Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 12/16/2011

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Men News

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ACPBL

Standings

ACPBL Standings

Big Apple Division
1. NYC 524		2-0
2. Hudson Valley		1-0
3. Manhattan P.		0-2
4. Toms River S.		0-2
North Division
1. Hartford L.		2-1
2. Buffalo W.		1-1
3. North Jersey P.		0-1
4. Garden St. R.		0-2
South Division
1. The Enterprise		2-0
2. Destroyers		1-0
3. Beltway B.		1-1
4. Center Court		1-1
5. The Bay Area		0-1

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Panic out for six weeks - by Zeljko Zule
Zlatorog's captain and key player Vladimir Panic will be sidelined at least six weeks with an ankle injury. He sprained ankle and bruised bone in his right foot. Panic is second Adriatic League scorer and Telemach League top scorer. He averaging 17.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in Adriatic League and 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in Slovenian Telemach League. Panic suffered the injury during the Teleamch League game against Elektra in November 22.

Omar Thomas officially joins Crvena Zvezda - by Eurobasket News
Omar Thomas (197-F-82, college: UTEP) officially became a new member of Crvena Zvezda. The American forward penned a deal for rest of the season. He replaces Adam Morrison, who parted ways with the club recently. Omar Thomas spent last season with Air Avelino. He appeared 33 times in SerieA averaging 17.5 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Thomas was named Serie A Regular Season MVP -11. In 2009/10, he played for Enel Brindisi collecting 18.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg for 30 games. Thomas also has experience from Rieti, Pau-Orthez and Rimini. In 2010, he was named Eurobasket.com All-Italian Lega2 Player of the Year -10. Omar Thomas is currently banned by the Italian Basketball Federation for the next 16 months because of using false Slovenian passport. It allowed him to play as a Bosman last season.

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AFRICAN CHAMPIONS CUP

26th ACCM: CRA dash Royal Hoopers hope - by Olusegun Ikuesan
The hope Nigerian late arrival to the final round of the 26th FIBA Africa Champions Club for Men of springing some surprises was finally dashed Thursday evening by Chabab Rif Al-Hoceima basketball club of Morocco who defeated the Nigerian side by 66-60 points in a high tempo group-B game.

The winner had trailed their opponent in the first two quarters by 15-16 and 13-16 for a half-time deficit of 28-32 points came had the better of the Hoopers in the second stanza with 20-16 and 18-12 points for a cumulative score-line of 66-60 points to brighten their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Chabab Muhammed Hjira led his team quest for a place in the last eight with 18 points and 6 rebounds, Mustapha Khalfi poured in 13 points, 6 assist, 3 rebound and 3 steal while the duo of Yassine Makhoukh and Omar Laanani contributed 11 and 10 points each enough to see their side through the hard fought battle.

26th ACCM: Jet-lag Hoopers lose to ESS 57-73 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
After travelling for miles, Nigeria league champion Royal Hoopers basketball club stepped on court against Etoile de Sahel basketball club of Tunisia and were made to pay for late coming with a 57-73 points lose in the final round of the 26th FIBA Africa Champions Club for Men holding in Rabat, Morocco.

The Nigerian side who were walked-over by Malabo Kings basketball club of Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday lost the first, second and last quarters (11-20, 15-20 and 17-19) but manage to even scores by 14 points apiece in the third quarter.

Sahel enterprising forward Macram Ben Romdhane led the floor with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assist, Mohamoud Toumi added 15 points, 2 rebound and 2 assists while ageless Redhouane Slimane contributed 13 points and 5 rebound past the jet-lag Nigerian side.

26th ACCM: Kasongo double double lift Mazembe past AL Ahly - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Aubin Kasongo posted a double double figure of 21 points, 10 rebound and 3 assist help ASB Mazembe basketball club of Democratic Republic of Congo secure victory over AL-Ahly basketball club of Libya in a reschedule Day-1 pairing.

The high tempo group-A game of the 2011 Africa Champions Club for Men saw the determined Mazembe side race to a 20-18 points win in the first quarter, the Congolese side however, gave up the second quarter by 16-19 but rallied back to snatch the remaining two quarters 24-12 and 15-13 points to earn it first victory after losing to Union Bank of Nigeria and GDR Libolo of Angola.

Mazembe guard Prince Asani added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steal with forward Bertrand Boukinda contributing 14 points and 5 rebounds for their side all important win over the Libyan.

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ANGOLA

The 26th FIBA Africa Champions Cup for men - day 3 - by Antonio Santos
On day 3rd there is still no rosters. Stats sheet only show one name and its difficult to identified some players but its what its.

Libolo was the 1st Angolan to play on this 3rd day. After to be down at the half 36 x 37 they find the way to beat Mazembe from Congo. One more time Olimpio Cipriano was the leading scorer with 17pt+8reb, Vladimir got 10pt and Luis Costa 12pt. Edson didnt score much but he contributed with 9reb. From Mazembe, Buzangu got 16pt and Asani 13pt.Final score 64 x 62.
Petro got is first victory on this tournament. They play good defense since the beginning of the game and they were leading 27 x 21 at the end of the 1st quarter. During the 1st half Carlos Morais hit 4 3pt and finish the game with 17pt. The big difference between this game and the previous 2 games was the defense attitude and committeemen from the players.
On the last game of the day 1 de Agosto beat Ess from Tunisia 79 x 62. They stopped Ess with 3 main keys games: defense pressure, protect their boards and dont allowed easy shots. Ess never find the way to break the defense and with the game going to a end they got nervous and tired. After all it was necessary to play on their best level for to beat Petro on 2nd day of the tournament. Reggie Moore with 32pt and Ben with 21pt were the leading scores from each team.

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ARGENTINA

Round 18 of TNA - by Eurobasket News
Round 18 of TNA was played last weekend. Union Progresista failed against San Isidro on the road 103-85, but still stays No.1 of Group North with 11-6 record. San Isidro improved to 10-6 record. The same numbers also have Obera TC and Alvear. Oberas failed in this round against Asociacion Italiana 63-57, while Alvear was better than Estudiantes C 75-64.
In Group South, Argentino stays No.1 with 12-4 record. They handed 83-68 loss to Banda Norte in this round. The second ranked Huracan also celebrated (11-7). It was a 69-89 road victory against Sport Club, who dropped to 5-11. In the other games, Bragado grabbed 83-80 home win against San Martin MJ. MH Basket won against Firmat 96-82 and Alianza was better than Ciclista 84-79.
Round 19 is scheduled for Friday.

