Steaua Turabo - Mornar Bar 75-83

It was the first game ever for these two teams in BIBL. Mornar was the one who came up with victory, mostly owing to Milos Durisic (194-G-88), who nailed 28 points. Filip Samojlovic (183-G-90, agency: Interperformances) had 13 and Chad Barnes (190-G-83, college: New Orleans) netted 2 points less. Ronald Timus (198-G/F-84, agency: Rice and Rice, college: Morgan St.) and Virgil Stanescu (207-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances, college: S.Alabama) responded with 19 points each for the hosts. Milos Mladenovic (204-C/F-82) stopped on 14 pts.
First quarter was totally leveled. Both teams were pretty good offensively scoring 21 points each. Picture on the court changed after that. Mornar was the team who intensified defense, forcing the host squad to commit mistakes and to miss some tough shots. At the same time, Milos Durisic and his teammates were on fire scoring 22 more points until the half time. So after 20 minutes of play it was 35-43 for the guests. Steaua responded after the breather. Ronald Timus and Virgil Stanescu lifted their team to 24 third quarter points, while Mornar was stopped on 17. However, visitors still held plus 1 before the last ten minutes. Then, when it was the most important Mornar players shined having another very productive period. They drained 23 points leaving Steaua to 16 sealing the nice road win in Balkan Legue, Round 1.

Steaua Turabo: Ronald Timus 19, Virgil Stanescu 19, Milos Mladenovic 14
Mornar Bar: Milos Durisic 28, Filip Samojlovic 13, Chad Barnes 11


*****************************************************

The Golden State Warriors announced today that the team has exercised the fourth-year contract option on forward Brandan Wright (6'9''-F-87, college: N.Carolina) and the third-year contract option on forward Anthony Randolph (6'11''-F-89, college: LSU), which are both for the 2010-11 NBA season.

Wright, 22, underwent successful surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder on October 9 and will have his shoulder immobilized for up to six (6) weeks, at which point he will be re-evaluated prior to the next phase of rehabilitation. A 6-10 forward, Wright appeared in 39 games last season, averaging 8.3 points and 4.0 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per contest. Overall in two NBA seasons, the University of North Carolina product has appeared in 77 games, averaging 6.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 13.8 minutes per contest.

Randolph, 20, appeared in 63 games last season, averaging 7.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.17 blocks in 17.9 minutes during a rookie campaign in which he was the youngest player in the NBA. The 6-11 forward started 22 games last season, averaging 10.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 25.7 minutes in those assignments.

Under the terms of the NBAs current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft picks contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the teams option. Wright was selected with the eighth overall selection in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats and later acquired by Golden State, while Randolph was selected by the Warriors with the 14th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com


LeBron James stays home with flu symptoms as Wizards beat Cavaliers 109-104 - by Eurobasket News
LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) was sick. The Cleveland Cavaliers were sunk.

Randy Foye (6'3''-G-83, college: Villanova) scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to spark Washington's rally and led the Wizards to a 109-104 exhibition win over the Cavaliers, who played without a flu-ridden James on Wednesday night.

Foye finished with 21 points and Mike Miller (6'8''-F/G-80, college: Florida), recently criticized by some teammates for wearing James' signature Nike sneakers, made 5-of-5 3-pointers and scored 24. Gilbert Arenas added 18 points as the Wizards handed the Cavs their first loss of the preseason.

James stayed home to get rest after battling flu-like symptoms the past two days. He wasn't the only Cavaliers player not feeling well as both forward Darnell Jackson and Coby Karl were also out with the flu. All three players were told to stay away from the arena so they wouldn't infect others.

And, as a standard precaution, the three will be tested for the H1N1 virus, Cavaliers officials said.

The Cavaliers were also without guards Mo Williams (groin), Delonte West (personal reasons) and forward Danny Green (leg bruise).

The Wizards came in healthier but lost forward Antawn Jamison (6'9''-F-76, college: N.Carolina) in the first quarter with a sprained right shoulder.

Washington trailed 93-92 when Foye went on one-man tear. He scored on a reverse, converted a three-point play, assisted on Nick Young's dunk and hit a jumper to put the Wizards ahead 101-93.

Foye later put the game away by making six straight free throws in the final 16.1 seconds.

Jawad Williams (6'9''-F-83, college: N.Carolina) scored 21 to lead the Cavaliers and Shaquille O'Neal (7'2''-C-72, college: LSU) added 13 in 19 minutes.

Miller came to Washington's training camp sporting a pair of James' shoe model, prompting guard DeShawn Stevenson to say 'he got to get them out of here.' Stevenson and James have had heated battles in the past, including a postseason war of words two years ago that involved rappers Jay-Z and Soulja Boy.

Stevenson has since softened his stance with Miller.

Arenas, fined $25,000 by the NBA earlier this week for not making himself available to the media, looked quick and fully recovered after playing in just 15 games the past two seasons because of knee injuries.

O'Neal showed he can still do a little bit of everything.

He scored 11 points on 5-of-5 shooting in the first half. O'Neal delivered two dunks, one a signature Shaq-attack, backboard-shaking number. O'Neal also drove the lane and flipped in a reverse layup. One another sequence, he grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and led the fastbreak up the floor before sending a no-look underhanded pass to Anthony Parker.

Courtesy of www.fox61.com


Pierce, Garnett lead Celtics to 106-90 win over Raptors - by Eurobasket News
Paul Pierce (6'7''-F-77, college: Kansas) scored 17 points and Kevin Garnett (6'10''-F-76, agency: Pro Management Agency) added 16 to lead the Boston Celtics to a 106-90 pre-season victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at the XL Center.

Chris Bosh (6'11''-F-84, college: Georgia Tech) had 21 points for the Raptors (2-2). Jose Manuel Calderon (6'3''-G-81) had 12 points, while Andrea Bargnani (6'10''-F/C-85) added six points and seven rebounds.

Off-season acquisition Hedo Turkoglu played 22 minutes in his pre-season debut, finishing with six points and five assists.

UConn coach Jim Calhoun was in attendance and received an ovation when he was shown on the large video board above the court.

It was the first time the Celtics played in Hartford since a pre-season game in 1995. Prior to then, the Celtics played three regular season games a year in the arena formerly known as the Civic Center.

The game served as a homecoming for Ray Allen, who went 26-0 in Hartford while playing for UConn.

Allen had eight points, six rebounds and four assists. He made his only field goal in the opening seconds of the third quarter and set up Garnett for a jumper that gave Boston its first double-digit lead, 72-62.

Glen Davis added 13 points for the Celtics (4-1), Lester Hudson had 12 points, and Kendrick Perkins and Eddie House each scored 11.

Courtesy of www.cp24.com


NBA fines Arenas, Wizards, Larry Brown, Hornets and Lionel Hollins - by Eurobasket News
Gilbert Arenas (6'3''-G-82, college: Arizona) and the Washington Wizards, were each fined 25,000 dollars on Tuesday by the National Basketball Association for not making the star guard available for interviews.

Arenas, who has played only 15 games the past two seasons due to knee injuries, was fined for not being available to reporters. The club was fined for non-compliance with league media interview rules.

The playmaker said on the Wizard's media day to open training camp that he would not talk with reporters for the remainder of the season and has said little during pre-season games.

Arenas, once the author of a popular blog, hopes to lift the Wizards back into the playoffs after a 19-63 season, second-worst in the NBA in the 2008-2009 campaign.

Meanwhile, NBA fined Charlotte coach Larry Brown $35,000 for verbally abusing game officials and failing to leave the court in a timely manner and $25,000 for publicly criticizing the referees in a game on Oct. 12 and fined the Charlotte organization $60,000 after Brown's ejection. Fined Memphis coach Lionel Hollins $25,000 for criticizing officials after a game on Oct. 12.

Courtesy of www.canada.com


*****************************************************

NCAA1

Gaudio has contract extended by Wake for 2 years - by Eurobasket News
Wake Forest's latest stint at No. 1 didn't last long. Neither did its stay in the NCAA tournament.

It was an abrupt fall from tops in the nation to first-round upset victim last year for the Demon Deacons, and the memories of both fueled offseason workouts and led players to torment themselves in a practice gym adorned with renderings of Chris Paul and Tim Duncan and banners commemorating past postseason appearances.

'We started off 16-0, No. 1 in the country, then lay an egg in the NCAA tournament it tore us to pieces when we knew we weren't going to finish our dream,' guard L.D. Williams said Wednesday. 'All season long, coach Dino Gaudio talked about 'Final Four, Final Four, Final Four,' and we don't even make the final 32. It kills us every day.

'Guys don't want that feeling again. We didn't finish, and that's the big staple of everything this year to finish.'

That certainly didn't happen last year: The fourth-seeded Demon Deacons stumbled in the postseason, becoming the highest-seeded team to fall in the first round when No. 13 seed Cleveland State outplayed them so thoroughly in an 84-69 romp that it didn't look like much of an upset.

'Nobody remembers how you start,' forward Al-Farouq Aminu said. 'Everybody remembers how you end.'

Wake Forest might be hard-pressed to match some of last season's accomplishments they opened with a school-record 16 straight wins and reached No. 1 for just the second time before finishing 24-7 if only because leading scorers Jeff Teague and James Johnson left early for the NBA. Teague averaged nearly 19 points while Johnson added 15.

'If I was in the media and I looked at the stats and last year, and saw who we're coming back with, I'd probably say the same thing,' point guard Ishmael Smith said. 'But we have a different mindset. We're working hard. You guys are going to be really, really surprised with the talent we have this year.'

That list starts with Aminu who averaged 12.9 points, is the team's only returning double-figure scorer and says he added an improved jump shot to his repertoire of athletic post moves. The speedy Smith reclaims his spotas the team's top distributor after he and Teague shared space in the backcourt.

And school officials ensured Dino Gaudio would be back through 2013-14, adding an extra two years onto the five-year contract he signed in 2007 after he assumed control of the program following the death of his best friend, Skip Prosser.
'There's no question it helps recruiting when you show that stability,' Dino Gaudio said.

Now the challenge is not just to elevate Wake Forest's program to a spot high in the ACC standings and the national rankings, but to keep it there.

'Yeah, we lost (Teague and Johnson) ... but we still have a season of our own,' Williams said. 'We still have things that we want to accomplsih that we haven't accomplished.

'We come up here and play in this gym every day, and we look at the All-Americans and the NCAA appearances and all the banners around, and we want to put another year on the Elite Eight. We want to put the first year for the Final Four and whatnot. That's the things we want to do as a team, and we still have a lot to accomplish.'

Courtesy of www.reflector.com


Binghamton's Broadus placed on leave for violation - by Eurobasket News
Binghamton University men's basketball coach Kevin Broadus was placed on a paid leave of absence.

The decision was made by athletic director Jim Norris on Wednesday after discussions with university president Lois DeFleur and vice president James Van Voorst.

Assistant Mark Macon, a former star guard at Temple, will take over on an interim basis.

'There have been continuing incidents of concern related to the men's basketball program that do not measure up to the university's high standards,' Norris said in a statement. 'I have every confidence in his (Macon's) ability to provide strong leadership to the team.'

Broadus and the program have been under scrutiny in the last few weeks after point guard Tiki Mayben was indicted on felony charges of the sale and possession of crack cocaine and then five players including two starters were booted from the team for undisclosed reasons.

DeFleur soon after called for an audit of the entire athletic program, while athletic director Joel Thirer resigned and was quickly replaced by Norris.

Last Friday, FOXSports.com reported that Broadus and one of his assistants violated an NCAA rule when they spoke to a pair of recruits during a non-contact period.

Broadus denied speaking to the two recruits, but on the same day self-reported the violation to the NCAA.

The next day, Binghamton University officials announced that they had banned all off-campus recruiting for the men's basketball teams until next month, with all future recruiting trips requiring approval by the athletic department.

Courtesy of www.msn.foxsports.com


Jones transfers to St. Mary's - by Kevin Cochran
San Diego's Rob Jones (6'6''-F-89) is transferring to St.Mary's to be closer to home.

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound forward, who will have two years remaining with Randy Bennett and the Gaels, averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds this past season with the Toreros.

'I really wanted to be closer to home and to my family,' Jones said. 'San Diego was 400-plus miles away, and now I'm a half-hour away.'

Jones said he chose San Diego over St.Mary''s coming out of Archbishop Riordan High in San Francisco.

'I thought I wanted to get away at the time,' he said. 'But looking at it now, I want to be closer to home.'

Jones, who started 28 games last season, won't be eligible to play until the 2010-11 campaign.
Courtesy: Fox Sports


Louisville players will not miss games after arrest - by Kevin Cochran
Louisville basketball players Jerry Smith (6'1''-G-87) and Terrence Jennings (6'9''-F) each will face only one charge stemming from their involvement in an altercation with off-duty police officers during the weekend, and coach Rick Pitino said the two would not miss any game time.

