Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 3/14/2009

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Men News

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ABA

Express ready to playoff battles - by Gianni Pascucci
The Jersey Express could be the team to fear in the American Basketball Association Playoffs after crushing higher ranked Cleveland Rockers team over the last weekend. The 159-126 victory can be considered a statement that proved the Jersey team is ready to battle the big dogs that will join them next Wednesday in Nashville, TN for the 2009 ABA Playoffs. The regular season ended for the Express with four wins in theis last five games, and this tells a lot too. 'We're ready to go out there and smack around whomever we would play against,' said Lance Hazel (6'1''-G-84, college: Queens (NY)), Express guard who had a big game on Saturday night with 23 points. Forward Phillip Smith (6'7''-F) added 18 pts vs. Cleveland, and ABA All-Stars Isaiah Hunter (6'2''-G-84, college: ODU) and Alexus Foyle (6'6''-F-78, college: BYU-Hawaii) had good games they too.

Standings

ABA Standings

Exhibition-Touring
1. LA Slam	5-9
2. Empire 5 Linx	3-4
3. TH T.Blazers	1-2
4. Tri-City Racers	0-2
5. Empire Rage	0-8
Northeast Div.
1. S.Chicago BS	14-4
2. Jersey Expr.	13-8
3. Cleveland R.	12-5
4. W. Virginia B.	11-14
5. New York I.	3-7
6. N.Y. Thunder	1-0
7. Aurora Force	1-4
8. W.Virginia W.	0-2
9. Detroit Hoops	0-6
Northwest Div.
1. Maywood B.	18-3
2. Beijing O.	14-6
3. LA Push	7-6
4. S.Francisco R.	7-7
5. Salt Lake S.	1-0
6. Washington R.	1-1
7. Modesto B.	1-6
8. Sacramento	0-1
Southeast Div.
1. Kentucky B.	13-2
2. Kansas City	7-3
3. Nashville B.	6-5
4. Knoxville T.	5-5
5. Atlanta V.	1-5
6. Bahama PS	0-4
7. Georgia G.	0-9
Southwest Div.
1. Texas M.	24-1
2. Las Vegas A.	8-2
3. South Texas	8-7
4. Houston T.	7-10
5. W.Texas W.	4-3
6. Mississippi B.	4-8
7. Arizona R.	3-5
8. Fury	2-3
9. Texas City R.	2-12
10. Gallup T.	0-3

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Vojvodina splits with Adams - by Milan Jovanovic
After losing all chances of escaping the relegation, Vojvodina Srbijagas started to cut down the no-more-needed expenses, so after Cummings is already been released, the new departure is the one of Hassan Adams (193-G-84, agency: David Lee services, college: Arizona), whose episode in Novi Sad lasted no more then 2 weeks.
An American failed to even show what he's capable of, and as the club management say, is the only the matter of moment when he's to leave Novi Sad, since they don't count on him anymore, and he's only practicing with the team untill the negotiations about the ending of contract are ended.
Just as a reminder, Vojvodina is out of Adriatic next season even in case of taking the 5th spot in Serbian league, so accordingly their goals for the next season are considerably more modest then untill now.

Vojvodina splits with Adams - by Milan Jovanovic
After losing all chances of escaping the relegation, Vojvodina Srbijagas started to cut down the no-more-needed expenses, so after Cummings is already been released, the new departure is the one of Hassan Adams (193-G-84, agency: David Lee services, college: Arizona), whose episode in Novi Sad lasted no more then 2 weeks.
An American failed to even show what he's capable of, and as the club management say, is the only the matter of moment when he's to leave Novi Sad, since they don't count on him anymore, and he's only practicing with the team untill the negotiations about the ending of contract are ended.
Just as a reminder, Vojvodina is out of Adriatic next season even in case of taking the 5th spot in Serbian league, so accordingly their goals for the next season are considerably more modest then untill now.

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ARGENTINA

Canoneros clinch third place in Liga Sudamericana - by Eurobasket News
Canoneros - Regatas Corrientes 92:86

Colombian Canoneros crowned their 2009 Liga Sudamericana campaign with victory. They overcame Regatas Corrientes to take the third overall spot in the tournament. Both teams entered the game with two straight losses in the final round but it was the Colombian team that managed to leave the early woes behind. Regatas Corrientes that triumphed in the tournament in 2008 dominated early in the starting period. They cleared off to a 6-point distance before Canoneros closed the margin. Edgar Moreno (191-G-81, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: UTEP) and Renteria fired from beyond the arc and drew things level at 21 after ten minutes of action. Eduardo Torres (195-F-81) and Jermaine Walker (198-F-77, college: Miami, FL) helped the Colombian side to a 10-point lead midway through the second frame. Cucuta-Norte kept it cool and finished the first half with a 7-point advantage. The second half brought little relief for Regatas. They struggled defensively and Canoneros capitalized maintaining the lead. Regatas won the final period but it was not enough to win the game.
Edgar Moreno tallied 22 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds to lead Canoneros. Curtis Williams (205-F/C-77, college: Louisiana Tech) provided 18 points and 8 boards, while Monty Wilson (197-F-73, agency: Edge Sports, college: Tennessee St.) added 15 points in the victory. Federico Kammerichs (203-F-80) responded with game-high 27 points and 16 boards for Regatas. Ramzee Stanton (193-F-80, college: W.Chester) delivered 19 points and 9 boards in the loss.

Canoneros: Edgar Moreno 22, Curtis Williams 18, Monty Wilson 15
Regatas: Federico Kammerichs 27+16 boards, Ramzee Stanton 19

Flamengo win Liga Sudamericana - by Eurobasket News
Flamengo - Qiumsa 98:96

Marcelinho Machado (199-F/G-75, agency: Interperformances) knocked down 41 points to pace Flamengo to the first-ever Liga Sudamericana title. The Brazilian team sneaked past ambitious Quimsa in a dramatic fashion to clinch the trophy. Quimsa remained in the second spot at the end of the competition.
Flamengo were the first ones to strike as the bunch of three-pointers set them in charge 11:6. Quimsa reacted with 12:o rally that put the Argentinean team in the drivers seat 18:11 midway through the opening term. Flamengo managed to cut the distance and trailed by 5 points 25:30 at the first break. The teams traded baskets throughout the second frame but Flamengo had Marcelinho Macado on the squad and he made the difference. He notched another treble to regain the lead for Flamengo at 42:40. The Brazilian side held on to the advantage as they were up 49:48 at the interval.
The third frame did not bring any changes as Flamengo remained ahead and kept Quimsa at distance. Helio Vitor Lima (184-G-81) and Duda Machado (197-F/G-82) allowed Flamengo to enter the fourth term ahead by 4 points 72:68. Duda Machado saw Flamengo take an 82:71 lead midway through the fourth quarter but the game was not over just yet. Jonathan Treise was the catalyst of Quimsas comeback. The Argentinean team closed the deficit and surged ahead 94:92 with under two minutes to go in the game. Marcelinho Machado was up to the challenge as his basket gave the lead back to Flamengo. It all came down to the final seconds when Duda Machado canned important free throws to win the game for Flamengo.
Duda Machado and Helio Vitor Lima came up with 15 points each for Flamengo. Wanderson Trigueiro (203-F/C-81) responded with 25 points for Quimsa. Julio Mazzaro (190-G-79) had 20 points in the loss.
Marcelinho Machado was trumped the MVP of the tournament after the game.

Flamengo: Marcelinho Machado 41, Duda Machado 15, Helio Vitor Lima 15
Quimsa: Wanderson Trigueiro 25, Julio Mazzaro 20

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AUSTRIA

Standings - 2.Bundesliga

2.Bundesliga Standings

Group Middle East
1. Danube City	0-0
2. Mistelbach	0-0
3. UBBC Wien	0-0
4. Basket 2000	0-0
5. LZ NO Sud	0-0
6. Amstetten F.	0-0
Group South
1. Mattersb.R.	0-0
2. ATSE Graz	0-0
3. UBBC Enns	0-0
4. ASKO S. Feld.	0-0
5. Klagenfurt	0-0
6. Villach	0-0
7. UBSC Graz 2	0-0
Group West
1. Salzburg	0-0
2. SVO/BRG	0-0
3. Feldkirch	0-0
4. Dornbirn	0-0
5. Schwaz	0-0

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BAHRAIN

Muharraq Keep Title Hopes Alive - by Walter Neto
TITLE holders Muharraq stayed in contention for the 2009 Zain Bahrain Basketball League, following a clinical 75-70 victory over Nuwaidrat at the Um Al Hassam Sports Complex last night.

It was a crucial win for Muharraq, under their US coach Wayne Mendez, who revived their chances of retaining the trophy they won last season. But Muharraq, who temporarily moved up to share Al Ahli the lead with 28 points each, must win their remaining two matches to become one of the top four teams qualifying for the Golden Square final round.

Muharraq will play their next match on March 20 against Manama, then face off with Al Ahli on March 24 in the last game of the first round. Mohammed Hassan was the hero in Muharraq's victory, scoring 23 points and was assisted by Mohammed Abdulmajeed who managed 21 points.

Muharraq were also spearheaded by their US player Robert Rah Shan (12 points), Isa Ibrahim (10) Ali Abbas, Ahmed Al Doy, Mohammed Abdulrasool, Salem Mohammed and Abdulmohsin Ali. Losing for the fifth time in 15 matches, Nuwaidrat went down to share Manama third place with 27 points each but with the latter having a match in hand. Sadeq (23 points) was Nuwaidrat's top player yesterday while others who represented the losers were Jamal Holden (15), Ibrahim Al Derazi (11), Murad Ibrahim, Fuad Ahmed, Ahmed Janahi, Ali Haassan and Hassan Yousef. Nuwaidrat will have to win their both matches against Al Ahli on Thursday and Isa Town on March 22 to keep their dream of reaching the Golden Square playoff for the first time.

Meanwhile, Al Hala will be hoping to follow suit today when they clash with 15-time champions Manama in a crunch game, starting at 7.30pm at the same venue. It will be another do-or-die match for both sides, especially for Al Hala who are presently holding fifth place with 25 points and a win today will help them take a joint fourth place with Nuwaidrat.

After tonight's match, Al Hala will also have two more matches in hand which are relatively easy as they take on Bahrain Club and Al Najma, the competition's bottom two teams, on March 20 and 23, respectively. Also playing today, Isa Town (21 points) and Al Najma (17) will clash in a no-bearing game, commencing at 5.30pm.

Isa Town are looking to continue their recent outstanding results in the league while Al Najma hope to claim their maiden win in the competition. Source GDN

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BALTIC LEAGUE

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Evgeniy KOLESNIKOV
  VEF Riga
  (195-G-85)
  Avg: 20.1

1. Kolesnikov, VEF R.	20.1
2. Bankevics, Valmiera	20.1
3. Strupovics, Keiza.	20.0
4. Clark, Valmiera	18.9
5. Vares, Valga Welg	18.8
6. Varnelis, Alytus A.	18.2
7. Alexander, Ba.	17.7
8. Beard, TU/Rock	17.5
9. Runkauskas, Suduva	17.1
10. Vasylius, Neptun.	17.1

Rebounds Per Game

Tanoka BEARD
  TU/Rock
  (205-F/C-71)
  Avg: 9.6

1. Beard, TU/Rock	9.6
2. Anderson, Valga W.	9.5
3. Alexander, Ba.	8.5
4. Varnelis, Alytus A.	7.8
5. Vasylius, Neptunas	7.7
6. Jankunas, Zalgiris	7.4
7. Clark, Valmiera	7.3
8. Valukonis, Suduva	7.3
9. Dimsa, Aisciai	7.2
10. Selakovs, VEF Ri.	7.1

Assists Per Game

Giorgi TSINTSADZE
  TU/Rock
  (192-G-86)
  Avg: 5.6

1. Tsintsadze, TU/Rock	5.6
2. Gabrans, ASK/.	4.6
3. Hill, Techasas	4.4
4. Jeromanovs, VEF R.	4.4
5. Runkauskas, Suduva	4.3
6. Sirsnins, Valmiera	4.3
7. Viskontas, Nevezis	4.3
8. Grant, Norrkoping	4.3
9. Eidson, Lietuvos	4.2
10. Kazevicius, Alytus.	4.0

Steals Per Game

John LINEHAN
  Kalev/Cramo
  (175-G-78)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Linehan, Kalev/Cr.	3.3
2. Bolds, Techasas	2.6
3. Jeromanovs, VEF R.	2.2
4. Slesers, Keiza.	2.2
5. Gabrans, ASK/.	2.1
6. Pilk, TTU K.	2.0
7. Mazutis, ASK Riga	1.9
8. Eidson, Lietuvos	1.9
9. Skele, Ba.	1.9
10. Fox, Kalev/Cra.	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Darius SILINSKIS
  Zalgiris
  (216-C-84)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Silinskis, Nevezis	1.9
2. Kjellbom, Norrkoping	1.8
3. Woods, Zalgiris	1.5
4. Anderson, Valga W.	1.4
5. Lyde, Kalev/Cramo	1.3
6. Toome, TTU K.	1.2
7. Berzins, Ba.	1.2
8. Talts, TU/Rock	1.2
9. Shukhovtsov, Sakal.	1.2
10. Selakovs, VEF Ri.	1.2

Standings - Men

BBL Standings

Group 1
1. Lietuvos		14-3
2. Zalgiris		12-5
3. Kalev/Cramo		11-6
4. ASK Riga		11-6
5. Siauliai		9-8
6. TU/Rock		8-9
7. Ventspils		7-10
8. Barons/LMT		6-11
9. Valmiera		5-12
10. Nevezis		2-15
Group C
1. Sakalai		15-4
2. VEF Riga		14-5
3. Kaunas Tr.		13-6
4. Neptunas		13-7
5. Norrkoping		11-9
6. Aisciai		10-9
Group D
1. TTU KK		9-8
2. Liepaja		9-10
3. Alytus Alita		8-11
4. Tallinna Kalev		7-10
5. Keizarmezs		7-12
6. Zemgale		7-12

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BELIZE

Palacio advanced with Khimky to the quarterfinals - by Eurobasket News
Milton Palacio (190-G-78, college: Colorado St.) nailed 5 points and had 3 assists as his Russian Khimky advanced to the Quarterfinals of EuroCup. Dynamo Moscow however completed their EuroCup Last 16 campaign perfect as they posted the 6th straight win tonight. The Moscow team defeated their Russian rivals Khimky and advanced into the Final Eight from the top spot in Group I. Khimky finished the stage with 3-3 record but still advanced into the next round of action.
Khimky controlled the rhythm in the opening frame as Maciej Lampe and Ratko Varda dominated inside and outside the paint. Khimkys big men were everywhere around the court scoring layups and draining three-pointers. The visitors cleared off to a 19:12 lead after the starting frame. Dynamo came back into the game through treys from Travis Hansen and Darjus Lavrinovic. Maciej Lampe and Shabalkin kept the visitors in charge before Dynamo exploded with an 8:0 rally to change things around. Bostjan Nachbar scored the final two points of the first half and the hosts went into the locker rooms up by one 37:36.
The teams traded baskets at the start of the third frame just before Dynamo forced the issue. Brian Chase fired twice from beyond the arc to ignite a 13:0 run that put the hosts up by 13 points after three quarters of action. Shabalkin and Ratko Varda kept Khimky on horizon with a pair of triples early in the fourth term. Ponkrashov dragged Khimky within 4 points from Dynamo however the home side had the answer. Travis Hansen and Darjus Lavrinovic accounted for timely buckets to restore a safe buffer. Khimky made another push for the win as McCarty and Milton Palacio made it 64:69 with just one minute remaining. Dynamo proved cold-blooded and hit 4 free throws in the dying seconds to celebrate the victory.
Before that Russian Khimky overwhelmed Marousi at home court to advance into the EuroCup Final Eight. Kelly McCarty nailed 31 points to pace the charge. Khimky needed this one badly and they showed their ambitions early on as Milton Palacio and Kelly McCarty scored the first five points in the game. Soon the hosts enlarged the margin to 15 points at 17:2. A couple of triples from William Amar Keys allowed the Greek team to get as close as 13 points at the end of the opening stanza. Khimky kept on scoring from any distance in the second term leaving little hope for Marousi. The margin grew at as many as 19 points. The hosts never slowed down and arrived at halftime ahead by 19 points 53:34. Kelly McCarty and Garbajosa ballooned the gap to 21 points early in the third frame. All the visitors could do in the third stanza was to cut the distance to 18 points heading into the final quarter. The fourth term was a one-way traffic with Khimky sealing a comfortable win and progressing into the next round of the competition. Milton Palacio recorded 21 points and dished out 8 assists for Khimky. Anton Ponkrashov contributed 14 points in the win. William Amar Keys answered with 14 points and 6 assists for Marousi. Loukas Mavrokefalides and Giorgos Diamantopoulos had 12 points each in the losing effort.

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BRAZIL

Flamengo win Liga Sudamericana - by Eurobasket News
Flamengo - Qiumsa 98:96

Marcelinho Machado (199-F/G-75, agency: Interperformances) knocked down 41 points to pace Flamengo to the first-ever Liga Sudamericana title. The Brazilian team sneaked past ambitious Quimsa in a dramatic fashion to clinch the trophy. Quimsa remained in the second spot at the end of the competition.
Flamengo were the first ones to strike as the bunch of three-pointers set them in charge 11:6. Quimsa reacted with 12:o rally that put the Argentinean team in the drivers seat 18:11 midway through the opening term. Flamengo managed to cut the distance and trailed by 5 points 25:30 at the first break. The teams traded baskets throughout the second frame but Flamengo had Marcelinho Macado on the squad and he made the difference. He notched another treble to regain the lead for Flamengo at 42:40. The Brazilian side held on to the advantage as they were up 49:48 at the interval.
The third frame did not bring any changes as Flamengo remained ahead and kept Quimsa at distance. Helio Vitor Lima (184-G-81) and Duda Machado (197-F/G-82) allowed Flamengo to enter the fourth term ahead by 4 points 72:68. Duda Machado saw Flamengo take an 82:71 lead midway through the fourth quarter but the game was not over just yet. Jonathan Treise was the catalyst of Quimsas comeback. The Argentinean team closed the deficit and surged ahead 94:92 with under two minutes to go in the game. Marcelinho Machado was up to the challenge as his basket gave the lead back to Flamengo. It all came down to the final seconds when Duda Machado canned important free throws to win the game for Flamengo.
Duda Machado and Helio Vitor Lima came up with 15 points each for Flamengo. Wanderson Trigueiro (203-F/C-81) responded with 25 points for Quimsa. Julio Mazzaro (190-G-79) had 20 points in the loss.
Marcelinho Machado was trumped the MVP of the tournament after the game.

Flamengo: Marcelinho Machado 41, Duda Machado 15, Helio Vitor Lima 15
Quimsa: Wanderson Trigueiro 25, Julio Mazzaro 20

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BULGARIA

Levski with easy warm up win - by Valentin Anguelov
The team of Levski had an easy game and won without any problems the second quarterfinal of the Cup of Bulgaria. In Pleven after Lukoil Academic defeated heavily Vidabasket, Levski did the same thing to Chernomorets winning 107-54. This success will see Levski play in the semifinals against Rilski Sportist.

Titi Papazov let in play the whole roster except Marcus Hall who has an injury and is questionable for the semifinal. This though had no reflection on the intensity of Levski's play and reflected on the big winning margin at the end of the game. The players from Sofia won all quarters and proved there is a lot if difference between the teams. In the first half the margin went over 30 points as at the break the score was 57-23. In the second half without a lot of pushing the players of Levski reached the 100-point mark and won 107-54.

The players of Levski played beautifully and for the people in the gym and made a some sort of practice before the way more difficult semifinal waiting. Interesting moments were the first three-pointer of the season for Boyko Mladenov and the impressive dunk by Arnas Kazlauskas (204-C/F-76, agency: Court Side) in the second half. The Lithuanian finished with a double-double - 18 points and 10 rebounds. Stanislav Slaveykov also scored 18. Top scorer though was Stefan Georgiev with 19 while his brother Zlatin added 18.

For Chernomorets top scorer was Dimitar Roshmanov with 16 points but the best player for the team was the veteran Mincho Aleksov with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Levski managed to grab 55 rebounds against 27 for their opponents. Morton had 12 while as we wrote Kazlauskas had 10.

Rilski Sportist reached semifinal of Bulgarian Cup - by Valentin Anguelov
Rilski Sportist defeated Balkan 75-67 in the most intriguing game of the Bulgarian Cup quarterfinals. Except the game between Spartak Pleven and Euroins Cherno More this was the other most anticipatd one. Against each other stood the team that has made a lot of progress so far this season - Rilski Sportist and Balkan - a team that has proved to be a dominating force in the second division.

In this game of truth, as it was called by fans from both cities, the players played with great determination and fought until the final moments. There was a lot of talking from both sets of fans before the game and there was a real invasion in the hall and a lot of support for both teams.

Dragoslav Papic (205-C/F-87, agency: Global Sports Plaza) was the best scorer for Rilski Sportist with 20 points, Travis Petereson added 12 points, 13 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Ivan Lilov punished his former teammates with total of 17 points (3 three pointers). Another Serbian player in the team from Samokov Branko Mirkovic played full game and ended with 5 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds.

Jordan Bozov finished with 20 points for the team from Botevgrad.

However Rilski Sportist qualified for the semifinal where will meet a well known opponent in Levski. Both teams have had a numerous meeting so far this season in the championship and in the Balkan league. This game for the Cup of Bulgaria will not be an exception and will see two teams willing to do everything in order to reach the final. The game will be at 17.30 in 'Balkanstroy' hall in Pleven.

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CHINA

Guangdong Blasts Bayi, Has Better Domestic Players - by Arthur Volbert
Guangdong blasted Bayi 110-82, showing that its domestic players are far better than Bayi's domestic players. Neither of Guangdong's imports started and they played a total of only 44 minutes and scored 25 points. It was Guangdong's domestic players who did most of the damage. Guangdong is now 42-5. Zhu Fangyu had 23 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals. Chen Dawei scored 19 and Wang Shipeng scored 18. Jason Dixon had 17 points and 11 rebounds. Zhou Peng had 13 points and 4 steals. Smush Parker had 8 points and 5 assists. Du Feng did not play, and Chen Dawei appears to have moved ahead of Dong Hanlin as his primary backup. Wang Zhizhi was held to 12 points and 4 rebounds for Bayi. Delehei led Bayi with 18 points. Wang Lei had 13 and Li Ke had 11. Li Nan did not play. Bayi is now 24-23 and one game behind eighth-place Shandong.

Mendez Juan (202-F-81, college: Niagara) had 51 points, 17 rebounds and 5 steals to lead Xinjiang to a 118-82 win over Tianjin. Myron Allen had 29 points, 8 rebounds and 9 assists. Xu Guochong scored 11. Mengke Bateer had 6 points and 9 rebounds. Theron Smith had 25 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists for Tianjin. Darryl Watkins had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Wang Hao scored 11 and Xu Lei had 9 points and 4 rebounds in 16 minutes.

Jiangsu lost to Fujian 125-117 as Donnell Harvey did not play, nor did star point guard Hu Xuefeng and forward Yi Li. Third-place Jiangsu is now 35-12 while fourth-place Fujian is 28-19. Chris Porter led Fujian with 31 points and 12 rebounds. Gong Songlin scored 26. New import Shaun Pruitt had 15 points and 12 rebounds. Lu Xiaoming had 15 points and 9 assists. Han Shuo led Jiangsu with 32 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Meng Da scored 23. Jameel Watkins had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Wu Nan scored 15, Yang Li scored 13 and Liu Yahui had 11.

Tim Pickett had 40 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals to lead Shanxi Zhongyu to a 116-90 win over Zhejiang. Olumide Oyedeji had 26 points, 23 rebounds and 6 assists to prove that two imports are better than one. Sun Chunlei scored 13 while Zhai Jinshuai and Ji Le each had 10. Kirk Snyder had 43 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for Zhejiang, but also 10 turnovers. Zhang Dayu had 18 points and 9 rebounds. Deng Li had 10 points and 9 rebounds and Wang Nan scored 8.

Lee Benson had 52 points, 26 rebounds and 8 assists as Shaanxi defeated Beijing 116-87. Brandon Robinson had 31 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Zhang Wei had 13 points and 5 rebounds. Dontae Jones had 36 points and 16 rebounds for Beijing. David Harrison had 13 points and 4 rebounds. Men Wei scored 11 and Li Ke had 10.

Jilin surprised Shandong 110-103, sending Shandong to a 25-22 record, only one game ahead of Bayi in eighth place. Leon Rogers had 38 points and 10 rebounds. Yang Yuming scored 24. Soumaila Samake had 18 points and 16 rebounds. Wang Bo and Yu Shulong each had 11.

Chris Alexander had 47 points and 24 rebounds to lead Liaoning to a 112-97 win over Qingdao. Yang Ming had 26 points and 10 assists, flashing one of those games that make his talent so intriguing. Unfortunately he does not do this game after game. Awvee Storey had 16 points and 8 rebounds while Liu Shunan scored 12. Li Xiaoxu played a strong supporting role at power forward with 6 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Chris Williams did not play for Qingdao. Neither did Li Guang. Frans Steyn had 33 points and 11 rebounds but his defense against Alexander left much to be desired. Lu Keming had 19 points and Xie Zhongjie had 11.

Rodney White had 62 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists as Zhejiang Guangsha defeated Dongguan 131-114. Jelani McCoy had 28 points and 14 rebounds. Jin Lipeng scored 22 and Zhang Nan had 18. Michael Harris had 38 points and 8 rebounds for Dongguan. Yu Ning, playing in place of Qiu Biao, scored 27. Meng Duo had 20 and Zhang Kai scored 15.

Last-place Yunnan edged next-to-last Shanghai 104-102 as Li Tao had 37 points and 15 rebounds. Li Lin had 25 points and 9 rebounds. Yang Huai scored 12. Yunnan is now 5-42 while Shanghai is 6-41. DaJuan Tate had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Shanghai. Peng Fei had 22 points and 7 rebounds. Li Gen scored 20 and Luo Xudong scored 18. Wang Yong had 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Fu jiang Goes to the Playoff - by Robert Wang
the regullar season will be end till March 20th and top 3 teams has been confirmed already like Guang Dong, Xin Jiang and Jiang Su, but other 6 teams are struglling for he top 8 teams which will play the playoff like Shan Dong, Fu Jiang, Bei Jing and Shan Xi, etc....But Shan Dong team lost and Bei Jing team lost , too. they are far away from playoff. Here is the game result tonight:
Shan Xi 116:90 Zhe Jiang, Shaan Xi 116:87 Bei Jing, Shan Dong 103:110 Chang Chun, Xin Jiang 118:82 Tian jin, Liao Ning 112:97 Qing Dao, Yun Nan 104:102 Shang Hai, Guang Sha 131:114 Dong Guan, Fu jian SBS 125:117 Jiang Su, Ba Yi 82:110 Guang Dong.

