EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 1/1/2011 1:00:00 AM

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Men News

*****************************************************
  ABA   


Blackburn has left the Mavs - by Gianni Pascucci
The Southeast Texas Mavericks earlier this week had released Jermaine Blackburn (6'7''-G/F-83, college: Boise St.). Blackburn helped lead the Mavericks to the 2010 ABA National Championship and was a First Team All-ABA player.
'First of all we want to thank Jermaine for his contributions to our team and organization. With that said, it is in the best interest of this year's team and our entire organization that we part ways. We wish Jermaine the best of luck in the future.' States SETX Mavericks General Manager/Head Coach Steve Tucker . With the departure of Blackburn, the Mavericks filled the open roster spot with Houston, TX native and former Georgetown College (KY) point guard Hollis Giles (6'3''-G, college: Georgetown, KY). Giles was a first team NAIA All-American last season while averaging 17.4 ppg and 8.1 assist. Giles was an All-State High School player at Yates High School in Houston.


Jersey Express moving to China too - by Gianni Pascucci
(courtesy of Plainfiled Sport News - Augustine Dashiell)
The Jersey Express begin their second trip to China for a three-game showcase against Beijing Aoshen Olympians. Presently, the Express stand with a 3-1 record during their American Basketball Association (ABA) season, General Manager Marsha Blount sees this as a showcase for her team to an international audience. Every season I make every effort to gain additional exposure, for not only the organization, but more so for the players, and coaches, Blount said. Last season when the Beijing Aoshen Olympians invited several teams to play home games in China, I lobbied hard for us to get the invite. This season, they again chose to host home games, and thanks to Joe Newman , ABA CEO, Aoshen offered us the opportunity again. Some ABA players seek a chance like this to display their talents on an international level in search of an overseas contract. Teams in the Chinese leagues play with two Americans on the roster, so the opportunity is there. Playing in China, with the level of exposure and interest in professional basketball at such a high level, and growing is a big thing, all of the players know that this will do wonders for their basketball resumes, Blount said. I see possible offers for two or three players.
With all the traveling and sightseeing, Coach Sandy Smith does not feel lack of focus will present a problem for her young team.
I believe they will view it as just another competitive game, Smith said. The people of China were so nice and kind when we went before that each player felt at home.
Last year the Express did not know what to expect on the court (only that former Laker Yue Sun (6'9''-G/F-85) was on the team), but after last year experience a game plan is in place. I believe we're definitely more prepared than last year, simply because Coach Smith is a tactician, Blount said.
The game plan centers around our use of speed, Smith started. They are the taller team. Defensively we must gamble, trap, and recover. This has to be a complete team effort if we want to be successful.
Smith is confident in her team accepting the challenge, but warns them: This should be the most talented team we will face this season. Hopefully, it will open our eyes as to how hard we must work to be able to defeat teams of this caliber, Smith said. Sometimes words are not enough, actually playing against a heavily talented team can change one's personal perception when evaluating their game.
The Express fly out December 30, and return January 9, with a game January 2 (in Hebei Province) and two in Cangzhou City (January 5 and 8) the Express will have plenty of time to take in the culture. We will post photos, highlights, and scores on our facebook page Blount said. We look forward to a rousing welcome when we return home to face the New York Red Riders January 15 at East Orange Campus High School Gymnasium.

Seattle defeats Detroit - by Gianni Pascucci
Some days ago, the Indianapolis Drive met the Seattle Mountaineers in a regular season ABA game. The Mountainers esacepd with a clear win, 117-86. Rashaad Powell (6'6''-G-81, college: Idaho) was the Seattle's top performer at 24 points, the best in Indy Drive were Daniel Artest (6'6''-F-82, agency: GOTathletes, college: Westchester CC) at 19 points and USA-PHI Nicholas Hailey (5'10''-G-88) who scored 8 points

SETX Mavericks win Holiday Shoot-Out Classin in dominating fashion ! - by Gianni Pascucci
The #1 Ranked Southeast Texas Mavericks (11-1) defeated the Houston Red Storm (0-5) to win the Holiday Shoot-Out Classic on Thursday night at Nutty Jerrys Entertainment Center in Winnie, TX. The game ended 149-72.
Houston started well the game taking a six point lead early in the first quarter led by Demetrius Blair (6'1''-G-83, college: Texas Tyler), who scored 5 straight points and dished 3 assist in the first 5 possessions. After a Mavericks time-out and a little fire side chat from coach Steve Tucker the Mavericks came back out and did what they have done so often thus far this season and that is play dynamic dominating basketball. The Mavs quickly went on a 16-2 run to gain control of the game and went on to a 36-22 lead at the end of one period of play. In the second quarter SETX used suffocating defense the a lot Houston to only 15 points in the entire quarter while the Mavericks scored 33 points in the quarter. At the half SETX led 69-37.
In the third quarter the SETX Mavericks blew the roof off of their NJEC Arena by scoring 42 points while allowing the Red Storm to only 14 points. Alex Sanders (6'7''-F/C-75, college: Louisville), Odell Bradley (6'4''-F/G-81, college: IUPUI), Jon Rogers (6'9''-F/C-84, college: Valdosta St.), Currye Todd (6'4''-G-85, college: Lamar), and Myles Thrash (6'0''-G-77, college: Stillman) set the tone and the Mavericks rolled out to a huge lead. With the game in hand the fourth quarter saw the Mavs put things in cruise control and go on to another dominating victory!
The Mavericks put nine players in double figured led by Odell Bradley with 20 points. Alex Sanders followed up with 19 points and Josh Pace (6'6''-G-83, college: Syracuse) chipped 18 points. Former Maverick Brandon Andrews (6'3''-G-81, college: Gannon) scored a game high 27 points for the Red Storm.
In the first game of the evening the Texas Fuel (8-3) defeated a hard playing Arlington Bulldogs 123-116. Kenny Wilson (6'4''-G-84, college: Boise St.) recorded a triple double with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assist. Michael Gale (6'4''-G-82, college: Centenary) added 27 points respectively for the Fuel. Ralph Johnson (6'6''-F-82, college: Wiley) led the Bulldogs with 35 points, while Antonio Odom (6'4''-G/F-85, college: Texas Coll.) followed up with 27 points.
Both the SETX Mavericks and the Texas Fuel went 2-0 in the Holiday Classic. The Mavericks were declared the Champions of the Classic by margin of victory in two games. The Fuel won two games by a total of 30 points while the Mavericks won two games by a winning margin of 127 points.
The All-Holiday Classic Team consisted of Kenny Wilson TX Fuel, Antonio Odom Arlington Bulldogs Myles Thrash SETX Mavericks Odell Bradley SETX Mavericks Josh Pace SETX Mavericks. The MVP of the Holiday Shoot-Out Classic was Alex Sanders SETX Mavericks.
The Mavericks and Fuel will face off this Sunday in San Antonio, TX. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

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  BRAZIL   


Olympic sign Brent Jones and Nilo - by Paulo Freire
The new club from Minas Gerais, Olympic Club announced the signings of two more players, seeking the 2011 season where they will play the Brazil Cup.

the American Brent Jones, 24 years old and 1m85 tall, who played at Oklahoma Baptist University and Grayson County CC, the player was named All-American and for the First-Team All-Sooner Athletic Conference will have his first professionally experience after averege 16.3ppg and 3.9rpg in his senior year at OBU.

Another new player is the smallforward Nilo, 27 years old and 1m97 tall, who had been playing for the Macae in the Carioca League. He also already played for clubs such as Assis, Arthur Nogueira and Sorocaba.

Olympico, which is commanded by American head coach Mike Frink, so far the roster have Fabiao Pires (199-C-77), Jonny Gomes (212-C-76), Ted Bento (199-F-80), Feliz Baeta (195-G/F-84), Djair Paulino (170-G-76), Nilo Jr Rodrigues (198-F/C-83), Tony Dennison (191-G-87) and Brent Jones (183-G, college: Oklahoma Baptist)

After try-out in Bauru Will sign with Rio Claro - by Paulo Freire
Last week, the official site of the Confederation of Brazilian Basketball (CBB) announced the clubs who will be participation in Brazil Cup, on the Southeast Region too be held on Feb 25 to April 3, 2011.

Rio Claro is on the list with more six clubs in the Southeast Region. The teams were nominated by their respective federations.

With this, the Rio Claro Basketball began to work for the 2011 season, the first novelty in the team roster is the point guard Will Evangelista (G-84) . The athlete, who was doing some try-outs in Bauru, decided to stay closer to his businesses in the city of Piracicaba.


'I'm playing in Rio Claro the Brazil Cup, it was a better decision for me because I am closer to my business in Piracicaba.' commented Will.


He played in the recent seasons for the Piracicaba club XV Cosan, last Paulista State Championship he has an average of 9.2 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.7 assist and 2.0 steals. This is the first athlete signed by the team of Blue City for 2011.



Castellon and Lucas Avelino in the NBB for the first time - by Paulo Freire
The NBB league is having a great addition this season, a lot of brazilians who were playing in overseas dicided to come back and play the new league, wich is in the third edition this season. But that is not all, this season have been good for a lot of good talent players that were playing for small clubs and now some of them are putting their first feet wet on the NBB.

This is the case of shoothinguard Rafael Fernandes Castellon, 25 years old, who have been playing for Metodista Sao Bernardo, where he played for three years along with another new face on the NBB, Pilar. They are now together again in Bauru. In the last Paulista State Championship, Castellon had the better percentege from the three point line on the Sao Bernardo team. He also ranks among the ten biggest score leaders of the Paulista State Championship with an avarege of 16.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 apg.

The point guard Lucas Avelino, age 20 years old, will be also in his first NBB season, he collect a bunch os selections for the young Brazilian National Teams, he was formed by Paulistano club, went through the basic categories of Pinheiros, and also a small club name Circulo Militar (Army club). In the Paulista State Championship he played for Sorocaba as a professional, and average 7.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 2.3 apg.

Rafael Fernandes (85) more knowing as Castellon and Lucas Avelino (190-G-90) will probably been in court for Bauru next Jan 7, against Sao Jose dos Campos for the NBB.



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  CHINA   


Xinjiang, Dongguan Keep Winning, Beijing Wins as Morris Returns - by Arthur Volbert
Randolph Morris returned to the lineup, with 31 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks, as Beijing defeated Shanxi Zhongyu 93-82. Beijing now has a 7-2 record and is in third place in the CBA. Chen Lei added 19 points and 4 rebounds. Xie Libin scored 14. Zaid Abbas had 13 points and 14 rebounds. 173 cm Taiwanese native Lee Hsueh-Lin had 8 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. Osama Daghlas had 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for Shanxi. Leon Rogers had 17 points. Wei Mingliang had 15 and Duan Jiangpeng had 13. Young 206 cm Yu Changdong had 8 points and 6 rebounds.

Xinjiang defeated Shanghai 87-75 to lift its record to a league-leading 8-0. Quincy Douby had 33 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Mengke Bateer (210-C-75) had 18 points and 17 rebounds. James Singleton had 13 points and 3 rebounds. Sun Weibo scored 11. Zhang Qingpeng had 8 points and 5 rebounds. Michael Harris had 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists for Shanghai. Devin Green had 13 points and 7 rebounds. Liu Wei had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. Zhang Zhaoxu had 9 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals and appears to be making progress toward becoming an adequate CBA center.

Dongguan blew out Jilin 111-78 to keep pace with Xinjiang. Josh Akognon had 27 points and 8 assists. Jackson Vroman had 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. Zhang Kai had 16 points and 8 rebounds. Qiu Biao scored 13 and Meng Duo had 12. Young Gu Quan had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. 7-3 Sun Zhe had 4 points and 9 rebounds. Jameel Watkins had 18 points and 17 rebounds for Jilin. Veteran Du Jiang scored 16. David Young scored 12. Lu Wei scored 8. Jilin hit only 2 of 17 three-pointers.

Guangdong defeated Fujian 110-101 to attain a 6-2 record. Wang Shipeng had 22 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Chen Dawei hit all 8 of his shots to score 16. Fred Jones had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Du Feng scored 12 and Zhou Peng had 11. Young big man Li Yuanyu scored 10. Dwayne Jones had 21 points and 12 rebounds for Fujian. Zhao Tailong had 18 points and 4 rebounds. Guo Lei had 12 points and 5 rebounds. Luo Yiting scored 8.

Donta Smith had 21 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals as Liaoning defeated Tianjin 97-80. Chris Richard had 15 points and 9 rebounds. Li Xiaoxu had 12 points and 14 rebounds. Bian Qiang scored 11. 7-1 Han Dejun had 10 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes. Guo Ailun scored 9. Herve Lamizana had 25 points and 8 rebounds for Tianjin. Zhang Nan scored 18. Xu Guijun scored 13. Lee Benson had 12 points and 11 rebounds. Zhang Ji had 4 points and 10 rebounds.

Tang Zhengdong had 20 points and 8 rebounds as Jiangsu defeated Qingdao 100-94. Ricky Davis scored 20 and Meng Da had 15. Liu Yahui had 13 points and 6 rebounds. Jerome Moiso had 8 points and 11 rebounds. Dee Brown had 32 points and 5 assists for Qingdao. Charles Gaines had 29 points and 13 rebounds. Lv Yan scored 12.

Wang Zhizhi had 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Bayi to a 115-110 triumph over Shandong. Mo Ke had 22 points and 5 rebounds. Zhang Bo scored 21. Li Ke had 20 points and 4 rebounds. Xu Zhonghao had 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Sun Jie had 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for Shandong. Rodney White had 20 points and 7 rebounds. Cao Zhenhua had 19 points and 3 rebounds. Young Tao Hanlin had 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Liu Jiulong scored 10 and Myron Allen had 9.

Young point guard Wang Dayong had 24 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals as Zhejiang destroyed Foshan 100-66. New import Marcus Williams, who has replaced Mike James, had 20 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Williams is a perimeter player while James was a point guard. So the replacement of James allowed Wang Dayong to shine. Josh Boone had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Ding Jinhui had 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 assists. Zhang Dayu had 11 points and 5 rebounds. Cao Fei scored 12. Olumide Oyedeji had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Foshan. Yang Wenbo had 11 points and 8 rebounds. He Ben had 9 points and 5 rebounds. Stephon Marbury had 5 points on 2 of 10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 8 turnovers in 24 minutes. It is looking increasingly obvious that age has prematurely diminished Marbury's skills.


CBA Round 9: Xinjiang and DongGuan get another victories - by Eurobasket News
Undefeated leader DongGuan Leopards delivered the eighth consecutive win on Friday night. This time they crushed 11th ranked Jilin Tigers (3-6) 111-78. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Jilin Tigers. The game without a history. DongGuan Leopards led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Jilin Tigers' players. 28 personal fouls committed by Jilin Tigers helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was Nigerian guard Josh-Emmanuel Akognon (180-86, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) who scored 27 points and 8 assists. American-Lebanese power forward Jackson Vroman (208-81, college: Iowa St.) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was American power forward Jameel Watkins (211-77, college: Georgetown) who recorded a double-double by scoring 18 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Undefeated DongGuan Leopards (8-0) have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain first place with a perfect record of 8 victories in a row, which they share with Xinjiang. Jilin Tigers at the other side keep the eleventh position with six games lost. They share it with Zhejiang C. DongGuan Leopards is looking forward to face Liaoning Hunters (#8) in Yingkou in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Jilin Tigers will play at home against Foshan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Shanghai was quite interesting. Leader Xinjiang Flying Tige (8-0) played at the court of 5th ranked Shanghai Sharks (5-4). Xinjiang Flying Tige defeated Shanghai Sharks 87-75. It was a good game for American guard Quincy Douby (191-84, college: Rutgers) who led his team to a victory with 33 points (!!!) (went 11 for 11 at the free throw line !!!). Bateer Mengke contributed with 18 points and 17 rebounds for the winners. American forward Mike Harris (198-83, college: Rice) answered with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists for Shanghai Sharks. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Xinjiang Flying Tige. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with DongGuan. Shanghai Sharks at the other side dropped to the seventh place with four games lost. They share the position with Liaoning and Jiangsu. Xinjiang Flying Tige will play against Shanxi Zhongyu (#15) in Taiyuan in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Shanghai Sharks will play on the road against Qingdao Double Star (#14) and hope to get back on the winning track.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Hangzhou, where 12th ranked Foshan (2-6) was outleveled in a road game by fifteenth ranked Zhejiang Cyclones (3-6) 100-66 on Friday. stepped up with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals for the winners. The best for the losing side was Olumide Oyedeji with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Zhejiang Cyclones moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Jilin. Foshan lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Shanxi Zh. and Qingdao DS. Zhejiang Cyclones' supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Hangzhou Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.