Clark County (Ind.) prosecuting attorney Steve Stewart said that after reviewing the police report, he has decided to charge the two with a single count each of resisting law enforcement. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum of one year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

The police report initially asked that the pair be charged with multiple counts.

'People don't understand that police make a recommendation in the report, but the prosecutor makes the decision what charges will be filed,' Stewart told the Jeffersonville (Ind.) Evening News.

Jennings, a 6-foot-10 sophomore from Sacramento, Calif., and Smith, a 6-foot-2 senior from Wauwatosa, Wis., are scheduled to appear Monday morning in Jeffersonville City Court.

Pitino said both players understand the severity of the situation.

'Anytime you defy a police officer, it's serious,' Pitino told ESPN.com. 'They will be punished and are being punished right now. But no, they will not miss game time.'

The two were taken into custody in Jeffersonville, following a confrontation with off-duty police officers during an alumni homecoming party early Sunday morning. Jeffersonville is across the Ohio River from Louisville.

The police report said several off-duty officers -- all of whom were wearing T-shirts with 'Police' clearly marked on the front and back -- were working at the party when a fight broke out inside. Officer Tom Mitchell found Jennings pushing and shoving people, according to his report.

Jennings was eventually escorted outside and placed on the ground but 'continued to fight with officers; trying to get back to his feet and refusing to place his hands behind his back,' according to the report.

Jennings said he wasn't aware at the time he was being confronted by off-duty police.

Officers needed to strike Jennings twice with the Taser to subdue him. Police said Jennings, 20, also had a low level of alcohol in his system, according to the report.

Police said Smith, 22, approached officers after Jennings was placed in handcuffs. Smith, the Cardinals' team captain, refused to comply with requests to back away and resisted when an officer attempted to restrain him.

After the incident, Jennings apologized to police and event organizers in a statement issued through his attorney. He said he had been minding his own business when he was provoked by a person he did not know. He also said Smith was only trying to help him and meant no disrespect to police.

'I think Jerry saw a teammate on the ground and didn't want to abandon him,' Pitino said. 'I think he saw a teammate taking some pretty good blows and tried to help.'
Courtesy: ESPN.com


Donovan wins Legends award - by Kevin Cochran
Florida Head Basketball Coach Billy Donovan will be honored with the John R. Wooden Awards Legends of Coaching Award in 2010, Wooden Award Chairman Duke Llewellyn announced today.

Donovan will be recognized, along with the mens and womens 2010 Wooden Award winners and the Wooden Award All-American teams, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club in April of 2010. The Legends of Coaching Award was adopted by the Wooden Award Committee in 1999. The first recipient was Dean Smith of North Carolina. The award recognizes the achievement of coaches who exemplify Coach Woodens high standards of coaching success and personal integrity. The honorees are selected based on character, success on the court, graduation rates of student-athletes in their basketball program, coaching philosophy, and identification with the goals of the John R. Wooden Award.

Donovan has compiled a career record of 310-126 (.711) in 13 seasons at Florida and has recorded 11 straight 20-win seasons with nine NCAA Tournament appearances. He led the 2006 and 2007 Gators to back-to-back NCAA titles, the first school in 15 years to do so. In 2006 the Gators won a then-school-record 33 games, including the final 11 of the season, winning the SEC and NCAA Tournament titles. The 2007 Gators immediately bested that mark, winning a school-record 35 games and another NCAA Championship.

Donovan is one of only four active coaches to have guided teams to multiple NCAA titles; the other three, Mike Krzyzweski (3), Roy Williams (2) and Jim Calhoun (2), are previous Legends of Coaching honorees. Donovan and Kentucky's Adolph Rupp are the only SEC coaches to have won multiple titles.

In a 15-year head coaching career that includes two seasons at Marshall, Donovans overall career record stands at 345-146 (.703). Donovan played four seasons at Providence College (1983-87), where he was a two-time All-Big East selection, and spent one year with the New York Knicks (1987-88) before beginning his coaching career. He was inducted into the Providence College Hall of Fame in 1999. The 44-year-old Donovan is the youngest recipient of the Wooden Award Legends of Coaching honor.
Courtesy: Gatorzone.com


Buckeyes lose Lauderdale to injury - by Kevin Cochran
Dallas Lauderdale (6'8''-C), a junior center on the Ohio St. mens basketball team, will miss four-to-six weeks with a broken bone (fourth metacarpal) in his right hand.

Lauderdale will have surgery Wednesday at the Ohio St. Medical Center. Dr. Ryan Klinefelter will perform the surgery.

Lauderdale sustained the injury during a workout Monday.

Ohio St. begins official practice at 6 p.m. Friday in preparation for the 2009-10 season. The Buckeyes will play an exhibition game at 8 p.m. Nov. 4 vs. Walsh (OH) at Value City Arena.

The season gets underway officially Nov. 9 vs. Alcorn St. (7 p.m./Big Ten Network) in the opening round of the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer.
Courtesy: ohiostatebuckeyes.com

*****************************************************

NIGERIA

Warriors, Islanders Await NBBF. For League Final Eight Date - by Enoma Ugheghe
Eight teams from the Atlantic and Savannah Conferences who have qualified for the final eight of this years DSTV Multi Choice/NBBF Premier Basketball League said they were yet to receive an official date for the showdown which is billed for the Indoor Sport Hall of the National Stadium, Surulere Lagos.
In a chat with Dodan Warriors handler, Peter Ahmedu , he said despite the fact that NBBF is yet to announce the date for the final eight, his side is currently in camp intensifying preparation ahead of the showdown that will take place hopefully later this month. He also believes that other teams in the Final Eight are currently doing the same.
The teams that have qualified through the regular season for the final eight from Atlantic Conference are Lagos Islanders BC, Union Bank Lagos, Dodan Warriors and Royal Hoopers of Port-Harcourt while Kano Pillars Kada Stars, Plateau Peaks Jos and Yelwa Hawks Bauchi qualified from the Sarannah Conference


Ahmedu Advises NBBF - by Enoma Ugheghe
One time board member of Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF Colonel Sam Ahmedu (Rtd) has advised the new board led by Tijani Umar to embark on youth programmes that will enable the country to have young and fresh players that can represent Nigeria at international competitions.
Speaking recently, the Dodan Warriors boss said he was worried that there is no specific programme designed to catch the players when they are still young.
Basketball is a game that is very physical and it needs a lot of energy. If we dont try to have youth programmes, then it will be difficult to face real competition in basketball, the former NBBF board member said.
We saw what happened to our team in Libya compare to teams like Angola, Cameroun and others who have good developmental programmes to promote their basketball.


*****************************************************

PBL

Halifax To Host 2009-10 PBL All-Star Game - by Eurobasket
The Halifax Rainmen will play host to the first Premier Basketball League All Star game. Some of the best players in North America will land in Halifax to dazzle and entertain basketball fans alike.

'I'm extremely excited to bring this great event back to our wonderful city,' said Rainmen owner Andre Levingston. 'Our organization along with our great partners will make this an all star game to remember. We are also pleased to announce Rogers as the presenting sponsor for our All-Star weekend. '

The 2009-10 season kicks off for the Rainmen with the annual Holiday Classic which consists of 3 pre-season games to be played December 19, 20 and 21st at the Halifax Metro Centre. During the regular 2010 season, the Halifax Rainmen will play 10 home games and 10 away games
Source: PBL


*****************************************************

PHILIPPINES

Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference

PBA Standings

1. Santa Lucia 0-0   2. Ginebra 0-0   3. Alaska 0-0   4. Purefoods 0-0   5. Coca-Cola 0-0   6. Talk N Text 0-0   7. Barako Bull 0-0   8. Burger King 0-0   9. San Miguel 0-0   10. Rain or Shine 0-0   11. Smart Gilas 0-0

*****************************************************

POLAND

Stats Leaders - 1Liga

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

Points Per Game

Marcin STERENGA   Gornik Walb.   (201-F-78)   Avg: 25

1. Sterenga, Gornik W. 25.0   2. Malewski, Znicz B. 21.0   3. Celej, Start Lublin 20.5   4. Mis, Siarka T. 20.0   5. Storozynski, Trefl S. 18.5   6. Piechowicz, MMKS D. 18.3   7. Wojdyla, Sudety JG 18.0   8. Piotrkowski, AZS A. 18.0   9. Flieger, Zastal ZG 18.0   10. Wojdyla, Sudety 18.0

Rebounds Per Game

Pawel STOROZYNSKI   Trefl SSA   (201-F-79)   Avg: 13

1. Storozynski, Trefl S. 13.0   2. Nowak, Sudety JG 13.0   3. Sterenga, Gornik W. 12.0   4. Sulima, Tempcold. 11.0   5. Mis, Siarka T. 11.0   6. Nowak, Sudety JG 10.5   7. Nowak, Sudety JG 10.5   8. Nowak, Sudety JG 10.5   9. Kwiatkowski, Start L. 10.0   10. Lisewski, MMKS. 10.0

Assists Per Game

Marcin STOKLOSA   Spojnia S.   (188-G-77)   Avg: 8.7

1. Stoklosa, Spojn. 8.7   2. Sikora, Start Lublin 7.5   3. Rapucha, Zubry 7.0   4. Rapucha, Zubry 7.0   5. Krajewski, LKS L. 7.0   6. Rapucha, Zubry 7.0   7. Ecka, Znicz Basket 6.7   8. Trepka, LKS Lodz 6.0   9. Trepka, LKS Lodz 6.0   10. Baran, Siarka. 5.0

Steals Per Game

Marcin ECKA   Znicz Basket   (184-G-78)   Avg: 6

1. Ecka, Znicz Basket 6.0   2. Prostak, Sudety JG 6.0   3. Kalinowski, LKS L. 6.0   4. Rapucha, Zubry 5.5   5. Rapucha, Zubry 5.5   6. Stolarz, Zubry 5.5   7. Stolarz, Zubry 5.5   8. Zalewski, Zubry 5.0   9. Prostak, Sudety JG 5.0   10. Stoklosa, Spo. 5.0

Blocks Per Game

Rafal KULIKOWSKI   Zubry   (204-C-85)   Avg: 3

1. Kulikowski, Zubry 3.0   2. Prus, Gornik Walb. 2.5   3. Kulikowski, Zubry 2.5   4. Kulikowski, Zubry 2.5   5. Salamonik, Big Star 2.0   6. Milewski, AZS A. 2.0   7. Mis, Siarka T. 2.0   8. Lisewski, MMKS D. 1.7   9. Bodych, Spojnia S. 1.3   10. Bach, Trefl S. 1.3

Standings - 1 Liga

1Liga Standings

1. Spojnia S. 3-0   2. Sokol L. 3-0   3. MMKS DG 3-0   4. Siarka T. 2-1   5. Znicz Basket 2-1   6. Zastal ZG 2-1   7. Sudety JG 2-1   8. Start Lublin 1-1   9. Tempcold AZS 1-2   10. AZS AWF K-ce 1-2   11. Big Star 1-2   12. MOSiR Krosno 1-2   13. LKS Lodz 0-2   14. Gornik Wal. 0-2   15. Zubry 0-2   16. Trefl SSA 0-3

Standings - 2 Liga

2Liga Standings

Group A  1. GKS Korsarz 3-0   2. SKK S-ce 3-0   3. Harmattan 3-0   4. Astoria 2-0   5. Zuraw Gn. 2-0   6. MMKS Pierniki 2-1   7. Norgips 1-1   8. Legia W-wa 1-2   9. AZS Olsztyn 1-3   10. Nowy Dwor Gd. 0-1   11. OSSM W-wa 0-1   12. OSSM Sopot 0-2   13. Assec.Prokom 3 0-2   14. Tur B.Podl. 0-2   15. Zyrardow 0-3  Group B  1. Poznan 2-0   2. Opolska 2-0   3. Kutno 2-0   4. Ksiezak L. 2-0   5. Szczecin 2-0   6. Pogon P. 1-1   7. Open Basket 1-1   8. Skierniewice 1-1   9. WKK Wroclaw 1-2   10. Kalisz 0-0   11. Stal Ostrow 0-1   12. Slask Wroclaw 0-2   13. KKS Siechn. 0-2   14. Nysa Klodzko 0-2   15. OSSM Wroc. 0-2  Group C  1. Rosasport 3-0   2. Pogon RS 2-0   3. AZS Pol. Cz-wa 2-0   4. Cracovia 2-1   5. Tarnow II 2-1   6. AZS Radom 2-1   7. Alba 1-1   8. Mickiewicz 1-2   9. MKS Limanowa 1-2   10. Bytom 1-2   11. Staco Niepol. 1-2   12. Unia 0-0   13. MCKiS Jaw. 0-2   14. Wisla Krakow 0-3   15. OSSM S.Wola 0-3

1Liga Round: 3 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Start Lublin - MOSiR Krosno 71-62
Start Lublin overcame MOSiR Krosno 71:62 in the Regular Season Round 3. Michal Sikora (182-G-80) top-scored for the winners with 18 points and Celej Tomasz notched 17. Pluta Piotr ended up with 21 points in the losing effort.