Standings - LigaA

LigaA Standings

1. Obras		5-1
2. Sionista		5-1
3. Penarol		5-1
4. Libertad S.		4-2
5. Wuber-Est.Bahia		3-2
6. Lanus		3-3
7. Quimsa		3-3
8. La Union		3-3
9. Regatas C.		3-3
10. Boca Jrs		3-3
11. Olimpico LB		2-3
12. GECR Indalo		2-4
13. Club 9		2-4
14. Atenas		2-4
15. Quilmes MP		1-5
16. San Mart.C.		1-5

Stats Leaders - LigaA

Points Per Game

Joe SMITH
  La Union
  (193-G-77)
  Avg: 19.6

1. Smith, La Union	19.6
2. McHopson, Quilm.	18.4
3. Meyinsse, Wuber-.	18.1
4. Gutierrez, Obras	17.8
5. Villegas, Sionista	17.2
6. OBannon, Boca Jrs	16.1
7. Roe, Regatas C.	15.8
8. Mojica, Wuber-Es.	15.8
9. Gutierrez, Penarol	15.8
10. Pittman, Libertad.	15.6

Rebounds Per Game

Matias SANDES
  Sionista
  (201-F/G-84)
  Avg: 9.6

1. Sandes, Sionista	9.6
2. Garces, Atenas	9.4
3. Lloreda, Olimpico.	9.3
4. Gutierrez, Obras	9.0
5. Battle, Libertad S.	8.6
6. Truscott, Quilm.	8.4
7. Mikulas, La Union	7.9
8. Meyinsse, Wuber-.	7.6
9. McFarlan, San M.	7.4
10. Graves, Boca Jrs	7.2

Assists Per Game

Facundo CAMPAZZO
  Penarol
  (180-G-91)
  Avg: 7.2

1. Campazzo, Penarol	7.2
2. Sanchez, Wuber-.	7.0
3. Stanic, Boca Jrs	6.2
4. Martinez, Regat.	5.7
5. Cequeira, Sionista	5.5
6. Sucatzky, Atenas	4.4
7. Victoriano, San M.	4.2
8. Smith, La Union	3.6
9. McHopson, Quilm.	3.4
10. Quinteros, Regat.	3.4

Steals Per Game

Phillip MCHOPSON
  Quilm.
  (188-G-87)
  Avg: 2.2

1. McHopson, Quilm.	2.2
2. Campazzo, Penarol	2.2
3. Lescano, Atenas	2.0
4. Sanchez, Wuber-.	1.9
5. Stanic, Boca Jrs	1.6
6. Funes, GECR I.	1.5
7. Battle, Libertad S.	1.5
8. Quinteros, Regat.	1.5
9. Mojica, Wuber-Es.	1.5
10. Beitzel, San M.	1.5

Blocks Per Game

Robert BATTLE
  Libertad S.
  (204-C-81)
  Avg: 1.2

1. Battle, Libertad S.	1.2
2. Ayarza, Club 9	1.1
3. Roe, Regatas C.	1.1
4. Garces, Atenas	0.9
5. Rollins, San M.	0.9
6. Williams, Quimsa	0.8
7. Gutierrez, Obras	0.8
8. Sanchez, Wuber-.	0.8
9. Aguerre, Wuber-.	0.7
10. Johnson, Libertad.	0.7

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AUSTRALIA

Catron intro! - by Joevan Catron
Hello my fellow friends and fans, I am starting a BLOG that follows me throughout my Life and Career of basketball. I want to tell you a little bit about Myself. My name is Joevan Eugene Catron aka 'Duke'. I was born in Chicago, Illinois. I was raised in Phoenix, Illinois, a village of 9 Blocks. I went to Thornton township High School were I played varsity Basketball for 4 years and i also played varsity football for 1 year. I Played AAU basketball with Meanstreets, which was created by ex-NFL PLAYER Tai Streets. We won a lot and played against some NBA to be players. Those were the Good Old' days. From T.T.H.S. I went to USA Under 18 try outs, where I got cut, but I think it was rigged... Still Pissed about that!!! After that, I went on to Attend the University of Oregon, during my 5 year career I went to an Elite 8, another NCAA Appearance, won a PAC-10 tournament championship, won the CBI Tournement, I got MVP of that Tournement, and finished My last year getting 2nd Team All PAC-10, I was robbed of 1st Team. I also graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in Sociology, very Proud of that. Get Your Education KIDS!!! Also One thing about me is that I STAYFRESH in gear and sneakers.. Its a must!!! There were rough times in my Life too, I'll let you in on that a little bit later on... But I appreciate the Love and I am looking forward to Meeting You All.

Catron Family/GRINDTEAM

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BAHRAIN

Standings

Premier League Standings

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

ALMuharraq and AlAhli reached the fifth straight victories in the League - by Eurobasket News
ALMuharraq and AlAhli reached the fifth straight victories in the League. ALMuharraq overcame Al-Manama 91:90 in the top game of the Round trailing 1 point at the halftime. Due to the last period ALMuharraq managed to secure the win.
AlAhli destroyed AlNajma 109:56, while Al-Nweidrat overcame Al-Ittihad 74:69 on December 14th.

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BALKAN LEAGUE

Standings

Balkan League Standings

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

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BALTIC LEAGUE

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Denzel BOWLES
  Siauliai
  (208-F/C-89)
  Avg: 20.3

1. Bowles, Siauliai	20.3
2. Cipruss, Tarvas	19.8
3. Krumins, Jelgava	18.8
4. Kalve, Valmiera	18.7
5. Barinov, Naglis P.	18.0
6. Hallik, Tarvas	17.2
7. Soo, Rapla	17.0
8. Amis, Tartu Ulikool	16.9
9. Reminas, Naglis P.	16.5
10. Mayo, Liepaja	16.0

Rebounds Per Game

Kaspars CIPRUSS
  Tarvas
  (210-C-82)
  Avg: 10.5

1. Cipruss, Tarvas	10.5
2. Ringmets, Rapla	9.3
3. Nelson, Jelgava	8.8
4. Johnson, Naglis P.	8.8
5. Galdikas, Neptunas	8.7
6. Mednis, Turiba	8.6
7. Arnold, TT.	8.3
8. McClure, Kedainiai	8.0
9. Benn, Naglis Palan.	7.8
10. Bowles, Siauliai	7.6

Assists Per Game

Mindaugas STASYS
  Neptunas
  (180-PG-86)
  Avg: 6.7

1. Stasys, Neptunas	6.7
2. Broadus, Siauliai	6.1
3. Maceina, Juventus	5.7
4. Kriisa, Tarvas	5.5
5. Rinkevicius, Nagli.	5.0
6. Dorbek, Tarvas	4.8
7. Dainys, Neptunas	4.5
8. Tsiopych, Barsy A.	4.4
9. Kulagin, Triumph	4.4
10. Strelnieks, Vents.	4.3

Steals Per Game

Dainius SALENGA
  Rudupis
  (197-F-77)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Salenga, Rudupis	2.2
2. Virsis, Valmiera	2.2
3. Benn, Naglis Palan.	2.0
4. Keedus, TT.	2.0
5. Hughes, Pieno Z.	2.0
6. Kriisa, Tarvas	2.0
7. Krumins, Jelgava	1.8
8. Oja, Tarvas	1.8
9. Matulionis, Techas.	1.8
10. Evstigneev, Barsy	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Dane JOHNSON
  Naglis P.
  (208-C-86)
  Avg: 2