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COLOMBIA

Cucuta - Norte finished third in the Southamerican League - by Victor Garcia
Cucuta Norte defeated Regatas de Corrientes 92 - 86 and clinched an historic third place in the Southamerican League, the team had a slow start having problem in the paint with Tintorelli and Stanton, but the coach Diaz quickly changed to zone defense and put Williams and Walker in the floor.
From this moment the team took control of the game, Wilson and Moreno leaded the ofensive in the first half.
For the second half Kamerichs effort keep Regatas in the game, but then Williams game in the paint helped Cucuta to stay ahead.
Regatas de Corrientes 86 - Kamerichs 27+16rbs, Stanton 19, Titorelli 18, Fierro 8, Acosta 5, Montes 5, Lopez 2, Pineda 2.
Cucuta-Norte 92- Moreno 22+7asts, Williams 18+8rbs, Wilson 15, Walker 11, Renteria 10, Torres 9, Spiegel 7
This third place is the highest postion for a Colombian Team in the history of the Southamerican League

Canoneros clinch third place in Liga Sudamericana - by Eurobasket News
Canoneros - Regatas Corrientes 92:86

Colombian Canoneros crowned their 2009 Liga Sudamericana campaign with victory. They overcame Regatas Corrientes to take the third overall spot in the tournament. Both teams entered the game with two straight losses in the final round but it was the Colombian team that managed to leave the early woes behind. Regatas Corrientes that triumphed in the tournament in 2008 dominated early in the starting period. They cleared off to a 6-point distance before Canoneros closed the margin. Edgar Moreno (191-G-81, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: UTEP) and Renteria fired from beyond the arc and drew things level at 21 after ten minutes of action. Eduardo Torres (195-F-81) and Jermaine Walker (198-F-77, college: Miami, FL) helped the Colombian side to a 10-point lead midway through the second frame. Cucuta-Norte kept it cool and finished the first half with a 7-point advantage. The second half brought little relief for Regatas. They struggled defensively and Canoneros capitalized maintaining the lead. Regatas won the final period but it was not enough to win the game.
Edgar Moreno tallied 22 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds to lead Canoneros. Curtis Williams (205-F/C-77, college: Louisiana Tech) provided 18 points and 8 boards, while Monty Wilson (197-F-73, agency: Edge Sports, college: Tennessee St.) added 15 points in the victory. Federico Kammerichs (203-F-80) responded with game-high 27 points and 16 boards for Regatas. Ramzee Stanton (193-F-80, college: W.Chester) delivered 19 points and 9 boards in the loss.

Canoneros: Edgar Moreno 22, Curtis Williams 18, Monty Wilson 15
Regatas: Federico Kammerichs 27+16 boards, Ramzee Stanton 19

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

DENMARK

CDL Semi Finals are here. - by Thomas Soltau

In the two best of three games series it only took two games for the Svendborg and Naestved to secure their advancement to the Semi Finals.

Svendborg VS Horsholm (2-0):

In the first series Svendborg matched up with Horsholm in two very close games.

Game 1: Svendborg took the early led, but Horsholm was determent to give them a run for their money, as they battled back in the fourth quarter. The game was intense and minor episodes here and there, showed evidently that none of the teams had any intentions of surrendering any ground. A great game for fans and spectators. 78-73. Svendborg wins.

Svendborg: Johnell Smith (186-G-80, college: New Orleans) scored 19 points, while Ivan Hoger (225-C-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza) added impressive 19 defensive rebounds and 7 points. Danes Troels Nielsen (185-G-86) contributed 18 points, shooter Niels Degn-Andersen (185-G/F-80) 14 points on 5-7 shooting, and William Pharis added 18 points himself.

Horsholm: Miljan Petrovic (179-G-82) and Jacob Friis (190-G-77) both finished with 15 points, while Dane Soren Flaeng (207-C-85, agency: Rasmussen Services) added 9 points and 13 rebounds.

Game 2: Another thrilling close game, as Horsholm fought to stay alive in the series. The game saw strong individual performances by players from both teams, but in the end Svendborg prevailed and secured their Semi Final birth.

Svendborg: Johnell Smith finished with impressive 39 points, on 14-20 shooting, and 9 fouls drawn, while Ivan Hoger added 20 points and 9 boards for the Rabbits.

Horsholm: Jerald Minnis (201-F/C-85, college: High Point) scored 26 points, on 11-14 shooting, and added 7 rebounds, while Danish NT players Soren Flaeng and Frederik Nielsen (180-G-88) contributed with 15 points and 6 boards and 16 points and 5 assists respectively.

Amager VS Naestved (0-2):

In the second series Naestved went up against Amager.

Game 1: The game was close all the way, as Amager actually had put themselves in a good position to take the first win, but a few costly mishaps at the very end changed the faith of the series. Naestveds comeback was a reality and Amager lost in brutal fashion 78-81.

Amager: Peter Johansen (204-F/C-80, agency: Arik Krayn Services) had 20 points, 7 boards, 4 assist and 11 fouls drawn, while Mads Rasmussen (190-G-86) added 16 points.
Naestved: Mickey Dennis (190-G/F-78, college: JMU) score 19 points and Danilo Fatic (191-G-77) contributed 18 point and 6 rebounds. Three other players also scored in double figures.

Game 2: Naestved played with a confidence and will that was unmatched. Making the right plays again and again, overthrew Amager and left them down 20+ points for most of the second half. In front of their home crowd Naestved was simply invincible on this night. 112-83.

Amager: Peter Johansen finished with 24 points and 6 rebounds, while Justin James (199-F/C-82, college: La Palma) added 20 points of his own.
Naestved: Sasha Djordjevic (190-G-85) scored 25 points, with 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Mickey Dennis added 24 points and 9 boards, Danilo Fatic 19 point, Adrian 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Dane Lars Hoirup (192-G/F-83) scored 14 points on 5-8 shooting and also dished out 7 assists.

The Semi Finals:

Both the Semis are perfectly matched, and should spark loads of excitement all across the country.

Bakken VS Naestved: Bakken is the number one team in Denmark, but Naestved beat them both times they squared off in the regular season.

Randers VS Svendborg: Randers played their best season in franchise history, while Svendborg is hungry to prove that this is their year.

Show your support and join in on all the fun.

Good luck to the four teams and happy hunting ;-)

Away wins and one major surprise - by Thomas Quaade
In the Danish 1. division last weekend the away teams played very well and in 5 out of 6 cases they won the game. But one of the games was between Vaerlose BBK, a team very close to securing their 3rd place position, losing to ALBA, the bottom team fighting to stay alive in the league. A huge upset in many opinions but with the dreaded last two places that means moving out in sight many teams (in this case ALBA, Jonstrup, Virum and Fjordager BK Odense) will do EVERYTHING they can to get wins. Many teams has injuries and players quitting early, so the results are normally not so easy to predict in the finish of the season.

Here's the results from the 18. round of the 1. division

Fjordager BK Odense - Jonstrup 72-76

Aalborg BK - BK Skjold/Stevnsgade 84-76

Lemvig BK - Falcon 78-83

Hobas - Aarhus BF 83-87

Vaerlose BBK - ALBA 60-61

Virum - Herlev Basket 69-79

Herlev Basket - Hobas 103-68 (round 19 - played Wednesday)

Standings - 1st Division

1st Division Standings

1. Aalborg	18-0
2. Herlev	16-3
3. Vaerlose	12-6
4. Aarhus BF	11-7
5. Skjold	10-8
6. Hobas	10-9
7. Falcon	8-10
8. Lemvig	7-11
9. Odense	5-13
10. Virum	5-13
11. Jonstrup	4-14
12. ALBA	3-15

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

D-LEAGUE

Standings

D-League Standings

Central Division
1. Iowa E.	22-15
2. Erie BH	22-17
3. Dakota W.	21-17
4. Sioux Falls S.	21-18
5. Ft.Wayne MA	15-26
Southwest Division
1. Colorado 14ers	26-10
2. Austin T.	25-13
3. Albuquerque T.	19-18
4. Rio Grande VV	15-25
5. Tulsa 66ers	8-29
West Division
1. Idaho S.	24-14
2. Bakersfield J.	21-18
3. Utah F.	20-14
4. Reno B.	16-21
5. Anaheim A.	15-24
6. LA D-Fenders	13-25

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Will CONROY
  Albuquerque
  (187-G-82)
  Avg: 26.1

1. Conroy, Albuquerque	26.1
2. White, Anaheim	25.9
3. Ahearn, Dakota	23.4
4. Williams, Austin	22.7
5. Sims, Iowa	22.6
6. Crawford, Los A.	21.6
7. Daniels, Erie	21.2
8. Hairston, Austin	21.1
9. Johnson, Bakersfi.	20.6
10. Jeffers, Io.	20.1

Rebounds Per Game

Richard HENDRIX
  Dakota
  (203-F-86)
  Avg: 11.9

1. Hendrix, Dakota	11.9
2. Sims, Iowa	11.0
3. Daniels, Erie	10.3
4. Gaines, Austin	10.3
5. Monds, Albuquerque	9.6
6. Hunter, Ft.Wayne	9.3
7. Ewing, Reno	9.2
8. Jeffers, Iowa	9.1
9. Allred, Idaho	9.0
10. Johnson, Albuqu.	9.0

Assists Per Game

Walker RUSSELL
  Ft.Wayne
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 11

1. Russell, Ft.Wayne	11.0
2. Cleaves, Bakersfield	8.6
3. Gill, Colorado	8.3
4. Jordan, Rio Grande	8.1
5. Stinson, Iowa	7.9
6. Conroy, Albuquerque	7.6
7. Parker, Rio Grande	7.5
8. Ahearn, Dakota	5.8
9. Johnson, Austin	5.6
10. Clinkscales, Er.	5.6

Steals Per Game

Carl ELLIOTT
  Ft.Wayne
  (193-G-83)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Elliott, Ft.Wayne	2.7
2. Coleman, Colorado	2.7
3. Elliott, Sioux Falls	2.6
4. Russell, Ft.Wayne	2.4
5. Parker, Rio Grande	2.3
6. Noel, Albuquerque	2.3
7. Major, Dakota	2.2
8. Jeffers, Iowa	2.1
9. Robinson, Reno	2.1
10. Jordan, Rio Gran.	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Cheikh SAMB
  Knicks
  (215-C-84)
  Avg: 4.1

1. Samb, Colorado	4.1
2. Williams, Colorado	3.9
3. Looby, Rio Grande	2.3
4. Giles, Los Angeles	2.1
5. Sims, Iowa	2.1
6. Felix, Anaheim	2.0
7. Alexander, Sioux F.	2.0
8. Petway, Idaho	2.0
9. Hendrix, Dakota	1.8
10. Haddadi, Dako.	1.7

Last games - 25th win for Colorado and 8th for Tulsa - by Eurobasket News
Rio Grande - Colorado 109-126
The 14ers nailed 126 points last night against the Vipers, what was more than enough for comfortable victory and 25-10 record. Sonny Weems (6'6''-G/F-86, college: Arkansas) came up with 26 points, Trey Gilder and John Lucas had 20 points each, while Josh Davis added 17 pts and 12 rebounds. Eddie Gill also shined collecting 16 pts, 10 rebs and 8 as. Jawad Williams scored 28 points for the loosing squad.

Iowa - Tulsa 107-108
Tiny 108-107 home victory for the 66ers mostly owing to Gary Forbes (6'7''-G/F-85, college: Virginia), who collected 25 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Herbert Hill and Derrick Dial combined 38 points and grabbed 19 rebounds together. Courtney Sims registered double-double in loss, 23 points and 14 rebounds. Tulsa 8-29, Iowa 22-15.

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

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Standings - District National

SRT Standings

1. Sameji	4-1
2. GUG	3-2
3. Cupes	2-2
4. CPN	2-2
5. CDP	1-3
6. Plaza	1-3

Standings - Regional Leagues

District National Standings

1. Villa Francisca	4-1
2. San Lazaro	4-2
3. Villa Duarte	4-3
4. San Carlos	2-4
5. Naco	0-0
6. Los Mina	0-6

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

ESTONIA

Standings - KML

EMKL Standings

1. TU/Rock	16-1
2. TTU KK	15-5
3. Kalev/Cramo	14-4
4. Kalev Tallinn	9-9
5. Valga Welg	9-10
6. Rakvere	8-14
7. Parnu	5-16
8. Kuremaa	3-20

FORMER KALEV COACH , MATIC GETS HIRED IN IRAN - by Ozell Wells

Iran has named Serbian Veselin Matic as the new head coach of the Iranian national basketball squad to replace his compatriot Rajko Toroman (agency: Agency No 10 ).
Veselin Matic has been selected as the new Iranian basketball head coach, said Mahmoud Mashhoon, the President of the Iranian Basketball Federation (IBF) on Thursday.
According to the agreement the Serbian coach can bring an experienced physical therapist, a physician, a masseur, an analyst and an assistant to Iran, he explained. 'Dr. Mehran Hatami from Iran will be one of his assistants.
Mashhoon further pointed out that Matic will finalize the agreement at the Iranian National Olympic Committee on Saturday.
Matic will in Tehran on April 4 to start his work, he added.
Mashhoon stated that the Iranian national basketball team will hold its first training camp after the country's basketball league competitions.
The 54-year-old Serbian Rajko Toroman (agency: Agency No 10 ) coached the Iranian basketball outfit in 2007-2008 but then moved to steer Philippine national basketball team.
THe Iran basketball squad is one of the strongest teams in Asia, the current champions at the FIBA Asia Championship.

courtesy of FIBA

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

EUROLEAGUE

Top 16 Week 6 MVP: Mike Batiste, Panathinaikos - by Eurobasket
Panathinaikos not only became its Top 16 group champion - getting the home court advantage in its best-of-five Quarterfinal Playoffs series against Montepaschi Siena - but one of his signature players earned weekly MVP honors, too. Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) led Panathinaikos to a 103-95 overtime home win against Unicaja with 22 points on 9-for-10 two-pointers. He added 9 rebounds, a steal, a block and 7 fouls drawn to amass a 35 index. Mirsad Turkcan (206-F-76) of Fenerbahce Ulker shined in his team's home loss against Montepaschi with 19 points on 6-for-8 two-pointers and 1-for-1 triples. He added 9 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 fouls drawn to get a 30 index. Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) of Regal FC Barcelona and Blagota Sekulic (209-F/C-82, agency: FCM) of Alba Berlin each had a 27 index in Top 16 Week 6. Basile led Barcelona to a critical road win against Maccabi Electra with 23 points on 7-for-9 three-pointers. Meanwhile, Sekulic had 21 points and 8 rebounds against his former team, Real Madrid, even when Alba registered a heartbreaking last-second loss. Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) of Regal FCB had a 26 index to complete the top individual performances this week.

Individual highs: Rimantas Kaukenas of Montepaschi Siena, 27 points

Kaukenas was the Top 16 Week 6 best scorer with 27 points in his team's road win against FB Ulker. His teammate Terrell McIntyre was the Top 16 leading scorer (20.2 ppg.) despite not playing against Fener. Five players - Turkcan, Batiste, Patrick Burke (208-C-73, college: Auburn) of Asseco Prokom, Charles Gaines (201-F-81, college: S.Mississippi) of Maccabi Electra and Ersan Ilyasova (207-F-87) of Regal FCB - each grabbed 9 rebounds. Turkcan was also the Top 16 best rebounder at 9.2 per night. Omar Cook (186-G-82, college: St.John's) of Unicaja, Brandon Jennings (183-G-89) of Lottomatica Roma and Emir Preldzic (206-F-87, agency: Beo Basket) of Fenerbahce Ulker each dished 6 assists in Top 16 Week 6 to lead the weekly standings. Cook was the Top 16 assists champion at 5.5 per game. Three players - Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80) of Panathinaikos, Theo Papaloukas of Olympiacos and Shaun Stonerook (203-F/C-77, college: Ohio) of Montepaschi - collected 5 steals apiece in this rounf. David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis) of Asseco Prokom led the Top 16 steals table at 3.5 per game. Ilyasova, Fran Vazquez (210-C-83) also of Regal FCB, Zarko Rakocevic (205-F-84) of Partizan and Viktor Khryapa (204-F/G-82) of CSKA each had 3 blocks in Top 16 Week 16. Vazquez was the Top 16 best shot blocker at 2.67 per game. No player registered a double-double in this round.

Courtesy of Euroleague

The end of Euroleague Top 16 (last round) - by Eurobasket News

Group E

Tau - Olympiakos 80-88
Olympiakos did a great job last night in Spain. The Reds managed to beat the reigning ACB champion, Tau Ceramica, for the second time this season finishing the Top 16 as No.1 in Group E with 5-1 record. Nikola Vujcic (211-C-78, agency: Interperformances) led the Reds with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Yotam Halperin scored 16, while Giannis Bourousis and Jannero Pargo helped with 11 points each. Mirza Teletovic had 16, Tiago Splitter 15 pts (plus 6 rebs) and Sergi Vidal scored 14 points in Tau. In the quarterfinals Olympiakos will meet Real Madrid. Tau will take on Regal Barca in big Spanish derby.

Armani MI - Asec.Prokom 72-96
Asecco Prokom trashed AJ Milano in Italy gabbing the first win in Top 16. Of course it is not enough for any better than the last place in Group E as Milano already had 2 wins. Qyntel Woods (204-F/G-81, college: N.Mississippi JC) shined for the Poles with 23 points and 5 rebounds. Patrick Burke had 15 points and 9 boards, while Ronnie Burrell stopped on 14 pts. AJ Milano got 22 points from Jobey Thomas (4 triples). Pape Sow had 18 and he was the last one with double-digits in scoring.

Group F

Maccabi T-A - Regal Barca 74-90
Regal Barca outplayed Maccabi in Tel-Aviv jumping to 5-1 record in Group F. The same numbers also has Real Madrid, but Barca is No.1 because of 90-79 win in the last round. Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) was on fire draining 7 triples from 9 attempts - 23 points in total. Juan Carlos Navarro had 19 and Fran Vasquez added 15 points, including 6 rebounds. Marcus Brown and Carlos Arroyo delivered 16 points apiece for the hosts. Barca will meet Tau in the quarterfinals.

Real Madrid - ALBA 83-82
Thanks to Lopez's unbelievable turnaround jumper, almost at the buzzer, Real Madrid grabbed thriller home victory against ALBA Berlin for 5-1 in Group F. Despite this almost perfect score Real in not No.1 because of 79-90 defeat in the previous round against Regal Barca. Axel Hervelle (205-F-83) came up with 18, Jeremiah Massey had 14 and Raul Lopez netted 12 points for the hosts. Blagota Sekulic was totally the best player in defeat with 21 points and 8 boards in 23 minutes. Real will take on Olympiakos in the quarterfinals.

Group G

Panathinaikos - Unicaja 103-95 OT1
The Greens had to work very hard in order to beat Unicaja in Athens. However, even in case that PAO suffered defeat yesterday it would be No.1 as Partizan was unsuccessful in Rome. With this win PAO ended Top 16 registering almost perfect 5-1 and it will meet Montepaschi Siena in the quarterfinals (March 24th). On the other side, Unicaja faced with elimination after home defeat against Partizan in Round 4. Mike Batiste (203-F-77, college: Arizona St.) was a key player for the Greens last night collecting 22 points and 9 rebounds. Andrew Nicholas scored 15, while Sarunas Jasikevicius added 12 pts and 5 assists. Stratos Perperoglou also helped with 12 pts. Jiri Welsch top-scored in loss with 21 points. German Gabriel had 17 and Joseph Gomis contributed with 16 pts and 5 boards.

Lottomatica - Partizan 88-72
Lottomatica finally made it in Top 16. After 5 consecutive defeats, the team from Rome was better than Partizan Belgrade, who already booked a spot for the quarterfinals two weeks ago. The key victory for the Serbian squad was the one against Unicaja in Malaga. With 1-5 Lottomatica is the last ranked team in Group G, while Partizan is No.2 with 4-2. Its rival in the quarterfinals will be the reigning Euroleague champion - CSKA Moscow (March 24th). Andre Hutson (202-F-79, college: Michigan St.) top-scored for the winners with 23 points. Panamanian Ruben Douglas, who joined Lottomatica recently from Pamesa Valencia, had 18 points. Ibrahim Jaaber added 17 and Luigi Datome stopped on 12 pts. Gabonese Stephane Lasme collected 17 points and 8 boards for the loosing side. Novica Velickovic posted 14 and Uros Tripkovic 12.

Group H

Cibona - CSKA 63-73
CSKA entered to this game as No.1 in Group H, while Cibona was No.3 and there was no chance for up nor down. The reigning champion ended the Top 16 phase with just one loss in six games. It was the one against Montepaschi in Siena (74-56, Round 3). CSKA's rival in the quarterfinals will be the second ranked team from Group G, Partizan Belgrade (March 24th). Slovenian Erazem Lorbek (210-F/C-84, college: Michigan St.) stepped up for the guests last nigh with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Matjaz Smodis had 14, while Victor Keyru and Trajan Langdon nailed 12 points each. Alan Anderson shined in defeat collecting 17 points and 8 rebounds. Davor Kus had 12 pts.

Fener.Ulker - Montepaschi 68-73
The reigning Italian champion celebrated in the last round of Top 16, despite it already sealed a spot for the quarterfinals 7 days ago. In that game Montepaschi was better than Cibona 86-70, what is more than it lost in Zagreb. It means that Montepaschi (4-2) will take on the Greek champ in Euroleague quarterfinals (March 24th). The Turkish representative said goodbye with one victory in 6 appearances. Rimantas Kaukenas (193-G-77, college: Seton Hall) was on fire last night draining impressive 27 points. Romain Sato was the second scorer in victory with 12 pts. The hosts almost got double-double from Mirsad Turkcan, 19 points and 9 boards. Oguz Savas and Semih Erden netted 12 points apiece.

Olympiakos banned Sofoklis Schortsanitis - by Serafim Karaiskakis
Olympiakos S.F.P. Pireus announced officially today the decision to terminate for one month the contract of Sofoklis Schortsanitis (206-C-85) due to unprofessional behaviour.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis career is going down, in 13 games in the Greek league he has averages: 5.2ppg, 1.7rpg and in 12 Euroleague games: 4.8ppg, 1.8rpg. He is 24 years old now and as it seems in the summer he will change team. In the past he was one of most promising players in the entire Europe.

Standings

Euroleague Standings

Group E
1. Olympiakos		5-1
2. Tau		4-2
3. Armani MI		2-4
4. Prokom		1-5
Group F
1. Regal Barca		5-1
2. Real Madrid		5-1
3. Maccabi T-A		2-4
4. ALBA		0-6
Group G
1. Panathinaikos		5-1
2. Partizan		4-2
3. Unicaja		2-4
4. Lottomatica		1-5
Group H
1. CSKA		5-1
2. Montepaschi		4-2
3. Cibona		2-4
4. Fener.Ulker		1-5

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Igor RAKOCEVIC
  Tau
  (191-G-78)
  Avg: 18.4

1. Rakocevic, Tau	18.4
2. Logan, Asec.Prokom	17.0
3. Warren, Air AV	16.2
4. McIntyre, Montepas.	15.3
5. Teletovic, Tau	15.1
6. Splitter, Tau	15.1
7. Becirovic, Lottomat.	14.8
8. Navarro, Regal B.	14.7
9. Kaukenas, Montepas.	14.7
10. Arroyo, Maccab.	14.6

Rebounds Per Game

Loren WOODS
  CAI Zaragoza
  (213-C-78)
  Avg: 9

1. Woods, Zalgiris	9.0
2. Jankunas, Zalgiris	8.0
3. Koffi, Le Mans	7.7
4. Fischer, Maccabi .	7.7
5. Bourousis, Olympiakos	7.4
6. Burke, Asec.Prokom	6.9
7. Ilyasova, Regal B.	6.9
8. Lasme, Partizan	6.7
9. Eliyahu, Maccabi .	6.6
10. Gonlum, Efes Pils.	6.5

Assists Per Game

Omar COOK
  Unicaja
  (186-G-82)
  Avg: 5.1

1. Cook, Unicaja	5.1
2. Papaloukas, Olymp.	5.0
3. Mallet, DKV J.	4.6
4. McIntyre, Montepas.	4.5
5. Prigioni, Tau	4.3
6. Arroyo, Maccabi .	4.1
7. Holden, CSKA	3.9
8. Becirovic, Lottomat.	3.8
9. Navarro, Regal B.	3.7
10. Sada, Regal Bar.	3.6

Steals Per Game

David LOGAN
  Asec.Prokom
  (184-G-82)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Logan, Asec.Prokom	2.7
2. Smith, Efes Pilsen	2.2
3. Anderson, Cibona	2.1
4. Miles, Panionios	1.9
5. Jaaber, Lottomat.	1.9
6. McIntyre, Montepas.	1.7
7. Diamantidis, Panath.	1.7
8. Calloway, Cibona	1.7
9. Prigioni, Tau	1.6
10. Ewing, Asec.Prok.	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Loren WOODS
  CAI Zaragoza
  (213-C-78)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Woods, Zalgiris	2.4
2. Vazquez, Regal B.	1.9
3. Lasme, Partizan	1.8
4. Fischer, Maccabi .	1.8
5. Splitter, Tau	1.7
6. Begic, U.Olimpija	1.7
7. Ndong, Unicaja	1.3
8. McDonald, Tau	1.2
9. Koffi, Le Mans	1.1
10. Morris, CS.	1.1

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

FINLAND

Standings - Division I

1st Division Standings

1. Kauhajoki	16-2
2. Salon Vilpas	14-3
3. Lapua	10-7
4. LoKoKo	9-9
5. Huima	9-10
6. BC Nokia	8-11
7. Jyvaskyla	7-10
8. Honka	7-10
9. JKS	7-13
10. HNMKY	6-11
11. Ura Basket	5-13

Stats Leaders - Division I

Points Per Game

Magen MCNEIL
  Kauhajoki
  (198-F-83)
  Avg: 27.3

1. McNeil, JKS	27.3
2. Holmes, BC Nokia	26.5
3. Surratt, Ura Basket	26.2
4. Heard, LoKoKo	25.2
5. Cooper, BC Nokia	23.4
6. Francis, JKS	23.0
7. Jackson, Jyvaskyla	21.8
8. Piplovic, Lapua	21.7
9. Dlouhy, BC Nokia	21.6
10. Washington, Kau.	21.4

Rebounds Per Game

Marko PIPLOVIC
  Lapua
  (206-F-76)
  Avg: 12.1

1. Piplovic, Lapua	12.1
2. Francis, JKS	11.4
3. McNeil, JKS	11.2
4. Daanish, Salon Vilpas	10.9
5. Morris, Huima	10.3
6. Kraznotzhon, HN.	10.0
7. Green, Salon Vilpas	9.8
8. Polk, Kauhajoki	9.7
9. Hartford, Huima	9.6
10. Morill, Hui.	9.5

Assists Per Game

Anthony DAVIS
  LoKoKo
  (188-G-83)
  Avg: 5.4

1. Davis, LoKoKo	5.4
2. Surratt, Ura Basket	4.5
3. Conerly, Salon Vilpas	4.2
4. Carhart, Lapua	4.0
5. Graham, Huima	4.0
6. Holmes, BC Nokia	3.7
7. Horton, Kauhajoki	3.2
8. Ahonen, Salon Vilpas	3.0
9. Silvonen, HN.	2.9
10. Piplovic, Lap.	2.8

Steals Per Game

Armondo SURRATT
  Ura Basket
  (185-G-83)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Surratt, Ura Basket	3.2
2. Horton, Kauhajoki	3.1
3. McNeil, JKS	2.8
4. Carhart, Lapua	2.7
5. Holmes, BC Nokia	2.7
6. Conerly, Salon Vilpas	2.6
7. Little, HN.	2.6
8. Davis, LoKoKo	2.4
9. Heard, LoKoKo	2.3
10. Williams, Hon.	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Mike KING
  Jyvaskyla
  (201-F-74)
  Avg: 1.8

1. King, Jyvaskyla	1.8
2. Still, Lapua	1.2
3. Daanish, Salon Vilpas	1.2
4. Thomas, LoKoKo	1.2
5. Washington, Kauha.	1.2
6. Collins, Jyvaskyla	1.2
7. Watson, BC Nokia	1.0
8. Hartford, Huima	1.0
9. Dlouhy, BC Nokia	0.9
10. Francis, J.	0.9

KORISLIIGA: Damon Williams, The Magic Man - by Rauno Hurmalainen

Korisliiga, Round 36: American 'veteran' F Damon Williams (199-F-73, college: Colorado St.-Pueblo) is a Magic Man. Williams started this season on KTP (Kotka) roster and helped KTP into 21-12 record after 33 rounds. Then something happened suddenly. Williams 'left' KTP and moved back to his 'home town' Tampere in Finland. Robert Owens (201-F-82, college: Ball St.) replaced Williams in Kotka and KTP is 1-3 now without Williams and with Owens. Tonight KTP lost third time in a row. This time FoKoPo (Forssa) won the thriller in Kotka (73-75), where Owens missed one FT (41 seconds to go) and made a TO (nine seconds to go). Meanwhile Damon Williams after joining Pyrinto (Tampere) roster has helped Tampere Team to 4-0 record and improved 10-22 record into figures 14-22 right now. Williams averaged 16,7 ppg - 10,3 rpg on KTP roster and is averaging now 14,8 ppg - 10,0 rpg with Pyrinto. Tonight (even Friday and 13th of March) Pyrinto won in Uusikaupunki, another

thriller tonight, by six pts: 75-81. Williams had a double-double again: 17/12.