Siarka T. - Gornik Walb. 82-67
Siarka reached the second victory in the League beating Gornik 82:67. Five players scored in double figures as Piotr Mis (204-F/C-77) collected 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marciniak Michal netted 18 and Czerwonka Adrian added 17 points. Sterenga Marcin erupted with 31 points and 13 rebounds in defeat.

Big Star - Sokol L. 68-75
Big Star lost to Sokol 68:75 as the latter grabbed 3-0 record. Bartosz Dubiel (195-F-84) led the way with 18 points, Nitsche Mateusz notched 15 and Pisarczyk Wojciech as well as Glapinski Rafal had 10 each. Saran Michal poured in 16 points for the hosts.

MMKS DG - Znicz Basket 86-76
MMKS DG jumped to 3-0 record defeating Znicz Basket 86:76. Marek Piechowicz (203-G/F-88) exploded with 28 points, while Szczypka Lukasz and Zielinski Piotr had 12 each. Malewski Grzegorz ended up with 19 points in the losing case.

Spojnia S. - Trefl SSA 77-68
Spojnia remained undefeated after the win over Trefl SSA 77:68. Wiktor Grudzinski (208-C-78) paced all the winners with 18 poinsta nd 12 boards, while Mazur Hubert scored 17. Storozynski Pawel poured in 17 points in defeat and Mordzak Grzegorz added 16.

Zastal ZG - AZS AWF K-ce 75-58
Marcin Flieger (182-G-84, agency: Promotex) delivered 24 points for Zastal ZG that beat AZS AWF Katowice 75:58. Kukielka Grzegorz scored 13 and Kalinowski Jaroslaw nailed 12. Piotrkowski Mariusz chipped in 20 points in the losing case.


*****************************************************

PUERTO RICO

Peter John lands in China! - by Rafael Otero
The list of unemployment had another lost when Club Fujian in China signing 7'4 C Peter John Ramos (222-C-85) to a contract for this upcoming Chinese Basketball Season. Ramo's group, headed by his Mentor Felix 'Felo Rivera' had told that his priority was the NBA but if nothing comes up they will have no worries about Peter John signing anywhere overseas, specially China. From the very beggining many teams were interested from China in PJ, who 'killed' the BSN this past season. The PR National Team center agreed to play with the Chinese Club for a deal around $300k which could go up to $400k with bonuses.

*****************************************************

ROMANIA

Virgil Stanescu joins Teramo in the Italian SerieA - by Interperformances
Banca Tercas Teramo has added to his roster the experienced 7'0' Virgil Stanescu (207-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances, college: S.Alabama). The Romanian player is a true European center, capable to keep the position under the boards and to defend on strong opponents, but with good range from outside too. Virgis played in Belgium, Turkey, Germany, Romania and Kuwait during his long career. In the last four years he played in the Russian first league, first for Spartak St.Petersburg in the 2005/06 season, then for Spartak Primorie Vladivostok in 2006/07 and for Unics Kazan, the second best Russian Club, in the 2007/08 season. Last year Virgil played with CSK VVS Samara, averaging 8.9ppg and grabbing 4.8 rebounds.
Virgil is considered the best Romanian National Team Player since 1997.

Div.A Round: 4 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Gaz Metan - Otopeni 95-74
Jarrett Howell (188-G-84, agency: Beo Basket, college: Texas Arlington) remains the top-scorer of the Romanian League with 27.5 points per game. He nailed 32 points as his Gaz Metan beat Otopeni 95:74. Mitchell Deven collected 20 points and 12 boards, while Zigeranovic Ivan scored 12. Seals LeVar chipped in 22 points in defeat.

Mures - Ploiesti 76-83
Ploiesti improved to 4-0 record defeating Mures 83:76. Darius Hargrove (193-G-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: Virginia Union) led the way with 18 points and Cepulis Arvydas nailed 17. Tomic Branislav produced 19 points for the home side and Peciukas Vaidotas added 18.

Brasov - Oradea 91-85
Tsvetelin Ivanov (196-G-89) nailed 23 points and Mladenovic Dejan followed him with 21 points as Brasov edged Oradea 91:85. Paliciuc Radu notched 19, while Marinkovic Nenad posted 16. Martinovic Milos delivered 18 points in the losing effort.

Municipal B. - U.Mobitel.CN 71-84
U.Mobitelco CN improved to 4-0 record on top after the road win over Municipal 84:71. Mihai Silvasan (200-F-85, agency: Court Side) exploded with 29 points and 8 rebounds, whilst Lawrence David netted 24. Santana Angel was responsible for 23 points for the hosts.

Dinamo B. - Pitesti 60-68
Dinamo sent Pitesti to 3-1 record being neaten by them 60:68. Pitesti was led by 21 points from Joshua Jackson (188-G-85, college: Warner Pacific) and Waterstradt Dan nailed 15. Belanovic Aleksandar ended up with 17 points in the losing effort and Fometescu Claudiu scored 12.

Gladiator CN - Rovinari 81-64
Gladiator CN overcame Rovinari 81:64 in the Regular Season Round 4 having 6 players in the roster. Ronald Howard (181-G-84, college: Mayville St.) and Dawson LeRoy combined 50 points for the winners and Roschnafsky Bruno netted 11. Griffin Justin delivered 20 points in the losing case.

Timisoara - CSU Sibiu 81-78
Timisoara tied their record at 2-2 after the home win over CSU Sibiu 81:78. Milos Pesic (202-F-84) paced all the winners with 24 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Dzambic Rade collected 17 points, while Markovic Nenad scored 14. Brown Earl produced 27 points for the guests.


Mornar Bar cruises past Steaua Turabo in Bucharest - by Eurobasket News

Steaua Turabo - Mornar Bar 75-83

It was the first game ever for these two teams in BIBL. Mornar was the one who came up with victory, mostly owing to Milos Durisic (194-G-88), who nailed 28 points. Filip Samojlovic (183-G-90, agency: Interperformances) had 13 and Chad Barnes (190-G-83, college: New Orleans) netted 2 points less. Ronald Timus (198-G/F-84, agency: Rice and Rice, college: Morgan St.) and Virgil Stanescu (207-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances, college: S.Alabama) responded with 19 points each for the hosts. Milos Mladenovic (204-C/F-82) stopped on 14 pts.
First quarter was totally leveled. Both teams were pretty good offensively scoring 21 points each. Picture on the court changed after that. Mornar was the team who intensified defense, forcing the host squad to commit mistakes and to miss some tough shots. At the same time, Milos Durisic and his teammates were on fire scoring 22 more points until the half time. So after 20 minutes of play it was 35-43 for the guests. Steaua responded after the breather. Ronald Timus and Virgil Stanescu lifted their team to 24 third quarter points, while Mornar was stopped on 17. However, visitors still held plus 1 before the last ten minutes. Then, when it was the most important Mornar players shined having another very productive period. They drained 23 points leaving Steaua to 16 sealing the nice road win in Balkan Legue, Round 1.

Steaua Turabo: Ronald Timus 19, Virgil Stanescu 19, Milos Mladenovic 14
Mornar Bar: Milos Durisic 28, Filip Samojlovic 13, Chad Barnes 11


Stats Leaders - Men

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

Points Per Game

Jarrett HOWELL   Gaz Metan   (188-G-84)   Avg: 27.5

1. Howell, Gaz Metan 27.5   2. Bassett, Craiova 23.5   3. Bassett, Craiova 23.5   4. Ivanov, Brasov 21.3   5. Santana, Municipal B. 20.8   6. Timus, Steaua T. 20.7   7. Timus, Steaua T. 20.7   8. Timus, Steaua T. 20.7   9. Mijuskovic, Oradea 20.3   10. Bassett, Craio. 20.0

Rebounds Per Game

Jason SMITH   CSU Sibiu   (198-F-77)   Avg: 10.8

1. Smith, CSU Sibiu 10.8   2. Carutasu, Ploiesti 9.8   3. Gnjato, Oradea 8.8   4. Paliciuc, Brasov 8.3   5. Summers, CSU Sibiu 8.3   6. Paltinisanu, Timis. 8.0   7. Cuic, U.Mobitel.CN 7.8   8. Harris, Craiova 7.5   9. Harris, Craiova 7.5   10. Jucan, Gaz Met. 7.5

Assists Per Game

Jarrett HOWELL   Gaz Metan   (188-G-84)   Avg: 6.3

1. Howell, Gaz Metan 6.3   2. Roschnafsky, Gladia. 6.0   3. Pesic, Timisoara 5.5   4. Dzambic, Timisoara 5.3   5. Tyner, Rovinari 4.8   6. Cuic, U.Mobitel.CN 4.8   7. Fometescu, Dinamo B. 4.5   8. Helcioiu, Municipa. 4.5   9. Burleson, Ploiesti 4.5   10. Levine, Gladia. 4.3

Steals Per Game

Jarrett HOWELL   Gaz Metan   (188-G-84)   Avg: 3.8

1. Howell, Gaz Metan 3.8   2. Hargrove, Ploiesti 3.5   3. Tyner, Rovinari 3.3   4. Jackson, Pitesti 2.8   5. Sheard, Mures 2.8   6. Mitchell, Gaz Metan 2.5   7. Dumitru, Pitesti 2.3   8. Smith, CSU Sibiu 2.3   9. Johnson, CSU Sibiu 2.3   10. Bassett, Craio. 2.0

Blocks Per Game

Dorde PANTELIC   Steaua Turabo   (204-F-84)   Avg: 2

1. Pantelic, Steaua T. 2.0   2. Pantelic, Steaua T. 2.0   3. Dragovic, Craiova 2.0   4. Dragovic, Craiova 2.0   5. Vajda, Mures 1.8   6. Masiulis, Mures 1.5   7. Harris, Craiova 1.5   8. Pantelic, Steaua T. 1.5   9. Harris, Craiova 1.5   10. Pantelic, Steaua. 1.3

*****************************************************

RUSSIA

CSKA account for Zalgiris in Moscow - by Eurobasket News
CSKA - Zalgiris 90:74
CSKA opened their VTB-League campaign with a comfortable win over Zalgiris. The Lithuanian powerhouse entered the game pretty confidently. They grabbed a 7:0 lead but CSKA quickly erased the deficit. They finished the starting quarter drawing things level at 20. Andrey Vorontsevich (204-C-87) paced CSKA in the second period. The hosts surged ahead and earned a 5-point lead at halftime. Marcus Brown and Mantas Kalnietis (195-G-86, agency: Interperformances) helped Zalgiris returned into the game. They spurred back in charge 53:51 in the third frame. But Ponkrashov and Zoran Planinic (199-G-82) allowed the home team to enjoy an 8-point lead with ten minutes to go. Zalgiris slowed down in the final term and could not match aggressive CSKA. The Moscow team rallied comfortably and posted the initial win at the tournament.
Andrey Vorontsevich finished with 16 points for CSKA. Zoran Planinic added 15 points, while Ramunas Siskauskas (197-G-78) had 11 points in the victory. Mantas Kalnietis and Dainius Salenga (197-F-77) responded with 18 points each for Zalgiris. Travis Watson (203-F/C-81, college: Virginia) contributed 14 points in the loss.

CSKA: Andrey Vorontsevich 16, Zoran Planinic 15, Ramunas Siskauskas 11
Zalgiris: Mantas Kalnietis 18, Dainius Salenga 18


Interview with Sharrod Ford - by Stanislav Tyutyunnik
American forward Sharrod Ford (206-F-82, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Clemson) moved from warm Italy to cold Russia and will play this season at St. Petersburg with Spartak. He was very kind to answer some of the questions to Stanislav Tyutyunnik from Eurobasket.com in this interview.

Let's go back in time, how and when did you start playing basketball?
My starting of playing basketball was when I was about 12 years old. 11 or 12. My mother sent me to play.

Why did you part ways with La Fortezza Bologna and move to Superleague?
It was kind of rocky situation with owner in Virtus. I guessed he was happy with season we had year before. But many things were changed. And I was among these.
Spartak was the first team that came to me when I parted ways with Virtus. I learned a lot about team, about its last season, about Superleague. Everything was cool. Its comfortable situation to be here.

What do you think of Spartak and its competitive level?
I think the competitive level is really good. I did research they finished 4th place in Russian Nationals this year. Its definitely good you know. To finish 4th or higher will be good for us this year.

What do you think you could bring to a team?
I think I can bring a lot of excitement, a lot of enthusiasm, athleticism. A lot of things. Hopefully dunks, block shots.

What do you expect from playing at Russia, what is your goal to achieve by the end of season?
I expect a tough championship. My goal for this team and I think for everybody in the team is trying to finish the same position as last year. Or may be even higher. And if we continue to work hard as now we can achieve these goals.

What about your game, what are your strengths?
My strengths is defense I think. I help other players in defense. Be in the right place in the right time. Rebounding, block shots, dirty work. I like dunks very much.

What about your weak sides?
I think my shooting is not consistent. I mean my free points shooting can be more consistent. All around shooting have to be a little more better.

