EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 11/18/2011

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Men News

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


Standings
ABA Standings
Atlantic South
 1. Atlanta Aliens 0-0 
 2. Atlanta E. 0-0 
 3. E.Point Jaguars 0-0 
 4. Florida T. 0-0 
 5. Georgia G. 0-0 
 6. Heartland H. 0-0 
 7. Jacksonville 0-0 
 8. Orlando Kings 0-0 
 9. Savannah Storm 0-0 
 10. Seminole A. 0-0 
 11. Tampa 0-0 
California NW
 1. Anchorage 0-0 
 2. Bay Area M. 0-0 
 3. California SK 0-0 
 4. Chico Rage 0-0 
 5. E.Bay Pitbulls 0-0 
 6. Mid-Valley 0-0 
 7. Modesto H. 0-0 
 8. Port City P. 0-0 
 9. Richmond R. 0-0 
 10. S.Francisco R. 0-0 
 11. S.Valley Fever 0-0 
 12. Sacramento H. 0-0 
 13. Seattle M. 0-0 
 14. Washington R. 0-0 
California South
 1. LA Slam 0-0 
 2. Las Vegas A. 0-0 
 3. Riverside R. 0-0 
 4. San Diego S. 0-0 
 5. San Diego Sol 0-0 
 6. SoCal Swish 0-0 
Colonial
 1. E.Kentucky En. 0-0 
 2. Norfolk Sh. 0-0 
 3. NoVa Wonders 0-0 
 4. Portsmouth C. 0-0 
 5. Richmond E. 0-0 
 6. Seven Cities 0-0 
 7. W.Virginia B. 0-0 
Great Lake
 1. Chi-Town B. 0-0 
 2. Chicago F. 0-0 
 3. Chicago Steam 0-0 
 4. Indy S. 0-0 
 5. Midwest Flames 0-0 
 6. Milwaukee B. 0-0 
 7. Oshkosh 0-0 
 8. Porter County P. 0-0 
Mid Atlantic
 1. Athens R. 0-0 
 2. Carolina C. 0-0 
 3. Carolina J. 0-0 
 4. Clarksville C. 0-0 
 5. East Carolina T. 0-0 
 6. Fayetteville F. 0-0 
 7. Myrtle B. 0-0 
 8. Tennessee MH 0-0 
 9. Trefour Ch. 0-0 
Mid Central
 1. Dayton G. 0-0 
 2. Detroit Hoops 0-0 
 3. Flint Fire 0-0 
 4. Greencastle GK 0-0 
 5. Indiana D. 0-0 
 6. Indianapolis 0-0 
 7. Lake Michigan 0-0 
 8. Lansing L. 0-0 
 9. Lima Explosion 0-0 
 10. Michiana M. 0-0 
Northeast
 1. Conn. Chill 0-0 
 2. Connecticut T. 0-0 
 3. Hampton C. 0-0 
 4. Island Vipers 0-0 
 5. Jersey Expr. 0-0 
 6. NY Red Riders 0-0 
 7. NYC Thunder 0-0 
 8. Rochester 0-0 
 9. Syracuse SW 0-0 
Panhandle
 1. Columbus R. 0-0 
 2. Gulf Coast F. 0-0 
 3. Louisiana U.P. 0-0 
 4. Mobile Bay H. 0-0 
 5. Panama City D. 0-0 
Rocky Mountain
 1. Colorado C. 0-0 
 2. Colorado K. 0-0 
 3. Crusaders 0-0 
 4. Wyoming R. 0-0 
South Central
 1. Bluff City R. 0-0 
 2. Conway C. 0-0 
 3. Delta S. 0-0 
 4. Missouri R. 0-0 
 5. N.E. Arkansas 0-0 
 6. Nashville S. 0-0 
 7. St.Louis P. 0-0 
South West
 1. Dallas Impact 0-0 
 2. Houston R.S. 0-0 
 3. N.Texas F. 0-0 
 4. North Dallas 0-0 
 5. Oklahoma 0-0 
 6. Team Havok 0-0 
 7. Texas Fuel 0-0 
 8. West Texas W. 0-0 


Indiana Star to make major contribution in Fort Worth - by Gianni Pascucci
The ABA North Texas Fresh announces the addition of Jeremy Holland (6'8''-F/C) to their 2011-12 team roster. Holland has already caught eyes of other minor league teams as the new kid on the block for the Fresh with his size. This season, the Fresh look for their rookie forward/center to be a big time contributor on both ends of the court. Holland adds flexibility to an already flexible roster. He can fill it up from 3 point range, but can also do the dirty work inside to put points on the board. He played collegiately at Indiana Southeast and will now be suiting up as a rookie for the North Texas Fresh.
'Jeremy puts us in a place where we want to be on both ends of the court', stated Owner Jay Bowdy . 'One thing that we needed was a guy with size that teams would have to respect when he is on the floor, but seeing that you have to respect him anytime on the offensive end, spreads the floor and will cause major havoc. Im very excited with us having him and now teams will have to worry about another monster on our team'.
The road to success wont be easy with the Fresh this year, as theyve decided to only bring back half of the returners from last season. The upside to that is A'Daeron Duncan (6'5''-F-87, college: N.Kentucky) and Travoy Edwards (6'7''-F-88, college: Great Falls) will be returning to bring some much needed experience from last season. They are both looked at to be leaders for this season and their performance along with Holland and other rookies will be a necessity for success. The Fresh will be playing their games this season in Crowley, TX and will be hosting games against various professional teams. For more informations, check www.NorthTexasFresh.com

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  ANGOLA   


Angola Cancels Pre-Olympic Tournament Bid - by Eurobasket News
Luanda Angola cancelled its bid to host the senior males basketball tournament that qualifies some more teams for the Olympic Games (Pre-Olympic Tournament), in view of its intention of hosting a world cup between 2015-2018.

This was announced to Angop on Thursday by the chairman of the Angolan Basketball Federation (FAB), Gustavo da Conceio.

The federation official said that Angola only proposed a pre-bid after the holding of Afrobasket2011 in order to keep the name of the country in the list of candidate.

According to the international federation (FIBA)'s site, the other countries that also intend to host the competition are Venezuela, Lithuania and Macedonia.

The result of which country wins the bid will be divulged on 10-11 December, at a FIBA meeting that will take place in Madrid, Spain.
Courtesy of: Angola Press

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  ARGENTINA   


Penarol tab Derrick Roland - by Eurobasket News
Penarol bolstered their roster. They agreed on terms of contract with Derrick Roland (193-G-88, college: Texas A&M). The guard started the season in Uruguay. He signed a deal with Sayago. It was the first pro contract for Derrick Roland. He tallied 22.1 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in LUB. Derrick Roland graduated from Texas A&M in 2010. The guard notched 10.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in his senior season. Derrick Roland used to play for the U20 USA National Team. He participated at Global Games in Dallas in 2006.

Mike Robinson moves from monte Hermoso to Asoc Italiana - by Facundo Iatzky
Due to unknown reasons, monte Hermoso basket (TNA) decided to cut Michael Robinson (198-F-76, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Purdue) yesterday. But the american/argentinian forward found a team very quickly because Asociacion Italiana of the same division, agrred terms with him for the rest of the season. Robinson Played some season in Liga A and then decided to play in TNA. He averaged 5,7 points in 10 games so far this season. italiana is in a bad situation and need some wins desperately.

*****************************************************
  AUSTRALIA   


Luke Schenscher On His Way Back - by Ian Moss
He may have looked more like a new-born foal than an elite athlete, but a small step is a good step for Luke Schenscher (216-C-82, agency: Priority Sports, college: Georgia Tech).

As of Monday, for the first time in two months, the Townsville Crocodiles giant go-to man was back on the pine and running.

It was a sight that brought a smile to the face of teammates and coaches alike as the centre tentatively bounded down court. While a little more uncoordinated than he remembered and potentially still at least a month away from returning to the playing squad, Schenscher said it was a relief to know he was getting back to what he does best.

'It felt a bit strange, it felt like when I was back and just started playing - learning how to run,' he said with a laugh.

'It wasn't too intense, just a bit of up and down on the court ... but it felt good and I pulled up really good today.

'I'll be able to pick it up and do a bit more this week by steadily increasing it every day.'

The 28-year-old went under the knife in Brisbane in early October to address femoroacetabular impingement of his hip, a degenerative problem caused by bone irregularities that result in too much friction in the hip joint.

It has plagued Schenscher, a former NBA player with the Chicago Bulls, his entire life.

But the hope is the once unheard of surgery will give him pain-free movement and flexibility like never before.

He will travel with the team to the Gold Coast on Friday to visit his specialist, who will give him a full report on his progress.

'It's just about getting the strength back up in my legs, because it's kind of wasted away a bit,' Schenscher said.

There had been a few rumours floating around that Schenscher may make a shock return in next week's road clash with the New Zealand Breakers, but he hosed down that as 'extremely optimistic'.

'I'm hoping, and I don't know if I'm being too optimistic or not, but I'm hoping for a mid-December return,' he said.

'But it's hard to put a time frame on it, it's how well I handle putting load back on the leg and how long it takes to get my strength back up ... but I'll aim for these things (an early return) and see how it pulls up.'

While there's no doubt the Crocs cannot wait for that day, with Schenscher a key man in their line-up and a contributor of 14 points and seven rebounds a game last season, in the meantime they are doing solidly without him.

Point guard Eddie Gill was yesterday named the NBL's Player of the Week for round six for his starring role in the 95-87 overtime win over Melbourne at The Cage.

The import contributed 30 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in an upset victory on the road.

'That was a huge win to beat Melbourne at their home court - any away win is huge in this league,' Schenscher said.

Article courtesy: www.townsvillebulletin.com.au

*****************************************************
  AUSTRIA   


Standings - A Bundesliga
A Bundesliga Standings
 1. Gmunden 6-1 
 2. Klosterneub. 6-1 
 3. Oberwart 6-2 
 4. Wels 6-2 
 5. Gussing 4-3 
 6. BC Vienna 3-4 
 7. Kapfenberg 3-4 
 8. UBSC Graz 3-4 
 9. Furstenfeld 2-5 
 10. Arkadia 1-7 
 11. St.Polten 0-7 


*****************************************************
  BAHRAIN   


Standings
Premier League Standings
 1. Muharraq 2-0 
 2. Al Manama 1-0 
 3. Al Ahli 1-0 
 4. Al Hala 1-0 
 5. Al Ittihad 1-0 
 6. Nuwaidrat 1-0 
 7. Issa Town 0-1 
 8. Sitra 0-1 
 9. Al Najma 0-1 
 10. Bahrain Club 0-2 
 11. Samaheej 0-2 


*****************************************************
  BALKAN LEAGUE   


Standings
Balkan League Standings
Group A
 1. Galil Gilboa 2-0 
 2. Rilski Sportist 2-0 
 3. Torus Skopje 1-1 
 4. Mornar Bar 1-2 
 5. Timisoara 1-2 
 6. OKK Beograd 0-2 
Group B
 1. Hapoel T-A 2-0 
 2. Levski Sofia 2-0 
 3. Feni Indistrija 2-1 
 4. Napredak 1-2 
 5. Ulcinj 1-2 
 6. Zrinjski HT 0-3 


Zrinjski brings in Diego Kapelan - by Eurobasket News
Zrinjski announced signing of Diego Kapelan (190-G-87) for rest of the season. The 24-year-old guard graduated at the McNeese State University this year. He had 14.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 1.1 apg for 32 games as a senior. Kapelan helped McNeese State to reach the Southland Conference Tournament Finals. He was named All-Tournament Team. In 2009/10, Kapelan had 12.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.2 apg for his school. He joined them in 2007 from the Vancouver, BC /King George HS. Diego Kapelan practiced with the Bosnian NT during the summer. He also was tested by Hemofarm and Marousi. There were some rumors that Kapelan will sign with Bosna ASA BHT, but he officially joined Zrinjski.

Round 3: Levski Sofia edges Ulcinj by two points - by Eurobasket News
The most exciting game of round 3 in the Balkan League took place in Ulcijn. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 4th placed Montenegrin Ulcinj (1-2) to leader Bulgarian Levski Sofia (2-0) 75-73 on Wednesday evening. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Ulcinj won third quarter 17-12. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The best player for the winners was American swingman Aaron Harper (199-81, college: Mississippi, agency: Strategic Sports) who scored 20 points and 6 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Marcus Hall (185-85, college: Colorado) chipped in 18 points and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was center Dragomir Marojevic (207-81, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who recorded a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds. Levski Sofia keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 3 other teams. Ulcinj at the other side keeps the fourth place with two games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. Levski Sofia is looking forward to face Napredak Rubin (#4) in Krusevac in the next round. Ulcinj will play on the road against the league's leader Hapoel Tel-Aviv and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Important game to mention about took place in Timisoara. Sixth ranked FYR Macedonian Torus Skopje (1-1) saved a 2-point victory on the road edging 6th ranked Romanian Timisoara (1-2) 74-72 in the game for the third place. It was a good game for FYR Macedonian-Bulgarian guard Dimitar Karadzovski (190-84, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who led his team to a victory with 20 points. Ivica Dimcevski contributed with 12 points and 4 assists for the winners. Forward Bogdan Popescu (200-78, college: Alaska-Fairb.) answered with 24 points and 5 rebounds for Timisoara. Torus Skopje left bottom position moving up to third place. Timisoara at the other side dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Torus Skopje will play against league's second-placed Rilski Sportist in Samokov in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Timisoara will play at home against the league's leader Galil Gilboa to get more than just one victory in their record.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Samokov. Leader Bulgarian Rilski Sportist faced 3rd placed Montenegrin Mornar Bar. Host Rilski Sportist (2-0) defeated guests from Bar (1-2) 87-76. It was a great evening for Branko Mirkovic who led his team to a victory scoring 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. The best for the losing side was Akeem Scott with 22 points. Mornar Bar's coach Mihajlo Pavicevic rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Rilski Sportist keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser Mornar Bar dropped to the fourth place with two games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. Rilski Sportist will meet Torus Skopje (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Mornar Bar will play against OKK Beograd and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Israeli undefeated leader Galil Gilboa delivered the second consecutive victory. This time they crushed bottom-ranked Serbian OKK Beograd (0-2) 84-62. It was a quality performance for Dagan Yavzuri who led the winners and scored 18 points and 6 assists. Galil Gilboa's coach Lior Lubin felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Galil Gilboa maintains first place with 2-0 record, which they share with 3 other teams. OKK Beograd at the other side still closes the standings with two games lost. Galil Gilboa's next round opponent will be Timisoara (#5) on the road. OKK Beograd will play against Mornar Bar and hopes to get finally their first victory.
The game in Timisoara was also quite interesting. Bottom-ranked Serbian OKK Beograd (0-2) played at the court of sixth ranked Romanian Timisoara (1-2). Timisoara did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 85-67 on Tuesday. The best player for the winners was Robert Sarovic who scored 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Timisoara's coach Predrag Badnjarevic used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Timisoara left bottom position moving up to fourth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser OKK Beograd still closes the standings with two games lost. Timisoara will face league's leader Galil Gilboa at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. OKK Beograd will play against Mornar Bar (#4) and looks forward to get finally their first victory.

In the last two games of round 3 winless Zrinjski HT was crushed by Napredak in Krusevac 79-59. Feni Indistrija beat Napredak at home 77-72.


Group A
Rilski Sportist - Mornar Bar 87-76

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in Samokov. Leader Bulgarian Rilski Sportist faced 3rd placed Montenegrin Mornar Bar. Host Rilski Sportist (2-0) defeated guests from Bar (1-2) 87-76. The hosts trailed by 9 points after first quarter, but they stormed back winning two of next three quarters and won the game by 11 points. Rilski Sportist made 33-of-41 free shots (80.5 percent) during the game, while Mornar Bar only scored thirteen points from the stripe. It was a great evening for Serbian guard Branko Mirkovic (190-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who led his team to a victory scoring 27 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Serbian power forward Filip Vukosavljevic (205-83) helped adding 27 points and 6 rebounds. Four Rilski Sportist players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Jamaican-American point guard Akeem Scott (186-83, college: High Point, agency: Interperformances) with 22 points and Serbian Ivan Jelenic (190-85, agency: BeoExcell) scored 23 points. Mornar Bar's coach Mihajlo Pavicevic rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Rilski Sportist keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser Mornar Bar dropped to the fourth place with two games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. Rilski Sportist will meet Torus Skopje (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Mornar Bar will play against OKK Beograd and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Rilski Sportist: B.Mirkovic 27+5reb+4ast, F.Vukosavljevic 27+6reb+1ast, A.Bilobrk 10+3reb+2ast, S.Vaklinov 10+5reb+4ast, A.Velikov 4+5reb+2ast, G.Jovanovic 3+2reb
Mornar Bar: I.Jelenic 23+1reb+2ast, A.Scott 22+4reb+3ast, L.Radosavljevic 9+4reb+1ast, N.Ivanovic 7+3reb+1ast, V.Pavic 7+8reb, F.Barovic 4+5reb+1ast
gschID: 152222


Timisoara - Torus Skopje 72-74

Important game to mention about took place in Timisoara. Sixth ranked FYR Macedonian Torus Skopje (1-1) saved a 2-point victory on the road edging 6th ranked Romanian Timisoara (1-2) 74-72 in the game for the third place. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 23-21. But Timisoara won second period 16-15. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Torus Skopje won last quarter 16-15. It was a good game for FYR Macedonian-Bulgarian guard Dimitar Karadzovski (190-84, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who led his team to a victory with 20 points. Swingman Ivica Dimcevski (194-89, agency: Interperformances) contributed with 12 points and 4 assists for the winners. Four Torus Skopje players scored in double figures. Forward Bogdan Popescu (200-78, college: Alaska-Fairb.) answered with 24 points and 5 rebounds and Bosnian point guard Zlatko Jovanovic (181-84, agency: Beo Basket) added 20 points in the effort for Timisoara. Torus Skopje left bottom position moving up to third place. Timisoara at the other side dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. They share it with 3 other teams. Torus Skopje will play against league's second-placed Rilski Sportist in Samokov in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Timisoara will play at home against the league's leader Galil Gilboa to get more than just one victory in their record.
Top scorers:
Torus Skopje: D.Karadzovski 20+2reb+1ast, J.Markovski 12+1reb, I.Dimcevski 12+4reb+4ast, J.Reynolds 11+8reb, P.Turner 6+5reb, B.Trajkovski 5+2reb
Timisoara: B.Popescu 24+5reb, Z.Jovanovic 20+1reb+3ast, R.Sarovic 11+5reb+2ast, D.Archie 6+4reb, I.Siriscevic 5+1reb, B.Cuic 3+5reb+2ast
gschID: 152223


Galil Gilboa - OKK Beograd 84-62

Israeli undefeated leader Galil Gilboa delivered the second consecutive victory. This time they crushed bottom-ranked Serbian OKK Beograd (0-2) 84-62. OKK Beograd was ahead by 1 point at the halftime before a 50-27 second half run of Galil Gilboa. They dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to OKK Beograd's 26. Galil Gilboa players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by OKK Beograd's players. It was a quality performance for guard Dagan Yavzuri (193-85) who led the winners and scored 18 points and 6 assists. American point guard Chaisson Allen (192-89, college: Northeastern) accounted for 17 points for the winning side. Five Galil Gilboa players scored in double figures. Galil Gilboa's coach Lior Lubin felt very confident that he used 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. point guard Luka Drca (195-87, college: Utah, agency: Beo Basket) came up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds and Stanoje Knezevic (202-89) added 5 points and 6 rebounds respectively for OKK Beograd in the defeat. Galil Gilboa maintains first place with 2-0 record, which they share with 3 other teams. OKK Beograd at the other side still closes the standings with two games lost. Galil Gilboa's next round opponent will be Timisoara (#5) on the road. OKK Beograd will play against Mornar Bar and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Galil Gilboa: D.Yavzuri 18+2reb+6ast, C.Allen 17+4reb+3ast, J.Jones 12+6reb+1ast, R.Travis 10+8reb+1ast, I.Kozikaro 10+5reb+3ast, J.Martin 7+5reb+1ast
OKK Beograd: L.Drca 21+10reb+2ast, M.Kovac 12, N.Misanovic 8+2reb, F.Sepa 6+3reb+2ast, S.Knezevic 5+6reb+1ast, S.Stefanovic 4+3reb+1ast
gschID: 152224


Group B
Napredak - Zrinjski HT 79-59

Everything could happen in Krusevac at the game between two tied teams. Both fifth ranked Serbian Napredak Rubin and bottom-ranked Bosnian Zrinjski HT had identical 0-2 record. This time Napredak Rubin used a home court advantage and crushed the opponent from Mostar 79-59 on Wednesday night. The game without a history. Napredak Rubin led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. The best player for the winners was power forward Aco Mandic (204-84) who scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. Slaven Cupkovic (205-88) chipped in 15 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was guard Diego Kapelan who recorded 13 points and 6 rebounds and American forward Marcel Jones (203-85, college: Oregon St., agency: David Lee services) added 6 points and 8 rebounds respectively. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Napredak Rubin (1-2) left bottom position moving up to fourth place, which they share with 3 other teams. It was Zrinjski HT's third loss in a row. They still closes the standings with three games lost. Napredak Rubin will face league's second-placed Levski Sofia on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Zrinjski HT will play against Feni Indistrija (#3) in Kavadarci and looks forward to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Napredak: S.Cupkovic 15+5reb+1ast, A.Mandic 15+7reb+1ast, A.Lekic 12+5reb+1ast, S.Mihajlovic 7+3reb+1ast, M.Puzic 6+4reb+3ast, S.Pejovic 6+5reb+5ast
Zrinjski HT: D.Kapelan 13+6reb, B.Masic 8+1reb, A.Avdibegovic 6+3reb+1ast, L.Klarica 6+1reb+4ast, M.Jones 6+8reb, M.Han 6+1reb
gschID: 152226


Ulcinj - Levski Sofia 73-75

The most exciting game of round 3 in the Balkan League took place in Ulcijn. This derby game ended with only two-point home defeat of 4th placed Montenegrin Ulcinj (1-2) to leader Bulgarian Levski Sofia (2-0) 75-73 on Wednesday evening. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Ulcinj won third quarter 17-12. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The best player for the winners was American swingman Aaron Harper (199-81, college: Mississippi, agency: Strategic Sports) who scored 20 points and 6 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Marcus Hall (185-85, college: Colorado) chipped in 18 points and 4 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was center Dragomir Marojevic (207-81, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who recorded a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds and guard Milos Djurisic (194-88) added 17 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Levski Sofia keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 3 other teams. Ulcinj at the other side keeps the fourth place with two games lost. They share the position with 3 other teams. Levski Sofia is looking forward to face Napredak Rubin (#4) in Krusevac in the next round. Ulcinj will play on the road against the league's leader Hapoel Tel-Aviv and is hoping to prove to their supporters that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
Levski Sofia: A.Harper 20+6reb+3ast, M.Hall 18+3reb+4ast, D.Anguelov 11+5reb+1ast, V.Evtimov 9+8reb+2ast, H.Dimitrov 9+3reb+3ast, A.Simeonov 4+1reb
Ulcinj: M.Djurisic 17+5reb+2ast, B.Medenica 16+7reb, D.Marojevic 14+12reb, M.Milatovic 9+5reb, M.Kuveljic 8+3reb+1ast, M.Latkovic 7+2reb+3ast
gschID: 152225


Round 1
Timisoara - OKK Beograd 85-67

The game in Timisoara was also quite interesting. Bottom-ranked Serbian OKK Beograd (0-2) played at the court of sixth ranked Romanian Timisoara (1-2). Timisoara did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 85-67 on Tuesday. The game was mostly controlled by Timisoara. OKK Beograd was better in second period 21-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded OKK Beograd 32-20 including 21 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was Serbian-German forward Robert Sarovic (205-78, agency: 011 Sports) who scored 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. American forward Dominique Archie (200-87, college: S.Carolina) chipped in 24 points (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field). Timisoara's coach Predrag Badnjarevic used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. At the other side the best for losing team was Stanoje Knezevic (202-89) who recorded 15 points (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) and center Slavko Stefanovic (206-81, agency: BeoExcell) added 13 points respectively. Timisoara left bottom position moving up to fourth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser OKK Beograd still closes the standings with two games lost. Timisoara will face league's leader Galil Gilboa at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. OKK Beograd will play against Mornar Bar (#4) and looks forward to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Timisoara: R.Sarovic 24+8reb+4ast, D.Archie 24+3reb+3ast, I.Siriscevic 15+4reb+1ast, Z.Jovanovic 9+2reb+2ast, B.Popescu 6+8reb+1ast, N.Markovic 6+1reb+1ast
OKK Beograd: S.Knezevic 15+2reb+1ast, F.Sepa 14+3reb, S.Stefanovic 13+4reb+1ast, D.Mitrovic 7+2reb+2ast, L.Drca 6+3reb+5ast, J.Koprivica 4+1reb
gschID: 153300


Round 2
Feni Indistrija - Napredak 77-72

Everything could happen in Kavadarci at the game between two tied teams. Both third ranked FYR Macedonian Feni Indistrija and 5th ranked Serbian Napredak Rubin had identical 1-1 record. This time Feni Indistrija used a home court advantage and defeated the opponent from Krusevac 77-72 on Wednesday night. The hosts trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 29-9 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Strangely Napredak Rubin outrebounded Feni Indistrija 36-23 including 27 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was American swingman Jarrid Frye (194-85, college: Sacred Heart) who scored 21 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Darko Sokolov (190-86) chipped in 19 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Slaven Cupkovic (205-88) who recorded 9 points and 8 rebounds and center Sasa Mihajlovic (203-75) added 12 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Defending FYR Macedonian champion maintains third place with 2-1 record having just -1 point less than leader Hapoel T-A. Loser Napredak Rubin dropped to the fourth position with two games lost. Feni Indistrija will face Zrinjski HT (#6) in Mostar in the next round. Napredak Rubin will play on the road against the league's second-placed Levski Sofia and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Feni Indistrija: J.Frye 21+6reb+3ast, D.Sokolov 19+5reb+6ast, M.Simonovski 13+3reb+1ast, D.Knezevic 9, K.Nikolovski 7+3reb+1ast, M.Gjurov 4+2reb+1ast
Napredak: M.Puzic 13, S.Mihajlovic 12+5reb+1ast, A.Mandic 10+2reb, S.Cupkovic 9+8reb+1ast, M.Golubovic 9+3reb, L.Vukosavljevic 9+4reb+3ast
gschID: 152227




Branko Mirkovic claims weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
Serbian Branko Mirkovic (190-G-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's second-best Rilski Sportist and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 3.
The 29-year old guard had the game-high 27 points adding five rebounds and four assists for Rilski Sportist in his team's victory, helping them to beat Mornar Bar (#4, 1-2) 87-76. Rilski Sportist maintains the 2nd position in Balkan League group A. They maintain perfect record without any lost game in the league. But it's just the very beginning of the season and Rilski Sportist won both games without losing any. It's too early to say anything as the standings can be changed completely after next round. Mirkovic turned to be Rilski Sportist's top player in his first season with the team. Mirkovic has impressive league stats. He is league's best scorer averaging so far 22.5ppg. Mirkovic is in league's top in assists (4th best: 4.0apg) and averages solid 2.5spg and 77.8% from behind 3-point line.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 24-year old American forward Dominique Archie (200-F-87) of Timisoara. Archie impressed basketball fans with 24 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Of course he lead Timisoara to another comfortable win 85-67 over OKK Beograd (0-2) being unquestionably team leader. The season is still at the very beginning and this victory may help a lot. Let's wait for the next round. Archie is a newcomer at Timisoara and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 16.0ppg (#8). He also registered 5.7 boards per game.

The third best performed player last round was another Timisoara's star - Serbian Robert Sarovic (205-F-78, agency: 011 Sports). Sarovic showcased his all-around game by recording 24 points, eight rebounds and four assists in the last round. He was another key player of Timisoara, helping his team with a 85-67 easy win against OKK Beograd (#6, 0-2). The chances of Timisoara not to end season at such low position in Round 1, however are less than slim as they have already lost 2 games, recording just one victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Sarovic could try to bring Timisoara's a little bit higher in the standings. Sarovic has individually a great season in Balkan League. After only 3 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.7ppg (6th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Dragomir Marojevic (207-C-81) of Ulcinj - 14 points and 12 rebounds
5. Jarrid Frye (194-G/F-85) of Feni Indistrija - 21 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Akeem Scott (186-PG-83) of Mornar Bar - 22 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Filip Vukosavljevic (205-F/C-83) of Rilski Sportist - 27 points and 6 rebounds
8. Luka Drca (195-PG-87) of OKK Beograd - 21 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Chaisson Allen (192-PG-89) of Galil Gilboa - 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Joseph Jones (204-C/F-86) of Galil Gilboa - 12 points and 6 rebounds

The Player of the week is choosen 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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  BELGIUM   


Verviers Transfer News - by Peter Buyse
One player out and one player in, is the latest story for VOO Verviers-Pepinster. The team released Devan Downey (175-G-87, college: S.Carolina) and added TJ Thompson (177-G-82, college: Geo.Washington)n to the roster to replace him.
Thompson finished his college career at George Washington at the end of the 2004-2005 season with decent stats of 13.6 ppg and 2.9 apg. His first pro job was in the old CBA with the Albany Patroons where he had a great season scoring 25.4 ppg and dishing out 5.2 apg. The rest of 2006 he played in Puerto Rico, The WBA and Mexico.
Came back to Albany during the 06-07 season but later that year came overseas for the first time to play for Hyeres-Toulon in the French ProA league.
Spent the next 2 years also in France playing for Le Havre. His last year at Le Havre he was the 3rd leading scorer in ProA with 18.1 ppg to go with his 5.9apg.
In 2009-2010 he played in Poland for Turow, then moved to Germany to join Ludwigsburg. This past season he played parts of the season for Ilysiakos Athens and Vichy in France.
He should be eligible to play this saturday at Leuven.

Euroleague: Maccabi wins despite Spirou heroic performance (69-59) - by Bert Larsimont
It was a difficult home win for Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv as the Israeli club defeated Belgacom Belgacom Spirou Charleroi by 69-59 in front of a large attendance (11,000) at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. Despite controlling the game in the first quarter (the hosts were ahead after 10 minutes: 22-11), Demond Mallet (185-G-78, college: McNeese St.) and his Spirou mates reacted well afterwards. After 26-27 on a basket by Christophe Beghin (207-F-80), Spirou and Maccabi finished tied at the half (35-35).

The Belgian team even led by 50-54 at the end of the third quarter.

A 10-0 run for Maccabi in the start of the last quarter was good enough for Coach David Blatt's team to pull the final win. Maccabi Tel Aviv improves to 4-1 and keeps leading Group C. Despite excellent performances so far in this competition, Spirou of Coach Giovanni Bozzi drops to a 1-4 record and will finish the first leg of the regular season in last place.

Lior Eliyahu (206-F/C-85) who played 19'56' finished the game as best scorer with 15 points for the winners and David Blu (201-F-80, college: USC) who stayed 21'26' on court added 12 behind 4 of 7 threes for Maccabi (which will host EA7 Emporio Armani Milan on November 24th). For Spirou Charleroi (which will travel to Real Madrid next week), US playmaker Demond Mallet led all scorers with 18 points and US shooter Christopher Hill (191-G-83, college: Michigan St.) helped him with 15. Justin Hamilton (191-G-80, college: Florida) also had great stats for Spirou: 6 points and 10 boards.

Both teams did shoot at a rather low percentage but the difference at the free throw line was pretty amazing: 16/23 (69.5%) for Maccabi and only 3/6 (50%) for Spirou Charleroi!

Scorers:

Spirou Charleroi: Christopher Hill 15, Jiri Welsch 5, Justin Hamilton 6, Caleb Green 6, Andre Riddick 2, Demond Mallet 18, Christophe Beghin 7.
Maccabi Tel Aviv: Theodoros Papaloukas 2, Richard Hendrix 8, Devon SMith 4, David Blu 12, Lior Eliyahu 15, Jordan Farmar 5, Yogev Ohayon 8, Shawn James 6, Sofoklis Schortsanitis 5, Keith Langford 4.



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  BOSNIA   


Zrinjski brings in Diego Kapelan - by Eurobasket News
Zrinjski announced signing of Diego Kapelan (190-G-87) for rest of the season. The 24-year-old guard graduated at the McNeese State University this year. He had 14.9 ppg, 2.4 rpg and 1.1 apg for 32 games as a senior. Kapelan helped McNeese State to reach the Southland Conference Tournament Finals. He was named All-Tournament Team. In 2009/10, Kapelan had 12.6 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.2 apg for his school. He joined them in 2007 from the Vancouver, BC /King George HS. Diego Kapelan practiced with the Bosnian NT during the summer. He also was tested by Hemofarm and Marousi. There were some rumors that Kapelan will sign with Bosna ASA BHT, but he officially joined Zrinjski.

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  BRAZIL   


Sorocaba add SG Perez - by Paulo Freire
The Liga Sorocabana de Basquete still adding some pieces at their roster.
The new player is Thiago Perez (191-F/G-82) former Minas Tenis Club.
Perez is knowing by his defense skills and will be a back up guard for the head coach Rinaldo Rodrigues
His last club was the Olympico where he played the Mineiro State Championship, In the last NBB he was part of the Minas Tenis roster.
That will be his second passage in Liga Sorocabana de Basquete, the player already work with the head coach and is know their fans very well.

Standings - BNL
NBB Standings
 1. Araraquara 0-0 
 2. Cia do Terno 0-0 
 3. Flamengo 0-0 
 4. Itabom/Bauru 0-0 
 5. Liga Sorocaba 0-0 
 6. Minas 0-0 
 7. Paulistano 0-0 
 8. Pinheiros/Sky 0-0 
 9. S.Jose/Unimed 0-0 
 10. Tijuca TC 0-0 
 11. Uniceub/BRB 0-0 
 12. Unitri/Universo 0-0 
 13. Vila Velha 0-0 
 14. Vivo/Franca 0-0 
 15. Winner/Limeira 0-0 


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  CANADA   


Oshawa Power fall to the Quebec Kebs 97-88 - by Eurobasket News
The Oshawa Power stalled in an emotional loss to the Quebec Kebs 97-88 at the GM Centre.

Much like the first meeting between these two teams, the Power seemingly took control of the game during the second quarter, but a determined Kebs ball club came out in the second half and grabbed a tough road victory.

The Power got off to a great start in the second frame and led by as many as eleven points, before the Kebs took control and reduced the deficit to only two points.

Canadian Tut Ruach had another tremendous game in the losing effort recording 23 points and 6 assists giving him a second strong effort against the Kebs squad this season.

'We just have to stick together,' said Ruach after the game. 'We had a bad little run and we never got back to what we were doing early and we got down on ourselves. We just have to keep believing in ourselves and stick together.'

Fellow Canadian Kevin Francis added 12 points, and created the leagues first poster with a devastating slam on Yannick Anzuluni.

The win on Wednesday night was dedicated to the Quebec Kebs teammate and friend Sam Carey who passed away in a tragic car accident.

Ralphy Holmes (6'4''-G-79, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) of the Kebs was on fire shooting a sizzling 7 for 9 in the game for 19 points and 10 rebounds. Shaun Fountain (5'11''-G-78, agency: Duran International, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) added 12 points off the bench in a solid team effort.

The Power will try to get out of their mini two game funk, as their 401 rivals the London Lighting will invade the General Motor Centre on Friday night for their first regular season meeting.

