EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 5/10/2009

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Men News

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  ARGENTINA   


Penarol ties the score to 1-1 in Liga A final - by Eurobasket News
Atenas - Penarol 75-85
Penarol managed to beat the regular season champion last night tying the score in the final series to 1-1. David Jackson (196-G-82, college: Penn St.) was almost unmistakable for the guests nailing 27 points. Roman Gonzalez (211-C-78, agency: HM Sports Agency) also had very important role registering double-double, 23 points and 13 rebounds. Pablo Sebastian Rodriguez (188-G-78) delivered 14 pts. The hosts got 19 points and 7 boards from Leonardo Gutierrez (200-F-78). Game No.3 is scheduled for May 11th and Penarol will be the host.

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  BELARUS   


Minsk-2006 and Vitalyur advanced to the Finals - by Eurobasket News
Minsk-2006 and Vitalyur advanced to the Finals as the favorites swept the semifinal clashes. Both of them reached the Finals after the third straight victories over the opponents.
Minsk-2006 overcame OZAA 124:80 in Game 3 for the Final ticket. The favorites opened the game with 36:15 after the opening quarter. The guests increased the lead to another 6 points after 26-20 in the second period. As a result the teams went to the lockers for 62:35 and it seemed that the series would be over. Another 32-18 and 30-27 in the second half lifted up Minsk-2006 t the Final series. Dante Stiggers (188-G-82, college: S.Mississippi) paced all the winners with 16 points, while Carlos Hurt (188-G-83, college: Robert Morris) netted 15. Dzianis Korshuk (202-C/F-78, agency: Agency No 10) delivered 14 points and Uladzimir Charko (200-F-74) posted 13. Ristich ended up with 16 points in the losing case.
Vitalyur beat Grodno-93 78:71 in Game 3. It was a really tough game and especially first half brought much interest in the game . Grodno-93 and Vitalyur finished the opening quarter at 25:25 and then the hosts grabbed three-point lead 17-14 in the second period. Moreover a 15-12 in the third stanza gave them 6 points advantage that they however could not keep for good. Vitalyur produced massive 27-14 last period and advanced to the Final series. Dmitry Sviridov (212-C-85) was unstoppable for the winners with 25 points and Kanstantsin Yafremau (201-F-86) scored 15. Maksim Shustau (184-G-86) poured in 11 points, while Aliaksei Pacevich (195-G-88) added 9. Chunda finished the night with 16 points in the losing effort.

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  BOSNIA   


Standings - BIH League
D1 Standings
League 8
 1. Bosna S. 11-2 
 2. Siroki Eronet 10-3 
 3. Igokea 10-3 
 4. Sloboda Dita 7-6 
 5. BoracNektar 5-8 
 6. Zrinjski MC 4-9 
 7. SL IAT Leotar 3-10 
 8. Hercegovac 2-11 
League 13
 1. Mladost MG 10-14 
 2. Vitez 9-15 
 3. Slavija 9-15 
 4. Grude 9-15 
 5. Posusje 8-16 
 6. Novi Grad 0-24 


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  BRAZIL   


NBB Round: 29 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Winner/Limeira - Paulistano 108-87
Winner/Limeira posted the 17th win as they crushed Paulistano at home court. Shamell Stallworth (197-F-80, agency: Interperformances, college: USF) and Guilherme Teichmann netted 22 points apiece for the winners. Renato Pinto managed 21 points for Winner/Limeira. Thiagao Rodrigo answered with 26 points, 6 assists and 4 boards in the loss.

Vivo/Franca - Flamengo 81-86
Flamengo earned the 25th victory as they overcame Vivo/Franca on the road. Marcelinho Machado (199-F/G-75, agency: Interperformances) proved his top status with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the winning effort. Baby Araujo added 12 points for the league leaders. Matheus Costa answered with 28 points for Vivo/Franca.

S.Jose/Vinac - Pinheiros 94-97
Pinheiros held off Sao Jose/Vinac behind 35 points from Marquinhos Vinicius (207-F-84). Alex Nascimento added 18 points and 10 boards in the winning case. Thiagao Pereira accounted for 29 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds in defeat.

CETAF - GRSA/Bauru 68-77
GRSA/Bauru secured the sixth straight win in the tournament as they overwhelmed CETAF away from home. Alex Oliveira (194-F-83) knocked down 17 points and pulled down 6 rebounds to lead GRSA/Bauru. Larry Taylor and Daniel Gaucho had 12 points apiece in the win. Amiel Morejon and Ricardo Gaspar replied with 14 points apiece in defeat.

Saldanha - Conti/Assis 76-79
Anderson Mosso (205-F/C-82, college: Chipola) tallied 22 points and 7 boards to pace Conti/Assis past Saldanha. Jorge Seraphim contributed 20 points in the victory. Eddy Carvalho answered with 27 points for Saldanha.

Univates/Bira - Universo/BRB 67-94
Universo/BRB dismantled Univates/Bira on the road to stay three wins behind the league leading Flamnego. Alexandre Garcia (191-G-80, agency: Interperformances) stepped up with 26 points and 12 boards for Universo/BRB. Ratto Fonseca and Rafael Mineiro had 13 points apiece in the win. Idles dos Santos responded with 24 points and 8 boards for Univates/Bira.

Lupo/Araraq. - Pitagoras/Minas 78-81
Minas stole a narrow road win over Lupo/Araraquara to improve at 21-6 record in the ladder. Joseph Shipp (197-F-81, agency: Octagon, college: California) scored 17 points, while Ricardo Probst added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Luisinho da Silva responded with game-high 24 points for Lupo/Araraquara.

Standings - BNL
NBB Standings
 1. Flamengo 25-2 
 2. Universo/BRB 22-6 
 3. Pitagoras/Minas 21-6 
 4. CISER/Araldite 20-7 
 5. Winner/Limeira 17-10 
 6. Vivo/Franca 15-12 
 7. GRSA/Bauru 15-12 
 8. Pinheiros 15-12 
 9. Paulistano 11-16 
 10. Conti/Assis 10-17 
 11. CETAF 9-18 
 12. Lupo/Araraq. 8-19 
 13. S.Jose/Vinac 7-20 
 14. Univates/Bira 4-23 
 15. Saldanha 4-23 


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  BULGARIA   


NBL Round: 1 (Quarter-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Sliven - Levski 65-123
Levski blasted Sliven in the first game of the play-off quarterfinals with huge 123-65. Marcus Hall (185-G-85, college: Colorado) led the scorers in victory with 25 points. Stanislav Slaveykov had 17, while Stefan Georgiev and Pavel Ivanov helped with 16 pts each. The hosts got 19 points and 6 bards from Jeremiah Boswell.

Spartak P. - Rilski S-list 100-105
Fantastic road win by Rilski Sportist for 1-0 lead in NBL quarterfinals. The team from Samokov got the most points from Aleksandar Gruev (187-G-83, agency: Interperformances) - 23. Dragoslav Papic helped with double-double, 21 points and 15 rebounds. Vladimir Marinov was on fire for the hosts nailing 25 pts.

ChernoMore - Yambol 82-73
Cherno More - Yambol 1-0. Corey McIntosh (183-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Iowa St.) stepped up for the winners with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. The big guy Dusan Jelic had 17 points and 9 boards, while Atila Santos collected 16 pts and 12 boards. Pavel Marinov replied with 20 points in the loosing squad.

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  CAMEROON   


Makanda and APOEL, Cyprus Pro A league Champion - by Yann Tientcheu
Seatar Apoel Nicosia basketball team is the 2009 Champion of the Cypriot league (Pro A) after downing Keravnos the
2008 champion on the 24th of April. Apoel gained the title by getting the best of its opponent in four games winning the first(77-71), the
third (67-65) and the fourth game (79-70). Cyrille Makanda,who joined the team this year, averaged 8.8pts and 20.7mns per game throughout the season.
Some of his season highlights include 16pts against AEL on January 4th, and 13pts and 3 steals against ENAD on February 27th.

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  CHILE   


Dimayor: saturday night results - by Daniel Valencia
Everton de Vina del Mar continues as the only team without a victory in this season of Dimayor. On saturday night, Everton was defeated by Universidad Catolica 69-67 in a game that requiered an overtime that Catolica won 10-8. The shooting guard Felipe Contreras (183-G-81) was the scoring leader for the winners. In Los Andes, Liceo Mixto worked until the last second of the game to defeat Sagrados Corazones 63-62, with Patricio Briones (213-C-72, college: Dade CC) as the key player, scoring 24 points. In Osorno, Provincial Osorno defeated Deportivo Valdivia 79-78, with 'Pop' Thornton (201-F-74, college: W.Kentucky) shining in his debut, scoring 31 points. Finally, in Llanquihue, Provincial Llanquihue, led by Leonel Mendez (184-G-75) (29 points) defeated CD Universidad de Concepcion 84-64.

Saturday night complete results

Everton de Vina del Mar 67 - Universidad Catolica 69 OT (59-59)
Eve: Oliver Hermosilla 21 pts. Miguel Zuniga 9 pts.
Uc: Felipe Contreras 17 pts. Sascha Frings 14 pts.

Liceo Mixto 63 - Sagrados Corazones 62
Lic: Patricio Briones 24 pts. Mauricio Cisternas 11 pts.
Sag: Hector Gomez 18 pts.Carlos Gallardo 15 pts.

Provincial Osorno 79 - Deportivo Valdivia 78
Oso: 'Pop' Thornton 31 pts. Rodrigo Zuniga 16 pts.
Val: Jonathan Heard 31 pts. Gerardo Isla 12 pts.

Provincial Llanquihue 84 - CD Universidad de Concepcion 64
Llan: Leonel Mendez 29 pts. Cesar Chaine 14 pts.
Ucon: Eduardo Marechal 17 pts. Diego Osses 16 pts.

Dimayor: roster moves for Espanol de Talca and Provincial Osorno - by Daniel Valencia
Deportivo Espanol de Talca agreed terms with the point guard Francisco Aranda (175-G-74) for the remainder of the season. Aranda has playing experience in the league with CD Puente Alto, Deportes Castro and Liceo Mixto.

Provincial Osorno announced the signing of the power forward/center 'Pop' Thornton (201-F-74, college: W.Kentucky) as their import player for the 'Apertura' tournament. Thornton already played in Chile with Deportivo Valdivia, Deportes Ancud and Liceo Mixto.

Dimayor: friday night results - by Daniel Valencia
Universidad Catolica gave the biggest surprise of the night, defeating Liceo Mixto 86-66, with Jorge Schuler (199-F-87) scoring 27 points. In Talca, Deportivo Espanol reached the fourth victory of the tournament after friday night victory against Boston College 96-85, with Oliver Morton (207-C-78, college: Chattanooga) leading the scorers with 24 points. Provincial Osorno defeated Universidad de Concepcion 81-76, with Rodrigo Zuniga (198-F-76) scoring 25 points. In Llanquihue, Deportivo Valdivia defeated the host Provincial Llanquihue 86-84, with Jonathan Heard (198-G/F-86, agency: Passing Lane) leading the scorers with 29 points. Finally, in Puerto Montt, Universidad de Los Lagos ended the losing streak with the victory against Deportes Castro 78-68, with Alexander Blackwell (205-F/C-70, college: Monmouth) scoring 27 points for the winners.