KTP - FoKoPo 73-75 (37-35) (Durell Vinson 21/13, Steve Smith 18, Robert Owens 13 - Nick Wallery 22, Ray Cunningham 17/13, Ronald Yates 15).

Korihait - Pyrinto 75-81 (38-41) (Josh Gonner 21, Mark Zoller 17/11, Bojan Sarcevic 16 - Chris Hester 22, Kenny Lowe 18, Damon Williams 17/12).

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

GABON

Championship of League (Season 2008 - 2009) - by Tim Ndjiki
League of Basketball of the Estuary (LI.BAB.E)
The first day of the League championship reserved us two surprises this Wednesday 4 March, to the Gymnasium President Bongo.
Promoted to him, RANGERS (champion in League 2M) made fall TOUNGUI BB (retiring champion in League 1M). AO BB (qualified to the Play off 08) is undone himself with difficulty of NDZIMBA (6th the Last year). The ever seen!
Indeed, the determination of the young team of NZENG AYONG ended up triumphing over the too big insurance of team members of the international Cameroonian BOULI that thought to make of a gulp their adversaries of the day, correctly clothed for the circumstance. Only bad note of this meeting, the unstitched game on all sides where visibly in end of part coach had difficulty making the excited players pass the message to the big more passive referee that active in this indescribable mess.
Before, in first hour, the some spectators having made the displacement of the gymnasium had right to a drab enough meeting between a team of AO BB, in full reconstruction that didn't convince and NDZIMBA that was determined to more to let make itself this year with an organization sustained by students of the UOB themselves. Without qualified coach will they go farther?
We will know it since the second day of this senior championship masculine of the LIBABE where is foreseen the entrance in lice of ANGES ABC OF THE ESTUARY, of BLACK STAR BB and of SOMO B. The public is invited to follow these confrontations the Wednesday 11 March 2009 from 16h therefore.
1 - Results of meetings of the 1st day
Wednesday 4 March 2009: 16H00 ' ANGES ABC OF THE ESTUARY / SOMO B: Reported 18H00 ' AO BB / NDZIMBA: 36 / 34; 20H00' TOUNGUI BB / RANGERS: 57 / 53
2 - Ordering to the exit of the 1st day
1st: RANGERS' 2 pts (+4) ; 2nd: AO BB' 2 pts (+2) ; 3rd: NDZIMBA' 1 pt (-2) ; 4th:TOUNGUI BB' 1 pt (-4) ; 5th: ANGES ABC OF THE ESTUAIRE' 0 pt ; 6th: BLACK STAR' 0 pt
7th: SOMO B' 0 point
NB: ANGES ABC OF THE ESTUARY, BLACK STAR BB and SOMO BS didn't play again
3 - Program of the 2nd day
Wednesday March 2009: 16H00 ' NDZIMBA / SOMO B; 18H00 ' ANGES ABC OF THE ESTUARY / BLACK STAR BB ; 20H00 ' AO BB / TOUNGUI BB

Results of the 4th day of the Elite National Championship - by Tim Ndjiki
Port Gentil Play ground: PLACES of the CONCORD :
Saturday 07/03/2009 17 hours:
CAS 1987 Port-Gentil against IZO (New team) BB 64 / 75
Saturday 07/03/2009 19 hours:
Stade Madji Port-Gentil against Toungui BB 80 / 72
Sunday 08/03/2009 11 hours:
Atomik BB against Toungui BB 75 / 54
Sunday 08/03/2009 17 hours:
Olympic Mandji (New team) against IZO BB 70 / 83
Oyem Play ground: Richard NGUEMA BEKALE
Saturday 07/03/2009 16 hours:
Engong Oyem (New team) against SOMOS B 49 / 82
Moanda Play ground: Henri Sylvoz
Sunday 08/03/2009 9 AM:
MANGA B (retiring Champion of the season 2007-2008) against AOS BB 71 / 56

Ordering to the exit of the 4th day
Atomik BB 8 Pts ; IZO BB 8 Pts ; Stade Madji Port-Gentil 7 Pts ; Somo B Libreville 6 Pts ; Manga Basket 6 Pts ; Atoane Y'ogombie BB 5 Pts ; CAS 1987 Port-Gentil 5 Pts : Engong Oyem 4 Pts ; Toungui BB 4 Pts ; Olympic Mandji 4 Pts

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

GERMANY

Standings - 1. Bundesliga

1.Bundesliga Standings

1. Oldenburg	18-5
2. Goettingen	17-5
3. Bonn	16-7
4. ALBA	15-5
5. Ulm	15-8
6. Frankfurt	15-9
7. Paderborn	13-10
8. Bamberg	12-12
9. Ludwigsb.	11-13
10. Trier	11-13
11. Braunschweig	10-14
12. Tuebingen	10-14
13. Noerdlingen	10-14
14. Art.Dragons	9-14
15. Duesseldorf	9-15
16. Koeln 99ers	7-16
17. Giessen	7-16
18. Bremerhaven	4-19

Stats Leaders - 1.Bundesliga

Points Per Game

Omari WESTLEY
  Noerdlingen
  (201-F-82)
  Avg: 17.5

1. Westley, Noerdlingen	17.5
2. Hess, Art.Dragons	15.4
3. Paulding, EWE B.	14.9
4. Gardner, EWE B.	14.9
5. Jeanty, Noerdlingen	14.7
6. Bowman, Telekom B.	14.6
7. Fenn, Art.Dragons	14.6
8. Bailey, Goettingen	14.6
9. Rowland, Telek.	14.4
10. Suput, Brose.	14.3

Rebounds Per Game

Chris ENSMINGER
  Pad.Baskets
  (209-C-73)
  Avg: 10.8

1. Ensminger, Pad.Bask.	10.8
2. Gibbs, ratiopharm	10.4
3. McGhee, Noerdlin.	8.3
4. Gordon, Dt.	7.6
5. Katic, Walter Tigers	7.5
6. Fenn, Art.Dragons	7.2
7. Westley, Noerdlingen	7.0
8. Drevo, NY Phantoms	6.4
9. Rouse, LTi 46ers	6.3
10. Visser, NY Pha.	6.0

Assists Per Game

Dru JOYCE
  ratiopharm
  (183-G-85)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Joyce, ratiopharm	4.5
2. Watson, Bremerha.	4.2
3. Gardner, EWE B.	4.0
4. Franklin, NY Phant.	4.0
5. Rowland, Telek.	3.9
6. Jenkins, ALBA	3.8
7. Anderson, Walter T.	3.8
8. Schaffartzik, LTi	3.6
9. Rivera, Brose B.	3.5
10. Bailey, Goetting.	3.4

Steals Per Game

Roderick TRICE
  Goettingen
  (191-F-84)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Trice, Goettingen	2.9
2. Gordon, Koeln 99ers	2.7
3. Lee, Goettingen	1.8
4. McGhee, Noerdlin.	1.8
5. Foster, EWE B.	1.8
6. Yarbrough, Telek.	1.7
7. Franklin, NY Phant.	1.6
8. Peete, Duesseldorf	1.5
9. Paulding, EWE B.	1.5
10. Jacobson, Goe.	1.4

Blocks Per Game

Ken JOHNSON
  Telekom B.
  (210-C-78)
  Avg: 3

1. Johnson, Telek.	3.0
2. Slaughter, Bremerha.	1.3
3. Reiner, Bremerha.	1.1
4. Gadri-N., Bremerha.	1.1
5. Boumtje Boum., EWE B.	1.0
6. Sesay, ALBA	0.9
7. Gibbs, ratiopharm	0.9
8. Drevo, NY Phantoms	0.9
9. Flomo, Telekom B.	0.8
10. Butch, Noerdling.	0.8

Big comeback by Real vs ALBA, Lopez makes it at the end - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: Real Madrid - ALBA Berlin 83-82

Thanks to Raul Lopez's (182-G-80) unbelievable turnaround jumper, almost at the buzzer, Real Madrid grabbed thriller home victory against ALBA Berlin for 5-1 in Group F. Despite this almost perfect score Real in not No.1 because of 79-90 defeat in the previous round against Regal Barca. Axel Hervelle (205-F-83) came up with 18, Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82, college: Kansas St.) had 14 and Raul Lopez netted 12 points for the hosts. Blagota Sekulic (209-F/C-82, agency: FCM) was totally the best player in defeat with 21 points and 8 boards in 23 minutes. Julius Jenkins (187-G-81, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Georgia Southern) stopped on 17 pts. Real will take on Olympiakos in the quarterfinals. The hosts had 17-14 after ten minutes, but ALBA managed to tie the score to 40-40 until the half time. It is important to mention that ALBA had plus 5 during the second frame. Blagota Sekulic and his teammates opened the second half in style. After few minutes, actually after triple by Wright, they jumped to nice 46-52 lead. Real came on minus 2, before Bullock fixed the score to 61-61 after 30 minutes. Julius Jenkins drained a triple for ALBA and made it from the fast break closing impressive 0-10 run for 73-80 with less than 3 minutes to go. After time out, Real managed to come on 81-82 after what Jacobsen missed. Raul Lopez grabbed the ball and scored an unbelievable turnaround jumper almost at the buzzer for big comeback of his team. There was no time for ALBA even to try.

Real Madrid: Axel Hervelle 18, Jeremiah Massey 14, Raul Lopez 12
ALBA Berlin: Blagota Sekulic 21+8 boards, Julius Jenkins 17

"Germany has a great basketball culture" Interview with Bilal Abdullah - by Kristian Santiago
Eurobasket had the chance to talk to Bilal Abdullah (196-G-84, agency: Passing Lane, college: Lafayette), a promising young player fresh out of college.

1. Bilal, you had a stellar career at Lafayette in the NCAA and moved to
Finland for your first season in pro basketball. How did you like it there
and how difficult was it to adapt to European basketball for you?

Bilal :I liked it there a lot. I enjoyed my time while I was in Finland. I had stretches where I was able to play pretty good basketball but my main goal was to win and adapt to the European style of play. I was able to achieve both of my goals. Before leaving my team I had us in first place, while learning the game. It took a little while longer to learn the offensive style of play because my team was a defensive oriented team. I was given the assignment of guarding many of the teams best perimeter players, from point guards to small forwards, while still being asked to produce on offense.

2. One of your teammates at Lafayette was Paul Cummins (188-G-84), who is playing in
Scotland now. Was he useful in giving you advice and did he prepare you for
Finland before you made the trip?

Bilal: Yes, Paul was very useful. He gave me a few pointers that helped me with my transition to the pro level. As you can see he's clearly the best player in Scotland and will probably move to a much better league soon, however, his main piece of advice to me was in regards to how to play offensively. He just told me that players will try to intimidate you and test you especially when you come in for your first year or so. People will test you to see what youre made of so you have to earn respect because a lot of these guys have been doing this along time. So he advised me to never back down from a challenge and always play my game on offense, but thats how I was in college so he was just giving me a helpful reminder.

3. You are now looking for forward to play in Germany. Why Germany, and
what do you expect in terms of the culture and the level of play?

Bilal: I would love to get the chance to play in Germany. I had the opportunity to have Ray Nixon (203-F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Wisconsin) as a teammate while in Finland. He is still playing for my old team, Namika Lahti, but he played a few years in Germany and really enjoyed himself. From what I understand, it has a great basketball culture, the fans are great, and the league is defensive oriented but much tougher than the Finnish league. And as a big guard I love to play a physical style of basketball.

4. What can you bring to the team? What are your strengths and what your
weaknesses?

Bilal: My weaknesses, well I can improve on all parts of my game and I try to do that all the time. But if I had to choose one in particular it would be my ball-handling. I feel that would be the one thing I need to currently improve on the most. Im not a bad ball handler, but thats my area that needs the most improvement. Because the better ball handler you are the easier it is to create your own shot, set up teammates, and get to the basket. My biggest strength is my shooting, although my 3pt percentage in Finland was low its because I injured my shoulder early in the season and tried to play through it. But like I said Im a big guard who has pretty good range. Last year I shot 45 percent as a senior in college when I was healthy. Other than that Im an all around player, I can rebound, I really take pride in my defense and passing. I finding the open guy and I feel Im a good scorer with the ability to catch and shoot or create my own shot. I have the ability to get my teammates involved and I dont have to score 20 points a night, although its possible, to help my team win games.

5. What are your goals in professional hoops for the near future?

Bilal: Well currently Im in Boston where my workout program is located so Im just continuing to build my body and work on my game. However, my plan is to be ready to play whenever I get a call from a team who feels I can help them. So my short term goal is to hopefully find a team to finish out the year with and help in their playoff run because I know that I can help someone. Then from there come back to Boston and work out with many good players from many good European leagues until the fall when a new seasons begins. And if no team chooses to pick me up Ill get a head start on my summer training while preparing for the fall. However, I feel if a team decides to picks me up I can definitely help them win games. I did it in Finland I can do it elsewhere.

6. Thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions Bilal!

Bilal: Thanks for giving me the opportunity! I can be reached through: JBuckley@passinglanesports.com .

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

GREECE

Olympiakos beats Tau Ceramica for top of Group E - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: Tau Ceramica - Olympiakos 80-88

Olympiakos did a great job last night in Spain. The Reds managed to beat the reigning ACB champion, Tau Ceramica, for the second time this season finishing the Top 16 as No.1 in Group E with 5-1 record. Nikola Vujcic (211-C-78, agency: Interperformances) led the Reds with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Yotam Halperin (196-G-84, agency: Arik Krayn Services) scored 16, while Giannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) and Jannero Pargo (187-G-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Arkansas) helped with 11 points each. Mirza Teletovic (203-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) had 16, Tiago Splitter (211-C/F-85, agency: Interperformances) 15 pts and 6 rebs, while Sergi Vidal (198-F/G-81) scored 14 points. In the quarterfinals Olympiakos will meet Real Madrid. Tau will take on Regal Barca in big Spanish derby. Tau opened the game with quick 7-2, but the Greeks quickly responded tying the score to 7-7. Later it was 7-10 and 18-26 for the Reds, mostly owing to Yotam Halperin and his couple of long range strokes. Mirza Teletovic and Tiago Splitter stepped up for Tau after that with free throws and dunk cutting the margin to 23-28. Olympiakos didn't stop after that reaching huge 25-41 at the midway of the second period. That was a real shock for Tau, who didn't succeed to come any closer than 37-51 at the half time. Nikola Vujcic and his teammates had plus 17 after the breather, but Mirza Teletovic pushed up his Tau to 60-67 in just few minutes. After 3 quarters the Reds had 62-70. Tau had a chance with 4 minutes to go as they came on 74-75, but then Papaloukas and Giannis Bourousis shined for Olympiakos setting the score to unreachable 74-80.

Tau Ceramica: Mirza Teletovic 16, Tiago Splitter 15+6 boards, Sergi Vidal 14
Olympiakos: Nikola Vujcic 17+7 boards, Yotam Halperin 16, Giannis Bourousis 11, Jannero Pargo 11

Olympiakos banned Sofoklis Schortsanitis - by Serafim Karaiskakis
Olympiakos S.F.P. Pireus announced officially today the decision to terminate for one month the contract of Sofoklis Schortsanitis (206-C-85) due to unprofessional behaviour.

Sofoklis Schortsanitis career is going down, in 13 games in the Greek league he has averages: 5.2ppg, 1.7rpg and in 12 Euroleague games: 4.8ppg, 1.8rpg. He is 24 years old now and as it seems in the summer he will change team. In the past he was one of most promising players in the entire Europe.

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

GUYANA

'Brown Sugar Roberts pilots Royals past Colts victory also for 'wild card entrants Kings - by Paul Haynes
LINDEN clubs Victory Valley Royals and Kashif and Shanghai Kings ended any hopes of City teams Bounty Colts and defending champions Courts Pacesetters advancing at their expense when the final set of quarter-final qualifiers were decided Wednesday night in the Next Level Entertainment knockout basketball championship at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The Royals galloped past Bounty Colts 60-49, while the Kings, entering the tournament on a wild card ticket after opting not to play in the current seeding tournament of the Linden Amateur Basketball Association but through the special request of the organisers, justified their invitation with a stunning 51-45 elimination of Georgetowns top club Courts Pacesetters.
The first game saw the Royals lead by the energetic centre Dwayne Brown Sugar Roberts, inspiring his team to an easy 60-45 whipping of Bounty Colts.
Roberts pounded his way inside to register a game-high 18 points to continue his rich vein of form in his domestic league as he was ably supported by Anson Durant who netted 11 and Chris Williams 10.
Desmond Chin played well for the Colts with 14 points to his name while Triston Lake contributed 11.
The highly anticipated clash between the reigning champions of 2007 Pacesetters and inaugural champions Kings, failed to develop into the contest of the tournament.
Kings, who were out of competition play since November last year, saw the top-ranked city side, as expected, setting the pace early as they took a 15-8 first quarter lead.
But the Kings would not be denied as they cut that advantage to two points as the Pacesetters still held sway at halftime 26-24.
The Kings who came into this 16-team championship, which attracted eight clubs from Georgetown, were given the number eight slot from Linden, thus they had to face the top-ranked Pacesetters.
In the circumstances they found themselves fighting to stave off the huge challenge posed and were still behind by two points battling through the third quarter 40-38.
In the end the Kings bided their time and went for the kill when it mattered most to overcome their opponents and walk away with a determined win.
It was set up by a final burst in the last stanza of the game, where the Kings pulled off a 13-5 run, stalling the Pacesetters on the way, and ending hopes of a successful defence of their title, or of moving into this years quarterfinals.
Marvin Hartman was one of the steadying forces for the Kings with a solid 14 points while Steve Neils (Jr) had 11 and the experienced Abdulla Hamid seven to see them through.
Pacesetters exit came despite the efforts of Royston Siland with 12 points and Naylon Loncke and Stephon Gills nine and seven points respectively.
Tonight the quarter-finals begin with Pepsi Sonics up against Ravens while the other match brings together Lindens Amelias Ward Jets and Beepat Scorpions.

K& S Kings chastise reigning champions Pacesetters - As they ascend to quarter finals in NLE basketball Extravaganza - by Paul Haynes
Sovereignty belonged to the Kashif and Shanghai Kings on Wednesday evening after they traumatized Courts Pacesetters with a 51- 45 win to advance to the quarter finals of the Next Level Entertainment ( NLE) Basketball tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The defending champions were in disbelief after their uncharacteristic first round exit in this the most lucrative basketball tournament of the year, and took some time before vacating the venue. It may have seemed to be an upset to the Georgetown fans, but with a Linden all- star cast of Marvin Hartman, Steve Neils Jnr., and Abdullah Zico Hamid, Kings, who won the Inaugural tournament, expected that result.
Hartman registered a game- high of 14 points, followed by a dazzling 11- point performance from Neils and an efficient seven from the vet eran Hamid. However, power forward Royston Siland was the only Pacesetter to reach double figures on the score sheet with his 12. Stephon Gillis could manage only seven points, while Nailon Loncke added nine.
Cognizant of each others lethal scoring capabilities, stringent defences were employed by both teams, especially by Pacesetters who threw a tight man to man coverage to deny King guards from getting the ball early in the first half. This kept the ball out of the hands of Neils on a few occasions in the first quarter which belonged to the Pacesetters 15- 8.
After trailing 30- 38 near the end of the third quarter, Kings engineered an 8- 0 run get back in the game built on a clutch three pointer by Hamid.
At the beginning of the 40- 38 in the fourth, Pacesetters entered a slump and scored only five points in the final quarter. After some clutch shooting from Kings players, Pacesetters trailed 45- 47. But after Omally Sampson deceptively picked off an
inbound past ( which was eventually scored) with 53 sec onds remaining and Setters trailing by a bucket, it was all but over for the Pacesetters.
The reason for such an intense matchup so early in the tournament stemmed from a disciplinary infrac tion from the Linden Amateur Basketball Association ( LABA), which caused Kings to be relegated to second divi sion play. However, the NLE Group asked that Kings be pardoned to make up the quo ta of teams for the tourna ment, but they were ranked at the lowest seed ( 8th) as a condition of participation.
Nevertheless, Kings sur mounted Georgetowns cur rent number one team, and will take on the fourth seeded Nets in their quarter final en counter.
In the other encounter that evening, the Victory Valley Royals led by the 18- point performance of Dwayne
Brown Sugar Roberts de feated Bounty Colts 60- 49.
Anson Durant and Chris Williams were the two sup porting scorers for Royal with 11 and 10 points respectively, while Desmond Chin 14, and Triston Lake 11, led Colts in scoring.
In tonights first encoun ters in the quarter finals, the Amelias Ward Jets will take on the Beepat Scorpions, while the Pepsi Sonics will play the Ravens in the featured en counter of the evening.

MHS and LTI to clash in basketball final today - by Paul Haynes
The Mckenzie High School (MHS) and the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) will go head-to-head today at the Mckenzie Sports Club hardcourt in the final of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports-sponsored schools basketball tournament.
MHS has been the powerhouse in schools basketball over the past year with their star player Akeem Kanhai leading the way.
However, LTI, through the efforts of another junior national player Orin Rose has been staking a strong claim to be the best.
LTI will be looking to pull all the stops on Kanhai and his troops before the big throw down in this years Victory Valley Royals, annual inter-school tournament.
The tournament is considered the Holy Grail of schools basketball in Linden and MHS are the defending champions.
The third place game will see Linden Foundation Secondary School coming up against the Wismar Secondary School (Multi).
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony and other officials from the ministry are expected to witness the final.
The Mackenzie High School (MHS) and the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) will go head-to-head today at the Mackenzie Sports Club hardcourt in the final of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports-sponsored schools basketball tournament.
MHS has been the powerhouse in schools basketball over the past year with their star player Akeem Kanhai leading the way.
However, LTI, through the efforts of another junior national player Orin Rose has been staking a strong claim to be the best.
LTI will be looking to pull all the stops on Kanhai and his troops before the big throw down in this years Victory Valley Royals, annual inter-school tournament.
The tournament is considered the Holy Grail of schools basketball in Linden and MHS are the defending champions.
The third place game will see Linden Foundation Secondary School coming up against the Christian Wismar Secondary School (Multi).
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony and other officials from the ministry are expected to witness the final.

NLE Basketball ExtravaganzaKings and Royals rule supreme - by Paul Haynes
A new champion will be crowned this year after defending champions Courts Pacesetters made an exit from the 2009 Next Level Entertainment Basketball tournament as the Linden teams ruled supreme on night four.
Playing at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Pacesetters went down to their arch rivals Kashif and Shanghai Kings 45-51 in a pulsating match while Victory Valley Royals made light work of Bounty Colts 60-49.
Though the Kings/Pacesetters clash was by far the most talked about game in the tournament, it failed to live up to the hype as both teams struggled to find an offensive flow and often displayed poor basketball.
Kings came out looking a bit hazy but this can be understandable since they havent played competitive basketball since last years Bruschess Classic in Linden, while Pacesetters who have earned the distinction of being the top club in Georgetown seemed to be the more aggressive with their players looking more relaxed and ready for the challenge. They led 15-8 at the end of the first quarter.
But the Linden side bounced back to trail 24-26 at the end of the first half by stifling the Pacesetters offensive flow and made a run on their own through a collective team effort since their primary scorers Marvin Hartman and Steve Neils Jr. were both struggling.
Night four action in the 2009 NLE basketball tournament: Dwayne Brown Sugar Roberts scores an easy reverse lay-up as the Colts Gavin Beeram tried to stop him (left); Steve Neils Jr. blows past Pacesetters guard John Fraser in the fourth quarter of their clash. (Orlando Charles photos)
The Kings continued their terrific line or defence in the third quarter with center Jason Alonzo leading by pulling out some huge block shots while Omally Sampson and Dale Williamson controlled the rebounds but still the city team held on to lead 40-38 going into the final quarter.
The Georgetown fans were dumb-founded as they witnessed their top club being outplayed by the Kings. Neils Jr. who struggled all night found an offensive rhythm when it mattered most. Pacesetters showed no composure as they managed to score just five points in the final quarter. Hartman who enjoyed a good game led all scorers with 14 points while Neils Jr. who had a scoreless first half finished the game with 11. Once again Royston Siland turned in a credible performance but this time in a losing effort as he had 12 while Stephan Gillis could only manage seven points.
Meanwhile the opening game between Bounty Colts and the Victory Valley Royals was too much of a one-sided affair as the Colts turned in a jaded performance with a lackluster attitude on the court from jump ball.
Embarrassingly the Colts were down 21-4 at the end of the first half with the Royals feeding off the efforts of their top scorer Dwayne Brown Sugar Roberts.
However the Colts picked up some flow but the Royals were able to successfully hold off their challenge to move on to fellow club, the Wismar Piston in the next match.
Roberts finished with a game high 18 points while Chris Williams had ten. For the Colts, Desmond Chin had 14 points and Tristan Lake 11.

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

HOLLAND

Eredivisie Round: 35 (Regular Season, with box-scores) - by Eurobasket News
Den Helder - ZZ Leiden 79-82
In Den Helder, ZZ Leiden continues to control its own destiny in the race for the playoffs, holding off a furious rally by the hosts with an 82-79 win over BlueStream Seals. ZZ had a big 1st half, leading 56-32 at halftime, but in the second half BlueStream Seals made a strong comeback, with the guests having the last word. Ronny LeMelle (196-G-81, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Auburn) led five ZZ players in double digit scoring with 20 pts. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

Landstede - Eiff.Towers 77-79
In the ZBC-hal, Eiffel Towers struggled for most of the game, but in the 4th quarter picked things up, with Taron Downey (186-G-83, college: Wake Forest) making a big difference in crunch time, with Eiffel stealing a 79-77 win. Downey led Eiffel with 21 pts., including making 4 three-pointers and shooting 8 of 9 total. Young led Landstede with a game-high 23 pts., with Bostain adding 19 pts., 6 rebounds and 7 assists. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

West-Brabant - Amsterdam 70-74
In Bergen-op-Zoom, Eclipse Jet/MyGuide held a comfortable 15-point margin at the end of the 3rd quarter before holding off a furious West-Brabant Giants 4th quarter rally and taking the points back home, winning 74-70. CC Harrison (194-G-76, agency: Court Side, college: N.Carolina St.) led Eclipse Jet/MG with 20 points. Patrick Pope led the Giants with 17 pts. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

Rotterdam - Matrixx Magix 77-74 (The box-score will be available soon)
In the Topsportcentrum, Rotterdam Challengers kept pace in their quest for a 1st round homecourt advantage with a game-winning three-pointer by Bobby Walker giving Rotterdam a 77-74 win. Walker led all scorers with 21 pts. Chaz Twan Briggs gave the Rotterdammers strong play on the glass, pulling down 16 boards to go with 13 pts. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Sanders Jackson

FEB Results, March 12, 2009 - by Sanders Jackson

Thursday night in FEB action, all the games were decided by narrow margins, with defending Dutch champion Eclipse Jet/MyGuide, Eiffel Towers and ZZ Leiden getting the job done on the road, while Rotterdam Challengers having the lone home win.

In Bergen-op-Zoom, Eclipse Jet/MyGuide held a comfortable 15-point margin at the end of the 3rd quarter before holding off a furious West-Brabant Giants 4th qiuarter rally and taking the points back home, winning 74-70. CC Harrison (194-G-76, agency: Court Side, college: N.Carolina St.) led Eclipse Jet/MG with 20 points. Patrick Pope (183-G-81, college: St.Augustine) led the Giants with 17 pts. The win improves Eclipse Jet/MG's record to 28-5 while West-Brabant Giants fall to 17-15.