Other games of round 9 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
bottom-ranked Fujian was defeated by Guandong in Dongguan 110-101. Jiangsu beat Qingdao DS at home 100-94. Shandong lost to Bayi on the opponent's court 110-115. Shanxi Zh. unfortunately lost to Beijing in a home game 82-93. TianJin R. recorded a loss to Liaoning on the road 80-97.
The best stats of 9th round was 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists by ZhiZhi Wang of Bayi.

Zhejiang C. - Foshan 100-66

We should mention about the upset which took place in Hangzhou, where 12th ranked Foshan (2-6) was outleveled in a road game by fifteenth ranked Zhejiang Cyclones (3-6) 100-66 on Friday. The game without a history. Zhejiang Cyclones led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Zhejiang Cyclones forced 25 Foshan turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by Foshan's players. stepped up with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and 4 steals for the winners and guard DaYong Wang (187-87) chipped in 24 points and 4 steals. Five Zhejiang Cyclones players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Nigerian-British power forward Olumide Oyedeji (208-81) with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds and swingman Wenbo Yang (196-90) scored 11 points and 8 rebounds. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Zhejiang Cyclones moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Jilin. Foshan lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Shanxi Zh. and Qingdao DS. Zhejiang Cyclones' supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Hangzhou Zhejiang Guangsha Lions.
Top scorers:
Zhejiang C.: W.DaYong 24+4reb+3ast, 20+10reb+9ast, B.Josh 14+5reb+3ast, C.Fei 12+3reb, D.Jinhui 12+8reb+3ast, Z.Dayu 11+5reb+1ast
Foshan: O.Olumide 20+12reb+1ast, Y.Wenbo 11+8reb+1ast, H.Ben 9+5reb, Z.Yong-gang 8+5reb, M.Stephon 5+7reb+2ast, Z.Zhun 4+7reb+1ast
gschID: 118390


Guandong - Fujian 110-101

There was no surprise in Dongguan where 17th ranked Fujian SBS XunXin (1-8) was defeated by fourth ranked Guandong Tigers (6-2) 110-101 on Friday. Fujian SBS XunXin trailed by 16 points after 3 quarters before a 35-28 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 101-110 at the end of the game. Guandong Tigers looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. International swingman ShiPeng Wang (197-83) stepped up and scored 22 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners and American guard Fred Jones (193-79, college: Oregon) chipped in 14 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists. The best for the losing side was American swingman Andre Emmett (196-82, college: Texas Tech) with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 5 steals and the other American import center Dwayne Jones (211-83, college: St.Joseph's) produced a double-double by scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds. Five Guandong Tigers and four Fujian SBS XunXin players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Guandong Tigers. They maintain fourth place with 6-2 record. Fujian SBS XunXin lost their sixth game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Guandong Tigers will meet at home Bayi Fubang (#5) in the next round. Fujian SBS XunXin will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Guandong: W.ShiPeng 22+5reb+7ast, C.Dawei 16+1reb, J.Fred 14+11reb+7ast, D.Feng 12+4reb+2ast, Z.Peng 11+2reb+2ast, L.Yuanyu 10+2reb
Fujian: E.Andre 25+6reb+8ast, J.Dwayne 21+12reb, Z.TaiLong 18+4reb+2ast, G.Lei 12+5reb, L.Yi Ting 8+1reb, Y.Qin 7+3reb+2ast
gschID: 118391


Jiangsu - Qingdao DS 100-94

No shocking result in a game in Nanjing where eighth ranked Jiangsu Dragons (5-4) defeated 13th ranked Qingdao Double Star (2-6) 100-94 on Friday. However just six-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. Qingdao Double Star trailed by 21 points at halftime and as many as 23 after three quarters before a 42-25 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 94-100 at the end of the game. Jiangsu Dragons forced 24 Qingdao Double Star turnovers. The former international center ZhengDong Tang (213-84) stepped up and scored 20 points and 8 rebounds for the winners and American guard Ricky Davis (199-79, college: Iowa) chipped in 20 points. Four Jiangsu Dragons players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American forward Charles Gaines (201-81, college: S.Mississippi, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) with a double-double by scoring 29 points and 13 rebounds and the other American import guard Dee Brown (185-84, college: Illinois) scored 32 points and 5 assists (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. Jiangsu Dragons moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Liaoning and Shanghai. Loser Qingdao Double Star keeps the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Shanxi Zh. and Foshan. Jiangsu Dragons will meet Shandong Bulls (#10) in the next round. Qingdao Double Star will play against Shanghai Sharks and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Jiangsu: D.Ricky 20+3reb+3ast, T.ZhengDong 20+8reb+3ast, M.Da 15+2reb+2ast, L.Yahui 13+6reb, M.Jerome 8+11reb+3ast, Y.Li 8+1ast
Qingdao DS: B.Dee 32+4reb+5ast, G.Charles 29+13reb+2ast, L.Yan 12+4reb, L.Gen 6+3reb+1ast, L.XiangTao 5+1reb, C.Kai 3+5reb
gschID: 118387


DongGuan - Jilin 111-78

Undefeated leader DongGuan Leopards delivered the eighth consecutive win on Friday night. This time they crushed 11th ranked Jilin Tigers (3-6) 111-78. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Jilin Tigers. The game without a history. DongGuan Leopards led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Jilin Tigers' players. 28 personal fouls committed by Jilin Tigers helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was Nigerian guard Josh-Emmanuel Akognon (180-86, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) who scored 27 points and 8 assists. American-Lebanese power forward Jackson Vroman (208-81, college: Iowa St.) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds. Five DongGuan Leopards players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was American power forward Jameel Watkins (211-77, college: Georgetown) who recorded a double-double by scoring 18 points, 17 rebounds and 4 blocks and forward Jiang Du (200-82) added 16 points respectively. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. DongGuan Leopards (8-0) have an impressive series of eight victories in a row. They maintain first place with a perfect record of 8 victories in a row, which they share with Xinjiang. Jilin Tigers at the other side keep the eleventh position with six games lost. They share it with Zhejiang C.. DongGuan Leopards is looking forward to face Liaoning Hunters (#8) in Yingkou in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Jilin Tigers will play at home against Foshan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
DongGuan: A.Josh-Emmanuel 27+4reb+8ast, V.Jackson 19+7reb+3ast, Z.Kai 16+8reb+2ast, Q.Biao 13+1reb, P.Duo 12+4reb+1ast, G.QuAn 12+3reb+2ast
Jilin: W.Jameel 18+17reb+2ast, D.Jiang 16+2reb+3ast, Y.David 12+1reb, L.Wei 8+2reb, X.Xu 6+1reb, L.Tao 5+2reb
gschID: 118388


Bayi - Shandong 115-110

Very expected game in Ningbo where 10th ranked Shandong Bulls (3-5) were defeated by sixth ranked Bayi Fubang (6-3) 115-110 on Friday. However just five-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts started the game with a very strong first quarter 32-21. But Shandong Bulls won third quarter 33-31. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Bayi Fubang made 27-of-28 free shots (96.4 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The former international center ZhiZhi Wang (214-79) stepped up and scored 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists (went 10 for 10 at the free throw line !!!) for the winners and the former international center Ke Mo (210-82) chipped in 22 points and 5 rebounds. The best for the losing side was the former international guard Jie Sun (190-86) with 25 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and American forward Rodney White (206-80, college: Charlotte) scored 20 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Bayi Fubang moved-up to fifth place. Loser Shandong Bulls keep the tenth position with five games lost. Bayi Fubang will meet higher ranked Guandong Tigers (#4) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Shandong Bulls will play against Jiangsu Dragons (#7) in Nanjing and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Bayi: W.ZhiZhi 26+5reb+5ast, M.Ke 22+5reb+3ast, Z.Bo 21+2reb+2ast, L.Ke 20+4reb+2ast, X.ZhongHao 12+7reb+3ast, H.Shuo 8+2reb+3ast
Shandong: S.Jie 25+5reb+4ast, W.Rodney 20+7reb, C.ZhenHua 19+3reb+1ast, T.HanLin 12+3reb, L.JiuLong 10+2reb+3ast, A.Myron 9+2reb+3ast
gschID: 118389


Shanxi Zh. - Beijing 82-93

Very predictable result in Taiyuan where third ranked Beijing Ducks (7-2) beat 14th ranked Shanxi Zhongyu (2-6) 93-82 on Friday. The guests trailed by 7 points at the halftime before their 54-36 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Beijing Ducks made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game, while Shanxi Zhongyu only scored five points from the stripe. American power forward Randolph Morris (211-86, college: Kentucky) stepped up and scored 31 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks for the winners and Jordanian forward Zaid Abbaas (203-83) chipped in 13 points and 14 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Jordanian guard Osama Daghlas (199-79, college: Midwestern St.) with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and American forward Leon Rodgers (199-80, college: N.Illinois) scored 17 points. Five Beijing Ducks and four Shanxi Zhongyu players scored in double figures. Shanxi Zhongyu's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Beijing Ducks maintains third place with 7-2 record having just 0 points less than leader DongGuan. Shanxi Zhongyu lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the thirteenth position with six games lost. They share it with Foshan and Qingdao DS. Beijing Ducks will meet TianJin Rongcheng (#16) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Shanxi Zhongyu will play against the league's second-placed Xinjiang Flying Tige in Urumqi and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Beijing: M.Randolph 31+8reb, C.Lei 19+4reb+2ast, X.LiBin 14+3reb+1ast, A.Zaid 13+14reb+1ast, L.Hsueh-Lin 10+8reb+7ast, W.Xiaohui 3+1reb
Shanxi Zh.: D.Osama 18+6reb+4ast, R.Leon 17+3reb+3ast, W.MingLiang 15+1reb+2ast, D.JiangPeng 13+3reb+2ast, Y.Changdong 8+6reb, Z.Biao 4+3reb
gschID: 118384


Shanghai - Xinjiang 75-87

The game in Shanghai was quite interesting. Leader Xinjiang Flying Tige (8-0) played at the court of 5th ranked Shanghai Sharks (5-4). Xinjiang Flying Tige defeated Shanghai Sharks 87-75. Shanghai Sharks were ahead by 1 point at the halftime before a 46-33 second half run of Xinjiang Flying Tige. They made 24-of-30 charity shots (80.0 percent) during the game. It was a good game for American guard Quincy Douby (191-84, college: Rutgers) who led his team to a victory with 33 points (!!!) (went 11 for 11 at the free throw line !!!). The former international center Bateer Mengke (210-75) contributed with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 17 rebounds for the winners. Four Xinjiang Flying Tige players scored in double figures. American forward Mike Harris (198-83, college: Rice) answered with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists and international guard Wei LiuWei (190-80) added 12 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists in the effort for Shanghai Sharks. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The victory was the eighth consecutive win for Xinjiang Flying Tige. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with DongGuan. Shanghai Sharks at the other side dropped to the seventh place with four games lost. They share the position with Liaoning and Jiangsu. Xinjiang Flying Tige will play against Shanxi Zhongyu (#15) in Taiyuan in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Shanghai Sharks will play on the road against Qingdao Double Star (#14) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Xinjiang: D.Quincy 33+4reb+3ast, M.Bateer 18+17reb+3ast, S.James 13+3reb+1ast, S.WeiBo 11, Z.QingPeng 8+5reb+1ast, M.WuLan 2+3reb
Shanghai: H.Mike 14+12reb+4ast, G.Devin 13+7reb+1ast, L.Wei 12+5reb+8ast, Z.ZhaoXu 9+4reb, W.Ligang 9+5reb, P.Fei 7+6reb
gschID: 118385


Liaoning - TianJin R. 97-80

Not a big story in a game in Yingkou where 16th ranked TianJin Rongcheng (1-7) was defeated by ninth ranked Liaoning Hunters (5-4) 97-80 on Friday. Liaoning Hunters dominated down low during the game scoring 70 of its points in the paint compared to TianJin Rongcheng's 38. Liaoning Hunters forced 22 TianJin Rongcheng turnovers. The former international center Xiaoxu Li (207-90) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 14 rebounds for the winners and American guard Donta Smith (201-83, college: SE Illinois JC) chipped in 21 points and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was Ivorian-French power forward Herve Lamizana (207-81, college: Rutgers) with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 blocks (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) and forward Nan Zhang (197-81) scored 18 points. Five Liaoning Hunters and four TianJin Rongcheng players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to get some rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Liaoning Hunters. They moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Shanghai and Jiangsu. TianJin Rongcheng lost their seventh game in a row. They keep the sixteenth position with seven games lost. Liaoning Hunters will meet league's leader DongGuan Leopards on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. TianJin Rongcheng will play against Beijing Ducks (#3).
Top scorers:
Liaoning: S.Donta 21+3reb+4ast, R.Chris 15+9reb+3ast, L.Xiaoxu 12+14reb+3ast, B.Qiang 11+2reb+1ast, H.Dejun 10+5reb, G.Ailun 9+2reb+1ast
TianJin R.: L.Herve 25+8reb+3ast, Z.Nan 18+4reb+2ast, X.GuiJun 13+1reb, B.Lee 12+11reb+1ast, Z.Ji 4+10reb, W.Hao 3+1reb
gschID: 118386




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  D-LEAGUE   


Happy New Year D-League Fans, Blake Ahearn is Back - by Surujh Roopnarine
First Erie traded the eighth leading assist man (6.6apg) in the NBA D-League, Cedric Jackson (6'3''-G-86, college: Cleveland St.), to the Idaho Stampede for a 2011 first round draft pick. Secondly, they announced the signing of veteran guard Blake Ahearn (6'2''-G-84, college: Missouri St.). Regarding Jackson, his second year as a pro has been less of a whirl-wind ride as his auspicious 2009-10 campaign. Last season the former Cleveland State point guard earned a call-up to Cleveland and then went on to have short stints with San Antonio and Washington before the season was over. Additionally, he had an outstanding D-League campaign, averaging 16.4 points 5.6 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.1 steals in 34 contests with Erie. Unfortunately this season, his production has dipped (12.1ppg, 4.1rpg, 6.6apg along with 39.5% shooting and an abysmal 57.4% FT). However, did help lead Erie to a 9-5 record during his 14 games and he will now move to Idaho where at 2-12, he can only help a team which has been lacking a true starting caliber point guard for the entire season.

26 year old Blake Ahearn makes his fourth appearance in the NBA D-League, second of which with Erie. The 2007-08 D-League Rookie of the year began this season in Italy with Banca Tercas Teramo. In six games he averaged 9.3 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 34.5% from three. Ahearn played in 13 games for Erie last season posting averages of 25.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.5 rebounds in 45.1 minutes of play. Ahearn originally came to the BayHawks after being dealt from the Bakersfield Jam on March 2 in exchange for forward Alade Aminu (6'10''-F-87, college: Georgia Tech). His return this season is a result of D-League rules that allow teams to retain the rights of former players for up to two seasons. He was drafted by the Dakota Wizards in 2007 and averaged 19 points per game, including a league-leading 96% free-throw shooting percentage, helping him earn Rookie of the Year honors. In 2008-09 he again led the league in free-throw shooting connecting on 95% of his attempts, and averaged a team high 22.7 points and 5 assists per game.
After spending two months playing for Asefa Estudiantes of Spain's ACB league at the start of the 2009-10 season, Ahearn returned to D-League and was dealt from Dakota to Bakersfield where he appeared in seventeen games with the Jam before coming to Erie.
In his first D-League action of the season, Ahearn came off the bench to tally seven points and four assists in 17 minutes as the BayHawks fell to Maine 107-120.