Friday night complete results

Liceo Mixto 66 - Universidad Catolica 86
Lic: Patricio Briones 23 pts. Percy Werth 13 pts.
Uc: Jorge Schuler 27 pts. Sascha Frings 18 pts.

Espanol de Talca 96 - Boston College 85
Esp: Oliver Morton 24 pts. Eduardo Sepulveda 22 pts.
Bos: Patricio Arroyo 25 pts. Rodrigo Espinoza 24 pts.

Provincial Osorno 81 - CD Universidad de Concepcion 76
Oso: Rodrigo Zuniga 25 pts. Cristian Perez 19 pts.
Ucon: Diego Osses 18 pts. Eduardo Marechal 18 pts.

Provincial Llanquihue 84 - Deportivo Valdivia 86
Llan: Carlos Sepulveda 21 pts. Jose Luis Campos 17 pts.
Val: Jonathan Heard 29 pts. Francisco Bravo 25 pts.

Universidad de Los Lagos 78 - Deportes Castro 68
Ula: Alexander Blackwell 27 pts. Michael Ernst 15 pts.
Cas: Gonzalo Velasquez 24 pts. Carlos Grandon 14 pts.

Standings - DIMAYOR
DIMAYOR Standings
 1. Liceo Mixto 6-1 
 2. Prov.Llanq. 5-2 
 3. Dep.Espanol 4-2 
 4. U.Catolica 4-3 
 5. Prov.Osorno 4-3 
 6. U.Concepc. 3-3 
 7. U.Los Lagos 3-3 
 8. Sagrados 3-3 
 9. Dep.Valdivia 3-4 
 10. Boston Coll. 2-4 
 11. Dep.Castro 1-4 
 12. Everton 0-6 


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  CHINA   


China Has Five Huge, Talented Young Prospects at Center - by Arthur Volbert
Su Wei (212-C-89), Wang Zheng (216-C-90), Sun Zhe (220-C-90), Zhang Dayu (210-C-91) and Li Muhao (216-C-92) are five huge, talented young centers who should provide China with talent in the middle for years to come.

Su is currently the most advanced of the five, and provided Guangdong with valuable minutes in the CBA finals. But Wang is taller, quicker, and likely a year younger. Wang has a bigger upside than Su.

Sun just came back from to China from the United States, where he spent this season developing his body strength. He is now 221 cm tall and weighs 240 pounds. He likely will be added to the Dongguan roster next season, having worked on body development this year.

Zhang is the most accomplished of the five centers at the moment. He started for Zhejiang for most of the season and recently made an impression in helping the World Team to victory over Team USA in the Nike Global Hoop Summit, scoring 6 points on 3 of 6 shooting.

Li is currently the most hyped of the five. He is the youngest, listed as being born in 1992. He recently played on China's team at the Australian Olympic Youth Festival and was named to China's new version of the Olympic Hope Team. He is still growing at 216 cm, having sprouted from 208 cm in the past two years. He is projected to reach 220 cm. He has not yet been given the heavy weight training that Sun just received, likely because he is still growing. Sun and Li both have a body type similar to Yao Ming.

Like Sun, Li belongs to Dongguan. So four of these five talented young centers are playing in the province of Guangdong. Likely Guangdong and Dongguan will each have to choose between their two young centers, shipping one out for an opportunity to be a starting center elsewhere.

We do not know which of these five players will have the most successful career. But all five could eventually play in the NBA one day, though most likely not all of them will.

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  CROATIA   


Standings - Ozujsko A1 League
A1 Standings
Group 1-8
 1. Cibona 11-1 
 2. Zadar 10-2 
 3. KK Zagreb 9-3 
 4. KK Split 6-6 
 5. Dubrovnik 4-7 
 6. Sibenka 2-9 
 7. Svjetlost 2-9 
 8. Cedevita 2-9 
Group 9-14
 1. Kvarner NR 6-4 
 2. Dubrava 6-4 
 3. Zabok 5-5 
 4. Alkar Sinj 5-5 
 5. Trogir 4-6 
 6. Borik 4-6 


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  CZECH REPUBLIC   


NBL Round: 1 (Semi-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Geofin - Decin 94-87
Robert Sarovic (205-F-78) knocked down 20 points to lead Geofin past Decin in the semifinal opener. Corey Muirhead added 19 points in the victory. William Hatcher fired game-high 26 points and issued 8 assists for Decin in the loss.

Nymburk - Prostejov 90-60
Nymburk coasted to the opening win in the semifinal series versus Prostejov. Blake Schilb (201-G-83, college: Loyola, IL) nailed 16 points for the defending champions. Arthur Lee secured 14 points, 5 boards and 4 assists in the winning effort. Ian Hanavan replied with 16 points and 7 boards for Prostejov.

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  EGYPT   


Super League Standings
Superleague Standings
Group A
 1. Zamalek 13-3 
 2. Al Ittihad 13-3 
 3. Ahly 11-5 
 4. Gezira 5-11 
 5. Geish Army 4-12 
 6. Somouha 2-14 
Group B
 1. Sporting 7-0 
 2. Shorta-Police 6-1 
 3. Gasco 3-4 
 4. Shark ins. 3-4 
 5. Al Olympi 1-6 
 6. Shams 1-6 


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  EUROCUP   


Golemac close to Roma - by Philip Mulryne
Jurica Golemac(2.09-PF/C) is close to signing with Virtus Roma for the play-offs. The croatian-slovenian power forward/center was the cornerstone for the team of Panellinios in Greece and now that they have kicked out of the playoffs by Maroussi with 2-0, Golemac is looking to sign another contract until the summer.

Golemac will be arriving to Rome this evening in order to make it for Sunday's game against Cantu for the last of the regular season in Italy. Golemac is known as a power forward with a high basketball IQ and great passing ability. This season he averaged 10.8 points 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 25 games of the regular season and play-offs in the greek A1 league. For the Eurocup he averaged 8.4 points 2.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 8 games. Golemac has a contract with Panellinios for the next season is as well so it's uncertain whether he will remain in Roma after the summer.

source : thehoop.blogspot.com

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  FINLAND   


KORISLIIGA: YMCA Lahti won at Joensuu - by Rauno Hurmalainen

Korisliiga, Finals, Game # 1: The Finals got started tonight at Joensuu. Visitor YMCA Lahti captured at once the home court advantage from Kataja as Lahti won 72-84 (34-43). Quarters: 19-18, 15-25, 20-23, 18-18. YMCA Lahti was shooting better and the defense was poison to Kataja players. The contest was excellent entertainment and there is no reason why also the following final games couldn't be the same. Ray Nixon (203-F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Wisconsin) (YMCA Lahti) was the game MVP with 24 pts. YMCA Lahti player material was wider and Head Coach Sami Toiviainen was able to use 8-9 players. The only real problem was PG Ilkka Vuori (181-G-86) and his ankle. Kataja's starters scored 69 pts and bench only three pts. The next Game (# 2) will be in Lahti on May 14. YMCA Lahti is then giving away part of the home court advantage as this game will be in Lahti ice hall. Home team will start practising in this hall first time on Monday, four days before the contest.

YMCA Lahti - Kataja 72-84 (34-43) (Quinnell Brown 17/7, Petri Virtanen 16/3, Larry Blair 15/7, Sami Lehtoranta 11/6, Jeremiah Wood 10/5, Juho Nenonen 2/0, Ville Kinnunen 1/0. Shooting percentages: 1 - 66,7% (10/15), 2 - 43,2% (16/37), 3 - 37,0% (10/27). Rebounds: 21+14=35. Turnovers: 19. - Ray Nixon 24/6, Kurtis Rice 16/7, Jason Conley 14/8/5a, Ville Vesala 13/1, Vesa Makalainen 8/5, Ilkka Vuori 5/4, Sami Pekkola 4/0, Teemu Laine 0/3. Shooting percentages: 1 - 75,0% (15/20), 2 - 52,9% (18/34), 3 - 44,0% (11/25). Rebounds: 27+10=37. Turnovers: 19).



Korisliiga Round: 1 (Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Kataja - Namika Lahti 72-84
Namika Lahti wins the opener of the Finals over Kataja. Ray Nixon (203-F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Wisconsin) led the winners with 24 points and 6 rebounds to 84:72 victory. Rice Kurtis nailed 16 points, while Conley Jason netted 14. Brown Quinnel finished the night with 17 points for the home side.

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  FRANCE   


Standings - ProA
ProA Standings
 1. ASVEL 21-8 
 2. Nancy 20-9 
 3. Orleans 20-9 
 4. Le Mans 19-10 
 5. Roanne 19-10 
 6. Chalon 16-13 
 7. Strasbourg 16-13 
 8. Gravelines 16-13 
 9. Cholet 14-15 
 10. Hyeres-Toulon 13-16 
 11. Vichy 12-17 
 12. Rouen 11-18 
 13. Dijon 11-18 
 14. Le Havre 9-20 
 15. Besancon 8-21 
 16. Pau 7-22 


Standings - ProB
ProB Standings
 1. Paris-Levall. 27-6 
 2. Poitiers 25-8 
 3. Clermont 23-10 
 4. Bourg 22-11 
 5. Limoges 21-12 
 6. Saint-Etienne 19-14 
 7. Charleville 19-14 
 8. Nantes 18-15 
 9. Nanterre 16-17 
 10. Antibes 15-18 
 11. Brest 15-18 
 12. Maurienne 15-18 
 13. Evreux 14-19 
 14. Boulazac 12-21 
 15. St.Vallier 12-21 
 16. Le Portel 11-22 
 17. St.Quentin 8-25 
 18. Quimper 5-28 


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  GERMANY   


Standings - 1. Bundesliga
1.Bundesliga Standings
 1. ALBA 26-8 
 2. Goettingen 25-9 
 3. Oldenburg 25-9 
 4. Bonn 22-12 
 5. Frankfurt 21-13 
 6. Ulm 21-13 
 7. Bamberg 19-15 
 8. Paderborn 18-16 
 9. Art.Dragons 18-16 
 10. Ludwigsb. 16-18 
 11. Trier 16-18 
 12. Braunschweig 14-20 
 13. Tuebingen 14-20 
 14. Duesseldorf 14-20 
 15. Koeln 99ers 11-23 
 16. Noerdlingen 11-23 
 17. Giessen 8-26 
 18. Bremerhaven 7-27 


ALBA wins the Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
Koeln 99ers - Brose Baskets 73-64
Koeln 99ers upset Brose Baskets 73:64 as Michael Jordan (183-G-77, agency: Court Side, college: Pennsylvania) finished the night with 17 points and 8 assists. Suput Predrag delivered 12 points in the losing effort and Brown Elton chipped in 10.

Telekom B. - NY Phantoms 67-83
Telekom was upset at home by NY Phantoms 67:83 in Regular Season Round 34. Jason Cain (208-F-85, college: Virginia) top-scored for the winners with 17 points, while Visser Kyle and Crouch Jeremy had 13 each. Bowman Brandon chipped in 15 points for the hosts.

LTi 46ers - Duesseldorf 73-94
Logan Kosmalski (203-F-81, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Davidson) scored 21 points and Carter had 17 as Duesseldorf had a road win over LTi 46ers 94:73. Umeh Michael and Rouse Corey finished the night with 14 points each in defeat.