1. Johnson, Naglis P.	2.0
2. Rozitis, Valmiera	1.9
3. Gumeniuk, Juventus	1.9
4. Toome, Kalev/Cramo	1.6
5. Staniulis, Techasas	1.6
6. Masiulis, Kedainiai	1.5
7. Morgan, Pieno Z.	1.2
8. Kurtsevich, Trium.	1.2
9. Cipruss, Tarvas	1.0
10. Butkevicius, Saka.	0.9

Standings - Men

Baltic League Standings

Elite Division
1. Siauliai			8-1
2. Rudupis			7-2
3. Kalev/Cramo			6-3
4. Pieno Zvaigzdes			5-3
5. Ventspils			5-4
6. Juventus			5-5
7. Triumph			4-2
8. Tartu Ulikool			3-7
9. Baltai Kaunas			2-7
10. Kedainiai			2-7
11. Liepaja			2-8
Challenge Cup
Group A
1. Naglis Palangos			5-1
2. Neptunas			4-2
3. Tarvas			4-2
4. Barsy Atyrau			3-5
5. Jelgava			0-6
Group B
1. Techasas			6-2
2. Sakalai			6-2
3. Valmiera			6-3
4. TTU/Kalev			3-5
5. Rapla			2-6
6. Turiba			2-7

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BELGIUM

Emporio Armani has no mercy for Charleroi, 88-53 - by Eurobasket News
Emporio Armani - Charleroi 88-53

Emporio Armani demonstrated its power on Wednesday evening. The Milano team blasted Charleroi with huge 88-53 improving to 3-6 record in Group C. It means that Milano still has a chance to reach Top 16 and they will have to beat Partizan next week. The Italians need at least five point win in Belgrade. At the other side, Charleroi closes the standings in this pool with 2-7. Leon Radosevic (208-C-90) netted 17 points for the winners, Malik Hairston (198-G-87, college: Oregon) had 15 and Ioannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) helped with 12 points, plus 13 rebounds. Drew Nicholas (191-G-81, college: Maryland) (6 as) also scored 12 pts in this meeting. In Charleroi, Andre Riddick (208-C-73, college: Kentucky) (5 rebs) and Jiri Welsch (201-F-80) delivered 12 points each. Amaury Jadin (189-G-86) stopped to one less. Quarters: 23-18, 25-12, 17-16, 23-7. As mentioned above, Milano will play in Belgrade next week, while Charleroi will host Maccabi Electra.

Emporio Armani: Leon Radosevic 17, Malik Hairston 15, Ioannis Bourousis 12+13 boards, Drew Nicholas 12+6 as
Charleroi: Andre Riddick 12+5 boards, Jiri Welsch 12, Amaury Jadin 11

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BOSNIA

D1: Round 11 review - by Eurobasket News
Round 11 of the Bosnian D1 was played last weekend. There was no surprise as top ranked Bosna and No.2 Igokea had no troubles to beat their rivals. Bosna registered 95-79 home victory against Celik, while Igokea cruised past Brotnjo on the road. Dzenan Rahimic (204-C/F-74) shined for Bosna again collecting 26 points and 13 rebounds. Eldin Camdzic (195-G-90) was the second scorer in victory with 18 pts. Second ranked Igokea got 16 points and 5 rebounds from Milan Dozet (204-SF-79), while Milijan Bocka (186-PG-82) and Bojan Djurica (198-SF-83) netted 14 pts each. In the other games, Hercegovac grabbed 67-65 OT win against Servitium, while Varda celebrated in Vogosca 76-82. Leotar handed 86-78 loss to Borac and Mladost grabbed 75-73 victory against Zrinjski. Round 12 is scheduled for the next weekend.

D1 Standings
1. Bosna 10-0
2. Igokea 9-1
3. Capljina 7-3
4. Leotar 7-3
5. Mladost 6-4
6. Varda HE 6-4
7. Hercegovac 5-5
8. Borac Nektar 4-6
9. Zrinjski HT 4-7
10. Brotnjo 3-8
11. Servitium 2-8
12. Celik 2-8
13. Vogosca 1-9

Bozo Djurasovic signs for Halychyna - by Miljan Veskovic
Bozo Djurasovic (200-F-87, agency: Sport Connect) signs for Politekhnika-Halychyna the member of Ukraine Superleague. Politekhnika-Halychyna is reinforcing their roster trying to change the course of the season and climb up on the league table. Djurasovic will play together with Ex Siroki's Wwin point guard Vedran Morovic (184-PG-83, agency: Beo Basket, college: Olney Central CC) and ex Igokea's shooting guard Lans Harris (195-G-83, college: Kansas St.). Djurasovic started this season in German BBL playing for LTi Giessen 46ers but in november parted ways with the club. Djurasovic was also a member of Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team.

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BRAZIL

Gutsy Tijuca comes back to WIN vs Villa Velha in NBB action - by Mel Devonne
After trailing most the game, Tijuca clapped down defensively in the 4th quarter to over take
Villa Velha 76-64 in Tijuca Thursday night.
There was heavy Xmas shopping around the Tijuca Tenis clube, a light crowd at the game, but the crowd
got treated to a late comeback and win for Tijuca.
Tijuca trapped and got several turnovers and easy baskets to wind up winning by 12.
The first half belonged to Villa Velha who hit 7-17 3s in the first half to lead 39-33 at the half.
Villa Velha led 50-35 at 6:35 of the 3rd quarter before Tijuca trapped changed the game for good.
Tijuca tied the game at 60 at 5:35 of the 4th quarter and went up 67-61 at the 2:12 mark of the 4th.
Villa Velha had 12 turnovers in the second half which killed what was a solid 1st half and part of the 3rd quarter.
Tijuca was led by Diego Conceicao (200-F-87) with 25 on 9-9 shooting and had some key steals in the 3rd and 4th quarter.
Also reseerve guard Camara Marcellus played well in the second and Tijuca got great minutes in the first half
from Rodrigo Bahia who had 9 points all in the first half.
Villa Velha was led by Matheus Dalla with 16 and Jefferson Campos with 13 and 10 in the first half.
Tijuca is a very competitive club. They lack size and quickness in the back court, but make up for it alot
of grit on the defensive end. They are going to be solid team in the NBB.

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BULGARIA

Krum Doychinov wins POW in Sweden - by Eurobasket News
Krum Doychinov (206-C-86, agency: Interperformances) won the Eurobasket Power of the Week award in Swedish top division. The Bulgarian big guy put on an extraordinary performance for his team Solna Vikings in Round 16 of the Basketligan. The 25-year old player had a double-double of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while his team crushed Jamtland (#9, 6-10) with 18-point margin 102-84. Solna maintains the 7th position in the league. Solna 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 8-8 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Doychinov as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Krum Doychinov averages this season 9.6ppg and 5.5rpg. Krum Doychinov spent last season with Balkan Botevgrad. He had 9.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg for 8 games in BIBL. His number in the NBL were slightly lower.

