial victory in Group C beating BC Sumykhimprom 70:67. The Swiss side also tied them in the standings for 1-4 record. Valentin Wegmann (192-G-79) top-scored for the winners with 15 points, whilst Sloan Marcus had 14 points and 10 boards. Corey Santee (188-G-83, college: TCU) ended up with 24 points in defeat.
BC Kalev Cramo beat BC Kyiv 82:76 to prove that Group H will send the names of the winners in the last round. John Linehan (175-G-78, college: Providence) was unstoppable with 32 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. Fox Nate nailed 14 and Kangur Kristjan scored 10. James Penn (178-G-77, college: Ohio St.) produced 19 points for the Ukrainians. The result has left Kyiv with a 3-2 record while Kalev improved to 2-3.
KK Zagreb tied Ukrainian Khimik Yuzhny with a 70:62 triumph in Ukraine on Wednesday. Krunoslav Simon (197-G/F-85) led the winners with 15 points, while three other players had 10. Wykeen Kelly (186-G-79, agency: Court Side, college: Salem Intern.) ended up with 17 points in the losing effort. The result has left both sides with 2-3 records in Group F.

Guinn gets injured in Spain - by Eurobasket News
The Ukrainian Superleague official site reports that Azovmash have returned back home from Spain without their newcomer R.T. Guinn (208-C-81, college: Baylor). Azovmash won their EuroCup game against Gran Canaria in Spain but lost one of their key players. R.T. Guinn that just joined the Ukrainian champions got injured and played just 5 minutes in the game before being sidelined for the rest of the encounter.
Azovmash president Boris Maletskiy informed that Guinn could not join the team on the way back to Mariupol. He suffered a rib fracture and a bruised lung and was left in the hospital for further examination.
R.T. Guinn played only one game for Azovmash in the Ukrainian Superleague so far. He notched 14 points, 4 boards and 2 blocks against Khimik in Round 13. The game against Gran Canaria was his EuroCup debut for the Mariupol outfit.
Courtesy of: sl.ukrbasket.net

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  UNITED KINGDOM   


Raiders Secure Much Needed Win - by Andy Webb

BBL Trophy


Airwaves Plymouth Raiders 98 (25,51,71) (Moore 20, Lasker 16, Beasley 13)
Worcester Wolves 76 (11,27,48) (Harker 20, Paez/Funn 14)

The Airwaves Plymouth Raiders got their BBL Trophy campaign back on track thanks to a 98-76 victory over the Worcester Wolves at the Plymouth Pavilions on Wednesday evening. The home side started the game the stronger netting eleven of the first fourteen points of the game to take an early 11-3 lead. They continued to dominate the opening exchanges, and a further 11-3 burst to close out the opening quarter with the Raiders leading 25-11 going into the second quarter. Both sides began to trade baskets at the start of the second, but the Raiders still maintained a comfortable advantage at 37-21 midway through the period. A 14-5 burst for the home side to close out the first half allowed the Raiders to take a 51-27 lead into the locker rooms at the half. The second half started in much the same vein as the first with a 9-2 Raiders tear to take the score out to 59-29. The Wolves began to attempt to claw back the deficit, and a 10-2 burst towards the end of the third period got the score back to 71-48 going into the final stanza. The Wolves continued to put up a valiant fight with a 12-2 tear at the start of the final period to bring the score back to 79-61. The visitors kept up the pressure on the Raiders, and got to within seventeen points at 85-68 with 3 minutes remaining in the game. The home side quickly re-established their control on the game, and a 10-3 burst for the Raiders took the score out to 95-71 and they were able to hold on for the comfortable victory. Gaylon Moore (200-F-78, college: Union (TN)) led the scoring for the Raiders with 20 points, while Wolves' player/coach Skouson Harker led the visitors scoring with 20 points as well.



Flournoy Expects Tough Battle - by Andy Webb
Newcastle Eagles player-coach Fab Flournoy is expecting another tough game when his side host old rivals Scottish Rocks.

'This is a game that always goes down to the buzzer, and it won't be any different on Friday. Both of us went out of the Cup early at the hands of Everton, and we're both looking forward to getting through in the Trophy. 'It's going to be the first time that we've played them since they signed Wilbur Johnson, and he's going to add another dimension to them. I expect him to have a good all-round game, and it'll be the first time in a few years that they've had a big inside presence.'

Everton Tigers will be aiming to make it two wins from as many BBL Trophy games when they host Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders.