Art.Dragons - Dt.Bank SKY 90-69
Art.Dragons could not make it to the Play-offs even with the win over Dt.Bank SKY 90:69. The winners finished the Regular Season with 18-16, however allowed Paderborn to take their spot. Ronald Ross (188-G-83, college: Texas Tech) top-scored for the hosts with 17 points and Hess Adam added 16. Allen Derrick brought 15 points in the losing effort.

ALBA - EWE Baskets 89-82
ALBA became the Winner of the Regular Season due to the win in the last game over EWE Baskets 89:82. Julius Jenkins (187-G-81, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Georgia Southern) produced 22 points for the league-leaders and Sesay Ansu nailed 17. Paulding Rickey responded with 23 points in defeat.

EnBW L'burg - Walter Tigers 88-69
EnBW Ludwigsburg finished the Regular Season with 16-18 record after the win over Walter Tigers 88:69. Domonic Jones (186-G-81, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Va Commonwealth) paced all the winners with 20 points, while Watts Dane netted 16. Katic Rasko responded with 17 points in defeat and Haynes Michael had 16.

Pad.Baskets - Goettingen 72-71
Paderborn Baskets needed a sensational victory over Goettingen 72:71 to clinch the last place in the Quarterfinals. Bryant McAllister (191-G-84, agency: LimeLight, college: Duquesne) top-scored for the winners with 17 points and Peavy Nathan had 16. Oliver Chris answered with 20 points as Goettingen finished second with 25-9 record.

ratiopharm - Noerdlingen 91-63
ratiopharm finished the Regular Season with 21-13 record after the home victory over Noerdlingen 91:63. Sean Finn (212-C-82, college: Dayton) paced all the winners with 15 points and Humphrey Lee poured in 13. McGhee Monta collected 16 points and 14 rebounds in the losing case.

Bremerhaven - TBB Trier 94-86
Bremerhaven is last with 7-27 record however the team overcame TBB Trier 94:86 in Regular Season Round 34. Craig Callahan (203-F-81, agency: Octagon, college: NC-Wilmington) nailed 19 points for the winners and Zabas Evaldas delivered 18. Gillingham James scored 23 points in defeat.

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  GUATEMALA   


Standings
Liga Metropolitana Standings
 1. SAT 11-0 
 2. D-Team 9-2 
 3. Elite Sport 9-2 
 4. USAC 8-3 
 5. URL 8-3 
 6. Le Mans 5-5 
 7. Compusys 5-6 
 8. Millonarios 4-6 
 9. Wildschine 3-8 
 10. Deportivo P. 2-9 
 11. Juventud 0-9 
 12. Fenix 0-9 


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  IBL   


Standings
IBL Standings
 1. S.Illinois T. 0-0 
Eastern
 1. Holland B. 7-2 
 2. G.Rapids F. 4-3 
 3. Kankakee S. 4-4 
 4. Japan T. 0-3 
Northern
 1. Bellingham S. 7-2 
 2. Snohomish C. 4-4 
 3. USA All-Stars 4-16 
 4. Vancouver T. 3-5 
Southern
 1. Vancouver V. 5-1 
 2. C.Oregon H. 1-0 
 3. Oregon Wave 1-0 
 4. Shanxi Zh. 0-0 
 5. Nevada P. 0-2 
Western
 1. Seattle M. 4-3 
 2. L.Angeles L. 3-1 
 3. Edmonton E. 2-1 
 4. Tacoma T. 0-0 


McKenzies 29 rebounds sparks Volcanoes - by Serafim Karaiskakis

The Vancouver Volcanoes are making the most out of their lengthy homestand.

Behind 26 points and a franchise-record 29 rebounds from Bryson McKenzie (6'11''-C-83, college: N.Illinois), the Volcanoes won their fourth straight game Friday, 108-98 over the Olympia Reign in International Basketball League action.

The Volcanoes (6-1) are in the midst of playing 11 contests at Clark College in a 12-game span, and interim coach Bryan Hunter is enjoying how the schedule worked out.

'I think it's a really big help, especially early in the season, to build confidence and strengthen our corps,' Hunter said.

It's also a big help to have McKenzie, a 6-foot-11 center out of Northern Illinois. He finished with 11 offensive rebounds and nine blocked shots, helping to offset his 12-of-32 shooting.

'I just want to check out the paint,' McKenzie said. 'That's my house right there.'

With two starters missing, including top 3-point shooter Brad Lechtenberg, who is out with an injury, the Volcanoes dominated the paint. They went 1 of 12 from 3-point range while Olympia was 10 of 47, and Vancouver held a 77-61 rebounding advantage.

After leading 58-49 at the half, Vancouver opened up a 15-point lead in the third quarter. But midway through the fourth period, the Reign had closed the gap to two points.

A tip-in followed by a steal and two free throws from Kevin Bloodsaw helped open the lead back up, and the Volcanoes closed out the victory at the free-throw line.

They'll get another opportunity to do that tonight against the Oregon Waves and former Portland State star Jeremiah Dominguez.



BY GREG JAYNE
COLUMBIAN SPORTS EDITOR



Vinson, Murray combine for 63 in Lightning win - by Serafim Karaiskakis
Fred Vinson (6'4''-G-71, college: Georgia Tech) tossed in 32 points and Lamond Murray had 31 on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lightning pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Nevada Pride 124-116.

Vinson, an assistant coach with the L.A. Clippers, hit his first three 3-point shots and had 16 points in the first quarter of the IBL game in Las Vegas. He went 8-for-13 from beyond the arc and set a team record for 3's in a game.

Kamran Sufi tied his own team mark for assists with 21. The 5-9 guard had 11 rebounds and nine points, missing a triple double by one point.

The Lightning (3-1) had routed Nevada 143-111 one night earlier.

'They were a little better prepared and we didn't play as well defensively,' said Sufi. 'When you keep letting a team back in the game, it's going to be a dogfight, especially at their place.'

And what about tying his record for assists with 21, an appropriate number in Las Vegas?

'Twenty-one assists is great but the nine turnovers is bad,' he said. 'The main thing is we got the win.'

Rene Rougeau had a huge night for Nevada (0-2) with 44 points, including 26 in the first half when his team led 61-59. Corey Bailey added 28 for the Pride.

Bryon Russell collected 14 points and 10 rebounds for L.A. Matt Okoro had 12 rebounds while Murray and Teirance Wright chipped in with eight apiece.

The Pride took a 95-94 lead with 9:10 to play but Sufi responded with a 3-pointer to kick off a 14-4 Lightning run. Vinson capped the outburst with a 19-footer and a 3-pointer, boosting the lead to 108-99. Sufi got assist No. 21 when he set up Vinson for his third trey of the quarter with 1:30 remaining.

'When you beat a team by 32, you know they'll come out with more fire the next night,' said Lightning coach Ron Quarterman. 'They shot the lights out. I knew it would be a tough game.'

The teams will conclude their three-game series on Saturday at 7 p.m..



L.A. Lightning 124, Nevada 114

LOS ANGELES -Fred Vinson 32 (8-13 on 3s), Lamond Murray 31, Bryon Russell 14, Kamran Sufi 9, Matt Okoro 7, Kenny Barnes 8, Teirance Wright 6, Leon Jacob 6, Lorenzo Davis 6, Tony Strickland 1, Grayson Moyer 3, Phil Givens 1.

NEVADA PRIDE - Corey Bailey 28, Rene Rougeau 44, Quintin Slaughter 11, Hollis Hale 8, Troy Owens 8, Julius Johnson 6, Willie Hall 3, Jeff Ball 2.



Lightning ...... 32 27 29 36 -- 124

Pride ............ 26 35 24 31 -- 116

*****************************************************
  JORDAN   


Palma chooses Zain's final roster for the Asian Champs - by Mohammed Malas
Zain's Portuguese head coach Mario Leonel Palma decided to choose the american duo Ontario Lett (198-F-79, agency: BrezoPro, college: Pittsburgh) and Roderick Riley (210-C-81, agency: Elfus-Siegel Management (ESM), college: Prairie View A&M) for the 20th Asian Clubs Championship (Jakarta, Indonesia 'May 12-20')...

You can find more details in BasketballFollowers.com

*****************************************************
  KUWAIT   


Not over yet - by Corey Washington
Now that the 2008-2009 Season has come to an end, many teams are preparing for next season. While most clubs have continued their scheduled workouts, others are giving their players a rest and chance to recap their seasons ups and downs, and focus on getting it done next year. But one team stands alone to hold it down for Kuwait in this years 20th Asian Clubs Championship.

Al Qadsia Club is headed to Jakarta, Indonesia 'May 12-20' fully armed and ready to bring the cup home! Even though it has been a battle between the clubs throughout the season playing each other, the warriors are all willing to put this season behind them and root for their 2008-2009 Champs! The players stick together here in Kuwait unlike you would believe. Here is where you see true brotherly love, and what better time to give it than now!

Hopefully we can get a few interviews with some of the players before they depart. Coach, if you are reading this, we want to hear from you!!!! After a season like this, we have to have an interview..


*****************************************************
  LATVIA   


Latvians abroad - by Eurobasket News
Edmunds Gabrans (190-G-79) scored 4 points, made 7 rebounds and 4 assists for his Ukrainian DniproAzot. Politeknika Lviv however overcame DniproAzot 97:83 and advanced to the semifinals of UBL. Jovan Koprivica and Pustahvar Aliaksandr led all the winners with 20 points each, while Kudrautsau Alexander posted 16. Janisius Marius delivered 16 points in defeat.
Edgars Cunda (196-G-84, agency: Court Side) top-scored in the last Semifinal game in Belarus for his Grodno-93 however Vitalyur beat Grodno-93 78:71 in Game 3. It was a really tough game and especially first half brought much interest in the game . Grodno-93 and Vitalyur finished the opening quarter at 25:25 and then the hosts grabbed three-point lead 17-14 in the second period. Moreover a 15-12 in the third stanza gave them 6 points advantage that they however could not keep for good. Vitalyur produced massive 27-14 last period and advanced to the Final series. Sviridov Dmitry was unstoppable for the winners with 25 points and Yafremau Kanstantsin scored 15. Shustau Maksim poured in 11 points, while Pacevich Aliaksei added 9. Edgars Cunda finished the night with 16 points in the losing effort.
In Italian Lega 2 Enel Brindisi upset Sandis Valters (193-G/F-78, agency: Arik Krayn Services)'s Aget Imola in the final round of the regular season. Marco Killingsworth poured in 23 points and pulled down 18 boards to lead Enel Brindisi. Sotiris Gioulekas added 18 points in the win. Joseph Bunn stepped up with 30 points and 8 boards for Aget Imola as they finished the competition at the 15th spot. Sandis Valters ended up with 17 points and 2 rebounds.

*****************************************************
  LEBANON   


Charles to join Al Riyadi for the Asian Champs - by Mohammed Malas
Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut signed the American center Chris Charles (213-F/C-81, agency: Rice and Rice, college: Villanova) for the 20th Asian Clubs Championhsip (Jakarta, Indonesia 'May 12-20')...