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  FINLAND   


Finnish Korisliiga round 23 best performance: Antwine Williams - by Eurobasket News
American forward Antwine Williams (192-F-75, agency: Prossin Sports Management) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for second-ranked Pyrinto Tampere, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 23.
The 35-year old player was the main contributor (32 points, five rebounds) to his team's victory, helping them to outclass Namika Lahti (#8, 10-12) with 34-point margin 102-68. Pyrinto maintains the 2nd position in Finnish Korisliiga. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Pyrinto will need more victories to improve their 17-6 record. In the team's last game Williams had a remarkable 70.6% from 2-point range. He turned to be Pyrinto's top player in his first season with the team. Former University of Northern Colorado star has very solid stats this year. Williams is in league's top in points (7th best: 15.4ppg), rebounds (7th best: 6.1rpg), assists (3rd best: 1.7apg) and averages impressive 50.8% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 25-year old American Jeremiah Wood (200-F-85, agency: Court Side) of Karhu Kauhajoki. Wood had a very good evening with 27 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Bad luck as Karhu was edged by the lower-ranked Tarmo (#12, 4-19) 92-90. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Karhu keeps 9th position. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 9-14 record. Wood is well-known at Karhu and is a proven leader in his second season with the team. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 19.0ppg (#6). His other stats are also decent: 14.3rpg and 3.9apg.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward HL Coleman (202-F-74) of LrNMKY (#11). Coleman got into 30-points club by scoring 32 points in the last round. Despite Coleman's great performance LrNMKY lost 85-91 to Salon Vilpas (6-17). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. LrNMKY can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have rather bad season and 6-17 record places them close to the bottom of the standings. Too bad for Coleman he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Coleman has a very solid season. In 23 games in Finland he scored 14.3ppg. He also has 8.2rpg and FGP: 53.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. John Williamson (198-C-86) of Honka - 24 points and 11 rebounds
5. Nick Okorie (185-G-88) of Salon Vilpas - 37 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Jonathan Heard (198-G/F-86) of Tarmo - 20 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Lawrence Wright (195-F-84) of Korihait - 19 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Jamar Wilson (185-G-84) of Honka - 29 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Sefton Barrett (196-F-83) of KTP - 29 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Jarkko Kyllonen (186-G-87) of Tarmo - 20 points

The Player of the week is chosen based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3* (REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4* (2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3* (2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3* (3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

*****************************************************
  GERMANY   


1. Regionalliga North: Statistical leaders - by Moritz Korff
While the teams of the 1. Regionalliga North are currently taking a short break and are getting ready for the second half of the 2010-2011 season, let's take a look at those players who have been dominating the RLN so far, as far as statistics are concerned.

Efficiency Rating (Pts + RT + AS + ST + BS) - ( (WTa - WTm) + (FWa + FWm) + TO):
1) Kedrick Johnson (192-F-83, college: Lee) - Stade: 27.1
2) Martinis Woody (203-F/C, college: Benedict) - Itzehoe: 21.9
3) Robert Dill (207-F-82, college: Lafayette) - BG 74 Goettingen: 21.8
4) Christopher Rodgers (186-G-81, college: Bucknell) - Wolfenbuettel: 21.7
5) Michael Schroeder (210-C-84, agency: Rasmussen Services) - BG 74 Goettingen: 21.2
6) Tut Ruach (188-G-85, college: York University) - Itzehoe: 20.3
7) Scott Buschman (201-F, college: Viterbo) - Oldenburg: 18.1
8) Volodymyr Ivanov (198-F-80) - Magdeburg: 17.6
9) Darren Stackhouse (198-F, agency: ProSportsCareers, college: Shepherd) - Cottbus: 17.5
10) Ryan McLemore (206-F-85, college: Edinboro) - BSW Sixers: 17.0

Scoring:
1) Kedrick Johnson (192-F-83, college: Lee) - Stade: 23.7ppg
2) Christopher Rodgers (186-G-81, college: Bucknell) - Wolfenbuettel: 23.0ppg
3) Kelvin Bright (193-G-87, college: Youngstown St.) - Bramsche: 19.7ppg
4) Tut Ruach (188-G-85, college: York University) - Itzehoe: 18.2ppg
5) Michael Canty (178-G-89) - Magdeburg: 17.7ppg
6) Bennie Miller (183-G, college: Dallas Christian) - Cottbus: 17.6ppg
7) Marco Grimaldi (188-G-83, agency: Rasmussen Services) - BG 74 Goettingen: 17.5ppg
8) Julio Anthony (193-G-86, college: E.Illinois) - BSW Sixers: 17.0ppg
9) Martinis Woody (203-F/C, college: Benedict) - Itzehoe: 16.4ppg
9) Darren Stackhouse - Cottbus: 16.4ppg
10) Terrell Ray (198-F/C-88, college: Franklin Pierce) - Bramsche: 16.3ppg

Rebounds:
1) Michael Schroeder (210-C-84, agency: Rasmussen Services) - BG 74 Goettingen: 12.2rpg
2) Robert Dill (207-F-82, college: Lafayette) - BG 74 Goettingen: 10.7rpg
3) Scott Buschman (201-F, college: Viterbo) - Oldenburg: 10.6rpg
4) Martinis Woody (203-F/C, college: Benedict) - Itzehoe: 10.3rpg
5) Kedrick Johnson (192-F-83, college: Lee) - Stade: 9.4rpg

Assists:
1) Marco Grimaldi (188-G-83, agency: Rasmussen Services) - BG 74 Goettingen: 5.4apg
2) Tut Ruach (188-G-85, college: York University) - Itzehoe: 4.3apg
3) Kevin Smit (183-G-91) - Oldenburg: 3.6apg
4) Nick Michels (188-G, college: Dallas Baptist) - Oldenburg: 3.2apg
5) Ronny Weihmann (186-G-82, college: Emmanuel (GA)) - Bramsche: 3.0apg

Steals:
1) Bennie Miller (183-G, college: Dallas Christian) - Cottbus: 2.2spg
2) Marcel Karge (186-G-82) - Hermsdorf: 2.0spg
3) Dennis Gebert (188-G-89) - Magdeburg: 2.0spg
4) Kris Miller (191-G-83, college: William Penn) - Stade: 1.9spg
5) Michael Canty - Magdeburg: 1.8spg
5) Goekhan Oezbas (190-G-84) - ASC Goettingen: 1.8spg
5) Maximilian Pink (195-F-89, college: Covenant) - Wolfenbuettel: 1.8spg

Blocked Shots:
1) Michael Schroeder (210-C-84, agency: Rasmussen Services) - BG 74 Goettingen: 2.2bpg
2) Robert Dill (207-F-82, college: Lafayette) - BG 74 Goettingen: 2.1bpg
3) Frederick Kleemichen (209-F-86) - Stade: 1.7bpg

Source: www.basketball-bund.net

Besnik Bekteshi Named To 2011 NBBL Allstar Game In Trier - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
iBesnik Bekteshi has been named to the NBBL Allstar game in 2011 for the second time. Bekteshi is a 17 year old 188cm guard that has the dual citzenship of German/Albanian. The 17 year old is playing this season in the JBBL where he is belonging to the top players in the sourth division where he is averaging 19,3ppg, 4,5rpg, 3,8apg and 1,6spg. He is the best free throw shooter averaging 87%. His young career has come a long way in 2010 in which he was the German top scorer at the Albert Schweitzer tournament in Mannheim, was the top scorer at the U-17 world championships in Hamburg (8 games: 15.5ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.9apg, Steals-4 (2.3spg), FGP: 47.1%, 3PT: 40.7%, FT-3 (87.0%), took part at the basketball without boarders camp in Barcelona and scored his first BEKO BBL points. The current U-18 German national player also has a license to play for EnBW Ludwigsburg and has played in three games this season. He has totaled 12 minutes playing time in three games and scored two points in five minutes agaisnt Ratiopharm Ulm. He recently took part at the U-18 Onil tournament in Spain where he helped Germany finsih in third place. In the final game, Germany held of Italy 72-58 and Bekteshi had 13 points in the effort.



Onil International Tournamnet. Germany finish on a high note - by Eurobasket News
Germany U18 - Italy U18 72:58

Germany recorded their first win at the Onil International Tournament in Spain. They held off Italian counterparts on the final day of the competition. The German team thus occupied the third position in the standings. Bogdan Radosavljevic (211-C-93) came up with 16 points to lead the effort.
The Bundesteam looked better in the opening ten minutes. They fired 22 points to take a 6-point lead at the first break. Germany maintained the lead throughout the second stanza. They arrived at the interval up by as many as 8 points 40:32. Italy however recovered in the third term. The Azzurri cut the distance to only 4 points with one quarter remaining. But Germany bounced back in the final period. Led by one of the best players at the tourney Bogdan Radosavljevic they quickly cleared off to a safe distance. Germany controlled the tempo and coasted to the win at the end. Besnik Bekteshi (188-G-93) provided 13 points for the winners. Dennis Schroeder (184-G-93) accounted for 10 points for Germany. Amedeo Tessitori (201-C-94) notched 16 points for Italy. Gianluca Marchetti (178-G-93) knocked down 8 points in the losing effort.

Germany U18: Bogdan Radosavljevic 16, Besnik Bekteshi 13, Dennis Schroeder 10
Italy U18: Amedeo Tessitori 16, Gianluca Marchetti 8


Tyrese Rice claims German 1.Bundesliga weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
American Tyrese Rice (185-G-87, agency: Priority Sports) had an amazing evening in the last round for Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 16.
The 23-year old guard had the game-high 33 points adding four rebounds and seven assists for Art.Dragons in his team's victory, helping them to crush Phoenix Hagen (#16, 5-11) with 19-point margin 111-92. Art.Dragons maintains the 4th position in German 1.Bundesliga. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Art.Dragons will need more victories to improve their 10-6 record. In the team's last game Rice had a remarkable 72.7% from 2-point range. He turned to be Art.Dragons' top player in his first season with the team. Boston College graduate has very impressive stats this year. Rice is in league's top in points (3rd best: 15.9ppg), assists (8th best: 4.3apg) and averages solid 61.5% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was another Artland Dragons Quakenbrueck's star - 30-year old American center Darren Fenn (208-C-80, agency: Limelight Hoops). Fenn impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 20 points and 12 rebounds. Of course together with Rice he helped Art.Dragons with another comfortable win 111-92 over the lower-ranked Phoenix Hagen (#16, 5-11) being unquestionably team leader. Art.Dragons' 4th position in the standings has not changed. His team's 10-6 record is not bad at all. Fenn is one of the most experienced players at Art.Dragons and similarly like Tyrese Rice has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was international forward Tibor Pleiss (214-F/C-89) of top-ranked Brose Baskets Bamberg. Pleiss scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. He was a key player of Brose Baskets, leading his team to a 101-63 easy win against the lower-ranked EnBW L'burg (#11, 8-9). Brose Baskets have amazing season winning all 16 games without a single defeat. Pleiss turns to be one of the very best players in the league while he is also a leader of the top team having his eyes on the championship title. Pleiss has a great season in Germany. After 16 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 7.1rpg (8th best). He also has 2.3bpg and FGP: 52.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Andrew Drevo (202-F/C-81) of Bremerhaven - 17 points and 18 rebounds
5. Nic Wise (178-G-87) of Telekom Baskets - 21 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Adam Hess (201-G/F-81) of Art.Dragons - 23 points and 6 rebounds
7. Oliver Stevic (204-F/C-84) of EWE Baskets - 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Laimonas Kisielius (203-F-85) of Duesseldorf - 21 points and 9 rebounds
9. Julius Jenkins (187-G-81) of ALBA - 18 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists
10. Folarin Campbell (193-G/F-86) of Telekom Baskets - 24 points and 2 rebounds

The Player of the week is chosen based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3* (REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4* (2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3* (2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3* (3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Keep Jimmy Mckinney But Release Joe Dabbert. Will Brad Buckmann Return? - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
The Deutsche Bank Skyliners are going into 2011 with Jimmy McKinney (192-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Missouri), but have said farwell to Joe Dabbert (210-C-81, college: Creighton) Mckinney is a 27 year old 192cm shooting guard from ST Louis that has been with the club since 2006. Even though Mckinney has had a very solid season, he cant really relax since he only recieved a contract until the end of February 2011. One could say that Mckinney is the king of short term contracts in the BEKO BBL. This season, Mckinney is averaging 10,7ppg, 2,8rpg and 1,6apg and is shooting 56% from the field and 32% from the parking lot. 'I am happy that Jimmy can remain with the team. He is a big part of the team not only on the court, but also as a person. He is very much loved by his teammates and fans and is respected. He works like a professional, is a very good shooter and defender. He also does many small things that help the team. He showed that after his injury, he could find his old form. I think that he can still improve', stated Skyliner coach Gordon Herbert The club decided not to renew the short term contract of 29 year old 210cm center Joe Dabbert. Dabbert played his first season in Germany and had a strong preseason, but then got injured. He was very slow in coming back off the injury and finding his old form, but in the last weeks was finding that form. Currently, Dabbert was averaging 5,8ppg and 3,7rpg and scored in double figures three times. 'I want to thank all the fans for their support. I will miss playing with the team and wish the team a lot of success for the rest of the season', stressed Joe Dabbert. Now Frankfurt will look for a center. Is there a possibilty that Brad Buckmann (8,3ppg, 5,3rpg with Frankfurt) will return a second time to the club the way Jermaine Bucknor did? Even though Buckman is only a 203cm power forward, he is able to play center. Now it will be important to see which centers are avaliable on the market and what the club has on money resources. Buckman is still without a team even though there was interest from a Greek team, but there seems to have been no contract agreement announced yet. Does the departure of Dabbert reopen the door for Buckman to return to Frankfurt? 'I would love to come back to Frankfurt and help the team. My agent is still in contact with the club. I loved Frankfurt', stated Bradley Buckman (203-F-84, college: Texas).

*****************************************************
  HOLLAND   


Teams from Serbia and Spain took the win in Dutch Invitational - by Fred Roggen
It was the first time the tournament was held, but the success was clear. The Rinus de Jong Invitational for teams in the U20- and U18-categorie in Den Bosch (Holland) got the winners the organisation had in view. Mega Vizura Belgrade (U20) and Canarias Basketball Academy (U18) were the favourites and indeed the best in this tournament. The Serbs beat in a tremendous final the U20-talents of the Academy from the Canary Islands (77-80). And in the second final a Dutch national selection lost to the very talented U18-squad of Bob Orellanas Canarias talents from all over Europe.

Especially the final in the U20-competiton was of an exciting level. After a tremendous start of the young Canarians (9-0 and 22-8) the Serbs picked up the game and took their first lead at the end of the third quart (62-63). It was Stevan Jelovac (208-F/C-89, agency: BeoExcell) who played the descicive role in the last quart with his excellent shooting (26 points). Dutch guard Charlon Kloof (188-G-90) had the same score for the academic team from the Canary Islands.

But both scorers were not the best in this game. That was undoubtfull 16 years old Nikola Ivanovic (84). The pointguard showed great skills and a tremendous courtsense. And still he was not the MVP in this great tournament with its delighted intimacy. That title was for Oskars Reinfelds (190-G-94) from Latvia, like Ivanovic only 16 years old! He was the true leader of his team and hardly to stop. His stats in the final of the U16-poule were impressive: 16 rebounds, 7 rebounds, 6 assists. He is the really number one in a squad of talented guys from atvia that gets its basketballlessons in the class of the American academy-owner Bob Orellana.
The two other individual prices of the Dutch tournament went to the Boris Jovanovsky (Canarias Basketball Academy, 2.15 m from Latvia) and Stevan Jelovac (best defensive player from Serbia).

Final standings:
U20: 1. Mega Vizura Belgrade (Ser); 2. Canarias Basketball Academy (Spa); 3. EiffelTowers Den Bosch (Neth); 4. Soba Antwerp (Bel).
U18: 1. Canarias Basketball Academy; 2. Dutch national selection; 3. Telkom Bonn; 4. USK Future Stars Prague.