Tigers have won both BBL Championship games between the teams this season, but Everton coach Tony Garbelotto is still expecting a difficult game on Friday evening: 'The two games we've had against so far have both been really hard-fought. They had a bit of a blip in December, but they've been one of the toughest teams we have played, and they've given us a lot of problems. They have a good front line, and they've done a good job against us. The score didn't reflect how they played last time as it was close to the end.

'We'll need to play at our optimum level, and it's good that we'll need that kind of performance as we need to be there when we play Plymouth in the Cup final the following week. We need to get better, I was happy with the performance against Plymouth last week even though we lost, but we need to prepare properly for this. If we can win the game we'll take control of the Trophy group.'

Marshall MK Lions return to action on Friday after a three week lay-off, and they will be looking to record their first win against Guildford Heat in five outings. Lions coach Vince Macauley is expecting a tough game at Bletchley Leisure Centre: 'The Heat are a dangerous team that has key veterans who know how to win big games. We are yet to face them with EJ [Harrison] in the line-up this season and I believe he and Mike martin are the heart beat of the team.' However, Macauley believes his team can end their hoodoo against the Heat: 'When we met it was very early in the season and we learning a lot with a new nucleus. We have since started to play better, we now have Jason [Obazuaye] who has been a very positive influence and as long as we compete for 40 minutes we'll be fine.'

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  URBL   


Standings
URBL Standings
 1. Knights 0-0 
 2. DFW 0-0 
 3. San Antonio 0-0 
 4. Univ.City-Sch. 0-0 
 5. Converse F. 0-0 




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Women News

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  BELGIUM - Women  


Italy tip off EuroBasket Additional Qualifying Round with win - by Eurobasket News
Belgium - Italy 69:81

Italy made one more step towards reaching the 2009 EuroBasket. Yesterday the Azzurri crushed Belgium on the road to improve at 1-0 record in Group B. They now share the top position with Croatia. The teams are scheduled to face each other on Saturday in Italy. Belgium in the meantime fell at 0-2 record and lost the chance to play in Latvia this year.
Italy looked the better side right from the start. The visitors led at every change and posted a well-deserved win at the end. Italy grabbed a 22:20 advantage after ten minutes of action and stretched the margin to 4 points 47:43 at the interval. Simona Ballardini (183-F-81) and Laura Macchi added to the tempo in the third frame as Italy ran away to an 11-point distance. Belgium failed to adjust and had to surrender in the final quarter.
Simona Ballardini netted 17 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 7 assists to lead Italy. Kathrin Ress (193-F-85, college: Boston Coll.) and Laura Macchi (187-F-79) had 12 points each for the winners. Laurence Van Malderen (193-C-81, agency: LBM Management) notched 21 points for Belgium. Stephanie Dubuc (175-F/G-85) and Sara Leemans (178-G/F-88) knocked down 14 points apiece in the loss.

Belgium: Laurence Van Malderen 21, Stephanie Dubuc 14, Sara Leemans 14
Italy: Simona Ballardini 17, Kathrin Ress 12, Laura Macchi 12

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  BOSNIA - Women  


Great Britain breeze past Bosnia and Herzegovina - by Eurobasket News
Great Britain - Bosnia and Herzegovina 91:58

Great Britain knocked down Bosnia and Herzegovina for the second consecutive win at the EuroBasket Relegation Round. The winners improved at 2-0 record and stepped away from the Division B abyss. Bosnia and Herzegovina on the other hand suffered the second straight defeat and would fight for life against Finland at home on Saturday.
Rosalee Mason (180-F/G-79, college: Manhattan) stepped up for Great Britain in the starting frame scoring 9 points. The hosts capitalized clearing off to a 26:14 distance. Natasa Mikic (181-G-84) and Papcevic cut the distance to 8 points early in the second term but Great Britain reacted immediately. They went on a 12:0 run that saw the lead grow to as many as 20 points. Hoffman capped the first half with a layup to give the home team a 25-point lead. Bosnia and Herzegovina still refused to fold as they fought bravely in the third frame. Natasa Mikic scored 6 points and Bosnia and Herzegovina trimmed the distance to 21 points. But the cushion was just too big for the visitors to overcome. Moreover Great Britain stepped on the gas once again in the final period and ensured a comfortable victory at the end.
Rosalee Mason scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Great Britain. Kristy Lavin (180-F-82) had 15 points, while Kimberly Butler (186-F-82, college: Oregon St.) finished with 14 points in the win. Natasa Mikic scored 27 points and pulled down 7 rebounds for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Anja Stupar (178-F/C-89) produced 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Great Britain: Rosalee Mason 17, Kristy Lavin 15, Kimberly Butler 14
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Natasa Mikic 27, Anja Stupar 13