Charles led Al Jalaa Aleppo in Syria to win the Syrian league for the 2nd consecutive time...You can find more details on BasketballFollowers.com

*****************************************************
  LIBYA   


Standings
D1 Standings
Championship Group
 1. Nasr 5-1 
 2. Ittihad 3-3 
 3. Ahli Benghazi 3-3 
 4. Ahli Tripoli 1-5 
5-8 Places
 1. Shabab 4-2 
 2. Madina 4-2 
 3. Hilal 2-4 
 4. Morog 2-4 


*****************************************************
  LITHUANIA   


LKL Round: 2 (Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Lietuvos - Zalgiris 100-58
Lietuvos Rytas made another confident step towards LKL triumph dismantling Zalgiris in Vilnius. Arturas Jomantas (200-G/F-85) scored 16 points to pace Lietuvos Rytas. Chuck Eidson added 15 points and 6 steals for the hosts. Dainius Salenga fired back 12 points. Jonas Maciulis finished with 11 points in defeat.

*****************************************************
  LUXEMBOURG   


Contern Advances to Face Musel Pikes in DBBL Final Series!! T71 's season comes to an end - by Alex Meyers

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Contern 89 - T 71 71

T71 got off to a fabulous start in the first 5 minutes of play and went up and went up by a score of 7-12. Contern then went on a 10-0 run and continued its ways
keeping its lead throughout the game. Late in the 4th quarter Contern led by as many as 26 points, showing they deserve to advance to the DBBL finals where they will face Musel Pikes. Eric Jeitz lit his former T71 teammates up for 30 huge points. Jeitz was on fire going 12 for 16 from 2pt. range, hit 1/3 from the arc and was 3/3 from the free trow line. Ken Diederich also played his entire youth for T71 before moving to Contern several years ago. Diederich scored 22 big points as well. Brandon Gary (202-F-83, agency: Passing Lane, college: Hutchinson CC)(6 assists)was busy defending and took 17 rebounds while scoring 11 points to complete the all important double-double. MV 6th man Yves Braun contributed with 11 points coming from the bench. Tim Whitworth (198-G/F-81, agency: Court Side, college: Drexel) was held again way below his average as he finished with 17 points. Martin Rajniak led T71 in scoring with 18 points. Frank Muller nearly notched a double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds while teammate Tom Schumacher bowed out with 14. The biggest problem for T71 was that they were out-rebounded by Contern 42-27 according to the FLBB stats. This ends the magical season for the 2009 Luxembourg Cup Winner T71. Head coach Marco Amelow and his Contern team advance and will now face Musel Pikes with a home court advantage in the best of three final series for the 2009 DBBL title.

Contern: 36 field goals, 9 three pointers, 8 for 8 free throws, 42 rebounds, 17 fouls and 12 turnovers
Becker 7, Diederich 22, Gary 11, Jeitz 30, Fasbender 2, also Bissener 6, Braun 11, Gindt, Majerus and Torres Dos Santos
T 71: 26 field goals, 6 three pointers, 13 for 17 free throws, 27 rebounds, 15 fouls and 12 turnovers
Schumacher 14, Muller 13, Ruffato 0, Rajniak 18, Whitworth 17, also Klein 3, Hoffmann 6 and Siebenbour 0

Score by quarters: 1st Q 19-18, Halftime 39-32, 3rd Q 69-46, Final 89-71
Spectators: 1118



*****************************************************
  MEXICO   


Standings - CIBACOPA
CIBACOPA Standings
Northern Division
 1. Mineros 32-7 
 2. Hermosillo 22-17 
 3. Ostioneros 20-19 
 4. Trigueros 18-21 
 5. Fuerza Guinda 7-32 
Southern Division
 1. Caballeros 28-11 
 2. Lobos UAD 22-17 
 3. Frayles 21-18 
 4. Coras 13-23 
 5. Pioneros 12-27 


*****************************************************
  MONTENEGRO   


MNT Semi Final Play-Off game No. 3 : Buducnost in Final - by Dragan Scepanovic

DANILOVGRAD 89 - BUDUCNOST T-mobile 97
DANILOVGRAD - City SC . Spect 500. Reff : Rutesic, Vojinovic , Kaludjerovic (Niksic). By-Q. : 14:25, 24:33 , 23:17, 28:22
DANILOVGRAD: Nebojsa Jovovic 11, Andrija Pejovic (205-C-83) 7 (2-1), Bogojevic 12 , Radulovic 15 (1-1), Simonovic 14 (3-1), B.Stansiic 10 (2-2), Danilo Vojvodic (202-F/C-83) , Miladin Mijajlovic (204-C-86) 3 (4-3) , Milatovic 11 , Manojlovic 4 (2-1), Djurovic 2 , M. Stansiic.
BUDUCNOST: Sead Sehovic (201-G/F-89) 6 (2- 1), Filip Barovic (206-F-90) 4 (1-0), Popovic 3 , Bojovic 14 (3-3) , Gordic 4 (2-1), Otasevic 9 , Dragicevic 21 (3-2), Simonovic 15 (8-6), Maras , Ljujic, Michael Jenkins (191-G-86, college: Winthrop) 21 (5-4) , Djurisic

*****************************************************
  MOROCCO   


Standings - Men
D1 Standings
 1. ASS 15-3 
 2. IRT 15-3 
 3. MAS 11-7 
 4. RCA 9-9 
 5. FUS 9-9 
 6. KAC 5-13 
 7. WAC 5-13 
 8. CMC 2-16 
 9. MET 0-0 
 10. TSC 0-0 


IRT TANGER and ASS are on top of the Groups - by Eurobasket News
IRT TANGER and ASS are on top of the Groups in Morocco. Both favorites finished the Regular Season on the top two places and remain undefeated in their groups with 2-0 records each. In the latest games IRAN overcame Raja Casablanca 75:73 on May 6th. This means that this season the teams are 2-2 between each other as both of them ce;celebrated two victories and suffered two losses. ASS was stronger than MAS 82:81. In the three games played this season ASS won all three of the clash. The leaders ASS will play tonight against FUS, while IRT TANGER will host IRAN.


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


Magic routs Celtics, takes 2-1 series lead - by Eurobasket News
Orlando Magic all-star point guard Jameer Nelson (6'0''-G-82, college: St.Joseph's), out with a shoulder injury since February, was on the bench, wearing slacks and a sport coat. His replacement, Rafer Alston (6'2''-G-76, college: Fresno St.), was suspended for smacking someone in the back of the head. And Alston's backup, Anthony Johnson (6'3''-G-74, college: Charleston), sat the entire fourth quarter after brushing aside Coach Stan Van Gundy and arguing with him.

On top of that, the defending champion Boston Celtics were charging back in the fourth quarter -- cutting a 20-point, second-half deficit to single digits -- and all-star center Dwight Howard was forced to sit early in the period after picking up a silly fifth foul.

But while the Magic had a lot of missing pieces, it still had three important elements -- all-star Rashard Lewis (6'10''-F-79), point forward Hidayet Turkoglu (6'9''-F-79), and heart -- which resulted in a 117-96 victory over Boston in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday night.

Lewis (28 points) and Hidayet Turkoglu (24 points) combined to score 23 in the fourth period, and both exited to standing ovations after they helped their team avoid unraveling as Orlando took a 2-1 lead in this best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Sunday at Amway Arena. 'This is not the time of year to celebrate a win in the playoffs, especially against a team like Boston,' Van Gundy said. 'It's like being at halftime with a one-point lead.'

Van Gundy ranted before the game about the unfairness of the NBA's decision to suspend Alston when Boston point guard Rajon Rajon Rondo (6'1''-G-86, college: Kentucky) was allowed to play after hitting Chicago's Brad Miller in the mouth in the first round, but the way things have gone this postseason, the Magic may want to petition the league to suspend a starter more often.

The Magic has received two of the three suspensions handed out by the league this postseason. Howard was suspended in the first round after throwing an elbow at Samuel Dalembert's head and the Magic closed out its first-round series against Philadelphia with a decisive victory. Playing without Alston simply inspired yet another lopsided playoff win for his team.

'I can't explain that,' said Van Gundy, who has had four different starting lineups in Orlando's nine playoff games. 'You have a lot of guys who are ready to play and you go out and play the game. I think the main thing is, our players, they don't worry about it. I don't think anybody was real concerned about who was out there.'

Just as the Magic was able to regroup without Howard by using a 25-year-old Polish center (Marcin Gortat) who was making his first career playoff start, it made up for the absence of Alston by sending in Johnson, a 34-year-old point guard who hadn't made a playoff start in more than three years. Johnson scored 11 of his 13 points in first half, getting his first field goal by driving around Rajon Rondo along the baseline and dunking with two hands, a move that surprised and excited the raucous crowd.

'Anthony Johnson is just as capable. We didn't see [Alston's absence] as any advantage,' Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. 'He's a wily, old, tough, veteran, and he came to play. He deserved that performance.'

The Magic led 74-54 when Johnson made two free throws with 4 minutes 59 seconds left in the third period, but the Celtics ended the quarter on a 15-4 run, which was aided by a Johnson turnover that led to a driving dunk for Rajon Rondo (15 points, six assists). Van Gundy screamed at Johnson as the Magic returned to the bench, and the two argued.

Van Gundy said afterward that Johnson sat in the fourth quarter as part of the natural flow of the game, adding that the two hugged after the game.

'It wasn't an animated discussion. I was [upset], and he was [upset] that I was [upset],' Van Gundy explained. 'I have tremendous respect for him. It was a heat-of-the-moment thing.'

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 27 points.

Howard played just 27 minutes, but he finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocked shots.

The Magic also welcomed back Courtney Lee, who scored 11 points off the bench after missing the previous three games after suffering a sinus fracture because of another wayward Howard elbow.

Coyrtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

Lakers beat Rockets to take 2-1 lead - by Eurobasket News
Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) scored 33 points and the Los Angeles Lakers took a 2-1 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series with a 108-94 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday night.

Lamar Odom (6'10''-F-79, college: Rhode Island) had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar (6'2''-G-86, college: UCLA) had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher (6'1''-G-74, agency: Priority Sports, college: UALR), who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola (6'9''-F/C-80) when he set a pick.

Game 3 had no signs of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2 until the final minute, when Houston's Ron Artest (6'7''-G-79, college: St.John's) was ejected for a hard foul on Pau Gasol (7'0''-F/C-80). Artest was ejected from Game 2 for a verbal altercation with Bryant following Bryant's elbow to Artest's upper chest.

'I don't think that was a flagrant, maybe a flagrant one,' Bryant said of Artest's ejection. 'That rule is so all over the place, it's hard to judge. I'm an '80s baby, so that's just two shots and let's go.'

Artest had 25 points and Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Rockets but he was bothered by a lower left leg injury in the final minutes and was limping as he left the court.

The Lakers snapped the Rockets' nine-game home winning streak.

Game 4 is Sunday in Houston.

The Rockets trailed 50-48 at halftime, then missed 15 of their first 19 shots in the third quarter.

'We had to get stops,' Bryant said. 'When they started desperation plays we were not able to get stops. In the third quarter and into the fourth quarter, we started to get stops and it sustained us.'

Bryant had a quiet third quarter until the final 3 seconds, when he took an inbounds pass, dribbled away from Artest and swished a straight-on 33-footer at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 74-62 lead. He struck a frozen pose at midcourt after another signature shot, silencing the capacity crowd that booed him every time he touched the ball.