Courtesy of www.northumberlandview.ca

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  CHINA   


Luther Head signs with Jiangsu - by Eurobasket News
Jiangsu Nangang Dragons bolstered their backcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Luther Head (191-G-82, agency: Interperformances, college: Illinois). The deal is meant for one year. This is the first contract outside the NBA for Luther Head. Last season the guard played for the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 6.1 points, 2.1 assists and 1.8 rebounds per appearance. Previously Luther Head had stints with the Pacers and the Rockets. The guard participated at 2006 All-Star Rookie Games. He also made it into NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team the same season. Next year Luther Head played for Sophomore Team at the All-Star Game.

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  COLOMBIA   


FEDERATION CUP 2011, SEMIFINALS DAY 4 - by Victor Garcia
Orgullo Paisa defeated Guerreros de Bogota 94 - 93, in the fourth game in Medellin to clinch the ticket to the final in the 2011 Federation Cup, the fourth game was oon eof the most exciting game in the last years of the Cup.
The Guerreros enters the game ready to fight with its players focused on all the aspects of the game, but the Orgullo Paisa had Stalin Ortiz in an unstoppable night, leading all the scorers at the end with season high 39 pts.
Guerreros arrived to the half of the game 5 points ahead, but in the second half the Orgullo Paisa made a major effort and finishg the third quarter achieved a 4 points lead, in the last quarter the Guerreros defense made the job and was 11 points ahead with 6 minutes remaining, but then a couple of controversial calls and distactions on defense put the Orgullo Paisa back in the game, Kammron Taylor free throw with 17 seconds left puts Guerreros 1 point ahead, but in the last posetion the Guerreros stopped Stalin Ortiz who pass th eball to Felipe Barrios who gound Enielsen Guevara open in the wing with just one second in the clock, Guevaras shot enters the net at the buzzer putting the green team in the finals for the second straight year.
Orgullo Paisa 94 - S. Ortiz 39 pts (15 of 16 ft), F. Barrios 16 pts, H. Salcedo 15 pts, L. Bonilla 13 pts, E.Guevara 9 pts, H. Soler 2 pts.
Guerreros 93 - D. Holland 24 pts + 6 assits, K. Taylor 23 pts, C. Silva 13 pts, C. Cortez 10 pts, N. Aragon 9 pts, G. Bacci 8 pts, S. Thomas 4 pts + 8 rebs, E. Romero 2 pts
ORGULLO PAISA WON THE SERIES 3-1


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  CROATIA   


Zagreb celebrates first Euroleague win - by Eurobasket News
KK Zagreb CO - Zalgiris 80-78

Zagreb grabbed its first Euroleague win ever. The Croatian champ celebrated in thriller against Zalgiris 80-78 to join them with 1-4 record in Group B. It was a very exciting finish. Paulius Jankunas (205-F-84, agency: Interperformances) tied the score to 78-78 with 27 seconds left on the clock and Mario Kasun (213-C-80) made just one FT on the other side. After a timeout, Weems pass was picked off by Joshua Heytvelt (211-F-86, college: Gonzaga). Zalgiris fouled Damir Mulaomerovic, who made just 1 free throw, and then the visitors grabbed the ball with 7.2 seconds left. Marko Popovic (185-G-82, agency: Alti Sport, college: S.Idaho JC) took it and passed to Kalnietis, who missed a shot at the buzzer allowing Zagreb fans to start celebration of their first Euroleague win ever. Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85) led the hosts with 22 points (valuation 25). Joshua Heytvelt had double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Mario Kasun helped with 11 points and 5 rebs. Zalgiris got 24 points and 11 rebounds from Paulius Jankunas (Valuation 38, MVP). Marko Popovic and Milovan Rakovic (208-C-85) scored 11 and 10 points respectively. Quarters: 21-20, 19-16, 17-24, 23-18. Zagreb will host Brose Baskets next week. Zalgiris will meet CSKA in Moscow.

KK Zagreb CO: Krunoslav Simon 22, Joshua Heytvelt 17+11 boards, Mario Kasun 11+5 boards
Zalgiris: Paulius Jankunas 24+11 boards, Marko Popovic 11, Milovan Rakovic 10

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  CZECH REPUBLIC   


Stats Leaders - NBL
Points Per Game
 Keaton GRANT
  Levice
  (193-G-86)
  Avg: 18.9
 1. Grant, Levice18.9 
 2. Sedmak, USK Praha18.9 
 3. Henderson, Levice18.5 
 4. Houska, BK Decin18.4 
 5. Wright, Chomutov18.4 
 6. Lowery, Chomutov17.9 
 7. Longmire, Usti n.17.3 
 8. McFadden, Usti n.17.2 
 9. Arnold, BK Pardu.16.8 
 10. Bridgewaters, Int.16.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Stanislav VOTROUBEK
  USK P.
  (212-C-81)
  Avg: 8.9
 1. Votroubek, USK P.8.9 
 2. Arnold, BK Pardu.8.8 
 3. Gadri-N., BK Prost.8.4 
 4. Meno, Svitavy8.1 
 5. Houska, BK Decin7.8 
 6. Hughes, NH Ostrava7.0 
 7. Peterson, BK Prost.6.8 
 8. Field, BC Kolin6.6 
 9. Hruby, Usti n.6.5 
 10. Gavran, Inter B.6.5 
Assists Per Game
 Derek WRIGHT
  Chomutov
  (175-G-86)
  Avg: 5.3
 1. Wright, Chomutov5.3 
 2. Sotnar, USK Praha5.2 
 3. Barnes, BC Kolin4.8 
 4. Vrubl, Plzen4.6 
 5. Lawrence, CEZ N.3.5 
 6. George, Svitavy3.4 
 7. Bridgewaters, Inte.3.3 
 8. McFadden, Usti n.3.1 
 9. Sanders, BK Decin3.1 
 10. Ames, BC Kolin3.1 
Steals Per Game
 Pavel PUMPRLA
  CEZ N.
  (196-G-86)
  Avg: 3.1
 1. Pumprla, CEZ N.3.1 
 2. Klecka, B&W Opava2.9 
 3. Wright, Chomutov2.6 
 4. McFadden, Usti n.2.3 
 5. Sirina, B&W Opava2.1 
 6. Ames, BC Kolin2.0 
 7. Inge, NH Ostrava1.8 
 8. Lowery, Chomutov1.8 
 9. Grant, Levice1.7 
 10. Longmire, Usti n.1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 James HUGHES
  NH Ostrava
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Hughes, NH Ostrava1.8 
 2. Gadri-N., BK Prost.1.8 
 3. Grant, Levice1.3 
 4. Meno, Svitavy1.1 
 5. Henderson, Levice0.8 
 6. Houska, BK Decin0.7 
 7. Pumprla, CEZ N.0.7 
 8. Kolovrat, B&W O.0.7 
 9. Slavik, USK Praha0.7 
 10. Jelinek, BC Kolin0.7 


Standings - NBL
NBL Standings
 1. CEZ Nymburk 11-1 
 2. BC Kolin 10-2 
 3. BK Prostejov 10-2 
 4. BK Pardubice 10-3 
 5. BK Decin 9-4 
 6. USK Praha 6-7 
 7. Usti n/Labem 5-7 
 8. Levice 5-7 
 9. Chomutov 5-8 
 10. Svitavy 5-8 
 11. NH Ostrava 5-8 
 12. Plzen 4-9 
 13. Inter Bratislava 2-11 
 14. B&W Opava 1-11 


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  D-LEAGUE   


Skyforce waives two players - by Eurobasket News
The Sioux Falls Skyforce waived guards Coco Cofield (6'2''-G-81, agency: ProSportsCareers, college: N.Dakota St.) and Latroy Taylor today. The active roster now stands at 14 players.

Following is the list of players remaining on the training camp roster:


Name Pos Ht Wt DOB From Status

Dominique Coleman G 6-3 195 07/15/84 Colorado Returning

Josh Edmonds* G 6-5 205 09/15/88 Quincy Local Tryout

Brian Evans G 6-0 180 03/04/82 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Draft Pick

Charles Garcia F 6-9 220 10/13/88 Seattle University Returning

Brock Gillespie G 6-1 185 04/26/82 Rice Draft Pick

Anthony Mason, Jr. F 6-7 215 01/25/87 St. John's Returning

Billy McShepard* F 6-10 220 08/10/87 Valdosta State Draft Pick

Casey Mitchell* G 6-4 220 01/16/88 West Virginia Draft Pick

Anthony Moody* G 6-0 160 07/13/89 Mary Draft Pick

Will Pratt* F 6-5 212 03/16/86 Northwestern State Draft Pick

Gabe Pruitt G 6-4 185 04/19/86 Southern California Draft Pick

Dominique Scales F 6-9 230 05/23/83 E. Central Oklahoma Returning

Greg Stiemsma C 6-11 260 09/26/85 Wisconsin Returning

Eric Tisby* G 5-9 160 04/24/88 Sioux Falls Local Tryout

* - Rookie

Sioux Falls will travel to Des Moines on Saturday to take on the Energy in a preseason contest at 7 p.m. Coaches will submit an opening day roster of 10 players on Wednesday, Nov. 23 as the 2011-12 NBA D-League regular season tips off with seven games on Friday, Nov. 25 including the Skyforce visiting the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at 6:30 p.m. CT.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com



Erie slips by Charge in scrimmage, 105-103 - by Eurobasket News
The shot looked good. It certainly felt good to Keith McLeod.

'I thought it was down', the veteran Canton Charge guard said. 'Dude hit me in the face.'

McLeods closely contested corner jumper at the buzzer went back rim and missed, giving the Erie BayHawks a 105-103 win Wednesday night in a roller-coaster NBA Development League scrimmage at SPIRE Institute in Geneva.

Well, that was the margin on the scoreboard.

Erie actually won 105-99, but Canton gained a few extra points in a first-half scoring mix-up. Keep in mind, this was a scrimmage, witnessed by about 50 people. The court only had a college 3-point line. Eries players didnt wear numbers.

The massive SPIRE Institute provided a background similar to shooting in an airplane hangar. Not that it seemed to bother the BayHawks, who shot 48.7 percent from the floor and 47.1 percent from the 3-point line. Those are numbers defensive-minded Charge head coach Alex Jensen wont like.

But Wednesday night wasnt about a final score for the Charge. It was about developing chemistry and playing against someone else for the first time.

There were some encouraging things, Jensen said. Any first game, the first thing youre going to think is all the things you have to work on. So its good to have this experience, because it sends you in the right direction.

Among the positive things for the Charge were good effort, balanced scoring and a number of versatile playmakers. Six players scored in double figures and two others had 8 and 9 points, respectively. The Charged committed only 12 turnovers in 48 minutes of action.

Among the minuses were some struggles in pick-and-roll defense and matching up with Eries massive front line.

The Charge with Marcus Hubbard at 6-foot-9 their tallest player were outrebounded, 54-29.

Were a little undersized at the big positions, so I think were definitely going to have to focus on boxing out better, said Tyrell Biggs, a 6-8 forward.

Marcus Relphorde (6'7''-F-88), a 6-7 wing from Colorado, led the Charge with 17 points. The 22-year-old Relphorde, who was acquired through the open tryouts, hit 7 of 11 shots from the field and 3-of-6 from 3-point range.

Travis Franklin (6'7''-F-88) scored 13 points. Biggs, Hubbard and Jonathan Blake (6'7''-F-87) had 12 points each. Jamine Peterson added 10 points, showing flashes of his exceptional potential after a slow start.

The Charge, who trailed by as many as 13 in the second quarter, were not shy about hoisting jumpers. Thirty-two of their 77 shots were from behind the arc, but they still were able to get to the foul line 26 times, where they shot a sizzling 84.6 percent.

Weve got a lot of jump shooters, McLeod said. But weve got a lot of mismatches, too. In the future, weve just got to take better advantage of them. Our bigs are athletic. They can go inside-outside.

McLeod paused for a second, then added, Weve just got to play D, man. Play D and block out. Get it and go.

Asked about his teams defensive performance, Jensen simply said, We gave up 100 points.

Translation: Not acceptable.

Tied at 101 with a little more than two minutes left, McLeod drove from the right wing and collapsed the defense, dropping a nice pass to Biggs in the middle for a two-handed jam.

But the Charge missed their final six shots, including three in the last 10 seconds. Erie guard Donald Sloan, a former standout at Texas A&M, connected on a layup and a tough jumper with 29 seconds left that proved to be the winner.

These two clubs will see each other again Saturday when the Charge go to Erie for a three-team exhibition. Fort Wayne also will be there.

Weve got a lot of work to do, McLeod said. And thats everyone, me included.

Courtesy of www.cantonrep.com

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  ESTONIA   


Parn's double-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
34-year old forward Andre Parn (200-F-77) put on an amazing game in the last round for Rapla and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 7.
He had a double-double of 26 points and 16 rebounds, while his team beat Parnu (#7, 1-4) 68-61. Rapla is placed at 4th position in league. Rapla is a typical solid league team placed somewhere in the middle or a little bit lower in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 3-3 record. In the team's last game Parn had a remarkable 66.7% from 2-point range. It was one of impressive evenings for him as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Andre Parn averages this season 9.3ppg and 6.8rpg.

Second best performed player last round was Brandis Raley-Ross (188-G-87) of Tln Kalev. He is American guard in his first season at Tln Kalev. In the last game Raley-Ross recorded impressive 20 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Bad luck as Tln Kalev lost that game 52-75 to league's leader Kalev/Cramo (#3, 4-0). This loss caused Tln Kalev to drop to 5th position in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 3-4 record. Raley-Ross is a newcomer at Tln Kalev and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 18.0ppg (#1). He also registered 4.8 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Gert Dorbek (194-G-85) of Kalev/Cramo (#3). Dorbek scored 18 points and passed five assists. He was a key player of Kalev/Cramo, leading his team to a 75-52 easy win against slightly lower-ranked Tln Kalev (#5, 3-4). Kalev/Cramo started extremely well this year. They recorded 4 victories without losing a single game. Dorbek 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. Dorbek has a great season in Estonia. After only 4 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 3.3apg (4th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Andrew Arnold (208-C-86) of TTU/Kalev - 19 points and 10 rebounds
5. Janar Soo (199-G/F-91) of Rapla - 17 points and 7 rebounds
6. Illimar Pilk (195-F-88) of TTU/Kalev - 16 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists
7. Kristjan Makke (205-F/C-81) of TTU/Kalev - 14 points and 8 rebounds
8. Toomas Raadik (202-C-90) of Parnu - 16 points and 10 rebounds
9. Bamba Fall (216-C-86) of Kalev/Cramo - 13 points and 8 rebounds
10. Edgars Cunda (196-G-84) of Valga/CKE - 8 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists

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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  EUROCHALLENGE   


Round 2 best performance: Nathan Peavy - by Eurobasket News
American-Puerto Rican forward Nathan Peavy (203-F-85) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for top-ranked Art.Dragons, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 2.
The 26-year old player was the main contributor (32 points, eight rebounds and four assists) to his team's victory, helping them to beat Szolnok (#2, 1-1) 86-78. It allowed Art.Dragons to take over top position in the EuroChallenge group H. But it's just the very beginning of the season and Art.Dragons won both games without losing any. It's too early to say anything as the standings can be changed completely after next round. In the team's last game Peavy had a remarkable 76.9% from 2-point range. He has many years of experience at Art.Dragons, through which he has constantly improved. Former Miami University, Ohio star has very solid stats this year. Peavy is league's best scorer averaging so far 32.0ppg. Peavy is in league's top in and averages impressive 76.9% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 34-year old Serbian center Jovo Stanojevic (208-C-77, agency: Beo Basket) of Karsiyaka. Stanojevic had a very good evening with a double-double of 27 points and 13 rebounds. Bad luck as Karsiyaka was edged by Minsk-2006 (2-0) 105-103. The season is still at the very beginning and this lost game may not be such crucial, of course if they start win the games. Let's wait for the next round. Stanojevic is well-known at Karsiyaka and is a proven leader in his second season with the team. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 26.0ppg (#3). He also registered 12.5 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was American guard Stefon Jackson (196-G-85) of league's second-best Aalstar. Jackson scored 19 points and grabbed ten rebounds. He was a key player of Aalstar, leading his team to a 95-70 easy win against #4 ranked Olin Edirne in a game of the week. Aalstar needs these victories very badly if they think about taking over top position in group F. Their record at this point is 1 victories and 1 lost games. Jackson has a very solid season. In 2 games in EuroChallenge he scored 15.5ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Mire Chatman (187-G-78) of Karsiyaka - 36 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Jared Jordan (188-PG-84) of Telekom Baskets - 18 points, 6 rebounds and 12 assists
6. Aliaksandr Kudrautsau (190-G-80) of Minsk-2006 - 22 points, 3 rebounds and 7 assists
7. Teddy Gipson (193-G-80) of Pau-Lacq-Orthez - 15 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists
8. Davon Jefferson (204-F-86) of Triumph - 16 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists
9. Semih Erden (211-C-87) of Besiktas - 20 points and 9 rebounds
10. Deron Williams (191-PG-84) of Besiktas - 31 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Nathan PEAVY
  Art.Dragons
  (203-F-85)
  Avg: 32
 1. Peavy, Art.Dragons32.0 
 2. Delaney, Chalon26.5 
 3. Stanojevic, Karsi.26.0 
 4. Williams, Besiktas25.5 
 5. Roll, Antwerp25.5 
 6. Chatman, Karsiyaka25.0 
 7. Clemente, Nitra22.5 
 8. Washington, Turk T.20.5 
 9. Kudrautsau, Minsk.19.5 
 10. Karadeniz, Turk T.19.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jovo STANOJEVIC
  Karsi.
  (208-C-77)
  Avg: 12.5
 1. Stanojevic, Karsi.12.5 
 2. Skurdauskas, Arkad.12.0 
 3. Kjellbom, Armia11.5 
 4. Willard, Ventspils11.0 
 5. Bader, Szolnok11.0 
 6. Thomas, Armia11.0 
 7. King, Art.Dragons9.5 
 8. Williams, Pyrinto9.5 
 9. Erden, Besiktas9.5 
 10. Mejri, Antwerp9.5 
Assists Per Game
 Jared JORDAN
  Telekom .
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 9
 1. Jordan, Telekom9.0 
 2. Danek, Arkadia7.5 
 3. Tchicamboud, Cha.6.5 
 4. Williams, Besiktas6.5 
 5. Eldridge, Minsk-20.6.0 
 6. Swanson, Hoverla6.0 
 7. Barrett, Roanne6.0 
 8. Diaz, Armia6.0 
 9. Gaines, Armia6.0 
 10. Gipson, Pau-Lacq.6.0 
Steals Per Game
 Denis CLEMENTE
  Nitra
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 6
 1. Clemente, Nitra6.0 
 2. Moore, Keravnos4.0 
 3. Frazier, Keravnos3.5 
 4. Seay, Norrkoping3.5 
 5. Pandula, BK Prost.3.5 
 6. Danek, Arkadia3.0 
 7. Morris, U.Mobite.3.0 
 8. Mwema, Antwerp3.0 
 9. Holiday, Aalstar3.0 
 10. Young, Ventspils3.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Joakim KJELLBOM
  Armia
  (213-C/F-79)
  Avg: 3
 1. Kjellbom, Armia3.0 
 2. Gaffney, Teleko.3.0 
 3. Pustovyi, Khimik3.0 
 4. Gadri-N., BK Prost.2.5 
 5. Mejri, Antwerp2.5 
 6. Saunders, Goett.2.0 
 7. Knox, Minsk-20061.8 
 8. Hardin, Minsk-20061.7 
 9. Paulding, EWE B.1.5 
 10. Sene, Fuenlabrada1.5 


Standings
EuroChallenge Standings
Group A
 1. EWE Baskets 2-0 
 2. Fuenlabrada 1-1 
 3. Norrkoping 1-1 
 4. Nitra 0-2 
Group B
 1. Besiktas 2-0 
 2. Leiden 1-1 
 3. Armia 1-1 
 4. Goettingen 0-2 
Group C
 1. BK Prostejov 2-0 
 2. BK Pardubice 1-1 
 3. Roanne 1-1 
 4. Hoverla 0-2 
Group D
 1. Khimik 1-1 
 2. N.Novgorod 1-1 
 3. Ventspils 1-1 
 4. Atomeromu 1-1 
Group E
 1. Chalon 2-0 
 2. Enisey 1-1 
 3. Antwerp 1-1 
 4. U.Mobitel.CN 0-2 
Group F
 1. Triumph 2-0 
 2. Aalstar 1-1 
 3. Etha 1-1 
 4. Olin Edirne 0-2 
Group G
 1. Minsk-2006 2-0 
 2. Telekom Baskets 1-1 
 3. Karsiyaka 1-1 
 4. Turk Telekom 0-2 
Group H
 1. Art.Dragons 2-0 
 2. Szolnok 1-1 
 3. Keravnos 1-1 
 4. Pau-Lacq-Orthez 0-2 


Turk Telekom 0-2 in FIBA EuroChallenge play - by Pervin Elgin
In the second game of FIBA EuroChallenge group stage Turk Telekom lost 80-87 (17-21, 21-20, 19.23, 23-23) to Telekom Baskets Bonn. In front of 3.910 spectators the turkish cup winner from 2008 started flat into the contest trailing early (2-11, 3.). Led by former NBA All Star Mehmet Okur (19 points, 7 rebounds) Ankara fought back into the came, but could never get a good rhythm going. Besides Okur only Darius Washington (20 points) and Ali Karadeniz (22 points) emerged on the offensive end. Late in the third quarter Bonn pulled away thanks to Jared Jordan (18 points, 12 assists) and homegrown product Fabian Thlig (9 points). Thlig converted on a vicious three point play to end the third stanza (57-64, 30.) and grabbed an offensive rebounds to dish the assist to Jordan for a triple (57-67, 31.). Later on the 22 year-old connected on two treys of his own to seal the deal (64-80, 36.). Ankara fought valliantly, but did not have enough left in the tank to launch a comeback.

Being 0-2 puts Ankara with their backs against the wall before next weeks matchup against unbeaten BC Minsk 2006.

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  EUROCUP   


Parker's 34-point game gives him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
29-year old point guard Tony Parker (183-PG-82) put on an amazing game in the last round for league's best team ASVEL and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 1.
He had the game-high 34 points adding five rebounds and five assists for ASVEL in his team's victory, helping them to beat Valencia (#4, 0-1) 87-78. It allowed ASVEL to take over top position in the group D. But it's just the very beginning of the season and ASVEL won just one (their first) game. It's too early to say anything as the standings can be changed completely after next round. In the team's last game Parker had a remarkable 53.3% from 2-point range. He turned to be ASVEL's top player in his first season with the team. Parker has impressive league stats. He is league's best scorer averaging so far 34.0ppg. Parker is in league's top in and averages solid 53.3% FGP and 75.0% from behind 3-point line.

Second best performed player last round was Fabien Causeur (193-G-87) of Cholet. He is former international guard in his 3rd season at Cholet. In the last game Causeur recorded impressive 31 points and 6 rebounds. Bad luck as Cholet lost that game 63-75 to Khimky (1-0). The season is still at the very beginning and this lost game may not be such crucial, of course if they start win the games. Let's wait for the next round. Causeur is one of the most experienced players at Cholet and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 31.0ppg (#2). He also registered 6.0 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Jeremiah Massey (202-F-82) of Lokomotiv (#3). Massey scored 22 points and grabbed thirteen rebounds (!!!). Despite Massey's great performance Lokomotiv lost 76-84 to #1 ranked GC 2014. But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates especially in such crucial game. Lokomotiv can only dream about fighting for top spots in group E. They have awful season losing so far all 1 games. Too bad for Massey he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. The season just started for Massey as he played only first game. But it already looks like he can be team's leader.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Courtney Sims (211-C-83) of VEF Riga - 19 points and 11 rebounds
5. Jermareo Davidson (208-F-84) of Fraport SKY - 21 points and 7 rebounds
6. Timofey Mozgov (216-C-86) of Khimky - 21 points and 5 rebounds
7. Jerome Jordan (213-C-86) of Krka - 20 points and 8 rebounds
8. Patrick Beverley (185-PG-88) of Spartak SP - 21 points and 4 rebounds
9. Oleksiy Pecherov (213-C-85) of Azovmash - 20 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Serhiy Lishchuk (210-C/F-82) of Valencia - 16 points and 12 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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  EUROLEAGUE   


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Mirza TELETOVIC
  Caja L.
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 23
 1. Teletovic, Caja L.23.0 
 2. Spanoulis, Olympia.19.8 
 3. Carroll, Real Madr.18.6 
 4. Batum, Nancy18.2 
 5. Simmons, CEZ N.17.7 
 6. Pekovic, Partizan17.6 
 7. McCalebb, Montepa.17.4 
 8. Banic, Bizkaia Bil.17.2 
 9. Weems, Zalgiris17.0 
 10. Domercant, Unics17.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Andrei KIRILENKO
  CSKA
  (205-F-81)
  Avg: 9
 1. Kirilenko, CSKA9.0 
 2. Macvan, Partizan8.4 
 3. Necas, CEZ Nymburk8.0 
 4. Freeland, Unicaja7.6 
 5. Roberts, Lietuvos.7.0 
 6. Teletovic, Caja L.7.0 
 7. May, KK.7.0 
 8. Moerman, Nancy7.0 
 9. Batum, Nancy7.0 
 10. Kasun, KK.6.6 
Assists Per Game
 Marcelinho HUERTAS
  FCB Regal
  (191-PG-83)
  Avg: 6.8
 1. Huertas, FCB Regal6.8 
 2. Rodriguez, Real M.5.6 
 3. Batum, Nancy5.6 
 4. Diamantidis, Panat.5.6 
 5. Rice, Lietuvos.5.3 
 6. Linehan, Nancy5.2 
 7. Preldzic, Fener.Ul.5.0 
 8. Spanoulis, Olympia.4.8 
 9. Teodosic, CSKA4.8 
 10. Blassingame, Asse.4.8 
Steals Per Game
 Pablo PRIGIONI
  Caja L.
  (191-G-77)
  Avg: 3
 1. Prigioni, Caja L.3.0 
 2. Kinsey, Anadolu2.7 
 3. Thompson, AS.2.5 
 4. Quinn, Khimky2.5 
 5. Kelati, Khimky2.5 
 6. Kirilenko, CSKA2.2 
 7. Diamantidis, Panat.2.2 
 8. Ilyasova, Anadolu2.2 
 9. Pumprla, CEZ N.2.0 
 10. Broyles, Charleroi2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Andrei KIRILENKO
  CSKA
  (205-F-81)
  Avg: 3.2
 1. Kirilenko, CSKA3.2 
 2. Riddick, Charleroi2.0 
 3. Marconato, Bennet1.8 
 4. Vazquez, FCB Regal1.6 
 5. Fischer, Bizkaia1.6 
 6. Fofana, AS.1.5 
 7. Perovic, FCB Regal1.5 
 8. Kasun, KK.1.4 
 9. Ilyasova, Anadolu1.4 
 10. Kinsey, Anadolu1.3 


Standings
Euroleague Standings
Group A
 1. Caja Laboral 3-2 
 2. Fener.Ulker 3-2 
 3. Bennet Cantu 3-2 
 4. Bizkaia Bilbao 2-3 
 5. Nancy 2-3 
 6. Olympiakos 2-3 
Group B
 1. CSKA 5-0 
 2. Panathinaikos 3-2 
 3. Unicaja 3-2 
 4. Brose Baskets 2-3 
 5. KK Zagreb CO 1-4 
 6. Zalgiris 1-4 
Group C
 1. Maccabi T-A 4-1 
 2. Partizan 3-2 
 3. Real Madrid 3-2 
 4. Anadolu Efes 2-3 
 5. Armani MI 2-3 
 6. Charleroi 1-4 
Group D
 1. FCB Regal 5-0 
 2. Montepaschi 4-1 
 3. Unics 3-2 
 4. Galatasaray 2-3 
 5. Union Olimpija 1-4 
 6. Asseco Prokom 0-5 


Round Five: Wednesday's games - by Eurobasket News
Group A
Fener.Ulker - Bennet Cantu 85-83 OT
Fenerbahce Ulker had to work very hard to beat Bennet Cantu on Wednesday night. The reigning Turkish champion celebrated 85-83 OT win at the end joining the Italians and Caja Laboral on top of Group A with 3-2 record. Fener had a chance to win this game in regular time as they had the last possession at 73-73 tie, but Roko-Leni Ukic missed a floating shot at the buzzer. The hosts made 83-77 with 19 seconds to go in OT, what was too much for Cantu despite their mini 2-6 run. Omer Onan (194-G-78) top-scored in victory with 18 points. Thabo Sefolosha (196-G-84, agency: ACMT) had 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Oguz Savas (212-C-87) added 13 points and 5 boards. In Cantu, Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) and Nicolas Mazzarino (181-G-75, agency: Players Group) delivered 12 points each. Maarten Leunen (206-F-85, college: Oregon) followed them with 11 points and 6 rebs. Quarters: 17-19, 15-16, 24-17, 17-21, 12-10. Fenerbahce Ulker goes to Vitoria next week. Cantu will play in Nancy.

Caja Laboral - Bizkaia Bilbao 84-89
Bizkaia Bilbao did a great job in Vitoria on Wednesday night. They grabbed 84-89 victory against Caja Laboral improving to 2-3 record in Group A (same as Nancy and Olympiakos). At the same time, Caja Laboral dropped to 3-2 sharing the first place with Fenerbahce Ulker and Benet Cantu. Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) was the leading player in victory with 21 points (valuation 27). Alex Mumbru (202-F-79) had 14, Marko Banic (205-F-84) 12, while D'or Fischer (211-C-81, college: W.Virginia) helped his team with 10 points and 7 rebounds. For the hosts, Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) shined with 26 points and 8 rebounds. Pablo Prigioni (191-G-77) and Fernando San Emeterio (198-F/G-84) scored 17 and 13 points respectively. Caja Laboral had 81-76 lead with something more than 3 minutes remaining. Kostas Vasiliadis and Marko Banic exploded in the finish helping their team to make crucial 0-11 run. Prigioni raced the other way for a layup plus free throw at 84-87 with still 4 seconds left, but Kostas Vasilaidis made sure on the other foul line, giving Bilbao a huge victory to celebrate on a short ride home. Quarters: 17-25, 19-16, 26-25, 22-23. In the next round, Bilbao will meet Olympiakos in another road game. Caja Laboral waits Fenerbahce Ulker.

Olympiakos - Nancy 91-78
Olympiakos celebrated second Euroleague win this season. The Reds outplayed Nancy 91-78 to join them with 2-3 record in Group A. Spanish Bilbao has the same numbers. Third quarter was the crucial one in this meeting as Olympiakos won it 27-16 for 15-point lead, what was too much for Nancy for rest of the way. Vassilis Spanoulis (193-PG-82, agency: Beo Basket) shined for the hosts with 26 points and 6 assists (valuation 26). Michalis Pelekanos (198-F-81) (5 rebs) and Andreas Glyniadakis (215-C-81) netted 11 and 10 points respectively. In Nancy, Adrien Moerman (203-F/C-88) collected 20 points and 6 rebs. John Linehan (175-G-78, college: Providence) and Jamal Shuler (191-G-86) had 17 and 15 pts. Quarters: 30-22, 10-14, 27-16, 24-26. Olympiakos will host Bilbao in very important game next week. Nancy will also play at home against Bennet Cantu.

Group B
CSKA - Unicaja 77-66
Fifth straight Euroleague win for CSKA Moscow this season. The Russian powerhouse outplayed Unicaja on Wednesday evening keeping the first place in Group B with perfect 5-0 record. The Malaga team dropped to 3-2. Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) exploded for the hosts with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. He was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 39. Milos Teodosic (195-G-87) top-scored in CSKA with 19 points and Nenad Krstic (213-C-83, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) added 12 pts, plus 7 rebs. Unicaja got 14 pts and 9 rebs from Joel Freeland (208-F-87). Tremmell Darden (194-G/F-81, college: Niagara) (5 rebs) and Kristaps Valters (190-G-81) scored 13 points each. CSKA had 21-point lead with 10:00 to go, but later Unicaja came to minus 6 keeping the drama alive into the final minute only to see Milos Teodosic ice the win with a three-pointer. Quarters: 12-14, 22-15, 28-12, 15-25. CSKA waits Zalgiris next week. Unicaja will host Euroleague champion Panathinaikos.