In the ZBC-hal, Eiffel Towers struggled for most of the game, but in the 4th quarter picked things up, with Taron Downey (186-G-83, college: Wake Forest) making a big difference in crunch time, with Eiffel stealing a 79-77 win. For the most part of the game, Eiffel looked out of sync and tired, courtesy of a combination of a brutal EuroChallenge Cup and domestic schedule. Landstede had control of the tempo in the beginning, with their switching defense and aggressive on the ball defense paying dividends, helping to create turnovers and turning defense into offense. A Frank Young (196-F-84, agency: Pro One Sports, college: W.Virginia) three-pointer gave Landstede its biggest lead at 38-30. Landstede did a good job of containing Eiffel shaprshooter Kees Akerboom (200-F-83, agency: Court Side), taking away the baseline runner play for him with good switches on popouts. Akerboom would be held without a field goal and scored only 4 pts. What kept Eiffel close is their length superiority, with Anthony Richardson (201-F-83, agency: 540 Sports, college: Florida St.) and Larry Abney (206-F/C-77, college: Fresno St.) making frequent trips to the free throw line and getting good dishes from Downey. Landstede were hurt by the foul trouble from Nikki Hulzebos (206-F-86, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement), who picked up his 3rd and 4th fouls early in the 2nd and 3rd quarter respectively. Without much length inside, Eiffel were able to pound the offensive boards harder, gaining more possessions, and made good passes out of double teams from the post areas, forcing Landstede to make long rotations.

The game would remain within striking distance throughout, but Landstede had difficulties containing Downey, who hit some big shots, including a shotclock buzzer beating 3-pointer to bring Eiffel within one at 67-66. After a Young fastbreak layup and a Bostain free throw to make it 70-69 for Landstede, from then on Downey managed to get into the paint on drives to find open teammates, first with finding Abney open for a baseline dunk to give Eiffel the lead for good at 71-70, and Abney scored again on a putback at 1:25 remaining to make it 74-70. However Landstede would not go away quietly, with layups by Young and Bostain, and a three-pointer by Gerad Punch (193-G/F-84, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Furman) cutting the lead to 79-77. However, in the last seconds, Landstede forced a turnover in their press defense, with Landstede reserve Arno Bunnig (197-F-85, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement) coming away with a steal. Bunnig was unaware of the time remaining on the clock, was confused and made a rushed three-point attempt too far away from the basket, with the ball going out of bounds for Eiffel. Eiffel's Abney was fouled with 1.0 remaining and missed both free throw attempts. Downey led Eiffel with 21 pts., including making 4 three-pointers and shooting 8 of 9 total. Young led Landstede with a game-high 23 pts., with Bostain adding 19 pts., 6 rebounds and 7 assists. The win improves Eiffel's record to 22-10 while Landstede drops its 4th in a row and clinging onto 7th place in the FEB standings.

In Den Helder, ZZ Leiden continues to control its own destiny in the race for the playoffs, holding off a furious rally by the hosts with an 82-79 win over BlueStream Seals. ZZ had a big 1st half, leading 56-32 at halftime, but in the second half BlueStream Seals made a strong comeback, with the guests having the last word.

Ronny LeMelle (196-G-81, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Auburn) led five ZZ players in double digit scoring with 20 pts. Matt Witt (183-G-84, agency: Court Side, college: E.Kentucky) led all scorers with 21 pts. and James Duffey (202-F/G-84, agency: Court Side, college: Niagara) added 19 pts. and 20 rebounds. ZZ moves within one game of Landstede for the 7th plaoff spot and a chance at home on Saturday to gain ground on the playoff race vs. Upstairs Weert.

In the Topsportcentrum, Rotterdam Challengers kept pace in their quest for a 1st round homecourt advantage with a game-winning three-pointer by Bobby Walker (188-G-84, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Va Commonwealth) giving Rotterdam a 77-74 win. Walker led all scorers with 21 pts. Chaz Twan Briggs (201-F-80, college: W.Virginia) gave the Rotterdammers strong play on the glass, pulling down 16 boards to go with 13 pts. Darnell Wilson (198-F-85, agency: Court Side, college: Canisius) led the guests with 18 pts. The Rotterdammers are a half-game behind Matrixx for the 4th place position.

Stats Leaders - Eredivisie

Points Per Game

Matt BAUSCHER
  Aris Friesland
  (188-G-85)
  Avg: 23.5

1. Bauscher, Aris F.	23.5
2. Bostain, Landstede	20.1
3. Pope, West-Brabant	19.0
4. Walker, Rotterdam	19.0
5. Wilson, M.Magix	17.4
6. Beasley, Eiff.Tow.	16.8
7. Blue, West-Brabant	16.6
8. Ross, Upstairs.	16.4
9. Chiotti, ZZ Leiden	15.9
10. Smith, Upstai.	15.7

Rebounds Per Game

Marcus JACKSON
  Upstairs Weert
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 11.6

1. Jackson, Upstairs.	11.6
2. Johnson, West-Bra.	10.3
3. Chiotti, ZZ Leiden	9.6
4. Briggs, Rotterdam	9.2
5. Khazzouh, Hanze.	9.0
6. Beasley, Eiff.Tow.	8.6
7. Dialls, Den Helder	8.0
8. Spencer, Aris F.	7.9
9. Brempong, Hanze.	7.8
10. Sykes, Rotterd.	7.1

Assists Per Game

Matt BAUSCHER
  Aris Friesland
  (188-G-85)
  Avg: 5.8

1. Bauscher, Aris F.	5.8
2. Thomas, Hanzev.Cpt	5.3
3. Oliver, Eiff.Towers	4.9
4. Nash, ZZ Leiden	4.8
5. Richardson, Rotte.	4.8
6. Bostain, Landstede	4.5
7. Blackwood, Aris F.	4.3
8. Downey, Eiff.Tow.	4.2
9. Pope, West-Brabant	4.1
10. Jansen, Hanzev.Cp	4.0

Steals Per Game

Charles RICHARDSON
  Rotterdam
  (178-G-84)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Richardson, Rotte.	3.3
2. Thomas, Hanzev.Cpt	3.1
3. Sears, M.Magix	2.9
4. Bauscher, Aris F.	2.5
5. Greene, Amsterdam	2.5
6. Nelson, M.Magix	2.4
7. Bostain, Landstede	2.3
8. Punch, Landstede	2.3
9. Smith, Upstairs.	2.2
10. Walker, Rotterd.	2.1

Blocks Per Game

Julian KHAZZOUH
  Hanzev.Cpt
  (209-C-86)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Khazzouh, Hanze.	1.8
2. Steenberge, Aris F.	1.7
3. Brempong, Hanze.	1.4
4. Iti, Rotterdam	1.2
5. Gladness, M.Magix	1.1
6. Blue, West-Brabant	1.1
7. Briggs, Rotterdam	1.0
8. Richardson, Eiff.Tow.	1.0
9. Patten, Upstairs.	0.9
10. Nelson, M.Mag.	0.8

Standings - Eredivisie

Eredivisie Standings

1. Amsterdam	28-5
2. Eiff.Towers	22-10
3. Hanzev.Cpt	20-13
4. M.Magix	19-13
5. Rotterdam	19-14
6. West-Brabant	17-15
7. Landstede	13-19
8. ZZ Leiden	12-19
9. Upstairs Weert	11-20
10. Aris Friesland	10-22
11. Den Helder	5-26

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HUNGARY

Round 20 - by Balazs Radics
ENTERNET NTE-HEGYVIDEK - ALBACOMP 65-81 (18-16, 15-24, 20-16, 12-25)
Budapest, 800 att. R: Cziffra, Kiss L., Sojtory
HEGYVIDEK: AN. JOHNSON 20/12, RUJAK 11, Simon N. 3, Younger 8/6, Keresztes 9. Sub: Hajmasy 2, Krasznai 3/3, Fulop 4, Will 3, Beak 2. HC: Hartai Tamas
ALBACOMP: Simon B. 6/6, DOYNE 27/6, Rashad Bell (201-F-82, college: Boston U.) 21/12, Gobi 5, Radovics 11/3. Sub: HANGA 6, Keller . 5/3. HC: Peresztegi Nagy Akos
score flow: 2. m.: 9-2. 7. m.: 12-12. 13. m.: 22-22. 18. m.: 33-36. 23. m.: 45-42. 27. m.: 49-50. 33. m.: 57-58. 35. m.: 60-62. 39. m.: 63-76

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ISRAEL

Regal Barca cruises past Maccabi Electra for top of Group F - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: Maccabi Electra - Regal Barca 74-90

Regal Barca outplayed Maccabi in Tel-Aviv jumping to 5-1 record in Group F. The same numbers also has Real Madrid, but Barca is No.1 because of 90-79 win in the previous round. Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) was on fire draining 7 triples of 9 attempts - 23 points in total. Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) had 19 and Francisco Vasquez (203-C-83) added 15 points, including 6 rebounds. Marcus Brown (193-G-74, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Murray St.) and Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Florida Intern.) delivered 16 points apiece for the hosts. Barca will meet Tau in the quarterfinals. Opening period belonged to Maccabi, thanks to nice 7-0 run in the finish, 22-19. Totally different picture on the court was seen during the next ten minutes. Gianluca Basile and his teammates took control on the hosts making a turn very soon. Meanwhile Marcus Brown scored his 2.500th career point. Gianluca Basile was hot and Daniel Santiago dunked the ball at the last possession in the first half setting the score to 39-45. Third stanza was the crucial one. Maccabi was within 5 points until the middle of it. Later, actually after Ilyasova's basket, Barca jumped to plus 10. After 3 quarters the Spaniards had 55-66 lead. Omri Casspi (204-F/G-88, agency: Interperformances) was good for behind the arc, but it was not enough for his team even to treat during the last ten minutes. Barca had 62-73 and with 3 minutes to go 66-78.

Maccabi Electra: Marcus Brown 16, Carlos Arroyo 16, Lior Eliyahu 12+7 boards, Omri Casspi 12+6 boards
Regal Barca: Gianluca Basile 23, Juan Carlos Navarro 19, Francisco Vasquez 15+6 boards

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ITALY

Asseco Prokom blasts AJ Milano in Italy - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: AJ Milano - Asseco Prokom 72-96

Asseco Prokom trashed AJ Milano in Italy grabbing the first win in Top 16. Of course it is not enough for any better than the last place in Group E as Milano already had 2 wins. Qyntel Woods (204-F/G-81, college: N.Mississippi JC) shined for the Poles with 23 points and 5 rebounds. Patrick Burke (208-C-73, college: Auburn) had 15 points and 9 boards, while Ronnie Burrell (204-F-83, agency: Pro One Sports, college: NC-Greensboro) stopped on 14 pts. AJ Milano got 22 points from Jobey Thomas (193-G-80, college: Charlotte) (4 triples). Pape Sow (208-F-81, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) had 18 and he was the last one with double-digits in scoring. The reigning Polish champion had amazing beginning. After 12-14, Qyntel Woods and his teammates made magnificent 4-16 run until the end of the first period taking 16-30 lead. At the beginning of the next frame Prokom jumped to 16-34 and later 18-37. Jobey Thomas and his teammates finally woke up closing the gap to 24-37 in two minutes. However, Ronnie Burrell was on fire on the other side leading nice 0-13 run for his team. It was 24-50 for Prokom at that point of game. Mostly owing to Pape Sow Milano was on 38-56 after 20 minutes. The hosts had some hope in third stanza, ending it with minus 10, 60-70. That was all from the Italians in this game as Prokom again took control on them extending its lead to 63-74. Later Prokom made 0-11 run for 63-84 resolving question about the winner. Both teams said goodbye to Euroleague 08/09.

AJ Milano: Jobey Thomas 22, Pape Sow 18
Asseco Prokom: Qyntel Woods 23+5 boards, Patrick Burke 15+9 boards, Ronnie Burrell 14

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JAMAICA

Tulsa dismisses Rice early to reach C-USA semis - by Leonard Whyte
Memphis, TN (03-13-2009) - The University of Tulsa Hurricanes were in business-like mode yesterday as they got off to a quick start against Rice University and coasted in for an easy 72-51 victory in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament. After leading 4-3 early, Tulsa reeled off 21 unanswered points to take control of the game and allow coach Doug Wojcik to play his starters limited minutes the rest of the way. Junior center Jerome Jordan played just 20 minutes and finished with six points and nine rebounds. The second-seeded Hurricanes play University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) today at 6:30 p.m. for a chance to advance to the conference finals on Saturday.

Samuels misses out on Rookie of the Year award - by Leonard Whyte
New York, NY (03-13-2009) - Freshman center Samardo Samuels was edged out for Big East rookie of the year honors by center Greg Monroe of Georgetown University, as the Big East continued to announce its post-season awards yesterday. 'It kind of motivated me to work harder,' Samuels said after he dropped 22 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and two blocked shots in a rout of Providence College after the announcement. Louisville's reward will be a date with Villanova University tonight in the semifinal at 7:00 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcasted live on ESPN.

Not an easy road
Samuels, who averaged 11.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game during the regular season, will try to duplicate his performance against Villanova who edged Marquette University 76-75 in a quarterfinal match-up yesterday. With University of Connecticut upset last night by Syracuse University in an epic six-overtime game, and the loss by University of Pittsburgh to West Virginia University, the path seems clear for Louisville to win the title and gain a No. 1 seed when the NCAA brackets are announced on Sunday afternoon. This is something Louisville has felt just once (1983) in its tradition-rich basketball history. It will be a tough road, however, as Villanova, who have the conference's coach of the year, (Jay Wright), most improved player (Dante Cunningham)), and sixth man of the year (Corey Fisher), lost by only one point ( 61-60) in their only meeting earlier this season.

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LATVIA

LBL D2 Round: 32 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Saldus - Ventsp.Aug. 72-92
Ventspils Augstskola shocked Saldus away from home for the 9th win in the season. Karlis Gubats (204-C-85, college: Northwestern JC) stepped up with 22 points and 14 rebounds to lead VA. Martins Auns was responsible for 20 points in the victory. Janis Licitis notched 30 points and 10 rebounds for Saldus in defeat.

Liep.Papirs - Kandava 71-72
Kandava drew level with Liepajas Papirs in the ladder after narrowly defeating them away from home. Elgars Kilps (192-F-81) scored 19 points, dished out 6 assists and grabbed 5 boards to lead Kandava. Girst Celms contributed 13 points, 7 assists and 5 boards for the winners. Artis Ate responded with 22 points and 7 boards for Liepajas Papirs.

Jurmala - BA Riga 111-68
Jurmala earned the fifth straight win in LBL Division II season and climbed at 15-5 record. Seven Jurmala players scored in double figures as they coasted past BA Riga at home court. Raivis Logins (206-C-85) scored 18 points to lead the way. Atis Ozols added 17 points, 6 assists and 4 boards for the winners. Edmunds Dukulis notched 22 points for BA Riga in the loss.

Standings - LBAL

LBL Standings

1. RNS-D/Livani	15-4
2. Jurmala	15-5
3. Saldus	14-6
4. Zemgale/Juniors	13-6
5. ASK/Juniors	13-8
6. Valmiera-2	12-6
7. Ridzene/Barons	9-8
8. Ventspils au.	9-11
9. SK Cesis	7-13
10. Keizarmezs-2	6-12
11. Kandava	5-15
12. Liepajas Papirs	5-15
13. BA Riga	3-17

ASK Riga inks Sean Colson - by Emiliano Carchia
ASK Riga signed until the end of the season experienced player Sean Colson (182-G-75, college: Charlotte), as reported by Latvian club official website. Colson started his career in American minors and in 2001 decided to land in Europe where he has played in Poland, Russia, Italy, Turkey, France and Ukraine. Last year in France with Hyeres-Toulon was great for him, ending the season with more than 20 points per game and 8.1 assists. This year he was in Turkey with Erdemir averaging 7.5 points per game.
ASK Riga GM Maris Jucmanis is happy for the signing: 'It is a great player inked at a price that is several times lower than his real value'.

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LIGA SUDAMERICANA

Standings

7 Standings

1. Flamengo		3-0
2. Quimsa		3-0
3. Canoneros		0-3
4. Regatas C.		0-3

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Marcelinho MACHADO
  Flamengo
  (199-F/G-75)
  Avg: 26.8

1. Machado, Flamengo	26.8
2. Thomas, La.	24.0
3. Torres, Canoneros	22.7
4. Soro, Pitagora.	20.3
5. Mazzaro, Quimsa	19.5
6. Cequeira, Regat.	19.0
7. da Rosa, Pitago.	18.3
8. Moreno, Canoneros	18.3
9. Cocha, Obras	17.3
10. Trigueiro, Quim.	17.2

Rebounds Per Game

Federico KAMMERICHS
  Regatas C.
  (203-F-80)
  Avg: 10.2

1. Kammerichs, Regat.	10.2
2. Burditt, La.	9.7
3. Field, Obras	9.0
4. Borrell, Obras	8.0
5. Mikulas, Quimsa	7.3
6. Probst, Pitagora.	7.3
7. Wilson, Canoneros	7.0
8. Guevara, Canoneros	7.0
9. Elisma, Cocodrilos	6.7
10. Bethelmy, Cocodril.	6.7

Assists Per Game

Facundo SUCATZKY
  Pitagoras/Minas
  (176-G-72)
  Avg: 10

1. Sucatzky, Pitago.	10.0
2. Lima, Flamengo	6.2
3. Titarelli, Obras	6.0
4. Moreno, Canoneros	5.3
5. Cequeira, Regat.	4.7
6. Machado, Flamengo	4.3
7. Mikulas, Quimsa	3.8
8. Cajal, Quimsa	3.8
9. Treise, Quimsa	3.8
10. Machado, Flamen.	3.6

Steals Per Game

Duda MACHADO
  Flamengo
  (197-F/G-82)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Machado, Flamengo	3.2
2. da Rosa, Pitago.	1.7
3. Breen, La.	1.7
4. Paez, Cocodrilos	1.7
5. Treise, Quimsa	1.7
6. Cequeira, Regat.	1.3
7. Renteria, Canoneros	1.3
8. Machado, Flamengo	1.3
9. Thomas, La.	1.3
10. Lima, Flamen.	1.2

Blocks Per Game

Murilo DA ROSA
  Pitagoras/Minas
  (208-C-83)
  Avg: 1.7

1. da Rosa, Pitago.	1.7
2. Elisma, Cocodrilos	1.7
3. Tintorelli, Regat.	1.4
4. Allen, Quimsa	1.2
5. Burditt, La.	1.0
6. Araujo, Flamengo	1.0
7. Torres, Quimsa	0.8
8. Kammerichs, Regat.	0.7
9. Graterol, Cocodrilos	0.7
10. Bethelmy, Cocodril.	0.7

Flamengo is the champion of the South American League for Clubs: - by Eurobasket
SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO (South American League for Clubs) - Flamengo Petrobras Rio de Janeiro won their first championship in the South American League for Clubs by beating Asociacion Quimsa Santiago del Estero by the score of 98-96 in the final game of the competition.

An excellent job by shooter Marcelinho Machado (199-F/G-75, agency: Interperformances) was key in the win by scoring 41 points, 30 of them in the first half. In 40 minutes played the star of Flamengo shot 10-12 from three point range and 11-16 from the free throw line. The 33 year old player was named the MVP of the tournament.

The game was tough and intense from start to finish where Flamengo depended on the offense of Marcelinho in the first half while Quimsa was consistent with their great team game and using their figures on the paint to put some key players in foul trouble, among them was Baby Araujo (211-C-80, college: BYU)..

Flamengo started the game scoring from three point range to take the lead early and a basket by Baby Araujo gave the Brazilians an 11-6 lead with seven minutes left. The host team made their adjustments on defense to force turnovers and score. The Argentinean team made a 12-0 run to take an 18-11 advantage. The lead continued increasing until they were up by ten points (30-20) but Marcelinho made five straight points to leave the first quarter 30-25.

Both teams continued to fight for the lead until a three pointer by Marcelinho gaave the Brazilians a 42-40 advantage and finished the first half up 49-48 after a couple of free throws with just seconds left. Marcelinho had 30 points, shooting 10-8 from three and 6-6 from the free throw line at halftime. Julio Mazzaro (190-G-79) led Quimsa with 12 points.

In the third quarter Flamengo stopped depending on Marcelinho and Helio along with Jefferson were scoring to keep them on top. Vanderson along with Gabriel Mikulas (201-F-80, agency: Interperformances, college: E.Carolina) didn't allow that the Brazilian to go too far and the first 30 minutes finished 72-68 in favor of the visitors.

In the final quarter Flamengo made a 7-0 run finishing with a three pointer by Duda Machado to take a 82-71 lead with 6:57 but Vanderson along with Jonatan Treise, Ramel Allen and Gabriel Mikulas helped Quimsa come back in the score.

A three pointer by Treise gave Quimsa a 94-92 lead with 1:39 left but Marcelinho answered quickly to regain the advantage. The last tie was at 96 after free throws by Mikulas but Duda made 2-4 from the line to leave the final score. Quimsa had an opportunity to tie but was missed by Mazzaro.

In the loss Vanderson Camargos scored 25 points, Julio Mzzaro 20 and Gabriel Mikulas 17
Source : FIBAAMERICAS

Liga-Sudamericana Round: 3 (Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Regatas C. - Canoneros 86-92
Colombian Canoneros clinched the third overall spot in Liga Sudamericana as they overcame Regatas Corrientes in the final game. Edgar Moreno (191-G-81, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: UTEP) scored 22 points, issued 7 assists and pulled down 6 rebounds to lead the charge. Curtis Williams added 18 points and 8 boards for the winners. Federico Kammerichs responded with 27 points and 16 boards for Regatas.

Quimsa - Flamengo 96-98
Marcelinho Machado (199-F/G-75, agency: Interperformances) exploded with impressive 41 points to lead Flamengo to their first ever Liga Sudamericana title. Flamengo narrowly defeated Quimsa in a dramatic final game to grab the title. Helio Vitor Lima and Duda Machado added 15 points apiece in the win. Quimsa fought bravely but were not rescued by 25 points from Wanderson Trigueiro. Julio Mazzaro finished with 20 points as Quimsa claimed the second overall spot.

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LITHUANIA

Standings - LKL

LKL Standings

1. Zalgiris	16-0
2. Lietuvos	15-1
3. Siauliai	12-4
4. Nevezis	11-5
5. Neptunas	8-9
6. Sakalai	8-10
7. Aisciai	6-10
8. Kaunas Tr.	6-11
9. Techasas	4-13
10. Alita	3-13
11. Suduva	2-15

Stats Leaders - LKL

Points Per Game

Nerijus VARNELIS
  Alytus Alita
  (200-F-78)
  Avg: 22.2

1. Varnelis, Alytus A.	22.2
2. Motiejunas, Aisciai	20.6
3. Mazeika, Neptunas	19.4
4. Runkauskas, Suduva	18.9
5. Dabkus, Nevezis	15.9
6. Griskenas, Techasas	15.7
7. Vasylius, Neptunas	14.8
8. Petravicius, Lietuvos	14.5
9. Kadziulis, Siauliai	14.4
10. Veikalas, Nevez.	14.4

Rebounds Per Game

Povilas BUTKEVICIUS
  Zalgiris
  (202-F-87)
  Avg: 8.9

1. Butkevicius, Kaunas T.	8.9
2. Vasylius, Neptunas	7.4
3. Motiejunas, Aisciai	7.3
4. Jankunas, Zalgiris	7.2
5. Varnelis, Alytus A.	6.8
6. Klimavicius, Zalgiris	6.8
7. Ramanauskas, Kaunas T.	6.7
8. Dimsa, Aisciai	6.6
9. Kuzminskas, Siauliai	6.4
10. Petravicius, Lietuv.	6.3

Assists Per Game

Aidas VISKONTAS
  Nevezis
  (185-G-86)
  Avg: 6.9

1. Viskontas, Nevezis	6.9
2. Runkauskas, Suduva	4.2
3. Stasaitis, Techasas	3.9
4. Vasiliauskas, Kaunas T.	3.9
5. Kalnietis, Zalgiris	3.9
6. Rinkevicius, Aisciai	3.8
7. Hill, Techasas	3.6
8. Dainys, Neptunas	3.4
9. Mazeika, Neptunas	3.3
10. Ivanauskas, Alytus.	3.3

Steals Per Game

Stefhon HANNAH
  Siauliai
  (185-G-85)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Hannah, Siauliai	2.5
2. Lukauskis, Lietuvos	2.3
3. Bolds, Techasas	2.1
4. Mazeika, Neptunas	2.0
5. Runkauskas, Suduva	1.9
6. Hill, Techasas	1.9
7. Eidson, Lietuvos	1.7
8. Vileita, Siauliai	1.7
9. Salenga, Zalgiris	1.7
10. Cerneckis, Sudu.	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Darius SILINSKIS
  Zalgiris
  (216-C-84)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Silinskis, Nevezis	2.7
2. Woods, Zalgiris	1.8
3. Zukauskas, Zalgiris	1.5
4. Leonavicius, Nevezis	1.4
5. Dimsa, Aisciai	1.3
6. Kuzminskas, Siauliai	1.2
7. Butkevicius, Kaunas T.	1.0
8. Volkus, Siauliai	0.9
9. Sarakauskas, Sakal.	0.9
10. Motiejunas, Aisci.	0.8

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

MEXICO

Guaymas takes series from Nogales - by Chris Terrell
Nogales, Son., MX - In the second game of the 2 game set Wednesday night, Nogales was trying to even the head to head matchup between the teams. Guaymas known last season as the Bucaneros had very difficult season in 08, winless on the road (0-20) and at the bottom of the North Division standings. Nogales on the other hand, has a long and storied reputation as one of the better teams in the league of CiBaCoPa but are having their troubles in the early going this year, going into the game their roles had been reversed - Guaymas looking to become .500 on the season with the win (4-4) and Nogales trying to improve upon their 1-6 start.
Larry Satchell (206-F/C-80, college: Arkansas) has been a big part of the now Ostieneros de Guaymas success this year, leading the league in rebounding at over 10 a contest while shooting a high percentage from the field and helping the cause with clogging up the middle on defense. Satchell battled once again on this evening to the tune of 14 points and 12 rebounds as Guaymas enjoyed a sizable rebound advantage over their Sonoran rivals. Michael Nunes has been explosive this season, the US-MEX scorer was effective once more with 29 points and 5 rebounds. Manuel Soto (192-F-76) is the captain of the ship for the Oysters and was very solid en route to 16 points and 4 boards. Salcedo and Marentez also chipping in with 10 a piece to go with 7 and 3 rebounds respectively.
For Nogales, changes in the roster saw new import Justin Griffin (193-G/F-83, college: Hawaii-Hilo) doing what he could to turn the tide for the Fuerza Guinda. Griiffin had 33 points and 6 rebounds on the night while Mike Strobbe (201-F-85) had 11 and 5 and David Lopez (193-G-83) had 10. Momentum is such a powerful force in the game of hoops and the efforts of Griffin just weren't enough. Nogales fallls again, this time by 6 at home, 87-81. With the loss Fuerza Guinda drops to 1-7.