Do you keep some video records of your games for reviews?
Sometimes I like to watch my games. I can go back to these games, to see things that could be better. Im not looking very much film. I have records with games of Virtus and Alba.

What are your career best and worst moments?
My best moments were in Montegranaro. We were small team and nobody expected our achievements. We played very good championship. Me as individual played my best season in Europe. As a team we had a best season of the team.
My worst moments I think was the beginning of this season when I was in Virtus. The whole situation was not good. Nobody wants me to be there. We had a good season. We won Eurochallenge and I think its a great accomplish for any team. But obviously for owner it wasnt good enough. Although we had a good atmosphere in team. I wasnt in the team in the beginning of this season and it was terrible for me.

If you could pick four players to make an ideal starting five with yourself, who would you choose?
A point guard Id pick Steve Nash, my shooting guard Kobe Bryant, small forward Michael Jordan. As my power forward - Tim Duncan. O no, I will be power forward and he is a center.

In terms of basketball where would you like to see yourself in 5 years time? Do you want to come back and play in USA again?
In next 5 years hopefully I have success in Russian championship, Euroleague championship. If NBA comes calling and the situation will be good Id like to go back. But if its not a good situation and I feel comfortable here so no, I willnt come back.

What about Sharrod Ford on the web? What are your thoughts about Twitter/social media guidelines from David Stern?
I love Twitter and Facebook. It gives me a chance to connect with fans. People who want to know real me can follow me in Twitter. Ive seen the guidelines of David Stern but it doesnt matter the guidelines of NBA for me, I am not the NBA player. I pretty much like social network. I am always on Twitter after the practice and after the game.


Unics open VTB League with win over VEF Riga - by Eurobasket News
VEF Riga - Unics 72:76
Unics ensured the first win in the inaugural VTB League season. The Kazan outfit outgunned VEF Riga in the Latvian capital to go 1-0 in Group A. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) and Marko Popovic (185-G-82, college: S.Idaho JC) fired 14 points each to lead the charge.
Unics silenced the Riga crowd with an 8:0 start to the game. VEF soon recovered and raced in front 19:16 late in the period. Unics regained the lead 23:21 at the first break. Unics enjoyed a 33:25 advantage midway through the second period. The hosts managed to cut the distance as they trailed by 4 points at the interval. VEF Riga remained within striking distance throughout the third quarter. They finished the third stanza down by just 2 points heading into the fourth frame. VEF Riga spurred in front late in the game 67:66 but they could not maintain the advantage. Marko Popovic stepped up with five quick points for the visitors as they reestablished a 74:70 lead. Unics sealed the tough win in the dying seconds to taste the first VTB League victory.
Kresimir Loncar (210-F-83) finished with 12 points. Kouziakine and Stombergas had 10 points each in the win. Ingus Bankevics (195-G/F-85) responded with 16 points for VEF Riga. Martynas Mazeika (190-G-85, agency: Limelight Hoops) nailed 15 points in defeat.

VEF Riga: Ingus Bankevics 16, Martynas Mazeika 15
Unics: Vladimir Veremeenko 14, Marko Popovic 14, Kresimir Loncar 12


BC Triumph signed Paul Miller - by Stanislav Tyutyunnik
BC Triumph signed American power forward/center Paul Miller (208-C/F-82, college: Wichita St.). Last season Miller played in Anwil, Poland and scored 13,1 pts, 6,4 rbs, 1,1 ast and 1,4 st average. During 5 years of playing in Wichita State University NCAA team, he was selected in All-MVC Freshman Team -03, 04 and became All-MVC Player of the Year in 2006.
BC Triumph Head Coach Stanislav Eremin: ' We lacked big guys during the preseason games, so we decided to enforce 4-5 position. So we signed Amercian forward-center Paul Miller, he had a very good last season. Paul is the player with great touch and good shot. It's very important that Miller can play both positions - 4-5. Hope he'll help our team in the upcoming season'.

*****************************************************

SEBL

Former Baseline player Chucky Frierson signs in Norway - by Bobby Rouse
Former Baseline Warriors player Chucky Frierson (6'6''-G/F-83, agency: Prossin Sports Management, college: Dominican, NY) has signed to play for the Harstad Vikings (Norway-BLNO) for the 2009-2010 season. Chucky was an integral part of Baseline's success throughout the 2009 year as he was a member of our China tour, a member of our organizations WBA team, and a member of the Baseline SEBL summer pro squad. Congratulations to Chucky, and we hope to have him back within our organization for next summer's pro league.

*****************************************************

SERBIA

Cherno More celebrates comfortably win against Metalac - by Eurobasket News
Cherno More - Metalac 85-73

Cherno More registered comfortable 12-point win against Metalac. The hosts had Eric Webb (188-G-84, college: Furman) on fire with 24 points (5 triples). The American also had 8 rebounds and 6 assists beside that. Pavels Veselovs (207-F/C-83, agency: Interperformances) was second scorer of the team with 15 points. In Metalac, Dragomir Marojevic (207-C-81) came up with double-double, 22 points and 13 rebounds. Marko Ljubojevic (202-F/G-84) contributed with 14 points and 8 boards.
Metalac had slightly better beginning. Actually, both teams were pretty good offensively, but Metalac was the one who held 17-21 lead after opening ten minutes. However, that was all from them, at least for the next two quarters. Cherno More intensified defense in the second period stopping their rivals on just 9 pts. On the other side, Eric Webb and his teammates scored 19 pts, meaning that the hosts had 36-30 lead at the HT. Nothing has changed in third period as Cherno More still was the team who dominated. In these 10 minutes the hosts totally smashed Metalac with 31-18 for unreachable 67-48. As a reminder, in the entire first half Cherno More had 36 and only in third quarter they drained 31 points. After that, rest of the way was just the formality and in the end Cherno More celebrated totally deserved 85-73 win.

Cherno More: Eric Webb 24+8 boards+6 as, Pavels Veselovs 15
Metalac: Dragomir Marojevic 22+13 boards, Marko Ljubojevic 14+8 boards

Stats Leaders - 1A

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

*****************************************************

SLOVENIA

Mihailovic and Varagic returns to Slovenia - by Zeljko Zule
TCG Mercator inked their former member Vladimir Mihailovic (193-G-82) ex Kolin. He averaged 8,0 points, 1,9 rebounds, 1,5 assists and 0,7 steals in 33 gamed of Czech Mattoni NBL League.
Milos Varagic (195-G-87, agency: VTBM) ex Santa Pola Lucentum Alicante returned to Triglav (B1).He averaged 6,4 points, 2,7 rebounds, 0,6 assists and 1,3 steals in 27 games of Spanish EBA League last season.
Porotorz (D2) inked David Moro (199-G-86) ex Epic Misel Postojna.


*****************************************************

SOUTH KOREA

Defending Champs Fall On Day 1 KBL - by Rick Ross
KCC Last years KBL Champion open up at home with a Loss
To Dongbu Promy Lead by 1st year and new head Coach Kang Dong Hee
89-79, Marquin Chandler (202-F-82, college: San Jose St.) led all scores 26 pts followed
Kim Joo-Sung (205-C-79) 20 pts
We really wanted to win today's game,'' Promy post player Kim Joo-sung said
Both teams shot well from the floor, However, the Promy was more stronger,
In a losing effort Ha Seung Jin led KCC with 16 pts followed by
Choo Seung Gyun 10 pts and Jeon Tae Pung 11 pts
The Elephants Open up against SK Friday


*****************************************************

SPAIN

Stats Leaders - LEB Gold

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

Standings - ACB

ACB Standings

1. Real Madrid 2-0   2. DKV Joventut 2-0   3. Regal Barca 2-0   4. Caja Laboral 2-0   5. Manresa 2-0   6. A.G. Fuenla 2-0   7. Lucentum Al. 1-1   8. Valencia 1-1   9. Bizkaia Bilbao 1-1   10. Valladolid 1-1   11. Granada 1-1   12. MMT Estudia. 0-1   13. Gran Canaria 0-1   14. Lagun Aro 0-2   15. CB Murcia 0-2   16. Xacobeo BS 0-2   17. Cajasol 0-2   18. Unicaja 0-2

Stats Leaders - ACB

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

Points Per Game

Gerald FITCH   A.G. Fuenla   (191-G-82)   Avg: 25.5

1. Fitch, A.G. Fuenla 25.5   2. Carroll, Gran Canaria 23.0   3. Ahearn, MMT E. 22.0   4. Navarro, Regal B. 21.5   5. San Emeterio, Caja L. 21.0   6. Aguilar, Granada 19.0   7. Batista, A.G. F. 17.5   8. Panko, Lagun A. 17.5   9. Mumbru, Bizkaia . 16.5   10. Hendrix, Grana. 16.5

Rebounds Per Game

Nik CANER-MEDLEY   MMT Estudia.   (203-F-83)   Avg: 11

1. Caner-Medley, MMT E. 11.0   2. Jackson, Xacobeo BS 10.0   3. Batista, A.G. F. 9.0   4. Katelynas, Lucentum. 8.0   5. Kickert, Gran C. 7.0   6. Popovic, MMT E. 7.0   7. Moiso, Bizkaia Bilbao 6.5   8. Panko, Lagun A. 6.5   9. Triguero, Cajasol 6.5   10. Moss, CB Murc. 6.5

Assists Per Game

Maximiliano STANIC   Xacobeo BS   (178-G-78)   Avg: 6.5

1. Stanic, Xacobeo BS 6.5   2. Valters, DKV J. 6.5   3. Mumbru, Bizkaia . 6.0   4. Cook, Unicaja 6.0   5. Norris, Gran C. 5.0   6. Sada, Regal Barca 5.0   7. Rubio, Regal Barca 5.0   8. Llull, Real Madrid 4.5   9. Prigioni, Real Madrid 4.5   10. Ribas, Caja Labor. 4.0

Steals Per Game

Jorge GARBAJOSA   Real Madrid   (205-C/F-77)   Avg: 3.5

1. Garbajosa, Real M. 3.5   2. Jeter, Unicaja 3.5   3. McDonald, Gran C. 3.0   4. Van Lacke, Valladolid 2.5   5. Ivanov, Manresa 2.5   6. Ingles, Granada 2.0   7. Toledo, Manresa 2.0   8. Jasen, MMT E. 2.0   9. Rodriguez, Bizkai. 2.0   10. Bulfoni, Xacobeo 2.0

Blocks Per Game

Fran VAZQUEZ   Regal Barca   (210-C-83)   Avg: 2.5

1. Vazquez, Regal B. 2.5   2. Freeland, Unicaja 2.0   3. Battle, Valladolid 1.5   4. Terry, Xacobeo BS 1.5   5. Aguilar, Granada 1.5   6. Barac, Caja Laboral 1.5   7. Barnes, Valladolid 1.5   8. Lishchuk, Valencia. 1.5   9. Ndong, Regal Barca 1.5   10. Nielsen, Valenc. 1.5

ACB, Round 2: Six teams remain with perfect score - by Eurobasket News
DKV Joventut - Cajasol 65-60
DKV Joventut jumped to 2-0 after 65-60 home win against Cajasol. Uros Tripkovic (197-G-86, agency: Beo Basket) was on fire for the hosts scoring 18 points. He made 5 of 7 attempts from behind the arc. Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca (212-C-83) followed him with 12, while Kristaps Walters added 10 pts. In Cajasol (0-2), Earl Calloway shined with 18 points and 5 rebounds.

Regal Barca - Valencia BC 87-62
Regal Barca smashed Valencia BC at the Palau Blaugrana with huge 87-62. Juan Navarro (192-G-80) once again was a key player in victory netting 24 points (6/6 for 3-pts, 3/4 for FG2). Roger Grimau (196-G-79) and Fran Vazquez were behind him with 14 pts each. Rawle Marshall and Nando De Colo combined 33 points in defeat (1-1).

Valladolid - Xacobeo BS 75-64
Both teams failed in Round 1, but it was Valladolid who made it in this game mostly owing to Brian Chase (178-G-81, college: Virginia Tech), who scored 16 points. Lamont Barnes (208-F/C-78, college: Temple) had 13 pts and 6 rebounds, whole Eulis Baez collected 12 points and 8 boards. In the loosing squad, Costas Vasiliadis had 16 and Drago Pasalic netted one point less.

Real Madrid - Lagun Aro GBC 71-67
Real Madrid celebrated 71-67 home win against Lagun Aro GBC jumping to 2-0. Pablo Prigioni (191-G-77) stepped up for his team with 20 points, including just 3 missed shots for the game. Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances) had 15, Louis Bullock 13 and Darjus Lavrinovic helped with 12 pts. Visitors got 20 points and 8 rebounds from Andy Panko, falling to 0-2.