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  CZECH REPUBLIC - Women  


Karlovy Vary register third straight win in ZBL - by Eurobasket News
Karlovy Vary maintained their winning rhythm as they posted the third victory in a row in Round 16 of ZBL. This time they defeated Tabor 71:50 at home court. The hosts led 19:15 after the opening term but Tabor bounced back in the second frame. Miroslava Vodrazkova (192-C-78) nailed 10 points for Tabor as they gained a 32:30 advantage at the interval. Blanka Sedlackova (171-G-84) and Erica McGuinness (175-G-85) organized an 8:1 run late in the third frame to give a 52:43 advantage for Karlovy Vary before the fourth term. The home team then held their opponents to just 7 points in the final stanza and ran away for a comfortable win at the end. Blanka Sedlackova fired 20 points to lead Karlovy Vary. Erica McGuinness added 17 points, while Lenka Vetrovcova (187-C-84) notched 10 points and 8 boards in the win. Miroslava Vodrazkova registered 20 points for Tabor in defeat.
Valosun held off Sparta Praha 86:75 to earn the tenth victory in the season. Veronika Vlkova (175-G/F-84) topscored for the winners with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Nicole Louden (172-G-83, college: Auburn) provided 23 points for the Brno team. Sparta got 30 points and 10 rebounds from Zuzana Kohoutova (190-C-86).
Trutnov defeated Slovanka 94:60 behind 23 points from Darina Misurova (163-G-81). Michaela Hartigova (192-C-83) had 18 points and 10 rebounds as the winners climbed at 8-7 record. Marketa Drevova (187-C-87) and Nezdarilova secured 14 points each for Slovanka in the loss.

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  DENMARK - Women  


SISU jump on top - by Eurobasket News
SISU gained the sole lead in the Dameligaen standings as they posted the tenth win in the season yesterday. SISU fired down Amager on the road to climb at 10-1 record. The first half was an even battle with the teams trading baskets throughout the action. SISU jumped to an 18:15 lead after the starting frame but Amager quickly rebounded. They cut the distance and trailed by just a single point 30:31 at the interval. However an inspirational performance from Melissa Manzer (168-G-86, college: Siena) allowed the visitors to surge ahead in the second half. SISU won the third stanza 25:18 and never turned back in the final term. Melissa Manzer knocked down 21 points to lead the charge. Jackie Adamshick (183-F-84, agency: 22ft, college: Villanova) provided 15 points and 15 boards in the win. Emilie Ramberg (173-G-79) answered with game-high 26 points and 8 boards for Amager as they fell at 5-5 record.
Vaerlose secured the fifth win in the season as they thumped Virum 78:44 away from home. Vaerlose outscored the hosts 30:11 in the first frame and cruised from now on. Chelsea Lutha (-F) had 15 points and 7 boards for the winners. Tine Deulund (180-F) added 15 points for Vaerlose. Ivana Kostic (170-G-85) responded with 16 points for Virum.
Lisa Olden (188-C-86, college: USF) delivered 14 points and 9 rebounds as Falcon outscored Horsens 74:55 for the sixth win in the championship. Marisa Vespa (-G) and Jeanette Wyrna (195-C-89) had 12 points apiece for the winning team.

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  FRANCE - Women  


Player as injured during French Training Camp - by Leslie Anderson

Emilie Duvivier (168-G-84) and Sandra Dijon-Gerardin have picked up injuries during the French Training camp in Monaco France.


The injury to Dijon-Gerardin hand required an operation. She will be not be able to play for at least four weeks. Duvivie picked up a shoulder injury that will keep her out of action for at least two week.


Isabelle Yacoubou-Dehou did not make it to camp and was replaced by Doriane Tahane.


The players will remain in camp until January 12.