Beroe keeps perfect score in Division A - by Eurobasket News
Round Eight of the Bulgarian Division A was played last weekend. The top ranked Beroe managed to register another win and jumped to 8-0 record. This time they handed 74-62 loss to Cherno More U20. Petar Zagorov (202-F/C-86) was the leading player in victory with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Sergey Tsvetkov (196-G/F-88, agency: Interperformances) scored 15, while Milen Dimitrov (204-F/C-88) shied with 13 points and 11 rebs. In the other games of the round, Balkan 2 celebrated 79-83 road win against Overgas. Academik PL had no mercy for Chavdar also on the road, 56-102. Academik BL handed 102-81 loss to Vida and Shumen failed at home to Divan 82-84. Round Nine is scheduled for the next weekend. After that, teams will take a rest until January 15.

Standings A2

Division A Standings

1. Beroe		8-0
2. Academik BL		6-2
3. Overgas		5-3
4. Academik PL		5-3
5. Cherno More U18		4-4
6. Vidabasket		4-4
7. Dunav 2007		4-4
8. Chavdar		2-6
9. Balkan 2		1-7
10. Shumen		1-7

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CHINA

CBA round 11 best performance: Charles Gaines - by Eurobasket News
American forward Charles Gaines (201-F-81) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Shanxi Zh., receiving a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 11.
The 30-year old player had a double-double of 38 points and 11 rebounds, while his team beat Foshan (#13, 3-7) 108-100. Shanxi Zh. is placed at 3rd position in Chinese CBA. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Shanxi Zh. will need more victories to improve their 6-3 record. Gaines turned to be Shanxi Zh.'s top player in his first season with the team. Former University of Southern Mississippi star has very solid stats this year. Gaines is in league's top in points (3rd best: 28.7ppg), rebounds (4th best: 13.3rpg) and averages impressive 2.3spg and 66.5% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 31-year old American Donnell Harvey (203-F/C-80) of TianJin R.. Harvey had a very good evening with a double-double of 34 points and 23 rebounds. Bad luck as TianJin R. was edged by the higher-ranked Jiangsu D. (#14, 3-7) 107-104. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. TianJin R. is still at the dead bottom 17th position. 9 lost games are too many comparing to just two victories TianJin R. managed to get this year. Harvey is a newcomer at TianJin R., but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American Jackson Vroman (208-C/F-81) of Jiangsu D. (#14). Vroman scored 23 points and grabbed fifteen rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Jiangsu D., leading his team to a 107-104 win against the lower-ranked TianJin R. (#17, 2-9). The chances of Jiangsu D. not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 7 games, recording just three victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Vroman could try to bring Jiangsu D.'s a little bit higher in the standings. Vroman has a very solid season. In 2 games in China he scored 22.5ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Osama Daghles (198-G-79) of Jilin NE T. - 19 points, 13 rebounds and 8 assists
5. Kai Zhang (211-C-82) of DongGuan L. - 22 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Marcus Williams (201-F/G-86) of Shanxi Zh. - 27 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists
7. Alan Anderson (198-G/F-82) of Shandong FB - 29 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Shavlik Randolph (208-F-83) of DongGuan L. - 28 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Zhun Zheng (214-C-92) of Foshan - 21 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Patrick Mills (183-PG-88) of Xinjiang F.T. - 22 points, 7 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)

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

CROATIA

Unicaja celebrates in Zagreb, books ticket for Top 16 - by Eurobasket News
KK Zagreb CO - Unicaja 67-82

Unicaja booked a spot for the Euroleague Top 16. The Spanish squad handed 67-82 home loss to Zagreb in crucial game, which was played on Wednesday night. Zagreb dropped to 2-7 in this pool. Unicaja took control on their host in the second and third period, what was enough for them to secure a victory. Unicaja even reached 18-point lead with 3 minutes remaining in the game. Joel Freeland (208-F-87) and Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) stepped up for the guests with 17 and 16 points respectively. Each of them grabbed 8 rebounds in this meeting. Berni Rodriguez (197-F/G-80, agency: Court Side) helped with 11 points. In Zagreb, Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85) shined with 16 points and 7 rebs. Joshua Heytvelt (211-F-86, college: Gonzaga) (5 rebs) and Damir Rancic (199-G-83) scored 12 and 9 pts. Quarters: 22-20, 17-25, 13-20, 15-17. Unicaja waits CSKA in the next round, while Zagreb goes to Kaunas.

Zagreb: Krunoslav Simon 16+7 boards, Joshua Heytvelt 12+5 boards, Damir Rancic 9
Unicaja: Joel Freeland 17+8 boards, Luka Zoric 16+8 boards, Berni Rodriguez 11

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

CZECH REPUBLIC

LeKendric Longmire Leaves Usti nad Labem - by Surujh Roopnarine
Rookie import LeKendric Longmire (196-G-87, college: Oregon), due to issues back home with his family, has asked for and was granted his release from SLUNETA Usti nad Labem last week.
The 6-5 guard out of the University of Oregon appeared in 15 games for SLUNETA Usti nad Labem, averaging 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 49.0% on two-point field goals, 24.6% from three and 76.6% from the free-throw line. The second-leading scorer for the team behind Thaddeus McFadden (188-G-87, college: Fairmont St.), the two formed a solid young nucleus and which was pushing the club towards respectability in the challenging NBL. A Mississippi native, Longmire played three seasons at Oregon. During his last year (2009-2010), he averaged 7.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 41.6% from the field.

Wizards draft choice Jan Vesely is adjusting on the fly - by Eurobasket News
The Washington Wizards made Jan Vesely (211-F-90) their top choice in the draft partly because of the speed and relentless aggression with which he attacked the rim for momentum-swinging dunks while playing in Europe. In the past week, the challenges of adapting to the NBA have been ambushing Vesely in similarly overwhelming fashion.

Two days after arriving on a flight from Prague, Vesely was thrust into two-a-day practices with the Wizards, and hes trying to figure out whats moving faster: John Wall or the pace of the game.

A little bit, I think, Vesely said when asked if the adjustment has been tough. I think Im getting every day into better shape so I think can get into this rhythm.

The unusual circumstances of the past month have also contributed to the whirlwind of preparing for his rookie season. He trained in Los Angeles, then left last month to return home to the Czech Republic, believing that there would be no swift resolution to the lockout. He contemplated returning to his former team in Serbia, Partizan Belgrade.

But NBA owners and players found a compromise to end the lockout. Then, Vesely wondered if he would be allowed to enter the United States in time for training camp to begin.

It was difficult, Vesely said.

Vesely, 21, said he feels comfortable in his new surroundings, but his performance in scrimmages during the first few days of training camp often shows otherwise. He runs the floor well, makes sharp cuts toward the basket, sets screens and is a capable passer. But the high-flying, 6-foot-11 forward appears more willing to blend in than steal the spotlight (as he did with the infamous smooch with his girlfriend on draft night).