Granada - Lucentum Al. 103-71
Granada blasted Alicante with impressive 103-71, meaning that both teams currently have the same 1-1 record. The hosts had couple of players in a game mood. Pablo Aguilar (203-F/C-89) stepped up with 23 pts and 5 boards, Richard Hendrix (203-F-86, college: Alabama) had 20 and Jimmie Hunter helped with 17 pts. Jorge Garcia answered with 15 and Mario Austin scored 14 pts in defeat.

Caja Laboral - Bizkaia Bilbao 85-76
Caja Laboral had couple of players in a game mood today, with Mirza Teletovic (205-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) leading the way with 21 points and 7 rebounds. Fernando San Emeterio (198-G/F-84) scored 20, Lior Alyahu 14 and Carl English netter one point less. Bilbao (1-1) got 24 points from Alex Mumbru.

A.G. Fuenla - CB Murcia 93-77
Fuenlabrada jumped to 2-0, while Murcia remains winless after two rounds. Gerald Fitch (191-G-82, agency: SportsTalent, college: Kentucky) was totally the best player in this victory draining 29 points. Esteban Batista (208-F/C-83) scored 15 and Chris Thomas netted 10. In the loosing squad, Vlado Scepanovic posted 13 pts.

Manresa - Unicaja 77-73
Manresa grabbed second consecutive win joining group of the teams with perfect 2-0 record. On the other side, Unicaja dropped to 0-2 and this is extremely bad start for the team from Malaga. Sergiy Gladyr (196-G/F-89) top-scored for the winners with 17 points in just 18 minutes (4 triples). Ahmad Nivins (206-F-87, agency: Elfus-Siegel Management (ESM), college: St.Joseph's) had 13 and Alfonso Alzamora added 10 pts. In Unicaja, Saul Blanco delivered 20 points.

MMT Estudiantes - Gran Canaria postponed

*****************************************************

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

North Zone Semis: Defence Force scores a double! - by Albert-Lee Young
Date: October 14, 2009

Division 1
Defence Force grabbed a close 77-74 win against National Flour Mills (NFM) in Game1 of their Best of Three Series in North Zone Commission Division 1 Big Four Semi Finals at the St Pauls Street Sporting Complex, Port of Spain.

National forward Steven Lighter Lewis top-scored for the soldiers with 15 points, Derrick Boxhill had 14 and Peter Lewis added 13 pts. In defeat, Andy Best posted a game high 21pts while Kerry Mc Millan and Jason Delise tallied 13 and 11 pts respectively.

Division 2
In the first game of the double header, Defence Force B team scored a comfortable 81-46 victory against Unit Trust Pistons in Game 1 of the Division 2 Big Four Semi Finals.

For the army team, Jonathan Donawa came up big with 24pts, Ian Carter had 14 and Devon Waddell scored 12pts. Pistons had two players in double figures; Christopher Wilson (10) Andy Germain (10).


*****************************************************

TURKEY

Wesson keeps it in Turkey - by Sinan Can
PINAR Karsiyaka officially announced the signing of K'Zell Wesson (201-F/C-77, college: La Salle) . Izmir side who has not been satisfied by performance of frontcourt at pre-season games, added Wesson as the fifth foreigner to their roster. Karsiyaka has three American players, David Holston, Ryan Toolson and Andre Smith as Martin Mihajlovic takes place as the bosman player. Wesson's Bulgarian passport will help him to be a part of the team. Anyway, Izmir side might release Martin Mihajlovic any time. Wesson started his over-seas career in Turkey for Buyuk Kolej at 2000-01 season, made his come back by signing Besiktas Cola Turka last season. It looks like, American big man enjoyed playing for Coach Hakan Demir, who is currently in charge at Karsiyaka. Wesson averaged 13.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals in 20 games with Besiktas.

Turkish President's Cup Winner: Efes Pilsen - by Baha Kurtulus
Efes Pilsen Istanbul won the first title of the Turkish season by beating Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul 81-74 for the President's Cup at Ankara Ataturk Sports Hall.

Igor Rakocevic (191-G-78) lead Efes Pilsen Istanbul with 26 points, Kerem Tunceri had 14 points and Kaya Peker had 11 points, grabbed 9 rebounds.
For Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul, Lynn Terence Greer scored 17 points,Semih Erden added 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Efes made just 8 of 26 three-point attempts. Meanwhile Fenerbahce hit 8 of 25 threes.
Efes Pilsen Istanbul leads the cup race with 8 wins in 13 finals.


*****************************************************

UBA

Standings

UBA Standings

D-League  1. Columbus D. 0-0   2. Warner RK 0-0   3. Metro K. 0-0   4. Orlando Stars 0-0  Exhibition-Touring  1. Proline 0-0   2. Shizuoka T. 0-0  National Division  1. Converse F. 0-0   2. S. Antonio 0-0   3. Irving A. 0-0   4. GIE Morrow D. 0-0   5. Katy S. 0-0   6. Houston G. 0-0   7. Austin F. 0-0   8. Southern G. 0-0

*****************************************************

UKRAINE

Superleague Cup: Wednesday Games - by Platon Khegai
Another three games of the Ukrainian Superleague Cup were carried out on Wednesday. Thus Dnipro hosted MBC Mykolaiv, Kryvbas visited Odessa and Pulsar faced Gryfony in Rivne.

BC Odessa lost to Kryvbas its opening home game in the new season 74:80 (22:25, 19:16, 13:20, 20:19). Key events were in the third quarter when visitors not only got quite good handicap but kept it till the end of a period.
O: DeGroat 16 pts + 4 rebs, Podolian 15 pts, Hill 14 pts + 3 steals + 3 ast, Coleman 9 pts, Fraseniuk 7 pts, Gurtovoy 6 pts, Balashov 5 pts, Wallace 2 pts.
K: Zuza 21 pts + 10 rebs, Koprivitsa 17 pts, Korabliov 10 pts, Kondratovets 9 pts, Antonijevic 7 pts, Annenkov 5 pts, Pavlovic 5 pts, Crisp 4 pts, Konev 2 pts.

With two double-doubles in its boxscore, BC Dnipro destroyed Shipbuilders from Mykolaiv 107 to 78 (31:27, 24:15, 30:22, 22:14). Hosts showed well-organized defense and aggressive offense so their opponents had no chances to add two points to the cup table. 
D: Crowe 16 pts + 12 rebs, Ivanov 16 pts, Kornienko 14 pts + 13 rebs, Tymofeyenko 4 pts, Glazyrin 7 pts + 7 rebs, Panchenko 5 pts + 6 ast, Belitskiy 3 pts, Kozlov 8 pts, Lebedev 14 pts, Lekavicius 8 pts + 4 rebs, Andriukaitis 12 pts.
M: Shkurupiy 17 pts, Matiukevich 15 pts + 8 rebs, Onufriev 11 pts, Iailo 7 pts, Silkovskiy 4 pts + 4 ast, Norenko 2 pts + 5 rebs, McClintock 4 pts + 4 rebs, Vaikulis 8 pts + 5 rebs, Jeromanovs 10 pts + 7 rebs + 4 ast.

Pulsar also smashed reserve squad of BC Gryfony 110:59 (21:14, 29:14, 34:23, 26:8). Most effective for the winners were: Ulianko 25 pts + 9 rebs, Poltoratskiy 14 pts + 5 rebs, Artimovich 13 pts + 4 rebs, Shelukha 11 pts + 4 rebs, Shemosiuk and Gerasimchiuk 10 pts each.

*****************************************************

UNITED KINGDOM

Macaulay Expects Dog Fight - by Andy Webb
Marshall MK Lions host the Guildford Heat on Friday evening at Bletchley Leisure Centre in the first BBL Cup clash of the 2009/10 campaign, and Lions coach Vince Macaulay y is expecting nothing to come easy for his side on Friday evening: As it's the BBL cup, we want to progress, so we are expecting a real dog fight on Friday he said: The Guildford Heat have shown that they are developing as a team under Chad (McKnight). They had a couple of easier games to start the season, but really pushed Everton all the way last weekend. Macaulay identified former GB Internationals Mike Martin and Julius Joseph as the men to watch out for when Guildford come to town: Their main threats are Mike Martin and Julius Joseph he added: Mike is a high level player who is so athletic, but combines that with playing very hard for every second he is on the floor. Julius is a player that can hurt you offensively. He is slowly getting back into game shape after a year off and I believe that combination could be lethal. The contest is made more interesting by the transfer of former BBL Trophy Final MVP Elmer J. Harrison (186-G-76, college: Connecticut) from the Heat to the Lions this summer, after the American had helped Guildford to Trophy glory in 2008.

Friday evenings second game sees the Sheffield Sharks welcome the Glasgow Rocks to the EIS, Sheffield in a BBL Championship clash. The Sharks hold the all time head-to-head between the sides at 36-14, and the game precedes them taking on the Worthing Thunder on Saturday evening in the BBL Cup.

More BBL Cup action gets underway on Saturday evening, as the Plymouth Raiders are in action against a hungry London Capital side, and the Essex Pirates and Worcester Wolves go head to head in a game that could go either way.

The BBL Championship table is also more than likely to change on Saturday evening, as six teams are in league action, with the Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders, Guildford Heat, and Cheshire Jets all playing at home. Leicester, who will be riding high after their 99-65 defeat of the Essex Pirates last weekend, will be without dynamic point guard Tack Minor, as the American serves a one game ban.

Whilst the Heat complete a trying weekend with a home tie against the Newcastle Eagles, the Cheshire Jets face cross-town rivals, the Everton Tigers. Tigers' boss Tony Garbelotto said on Cheshire: They are a very experienced team, who happen to be our cross town rivals. Last season we went undefeated against them and I know that they will come for us with even more effort this season. They have had a mixed start but I still think this will be a tough game for both teams. As usual the main threat for them revolves around Chez Marks.


*****************************************************

VENEZUELA

Standings - LNB

LNB Standings

East  1. Tiburones 6-0   2. Gatos 4-2   3. Espartanos 2-4   4. Estudiantes 1-5  West  1. Cent.Apure 5-1   2. Graneros 4-2   3. Lanc.Cojedes 2-4   4. Duros 0-6

*****************************************************

Women News

*****************************************************

AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS - Women

Standings

Standings

Group A 1. Senegal 5-0 2. Mozambique. 4-1 3. Cameroon 3-2 4. Madagascar. 2-3 5. S.Africa 1-4 6. Mauritius 0-5 Group B 1. Angola 4-1 2. Ivory Coas. 4-1 3. Mali 4-1 4. Nigeria 2-3 5. Tunisia 1-4 6. Rwanda 0-5

The End of the Preliminary Round - by Eurobasket News
GROUP A
South Africa-Cameroon 50:64
Cameroon advanced to the Quarterfinals after the victory over South Africa in the last game of the group. Cameroon needed 64:50 to finish Group A with 3-2 record of the
21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women.
Cameroon started the game with 21-19 and later pushed the tempo for good. Due to the great defense the team ended up the half with 36:25. In the third period the teams were tied at 12-12 that still remained Cameroon on top. The latter added 16-13 in the last frame for the total success.
Solange Ebondji led the way with 15 points for 3-2 record. Astride Gano-Njiogap added 14 points, while Ngamou notched 9. Emmerentina Emmerentia Ledwaba (183-F-79) was outstanding in her side lose with 12 points, 7 rebounds in the losing effort.
In the Quarterfinal Cameroon will face Ivory Coast. South Africa will play against Rwanda for the 9-12 places on October 16th.

South Africa: Emmerentia Ledwaba 12, Pumla Sathula (G/F-85) 10
Cameroon: Ebonji 15, Gano 14

Madagascar-Mozambique 59:71

Mozambique rolls over Madagascar as both teams advance to 1/4 Finals of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women. Mozambique beat the hosts 71:59 for 4-1 record. Madagascar advanced to the Quarterfinals with 2-3 record from the fourth spot of the group.
It was Madagascar that opened the game with 19-7 and won the opening quarter. Mozambique replied with a 26-15 points win in the second quarter to narrow the gap to just one point of 34:33 at half-time in favour of the host. In the third period the guests were too good in the court and nailed 30 points in 10 minutes. It gave them 63:47 advantage after 30 minutes. Madagascar won the last quarter 12-8 but could only reduce to 59:71.
Leia Dongue led the way with a double double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Aleia Rachide also had double double of 12 rebounds, 10 points, while Catia Halar and Ana Azindeira combined 24 points.
In the Quarterfinals Mozambique will face Angola that finished another group on the third spot. Madagascar will take on the leader of Group B Mali.

Madagascar: Prisca Razananirina (F) 16, Agne Rasoambolanoro (F) 12
Mozambique: Leia Dongue 16, Halar 13, Ana Azinheira (156-G-80) 11

Mauritius-Senegal 19:107
Senegal won group A of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women reaching the fifth straight victory last night. The favorites thrashed Mauritius 107:19 for 5-0 record.
Senegal started with 26-2 in the opening quarter and did not allow the opponent to show at least what they could in the court. The favorites easily reached 54 points at the halftime after 28-6 in the second stanza. In the third period Senegal produced 27-3 and looked forward to reach three digits in the end of the game. With 26-6 in the last quarter Senegal finished the game with 107:19.
Ndeye Sene (167-G/F-88) again top-scored for the winners with 20 points. Diango notched 18, while Thiam posted 16. Karina Venketasawmy collected 7 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
Senegal will face now the fourth team of Group B in the Quarterfinals. On October 16th the team will play Nigeria that finished Group B with 2-3 record. The latter lost the last game to Angola 45:60.