KK Zagreb CO - Zalgiris 80-78
Zagreb grabbed its first Euroleague win ever. The Croatian champ celebrated in thriller against Zalgiris 80-78 to join them with 1-4 record in Group B. It was a very exciting finish. Paulius Jankunas (205-F-84, agency: Interperformances) tied the score to 78-78 with 27 seconds left on the clock and Mario Kasun (213-C-80) made just one FT on the other side. After a timeout, Weems pass was picked off by Joshua Heytvelt (211-F-86, college: Gonzaga). Zalgiris fouled Damir Mulaomerovic, who made just 1 free throw, and then the visitors grabbed the ball with 7.2 seconds left. Marko Popovic (185-G-82, agency: Alti Sport, college: S.Idaho JC) took it and passed to Kalnietis, who missed a shot at the buzzer allowing Zagreb fans to start celebration of their first Euroleague win ever. Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85) led the hosts with 22 points (valuation 25). Joshua Heytvelt had double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Mario Kasun helped with 11 points and 5 rebs. Zalgiris got 24 points and 11 rebounds from Paulius Jankunas (Valuation 38, MVP). Marko Popovic and Milovan Rakovic (208-C-85) scored 11 and 10 points respectively. Quarters: 21-20, 19-16, 17-24, 23-18. Zagreb will host Brose Baskets next week. Zalgiris will meet CSKA in Moscow. Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85)

*****************************************************
  FINLAND   


Standings - Division I
1st Division Standings
 1. FoKoPo 8-0 
 2. BC Nokia 6-1 
 3. Oulun NMKY 6-1 
 4. Tapiolan Honka 5-2 
 5. Lapua 4-4 
 6. Pyrinto II 3-3 
 7. Ura Basket 3-4 
 8. Huima 3-4 
 9. Porvoon Tarmo 2-5 
 10. SayRi 1-5 
 11. Jyvaskyla 1-7 
 12. ToPo Akatemia 1-7 


Stats Leaders - Division I
Points Per Game
 Walter BAXLEY
  Lapua
  (191-G-84)
  Avg: 28.4
 1. Baxley, Lapua28.4 
 2. Phillips, Oulun N.27.7 
 3. Manning, Huima25.5 
 4. Williams, Lapua23.4 
 5. Nofflet, Oulun N.23.3 
 6. Reed, Lapua21.3 
 7. Harjula, Pyrinto II21.3 
 8. Little, SayRi20.0 
 9. Green, Ura Basket19.9 
 10. Robinson, FoKoPo19.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Brian MOULTRIE
  Oulun N.
  (198-C/F-87)
  Avg: 14
 1. Moultrie, Oulun N.14.0 
 2. Cooper, SayRi13.5 
 3. Bojang, FoKoPo12.8 
 4. Townes, BC Nokia11.3 
 5. January, BC Nokia10.4 
 6. Britton, Huima10.4 
 7. Coleman, FoKoPo10.0 
 8. Green, Ura Basket9.9 
 9. Nofflet, Oulun N.8.9 
 10. Reed, Lapua8.7 
Assists Per Game
 Shawn HENDERSON
  Porvoo.
  (190-G-)
  Avg: 6
 1. Henderson, Porvoo.6.0 
 2. Ikavalko, FoKoPo5.5 
 3. Manning, Huima5.0 
 4. Phillips, Oulun N.4.4 
 5. Jackson, Lapua4.3 
 6. Storrs, Jyvaskyla4.0 
 7. Riihela, BC Nokia3.8 
 8. Viertola, Huima3.1 
 9. Abdullah, SayRi3.0 
 10. Silvonen, ToPo A.2.6 
Steals Per Game
 Emmanuel JACKSON
  Lapua
  (188-G-)
  Avg: 3
 1. Jackson, Lapua3.0 
 2. Bojang, FoKoPo2.5 
 3. January, BC Nokia2.4 
 4. Nieminen, SayRi2.2 
 5. Vanjoki, Tapiolan.2.1 
 6. Little, SayRi2.0 
 7. Townes, BC Nokia2.0 
 8. Little, Porvoon2.0 
 9. Nofflet, Oulun N.2.0 
 10. Jackson, Porvoon2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Brian MOULTRIE
  Oulun N.
  (198-C/F-87)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Moultrie, Oulun N.2.3 
 2. Andrews, Ura B.1.9 
 3. Molenius, FoKoPo1.2 
 4. Pulkkinen, Pyrin.1.2 
 5. Laitinen, Tapiol.1.1 
 6. Mattila, Pyrin.1.0 
 7. Townes, BC Nokia1.0 
 8. Cooper, SayRi1.0 
 9. Dolenc, Tapiolan.0.7 
 10. Still, Porvoon Ta.0.6 


1.DIVISION: 121-124 after 2 OT - by Rauno Hurmalainen
1.Division, round 8: Two thrillers tonight. Honka (Tapiola) lost at home vs FoKoPo (Forssa) 72-75 (38-43) and FoKoPo stays still undefeated (8-0). Honka won the rebounds 45-32, but missed nine FTs (10/19), which was one reason for the loss. Another reason was the American players. Honka is playing with Finnish roster, FoKoPo's Americans or foreigners scored 46 points. Baboucarr Bojang (204-F-80, college: Illinois St.) led FoKoPo with 16 pts.
Huima (Aanekoski) lost at home vs Korikobrat (Lapua) 121-124 (53-48) after 2 OT! There were 12 lead changes and 10 ties, both teams lost four players to the shower during the 50 minutes fight. Treylon Manning (176-PG-85, college: Texas Coll.) led the hosts with 30 pts. Lapua's Walter Baxley (191-G-84, college: Mars Hill) was even better with 46pts/12rbs (1 - 8/10, 2 - 10/20, 3 - 6/12). Eric Williams (198-F-85, college: Tarleton St.) added 38pts/10rbs.
Honka - FoKoPo 72-75 (38-43). (Tero Laitinen 16/10, Anselmi Vanjoki 14, Daniel Dolenc 14 - Baboucarr Bojang 16, HL Coleman 15/10, Tracy Robinson 15. A: 196).
Huima - Lapua 2OT 121-124 (111) (99) (53-48). (Treylon Manning 30/6a, Sami Kajander 20, John Britton 19/9 - Walter Baxley 46/12, Eric Williams 38/10, Emmanuel Jackson 15/6a. A: 428).



*****************************************************
  FRANCE   


Stats Leaders - ProA
Points Per Game
 Rick HUGHES
  Hyeres-T.
  (204-C/F-73)
  Avg: 28.5
 1. Hughes, Hyeres-T.28.5 
 2. Chatfield, Paris-.22.0 
 3. Rochestie, Le Mans20.3 
 4. Parker, AS.19.8 
 5. Williams, Paris-.18.7 
 6. Morlende, Hyeres-T.18.6 
 7. Holland, Roanne18.3 
 8. Gipson, Pau-Lacq.18.0 
 9. Cox, Le Havre17.7 
 10. Schilb, Chalon17.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Ian MAHINMI
  Le Havre
  (206-F/C-86)
  Avg: 13
 1. Mahinmi, Le Havre13.0 
 2. Akingbala, Nancy8.8 
 3. Elonu, Pau-Lacq.8.5 
 4. Aminu, Chalon8.2 
 5. Falker, Cholet7.8 
 6. Sommerville, Le Ma.7.5 
 7. Jackson, Roanne7.5 
 8. Hamilton, Paris-.7.3 
 9. Guillard, Poitiers7.3 
 10. Sy, Orleans6.8 
Assists Per Game
 Kareem REID
  Hyeres-Toulon
  (178-PG-75)
  Avg: 12.8
 1. Reid, Hyeres-Toulon12.8 
 2. Rochestie, Le Mans6.3 
 3. Linehan, Nancy6.3 
 4. Barrett, Roanne6.2 
 5. Parker, AS.5.6 
 6. Pellin, Orleans5.3 
 7. Wise, Le Havre5.0 
 8. Schilb, Chalon5.0 
 9. Diabate, Roanne5.0 
 10. Meacham, Paris-.4.5 
Steals Per Game
 Nicolas BATUM
  Nancy
  (201-F-88)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Batum, Nancy2.5 
 2. Linehan, Nancy2.5 
 3. Riley, Nanterre2.5 
 4. Goss, AS.2.3 
 5. Diabate, Roanne2.3 
 6. Parsons, Cholet2.3 
 7. Gipson, Pau-Lacq.2.2 
 8. Pellin, Orleans2.0 
 9. Bokolo, Gravelines2.0 
 10. Acker, Le Mans2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Ronny TURIAF
  AS.
  (208-C/F-83)
  Avg: 2
 1. Turiaf, AS.2.0 
 2. Boungou Colo, Le1.5 
 3. Akingbala, Nancy1.5 
 4. Williams, Paris-.1.5 
 5. Gobert, Cholet1.3 
 6. Sy, Orleans1.2 
 7. Falker, Cholet1.2 
 8. Nichols, Cholet1.2 
 9. Issa, Gravelines1.2 
 10. Jackson, Roanne1.2 


Olympiakos downs Nancy 91-78 - by Eurobasket News
Olympiakos - Nancy 91-78

Olympiakos celebrated second Euroleague win this season. The Reds outplayed Nancy 91-78 to join them with 2-3 record in Group A. Spanish Bilbao has the same numbers. Third quarter was the crucial one in this meeting as Olympiakos won it 27-16 for 15-point lead, what was too much for Nancy for rest of the way. Vassilis Spanoulis (193-PG-82, agency: Beo Basket) shined for the hosts with 26 points and 6 assists (valuation 26). Michalis Pelekanos (198-F-81) (5 rebs) and Andreas Glyniadakis (215-C-81) netted 11 and 10 points respectively. In Nancy, Adrien Moerman (203-F/C-88) collected 20 points and 6 rebs. John Linehan (175-G-78, college: Providence) and Jamal Shuler (191-G-86) had 17 and 15 pts. Quarters: 30-22, 10-14, 27-16, 24-26. Olympiakos will host Bilbao in very important game next week. Nancy will also play at home against Bennet Cantu.

Olympiakos: Vassilis Spanoulis 26, Michalis Pelekanos 11+5 boards, Andreas Glyniadakis 10
Nancy: Adrien Moerman 20+6 boards, John Linehan 17, Jamal Shuler 15

Quimper signs Moustapha Diarra - by Eurobasket News
Moustapha Diarra is a new member of Quimper. The French big guy was released by Pau-Orthez few days ago, but he did not have to wait long for a new job. Diarra appeared four times in ProA this season averaging 1.5 points and 2 rebounds. He was getting just 8 minutes per game. Diarra also appeared once in EuroCup. Moustapha Diarra graduated at the University of San Francisco this year. He had 7.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg for his school as a senior. Diarra helped them reach WCC Tournament Semifinals. In the past, Moustapha Diarra played for Sheridan Junior College and also for Fos Ouest Provence Basket. The French team competed in N1 and N2 leagues.

*****************************************************
  FYR MACEDONIA   


Lirija signs Nenad Zivcevic - by Eurobasket News
Nenad Zivcevic (204-F-87) is back to FYROM. The 24-year-old forward signed a deal with Lirija. Zivcevic started this season in Ukraine. He appeared 8 times with Politekhnika-Halychyna averaging 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Last season Zivcevic led MZT Skopje to Superleague Semifinals. He had 13.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 2.4 apg for 32 games. They also reached Macedonian Cup Finals. Nenad Zivcevic won the Superleague title with Rabotnicki in 2009. That same season they played in Balkan League Finals. Nenad Zivcevic was a member of the Serbian U20, U18 and U16 National Teams in the past.

Superleague Round 8: Undefeated Torus Skopje loses their first game against Feni Indistrija - by Eurobasket News
The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Torus Skopje (6-1) in Kavadarci on Wednesday night. Visitors were defeated by Feni Indistrija (7-0) 100-91. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Torus Skopje. It was a key game for the top position in the league as both teams had the same 6-0 record before this meeting. Torus Skopje was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Feni Indistrija looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of international power forward Kiril Nikolovski (210-C/F-88) who helped to win the game recording 26 points and 7 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field) and American swingman Jarrid Frye (194-85, college: Sacred Heart) who added 21 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) during the contest. International swingman Ivica Dimcevski (194-89, agency: Interperformances) responded with 23 points and 5 assists. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Undefeated Feni Indistrija have an impressive seven-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 7-0 record. Torus Skopje at the other side keeps the second place with one game lost. They share the position with MZT Skopje. Feni Indistrija are looking forward to face Lirija (#4) in Skopje in the next round. Torus Skopje's supporters also look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Skopje MZT Skopje.
Important game to mention about took place in Skopje. Fourth ranked Lirija (4-3) saved a 2-point victory on the road edging 8th ranked Fersped-Rabotnicki (1-6) 92-90 on Wednesday evening. The winners were led by Serbian guard Vladimir Filipovic (195-85) who scored that evening 25 points and 6 rebounds and Nenad Zivcevic supported him with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Even 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists by the former international forward Dime Tasovski (200-80) did not help to save the game for Fersped-Rabotnicki. Fersped-Rabotnicki's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Lirija have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 4-3 record. Fersped-Rabotnicki lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the bottom place with six games lost. They share the position with Kozuv. Lirija will play against league's leader Feni Indistrija in Kavadarci in the next round and it may be the game of the week. Fersped-Rabotnicki will play on the road against Kozuv (#8) in Gergelija and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Bottom-ranked ABA Strumica managed to get a second victory, breaking the four-game losing streak on Wednesday night. This time they edged fifth-ranked Kumanovo 2009 70-69. The best player for the winners was Petre Cvetkov who scored 16 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). ABA Strumica's coach Stratos Koukoulekidis used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Aleksandar Kostoski produced 21 points for the guests. ABA Strumica (2-6) moved-up to seventh place. Kumanovo 2009 lost third consecutive game. Loser Kumanovo 2009 dropped to the sixth position with five games lost. ABA Strumica will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kumanovo 2009 will play against Vardar (#5) in Skopje and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Sixth ranked Vardar (3-4) crushed at home 7th ranked Kozuv (1-6) by 23 points 82-59, which is the biggest margin this round. Darko Radulovic orchestrated the victory by scoring 17 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Vardar moved-up to fifth place. Kozuv lost third consecutive game. Kozuv at the other side, also newcomer in the league, dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. Vardar's next round opponent will be Kumanovo 2009 (#6) on the road. Kozuv will play against Fersped-Rabotnicki in Skopje and it may be a tough game between close rivals.


ABA Strumica - Kumanovo 70-69

Bottom-ranked ABA Strumica managed to get a second victory, breaking the four-game losing streak on Wednesday night. This time they edged fifth-ranked Kumanovo 2009 70-69. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 20-13. But Kumanovo 2009 won second period 19-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. ABA Strumica shot 63.0 percent from the field. The best player for the winners was Petre Cvetkov who scored 16 points (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Naturalized Greek guard Kosta Karamanolev (188-87) chipped in 14 points. ABA Strumica's coach Stratos Koukoulekidis used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. International guard Aleksandar Kostoski (188-88, agency: Global Sports Plaza) produced 21 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) and Serbian guard Darko Matic (192-84, agency: 011 Sports) added 17 points (perfect from the field making all six shots) respectively for the guests. Four Kumanovo 2009 players scored in double figures. ABA Strumica (2-6) moved-up to seventh place. Kumanovo 2009 lost third consecutive game. Loser Kumanovo 2009 dropped to the sixth position with five games lost. ABA Strumica will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Kumanovo 2009 will play against Vardar (#5) in Skopje and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
ABA Strumica: P.Cvetkov 16+1reb+1ast, K.Karamanolev 14, C.Weeden 10+2reb+1ast, J.Kurciev 9+1reb+1ast, J.Chappell 8+1reb+1ast, Z.Delev 6+1reb
Kumanovo: A.Kostoski 21+1ast, D.Matic 17+1reb, N.Jelesijevic 15+2reb, D.Mikic 14, P.Vilarov 2+1reb+2ast, D.Stanimirovic 0

gschID: 151639


Vardar - Kozuv 82-59

Sixth ranked Vardar (3-4) crushed at home 7th ranked Kozuv (1-6) by 23 points 82-59, which is the biggest margin this round. The game without a history. Vardar led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 19-of-24 charity shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Guard Darko Radulovic (194-80) orchestrated the victory by scoring 17 points. Swingman Vladimir Georgievski (194-82) contributed with 14 points for the winners. Power forward Dejan Vegov (205-83, college: Blinn JC) replied with 18 points and 6 rebounds and Serbian power forward Milos Petkovic (201-91) added 10 points in the effort for Kozuv. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Vardar moved-up to fifth place. Kozuv lost third consecutive game. Kozuv at the other side, also newcomer in the league, dropped to the eighth position with six games lost. Vardar's next round opponent will be Kumanovo 2009 (#6) on the road. Kozuv will play against Fersped-Rabotnicki in Skopje and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Vardar: D.Radulovic 17+1reb+2ast, V.Georgievski 14+4reb+1ast, D.Kostevski 10+6reb, F.Kralevski 9+3reb+1ast, A.Shterjov 9+5reb+1ast, D.Lazarevski 8+2reb
Kozuv: D.Vegov 18+6reb, M.Petkovic 10+4reb, V.Buha 8+5reb, B.Tomasevic 6+1reb+5ast, A.Dimitrovski 5, G.Glavcev 4+2reb+1ast
gschID: 151635


Rabotnicki - Lirija 90-92

Important game to mention about took place in Skopje. Fourth ranked Lirija (4-3) saved a 2-point victory on the road edging 8th ranked Fersped-Rabotnicki (1-6) 92-90 on Wednesday evening. The guests were already 17 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 32-17 Fersped-Rabotnicki's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 92-90 at the end of the game. Lirija made 19-of-21 charity shots (90.5 percent) during the game. Fersped-Rabotnicki was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. The winners were led by Serbian guard Vladimir Filipovic (195-85) who scored that evening 25 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) and Nenad Zivcevic supported him with 21 points and 5 rebounds. Even 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists by the former international forward Dime Tasovski (200-80) did not help to save the game for Fersped-Rabotnicki. Serbian power forward Milos Pavlovic (210-84, agency: BeoExcell) added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the hosts. Five Lirija and four Fersped-Rabotnicki players scored in double figures. Fersped-Rabotnicki's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Lirija have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 4-3 record. Fersped-Rabotnicki lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the bottom place with six games lost. They share the position with Kozuv. Lirija will play against league's leader Feni Indistrija in Kavadarci in the next round and it may be the game of the week. Fersped-Rabotnicki will play on the road against Kozuv (#8) in Gergelija and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Lirija: V.Filipovic 25+6reb+3ast, N.Zivcevic 21+5reb+3ast, T.Simic 13+5reb+1ast, D.Mitchell 12+9reb+1ast, C.Morban 10+2reb+2ast, S.Avramovski 6+1reb+1ast
Rabotnicki: D.Tasovski 24+8reb+4ast, E.Hadzibulic 17+1reb+2ast, M.Pavlovic 16+5reb+4ast, A.Kalanj 14+7reb, E.Bogoev 7+3reb+3ast, J.Petrovski 6+3reb+6ast
gschID: 151636


Feni Indistrija - Torus Skopje 100-91

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Torus Skopje (6-1) in Kavadarci on Wednesday night. Visitors were defeated by Feni Indistrija (7-0) 100-91. It ended at the same time the six-game winning streak of Torus Skopje. It was a key game for the top position in the league as both teams had the same 6-0 record before this meeting. Torus Skopje was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Feni Indistrija looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of international power forward Kiril Nikolovski (210-88) who helped to win the game recording 26 points and 7 rebounds (on 10-of-12 shooting from the field) and American swingman Jarrid Frye (194-85, college: Sacred Heart) who added 21 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) during the contest. International swingman Ivica Dimcevski (194-89, agency: Interperformances) responded with 23 points and 5 assists and the former international power forward Bojan Trajkovski (206-88, agency: Global Sports Plaza) scored 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Torus Skopje players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Feni Indistrija have an impressive seven-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 7-0 record. Torus Skopje at the other side keeps the second place with one game lost. They share the position with MZT Skopje. Feni Indistrija are looking forward to face Lirija (#4) in Skopje in the next round. Torus Skopje's supporters also look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Skopje MZT Skopje.
Top scorers:
Feni Indistrija: K.Nikolovski 26+7reb+3ast, J.Frye 21+6reb+8ast, D.Sokolov 15+1ast, I.Lilov 8+2reb+1ast, G.Samardziev 7+4reb+3ast, D.Knezevic 7+5reb+1ast
Torus Skopje: I.Dimcevski 23+4reb+5ast, B.Trajkovski 18+8reb+4ast, D.Karadzovski 16+3reb+4ast, J.Reynolds 10+8reb+1ast, P.Blazevski 6+1reb+1ast, B.Krstevski 6+2reb
gschID: 151637




Frye number one for round 8 - by Eurobasket News
American swingman Jarrid Frye (194-G/F-85) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for top-ranked Feni Indistrija, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 8.
The 26-year old player was the main contributor (21 points, six rebounds and eight assists) to his team's victory, helping them to beat Torus Skopje (#3, 6-1) 100-91. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. It allowed Feni Indistrija to consolidate first place in the FYR Macedonian Superleague. They maintain perfect record without any lost game in the league. It's already very far into the season and Feni Indistrija keeps perfect 7 -0 record. It's Frye's second year at Feni Indistrija and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Former Sacred Heart University star has very solid stats this year. Frye is in league's top in assists (3rd best: 3.7apg) and averages impressive 2.3spg and 70.4% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 26-year old Serbian Vladimir Filipovic (195-G-85) of Lirija. Filipovic had a very good evening with 25 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. It was enough for Lirija to edge the lower-ranked Rabotnicki (#9, 1-6) 92-90. Lirija's 4th position in the standings has not changed. His team's 4-3 record is not bad at all. Filipovic is a newcomer at Lirija, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was another Feni Indistrija's star - former international Kiril Nikolovski (210-C/F-88). Nikolovski scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He was another key player of Feni Indistrija, helping his team with a 100-91 win against #3 ranked Torus Skopje in a game of the week. Feni Indistrija have amazing season winning all 7 games without a single defeat. Nikolovski 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. Nikolovski has a great season in FYR Macedonia. After only 5 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 18.6ppg (6th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Ivica Dimcevski (194-G/F-89) of Torus Skopje - 23 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Dime Tasovski (200-F-80) of Rabotnicki - 24 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Aleksandar Kostoski (188-G-88) of Kumanovo - 21 points
7. Dejan Vegov (205-F/C-83) of Kozuv - 18 points and 6 rebounds
8. Dimitar Karadzovski (190-G-84) of Torus Skopje - 16 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Dustin Mitchell (206-F/C) of Lirija - 12 points and 9 rebounds
10. Aleksandar Kalanj (208-C-86) of Rabotnicki - 14 points and 7 rebounds

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

D1 Standings
Superleague Standings
 1. Feni Indistrija 7-0 
 2. MZT Skopje 6-1 
 3. Torus Skopje 6-1 
 4. Lirija 4-3 
 5. Vardar 3-4 
 6. Kumanovo 2-5 
 7. ABA Strumica 2-6 
 8. Kozuv 1-6 
 9. Rabotnicki 1-6 


Stats Leaders - Superleague
Points Per Game
 Phillip BROOKS
  ABA S.
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 21
 1. Brooks, ABA S.21.0 
 2. Life, Lirija20.3 
 3. Nikolovski, Feni I.19.8 
 4. Boswell, ABA S.19.3 
 5. Tasovski, Rabotnic.19.2 
 6. Dahlman, MZT S.18.7 
 7. Radulovic, Vardar18.7 
 8. Karadzovski, Torus17.7 
 9. Georgievski, Vardar17.5 
 10. Jelesijevic, Kuma.17.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Noah DAHLMAN
  MZT S.
  (200-F-89)
  Avg: 9.8
 1. Dahlman, MZT S.9.8 
 2. Mitchell, Lirija8.4 
 3. Trajkovski, Torus8.0 
 4. Cekovski, MZT S.6.7 
 5. Reynolds, Torus S.6.6 
 6. Hadzivasilev, ABA6.5 
 7. Nikolovski, Feni I.6.5 
 8. Frye, Feni Indistr.6.3 
 9. Simic, Lirija6.2 
 10. Mikic, Kumanovo6.1 
Assists Per Game
 Jarrid FRYE
  Feni Indistrija
  (194-G/F-85)
  Avg: 4.8
 1. Frye, Feni Indistr.4.8 
 2. Petrovski, Rabotni.4.0 
 3. Tasevski, Vardar3.8 
 4. Morban, Lirija3.7 
 5. Ocokoljic, Feni I.3.6 
 6. Radulovic, Vardar3.5 
 7. Tomasevic, Kozuv3.2 
 8. Samardziev, Feni I.3.2 
 9. Karadzovski, Torus3.1 
 10. Mijajlovic, MZT S.3.1 
Steals Per Game
 Dime TASOVSKI
  Rabotnicki
  (200-F-80)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Tasovski, Rabotnic.2.8 
 2. Frye, Feni Indistr.2.5 
 3. Simonovski, Feni I.2.1 
 4. Filipovic, Lirija2.0 
 5. Stajic, Lirija1.4 
 6. Radulovic, Vardar1.3 
 7. Morban, Lirija1.3 
 8. Brooks, ABA S.1.3 
 9. Bogoev, Rabotnicki1.2 
 10. Ocokoljic, Feni I.1.2 
Blocks Per Game
 Sinisa AVRAMOVSKI
  Lirija
  (209-C-85)
  Avg: 1.1
 1. Avramovski, Lirija1.1 
 2. Jelesijevic, Kuman.1.1 
 3. Mitchell, Lirija1.0 
 4. Cole, Rabotnicki0.8 
 5. Knezevic, Feni I.0.7 
 6. Chappell, ABA S.0.6 
 7. Trajkovski, Torus0.6 
 8. Kostevski, Vardar0.5 
 9. Simic, Lirija0.4 
 10. Brckov, Feni I.0.4 


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


Thomas Reuter and Frederik Joerg will play for Eastern Washington University in 2012 - by Daniel Poerschke
Two players from Germany highlight Jim Hayfords first recruiting class at Eastern Washington University (NCAA 1) for the 2012/13 season.

'We knew we needed to sign a class that would improve our front court, based on us having seniors we would be losing', said Hayford, who will also have 6-10 redshirt Martin Seiferth (208-F-90) from Berlin, Germany available next season. 'When you look at the players we are redshirting and the players we are signing, weve improved our front court and have added to our overall skill base.'
The two new Germans include 7-foot-1, 285-pound center Frederik Lothar Joerg (215-C-92) from Korschenbroich and 6-6, 220-pound forward Thomas Reuter (198-G-92) from Breckerfeld. Both attended tryouts for the U20 Germany squad in December 2010. Joerg represented Baskets Akademie Weser-Ems and Reuter represented BSV Wulfen and Team Phoenix Hagen.
Reuter also represented Germany in Hillsboro, Ore., in August 2011 in the fifth-annual NIKE Global Challenge. The three-day event showcases the top talents from across the world, as they competed in an eight-team, 12-game tournament.
Each one of these young men are gifted players who can help us in our goal of being a perpetual post-season team, Hayford added.

Hayford on Joerg: Frederik is obviously a very big person. He plays the game with great intelligence, and is effective in using his size to give us a great advantage at the low post. I think he will combine with Martin Seiferth to create one of the biggest post combinations in the Big Sky Conference. Joerg recently played for Akademie Weser-Ems in the U19 Nachwuchs Basketball Bundesliga League (NBBL), averaging 14.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game. He ranked second in the league in blocked shots, seventh in rebounding and fourth in double-doubles with seven (in 12 games). He made 59.0 percent of his shots from the field and also averaged 2.0 assists per game. His single game high for rebounds was 25. He will graduate from Gymnasium Eversten in 2012. He was born on Aug. 11, 1992, in Saarbrcken, Germany. His parents are Hermann and Martina Joerg. He intends on majoring at Eastern in business and economics.

Hayford on Reuter: Thomas has had great experience internationally representing the country of Germany. Hes a very physical player who has interior and perimeter skills. Hes an outstanding passer and a very strong rebounder. He is a great addition to our program. In 2010, Reuter helped the U18 German National Team to a runner-up finish at the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament. While playing with BSV Wulfen in the Bundesliga ProB second league in Germany, his team reached the 2010-11 playoffs. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. While playing for Team Phoenix Hagen in the 2009-10 season in the Nachwuchs Basketball Bundesliga League (NBBL), his team reached the final 16 of the German Championships, as he averaged 16.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. In 2010-11, he averaged 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. While playing for Team Phoenix Hagen in 2008-09, his team reached the quarterfinals of the U19 German Championships. His team lost in a best-of-three series against Alba Berlin. During the season, Reuter averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He graduated from Theodor-Heuss Gymnasium in Hagen, Germany, in 2011. In 2007, his school placed third in the German Championship (officially named the Jugend trainiert fr Olympia). In 2006, he helped lead Nordrhein-Westfalen a county team from the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region -- win the German Championship. Reuter was born Jan 25, 1992, in Hagen, Germany. His parents are Helmut and Baerbel Reuter.

source: http://www.goeags.com/sports/m-baskbl/2011-12/Releases/11mbNov16Recruits

Jon Leuer (Fraport Skyliners) A Good Shooter Needs That Quick Release To Be Successful - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Jon Leuer (208-F-89, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wisconsin) is a 22 year old 208cm power forward from Long Lake Minnesota that is playing his first season for the Fraport Skyliners. He has great team mentality and defensive smartness. Knows how to score (and to gain fouls) in the low post, has a good outside shooting too. He played at Wisconsin from 2007-2011. In his senior year, he played 34 games averaging 18.3ppg, 7.2rpg, 1.6apg, FGP: 47.0%, 3PT: 37.0%, FT: 84.3%. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks (NBA,2rd (40). He spoke to Eurobasket recently about basketball.

Are head coach Muli Katzurin and the players on the same page?

Yes we are. We are still trying to figure each other out. It hasnt shown on the court yet. We just listen to what the coach says and try to get better in practice each day.

Who impressed you most with Alba Berlin?


Dashuan Wood impressed me the most. He did a good job controlling the tempo of the game. He has been one of the best players that we have played against. He does so much for that team. He distributes the ball so well and is a good defender as well.

How was it playing against Tony Gaffney recently? Do you think he can get back to the NBA?

Gaffney is a great player that does many good things for his team. He has the ability to play in the NBA, but it is tough because there are so many good players that want to play there. He just has to find the right fit.

You are playing your first season with the Fraport Skyliners. What were the main reasons for coming to Frankfurt?

My agent in the states told me that it was a good organization with history. Good people work in the organization and that the fans are great. I trusted my agent and came.

You have roots in Cologne Germany. How has it been getting used to the country and mentality?


It has been great. My family was here for some weeks. We went to Heidelberg and found out that we have ancestors there as well. It has been a different experience being away from my family, but I have enjoyed Germany so far.

You are a rookie. What things do you still need to improve in your game?


I have to be more efficient and know when to take the right opportunities. I feel that I can do a lot to help this team win. I will do what I can to help the team win.

What is a strength in your game that doesnt always get noticed right away?


My ability to put the ball to the floor. I also can create for others. I am also quicker than what most people think.

You have a beautiful quick release that looks like a cowboy taking his gun out of the holster and firing away. Where did you get that quick release?


That quick release came from years of practice. I have always loved to shoot since I was a kid. I worked very hard at it. A good shooter needs to have that quick release to be successful.

How happy are you to have Jermareo Davidson back under the basket?

He is a big help with his big body and length. It will take some time for him to find his rhythm, but he will help us.


Would you agree that Danilo Barthel has had a quick development. How do you help him in practice?


Yes I would. He can be very effective. Going against me in practice has helped him as well as vice versa. We try to make each other better.

How is your relationship to Muli Katzurin. What have you learned from him?

We have a good relationship. He has made the transition to the European style easier. He also showed me how to adapt my footwork to the European style.

You are from Long Lake, Minnesota. Were you more in the water or on the water as a kid?


A little bit of both. I would go out on the boat and also be in the water tubing which is like water sking, but you are being pulled by the boat while being on a tube.

What always impressed you the most about the game of Kevin Garnett?


His versatility always impressed me. He could do so many things to help his team win. He always worked his tail off no matter what and was so competitive.

Why did you choose to go to Wisconsin instead of staying with your home state Minnesota?


I felt that Wisconsin was a great program. I liked the coaches and players and never regretted making that decision.

What was your nicest memory of the 2008 NCAA Sweet 16 run?



Beating Kansas State.

Who won a 1-1 in practice at Wisconsin, you or ratiopharm Ulm forward Keaton Nankivil?


Obviously I won. Keaton is a great player and even better person. We had some good memories at Wisconsin.

Who is the best player that you played against in the NCAA that might be in the NBA now?


Michael Beasley and Eric Gordon.

What were the most number of free throws that you have made in a row in a practice?


I always practiced with my dad. I would say 57.

What was your most crazy shot in a game?

A full court shot in high school.

What do you know about carnival in Cologne?

The German players have told me about it. If I have time I may go.

My nickname for you whenever you score is Ferris Bueller from the movie, because I think you look like him. Is that all right for you?

I never heard that resemblance before, but Ferris Bueller is a cool dude so I am all right with it.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Legend of the fall with Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins.

Thanks Jon for the chat.


*****************************************************
  GREECE   


Olympiakos downs Nancy 91-78 - by Eurobasket News
Olympiakos - Nancy 91-78

Olympiakos celebrated second Euroleague win this season. The Reds outplayed Nancy 91-78 to join them with 2-3 record in Group A. Spanish Bilbao has the same numbers. Third quarter was the crucial one in this meeting as Olympiakos won it 27-16 for 15-point lead, what was too much for Nancy for rest of the way. Vassilis Spanoulis (193-PG-82, agency: Beo Basket) shined for the hosts with 26 points and 6 assists (valuation 26). Michalis Pelekanos (198-F-81) (5 rebs) and Andreas Glyniadakis (215-C-81) netted 11 and 10 points respectively. In Nancy, Adrien Moerman (203-F/C-88) collected 20 points and 6 rebs. John Linehan (175-G-78, college: Providence) and Jamal Shuler (191-G-86) had 17 and 15 pts. Quarters: 30-22, 10-14, 27-16, 24-26. Olympiakos will host Bilbao in very important game next week. Nancy will also play at home against Bennet Cantu.

Olympiakos: Vassilis Spanoulis 26, Michalis Pelekanos 11+5 boards, Andreas Glyniadakis 10
Nancy: Adrien Moerman 20+6 boards, John Linehan 17, Jamal Shuler 15

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


Teams from Latvia and Lithuania are present at tournament Den Bosch - by Fred Roggen
The teams of Atletas Kaunas (Lithuania) and VEF Riga (Latvia) give another boost to the field of competitors of the Rinus de Jong Invitational, the prestigious tournament for U21- and U18 teams in Den Bosch, The Netherlands. The event is from December 28. till 30.

Both Baltic teams, participating in the U18-category, are loaded with players of the national teams of Lithuania and Latvia. Atletas Kaunas brings seven international players to Den Bosch, VEF Riga, six. In the most recent European Championchips of Under16s those six were the heart of the Latvian team, that ended sixth in the A-group. All seven international Atletas-players are member of the famous Sabonis Academy in Kaunas.

Both teams that will meet Khimki Moscow in Den Bosch, participate in their homelands in the top league for Under18-youth teams as well in the second division of senior teams. The organisation is working hard to bring a selected group of top teams to the Invitational. Its clear that in the U21-poule Wilbraham & Monson Academy (USA) and the home team EiffelTowers, reigning champion of the Netherlands, will participate. Candidates for the other three spots are teams from Spain, Germany, Israel and Czech Republic.


*****************************************************
  IBA   


Gary and Rockfrd winners on Sunday night - by Gianni Pascucci
See here down the results and recaps of the IBA games played on November 13th, 2011. For more information on the IBA log on to ibaball.net

Gary Splash 130 vs. Chicago Redline 128
In a tale of two halfs the Splash pulled of a tremendous victory coming back from a 16 point halftime deficit. The Redline had the game all set for overtime after a basket by Deandre Thomas with 9 seconds remaining before a missed 9 footer by Sean Smith was tipped in by Reo Logan with 1.3 seconds left. The Redline had 1 more chance to win the game when Tony Bennett ran a decoy route opening up a wide open 3 pointer for Eric Smith that came up just short. The Splash were led by B.J. Walker (6'10''-F/C-84, college: Oklahoma City) with 18 pts 11 rebs and Ray Howard with 18 pts and 5 ast. The Redline were led by David Johnson with 18 pts.

Rockford Riverdawgs 146 vs. Lake County 119
In other IBA action on Sunday the Rockford Riverdawgs kept their red hot start going beating the Lake County Stars in Rockford. Balanced scoring led by the steady 3 point barrage gave Rockford a insurmountable cushion against the Stars. The Riverdawgs are off to a fantastic start at 5-1. The Riverdawgs were led in scoring by Nicholas Zachery (6'3''-G-79, college: UALR) with 24 points while the Stars were led by Anthony Spencer 25 points and Brandon Morris 22.

Soldiers defeat Riverdawgs - by Gianni Pascucci
On November 10th, 2011, the Kankakee County Soldiers prevailed over the Rockford Riverdawgs, 146-136. The Soldiers home opener was an exciting one as the Riverdawgs challenged them until the final buzzer. The Soldiers used veteran play to hold off the Riverdawgs led by Ryan Edwards (6'5''-F-83, college: Missouri Baptist) with 42, Anthony Kyle with 21 and Stan Chismark with 20. The Riverdawgs were led by Nicholas Zachery (6'3''-G-79, college: UALR) with 32 and Robert Malone with 26. Both teams look to be contenders come January. For more information on the IBA log on to ibaball,net

Riverdawgs took revenge over the Soldiers - by Gianni Pascucci
On November 11th, 2011 the Rockford Riverdawgs prevailed over the Kankakee County Soldiers 139-134, immediately taking the revenge for the nigh before loss. In this second meeting, the Riverdawgs pulled ahead early in the 4th and held off a late run by the Soldiers to secure the victory in Rockford. Rockford was led in scoring by Nicholas Zachery (6'3''-G-79, college: UALR) with 29 and Ameer Watts with 28. The Soldiers had 3 players with 30 or more led by Ryan Edwards (6'5''-F-83, college: Missouri Baptist) with 39, Anthony Kyle with 31 and Stan Chismark with 30 but not enough as Rockford tied the series 1-1 with the win.