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  ITALY   


Onil International Tournamnet. Germany finish on a high note - by Eurobasket News
Germany U18 - Italy U18 72:58

Germany recorded their first win at the Onil International Tournament in Spain. They held off Italian counterparts on the final day of the competition. The German team thus occupied the third position in the standings. Bogdan Radosavljevic (211-C-93) came up with 16 points to lead the effort.
The Bundesteam looked better in the opening ten minutes. They fired 22 points to take a 6-point lead at the first break. Germany maintained the lead throughout the second stanza. They arrived at the interval up by as many as 8 points 40:32. Italy however recovered in the third term. The Azzurri cut the distance to only 4 points with one quarter remaining. But Germany bounced back in the final period. Led by one of the best players at the tourney Bogdan Radosavljevic they quickly cleared off to a safe distance. Germany controlled the tempo and coasted to the win at the end. Besnik Bekteshi (188-G-93) provided 13 points for the winners. Dennis Schroeder (184-G-93) accounted for 10 points for Germany. Amedeo Tessitori (201-C-94) notched 16 points for Italy. Gianluca Marchetti (178-G-93) knocked down 8 points in the losing effort.

Germany U18: Bogdan Radosavljevic 16, Besnik Bekteshi 13, Dennis Schroeder 10
Italy U18: Amedeo Tessitori 16, Gianluca Marchetti 8


Luca Bechi is the new head coach of Enel Brindisi. Cotani leaves Varese. - by Antonello Varallo
Enel Brindisi fired coach Giovanni Perdichizzi after 9 defeats in first 11 games. The new coach is the 40 years old Luca Bechi, who spent last 9 seasons with Biella (first 5 years as coach assistant, other 4 as head coach). Bechi has a record of 57-126 in regular season games, 6-14 in playoff. During 2008-2009 he reached Serie A Semifinals, coaching players as James Gist (203-F-86), Reece Gaines (198-G-81, college: Louisville) and Greg Brunner (201-F-83, college: Iowa).
Simone Cotani (201-G/F-81) leaves Cimberio Varese and agrees terms with P.M.S. Torino.

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  LITHUANIA   


Jasikevicius to Fenerbahce, Jasaitis to Lietuvos Rytas - by Deividas Valiunas
What a last day of 2010, as Lietuvos Rytas announced the signing of Simas Jasaitis (202-F/G-82) while Sarunas Jasikevicius (192-G-76, college: Maryland) is heading to Turkey, to sign for Fenerbahce.


Just days after getting rid of Igor Milosevic the Lithuanian champions cleared some salary space to offer an acceptable contract to Jasaitis. The player will be returning to the club
after spending four years abroad.

As for Jasikevicius he will be enforcing Fenerbahce's suffering point guard position and will be completing Ukic where, according to him, he will get the chance to fight for Euroleague
title. Regarding his move he stated:

'It was a long and difficult mont in Vilnius. The team was unbalanced and I had to put a lot of effort and concentrations to do my best. Now I am heading again to the unknown, but
Fenerbahce is a Final Four contender team'

Lithuanian LKL round 14 best performance: Jonas Valanciunas - by Eurobasket News
Center Jonas Valanciunas (210-C-92) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for second-ranked Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 14.
The 18-year old player had a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds, while his team crushed Sakalai (#10, 4-8) with 21-point margin 92-71. Lietuvos Rytas is placed at 2nd position in Lithuanian LKL. Lietuvos Rytas has a very good season and are considered to have a run for the championship title. They improved their record to 9-1. Valanciunas turned to be Lietuvos Rytas' top player in his first season with the team. Jonas Valanciunas has solid league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (3rd best: 9.3rpg) and averages impressive 2.1bpg and 61.6% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 23-year old Vilmantas Dilys (208-F-87) of Naglis-Adakris Palangos. Dilys had a very good evening with 25 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. Of course he lead Naglis-Adakris to another comfortable win 87-71 over slightly lower-ranked Aiscai Kaunas (#11, 4-8) being unquestionably team leader. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. But Naglis-Adakris managed to improve slightly their position in standings taking 9th place. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 4-6 record. Dilys is a newcomer at Naglis-Adakris, but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 16.2ppg (#7). He also registered 6.6 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was center Vytautas Sarakauskas (204-C-82) of Siauliai (#5). Sarakauskas scored 24 points and grabbed eleven rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Siauliai, leading his team to a 93-81 win against slightly lower-ranked Juventus (#6, 6-6). Siauliai needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 6 victories and 4 lost games. Sarakauskas has a great season in Lithuania. After 10 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 10.5rpg (2nd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Aidas Viskontas (185-G-86) of Perlas - 26 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Darius Gvezdauskas (191-G-88) of Siauliai - 28 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Jonas Valanciunas (210-C-92) of Lietuvos Rytas - 13 points and 10 rebounds
7. Steponas Babrauskas (196-G/F-84) of Lietuvos Rytas - 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Rolandas Matulis (199-C-73) of Sakalai - 16 points and 11 rebounds
9. Aurimas Kieza (202-F-82) of Juventus - 18 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Roman Gumenyuk (221-C-87) of Siauliai - 18 points and 6 rebounds

The Player of the week is chosen based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3* (REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4* (2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3* (2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3* (3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

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  NAIA   


Gold Rush streak ends in 61-58 loss to Dakota Wesleyan - by Emiliano
Brady Wiebe scored 22 points Thursday to lead Dakota Wesleyan to a 61-58 men's basketball victory that ended NAIA No. 9 Xavier (LA)'s bid for a perfect season.
The Tigers (13-4) rallied from a 46-39 deficit in the final nine minutes to end a pair of Gold Rush (13-1) win streaks -- including 17 straight in the regular season -- and finish as the only 2-0 team in the seven-school Miami Gardens Classic.
Wiebe's two free throws with 1:58 remaining put Dakota Wesleyan ahead to stay at 57-56. Xavier missed shots on its next two possessions and failed to beat the final buzzer with a 3-point attempt.
A Chris Iles 3-pointer gave Xavier its final lead, 56-55, with 2:20 remaining.
Nine XU players scored but none reached double figures. Michael Harvey scored nine points, and Jeremy Lee and Cordell Hadnot had eight apiece.
Larry Swann scored 10 points for Dakota Wesleyan, an NAIA Division II member which won its fifth in a row.
Both teams shot 39 percent from the floor, but that was a season low for Xavier, which entered the game shooting 51 percent.
Wiebe scored 11 first-half points to give the Tigers a 30-23 lead at intermission, then Xavier scored 12 consecutive points to take a 35-32 lead with 13:36 remaining. Kevin Miller's basket with nine minutes remaining extended XU's lead to 46-39, its largest of the game.
This was the first Xavier team since 1940-41 to start 13-0 and the third in the program's history. The win streak this season was the longest since the 1986-87 Gold Rush won 13 in a row, and the regular-season streak was the longest since a 28-game streak that ended in the second game of 1982-83.
Xavier will play Concordia (Ala.) at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday at The Barn on the first day of spring-semester classes and attempt to extend an 11-game home win streak.


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  NBA   


Thursday: Magic, Spurs and Blazers celebrate - by Eurobasket News
Orlando M. - New York K. 112-103
Dwight Howard (6'10''-C/F-85) had 24 points and 18 rebounds in a bruising battle with Amare Stoudemire (6'10''-F-82), and the Orlando Magic beat the New York Knicks 112-103 on Thursday night for their fifth straight win. Stoudemire finished with 30 points, four rebounds and four assists but got into foul trouble early in a matchup of two of the NBA's best big men. Both were called for technical fouls, never shied away from contact and showed more offensive prowess than defensive pressure. Howard just had more help. J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson had 14 points apiece, helping the Magic build a 20-point lead before halftime and hold on late. New York trimmed the deficit to two in the fourth quarter before the Magic pulled away for good. Wilson Chandler had 29 points and Shawne Williams added 15 for the Knicks, who have lost five of seven. *Courtesy of www.ktvn.com

Dallas M. - San Antonio S. 93-99
Beating the Dallas Mavericks without Dirk Nowitzki on the court just wasn't as much fun for the San Antonio Spurs. At least, that's what San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich claimed. Tim Duncan (6'10''-F-76, college: Wake Forest) bounced back from one of the least productive games of his career to score 17 points and reserve Gary Neal (6'4''-G-84, college: Towson) had 21, sending the Spurs to a 99-93 victory over the Nowitzki-less Mavericks on Thursday night in a showdown between the top two teams in the Western Conference. 'We don't take too much out of the win,' Popovich said. 'We didn't show very much. We didn't improve as a team, that's for sure.' Nowitzki missed a second straight game because of a sprained knee, and Dallas has lost them both after winning 17 of 18 with its leading scorer in the lineup. The only solace for the Mavericks was playing harder than they did while getting whipped by Toronto and hanging close against the mighty Spurs. Caron Butler (6'7''-F-80, college: Connecticut) scored a season-high 30 points and Jason Kidd (6'4''-G-73, college: California) had a 12 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds, but Dallas blew an early lead and never regained the lead. The Mavericks got close plenty of times, especially in the third quarter, but Duncan would make a shot or Neal would hit a 3-pointer to keep San Antonio ahead. 'We just couldn't get over the hump,' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. 'It was tough, it was frustrating, but our guys kept battling. I take the positives out of it, but right now we've got to really work together. Without Dirk in the lineup, the margins for error are extremely slim.' San Antonio won for the 12th time in 14 games and improved to 28-4, extending the best start in franchise history and the best record in the NBA. Coming off a thorough victory over the Lakers, this was a pretty good way to end 2010. *Courtesy of www.cbsnews.com

Portland TB - Utah Jazz 100-89
Wesley Matthews (6'5''-G-86, college: Marquette) tied a career high with 30 points, LaMarcus Aldridge (6'11''-C-85, college: Texas) added 27 and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Utah Jazz 100-89 on Thursday night, hours after learning star guard Brandon Roy will be sidelined for a lengthy period because of sore knees. Deron Williams had 19 points and eight assists for Utah, Paul Millsap added 17 points and Al Jefferson had 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Jazz lost to Portland for the second time this week. The Blazers said before the game that Roy would be shut down indefinitely because of sore knees that have plagued him throughout the season. The All-Star has missed 10 games this season, including the last seven. The Blazers didn't put a timeline on Roy's absence, but general manager Rich Cho suggested it could be lengthy. Matthews, lured away from Utah over the summer with a five-year, $34 million deal, has flourished as Roy's replacement in the starting lineup. The second-year guard from Marquette entered the game averaging 15.4 points and has led the team in scoring in 11 games. Marcus Camby returned after missing three of Portland's last five games because of an ankle injury, leading Portland with a season-high 20 rebounds. Andre Miller added 16 points and 10 assists. *Courtesy of www.sfgate.com



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  NIGERIA   


NBBF Executive Board Meet January 5 in Abuja - by Olusegun Ikuesan
The Executive Board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation, NBBF will hold its first meeting of 2011 on Wednesday January 5, 2011 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to ratify the programme for year 2011.

The board will also look at the proposed introduction of a National Open Women Championship which is aimed to compliment the Zenith Bank Women League and the coaches and players education programme at the age-group level which seeks to address issues related to age-falsification and set a clear criteria for selecting coaches for national assignment at that level.

The proposed Women Open Championship which is opened to all women clubs and states of the federation, the championship according to the NBBF is to shore-up the number of games played by women club as number of games played in the Zenith Bank Women League is said to be inadequate and too short to help improve women basketball in the country.

The Executive Board Meeting will also consider the federation national assignment for 2011 vis-a-vis Nigeria participation in the 2011 Afrobasket for Men and Women in Cote dIvoire and Mali, the 2011 FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Chile, the 10th All Africa Games in Mozambique among other events.

The NBBF Executive Board meeting will be followed by the DStv League Board Meeting billed for Thursday January 6, 2011.

The League Board is to consider the 2010/ 2011 budget and fixtures of the DStv Premier League and to ratify the January 29, 2011 jump-ball date of 2010/ 2011 season.


Standings - Premier L.
Premier L. Standings
Atlantic Conf.
 1. Chariots 0-0 
 2. D. Warriors 0-0 
 3. Delta Force 0-0 
 4. Ebun Comets 0-0 
 5. Islanders 0-0 
 6. Police Baton 0-0 
 7. Royal Hoopers 0-0 
 8. Union Bank 0-0 
Savannah Conf.
 1. Bauchi Nets 0-0 
 2. Immigration 0-0 
 3. Kadda Stars 0-0 
 4. Kano Pillars 0-0 
 5. Niger Potters 0-0 
 6. Plateau Peaks 0-0 
 7. Rockets 0-0 
 8. Yelwa Hawks 0-0 


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  RUSSIA   


Onil International Tournamnet. Spain triumph with win over Russia - by Eurobasket News
Spain U18 - Russia U18 94:71

Spain clinched the XXVII Onil International Tournament title. They cruised past Russia on the final day to claim the trophy. Spain finished at 3-0 record on top of the ladder. Russia slipped at 2-1 record in the second position. Guillermo Hernangomez (203-C-94) tallied 14 points to lead the winners.
Spain quickly surged ahead in this one. The hosts unloaded 23 points in the first ten minutes to accumulate a 9-point lead. Spain maintained the tempo in the second quarter. The margin kept on growing and reached a 17-point mark at halftime. Spain increased the speed in the third term. The hosts dominated all over the court scoring 28 points and building a 24-point buffer with one quarter remaining. Russia stopped the bleeding in the final term. But they hardly can influence the final outcome as Spain cruised to the victory. Mikel Motos (193-F/G-93), Javier Medori (200-F-93) and Daniel Diez (203-F-93) notched 11 points each for Spain. Aitor Gomez had 10 points in the win. Artem Popov (206-C-93) answered with 20 points for Russia. Pavel Khrebtov (197-F-93) delivered 14 points in the losing case.

Spain U18: Guillermo Hernangomez 14, Mikel Motos 11, Javier Medori 11, Daniel Diez 11
Russia U18: Artem Popov 20, Pavel Khrebtov 14


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  SLOVENIA   


Telemach League All-Star Game roster release - by Emiliano


#sS#
Vlado Ilievski
Ilievski
Dino Muric
Muric
Smiljan Pavic
Pavic
Zoran Dragic
Dragic
Goran Jagodnik
Jagodnik
#e#5


SLOVENIAN STARS
Vlado Ilievski (190-G-80) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Dino Muric (200-F-90) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Smiljan Pavic (210-F/C-80) of Krka Novo Mesto
Zoran Dragic (196-G-89) of Krka Novo Mesto
Goran Jagodnik (203-F-74) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Jakob Cebasek (198-G/F-91) of Parklji Bezigrad
Uros Zadnik (187-G-90) of Geoplin Slovan Ljubljana
Matej Krusic (211-C-87) of Geoplin Slovan Ljubljana
Drazen Bubnic (207-F-86) of Helios Domzale
Milos Miljkovic (204-F/C-84) of Eletra
Blaz Mahkovic (194-F-90) of LTHcast Mercator Skofja Loka
Danijel Vujasinovic (180-G-89) of Zlatorog Lasko
Primoz Brolih (185-G-81) of KK Maribor Messer
Saso Ozbolt (188-G-81) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana

Coach:
Jurij Zdovc of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Assistants:
Mirsad Alilovic of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Andrej Zakelj of Union Olimpija Ljubljana



#s#
Goran Ikonic
Ikonic
Marque Perry
Perry
Dusan Djordjevic
Djordjevic
Damir Markota
Markota
Kevinn Pinkney
Pinkney
#e#5


IMPORT STARS
Goran Ikonic (196-G-80) of Krka Novo Mesto
Marque Perry (185-G-81) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Dusan Djordjevic (195-G-83) of Krka Novo Mesto
Damir Markota (210-C/F-85) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Kevinn Pinkney (207-F-83) of Union Olimpija Ljubljana
Teo Simovic (205-C-84) of KK Sentjur
Dalibor Djapa (204-F/C-84) of Geoplin Slovan Ljubljana
Christopher Booker (208-F/C-81) of Krka Novo Mesto
Dorde Lelic (197-F-89) of Elektra
Vlado Pasalic (207-C/F-81)
Dmitry Sviridov (212-C-85) of Hopsi Polzela
Andriy Lebedincev (194-G-91) of TTHcast Mercator Skofja Loka
Gezim Morina (204-C/F-92) of TTHcast Mercator Skofja Loka

Coach:
Aleksandar Dzikic of Krka Novo Mesto
Assistants:
Aleksandar Sekulic of Krka Novo Mesto
Leon Stipanicev of Krka Novo Mesto




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  SOUTH AMERICAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS  


Tyron Thomas will be with Cocodrilos - by Wolfgang Lucena
Tyron Thomas will be playing with Cocodrilos de Caracas in the Americas League this upcoming January 18 of 2011 in Puerto Rico. 'Tyron Thomas is a guard that played in Dominican Republic, said Cocodrilos' general manager Rostyn Gonzalez, He should arrive in Venezuela on January the 8th along with Carl Elliot and Jack Michael Martinez'
Cocodrilos of Venezuela's first game will be versus Capitanes de Arecibo, the second game will be versus Halcones Rojos of Veracruz (Mexico) and the last game of this D group will be playing versus Sionistas (Argentina)


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  SOUTH KOREA   


KBL Round 24: Leader Dongbu Promy loses to KCC Egis - by Eurobasket News
What a coincidence that all visitors won their games.