Standings - NF1 (Women) - by Leslie Anderson
NF1 Standings
 1. Limoges 14-1 
 2. Charleville 11-4 
 3. Armentieres 11-4 
 4. Strasbourg ABC 11-4 
 5. La Roche-sur-Lion 11-4 
 6. SI Graffenstaden 10-5 
 7. Toulouse 9-6 
 8. Nice 6-9 
 9. Voiron 6-9 
 10. Rennes 6-9 
 11. CFBB 4-10 
 12. Laveyron 4-11 
 13. Ifs 4-11 
 14. Dunkerque 4-11 
 15. Colomiers 4-11 
 16. Pleyber Christ 3-12 
 17. Lot-et-Garonne 0-0 
 18. Mourenx 0-0 


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  GERMANY - Women  


Wolfenbuettel: Amanda Lassiter replaces Nica Gemo - by Moritz Korff
While Nica Gemo (196-C-82, college: San Jose St.) parts ways with the BC Wolfenbuettel Wildcats by mutual consent, the DBBL outfit acquired a big-name player to replace the Mosambique center who never lived up to the expectations of the club officials and furthermore was slowed down by knee problems. Amanda Lassiter (186-F-79, college: Missouri) put pen to paper on a contract that will keep her in Wolfenbuettel for the remainder of this current season. The former WNBA player, who is 29 years of age, started the 2007-08 season with TSV Wasserburg, but left after 12 DBBL games (and 6 appearances in the EuroCup) due to a pulmonary embolism. In the meantime she has completely recovered from that disease.

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  ICELAND - Women  


Haukar still winning - by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Haukar starts the new year as they ended last year by a win. Beat Fjolnir 81-33. Fjolnir playing without Ashley Bowman (165-G-85, college: Norfolk St.) who has not return after Christmas because of personal issue.
KR beat Snaefell 69-54. It was not until 4 quarter KR got the lead against young but tallented Snaefell team. Kirsten Green (175-G-82, college: Cal-Irvine) playing her first game for Snaefell and had 16 pts. Margret Kara Sturludottir (178-F) played her first game for KR and started very well with 17 pts & 11 rebs. Sigrun Amundadottir (183-C/F-88) 18 Hildur Sigurdardottir (178-G-81) 17 . Berling Gunnarsdottir 16 for Snaefell.
Valur won Hamar 61-60. Signy Hermannsdottir (190-C-78, college: Cameron) with triple double for Valur 23 pts 10 rebs & 10 blocks. LaKiste La Kiste Barkus (175-G-84, college: Louisiana Tech) 25 + 14 for Hamar.
Grindavik 66 Keflavik 82. 3 Grindavik players with 13 pts. Birna Valgardsdottir (181-G-76) 29 for Keflavik

Iceland Express league All-Star team - by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Iceland Express league All-Star team after first part of the season.

Slavica Dimovska (177-G-85) Haukar.
Kristrun Sigurjonsdottir (178-F-85) Haukar ( MVP)
Birna Valgardsdottir (181-G-76) Keflavik.
Svava Osk Svava Stefansdottir (177-G-84) Haukar.
Signy Hermannsdottir (190-C-78, college: Cameron) Valur.
Hustle awards. Fanney Gudmundsdottir (178-F-89) Hamar.

Coach. Ari Gunnarsson Hamar.

Referee. Sigmundur Mar Herbertsson.

Haukar are in first place. Hamar in second place. Keflavik in third place and KR and Valur in 4-5 place and fighting for place in the A group of the league.

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  ITALY - Women  


Italian Women National Team 2008-09 - by Kevin
#s#
#e#6


Alexander


Ballardini


Bagnara


Franchini


Gianolla
1. Marte Alexander (196-C-76) of Club Atletico Faenza
2. Simona Ballardini (183-F-81) of Umana Reyer Venezia
3. Benedetta Bagnara (178-G-87) of Women Basket Livorno
4. Maria Chiara Franchini (182-G-79) of Women Basket Livorno
5. Angela Gianolla (171-G-80) of Acer ERG Priolo
6. Eva Giauro (204-C-86) of Umana Reyer Venezia
7. Sara Giauro (190-C-79) of Vomero Basket Napoli
8. Laura Macchi (187-F-79) of Famila Wuber Schio
9. Raffaella Masciadri (185-F-80) of Famila Wuber Schio
10. Francesca Modica (175-G-81) of Club Atletico Faenza
11. Jenifer Nadalin (187-F/C-83) of Umana Reyer Venezia
12. Chiara Pastore (172-G-86) of Women Basket Livorno
13. Emanuela Ramon (187-F-82) of Club Atletico Faenza
14. Kathrin Ress (193-F-85) of Famila Wuber Schio
15. Giorgia Sottana (177-G-88) of Umana Reyer Venezia
16. Manuela Zanon (185-F-80) of Geas Sesto San Giovanni
Coach: Giampiero Ticchi

Italy tip off EuroBasket Additional Qualifying Round with win - by Eurobasket News
Belgium - Italy 69:81