*****************************************************
  IRELAND   


Standings - EBS Superleague
SuperLeague Standings
North Conference
 1. DCU Saints 7-2 
 2. 11890 Killester 5-2 
 3. UCD Marian 4-3 
 4. Belfast Star 0-8 
South Conference
 1. UCC Demons 4-2 
 2. B.Gais Neptune 4-3 
 3. UL Eagles 4-4 
 4. Moycullen 2-6 


*****************************************************
  ISRAEL   


Standings - National League
National League Standings
 1. Hapoel T-A 6-0 
 2. Kiryat Tivon 5-1 
 3. Macc.B.Yaakov 5-1 
 4. Ironi Nahariya 4-1 
 5. Ironi K-A 4-2 
 6. Lev Hasharon 3-3 
 7. Elitzur Yavne 3-3 
 8. Ironi Nes-Ziona 2-3 
 9. Hapoel Y/M 2-4 
 10. Hod Hasharon 2-4 
 11. Elitzur Ramla 2-4 
 12. Hapoel Afula 2-4 
 13. Ironi Ramat Gan 1-5 
 14. Hapoel K/S 0-6 


Stats Leaders - National League
Points Per Game
 Jermaine HALL
  Macc.B.Y.
  (196-F-80)
  Avg: 24.4
 1. Hall, Macc.B.Y.24.4 
 2. Clemente, Kiryat T.24.0 
 3. Miller, Macc.B.Y.23.2 
 4. Thondique, Hapoel22.5 
 5. Sanders, Hapoel Y.21.7 
 6. Gonzalez, Hod H.21.2 
 7. Segev, Kiryat Tivon21.0 
 8. LeMelle, Hapoel A.21.0 
 9. Daniel, Ironi K-A20.0 
 10. Ginyard, Ironi N.19.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Ramon CLEMENTE
  Kiryat T.
  (200-PF-85)
  Avg: 15.8
 1. Clemente, Kiryat T.15.8 
 2. Thondique, Hapoel14.0 
 3. Daniel, Ironi K-A11.2 
 4. Webb, Ironi R.10.8 
 5. Rosefelt, Lev H.10.8 
 6. Traimel, Ironi N.10.2 
 7. Moses, Hapoel K/S10.0 
 8. Kelly, Hapoel T-A9.7 
 9. Sanders, Hapoel Y.9.3 
 10. Johnson, Hapoel9.3 
Assists Per Game
 Lior SEGEV
  Kiryat Tivon
  (190-PG-83)
  Avg: 7.2
 1. Segev, Kiryat Tivon7.2 
 2. Nanikashvili, Iron.7.0 
 3. Eliyahu, Ironi N.6.8 
 4. Berkowitz, Elitzu.5.4 
 5. Sukar, Hod Hashar.5.0 
 6. Golan, Elitzur Yav.3.8 
 7. Housman, Macc.B.Y.3.8 
 8. Younger, Ironi K-A3.6 
 9. Ben Hemo, Ironi N.3.6 
 10. Hofman, Elitzur3.5 
Steals Per Game
 Lior SEGEV
  Kiryat Tivon
  (190-PG-83)
  Avg: 5.2
 1. Segev, Kiryat Tivon5.2 
 2. Eliyahu, Ironi N.4.6 
 3. Hofman, Elitzur3.5 
 4. Gonzalez, Hod H.3.5 
 5. Bet-Yosef, Macc.B.3.3 
 6. Sztarkman, Hapoel3.0 
 7. Naor, Hapoel T-A2.8 
 8. Tolbert, Hapoel K/S2.8 
 9. Nanikashvili, Iron.2.8 
 10. Davidi, Ironi R.2.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Lenny DANIEL
  Ironi K-A
  (201-F-87)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Daniel, Ironi K-A2.6 
 2. Kelly, Hapoel T-A2.3 
 3. Johnson, Hod H.2.2 
 4. Webb, Ironi R.1.8 
 5. Jackson, Hapoel Y.1.8 
 6. Thondique, Hapoel1.8 
 7. Clemente, Kiryat T.1.7 
 8. Sanders, Hapoel Y.1.7 
 9. Naor, Hapoel T-A1.5 
 10. Rosefelt, Lev H.1.3 


*****************************************************
  ITALY   


Fenerbahce Ulker escapes with OT win against Bennet Cantu - by Eurobasket News
Fenerbahce Ulker - Bennet Cantu 85-83 OT

Fenerbahce Ulker had to work very hard to beat Bennet Cantu on Wednesday night. The reigning Turkish champion celebrated 85-83 OT win at the end joining the Italians and Caja Laboral on top of Group A with 3-2 record. Fener had a chance to win this game in regular time, as they had the last possession at 73-73 tie, but Roko-Leni Ukic missed a floating shot at the buzzer. The hosts made 83-77 with 19 seconds to go in OT, what was too much for Cantu despite mini 2-6 run. Omer Onan (194-G-78) top-scored in victory with 18 points. Thabo Sefolosha (196-G-84, agency: ACMT) had 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Oguz Savas (212-C-87) added 13 points and 5 boards. In Cantu, Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) and Nicolas Mazzarino (181-G-75, agency: Players Group) delivered 12 points each. Maarten Leunen (206-F-85, college: Oregon) followed them with 11 points and 6 rebs. Quarters: 17-19, 15-16, 24-17, 17-21, 12-10. Fenerbahce Ulker goes to Vitoria next week. Cantu will play in Nancy.

Fenerbahce Ulker: Omer Onan 18, Thabo Sefolosha 14+7 boards, Oguz Savas 13+5 boards
Bennet Cantu: Gianluca Basile 12, Nicolas Mazzarino 12, Maarten Leunen 11+6 boards

Virtus Roma locks Luigi Datome until 2014 - by Eurobasket News
Virtus Roma signed Luigi Datome (202-G/F-87) to contract extension keeping the player until the end of the 2013/14 season. Datome joined the club three years ago. He appeared 6 times in SerieA this season averaging 16.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. In 2009/10, Datome had 10.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.2 spg for the club in SerieA. He added 9.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg for 13 Euroleague games. Before Roma, Datome played for Scafati and Montepaschi Siena. Last season, he participated at the SerieA All-Star Game. Luigi Datome is active member of the Italian National Team. He appeared four times in Lithuania averaging 1.3 points. Datome plays for Italy since 2007.

*****************************************************
  JAPAN   


Standings - BJ League
BJ Standings
Eastern
 1. Akita NH 8-2 
 2. Sendai 89ers 8-3 
 3. Shinshu BW 6-4 
 4. Chiba Jets 6-5 
 5. Hamamatsu P. 5-5 
 6. Niigata Albirex 4-4 
 7. Saitama Bron. 4-6 
 8. Toyama Grouses 4-6 
 9. Yokohama BC 4-6 
 10. Iwate Big Bulls 1-9 
Western
 1. Osaka Evessa 9-1 
 2. Okinawa GK 8-2 
 3. Shimane SM 6-4 
 4. Shiga L-Stars 6-4 
 5. Fukuoka Rizing 6-4 
 6. Kyoto Hannar. 5-5 
 7. Oita H.Devils 3-7 
 8. Miyazaki SS 2-8 
 9. Takamatsu FA 0-10 


*****************************************************
  KAZAKHSTAN   


Standings -D1
D1 Standings
 1. BC Astana 8-0 
 2. Barsy Atyrau 6-2 
 3. BK Almaty 3-3 
 4. Kaspiy Aktau 3-5 
 5. Tobol 0-4 
 6. BK Atyrau 0-6 


BC Astana defeat Kaspiy twice - by Eurobasket News
BC Astana recorded back-to-back victories over Kaspiy to stay undefeated. The league leaders claimed a 96:58 win on Tuesday. Branko Cvetkovic (200-G/F-84, agency: Beo Basket) led well-balanced offence with 16 points. Yargaliew and Milosevic added 15 points each in the winning effort. Kaspiy fought bravely in the first half trailing by just 7 points at the interval. However BC Astana went on a 31:8 run in the third term and never looked back en route to the victory. Goran Cakic (208-C/F-80, agency: Beo Basket) finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds for BC Astana. Kyle William Pape (183-G, college: Colorado Mines) provided 14 points for Kaspiy.
Next game took place on Wednesday. And once again the hosts proved their strength claiming a 77:55 win. Branko Cvetkovic stepped up for the hosts with 18 points. Goran Cakic was helpful with 16 points and 11 rebounds. BC Astana opened the game aggressively taking a 27:10 lead after ten minutes. They stretched the margin to 25-point mark at halftime and cruised to the victory afterwards. Dmitri Dogadin (204-F-81) answered with 17 points for Kaspiy as they fell at 3-5 record.
In the meantime Barsy Atyrau overcame BK Almaty twice to improve at 6-2 record. The first game finished with Barsy taking a tough 70:63 win. Pavlo Tsiopych (182-G-86) nailed 20 points to lead the effort. Dyatlovskiy added 13 points in the victory. Maksim Otbozin (211-C-80) answered with 19 points for BK Almaty.
Next day Barsy celebrated an 81:68 success. Dmitriy Gavrilov (203-F-86) delivered 16 points, while Pavlo Tsiopych had 15 points for the winners. Aleksandr Kuznetsov (193-G-84) had 21points in the loss.

*****************************************************
  KENYA   


Upper Hill and Safe Spaces Ready for Top Flight League - by Eurobasket News
NAIROBI Basketball Association (NBA) Provincial League champions Upper Hill and Safe Spaces are ready for new challenges in the top league. The two teams, who gained promotion to the national Division One and women Premier League respectively said they have what it takes to survive at the top level.

The students' tactician George Mayienga admitted surviving at the national league's second tier would not be an easy task but exuded confidence that his boys are upto the task. 'It will not be easy playing up there.




But I am ready for the challenges ahead. With the kind of players in this team, we will be up there with the best,' said Mayienga, who also guided the team to their first national schools tournament in Kakamega early this year. Spaces tactician John 'Moish' Njuguna was equally upbeat. 'Last year we were second in the league but could not move up due to finances.

This time we are all set and will make some few recruitments to help us stay up there,' he said. Upper Hill beat Airways 79-75 while Safe Spaces beat Africa Nazarene University (ANU) 58-46 to claim the men and women's crowns respectively during the best of five game series.
Courtesy of: Nairobi Star (Nairobi)


*****************************************************
  KOSOVO   


Trepca brings Hajji Martin - by Dren Shporta
Leaders of BKT Superliga, Trepca, dont even think about making mistakes or losing games. Before the game with Bashkimi they got strengthened with American player Hajji Martin (205-F, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Chicago St.).

Hajji Martin, will have a right to play in the next league game against Bashkimi after his documentation is completed and he has been registered on Basketball Federation of Kosovo (FBK). Martin is American forward who played for Kazma, the Kuwait first division team.

Trepca in coming weekend visits the oranges from Prizren, Bashkimi. Trepca have crashed Bashkimi in the first clash of the season in round one game, 109:67. After that hit, Bashkimi, couldnt win any of the big teams in BKT Superliga. Trepca is unbeaten with perfect record 6-0 while Bashkimi has 4-3 record after seven rounds.



Futura loans three players from Sigal Prishtina - by Dren Shporta
Kreshnik Juniku, Enver Dili (195-F-90) and Zgjim Gergjaliu are three players that have been loaned to Futura. All these boys are tealented players that wait their chance on the first team of Sigal Prishtina. To get more experience and minutes in Super League, they have accepted Futuras loan offer.

The new team of kosovan basketball, Futura, is getting better and better. After five games played they showed that are a compact team and can cause problems to every other team. From now on, Jeton Nixha's boys want a victory.

They visit today Kolegji Univers, to play a delayed round one match at 20:30. Futura wants clearly a winner while Kolegji Univers is in good form after they got a surprising victory against Peja and beat Drita as visitors. If, in form college boys win tonight, they will catch Peja and Bashkimi.


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


LBL round 8 best performance: Zanis Peiners - by Eurobasket News
Former international guard Zanis Peiners (203-G-90, agency: Interperformances) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for LU, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 8.
The 21-year old player was the main contributor (39 points, five rebounds and five assists) to his team's victory, helping them to edge out Liepaja (#5, 2-3) in overtime 103-101. LU maintains the 4th position in LBL. LU is a typical solid league team placed somewhere in the middle or a little bit lower in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 3-4 record. In the team's last game Peiners had a remarkable 56.3% from 2-point range and got four three-pointers out of 6 attempts. It's his second year at LU and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Zanis Peiners has solid league stats. He is in league's top in points (7th best: 16.9ppg).

The second best player in last round's games was 24-year old former international forward Ernests Kalve (200-F-87) of league's second-best Valmiera. Kalve had a very good evening with a double-double of 28 points and 10 rebounds. Of course Valmiera cruised to a 85-76 relatively comfortable win over the lower-ranked Jurmala (#6, 2-5). This victory allowed Valmiera to move up to second position in the standings. His team's 6-2 record is not bad at all. Kalve is a newcomer at Valmiera, but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 20.4ppg (#2). He also registered 7.3 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was American guard Josh Mayo (182-G-87, agency: RIZO) of Liepaja (#5). Mayo scored 27 points and passed five assists. Despite Mayo's great performance Liepaja lost 101-103in overtime to slightly higher-ranked LU (#4, 3-4). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Liepaja ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 3 games, recording just two victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Mayo could help Liepaja to bring them higher in the standings. Mayo has a great season in Latvia. After only 5 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 17.6ppg (5th best) and assists with 6.0apg (best passer).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kristaps Brigmanis (185-G-90) of LU - 15 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists
5. Atis Ozols (198-F-81) of Jurmala - 26 points and 6 rebounds
6. Harijs Rubenis (199-F-91) of LU - 18 points and 3 rebounds
7. Roberts Mednis (204-C-89) of Turiba - 18 points and 11 rebounds
8. Artjoms Butjankovs (205-F/C-91) of Valmiera - 14 points and 10 rebounds
9. Martins Kravcenko (192-G-85) of Liepaja - 19 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists
10. Martynas Andriukaitis (204-F-81) of Liepaja - 21 points and 11 rebounds

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

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


Zagreb celebrates first Euroleague win - by Eurobasket News
KK Zagreb CO - Zalgiris 80-78

Zagreb grabbed its first Euroleague win ever. The Croatian champ celebrated in thriller against Zalgiris 80-78 to join them with 1-4 record in Group B. It was a very exciting finish. Paulius Jankunas (205-F-84, agency: Interperformances) tied the score to 78-78 with 27 seconds left on the clock and Mario Kasun (213-C-80) made just one FT on the other side. After a timeout, Weems pass was picked off by Joshua Heytvelt (211-F-86, college: Gonzaga). Zalgiris fouled Damir Mulaomerovic, who made just 1 free throw, and then the visitors grabbed the ball with 7.2 seconds left. Marko Popovic (185-G-82, agency: Alti Sport, college: S.Idaho JC) took it and passed to Kalnietis, who missed a shot at the buzzer allowing Zagreb fans to start celebration of their first Euroleague win ever. Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85) led the hosts with 22 points (valuation 25). Joshua Heytvelt had double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds, and Mario Kasun helped with 11 points and 5 rebs. Zalgiris got 24 points and 11 rebounds from Paulius Jankunas (Valuation 38, MVP). Marko Popovic and Milovan Rakovic (208-C-85) scored 11 and 10 points respectively. Quarters: 21-20, 19-16, 17-24, 23-18. Zagreb will host Brose Baskets next week. Zalgiris will meet CSKA in Moscow.

KK Zagreb CO: Krunoslav Simon 22, Joshua Heytvelt 17+11 boards, Mario Kasun 11+5 boards
Zalgiris: Paulius Jankunas 24+11 boards, Marko Popovic 11, Milovan Rakovic 10

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


Standings - Men
D1 Standings
 1. ASS Sale 3-1 
 2. PCS Plazza C. 3-1 
 3. RSB Berkane 3-1 
 4. WAC Casabl. 2-1 
 5. FUS Rabat 2-2 
 6. MAF Fez 2-2 
 7. CRA Hoceima 1-2 
 8. IRT Tanger 1-3 
 9. KAC 1-3 
 10. RCA Casabl. 1-3 


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


NBA owners to discuss lockout plans - by Eurobasket News
After lawyers for NBA players filed antitrust suits against the league in California and Minnesota, commissioner David Stern has a conference call set with owners on Thursday to discuss their next steps in the lockout, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The NBAs labor relations committee, which is responsible for negotiations with the players, scheduled the call earlier in the week, sources said.

Shortly after the Players Association declared on Monday that it would disband as a union and file suit, Stern suggested in a TV interview that the NBA wouldnt be in a rush to initiate contact with the players attorneys.

Antitrust attorney David Boies, who is leading the players suit, wants the owners to negotiate a new labor deal through him.

For several reasons, it wont be easy to get the owners to move quickly toward re-engaging the new leadership of the players. Many owners believed Stern had gone too far with the leagues final proposal to the union and were privately wishing for the players to reject the offer so they could thrust upon the players a far more rigid reset deal.

Also, Stern and many owners have such a visceral and personal disdain for players attorney Jeffrey Kessler, whom they blame for the breakdown in talks and eventual move toward the disclaimer of interest filing. Kessler drew the ire of Stern and the owners for saying the owners were treating the players like plantation workers in an interview with The Washington Post a comment for which Kessler later apologized. Stern responded by saying Kessler has been the single most divisive force in our negotiations and by calling Kesslers conduct routinely despicable.

[ Related: Blazers owner Paul Allen could bring yacht to Olympics ]

It seems unlikely Stern and the owners will want to be viewed as being in such fear of the legal battle that theyre rushing back to swiftly cut a less favorable deal with the players.

Carmelo Anthony (notes), Kevin Durant (notes), Chauncey Billups (notes), Kawhi Leonard (notes) and Leon Powe (notes) were listed as plaintiffs in the suit filed in Oakland, Calif. The initial case management conference for the suit is scheduled for Feb. 29, 2012, but can be moved up, court officials said.

Caron Butler (notes), Anthony Tolliver (notes), Ben Gordon (notes) and Derrick Williams (notes) are listed as plaintiffs in a second suit filed against the league in Minneapolis. The players are seeking treble damages in the suits, triple the $2 billion they could have made with a full season.

Boies said the suits were filed as a result of the owners overplaying their hand in negotiations with the players.

You dont give up hundreds of millions of dollars unless you want to make a deal and thats what the players were doing, Boies said. I think it was mistake to push it as far as [the owners] did.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Luther Head signs in China - by Eurobasket News
Luther Head (191-G-82, agency: Interperformances, college: Illinois) will continue his career in China. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, agent Ron Shade announced that Head signed a deal with Jiangsu for the 2011/12 season. Head spent the last one with the Sacramento Kings. He had 6.1 ppg, 1.8 rpg and 2.1 apg for 33 games in the league. In 2009/10, Luther Head played for the Indiana Pacers. He had 7.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg and 1.5 apg there in 47 games. From 2005 to 2009, Head was a member of the Houston Rockets. They selected him as 24th overall pick at the 2005 NBA Draft. Luther Head graduated at the University of Illinois that same year. He had 15.9 ppg, 4 rpg and 3.8 apg for his school as a senior.

Mobley sues Knicks over medical retirement - by Eurobasket News
Former NBA guard Cuttino Mobley (6'5''-G-74, college: Rhode Island) filed a lawsuit against Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, accusing the New York Knicks of pressuring him to retire as a way to save approximately $19 million.

Mobley retired because of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a heart disease, shortly after the Knicks acquired him from the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 21, 2008. He knew he had an irregularity with the heart, but an MRI exam the team ordered after his physical revealed the more serious condition.

The lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York contends the Knicks knew of Mobley's condition but pushed to make the trade anyway, then sent him to specialists they knew would oppose him playing, so insurance could pay his contract and it wouldn't count against the luxury tax.

The Knicks were trying to create salary-cap space for the summer of 2010, and the trade allowed them to move Zach Randolph's hefty contract. The Knicks could have voided the trade after Mobley's test, but instead waived the physical requirement a decision that the suit said meant $19 million through insurance payments and amounts saved under the luxury tax.

'The Knicks saved millions, and cleared room under the salary cap in their quest to retain the services of other marquis players, but Mobley's career was effectively ended,' the suit says.

It adds that Mobley had been medically cleared to play every year of his career and had never experienced any symptoms, and that he has suffered 'irreparable injury, monetary damages, mental anguish, emotional distress, humiliation, and other compensable damages as a result of defendant's discriminatory practices.'

The Knicks said they understood Mobley's frustrations but were 'extremely disappointed' in his actions.

'When the Knicks obtained Cuttino in November of 2008, the team fully expected him to be our starting shooting guard. It was a significant set-back to our team when we learned he would not be able to play following initial reports from his physical,' the Knicks said in a statement.

'The team and Cuttino agreed he would then see top experts, including doctors at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and additional experts, for various opinions. On the day of his retirement, Cuttino publicly stated that he had no choice but to follow the advice of the doctors and step away from the league. We are confident Cuttino's claims have no merit and will not prevail.'

Mobley averaged 16 points per game in 11 NBA seasons and was expected to assume the guard spot that was vacated when the Knicks dealt Jamal Crawford to Golden State in another trade the same day they acquired Mobley. But he never played for New York, spending his brief time with the team seeing four specialists around the country for further information about the disease, the leading cause of sudden cardiac death in people under 30 years old and linked to the deaths of former Boston Celtics forward Reggie Lewis and Loyola Marymount star Hank Gathers.

Then 33, Mobley said at the time that 'the doctors said to not chance it and I feel as though they're right, having an 8-year old son, having a long life ahead of me, it's the smart thing.'

But the lawsuit says Mobley has never filed his official retirement paperwork and has had discussions about a contract with other teams, but that none of them would sign him because the Knicks had medically disqualified him.

Courtesy of http://online.wsj.com

NBA lockout Q & A: What's next after union disbands? - by Eurobasket News
Now that the NBA players have disbanded their union and taken their labor fight with the owners to the courts, they have given up a considerable level of control in how the whole process plays out.

Two groups of players have filed antitrust lawsuits against the league - one in California and one in Minnesota - in hopes of turning up the heat on the owners after negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement broke down Monday.

So begins a seemingly endless series of court filings and back-and-forth responses written by lawyers in complex legalese that promises to go on for months, if not years, until the two sides are able to reach agreement on a new deal.

Case in point: the NBA wrote a letter to the judge overseeing its pre-emptive lawsuit in New York on Tuesday arguing that the players decision to disband the union proves the leagues point that the union planned to do this all along.

The players fired right back in their own letter, arguing that the decision should not stop U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe from dismissing the leagues lawsuit, saying the decision to disclaim interest was uncertain until it was made.

'The hope is that the magnitude of the uncertainty and complexity will cause both sides to come back and put aside the legal arguments and get back to talking about BRI and system issues, said Gabe Feldman, director of the Sports Law program at Tulane. The easiest way to get these lawsuits to go away is to agree on terms of a new collective bargaining agreement.

Meanwhile, impatient fans are making their voices heard. They have found a new definition of NBA saying it now stands for No Basketball Anymore, a phrase that was trending on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.

With that in mind, here is a look at whats happening in the NBA labor fight and what could happen next.

Q: What is the difference between disclaiming interest in the union and decertifying?

A: Timing, more than anything else. Decertification is a more formal process that requires a petition being signed and a waiting period of 45-60 days for the National Labor Relations Board to conduct a full vote of the rank-and-file union members.

Disclaiming interest, on the other hand, is a much quicker means to a similar end filing an antitrust lawsuit. It is also easier to reform to a union, Feldman said, should the players need to band together again to approve a new collective bargaining agreement, as the NFL players did in their labor fight with the owners this summer.

Q: So what is the difference between the labor cases of the NFL and the NBA?

A: The biggest difference is the timing of the unions dissolution. The NFLs union disbanded in March, almost six months before the 2011 regular season was scheduled to start. The reason is the previous collective bargaining agreement stated that if the players remained a union through the deals expiration, they could not disband for six months. That prompted the NFL players to disband the union the day the agreement expired, which also gave both sides months to fight out the battle in court before games were jeopardized.

There was no such clause in the NBAs deal. The players continued negotiating with the owners through the summer and even after the first month of regular season games were canceled. The problem with waiting to disclaim interest, however, is that checks and games already are being lost while the fight enters the slow and deliberate legal system.

The NFL owners and players had time to let the legal battle play out. The NBA owners and players dont, Feldman said. This has to be a quick legal strike, and unfortunately in our litigation system, there arent many opportunities to get a quick legal strike.

Q: Why have two antitrust lawsuits been filed?

A: There are a couple of reasons. First, because the players are no longer governed by a union, they are free to do as they please on an individual basis. One group, including star players Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant, has filed a lawsuit in Northern California in conjunction with the players association. Another group, including rookie Derrick Williams and Timberwolves forward Anthony Tolliver, have filed in Minnesota.

Its no coincidence that those two district courts were chosen. The federal court in San Francisco is under the jurisdiction of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, considered the most liberal, and therefore labor-friendly, of the 13 circuit courts. The federal court in Minnesota was the venue for more than two decades of legal fights between NFL owners and players, who enjoyed a healthy share of victories in that venue.

The owners filed a pre-emptive lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, which has sided with the NBA several times before. It is likely they will push to get any labor-related cases transferred to Manhattan.

That could be the threshold battle: where is the case heard, Feldman said.

Q: Can negotiations still take place while litigation is pending?

A: Yes and no. Union leaders Derek Fisher (6'1''-PG-74, agency: Priority Sports, college: UALR) and Billy Hunter no longer have the power to negotiate and agree to terms for the players. No longer a union, the NBPA is now a trade association. It cant fight fines or suspensions or file grievances for players. It also cannot regulate player behavior or agent behavior, which has led to some concern about agent poaching.

What can happen, and what did happen this summer with the NFL, is lawyers and representatives for both sides can hold discussions under the guise of antitrust settlement talks.

Of course, Hunter and any attorneys representing the players must walk a fine line in such negotiations. Acting as a leader and decision-maker could strengthen the leagues argument that the dissolution of the union was a sham and a negotiating tactic.

Q: Did dissolving the union work for NFL players?

A: It depends on how you define work. Its true the NFL and its players agreed on a new deal without missing any regular season games. It is also true that the NFL players were granted a temporary injunction by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson that lifted the lockout the week after the NFL draft in June.
But that injunction was overturned on appeal to the 8th Circuit Court in St. Louis, a ruling that could be influential in the NBAs case.

Ultimately, Feldman believes, it was the motivation provided by $9 billion in NFL revenues to be split up that provided the onus for the owners to negotiate a deal with the players, not the threat of losing an antitrust lawsuit and the enormous monetary damages that would have come with a defeat.

The NFL owners didnt claim they were losing money or that the system was broken, he said. In the NBA, many owners are claiming theyre losing money and that the system is broken. So the ownership side is a little more entrenched in their position.

Courtesy of www.freep.com

The Lockout Just Got Real - by Daniel Gibson
The NBA lockout just got real. The players have officially missed their first paychecks and a deal is no closer to being agreed on then it has been in weeks. Mike Wells, the Indiana Pacers beat writer for the Indy Star, Tweeted what a few of the Pacers were missing out on.

George Hill (6'2''-PG-86, college: IUPUI): $231,000
A.J. Price (6'2''-PG-86, college: Connecticut): $137,000
Lance Stephenson (6'5''-F-90, college: Cincinnati): $135,000
Danny Granger (6'8''-F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: N.Mexico): $2,000,000
James Posey (6'8''-F/G-77, agency: Priority Sports, college: Xavier): $1,200,000
Brandon Rush (6'6''-G-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: Kansas): $492,000
Paul George (6'8''-G/F-90, agency: Priority Sports, college: Fresno St.): $401,000
Roy Hibbert (7'2''-C-86, college: Georgetown): $431,000
Tyler Hansbrough (6'9''-F-85, college: N.Carolina): $356,000
Darren Collison: $242,000

CNBC reported that the average NBA player lost $220,000 and it appears this is only the beginning as the players decided to disband the Union on Monday. The next move by them will be to file an anti-trust lawsuit.

The desertification means that the players lose the protection of the Union. The desertification allows the players to file federal antitrust litigation against the NBA. Another issue with desertification is that its a process and doesn't instantly take place when the players announce their intentions. The National Labor Relations Board must recognize it in order for it to be official.

The NBA has already taken steps to protect themselves against antitrust suits by filing a lawsuit back in August. The NBA was seeking preventative relief and the league even asked the court to void the contracts of players if the Union was to decertify. The fact that NBA players have the option and opportunity to play elsewhere, many players have signed contracts overseas, makes it bit tougher to argue that the lockout is ruining their careers and chances to earn professionally.

The owners are determined to ride this out as long as it takes because they feel the current system is robbery for them. According to the owners, last season 22 of the 30 teams failed to turn a profit. The players salaries are also rising by nearly $5 million dollars a year. There will be major changes in the next agreement that is signed because the commissioner David Stern has already said it wont get any better than 50-50 for the players.

*****************************************************
  NBLCANADA   


NBLC Standings
NBL Canada Standings
 1. London L. 4-1 
 2. Quebec K. 4-3 
 3. Summerside S. 3-1 
 4. Halifax R. 2-2 
 5. St.John M.R. 2-3 
 6. Oshawa P. 2-3 
 7. Moncton M. 0-4 


Oshawa Power fall to the Quebec Kebs 97-88 - by Eurobasket News
The Oshawa Power stalled in an emotional loss to the Quebec Kebs 97-88 at the GM Centre.

Much like the first meeting between these two teams, the Power seemingly took control of the game during the second quarter, but a determined Kebs ball club came out in the second half and grabbed a tough road victory.

The Power got off to a great start in the second frame and led by as many as eleven points, before the Kebs took control and reduced the deficit to only two points.

Canadian Tut Ruach had another tremendous game in the losing effort recording 23 points and 6 assists giving him a second strong effort against the Kebs squad this season.

'We just have to stick together,' said Ruach after the game. 'We had a bad little run and we never got back to what we were doing early and we got down on ourselves. We just have to keep believing in ourselves and stick together.'

Fellow Canadian Kevin Francis added 12 points, and created the leagues first poster with a devastating slam on Yannick Anzuluni.

The win on Wednesday night was dedicated to the Quebec Kebs teammate and friend Sam Carey who passed away in a tragic car accident.

Ralphy Holmes (6'4''-G-79, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) of the Kebs was on fire shooting a sizzling 7 for 9 in the game for 19 points and 10 rebounds. Shaun Fountain (5'11''-G-78, agency: Duran International, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) added 12 points off the bench in a solid team effort.

The Power will try to get out of their mini two game funk, as their 401 rivals the London Lighting will invade the General Motor Centre on Friday night for their first regular season meeting.

Courtesy of www.northumberlandview.ca

*****************************************************
  NCAA1   


Thomas Reuter and Frederik Joerg will play for Eastern Washington University in 2012 - by Daniel Poerschke
Two players from Germany highlight Jim Hayfords first recruiting class at Eastern Washington University (NCAA 1) for the 2012/13 season.

'We knew we needed to sign a class that would improve our front court, based on us having seniors we would be losing', said Hayford, who will also have 6-10 redshirt Martin Seiferth (208-F-90) from Berlin, Germany available next season. 'When you look at the players we are redshirting and the players we are signing, weve improved our front court and have added to our overall skill base.'
The two new Germans include 7-foot-1, 285-pound center Frederik Lothar Joerg (215-C-92) from Korschenbroich and 6-6, 220-pound forward Thomas Reuter (198-G-92) from Breckerfeld. Both attended tryouts for the U20 Germany squad in December 2010. Joerg represented Baskets Akademie Weser-Ems and Reuter represented BSV Wulfen and Team Phoenix Hagen.
Reuter also represented Germany in Hillsboro, Ore., in August 2011 in the fifth-annual NIKE Global Challenge. The three-day event showcases the top talents from across the world, as they competed in an eight-team, 12-game tournament.
Each one of these young men are gifted players who can help us in our goal of being a perpetual post-season team, Hayford added.

Hayford on Joerg: Frederik is obviously a very big person. He plays the game with great intelligence, and is effective in using his size to give us a great advantage at the low post. I think he will combine with Martin Seiferth to create one of the biggest post combinations in the Big Sky Conference. Joerg recently played for Akademie Weser-Ems in the U19 Nachwuchs Basketball Bundesliga League (NBBL), averaging 14.7 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game. He ranked second in the league in blocked shots, seventh in rebounding and fourth in double-doubles with seven (in 12 games). He made 59.0 percent of his shots from the field and also averaged 2.0 assists per game. His single game high for rebounds was 25. He will graduate from Gymnasium Eversten in 2012. He was born on Aug. 11, 1992, in Saarbrcken, Germany. His parents are Hermann and Martina Joerg. He intends on majoring at Eastern in business and economics.

Hayford on Reuter: Thomas has had great experience internationally representing the country of Germany. Hes a very physical player who has interior and perimeter skills. Hes an outstanding passer and a very strong rebounder. He is a great addition to our program. In 2010, Reuter helped the U18 German National Team to a runner-up finish at the Albert-Schweitzer Tournament. While playing with BSV Wulfen in the Bundesliga ProB second league in Germany, his team reached the 2010-11 playoffs. He averaged 11.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. While playing for Team Phoenix Hagen in the 2009-10 season in the Nachwuchs Basketball Bundesliga League (NBBL), his team reached the final 16 of the German Championships, as he averaged 16.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. In 2010-11, he averaged 20.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. While playing for Team Phoenix Hagen in 2008-09, his team reached the quarterfinals of the U19 German Championships. His team lost in a best-of-three series against Alba Berlin. During the season, Reuter averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He graduated from Theodor-Heuss Gymnasium in Hagen, Germany, in 2011. In 2007, his school placed third in the German Championship (officially named the Jugend trainiert fr Olympia). In 2006, he helped lead Nordrhein-Westfalen a county team from the North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) region -- win the German Championship. Reuter was born Jan 25, 1992, in Hagen, Germany. His parents are Helmut and Baerbel Reuter.

source: http://www.goeags.com/sports/m-baskbl/2011-12/Releases/11mbNov16Recruits

Stats Leaders - NCAA1
Points Per Game
 Ryne SMITH
  Purdue
  (190-G-89)
  Avg: 26
 1. Smith, Purdue26.0 
 2. Wattad, Chattano.24.0 
 3. Smith, NC-Wilmi.23.0 
 4. Stoglin, Maryland22.0 
 5. Oladipo, Indiana21.0 
 6. McDougald, Jackso.21.0 
 7. Harris, Wake F.20.0 
 8. Howell, N.Caroli.19.5 
 9. Swansey, Tennesse.19.0 
 10. McKie, Wake Fore.19.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Draymond GREEN
  Michigan.
  (200-F-90)
  Avg: 18
 1. Green, Michigan.18.0 
 2. Finney-Smith, Virg.16.0 
 3. Smith, Clemson14.0 
 4. Shannon, Florida12.0 
 5. Howell, N.Caroli.11.5 
 6. Plumlee, Duke11.0 
 7. Zlovaric, Chattano.10.0 
 8. Desrosiers, Wake F.10.0 
 9. Henson, N.Carolina9.5 
 10. Drummond, Loyol.9.0 
Assists Per Game
 Kendall MARSHALL
  N.Carolina
  (190-G-)
  Avg: 10
 1. Marshall, N.Caroli.10.0 
 2. Smith, Clemson8.0 
 3. Brown, N.Caroli.7.5 
 4. Bell, Chattanooga7.0 
 5. Loucks, Florida St.6.0 
 6. Udofia, Georgia6.0 
 7. Johnson, Belmont6.0 
 8. Finney-Smith, Virg.5.0 
 9. Jackson, Purdue5.0 
 10. Scott, Miami, FL5.0 
Steals Per Game
 Cody ZELLER
  Indiana
  (210-F-)
  Avg: 6
 1. Zeller, Indiana6.0 
 2. Smith, Clemson5.0 
 3. Brown, N.Caroli.4.5 
 4. Jones III, Indiana4.0 
 5. Kennings, Florida3.0 
 6. Moore, Florida A&M3.0 
 7. Raines, Virginia T.3.0 
 8. Cooley, E.Tenn.St.3.0 
 9. Swoope, Miami, FL3.0 
 10. Faust, Maryland3.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Carson DESROSIERS
  Wake F.
  (213-C-)
  Avg: 8
 1. Desrosiers, Wake F.8.0 
 2. Henson, N.Carolina5.5 
 3. Finney-Smith, Virg.4.0 
 4. Mosley, Maryland3.0 
 5. Inameti, Tennesse.3.0 
 6. Elston, Indiana2.0 
 7. Jennings, Clemson2.0 
 8. Plumlee, Duke2.0 
 9. Lawson, Purdue2.0 
 10. Akpejiori, Miami,2.0 


No. 25 Seminoles win 17th straight over Stetson - by Eurobasket News
Florida State's deep and athletic frontcourt was simply too much for Stetson to overcome Wednesday night.