Top ranked Dongbu Promy (18-8) recorded its eighth loss in Wonju on Friday night. Hosts were edged by seventh ranked KCC Egis (13-14) 76-74. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. The best player for the winners was international center Seung-Jin Ha (222-85) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Tae-Poong Chon (180-80) chipped in 9 points and 5 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was guard Jin-Won Hwang (189-78) who recorded 20 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. Dongbu Promy's coach Dong Hae Kang rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. KCC Egis moved-up to sixth place. Dongbu Promy at the other side dropped to the second position with eight games lost. They share it with Sonic Boom KT. KCC Egis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Dongbu Promy will play on the road against the league's second-placed Sonic Boom KT in Busan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
A very interesting game took place in Inchon. It ended with only two-point home defeat of top-ranked ET Land Elephants (18-7) to tenth ranked Mobis Phoebus (6-20) 70-68 on Thursday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the home team. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of ET Land Elephants. It was a good game for the former international guard Dong-Geun Yang (182-81) who led his team to a victory with 15 points and 5 assists. Laurence Ekperigin contributed with 9 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. American forward Jarod Stevenson (200-75, college: Richmond, agency: Alti Sport) replied with 26 points and 6 rebounds for ET Land Elephants. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Defending champion maintains tenth position with 6-20 record. ET Land Elephants at the other side still keep top place with seven games lost. Mobis Phoebus will play against higher ranked Anyang KGC (#9) at home in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. ET Land Elephants will play against Anyang KGC (#9) and hope to get back on the winning track.
The game in Changwon was quite interesting. Third ranked Sonic Boom KT (18-8) played at the court of 6th ranked LG Sakers (12-14). Sonic Boom KT defeated LG Sakers 79-68 on Friday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of LG Sakers. Worth to mention a great performance of Jasper Johnson who helped to win the game recording 22 points. The best for the losing side was Chris Alexander with 25 points and 9 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Sonic Boom KT have an impressive five-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Dongbu Promy. Loser LG Sakers dropped to the seventh position with 14 games lost. Sonic Boom KT will meet at home Dongbu Promy (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. LG Sakers will play against Samsung Thunders (#4) in Seoul and hope to secure a win.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Anyang. Local Anyang KGC (8-18) lost to ninth ranked Daegu Orions (9-18) 84-72. The winners were led by Glen McGowan who had that evening a double-double by scoring 30 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Daegu Orions moved-up to eighth place. Anyang KGC at the other side dropped to the ninth position with 18 games lost. Daegu Orions' next round opponent will be higher ranked Samsung Thunders (#4) in Seoul and it may be quite challenging game. Anyang KGC will play on the road against the league's leader ET Land Elephants (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.


Dongbu Promy - KCC Egis 74-76

Top ranked Dongbu Promy (18-8) recorded its eighth loss in Wonju on Friday night. Hosts were edged by seventh ranked KCC Egis (13-14) 76-74. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. The best player for the winners was international center Seung-Jin Ha (222-85) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Tae-Poong Chon (180-80) chipped in 9 points and 5 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was guard Jin-Won Hwang (189-78) who recorded 20 points, 8 assists and 4 steals and the former international center Joo-Sung Kim (205-79) added 13 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Dongbu Promy's coach Dong Hae Kang rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. KCC Egis moved-up to sixth place. Dongbu Promy at the other side dropped to the second position with eight games lost. They share it with Sonic Boom KT. KCC Egis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Dongbu Promy will play on the road against the league's second-placed Sonic Boom KT in Busan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Dongbu Promy: J.Hwang 20+4reb+8ast, J.Kim 13+6reb+2ast, H.Yoon 13+3reb+3ast, R.Benson 6+6reb, J.Wook Ahn 5+2reb+1ast, V.Thomas 4+5reb
KCC Egis: S.Ha 21+13reb, S.Choo 10+2ast, T.Chon 9+4reb+5ast, E.Kang 8+2reb, B.Kang 8+4reb+1ast, C.Daniels 8+8reb+1ast
gschID: 114166


Elephants - Mobis Phoebus 68-70

A very interesting game took place in Inchon. It ended with only two-point home defeat of top-ranked ET Land Elephants (18-7) to tenth ranked Mobis Phoebus (6-20) 70-68 on Thursday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the home team. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of ET Land Elephants. It was a good game for the former international guard Dong-Geun Yang (182-81) who led his team to a victory with 15 points and 5 assists. American forward Laurence Ekperigin (201, college: Le Moyne) contributed with 9 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. American forward Jarod Stevenson (200-75, college: Richmond, agency: Alti Sport) replied with 26 points and 6 rebounds and center Jang-Hoon Seo (207-74) added 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in the effort for ET Land Elephants. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Defending champion maintains tenth position with 6-20 record. ET Land Elephants at the other side still keep top place with seven games lost. Mobis Phoebus will play against higher ranked Anyang KGC (#9) at home in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. ET Land Elephants will play against Anyang KGC (#9) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Elephants: J.Stevenson 26+6reb, J.Seo 19+8reb+4ast, H.Hill 17+10reb+1ast, K.Shin 3+1reb+3ast, Y.Jung 2+1reb+1ast, S.Park 1+2reb
Mobis Phoebus: D.Yang 15+5ast, J.Park 13+3reb, L.Ekperigin 9+5reb+2ast, J.Ryu 8+3reb+1ast, S.Lee 6+2reb, S.Ha 6+1ast
gschID: 114163


Anyang KGC - Daegu Orions 72-84

The game with biggest result difference took place in Anyang. Local Anyang KGC (8-18) lost to ninth ranked Daegu Orions (9-18) 84-72. The game was mostly controlled by Daegu Orions. Anyang KGC managed to win second period 17-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Daegu Orions shot 63.8 percent from the field. Daegu Orions had a 29-16 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a great shooting night for Daegu Orions especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 66.7 percentage. The winners were led by American forward Glen McGowan (206-81, college: Pepperdine, agency: Pro One Sports) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 30 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international forward Dong Jun Lee (200-80) supported him with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Even 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists by American center David Simon (207-82, college: IPFW) did not help to save the game for Anyang KGC. Forward Jung-Hyun Lee (189) added 12 points and 4 assists. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Daegu Orions moved-up to eighth place. Anyang KGC at the other side dropped to the ninth position with 18 games lost. Daegu Orions' next round opponent will be higher ranked Samsung Thunders (#4) in Seoul and it may be quite challenging game. Anyang KGC will play on the road against the league's leader ET Land Elephants (#1) where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Anyang KGC: D.Simon 24+5reb+4ast, J.Lee 12+3reb+4ast, A.Simpson 9+3reb, C.Park 7+2reb+8ast, J.Kim 6+4reb, S.Park 4+1ast
Daegu Orions: G.McGowan 30+13reb+4ast, Y.Oh 17+1reb+3ast, D.Jun Lee 14+12reb+4ast, I.Heo 9+1reb, M.Park 6+5ast, J.Park 6
gschID: 114164


LG Sakers - Sonic Boom KT 68-79

The game in Changwon was quite interesting. Third ranked Sonic Boom KT (18-8) played at the court of 6th ranked LG Sakers (12-14). Sonic Boom KT defeated LG Sakers 79-68 on Friday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of LG Sakers. The game was mostly controlled by Sonic Boom KT. LG Sakers managed to win third quarter 24-23. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Sonic Boom KT looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American center Jasper Johnson (201-83, college: Delta St.) who helped to win the game recording 22 points and forward Sang-Oh Park (196-81) who added 20 points during the contest. The best for the losing side was American center Chris Alexander (216-80, college: Iowa St., agency: Priority Sports) with 25 points and 9 rebounds (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) and naturalized American forward Greg Stevenson (198-78, college: Richmond, agency: SportsTalent) scored 4 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Sonic Boom KT have an impressive five-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Dongbu Promy. Loser LG Sakers dropped to the seventh position with 14 games lost. Sonic Boom KT will meet at home Dongbu Promy (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. LG Sakers will play against Samsung Thunders (#4) in Seoul and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
LG Sakers: C.Alexander 25+9reb+1ast, D.Kang 13+2reb+1ast, H.Jeon 7+3ast, S.Ki 7+2reb, G.Stevenson 4+10reb+4ast, S.Cho 3
Sonic Boom KT: J.Johnson 22+4reb+2ast, S.Park 20+3reb+1ast, S.Cho 10+3reb+2ast, Y.Song 8+2reb+2ast, C.Rhodes 6+2reb+4ast, S.Park 5+2reb+4ast
gschID: 114165




ET Lands center scores major milestones - by Jerry Lee
ET Land Elephants center Seo Jang-hoon set KBL milestones on Saturday evening, when he reached the 12,000-point and 4,800-rebound mark in an entertaining 74-72 win over the LG Sakers in Changwon.

Seo, the all-time KBL leader in both categories, grabbed a defensive rebound six minutes into the first quarter to reach 4,800 rebounds and then scored a basket in the eighth minute to earn his 12,000th point.

Seo finished the game with 20 points to lead his team in scoring and added three rebounds in 30 minutes and 32 seconds of playing time. His teammate Herbert Hill scored a bucket with 1.2 seconds remaining on the clock to help ET Land to a two-point win.

Seo is averaging 16.73 points per game this season, his 13th in the KBL. Thats the 12th best scoring average in the league and the fourth best among domestic players, putting him behind the likes of Moon Tae-young (LG), Kim Hyo-beom (SK) and Moon Tae-jong (ET Land). He is also averaging 5.3 rebounds per game, which has given ET Land a low-post boost, and a 17-6 record, tops in the league.

Seo is well ahead of other players looking for a place on the all-time scoring leaders list. Moon Kyung-eun, who retired from the SK Knights last season, has 9,347 career points, while Choo Seung-gyun of KCC Egis has amassed 9,171 points in his 14-year career.

Kim Joo-sung, who is widely considered the best domestic player in the KBL, has 6,618 points over the course of his nine-year career with a career average of 16.3 points per game and will need to average 20 points over the next five seasons to close in on Seo.

Seo is also dominant on the all-time rebounds list. Kim Joo-sung is second on the list with 2,738 rebounds and is the only player anywhere close to reaching Seos rebound record at this point.

Seos achievement is a testament to his consistency. With 54 games in a KBL season, a player needs to average 20 points per game in 11 seasons to amass 12,000 points. Seo averaged at least 20 points per game in seven consecutive seasons after entering the KBL with the SK Knights in the 1998-99 season. In four of those seasons, he averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, a feat no other Korean player has achieved.



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  SPAIN   


Onil International Tournamnet. Spain triumph with win over Russia - by Eurobasket News
Spain U18 - Russia U18 94:71

Spain clinched the XXVII Onil International Tournament title. They cruised past Russia on the final day to claim the trophy. Spain finished at 3-0 record on top of the ladder. Russia slipped at 2-1 record in the second position. Guillermo Hernangomez (203-C-94) tallied 14 points to lead the winners.
Spain quickly surged ahead in this one. The hosts unloaded 23 points in the first ten minutes to accumulate a 9-point lead. Spain maintained the tempo in the second quarter. The margin kept on growing and reached a 17-point mark at halftime. Spain increased the speed in the third term. The hosts dominated all over the court scoring 28 points and building a 24-point buffer with one quarter remaining. Russia stopped the bleeding in the final term. But they hardly can influence the final outcome as Spain cruised to the victory. Mikel Motos (193-F/G-93), Javier Medori (200-F-93) and Daniel Diez (203-F-93) notched 11 points each for Spain. Aitor Gomez had 10 points in the win. Artem Popov (206-C-93) answered with 20 points for Russia. Pavel Khrebtov (197-F-93) delivered 14 points in the losing case.

Spain U18: Guillermo Hernangomez 14, Mikel Motos 11, Javier Medori 11, Daniel Diez 11
Russia U18: Artem Popov 20, Pavel Khrebtov 14


ACB Round 13: Regal Barca beats Real Madrid, joins them on top - by Eurobasket News
Round 13 in ACB means a new league leader. The most important game of the week took place in Barcelona where host Regal FC Barcelona (10-3) crushed league's leader Real Madrid (10-3) 95-75 on Thursday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Real Madrid. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game without a history. Regal FC Barcelona led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Real Madrid's 36. International guard Juan Carlos Navarro (192-80) fired 14 points and 4 assists for the winners. Slovenian guard Jaka Lakovic (186-78) chipped in 17 points (made all of his seven free throws). American center D'or Fischer (211-81, college: W.Virginia) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds for lost side. Both coaches used bench players in this derby game. Regal FC Barcelona has a solid series of three victories in a row. They joined Real Madrid on top of ACB standings. The Whites will play next round against CB Granada trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Regal FC Barcelona will try to continue on its current victory against ninth ranked Bizkaia Bilbao on the road.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Vitoria. Local Caja Laboral (9-4) outscored 15th ranked Assignia Manresa (4-9) 86-65. Worth to mention a great performance of international swingman Fernando San Emeterio (198-84) who helped to win the game recording 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Mirza Teletovic contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Guard Rodrigo San Miguel (190-85) answered with 8 points and 7 assists for Assignia Manresa. Assignia Manresa's coach gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Defending champion maintains third place with 9-4 record having just one point less than leader Regal Barca. Assignia Manresa at the other side keeps the fifteenth position with nine games lost. They share it with Menorca. Caja Laboral will play against Asefa Estudiantes (#14) in Madrid in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Assignia Manresa will play at home against CAI Zaragoza and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Another exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Madrid: Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (#4) and Asefa Estudiantes (#14). Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (8-5) won against visiting Asefa Estudiantes (5-8) 72-65. Esteban Batista stepped up and scored 10 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Baloncesto Fuenlabrada's coach Salvador Maldonado used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side Pancho Jasen responded with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Baloncesto Fuenlabrada maintains fourth place with 8-5 record. Loser Asefa Estudiantes dropped to the thirteenth position with eight games lost. They share it with CAI Zaragoza. Baloncesto Fuenlabrada will meet Menorca Basquet (#16) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Asefa Estudiantes will play against Caja Laboral in Vitoria and hope to secure a win.

Other games of round 13 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Valladolid defeated Granada in a road game 86-79. Cajasol beat Menorca at home 75-67. Valencia won against Meridiano on the opponent's court 73-65. Gran Canaria managed to outperform DKV Joventut in a home game 89-81. Bizkaia Bilbao managed to beat CAI Zaragoza on the road 74-68. Unicaja defeated Lagun Aro GBC on its own court 69-56.
The best stats of 13th round was 23 points and 4 assists by Russell Robinson of DKV Joventut.