Italy made one more step towards reaching the 2009 EuroBasket. Yesterday the Azzurri crushed Belgium on the road to improve at 1-0 record in Group B. They now share the top position with Croatia. The teams are scheduled to face each other on Saturday in Italy. Belgium in the meantime fell at 0-2 record and lost the chance to play in Latvia this year.
Italy looked the better side right from the start. The visitors led at every change and posted a well-deserved win at the end. Italy grabbed a 22:20 advantage after ten minutes of action and stretched the margin to 4 points 47:43 at the interval. Simona Ballardini (183-F-81) and Laura Macchi added to the tempo in the third frame as Italy ran away to an 11-point distance. Belgium failed to adjust and had to surrender in the final quarter.
Simona Ballardini netted 17 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and dished out 7 assists to lead Italy. Kathrin Ress (193-F-85, college: Boston Coll.) and Laura Macchi (187-F-79) had 12 points each for the winners. Laurence Van Malderen (193-C-81, agency: LBM Management) notched 21 points for Belgium. Stephanie Dubuc (175-F/G-85) and Sara Leemans (178-G/F-88) knocked down 14 points apiece in the loss.

Belgium: Laurence Van Malderen 21, Stephanie Dubuc 14, Sara Leemans 14
Italy: Simona Ballardini 17, Kathrin Ress 12, Laura Macchi 12

New Head Coach for San Martino di Lupari - by Juliane Hoehne

President Francesco Cordiano announced yesterday evening that the team of San Martino Di Lupari will have a new Head Coach. The change comes a little bit suddenly since previous Head Coach Sandro Sinigallia just won Tuesday night with his team again Montigarda an important game and finished the first round with a record of 3-10 and place 13th in the tabel. This was the staff not enough and they brought in new Head Coach Jacopo Lodde , who also coaches PMP Oderzo, a B2 Men team. Lodde will have his first practice with the team on friday and then already take the lead on saturday against Reggio Emilia at 9pm.



Standings A2 Women - by Juliane Hoehne
A2 Standings
North
 1. Marghera 11-2 
 2. Cavezzo 11-2 
 3. Lucca 10-3 
 4. Udine 9-4 
 5. Reggio Emilia 9-4 
 6. Bologna 7-6 
 7. Cervia 6-7 
 8. Biassono 5-8 
 9. Montigarda 5-8 
 10. San Bonifacio 4-9 
 11. Broni 4-9 
 12. Crema 4-9 
 13. San Martino 3-10 
 14. Bolzano 3-10 
South
 1. Pontedera 11-1 
 2. Pomezia 10-2 
 3. Cagliari CUS 9-3 
 4. Cagliari Tr. 8-4 
 5. Ancona 7-5 
 6. Siena 6-6 
 7. Alcamo 6-6 
 8. Napoli 6-6 
 9. Chieti 6-6 
 10. S.Elpidio 5-7 
 11. Firenze 3-9 
 12. La Spezia 3-9 
 13. Rende 3-9 
 14. Alghero 1-11 


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  LEBANON - Women  


Standings - Women League
Div.1 Standings
 1. Homentmen A. 5-0 
 2. Antranik 4-0 
 3. Al Riyadi 3-1 
 4. Antoura 2-2 
 5. Al muttahed 1-4 
 6. Homentmen B. 0-4 
 7. Anibal 0-4 


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  NCAA1 - Women  


Abilene Christian, Texas woman's set NCAA records in 4OT game - by Eurobasket News
Jamie Meyer (6'0''-F) scored 49 points to help Abilene Christian overcome a 63-point effort by Renee Renz (6'0''-F-87) and beat Texas Woman's 147-143 in quadruple overtime on Monday night in a record-setting game.

The Division II schools combined to break the NCAA record for points in a game of 261 set by St. Joseph's (Ind.) and Northern Kentucky in 1988. The 143 points by Texas Woman's broke the NCAA record for most points by the losing team. The 112 points the two teams scored in the overtimes also was an NCAA record as was Abilene Christian's 58 in overtime.

'It was one of those games you hate for either team to lose because both teams had nothing left at the end of the game,' Abilene Christian coach Shawna Lavender said. 'We just caught some breaks late and had some key block outs. I'm proud of them for hanging in there.'

Renz did all she could, setting a Lone Star Conference-record 63 points. Her total equaled the third most ever in Divsion II history and easily eclipsed the school record of 42 set by Peggy Allen in 1989.