Statistical leaders in the CIBACOPA - by Chris Terrell

Now 8 games into the season, 20% of the 40 game CIBACOPA has now been played. Here are the leaders in each statistical category:
POINTS
1. Joe Chapman (193-G-84, agency: AMI, college: Marquette) CLN 30.6, 2. James Parker (183-G-81, college: Robert Morris) MOC 29.6, 3. Antwan Sutton (183-G-83, college: Solano CC) TPC 27.2, 4. Ron Selleaze (197-F-76, college: CSU Bakersfield) MAZ 26.8, 5. Ramses Benitez (210-C-79) OBR 26.0, 6. Franco Harris (183-G-83, college: Boise St.) CAN 24.3, 7. Leroy Davis (200-F-81, agency: ProSportsCareers, college: Georgia St.) GVE 23.4, 8. Michael Nunes GYM 22.2, 9. Dedrick Gage (201-F-80, college: Lynn) TPC 21.4, 10. Timothy Jennings (193-G-83, college: Gardner-Webb) NOG 20.3
REBOUNDS
1. Larry Satchell (206-F/C-80, college: Arkansas) GYM 10.2, 2. Anthony Washington (206-F/C-83, agency: Duran International, college: Portland St.) GVE 8.0, 3. R. BENTEZ OBR 7.2, 4. Mike Strobbe (201-F-85) NOG 7.1, 5. Carlus Groves (201-F-71, college: San Diego St.) OBR 6.2, 6. R. SELLEAZE MAZ 6.1, 7. D. GAGE TPC 6.0, 8. M. Michael Henderson (196-F-84, college: Chicago St.) MOC 5.8, 9. B.J. Puckett (205-F-83, agency: AMI, college: Clayton St.) CLN 5.4, 10. Alejandro Aguirre (204-F) MAZ 5.4
ASSISTS
1. Tyson Patterson (198-G-78, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Appalachian St.) MAZ 5.7, 2. T. JENNINGS NOG 3.7, 3. R. BENTEZ OBR 3.2, 4. M. VALENZUELA OBR 3.2, 5. J. RETIGA CLN 2.7, 6. E. ZIGA GVE 2.4, 7. R. SELLEAZE MAZ 2.2, 8. J. CHAPMAN CLN 2.1, 9. H. IBEZ MAZ 2.1, 10. M. NUNES GYM 2.0
BLOCKS
1. J. Jesus Lopez (205-F-83, college: SW Baptist) CLN 2.0, 2. M. Michael Henderson MOC 1.5, 3. L. SATCHELL GYM 1.4, 4. L. Letheal Cook (208-C/F-80, college: Bowie St.) CAN 1.3, 5. CHACON TPC 1.2, 6. F. IBARRA MOC 1.2, 7. C. LOPEZ CLN 1.2, 8. J. VERDUGO CAN 1.1, 9. B. McINTYRE OBR 1.0, 10. C. Carlus Groves OBR 1.0
STEALS
1. T. PATTERSON MAZ 3.0, 2. J. PARKER MOC 2.2, 3. F. HARRIS CAN 2.0, 4. D. GAGE TPC 1.9, 5. L. DAVIS GVE 1.8, 6. A. SUTTON TPC 1.8, 7. B. McINTYRE OBR 1.5, 8. R. BENTEZ OBR 1.5, 9. R. SELLEAZE MAZ 1.5, 10. M. VALENZUELA OBR 1.5

James Parker and Ron Selleaze both share the honor for most points scored in a game this season with 46. Selleaze is 4th in scoring, 6th in rebounds, 7th in assists, and 9th in steals to become the only player in the top 10 in 4 major statistical categories.

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

NBA

Sarver praises Gentry, says Kerr's 'job pretty safe' - by Eurobasket News
Just 14 games into his tenure as Suns coach, Alvin Gentry received early backing from his boss during a TNT interview with Suns Managing Partner Robert Sarver during the Suns-Cavaliers game Thursday night.

'I enjoy the way our team has rallied around Alvin,' Sarver said.

When asked about the Suns core's future Sarver said 'I think we'll have a lot of flexibility going forward, and that will give us options.'

When TNT's Craig Sager asked about General Manager Steve Kerr (6'3''-G-65, college: Arizona), Sarver said, 'His job's pretty safe.' (Courtesy of http://www.azcentral.com)
-----

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom (6'10''-F-79, college: Rhode Island) has been suspended for one game for leaving the bench.

He will sit out Wednesday's tilt at Houston.

NBA disciplinarian Stu Jackson ruled Tuesday that Odom left the 'immediate vicinity' of the bench with 2.2 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Monday's 111-94 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Odom raced onto the court to protect teammate Trevor Ariza, who sparked a skirmish with a flagrant foul on Trail Blazers rookie guard Rudy Fernandez.

Josh Powell of the Lakers also got involved in the altercation, as did Marcus Aldridge and Travis Outlaw from the Trail Blazers.

Fernandez was taken off the court several minutes later, strapped to a stretcher and with his neck in a brace.

The 23-year-old Spaniard was admitted to a Portland hospital, and the team confirmed he suffered a 'soft tissue injury to his right upper chest/side area.'

Odom, 29, is averaging 10.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocked shots, 1.0 steals and 28.7 minutes in 60 games (18 starts) this season, his fifth with the Lakers.

The Rhode Island product has averaged 15.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.0 blocks, 1.0 steals and 36.6 minutes in 647 appearances (591 starts) over 10 NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat and Lakers.

Odom was drafted fourth overall by the Clippers in 1999. (Courtesy of http://www.cbc.ca)

Last games - Lakers and Cavs win, James again with triple-double - by Eurobasket News
Cavaliers - Suns 119-111
Another triple-double for LeBron James (6'8''-F-84). This time he collected 34 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists. Maurice Williams also was on fire for the winners draining 6 triples, 30 points in total. On the other side, the hosts got 21 points from Matt Barnes and one point less from Steve Nash. Cavs 51-13, Suns 34-31.

Lakers - Spurs 102-95
The LA Lakers cruised past the Suns in San Antonio thanks to Pau Gasol (7'0''-F/C-80) and Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78), which scored 23 points apiece. Gasol had 11 rebounds beside that, while Bryant dished out 6 assists. Michael Finley and Tony Parker replied with 25 points each for the hosts. Lakers 52-13, Spurs 43-21.

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Dwyane WADE
  Heat
  (193-G-82)
  Avg: 29.7

1. Wade, Heat	29.7
2. James, Cavaliers	28.3
3. Bryant, Lakers	28.0
4. Durant, Thunder	26.0
5. Nowitzki, Mavericks	25.5
6. Granger, Pacers	25.0
7. Jefferson, Timberwo.	23.2
8. Roy, Trail Blazers	22.9
9. Bosh, Raptors	22.8
10. Harris, Ne.	22.7

Rebounds Per Game

Dwight HOWARD
  Magic
  (207-F-85)
  Avg: 14

1. Howard, Magic	14.0
2. Camby, Clippers	12.2
3. Lee, Knicks	12.1
4. Murphy, Pacers	11.9
5. Biedrins, Warriors	11.6
6. Jefferson, Timberwo.	11.0
7. Duncan, Spurs	10.7
8. Okafor, Bobcats	10.5
9. Yao, Rockets	9.6
10. Bosh, Rapto.	9.3

Assists Per Game

Chris PAUL
  Hornets
  (183-G-85)
  Avg: 11.1

1. Paul, Hornets	11.1
2. Williams, Jazz	10.6
3. Nash, Suns	9.8
4. Calderon, Raptors	8.5
5. Rondo, Celtics	8.4
6. Kidd, Mavericks	8.4
7. Davis, Clippers	7.8
8. Wade, Heat	7.7
9. Duhon, Knicks	7.6
10. James, Cavalie.	7.2

Steals Per Game

Chris PAUL
  Hornets
  (183-G-85)
  Avg: 2.8

1. Paul, Hornets	2.8
2. Wade, Heat	2.3
3. Kidd, Mavericks	2.2
4. Rondo, Celtics	1.9
5. Chalmers, Heat	1.9
6. Artest, Rockets	1.8
7. Brewer, Jazz	1.8
8. Davis, Clippers	1.8
9. James, Cavaliers	1.7
10. Harris, Ne.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Dwight HOWARD
  Magic
  (207-F-85)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Howard, Magic	2.9
2. Camby, Clippers	2.3
3. Andersen, Nuggets	2.2
4. Turiaf, Warriors	2.2
5. O'Neal, Raptors	2.0
6. Yao, Rockets	1.9
7. Lopez, Nets	1.9
8. Thomas, Bulls	1.8
9. Dalembert, 76ers	1.8
10. Bynum, Lake.	1.8

Standings

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
1. Celtics	49-16
2. 76ers	31-31
3. Nets	28-36
4. Knicks	27-37
5. Raptors	23-42
Central Div.
1. Cavaliers	51-13
2. Pistons	32-31
3. Bucks	30-37
4. Bulls	29-36
5. Pacers	28-38
Southeast Div.
1. Magic	47-17
2. Hawks	37-28
3. Heat	35-29
4. Bobcats	28-36
5. Wizards	15-50
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
1. Jazz	41-24
2. Nuggets	41-25
3. Trail Blazers	40-24
4. Timberwolves	19-45
5. Thunder	18-47
Pacific Div.
1. Lakers	52-13
2. Suns	34-31
3. Warriors	22-42
4. Clippers	15-49
5. Kings	14-50
Southwest Div.
1. Spurs	43-21
2. Rockets	42-24
3. Hornets	40-23
4. Mavericks	40-25
5. Grizzlies	16-47

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

NCAA1

West Virginia knocked off #2 Pittsburgh to advance to the Big East Semi Final - by Rangi Gescheit

W.Virginia knocked off #2 Pittsburgh to advance to the Big East Semi Final

#2 Pittsburgh, which reached 7 of the last 8 Big East title games, will not be there this year. Instead, W.Virginia will have the privilege to take over Connecticut or Syracuse at the Semis.
W.Virginia utilized its offensive weapons at Devin Ebanks (6'9''-F) (20 points, 7 rebound), Alex Ruoff (6'6''-G) (18 points) and Da'Sean Butler (6'7''-F-88) (16 point and 4 assists). But its biggest difference maker was the 1-3-1 zone defense.

The first half was close, when every couple of minutes the other team takes the lead (7 ties in one half!). At the second half, the mountaineers shut the paint down, and made it hard on the Panthers from Pittsburgh to feed the post (to DeJuan Blair (6'7''-F-89)) nor penetrate (especially Sam Young (6'6''-F-85)). Since that was the case, Pitt tried to settle for shots for 3 points, which did not work either (0-8 for the game!). They took a lead of 10 points early in the second half. About 6 minutes to go Blair charged his 4th foul, and was not a factor in the game anymore.

W.Virginia kept running the screen away offense, while running it for the length of the shot clock. It worked. Slow pace game took away Pitts Levance Fields advantage (attacking in transition) and held him on 6 points only, Blair was out, and the Panthers left with no air, nor game to give.74- 60 at the end of a surprising game, where WVA pulled a trick which Pitt found hard to adjust to.
After the game Coach Jamie Dixon endorsed WVA 1-3-1 defense and said: I didn't think we moved the ball well enough, the 1-3-1 bothered us in the second half. We didn't attack it as well as we have attacked it in the past against other teams and again, responsibility falls on us. Nothing about a layoff. The extra days off we had, has nothing to do with it. It was really us and our execution.
DeJuan Blair (14 points, 5 rebound only): Of course I feel down right now. The next couple hours, days, Im going to feel down watching the Big East and, you know, watching everybody play but this is motivation. It's hard to beat a team three times, we beat them twice, and they got us tonight. We didn't grind it out like we usually do and, you know, but it was not enough, we just got to blame ourselves, you know. We beat ourselves. We didn't shoot that well and we got outrebounded and we're going to keep this as motivation, you know. I hate to feel like this -- I felt like there at Providence (lost last 10 days ago R.G) and we bounced back so we're a good bounce-back team. Hopefully we come back in the NCAA tournament no matter where they put us and just play. We can't worry about where they put us (NCAA committee R.G) or worry about nothing else. Just got to worry about us.
For the winners it was Da'Sean Butler: Last time we played them, we used another defense called point drop. We play them a lot of man and coach kind of talked about, you know, like we stayed in a lot of things because they can adjust to things very quickly. We stayed man too long and they adjusted to that and they have great players like DeJuan Blair and Sam Young. We never really ran 1-3-1 against them on the other 2 games we played. We wanted to switch defenses on them, keep throwing different defenses at them so they can't adjust to them and it worked.

History Making: 6 overtimes, 3 hours and 46 minutes, 244 points combined and one Syracuse at the semis of the Big East over UConn 127-117. Most points scored in a Big East Championship game. - by Rangi Gescheit
History Making: 6 overtimes, 3 hours and 46 minutes, 244 points combined and one Syracuse at the semis of the Big East over UConn 127-117. Most points scored in a Big East Championship game.

19,375 college basketball fans are very happy they came to the Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. This was an Historic game. Every kind of record you can think about was broken or challenged at this game. The history making was in the air, right before the end of regulation. Kemba Walker (6'1''-G-90) score to tie the game at 71 ,12 tie of the game till that point. One second to the end of the game. A long orange pass, hit Gavin Edwards (6'9''-F) hand and got to Andy Rautins (6'5''-G-86). He shut the ball, the buzzer was heard, and the ball sank to the bottom of the net. The refs are being careful. They are approaching the score board table to reviewing the shot. After few minutes they decide the basket was made after the end of regulation. That was a sign that there are bigger things ahead of us tonight.

Syracuse held on 5 overtimes, where they had to make 16 free throws in a row, just to stick around. At the 3rd over time UConn was up by 6. Few free throws, couple of turn overs and a big 3 point shot by Andy Andy Rautins sent the teams to the 4th OT. At the 4th and the 5th UConn got the jumpball (like they did since OT1), the lead, and the disappointment of the orange coming back at them.
At this point it is way after 1am. The crowed is standing. The teams understand exactly what this game is all about. It is the semi finals, the pride of the team, and about being the winner on a big game, which made history. The players can barely run, but you see they are willing to leave their guts on the floor for the win.

The 6th OT was different. Cuse got the jump ball, score a 3 points shot( Andy Andy Rautins 20 points and 6-12 for 3), and held it strong. It was obvious at this point that the coaches, both Beiheim and Calhun want to run the most simple stuff since the it is hard for the player to battle the fatigue, and understand what they need to do, not talking about executing.
So Syracuse went strong to the hoop, while leaving Andy Rautins to shoot for 3 (Eric Devendorf (6'4''-G-87) fouled out by then). UConn tried to 'milk' A.J Price (61 minutes till fouled out) ability to gain few more points, but that was it. Hasheem Thabeet (7'3''-C-87) and Stanley Robinson (6'9''-F-88) were out. Syracuse had some juice left in Jonny Flynn (6'0''-G-89) (34 points, in 67 minutes!), and Paul Harris (6'5''-F-86) (scored 29 points, 22 rebound in 56 minutes), and that was it. After capturing the lead early at the 6th OT, the Orange did not drop it.

When I asked Bob Huggins right after his teams great upset Vs. Pittsburgh, which team he would rather meet at the semi final. UConn or Syracuse? He said it does not matter to him. Both teams are good, and we will try our best like we did tonight he said. But in his wildest dream he did not dare hoping for this kind of game. I can only assume that Coach Huggins set in the hotel room, and every over time that came in he said keep going at each other, boys He and his Mountaineers will meet #20 Syracuse at 9:20pm at Madison Square Garden.

Terrapins 75 Deacons 64 - by Rick Ross
ATLANTA (AP) -With every Wake Forest miss,
the Maryland Terrapins got a little closer to the NCAA tournament.
They might be in now.
Greivis Vasquez scored 22 points and the Terrapins advanced to the semifinals of the
Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Friday night with a crucial 75-64 upset of No. 8
Wake Forest, which was doomed by its worst shooting performance of the season.

Maryland (20-12) pulled away from a 36-31 halftime lead as the Demon Deacons (24-6) missed time and time again,
finishing 29.7 percent from the field. The Terps made up for a 65-63 loss to
Wake Forest 10 days earlier and won for the second straight night, following up a win over North Carolina State.

Before the tournament, coach Gary Williams said two wins should put Maryland in the NCAAs.
The Terps moved on to face No. 9 Duke in the semis Saturday, giving them yet another chance to impress the selection committee.
Williams said he made up ''Win 2'' T-shirts for his team to wear in Atlanta.
He was only kidding, but that surely was the message he tried to convey to his team.

''I just wanted our players to understand if we won two, we would be in pretty good shape,'' he said.
Now if we don't win tomorrow, it's not because we came with the 'Win 2' T-shirts.''
James Johnson led Wake Forest with 20 points. The Demon Deacons have already done plenty to land an
NCAA bid, but the one-and-done showing at the Georgia Dome could hurt their seeding.
''This was a wake-up call for us,'' Johnson said. ''We deserve to be in the tournament,
and we can prove ourselves there. I know our guys are going to bounce back.''

Maryland doesn't want to stop now.
The Terps know two wins might be enough to get them into the 65-team field, but three would be even better.
I'm not sure,'' Eric Hayes said.
All we can do is go out tomorrow and try to get another win on our resume.''
The Terps essentially locked up the game with a 14-2 spurt at the start of the second half.
A decisive series of 3-pointers finished off the run.

L.D. Williams missed a trey from the corner for Wake Forest. Vasquez hit one at the other end for Maryland.
James Johnson of the Demon Deacons clanked one from outside the arc.
The Terps' Sean Mosley swished a long-range shot.

Wake Forest called timeout, then failed to get off a shot before the 35-second clock expired.
Landon Milbourne hit a turnaround jumper to give Maryland its biggest lead, 50-33, with 15 minutes remaining.
''We had some tough times,'' Vasquez said. ''It's about time for something to pay off.''
The Demon Deacons didn't get closer than eight points the rest of the way, finishing 22 of 74 from the field.
It was their worst shooting percentage of the season, eclipsing a 31.7 percent showing against Miami in early February.

Among the starters, Al-Farouq Aminu was 2 of 12, Jeff Teague made only 3 of 13, Williams went 3 of 9, and
Chas McFarland missed all four of his shots. Johnson connected on half of his 18 attempts, but the top five still combined for a dismal 17-of-56.
The Deacons were bad no matter where they shot from - inside or out.
They made only 3 of 25 from beyond the arc, a 12 percent success rate that also was their worst of the season.
In the second half, Wake Forest put up 15 3-pointers in an increasingly futile attempt to slice into Maryland's lead.
Only one went in.

Maryland tried to cut off the lanes to the basket, intent on making Wake Forest put up more 3s than usual.
The Demon Deacons had been averaging just over 12 attempts per game, fewest in the
ACC, but they more than doubled that output against the Terps.
''They're a great driving team,'' Williams said.
We gambled a little bit that they wouldn't have a hot day from the 3-point line.''
Ishmael Smith hit Wake's only trey of the second half, closing the gap to 64-56 with 4:54 remaining.
But Dave Neal countered with a 3 of his own, ending any thought of a comeback. Maryland made 6 of 16 from long range.

''I knew our team needed a big play,'' Neal said. ''It was a huge 3 for us.
It kind of gave our team a little momentum going to the end of the game. I was so excited after I hit it.''
''So was I,'' Williams chimed in.
The Terps turned it over 17 times, but the sloppiness didn't hurt them.
Vasquez usually came up with the big shot or pass when his team needed it,
and the Venezuelan got plenty of help from the supporting cast.
Mosley had 12 points, Hayes 11 and Neal 10. Milbourne worked the boards, coming up with 10 rebounds.
Johnson was basically a one-man show for Wake Forest. He also led his team with 12 rebounds,
but Teague, with 11 points, was the only other player in double figures. No one else had more than seven rebounds.
''We have guys who can get in the lane, but it didn't happen tonight,'' Johnson said. ''Maryland just played good defense.''
Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

#22 Marquette takes #13 Nova to the wire, but surrender to a buzzer beater 76-75. The Wildcats are in the semis of the Big East - by Rangi Gescheit

#22 Marquette takes #13 Nova to the wire, but surrender to buzzer beater 76-75. The Wildcats are in the semis of the Big East

In the first true dog fight of the big east tournament Villanova showed a lot of character, after taking an early lead on Marquette at the first half. Marquette came back at the second half, holding Nova for a low score 27 points only, but a penetration by Reggie Redding (6'5''-G-88), and a dish to Dwayne Anderson (6'6''-G/F) made 2 more points to the favor of the Wildcats, to win over Marquette. #13 Villanova (seed 4 in the Big East) advance to the semi finals of the big east, to meet Pitino's #5 Louisville (seed #1 in the Big East) on a Friday night College basketball at the Madison Square Garden.

Villanova, which just joined the games (double buy due to higher seed) started the game strong, and after 5 minutes were up by 5, 10-5. Scottie Reynolds (6'2''-G-87) (21 points, 8 rebounds) was active and created for his team, while Corey Stokes (6'5''-G-88) , came off the bench and added some flavor to the Novas offence (20 points, 100%FT). Marquette had a team effort (McNeal and Butler 9points each at this point) but found it hard to score, holding 20% accuracy from the field.

When second half came around Marquette got their field goal percentage getting a little better, and even the 3 point shot started falling in ( 8/13 for 3 at the second half) due to better looks and more patience on offense. 10 minutes, and few assists later (10 at the second half) the score was 62-67 to the Novas from Philadelphia. Jerel McNeal (6'3''-G-87) drained a 3 points shot, and it is a 4 point game. Dante Cunningham (6'8''-F-87) was called to the bench since Marquette did not allow him to see the ball (7 points and 2 rebounds only on a 25 minutes run). And it is a whole new ball game.
Jimmy Butler (6'6''-G-89) made 1 free throw. Cunningham get another chance and scored 2 points, 72-68 Nova. McNeal shared the ball with Maurice Acker (5'8''-G-87, college: Ball St.) that drain a 3, and Butler make one free throw next time down. 72 all!

Quick and ready Reynolds took the ball to the hoop to take the lead once again, 74-72 Nova. Lazar Hayward (6'6''-F-86) (with a great performance and a strong second half- 13 points, 11 rebounds) hit a big 3 points shot to put Marquette on top 75-74 Blue. Then came Redding and changed it again.

#13 Villanova (seed 4 in the Big East) advance to the semi finals of the big east, to meet Pitino's #5 Louisville (seed #1 in the Big East) on a Friday night College basketball at the Madison Square Garden.

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

NCAA3

NCAA D3 National Championship: Unranked Farmingdale State and DeSales keep Salem dreams alive - by Moritz Korff

Bridgewater State - Farmingdale State 64-84
The Rams of Farmingdale State continue their run and advanced to the Elite Eight by knocking off Bridgewater State in a clash of two unranked teams. It's the first time in program history that Farmingdale State has come that far in a NCAA Division 3 Tournament. The Rams were led by Junior Mike Campbell who scored a game high 24 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Junior Daniel Phillips followed with 18 points, Senior Brastus Shannon contributed 14 points and 7 rebounds to the win. Senior Roland Millien registered a double-double for the BSC Bears in the loss, he finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Sophomore Judah Jackson added 16 points.

Texas-Dallas - Capital 71-63
No. 22 Texas-Dallas has made it to the next round in the 2009 NCAA Division 3 National Championship by overcoming No. 13 Capital and All-American Nate Stahl who ended his college career with 27 points/9 rebounds performance. Brandon Greene and Jimmy Witten each scored 15 points for the Comets. Witten also had 8 rebounds and 4 assists.

DeSales - Mass-Dartmouth 67-58
Another ranked team had to waive goodbye to its championship hopes, as unranked DeSales ended the season of Mass.Dartmouth in the Sweet 16. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are only one step away from making a trip to the Final Four in Salem, Virginia.

Puget Sound - St. Thomas 69-86
The No. 1 Tommies has put another win to their perfect record in this current season and sealed their ticket to the Elite Eight by defeating No. 7 Puget Sound. St. Thomas outrebounded UPS 35-23 and shot 8 out of 14 from beyond the arc. Senior Guard B.J. Viau had 18 points for the Tommies, Senior Jason Foster answered with 23 points in defeat.

More to come...

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PALESTINE

PSL(4): Another Win for Ibdaa & A New One for Huwara - by Tamara Awartani
Catholic Action vs. AlFara 87 77
An exciting game to watch, Fara led the first two quarters while Catholic Action led the second half.
Ahmad Anab, Mohammed Faisal and Samer Abdel Qader played with their hearts for Fara, without an import player they were able to keep up with Catholic Action whose import player Justice Graham (195-G-79, college: Glenville St.) scored 33points, 15rebounds, 8assists along with Shadi Bahnan (180-G-87) great drives, Firas Freig 3pointers, George Qanawati & Yasin Sharabati scores.
1st 15 22,2nd 19 22, 3rd 25 13, 4th 28 20

De La Salle vs. AlRaI Saleh 81 65
De La Salle started of strong leading the first & third quarter by 10points, but RaI Saleh kept on playing hard leading the second & fourth quarter by one point. De La Salle kept on playing their game, beautiful teamwork, Ammar Nofal (190-G-84) stood out in the game scoring several three points & great drives, along with Tawfiq Rafidi 3pointers, Hasan Awads shots, Fadi Yaghmour & Michael Vaughan-Cherubin (198-F-82, college: New Paltz St.) under basket. While Derrick Courtney (198-G/F-84) had amazing drives, beautiful shots & strong rebounds along with Fares Swaiti's nice moves & Jabra Bano.
1st 25- 15, 2nd 20-21, 3rd 22-14, 4th 14-15

Ibdaa vs. Thaqafi Beit Sahour 95 63
Yet another practice game for Ibdaa who are thirsty to play, Jimmy Williams (196-G-86, college: Alders.-Broad.) scored 32points, 4 steals, 4 assists and had three dunks which blew the audience away, having also hit several 3pointers Jimmy stood out along with Yahia Al Khatib (190-G-77) 3pointer & 7assists, with the unbeatable Iyad Yousef Abdalla (205-C-80) under basket who had great rebounds and several blocks, Jaber Abdallah also had several 3pointers.
While Majd Abu Sada, Husam KoKali and Hannah Monaly played great on Thaqafi Beit Sahours side.
1st 29-15, 2nd 29-16, 3rd 18-13, 4th 29-19

Huwara vs. AlBireh 51 - 42
A slow pace game, Huwara led by Mohammed AlHilu and Bader & Jihad Odeh winning their first game while AlBirehs main players were missing, the team played with the younger ones.
1st 16-8, 2nd 10-14,3rd 13-8, 4th 12-12

Tomorrow's game will be an exciting one to watch Sariyet Ramallah vs. Ahli AlQuds, 6.30pm at the Catholic Action Court.