Mauritius: Karina Venketasawmy 7+12 rebs
Senegal: Ndeye Sene 20, Diango 18, Thiam 16

GROUP B
Mali -Tunisia 66:38
Mali clinched the top spot in Group B at the preliminary round of AfroBasket 2009 in Madagascar. They wrapped up the action in the pool with the victory over Tunisia. The defending champions improved at 4-1 record and would face Madagascar at the quarterfinal stage. Tunisia finished the round with a single victory and occupied the fifth place in the group. They are scheduled to meet with Mauritius in the classification round.
Mali dominated the game from start to finish. They piled up a 12-point lead at halftime and were not about to slow down after the main break. The reigning champions cruised to a 19-point lead after three quarters of action. Tunisia were able to account for just 8 points in the fourth frame and had to surrender at the end.
Djenebou Sissoko (190-F/C-82, college: Union (TN)) tallied 17 points and 11 boards for Mali. Diawara added 15 points and 16 boards for the winners. Zagrouba, Hedi Hamrouni (202-F) and Chelly responded with 6 points each. Mali enjoyed an overwhelming advantage on the boards 62:17. They also managed to overcome 22 turnovers and 34% accuracy from the field.

Mali: Djenebou Sissoko 17+11 boards, Diawara 15+16 boards, Sy 8
Tunisia: Zagrouba 6, Hedi Hamrouni 6, Chelly 6



Angola - Nigeria 60:45
Angola claimed the fourth win at the AfroBasket 2009 preliminary round. They toppled Nigeria to improve at 4-1 record and clinched the third spot in Group B. Angola will now face Mozambique at the quarterfinal stage. Nigeria slipped at 2-3 record and occupied the fourth position in the pool. They will take on Senegal in the playoffs.
Angola looked too good for Nigeria in the first half. Defense work smoothly for Angolan team as they held their opponents to just 8 points in the first quarter. Angola entered the second period up by 6 points and continued to dominate throughout the reminder of the half. The scoreboard read 30:18 at the interval. However Nigeria came up with a decent answer in the third term. They sparked a massive rally that resulted in a 39:37 lead for Nigeria with quarter remaining. But Angola quickly came back to life and stormed to the win at the end.
Luisa Tomas (83) netted 14 points for Angola. Nassecela Mauricio (181-F-80) contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. Rashidat Sadiq (188-F-81) answered with 11 points and 6 boards for Nigeria. Funmilayo Ojelabi (G) netted 10 points in the loss.

Angola: Luisa Tomas 14, Nassecela Mauricio 11, Domitila Ventura (165-G-78) 8, Felizarda Jorge (87) 8
Nigeria: Rashidat Sadiq 11, Funmilayo Ojelabi 10





Cote d'Ivoire - Rwanda 64:60

Rwanda threw all they had before finally surrendering against Cote dIvoire in the final game of the preliminary round of Afrobasket 2009. Cote d'Ivoire posted the fourth win and clinched the second spot in Group B. They will now take on Cameroon in the quarterfinal. Rwanda remained undefeated and would look for the first win in the classification game against South Africa on Saturday.
Cote d'Ivoire raced to a good start. They were up by 8 after ten minutes of action. But Rwanda slowed down their opponents. They limited Cote d'Ivoire to just 12 points in the second frame and trailed by 9 at halftime. Cote dIvoire continued to maintain the cushion heading into the fourth stanza up by 11 points. But Rwanda reeled off to a 23:16 fourth quarter nearly stunning their counterparts.
Salimata Berte (89) finished with 17 points and 8 boards for Cote d'Ivoire. Kani Kouyate (90) added 17 points, 6 boards and 5 assists in the victory. Tatum responded with 21 points and 13 boards for Rwanda. Grandberry netted 18 points in defeat.

Cote d'Ivoire: Salimata Berte 17, Kani Kouyate 17, Christelle Denaimou N'Garsanet (191-C-83, agency: Merit Sports, college: Missouri) 7
Rwanda: Brown Tatum 21, Takisha Grandberry 18

*****************************************************

ANGOLA - Women

Angola beat Nigeria in Antananarivo - by Eurobasket News
Angola - Nigeria 60:45
Angola claimed the fourth win at the AfroBasket 2009 preliminary round. They toppled Nigeria to improve at 4-1 record and clinched the third spot in Group B. Angola will now face Mozambique at the quarterfinal stage. Nigeria slipped at 2-3 record and occupied the fourth position in the pool. They will take on Senegal in the playoffs.
Angola looked too good for Nigeria in the first half. Defense work smoothly for Angolan team as they held their opponents to just 8 points in the first quarter. Angola entered the second period up by 6 points and continued to dominate throughout the reminder of the half. The scoreboard read 30:18 at the interval. However Nigeria came up with a decent answer in the third term. They sparked a massive rally that resulted in a 39:37 lead for Nigeria with quarter remaining. But Angola quickly came back to life and stormed to the win at the end.
Luisa Tomas (83) netted 14 points for Angola. Nassecela Mauricio (181-F-80) contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. Rashidat Sadiq (188-F-81) answered with 11 points and 6 boards for Nigeria. Funmilayo Ojelabi (G) netted 10 points in the loss.

Angola: Luisa Tomas 14, Nassecela Mauricio 11, Domitila Ventura (165-G-78) 8, Felizarda Jorge (87) 8
Nigeria: Rashidat Sadiq 11, Funmilayo Ojelabi 10

*****************************************************

BOSNIA - Women

Standings - Women

D1 Standings

1. Livno 0-0   2. Jedinstvo 0-0   3. Zeljeznicar 0-0   4. Borac-Mladost 0-0   5. M.Kraj. BL 0-0   6. Celik 0-0   7. Brotnjo 94 0-0   8. Banovici 0-0   9. Tomislavgrad 0-0   10. Sloboda 0-0   11. Trebinje 0-0   12. Igman 0-0

*****************************************************

CAMEROON - Women

Cameroon advanced to the Quarterfinals - by Eurobasket News
South Africa-Cameroon 50:64

Cameroon advanced to the Quarterfinals after the victory over South Africa in the last game of the group. Cameroon needed 64:50 to finish Group A with 3-2 record of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women. South Africa meanwhile finished fifth in the group.
Cameroon started the game with 21-19 and later pushed the tempo for good. Due to the great defense the team ended up the half with 36:25. In the third period the teams were tied at 12-12 that still remained Cameroon on top. The latter added 16-13 in the last frame for the total success.
Solange Ebondji led the way with 15 points for 3-2 record. Astride Gano-Njiogap added 14 points, while Ngamou notched 9. Emmerentia Ledwaba (183-F-79) was outstanding in her side lose with 12 points, 7 rebounds in the losing effort.
In the Quarterfinal Cameroon will face Ivory Coast. The latter finished second in Group B and showed five great games. South Africa will play against Rwanda for the 9-12 places on October 16th. Later they will play another game with the winner or loser of Tunisia-Mauritius.

South Africa: Emmerentia Ledwaba 12, Pumla Sathula (G/F-85) 10
Cameroon: Ebonji 15, Gano 14

*****************************************************

CZECH REPUBLIC - Women

ZBL Round: 5 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Valosun Brno - Trutnov 60-73
Trutnov celebrated the fourth victory as they bruised Valosun in Brno. Hana Snajdrova-Ziklova (182-F-80) came up with 17 points for Trutnov. Michaela Hartigova nailed 15 points and collected 10 rebounds in the win. Michaela Zrustova responded with 23 points and 8 rebounds in defeat.

USK Praha - Frisco Sika 75-92
Frisco Sika claimed a comprehensive success over their archrivals USK Praha on the road. Petra Kulichova (198-C-84) exploded with 22 points and 9 rebounds to lead the visitors. Zuzana Zirkova added 16 points and 6 assists for the vice-champions. Evanthia Maltsi dropped 25 points for for USK Praha. Cathrine Kraayveld had 17 points in the losing case.

Hradec Kralove - Karlovy Vary 61-77
Karlovy Vary improved at 2-2 record with a road win over Hradec Kralove. Kyle DeHaven (175-G-84, college: Delaware) notched 16 points, 7 boards and 5 steals in the win. Michaela Magerciakova added 15 points for the visitors. Milena Steffanova replied with 17 points for Hradec Kralove.

BA Sparta - VS Praha 59-60
VS Praha held off BA Sparta behind 14 points and 11 boards from Kamila Stepanova (191-C-88). Tereza Kuthanova added 13 points in the victory. Terra Wallace knocked down 24 points, grabbed 8 rebounds and made 6 steals in defeat.

Stats Leaders - Women

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

Points Per Game

Michaela ZRUSTOVA   Valosun Brno   (183-F-87)   Avg: 19

1. Zrustova, Valosun . 19.0   2. Reisingerova, Strako. 19.0   3. Kraayveld, USK P. 19.0   4. Misurova, Trutnov 17.3   5. Vlkova, Valosun . 16.5   6. Horakova, Frisco S. 15.8   7. Vetrovcova, Karlov. 15.7   8. Hejdova, Frisco S. 15.6   9. Kulichova, Frisco S. 15.2   10. Novakova, Hradec. 15.0

Rebounds Per Game

Petra REISINGEROVA   Strakonice   (196-C-73)   Avg: 12.5

1. Reisingerova, Strako. 12.5   2. Horakova, Hradec K. 11.0   3. Kulichova, Frisco S. 10.2   4. Vetrovcova, Karlov. 10.0   5. Stepanova, VS Praha 9.0   6. Sipova, Slovanka. 8.3   7. Zrustova, Valosun . 8.0   8. Tamane, USK Praha 8.0   9. Hartigova, Trutnov 8.0   10. Sipova, Slovan. 7.3

Assists Per Game

Zuzana ZIRKOVA   Frisco Sika   (175-F/G-80)   Avg: 6

1. Zirkova, Frisco Sika 6.0   2. Horakova, Frisco S. 4.2   3. Kysilkova, Hradec K. 3.5   4. Nezdarilova-S., Slovan. 3.3   5. Misurova, Trutnov 3.0   6. Maltsi, USK Praha 3.0   7. Viteckova, Frisco S. 2.4   8. Borecka, Karlovy . 2.3   9. Giacintova, Valosu. 2.3   10. Johnova, Strakoni. 2.3

Steals Per Game

Hana HORAKOVA   Frisco Sika   (182-F/G-79)   Avg: 4.2

1. Horakova, Frisco S. 4.2   2. Wallace, BA Sparta 4.0   3. Vetrovcova, Karlov. 4.0   4. Pospisilova, Slovan. 3.7   5. Kysilkova, Hradec K. 3.5   6. Nezdarilova-S., Slovan. 3.3   7. Giacintova, Valosu. 3.3   8. Pudlakova, VS Praha 3.0   9. DeHaven, Karlovy . 2.7   10. Eisnerova, Karlov. 2.7

Blocks Per Game

Cathrine KRAAYVELD   USK Praha   (193-F-81)   Avg: 3

1. Kraayveld, USK P. 3.0   2. Novakova, Hradec K. 1.8   3. Kulichova, Frisco S. 1.8   4. Tamane, USK Praha 1.3   5. Vetrovcova, Karlov. 1.3   6. Horakova, Hradec K. 1.0   7. Wallace, BA Sparta 1.0   8. Vodrazkova, Slovanka. 1.0   9. Reisingerova, Strako. 1.0   10. Kublina, USK Pra. 0.8

*****************************************************

HOLLAND - Women

Standings - Women

Eredivisie Standings

EliteA  1. HLB Account. 1-0   2. Binnenland 1-1   3. Woonbron/DAS 1-1   4. Celeritas-D. 1-1   5. Wereldtickets.nl 0-1  EliteB  1. ProBuild Lions 2-0   2. Eurosped Tw. 2-0   3. Amazone Leidsche 2-1   4. BV Lely 0-2   5. Grasshoppers 0-3

*****************************************************

ICELAND - Women

Standings - Women

Express L. Standings

1. KR 1-0   2. Hamar 1-0   3. Snaefell 1-0   4. Haukar 0-0   5. Grindavik 0-0   6. Keflavik 0-1   7. Njardvik 0-1   8. Valur 0-1

Iceland Express league starts - by Siggi Hjorleifsson
Iceland Express league started yesterday with two games and one tonight.
Some upset and some surprise results.
Hamar beat Keflavik 82-62. Kind of a surprise results but Keflavik is going through a lot of changes. Many 15 16 & years old players coming in. New american who just came in.
Hamar team should have a strong season with many good players.
Scorers for Hamar. Fanney Gudmundsdottir 22. Sigrun Amundadottir 17. Koren Schram 17. For Keflavik Birna Valgardsdottir 24

KR womens team had similar games as Clubs mens team playing against very young Njardvik team that still dont have their american player in.
Result Njardvik 51 KR 99. Jenny Pfeiffer-Finora 20 for KR Olof Helga Palsdottir 12 for Njardvik.