Renz was 22-of-36 from the field and 15-of-17 from the free throw line. She also had 15 rebounds.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Division II | St. Joseph | Mustangs | Jamie | Meyer | Northern Kentucky | Abilene Christian | Texas Woman
'I was just doing everything I could to keep us in the game,' said Renz in a postgame interview. 'I knew I was playing well, but I honestly had no idea that I was scoring that many points. We really wanted to beat this team (ACU) and I was giving it everything I had.'

It wasn't Lavender's first four overtime thriller. She scored 42 points for SMU when the Mustangs beat TCU 127-125 in 1997.

Meyer hit 22-of-30 from the field and all four of her free throws. She also had 14 rebounds and two blocked shots. Kristee Davidson came off the bench to play 54 minutes and scored 28 points.

Audrey Maxwell-Lively, Abilene Christian's leading scorer, fouled out in the first overtime, finishing with 18 points and Kelsey Darby scored 15.

Tiandrea Dixon had 23 points and 12 assists for Texas Woman's (7-4). Megan Hashman added 17, including a jumper with 38 seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 89. Maxwell-Lively missed a jumper as time ran out.

Renz hit a free throw to tie it at 102-102 with 22 seconds left in the first overtime. Hashman kept it going again in the second overtime with a jumper to tie the game at 118-118. The Wildcats had chances at the end of the first two overtimes to win but couldn't get their shots to fall. Jessica Hanna's jumper as time ran out in the third overtime kept Texas Woman's in the game.

Renz tied the game at 139-139 with 1:10 left in the fourth overtime, but Abilene Christian (8-4) used an 8-4 run to win the game.

Lavender said there were two keys to the win after Maxwell-Lively fouled out. '(Jody) Meyer's defense on Renz in the overtime and Jamie (Meyer) just seemed to hit every shot she took.'

Courtesy of http://www.usatoday.com

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  NCAA2 - Women  


2009 WBCA Superlative Winners Announced - by Eurobasket News
ATLANTA-The Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) recently announced its winners for the 2009 WBCA Superlatives for NCAA, Division II.

'Congratulations to the 2009 WBCA Superlative winners,' said WBCA CEO Beth Bass. 'This program continues to gain popularity each year and we are excited to see participation coast-to-coast from our members and fans of women's basketball. We look forward to seeing even more participation in the coming years.'


2009 Award Winners:

Most Inspirational: Karen Haag (St. Rose)

Most Likely to get a Technical Foul: Helen Williams (Merrimack)

Best Pep Band: Nebraska-Kearney

Rising Star: Mike Jewitt (Southwest Minnesota State)

Best Coaching Combo: Barbara Stevens /C White (Bentley)

Most Entertaining on the Sideline: Kerry Phayre (Assumption)

Most Intense on the Court but Laidback off the Court: Jeanne Murphy (Le Moyne)

Best Tradition: Bentley

Best WBCA Pink Zone Event: Armstrong Atlantic State

Best Away Locker Room: Colorado Mines

Nominations for the WBCA Superlatives were submitted through an online survey form. The top vote-getters for each superlative were then voted on through a balloting process, with the top vote-getter for each category being named the winner.

Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game as a sport for women and girls. For additional information about the WBCA, please visit wbca.org.

Courtesy of the WBCA

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  POLAND - Women  


Summary after first round about Magdalena Kozdron - by Jordan Losi
It's finish with 3 win in the row the first round for Memar Reggio Emilia and for Magdalena Kozdron (173-F-80), so now the team is on 4th place with Libertas Sporting Udine. the result after 13 games is 9 win and 4 lost.
Magdalena Kozdron is playing a very good season..her statistic says 18.4 points per game with 47% from 2points, 36% from 3points, 77% from free throws, plus 8.0 rebounds per game, 1.3 assist and 19.3 valutation in 32.3 minutes.
Next game will be on saturday 10th january in San Martino Di Lupari..the target for the team of coach Giroldi is too continue the streak of win because after that game Memar Reggio Emilia will play 2 times in the row at home.

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  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - Women  


Jerryann Thomas with a double double - by David Edole
Rachel Pavelko started Southern Division play with one of her best performances of the year.

The freshman guard scored a team-high 17 points for the Minnesota West Lady Jays Wednesday night against Anoka-Ramsey in the division opener for both womens basketball teams.

However, MW couldnt overcome a slow first half in a 59-53 loss.

We are a little disappointed, MW head coach Mike Fury said. We had an opportunity, but we need to shoot free throws better, and we gave up offensive rebounds at crucial times. We just hurt ourselves.

The Lady Jays, who shot 17-of-31 from the free throw line, were trailing 18-14 with more than three minutes remaining until halftime, when A-R went on a 10-0 to end the half and take a 28-14 lead at the break.