Standings - Men

PBBA Standings

1. De La Salle	4-0
2. Orthodox	4-0
3. Ibdaa	4-0
4. Arab O.	3-1
5. Catholic A.	3-1
6. Sarriyet	3-1
7. Ebal	2-2
8. AlBireh	2-2
9. Hiteen	2-2
10. Qalandia	2-2
11. Thaqafi B.S.	2-2
12. Al Ahli	2-2
13. Islami	2-2
14. Huwara	1-3
15. Orthodoxi B.S.	0-0
16. Ra'I AlSaleh	0-4
17. Balata	0-4
18. Al Fara	0-4
19. Thaqafi	0-4

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POLAND

Stats Leaders - 1Liga

Points Per Game

Jakub DLONIAK
  Znicz Basket
  (192-F-83)
  Avg: 20.6

1. Dloniak, Znicz Basket	20.6
2. Pacocha, Big Star	18.8
3. Misiewicz, Zubry	16.8
4. Salamonik, MOSiR K.	16.5
5. Berisha, Polonia 2011	16.2
6. Wiekiera, Zastal Z.	16.2
7. Wisniewski, Zastal Z.	15.9
8. Pluta, MOSiR K.	15.4
9. Donigiewicz, AZS A.	15.4
10. Kulig, Big St.	15.3

Rebounds Per Game

Tomasz WOJDYLA
  Sudety JG
  (201-F-77)
  Avg: 9.6

1. Wojdyla, Sudety JG	9.6
2. Mis, Siarka T.	8.1
3. Bartosz, Polonia .	8.0
4. Misiewicz, Zubry	7.7
5. Dluski, LKS Lodz	7.5
6. Pisarczyk, Sokol L.	7.4
7. Kulig, Big Star	7.4
8. Wiekiera, Zastal Z.	7.4
9. Chodkiewicz, Zastal Z.	7.3
10. Mielczarek, Big St.	7.1

Assists Per Game

Krzysztof KALINOWSKI
  MOSiR Kr.
  (187-G-76)
  Avg: 5.9

1. Kalinowski, MOSiR K.	5.9
2. Ecka, Znicz Basket	5.1
3. Baran, Siarka T.	5.0
4. Pacocha, Big Star	4.8
5. Basinski, MMKS D.	4.7
6. Kalinowski, Zastal Z.	4.2
7. Krupa, Siarka T.	4.2
8. Snieg, Polonia 2011	4.2
9. Swietonski, Prokom I.	3.9
10. Wilczek, Zastal	3.4

Steals Per Game

Grzegorz MALECKI
  Resovia
  (197-G/F-84)
  Avg: 3.9

1. Malecki, Resovia	3.9
2. Krupa, Siarka T.	3.6
3. Baran, Siarka T.	3.4
4. Pacocha, Big Star	3.4
5. Berisha, Polonia 2011	3.1
6. Snieg, Polonia 2011	3.1
7. Trepka, LKS Lodz	3.1
8. Zalucki, Prokom II	2.9
9. Wisniewski, Zastal Z.	2.9
10. Piechowicz, Stal.	2.9

Blocks Per Game

Tomasz PISARCZYK
  Sokol L.
  (205-F-85)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Pisarczyk, Sokol L.	2.5
2. Milewski, MMKS D.	1.6
3. Lisewski, Stal SW	1.6
4. Czech, Sudety JG	1.5
5. Kulikowski, Zubry	1.4
6. Mis, Siarka T.	1.4
7. Lapeta, Prokom II	1.3
8. Karwowski, Polonia .	1.2
9. Konare, Zubry	1.2
10. Kulig, Big St.	1.2

Standings - 1 Liga

1Liga Standings

1. Polonia 2011	22-7
2. MOSiR Kr.	21-8
3. Big Star	20-9
4. Siarka T.	19-10
5. Zastal ZG	18-11
6. Stal SW	17-12
7. LKS Lodz	16-13
8. MMKS DG	16-13
9. Zubry	15-14
10. Sokol L.	13-15
11. Sudety JG	13-16
12. Znicz Basket	12-17
13. AZS Kalisz	10-19
14. AZS AWF K-ce	8-21
15. Prokom II	7-21
16. Resovia	3-24

D.Logan is close to polish nationality team ! - by Marek Hossa
USA player, David Logan (184-G-82, college: Indianapolis) who is best shooting pointer in PLK ( 18,5 ppg. ) is close to sign polish nationality. He put all documents in Gdansk's provincial department. Now must wait for 45 days for final decision. Only polish president Lech Kaczynski can make this decision. If will be positive, then Asseco Prokom's player will become pole. David Logan is expecting to play in polish nationality team in European Championship which will be played in Poland.

Asseco Prokom blasts AJ Milano in Italy - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: AJ Milano - Asseco Prokom 72-96

Asseco Prokom trashed AJ Milano in Italy grabbing the first win in Top 16. Of course it is not enough for any better than the last place in Group E as Milano already had 2 wins. Qyntel Woods (204-F/G-81, college: N.Mississippi JC) shined for the Poles with 23 points and 5 rebounds. Patrick Burke (208-C-73, college: Auburn) had 15 points and 9 boards, while Ronnie Burrell (204-F-83, agency: Pro One Sports, college: NC-Greensboro) stopped on 14 pts. AJ Milano got 22 points from Jobey Thomas (193-G-80, college: Charlotte) (4 triples). Pape Sow (208-F-81, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) had 18 and he was the last one with double-digits in scoring. The reigning Polish champion had amazing beginning. After 12-14, Qyntel Woods and his teammates made magnificent 4-16 run until the end of the first period taking 16-30 lead. At the beginning of the next frame Prokom jumped to 16-34 and later 18-37. Jobey Thomas and his teammates finally woke up closing the gap to 24-37 in two minutes. However, Ronnie Burrell was on fire on the other side leading nice 0-13 run for his team. It was 24-50 for Prokom at that point of game. Mostly owing to Pape Sow Milano was on 38-56 after 20 minutes. The hosts had some hope in third stanza, ending it with minus 10, 60-70. That was all from the Italians in this game as Prokom again took control on them extending its lead to 63-74. Later Prokom made 0-11 run for 63-84 resolving question about the winner. Both teams said goodbye to Euroleague 08/09.

AJ Milano: Jobey Thomas 22, Pape Sow 18
Asseco Prokom: Qyntel Woods 23+5 boards, Patrick Burke 15+9 boards, Ronnie Burrell 14

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PORTUGAL

Standings - Proliga

Proliga Standings

1. Illiabum	14-6
2. Sampaense	12-6
3. Esgueira	11-7
4. Queluz	11-7
5. Galitos FC	10-9
6. Sangalhos	8-12
7. Electrico FC	7-12
8. Barcelos	7-14
9. Angra	7-14
10. Maia	6-13
11. Seixal	6-14
12. Atletico	2-17

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PUERTO RICO

Sanchez has yet to report to Lions Team Practice - by Luis Ramirez
Rick Sanchez has not reported for team practice for the Ponce Lions. The team has decided to fine the player with a $400.00 fine for every practice he does not make. According to information from BSN the team is still hopeful that the player will report to team practices but if he doesnt he will continue to be fined.

Sanchez who this week was told by the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation that he would not be given a transfer letter allowing him to play in the Venezuelan League due to the fact that the Federation found that in fact the Player had a valid contract to play in the BSN in 2009 and must report to his team.

BSN indicates that the hearing decision against agent Gidell Padilla, this issue which was brought up by the Ponce Lions is still under evaluation.

Courtesy of BSN

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SAUDI ARABIA

D1 Standings

D1 Standings

1. Al Ittihad	18-1
2. Al Ansar	15-3
3. Al Hilal	15-4
4. Ohod	14-3
5. Al Ahli	12-7
6. Al Wahda	8-9
7. Al Khaleej	7-11
8. Al Fateh	5-12
9. Al Nahda	4-12
10. Al Qadsia	4-15
11. Al Maseerah	3-15
12. Al Safaa'	1-18

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SERBIA

Vojvodina splits with Adams - by Milan Jovanovic
After losing all chances of escaping the relegation, Vojvodina Srbijagas started to cut down the no-more-needed expenses, so after Cummings is already been released, the new departure is the one of Hassan Adams (193-G-84, agency: David Lee services, college: Arizona), whose episode in Novi Sad lasted no more then 2 weeks.
An American failed to even show what he's capable of, and as the club management say, is the only the matter of moment when he's to leave Novi Sad, since they don't count on him anymore, and he's only practicing with the team untill the negotiations about the ending of contract are ended.
Just as a reminder, Vojvodina is out of Adriatic next season even in case of taking the 5th spot in Serbian league, so accordingly their goals for the next season are considerably more modest then untill now.

Center Mladen Pantic moves to Cyprus - by Dragan Jankovski
Mladen Pantic (210-C-82, agency: Beo Basket) will continue his career on Cyprus. The 26-year old big guy agreed terms with Keravnos Nicosia.

Pantic started the season in Greek A1 team Kavala averaging 4.9 ppg and 2.3 rpg in 7 games. In January he joined Serbian A league team Mega Hypo Leasing. In 4 games he had 10.3 ppg and 5.3 rpg. Pantic also played 2 games in Balkan league with 7.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg. He spent last season in German ALBA Berlin winning the title in Bundesleague and reaching the semifinals of National Cup. In ULEB Cup he had 3 ppg and 2.7 rpg, while in Bundesleague Pantic added 2.7 ppg and 1.4 rpg. In the past he spent many years with FMP Zeleznik, where he grew up. In 2007 they reached the semifinals of ULEB Cup. At the same year FMP won Serbian National Cup Radivoj Korac. In 2006 FMP became the Adriatic league champion, for the second time in club's history. In the past Mladen Pantic was a member of Yugoslavian U18 and U20 National Team.

Keravnos Nicosia currently plays the quarterfinals of Cypriot play-off against Etha. They celebrated 95-63 in the first game .

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SLOVENIA

Vidic no longer in TCG Mercator - by Uros Vujic
After spending several seasons with the team from Skofja Loka, Matic Vididc resigned as head coach of TCG Mercator from Skofja Loka. The management of the team was not satisified, that the team did not make it to the league for the champion and will play the relegation league, so the coach offered his resignation. There are several candidates for the job in Skofja Loka among others Dalibor Damjanovic who used to work as a coach in Kranj for several years and Rade Mijanovic, former head coach of Helios from Domzale.

Zlatorog replace Berdiel with Jenkins, Olimpija adds Greene, Damjanovic new coach of TCG Mercator - by Zeljko Zule

Zlatorog parted ways with Puerto Rican Ali Berdiel (198-G-83, college: Valparaiso) who has not participated in any practice or game in last two weeks. He averaged 28,8 minutes, 15,3 points (2P 69-129, 3P 21-62, FT 59-78), 2,8 rebounds, 4,6 assists, 2,5 steals and 0,2 blocks in 17 games of UPC League.

Berdiel was immediatelly replaced by American Darrell Jenkins (180-G-84) ex East Carolina. Last season he averaged 8,4 points, 2,8 rebounds and 6,0 assists in 30 NCAA games.

Union Olimpija inked Brian Greene (201-G/F-84, college: Florida A&M) ex Sumyikhprom for the reminder of the season.

TCG Mercator replaced coach Matic Vidic with Dalibor Damjanovic .

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SOUTH KOREA

KBL Round: 35 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Dongbu Promy - ET Land B.Sl. 87-83
Dongbu Promy overcame ET Land 87:83 in one of two games played on March 13th. Kang Dae-Hyup (188-G-77) led the league leaders wto 33-17 record with 22 points. Powell Carlos ended up with 23 points in the losing effort.

Mobis Phoebus - KT&G Kites 89-76
Mobis Phoebus improved to 31-19 record defeating KT&G Kites 89:76. Dunston Bryant (203-F-86) top-scored for the winners with 31 points and 14 rebounds, while Ham Ji-Hoon notched 14. Chandler Marquin produced 30 points in the losing effort.

Dongbu Promy - Mobis Phoebus 76-79
Dongbu Promy lost to Mobis Phoebus 76:79 in a thriller of two top teams. Park Goo-Young (183-G-84) led the winners with 20 points and Ham Ji-Hoon scored 19 with 11/11 from the free throw line. Daniels Chris produced 28 points and 10 rebounds in defeat.

KT&G Kites - ET Land B.Sl. 68-92
KT&G Kites lost to ET Land 68:92 as Seo Jang-Hoon (207-C-74) paced all the winners with 30 points. Jun Byung-Suk and Kim Il-Du nailed 17 points each in the losing effort.

Orions - LG Sakers 87-99
LG Sakers are 7th with 26-24 record after a road win over Orions 99:87. Ki Seung-Ho (194-F-85) paced all the winners with 21 points, whilst Crump Brandon and Cho Sang-Hyun netted 19 each. Sandrin Daniel finished the night with 19 points in defeat.

Samsung Th. - KTF M.Wings 98-79
Samsung is third with 28-22 beating KTF M.Wings 98:79 in Regular Season Round 35. Leather Terrence (204-C-81, college: S.Florida) exploded with 42 points and Haynes Aaron scored 16. Garnett Christopher led the way for his team with 19 points.

Standings

KBL Standings

1. Dongbu Promy	33-17
2. Mobis Phoebus	31-19
3. Samsung Th.	28-22
4. KCC Egis	27-22
5. ET Land B.Sl.	27-23
6. KT&G Kites	27-24
7. LG Sakers	26-24
8. SK Knights	22-27
9. Orions	16-33
10. KTF M.Wings	12-38

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SPAIN

Big comeback by Real vs ALBA, Lopez makes it at the end - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: Real Madrid - ALBA Berlin 83-82

Thanks to Raul Lopez's (182-G-80) unbelievable turnaround jumper, almost at the buzzer, Real Madrid grabbed thriller home victory against ALBA Berlin for 5-1 in Group F. Despite this almost perfect score Real in not No.1 because of 79-90 defeat in the previous round against Regal Barca. Axel Hervelle (205-F-83) came up with 18, Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82, college: Kansas St.) had 14 and Raul Lopez netted 12 points for the hosts. Blagota Sekulic (209-F/C-82, agency: FCM) was totally the best player in defeat with 21 points and 8 boards in 23 minutes. Julius Jenkins (187-G-81, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Georgia Southern) stopped on 17 pts. Real will take on Olympiakos in the quarterfinals. The hosts had 17-14 after ten minutes, but ALBA managed to tie the score to 40-40 until the half time. It is important to mention that ALBA had plus 5 during the second frame. Blagota Sekulic and his teammates opened the second half in style. After few minutes, actually after triple by Wright, they jumped to nice 46-52 lead. Real came on minus 2, before Bullock fixed the score to 61-61 after 30 minutes. Julius Jenkins drained a triple for ALBA and made it from the fast break closing impressive 0-10 run for 73-80 with less than 3 minutes to go. After time out, Real managed to come on 81-82 after what Jacobsen missed. Raul Lopez grabbed the ball and scored an unbelievable turnaround jumper almost at the buzzer for big comeback of his team. There was no time for ALBA even to try.

Real Madrid: Axel Hervelle 18, Jeremiah Massey 14, Raul Lopez 12
ALBA Berlin: Blagota Sekulic 21+8 boards, Julius Jenkins 17

Regal Barca cruises past Maccabi Electra for top of Group F - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: Maccabi Electra - Regal Barca 74-90

Regal Barca outplayed Maccabi in Tel-Aviv jumping to 5-1 record in Group F. The same numbers also has Real Madrid, but Barca is No.1 because of 90-79 win in the previous round. Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) was on fire draining 7 triples of 9 attempts - 23 points in total. Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) had 19 and Francisco Vasquez (203-C-83) added 15 points, including 6 rebounds. Marcus Brown (193-G-74, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Murray St.) and Carlos Arroyo (188-G-79, agency: Interperformances, college: Florida Intern.) delivered 16 points apiece for the hosts. Barca will meet Tau in the quarterfinals. Opening period belonged to Maccabi, thanks to nice 7-0 run in the finish, 22-19. Totally different picture on the court was seen during the next ten minutes. Gianluca Basile and his teammates took control on the hosts making a turn very soon. Meanwhile Marcus Brown scored his 2.500th career point. Gianluca Basile was hot and Daniel Santiago dunked the ball at the last possession in the first half setting the score to 39-45. Third stanza was the crucial one. Maccabi was within 5 points until the middle of it. Later, actually after Ilyasova's basket, Barca jumped to plus 10. After 3 quarters the Spaniards had 55-66 lead. Omri Casspi (204-F/G-88, agency: Interperformances) was good for behind the arc, but it was not enough for his team even to treat during the last ten minutes. Barca had 62-73 and with 3 minutes to go 66-78.

Maccabi Electra: Marcus Brown 16, Carlos Arroyo 16, Lior Eliyahu 12+7 boards, Omri Casspi 12+6 boards
Regal Barca: Gianluca Basile 23, Juan Carlos Navarro 19, Francisco Vasquez 15+6 boards

Olympiakos beats Tau Ceramica for top of Group E - by Eurobasket News
Euroleague, Top 16: Tau Ceramica - Olympiakos 80-88

Olympiakos did a great job last night in Spain. The Reds managed to beat the reigning ACB champion, Tau Ceramica, for the second time this season finishing the Top 16 as No.1 in Group E with 5-1 record. Nikola Vujcic (211-C-78, agency: Interperformances) led the Reds with 17 points and 7 rebounds. Yotam Halperin (196-G-84, agency: Arik Krayn Services) scored 16, while Giannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) and Jannero Pargo (187-G-79, agency: Priority Sports, college: Arkansas) helped with 11 points each. Mirza Teletovic (203-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) had 16, Tiago Splitter (211-C/F-85, agency: Interperformances) 15 pts and 6 rebs, while Sergi Vidal (198-F/G-81) scored 14 points. In the quarterfinals Olympiakos will meet Real Madrid. Tau will take on Regal Barca in big Spanish derby. Tau opened the game with quick 7-2, but the Greeks quickly responded tying the score to 7-7. Later it was 7-10 and 18-26 for the Reds, mostly owing to Yotam Halperin and his couple of long range strokes. Mirza Teletovic and Tiago Splitter stepped up for Tau after that with free throws and dunk cutting the margin to 23-28. Olympiakos didn't stop after that reaching huge 25-41 at the midway of the second period. That was a real shock for Tau, who didn't succeed to come any closer than 37-51 at the half time. Nikola Vujcic and his teammates had plus 17 after the breather, but Mirza Teletovic pushed up his Tau to 60-67 in just few minutes. After 3 quarters the Reds had 62-70. Tau had a chance with 4 minutes to go as they came on 74-75, but then Papaloukas and Giannis Bourousis shined for Olympiakos setting the score to unreachable 74-80.

Tau Ceramica: Mirza Teletovic 16, Tiago Splitter 15+6 boards, Sergi Vidal 14
Olympiakos: Nikola Vujcic 17+7 boards, Yotam Halperin 16, Giannis Bourousis 11, Jannero Pargo 11

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SWITZERLAND

Stats Leaders - LNB

LNB Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

1. Chambers, VER 24.9
2. Dosic, KOR Z 24.9
3. Anthony, Luzern 24.7
4. Fischer, Martigny 22.3
5. Kaiser, NEU 20.9

Rebounds Per Game

1. Toure, Bernex 14.9
2. McCormick, Pully 12.1
3. Chambers, VER 11.3
4. Johnson, Vevey 11.0
5. Dosic, KOR Z 10.5

Assists Per Game

1. Gothuey, CHN 6.3
2. Johnson, Vevey 5.3
3. Kaiser, Neuchatel 4.7
4. Grandjean, VER 4.6
5. Kazadi, Fribourg 4.3

Ranking

1. Toure, Bernex 27.7
2. Dosic, KOR Z 26.8
3. Chambers, VER 26.5
4. McCormick, Pully 25.9
5. Anthony, Luzern 25.4

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TAIWAN

Standings - SBL

SBL Standings

1. Yulon Luxgen	10-2
2. Dacin	10-3
3. Taiwan Beer	8-4
4. KKL	6-7
5. Pure Youth	4-8
6. Taiw.Mobile	4-9
7. Bank of Taiw.	2-11

Yulon back on top after beating Dacin - by Chris Wang
When you talk about Tien Lei's slump, usually you would imagine a game which he score less than 10 points or something like that. However, Yulon's defense took that to another level Friday night. Yulon stopped Tien from scoring, cruising to a 76-64 victory and regained the top spot on the standing with a 10-2 record.

Tien Lei set his career-low when he missed all eight field goal attempts and failed to score for Dacin, which lost its No. 1 seat with 10 wins and three losses, a half game behind Yulon.

Hsu Chih-chan's four points and a game-winning block saved the day for Bank of Taiwan, which snapped its 8-game losing streak after a 91-89 win over Taiwan Mobile.

Yulon 76-64 Dacin
Yulon : Tseng Wen-ting 16p, Chen Chih-chun 15p+7a, Chou Shih-yuan 14p
Dacin: Chang Chih-feng 14p+9rb+5a, Su Yi-chieh 14p, Lin Yi-hui 13p

BOT 91-89 TM
BOT: Hsu Chih-chan 24p+9rb, Chen Shun-hsiang 21p, Lin Chun-feng 15p+5rb+6a, Chang Po-sheng 12p
TM: M. Boggan 22p+11rb, Hsu Wei-sheng 15p, Ouyang Ching-heng 15p

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UKRAINE

UBL Round: 37 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Gryfony - DniproAzot 86-100
DniproAzot nailed 100 points in a road game over Gryfony that was enough for 100:86 win. Jerel Allen (192-G-85, college: Florida St.) and Eichelberger Chad combibed 61 points for the winners. Petrovski Jane paced his team with 18 points.

Cherkasy - Polit.Lviv 86-94
Cherkasy lost to Politehnika Lviv 86:94 in Regular Season Round 37. Volodymyr Gurtovoy (207-C-75) led the winners with 19 points, while Djuric Aleksandar posted 16. Pupovic Miljan ended up with 21 points in defeat.

Budivelnyk - Hoverla 97-72
Budivelnyk overcame Hoverla 97:72 as Alexandr Nerush (194-G-83) top-scored for the winners with 18 points and Slipenchuk Artem netted 14. Kinloch Damien produced 13 points for the guests.

BC Odessa - Kryvbasbasket 81-80
BC Odessa upset the league leaders Kryvbasbasket 81:80 behind 16 points from Aleksei Poltoratskiy (208-F-74). Pavlovic Milos finished the night with 21 points in the losing effort.

Standings - Higher League

UBL Standings

1. Kryvbasbasket	25-9
2. Budivelnyk	22-11
3. BC Odessa	21-12
4. Cherkasy	21-12
5. Polit.Lviv	21-12
6. Dnipro	19-14
7. Ferro-ZNTU	14-19
8. Hoverla	11-22
9. Azoty	8-26
10. Gryfony	4-29

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URBL

Disciples' Website Will Launch Shortly - by URBL media
Dallas - Work has begun on the new website for the URBL's Dallas-Fort Worth Disciples. The ball club is in the process of accumilating articles and photos for the launching.
Information regarding time, date, and venue for the team's try-outs will be included.
There will also be a brief video of the URBL Commissioner and CEO Mac Claire encouraging everyone to check out league action.
'I believe in communication via the internet,' Claire said. 'I have made it clear to owners and general managers that we need to get them on the internet quickly.
'(Team owner) Sherman Douglas has done everything the league has asked of him and with minimal help from myself, the Disciples' website will be up within two weeks.'

Jermaine Barnes (6'5''-G/F-82, college: Atlanta Christian)

URBL Adds DFW Disciples - by URBL media
December 24th, Dallas - The United Regions Basketball League is pleased to welcome its newest team, the Dallas Fort Worth Disciples. Alex Taylor will coach the club.
Try-out information will be announced shortly according to owner D. J. Douglas.
'We are happy to be apart of such a great and growing league,' Douglas said. 'Now its all about preparing and continuing to do the things that got us this far.
Our goals are nothing less than a championship!'
'I'm delighted that Coach Taylor will be coaching our ball club,' Disciple Douglas continued. 'He was a great player and now will be a great coach.'
Coach Taylor finished his career at Kennesaw State University.
'I believe in my future team but I also believe in a foundation, and thats what we have in Royal Maxwell and Jermaine Barnes. Those two guys will make it easy to be a coach.' Ricky James (6'3''-G-84, college: Trevecca Naz.)

DFW Officially Adds Jermaine Barnes - by URBL media
The Dallas Fort Worth Disciples, the URBL's latest entry has officially added Jermaine Barnes as of his recent signing.
Barnes attended Atlanta Christian and has had a adds significant japaneese star power to the team by way of Barnes' storied career in Japan.
The 6-5 guard was the MVP of the Aichi League (Japan) in 2008 averaging 48.3ppg and leading his team to the All-Japan championship game.
'We feel that by adding a player like JB, you give yourself a great chance to win said coach Alex Taylor. 'Hes by far the best scorer I have seen in all of my year of playing and coaching. Anyone who can score 60 points twice in a season has to be a great scorer. Barnes had two sixty point games in Japan.
'I have spoken to jermaine several times by phone and I can tell that he is a quality person who will only help our league, ' URBL CEO Mac Claire.

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URUGUAY

Emilio Taboada joins Regatas Corrientes - by Hector Lopez
Emilio Taboada (193-F-82) will fly to Corrientes to join Regatas Corrientes to play the last stage of the Argentine Liga Nacional. Regatas is 11th with a 12-16 record. Taboada played the Uruguayan League with Malvin reaching the semifinals, where they lost 1-3 with Defensor Sporting. Taboada played 50 games with Malvin and was the best scorer of his team with 20.0 ppg (41.7% for three points shots, 54.3% for two points and 82% for free throws). He grabbed 5.2 rpg, 2.8 apg and get a ranking value of 20.2, the Malvin highest. Taboada will replace Durelle Brown (12 games, 9.1 ppg and 1.8 rpg.

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VENEZUELA

Tim Jones Back to Cocodrilos - by Wolfgang Lucena
Cocodrilos de Caracas; champions of the 2008 season, wants to close the little gap opened during the last series; as proof of it, the management of the team from the capital of Venezuela, didn't hesitate to agrees once again with Tim Jones (193-G/F-73, college: Georgia St.) .
Outstanding guard Tim Jones will be back to Venezuela today 03-13-2009 to join his former professional organization Cocodrilos de Caracas. This is a great gift for Coach Salazar for his game number 701.

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WABA

Day 1 - 12th WABA Champions Cup - by Mohammed Malas
By: Mohammed Malas - Friday 13/2:

# Group A:

Mahram (IRI) 94 - Al Moutahed Tripoli (LEB) 87 (Qs: 21-21, 40-42, 70-61 & 94-87)
- Best scorers:
Oscar Yebra (200-F-74, agency: Court Side) '26 pts' from Mahram
Samad Bahrami (200-G/F-83, agency: ACMT) '26 pts' from Mahram
Darren Kelly (190-G-78, college: Texas) '24 pts' from Al Moutahed Tripoli
Tony Williams (202-F-78, agency: ACMT, college: Louisville) '23 pts' from Al Moutahed Tripoli
Priest Lauderdale (221-C-73, college: Central State) '18 pts' from Mahram

Orthodox (JOR) 88 - Al Ahli Sanaa (YEM) 64 (Qs: 24-16, 47-32, 68-52 & 88-64)
- Best scorers:
Ayman Idais (205-C-78, agency: Court Side) '24 pts' from Orthodox
Masinne Ndukhu '23 pts' from Al Ahli Sanaa
Sameer Al Asbahi '15 pts' from Al Ahli Sanaa
James Williams (206-C-78, college: Long Beach St.) '13 pts' from Orthodox

# Group B:

Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut (LEB) 97 - Saba Mehr (IRI) 88 (Qs: 30-15, 51-35, 67-50 & 97-88)
- Best scorers:
Fadi El Khatib (197-F-79, agency: Pro Management Agency) '29 pts' from Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
Ahmad Ismail (201-F-76) '28 pts' from Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut
Karam Ahmadian (197-F-77) '22 pts' from Saba Mehr
Jeff Ngutar Varem (198-G/F-83, college: Washington St.) '19 pts' from Saba Mehr
Roderick Riley (210-C-81, agency: Elfus-Siegel Management (ESM), college: Prairie View A&M) '17 pts' from Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut

Zain (JOR) 104 - Al Karkh (IRQ) 80 (Qs: 28-18, 53-35, 87-55 & 104-80)
- Best scorers:
Adam Zahn (203-F/C-84, college: Oregon) '38 pts' from Al Karkh
Ontario Lett (198-F-79, agency: BrezoPro, college: Pittsburgh) '14 pts' from Zain
Mike Christensen (203-G/F-85, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: New Hampshire) ' 14 pts' from Zain
Abdulla Kutaiba (197-F/G-80) '13 pts' from Al Karkh

# Day 2 (Saturday 14/3) - 12th WABA Champions Cup (Jordan time, +2 GMT):
# Day 2: Saturday 14/3
13:00 Al Karkh x Sporting Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut Beirut
15:00 Al Moutahed Tripoli x Al Ahli Sanaa Sanaa
17:00 Orthodox x Al Jalaa Aleppo
19:00 Al Jeish Army Damascus x Zain

* West Asian Federation (WABA) decided to refuse the participation of both Marcelo Correa (208-C-77, college: San Diego St.) and Eder Araujo (213-F-81, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Walsh (OH)) of Al Jalaa Aleppo of Syria due to the lack of their syrian origin evidences.

Standings

WABA Standings

Group A
1. Orthodox		1-0
2. Mahram		1-0
3. Jalaa		0-0
4. Moutahed		0-1
5. Al Ahli		0-1
Group B
1. Zain		1-0
2. Al Riyadi		1-0
3. Jeish		0-0
4. Al Karkh		0-1
5. Saba		0-1

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WCBL

Gladiators preparing the 2009 season - by Gianni Pascucci
The Orange County Gladiators announced that they will be back for their 2nd season after having moved to the WCBL. Additionally, the team has moved their home venue to the 1,200 seat gym at Aliso Niguel High School based out of Aliso Viejo, CA. The facility at Aliso Niguel is one of the top basketball venues in South Orange County, stated David Clarke , team President and Owner. Our fan base we developed last season is fantastic and the area surrounding our home venue is ideal for our offering of high quality basketball and affordable family entertainment. The Gladiators kick off their home schedule on Saturday, April 25th @ 6PM. The team officials are preparing for their 2nd season as a WCBL member. Tryout camp dates could be released shortly.