Granada - Valladolid 79-86
There was no surprise when 17th ranked CB Granada (3-10) was defeated at home by eighth ranked Blancos de Rueda (7-6) 86-79 on Wednesday. The guests trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 11-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 86-79. American forward Jason Robinson (196-80, college: Pikeville) stepped up and scored 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and Dominican forward Eulis Baez (201-82, college: W.Illinois) chipped in 6 points and 12 rebounds. Four Blancos de Rueda players scored in double figures. Blancos de Rueda's coach Porfirio Fisac used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side American guard Coby Karl (196-83, college: Boise St.) responded with 21 points and 4 assists and the other American import forward Robert Kurz (206-85, college: Notre Dame, agency: Priority Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds. Blancos de Rueda moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 7 other teams. Loser CB Granada keeps the seventeenth position with ten games lost. They share it with Meridiano. Blancos de Rueda will meet at home Gran Canaria 2014 (#8) in the next round. CB Granada will play against the league's second-placed Real Madrid (#2) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Valladolid: J.Robinson 17+6reb+2ast, S.Dumas 15+2reb+4ast, D.Garcia 11+2reb+2ast, M.Stanic 10+2reb+1ast, L.Barnes 10+7reb+1ast, M.Slaughter 8+4reb
Granada: C.Karl 21+4reb+4ast, N.Gianella 19+1reb+3ast, R.Kurz 15+11reb+1ast, M.Samb 9+5reb, J.Fernandez 8+9reb+1ast, J.Stefansson 5+1reb+2ast
gschID: 92249


Cajasol - Menorca 75-67
No shocking result in a game in Sevilla where tenth ranked Cajasol (7-6) defeated 16th ranked Menorca Basquet (4-9) 75-67 on Wednesday. Menorca Basquet was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Guard Txemi Urtasun (193-84, agency: Interperformances) stepped up and scored 17 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and American-French forward Tariq Kirksay (199-79, college: Iona) chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Four Cajasol players scored in double figures. Cajasol's coach Joan Plaza used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side Serbian forward Ivan Radenovic (208-84, college: Arizona) responded with 14 points and 6 rebounds and U.S. Virgin Isl. Swingman Cuthbert Victor (196-83, college: Murray St.) scored 12 points and 5 rebounds. Cajasol has a solid series of four victories in a row. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 7 other teams. Menorca Basquet lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the fifteenth position with nine games lost. They share it with Manresa. Cajasol will meet Power Electronics Valencia (#10) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Menorca Basquet will play against Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (#4) in Madrid and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Cajasol: T.Urtasun 17+5reb+1ast, L.Bullock 15+1reb+3ast, M.Katelynas 12+1reb+1ast, T.Kirksay 12+7reb+3ast, P.Davis 6+3reb, J.Triguero 5+6reb
Menorca: I.Radenovic 14+6reb+2ast, C.Victor 12+5reb, C.Torres 9+2reb, R.Limonad 8+2reb+2ast, R.Huertas 6, J.Donaldson 6+8reb+2ast
gschID: 92246


Meridiano - Valencia 65-73
Very expected game when 18th ranked Meridiano Alicante (3-10) was defeated at home by eleventh ranked Power Electronics Valencia (7-6) 73-65 on Wednesday. The guests trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 3-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 73-65. Power Electronics Valencia outrebounded Meridiano Alicante 34-23 including 25 on the defensive glass. French guard Nando De Colo (202-87) stepped up and scored 23 points for the winners and international power forward Victor Claver (207-88) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds. At the losing side Turkish guard Serkan Erdogan (190-78, agency: 1x1 Sports) responded with 17 points and Lithuanian power forward Martynas Andriuskevicius (218-86, agency: Interperformances) scored 12 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Power Electronics Valencia have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 7 other teams. Loser Meridiano Alicante stay at the bottom position with ten games lost. They share it with Granada. Power Electronics Valencia will meet at home Cajasol (#11) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Meridiano Alicante will play against Lagun Aro GBC (#5) in San Sebastian and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Valencia: N.De Colo 23+4reb+1ast, V.Claver 17+6reb+1ast, D.Savanovic 8+4reb, R.Javtokas 6+4reb, O.Cook 5+2reb+2ast, R.Martinez 4+2reb+1ast
Meridiano: S.Erdogan 17+2reb, M.Andriuskevicius 12+5reb+2ast, T.Heurtel 9+1reb+1ast, K.Hasbrouck 9+2reb+3ast, J.Doellman 7+3reb, P.Llompart 6+1ast
gschID: 92247


Gran Canaria - DKV Joventut 89-81
There was a surprise result in Las Palmas where ninth ranked Gran Canaria 2014 (7-6) beat higher ranked DKV Joventut (7-6) 89-81 on Wednesday. The hosts started the game with a very strong first quarter 30-14. But DKV Joventut won second period 22-14. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Gran Canaria 2014 forced 19 DKV Joventut turnovers. American guard Taurean Green (185-85, college: Florida) stepped up and scored 19 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists for the winners and his fellow American import power forward Judson Wallace (205-82, college: Princeton, agency: Impact Basketball) chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds. At the losing side American guard Russell Robinson (185-86) responded with 23 points and 4 assists and Canadian guard Carl English (192-81, college: Hawaii) scored 21 points and 7 rebounds. Five Gran Canaria 2014 and four DKV Joventut players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Gran Canaria 2014 moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 7 other teams including defeated DKV Joventut. DKV Joventut lost third consecutive game. Gran Canaria 2014 will meet Blancos de Rueda (#6) in the next round. DKV Joventut will play against Unicaja Malaga and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Gran Canaria: T.Green 19+5reb+8ast, S.Savane 18+4reb, J.Carroll 17+3reb+2ast, J.Wallace 12+12reb+2ast, S.Nelson 11+2reb+1ast, M.Bramos 6+1reb+1ast
DKV Joventut: R.Robinson 23+3reb+4ast, C.English 21+7reb, J.Trias 12+4reb+4ast, W.McDonald 12+3reb+1ast, P.Tomas 6+3reb+1ast, H.Norel 5+4reb
gschID: 92248


Regal Barca - Real Madrid 95-75
Round 13 in ACB means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Barcelona where host Regal FC Barcelona (10-3) crushed league's leader Real Madrid (10-3) 95-75 on Thursday evening. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Real Madrid. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game without a history. Regal FC Barcelona led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Real Madrid's 36. International guard Juan Carlos Navarro (192-80) fired 14 points and 4 assists for the winners. Slovenian guard Jaka Lakovic (186-78) chipped in 17 points (made all of his seven free throws). American center D'or Fischer (211-81, college: W.Virginia) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 10 rebounds and the former international guard Sergio Rodriguez (191-86, agency: Interperformances) added 13 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Four Regal FC Barcelona and five Real Madrid players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Regal FC Barcelona has a solid series of three victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with defeated Real Madrid. Real Madrid will play next round against CB Granada trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Regal FC Barcelona will try to continue on its current victory against ninth ranked Bizkaia Bilbao on the road.
Top scorers:
Regal Barca: J.Lakovic 17+1reb+2ast, J.Carlos Navarro 14+3reb+4ast, E.Lorbek 13+5reb+1ast, R.Grimau 13+2reb+1ast, T.Morris 12+1reb, F.Vazquez 8+7reb+1ast
Real Madrid: C.Tucker 13+2ast, S.Rodriguez 13+4ast, F.Reyes 11+6reb, D.Fischer 11+10reb, S.Llull 10+1reb, A.Tomic 8+1reb+1ast
gschID: 92242


CAI Zaragoza - Bizkaia Bilbao 68-74
Not a big story in a game when 13th ranked CAI Zaragoza (5-8) was defeated at home by seventh ranked Bizkaia Bilbao (7-6) 74-68 on Wednesday. The guests trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 3-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 74-68. Greek center Dimitrios Mavroeidis (208-85, agency: FCM) stepped up and scored 15 points for the winners and Greek swingman Costas Vasiliadis (200-84, agency: FCM) chipped in 11 points and 6 rebounds. At the losing side Argentinian-Italian guard Paolo Quinteros (186-79) responded with 17 points (made all of his eight free throws) and power forward Pablo Aguilar (203-89, agency: Interperformances) scored 10 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Bizkaia Bilbao moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 7 other teams. Newly promoted CAI Zaragoza keeps the thirteenth position with eight games lost. They share it with Estudiantes. Bizkaia Bilbao will meet at home league's leader Regal FC Barcelona in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. CAI Zaragoza will play against Assignia Manresa (#15) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bizkaia Bilbao: D.Mavroeidis 15+4reb, C.Vasiliadis 11+6reb+1ast, C.Warren 10+3reb+1ast, J.Blums 9, A.Mumbru 8+3reb+4ast, J.Rodriguez 6+5reb+4ast
CAI Zaragoza: P.Quinteros 17+1reb, A.Miso 10, P.Aguilar 10+5reb+1ast, C.Cabezas 8+1reb+2ast, D.Phillip 8+2reb, C.Toppert 5+2reb
gschID: 92243


Caja Laboral - Manresa 86-65
The game with biggest result difference took place in Vitoria. Local Caja Laboral (9-4) outscored 15th ranked Assignia Manresa (4-9) 86-65. The game was mostly controlled by Caja Laboral. Assignia Manresa managed to win second period 25-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Caja Laboral outrebounded Assignia Manresa 36-24 including 31 on the defensive glass. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of international swingman Fernando San Emeterio (198-84) who helped to win the game recording 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Bosnian forward Mirza Teletovic (206-85, agency: Beo Basket) contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Four Caja Laboral players scored in double figures. Guard Rodrigo San Miguel (190-85) answered with 8 points and 7 assists and Slovenian power forward Uros Slokar (210-83) added 12 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Assignia Manresa. Assignia Manresa's coach gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Defending champion maintains third place with 9-4 record having just one point less than leader Regal Barca. Assignia Manresa at the other side keeps the fifteenth position with nine games lost. They share it with Menorca. Caja Laboral will play against Asefa Estudiantes (#14) in Madrid in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Assignia Manresa will play at home against CAI Zaragoza and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Caja Laboral: M.Teletovic 17+6reb+1ast, F.San Emeterio 16+8reb+4ast, D.Logan 13+4reb+3ast, S.Barac 10+8reb+1ast, P.Ribas 10+1reb+2ast, B.Oleson 8+2reb+1ast
Manresa: U.Slokar 12+5reb, L.Lewis 12+2reb+1ast, S.Gladyr 10, R.San Miguel 8+3reb+7ast, M.Majstorovic 8+3reb, J.Grimau 8+1reb+2ast
gschID: 92244


Fuenlabrada - Estudiantes 72-65
Another exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Madrid: Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (#4) and Asefa Estudiantes (#14). Baloncesto Fuenlabrada (8-5) won against visiting Asefa Estudiantes (5-8) 72-65. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 24-18. But Asefa Estudiantes won second period 17-13. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Uruguayan power forward Esteban Batista (208-83) stepped up and scored 10 points and 9 rebounds for the winners and Argentinian-Italian forward Leonardo Mainoldi (204-85) chipped in 8 points and 9 rebounds. Baloncesto Fuenlabrada's coach Salvador Maldonado used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side Italian-Argentinian guard Pancho Jasen (199-78) responded with 16 points and 6 rebounds and British center Daniel Clark (210-88, agency: Interperformances) scored 10 points and 6 rebounds. Baloncesto Fuenlabrada maintains fourth place with 8-5 record. Loser Asefa Estudiantes dropped to the thirteenth position with eight games lost. They share it with CAI Zaragoza. Baloncesto Fuenlabrada will meet Menorca Basquet (#16) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Asefa Estudiantes will play against Caja Laboral in Vitoria and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Fuenlabrada: X.Rabaseda 13+2reb, J.Cortaberria 12+3reb+1ast, E.Batista 10+9reb+3ast, K.Valters 9+2reb+1ast, J.Colom 9+3reb+3ast, D.Kus 9+4reb+2ast
Estudiantes: P.Jasen 16+6reb+2ast, A.Oliver 11+1reb+1ast, D.Clark 10+6reb+1ast, G.Gabriel 7+5reb+2ast, T.Ellis 6+2reb+2ast, J.Granger 6+2reb+2ast
gschID: 92245


Unicaja - Lagun Aro GBC 69-56
There was a surprise result when twelfth ranked Unicaja Malaga (7-6) won at home against higher ranked Lagun Aro GBC (7-6) 69-56 on Wednesday. The hosts trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 8-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 69-56. Unicaja Malaga dominated on the defensive end, holding Lagun Aro GBC to just 6 points in second quarter. British forward Joel Freeland (208-87) stepped up and scored 13 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and American guard Terrell McIntyre (175-77, college: Clemson) chipped in 9 points and 6 assists. At the losing side American guard Jimmy Baron (191-86, college: Rhode Island) responded with 15 points and 5 rebounds and center David Doblas (206-81) scored 12 points and 7 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players saving starting five for next games. Unicaja Malaga moved-up to fifth place, which they share with 7 other teams including defeated Lagun Aro GBC. Unicaja Malaga will meet DKV Joventut (#12) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Lagun Aro GBC will play against Meridiano Alicante (#18) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Unicaja: J.Freeland 13+5reb, R.Blakney 10+1reb+2ast, G.Printezis 9+1ast, T.McIntyre 9+2reb+6ast, B.Rodriguez 7+1reb+4ast, C.Jimenez 6+7reb
Lagun Aro GBC: J.Baron 15+5reb+1ast, D.Doblas 12+7reb+1ast, A.Panko 12+5reb, A.Miralles 6+4reb+1ast, J.Salgado 2+3reb+3ast, N.Tskitishvili 2
gschID: 92241




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  SYRIA   


Round 6th, 8th, 9th results .... Round 10th games : - by Ahmad Madwar
Round 6th results :
Wathba 62/55 Karameh
Nawaeer 53/82 Wehda
Ittihad 91/87 Yarmouk
Talee'a 51/94 Jeish
Meharda 51/102 Jalaa
Hurriya 80/72 Kasyoun

Round 8th results :
Wehda 90/59 Talee'a
Meharda 58/90 Wathba
Jalaa 98/67 Kasyoun
Yarmouk 76/51 Nawaeer
Ittihad 64/55 Hurriya
Jeish 71/60 Karameh

Round 9th results :
Ittihad 66/69 Jeish
Meharda 63/59 Talee'a
Kasyoun 81/75 Nawaeer
Wathba 89/62 Yarmouk
Hurriya 75/91 Jalaa
Karameh 101/79 Wehda

Round 10th Games :
Jalaa 100/78 Yarmouk
Jeish V/S Hurriya
Wathba V/S Wehda
Nawaeer V/S Nawaeer
Talee'a V/S Karameh
Kasyoun V/S Ittihad

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  TURKEY   


Oyak Renault tab Shammond Williams - by Eurobasket News
Oyak Renault strengthened their backcourt. The team signed a deal with Shammond Williams (187-G-75, college: N.Carolina). The 35-year-old guard started the previous season in Unicaja. He tallied 6.2 points, 2.5 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game in ACB. In Euroleague Williams notched 4.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.2 boards per appearance. Later Shammond Williams moved to C.B. Murcia. His stats read 12.1 points, 5.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds. In May Shammond Williams signed a short-term deal with Montepaschi Siena.


TBL Round 12: Fenerbahce Ulker loses #1 position - by Eurobasket News
There were many interesting games last round. The round ended with change at the leadership position, derby games, favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin.