For example, Wall tried to set him up for a potential fast-break dunk this week, throwing a beautiful outlet pass ahead of every defender, but Vesely never lifted his head and the ball drifted out of bounds. A day later, Vesely found himself a few feet from the basket with Wall defending him. Despite having a decided height advantage, Vesely refused to back him down or simply shoot over Wall. Instead he turned and attempted a fadeaway, and Wall forced him into shooting an air ball. Afterward, veteran Roger Mason Jr. pulled Vesely aside to urge him to be more assertive in that situation.

With him, hes so talented, he can take his time a little bit, Mason said. I was just letting him know, giving him support, that in this league, you don't have to rush. A young guy, the tendency in this league is to rush.

With plenty of depth at his position, the Wizards are in no such hurry to bring along Vesely. Andray Blatche is the starter at power forward, Rashard Lewis can slide over when the team goes to smaller lineups and Trevor Booker, new acquisition Ronny Turiaf and rookie Chris Singleton will also get minutes at the position.

Coach Flip Saunders certainly isnt concerned, as Vesely regains his legs and attempts to process all that is going on around him.

Of all of our players, he has a great feel for the game. He really understands, passes the ball extremely well, makes the extra pass, knows when to hold it, when to get rid of it. The speed of the game, thats not his problem because thats his forte, getting up and down, Saunders said. For him, its just constantly working on his fundamentals, working on his shooting, working on all those things. But as far as the feel and how to play, hes got that.

Wall has also been encouraged by what hes seen from Vesely.

I think hes still just learning how the NBA game is, how physical it is, how quick it is. But I think hell be good down the road, Wall said. Hes athletic, can play defense, can jump. He does those things, and he just wants to work. Hes not frustrated or anything. Hes just playing hard.

After each practice, Vesely spends extra time working on his shooting form near the basket and at the foul line. As Vesely goes through his shooting motion, assistant coach Ryan Saunders will often stand nearby, placing his hand against Veselys back to ensure that he maintains his balance and avoids the temptation to lean.

Hes got really good form, Flip Saunders said. He just has a tendency, he fades a little bit and loses his concentration, so I think its more to just tighten up his shot a little bit.

During Veselys professional stops in Serbia and Slovenia, the teams didnt emphasize individual attention and player development. The Wizards have made that a priority as they attempt to rebuild with one of the leagues youngest teams.

Not a lot of shooting drills, not a lot of one-on-one drills, Vesely said of his previous teams. This NBA is different than European basketball.

Vesely visited Washington for the first time when he came for his introductory news conference. He is still looking for a new apartment but doesnt expect to have any trouble making the transition to living in a new country.

The weather is fine, its close to Czech so I didnt have a problem for getting used to D.C., Vesely said. Its good to be back and to work out.

Courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

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

DENMARK

First Division: Round 12 - by Eurobasket News
Round 12 of the first division was played last weekend. The top ranked Amager BK registered 78-55 home win against Solrod for 9-2 record. Visitors stay the only winless team in the league with poor 0-9. No.2 Lemvig also celebrated in this round. It was a 79-70 home victory against ALBA. Lemvig jumped to 9-3, while ALBA slipped to 2-9 score. In the other games Randers grabbed 66-67 thriller win against Virum and Aarhus handed 72-65 loss to Haderslev. Jonstrup was better than Glostrup 87-72 for 2-8 record. In the last game of the round, Stevnsgade was better than Koge 82-74. There will be only one game played for rest of the year in first division. Stevnsgade will host Randers on Saturday.

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

D-LEAGUE

Standings

D-League Standings

East Conference
1. Springfield A.		5-1
2. Iowa E.		5-3
3. Dakota W.		3-3
4. Ft.Wayne MA		3-3
5. Canton C.		3-4
6. Maine RC		2-4
7. Sioux Falls S.		2-5
8. Erie Bay H.		2-6
West Conference
1. Los Angeles D.		7-3
2. Bakersfield J.		5-2
3. Tulsa 66ers		5-3
4. Rio Grande VV		5-4
5. Austin T.		4-2
6. Idaho S.		3-4
7. Reno B.		2-4
8. Texas L.		1-6

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Blake AHEARN
  Reno B.
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 25

1. Ahearn, Reno B.	25.0
2. Costner, Los A.	25.0
3. Sloan, Erie Bay H.	24.8
4. Garcia, Sioux F.	24.8
5. Dentmon, Austin T.	23.3
6. Millsap, Los A.	23.2
7. Moses Randal., Iow.	21.5
8. Biggs, Canton C.	21.3
9. Famous, Iowa E.	21.0
10. Allmond, Ft.Wayne.	21.0

Rebounds Per Game

Marcus LEWIS
  Tulsa 66ers
  (203-F/C-86)
  Avg: 12.7

1. Lewis, Tulsa 66ers	12.7
2. Butch, Bakersfi.	12.5
3. Famous, Iowa E.	12.2
4. Daniels, Erie B.	11.4
5. Wright, Maine RC	10.8
6. Stiemsma, Sioux F.	10.8
7. Milligan, Canton C.	10.6
8. Thomas, Austin T.	10.3
9. Brown, Springfield	9.8
10. Withers, Dakota W.	9.4

Assists Per Game

Walker RUSSELL
  Ft.Wayne.
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 11.8

1. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	11.8
2. Sloan, Erie Bay H.	8.4
3. Cooksey, Texas L.	8.1
4. Tinsley, Los A.	7.6
5. Ewing, Iowa E.	7.4
6. Ahearn, Reno B.	7.0
7. Snow, Maine RC	7.0
8. Bozeman, Reno B.	6.2
9. Coleman, Sioux F.	6.1
10. Baker, Dakota W.	6.0

Steals Per Game

Elijah MILLSAP
  Los A.
  (198-G-87)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Millsap, Los A.	3.5
2. Tinsley, Los A.	2.4
3. Dentmon, Austin T.	2.3
4. Baker, Dakota W.	2.2
5. Harris, Rio G.	2.1
6. Hamilton, Los A.	2.1
7. Fortson, Los A.	2.1
8. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	2.0
9. Thompson, Erie B.	2.0
10. Hurdle, Springfi.	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Gregory STIEMSMA
  Sioux F.
  (211-C-85)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Stiemsma, Sioux F.	4.5
2. Foster, Idaho S.	3.5
3. Daniels, Erie B.	2.2
4. Major, Bakersfi.	2.2
5. Thompson, Erie B.	2.0
6. Gladness, Dakota	1.8
7. Dove, Dakota W.	1.8
8. Thomas, Springfi.	1.7
9. Milligan, Canton C.	1.6
10. Coleman, Rio G.	1.6

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

DR CONGO

26th ACCM: Kasongo double double lift Mazembe past AL Ahly - by Olusegun Ikuesan
Aubin Kasongo posted a double double figure of 21 points, 10 rebound and 3 assist help ASB Mazembe basketball club of Democratic Republic of Congo secure victory over AL-Ahly basketball club of Libya in a reschedule Day-1 pairing.