'I missed some easy shots at the rim, they just didn't go down for me,' Bryant said. 'I had to pull the string on that 3-pointer.'

Early in the fourth quarter, Houston's Von Wafer jumped into Sasha Vujacic on a 3-point try and hit the floor. Players from both teams rushed over, but Wafer defused a potential confrontation by walking away. Wafer made three free throws to cut Houston's deficit to 81-71.

Artest muscled inside for a layup and Yao dunked to pull the Rockets within 90-84 by the 4-minute mark. Farmar sank a baseline jumper with 3:54 to boost the lead back to eight.

Yao missed a baseline shot with 3 minutes left and Bryant beat the shot clock with another 3 with 2:21 left for a 95-84 that virtually put it away.

Los Angeles pushed the tempo from the start.

Odom dunked an alley-oop pass from Trevor Ariza 9 seconds into the game and Bryant hit a 3-pointer a minute later to pass Larry Bird and move into sixth place on the all-time postseason scoring list.

Los Angeles led 30-28 heading to the second quarter, notable because the team leading after the first period had won all of Houston's eight previous playoff games.

The first sign of the chippy play that marred Game 2 came midway through the second quarter, when Luke Walton was called for a technical foul for nonchalantly kicking the ball after knocking down Kyle Lowry.

Bryant went 5 for 6 from the field and had 11 points in the first quarter, then missed six of seven shots in the second. The Rockets slowed the pace, got to the free-throw line more and took a 46-43 lead.

But Houston had 11 turnovers in the first half - two in the final 90 seconds - and the Lakers were up two at the half.

Courtesy of www.gmanews.tv

*****************************************************
  NEW ZEALAND   


Standings Men
NBL Standings
 1. Nelson 9-2 
 2. Wellington 8-2 
 3. Cougars 8-3 
 4. Waikato 7-1 
 5. Bay Hawks 4-5 
 6. Harbour Heat 4-5 
 7. Auckland 2-7 
 8. Manawatu 2-8 
 9. Taranaki 0-11 


*****************************************************
  PHILIPPINES   


Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference
PBA Standings
 1. San Miguel 9-1 
 2. Purefoods 7-4 
 3. Rain or Shine 7-5 
 4. Ginebra 6-5 
 5. Burger King 6-5 
 6. Sta Lucia 6-6 
 7. Talk N Text 6-6 
 8. Coca-Cola 4-7 
 9. Alaska 4-8 
 10. Barako Bull 2-10 


*****************************************************
  PUERTO RICO   


Lions finally able to close out game for Win - by Luis Ramirez
The Ponce Lions had been unable to win close games until last night when they beat the Carolina Giants 87-84. It had been really hard for the Lions to get a basket in the last seconds of games and last night the Lions playing without the services of Bobby Joe Hatton who was injured in the 4th quarter were able to regroup themselves and come out with the win. It was Samuel Villegas who sealed the win with just seconds on the clock to make the winning field goal for the Lions.
The Lions held a 7 point lead 76-69 with 5 minutes to go in the game but the Giants took a time out and came back strong to tie the game at 80-80 with 3 minutes to go. Then it was Nailon for the Lions who gave the Lions some breathing room to set the game winning shot by Villegas. Carolina made a desperate shot with just 2 seconds to go in the game from 3 point range but fail to convert.
For Ponce, Lee Nailon (204-F-75, agency: Octagon, college: TCU) scored 19 points and captured 9 rebounds followed by Gabriel Colon who scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in one of the most productive games for Colon. For Carolina, Ebe Ere scored 26 points followed by Angelo Reyes with 21 points and 16 rebounds in a losing cause.
In other BSN action, the Mayaguez Indians made it two in a row as they beat the Humacao Grays 81-67. The Indians come off a win over Carolina, trounced the Grays. It was the Grays with the 1st qtr lead 19-15 and as the half came to an end the Grays were ahead 32-29. In the 2nd half the Indians caught fire and took a 5 point lead to end the 3rd qtr. 49-44. In the 4th qtr the Indians kept a balance attack and the Grays were not able to answer back. For Mayaguez, Giovanni Jimenez scored 18 points to lead the Indians; three other players produced 13 points in the win. For Humacao, James Life scored 22 points followed by Roberto Nieves with 14 points.
In the last game of the night it was the Quebradillas Pirates inflicting the Cowboys with their 2nd defeat of the tournament as the Pirates beat the Cowboys 90-75. Quebradillas took the 1st qtr 27-24 and were leading by 6 points at the half 46-40. It was the 3rd qtr which blew away the Cowboys as the Pirates went on to score 30 points in that period to just 18 for the Cowboys. The Pirates coasted in the 4th qtr to an easy victory. For Quebradillas, Shawn Redhage scored 28 points followed by Joel Jones with 22 points. For Bayamon, Christian Dalmau scored 24 points while Franklin Western had 22 points.

Piratas beat Vaqueros on the road - by Rafael Otero
By: Rafael J. Otero

Quebradillas Piratas prevails 90-75 over Vaqueros de Bayamon on the last version of the Puertorrican classic. Quebradillas, who is making a comeback from a 6 years absence in the BSN, put away the impressive victory in front of a very enthusiastic crowd in the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon. This was only the second loss of the tournament for Bayamon, who still in the top of the standing with 8 wins followed by Quebradillas who now stands at 7-3. Shawn Redhage scores 28 and Joel Jones Camacho added 22 with six 3pointers to lead the way for the winning team. Also, Marcus Williams, the former NBA player and import player of the Piratas make his contribution with another great overall game scoring 10 points grabbing 7 boards and dishing out 10 assists.

It was a very entertaining game from start to finish. Quebradillas started the game with an early 8-0 run who practically can describe what happens throughout the game. Bayamon had problems all night long matching up with the up tempo and high pace of the Piratas offense. They couldnt stop Quebradillas fast break and the PJ Ramos-Redhage combination really gave them a headache inside the paint. Quebradillas took the first half 46-40 and never looked back. A 3pointer by Camacho at the beggining of the third quarter started the rally who practically sealed the victory for the Piratas. Bayamon tried to make a run with 4:58 left in the last quarter and got as close as 9 points but consecutive baskets from Redhage and Camacho took the lead back to double digits. For Bayamon, Christian Dalmau scores 24, Franklin Western adds 22 and Jabari Smith scores 10 points with 9 Rebounds. For Quebradillas, Peter John Ramos scores 13 points on 6-7 from the field.



Last games (6) - No.1 Bayamon faces with second loss in BSN - by Eurobasket News
Ponce - Carolina 87-84
Ponce outsmarted Carolina last night joining Caguas, Humacao and San German with 3-6 record. Lee Nailon (204-F-75, agency: Octagon, college: TCU) stepped up for the winners collecting 19 points and 9 rebounds. Gabriel Colon registered double-double, 18 pts and 16 rebs, while Roberto Jose Hatton helped with 16 pts. Nigerian scoring machine Ebi Ere and Angelo Reyes combined 47 points and 24 rebounds for Carolina (5-4, 5th place).

Mayaguez - Humacao 81-67
Mayaguez was too strong for Humacao registering the 4th win of the season. This time Giovanni Jimenez (187-G-82, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: St.Johns River CC) top-scored in victory with 18 points. James Maye, Keenan Jourdon and Alex Galindo delivered 13 points each. Jame Life contributed with 22 points in loss. Mayaguez 4-5, Humacao 3-6.

Quebradillas - Bayamon 90-75
Quebradillas Piratas prevails 90-75 over Vaqueros de Bayamon on the last version of the Puertorrican classic. Quebradillas, who is making a comeback from a 6 years absence in the BSN, put away the impressive victory in front of a very enthusiastic crowd in the Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum in Bayamon. This was only the second loss of the tournament for Bayamon, who still in the top of the standing with 8 wins followed by Quebradillas who now stands at 7-3. Shawn Redhage (202-F-81, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Arizona St.) scores 28 and Joel Jones Camacho added 22 with six 3pointers to lead the way for the winning team. *More comments for this game already posted in the previous news by the local correspondent Rafael Otero

Arecibo - Caguas 83-78
6-4 for Arecibo (4th place) and 3-6 for Caguas after this game. Arecibo's best player was Wilfredo Pagan (184-G-76, agency: Paris Global Sports), who drained 18 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Carlos Rivera was the second scorer of the team with 13 pts. Matt Freije and Rafael Perez had 27 and 24 respectively in defeat.

Santurce - San German 91-89
Josh Davis (203-C/F-80, college: Wyoming) came up with double-double for Santruce, 17 points and 10 rebounds, Ricardo Dalmau also had 17, while Larry Ayuso and Manuel Narvarez helped with 14 points each. Jesse Pellot-Rosa was on fire for San German scoring 34 points (6 triples).

Guaynabo - Quebradillas 77-91
Quebradillas grabbed valuable 91-77 win against Guaynabo mostly owing to Lee Benson (208-F/C-73, agency: Paris Global Sports, college: Brown Mackie), who collected 22 points and 15 rebounds. Carlos Escalera had 18 and Jumaine Jones delivered 12 pts, plus grabbed 8 rebounds. Peter John Ramos responded with 24 points and 8 boards in loss.

Williams feels comfortable playing in Puerto Rico - by Rafael Otero

By: Rafael Otero

Traditionally, the Pirates who got into Puerto Rico Island were nothing less than a bunch of angry people that took all for granted and got nothing to prove. Right now, in the west side of the island is a Pirate that have a lot to prove: his name is Marcus Williams. The former UCONN Husky is playing as an import for the Piratas de Quebradillas, one of the leagues most traditional franchises. He starts kind of slow but now you can see him playing with more confidence and putting the numbers that the people and he were expecting.

Williams, who was drafted by the New Jersey Nets as their 22nd pick on the first round in 2006, is now a free agent looking for a contract someplace. Its nothing new that former NBA players come to PR on the summer to get in shape or trying to get attention from teams worldwide. The only thing I knew before getting here was that this is a very physical, aggressive and competitive league says Williams. Im a Free Agent; Im trying to get into an NBA camp on the summer or probably in October he adds. And right now, his game is speaking for himself. After a slow start, he had requested two triple doubles already, dishing out 16 and 19 assists in those games. He is the assist leader of the tournament, with an impressive 9.7 per game average. His team is also doing well with a 7-3 overall record, good enough to be on second place, one and a half game behind the leader. Its early on and we got a lot of new guys, we are trying to build some chemistry; we are playing great right now and I hope we can get a lot better.

The Piratas have a very competitive roster that includes: former NCAA Player from Ole Miss David Huertas, former 2nd rounder on the NBA Draft and ACB experienced Peter John Ramos and Athletic sensation Joel Jones Camacho, all three expecting to join Puerto Ricos National team practices sessions in order to select the squad who will compete for a spot in the 2010 World Championship in Turkey. We will keep an eye on Marcus Williamss situation since he seems to put the numbers for a triple double almost every night. Im trying to get my consistency back and executes on the highest level possible on a daily basis to get where I was.