Okaro White (6'8''-F) scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half, leading the 25th-ranked Seminoles to a 79-66 victory over the Hatters.

'We weren't playing too good,' White said. 'We started off good and let them come back, so I challenged myself to go out there, give it all I got and that's what gave me that extra boost in the second half.'

Powered by White and Bernard James (6'10''-F), who had 15 points and 11 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double, the Seminoles shot 57.1 percent (32 of 56) from the field.

Florida State (3-0) also got some timely baskets from Deividas Dulkys (6'5''-G-88), who went 6 for 6 from the floor and finished with 16 points.

Joel Narburg scored 14 for Stetson (2-1), which went 10 for 33 from 3-point range. J.R. Weston and Chris Perez had 11 points apiece.

FSU made its first seven shots to build a 17-7 lead, then put together a 9-0 run later in the first half to make it 33-14 with 6:48 left.

Stetson responded by knocking down four 3-pointers during a 16-0 run that cut the deficit to 33-30 with 2:22 left in the first half.

'We didn't go into the game saying, 'Hey we're just going to let it fly,'' Stetson coach Casey Alexander said. 'But that is part of what we do and we're always going to take them when they're available to us.'

Stetson's long-range success frustrated Florida State, which led the nation in field-goal percentage defense the past two seasons.

'We knew they were a really good 3-point shooting team,' James said. 'We didn't want to allow them a lot of 3s. We didn't do a very good job of that. ... People want to shoot, they're going to shoot but we wanted every shot to be contested and I think we struggled with that.'

Stetson closed to 48-41 with 17:24 left in the game. But the Seminoles were more aggressive on defense in the second half and didn't allow the Hatters to get any closer.

'Our guys got the stops we had to when the game was on the line,' Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton said. 'To go where we need to go we need to be more consistent.'

The Seminoles have won six straight games against teams from Florida: a sweep of Jacksonville, Central Florida and Stetson this season as well as victories over Miami (twice) and Stetson last season. The Seminoles have won 17 straight against Stetson overall, dating to 1975.

Florida State's forwards overwhelmed Stetson inside. The Hatters' roster includes just two 6-foot-9 players, Liam McInerney and Adam Pegg, and the Seminoles used their size advantage to get baskets in the paint.

James made 7 of 8 shots and White was 8 for 11 from the field, helping the Seminoles outscore the Hatters 48-26 in the lane.

Michael Snaer added nine points for the Seminoles, who led 42-34 at halftime. Jeff Peterson finished with seven assists and only one turnover.

Stetson's Aaron Graham put together a solid all-around game, collecting 10 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

Brust scores 14 as Wisconsin beats Colgate 68-41 - by Eurobasket News
Reserve Ben Brust (6'1''-G) scored a career-high 17 points to lead No. 14 Wisconsin to a 68-41 win over Colgate on Wednesday night.

Brust, a sophomore guard, scored 13 points in the first half, including four 3-pointers. The Badgers (2-0) were 8 of 14 from beyond the arc as they built a 42-20 halftime lead.

It was the second straight game in double figures for Brust, who scored a total of 10 points in 15 games as a freshman. He hit his second 3-pointer from 25 feet out in front of the Colgate bench, and his fourth on a pull-up from the top of the key when no Raiders defender met him as he brought the ball up. He shot 6 of 11 from the floor and made half of his 8 3-point attempts.

No other player scored in double figures for Wisconsin, which finished the game 10 of 23 from 3-point range. The Badgers hit 15 3s in their season-opening win over Kennesaw State on Saturday.

Preseason All-America point guard Jordan Taylor (6'1''-G) was 3 of 4 from long range and Berggren added another 3 in the first half for the Badgers, who also outscored the Raiders 16-4 in the paint before the break

Wisconsin cooled off in the second half, scoring just two points in the first 8 minutes, but their lead never fell below 18 as Colgate (1-1) shot 34.8 percent from the floor.

Colgate could only muster six points during the Badgers' cold spell, which ended when Colgate was called for goaltending on Rob Wilson's putback attempt with 11:40 left. Wisconsin didn't sink another field goal until Brust scored with 9:32 to go.

John Brandenburg (6'11''-C) led the Raiders with 11 points.

Courtesy of www.sanluisobispo.com

Jayhawks fade in second half, lose to Kentucky - by Eurobasket News
The Kansas Jayhawks knew that, no matter what happened on Tuesday night against Kentucky, theyd learn a lot more about who they are in the first week of a season that is sure to take many twists and turns.

At this point, after a 75-65 loss to the Wildcats that became so lopsided in the second half that it was hard to remember the game was tied at halftime, the Jayhawks are a team with guards who played like they werent ready for the spotlight of Madison Square Garden and the inaugural Champions Classic. They are a team with a big man in Thomas Robinson (6'9''-F) who has the potential to be dominant by seasons end. And they are a team without a clear focus offensively and defensively.

It is too early to make judgments, but it was clear that KU has a long way to go before it can think about competing for a national championship and playing into April. That, even with the early defections of Marcus and Markieff Morris and the academic ineligibility of three freshmen signed by KU last spring, is still the stated goal of the Jayhawks and always will be.

To get there, KU will need much more from starting guards Tyshawn Taylor (6'3''-G-90), Elijah Johnson (6'4''-G) and Travis Releford, who combined for six assists and six turnovers and shot 8-of-30 from the field.

Other than Tyshawn, theres no other kid on our team thats played in a big-boy game like that where they had to deliver, KU coach Bill Self said. Theyve always been reserves. I thought that was a different pressure tonight. ... We got flustered.

With the backcourt struggling, it was only a matter of time before the Wildcats, stacked with more talent than any team in the country, were going to hit their stride.

It happened immediately in the second half. UK freshman big man Anthony Davis (6'10''-F-93) finished an alley-oop to start a 13-2 run that demoralized Kansas and infused Kentucky with the confidence to take a 17-point lead at the 10-minute mark. That the Jayhawks became so discombobulated by a quick burst like that was alarming. Only in the final minute did they get the deficit down to single digits.

I thought wed win the game at halftime, Self said. Our players thought wed win the game at halftime. They came out and punched us in the mouth. I called a couple of timeouts, a tie game goes to (down) nine, and playing catch-up to that team is not something you want to do.

The last 20 minutes played out with the uber-youthful Wildcats knocking down open threes (they made six of nine), finishing dunks in transition and swaggering around the Garden with huge smiles. In short, John Caliparis kids, who also swatted away 13 Kansas shots, stole the show.

When the game started, Kansas-Kentucky seemed it would put the finishing touch on a memorable night for college basketball. In the same building that increased the legends of countless NBA superstars, this was a stage set for the college game to take full advantage of the extended NBA lockout.

Spike Lee was in the house. The crew from ESPNs College Gameday was here. Kansas royalty was represented, too, as Mario Chalmers presence sat behind the KU bench to remind Calipari of what happened three-plus years ago in San Antonio. And if that wasnt enough, Self was sporting the same red, white and blue striped tie that he wore that night in April 2008. (It did not bring good luck).

Caliparis Kentucky team was even more talented than the Memphis team that fell to the Jayhawks that night. In fact, the second-ranked Wildcats might be the closest thing to NBA players the Garden will see this season.

But No. 11 KU was far from overmatched early. The Jayhawks jumped out to leads of 10-3 and 21-14 as Kentuckys young players adjusted to the big-time atmosphere and the pressure defense of a Self-coached team.

Their best offense for a long period of time was our offense, Self said. Our bad shots and turnovers led to run-outs, dunks and easy baskets that you have a hard time defending.

Kentucky eventually got going behind star sophomore forward Terrence Jones (6'9''-F-85), who had nine first-half points, and the game went to the half knotted at 28. But to say this was two traditional bluebloods trading blows would be highly inaccurate. Kansas had six assists and 10 turnovers, while Kentucky had four assists and 12 turnovers in the first half.

To slow Kansas, Kentucky did what most teams will do this season: They treated Thomas Robinson like a star. Robinson saw the double teams that the Morris twins handled last season and had to play through that kind of attention for the first time.

I didnt think he handled it well at all, Self said. But its also his first time, where hes the hunted instead of the hunter. Hell get better with that, but not tonight. He tried to rely on doing things himself.

Robinson finished with a double-double 11 points and 12 rebounds. He fouled out late in the second half with the game out of reach.

Taylor kept the night from getting out of hand by scoring a game-high 22 points, making 15 of 17 free throws 14 of 16 in the second half once Self told all of his players to drive the ball to the basket since they werent generating much out of traditional half-court sets.

Taylor and Self both said they were not discouraged by what happened Tuesday at the Garden.

Its definitely a learning experience for a young team like us, Taylor said. Theyre a young team, but we got a lot of young guys, too, guys that havent been in this position before. It aint like its over. I told my team, We gotta keep our heads up. I feel like I just lost a championship, but its two games in.

Taylor and Self did see one thing differently, though.

We competed, Taylor said.

We tried hard, Self said, but theres a difference between trying and competing. Competing is focus and carrying out assignments.

Courtesy of www.kansascity.com

*****************************************************
  NORWAY   


Best players of BLNO round 9 - by Eurobasket News
American Anthony Lee-Ingram (198-F, agency: Warren Sports International) had an amazing evening in the last round for Asker Aliens and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 9.
The -year old forward had a double-double of 34 points and fourteen rebounds, while his team outclassed, the league's bottom-ranked team Langhus (#8, 0-10) with 52-point margin 109-57. Asker Aliens maintains the 3rd position in Norwegian BLNO. They would have been even better if they did not have these two lost games earlier in Regular Season. Asker Aliens will need more victories to improve their 7-2 record. In the team's last game Lee-Ingram had a remarkable 93.8% from 2-point range. He turned to be Asker Aliens' top player in his first season with the team. Brescia University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Lee-Ingram is league's best scorer averaging so far 23.5ppg and leads league in rebounds with 11.6rpg. Lee-Ingram is in league's top in and averages solid 1.1bpg and 71.4% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was young Swedish forward Filip Sjostrom (198-F-90) of league's best team Baerum Basket. Sjostrom impressed basketball fans with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Of course he lead Baerum Basket to another comfortable win outscoring Langhus (#8, 0-10) 119-65. This victory allowed Baerum Basket to move up to 1st position in the standings. His team lost just one game this season, while they won 7 matches. Sjostrom is a newcomer at Baerum Basket and despite he is not a team leader yet, every game he becomes more reliable player. Hopefully performances like the last one will happen more often.

The third best performed player last round was another Baerum Basket's star - American Donald Oatis (206-F/C-79, agency: Prossin Sports Management). Oatis scored 23 points and grabbed ten rebounds. He was another key player of Baerum Basket, helping his team with a 119-65 easy win against Langhus (#8, 0-10). Baerum Basket confirms their top position in the standings Oatis has a great season in Norway. After only 8 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.1ppg (9th best) and rebounds with 9.5rpg (2nd best). He also has 3.3bpg and FGP: 58.9%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Stian Mjos (182-G-89) of Baerum Basket - 21 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists
5. Elias Westerlund (197-F-88) of Ammerud Bskt - 24 points and 11 rebounds
6. Cooper Land (203-F-88) of Asker Aliens - 13 points, 16 rebounds and 5 assists
7. Miilah Kombat (200-F-88) of Froya Basket - 19 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists
8. David Crouch (G-86) of Langhus - 24 points and 6 rebounds
9. Magnus Midtvedt (182-PG-90) of Asker Aliens - 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Fredrik Bohn (200-F-91) of Asker Aliens - 15 points and 4 rebounds

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

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


Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference
PBA Standings
 1. Talk N Text 7-1 
 2. Rain or Shine 7-2 
 3. Petron Blaze 6-3 
 4. Meralco Bolts 6-4 
 5. Barako Bull 5-3 
 6. B-Meg Llam. 5-4 
 7. Ginebra Kings 4-4 
 8. Powerade T. 3-6 
 9. Alaska Aces 1-7 
 10. Shopinas.com C. 0-10 


PBA Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Gary DAVID
  Powerade T.
  (187-G/F-78)
  Avg: 21
 1. David, Powerade T.21.0 
 2. Bangura, Air21 E.19.6 
 3. Santos, Petron B.18.7 
 4. Yap, B-Meg Llam.18.2 
 5. Lutz, Petron Blaze18.0 
 6. Chan, Rain or Shine16.7 
 7. Seigle, Air21 Expr.16.5 
 8. Thoss, Alaska Aces16.3 
 9. Cardona, Meralco15.7 
 10. Dillinger, Talk N.15.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Arwind SANTOS
  Petron B.
  (193-F-81)
  Avg: 13.8
 1. Santos, Petron B.13.8 
 2. Kramer, Powerade.11.4 
 3. Espinas, Meralco9.9 
 4. Reyes, Alaska Aces9.8 
 5. Carey, Talk N Text9.8 
 6. Peek, Talk N Text9.8 
 7. Taulava, Meralco9.1 
 8. Thoss, Alaska Aces8.8 
 9. Sena, Shopinas.8.7 
 10. Williams, Talk N.8.4 
Assists Per Game
 Alex CABAGNOT
  Petron B.
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 7.6
 1. Cabagnot, Petron7.6 
 2. Castro, Talk N Te.5.3 
 3. Lee, Rain or Shine5.2 
 4. Tenorio, Alaska A.5.0 
 5. Miller, Barako Bull4.5 
 6. Lanete, Meralco4.4 
 7. Casio, Powerade T.4.3 
 8. Mercado, Meralco4.2 
 9. Lutz, Petron Blaze4.0 
 10. Bangura, Air21 E.3.9 
Steals Per Game
 Christopher LUTZ
  Petron Blaze
  (192-G/F-85)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Lutz, Petron Blaze2.3 
 2. Miller, Barako Bull1.8 
 3. Castro, Talk N Te.1.6 
 4. Lassiter, Powerade.1.6 
 5. Baguio, Alaska Ac.1.5 
 6. Arboleda, Barako B.1.5 
 7. Cardona, Meralco1.5 
 8. Bangura, Air21 E.1.4 
 9. Arboleda, Air21 E.1.3 
 10. Mercado, Meralco1.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Japeth AGUILAR
  Talk N.
  (208-C-85)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Aguilar, Talk N.2.4 
 2. Peek, Talk N Text1.5 
 3. Santos, Petron B.1.4 
 4. Baclao, Petron B.1.3 
 5. Quinahan, Rain o.1.3 
 6. Seigle, Air21 Expr.1.3 
 7. Espinas, Meralco1.1 
 8. Williams, Talk N.1.0 
 9. Reyes, Petron Bla.1.0 
 10. Reavis, B-Meg L.0.9 


*****************************************************
  POLAND   


Standings - DBE
PLK Standings
 1. PGE Turow 9-1 
 2. Anwil 7-3 
 3. Zastal ZG 6-2 
 4. Energa Czarni 6-3 
 5. Trefl Sopot 6-3 
 6. AZS Koszalin 5-4 
 7. Kotwica 5-5 
 8. Siarka Jezioro 4-5 
 9. Slask Wroclaw 4-6 
 10. Polpharma 3-7 
 11. PBG Basket 3-8 
 12. AZS PW 2-7 
 13. LKS Lodz 2-8 
Play in international cups:
 1. Asseco Prokom - 


DBE Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Corsley EDWARDS
  Anwil
  (205-C/F-79)
  Avg: 19.2
 1. Edwards, Anwil19.2 
 2. Koszarek, Trefl S.17.7 
 3. Miller, Siarka J.16.9 
 4. Archibeque, LKS L.16.9 
 5. Montgomery, AZS K.16.8 
 6. Reese, AZS Koszal.16.6 
 7. Lawal, Zastal ZG16.4 
 8. Hannah, AZS K.16.0 
 9. Corbett, Siarka J.15.8 
 10. Mladenovic, Slask15.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Gani LAWAL
  Zastal ZG
  (206-F-88)
  Avg: 11.8
 1. Lawal, Zastal ZG11.8 
 2. Harris, Kotwica10.4 
 3. Archibeque, LKS L.9.7 
 4. Burgess, Trefl S.8.6 
 5. Edwards, Anwil7.9 
 6. Bigus, AZS Koszalin7.6 
 7. Turek, Trefl Sopot6.9 
 8. Doaks, Siarka J.6.5 
 9. Mladenovic, Slask6.3 
 10. Leonczyk, Energa6.3 
Assists Per Game
 Robert SKIBNIEWSKI
  Slask W.
  (182-G-83)
  Avg: 6.6
 1. Skibniewski, Slask6.6 
 2. Wilczek, AZS P.6.5 
 3. Koszarek, Trefl S.6.1 
 4. Sapp, Kotwica5.6 
 5. Hodge, Zastal ZG5.5 
 6. Szubarga, Anwil5.5 
 7. Miller, Siarka J.5.3 
 8. Moore, PGE Turow5.3 
 9. Milicic, AZS K.5.0 
 10. Micic, PBG Basket4.8 
Steals Per Game
 Krzysztof SZUBARGA
  Anwil
  (182-G-84)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Szubarga, Anwil2.4 
 2. Cesnauskis, Energa2.1 
 3. Koszarek, Trefl S.2.0 
 4. Koljevic, Polpharma2.0 
 5. Hinson, Energa C.1.7 
 6. Moore, PGE Turow1.6 
 7. Smorawinski, PBG B.1.5 
 8. Skibniewski, Slask1.5 
 9. Sapp, Kotwica1.4 
 10. Wilczek, AZS P.1.4 
Blocks Per Game
 Wojciech BARYCZ
  Siarka J.
  (208-C/F-84)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Barycz, Siarka J.1.8 
 2. Burgess, Trefl S.1.7 
 3. Harris, Kotwica1.7 
 4. Morrison, Energa C.1.4 
 5. Lawal, Zastal ZG1.4 
 6. Lauderdale, PGE T.1.2 
 7. Mladenovic, Slask1.2 
 8. Edwards, Anwil1.2 
 9. Kesicki, Kotwica1.0 
 10. Lichodzijews., PB.0.8 


Jarecki's 23 points give him 1Liga Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
23-year old guard Jacek Jarecki (197-G-88) put on an amazing game in the last round for league's best team P.Cukier SIDEn and receives a Eurobasket.com 1Liga Player of the Week award for round 9.
He had the game-high 23 points adding four rebounds for P.Cukier SIDEn in his team's victory, helping them to beat Sudety (#13, 2-7) 85-76. It allowed P.Cukier SIDEn to take over top position in the 1Liga. P.Cukier SIDEn have a solid 7-1 record. Jarecki turned to be P.Cukier SIDEn's top player in his first season with the team. Jarecki has impressive league stats. He is league's best scorer averaging so far 20.3ppg. Jarecki is in league's top in and averages solid 72.9% FGP and 44.1% from behind 3-point line.

Second best performed player last round was Krzysztof Mielczarek (198-G/F-81) of AZS Szczecin. He is a swingman in his first season at AZS Szczecin. In the last game Mielczarek recorded impressive double-double of 14 points and 20 rebounds. Bad luck as AZS Szczecin lost that game 57-77 to slightly higher-ranked Rosa Radom (#7, 5-4). This loss caused AZS Szczecin to drop to 8th position in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 4-4 record is not bad and everything may still change. Mielczarek is a newcomer at AZS Szczecin and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Artur Donigiewicz (185-G-84) of Rosa Radom (#7). Donigiewicz scored 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. He was a key player of Rosa Radom, leading his team to a 77-57 easy win against slightly lower-ranked AZS Szczecin (#8, 4-4). Rosa Radom needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 5 victories and 4 lost games. Donigiewicz has a very solid season. In 9 games in Poland he scored 9.8ppg. He also has 1.1bpg and FGP: 53.7%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Radoslaw Basinski (188-PG-78) of SKK Siedlce - 12 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists
5. Lukasz Zytko (181-G-81) of P.Cukier SIDEn - 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Adam Lisewski (206-F/C-80) of Start Gdynia - 16 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Pawel Kowalczuk (207-C/F-80) of SKK Siedlce - 17 points and 8 rebounds
8. Wojciech Pisarczyk (201-F-88) of Sokol Lancut - 14 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Mariusz Bacik (207-G/F-72) of AZS Kutno - 9 points and 12 rebounds
10. Kamil Sulima (192-G/F-80) of SKK Siedlce - 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists

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)

Lukasz Koszarek gets MVP of the Week award for PLK - by Eurobasket News
Former international guard Lukasz Koszarek (187-G-84) had an amazing evening in the last round for Trefl Sopot and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 11.
The 27-year old guard had the game-high 21 points adding nine rebounds and four assists for Trefl Sopot in his team's victory, helping them to edge out PGE Turow (#1, 9-1) in overtime 86-83. Trefl Sopot is placed at 5th position in PLK. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Trefl Sopot will need more victories to improve their 6-3 record. Koszarek turned to be Trefl Sopot's top player in his first season with the team. Koszarek has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (2nd best: 17.7ppg), assists (3rd best: 6.1apg) and averages solid 51.1% FGP and 53.3% from behind 3-point line.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 24-year old American center David Weaver (209-C-87) of Energa Czarni. Weaver impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds. Bad luck as Energa Czarni lost that game 67-72 to slightly higher-ranked Zastal ZG (#3, 6-2). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Energa Czarni still maintains its place in the top 4 of the standings, even despite this loss. His team's 6-3 record is not bad at all. Weaver is a newcomer at Energa Czarni and despite he is not a team leader yet, every game he becomes more reliable player. Hopefully performances like the last one will happen more often.

The third best performed player last round was Nigerian Gani Lawal (206-F-88) of Zastal ZG (#3). Lawal scored 13 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Zastal ZG, leading his team to a 72-67 win against #4 ranked Energa Czarni. Zastal ZG needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 6 victories and 2 lost games. Lawal has a great season in Poland. After only 8 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.4ppg (8th best) and rebounds with 11.8rpg (#1 in league). He also has 1.4bpg and FGP: 64.1%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. LaMarshall Corbett (190-G-88) of Siarka Jezioro - 24 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Josh Miller (169-PG) of Siarka Jezioro - 18 points and 12 assists
6. Darrell Harris (208-F/C-84) of Kotwica - 13 points and 17 rebounds
7. Lukasz Wisniewski (186-G-84) of Trefl Sopot - 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Corsley Edwards (205-C/F-79) of Anwil - 17 points and 7 rebounds
9. Oded Brandwein (188-G-88) of Kotwica - 18 points and 2 assists
10. Adam Waczynski (199-F-89) of Trefl Sopot - 21 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists

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)

*****************************************************
  ROMANIA   


Standings - D2
Div.B Standings
Seria 1
 1. A.Vlaicu Buc. 0-0 
 2. BCM U 2 Pitesti 0-0 
 3. CS Amicii 0-0 
 4. Ploiesti II 0-0 
 5. Rapid B. 0-0 
 6. Steaua Turabo II 0-0 
Seria 2
 1. BT Bucuresti 0-0 
 2. CS Concordia 0-0 
 3. CSM Focsani 0-0 
 4. CSU Galati 0-0 
 5. Farul Const. 0-0 
 6. Ph. Galati 0-0 
Seria 3
 1. Brasov 0-0 
 2. CS Vabova 0-0 
 3. Gaz Metan II 0-0 
 4. Ph. Brasov 0-0 
 5. T.Mures II 0-0 
Seria 4
 1. CSM 2 Oradea 0-0 
 2. MP Timisoara 0-0 
 3. Timba Timis. 0-0 
 4. U.Mobitel II 0-0 
 5. West Olympia 0-0 


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


Superleague Round 11: Ataman defeats leader Ural Ekaterinburg - by Eurobasket News
The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Ural Ekaterinburg (8-3) at the home court on Wednesday night. Hosts were defeated by second ranked Ataman (6-1) 82-75. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Ural Ekaterinburg. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Ural Ekaterinburg won fourth quarter 20-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Ataman forced 19 Ural Ekaterinburg turnovers. Point guard Dramir Zibirov (187-86) orchestrated the victory by scoring 20 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. Forward Nikita Gresev (204-88) contributed with 18 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Serbian forward Nikola Lepojevic (199-82, agency: BeoExcell) answered with 21 points and 6 rebounds for Ural Ekaterinburg. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Ataman have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Newly promoted Ataman maintains second place with 6-1 record having just -5 point less than leader Ural Ekaterinb. Ural Ekaterinburg at the other side still keeps top position with three games lost. Ataman will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ural Ekaterinburg will play again at home against the league's second-placed Ataman in Rostov and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (5-4) against seventh ranked Ruskon-Mordovia (3-4) on Wednesday night. Visiting TEMP-SUMZ Revda was defeated by Ruskon-Mordovia in a tough game in Saransk 68-76. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of TEMP-SUMZ Revda. It was a great evening for power forward Alexei Kuznetsov (203-84) who led his team to a victory scoring 18 points. Ivan Krivko helped adding 12 points and 5 rebounds. Ruskon-Mordovia's coach Sergey Oleynikov allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward Stanislav Sotnikov (200-85, agency: RIZO) responded with 16 points and 5 rebounds. Ruskon-Mordovia moved-up to sixth place. TEMP-SUMZ Revda at the other side dropped to the fourth position with four games lost. Ruskon-Mordovia will again play against higher ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (#4) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. TEMP-SUMZ Revda will have a break next round.
The game between 9th ranked Sojuz Zaretchny (1-6) and fourth ranked Universitet-Yugra (6-3) in Zaretchny on Wednesday ended with biggest points difference. Guests from Surgut beat Sojuz Zaretchny 83-74. It was a quality performance for Linas Lekavicius who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 10 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Aleksander Pushkin came up with 17 points and 7 rebounds for Sojuz Zaretchny in the defeat. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Universitet-Yugra moved-up to third place. Sojuz Zaretchny lost their fourth game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with six games lost. Universitet-Yugra will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Sojuz Zaretchny will play again against Universitet-Yugra (#3) in Surgut.



Sojuz Zaretchny - Univ.Surgut 74-83

The game between 9th ranked Sojuz Zaretchny (1-6) and fourth ranked Universitet-Yugra (6-3) in Zaretchny on Wednesday ended with biggest points difference. Guests from Surgut beat Sojuz Zaretchny 83-74. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 45-35 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Universitet-Yugra made 18-of-20 free shots (90.0 percent) during the game. Universitet-Yugra had a 30-17 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. It was a quality performance for Lithuanian guard Linas Lekavicius (186-84, college: American) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 10 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists. Forward Denis Hloponin (206-81) accounted for 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winning side. Five Universitet-Yugra players scored in double figures. Forward Aleksander Pushkin (203-87) came up with 17 points and 7 rebounds and guard Pavel Aleksandrov (196-89) added 15 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Sojuz Zaretchny in the defeat. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Universitet-Yugra moved-up to third place. Sojuz Zaretchny lost their fourth game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with six games lost. Universitet-Yugra will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Sojuz Zaretchny will play again against Universitet-Yugra (#3) in Surgut.
Top scorers:
Sojuz Zaretchny: A.Pushkin 17+7reb+1ast, P.Aleksandrov 15+6reb+3ast, R.Vasilev 10+2reb+4ast, V.Sleta 7+4reb+2ast, D.Ponosov 6+6reb+4ast, A.Burtsev 5+3ast
Univ.Surgut: D.Hloponin 19+6reb+3ast, D.Zagnoyko 16+5reb+3ast, I.Aleksandrov 12+4reb+6ast, L.Lekavicius 10+10reb+9ast, A.Ekimov 10+5reb+1ast, M.Dybovskiy 7
gschID: 155372


Ruskon-Mord. - TEMP-SUMZ 76-68

Very important is a road loss of third ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (5-4) against seventh ranked Ruskon-Mordovia (3-4) on Wednesday night. Visiting TEMP-SUMZ Revda was defeated by Ruskon-Mordovia in a tough game in Saransk 68-76. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of TEMP-SUMZ Revda. The game without a history. Ruskon-Mordovia led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. It was a great evening for power forward Alexei Kuznetsov (203-84) who led his team to a victory scoring 18 points. Guard Ivan Krivko (190-84) helped adding 12 points and 5 rebounds. Ruskon-Mordovia's coach Sergey Oleynikov allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward Stanislav Sotnikov (200-85, agency: RIZO) responded with 16 points and 5 rebounds and power forward Aleksandr Zaykin (208-84) scored 14 points and 8 rebounds. Ruskon-Mordovia moved-up to sixth place. TEMP-SUMZ Revda at the other side dropped to the fourth position with four games lost. Ruskon-Mordovia will again play against higher ranked TEMP-SUMZ Revda (#4) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. TEMP-SUMZ Revda will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
TEMP-SUMZ: S.Sotnikov 16+5reb+1ast, A.Zaykin 14+8reb, A.Kirjanov 11+8reb+1ast, S.Tokarev 8+5reb+3ast, A.Komarov 5+1reb+1ast, I.Evgrafov 5+2reb+3ast
Ruskon-Mord.: A.Kuznetsov 18+4reb, I.Krivko 12+5reb+2ast, V.Lidyaev 10+6reb, A.Ageev 9+2reb+4ast, A.Krylov 8+5reb+1ast, A.Varnakov 6+3reb+2ast
gschID: 155373


Ural Ekaterinb. - Ataman 75-82

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Ural Ekaterinburg (8-3) at the home court on Wednesday night. Hosts were defeated by second ranked Ataman (6-1) 82-75. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Ural Ekaterinburg. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Ural Ekaterinburg won fourth quarter 20-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Ataman forced 19 Ural Ekaterinburg turnovers. Point guard Dramir Zibirov (187-86) orchestrated the victory by scoring 20 points, 8 assists and 4 steals. Forward Nikita Gresev (204-88) contributed with 18 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Five Ataman players scored in double figures. Serbian forward Nikola Lepojevic (199-82, agency: BeoExcell) answered with 21 points and 6 rebounds and guard Artem Isakov (192-87, agency: RIZO) added 11 points and 5 assists in the effort for Ural Ekaterinburg. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Ataman have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Newly promoted Ataman maintains second place with 6-1 record having just -5 point less than leader Ural Ekaterinb. Ural Ekaterinburg at the other side still keeps top position with three games lost. Ataman will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ural Ekaterinburg will play again at home against the league's second-placed Ataman in Rostov and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Ural Ekaterinb.: N.Lepojevic 21+6reb+3ast, L.Gordon 13+5reb, A.Isakov 11+2reb+5ast, S.Shashkov 8+5reb+2ast, D.Nikolaev 8+4reb+2ast, V.Ionov 6+5reb
Ataman: D.Zibirov 20+3reb+8ast, N.Gresev 18+5reb+1ast, I.Smygin 11+6reb+2ast, S.Vorotnikov 10+2ast, K.Pishchalnikov 10+4reb+1ast, N.Krylov 4+4reb+1ast
gschID: 155374




CSKA Moscow jumps to 5-0 in Euroleague - by Eurobasket News
CSKA - Unicaja 77-66

Fifth straight Euroleague win for CSKA Moscow this season. The Russian powerhouse outplayed Unicaja on Wednesday evening keeping the first place in Group B with perfect 5-0 record. The Malaga team dropped to 3-2. Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) exploded for the hosts with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. He was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 39. Milos Teodosic (195-G-87) top-scored in CSKA with 19 points and Nenad Krstic (213-C-83, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) added 12 pts, plus 7 rebs. Unicaja got 14 pts and 9 rebs from Joel Freeland (208-F-87). Tremmell Darden (194-G/F-81, college: Niagara) (5 rebs) and Kristaps Valters (190-G-81) scored 13 points each. CSKA had 21-point lead with 10:00 to go, but later Unicaja came to minus 6 keeping the drama alive into the final minute only to see Milos Teodosic ice the win with a three-pointer. Quarters: 12-14, 22-15, 28-12, 15-25. CSKA waits Zalgiris next week. Unicaja will host Euroleague champion Panathinaikos.

CSKA: Milos Teodosic 19, Andrei Kirilenko 17+9 boards+6 st, Nenad Krstic 12+7 boards
Unicaja: Joel Freeland 14+9 boards, Tremmell Darden 13+5 boards, Kristaps Valters 13

Standings - Superleague B
Superleague Standings
 1. Ural Ekaterinb. 8-3 
 2. Ataman 6-1 
 3. Univ.Surgut 6-3 
 4. TEMP-SUMZ 5-4 
 5. Severstal 5-5 
 6. Ruskon-Mord. 3-4 
 7. Rjazan 3-5 
 8. Spartak V. 2-8 
 9. Sojuz Zaretchny 1-6 


Stats Leaders - Superleague B
Points Per Game
 Nikola LEPOJEVIC
  Ural E.
  (199-F-82)
  Avg: 22.2
 1. Lepojevic, Ural E.22.2 
 2. Ageev, Ruskon-M.17.1 
 3. Gordon, Ural E.16.6 
 4. Pushkin, Sojuz Z.15.0 
 5. Kuznetsov, Ruskon.13.3 
 6. Zibirov, Ataman13.0 
 7. Lekavicius, Univ.S.11.9 
 8. Sotnikov, TE.11.3 
 9. Kirjanov, TE.11.3 
 10. Aleksandrov, Soju.11.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Andrey PETUKHOV
  Spart.
  (204-F-86)
  Avg: 8.6
 1. Petukhov, Spart.8.6 
 2. Ponosov, Sojuz Z.8.2 
 3. Ivlev, Rjazan7.9 
 4. Trushkin, Spart.6.5 
 5. Nikolaev, Ural E.6.0 
 6. Gresev, Ataman6.0 
 7. Kuznetsov, Ruskon.5.9 
 8. Polyakov, Severstal5.9 
 9. Lekavicius, Univ.S.5.8 
 10. Zaykin, TE.5.7 
Assists Per Game
 Linas LEKAVICIUS
  Univ.Sur.
  (186-G-84)
  Avg: 5.1
 1. Lekavicius, Univ.S.5.1 
 2. Zibirov, Ataman4.9 
 3. Slepukha, Sojuz Z.4.4 
 4. Glazunov, Ural E.4.4 
 5. Bartunov, Rjazan4.3 
 6. Isakov, Ural E.3.4 
 7. Aleksandrov, Sojuz3.2 
 8. Vokhmianine, TEMP-.3.0 
 9. Grebelnyy, Sever.2.8 
 10. Korchagin, Rjazan2.8 
Steals Per Game
 Dramir ZIBIROV
  Ataman
  (187-PG-86)
  Avg: 3.1
 1. Zibirov, Ataman3.1 
 2. Lekavicius, Univ.S.2.6 
 3. Ageev, Ruskon-M.2.1 
 4. Aleksandrov, Sojuz1.8 
 5. Semerninov, Ruskon.1.6 
 6. Vorotnikov, Ataman1.6 
 7. Smygin, Ataman1.6 
 8. Shashkov, Ural E.1.5 
 9. Ivlev, Rjazan1.5 
 10. Babitchev, Spart.1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Nikita GRESEV
  Ataman
  (204-F-88)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Gresev, Ataman1.9 
 2. Ponosov, Sojuz Z.1.8 
 3. Varlamov, Ural E.1.5 
 4. Tsvetkov, Severst.1.3 
 5. Sleta, Sojuz Z.1.0 
 6. Beliaev, Univ.Surg.1.0 
 7. Kuznetsov, Ruskon.0.9 
 8. Komarov, TE.0.9 
 9. Ekimov, Univ.Sur.0.9 
 10. Petukhov, Spart.0.9 


*****************************************************
  SCOTLAND   


Rocks put on a show in front of SKY, defeating the Sharks 82-64 - by Eurobasket News
BBL Championship
Glasgow Rocks 82 (19,44,60) (Mychal Green (193-G-83, college: Ohio) 23, Danny Huffor (193-G, college: Newberry) 18, Davis 16)

One Health Sharks Sheffield 64 (18,35,53) (Babalola/Dobbins 12, Nathan Reinking (188-G-73, college: Kent St.) 11)

Glasgow Rocks moved themselves into second position behind the Newcastle Eagles in the BBL Championship table thanks to an impressive 82-64 victory over the One Health Sharks Sheffield at Kelvin Hall on Sunday evening.