Round 12 in TBL means a new league leader. The most important game of the day took place in Istanbul where host Galatasaray (10-2) beat league's leader Fenerbahce Ulker (10-2) 67-56 on Wednesday evening. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The hosts trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 25-12 charge, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Tutku Acik (194-80) who scored 12 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. American guard Preston Shumpert (198-79, college: Syracuse) chipped in 16 points. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international center Oguz Savas (208-87) who recorded 14 points. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Galatasaray have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They joined Fener.Ulker and Banvit on top of the TBL standings. Fenerbahce Ulker will play next round against strong Efes Pilsen. Galatasaray will try to continue on its current victory against sixth ranked Besiktas in Istanbul.
A very interesting game took place in Karsiyaka. It ended with only two-point defeat on the road of 8th ranked Olin Edirne (6-6) to seventh ranked Karsiyaka (7-5) 74-72 in the fight for the seventh place. It was a good game for guard David Holston (170-86, college: Chicago St.) who led his team to a victory with 19 points and 8 assists. Andre Smith contributed with 16 points for the winners. Lithuanian guard Renaldas Seibutis (196-85) replied with 16 points and 7 assists for Olin Edirne. Olin Edirne's coach Gokhan Tastimur tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Karsiyaka maintains seventh position with 7-5 record. Newly promoted Olin Edirne keeps the eighth place with six games lost. Karsiyaka will play against higher ranked Antalya (#5) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Olin Edirne will play against Tofas in Bursa and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Bottom-ranked Mersin managed to get a second victory, breaking the six-game losing streak on Wednesday night. This time they won against ninth-ranked Bornova in Akdeniz 83-68. It's especially surprising that the victory came too easily and 15-point difference suggests that Mersin is in a good shape to leave the bottom place. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of Alex Scales who helped to win the game recording 24 points. The best for the losing side was Michael Roll with 19 points. Mersin (2-10) moved-up to fifteenth place, which they share with Oyak Renault. Bornova lost third consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with seven games lost. They share it with Turk Telekom. Mersin will meet bottom-ranked Oyak Renault (#16) in the next round. Bornova will play against Turk Telekom (#10) in Ankara and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
A very interesting game took place in Ankara. It ended with only three-point defeat on the road of 10th ranked Aliaga (4-8) to eleventh ranked Turk Telekom (5-7) 97-94 on Wednesday evening. The winners were led by Mehmet Yagmur who scored that evening 16 points and 7 assists. Aliaga's coach Halil Uner let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Turk Telekom moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Bornova. Aliaga at the other side dropped to the eleventh position with eight games lost. Turk Telekom's next round opponent will be Bornova (#9) on the road. Aliaga will play against Banvit in Balikesir.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Bursa, where higher ranked Besiktas (7-4) was outleveled in a road game by thirteenth ranked Tofas (4-8) 94-72 on Wednesday. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Besiktas. The best player for the winners was Tomislav Ruzic who had a double-double by scoring 13 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Tofas moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Aliaga. Loser Besiktas keeps the sixth position with four games lost. Tofas will face higher ranked Olin Edirne (#8) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game.

Rest of the games of round 12 were very predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Banvit defeated Trabzonspor in Balikesir 73-62. Erdemir beat Antalya at home 77-62. Oyak Renault was destroyed by Efes Pilsen on the opponent's court 101-54.
The best stats of 12th round was 30 points and 9 rebounds by Gerald Fitch of Aliaga.

Galatasaray - Fener.Ulker 67-56
Round 12 in TBL means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Istanbul where host Galatasaray (10-2) beat league's leader Fenerbahce Ulker (10-2) 67-56 on Wednesday evening. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The hosts trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 25-12 charge, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Tutku Acik (194-80) who scored 12 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. American guard Preston Shumpert (198-79, college: Syracuse) chipped in 16 points. Four Galatasaray players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international center Oguz Savas (208-87) who recorded 14 points and the former international guard Omer Onan (194-78) added 16 points respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Galatasaray have an impressive seven-game winning streak. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Fener.Ulker and Banvit. Fenerbahce Ulker will play next round against strong Efes Pilsen trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Galatasaray will try to continue on its current victory against sixth ranked Besiktas in Istanbul.
Top scorers:
Galatasaray: P.Shumpert 16+4reb+1ast, T.Acik 12+6reb+7ast, J.Shipp 11+8reb, R.Rancik 11+3reb+2ast, L.Andric 5+2reb, E.Kurtoglu 5+4reb
Fener.Ulker: O.Onan 16+2reb+1ast, O.Savas 14+4reb+1ast, R.Ukic 8+1reb+3ast, K.Peker 6+9reb, M.Tomas 3+3reb, E.Preldzic 3+1reb+1ast
gschID: 111166


Tofas - Besiktas 94-72
We should mention about the upset which took place in Bursa, where higher ranked Besiktas (7-4) was outleveled in a road game by thirteenth ranked Tofas (4-8) 94-72 on Wednesday. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Besiktas. The game was mostly controlled by Tofas. Besiktas managed to win fourth quarter 20-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Tofas dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Besiktas' 40. Tofas outrebounded Besiktas 47-24 including a 19-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Tofas made 8 blocks. The best player for the winners was Croatian power forward Tomislav Ruzic (208-79) who had a double-double by scoring 13 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. American guard Jason Rowe (178-78, college: Loyola (MD)) chipped in 18 points and 5 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard Allen Iverson (184-75, college: Georgetown) who recorded 26 points and 5 assists and Australian center Andrew James Ogilvy (211-88, college: Vanderbilt) added 18 points and 8 rebounds respectively. Five Tofas and four Besiktas players scored in double figures. Tofas moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Aliaga. Loser Besiktas keeps the sixth position with four games lost. Tofas will face higher ranked Olin Edirne (#8) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game.
Top scorers:
Tofas: A.Nichols 19+3reb+3ast, J.Rowe 18+3reb+5ast, I.Karaman 18+6reb, T.Ruzic 13+12reb+3ast, C.Altintig 13+3reb+5ast, I.Koc 11+11reb+3ast
Besiktas: A.Iverson 26+3reb+5ast, A.James Ogilvy 18+8reb+1ast, M.Chatman 11+4reb+5ast, C.Ozer 11+3reb+2ast, M.Abi 3+2reb, M.Ignerski 2+3reb
gschID: 111167


Mersin - Bornova 83-68
Bottom-ranked Mersin managed to get a second victory, breaking the six-game losing streak on Wednesday night. This time they won against ninth-ranked Bornova in Akdeniz 83-68. It's especially surprising that the victory came too easily and 15-point difference suggests that Mersin is in a good shape to leave the bottom place. Bornova was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Mersin outrebounded Bornova 47-33 including 17 on the offensive glass. The game was dominated by American players. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Alex Scales (192-78, college: Oregon) who helped to win the game recording 24 points and guard Dionte Christmas (196, college: Temple) who added 18 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was guard Michael Roll (196-87, college: UCLA) with 19 points and forward Torin Francis (210-83, college: Notre Dame) scored 14 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Mersin (2-10) moved-up to fifteenth place, which they share with Oyak Renault. Bornova lost third consecutive game. They keep the ninth position with seven games lost. They share it with Turk Telekom. Mersin will meet bottom-ranked Oyak Renault (#16) in the next round. Bornova will play against Turk Telekom (#10) in Ankara and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Mersin: A.Scales 24+2reb+2ast, D.Christmas 18+7reb+1ast, A.Stimac 13+5reb+1ast, V.Grier 10+9reb+1ast, A.Pars 8+4reb, H.Koseoglu 7+3reb+5ast
Bornova: M.Roll 19+4reb+2ast, T.Francis 14+7reb, U.Sonkol 11+8reb+1ast, S.Senturk 10+5reb+2ast, R.Murat Kaya 5+6ast, C.Erdogan 4+1reb
gschID: 111163


Karsiyaka - Olin Edirne 74-72
A very interesting game took place in Karsiyaka. It ended with only two-point defeat on the road of 8th ranked Olin Edirne (6-6) to seventh ranked Karsiyaka (7-5) 74-72 in the fight for the seventh place. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 18-16. But Olin Edirne won second period 21-20. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a good game for guard David Holston (170-86, college: Chicago St.) who led his team to a victory with 19 points and 8 assists. American forward Andre Smith (203-85, college: N.Dakota St.) contributed with 16 points for the winners. Four Karsiyaka players scored in double figures. Lithuanian guard Renaldas Seibutis (196-85) replied with 16 points and 7 assists and American forward Seth Doliboa (203-80, college: Wright St., agency: Hart Sports Mngm) added 17 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Olin Edirne. Olin Edirne's coach Gokhan Tastimur tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Karsiyaka maintains seventh position with 7-5 record. Newly promoted Olin Edirne keeps the eighth place with six games lost. Karsiyaka will play against higher ranked Antalya (#5) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Olin Edirne will play against Tofas in Bursa and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Karsiyaka: D.Holston 19+3reb+8ast, A.Smith 16+4reb+1ast, B.Batuk 14+3reb+1ast, J.Stanojevic 10+6reb+1ast, A.Saruhan 7+5reb+1ast, A.Ali Erdogan 7+4reb+4ast
Olin Edirne: C.Akin 20+1reb+3ast, S.Doliboa 17+6reb+1ast, R.Seibutis 16+3reb+7ast, C.Ercan 9, R.Oz 4+1reb+1ast, E.Bibo 3+5reb
gschID: 111164


Turk Telekom - Aliaga 97-94
A very interesting game took place in Ankara. It ended with only three-point defeat on the road of 10th ranked Aliaga (4-8) to eleventh ranked Turk Telekom (5-7) 97-94 on Wednesday evening. Aliaga was tied at the half but could not keep up in last two quarters eventually losing the game. Turk Telekom made 28-of-33 charity shots (84.8 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for Turk Telekom especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 57.9 percentage. 26 personal fouls committed by Aliaga helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The winners were led by guard Mehmet Yagmur (188-87) who scored that evening 16 points and 7 assists and international forward Yunus Cankaya (199-85) supported him with 17 points and 6 assists. Even 30 points and 9 rebounds by American guard Gerald Fitch (191-82, college: Kentucky, agency: SportsTalent) did not help to save the game for Aliaga. His fellow American import forward Brandon Hunter (201-80, college: Ohio) added 17 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Five Turk Telekom and four Aliaga players scored in double figures. Aliaga's coach Halil Uner let to play ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Turk Telekom moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Bornova. Aliaga at the other side dropped to the eleventh position with eight games lost. Turk Telekom's next round opponent will be Bornova (#9) on the road. Aliaga will play against Banvit in Balikesir.
Top scorers:
Turk Telekom: R.Basak 18+6reb, Y.Cankaya 17+4reb+6ast, M.Yagmur 16+4reb+7ast, K.Wesson 14+8reb, S.Becirovic 13+2reb+2ast, C.Altay 11+1reb
Aliaga: G.Fitch 30+9reb+3ast, B.Hunter 17+4reb, J.Randle 16+1reb+4ast, H.Besok 11+2reb+1ast, P.Kaya 10+1reb+1ast, B.Guney 8+3reb+1ast
gschID: 111165


Trabzonspor - Banvit 62-73
There was no surprise when 13th ranked Trabzonspor (3-9) was defeated at home by third ranked Banvit (10-2) 73-62 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Banvit. Trabzonspor managed to win second period 17-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Banvit dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Trabzonspor's 30. Banvit had a 30-17 advantage in offensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was the former international guard Baris Ermis (194-85) who scored 15 points and 5 assists (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!). American-Azerbaijan forward Charles Davis (202-84, college: Alabama) chipped in 12 points and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Ali Karadeniz (203-80, college: Arizona) who recorded 18 points and 6 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Alvin Snow (188-81, college: E.Washington) added 16 points respectively. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Banvit has a solid four-game winning streak. They together with Galatasaray joined Fener.Ulker on top of the TBL standings. Newly promoted Trabzonspor dropped to the fourteenth place with nine games lost. Banvit will face Aliaga (#12) at home in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Trabzonspor will play against Erdemir and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Banvit: B.Ermis 15+3reb+5ast, L.Williams 13+4reb+2ast, C.Davis 12+4reb+4ast, B.Pacun 9+8reb, K.Simmons 8+6reb+2ast, V.Golubovic 6+3reb
Trabzonspor: A.Karadeniz 18+6reb, A.Snow 16+4reb+3ast, A.Rasic 11+1reb+3ast, E.Gorkem 7+5reb+3ast, G.Cakic 5+4reb+1ast, H.Ozdemir 3+1reb+2ast
gschID: 111160


Erdemir - Antalya 77-62
There was a surprise result when fourteenth ranked Erdemir (3-8) defeated at home higher ranked Antalya (8-4) 77-62 on Thursday. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 50-34 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Erdemir looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was American-Lebanese swingman Antwain Barbour (196-82, college: Kentucky, agency: Court Side) who scored 21 points and 5 rebounds. The former international forward Erkan Veyseloglu (200-83, agency: 1x1 Sports) chipped in 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Erdemir players scored in double figures. Erdemir's coach used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the other side the best for losing team was American guard J.P. Prince (201-87, college: Tennessee) who recorded 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists and his fellow American import guard Patrick Christopher (196-88, college: California) added 15 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Erdemir moved-up to thirteenth place. Loser Antalya keeps the fifth position with four games lost. Erdemir will face Trabzonspor (#14) at home in the next round. Antalya will play against Karsiyaka (#7) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Erdemir: A.Barbour 21+5reb+2ast, E.Veyseloglu 15+6reb+4ast, H.Demirel 10+1reb+7ast, M.Yildiz 10+2reb, A.Erol 7+7reb+4ast, D.Johnson 5+3reb+1ast
Antalya: P.Christopher 15+6reb+1ast, J.Prince 12+8reb+5ast, B.Hersek 11+7reb, P.Kocaoglu 9+4reb, M.Guler 9+9reb, G.Gen 4+3ast
gschID: 111161


Efes Pilsen - Oyak Renault 101-54
Very expected game in Istanbul where 15th ranked Oyak Renault (2-10) was rolled over by fifth ranked Efes Pilsen (9-3) 101-54 on Tuesday. The game without a history. Efes Pilsen led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Oyak Renault to just 5 points in second quarter. Efes Pilsen dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Oyak Renault's 28. Efes Pilsen outrebounded Oyak Renault 44-27 including a 34-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Oyak Renault's players. The best player for the winners was American power forward Lawrence Roberts (205-82, college: Mississippi St.) who scored 16 points and 9 rebounds. International guard Sinan Guler (193-83, college: Carroll (MT), agency: 1x1 Sports) chipped in 18 points (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Five Efes Pilsen players scored in double figures. Efes Pilsen's coach Velimir Perasovic felt very confident that he used 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward James Mays (206-86, college: Clemson) who recorded a double-double by scoring 15 points and 12 rebounds and his fellow American import guard Antabia Waller (188-88, college: Auburn) added 20 points respectively. Efes Pilsen has a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place. Oyak Renault lost fourth consecutive game. They dropped to the bottom position with ten games lost. Efes Pilsen will face league's second-placed Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul in the next round and it may be the game of the week. Oyak Renault will play at home against Mersin (#15) in Akdeniz and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Efes Pilsen: S.Guler 18+3reb+3ast, B.Nachbar 17+5reb+1ast, L.Roberts 16+9reb+2ast, E.Dudley 13+7reb, N.Vujcic 12+8reb+2ast, M.Thornton 10+5reb+6ast
Oyak Renault: A.Waller 20+1reb+3ast, J.Mays 15+12reb+1ast, N.Dal 9+4reb, K.Ozkan 7+1reb, U.Yenice 3+3reb, F.Gungoer 0
gschID: 111162




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  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS   


It's been an adventure touring during the holiday season - by David Edole
Editor's Note: This is the second in an occasional series of stories that will be written by St. Croix native Rakeem Christmas (206-C/F), a 19-year-old basketball player who is considered to be one of the nation's top recruits. He will play basketball next year at Syracuse University.

I'm back everyone, to bring you some new breaking news from my life.

Last time I left you, I was on my way to Illinois for the State Farm Tournament. I was chilling at the airport with my teammates and we talked about how we were going to play the No. 1 team in the country and that we were ready. We got there and I did OK in our first game, but not to what I thought I could do. The main thing was that we got the win.

The second game we played, I did really well, but we took a loss due to some technical fouls we got.

Our third game was the main game we were waiting on for the entire tournament. We got to play Findley Prep, the No. 1 team in the country. We came out and did what we had to do. I didn't get off that game but my teammates did, so I just focused on playing defense since that's what I'm good at. We were the happiest guys in the world after the win.

Since then, we've been working hard to stay on top. We've had a few league games and won them all. Except for one game when we played Friend Central, a team from our league. For some reason, we weren't all on the same page and lost. We bounced back from that loss and swore never to fall apart again. We have to play our roles on the team.

My birthday was on Dec. 1. People make so many jokes with my last name, so it's interesting that my birthday is also in that month.

I would like to thank all those who wished me a happy birthday on Facebook. I didn't do too much on the day. I went to practice and went out with my family for dinner.

We've been on a little U.S. tour this season. Our next stop was Florida for the City Of Palms Classic, where we had two big games to play.

In the first game, I crashed the boards real hard. I was really feeling that game. We had a day off before our next game, so they took us out on boats where we got to see dolphins racing our boats, which was pretty cool to see. I'm thinking about possibly uploading the videos I shot.

They said we could jump in the water, but it was freezing - not like the warm water on St. Croix - so I had to take a pass. It was nothing like the good beach water back at home.