Standings - BSN
BSN Standings
 1. Bayamon 8-2 
 2. Santurce 7-1 
 3. Quebradillas 7-3 
 4. Arecibo 6-4 
 5. Carolina 5-4 
 6. Mayaguez 4-5 
 7. Caguas 3-6 
 8. Humacao 3-6 
 9. Ponce 3-6 
 10. San German 3-6 
 11. Guaynabo 1-7 


*****************************************************
  QATAR   


Jones to Al Arabi - by Ali Ahmed
The american small forward Josh Jones (196-G/F-83, college: Dillard) will be the new addition to Al Arabi Club in the 20th Asian Clubs Championship (Jakarta, Indonesia 'May 12-20' )

A very athletic and physical presence on the court who is very agile (39 vertical), but also is a player who can play either wing positions on the court with equal ability. Has excellent court awareness, and has a great basketball IQ. Josh possesses the quickness and outside shooting ability that makes him a great scoring threat. Josh is an excellent scorer.
He can create his own shot as well as come off of screens, and also has a great ability to create shots for others. He has great range as a shooter and is lights out from anywhere on the court. What makes him so valuable is that he can post up smaller defenders on the block and blow by bigger defenders on the perimeter. Has a very good pull up jump shot which allows him to stop at the drop of a dime and shoot over defenders.

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  ROMANIA   


Gibson goes to Venezuela - by Vasile Racovitan
Matthew Gibson (196-G-84) will finish the season with Marionos, from Venezuela.
He left Univ Mobitelco Cluj Napoca Napoca after the team was eliminated in the first round of the play-offs. Gibson played for Marinos de Anzoategui before joining Cluj.
'We did not get any requests fot the letter of clearance, but if we will get one, we will release the player. I only know that Matt is in the United States, so he might play next week for the team in Venezuela. We parted ways as friends and according to our budget for next season, we could hold talks about a new contract', Univ Mobitelco Cluj Napoca president Mircea Cristescu said.

*****************************************************
  RUSSIA   


A Superleague Round: 2 (Semi-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Khimky - Spartak SP 58-66
Spartak Saint Petersburg drew things level in the series versus Khimky. Zakhar Pashutin (195-G-74) nailed 18 points to lead Spartak to another sensational playoff win. Milovan Rakovic produced 17 points and 7 rebounds in the victory. Milton Palacio answered with 15 points for Khimky in the loss.

CSKA - Unics 78-59
CSKA cruised to the second straight victory over Unics in Moscow. The Superleague defending champions now need one more win to reach finals. Erazem Lorbek (210-F/C-84, college: Michigan St.), Ramunas Siskauskas and Victor Keyru scored 11 points apiece to pace balanced effort. Trajan Langdon added 8 points for the winners. Marko Popovic responded with 18 points for Unics in defeat.

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  SEBL   


Cartersville Come To Terms with Head Coach Cory Baldwin - by Bobby Rouse
May 9, 2009

The Cartersville Warriors have hired former Truett-McConnell College Head Coach Cory Baldwin to serve as Head Coach for the 2009 WBA season. During his 3 seasons at TMC Coach Baldwin's teams were 53-29. Cory came to Truett-McConnell from Clayton State University, where he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for seven seasons. The last five years he was an assistant for Gordon Gibbons, the third winningest coach in Division II history and formrer CBA, ABA, USBL, and Division I Head Coach. While coaching at Clayton State, Baldwin was a key factor during the five most successful seasons in school history (2001 2006), averaging twenty wins a season during that time. His first season apart of the Laker family, saw mostly his recruits lead Clayton State to a #2 ranking in the country for eight straight polls. During his time at Clayton he became well known in the Southern-Crescent, metro-Atlanta area and in the Georgia Junior Colleges as a relentless recruiter. He also built numerous relationships with many high school coaches in Georgia while being the coordinator of the Clayton States Team Camps, which were the largest team camp in the state the last two summers. During his seven years as a coach at Clayton he coached twelve players who played professionally overseas and coached another ten who are currently involved in coaching (professionally, college, high school, middle school, or AAU).

Besides coaching at Clayton State, Baldwin was a professor for four years, teaching a course in the humanities department, 'Critical Thinking'. He used that experience, along with his years at Clayton State as a student-athlete, to advise or counsel student-athletes in their course and/or degree choices. He was the unofficial Student-Athlete Advisor for the athletic department. Amongst his busy schedule, Baldwin also found time somehow to work as a fitness instructor for Smart Bodies, located on campus. While working with Smart Bodies, he wrote the course proposal for the Health Science Department, Introduction to Basketball and got it approved by the University. Also, during this time Baldwin brought back Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Clayton State, being the Campus Coach for FCA. Baldwin was the Women's Tennis Team's Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2001, and team finished top ten in the country.

Before coaching at Clayton, Baldwin played at Clayton State for Head Coach Jimmy Hebron (former Georgia Tech Assistant under Bobby Cremins). During Baldwin's playing career served as team academic representative on the athletic-academic board, and was team captain his senior season on Clayton States first nationally NCAA Division II ranked team. The 1998-99 team was ranked in the December 7, 1998 poll, as the team opened the season with an 8-0 record. Baldwin shot 75% career from the free throw line.

Born and raised in Jonesboro, Baldwin has a Bachelors degree in Health Care Management from Clayton State. He also holds a Masters degree in Instructional Education from Central Michigan University.

Baldwin resides in Cleveland with his wife, Amanda. They are both members of Crosswalk Baptist Church in Cleveland, GA.

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  SLOVAKIA   


Pezinok surge ahead in Extraliga Final - by Eurobasket News
Pezinok - Nitra 99:86

The regular season champions seemed to finally find the right form as they gained the second straight win in the Extraliga Final. Pezinok held off Nitra in Game 3 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Pezinok will look to celebrate their second straight Extraliga title when they play visit Nitra on May 13.
Nitra stormed into the game as Eugene Lawrence (185-G-86, college: St.John's), Tomek and Andrej Cervenka (198-G/F-84) set things rolling. Dametri Hill and Fapso fired from downtown late in the opening frame as Nitra earned a 28:17 advantage at the end of the first term. Kevin Houston (193-G/F-76, college: St.Bonaventure) came up with some timely buckets early in the second stanza as Pezinok narrowed the margin. Kevin Houston added two from the stripe to put the hosts in charge 32:31 midway through the period. The teams traded baskets and finished the first half tied at 41. Kevin Houston and Marek Kozlik (187-F-86) allowed Pezinok to get in front early in the third quarter. Lorenzo Williams (191-G-84, college: Rice) and Kevin Houston ensured a 10-point buffer for the home team late in the third term. Lorenzo Williams capped the stanza with a basket to give Pezinok a 12-point cushion. The hosts wisely kept Nitra at safe distance throughout the fourth quarter. Marek Kozlik and Kevin Houston ballooned the distance to 17 points midway through the period and Pezinok never looked back en route to the victory.
Kevin Houston unleashed game-high 41 points and 11 boards to lead Pezinok. Peter Micuda (206-C-72) and Lorenzo Williams contributed 18 points each in the victory. Andrej Cervenka responded with 16 points for Nitra. Eugene Lawrence had 14 points in defeat.

Pezinok: Kevin Houston 41+11 boards, Peter Micuda 18, Lorenzo Williams 18
Nitra: Andrej Cervenka 16, Eugene Lawrence 14

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  SLOVENIA   


Standings - 1A
Liga UPC Standings
Places 1-8
 1. U.Olimpija 13-1 
 2. Helios 12-2 
 3. Krka 9-5 
 4. Zlatorog 7-7 
 5. Slovan 6-8 
 6. Polzela 5-9 
 7. Luka Koper 2-12 
 8. Elektra 2-12 
Places 9-13
 1. TCG Mercator 12-18 
 2. Zagorje 12-18 
 3. Alpos S. 11-19 
 4. Epic Misel 10-20 
 5. Nova Gorica 9-21 


*****************************************************
  SPAIN   


LEB Bronze Round: 1 (Quarter-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Huelva - Archena 76-70
Huelva had couple of players in a game mood last night. Wayne Nelson (193-F-81, college: Adelphi) stepped up with 14 pts and 6 rebs, Christian Bart-Williams followed with 12 pts and 11 rebs, while Rafael Rufian, Ryan McLemore and Adama Darbo added 10 pts each. In loss, Ruben Burgos collected 19 pts and 5 rebs. Huelva - Archena 1-0.

Promobys - V.Siglo XXI 74-49
Promobys devastated Siglo 74-49 for 1-0 lead in the quarterfinals. All players in Promobys managed to score and the best one was David Quero (181-G-84) with 13 pts. Jermaine Turner also shined registering double-double, 12 pts and 7 rebs. Javier Simon contributed with 13 pts in loss.

Matchmind - Alcazar 80-68
Dreke Bouldin (202-G/F-80, college: Fresno St.) shined for his Matchmind last night with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Victor Chuan had 13, Paul Williams 12 and Sergio Sanchez delivered 10 pts. In the loosing squad Ulises Deniz had 12 points. Matchmind - Alcazar 1-0.

Molina - ADT Tarrag. 77-63
1-0 for AD Molina thanks to Roma Bas (192-G-83) and Javier Alarcon, which drained 24 and 20 points respectively. Ronald Thompson followed with 14 pts and 9 boards. AD Tarragona had Cris Mortellaro with 16 pts and 8 rebounds.

LEB Gold, Round 33: Wins for Valladolid and Alicante, Melilla faces with disappointing home loss - by Eurobasket News
Leon - Caceres 72-70
Leon escaped with tiny 72-70 home win against Caceres improving to 17-16 record in LEB Gold (same as Plus Pujol and Los Barrios). Alejandro Gonzalez (187-G-80) top-scored for the hosts with 16, Clarence Gilbert had 15, while Anthony Stacey helped with 2 points less. Lelton Guaita and Lucio Angulo combined 35 pts in loss. Caceres fell to 15-18.

Valladolid - Burgos 86-69
The top-ranked Valladolid did not have any troubles to beat Burgos at home reaching the 25th win. Federico Van Lacke (191-G-80) and Christopher Hernandez were the key players in victory scoring 23 and 21 points respectively. Diego Garcia, Cesar Sanmartin and Diego Lo Grippo answered with 12 pts each in the loosing squad.

Tenerife - Gandia Basq. 69-67
Lamont Hamilton (208-F-84, college: St.John's) came up with 15, Francisco Sanchez had 14 and Kiril Wachsmann delivered 13 pts, plus grabbed 7 boards for the hosts. Gandia got 18 pts from Matias Ibarra and 17 pts, plus 9 rebs from Shalawn Miller. Tenerife 20-13, Gandia 10-23.

Melilla - Illescas 78-100
Melilla fell to third place (23-10) after this disappointing home loss against the last ranked Illescas. Dexter Lyons (198-F/G-81, agency: AMI, college: Cent.Florida) stepped up for the winners with 20 points. Cuthbert Victor was on fire for the hosts scoring 26 (also had 8 rebs).

Alicante - Cl.Rincon 95-67
Alicante blasted Clinicas Rincon with huge 95-67 remaining the second ranked team in LEB Gold (24-9). Kyle Hill (188-G-79, college: E.Illinois) once again shined for the hosts with 15, while Jose Urtasun followed him netting 14 pts. Brazilian big guy Paulo Prestes responded with 18 pts and 8 boards.