Both sides came into the contest looking to bounce back from defeats in their previous games and the match started cagily as they traded baskets throughout much of the opening period, but it was the Rocks that held a slender lead at 19-18 at the end of the quarter.

The Rocks started the second quarter the strongest as they bagged six of the opening eight points to lead 25-20. An Olu Babalola three-point play got the Sharks back to within two at 25-23, but the Rocks broke the game open with a 17-8 burst to take the score out to 42-31 with 2:48 left in the period and they maintained their advantage for the remainder of the half and headed into the locker rooms leading 44-35 at the interval.

In the second half the home side continued to extend their lead as a Mychal Mychal Green three-pointer sparked a 10-3 burst to take the score out to 57-40, but the visitors kept themselves in touch with their hosts as five points from Jimmy Langhurst helped the Sharks enjoy a 13-3 tear to close out the third quarter trailing by seven points at 60-53 heading into the final stanza.

In the final quarter the Rocks started strongly once again as a 7-2 burst to start the period took the score out to 67-55. The Sharks tried desperately to get themselves back into the contest but they could get no closer than nine points at 67-58 with six minutes remaining and the Rocks put the stamp on the victory with a 10-2 burst to take the score out to 80-62 with 2:07 remaining and they held on for the all-important victory.

Mychal Green led all scorers in the game with 23 points for the Rocks, while a combination of Babalola and Justin Dobbins led the scoring for the Sharks as they both netted 12 points each.
Courtesy of: http://www.glasgowrocks.co.uk

Standings
National League Standings
 1. Edinburgh K. 7-0 
 2. C.Eriksson F. 6-1 
 3. St.Mirren 5-1 
 4. Troon Tornadoes 5-2 
 5. Stirling Knights 3-4 
 6. Glasgow Univ. 2-4 
 7. Boroughmuir 2-5 
 8. Glasgow Storm 2-5 
 9. Dunfermline 1-6 
 10. Glasgow R. II 1-6 


*****************************************************
  SLOVAKIA   


Jones' 33-point game gives him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
27-year old swingman Anthony Jones (194-G/F-84) put on an amazing game in the last round for Handlova and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 13.
He had the game-high 33 points adding six assists for Handlova in his team's victory, helping them to beat Levice (#7, 5-7) 97-85. Handlova maintains the 6th position in league. Handlova is a typical solid league team placed somewhere in the middle or a little bit lower in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 6-6 record. Jones turned to be Handlova's top player in his first season with the team. Indiana Tech graduate has very impressive stats this year. Jones is league's best scorer averaging so far 29.2ppg and leads league in rebounds with 5.8rpg. Jones is in league's top in assists (2nd best: 5.8apg) and averages solid 2.5spg and 51.7% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Sean Hampton (195-F-75). He is American forward in his first season at Handlova. In the last game Hampton recorded impressive double-double of 27 points and 10 rebounds. Of course Handlova cruised to a 97-85 relatively comfortable win over slightly lower-ranked Levice (#7, 5-7). Handlova's 6th position in the standings has not changed. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 6-6 record is not bad and everything may still change. Hampton is a newcomer at Handlova and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Sinisa Stemberger (195-G-79) of Levice (#7). Stemberger scored 22 points and passed six assists. Despite Stemberger's great performance Levice lost 85-97 to slightly higher-ranked Handlova (#6, 6-6). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Levice ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 7 games, recording just five victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Stemberger could help Levice to bring them higher in the standings. Stemberger has a very solid season. In 4 games in Slovakia he scored 12.3ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Michael Bernard (205-C-78) of Levice - 23 points and 7 rebounds
5. Dejan Stojanovic (206-C-78) of Vahostav-Zilina - 23 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Marcus Kitts (205-F-89) of B.Bystrica - 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Louis Johnson (203-F/C-86) of Komarno - 11 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Corey Pelle (180-G-89) of Prievidza - 16 points and 6 rebounds
9. David Godbold (196-G-85) of Prievidza - 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Peter Dorazil (199-F/C-89) of B.Bystrica - 10 points and 11 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)

Spisska Nova Ves to take charges called by Play Commission. - by Tomas Kottra
Incident happened in for-played match between home BK 04 AC LB Spisska Nova Ves and BK SPU Bemaco Nitra.
The match was called earlier by the main referee after one of his colleagues was hit in his head by piece of chestnut. Bleeding head-injury was caused by an unsatisfied home-team supporter. At last, all three officials quit the match leaving last few seconds of match unexpired. At that moment, BK SPU Bemaco Nitra was decisively leading 81:69.
Play Commission charged BK 04 AC LB Spisska Nova Ves just slightly. Top-team lost the game 0:20 and a point from scoreboard. A fine charged 3.000 Euros. Commission also decided to lock home hall for two games. But since this was first incident in Spisska Nova Ves, commission decided to put team under probation until 5th of march 2012 with half of charge and two game lock-out.


Standings - D1
Extraliga Standings
 1. Nitra 9-3 
 2. Prievidza 8-4 
 3. Komarno 7-4 
 4. Nova Ves 7-5 
 5. Svit 6-5 
 6. Handlova 6-6 
 7. Levice 5-7 
 8. Vahostav-Zilina 3-8 
 9. B.Bystrica 1-10 


Stats Leaders - D1
Points Per Game
 Anthony JONES
  Handlova
  (194-G/F-84)
  Avg: 29.2
 1. Jones, Handlova29.2 
 2. Clemente, Nitra21.3 
 3. Vaden, Nitra19.4 
 4. Petty, Vahostav.19.4 
 5. Soska, Vahostav.18.2 
 6. Jones, Nova Ves18.0 
 7. Jones, Komarno17.9 
 8. Batka, Nova Ves17.9 
 9. Roberson, Svit17.5 
 10. Guede, Prievidza17.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Andrew JONES
  Nova Ves
  (208-F-87)
  Avg: 10.2
 1. Jones, Nova Ves10.2 
 2. Godbold, Prievidza8.5 
 3. Roberson, Svit8.4 
 4. Dorazil, B.Bystrica8.3 
 5. Majok, Nitra8.1 
 6. Losonsky, Nova Ves7.9 
 7. Mathis, Komarno7.5 
 8. Batka, Nova Ves7.4 
 9. Petty, Vahostav.7.2 
 10. Davis, Prievidza7.1 
Assists Per Game
 Corey JEFFERSON
  Nova Ves
  (183-G-85)
  Avg: 6.9
 1. Jefferson, Nova V.6.9 
 2. Jones, Handlova5.8 
 3. Petty, Vahostav.5.7 
 4. Jones, Komarno5.5 
 5. Cosic, Svit5.3 
 6. Phillips, Prievidza5.0 
 7. Kostomaj, Levice4.6 
 8. Clemente, Nitra4.5 
 9. Barisic, Handlova3.9 
 10. Grznar, B.Bystrica3.6 
Steals Per Game
 Perry PETTY
  Vahostav.
  (185-G-)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Petty, Vahostav.2.8 
 2. Pelle, Prievidza2.6 
 3. Jones, Handlova2.5 
 4. Jones, Komarno2.4 
 5. Phillips, Prievidza2.1 
 6. Jefferson, Nova V.2.0 
 7. Kostomaj, Levice2.0 
 8. Roberson, Svit1.9 
 9. Berkis, Svit1.8 
 10. Nuber, Nitra1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Ater MAJOK
  Nitra
  (208-F-87)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Majok, Nitra2.8 
 2. Batka, Nova Ves1.1 
 3. Johnson, Komarno0.8 
 4. Roberson, Svit0.8 
 5. Kitts, B.Bystrica0.8 
 6. Perrin, Vahostav.0.7 
 7. Golian, Handlova0.7 
 8. Davis, Prievidza0.6 
 9. Cvitanovic, Svit0.6 
 10. Mathis, Komarno0.6 


*****************************************************
  SLOVENIA   


Standings - 1A
Telemach Standings
 1. Helios 5-0 
 2. Elektra 4-1 
 3. Zlatorog 4-1 
 4. Rogaska 3-2 
 5. Sentjur 3-2 
 6. Geoplin Slovan 2-3 
 7. Polzela 2-3 
 8. Maribor Messer 2-4 
 9. Parklji 1-4 
 10. LTHcast Mercator 0-6 
Play in international cups:
 1. Krka - 
 2. Union Olimpija - 


Stats Leaders - 1A
Points Per Game
 Marko PAJIC
  Geoplin Slovan
  (204-F-92)
  Avg: 18.2
 1. Pajic, Geoplin Slo.18.2 
 2. Panic, Zlatorog18.0 
 3. Rizvic, Parklji17.4 
 4. Djugum, Geoplin16.6 
 5. Maric, Sentjur15.0 
 6. Nelson, Sentjur14.6 
 7. Prepelic, Helios14.4 
 8. Mahkovic, LTHcas.13.3 
 9. Drzic, Sentjur13.2 
 10. Rupnik, Geoplin13.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Milos MILJKOVIC
  Rogaska
  (204-F/C-84)
  Avg: 10.6
 1. Miljkovic, Rogaska10.6 
 2. Rizvic, Parklji9.6 
 3. Pajic, Geoplin Slo.9.2 
 4. Nuhanovic, Elektra8.8 
 5. Djugum, Geoplin8.2 
 6. Mucic, Maribor6.8 
 7. Nelson, Sentjur6.4 
 8. Maric, Sentjur5.8 
 9. Pasalic, Helios5.6 
 10. Drzic, Sentjur5.4 
Assists Per Game
 Luka RUPNIK
  Geoplin .
  (184-PG-93)
  Avg: 6.8
 1. Rupnik, Geoplin6.8 
 2. Vujasinovic, Zlato.5.2 
 3. Rembert, Sentjur5.0 
 4. Prepelic, Helios4.0 
 5. Jovanovic, Maribo.4.0 
 6. Gay, Helios3.8 
 7. Panic, Zlatorog3.6 
 8. Kobal, Parklji3.4 
 9. Miljkovic, Rogaska3.4 
 10. Tomic, Rogaska3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Tomaz MEZEK
  LTHcast .
  (180-G-84)
  Avg: 3.3
 1. Mezek, LTHcast3.3 
 2. Vujasinovic, Zlato.3.0 
 3. Kobal, Parklji2.6 
 4. Fon, Geoplin Slovan2.5 
 5. Podvrsnik, Polzela2.2 
 6. Lelic, Elektra2.0 
 7. Panic, Zlatorog2.0 
 8. Maric, Sentjur1.8 
 9. Hohler, Polzela1.8 
 10. Rembert, Sentjur1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Dmitry SVIRIDOV
  Polzela
  (212-C-85)
  Avg: 1.2
 1. Sviridov, Polzela1.2 
 2. Sebic, Sentjur1.2 
 3. Omic, Zlatorog1.2 
 4. Nelson, Sentjur1.0 
 5. Primorac, Sentjur1.0 
 6. Nuhanovic, Elektra1.0 
 7. Djugum, Geoplin1.0 
 8. Cresnar, Helios0.8 
 9. Bajramlic, Elektra0.8 
 10. Sebic, Polzela0.8 


*****************************************************
  SOUTH KOREA   


Rhodes' double-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
26-year old power forward Charles Rhodes (203-F/C-85) put on an amazing game in the last round for second-ranked Sonic Boom KT and receives a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 15.
He had a double-double of 30 points and 21 rebounds, while his team crushed ET Land (#5, 8-6) with 17-point margin 76-59. Sonic Boom KT is placed at 2nd position in league. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Sonic Boom KT will need more victories to improve their 10-5 record. It's Rhodes' second year at Sonic Boom KT and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Mississippi State University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Rhodes is in league's top in points (9th best: 18.3ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 11.7rpg) and averages solid 3.1bpg and 60.6% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Peter John Ramos (222-C-85) of Samsung Th.. He is American-Puerto Rican center in his first season at Samsung Th.. In the last game Ramos recorded impressive double-double of 31 points and 10 rebounds. Bad luck as Samsung Th. lost that game 66-76 to the higher-ranked Dongbu Promy (#1, 12-2). Samsung Th. managed to keep the same 9th spot in the standings. 10 lost games are too many comparing to just four victories Samsung Th. managed to get this year. Ramos is a newcomer at Samsung Th. and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 20.9ppg (#5). His other stats are also decent: 9.9rpg and 3.3apg.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Alexander Johnson (208-F-83) of SK Knights (#6). Johnson scored 28 points and grabbed thirteen rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of SK Knights, leading his team to a 80-73 win against slightly lower-ranked Mobis Phoebus (#7, 5-9). SK Knights needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 7 victories and 7 lost games. Johnson has a great season in South Korea. After 14 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 29.3ppg (best scorer) and rebounds with 14.3rpg (2nd best). He also has 1.1bpg and FGP: 61.0%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jackson Vroman (208-C/F-81) of ET Land - 18 points, 17 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Joo-Sung Kim (205-F/C-79) of Dongbu Promy - 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists
6. Rodney White (206-C/F-80) of Anyang KGC - 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Rodrique Benson (207-F/C-84) of Dongbu Promy - 16 points and 12 rebounds
8. Hyo-Bum Kim (195-G-83) of SK Knights - 21 points and 3 rebounds
9. Ji-Hyon Park (183-G-79) of Dongbu Promy - 15 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
10. Chan-Hee Park (190-G-87) of Anyang KGC - 13 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

Tight race for KBL Rookie of the Year - by Jerry Lee
You can only win the award once in your lifetime. - Oh Sek-Eun (200-C-87)

The race for the Korean Basketball Leagues Rookie of the Year is heating up as two former college teammates have shown impressive performances since the beginning of the season.

Its been just over a month that the league started, but Anyang Korea Ginseng Corporations center Oh Sek-Eun and Seoul SK Knights guard Kim Sun-hyung are so far the only two rookies who are averaging more than 10 points per game.

Both were key players in Chung-Ang Universitys 52 consecutive wins in college basketball last year and, not surprisingly, were the top two draft picks for the KBL this season. Oh was drafted first, followed by Kim.

Oh was expected to be the front-runner for the Rookie of the Year award before the league even started. The 24-year-old has been playing for the national team since 2008 and his statistics so far have proven why he was the No. 1 drafted player.

As of Monday, Oh scored 15.85 points per game, which is 13th overall and first among domestic players, excluding foreigners and mixed-blood players.

But Ohs performance shines more on the defensive side. At 2 meters (6 feet, 5 inches tall,) Oh collects 7.46 rebounds and 1.54 blocks per game. He is ranked fourth overall in block shots. Pundits rate Oh an aggressive player under the rim and say he is adjusting fast in the league in defense.

While Oh is growing up to be the next big man in the league, Kim is steadily impressing fans with his tireless movements. The 23-year-old is only 1.87 meters tall, but his powerful dunks are crowd favorites.

Kims statistics may be less impressive than Oh - 14.62 points and 3.08 assists per game - but experts are saying his contribution to the Knights is immeasurable. The Knights, led by interim coach Moon Kyung-eun, were originally considered to be on the bottom of the league, but they are currently sixth among 10 teams.

KBL history shows that Oh has the advantage to win the top rookie award. Among the 13 previous Rookie of the Year award winners, eight were No. 1 drafted players, while no player who was drafted second has won the award yet.

Kim said he is just thinking about improving his teams performance, but Oh revealed his intention to capture the award.


Standings
KBL Standings
 1. Dongbu Promy 13-2 
 2. Sonic Boom KT 10-5 
 3. Anyang KGC 9-5 
 4. KCC Egis 9-6 
 5. ET Land 8-6 
 6. SK Knights 7-7 
 7. LG Sakers 5-9 
 8. Mobis Phoebus 5-9 
 9. Samsung Th. 4-11 
 10. Daegu Orions 2-12 


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


Gran Canaria signs Alando Tucker - by Eurobasket News
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Alando Tucker (198-F-84, college: Wisconsin) is a new member of Gran Canaria. The American forward penned a deal for rest of the season. Tucker spent the last one in Russia. He averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 34 PBL games with Lokomotiv Kuban. In EuroChallenge, Tucker almost doubled his digits to 12.3 ppg and 3.9 rpg for 16 games. Lokomotiv reached EuroChallenge Finals and PBL Semis. Alando Tucker is a player with NBA experience. He played for the Phoenix Suns and Minnesota Timberwolves. Two years ago with the Suns he had 3.9 ppg for 11 games. Alando Tucker graduated at the University of Wisconsin in 2007.

Bilbao wins in Vitoria thanks to great finish - by Eurobasket News
Caja Laboral - Bizkaia Bilbao 84-89

Bizkaia Bilbao did a great job in Vitoria on Wednesday night. They grabbed 84-89 victory against Caja Laboral improving to 2-3 record in Group A (same as Nancy and Olympiakos). At the same time, Caja Laboral dropped to 3-2 sharing the first place with Fenerbahce Ulker and Benet Cantu. Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) was the leading player in victory with 21 points (valuation 27). Alex Mumbru (202-F-79) had 14, Marko Banic (205-F-84) 12, while D'or Fischer (211-C-81, college: W.Virginia) helped his team with 10 points and 7 rebounds. For the hosts, Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) shined with 26 points and 8 rebounds. Pablo Prigioni (191-G-77) and Fernando San Emeterio (198-F/G-84) scored 17 and 13 points respectively. Caja Laboral had 81-76 lead with something more than 3 minutes remaining. Kostas Vasiliadis and Marko Banic exploded in the finish helping their team to make crucial 0-11 run. Prigioni raced the other way for a layup plus free throw at 84-87 with still 4 seconds left, but Kostas Vasilaidis made sure on the other foul line, giving Bilbao a huge victory to celebrate on a short ride home. Quarters: 17-25, 19-16, 26-25, 22-23. In the next round, Bilbao will meet Olympiakos in another road game. Caja Laboral waits Fenerbahce Ulker.

Caja Laboral: Mirza Teletovic 26+8 boards, Pablo Prigioni 17, Fernando San Emeterio 13
Bizkaia Bilbao: Kostas Vasiliadis 21, Alex Mumbru 14, Marko Banic 12, D'or Fischer 10+7 boards

CSKA Moscow jumps to 5-0 in Euroleague - by Eurobasket News
CSKA - Unicaja 77-66

Fifth straight Euroleague win for CSKA Moscow this season. The Russian powerhouse outplayed Unicaja on Wednesday evening keeping the first place in Group B with perfect 5-0 record. The Malaga team dropped to 3-2. Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) exploded for the hosts with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. He was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 39. Milos Teodosic (195-G-87) top-scored in CSKA with 19 points and Nenad Krstic (213-C-83, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) added 12 pts, plus 7 rebs. Unicaja got 14 pts and 9 rebs from Joel Freeland (208-F-87). Tremmell Darden (194-G/F-81, college: Niagara) (5 rebs) and Kristaps Valters (190-G-81) scored 13 points each. CSKA had 21-point lead with 10:00 to go, but later Unicaja came to minus 6 keeping the drama alive into the final minute only to see Milos Teodosic ice the win with a three-pointer. Quarters: 12-14, 22-15, 28-12, 15-25. CSKA waits Zalgiris next week. Unicaja will host Euroleague champion Panathinaikos.

CSKA: Milos Teodosic 19, Andrei Kirilenko 17+9 boards+6 st, Nenad Krstic 12+7 boards
Unicaja: Joel Freeland 14+9 boards, Tremmell Darden 13+5 boards, Kristaps Valters 13

*****************************************************
  SWEDEN   


Standings - BasketEttan
Basketettan Standings
North
 1. Taby 6-1 
 2. Eagles 5-0 
 3. LF Future 5-0 
 4. Akropol 5-2 
 5. Blackeberg 5-2 
 6. Haga Haninge 4-3 
 7. Jarva Devils 4-3 
 8. Talje 3-4 
 9. Orongo 2-5 
 10. Eskilstuna 1-6 
 11. BG Lulea 0-7 
 12. Uppsala KFUM 0-7 
South
 1. Srbija 7-0 
 2. Malbas 6-0 
 3. Nassjo 5-2 
 4. Hoganas 5-2 
 5. Brahe Basket 4-2 
 6. Hogsbo 4-3 
 7. Helsingborg 3-3 
 8. Solna Branten 2-4 
 9. Eos 2-5 
 10. Fryshuset 1-6 
 11. Sanda 1-6 
 12. Norrkoping BK 0-7 


Tyler Laser replaces Stephen McDowell with Solna Vikings - by Andreas Eriksson
Solna Vikings have found their two new americans, they announced William Walker comeback to the club earlier in replacement of Avery Jukes - and now they have also signed Tyler Laser (185-G, agency: Warren Sports International) to replace Stephen McDowell (180-G-85). McDowell who was the leagues leading scorer agreed to part ways with team to let team get the defensive guard with size they needed and now they have him in Tyler Laser. Tyler Laser played point guard his first three seasons for Eastern Illinois University and was selected first team all-conference in 2010 and pre-season all-conference in 2011.

Stats Leaders - BasketEttan
Points Per Game
 Binyam FEGHADU
  Jarva D.
  (195-G-89)
  Avg: 26
 1. Feghadu, Jarva D.26.0 
 2. Fitzgerald, Malbas23.6 
 3. Banks, Taby20.7 
 4. Isaksson, Hogsbo20.5 
 5. Nordin, Taby19.0 
 6. Thorangen, Sanda18.8 
 7. Bergstrom, Black.18.2 
 8. Merzoug, Eagles18.0 
 9. Taylor, Eagles18.0 
 10. Vukovic, Helsingb.18.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Todorce PETKOVSKI
  Srbija
  (200-F-80)
  Avg: 13.3
 1. Petkovski, Srbija13.3 
 2. Ali Hussein, LF Fu.11.0 
 3. Vukovic, Helsingbo.10.8 
 4. Flink, Helsingborg10.3 
 5. Damjanovic, Nassjo10.3 
 6. Urban, Eskilstuna10.2 
 7. Hartmann, Akropol10.1 
 8. Ferizi, Malbas10.0 
 9. Isaksson, Hogsbo9.7 
 10. Nordin, Taby9.1 
Assists Per Game
 John FITZGERALD
  Malbas
  (193-G-84)
  Avg: 7.2
 1. Fitzgerald, Malbas7.2 
 2. Ghebremeskel, Eag.6.0 
 3. Kovacek, Talje5.6 
 4. Nouri, Blackeberg5.5 
 5. Henriks, Brahe B.4.7 
 6. Merzoug, Eagles4.6 
 7. Wazzi, Nassjo4.6 
 8. Banks, Taby4.4 
 9. Cedermarker, Srb.4.3 
 10. Panghulan, Black.4.3 
Steals Per Game
 Dragan DAMJANOVIC
  Eagles
  (203-F-88)
  Avg: 4
 1. Damjanovic, Eagles4.0 
 2. Feghadu, Jarva D.4.0 
 3. Hultman-Boye, Hag.3.4 
 4. Strazdauskas, Hog.3.3 
 5. Fitzgerald, Malbas3.0 
 6. Ghebremeskel, Eag.3.0 
 7. Karovic, Eos3.0 
 8. Wazzi, Nassjo2.9 
 9. Bankhead Ba., Ho.2.8 
 10. Zurovac, Srbija2.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Andre NILSSON
  Orongo
  (204-F/C-84)
  Avg: 4.5
 1. Nilsson, Orongo4.5 
 2. Taylor, Eagles3.2 
 3. Flink, Helsingborg2.8 
 4. Sinani, Malbas1.8 
 5. Bergstrom, Black.1.7 
 6. Neffati, Norrkopi.1.6 
 7. Rawlins, Up.1.5 
 8. Fitzgerald, Malbas1.4 
 9. Robinson, Brahe B.1.3 
 10. Damjanovic, Nassjo1.3 


*****************************************************
  TURKEY   


Turk Telekom 0-2 in FIBA EuroChallenge play - by Pervin Elgin
In the second game of FIBA EuroChallenge group stage Turk Telekom lost 80-87 (17-21, 21-20, 19.23, 23-23) to Telekom Baskets Bonn. In front of 3.910 spectators the turkish cup winner from 2008 started flat into the contest trailing early (2-11, 3.). Led by former NBA All Star Mehmet Okur (19 points, 7 rebounds) Ankara fought back into the came, but could never get a good rhythm going. Besides Okur only Darius Washington (20 points) and Ali Karadeniz (22 points) emerged on the offensive end. Late in the third quarter Bonn pulled away thanks to Jared Jordan (18 points, 12 assists) and homegrown product Fabian Thlig (9 points). Thlig converted on a vicious three point play to end the third stanza (57-64, 30.) and grabbed an offensive rebounds to dish the assist to Jordan for a triple (57-67, 31.). Later on the 22 year-old connected on two treys of his own to seal the deal (64-80, 36.). Ankara fought valliantly, but did not have enough left in the tank to launch a comeback.

Being 0-2 puts Ankara with their backs against the wall before next weeks matchup against unbeaten BC Minsk 2006.

Fenerbahce Ulker escapes with OT win against Bennet Cantu - by Eurobasket News
Fenerbahce Ulker - Bennet Cantu 85-83 OT

Fenerbahce Ulker had to work very hard to beat Bennet Cantu on Wednesday night. The reigning Turkish champion celebrated 85-83 OT win at the end joining the Italians and Caja Laboral on top of Group A with 3-2 record. Fener had a chance to win this game in regular time, as they had the last possession at 73-73 tie, but Roko-Leni Ukic missed a floating shot at the buzzer. The hosts made 83-77 with 19 seconds to go in OT, what was too much for Cantu despite mini 2-6 run. Omer Onan (194-G-78) top-scored in victory with 18 points. Thabo Sefolosha (196-G-84, agency: ACMT) had 14 points and 7 rebounds, while Oguz Savas (212-C-87) added 13 points and 5 boards. In Cantu, Gianluca Basile (192-G-75) and Nicolas Mazzarino (181-G-75, agency: Players Group) delivered 12 points each. Maarten Leunen (206-F-85, college: Oregon) followed them with 11 points and 6 rebs. Quarters: 17-19, 15-16, 24-17, 17-21, 12-10. Fenerbahce Ulker goes to Vitoria next week. Cantu will play in Nancy.

Fenerbahce Ulker: Omer Onan 18, Thabo Sefolosha 14+7 boards, Oguz Savas 13+5 boards
Bennet Cantu: Gianluca Basile 12, Nicolas Mazzarino 12, Maarten Leunen 11+6 boards

Fenerbahce Ulker beats Bennet Cantu in overtime to make it three in a row - by Pervin Elgin
After losing the first two games in Group A of the Turkish Airline Euroleague, Fenerbahce Ulker beat the Italian Bennet Cantu in overtime. After a 73-73 tie in regular time, Ulker grabbed a 85-83 victory to make it three wins in a row. Omer Onan scored 18 points, Thabo Sefolosha 14 and Oguz Savas 13.

After a scoreless first minute Thabo Sefolosha opened the score for Ulker from the free-throw line. Cantu responded and took the lead: 6-9 with 6 minutes played. After that, both teams finally started to produce scores. Cantu extended the lead, but Bogdanovic and Onan scored in the last minute from the free-throw line. Ulker completed the period still trailing the Italians with 17-19.

In the first minutes of the second period Bogdanovic and Onan turned things around and brought Fenerbahce back in the lead again: 24-23, and, moments later, 28-25. After that Bennet Cantu's defence closed ranks, and David Lightly and Maarten Leunen guided the Italians to a 32-35 lead at halftime.

The third period started with mutual baskets. Cantu extended the lead to 36-40, but Gasper Vidmar and James Gist put Fenerbahce back on track again with a 6-0 run: 44-42 after 25 minutes of playing time. Jerrrells, Bogdanovic and Oguz contributed in the final minutes and Fenerbahce finished the period with a 56-52 lead.

In the fourth period Ulker pulled up the difference to 9 points, 65-56, but lead by Basile and Micov the Italians reduced the gap to the smallest of margins: 67-66 with 1.5 minutes of playing time left. Fenerbahce hung on to the lead, made it 72-70 and added another point with a free throw by Savas, but Cantu's Mazzarino levelled the scores again by a three-pointer with only seconds left to play. Ulker's Roko-Leni Ukic missed a shot at the buzzer, which took the game to overtime.

Fenerbahce started the overtime well with Omer Onan producing scores from the free throw line. A three-point basket by Sefolosha resulted in a 81-77 lead, and Italian fouls extended the lead to 83-77. A final attempt by Bennet Cantu to grab the victory was held off, and Ulker closed the overtime with a 85-83 victory, joining the Italians and Caja Laboral on top of Group A with a 3-2 record. In next weeks game, Fenerbahce will travel to Spain to battle Laboral.

*****************************************************
  UGANDA   


Power and Warriors On Course for Finale - by Eurobasket News
With the post-season finally here, the most eagerly anticipated phase of the basketball season starts tomorrow as Warriors take on Canons while Power squares off against Eagles.

Felix Eupal previews the best-of-five series that will separate boys from men.

Kyambogo Warriors V UCU Canons


It's unlikely the matchup will live up to last season's epic that stretched to five games before Warriors prevailed to the final. One thing for sure is that it will be a lively contest as long as it lasts. The Canons have struggled all season and nearly missed out on the fourth and last playoff slot.

That they also lost both regular season games to Warriors signals how one-sided this tie looks on paper. Add to the mix a depleted squad and Nick Natuhereza, the Canons coach, will need divine intervention to overcome the favourites.

The Malinga brothers Eric and Henry, alongside Michael Kariuki (195-F), are dominant in the paint, which explains why Warriors had the best defence all season.

Last weekend, Warriors edged Power to snatch the top seeding and should Warriors star man Ivan Enabu maintain his wizardry, the series could be up in just three games.

Prediction: Warriors set for clean sweep.

Dmark Power V Miracle Eagles

Against Warriors, Power conspired to let a six-point lead turn into a two-point loss with just one and a half minutes on the clock to shake their rock solid confidence. However, they have all the qualities to defend their title.

'The match was a lesson of the things we don't need to do in the dying minutes,' says Bannes Ankunda, the Power coach.

On the other hand, Miracle may boast of the league's two biggest names in Norman Blick (201-F-83) and Stephen Omony (198-G/F-79), but the team has one big flaw; a lack of focus. This explains why they lost four of their last five games of the regular season.

Blick and Omony may not be enemies but neither have they ever been the best of friends, and if Miracle is to qualify for their first ever playoff final, the egoistic pair have to be hugely involved in teamwork.

Often times when Miracle is trailing, we have seen Omony abandon his biggest strength as a shooting guard and instead switch to play point guard. The confusion and lack of balance of roles best answers why they have had a poor offence this season.

Joe Burua, the Eagles coach, has to go back to the drawing board to get a formula to stop two more Enabu brothers; Jimmy and Emmanuel, who define Power's offence.