Valur who just got their american player Sakera Young in day before the game lost to Snaefell 63-59. Close game all the time but Snaefell stronger in the end. Good three pointer from Kristen Green secured the win.
Top scorers for Valur Birna Einarsdottir 17. Hanna Halfdanardottir 12 Hrund Johannsdottir 11. For Snaefell Kristen Green 16. Gunnhildur Gunnarsdottir 14 Berglind Gunnarsdottir 13.

Haukar 75. Grindavik 68. Grindavik leading most of the game but Hauklar stronger in the end. Heather Ezell 33 pts & 15 rebs. Ragna Margret Brynjarsdottir 18 + 15 boards. Gudrun Amundadottir 15. For Grindavik.New american player Michele Michele DeVault (180-G/F-86) 19. Dagmar Traustadottir & Jovanna Stefansdottir 10 each

*****************************************************

ISRAEL - Women

Maccabi Ashdod won the Winner cup !!!! - by Gil Goshen


Ashdod won the Winner Cup , won the game vs. Ramla 84:82.
It was the night of Ashley Walker - 22 points and 14 rbs ( the M.V.P of the cup ) and a great game of Natasha Lacy - 16 points, 9 ast, 10rbs ( the M.V.P of the game ).
.
For Ashdod:

Ashely Walker 22 pts, 14 rebs
Courtney Paris 16 pts, 13 rebs
Natasha Lacy 16 pts, 9 ast, 10 rebs
Shiran Zairy 11 pts
Ornit Shwartz 9 pts
Liran Buchris 3 pts
Lena Mustafina 2 pts

For Ramla:
Ancuta Stonsco 20 pts
Deanna Jackson 17 pts
Noelle Quinn 16 pts
Ashely Paris 14 pts
Ina Gourevitch 9 pts
Ortal Oren 6 pts

Holon 86 Electra Ramat Hasharon 80
Holon took the 3rd place . Rashanda McCants with 23 points 17 rbs. and Tamara Ransburg with 19 led the winners. Ambrosia Anderson had 17 and Sheri Sam had 16 for Ramat Hasharon.

Ashley Walker (185-F/C-87, college: California)

*****************************************************

IVORY COAST - Women

Cote d'Ivoire finish off Rwanda - by Eurobasket News
Cote d'Ivoire - Rwanda 64:60

Rwanda threw all they had before finally surrendering against Cote dIvoire in the final game of the preliminary round of Afrobasket 2009. Cote d'Ivoire posted the fourth win and clinched the second spot in Group B. They will now take on Cameroon in the quarterfinal. Rwanda remained undefeated and would look for the first win in the classification game against South Africa on Saturday.
Cote d'Ivoire raced to a good start. They were up by 8 after ten minutes of action. But Rwanda slowed down their opponents. They limited Cote d'Ivoire to just 12 points in the second frame and trailed by 9 at halftime. Cote dIvoire continued to maintain the cushion heading into the fourth stanza up by 11 points. But Rwanda reeled off to a 23:16 fourth quarter nearly stunning their counterparts.
Salimata Berte (89) finished with 17 points and 8 boards for Cote d'Ivoire. Kani Kouyate (90) added 17 points, 6 boards and 5 assists in the victory. Tatum responded with 21 points and 13 boards for Rwanda. Grandberry netted 18 points in defeat.

Cote d'Ivoire: Salimata Berte 17, Kani Kouyate 17, Christelle Denaimou N'Garsanet (191-C-83, agency: Merit Sports, college: Missouri) 7
Rwanda: Brown Tatum 21, Takisha Grandberry 18

*****************************************************

MADAGASCAR - Women

Mozambique rolls over Madagascar as both teams advance to 1/4 Finals - by Eurobasket News
Madagascar-Mozambique 59:71

Mozambique rolls over Madagascar as both teams advance to 1/4 Finals of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women. Mozambique beat the hosts 71:59 for 4-1 record. Madagascar advanced to the Quarterfinals with 2-3 record from the fourth spot of the group.
It was Madagascar that opened the game with 19-7 and won the opening quarter. Mozambique replied with a 26-15 points win in the second quarter to narrow the gap to just one point of 34:33 at half-time in favour of the host. In the third period the guests were too good in the court and nailed 30 points in 10 minutes. It gave them 63:47 advantage after 30 minutes. Madagascar won the last quarter 12-8 but could only reduce to 59:71.
Leia Dongue led the way with a double double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Aleia Rachide also had double double of 12 rebounds, 10 points, while Catia Catia Halar and Ana Azindeira combined 24 points.
In the Quarterfinals Mozambique will face Angola that finished another group on the third spot. Madagascar will take on the leader of Group B Mali.

Madagascar: Prisca Razananirina (F) 16, Agne Rasoambolanoro (F) 12
Mozambique: Leia Dongue 16, Catia Halar 13, Ana Azinheira (156-G-80) 11

*****************************************************

MALI - Women

Mali win preliminary Group B in Antananarivo - by Eurobasket News
Mali - Tunisia 66:38

Mali clinched the top spot in Group B at the preliminary round of AfroBasket 2009 in Madagascar. They wrapped up the action in the pool with the victory over Tunisia. The defending champions improved at 4-1 record and would face Madagascar at the quarterfinal stage. Tunisia finished the round with a single victory and occupied the fifth place in the group. They are scheduled to meet with Mauritius in the classification round.
Mali dominated the game from start to finish. They piled up a 12-point lead at halftime and were not about to slow down after the main break. The reigning champions cruised to a 19-point lead after three quarters of action. Tunisia were able to account for just 8 points in the fourth frame and had to surrender at the end.
Djenebou Sissoko (190-F/C-82, college: Union (TN)) tallied 17 points and 11 boards for Mali. Djene Diawara (192-C-88) added 15 points and 16 boards for the winners. Fatma Zagrouba (F-82), Hedi Hamrouni (202-F) and Maha Chelly (82) responded with 6 points each. Mali enjoyed an overwhelming advantage on the boards 62:17. They also managed to overcome 22 turnovers and 34% accuracy from the field.

Mali: Djenebou Sissoko 17+11 boards, Djene Diawara 15+16 boards, Miriam Sy (193-C-79, college: Oklahoma City) 8
Tunisia: Fatma Zagrouba 6, Hedi Hamrouni 6, Maha Chelly 6

*****************************************************

MAURITIUS - Women

Senegal thrashes Mauritius to win Group A - by Eurobasket News
Mauritius-Senegal 19:107

Senegal won group A of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women reaching the fifth straight victory last night. The favorites thrashed Mauritius 107:19 for 5-0 record.
Senegal started with 26-2 in the opening quarter and did not allow the opponent to show at least what they could in the court. The favorites easily reached 54 points at the halftime after 28-6 in the second stanza. In the third period Senegal produced 27-3 and looked forward to reach three digits in the end of the game. With 26-6 in the last quarter Senegal finished the game with 107:19.
Ndeye Sene (167-G/F-88) again top-scored for the winners with 20 points. Fatoumata Diango (86) notched 18, while Bienetou Thiam posted 16. Karina Venketasawmy collected 7 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
Senegal will face now the fourth team of Group B in the Quarterfinals. On October 16th the team will play Nigeria that finished Group B with 2-3 record. The latter lost the last game to Angola 45:60. Mauririus meanwhile finished the group with 0-5 record and will play for 9-12 places. On October 16th the team will play against Tunisia.

Mauritius: Karina Venketasawmy 7+12 rebs
Senegal: Ndeye Sene 20, Fatoumata Diango 18, Bienetou Thiam 16

*****************************************************

MOZAMBIQUE - Women

Mozambique rolls over Madagascar as both teams advance to 1/4 Finals - by Eurobasket News
Madagascar-Mozambique 59:71

Mozambique rolls over Madagascar as both teams advance to 1/4 Finals of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women. Mozambique beat the hosts 71:59 for 4-1 record. Madagascar advanced to the Quarterfinals with 2-3 record from the fourth spot of the group.
It was Madagascar that opened the game with 19-7 and won the opening quarter. Mozambique replied with a 26-15 points win in the second quarter to narrow the gap to just one point of 34:33 at half-time in favour of the host. In the third period the guests were too good in the court and nailed 30 points in 10 minutes. It gave them 63:47 advantage after 30 minutes. Madagascar won the last quarter 12-8 but could only reduce to 59:71.
Leia Dongue led the way with a double double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Aleia Rachide also had double double of 12 rebounds, 10 points, while Catia Catia Halar and Ana Azindeira combined 24 points.
In the Quarterfinals Mozambique will face Angola that finished another group on the third spot. Madagascar will take on the leader of Group B Mali.

Madagascar: Prisca Razananirina (F) 16, Agne Rasoambolanoro (F) 12
Mozambique: Leia Dongue 16, Catia Halar 13, Ana Azinheira (156-G-80) 11

*****************************************************

NIGERIA - Women

Angola beat Nigeria in Antananarivo - by Eurobasket News
Angola - Nigeria 60:45
Angola claimed the fourth win at the AfroBasket 2009 preliminary round. They toppled Nigeria to improve at 4-1 record and clinched the third spot in Group B. Angola will now face Mozambique at the quarterfinal stage. Nigeria slipped at 2-3 record and occupied the fourth position in the pool. They will take on Senegal in the playoffs.
Angola looked too good for Nigeria in the first half. Defense work smoothly for Angolan team as they held their opponents to just 8 points in the first quarter. Angola entered the second period up by 6 points and continued to dominate throughout the reminder of the half. The scoreboard read 30:18 at the interval. However Nigeria came up with a decent answer in the third term. They sparked a massive rally that resulted in a 39:37 lead for Nigeria with quarter remaining. But Angola quickly came back to life and stormed to the win at the end.
Luisa Tomas (83) netted 14 points for Angola. Nassecela Mauricio (181-F-80) contributed 11 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. Rashidat Sadiq (188-F-81) answered with 11 points and 6 boards for Nigeria. Funmilayo Ojelabi (G) netted 10 points in the loss.

Angola: Luisa Tomas 14, Nassecela Mauricio 11, Domitila Ventura (165-G-78) 8, Felizarda Jorge (87) 8
Nigeria: Rashidat Sadiq 11, Funmilayo Ojelabi 10

*****************************************************

POLAND - Women

PLKK Round: 5 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
LKS Siemens - Artego Bydg. 57-58
Artego Bydgoszcz eked out a tough road win over LKS Siemens. Melanie Thomas (175-G-85, college: Connecticut) was instrumental in the win with 27 points. Lori Crisman added 16 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. Alicija Perlinska netted 19 points as Lodz slipped at 1-4 record.

Energa Torun - Odra Brzeg 86-89
Odra Brzeg secured a narrow victory against Energa Torun. Six players scored in double digits with Brittany Denson (191-C-87, agency: Merit Sports, college: S.Florida) leading the charge. She accounted for 22 points, while Jazmine Sepulveda produced 16 points and 8 rebounds for Odra Brzeg. Alicia Gladden replied with 20 points for Energa Torun.

Lotos Gdynia - Utex Row 84-56
Lotos Gdynia prevailed against Utex Row at home court. Ivana Matovic (197-C-83) fired 18 points for the Gdynia outfit. Erin Phillips was responsible for 15 points in the win. Nikita Bell notched 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 steals for Utex Row.

MUKS Pozn. - CCC Polkowice 52-59
CCC Polkowice kept piling up victories. They ensured the fifth straight success at the start of the championship rolling past MUKS Poznan on the road. Daria Mieloszynska (188-F-83, agency: Data Plus Group, college: Texas) scored 17 points to pace the visitors. Amisha Carter came up with 14 points and 11 boards for CCC Polkowice. Aleksandra Semmler responded with 14 points for Poznan.

TS Wisla Can-Pak - Inea AZS P. 92-51
Wisla thumped Inea AZS Poznan before the home crowd. Janell Burse (197-C-79, college: Tulane) posted 21 points, 14 boards and 2 blocks. Ewelina Kobryn contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds in the winning effort. Adrianne Ross replied with 20 points in the third loss for Inea AZS Poznan.