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ZIMBABWE

Gauke bounce Leopards.....! - by Roderick Takawira
In an 'A' league game played between HBA defending champions and upstarts Sigauke, Varsity Leopards went down 48-67. Sigauke came out of the blocks on fire and led by Taurayi Chitsinde out-played and out-hassled Varsity Leopards. Gauke raced to a 16-12 lead in the first quarter extending this to 30-22 at the half. The expected 3rd quarter comeback by Varsity Leopards never materialised and they lost 13-16 in that quarter to enter the fourth quarter down 35-46. In the fourth quarter Sigauke turned on the pressure winning that quarter 21-14 for a final score of 67-48. With this loss Varsity Leopards will need to win all their remaining games and hope 1 other team and themselves beat JBC if they hope to retain their league championship. leopards defense was exposed by Tawanda 'Yanga' Chitsinde who slashed through the Varsity Leopards defence at will, either scoring on lay-ups or dumping to Baldwin 'Bodza' Mazango. But the man who overpowered Varsity Leopards was Tawanda's brother Taurayi Chitsinde who top-scored with 14 points. Tawanda and Mazango each had 12 points for Sigauke. Varsity Leopards battled all night and point guard Tafadzwa 'Bully' Mudzimu triad to rally his team to no avail. Varsity Leopards pair of Clement Chitura and Hamilton Mudawarima led their team with 10 points apiece. The suffocating Sigauke defence helped stem a free scoring Varsity Leopards team who had to work for every point they scored. Varsity Leopards cause was not helped by injuries to Tinashe 'Voltron' Muchenje and Tendai 'Tindo' Chiyangwa. The curtains went down on Varsity Leopards when key player Hamilton Mudawarima pulled up with cramp and captain Gideon Chikopa was disqualified for an unsportsmanlike foul. After that it was pretty much one way traffic to the Varsity Leopards basket.

Highdon Raiderz stamped their authority when they brushed aside team-of-the-moment Kingdom Cavaliers 77-65. The score line could have been much worse had Highdon Raiderz not opted to give their youngsters a burn after they went up 26 points. Cavaliers were never in it and played as if they should have been somewhere else. Highdon Raiderz were focused and hungry and this clearly showed in the manner they went after each and every loose ball. Highdon Raiderz Tafadzwa Maturure top scored with 19 points via a variety of shots. He had a lot of help from Clement Kufeketa, Duncan Shenje and Wellington Kasosera who shot the 3-ball with deadly accuracy. Coach Ngoni Mukukula decision to bring back his players from 'loan spells' seems to be working.

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Women News

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE - Women

Final Four starts tomorrow in Bijelo Polje - by Eurobasket News
The most interesting part of the Adriatic league 08/09 season starts tomorrow in Montenegrin city Bijelo Polje. The host of the tournament is BC Jedinstvo. In the first semifinal game the defending champion, Jolly JBS, will meet No.4 of the regular season Merkur Celje. The game will start at 17:30h. In the second semifinal match No.2 Jedinstvo will play against No.3 Gospic CO at 19:00h.
Jolly JBS demonstrated the best performance during the regular season. However, in the last four games the team from Sibenik faced with three defeats. Those are the only three failures for them this season in the regional championship. Everything resulted with changing of head coach and the same ambition - new crown in Adriatic league. The other Croatian team, Gospic CO, also hopes it can grab the title this week-end. As it is mentioned above, the first obstacle will be Jedinstvo.

'We know that we will have to deal with very motivated hosts tomorrow and we also know they will have big support form their fans. However, I do believe in us and I do believe we are strong enough to win. Jedinstvo's players will be under the bigger pressure than me and my teammates. That could be their main problem tomorrow and we will try to exploit it', said one of the best Gospic's players Anda Jelavic (175-G-80).

As a reminder, in the last season's final Jolly JBS was better than Gospic CO 72-66.

Standings

Adriatic L. Standings

1. Sibenik		13-3
2. Jedinstvo		12-4
3. Gospic		10-6
4. Merkur Celje		8-8
5. Ragusa		8-8
6. Medvescak		7-9
7. Buducnost		6-10
8. Vojvodina		5-11
9. M.Kraj. BL		3-13

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AUSTRALIA - Women

Canberra Capitals win the WNBL title ! - by Eurobasket News

Grand Final: Canberra Capitals - Bulleen Boomers 61-58

The Canberra Capitals outsmarted the Bulleen Boomers in Grand Final, which was held today at the AIS Arena. Guard Michelle Musselwhite (176-G/F-82) top-scored for the winners delivering 13 points. She made 3 of 5 attempts from behind the arc. Natalie Hurst (163-G-83) and Marianna Tolo (196-C-89) also had very important role in this final netting 12 points apiece. On the other side, the Boomers got 14 points Elyse Penaluna (193-C-88), as well as from Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77, college: LSU). Sharin Milner (162-G-80, college: Troy) contributed with 12 points and 7 assists. The Capitals did a nice job in the second and third period making 6-point lead, 48-42. After five minutes of the last frame the Caps were up 57-46, thanks to Michelle Musselwhite's triple. Bulleen battled hard in the remaining five as captain Desi Glaubitz netted a three and two-time league MVP Hibbert and 20 -year-old Penaluna kept fighting to pull the score back to one point, 59-58 with 1:23 on the clock. Neither team was going to give up and the leagues best rebounder, Bishop, grabbed her 14th board to give Tolo a chance to put the Caps out by three points with eleven seconds remaining. Bulleen took their final timeout to plan their last play and they put the ball in the trusty hands of Hibbert but her attempt at a three to level the scores rimmed out as, fittingly, Canberra captain Kellie Abrams grabbed the rebound in the dying seconds and the arena erupted once more.

After the game celebrating her sixth championship with the Capitals, MVP Natalie Hurst said the team did what they needed to on the night. 'It was a collective effort', Hurst said. 'Our big girls made some tough shots, they got Penaluna in foul trouble and that was a big thing for us. You couldn't ask for anything more from this bunch of girls.'
In only her second game back from a calf injury Hurst showed no signs of strain as she made some big plays. 'I had to take those shots and I was glad that a couple went down in clutch time', Hurst said. 'Anything I can do to help my team out and get its amazing. (second part of the news is courtesy of the WNBL)

Canberra Capitals: Michelle Musselwhite 13, Natalie Hurst 12, Marianna Tolo 12
Bulleen Boomers: Elyse Penaluna 14, Katrina Hibbert 14, Sharin Milner 12+7 as

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AUSTRIA - Women

Standings - AWBL

AWBL Standings

1. Fl.Foxes	18-1
2. UBBC	14-5
3. Wels	13-5
4. Jocher's D.	10-9
5. Vienna 87	9-11
6. Graz	2-17
7. Baden	1-19

Flying Foxes join UBBC in Chevrolet Cup Final - by Eurobasket News
Flying Foxes - Vienna 87 121:61

Flying Foxes will look to earn the Chevrolet Cup title when they take on UBBC in the Final game. Yesterday the defending AWBL champions faced Vienna 87 in the second semifinal battle of the Cup. Flying Foxes did not wait for too long to mark their dominance. It was practically all over for Vienna 87 after the starting period. Flying Foxes accounted for massive 43 points and piled up a 32-point lead after ten minutes. Vienna 87 tried to come back to life in the second frame but managed only to slow down their opponents trailing by insurmountable 35 points at the interval. The things remained quite upsetting for Vienna 87 after the main break as Flying Foxes continued to mount the pressure. They entered the final quarter ahead by 52 points and coasted to the win at the end.
Renee Taylor (158-G, agency: Ronsport, college: Miami, FL) and Crista Ricketts (185-F-85, agency: Regeneracom Sports, college: La Salle) led the charge with 24 points apiece for Flying Foxes. Teresa Winter (175-F-82) responded with 24 points for Vienna 87. Katarzyna Mucha (187-C/F-86) had 9 points in the losing effort.
Flying Foxes and Herzogenburg played in the Chevrolet Cup last season. They met at the quarterfinal stage and the result was quite a surprise. UBBC stunned Flying Foxes 74:70 to advance to the semis.

Flying Foxes: Renee Taylor 24, Crista Ricketts 24
Vienna 87: Teresa Winter 24, Katarzyna Mucha 9

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BALTIC LEAGUE - Women

Klaipeda and Vilnius to host the semifinals - by Eurobasket News
Lithuania will host the Semifinals of the Baltic League 2008/2009. Klaipeda and Vilnius will host semifinals games on the 27th 29th of March, 2009. Eight teams are divided into Pool A and Pool B.
Pool A will consist of the defending champions TEO, Cesis, Berezina and Tim-Scuf. The favorites for the two places in the Final Four are TEO and Cesis and the latter in case of advancing will host the Final stage of the tournament. Ukrainian Tim Skuf and Berezina from Belarus will battle and try to take at least one spot in the Final Four.
Pool B will have TTT Riga, Arvi, Lemminkainen and Kozachka-Zalk. This group seems to be more unpredictable as all four teams have good chances to advance. Arvi won the season as they posted the best 13-1 record in the regular season. The Marjampole outfit visited Ukraine to play the final games of the it. The trip to Kyiv was quite successful despite Arvi suffered the first loss in the tournament. First Arvi handled Tim-Scuf 71:60 as Vaida Pacauskiene (176-G-79) nailed 25 points. Arvi faced Kozachka-Zalk and had to surrender 73:83. Kozachka-Zalk looked solid and kept Arvi at bay throughout the bigger part of the game. Charity Egenti (191-C-85, college: Stephen F. Austin) had an imressive performance for Kozachka-Zalk with 33 points and 16 rebounds.

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DENMARK - Women

Standings - Dameligaen

Dameligaen Standings

1. SISU	17-2
2. Horsholm	15-4
3. Aabyhoj	12-7
4. Amager	11-8
5. Falcon	10-9
6. Lemvig	7-12
7. Vaerlose	7-13
8. Horsens	4-14
9. Virum	3-17

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ESTONIA - Women

Standings - Women

Meistriliiga Standings

1. BC Star	14-1
2. Tall.Living	13-4
3. Tallinna Kalev	7-11
4. Tartu	6-11
5. Audentes	2-15

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EUROCUP - Women

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Eshaya MURPHY
  San Jose
  (180-G-85)
  Avg: 22.2

1. Murphy, San Jose	22.2
2. Anderson, Olivais	22.0
3. Houston, Bnot Hash.	21.5
4. Bowie, Aris H.	21.3
5. Hicks, U.Neuchatel	20.3
6. Akonga Nsimb., Dex.	20.3
7. Kaltsidou, Esperides	19.0
8. Anosike, Ramla	18.5
9. Augustus, Galatasa.	18.3
10. White, Ram.	18.1

Rebounds Per Game

Nicky ANOSIKE
  AZS Gorzow
  (192-C-86)
  Avg: 13.3

1. Anosike, Ramla	13.3
2. Comfort, Buducnost	13.2
3. Walker, Botas	12.8
4. Kajdacsi, Sf.Gheor.	11.8
5. Akonga Nsimb., Dex.	11.1
6. Yacoubou-D., Tarbes	10.4
7. Roglic, Crvena Zv.	10.1
8. Davis, Athinaikos	9.8
9. Chones, Ribera	9.7
10. Davis, Esperid.	9.6

Assists Per Game

Isil ALBEN
  Galatasaray
  (170-G-86)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Alben, Galatasaray	6.6
2. Zoll, Sf.Gheorghe	6.4
3. Gkouzini, Athinaikos	6.4
4. Furesz, Szeged	6.1
5. Carpreaux, Dexia	5.8
6. Charlier, U.Neuchatel	5.4
7. Kalentzou, Esper.	5.3
8. Szymanska-L., Dex.	4.6
9. Lacy, AEL	4.5
10. Snell, Dynamo.	4.5

Steals Per Game

Marjorie CARPREAUX
  Ribera
  (165-G-87)
  Avg: 4.6

1. Carpreaux, Dexia	4.6
2. Kalentzou, Esper.	3.8
3. Charlier, U.Neuchatel	3.8
4. Luptakova, Challes	3.6
5. Alben, Galatasaray	3.4
6. Chatzinikola., Esperi.	3.0
7. White, Ramla	2.9
8. Moore, Chevakata	2.9
9. Zoll, Sf.Gheorghe	2.9
10. Kechagia, Aris.	2.8

Blocks Per Game

Gabriela TOMA
  Targoviste
  (190-C-74)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Toma, Targoviste	2.2
2. Vizbariene, Dynamo K.	1.9
3. Taylor, AZS Gorzow	1.7
4. Bavendam, Botas	1.6
5. Davis, Esperides	1.6
6. Alyoshkina, Arvi	1.5
7. Andersson, Solna V.	1.5
8. Comfort, Buducnost	1.3
9. Nevzorova, Spart.	1.2
10. Kuzina, Dynamo.	1.2

EuroCup, semifinals (game 1): Victories for Taranto and Dynamo Kursk - by Eurobasket News
Taranto - Dynamo M. 76-71
Cras Taranto demonstrated nice performance yesterday against the powerful Russian team Dynamo Moscow. It was the first semifinal game meaning that Taranto transfers plus 5 to Moscow for the second one, which is scheduled for March 19th. Megan Mahoney (183-F-83, agency: LBM Management, college: Kansas St.) was a key player for the hosts scoring 19 points and pulling down 6 rebounds. Elodie Godin (190-C-85) also had very important role as she almost registered double-double, 14 points and 9 boards. Suzy Batkovic nailed 13 (plus 6 rebs) and Michelle Greco netted one point less than her. On the other side, the team from Moscow got 23 points and 5 boards from Belinda Snell. Jannell Burse had 17 points and 9 rebs, while Anete Jekabsone-Zogota contributed with 15 pts.

Dynamo K. - Galatasaray 61-47
Dynamo Kursk stopped Turkish Galatasaray on just 47 points in the first game of EuroCup semifinals. It is a big step forward for Dynamo before the second match in Istanbul, which is scheduled for March 19th. Sandra Valuzyte (176-G-82) and Anastasia Fomina (175-G-83) led the scorers in victory with 18 points each. Valuzyte had 7 assists beside that, while Fomina grabbed 6 boards. The last one with double-digits in scoring for Dynamo was Stevlana Maksimenko - 11 pts. Galatasaray had only one player with 10+ and it was Semone Augustus - 12 points. Sophia Young this time stopped on 8 pts and 7 boards.

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FINLAND - Women

D1 Round: 4 (Semi-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
PeKa - Espoo Team 85-95
Espoo Team joined Catz Lappeenranta in the Finals after 3-1 over Peka in the Semi-Finals. In Game 4 Espoo Team had a road 95:85 victory as Megan Griffith (168-G-85, college: Columbia) nailed 23 points and Sirri Nuutinen (188-F-83) posted 20. Parker Rebekah nailed 23 points in the losing effort and Freeman Shanika had 21.

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Kieraah MARLOW
  S-Hameen.
  (178-F-85)
  Avg: 23.5

1. Marlow, S-Hameen.	23.5
2. Parker, PuHu	22.3
3. Covington, S-Ham.	20.2
4. Bailey, Huima	20.0
5. France, Huima	19.6
6. Haynes, Espoo Team	18.3
7. Freeman, PeKa	17.5
8. Pellom, FoA	17.2
9. Hodges, Huima	17.1
10. Frasier, F.	16.9

Rebounds Per Game

Vanessa GIDDEN
  HoNsU
  (191-C-85)
  Avg: 14.1

1. Gidden, HoNsU	14.1
2. Covington, S-Ham.	13.9
3. Haynes, Espoo Team	12.3
4. Roukanoja, PuHu	12.2
5. Robinson, Huima	12.0
6. Triggs, PeKa	10.8
7. Jones, BC Nokia	10.7
8. Yates, BC Nokia	10.5
9. Freeman, PeKa	10.2
10. France, Hui.	9.5

Assists Per Game

Vilma KESANEN
  Catz
  (172-G-88)
  Avg: 3.4

1. Kesanen, Catz	3.4
2. Pellom, FoA	3.1
3. Piipari, Catz	3.1
4. DeCoud, HoNsU	2.6
5. Rivers, PeKa	2.5
6. Frasier, FoA	2.5
7. Haynes, Espoo Team	2.5
8. Parker, PuHu	2.4
9. Jamsen, Huima	2.4
10. Covington, S-H.	2.3

Steals Per Game

Erneisha BAILEY
  Huima
  (175-G-86)
  Avg: 4

1. Bailey, Huima	4.0
2. DeCoud, HoNsU	3.8
3. Haynes, Espoo Team	3.4
4. Collier, HoNsU	3.2
5. Reshetko, Catz	3.0
6. Pellom, FoA	3.0
7. Allen, Espoo Team	2.9
8. Haynes, Catz	2.8
9. Robinson, Huima	2.7
10. Vapamaa, S-Hame.	2.5

Blocks Per Game

Vanessa GIDDEN
  HoNsU
  (191-C-85)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Gidden, HoNsU	1.8
2. Roukanoja, PuHu	1.5
3. Solovyeva, Catz	1.3
4. Sten, Catz	1.2
5. Triggs, PeKa	1.1
6. Tuure, Catz	1.0
7. Allen, Espoo Team	1.0
8. Scott, Catz	0.9
9. Reshetko, Catz	0.9
10. Zwarich, F.	0.7

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GERMANY - Women

Standings - Women

DBBL Standings

1. Saarlouis	17-4
2. Wasserburg	16-5
3. Halle	15-6
4. Marburg	12-9
5. Oberhausen	12-9
6. Donau-Ries	11-10
7. Herner	9-12
8. Goettingen	8-13
9. Wolfenbuttel	7-14
10. Freiburg	7-14
11. Chemnitz	6-15
12. Leipzig	6-15

Recap of DBBL Round 21 - by Moritz Korff
TSV 1880 Wasserburg - TV Saarlouis Royals 77-91
The Royals defeated league leader Wasserburg in a clash of the top two DBBL teams in their penultimate regular season game. Fantasia Goodwin (179-G/F-85, agency: LBM Management) was unstoppable as she shot 88% from the field (15-for-17) and pulled down 7 rebounds on the way. Celeste Trahan (184-C-85, agency: LBM Management, college: Elizabeth City) followed with 21 points (10/13 FG) and 9 boards, Stina Barnert (176-G-89) contributed 14 points and Isabelle Comtesse (180-G-82) dished out a game high 11 assists in the winning effort. Wasserburg was paced by Carlene Hightower (180-F-86, college: La Salle) with 24 points and 6 steals in the team's second straight loss. With the win the Royals climb to the first place in the DBBL standings, while TSV drops to second.

SV Halle Lions - Herner TC 75-51
Nadja Proetzig (179-F-89) hit 3 out of her 5 shots from beyond the arc and registered 20 points to guide the Lions to home victory against HTC. Tamara Tatham (185-F-85, college: Massachusetts) racked up 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Andrea Krug (185-F/C-84) finished the night with 17 points and 9 boards. HTC got 14 points from Katsiaryna Zberch (188-C-78, agency: LBM Management), Sequoia Holmes (185-F-86, college: UNLV) followed with 10 points in defeat.

Trinos Goettingen - BC pharmaserv Marburg 67-66
The Violets rallied to edge the Blue Dolphins 67-66 at home. Jennifer Kerns (172-G-76, agency: Rasmussen Services, college: Washington St.) led all scores with 19 points, Sarka Kucerova (180-F-82) added 11 points plus 9 rebounds. On the other end of the court Sandra Weber (183-G/F-85) put in 14 points for Marburg, Amanda Davidson (170-G-83, college: Indianapolis) had 11 points and Anna-Christine Goerg (190-F-87) produced 10 points.

BBV Leipzig Eagles - WWK Donau-Ries 65-75
Donau-Ries earned its 11th win of the season, while Leipzig fell to a 6-15 record. Sarah Wilson (190-F-86, college: Niagara) put up great numbers for the visitors and recorded 20 points and 15 boards. Alexandra Mueller (176-G-83) added 21 points, Tanya Broring (177-G-84) contributed 19 points and 10 boards, while Cornelia Janzon (190-F/C-81) finished with 12 points in a meeting with her former club. The Eagles got 20 points and 6 rebounds from Kyle DeHaven (175-G-84, college: Delaware), Elena Diaz (185-F-83, college: Nebraska) added 14 points and 6 boards.

evo New Basket Oberhausen - BC Wildcats Wolfenbuettel 84-56
Oberhausen ripped Wolfenbuettel to improve to a 12-9 record, while Wolfenbuettel dropped to 7-14. The Oberhausen defense managed to keep the Wildcats at a field goal-percentage of 29%. Birte Thimm (180-F-87) and Lea Mersch (170-G-87) each scored 13 points, Bracey Barker (186-F-85, college: Maine) added 11. Wolfenbuettel's Shaina Zaidi (173-G-85, college: UCLA) totaled 19 points, while Wildcats' topscorer Amanda Lassiter (186-F-79, college: Missouri) was only 3 out of 12 from the floor (12 pts totally) and was held below her scoring average of 20.

Eisvoegel USC Freiburg - ChemCats Chemnitz 75-65
Freiburg toppled Chemnitz 75-65 and sealed the 7th win of the season. The host was led by Mirna Paunovic (185-F/C-76) - who extended her contract with the club recently - with 25 points and 7 rebounds. Sarah Hayes (173-G-84, college: Brown) ended the game with 19 points and 9 boards, Hope Foster (187-F/C-86, college: Bucknell) added 12 points. Corrie Fertitta (185-F-86, college: Radford) totaled 23 points and 12 rebounds for the ChemCats, Martina Bozikov (188-F-84) had 17 points in the loss.

Game day 22, the final of the regular season, will already take place on Sunday, March 15th.

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HUNGARY - Women

A Round: 19 (Regular Season, with box-scores) - by Eurobasket News
ZTE - MiZo Pecs 66-74
MiZo Pecs cruised past ZTE on the road jumping to almost perfect 18-1 record in Hungarian top division. However, it is not enough for No.1 as MKB Euroleasing has 18-0. Nicole Ohlde (193-F/C-82, college: Kansas St.) top-scored for the winners with 18 points. Anna Vajda had 17 pts and 10 boards. On the other side, the hosts got 15 pts from Zsofia Horvath.

Szolnok - MKB Eurol. 80-85
Impressive 18-0 for No.1 MKB Euroleasing after this game. Jelena Milovanovic (191-F/C-89) was on fire draining magnificent 30 points. Dora Horti followed her with double-double, 17 points and 10 rebounds. Rita Hegedus and Csilla Darida combined 47 points in loss.

Foton - Szeged 68-80
Very important road victory for third-ranked Szeged, who now has pretty decent 16-3 record. Bernadett Nemeth (173-G-80) was a key player for the winners with 29 points. Experienced Hajdana Radunovic answered with 20 points and 12 boards in loss.

Atomeromu - BSE 63-79
15-3 for BSE and 5-14 record for Atomeromu after yesterday's match. Lidiya Milkova (192-C-70) stepped up for the guests with 16, while Gabriela Kiss was behind her delivering 11 pts. Reka Balint of Atomeromu led all the scorers with 22 points.

Savaria - Cegledi EKK 61-69
Another win by the guests yesterday. This time it was Cegledi EKK, who was better than Savaria mostly owing to Monika Hegedus' (178-F-82) 18 points and 15 rebounds. Klara Tiba also nailed 18 pts in victory. Vivien Gadnai had double-double in loss, 22 points and 15 boards.

BEAC - Vasas-Csata 58-66
Six games and six wins for the guests in this round. Vasas-Csata grabbed it thanks to Reka Fejes (186-F-87), who collected 18 points and 7 rebounds. Anna Lakloth and Timea Czank netted 13 pts each. Virag Havasi netted 11 pts in defeat.

Uniqua NB1/A - Round 19 - by Patonay Adam
Szolnok and Zala Volan almost could make the surprise but Milovanovic and Ivany finall didn't let them to do it. Szeged made very important victory at Gyor, Bernadett Nemeth (173-G-80) was unstoppable with her 7 threes! BSE, Cegled and Vasas Csata made the victory on road.

Zala Volan ZTE - Mizo Pecs 2010 66:74
Zala Volan: Horvath Zs. 15, Judit Szelesy (184-F-78, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 12/6, Rita Rasheed (182-F-89) 13/3
Pecs: Ivanyi D. 15/3, Vajda A. 17/3, Ohlde N. 18, Torok Sz. 11

Szolnoki NKK - MKB Euroleasing Sopron 80:85
Szolnok: Djelmis A. 10/9, Rita Hegedus (193-F-78) 25/9, Darida Cs. 22/9, Serban A. 14/3
Sopron: Horti D. 17 (10 reb), Honti K. 10 (10 reb), Holt 11 (11 reb), Jelena Milovanovic (191-F/C-89) 30/6

Seat Foton Gyor - Szeviep Szeged 68:80
Gyor: Furesz D. 13/9, Imbergerova D. 14/3, Radunovic H. 20 (12 reb)
Szeged: Zherzherunova O. 14/3 (12 reb), Maslowski M. 16, Bernadett Nemeth 29/21

Atomeomu Szekszard - BSE 63:79
Szekszard: Reka Balint (181-F-91) 22/3, Ievtushenko A. 14
BSE: Maksimovic 10/3, Milkova L. 16, Gabriella Kiss (178-G-84, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) 11/3

Savaria BC - Cegledi EKK 60:69
Savaria: Gadnai V. 22/3 (15 reb), Szabadfi M. 13/9, Horvath E. 13
Cegled: Hegedus M. 18, Tiba K. 18/3

BEAC Ujbuda - Vasas Csata 58:66
BEAC: Kisvari B. 10/6, Havasi V. 11/6
Csata: Reka Fejes (186-F-87) 18/6, Czank T. 13, Lakloth A. 13/3

Standings - Women

A Standings

1. MKB Eurol.	18-0
2. Pecsi	18-1
3. Szeged	16-3
4. BSE	15-3
5. Foton	12-7
6. ZTE	9-10
7. Vasas-Csata	8-11
8. Szolnok	7-12
9. Atomeromu	5-14
10. BEAC	3-16
11. Cegledi EKK	2-16
12. Savaria	0-19

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Rachill ROBINSON
  Dunav
  (187-F/C-83)
  Avg: 23.7

1. Robinson, Savaria	23.7
2. Vajda, MiZo Pecs	21.5
3. Djelmis, Szolnok	15.4
4. Milovanovic, MKB E.	15.2
5. Radunovic, Foton	14.9
6. Milkova, BSE	14.9
7. Varga, ZTE	14.4
8. Ievtushenko, Atome.	14.2
9. Zherzherunov., Sze.	13.6
10. Holt, MKB Eur.	13.4

Rebounds Per Game

Rachill ROBINSON
  Dunav
  (187-F/C-83)
  Avg: 9.8

1. Robinson, Savaria	9.8
2. Wilson, Atomeromu	8.6
3. Radunovic, Foton	7.6
4. Gardner, Savaria	7.5
5. Serban, Cegledi EKK	6.8
6. Zherzherunov., Sze.	6.4
7. Vajda, MiZo Pecs	6.3
8. Coelho, MiZo Pecs	6.3
9. Fejes, Vasas-Csata	6.3
10. Holt, MKB Eur.	5.9

Assists Per Game

Dalma IVANYI
  MiZo Pecs
  (178-G-76)
  Avg: 5.8

1. Ivanyi, MiZo Pecs	5.8
2. Djelmis, Szolnok	3.8
3. Furesz, Szeged	3.5
4. Darida, Szolnok	3.4
5. Borovickova, Foton	3.1
6. Nemeth, Szeged	3.1
7. Furesz, Foton	3.1
8. Szondy, Vasas-Csata	2.8
9. Tamis, Atomeromu	2.8
10. Macleod, MKB.	2.8

Steals Per Game

Anna VAJDA
  MiZo Pecs
  (191-F/C-84)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Vajda, MiZo Pecs	3.6
2. Ivanyi, MiZo Pecs	3.5
3. Wilson, Atomeromu	3.2
4. Koncz, BSE	3.0
5. Darida, Szolnok	2.8
6. Szasz, BEAC	2.6
7. Czank, Vasas-Csata	2.5
8. Varga, ZTE	2.4
9. Laczi, Szeged	2.4
10. Milovanovic, MKB.	2.4

Blocks Per Game

Rachill ROBINSON
  Dunav
  (187-F/C-83)
  Avg: 1.6

1. Robinson, Savaria	1.6
2. Gardner, Savaria	0.8
3. Fritz, Vasas-Csata	0.7
4. Sandor, Savaria	0.7
5. Hegedus, Cegledi .	0.6
6. Krnjic, MiZo Pecs	0.6
7. Vajda, MiZo Pecs	0.6
8. Szabadfi, Savaria	0.5
9. Radunovic, Foton	0.5
10. Szondy, Vasas-Csa.	0.4

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ISRAEL - Women

Round 3 ( Qualifying round ) First team - by Gil Goshen

The MVP is Sheri Sam with 29 points and 9 rbs led her team to win very important game vs. Ashdod.