Prediction: Power to advance 3-1
Courtesy of: The Observer (Kampala)


*****************************************************
  UKRAINE   


Standings - Superleague
Superleague Standings
 1. Budivelnyk 10-1 
 2. Azovmash 8-2 
 3. BC Donetsk 8-4 
 4. BC Kyiv 7-4 
 5. Dnipro 7-4 
 6. Hoverla 7-5 
 7. Khimik 7-5 
 8. BC Odessa 7-5 
 9. Ferro-ZNTU 6-5 
 10. Mykolaiv 4-7 
 11. Cherkasy 3-8 
 12. DniproAzot 2-9 
 13. Halychyna 2-10 
 14. Kryvbasbasket 1-10 


Stats Leaders - Men
Points Per Game
 Willie SOLOMON
  Cherkasy
  (187-G-78)
  Avg: 20.7
 1. Solomon, Cherkasy20.7 
 2. Burtt, Dnipro19.9 
 3. King, BC Odessa18.5 
 4. Culpepper, Fe.18.1 
 5. Stojanovski, Cherk.17.8 
 6. Guinn, Fe.17.7 
 7. Davis, Kryvbasb.17.6 
 8. Green, Mykolaiv17.2 
 9. Deane, BC Odessa17.2 
 10. Minard, Azovmash17.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Shawn KING
  BC Odessa
  (208-C-82)
  Avg: 10.5
 1. King, BC Odessa10.5 
 2. Davis, Kryvbasb.9.6 
 3. Korniyenko, Dnipro9.0 
 4. Davis, Fe.8.4 
 5. Hunter, Mykolaiv8.1 
 6. Fraser, DniproAzot8.1 
 7. Shvets, BC Kyiv7.9 
 8. Coleman, Hoverla7.8 
 9. Goodridge, BC Kyiv7.7 
 10. Odufuwa, Halychy.7.7 
Assists Per Game
 Derrick ZIMMERMAN
  BC Kyiv
  (191-G-81)
  Avg: 7
 1. Zimmerman, BC Kyiv7.0 
 2. Burtt, Dnipro6.0 
 3. Ewing, Azovmash5.5 
 4. Mitchell, Khimik5.3 
 5. Deane, BC Odessa5.3 
 6. Morovic, Halychyna5.0 
 7. Ervin, BC Kyiv4.9 
 8. Solomon, Cherkasy4.8 
 9. Rybalko, Fe.4.4 
 10. Vaughn, Mykolaiv4.4 
Steals Per Game
 Rinalds SIRSNINS
  DniproAzot
  (186-PG-85)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Sirsnins, DniproAz.2.2 
 2. Ewing, Azovmash2.1 
 3. House, Dnipro2.1 
 4. Tiggs, Hoverla2.0 
 5. Curry, BC Donetsk1.8 
 6. Chappell, Fe.1.7 
 7. Nelson, BC Donetsk1.6 
 8. Mitchell, Khimik1.6 
 9. Miletic, Khimik1.5 
 10. Low, Dnipro1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Shawn KING
  BC Odessa
  (208-C-82)
  Avg: 2.7
 1. King, BC Odessa2.7 
 2. McClintock, Mykola.2.6 
 3. Gorbenko, Dnipr.2.0 
 4. Rizvic, Azovmash1.7 
 5. Korniyenko, Dnipro1.6 
 6. Davis, Kryvbasb.1.6 
 7. Goodridge, BC Kyiv1.4 
 8. Coleman, Hoverla1.4 
 9. Wallace, Halychyna1.4 
 10. Hunter, Mykolaiv1.4 


*****************************************************
  UNITED KINGDOM   


Standings - BBL
BBL Standings
 1. Newcastle E. 4-0 
 2. Leicester R. 3-0 
 3. Glasgow Rocks 3-2 
 4. Worcester W. 2-0 
 5. Cheshire Jets 2-3 
 6. Plymouth R. 1-0 
 7. Durham W. 1-1 
 8. MK Lions 1-3 
 9. Sheffield S. 1-3 
 10. Mersey Tigers 0-1 
 11. Guildford Heat 0-5 


BBL Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Demarius BOLDS
  MK Lions
  (190-G-84)
  Avg: 25.8
 1. Bolds, MK Lions25.8 
 2. Bell, Plymouth R.25.0 
 3. Teel, Leopards22.5 
 4. Sullivan, Leiceste.20.8 
 5. Bucci, Durham W.20.0 
 6. Smith, Newcastl.19.7 
 7. Brown, Cheshire.19.7 
 8. Green, Glasgow19.0 
 9. Chapman, Newcastl.18.8 
 10. Prezzie-Blue, Wor.18.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Daniel NORTHERN
  MK Lions
  (206-F/C-85)
  Avg: 12.2
 1. Northern, MK Lions12.2 
 2. Schneck, Cheshire.12.0 
 3. Dobbins, Sheffield11.7 
 4. Tuck, Sheffield S.10.0 
 5. Thomson, Newcastl.9.6 
 6. Williams, Plymouth9.4 
 7. Gordon, Worceste.9.0 
 8. Cole, Cheshire Jets8.7 
 9. Bolds, MK Lions8.4 
 10. Hardy, Leicester8.2 
Assists Per Game
 Ralph BUCCI
  Durham W.
  (193-G-75)
  Avg: 5
 1. Bucci, Durham W.5.0 
 2. Teel, Leopards5.0 
 3. Green, Glasgow4.6 
 4. Flournoy, Newcastl.4.5 
 5. Bolds, MK Lions4.4 
 6. Brown, Cheshire.4.3 
 7. Prezzie-Blue, Worc.4.2 
 8. Chapman, Newcastl.4.1 
 9. Rundles, Leiceste.4.0 
 10. Bell, Plymouth R.4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Demarius BOLDS
  MK Lions
  (190-G-84)
  Avg: 3.8
 1. Bolds, MK Lions3.8 
 2. Teel, Leopards3.0 
 3. Smith, Newcastl.2.7 
 4. Bucci, Durham W.2.5 
 5. Gause, Newcastl.2.0 
 6. Green, Glasgow1.9 
 7. Bailey, Mersey Tig.1.8 
 8. Hardy, Leicester R.1.8 
 9. Brown, Cheshire.1.7 
 10. McLemore, Guildf.1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Justin DOBBINS
  Sheffield S.
  (203-C/F-87)
  Avg: 1.7
 1. Dobbins, Sheffield1.7 
 2. Royster, Leiceste.1.5 
 3. Northern, MK Lions1.4 
 4. Cole, Cheshire Jets1.3 
 5. Williams, Plymouth1.2 
 6. Madourie, Newcastl.1.0 
 7. Youngblood, Leices.1.0 
 8. Gordon, Worceste.1.0 
 9. Sullivan, Leiceste.0.8 
 10. Jones, Plymouth0.6 


Heat Ink Lasker - by Paul Nilsen
American point guard Andrew Lasker (188-G-82, college: Point Loma) is joining Guildford Heat. Having played five seasons for Plymouth Raiders and played several games for Newcastle Eagles last season, Lasker's wealth of experience and proven track record in the BBL will be a big boost to Guildford Heat.

Creon Raftopoulos commented, 'I was looking at a lot of exciting rookies who could potentially replace Brandon Shingles. When I found out that Drew was available, I snapped him up! He is an experienced point guard who has averaged over 15 points per game in this league. He will fit perfectly into our style of up-tempo basketball and high energy on defence.'

Andrew Lasker added, 'When I first came to the UK in 2005, Guildford Heat were known as one of the top teams in the country. I am very familiar with the Heat's history and what the club stands for. The club has been making some good changes recently and I'm really looking forward to joining and doing my bit to help turn things around.'

For a chance to see Andrew Lasker in action, as well as Heat's other American newcomer, Mike Copeland, come to Surrey Sports Park on Sunday 20 November. Guildford Heat will be playing a friendly against Brixton Topcats at 3.00pm.

Creon Raftolpoulos commented, 'TopCats are in EBL Division 1 and have some of the most talented London players. It will be a competitive game and will give our new guys the perfect opportunity to gel with the team before our upcoming home game against Worcester Wolves in front of the Sky Sports TV cameras on 4 December.'

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  URUGUAY   


Hebraica win its 12th game in a row - by Hector Lopez
Hebraica Macabi beat Montevideo BBC 89-71, winning its 12th game in a row to tie a LUB record, after the 12th round. For Hebraica Gustavo Barrera (194-G-85) netted 18 points with 9 assists, Kodi Augustus (203-F-87, college: Mississippi St.) adedd 15 poins 2 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Hatila Passos (211-C-86, college: N.Mexico St.) scored 13 with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks. For Montevideo, Cheyenne Moore (198-G-84, college: Georgetown, KY) 19 points and Otis Polk (206-C-88, college: Bowling Green) 7 points 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Other results:
Defensor Sporting 77 - Christopher Jackson (208-C-81, college: N.Mexico St.) 20 points 10 rebounds, Juan Pablo Silveira (191-G-86, college: Weber St.) 19 points, Robert Ferguson (203-F/C-85, college: St.Joseph's) 5 points 5 rebounds
Cader 76 - Willard Crews (203-F-88, college: Bowie St.) 17 points 8 rebounds 6 assists, Terry Evans (196-F-86, college: Wisc.-Green Bay) 12 points 6 rebounds
- - -
Olimpia 80 - Javier Alvarez (193-G-83) 24 points, Torre Johnson (198-F-85, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) 23 points 6 rebounds 3 blocks, Marques Lewis (203-C-83, college: UAB) 4 points 5 rebounds
Guruyu Waston 63 - Jermaine Watson (193-G-81, college: Boston Coll.) 12 points 5 rebounds, Kevin Martin (208-C-83, college: Florida Gulf Coast) 5 points 1 rebound 1 block
- - -
Larre Borges 87 - Justin Keenan (201-F/C-88, college: Ferris St.) 29 points 10 rebounds 2 assists, Kristian Clarkson (202-F-84, agency: TSS Management, college: Widener) 26 points 6 rebounds 1 block 3 assists
Union Atletica 70 - Sebastian Izaguirre (207-C/F-85) 16 points 10 rebounds, Will Caudle (206-C-82, college: Xavier) 8 points 10 rebounds, Elgrace Wilborn (203-F-83, college: W.Kentucky) 5 points 7 rebounds 2 blocks
- - -
Bigue 83 - Leandro Garcia Morales (186-G-80, college: Texas A&M) 27 points 10 rebounds, 6 assists, Jason Blair (201-F/C-79, college: San Diego) 4 points 4 rebounds
Welcome 79 - Claudio Charquero (207-C-77) 21 points 10 rebounds, Jimmy Boston (201-F-77, college: N.C.Central) 14 points 8 rebounds, Kevin Nelson (192-G-84, college: Park) 12 points 3 rebounds
- - -
Bohemios 79 - Jaycen Herring (196-G/F-86, college: SE Missouri St.) 25 points 7 rebounds, Jamaal Douglas (201-F-85, agency: Dynamics Global Management, college: E.Kentucky) 12 points 10 rebounds
Sayago 76 - Grady Reynolds (198-F-80, agency: Strategic Sports, college: St.John's) 19 points 7 rebounds, Terence Shelman 23 points 13 rebounds 1 block


Standings - LUB
LUB Standings
Capital
 1. Hebraica 11-0 
 2. Defensor 9-3 
 3. Malvin 7-2 
 4. Bigua 7-4 
 5. Trouville 6-4 
 6. Welcome 6-5 
 7. Aguada 5-5 
 8. Olimpia 5-6 
 9. Guruyu Waston 5-7 
 10. Bohemios 5-7 
 11. Larre Borges 5-7 
 12. Un.Atletica 4-7 
 13. Montevideo 4-7 
 14. Sayago 4-8 
 15. Cordon 3-7 
 16. Cader 2-9 
Littoral
 1. Anastasia 3-0 
 2. Wanderers 2-1 
 3. Remeros 1-1 
 4. Juventus Salto 0-2 
 5. Universitario S. 0-2 
South
 1. Lagomar 2-0 
 2. Maldonado 1-0 
 3. Plaza 1-1 
 4. Lavalleja 1-2 
 5. Flores Trinidad 0-2 




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Women News

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  ADRIATIC LEAGUE - Women  


Krajinsk adds Sanja Knezevic - by Zeljko Zule
Bosnian champion Mladi Krajisnik bolstered its frontcourt with the signing Montenegrin national team member Sanja Knezevic (188-F/C-84). She arrives from Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje for whom she averaged 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 asissts in 21 Adriatic League games last season. Knezevic has averaged 1.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2 European Championship 2011 with Montenegro.
Buducnost inked Biljana Pekovic of Roling Niksic.



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  BALTIC LEAGUE - Women  


Preskienyte's 17 points and 8 rebounds give her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
18-year old center Ieva Preskienyte (193-C-93) put on an amazing game in the last round for Kibirkstis-Tiche and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 3.
She had the game-high 17 points adding eight rebounds for Kibirkstis-Tiche in her team's victory, helping them to outclass, the league's bottom-ranked team TTT Juniores (#6, 0-3) with 32-point margin 96-64. Kibirkstis-Tiche maintains the 4th position in . Kibirkstis-Tiche is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 1-2 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Preskienyte as usually she does not deliver so high stats. Ieva Preskienyte averages just after three games 6.3ppg.

Second best performed player last round was Sahellie Daniels (170-G-84). She is American guard in her first season at Kibirkstis-Tiche. In the last game Daniels recorded impressive 5 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists. Of course together with Preskienyte she helped Kibirkstis-Tiche with another comfortable win outscoring TTT Juniores (0-3) 96-64. The season is still at the very beginning and this victory may help a lot. Let's wait for the next round. Daniels is a newcomer at Kibirkstis-Tiche and despite he is not a team leader yet, every game he becomes more reliable player. Hopefully performances like the last one will happen more often.

Third place about best performers goes to center Kristina Alminaite (204-C-90) of league's second-best Sirenos. Alminaite showcased her all-around game by recording 7 points, eleven rebounds (!!!) and four assists in the last round. Despite Alminaite's great performance Sirenos lost 58-75 to #1 ranked TTT Riga. But her team cannot count on just a single player as she also needs help of the other teammates especially in such crucial game. The last thing Sirenos needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 2 victories and 1 lost games. Alminaite has a great season in Baltic League. After only 3 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 8.3rpg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Gunta Basko (181-F-80) of TTT Riga - 19 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Ieva Krastina (175-G/F-90) of TTT Riga - 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Ruta Veidere (188-C-94) of TTT Juniores - 20 points and 4 rebounds
7. Greta Sniokaite (180-G-91) of Kibirkstis-Tiche - 13 points and 4 rebounds
8. Sabine Niedola (184-F-91) of TTT Riga - 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Linda Sarja (180-G-91) of TTT Juniores - 21 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Gunta Basko (181-F-80) of TTT Riga - 20 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists

The Player of the week is choosen 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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  BELARUS - Women  


Standings - Women
Premier League Standings
 1. Gorizont 4-0 
 2. Minsk-2006 3-0 
 3. Olimpia 2-2 
 4. Berezina 2-2 
 5. Victoria 1-3 
 6. BrGU 0-2 
 7. Sozh Gomel 0-3 


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  BELGIUM - Women  


Dexia Namur hands 73-64 loss to AD Vagos - by Eurobasket News
Dexia Namur - AD Vagos 73-64

Dexia Namur was too strong for AD Vagos on Wednesday night. The Belgian squad registered 73-64 home victory for 2-1 record in Group B of the EuroCup regular season. Vagos stays winless after three games. Ify Ibekwe (187-PF-89, agency: LBM Management, college: Arizona) came up with double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds for the hosts (valuation 29). Laurence VanMalderen (192-C-81, agency: LBM Management) followed her with 15 points and 5 rebs, and Chandrea Jones (175-SF-87, agency: LBM Management, college: Syracuse) added 14 pts. In defeat, Joana Lopes (185-SF-86) was better than the others with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Flavia Santos (187-C-82) and Ana Teixeira (185-C-79) had 11 and 10 pts respectively. Quarters: 26-11, 15-16, 16-19, 16-18. Dexia will meet Optumum TED as a guest in the next round. Vagos goes to Nantes.

Dexia Namur: Ify Ibekwe 20+15 boards, Laurence VanMalderen 15+5 boards, Chandrea Jones 14
AD Vagos: Joana Lopes 17+5 boards, Flavia Santos 11, Ana Teixeira 10

Young Cats beats Telge Basket in overtime - by Eurobasket News
Young Cats - Telge 84-79 OT

Young Cats had to work very hard to beat Telge Basket on Wednesday evening. The hosts grabbed 84-79 OT victory at the end jumping to 2-1 record in Group B of the EuroCup regular season. The Swedish representative at the same time dropped to 1-2 in this pool. Emma Meesseman (192-C-93) led the hosts with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Sofie Hendrickx (186-PF-86) (7 rebs) and Jasmina Rosseel (172-G-89, college: Drexel) delivered 16 points each. In Telge, Binta Drammeh (180-F-92) collected 21 points and 10 rebounds. Cleopatra Forsman-Goga (180-SG-91) had 16 pts and 11 rebs, while Salome Kabengano (177-G/F-92) had 14 pts and 7 rebs. Quarters: 10-19, 22-22, 16-14, 24-17, 12-7 OT. Young Cats will meet Besitkas as a guest in the next round. Telge will play another road game, this time against Dynamo-GUVD.

Young Cats: Emma Meesseman 18+9 boards, Sofie Hendrickx 16+7 boards, Jasmina Rosseel 16
Telge: Binta Drammeh 21+10 boards, Cleopatra Forsman-Goga 16+11 boards, Salome Kabengano 14+7 boards

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  CHINA - Women  


Standings - WCBA
WCBA Standings
 1. Shanghai 4-0 
 2. Zhejiang 3-1 
 3. Beijing 3-1 
 4. Liaoning 3-1 
 5. Yunnan 3-1 
 6. Shenyang 3-1 
 7. Guangdong 2-2 
 8. Jiangsu 2-2 
 9. Heilongjiang 1-3 
 10. Bayi 0-4 
 11. Henan 0-4 
 12. Shandong 0-4 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 YuJing WANG
  Heilongjiang
  (178-G-90)
  Avg: 25
 1. Wang, Heilongjiang25.0 
 2. Fu, Heilongjiang23.3 
 3. Miao, Shenyang22.8 
 4. Bian, Zhejiang22.7 
 5. Cash, Guangdong22.0 
 6. Ji, Shandong21.3 
 7. Camille, Shanghai21.0 
 8. Ma, Heilongjiang20.0 
 9. Taylor, Yunnan19.8 
 10. Shi, Shanghai19.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 YuJing WANG
  Heilongjiang
  (178-G-90)
  Avg: 17
 1. Wang, Heilongjiang17.0 
 2. Mattera, Zhejiang16.3 
 3. Fu, Heilongjiang14.7 
 4. Black, Shandong12.5 
 5. Cash, Guangdong11.0 
 6. Amy, Jiangsu10.5 
 7. Zhou, Zhejiang10.0 
 8. Anosike, Beijing10.0 
 9. Ruili, Liaoning9.0 
 10. Camille, Shanghai8.8 
Assists Per Game
 LiJie MIAO
  Shenyang
  (180-G-81)
  Avg: 6.5
 1. Miao, Shenyang6.5 
 2. Wang, Shanghai5.3 
 3. Ma, Heilongjiang5.0 
 4. Chen, Jiangsu4.5 
 5. Cash, Guangdong4.3 
 6. Bian, Zhejiang4.3 
 7. Ma, Liaoning4.0 
 8. Ji, Heilongjiang3.8 
 9. Shi, Zhejiang3.8 
 10. Kim, Beijing3.5 
Steals Per Game
 Xaoxin MA
  Heilongjiang
  (193-C-91)
  Avg: 6
 1. Ma, Heilongjiang6.0 
 2. Shuang, Shenyang4.3 
 3. Wang, Zhejiang4.0 
 4. Li, Jiangsu3.8 
 5. Liu, Yunnan3.3 
 6. Camille, Shanghai2.8 
 7. Anosike, Beijing2.8 
 8. Bian, Zhejiang2.7 
 9. Zhang, Henan2.5 
 10. Wang, Shanghai2.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Lindsay TAYLOR
  Yunnan
  (203-C-81)
  Avg: 3.5
 1. Taylor, Yunnan3.5 
 2. Ruili, Liaoning2.5 
 3. Wang, Heilongjiang2.0 
 4. Zhou, Zhejiang2.0 
 5. Anosike, Beijing1.8 
 6. Black, Shandong1.8 
 7. Fu, Heilongjiang1.7 
 8. Nuo, Jiangsu1.5 
 9. Wei, Guangdong1.3 
 10. Mattera, Zhejiang1.3 


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  CZECH REPUBLIC - Women  


USK Praha snatch win in Gyor - by Eurobasket News
Gyor - USK Praha 71:75

USK Praha returned to winning ways in Euroleague after they edged Gyor in Hungary today. The victory allowed the Czech powerhouse improve at 3-3 record in Group A. Katerina Elhotova (180-G-89) scored 19 points to lead the effort. Gyor fell at 1-5 record after the loss.
USK Praha and Gyor stayed close throughout the opening frame. The hosts secured a narrow 20:19 lead after ten minutes. The Hungarian team maintained the pressure in the second quarter. They established a 36:34 halftime lead. But USK Praha turned things around in the third quarter. The visitors stiffened defence limiting their opponents to just 12 points in the period. USK Praha grabbed a 51:48 advantage with one quarter remaining. Gyor pulled back in front late in the fourth quarter. They ensured a 68:63 advantage with under four minutes remaining. However Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) and Kulichova nailed five points in a row to erase the deficit. Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) put the hosts back in front but Eva Viteckova immediately responded with a triple to give USK Praha a 71:70 lead. Penicheiro then nailed four free throws in the dying seconds and sealed the win for the visitors. Eva Viteckova accounted for 18 points, while Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: George Washington) had 14 points in the victory. Quanitra Hollingsworth (196-C-88, college: VCU) responded with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Gyor. Iva Ciglar had 14 points in the loss.

Gyor: Quanitra Hollingsworth 18+10 boards, Iva Ciglar 14
USK Praha: Katerina Elhotova 19, Eva Viteckova 18, Anna Montanana 14

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  EUROCUP - Women  


Round Three: Wednesday's games - by Eurobasket News
GROUP A

Dynamo Moscow - Botas 75-89
Botas did a great job in Moscow on Wednesday night. The Turkish squad downed their host Dynamo 75-89 for perfect 3-0 record in Group A of the EuroCup regular season. This is the first loss for Dynamo, who dropped to second place with 2-1 score. Courtney Paris (193-C-87, college: Oklahoma) exploded for the guests with 22 points and 15 rebounds (valuation 35!). Quianna Chaney (180-G/F-86, college: LSU) (6 rebs, 6 as) and Burcu Cigil (180-G/F-90) secured a great help adding 17 points each. In the loosing squad, Elena Kharchenko (194-C-83, agency: LBM Management) collected 16 points and 6 rebs. Ekaterina Sytnyak (185-PF-82, agency: LBM Management) and Veronika Dorosheva (188-PF-91) stopped to 12 points each. Quarters: 24-25, 16-17, 16-23, 19-24. Botas will meet Lombos Quinta at home. Dynamo will host Gorizont.

Dynamo Moscow: Elena Kharchenko 16+6 boards, Ekaterina Sytnyak 12, Veronika Dorosheva 12
Botas: Courtney Paris 22+15 boards, Quianna Chaney 17+6 boards+6 as, Burcu Cigil 17


GROUP B

Young Cats - Telge 84-79 OT
Young Cats had to work very hard to beat Telge Basket on Wednesday evening. The hosts grabbed 84-79 OT victory at the end jumping to 2-1 record in Group B of the EuroCup regular season. The Swedish representative at the same time dropped to 1-2 in this pool. Emma Meesseman (192-C-93) led the hosts with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Sofie Hendrickx (186-PF-86) (7 rebs) and Jasmina Rosseel (172-G-89, college: Drexel) delivered 16 points each. In Telge, Binta Drammeh (180-F-92) collected 21 points and 10 rebounds. Cleopatra Forsman-Goga (180-SG-91) had 16 pts and 11 rebs, while Salome Kabengano (177-G/F-92) had 14 pts and 7 rebs. Quarters: 10-19, 22-22, 16-14, 24-17, 12-7 OT. Young Cats will meet Besitkas as a guest in the next round. Telge will play another road game, this time against Dynamo-GUVD.

Young Cats: Emma Meesseman 18+9 boards, Sofie Hendrickx 16+7 boards, Jasmina Rosseel 16
Telge: Binta Drammeh 21+10 boards, Cleopatra Forsman-Goga 16+11 boards, Salome Kabengano 14+7 boards


GROUP C

Nantes - Optimum TED 94-70
Nantes registered second EuroCup win this season. The French squad blasted Turkish Optimum TED 94-70 on Wednesday evening. There is a three way tie on top of Group C now with Nantes, Optimum TED and Dexia Namur all having 2-1 record. Lenae Williams (182-G/F-79, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: De Paul) was amazing for Nantes scoring 38 points. She made 7 triples in this meeting. Sarah Michel (180-SG-89) had 16 and Johanne Gomis (178-SG-85) helped with 11 pts, plus 5 rebs. Demya Walker (193-F/C-77, college: Virginia) had 13 pts and 8 rebounds, and Lucie Bouthors (174-PG-88) also scored 13 pts in this loss. Izabela Piekarska (196-C-85, college: UTEP) collected 10 pts and 7 rebs. Quarters: 25-21, 23-18, 18-9, 28-22. Nantes waits AD Vagos in the next round. Optimum TED will host Dexia Namur.

Nantes: Lenae Williams 38, Sarah Michel 16, Johanne Gomis 11+5 boards
Optumum TED: Demya Walker 13+8 boards, Lucie Bouthors 13, Izabela Piekarska 10+7 boards

Dexia Namur - AD Vagos 73-64
Dexia Namur was too strong for AD Vagos on Wednesday night. The Belgian squad registered 73-64 home victory for 2-1 record in Group B of the EuroCup regular season. Vagos stays winless after three games. Ify Ibekwe (187-PF-89, agency: LBM Management, college: Arizona) came up with double-double of 20 points and 15 rebounds for the hosts (valuation 29). Laurence VanMalderen (192-C-81, agency: LBM Management) followed her with 15 points and 5 rebs, and Chandrea Jones (175-SF-87, agency: LBM Management, college: Syracuse) added 14 pts. In defeat, Joana Lopes (185-SF-86) was better than the others with 17 points and 5 rebounds. Flavia Santos (187-C-82) and Ana Teixeira (185-C-79) had 11 and 10 pts respectively. Quarters: 26-11, 15-16, 16-19, 16-18. Dexia will meet Optumum TED as a guest in the next round. Vagos goes to Nantes.

Dexia Namur: Ify Ibekwe 20+15 boards, Laurence VanMalderen 15+5 boards, Chandrea Jones 14
AD Vagos: Joana Lopes 17+5 boards, Flavia Santos 11, Ana Teixeira 10


GROUP F

Dynamo Kursk - Kayseri 93-70
Dynamo Kursk celebrated fourth straight win in the EuroCup regular season and already booked a ticket for the next stage. The Russian squad handed 93-70 loss to Kayseri for 4-0 record in Group F. The Turkish team slipped to 2-1. Anna Petrakova (189-PF-84) paced the home squad with 26 points and 6 rebounds, while Michelle Snow (196-C-80, agency: LBM Management, college: Tennessee) also was great adding 18 points and 11 rebs. Ausra Bimbaite (179-SG-82) followed them with double-double of 15 points and 11 assists (5 rebs). In Kayseri, LaToya Sanders (191-PF-86, college: N.Carolina) shined with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Doneeka Hodges-Lewis (175-PG-82, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: LSU) (5 rebs, 5 as) and Anna De Forge (178-SG-76, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Nebraska) netted 18 and 13 points respectively. Quarters: 30-25, 20-11, 18-18, 25-16. In the next round, Dynamo Kursk will host Olimpia. Kayseri waits Maccabi Ashdod.

Dynamo Kursk: Anna Petrakova 26+6 boards, Michelle Snow 18+11 boards, Ausra Bimbaite 15+11 as+5 boards
Kayseri: LaToya Sanders 19+11 boards, Doneeka Hodges-Lewis 18+5 boards+5 as, Anna De Forge 13



Standings
Eurocup Standings
Group A
 1. Botas 3-0 
 2. Dynamo M. 2-1 
 3. Gorizont 1-2 
 4. Lombos Quinta 0-3 
Group B
 1. Besiktas 2-1 
 2. Young Cats 2-1 
 3. Telge 1-2 
 4. Dynamo-GUVD 1-2 
Group C
 1. Nantes 2-1 
 2. Dexia Namur 2-1 
 3. Optimum TED 2-1 
 4. AD Vagos 0-3 
Group D
 1. Union Hainaut 3-0 
 2. Gran Canaria 2-1 
 3. Fl.Foxes 1-2 
 4. Lemminkainen 0-3 
Group E
 1. Chevakata 3-0 
 2. Arras 2-1 
 3. Sint Kateline 1-2 
 4. SISU 0-3 
Group F
 1. Dynamo K. 4-0 
 2. Kayseri 2-1 
 3. Maccabi Ashdod 1-2 
 4. Olimpia 0-4 
Group G
 1. Partizan 2-1 
 2. MBK Ruzomb. 2-1 
 3. Helios 1-2 
 4. Landes 1-2 
Group H
 1. Elitzur Ramla 2-0 
 2. Mondeville 1-1 
 3. Spartak N. 0-2 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Lenae WILLIAMS
  Nantes
  (182-G/F-79)
  Avg: 26.7
 1. Williams, Nantes26.7 
 2. Ely, Helios23.0 
 3. Anufryienka, Goriz.22.7 
 4. Solopova, Union H.22.3 
 5. Marginean, Arras22.0 
 6. Ibekwe, Dexia N.21.7 
 7. Muxiri, Lombos Qui.19.7 
 8. Butulija, Partizan19.3 
 9. Petrakova, Dynamo19.0 
 10. Guzman, MBK R.19.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Amanda ZAHUI
  Telge
  (190-C-93)
  Avg: 13.7
 1. Zahui, Telge13.7 
 2. Myasoedova, Dynam.11.7 
 3. Shamanina, Spart.11.0 
 4. Kamba, Mondeville11.0 
 5. Alyoshkina, Olimpia11.0 
 6. Paris, Botas11.0 
 7. Ibekwe, Dexia N.10.7 
 8. Sanders, Kayseri10.3 
 9. Psareva, Spartak N.10.0 
 10. Madden, SISU10.0 
Assists Per Game
 Caroline AUBERT
  Nantes
  (168-PG-80)
  Avg: 8.7
 1. Aubert, Nantes8.7 
 2. Kartaltepe Y., Bot.8.7 
 3. Guzman, MBK R.8.0 
 4. Boddie, Helios6.7 
 5. Chaney, Botas5.3 
 6. Bimbaite, Dynamo K.5.3 
 7. Brezaniova, MBK R.5.0 
 8. Arguello, Gran C.4.7 
 9. Hodges-Lewis, Kay.4.7 
 10. Aleksic, Spartak4.5 
Steals Per Game
 Amanda HOUTS
  Union H.
  (168-PG-87)
  Avg: 4
 1. Houts, Union H.4.0 
 2. Carter, Union H.3.7 
 3. Arseneva, Dynamo3.7 
 4. Mitchell, Arras3.3 
 5. Madden, SISU3.3 
 6. Shilova, Dy.3.0 
 7. Wisdom-H., Fl.Fo.3.0 
 8. Raman, Young Cats3.0 
 9. Shields, Maccabi3.0 
 10. Aubert, Nantes3.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Plenette PIERSON
  Maccabi .
  (188-PF-81)
  Avg: 2.7
 1. Pierson, Maccabi2.7 
 2. Kiseleva, Chevaka.2.3 
 3. Murauskaya, Olimpia2.0 
 4. Lopes, AD Vagos2.0 
 5. Meesseman, Young2.0 
 6. Khomenchuk, Goriz.2.0 
 7. Myasoedova, Dynam.1.7 
 8. Sanders, Kayseri1.3 
 9. Zahui, Telge1.3 
 10. Vodopiyanova, Dy.1.3 


*****************************************************
  EUROLEAGUE - Women  


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 DeWanna BONNER
  Perfumer.
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 22
 1. Bonner, Perfumer.22.0 
 2. Taurasi, Galatasa.21.7 
 3. Jones, Rivas Ecopo.20.5 
 4. Augustus, Spartak19.5 
 5. Charles, Galatasa.18.7 
 6. Wauters, Ros C.17.7 
 7. Taylor, Fenerbahce17.6 
 8. Brunson, Nadezhda.16.8 
 9. McCoughtry, Fener.16.8 
 10. Joens, Bourges16.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Aneika HENRY
  Lotos Gdynia
  (193-C-86)
  Avg: 11
 1. Henry, Lotos Gdyn.11.0 
 2. Hollingswort., SEA.10.5 
 3. Bjelica, Wisla C.10.2 
 4. Charles, Galatasa.10.0 
 5. Jones, Rivas Ecopo.9.5 
 6. Vaughn, Taranto9.2 
 7. Brunson, Nadezhda.8.8 
 8. Lyttle, Ros Casar.8.8 
 9. Bonner, Perfumer.8.4 
 10. Milton-Jones, USK8.3 
Assists Per Game
 Sharnee ZOLL
  CCC P.
  (170-PG-86)
  Avg: 7.2
 1. Zoll, CCC P.7.2 
 2. Palau, Ros Casares6.3 
 3. Penicheiro, USK P.6.0 
 4. Lawson-Wade, Latt.5.8 
 5. Ciglar, SE.5.2 
 6. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.4.8 
 7. McBride, Gospic4.7 
 8. Dumerc, Bourges4.5 
 9. Macchi, Familia Sc.4.3 
 10. Aguilar, Rivas E.4.3 
Steals Per Game
 Sandra LINKEVICIENE
  VICI-.
  (176-G-82)
  Avg: 3.3
 1. Linkeviciene, VICI.3.3 
 2. Augustus, Spartak3.0 
 3. Bonner, Perfumer.2.8 
 4. Skrela, Lattes M.2.7 
 5. Alben, Galatasaray2.7 
 6. Robert, Lotos G.2.5 
 7. Lyttle, Ros Casar.2.5 
 8. Zavecz, UNIQA E.2.4 
 9. Palau, Ros Casares2.3 
 10. Cruz, Rivas Ecopo.2.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Agnieszka MAJEWSKA
  CCC P.
  (195-C-82)
  Avg: 1.6
 1. Majewska, CCC P.1.6 
 2. Lyttle, Ros Casar.1.5 
 3. Kulichova, USK P.1.5 
 4. Veremeenko, Nadez.1.4 
 5. Gruda, UMMC1.2 
 6. Parker, UMMC1.0 
 7. Burgrova, USK Praha1.0 
 8. McCarville, Famili.1.0 
 9. Vesela, Ros Casar.0.8 
 10. Amant, Bourges0.8 


Standings (Women)
Euroleague Standings
Group A
 1. Galatasaray 6-0 
 2. Ros Casares 5-1 
 3. UMMC 4-2 
 4. USK Praha 3-3 
 5. Lotos Gdynia 2-4 
 6. Bourges 2-4 
 7. VICI-Aistes 1-5 
 8. SEAT-SZESE 1-5 
Group B
 1. Fenerbahce 5-0 
 2. Perfumerias 5-0 
 3. Familia Schio 2-3 
 4. CCC Polkowice 2-3 
 5. Nadezhda O. 2-3 
 6. UNIQA Eurol. 2-4 
 7. Tarbes 0-5 
Group C
 1. Rivas Ecopolis 4-2 
 2. Wisla Can-Pak 4-2 
 3. Spartak V MR 4-2 
 4. Lattes Montp. 4-2 
 5. Dobri Anjeli 3-3 
 6. Taranto 2-4 
 7. Gospic 2-4 
 8. Frisco Sika 1-5 


Euroleague Round: 6 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News
Group A
Bourges - Galatasaray 65-66
Galatasaray registered their sixth straight win in Euroleague season. They snatched a narrow road win over Bourges to stay perfect in Group A. Tina Charles (193-C-88, agency: LBM Management, college: Connecticut) got a crucial offensive rebound and then sank two free throws to seal a narrow win for the Turkish team in France. The teams started the game evenly. They were tied at 18 after ten minutes of action. Bourges pulled in front in the second quarter. The French outfit recorded a 41:36 halftime lead. The hosts stretched the margin to 9 points midway through the third term. They arrived at the final break leading by 6 points 54:48. Alba Torrens (188-F-89), Epiphanny Prince and Tina Charles erased the deficit drawing things level at 58. Alba Torrens soon gave Galatasaray a 62:60 lead but Brown and Catherine Joens (180-G-82) gave the advantage back to the hosts 65:64 with 10 seconds to go. Diana Diana Taurasi missed her attempt but Tina Charles pulled down an offensive rebound and then got fouled. She hit both of the freebies sealing the win for the visitors. Diana Taurasi accounted for 17 points, while Alba Torrens added 12 points in the win. Catherine Joens answered with 25 points for Bourges. Nwal-Endene Miyem finished with 10 points in the loss.

Ros Casares - UMMC 60-52
Ros Casares earned the fifth Euroleague victory this season. They held off UMMC in Valencia. The win propelled the Spanish team to 5-1 record, while UMMC slipped at 4-2 in Group A. Ann Wauters stepped up with 17 points and 8 rebounds to lead the winners. The clash of the titans lived up to the highest expectations in the opening frame. The teams stayed well matched with neither side able to run away. The scoreboard read 15:15 after ten minutes. UMMC pulled ahead in the second quarter. Candace Parker (193-F/C-86, college: Tennessee) scored 7 points in the quarter as the visitors grabbed a 32:28 halftime lead. Jekabsone stretched the advantage to as many as 6 points midway through the third term. UMMC capped the period with 5 points in a row to enjoy a 48:39 lead. Yelena Leuchanka made it 50:39 at the start of the final stanza. But Ros Casares responded with a stunning 15:0 run to secure a 54:50 lead. Arteshina stopped the rot for UMMC however the hosts followed with six points in a row and sealed the victory. Sancho Lyttle (192-C-83, college: Houston) had 12 points and 11 rebounds, while Laia Palau (178-G-79) delivered 8 points for Ros Casares. Yelena Leuchanka responded with 12 points for UMMC. Candace Parker and Cappie Pondexter nailed 9 points each in the loss.