The high tempo group-A game of the 2011 Africa Champions Club for Men saw the determined Mazembe side race to a 20-18 points win in the first quarter, the Congolese side however, gave up the second quarter by 16-19 but rallied back to snatch the remaining two quarters 24-12 and 15-13 points to earn it first victory after losing to Union Bank of Nigeria and GDR Libolo of Angola.

Mazembe guard Prince Asani added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 steal with forward Bertrand Boukinda contributing 14 points and 5 rebounds for their side all important win over the Libyan.

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

ESTONIA

Janar Soo claims KML weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
Talented former international swingman Janar Soo (199-G/F-91) had an amazing evening in the last round for Rapla and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 13.
The 20-year old swingman had the game-high 31 points adding nine rebounds and two assists for Rapla in his team's victory, helping them to crush Parnu (#7, 2-10) with 19-point margin 93-74. Rapla maintains the 4th position in KML. 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 6-5 record. In the team's last game Soo had a remarkable 73.3% from 2-point range. He has many years of experience at Rapla, through which he has constantly improved. Soo has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (2nd best: 17.1ppg).

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 23-year old former international forward Tanel Kurbas (197-F-88) of league's best team Tartu Ulikool. Kurbas impressed basketball fans with 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Of course he lead Tartu Ulikool to another comfortable win outscoring the lower-ranked Parnu (#7, 2-10) 111-68. Of course Tartu Ulikool still keep the league's top spot. His team belongs to top of the standings with 11-1 record and is considered one of the main candidates for the league title. Kurbas is well-known by Tartu Ulikool fans and he already established his position as one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was another Tartu Ulikool's star - American Bill Amis (205-F-87). Amis scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was another key player of Tartu Ulikool, helping his team with a 111-68 easy win against the lower-ranked Parnu (#7, 2-10). Many experts and fans count Tartu Ulikool as a contender for championship title. Another victory and another confirmation that they may be right. Just look at their record: 11 victories and only one lost games. They are currently at the very top of the standings. Amis has a great season in Estonia. After 12 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 7.8rpg (6th best). He also has 1.5bpg and FGP: 59.8%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Andrew Arnold (208-C-86) of TTU/Kalev - 27 points and 8 rebounds
5. Matt Shaw (203-F-88) of Tln Kalev - 25 points and 7 rebounds
6. Raido Ringmets (206-C/F-83) of Rapla - 7 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists
7. Rain Veideman (192-G-91) of Tartu Ulikool - 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Rannar Raap (188-G/F-92) of Parnu - 18 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists
9. Illimar Pilk (195-F-88) of TTU/Kalev - 13 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists
10. Kiur Akenparg (190-F-88) of TTU/Kalev - 20 points, 2 rebounds and 2 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)

Standings - KML

KML Standings

1. Tartu Ulikool		12-1
2. Kalev/Cramo		9-1
3. Tarvas		7-4
4. Rapla		6-5
5. TTU/Kalev		5-7
6. Tln Kalev		4-8
7. Parnu		2-10
8. Valga/CKE		2-11

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Illimar PILK
  TT.
  (195-F-88)
  Avg: 18

1. Pilk, TT.	18.0
2. Soo, Rapla	17.1
3. Cipruss, Tarvas	16.5
4. Raap, Parnu	16.0
5. Veideman, Tartu U.	15.9
6. Raadik, Parnu	15.8
7. Raley-Ross, Tln K.	15.3
8. Arnold, TT.	14.7
9. Hallik, Tarvas	13.9
10. Sokk, Tartu Uliko.	12.8

Rebounds Per Game

Kaspars CIPRUSS
  Tarvas
  (210-C-82)
  Avg: 10.1

1. Cipruss, Tarvas	10.1
2. Arnold, TT.	9.6
3. Adedeji, Va.	8.8
4. Ringmets, Rapla	8.2
5. Cricelli, Va.	8.0
6. Fedortchuk, Tln K.	7.6
7. Amis, Tartu Ulikool	7.5
8. Raadik, Tartu Ulik.	7.0
9. Keedus, TT.	6.8
10. Allingu, Tartu U.	6.8

Assists Per Game

Edgars CUNDA
  Va.
  (196-G-84)
  Avg: 4.7

1. Cunda, Va.	4.7
2. Pilk, TT.	3.8
3. Raap, Parnu	3.7
4. Kriisa, Tarvas	3.6
5. Dorbek, Tarvas	3.6
6. Laane, Rapla	3.5
7. Keedus, TT.	3.2
8. Skele, Kalev/Cramo	3.0
9. Karner, Parnu	2.8
10. Saage, Tartu Ulik.	2.8

Steals Per Game

Edgars CUNDA
  Va.
  (196-G-84)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Cunda, Va.	2.5
2. Dorbek, Tarvas	2.2
3. Karner, Parnu	2.2
4. Leppik, Tartu Ulik.	2.2
5. Laane, Rapla	2.1
6. Kaldre, Rapla	1.9
7. Roos, Tln Kalev	1.8
8. Cricelli, Va.	1.8
9. Saage, Tartu Uliko.	1.8
10. Raley-Ross, Tln K.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Bamba FALL
  Kalev/Cramo
  (216-C-86)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Fall, Kalev/Cramo	2.1
2. Amis, Tartu Ulikool	1.5
3. Raadik, Parnu	1.3
4. Fedortchuk, Tln K.	1.3
5. Adedeji, Va.	1.0
6. Varbanov, Kalev/Cr.	0.9
7. Raadik, Tartu Ulik.	0.8
8. Toome, Kalev/Cramo	0.7
9. Vaino, Tarvas	0.6
10. Kurbas, Tartu Uli.	0.5

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

EUROLEAGUE

Round 9: Wednesday's games - by Eurobasket News
GROUP A

Caja Laboral - Nancy 90-55
Caja Laboral made a huge step forward to Top 16 phase. The Vitoria team smashed Nancy 90-55 on Wednesday night for 5-4 record in Group A of the Euroleague regular season. At the other side, the French champion dropped to 3-6 with no chance to reach the next stage. Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) top-scored for the winners with 22 points. Brad Oleson (191-G-83, agency: Duran International, college: Alaska-Fairb.) and Fernando San Emeterio (198-F/G-84) (5 rebs) followed him with 14 and 13 points respectively. In Nancy, Kenny Gregory (197-G/F-78, college: Kansas) was better than the others with 15 points and 5 rebs. Abdel Kader Sylla (205-C-90) scored 10 points and was the last one with double-digits in this loss. Caja Laboral took control on Nancy from the very beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 22-11, 20-10, 29-9, 19-25. In the last round of the regular season, Caja Laboral goes to Bilbao. Nancy will host Olympiakos.