Tamara Moore had a great game vs, Ashdod with 21 points, 5 rbs, 5 ast. Its was very important game which determined which teams will play in the Israeli final-four.

Tasha Humphrey although her team lost vs. Ramla Tasha was great with 30 points and t0 rbs.

Tatyana Troina let her team won vs. Bnoth Hasharon and had 24 points. This game determined that Ramat Hasharon will be ranked at the 1st place.

Rivi Grinboym let her team win vs. Hpoel Tel Aviv and had 16 points, 10 rb, 8 ast !!!

Sheri Sam with 29 points and 9 rbs with a lot of leadership led Ramla to win vs, Ashdod

Liron Cohen in Turkey - by Gil Goshen

On Round 20th Liron team Besiktas Cola won
vs, TED Kayseri 71:61.

Liron played 34 minutes and had 17 points, and again 9 ast, 2 rbs.
Gerena Branzova had 12 points and 9 rbs,
Laura Harper had 12 points , 5 rbs.
Anna De Forge had 10 points.

Liron is ranked now on the second place in the Turkish League with 6.4 asts. per game and 4th place in score with 16.8 per game !!!!

Next week Besiktas will host Fenerbahce ( first place ). Liron Cohen (174-G-82)

D1 Round: 3 (Qualifying Round) - by Eurobasket News
Ramla - M.Ashdod 89-81
Ramla outscored Maccabi Ashdod behind 27 points and 9 rebounds from Sheri Lynette Sam (183-F/G-74, agency: Ronsport, college: Vanderbilt). Tamara Moore scored 21 points as the winners improved at 15-6 record. Tasha Humphrey responded with 30 points and 10 boards for Maccabi Ashdod in defeat.

Ramat Hen - Maclar.Holon 79-69
Ramat Hen continued to chase league-leading Electra Ramat after they dealt with Maclaren Holon at home court. Shay Doron (175-G-85, college: Maryland) fired 19 points to lead the hosts. Noa Ganor contributed 16 points for the winners. Edwina Brown responded with 18 points, 11 boards, 8 assists and 4 steals in the loss.

Bnot Hash. - Electra Ramat 60-79
Electra Ramat earned the 18th win in the season as they held off Bnot Hasharon on the road. Tatyana Troina (188-F/C-81, college: S.Carolina) poured in 24 points to lead the way for the visitors. Ebony Hoffman added 18 points and 11 boards for Electra Ramat. Charde Houston scored 22 points and collected 13 rebounds in the losing case.

B.Yehuda - Hapoel T-A 115-71
Bnei Yehuda scored a comprehensive victory over Hapoel Tel-Aviv as Dionnah Jackson (176-G-82, agency: Ronsport, college: Oklahoma) stepped up with outstanding numbers. She tallied 22 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists and 7 steals to lead Yehuda. Shira Haelion contributed 19 points for the winners. Brandie Hoskins answered with game-high 28 points and 7 boards for Hapoel Tel-Aviv.

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ITALY - Women

Cras Taranto takes the first against Dynamo Moscow 76-71 - by Eurobasket News
Eurocup, Semifinals: Cras Taranto - Dynamo Moscow 76-71

Cras Taranto demonstrated nice performance yesterday against the powerful Russian team Dynamo Moscow. It was the first semifinal game meaning that Taranto transfers plus 5 to Moscow for the second one, which is scheduled for March 19th. Megan Mahoney (183-F-83, agency: LBM Management, college: Kansas St.) was a key player for the hosts scoring 19 points and pulling down 6 rebounds. Elodie Godin (190-C-85) also had very important role as she almost registered double-double, 14 points and 9 boards. Suzy Batkovic (193-C-80) nailed 13 (plus 6 rebs) and Michelle Greco (176-G-80) netted one point less than her. On the other side, the team from Moscow got 23 points and 5 boards from Belinda Snell (181-F-81). Jannell Burse (197-C-79, college: Tulane) had 17 points and 9 rebs, while Anete Jekabsone-Zogota (177-G-83) contributed with 15 pts. Cras Taranto had pretty good beginning. After 7 minutes the hosts created 20-14 lead. However, Belinda Snell and her teammates closed the gap to 24-22 very soon. Bello closed the first stanza with a triple fixing the score to 27-22. During the next one Cras Taranto reached plus 10, but wasn't able to keep that lead until the half time, 41-36. Jannell Burse was almost unstoppable in third period helping Dynamo to tie the score after 30 minutes, 54-54. The teams were tied until 1:44 remaining when, Megan Mahoney pulled her team up to final 76-71.

Cras Taranto: Megan Mahoney 19+6 boards, Elodie Godin 14+9 boards, Suzy Batkovic 13+6 boards, Michelle Greco 12
Dynamo Moscow: Belinda Snell 23+5 boards, Jannell Burse 17+9 boards, Anete Jekabsone-Zogota 15

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LATVIA - Women

Standings - LSBL

LSBL Standings

1. TTT Riga	25-1
2. Cesis	22-2
3. TTT Jun.	15-10
4. Liepajas met.	12-14
5. Turiba/K.	11-15
6. RTU-Merks	11-15
7. SK Riga	5-22
8. DU/Swedbank	2-24

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LITHUANIA - Women

Standings - LMKL

LMKL Standings

1. TEO Vilnius	27-0
2. Arvi	23-4
3. Lemminkain.	18-9
4. Laisve	16-11
5. Aistes-Atletas	12-15
6. Ruta Siauliai	7-20
7. Egle Panev.	4-23
8. Alytus	1-26

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POLAND - Women

Intersting setting in the Polish Basketball League - by Maciej Schwarz
Before the regular season's last day of the of the PLKK, no team can be certain about the table standing in the first four spots, but Lotos PKO BP Gdynia. The Euroleague team takes first spot before the playoffs, but the set of CCC Polkowice, TS Wisla Krakow and AZS PWSZ Gorzow is uncertain. In the last day Wisla takes Lotos and Gorzow play against Polkowice. The game in Krakow, however, is not as important as game in Gorzow, as even if Wisla wins the game, it can't be sure of 2nd or 3rd spot before playoffs.
If Gorzow wins, Wisla takes 3rd spot, and Polkowice 4th, if Gorzow loses, Polkowice take 2nd, Gorzow 3rd, Wisla 4th. The latter case would mean that two Euroleague teams will meet each other in semi-finals, which did not occur for a long time.

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RUSSIA - Women

Dynamo Kursk earns plus 15 before the second game in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
EuroCup, Semifinals: Dynamo Kurks - Galatasaray 61-47

Dynamo Kursk stopped Turkish Galatasaray on just 47 points in the first game of EuroCup semifinals. It is a big step forward for Dynamo before the second match in Istanbul, which is scheduled for March 19th. Sandra Valuzyte (176-G-82) and Anastasia Fomina (175-G-83) led the scorers in victory with 18 points each. Valuzyte had 7 assists beside that, while Fomina grabbed 6 boards. The last one with double-digits in scoring for Dynamo was Svetlana Maksimenko (183-F-82, agency: LBM Management) - 11 pts. Galatasaray had only one player with 10+ and it was Seimone Augustus (185-G-84, college: LSU) - 12 points. Sophia Young (186-F-83, college: Baylor) this time stopped on 8 pts and 7 boards. Dynamo had amazing beginning. The hosts opened the game with quick 6-0 and later 14-2 lead. Few minutes after that Dynamo was ahead 21-4. Seimone Augustus and her teammates somehow recovered closing the gap to 11 points, but Svetlana Maksimenko closed the impressive first stanza with a triple for 24-10. Dynamo had plus 17 in the second frame, but Galata answered coming on minus 7. However, this time Anastasia Fomina closed the period with a triple for 34-24. Third quarter totally belonged to Dynamo, who had 18-point lead, before Kress cut it to 48-32 after 30 minutes. With 3 minutes to go Galatasaray was within 9 points, but Dynamo made 5-0 run until the end earning nice plus 14 before the trip to Istanbul.

Dynamo Kursk: Sandra Valuzyte 18+7 as, Anastasia Fomina 18+6 boards, Svetlana Maksimenko 11
Galatasaray: Seimone Augustus 12, Sophia Young 8+7 boards

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SAINT KITTS - Women

Basketball Season Scheduled for a Mid April Start - by Richard
Basseterre, St.Kitts ( March 12th 2009) :-The newly elected SKABA basketball executive met on Wednsday evening at Basketball to discuss and finalise plans for the upcoming 2009 Basketball season.
Matters discussed included the start of the 2009 season which was set and finalized at March 28th for the female and the Junior divisions and 3 weeks later on April 19th with the official opening and the start of the Premeir and A Divisions.
The Junior division age limit remains the same at 19 and under which means that no one attaining the age of 20 during the year of the season will be allowed to play in the Junior division.
The Executive also indicated that referees/coaches clinic which will be held prior to the official start of the league. The clinics will be mandatory for all persons who are interested in coaching teams for the 2009 season. According to an official of the association this will be a keenly monitored aspect of the preparations leading up to the start of the league as it is felt that every coach should be at least SKABA certified in order to ensure a league of a very high standard. Strict dress codes will also be introduced the official stated.

The 2009 season is expected to be full of much interest as Hitters will be trying hard to stave off the exciting Ghetto Roots who they defeated in last years finals, as well as St.Pauls Tuff Knots who have made a change in their coaching staff with St.Clair Buchanan taking over from Dave Connor as Head Coach. Trotters are back in the premier division after spending a year in the A and they too are expected to be contenders as well to dethrone the mighty hitters. Cotton Ground is always the dark horse and 2009 may very well be the breakthrough year for the young athletic team.
The A division is relatively wide open. However recently relegated Blue Devils will more than likely be featured in the top 3. The Sandy Point Fruta Flacons and the Lady Blue Devils are expected to once again be very dominant in their respective Junior and Female divisions.

For more information on the St.Kitts Amateur Basketball Association got to the association website at:
http://WWW.stkittsbasketball.com

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SWITZERLAND - Women

LNSA Stats Leaders

LNA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

1. Barnes, Pully 24.8
2. Villarroel, Sierre 21.9
3. Crisman, BBC 21.7
4. Jones, Pully 20.2
5. Knight, Riva 19.7

Rebounds Per Game

1. Crisman, BBC 11.8
2. McKenzie, Seirre 11.8
3. Moore, Riva 9.9
4. Griffith, Helios 9.9
5. Daniels, Nyon 9.9

Assists Per Game

1. Daniels, Nyon 7.3
2. Vercauteren,Sierre 5.6
3. Brantlova, Fribourg 4.7
4. Villarroel, Sierre 4.6
5. Charlier, Neuchatel 4.4

Steals Per Game

1. Daniels, Nyon 5.3
2. Crisman, BBC 3.5
3. Villarroel, Sierre 3.2

Blocks Per Game

1. Maclot, Pully 1.7
2. Gueye, Nyon 1.6
3. Villarroel, Sierre 1.5

2FGP

1. Briedyte, Sierre 75.4
2. Villarroel, Sierre 73.1
3. Mayombo, Neuchatel
72.7

3FGP

1. Brantlova, Fribourg 48.7
2. Crisman, BBC 44.7
3. Raboud, Neuchatel 43.8

Free Throws

1. Villarroel, Sierre 90.8
2. Moore, Riva 88.2
3. Knight, Riva 88.2

Ranking

1. Daniels, Nyon 28.8
2. Villarroel, Sierre 26.1
3. Crisman, BBC 25.3

Standings - LNF

LNA Standings

1. U.Neuchatel	18-2
2. Sierre	17-3
3. BBC	14-6
4. Nyon	10-10
5. Riva Basket	9-11
6. Fribourg	9-11
7. Helios	2-18
8. Pully	1-19

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TURKEY - Women

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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - Women

Western season ends in semifinals - by David Edole
Paint Branch 76, No. 3 Western 68:
Western has throttled opponents all season with its superior speed and athleticism.

In last night's Class 3A state semifinal at UMBC, however, the Doves simply couldn't match the inside power and bulk of defending state champion Paint Branch.

Led by the physical inside play of 5-10 senior Khalilah Quigley (26 points, 11 rebounds) and 5-11 senior Chandel Brown (11, 12), the Panthers - ranked No. 3 by The Washington Post - built a 15-point lead late in the first half, then held on to end the Doves' 14-game winning streak.

'They had the advantage in bulk, but we had the advantage in height, and we didn't take advantage of it,' Western coach Tiffany Silver said. 'They scored 42 points in the paint. They got 26 points from their post player and I got four. That was the difference in the game.'

Western (20-7) has lost at the state tournament four straight years, including back-to-back losses in the semifinals. Trailing 39-24, the Doves stormed back into the game in the second half, pulling within three after three-pointers by Ashley Craig and Keirah Hicks.

Moments later, they cut it to 63-62 when Akeema Richards (game-high 28 points) made a jumper from the foul line with 4:15 to play. Western, however, never could take the lead, and the Panthers again began to pound the ball into the paint.

'Khalilah and Chandel just ate up room,' Paint Branch coach Heather Podesek said. 'We played a power game, not a finesse game, inside, and I think that was hugely important.'

Paint Branch (24-2), winner of 17 straight, also got 16 points from Brene Moseley and 15 from James Madison recruit Tarik Haslop. The Panthers will play for their fifth state title tomorrow.

Gibbs, Eleanor Roosevelt goes for 5th consecutive 4A Championsip - by David Edole
After losing to Eleanor Roosevelt by two points in last year's state Class 4A girls basketball championship, No. 5 Arundel had all the motivation it needed to sprint out to a quick start in its bid for revenge in yesterday's state semifinal.

But, as Roosevelt senior Elashier Hall said, her team was prepared for a marathon.

As the fouls on Arundel's frontcourt players began to mount, the Raiders gained the momentum to close a 16-point gap and hold off the Wildcats for a 47-43 victory at UMBC's RAC Arena.

The Raiders (24-1), ranked No. 2 by The Washington Post, will try to tie the state tournament record for most consecutive titles when they go after their fifth at 3p.m. tomorrow against Blake - a 61-43 winner over Linganore in the other semifinal - at RAC Arena.

The Wildcats (22-5) dominated early, running up a 16-point lead by the middle of the second quarter as the Raiders scored only one basket in the first 12:28. A few minutes later, Simone Egwu, Arundel's 6-foot-3 center, and 6-5 forward Sheronne Vails picked up their third fouls, and that fueled a growing Raiders intensity.

'They are phenomenal players,' Raiders 6-0 forward Olivia Applewhite said. 'It's a blessing to have two 6-5 girls on the same team, and we aren't that big, so we just tried to figure out a way to get them out of the game. It was just take it at them or just play smart defensively, and that's what we did.'

Egwu and Vails combined for 10 points and 17 rebounds, and Vails fouled out with 3:57 left in the game.

In the third quarter, the Raiders tied the score for the first time, at 25, on Keiona Revis' three-pointer with 3:15 left. The next second, Vails picked up her fourth foul - a minute after Egwu got hers.

Early in the fourth, the Raiders ran their lead to 35-27, but the Wildcats went on an 11-2 run, taking a 38-37 lead on Talen Watson's pull-up jumper with 4:32 to go. The Raiders answered with an 8-2 run, helped by five Arundel turnovers.

'Maybe [Arundel had] a little lack of intensity,' said Watson, who led the Wildcats with 16 points. 'Getting more loose balls and more rebounds would have helped, because the more possessions you get, the more chances you have to score. They're a good team, but we're a good team, too. We had everything to win this game and we tried the best that we could.'

NIckia gibbs tallied five points and four rebounds in 21 minutes of action.

Murrah reachs girls Grand Slam finals - by David Edole
Murrah High School seniors Tanecka Carey and Brandi Simmons will put on their Lady Mustangs uniforms for the final time Saturday afternoon.

And the duo would like nothing more than to leave the Mississippi Coliseum with an MHSAA Grand Slam championship after runner-up finishes the past two seasons.

Simmons and Carey scored 13 points each tonight to lead Class 5A champion Murrah to a 44-39 victory over 4A champ Yazoo City in the Grand Slam semifinals before an estimated 2,000.

It hit us Thursday when we had our last practice together that this was almost the end, said Simmons, who also grabbed 10 rebounds. We want to go out with a silver ball, too.

Murrah (25-3), ranked No. 4 in The Clarion-Ledger Super 10, will face No. 5 Raymond (33-2) today at 1 p.m. in the title game.

Carey and Simmons arent the only ones eyeing that silver ball. Murrah coach Anna Jackson, who won her ninth state title last week to give her more gold balls than anyone (boys or girls), would like nothing more than to add to the trophy case.

Its good to be back in the finals again, said Jackson, whose team lost to Gentry in the past two Grand Slam title games. But I need that silver ball.

The Lady Mustangs used a 6-0 run in the fourth quarter to get some cushion.

Carey hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final quarter as she and Simmons won their 10th straight game at the Big House. Freshman Chardonae Fuqua chipped in 11 points for Murrah, which withstood a 12 -0 run by Yazoo City in the second and third quarters.

I think down the stretch the girls showed that they wanted it, Jackson said. Thats the sign of a champion. They picked it up.

Kenyatta Epps scored 13 points for Yazoo City (24-11), which saw its nine-game winning streak snapped.

For some reason we didnt play with that fire that we had been playing with, said Yazoo City coach Archie Carlyle.

By Rod Walker

CHS girls win fourth straight championship - by David Edole
The Central High School Lady Caribs made it a four-peat Wednesday night with a 52-34 win over Country Day School in the St. Croix IAA girls varsity championship.

'Our benchmark is pretty high ... I feel good,' Central head coach Donald Bough said after the game. 'We completed our main goal - to win our district.

'We had some tough luck with tournaments this year, but I'm happy we won and won convincingly,' he said. 'I knew Country Day would be tough though. They've been good for the past few years.'

Central's Risheema Burke was the game's Most Valuable Player for her play on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. Burke scored a game-high 16 points and was instrumental in holding Country Day's top player, Syndei Rogers, off her game.

'She was a standout for us,' Bough said. 'She hit big 3-pointers and her defensive play was stellar.'

Rogers scored a team-high 15 points, but Country Day's next top scorer was Samantha Smith with just five points.

'Central High has a good team,' Country Day head coach Earl Baker said. 'My girls played a tough game against Complex yesterday, then came out a little flat today and fell behind early.'

Central broke the game open early by taking a 12-7 lead after the first period. Then in the second they turned it on defensively by outscoring Country Day, 11-3, and taking a 23-10 lead into the half.

The Lady Caribs extended their lead after outscoring Country Day, 14-9, in the third, then matched their opponent point-for-point to keep their large lead and hold off any comeback hopes.

'For the most part I'm happy with the way the season went, but I'm tired of getting second place,' Coach Baker said after his team finished in second place for the third time in four years. 'I know we'll get there though.'

Central's Shamira Vanderpool contributed 14 points on the night and the Lady Caribs got help from by Lanesa Bough and their lone senior, Lima Lake.

'They were key, those were my stars tonight,' Coach Bough said. 'Even though we've got younger players I was confident going in.'

With just Lake leaving the squad and four of five starters returning, the Lady Caribs are poised to once again to take the St. Croix title next season.

'My core players and a lot of young players who got experience this year are returning,' Bough said. 'I may not have the height, but we have good guards galore.'

By Chris Walsh

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UKRAINE - Women

Standings (Women)

Higher League Standings

1. Kozachka	15-1
2. Tim-Scuf	11-5
3. Chaika	4-13
4. Ol.-NAEK	3-14

Dynamo handed Dnipro the first upset - by Eurobasket News
Dnipro remained unbeaten for 21 games in UBL first season. It lasted until the trip to Kiev, where the local Dynamo was stronger 85:82. The hosts opened the game in a offensive first period that had 27:25 at the end of it. The tempo slowed down, however Dynamo improved to 5 more points after 19-14 in the second frame. Last two quarters belonged to the league-leaders that had 23-22 in the third and 20-17 in the last respectively. Joei Clyburn (186-G/F-84, college: Xavier) led the winners with 26 points and 8 rebounds. Elena Legostaeva (188-F-86) nailed 24 and Lyudmila Lyubarska (166-G-81) posted 14. Yuliya Yakhina (187-C-80) responded with 30 points in the losing effort.
Meanwhile Kozachka and Tim-Skuf found out their semifinal groups in Balti League. Lithuania will host the Semifinals of the Baltic League 2008/2009. Klaipeda and Vilnius will host semifinals games on the 27th 29th of March, 2009. Eight teams are divided into Pool A and Pool B.
Pool A will consist of the defending champions TEO, Cesis, Berezina and Tim-Scuf. The favorites for the two places in the Final Four are TEO and Cesis and the latter in case of advancing will host the Final stage of the tournament. Ukrainian Tim Skuf and Berezina from Belarus will battle and try to take at least one spot in the Final Four.Pool B will have TTT Riga, Arvi, Lemminkainen and Kozachka-Zalk. This group seems to be more unpredictable as all four teams have good chances to advance.

Standings - UBL - by Eurobasket News

UBL Standings

1. Dnipro	21-1
2. Dynamo-NPU	19-4
3. KPU Zaporoz.	16-6
4. Galitskaya A.	13-9
5. Donbas	12-9
6. Yuzh.Palmira	12-10
7. TNU Simf.	9-13
8. Polit.Galitsiya	3-19
9. Marel-Cherkasy	3-20
10. Luganski Last.	2-19

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UNITED KINGDOM - Women

Standings - Women

EBL Standings

1. UWIC Archers	15-1
2. Sheffield H.	14-1
3. Nottingham W.	11-4
4. Northumbria	11-5
5. Solent S.	8-7
6. London M.	6-11
7. Manchester M.	6-12
8. London HA	6-12
9. Rh.Rebels	5-8
10. Leeds C.	5-12
11. Sevenoaks S.	1-16

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WNBA - Women

Dream announces 2009 preseason schedule - by Eurobasket News
The Atlanta Dream announced today its 2009 WNBA preseason game, a home matchup against Eastern Conference rival the Connecticut Sun on May 27. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Philips Arena.

The Dream is also reaching out to Facebook users with a special offer to kick off the 2009 season. If the Dream's Official Facebook Fan Page reaches 1500 fans by March 18, 2009, each of these fans will be eligible to receive a free ticket to the preseason opener against Connecticut. The two-week promotion has already helped generate over 1,000 fans following the team on Facebook.

The full WNBA preseason schedule is as follows:

Day Date Visiting Team Home Team Local Time Venue City

Thurs. May 21 Washington New York 11 a.m. Madison Square Garden New York, N.Y.

Thurs. May 21 Sacramento Seattle 7 p.m. Key Arena Seattle, Wash.

Fri. May 22 New York Connecticut 7 p.m. Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Conn.

Fri. May 22 Detroit Chicago 7:30 p.m. UIC Pavilion Chicago, Ill.

Sat. May 23 Indiana Minnesota 12 p.m. College of St. Benedict St. Joseph, Minn.

Weds. May 27 Connecticut Atlanta 7:30 p.m. Philips Arena Atlanta, Ga.

Weds. May 27 Chicago Detroit 11 a.m. The Palace at Auburn Hills Detroit, Mich.

Weds. May 27 Phoenix Sacramento 11 a.m. ARCO Arena Sacramento, Calif.

Thurs. May 28 New York Washington 11:30 a.m. Verizon Center Washington, D.C.

Thurs. May 28 Chicago Indiana 7 p.m. Conseco Fieldhouse Indianapolis, Ind.

Sat. May 30 San Antonio Detroit 7 p.m. Traverse City West H.S. Traverse City, Mich.

Sat. May 30 Seattle Phoenix 7 p.m. US Airways Center Phoenix, Ariz.

Sun. May 31 Los Angeles Connecticut 3 p.m. Mohegan Sun Arena Uncasville, Conn.

Tues. June 2 Indiana San Antonio 7 p.m. Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas

Tues. June 2 E League Chicago 7 p.m. UIC Pavilion Chicago, Ill.

The Dream will tip off its second season on Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 7 p.m. against the Indiana Fever. For more information and to purchase season tickets, fans can call 404.604.2626 or visit www.AtlantaDream.net.

Courtesy of The Atlanta Dream

Mystics pre-season schedule released - by Eurobasket News
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) released the league's 2009 pre-season schedule today. The Washington Mystics will play a two game series prior to the start of the regular season against the Eastern Conference Finalist, New York Liberty.

Washington will play at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, May 21st at 11:00 a.m. against the Liberty. The Mystics will conclude the two game series at home and host its first annual school day game at the Verizon Center on Thursday, May 28th at 11:30 a.m. It will be a chance for children to enjoy a fast-paced basketball game with educational programming and kid friendly entertainment. Tickets for the school day preseason game will go on sale in April.

The Washington Mystics will tip off the 2009 season on Saturday, June 6th; on the road against the Connecticut Sun. Washington will host the club's home opener on Sunday, June 7th, against the Atlanta Dream. Season tickets for the 2009 season are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Mystics Sales Office at 1-877-DC-HOOP1 or by visiting the Mystics web site at www.washingtonmystics.com.

The Washington Mystics organization is dedicated to providing affordable entertainment, serving as an impactful community partner and maintaining accessibility to positive female role models. Supported by passionate fans, the Mystics are elite, hardworking athletes continually striving to win a Championship.

Courtesy of The Washington Mystics

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ZIMBABWE - Women

The heartbreak of hundreds Zimbabwean - by Roderick Takawira
The Zimbabwe-South Africa clash turned into a heartbreaker for the hundreds of Zimbabwean fans who turned out to cheer their senior women's team as they attempted to qualify for the Africa Nations Cup. Zimbabwe lost both games by a point after leading most of the way. It was Zimbabwe's inability to close games that cost them. Overall Zimbabwe wasted a lot of easy opportunities especially free throws and lay-ups. It could have been a different story had Isobel Tengende managed to sink the second shot to tie the game with 3 seconds on the clock. That miss was rebounded by South Africa and they ran the clock out. South Africa were not impressive but you could not fault their commitment. They shot as badly as 2 out of 15 3-pointers but the second of that 3-pointer put them up by 2 points at 49-47. Tengende's one made free throw made it a final 49-48. In the Saturday game Zimbabwe lost 44-45. Considering that in both games Zimbabwe led most of the way but buckled in the last 20 seconds of the 4th quarter means some attention needs to be paid to the physical condition of our players.

In other games played over the weekend JBC bounced back to winning ways with a 109-51 drubbing of South Central. Stormers overcame Faith Wear Jammers 77-63 and are set to replace Jammers in the post-season. In the battle of Glen Norah vs Glen View, Glen Norah Pistons beat Glen View Nuggets 64-57 to claim the 2 game series by a 2 point aggregate. Nuggets had beaten Pistons 64-59 in the first game of the season. Pross beat Gentlemen's Association 58-57 but are still a game behind Pistons for a spot in the post season. Pross and Pistons are dead even and a tie breaker will need results from other games. Pistons won 58-55 in the first half whilst Pross took the second game 51-48.