Rosalia - Mallorca 90-88
Last ranked Rosalia outsmarted Mallorca thanks to Charles Ramsdell (208-F-85, agency: Court Side, college: Tulsa), who nailed 25 points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Sandi Cabular was the second scorer in victory with 17 pts. Mallorca had Marc Nlanch in a game mood with 28 pts. Rosalia 8-25, Mallorca 12-21.

La Palma - Los Barrios 71-64
La Palma jumped to 14-19, while Los Barriors dropped to 17-16 after this match. Pedro 'Perico' Sala (178-G-77) and Thomas Terrell stepped up for the hosts combining 41 points. Ricardo Guillen demonstrated nice performance in loss collecting 16 points and the same number of rebounds.

Vic - La Laguna 91-88
Mattew Kiefer (208-F-83, college: Purdue) was the most important player for Vic last night delivering 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Albert Sabat also had very important role netting 16 pts. On the other side, La Laguna got 28 pts and 7 boards from Jakim Donaldson. Vic 15-18, La Laguna 14-19.

Leche Rio - Plus Pujol 67-64
Brian Cusworth (213-C-84, college: Harvard) was in a game mood collecting 15 points and 8 rebounds for his Leche Rio. Daniel Lopez and Alberto Corbacho followed with 11 pts each. Troy DeVries nailed 15 pts in defeat. Leche Rio 22-11, Plus Pujol 17-16.

LEB Silver Round: 1 (Quarter-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Caja Rioja - Plasencia 77-67
Caja Rioja grabbed 1-0 lead against Plasencia in the LEB Silver quarterfinals. Sidnei De Santana (215-C-83) stepped up for the winners with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Andre Howard and David Navarro were behind him with 12 points each. On the other side, Edward Santana and Francisco Robles responded with 18 and 17 pts respectively.

Navarra - CB Tarrag. 80-88
David Mesa (200-C-80) demonstrated impressive performance last night for CB Tarragona nailing 27 points and pulling down 16 rebounds (6 off). Eduar Riu was the second scorer in this valuable win with 17 pts. The hosts got 15 points and 6 assists from Inaki Sanz. CB tarragona - Navarra 1-0.

Torrons Vic. - Jerez 73-69
Andreu Matali (204-F/C-81) came up with 12 points and 13 rebounds, Xavier Lopez had 11 pts, while Marti Nualart, Mario Cabanas and Jeffrey Parmer helped with 10 points apiece. Marko Sekulic collected 19 points and 8 rebounds for the guests. Torrons - Jerez 1-0.

Cornella - Vigo 82-68
Cornella grabbed 1-0 lead in the quarterfinals mostly owing to Bosnian hot prospect Nihad Djedovic (196-F-90), who shined with 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Mamadou Samb followed him with 16 pts and 6 rebs. The hosts had Timothy Frost in a game mood with 23 pts and 11 boards.

Standings - ACB
ACB Standings
 1. Tau 28-4 
 2. Barcelona 26-6 
 3. Unicaja 24-8 
 4. Real 23-9 
 5. Joventut 22-10 
 6. G.Canaria 20-12 
 7. Pamesa 16-16 
 8. Bilbao 15-17 
 9. Fuenlabrada 15-17 
 10. Ricoh Man. 14-18 
 11. Granada 12-20 
 12. Bruesa 11-21 
 13. Estudiant. 11-21 
 14. Cajasol 10-22 
 15. Murcia 9-23 
 16. Menorca 8-24 
 17. Zaragoza 8-24 


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  TURKEY   


Standings - TBL
TBL Standings
 1. Efes Pilsen 28-2 
 2. T.Telekom 22-8 
 3. Fener.Ulker 22-8 
 4. Galatasaray 20-10 
 5. Besiktas 18-12 
 6. Antalya 17-13 
 7. Mersin 15-15 
 8. Darussafaka 14-16 
 9. Karsiyaka 13-17 
 10. Oyak Renault 13-17 
 11. Erdemir 12-18 
 12. Banvit 12-18 
 13. Kepez Bld 11-19 
 14. Aliaga 10-20 
 15. Selcuk Uni. 10-20 
 16. TED Koleji 3-27 


Regular Season ended in Turkish Basketball League - by Baha Kurtulus
After todays games, CASA TED Ankara Kolejliler and M.Aku Selcuk Universitesi dropped to Division II (TB2L).
Darussafaka which beated M.Aku Selcuk Universitesi is the last team of playoff.
Playoff pairings will be constituted like below.Advantage of the teams versus each other is shown in paranthesis.

Efes Pilsen - Darussafaka Cooper Tires (1-0)
Turk Telekom - Mersin BSB (1-0)
Fenerbahce - Antalya BSB (1-0)
Galatasaray - Besiktas (0-0)

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  URUGUAY   


Two fans were killed - by Hector Lopez
Two youngs fans were killed near a basketball stadium last nigth and the local Federaction suspended allt their activities awaiting for a report from the authorties.
One of the fans,. a 15 year old was stabbed, and the other one, 17 years, was shooted, according the the initial investigations. Both victims were identified as fans for
Club Aguada. 25 de Agosto and Nacional were playing a game for the Metro tournament in that stadium.

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  UZBEKISTAN   


Sviridov advanced to the Big Final abroad - by Eurobasket News
Dmitry Sviridov (212-C-85) and his Vitalyur advanced to the Finals of Belarus. Minsk-2006 and Vitalyur swept the semifinal clashes on May 7th. Both of them reached the Finals after the third straight victories over the opponents.
Vitalyur beat Grodno-93 78:71 in Game 3. It was a really tough game and especially first half brought much interest in the game . Grodno-93 and Vitalyur finished the opening quarter at 25:25 and then the hosts grabbed three-point lead 17-14 in the second period. Moreover a 15-12 in the third stanza gave them 6 points advantage that they however could not keep for good. Vitalyur produced massive 27-14 last period and advanced to the Final series. Dmitry Sviridov was unstoppable for the winners with 25 points and Yafremau Kanstantsin scored 15. Shustau Maksim poured in 11 points, while Pacevich Aliaksei added 9. Chunda finished the night with 16 points in the losing effort.
Before that Dmitry Sviridov's Vitalyur overcame BNTU 91:74 to advance to the Semifinals. The favorites won three quarters out of four and especially gave more troubles for BNTU in the third period with 32-19. Kanstantsin Yafremau top-scored for the winners with 19 points, while Aliaksei Pacevich netted 16. Golovskiy ended up with 20 points in defeat.

*****************************************************
  WBA   


Cartersville Come To Terms with Head Coach Cory Baldwin - by Bobby Rouse
May 9, 2009

The Cartersville Warriors have hired former Truett-McConnell College Head Coach Cory Baldwin to serve as Head Coach for the 2009 WBA season. During his 3 seasons at TMC Coach Baldwin's teams were 53-29. Cory came to Truett-McConnell from Clayton State University, where he was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for seven seasons. The last five years he was an assistant for Gordon Gibbons, the third winningest coach in Division II history and formrer CBA, ABA, USBL, and Division I Head Coach. While coaching at Clayton State, Baldwin was a key factor during the five most successful seasons in school history (2001 2006), averaging twenty wins a season during that time. His first season apart of the Laker family, saw mostly his recruits lead Clayton State to a #2 ranking in the country for eight straight polls. During his time at Clayton he became well known in the Southern-Crescent, metro-Atlanta area and in the Georgia Junior Colleges as a relentless recruiter. He also built numerous relationships with many high school coaches in Georgia while being the coordinator of the Clayton States Team Camps, which were the largest team camp in the state the last two summers. During his seven years as a coach at Clayton he coached twelve players who played professionally overseas and coached another ten who are currently involved in coaching (professionally, college, high school, middle school, or AAU).

Besides coaching at Clayton State, Baldwin was a professor for four years, teaching a course in the humanities department, 'Critical Thinking'. He used that experience, along with his years at Clayton State as a student-athlete, to advise or counsel student-athletes in their course and/or degree choices. He was the unofficial Student-Athlete Advisor for the athletic department. Amongst his busy schedule, Baldwin also found time somehow to work as a fitness instructor for Smart Bodies, located on campus. While working with Smart Bodies, he wrote the course proposal for the Health Science Department, Introduction to Basketball and got it approved by the University. Also, during this time Baldwin brought back Fellowship of Christian Athletes to Clayton State, being the Campus Coach for FCA. Baldwin was the Women's Tennis Team's Strength and Conditioning Coach in 2001, and team finished top ten in the country.

Before coaching at Clayton, Baldwin played at Clayton State for Head Coach Jimmy Hebron (former Georgia Tech Assistant under Bobby Cremins). During Baldwin's playing career served as team academic representative on the athletic-academic board, and was team captain his senior season on Clayton States first nationally NCAA Division II ranked team. The 1998-99 team was ranked in the December 7, 1998 poll, as the team opened the season with an 8-0 record. Baldwin shot 75% career from the free throw line.

Born and raised in Jonesboro, Baldwin has a Bachelors degree in Health Care Management from Clayton State. He also holds a Masters degree in Instructional Education from Central Michigan University.

Baldwin resides in Cleveland with his wife, Amanda. They are both members of Crosswalk Baptist Church in Cleveland, GA.



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Women News

*****************************************************
  GERMANY - Women  


Interview with Saarlouis captain Romy Bar - by Cornelius Damm

Between 2004 and 2008 German women Basketball was reigned by TSV 1880 Wasserburg. Five Championships and three Cup Championships were conquered by the Bavarian club near Munich. In the meanwhile around 500 km northwest a new force slowly arose. After a sixth place in 2004/05 TV Saarlouis Royals finished fifth one year later and twice as second in the follwing years after Regular Season, a development that climaxed in the top seed despite a technical loss on game day nine this season. After already winning the Cup Challenge last season 2007/08 the Royals repeated this success this year and added the German Championship. As the father of this success can be considered Head Coach Rene Spandauw who constantly attracted young talented German women to Saarlouis and mixed them with some of the best foreigners in the league.
One of these rising German stars is Romy Bar (188-F-87). Learning her Basketball fundamentals in her hometown Chemnitz, Bar took off to Saarlouis in the summer of 2007. Her overall statline from this years Championship campaign expresses her all around game: 11.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2.5 SPG and 1.2 BPG in 26 minutes on the court. Her versatility allows her coaches to use her on every position on the court from PG through PF!


At the tender age of 21 already team captain of the German Cup Champion and German Championship winner plus a strong debut on the National Team in January - how pleased are you with this season?

Bar: What else can you ask for than winning everything there is to win! It's been a tremendous year for us as a team. So I am of course highly pleased with our achievements as a team from this year. But personally I wont settle on my own performance from this year. I think I did pretty well in my NT debut but overall I still have a lot of room for improvement. I will definitely work on more athleticism to enhance my game. But what I probably need most is experience, especially decision making in certain situation is something that will come with more years of experience.


What has been the difference between your team and Wasserburg in the end?

Bar: I personally belief the better TEAM won this year. Wasserburg has some very good individual Basketball players, probably better players than we have. But I think they sometimes played too selfish. In our team everybody played for and with the other, on the court and on the bench. We are twelve players helping each other. There was always someone stepping up, when one was missing. I think that was difference!


How important was the home court advantage in this series?