The next day, we played a team from Germany in the championship game and we came back for the win. So far, we've stuck with our pact about playing together as a team. We've got to keep it going.

We got to Philadelphia two days before Christmas. This time of the year, I always really miss being home. You guys have no idea how good you have it. Perfect weather, Carnival, village and good food!

I had hoped to come back this year, but I couldn't because there are some things I have to let go due to basketball. I hope everyone had a good Christmas and for those you don't celebrate it, I hope that your holidays have been a good one.

I spent my holiday with my family in New Jersey and got to meet a lot of people that I didn't know. Now I'm just here in Philly getting ready for the New Year and what's in store for me in 2011.

I'm thankful for all of you guys! Happy New Year!

Aska leads Murray to fifth straight - by David Edole
MURRAY, Ky. -- Ivan Aska (200-F-90) scored 13 points and Murray State won its fifth in a row Thursday night in a 71-46 victory over SIU-Edwardsville.

The Racers (9-4) enjoyed a 41-29 advantage in rebounds against the Cougars, who are joining Murray State in the Ohio Valley Conference, but won't play a conference schedule until next season.

Murray State, which got its 24th straight home win, trailed only three times in the first 2:22. B.J. Jenkins' 3-pointer with 17:38 left in the first half put the Racers ahead for good, 7-6, and they went on to lead by 26 points late in the second half.

Jenkins and Shawn Jackson added 12 points apiece. Aska and Jenkins each had seven rebounds.

The Cougars (4-12) struggled in the second half, making only 6 of 26 shots from the field - none from 3-point territory - and only 8 of 16 free throws.

LeShaun Murphy led SIUE with 11 points.



Central sweeps Country Day tourney - by David Edole
ST. CROIX - In the first preseason tournament of what is expected to be an exciting IAA basketball season, coaches assessed the first impressions the talent on the court was making.

'This was just a tune-up, so now we know what we have to work on,' Country Day School coach Lenny Redwine said. 'I think it was an early test for everyone and it's not like we won't see these teams again.'

Central High swept the boys and girls varsity finals Wednesday at the St. Croix Country Day Annual Alumni Basketball Tournament.

Razeem Huggins scored 15 points and led the Caribs in rebounds to spark them in a 79-57 victory over Country Day in the boys championship, while J'Lene Martinez netted a game-high 21 points to lift the Lady Caribs to a 54-23 win over Country Day.

In the boys final, Central opened a big halftime lead and was able to hold off Country Day's Michael Nelthropp and Rafe Almonte. The Tigers' scoring tandem finished with a game-high 24 points and 15 points respectively.

'We lost to Good Hope earlier in the tournament and then we came back to beat them this morning,' Redwine said. 'It was great to see our guys rally back and advance to the championship. But I think it's still very early and everyone has a lot of work to do.'

Kadesha Barry notched 15 points for the Lady Caribs in their victory. Junior guard Huda Ahmed scored 15 points to pace Country Day in the loss.

The three-day, three-team tournament also featured an alumni game, 3-point contest and a slam dunk competition.

Nick Springer exploded for 33 points to lead the Country Day boys junior varsity squad to an 86-74 championship win over John H. Woodson. Marcus Morehead added 19 points for Country Day, which trailed by six points at halftime. Turrell Thomas paced Woodson with 27 points.

In the middle school boys final, Christian Santiago netted 10 points to lift Country Day to a 30-24 win over Woodson.
tact sports writer Aaron Gray at 774-8772 ext. 352 or e-mail agray@dailynews.vi.



Titans beat Pacific on Peltier's 3-pointer - by David Edole
FULLERTON Cal State Fullerton rarely beats Pacific in basketball, so if Thursday night's victory was harder than it should have been, that's OK. It doesn't matter how the Titans win at this point.

So when Devon Peltier (180-G-87) 's open 3-pointer from the right corner clanged off the rim, bounced high and fell through the net with four-tenths of a second to go, the celebration was mostly a feeling of relief.

Fullerton, playing the kind of defense Coach Bob Burton has been looking for all season, doubled up Pacific en route to a 19-point lead 2 1/2 minutes into the second half. However, it needed Peltier's basket at the end to pull out a 54-51 triumph in a Big West Conference game in front of 610 at Titan Gym.

It was a huge victory for the Titans (5-9 1-1), who had lost the past four and 24 of the last 30 to Pacific (8-6, 1-1). CSF was coming off one-sided home losses to Montana and UC Davis that Burton had termed 'discouraging.'

'It was just a terrific win for us, and, obviously, I thought about what I'd say if we'd lost it,' Burton said. 'I was sitting there (on the bench), kind of thinking about it, and I was really just proud of the effort. If they play like this all the time we can maybe turn this around and maybe win a few games.'

Pacific, one of just two teams in the conference with a winning record, went on a 24-7 run most of the final 13 minutes. It pulled even at 51 when Demetrece Young made two free throws with 28 seconds to play, just after a Jer'Vaughn Johnson turnover just Fullerton's third of the game.

The Titans, who had not scored in more than five minutes, called a timeout with 14.9 seconds to go. When no play developed against Pacific's zone defense after the restart, point guard Perry Webster started to drive the lane.

'I was ready to take the shot,' Webster said. 'V.I.'s (Peltier's) man came (toward me), s

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  UKRAINE   


Edwards' double-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
28-year old J.K. Edwards (202-C/F-82) put on an amazing game in the last round for second-ranked BC Donetsk and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 25.
He had a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while his team edged out Khimik (#12, 5-17) 68-65. BC Donetsk maintains the 2nd position in Ukrainian league. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. BC Donetsk will need more victories to improve their 18-5 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Edwards as usually he does not deliver so high stats. J.K. Edwards averages this season 10.2ppg and 6.5rpg.

Second best performed player last round was Michailis Anisimovas (214-C-84) of top-ranked Budivelnyk Kyiv. He is naturalized Lithuanian center in his 2nd season at Budivelnyk. In the last game Anisimovas recorded impressive 16 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Of course he lead Budivelnyk to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked BC Kyiv (#13, 5-19) 87-65. Of course Budivelnyk still keep the league's top spot. His team lost just four games this season, while they won 18 matches. Anisimovas is well-known at Budivelnyk and he already established his position as one of the team's leaders.

Third place about best performers goes to another Budivelnyk Kyiv's star - forward Andriy Agafonov (207-F-86, agency: Interperformances). Agafonov scored 9 points and grabbed six rebounds. He was another key player of Budivelnyk, helping his team with a 87-65 easy win against the lower-ranked BC Kyiv (#13, 5-19). Budivelnyk confirms their top position in the standings Agafonov has a very solid season. In 22 games in Ukraine he scored 7.0ppg. He also has 4.7rpg, 1.6bpg and FGP: 65.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Bojan Bakic (197-G-83) of Kryvbasbasket - 17 points and 5 rebounds
5. Demetrius Alexander (204-F/C-75) of Azovmash - 21 points and 8 rebounds
6. Bogdan Bayda (193-G-89) of Azovmash - 14 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Zach Morley (203-F-83) of Budivelnyk - 10 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Igor Zaitsev (211-F/C-89) of Kryvbasbasket - 13 points and 8 rebounds
9. Oleksandr Lypovyy (200-G-91) of BC Kyiv - 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Lamayne Wilson (204-F-80) of Budivelnyk - 12 points and 3 rebounds

The Player of the week is chosen based on efficiency calculation, but also including game result, importance of the game, if played recorded double-double/triple-double, etc.
The efficiency formula is a combination of various formulas used by different basketball organizations/leagues. We got involved many basketball scouts and journalists to assure it's accuracy.
The formula: 1.5*PTS + 3* (REB+AST+ST+BL-TO) - 2*BSAG - 4*PF + 3*PFRV + 4* (2FGPM+3FGPM) + 1.5*FTM - 3* (2FGPA-2FGPM) - 3* (3FGPA-3FGPM) - (FTA-FTM)

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  VENEZUELA   


Tyron Thomas will be with Cocodrilos - by Wolfgang Lucena
Tyron Thomas will be playing with Cocodrilos de Caracas in the Americas League this upcoming January 18 of 2011 in Puerto Rico. 'Tyron Thomas is a guard that played in Dominican Republic, said Cocodrilos' general manager Rostyn Gonzalez, He should arrive in Venezuela on January the 8th along with Carl Elliot and Jack Michael Martinez'
Cocodrilos of Venezuela's first game will be versus Capitanes de Arecibo, the second game will be versus Halcones Rojos of Veracruz (Mexico) and the last game of this D group will be playing versus Sionistas (Argentina)




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Women News

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  GREECE - Women  


Skibbe returns to Greece - by George Fragkos
Just a few days before 2010 ends, DAS Ano Liosa has announced a change at their roster for the rest of the season. A well-known player to the fans of women basketball in Greece, 29-year-old Trisha Skibbe (191-F/C-81, college: Oklahoma St.) has agreed terms with the club from Athens and she will replace Ashleen Bracey (183-F-88, college: Illinois St.), who failed to make an impact to her team.

Skibbe has played in the past for Panathinaikos and Palaio Faliro, where she was a member of the starting five. She is a very experienced forward-center, having both a very high average at scoring and at rebounds.

The American is expected in Athens by the first week of the new year to receive the medical tests and start training with the rest of the team.


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  NCAA1 - Women  


Schrock and James pace EMU - by Eurobasket
E.Michigan women's basketball team (9-5) overwhelmed Niagara, 89-34. Senior guard Cassie Schrock and junior Tavelyn James each notched 20 points. The speed of the EMU Eagles was the key to the route. The Niagara ladies (1-10) only scored 13 points in the second half. It was the fourth straight win for EMU.

Schrok, playing in her 103rd career game was 6-7 from the field and James had five 3s for the home team. Additionally, Olivia Fouty grabbed 11 rebounds for the Lady Eagles.
EMU started on fire from the get go with James hitting a pair of threes to jump to a 15-2 start. James is averaging 16 on the year. Chanel Johnson had seven points for Niagara.

EMU will start their Mid-American Conference schedule at Northern Illinois on January 5. The Lady Purple Eagles of Niagara open their Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule at home against St. Peters of New Jersey on January 2. St. Peters is 0-9 on the year.

Submitted by Raymond Rolak

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  SOUTH KOREA - Women  


WKBL Round 18: Bichumi beats Winnus by two after a very close game - by Eurobasket News
Third-ranked Winnus (8-9) were very close to win a game against second ranked Bichumi (14-4) in Yongin on Wednesday. Bichumi managed to secure only two-point victory 61-59. However their fans expected easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Winnus. Bichumi has a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 14-4 record. Winnus at the other side keep the third place with nine games lost. They share the position with Cool Cats. Bichumi will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Winnus will play on the road against Woori Hansae in Chuncheon and are hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
Another important game to mention about took place in Bucheon. Fourth ranked Cool Cats (8-9) saved a 2-point victory at home edging second-best Bichumi (14-4) 60-58 on Friday evening. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Bichumi. Cool Cats moved-up to third place, which they share with Winnus. Bichumi at the other side keeps the second position with four games lost. Cool Cats will play against league's leader S-Birds in Anshan in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bichumi will have a break next round.
WKBL top team - S-Birds (15-2) managed to deliver another win on Thursday. This time they beat fifth ranked KB Savers (5-12) in Seoul 82-71. S-Birds have an impressive ten-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 15-2 record. KB Savers lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 12 games lost. S-Birds will meet at home Cool Cats (#4) in the next round. KB Savers will play against Winnus in Guri and it may be a tough game between close rivals.


Bichumi - Winnus 61-59

Third-ranked Winnus (8-9) were very close to win a game against second ranked Bichumi (14-4) in Yongin on Wednesday. Bichumi managed to secure only two-point victory 61-59. However their fans expected easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Winnus. Bichumi has a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 14-4 record. Winnus at the other side keep the third place with nine games lost. They share the position with Cool Cats. Bichumi will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Winnus will play on the road against Woori Hansae in Chuncheon and are hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
gschID: 115556


KB Savers - S-Birds 71-82

WKBL top team - S-Birds (15-2) managed to deliver another win on Thursday. This time they beat fifth ranked KB Savers (5-12) in Seoul 82-71. S-Birds have an impressive ten-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 15-2 record. KB Savers lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the fifth place with 12 games lost. S-Birds will meet at home Cool Cats (#4) in the next round. KB Savers will play against Winnus in Guri and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
gschID: 115557


Cool Cats - Bichumi 60-58

Another important game to mention about took place in Bucheon. Fourth ranked Cool Cats (8-9) saved a 2-point victory at home edging second-best Bichumi (14-4) 60-58 on Friday evening. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Bichumi. Cool Cats moved-up to third place, which they share with Winnus. Bichumi at the other side keeps the second position with four games lost. Cool Cats will play against league's leader S-Birds in Anshan in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bichumi will have a break next round.
gschID: 115558




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  SPAIN - Women  


Spain clinch Ciudad de Barakaldo Tournament title - by Eurobasket News
Spain U18 - Turkey U18 69:54

Spain claimed a tough win over Turkey in the championship game of the III Ciudad de Barakaldo Tournament. The Spanish team came from behind to tame ambitious Turkey. Itziar Llobet (177-G-93) delivered 15 points to lead the charge.
Turkey opened the game confidently. They shocked Spain with a 14:2 start to the game. Turkey maintained the lead and enjoyed a 14:9 lead at the first break. But Spain adjusted in the second term. They triggered a 13:0 rally to surge ahead. Spain dominated the period and posted a 29:23 lead at halftime. Things started to go Spanish way in the third term. They fired 25 points in the frame to take a comfortable 54:37 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Turkey tried hard to restore the intrigue. They limited Spain to 15 points in the final quarter but it was not enough. Spain controlled the situation and rallied to the victory at the end. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) notched 14 points for Spain. Diez had 8 points in the victory. Merve Aydin (174-G-94) replied with 10 points for Turkey. Yalcikaya accounted for 9 points in the loss.

Spain U18: Itziar Llobet 15, Elena De Alfredo 14, Diez 8
Turkey U18: Merve Aydin 10, Yalcikaya 9


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  TURKEY - Women  


Spain clinch Ciudad de Barakaldo Tournament title - by Eurobasket News
Spain U18 - Turkey U18 69:54

Spain claimed a tough win over Turkey in the championship game of the III Ciudad de Barakaldo Tournament. The Spanish team came from behind to tame ambitious Turkey. Itziar Llobet (177-G-93) delivered 15 points to lead the charge.
Turkey opened the game confidently. They shocked Spain with a 14:2 start to the game. Turkey maintained the lead and enjoyed a 14:9 lead at the first break. But Spain adjusted in the second term. They triggered a 13:0 rally to surge ahead. Spain dominated the period and posted a 29:23 lead at halftime. Things started to go Spanish way in the third term. They fired 25 points in the frame to take a comfortable 54:37 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Turkey tried hard to restore the intrigue. They limited Spain to 15 points in the final quarter but it was not enough. Spain controlled the situation and rallied to the victory at the end. Elena De Alfredo (170-G-94) notched 14 points for Spain. Diez had 8 points in the victory. Merve Aydin (174-G-94) replied with 10 points for Turkey. Yalcikaya accounted for 9 points in the loss.

Spain U18: Itziar Llobet 15, Elena De Alfredo 14, Diez 8
Turkey U18: Merve Aydin 10, Yalcikaya 9


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  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS - Women  


Matthew all tournament team - by David Edole
Hightower (22-3,) No. 5 in the Texas Association of Class 5A state rankings, prevailed in the all-Houston final, 64-49, over 22-1 Westbury Christian, the No. 1 ranked large private school team in the state. In the 60th Sandra Meadows Classic finals on Thursday.

Tournament MVP Raven Lane, a 5-foot-8 senior guard, scored 16 points for Hightower in the title game.

Joining Lane on the all-tournament team was Hightower's 6-foot-2 junior Tyler Gilbert, who was named Outstanding Defender, Jamine Prophet, a 6-foot-1 junior guard/post and Brittney Matthew, a 5-foot-7 senior guard.

Representing Westbury Christian on the all-tournament team was 5-foot-7 guard Amber Orrange, who was named the Outstanding Offensive Player, 6-foot senior forward Caitlin Diaz and 6-foot-4 freshman forward/center Brianna Turner.