MW would cut the lead back to four points midway through the second half, and then again late in the game, but couldnt overcome the Golden Rams in a six-point loss.

Along with Pavelkos 17 points, Jerryann Thomas scored 14 points and had 18 rebounds for the Lady Jays (4-12, 0-1).

We had a couple of good individual performances, Fury said. Those two played really well.

Brittany Gravley scored eight points, while G.P. Vaske added seven for the Lady Jays.

Kate Bement led the Golden Rams with 17 points, while Desirae Robinson scored 13 points.

MW will travel to Minneapolis Saturday.

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  UNITED KINGDOM - Women  


Great Britain breeze past Bosnia and Herzegovina - by Eurobasket News
Great Britain - Bosnia and Herzegovina 91:58

Great Britain knocked down Bosnia and Herzegovina for the second consecutive win at the EuroBasket Relegation Round. The winners improved at 2-0 record and stepped away from the Division B abyss. Bosnia and Herzegovina on the other hand suffered the second straight defeat and would fight for life against Finland at home on Saturday.
Rosalee Mason (180-F/G-79, college: Manhattan) stepped up for Great Britain in the starting frame scoring 9 points. The hosts capitalized clearing off to a 26:14 distance. Natasa Mikic (181-G-84) and Papcevic cut the distance to 8 points early in the second term but Great Britain reacted immediately. They went on a 12:0 run that saw the lead grow to as many as 20 points. Hoffman capped the first half with a layup to give the home team a 25-point lead. Bosnia and Herzegovina still refused to fold as they fought bravely in the third frame. Natasa Mikic scored 6 points and Bosnia and Herzegovina trimmed the distance to 21 points. But the cushion was just too big for the visitors to overcome. Moreover Great Britain stepped on the gas once again in the final period and ensured a comfortable victory at the end.
Rosalee Mason scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds for Great Britain. Kristy Lavin (180-F-82) had 15 points, while Kimberly Butler (186-F-82, college: Oregon St.) finished with 14 points in the win. Natasa Mikic scored 27 points and pulled down 7 rebounds for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Anja Stupar (178-F/C-89) produced 13 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Great Britain: Rosalee Mason 17, Kristy Lavin 15, Kimberly Butler 14
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Natasa Mikic 27, Anja Stupar 13

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  WNBA - Women  


Seattle Storm re-signs guard Tanisha Wright - by Eurobasket News
Next to Lauren Jackson (6'5''-F/C-81), there was no bigger offseason signing the Storm sought than guard Tanisha Wright (5'11''-G-83, agency: LBM Management, college: Penn St.), according to Brian Agler , the team's coach and director of player personnel.

So, it was little surprise Wright was the organization's first free-agent signing announcement. Wright agreed to a multiyear deal for undisclosed terms Wednesday. She is playing in France.

'We are extremely excited to have re-signed Tanisha,' Agler said in a statement.

Last season, his first with the Storm, Agler considered Wright a 'sixth starter' from the beginning of training camp. Wright, drafted 12th overall in 2005 by Seattle, worked her way into the starting lineup when Sheryl Swoopes suffered numerous injures.

Wright started 14 games, averaging a career-high 7.9 points and 2.5 assists, often splitting time with Storm point guard Sue Bird at running the offense.

Point guard was a role Wright wasn't too comfortable with, however. She had two turnovers late in the team's Game 3 playoff loss to Los Angeles that ended the Storm's season.

Yet another priority for Agler is signing a veteran backup point guard for Bird. In addition to talking to the free agents available, he invited point guard Kim Beck back to training camp along with Kristen O'Neill, who played all positions at Washington.

Beck appeared in 15 games before being cut in June and re-signed in September. O'Neill signed four seven-day contracts before being signed through the end of the season in September.

Note

The Storm is expected to announce its new lease agreement to play at KeyArena next week. The announcement was pushed back because officials weren't available in December.

Courtesy of the Seattle Times Company
http://www.seattletimes.com

Tracey Beatty celebrates 300 games in the WNBL - by Eurobasket News
When 202cm Canberra Capitals centre Tracey Beatty (6'8''-C-79) steps onto the court on Friday night she will be playing her 300th WNBL game, a feat reached by only six other players in the history of the league.

The 29-year-old is happy she can celebrate the milestone in front of a home crowd at Southern Cross Stadium in Canberra.

Beattys career to date spans 14 years. She made her WNBL debut with the Australian Institute of Sport in 1995 and played three seasons before moving to Adelaide in 1998.