Bar: It was huge. Every team won its home games, so all of our three victories were at home. I think that speaks for itself. It was just amazing what was going on here in Saarlouis during these last days. All games were sold out. And when you come to your home game two hours before the game will start and there are already hundreds of fans waiting and cheering that is just inspiring and helped a lot! Playing in front of nearly 2500 noisy people and knowing that there are an additional 500 fans in front of the gym watching the game on a wide screen was an awesome experience. And in the end probably whole Saarlouis was celebrating with us. It was nice!


The Royals program keeps on growing - the next logical step is the participation in the Eurocup 2009/10 - are you looking forward to this new challenge and what do you expect in these games against top teams from other European countries?

Bar: Of course I am happy about this exciting chance and really looking forward to this new challenge!!! I think it will be a huge chance for us to grow as we gain more experience and find out where we are in comparison with other European clubs. We will see how we will do there but even if we don't win a single game it will still help us in our development. What I personally will face in these games I can only guess right now but I think it will be interesting to see and find out where I need to improve to pursue my ultimate goal of being a player in a top team in Europe at some point further on.


Now to your personal future will the Royals fans have the chance to see you play here for a little while longer? Do you have any ambitions to take your game to other European leagues just like Anne Breitreiner did after a couple of good years in Germany?

Bar: Although I haven't signed a new contract yet I still plan to stay at least one more year here in Saarlouis. I want to finish my university studies and then try to play somewhere outside of Germany depending on the offers I'll get, which of course will depend on how I develop until then and on what level I play by then. We'll see.


Your hometown club ChemCats Chemnitz couldn't stay in the league as they finished second last in the relegation zone. How bonded are you still with your hometown club? Does that touch you?

Bar: Well the team has changed quite a bit there. From this years team I really don't know so many players anymore. But of course it is always nice to play in your hometown. For me it was always like home coming and fun to play in front of my family and my friends. And not to forget it was always nice to stay at home after the game something that did not happen so often throughout the season. But as far as I know right now the chances are not bad that Chemnitz will get a wild card and maybe stays in the league. I wish them all the best for that.


Thanks for the interview Romy. Congratulations for winning the German Championship and good luck for your future!



*****************************************************
  LEBANON - Women  


Antranik held their 7th Lebanese championship cup in a row - by Maarouf Mawloud
By Maarouf Mawloud
Antranik Beirut 70 - 63 Homentmen Antelias (Game 3 - Women's Championship Final)
A Final Game without fans..not a normal game in the regular league,
but a final game void of any cheer or spirit
First two quarters homentmen was controlling the game and finished the second quarter 35-41 The turning point of the match was during the 3rd quarter when Antranik Beirut had a 12-0 run in the first 6 minutes of the quarter, and third quarter finished 49-46 Homentmen Antelias scored in it only 5 points. But in fourth quarter homentmen comes back to the game and didnt allow Antranik Beirut to get an easy third gamethey was playing with 1 heart all together...But like Chafik Akiki said against antranik the experience at the right moment wins.

Big credits for Chafik Akiki Homentmen Antelias head coach.he was playing a special defense from the beginning of the series it looks like 1 player sticking to shada Nasr with no help the others starts in a diamond (zone) defense, but the guards follows the guards like man to man... and the centers 1 stays at the high post and the other one under the basketChafic Akiki said about his special defense: it was a special defense to defend antranik.. it worked but the problem that we dont enough weapons on offense.. Finally, at every end of game against antranik, the experience at the right moment wins..They know how to benefit from their opponents mistakes
Elie Nasr was planning to surprise the homentmen offense, so he was changing his defense constantly to M-to-M,zone,2-2-1,trap and press
Best scoreres were Shada Nasr (173-G-83) and Nisreen Dandan from Antranik Beirut, and Nathalie Sevajian and Sandra Najem from HMEM's side

The final score was 70-63 for Antranik Beirut. Antranik Beirut just held their 7th Lebanese championship cup in a row. And they finished their 4th year of games with no loss. Congratulations to all Antranik Beirut fans, and hard luck for Homemtmen..One of the hardest season ever.

*****************************************************
  LUXEMBOURG - Women  


T71 Dudelange take lead in the Diekirch League Final - by Eurobasket News
Residence - T71 Dudelange 46:53

T71 Dudelange stepped closer to the Diekirch League title after they beat Residence in the finals opener. The teams struggled offensively throughout the game but it was T71 Dudelange who looked more consistent defensively. A terrific defensive display in the first half allowed the visitors to pile up a decisive advantage. They now look forward to closing off the series on May 13 at home court.
T71 showed their ambitions early as they held Residence to just 9 points in the opening frame claiming a 4-point lead at the first intermission. Things did not brighten up for the hosts in the second frame. They once again managed just 9 points in ten minutes and found themselves trailing by 9 points at halftime. Catherine Scanlon (180-G/F-83, college: Drexel) boosted her teams effort in the second half as Residence matched T71. The teams exchanged the blows throughout the third quarter but Dudelange were able to secure a 9-point buffer before the fourth stanza. Residence finally showed some aggressiveness in the fourth quarter but it was too late to save the game. The hosts won the frame by 2 points but had to surrender in Game 1. Melissa Dennett (188-F-83, college: Colorado St.) provided 20 points and 6 rebounds to lead T71 Dudelange. Alexandra Kugener (178-F/C-83) had 16 points and 12 boards for the winners. Catherine Scanlon finished with game-high 21 points and 8 rebounds for Residence. Michele Orban (190-C-86) knocked down 10 points in defeat.

Residence: Catherine Scanlon 21, Michele Orban 10
T71 Dudelange: Melissa Dennett 20, Alexandra Kugener 16+12 boards, Sara Olivieri (168-G/F-86) 6

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  PORTUGAL - Women  


Olivais could win the championship today - by Roberto Rodrigues
After winning the two first games at home, Olivais Coimbra only have to win one of the three games that left to be champion again and in the other side the team from Aveiro, AD Vagos, doesn't have time to make any mistakes, one mistake will cost the title. Today AD Vagos will play at home and they will try to win today and then tomorrow to force Olivais Coimbra to a decisive match in Coimbra, but nor everything is good news for AD Vagos, since the semi-finals against CAB Madeira, they have Clarissa dos Santos (182-C-88) a litle bit injured and playing with a lot of problems so at this moment they need a last effort from Clarissa to help them beating Olivais and at the end we will see who wins and if the championships will be delivered today or if we have to wait at least untill tomorrow.

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  SLOVENIA - Women  


Merkur Celje deny deficit in the Final - by Eurobasket News
Hit Kranjska Gora - Merkur Celje 43:71

Merkur Celje bounced back after the starting loss to Hit Kranjska Gora in the SKL Finals. Celje looked desperately for the victory not to appear on the brink of losing the series and they succeeded claiming a comprehensive road win. Kristina Verbole (193-F/C-88) scored 16 points and pulled down 6 rebounds to lead the visiting team. Kristina Verbole scored 4 points in an 8:0 run from the visitors as they gained a 6-point lead with just over 3 minutes gone in the game. Celje dominated in the opening stanza limiting the hosts to only 6 points and building a 12-point advantage into the second frame. Nikya Hughes (191-F/C-85) scored 7 points in a row to give Celje a 20-point lead early in the second stanza. The visitors maintained the buffer and enjoyed a 33:17 lead at halftime.
Hit Kranjska Gora tried hard but failed to get any closer in the third frame. Moreover Matic and Ciglar allowed Celje to pile up a 25-point margin with one quarter remaining. Merkur Celje looked solid in the final minutes and eased to the victory at the end. Nika Baric (168-G-92) finished with 15 points for Celje. Nikya Hughes provided 14 points and 10 boards in the winning effort. Khaili Sanders (191-F-82, college: Clemson) responded with 16 points and 17 rebounds for Hit Kranjska Gora. Esmary Vargas (191-C-81, agency: Next Level, college: Emporia St.) added 9 points in defeat.
The third game of the series is scheduled for May 12.

Hit Kr. Gora: Khaili Sanders 16+17 boards, Esmary Vargas 9
Merkur Celje: Kristina Verbole 16, Nika Baric 15, Nikya Hughes 14+10 boards

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  TURKEY - Women  


Stats Leaders - Women
TBBL Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
1 Penn, Burhan. 17.9
2 Harper, Besik. 17.6
3 Tisdale, Botas 17.3
4 Augustus, Galat. 16.0
5 Larkins, Samsun 15.9
6 Campbell, Ceyhan 15.5
7 Turner, Tarsus 15.2
8 McBride, Samsum 15.2
9 Walker, Botas 15.1
10 Brown, Tarsus 15.0
Rebounds Per Game
1 Larkins, Samsun 12.0
2 Walker, Botas 10.8
3 Harper, Besik. 10.4
4 Campbell, Ceyhan 10.2
5 Brown, Tarsus 9.2
6 Penn, Burhan. 9.1
7 Davenport, Tarsus 9.0
8 Olanrewaju, Sams 8.3
9 Hornbuckle, Besik 7.9
10 Yilmaz, Fenerb 7.6
Assists Per Game
1 Yigit, TED 7.1
2 Bobbitt, Botas 6.2
3 Alben, Galatas 4.3
4 Boz, Ceyhan 4.2
5 McBride, Samsun 4.1
6 Vardarli, Fenerb 4.0
7 Bristol, Burhan 4.0
8 Tuncluer, Fenerb 3.8
9 Turner, Tarsus 3.6
10 Hornbuckle, Besik 3.4
Steals Per Game
1 Penn, Burhan. 3.6
2 Hornbuckle, Besik 3.1
3 Yigit, TED 3.0
4 Alben, Galatas 2.9
5 Bristol, Burhan 2.9
Blocks Per Game
1 Davenport, Tarsus 1.7
2 Bales, Samsun 1.6
3 Harper, Besiktas 1.3
4 Sutton-Brown, Fen 1.2
5 Vulic, Cankaya 1.1


TBB2L Stats Leaders - by Eurobasket
TBB2L Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
1 Torun, Alanya 17.2
2 Pehlivan, Urla 16.9
3 Uzun, Izmir BK 16.0
4 Erden, Alanya 15.9
5 Salter, Izmir BSB 15.2
Rebounds Per Game
1 Menderes, Urla 13.9
2 Churkina, Alanya 10.8
3 Sevinc IUSK 9.9
4 Akay, Izmir BSB 9.8
5 Sanel, Kocaeli 9.2
Assists Per Game
1 Salter, Izmir BSB 5.4
2 Uzun, Izmir BK 5.3
3 Ozdemir, MTA 4.5
4 Basak, Alanya 4.3
5 Torun, Alanya 3.7
Steals Per Game
1 Uzun, Izmir BK 3.1
2 Sevinc IUSK 2.4
3 Atila, IUSK 2.4
Blocks Per Game
1 Churkina, Alanya 1.6
2 Menderes, Urla 1.3
3 Gezer, IUSK 1.2


TBB2L Standings - by Eurobasket
TBB2L Standings
 1. Kocaeli 4-1 
 2. IUSK 4-1 
 3. Izmir BSB 4-1 
 4. Alanya BLD 2-3 
 5. M.T.A. 1-4 
 6. Izmir Basket 0-5 
 7. Urla BLD 0-10