Caja Laboral: Mirza Teletovic 22, Brad Oleson 14, Fernando San Emeterio 13+5 boards
Nancy: Kenny Gregory 15+5 boards, Abdel Kader Sylla 10

GROUP B

CSKA - Panathinaikos 91-75
CSKA Moscow handed another loss to Panathinaikos in the Euroleague regular season. The Russian powerhouse celebrated 91-75 win for 9-0 record in Group B. CSKA already secured the first place in this pool. The reigning Euroleague champion slipped to 6-3 and will finish as No.2. Nenad Krstic (213-C-83, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) dominated in the paint collecting 17 points and 12 rebounds (valuation 31). Viktor Khryapa (204-F/G-82) (7 rebs) and Alexey Shved (5 as) helped the home squad with 16 points each. In PAO, Ian Vougioukas (212-C/F-85, college: St.Louis) shined with 17 points. Steven Smith (203-F-83, college: La Salle) had 11 and Nick Calathes (198-G-89, college: Florida) stopped to 9 pts in this meeting. CSKA made crucial 14-0 run at the beginning of the second half and later touched plus 17 during the last period. Quarters: 26-24, 21-25, 28-14, 16-12. Next week, CSKA will go to Malaga. PAO waits Brose Baskets.

CSKA: Nenad Krstic 17+12 boards, Viktor Khryapa 16+7 boards, Alexey Shved 16+5 as
PAO: Ian Vougioukas 17, Steven Smith 11, Nick Calathes 9

KK Zagreb CO - Unicaja 67-82
Unicaja booked a spot for the Euroleague Top 16. The Spanish squad handed 67-82 home loss to Zagreb in crucial game, which was played on Wednesday night. Zagreb dropped to 2-7 in this pool. Unicaja took control on their host in the second and third period, what was enough for them to secure a victory. Unicaja even reached 18-point lead with 3 minutes remaining in the game. Joel Freeland (208-F-87) and Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) stepped up for the guests with 17 and 16 points respectively. Each of them grabbed 8 rebounds in this meeting. Berni Rodriguez (197-F/G-80, agency: Court Side) helped with 11 points. In Zagreb, Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85) shined with 16 points and 7 rebs. Joshua Heytvelt (211-F-86, college: Gonzaga) (5 rebs) and Damir Rancic (199-G-83) scored 12 and 9 pts. Quarters: 22-20, 17-25, 13-20, 15-17. Unicaja waits CSKA in the next round, while Zagreb goes to Kaunas.

Zagreb: Krunoslav Simon 16+7 boards, Joshua Heytvelt 12+5 boards, Damir Rancic 9
Unicaja: Joel Freeland 17+8 boards, Luka Zoric 16+8 boards, Berni Rodriguez 11

GROUP C

Real Madrid - Partizan 101-83
Real Madrid jumped to 7-2 record in Group C and secured the first place in this pool with one round to go in the Euroleague regular season. Visitors faced with the second straight loss and slipped to 4-5 record. However, Partizan still has a nice chance to reach the Top 16. They need to beat Emporio Armani Milano next weekend in Belgrade, or even to loose with less than 4 points. Jaycee Carroll (188-PG-83, agency: Priority Sports) had 22 points for Real Madrid and Nikola Mirotic (209-F/C-91) added 21 points, 8 rebounds. Mirotic was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 30. Felipe Reyes (203-F/C-80) added 15 points and 7 rebs. In Partizan, Milan Macvan (206-C-89, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) top-scored with 16 points and Vladimir Lucic (202-F-89, agency: Beo Basket) had 13. Rasko Katic (208-C-80, agency: Beo Basket) added 12 points. Real Madrid made plus 15 until the halftime, having no troubles to keep their lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 27-15, 25-22, 24-19, 25-27. Real Madrid will meet Anadolu Efes in Istanbul next week. As mentioned above, Partizan waits Milano.

Real Madrid: Jaycee Carroll 22, Nikola Mirotic 21+8 boards, Felipe Reyes 15+7 boards
Partizan: Milan Macvan 16, Vladimir Lucic 13, Rasko Katic 12

Emporio Armani - Charleroi 88-53
Emporio Armani demonstrated its power on Wednesday evening. The Milano team blasted Charleroi with huge 88-53 improving to 3-6 record in Group C. It means that Milano still has a chance to reach Top 16 and they will have to beat Partizan next week. The Italians need at least five point win in Belgrade. At the other side, Charleroi closes the standings in this pool with 2-7. Leon Radosevic (208-C-90) netted 17 points for the winners, Malik Hairston (198-G-87, college: Oregon) had 15 and Ioannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) helped with 12 points, plus 13 rebounds. Drew Nicholas (191-G-81, college: Maryland) (6 as) also scored 12 pts in this meeting. In Charleroi, Andre Riddick (208-C-73, college: Kentucky) (5 rebs) and Jiri Welsch (201-F-80) delivered 12 points each. Amaury Jadin (189-G-86) stopped to one less. Quarters: 23-18, 25-12, 17-16, 23-7. As mentioned above, Milano will play in Belgrade next week, while Charleroi will host Maccabi Electra.

Emporio Armani: Leon Radosevic 17, Malik Hairston 15, Ioannis Bourousis 12+13 boards, Drew Nicholas 12+6 as
Charleroi: Andre Riddick 12+5 boards, Jiri Welsch 12, Amaury Jadin 11

GROUP D

Galatasaray - Union Olimpija 80-59

Galatasaray booked a spot for Top 16 in their debut Euroleague season. The Turkish squad had no troubles to beat Union Olimpija on Wednesday night 80-59 for 4-5 record in Group D. Slovenians close the standings in this pool with 1-8. Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) led the scorers in victory with 16 points. Luksa Andric (210-C-85, agency: Beo Basket) and Furkan Aldemir (207-F-91, agency: Beo Basket) added 11 points and 5 rebounds each. Lakovic and Aldemir reached valuation 21, but Aldemir did it for only 18 minutes on the court. Visitors got 21 points and 7 boards from Deon Thompson (203-F-88, college: N.Carolina). Robert Rothbart (217-C-86) had 18 points and 7 rebs, while Erjon Kastrati (197-F/G-94) scored 7 pts. Third period was the crucial one in this meeting as Galatasaray made 20-9 for those ten minutes and later increased its lead even more. Quarters: 18-16, 21-19, 20-9, 21-15. Galatasaray goes to Barcelona next week. Olimpija will host another Euroleague newcomer who already advanced to Top 16 - Unics.