In her first year with Adelaide she captured a WNBL Championship. After eight seasons in South Australia she moved to the Capital for the 2005/06 season and played with Canberra, her decision to move giving her a second championship, advancing to the grand final after ousting her old team in the Preliminary Final. She then brought her championship tally to three in the 2006/07 season.

Amongst the top ten players in the league for shot-blocking, field goal percentage and rebounding this season, Beatty has no plans yet to hang up her singlet.

Ive got one more season left on this current contract but I would like to keep going, Beatty said.

I need to find a bit more passion at the moment but I think Ill be having the off season off entirely this time, I wont be playing ABA so hopefully I can find some life back in these old legs of mine.

Its been an awesome experience over the last almost 15 years and the people that Ive met have kept me in the game and you make awesome friends and its really fantastic.

As the Caps are leading the league heading into 2009, Beatty is confident that they can capture another title.

Weve gone back to being rather tall like we did in the first championship I won with Canberra, obviously with Lauren Jackson and Jenny Whittle in the centre as well we were just absolute monsters so weve sort of gone back to that now with Marianna Tolo, Abby Bishop and myself and then weve got Natty Hurst running the point, shes just totally come out of her shell and its really good to see so if we can continue the way were going we should be in pretty good stead for bringing [the championship] back, Beatty said.

You dont do all this training to come second and it is a lot of training and very time consuming and hard work so its always nice to finish on top.

Beatty joins a number of distinguished names on the 300-game list; Lucille Bailie, Rachael Sporn, Karen Dalton, Robyn Maher, Gaylene McKay and Shelley Sandie.

By Kimberley Lewis for WNBL Media
Courtesy of www.wnbl.com.au

Candace Parker expecting 1st child this spring; WNBA star will keep working out - by Eurobasket News
Candace Parker (6'4''-F/C-86, college: Tennessee) is expecting her first child this spring, and the WNBA star will keep working out leading to the 2009 season.

The announcement was made Wednesday by the University of Tennessee, where Parker starred before going on to the Los Angeles Sparks. Her husband is Shelden Williams of the Sacramento Kings.

'Shelden and I are very excited to be expanding our family,' Parker said in a statement. 'We feel blessed and look forward to becoming parents.'

In 2008, Parker was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and captured rookie of the year and MVP honors. She also won an Olympic gold medal and was the AP's female athlete of the year.

Parker's coach at Tennessee, Pat Summitt, and Sparks general manager Penny Toler congratulated Parker. Summitt told Parker that if she has a girl, she hopes she'll be a future Lady Vol.

Courtesy of http://www.courant.com

Sky signs guard Erin Thorn - by Eurobasket News
The Chicago Sky has signed guard Erin Thorn (5'10''-G-81, college: BYU) to a two-year contract, coach and GM Steven Key announced Wednesday. Per team policy, terms of the contract have not been released.

'Having Erin on the team will bring six years of WNBA veteran leadership, especially postseason experience that the team needs. She was a big contributor to the postseason success of the Liberty in 2007 and 2008, I have no doubt that she will contribute both mentally and physically to building the championship team we are looking to build,' said Steven Key. 'Her ability to spread the floor and get the ball inside will help tremendously in the coming season. Erin will add to our core of returning players including the versatility of forward Candice Dupree and center Sylvia Fowles, aggressive scoring of Jia Perkins, and the veteran leadership of Dominique Canty.'

Thorn a 5-foot-10' guard, selected by the New York Liberty in the second round (17th overall) of the 2003 WNBA Draft, finished the 2008 season shooting .340 percent from the field, .268 percent from beyond the arc, and .909 percent from the free throw line ranking 15th in the WNBA in free throw percentage. A dedicated veteran, Thorn improved her play on the court during the 2008 postseason playoffs shooting .583 percent from the field and .571 percent from beyond the arc.

Thorn had a standout season in 2007. She started in 29-of-29 games and finished the WNBA regular season as one of the WNBA's top 20 leaders in assists per game (2.5), field goal percentage (.424), minutes per game (30.4), and three-point field goal percentage (.390). Thorn scored her season high points per game (28) against the Sky at Madison Square Garden on May 20, sinking 7 out of 10 three pointers. Thorn helped the Liberty through to the postseason in the past four out of the five seasons.

Thorn, a Utah native, was a Brigham Young standout, averaging 18.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game her senior year. Thorn was named the MWC All-Tournament Team and MWC All-Conference First Team.

Courtesy of http://www.dailyherald.com