Stats Leaders - PLKK

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

*****************************************************

RUSSIA - Women

Standings Women D1

A Superleague Standings

1. Dynamo K. 1-0   2. Spartak V MR 1-0   3. Nadezhda O. 1-0   4. CSKA 0-0   5. UMMC 0-0   6. Dynamo N. 0-0   7. Spartak M. 0-0   8. Dynamo M. 0-1   9. Chevakata 0-1   10. Spartak SP 0-1

Stats Leaders

• PPG
• RPG
• APG
• SPG
• BPG

Points Per Game

Betty LENNOX   L.Angeles S.   (173-G-76)   Avg: 22.4

1. Lennox, Nadezhda O. 22.4   2. Taurasi, Spartak . 17.4   3. Snell, Dynamo M. 17.1   4. Jekabsone-Z., Dynamo M. 17.0   5. Christon, Nadezhda. 15.9   6. Wauters, CSKA 14.8   7. Iakovleva, Spart. 14.7   8. Bokareva, Chevakata 14.1   9. Jackson, Spartak . 14.1   10. Kuzina, Dynamo. 13.9

Rebounds Per Game

Anastasiya VERAMEYENKA   Nadezhda O.   (192-C-87)   Avg: 11.7

1. Veremeenko, Nadezhda. 11.7   2. Bokareva, Chevakata 8.9   3. Burse, Dynamo M. 8.3   4. Stepanova, UMMC 8.3   5. Iakovleva, Spart. 8.0   6. Fowles, Spartak . 7.7   7. Kiseleva, Slavyanka 7.6   8. Sanford, Chevakata 7.4   9. Psareva, Dynamo K. 7.4   10. Wauters, CS. 7.2

Assists Per Game

Elena BERSENEVA   Nadezhda O.   (172-G-80)   Avg: 5.4

1. Berseneva, Dynamo N. 5.4   2. Snell, Dynamo M. 5.2   3. Bird, Spartak V MR 4.8   4. Babusheva, Slavy. 4.3   5. Lawson-Wade, CS. 4.2   6. Pondexter, UMMC 4.0   7. Moore, Chevakata 3.9   8. Taurasi, Spartak . 3.7   9. Khammon, CSKA 3.7   10. Firsova, Spartak 3.4

Steals Per Game

Loree MOORE   New York L.   (176-G-83)   Avg: 2.8

1. Moore, Chevakata 2.8   2. Fomina, Dynamo K. 2.2   3. Bolsunovskay., Dynamo N. 2.2   4. Bokareva, Chevakata 2.2   5. Valuzyte, Dynamo K. 2.1   6. Snell, Dynamo M. 2.0   7. Khammon, CSKA 1.9   8. Makhlina, Spart. 1.9   9. Douglas, CSKA 1.9   10. McCarville,. 1.9

Blocks Per Game

Anastasiya VERAMEYENKA   Nadezhda O.   (192-C-87)   Avg: 2.7

1. Veremeenko, Nadezhda. 2.7   2. Myasoedova, Dynamo N. 1.5   3. Kiseleva, Slavyanka 1.5   4. Kuzina, Dynamo M. 1.4   5. Fowles, Spartak . 1.3   6. Stepanova, UMMC 1.1   7. Burse, Dynamo M. 1.0   8. Baranova, UMMC 0.9   9. Osipova, Spartak . 0.9   10. Vizbariene, Dynamo. 0.9

*****************************************************

RWANDA - Women

Cote d'Ivoire finish off Rwanda - by Eurobasket News
Cote d'Ivoire - Rwanda 64:60

Rwanda threw all they had before finally surrendering against Cote dIvoire in the final game of the preliminary round of Afrobasket 2009. Cote d'Ivoire posted the fourth win and clinched the second spot in Group B. They will now take on Cameroon in the quarterfinal. Rwanda remained undefeated and would look for the first win in the classification game against South Africa on Saturday.
Cote d'Ivoire raced to a good start. They were up by 8 after ten minutes of action. But Rwanda slowed down their opponents. They limited Cote d'Ivoire to just 12 points in the second frame and trailed by 9 at halftime. Cote dIvoire continued to maintain the cushion heading into the fourth stanza up by 11 points. But Rwanda reeled off to a 23:16 fourth quarter nearly stunning their counterparts.
Salimata Berte (89) finished with 17 points and 8 boards for Cote d'Ivoire. Kani Kouyate (90) added 17 points, 6 boards and 5 assists in the victory. Tatum responded with 21 points and 13 boards for Rwanda. Grandberry netted 18 points in defeat.

Cote d'Ivoire: Salimata Berte 17, Kani Kouyate 17, Christelle Denaimou N'Garsanet (191-C-83, agency: Merit Sports, college: Missouri) 7
Rwanda: Brown Tatum 21, Takisha Grandberry 18

*****************************************************

SENEGAL - Women

Senegal thrashes Mauritius to win Group A - by Eurobasket News
Mauritius-Senegal 19:107

Senegal won group A of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women reaching the fifth straight victory last night. The favorites thrashed Mauritius 107:19 for 5-0 record.
Senegal started with 26-2 in the opening quarter and did not allow the opponent to show at least what they could in the court. The favorites easily reached 54 points at the halftime after 28-6 in the second stanza. In the third period Senegal produced 27-3 and looked forward to reach three digits in the end of the game. With 26-6 in the last quarter Senegal finished the game with 107:19.
Ndeye Sene (167-G/F-88) again top-scored for the winners with 20 points. Fatoumata Diango (86) notched 18, while Bienetou Thiam posted 16. Karina Venketasawmy collected 7 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
Senegal will face now the fourth team of Group B in the Quarterfinals. On October 16th the team will play Nigeria that finished Group B with 2-3 record. The latter lost the last game to Angola 45:60. Mauririus meanwhile finished the group with 0-5 record and will play for 9-12 places. On October 16th the team will play against Tunisia.

Mauritius: Karina Venketasawmy 7+12 rebs
Senegal: Ndeye Sene 20, Fatoumata Diango 18, Bienetou Thiam 16

*****************************************************

SOUTH AFRICA - Women

Cameroon advanced to the Quarterfinals - by Eurobasket News
South Africa-Cameroon 50:64

Cameroon advanced to the Quarterfinals after the victory over South Africa in the last game of the group. Cameroon needed 64:50 to finish Group A with 3-2 record of the 21st FIBA Africa Championship for Women. South Africa meanwhile finished fifth in the group.
Cameroon started the game with 21-19 and later pushed the tempo for good. Due to the great defense the team ended up the half with 36:25. In the third period the teams were tied at 12-12 that still remained Cameroon on top. The latter added 16-13 in the last frame for the total success.
Solange Ebondji led the way with 15 points for 3-2 record. Astride Gano-Njiogap added 14 points, while Ngamou notched 9. Emmerentia Ledwaba (183-F-79) was outstanding in her side lose with 12 points, 7 rebounds in the losing effort.
In the Quarterfinal Cameroon will face Ivory Coast. The latter finished second in Group B and showed five great games. South Africa will play against Rwanda for the 9-12 places on October 16th. Later they will play another game with the winner or loser of Tunisia-Mauritius.

South Africa: Emmerentia Ledwaba 12, Pumla Sathula (G/F-85) 10
Cameroon: Ebonji 15, Gano 14

*****************************************************

TUNISIA - Women

Mali win preliminary Group B in Antananarivo - by Eurobasket News
Mali - Tunisia 66:38

Mali clinched the top spot in Group B at the preliminary round of AfroBasket 2009 in Madagascar. They wrapped up the action in the pool with the victory over Tunisia. The defending champions improved at 4-1 record and would face Madagascar at the quarterfinal stage. Tunisia finished the round with a single victory and occupied the fifth place in the group. They are scheduled to meet with Mauritius in the classification round.
Mali dominated the game from start to finish. They piled up a 12-point lead at halftime and were not about to slow down after the main break. The reigning champions cruised to a 19-point lead after three quarters of action. Tunisia were able to account for just 8 points in the fourth frame and had to surrender at the end.
Djenebou Sissoko (190-F/C-82, college: Union (TN)) tallied 17 points and 11 boards for Mali. Djene Diawara (192-C-88) added 15 points and 16 boards for the winners. Fatma Zagrouba (F-82), Hedi Hamrouni (202-F) and Maha Chelly (82) responded with 6 points each. Mali enjoyed an overwhelming advantage on the boards 62:17. They also managed to overcome 22 turnovers and 34% accuracy from the field.

Mali: Djenebou Sissoko 17+11 boards, Djene Diawara 15+16 boards, Miriam Sy (193-C-79, college: Oklahoma City) 8
Tunisia: Fatma Zagrouba 6, Hedi Hamrouni 6, Maha Chelly 6

*****************************************************

WNBA - Women

Simon confirms Fever will return in 2010 - by Eurobasket News
They didn't win a championship, but they won a reprieve.

The Indiana Fever, who reached the WNBA Finals for the first time, will return for another summer. The announcement was made Tuesday on the team's Web site, feverbasketball.com.

That ended speculation that owner Herb Simon would shut down the team because of financial losses.

In a letter signed by Simon, Pacers Sports & Entertainment president Jim Morris and Fever chief operating officer Kelly Krauskopf, the Fever thanked fans for their support.

'We are committed to the future success of this franchise in Indianapolis,' the letter read. 'We look forward to another great season in 2010 and for many years to come.'

The Fever had their best regular-season record (22-12) and lost to the Phoenix Mercury 3-2 in the WNBA Finals. The Mercury won the clinching game 94-86 Friday at Phoenix.

Fever attendance averaged 7,939, sixth in the 13-team league and about a 3 percent increase over last year. However, the team announced three sellouts of 18,165-seat Conseco Fieldhouse during the playoffs. The letter noted the Fever set a league record for average playoff attendance.

In the first sellout, Pacers president Larry Bird purchased all balcony seats for free distribution. Not all were used, but about 15,000 showed up to watch the Fever beat defending champion Detroit to reach the Finals.

'I can't say enough about the support that we've gotten from the community over the last couple of weeks,' coach Lin Dunn said during the Fever's playoff run.

Fever players said all season that they weren't thinking about the possibility of folding. But they were clearly heartened by recent turnouts. It was especially gratifying to Indianapolis native Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79, college: Purdue), who in 2008 was traded by the Connecticut Sun to her hometown team.

'I felt like we could do some special things, especially this year,' she said during the playoffs. The crowd for the clinching victory over Detroit 'was just unbelievable,' Douglas said.

The Fever have a strong nucleus in a bid for their first championship. Besides 30-year-old veterans such as Douglas and Tamika Catchings, they have rising stars in Ebony Hoffman, 27, and Briann January, 22.

Courtesy of www.indystar.com

All-WNBA Awards 2009 - by Richard

#s#

Taurasi

Hammon

Jackson

Catchings

Pondexter

#e#6

All-WNBA Coach of the Year: Marynell Meadors of Atlanta Dream
All-WNBA Player of the Year: Diana Taurasi (6'0''-F-82) of Phoenix Mercury
All-WNBA Forward of the Year: Diana Taurasi (6'0''-F-82) of Phoenix Mercury
All-WNBA Guard of the Year: Becky Hammon (5'6''-G-77) of San Antonio Silver Stars
All-WNBA Center of the Year: Lauren Jackson (6'5''-F/C-81) of Seattle Storm
All-WNBA Rookie of the Year: Angel McCoughtry (6'1''-F-86) of Atlanta Dream
All-WNA Sixth Women of the Year: DeWanna Bonner (6'4''-G-87) of Phoenix Mercury
All-WNBA Most Improved Player Of The Year: Crystal Langhorne (6'2''-F/C-86) of Washington Mystics

All-WNBA 1st Team
Diana Taurasi (6'0''-F-82) of Phoenix Mercury
Tamika Catchings (6'1''-F-79) of Indiana Fever
Lauren Jackson (6'5''-F/C-81) of Seattle Storm
Becky Hammon (5'6''-G-77) of San Antonio Silver Stars
Cappie Pondexter (5'9''-G-83) of Phoenix Mercury

All-WNBA 2nd Team
Candace Parker (6'4''-F/C-86) of Los Angeles Sparks
Sophia Young (6'1''-F-83) of San Antonio Silver Stars
Lisa Leslie (6'5''-C-72) of Los Angeles Sparks
Katie Douglas (6'1''-G/F-79) of Indiana Fever
Deanna Nolan (5'11''-G/F-79) of Detroit Shock

All-WNBA Rookie Team
Angel McCoughtry (6'1''-F-86) of Atlanta Dream
DeWanna Bonner (6'4''-G-87) of Phoenix Mercury
Shavonte Zellous (5'10''-G-86) of Detroit Shock
Renee Montgomery (5'7''-G-86) of Minnesota Lynx
Marissa Coleman (6'1''-G/F-87) of Washington Mystics

All-WNBA Defensive 1st Team
Tamika Catchings (6'1''-F-79) of Indiana Fever
Lauren Jackson (6'5''-F/C-81) of Seattle Storm
Nicky Anosike (6'4''-C-86) of Minnesota Lynx
Tanisha Wright (5'11''-G-83) of Seattle Storm
Tully Bevilaqua (5'5''-G-72) of Indiana Fever

All-WNBA Defensive 2nd Team
Sancho Lyttle (6'4''-C-83) of Atlanta Dream
Angel McCoughtry (6'1''-F-86) of Atlanta Dream
Lisa Leslie (6'5''-C-72) of Los Angeles Sparks
Candace Parker (6'4''-F/C-86) of Los Angeles Sparks
Alana Beard (5'11''-G/F-82) of Washington Mystics