SEAT-SZESE - USK Praha 71-75
USK Praha returned to winning ways in Euroleague after they edged Gyor in Hungary today. The victory allowed the Czech powerhouse improve at 3-3 record in Group A. Katerina Elhotova (180-G-89) scored 19 points to lead the effort. Gyor fell at 1-5 record after the loss. USK Praha and Gyor stayed close throughout the opening frame. The hosts secured a narrow 20:19 lead after ten minutes. The Hungarian team maintained the pressure in the second quarter. They established a 36:34 halftime lead. But USK Praha turned things around in the third quarter. The visitors stiffened defence limiting their opponents to just 12 points in the period. USK Praha grabbed a 51:48 advantage with one quarter remaining. Gyor pulled back in front late in the fourth quarter. They ensured a 68:63 advantage with under four minutes remaining. However Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) and Kulichova nailed five points in a row to erase the deficit. Iva Ciglar put the hosts back in front but Eva Viteckova immediately responded with a triple to give USK Praha a 71:70 lead. Penicheiro then nailed four free throws in the dying seconds and sealed the win for the visitors. Eva Viteckova accounted for 18 points, while Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: George Washington) had 14 points in the victory. Quanitra Hollingsworth responded with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Gyor. Iva Ciglar had 14 points in the loss.

Lotos Gdynia - VICI-Aistes 97-80
Lotos Gdynia grabbed the second Euroleague victory. They toppled VICI Aistes to improve at 2-4 record in Group A. VICI fell at 1-5 record at the bottom of the ladder. The teams got to a frantic start. They scored eagerly with little defensive effort. Lotos unloaded impressive 36 points to take a 9-point lead. The hosts cleared off even further in the second term. They drained 26 points in the period to enjoy a 62:43 halftime advantage. VICI Kaunas managed just 12 points in the third period to face a massive 25-point deficit with one quarter remaining. The Lithuanian team outscored their opponents in the final quarter but it was too little too late. Geraldine Robert nailed 21 points, grabbed 8 boards and issued 4 assists for Lotos Gdynia. Aneika Henry added 16 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Sandra Linkeviciene (176-G-82) answered with 22 points, 5 assists and 4 boards for VICI Aistes. Vita Kuktiene had 13 points in the loss.

Group B
Familia Schio - UNIQA Eurol. 59-50
Beretta-Famila closed Round 6 with the win over MKB Euroleasing on Thursday night. Visiting MKB Euroleasing was defeated by Familia Schio in a tough game in Schio 50-59. MKB Euroleasing trailed by 13 points after 3 quarters before a 17-13 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 50-59 at the end of the game. Familia Schio dominated on the defensive end, holding MKB Euroleasing to just 5 points in second quarter. Macchi poured in 16 points to lead the charge and Ford collected 10 points and 13 rebounds. Cohen and Raffaella Masciadri (185-F-80) followed them with 8 points each. Olexandra Kurasova (186-F-86) ended up with 14 points in the losing effort and Dora Horti (195-C-87, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) notched 11. Familia Schio moved-up to third place in Group B, which they share with CCC Polkowice and Nadezhda O. Loser MKB Euroleasing dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Familia Schio will face Tarbes on the road in the next round.

CCC Polkowice - Tarbes 78-52
CCC Polkowice opened EuroLeague Round 6 successfully as they beat Tarbes GB for 2-3 record. The Polish outfit rolled over the French side 78:52 on Wednesday opener. The visitors only trailed 17:20 early in the second quarter after two baskets from Ana-Maria Cata-Chitiga (195-C-89) when the hosts began to take a firm grip on proceedings. Valeriya Musina (183-G-87, college: Lee) made two free throws for 27:17 and Petronyte increased to 34:23. Moreover Valeriya Musina closed the half at 37:27 and Evanthia Maltsi brought 43:29 early in the third. In that quarter the hosts held the opponents to just 6 points and took 50:33 after thirty minutes. After another 28-19 in the last stanza the board showed 78:52 for the home side. Evanthia Maltsi paced all the winners with 17 points and Valeriya Musina notched 16. Megan Frazee and Agata Gajda followed her with 11 points apiece. Paoline Salagnac ended up with 12 points in the losing effort and Ana-Maria Cata-Chitiga scored 10.

Fenerbahce - Nadezhda O. 84-72
Fenerbahce pip Nadezhda in Istanbul for the perfect 5-0 record in EuroLeague. The Turkish representative grabbed 84:72 win mostly due to the third period. The game remained tight but Nadezhda appeared to land some significant blows when they went in front 51:46 three minutes into the third quarter after a jumper by Katie Douglas (185-G/F-79, college: Purdue). Fenerbahce however erupted with a 14-0 run as Ivana Matovic scored for 60:51. Penny Taylor (185-F-81) scored the last five points in the third period for 72:55. Ruzanova and Anastasiya Veremeenko reduced to 74:59, while Rebekkah Brunson and Katie Douglas scored for 77:66. Angel McCoughtry (185-F-86, college: Louisville) and Ivana Matovic meanwhile brought the last points for the winning side. Ivana Matovic led the way with 20 points and Penny Taylor netted 19. Angel McCoughtry collected 18 points and 10 rebounds, whilst Zane Tamane nailed 7. Katie Douglas replied with 22 points in the losing effort and Rebekkah Brunson added 18. Elena Danilochkina delivered 14, while Anastasiya Veremeenko notched 7.

Group C
Taranto - Spartak V MR 70-90
Spartak Moscow Region dominate Taranto in Italy in one of the last games of EuroLeague Round 6. The first team was the most productive for both teams that started strong in defense and offence. The Russian team took 26:23 and added 20-16 in the second frame. Candice Dupree (188-F/C-84, agency: LBM Management, college: Temple) made it 46:35, while Elodie Godin (190-C-85) sent the teams to the lockers at 46:39. Augustus increased to 53:43 early in the third and Hammon kept the necessary difference. Elodie Godin and Mahoney however managed to bring the host back to 62:67 after three quarters. The last stanza meanwhile fully belonged to the titan of the Russian basketball. Spartak Moscow Region won the period 23-8 to seal the victory. Augustus stepped up with 22 points and Candice Dupree nailed 18. Hammon posted 15 and Petrovic scored 11. Elodie Godin replied with 19 points in the losing effort and Vaughn collected16 points and 11 boards.

Frisco Sika - Gospic 61-80
Gospic celebrated the second win at the Euroleague Group C. They overcame Frisco Sika on the road to climb at 2-4 record. Marija Vrsaljko (195-C-89) and Kalisha Keane notched 19 points each to pace the winners. Frisco Sika fell at 1-5 record after the loss. Gospic overwhelmed the hosts in the opening quarter. The visitors opened the game on a 13:2 run. They erupted for 30 points in the starting period to take a 15-point lead. Frisco Sika struggled both offensively and defensively as Gospic continued to boost the gap in the second term. The visitors established a 46:23 halftime lead. Gospic did not slow down and flew to a confident 33-point buffer with one quarter remaining. Frisco Sika came back to life in the fourth term but it was late as Gospic marched to the win at the end. Eva Komplet (182-F/C-86) nailed 14 points in the victory. Alena Hanusova (189-F/C-91) answered with 14 points for Frisco Sika. Romana Stehlikova had 8 points in the loss.

Wisla Can-Pak - Rivas Ecopolis 50-65
Rivas Ecopolis surprise Wisla in Poland to tie both records In EuroLeague Group C. The Spanish team grabbed 65:50 win in Krakow to take the top positions. Both teams played careful in the opening quarter and only 12:11 lead allowed the home side to leave the court before the second frame. Jelena Dubljevic (191-C-87) scored for 13;12 early in the second and Asjha Jones brought 28:21. Bermejo Moreno meanwhile closed the half at 30:26 and Essence Carson delivered for 37:30. The crucial run came late in the third quarter after a Nicole Powell (188-G/F-82, college: Stanford) three-ball for Wisla cut the Rivas lead to 42:40. Jelena Dubljevic and Essence Carson were the last to score in the third period for 46:40 and Rivas Ecopolis did not allow the opponents to take their lead. After 19-10 in the last stanza the Spanish team celebrated 15-point win to take 4-2 record. Essence Carson stepped up with 16 points for the winners and Asjha Jones collected 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jelena Dubljevic notched 11, while Anna Cruz added 9. Nicole Powell finished the night with 20 points in the losing effort and Erin Phillips scored 10.

Lattes Montp. - Dobri Anjeli 83-65
Lattes Montpellier propel over Good Angels Kosice in France for 4-2 record in Group C. The French side overcame Good Angels Kosice 83:65 to share the top place with 3 other teams. Good Angels Kosice scored the first 5 points in the game, but the hosts replied with an 8-0 run. Dijon and Ana Lelas (183-G/F-83) made last four free throws at the end of the first period for 21:17. Moreover Edwige Lawson-Wade (166-PG-79) and Ana Lelas increased to 33:21 and Gaelle Skrela brought 42:25. Dijon and Ana Lelas again closed the half from the free throw line for 48:30. The third quarter belonged to the hosts that, after 15-9, took 63:39 advantage. Good Angels Kosice managed to win the last period 26-20 and reduced the gap to 18 points. Bojovic and Ana Lelas exchanged the late baskets for the final result. Ana Lelas top-scored for the winners with 26 points and Gaelle Skrela added 19. Stephany Skrba ended up with 15 points, while Edwige Lawson-Wade netted 13. Lucia Kupcikova ended up with 16 points and 10 rebounds, whilst Danielle McCray nailed 9.



*****************************************************
  FRANCE - Women  


Nantes blasts Optimum TED in EuroCup - by Eurobasket News
Nantes - Optimum TED 94-70

Nantes registered second EuroCup win this season. The French squad blasted Turkish Optimum TED 94-70 on Wednesday evening. There is a three way tie on top of Group C now with Nantes, Optimum TED and Dexia Namur all having 2-1 record. Lenae Williams (182-G/F-79, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: De Paul) was amazing for Nantes scoring 38 points. She made 7 triples in this meeting. Sarah Michel (180-SG-89) had 16 and Johanne Gomis (178-SG-85) helped with 11 pts, plus 5 rebs. Demya Walker (193-F/C-77, college: Virginia) had 13 pts and 8 rebounds, and Lucie Bouthors (174-PG-88) also scored 13 pts in this loss. Izabela Piekarska (196-C-85, college: UTEP) collected 10 pts and 7 rebs. Quarters: 25-21, 23-18, 18-9, 28-22. Nantes waits AD Vagos in the next round. Optimum TED will host Dexia Namur.

Nantes: Lenae Williams 38, Sarah Michel 16, Johanne Gomis 11+5 boards
Optumum TED: Demya Walker 13+8 boards, Lucie Bouthors 13, Izabela Piekarska 10+7 boards

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


Lukic leaves Quakenbrueck - by Marsha Owusu Gyamfi
On Tuesday evening the successful asked for termination of his existing contract. He thanked the club and especially for his team. The QTSV is now looking for a new coach.

Lukic was very successful in TSV Quakenbrueck Dragons and reached the play-offs last year. This year as well his former team had good chances to reach the play-offs again.

The club is grateful for the successful work and wishes Predrag Lukic all the best in the future!


*****************************************************
  HOLLAND - Women  


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Corinne MANUPUTTY
  Grasshop.
  (173-G-85)
  Avg: 20.5
 1. Manuputty, Grassh.20.5 
 2. Broering, Lekdetec.19.7 
 3. Roubehie-F., Binne.18.4 
 4. Van der Hoek, Euro.18.4 
 5. Kooij, HLB Account.14.4 
 6. Philippo, Grasshop.14.2 
 7. Ligthart, Lekdetec.13.7 
 8. Kraak, Binnenland13.4 
 9. Butter, CTO13.4 
 10. McDowell, ProBui.12.6 
Rebounds Per Game
 Tamlyn DE GROOT
  HLB A.
  (186-C-91)
  Avg: 9.1
 1. De Groot, HLB A.9.1 
 2. Ligthart, Lekdetec.9.1 
 3. Biesters, Lekdetec.8.6 
 4. Nieuwveen, ProBui.8.1 
 5. Heerts, Eurosped8.0 
 6. McDowell, ProBui.7.9 
 7. Van der Plas, Gras.7.7 
 8. Van Der Keij., CT.7.6 
 9. Lammerink, Euros.7.4 
 10. Essenstam, CTO6.7 
Assists Per Game
 Tanya BROERING
  Lekdetec.
  (178-G-84)
  Avg: 4.6
 1. Broering, Lekdetec.4.6 
 2. Kuijt, Grasshoppers4.3 
 3. Dekker, Eurosped4.0 
 4. McDowell, ProBui.3.9 
 5. Cornelius, CTO3.0 
 6. Van Den Adel, Binn.2.9 
 7. Butter, CTO2.9 
 8. De Kleijn, CTO2.8 
 9. Hochstetler, Binne.2.7 
 10. Kooij, HLB Accoun.2.4 
Steals Per Game
 Karin KUIJT
  Grasshoppers
  (175-G-90)
  Avg: 4
 1. Kuijt, Grasshoppers4.0 
 2. McDowell, ProBui.3.6 
 3. Biesters, Lekdetec.3.6 
 4. Hartman, ProBuild.3.4 
 5. Broering, Lekdetec.3.4 
 6. Van der Plas, Gras.3.0 
 7. Manuputty, Grassh.2.8 
 8. Roubehie-F., Binne.2.7 
 9. van Dongen, HLB A.2.7 
 10. Ligthart, Lekdete.2.4 
Blocks Per Game
 Silke HEERTS
  Eurosped
  (185-F-90)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Heerts, Eurosped1.8 
 2. Van Der Keij., CT.1.3 
 3. Kooij, HLB Account.1.0 
 4. Kraak, Binnenland1.0 
 5. Van der Hoek, Euro.0.9 
 6. Dijkman, Grasshop.0.7 
 7. Keppy, ProBuild.0.6 
 8. Rikhof, Eurosped0.6 
 9. Van Den Adel, Binn.0.6 
 10. Kuijt, Grasshoppe.0.5 


McDowell's double-double lands her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
30-year old guard Molly McDowell (178-G-81) put on an amazing game in the last round for ProBuild Lions and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 8.
She had a double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds, while her team beat Lekdetec.nl (#4, 4-3) 53-44. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. ProBuild Lions was forced-out from the top positions in Eredivisie. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. ProBuild Lions will need more victories to improve their 5-3 record. McDowell has many years of experience at ProBuild Lions, through which he has constantly improved. Southern Illinois University graduate has very impressive stats this year. McDowell is in league's top in rebounds (7th best: 7.9rpg), assists (3rd best: 3.9apg) and averages solid 3.6spg.

Second best performed player last round was Marianne Van der Hoek (180-F-90) of Eurosped. She is former international forward in her first season at Eurosped. In the last game Van der Hoek recorded impressive 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Of course she lead Eurosped to another comfortable win outscoring slightly lower-ranked HLB Account. (#7, 1-7) 85-53. Eurosped's 6th position in the standings has not changed. 5 lost games are too many comparing to just two victories Eurosped managed to get this year. Van der Hoek is a newcomer at Eurosped and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 17.8ppg (#4). She also registered 6.7 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Zera Butter (179-G-92) of CTO (#5). Butter scored 28 points. Despite Butter's great performance CTO lost 70-73 to the higher-ranked Binnenland (#1, 6-2). But her team cannot count on just a single shooter as she also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of CTO ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 4 games, recording just three victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Butter could help CTO to bring them higher in the standings. Butter has a great season in Holland. After only 7 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 13.4ppg (9th best) and assists with 2.9apg (7th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Merlin Lammerink (186-C-95) of Eurosped - 15 points and 6 rebounds
5. Launa Hochstetler (168-G-87) of Binnenland - 21 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Silke Heerts (185-F-90) of Eurosped - 8 points and 6 rebounds
7. Fieke Ligthart (184-F/C-90) of Lekdetec.nl - 14 points and 11 rebounds
8. Janiek van Veen (172-PG-95) of HLB Account. - 12 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Eline Kasius (188-F-92) of Binnenland - 11 points and 6 rebounds
10. Karen Heinen (186-F-84) of ProBuild Lions - 9 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

Standings - Women
Eredivisie Standings
 1. Binnenland 6-2 
 2. Grasshoppers 5-2 
 3. ProBuild Lions 5-3 
 4. Lekdetec.nl 4-3 
 5. CTO 3-4 
 6. Eurosped 2-5 
 7. HLB Account. 1-7 
 8. Wereldtickets.nl 0-0 


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  HUNGARY - Women  


Beretta-Famila closed Round 6 with the win over MKB Euroleasing - by Eurobasket News
Beretta-Famila - MKB Euroleasing 59:50

Beretta-Famila closed Round 6 with the win over MKB Euroleasing on Thursday night. Visiting MKB Euroleasing was defeated by Familia Schio in a tough game in Schio 50-59. MKB Euroleasing trailed by 13 points after 3 quarters before a 17-13 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 50-59 at the end of the game. Familia Schio dominated on the defensive end, holding MKB Euroleasing to just 5 points in second quarter.
Laura Macchi (187-F-79) poured in 16 points to lead the charge and Cheryl Ford (191-F/C-81, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Louisiana Tech) collected 10 points and 13 rebounds. Liron Cohen (173-G-82) and Raffaella Masciadri (185-F-80) followed them with 8 points each. Olexandra Kurasova (186-F-86) ended up with 14 points in the losing effort and Dora Horti (195-C-87, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) notched 11.
Familia Schio moved-up to third place in Group B, which they share with CCC Polkowice and Nadezhda O. Loser MKB Euroleasing dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Familia Schio will face Tarbes on the road in the next round.

Beretta-Famila: Laura Macchi 16, Cheryl Ford 10+13 rebs, Liron Cohen 8, Raffaella Masciadri 8
MKB Euroleasing: Olexandra Kurasova 14, Dora Horti 11


USK Praha snatch win in Gyor - by Eurobasket News
Gyor - USK Praha 71:75

USK Praha returned to winning ways in Euroleague after they edged Gyor in Hungary today. The victory allowed the Czech powerhouse improve at 3-3 record in Group A. Katerina Elhotova (180-G-89) scored 19 points to lead the effort. Gyor fell at 1-5 record after the loss.
USK Praha and Gyor stayed close throughout the opening frame. The hosts secured a narrow 20:19 lead after ten minutes. The Hungarian team maintained the pressure in the second quarter. They established a 36:34 halftime lead. But USK Praha turned things around in the third quarter. The visitors stiffened defence limiting their opponents to just 12 points in the period. USK Praha grabbed a 51:48 advantage with one quarter remaining. Gyor pulled back in front late in the fourth quarter. They ensured a 68:63 advantage with under four minutes remaining. However Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) and Kulichova nailed five points in a row to erase the deficit. Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) put the hosts back in front but Eva Viteckova immediately responded with a triple to give USK Praha a 71:70 lead. Penicheiro then nailed four free throws in the dying seconds and sealed the win for the visitors. Eva Viteckova accounted for 18 points, while Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: George Washington) had 14 points in the victory. Quanitra Hollingsworth (196-C-88, college: VCU) responded with 18 points and 10 rebounds for Gyor. Iva Ciglar had 14 points in the loss.

Gyor: Quanitra Hollingsworth 18+10 boards, Iva Ciglar 14
USK Praha: Katerina Elhotova 19, Eva Viteckova 18, Anna Montanana 14

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  ICELAND - Women  


Express L. Round 7 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
The biggest surprise of round 7 took place in Reykjavikguest Keflavik (#1) beat lower ranked KR (#2) by 14 points 84-70 on Wednesday evening. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Keflavik. KR managed to win second period 11-7. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Keflavik forced 20 KR turnovers and had a 38-27 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Keflavik made 9 blocks. American forward Jaleesa Butler (183-87, college: Georgetown) fired a double-double by scoring 27 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 blocks for the winners. The former international forward Birna Valgardsdottir (181-76) chipped in 24 points and 12 rebounds. American guard Erica Prosser (170, college: Lehigh) produced 27 points, 8 assists and 5 steals for lost side. Keflavik (6-1) have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place. KR at the other side keeps the second position with two games lost. They share it with Njardvik. Keflavik are looking forward to face Fjolnir (#7) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. KR will have a break next round.
Another exciting game was between sixth ranked Haukar and 5th ranked Hamar where Haukar (3-4) beat Hamar (2-5) on the road 77-70. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Hamar. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Jence Rhoads (180-88, college: Vanderbilt) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 blocks. Hope Elam contributed with 23 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. American guard Samantha Murphy (172, college: Grand Canyon) answered with 32 points and 7 rebounds for Hamar. Haukar moved-up to fifth place. Hamar at the other side dropped to the sixth position with five games lost. They share it with Fjolnir. Haukar will play against higher ranked Njardvik (#3) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hamar will have a break next round.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Njardvik. Local Njardvik (5-2) outscored 8th ranked Valur (1-6) 100-77 on Wednesday night. Worth to mention a quality performance of Lele Hardy who helped to win the game recording a triple-double by scoring 22 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. At the losing side Melissa Lechlitner responded with 16 points and 6 assists. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the third consecutive win for Njardvik. They moved-up to second place, which they share with KR. Valur lost their fifth game in a row. Newly promoted team stay at the bottom position with six games lost. Njardvik will meet at home Haukar (#5) in the next round. Valur will play against Snaefell in Stykkisholmur.

In the last game of round 7 Fjolnir was defeated by Snaefell in Stykkisholmur 73-68.


KR - Keflavik 70-84

The biggest surprise of round 7 took place in Reykjavikguest Keflavik (#1) beat lower ranked KR (#2) by 14 points 84-70 on Wednesday evening. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Keflavik. KR managed to win second period 11-7. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Keflavik forced 20 KR turnovers and had a 38-27 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Keflavik made 9 blocks. American forward Jaleesa Butler (183-87, college: Georgetown) fired a double-double by scoring 27 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 8 blocks for the winners. The former international forward Birna Valgardsdottir (181-76) chipped in a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds. American guard Erica Prosser (170, college: Lehigh) produced 27 points, 8 assists and 5 steals and the former international forward Margret Sturludottir (178-89, college: Elon) added 7 points, 13 rebounds and 7 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Keflavik (6-1) have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place. KR at the other side keeps the second position with two games lost. They share it with Njardvik. Keflavik are looking forward to face Fjolnir (#7) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. KR will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Keflavik: J.Butler 27+14reb+5ast, B.Valgardsdottir 24+12reb+3ast, P.Gunnlaugsdottir 13+11reb+7ast, S.Run Hinriksdottir 12+3reb+4ast, H.Hallgrimsdottir 8+6reb, T.Asgeirsdottir 0
KR: E.Prosser 27+4reb+8ast, B.Gudmundsdottir 12+3reb+3ast, S.Amundadottir 12+9reb+3ast, H.Halfdanardottir 10+5reb+2ast, M.Sturludottir 7+13reb+7ast, H.Einarsdottir 2+7reb
gschID: 142467


Snaefell - Fjolnir 73-68

There was no surprise in Stykkisholmur where 7th ranked Fjolnir (2-5) was defeated by fourth ranked Snaefell (4-3) 73-68 on Wednesday. Fjolnir trailed by 17 points at halftime and as many as 20 after three quarters before a 26-11 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 68-73 at the end of the game. It was a great evening for the former international guard Alda Jonsdottir (172-79) who led her team to a victory scoring 24 points and 5 assists. American forward Kieraah Marlow (178-85) helped adding 14 points and 11 rebounds. At the losing side American guard Britney Jones (170-87, college: UAB) responded with 37 points (!!!), 8 rebounds and 5 assists (made all of her nine free throws !!!) and Australian Katina Mandylaris produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds. Snaefell maintains fourth place with 4-3 record. Fjolnir lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the sixth position with five games lost. They share it with Hamar. Snaefell will meet at home bottom-ranked Valur (#8) in the next round. Fjolnir will play against the league's leader Keflavik and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Snaefell: A.Jonsdottir 24+4reb+5ast, K.Marlow 14+11reb+3ast, H.Sigurdardottir 11+7reb+6ast, H.Bjorgvinsdottir 8+5reb+1ast, H.Kjartansdottir 7+7reb+1ast, E.Hognadottir 7
Fjolnir: B.Jones 37+8reb+5ast, K.Mandylaris 14+13reb+1ast, E.Emilsdottir 6+2reb, B.Eiriksdottir 6+3reb, E.Kristinsdottir 4+2reb+1ast, B.Ragnarsdottir 1+7reb+2ast
gschID: 142464


Njardvik - Valur 100-77

The game with biggest result difference took place in Njardvik. Local Njardvik (5-2) outscored 8th ranked Valur (1-6) 100-77 on Wednesday night. The game without a history. Njardvik led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Njardvik forced 22 Valur turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Worth to mention a quality performance of American swingman Lele Hardy (178-88, college: Clemson, agency: Merit Sports) who helped to win the game recording a triple-double by scoring 22 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists and 4 steals. Her fellow American import guard Shanae Baker-Brice (168-87, college: Towson) helped adding 23 points, 5 assists and 4 steals (made all of her eleven free throws !!!). Four Njardvik players scored in double figures. At the losing side American guard Melissa Lechlitner (170-88, college: Notre Dame) responded with 16 points and 6 assists and the former international forward Kristrun Sigurjonsdottir (178-85) scored 17 points. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. The victory was the third consecutive win for Njardvik. They moved-up to second place, which they share with KR. Valur lost their fifth game in a row. Newly promoted team stay at the bottom position with six games lost. Njardvik will meet at home Haukar (#5) in the next round. Valur will play against Snaefell in Stykkisholmur.
Top scorers:
Njardvik: S.Baker-Brice 23+4reb+5ast, P.Skuladottir 22+4reb+1ast, L.Hardy 22+16reb+10ast, E.Lif Sigurdardottir 10+1ast, H.Hallgrimsdottir 6+3reb+2ast, O.Helga Palsdottir 5+2reb+1ast
Valur: K.Sigurjonsdottir 17+3reb+1ast, M.Lechlitner 16+3reb+6ast, M.Ben Erlingsdottir 11+10reb, G.Sverrisdottir 9+3reb+1ast, T.Bjarnadottir 8+5reb+3ast, S.Hermannsdottir 7+4reb+1ast
gschID: 142465


Hamar - Haukar 70-77

Another exciting game was between sixth ranked Haukar and 5th ranked Hamar where Haukar (3-4) beat Hamar (2-5) on the road 77-70. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Hamar. The guests were tied after three quarters but managed to speed up in last quarter eventually winning the game. Haukar dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Hamar's 38. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. Haukar brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Jence Rhoads (180-88, college: Vanderbilt) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists and 5 blocks. Her fellow American import forward Hope Elam (185-89, college: Indiana) contributed with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Four Haukar players scored in double figures. American guard Samantha Murphy (172, college: Grand Canyon) answered with 32 points and 7 rebounds and forward Alfhildur Thorsteinsdottir (178) added 9 points and 15 rebounds in the effort for Hamar. Haukar moved-up to fifth place. Hamar at the other side dropped to the sixth position with five games lost. They share it with Fjolnir. Haukar will play against higher ranked Njardvik (#3) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hamar will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Haukar: H.Elam 23+12reb+2ast, J.Rhoads 21+9reb+10ast, I.Sverrisdottir 14+6reb+3ast, M.Halfdanardottir 10+3reb+3ast, G.Osk Amundardottir 6+6reb+1ast, M.Sigurdardottir 2+1reb
Hamar: S.Murphy 32+7reb+1ast, A.Thorsteinsdottir 9+15reb+2ast, J.Hardardottir 8+4reb+1ast, M.Laufey Davidsdottir 8+10reb+1ast, K.Antonsdottir 6+1reb+2ast, S.Gudgeirsdottir 5+5reb+2ast
gschID: 142466




Best players of Express L. round 7 - by Eurobasket News
American Jaleesa Butler (183-F-87) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's leader Keflavik and that's her to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 7.
The 24-year old forward had a double-double of 27 points and fourteen rebounds, while her team beat KR (#2, 5-2) 84-70. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. It allowed Keflavik to consolidate first place in the Icelandic Express L.. Keflavik have a solid 6-1 record. Butler turned to be Keflavik's top player in her first season with the team. Georgetown University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Butler. Butler is in league's top in points (6th best: 23.0ppg), assists (7th best: 4.7apg) and averages solid 3.5bpg and 3.2spg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 23-year old American swingman Lele Hardy (178-G/F-88, agency: Merit Sports) of Njardvik. Hardy impressed basketball fans with a triple-double of 22 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. Of course she lead Njardvik to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Valur (#8, 1-6) 100-77. Njardvik's 3rd position in the standings has not changed. Her team's 5-2 record is not bad at all. Hardy is a newcomer at Njardvik and it seems she did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 27.4ppg (#2). Her other stats are also decent: 14.6rpg and 3.8apg.

The third best performed player last round was American Jence Rhoads (180-G-88) of Haukar (#5). Rhoads showcased her all-around game by recording 21 points, nine rebounds and ten assists (!!!) in the last round. She was a key player of Haukar, leading her team to a 77-70 win against slightly lower-ranked Hamar (#6, 2-5). The chances of Haukar ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 4 games, recording just three victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Rhoads could help Haukar to bring them higher in the standings. Rhoads has a great season in Iceland. After only 6 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 7.2apg (2nd best). She also has 3.2spg and 1.7bpg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Birna Valgardsdottir (181-F-76) of Keflavik - 24 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Britney Jones (170-G-87) of Fjolnir - 37 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Hope Elam (185-F-89) of Haukar - 23 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Shanae Baker-Brice (168-G-87) of Njardvik - 23 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Alda Jonsdottir (172-G-79) of Snaefell - 24 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Erica Prosser (170-G) of KR - 27 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists
10. Kieraah Marlow (178-F-85) of Snaefell - 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists

The Player of the week is choosen 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)

Standings - Women
Express L. Standings
 1. Keflavik 6-1 
 2. KR 5-2 
 3. Njardvik 5-2 
 4. Snaefell 4-3 
 5. Haukar 3-4 
 6. Hamar 2-5 
 7. Fjolnir 2-5 
 8. Valur 1-6 


stats leader
Points Per Game
 Britney JONES
  Fjolnir
  (170-G-87)
  Avg: 32.6
 1. Jones, Fjolnir32.6 
 2. Murphy, Hamar27.8 
 3. Hardy, Njardvik26.5 
 4. Butler, Keflavik23.6 
 5. Colson, KR23.5 
 6. Baker-Brice, Njard.23.3 
 7. Tuomi, Hamar21.3 
 8. Sigurdardott., Sna.19.3 
 9. Marlow, Snaefell18.5 
 10. Valgardsdott., Ke.18.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jaleesa BUTLER
  Keflavik
  (183-F-87)
  Avg: 15.3
 1. Butler, Keflavik15.3 
 2. Mandylaris, Fjolnir14.9 
 3. Hardy, Njardvik14.8 
 4. Tuomi, Hamar13.8 
 5. Elam, Haukar11.7 
 6. Sturludottir, KR9.0 
 7. Colson, KR8.8 
 8. Marlow, Snaefell8.5 
 9. Sigurdardott., Sna.8.4 
 10. Gudmundsdott., KR8.4 
Assists Per Game
 Jence RHOADS
  Haukar
  (180-G-88)
  Avg: 7.6
 1. Rhoads, Haukar7.6 
 2. Jones, Fjolnir7.0 
 3. Sigurdardott., Sna.6.0 
 4. Lechlitner, Valur5.8 
 5. Baker-Brice, Njard.5.7 
 6. Prosser, KR5.3 
 7. Sturludottir, KR5.0 
 8. Gunnlaugsdot., Kef.4.9 
 9. Hardy, Njardvik4.8 
 10. Butler, Keflavik4.7 
Steals Per Game
 Reyana COLSON
  KR
  (167-G-)
  Avg: 4.8
 1. Colson, KR4.8 
 2. Murphy, Hamar4.6 
 3. Hardy, Njardvik4.3 
 4. Jones, Fjolnir4.0 
 5. Gunnlaugsdot., Kef.3.9 
 6. Sturludottir, KR3.7 
 7. Gunnarsdotti., Hau.3.5 
 8. Butler, Keflavik3.4 
 9. Rhoads, Haukar3.1 
 10. Baker-Brice, Njar.2.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Jaleesa BUTLER
  Keflavik
  (183-F-87)
  Avg: 4.1
 1. Butler, Keflavik4.1 
 2. Hermannsdott., Val.2.3 
 3. Rhoads, Haukar2.1 
 4. Jones, Fjolnir1.9 
 5. Saevarsdotti., Nja.1.0 
 6. Elam, Haukar1.0 
 7. Gudmundsdott., KR1.0 
 8. Johannsdotti., Kef.1.0 
 9. Kjartansdott., Sna.1.0 
 10. Jonsdottir, Snaef.1.0 


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  ITALY - Women  


Beretta-Famila closed Round 6 with the win over MKB Euroleasing - by Eurobasket News
Beretta-Famila - MKB Euroleasing 59:50

Beretta-Famila closed Round 6 with the win over MKB Euroleasing on Thursday night. Visiting MKB Euroleasing was defeated by Familia Schio in a tough game in Schio 50-59. MKB Euroleasing trailed by 13 points after 3 quarters before a 17-13 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 50-59 at the end of the game. Familia Schio dominated on the defensive end, holding MKB Euroleasing to just 5 points in second quarter.
Laura Macchi (187-F-79) poured in 16 points to lead the charge and Cheryl Ford (191-F/C-81, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Louisiana Tech) collected 10 points and 13 rebounds. Liron Cohen (173-G-82) and Raffaella Masciadri (185-F-80) followed them with 8 points each. Olexandra Kurasova (186-F-86) ended up with 14 points in the losing effort and Dora Horti (195-C-87, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) notched 11.
Familia Schio moved-up to third place in Group B, which they share with CCC Polkowice and Nadezhda O. Loser MKB Euroleasing dropped to the sixth position with four games lost. Familia Schio will face Tarbes on the road in the next round.

Beretta-Famila: Laura Macchi 16, Cheryl Ford 10+13 rebs, Liron Cohen 8, Raffaella Masciadri 8
MKB Euroleasing: Olexandra Kurasova 14, Dora Horti 11


Spartak Moscow Region dominate Taranto - by Eurobasket News
CB Taranto-Spartak Moscow Region 70:90

Spartak Moscow Region dominate Taranto in Italy in one of the last games of EuroLeague Round 6. The Russian titan grabbed 90:70 win over Taranto.
The first team was the most productive for both teams that started strong in defense and offence. The Russian team took 26:23 and added 20-16 in the second frame. Candice Dupree (188-F/C-84, agency: LBM Management, college: Temple) made it 46:35, while Elodie Godin (190-C-85) sent the teams to the lockers at 46:39. Seimone Augustus (185-G-84, college: LSU) increased to 53:43 early in the third and Becky Hammon (168-G-77, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Colorado St.) kept the necessary difference. Elodie Godin and Mahoney however managed to bring the host back to 62:67 after three quarters. The last stanza meanwhile fully belonged to the titan of the Russian basketball. Spartak Moscow Region won the period 23-8 to seal the victory.
Seimone Augustus stepped up with 22 points and Candice Dupree nailed 18. Becky Hammon posted 15 and Sonja Petrovic (189-F-89) scored 11. Elodie Godin replied with 19 points in the losing effort and Kia Vaughn (193-C-87, college: Rutgers) collected16 points and 11 boards.

CB Taranto: Elodie Godin 19, Kia Vaughn 16+11 rebs, Florina Pascalau (193-C-82) 11
Spartak Moscow Region: Seimone Augustus 22, Candice Dupree 18, Becky Hammon 15, Sonja Petrovic 11

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