Galatasaray: Deon Thompson 21+7 boards, Robert Rothbart 18+7 boards, Erjon Kastrati 7
Union Olimpija: Jaka Lakovic 16, Luksa Andric 11+5 boards, Furkan Aldemir 11+5 boards

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Mirza TELETOVIC
  Caja L.
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 23.1

1. Teletovic, Caja L.	23.1
2. Spanoulis, Olympia.	19.5
3. McCalebb, Montepa.	17.9
4. Weems, Zalgiris	17.6
5. Carroll, Real Madr.	17.4
6. Mallet, Spirou	16.9
7. Domercant, Unics	16.4
8. Gallinari, Armani	16.4
9. Banic, Gescrap BB	16.1
10. Krstic, CSKA	15.8

Rebounds Per Game

Andrei KIRILENKO
  CSKA
  (205-F-81)
  Avg: 9

1. Kirilenko, CSKA	9.0
2. Motiejunas, Asseco	8.5
3. Macvan, Partizan	7.9
4. Krstic, CSKA	7.2
5. Freeland, Unicaja	7.2
6. Akingbala, Nancy	6.9
7. Bourousis, Armani	6.8
8. Batum, Nancy	6.7
9. Slaughter, Brose B.	6.6
10. May, KK.	6.5

Assists Per Game

Sergio RODRIGUEZ
  Real M.
  (191-G-86)
  Avg: 6

1. Rodriguez, Real M.	6.0
2. Teodosic, CSKA	5.4
3. Huertas, FCB Regal	5.4
4. Batum, Nancy	5.2
5. Diamantidis, Panat.	5.2
6. Spanoulis, Olympia.	4.9
7. Cook, Armani MI	4.8
8. Prigioni, Caja L.	4.7
9. Blassingame, Assec.	4.6
10. Tunceri, Anadolu	4.5

Steals Per Game

Andrei KIRILENKO
  CSKA
  (205-F-81)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Kirilenko, CSKA	2.2
2. Prigioni, Caja L.	2.2
3. Sefolosha, Fener.U.	2.1
4. Slaughter, Brose B.	2.0
5. Eidson, FCB Regal	1.9
6. Lafayette, Asseco	1.8
7. Gordon, Galatasaray	1.8
8. Batum, Nancy	1.7
9. Linehan, Nancy	1.7
10. Gist, Fener.Ulker	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Andrei KIRILENKO
  CSKA
  (205-F-81)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Kirilenko, CSKA	3.2
2. Ibaka, Real Madrid	2.0
3. Riddick, Spirou	1.8
4. Begic, Real Madrid	1.6
5. Ilyasova, Anadolu	1.5
6. Vazquez, FCB Regal	1.4
7. Perovic, FCB Regal	1.3
8. Marconato, Bennet	1.1
9. Slaughter, Brose B.	1.1
10. Fischer, Gescrap	1.0

Standings

Euroleague Standings

Group A
1. Caja Laboral			5-4
2. Olympiakos			5-4
3. Fener.Ulker			5-4
4. Bennet Cantu			5-4
5. Gescrap BB			4-5
6. Nancy			3-6
Group B
1. CSKA			9-0
2. Panathinaikos			6-3
3. Unicaja			4-5
4. Zalgiris			3-6
5. Brose Baskets			3-6
6. KK Zagreb CO			2-7
Group C
1. Real Madrid			7-2
2. Maccabi T-A			6-3
3. Anadolu Efes			5-4
4. Partizan			4-5
5. Armani MI			3-6
6. Spirou			2-7
Group D
1. FCB Regal			8-1
2. Montepaschi			7-2
3. Unics			6-3
4. Galatasaray			4-5
5. Union Olimpija			1-8
6. Asseco Prokom			1-8

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

FINLAND

Kelly Beidler claims Korisliiga weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
American Kelly Beidler (199-F-88, agency: R.H.Consultancy) had an amazing evening in the last round for Kauhajoki and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 19.
The 23-year old forward had a double-double of 18 points and eleven rebounds, while his team beat Namika Lahti (#11, 2-16) 76-65. Kauhajoki maintains the 4th position in Finnish Korisliiga. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Kauhajoki will need more victories to improve their 11-6 record. Beidler turned to be Kauhajoki's top player in his first season with the team. Mt.Saint Mary's College, MD graduate has very impressive stats this year. Beidler is in league's top in points (5th best: 19.7ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 9.5rpg) and averages solid 2.0bpg,2.3spg and 59.6% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 28-year old American guard Chase Griffin (188-G-83) of ToPo. Griffin impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds. It was enough for ToPo to edge the lower-ranked LrNMKY (#8, 7-10) by 5 points 76-71. ToPo's 5th position in the standings has not changed. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 10-7 record is not bad and everything may still change. Griffin is a newcomer at ToPo and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was former international guard Roope Ahonen (187-PG-90, agency: FCM) of Salon Vilpas (#9). Ahonen scored 26 points and passed six assists. He was a key player of Salon Vilpas, leading his team to a 74-71 win against slightly lower-ranked KTP (#10, 5-14). The chances of Salon Vilpas not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 11 games, recording just six victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Ahonen could try to bring Salon Vilpas' a little bit higher in the standings. Ahonen has individually a great season in Finland. After 12 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 3.3apg (9th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. John Fields (205-F-88) of Salon Vilpas - 6 points and 22 rebounds
5. Vesa Makalainen (200-F-86) of Kauhajoki - 22 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Petri Virtanen (183-G-80) of Kataja - 23 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Antti Nikkila (210-F/C-78) of Pyrinto - 15 points and 8 rebounds
8. Tim Blue (205-F-84) of KTP - 20 points and 12 rebounds
9. Sami Lehtoranta (205-C/F-79) of Kataja - 18 points and 7 rebounds
10. Ville Makalainen (194-F-85) of Namika Lahti - 17 points and 9 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)

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

FRANCE

Caja Laboral destroys Nancy in Vitoria - by Eurobasket News
Caja Laboral - Nancy 90-55

Caja Laboral made a huge step forward to Top 16 phase. The Vitoria team smashed Nancy 90-55 on Wednesday night for 5-4 record in Group A of the Euroleague regular season. At the other side, the French champion dropped to 3-6 with no chance to reach the next stage. Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) top-scored for the winners with 22 points. Brad Oleson (191-G-83, agency: Duran International, college: Alaska-Fairb.) and Fernando San Emeterio (198-F/G-84) (5 rebs) followed him with 14 and 13 points respectively. In Nancy, Kenny Gregory (197-G/F-78, college: Kansas) was better than the others with 15 points and 5 rebs. Abdel Kader Sylla (205-C-90) scored 10 points and was the last one with double-digits in this loss. Caja Laboral took control on Nancy from the very beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 22-11, 20-10, 29-9, 19-25. In the last round of the regular season, Caja Laboral goes to Bilbao. Nancy will host Olympiakos.

Caja Laboral: Mirza Teletovic 22, Brad Oleson 14, Fernando San Emeterio 13+5 boards
Nancy: Kenny Gregory 15+5 boards, Abdel Kader Sylla 10

It's Derby Time - by Corey Belser
It's about to be game time, here in France! Just one game left before the Christmas break and it's our biggest game thus far. Not just because it's a rivalry match, but because it's for sole position of 1st place in the league, and a two game lead on the competition. Hopefully, we can do what it takes to get the win and go into the Christmas break ending year 2011 with a win!

After tomorrows game I'll be heading to Greece with Zoi for the break, I am looking forward to spending some time with her family and friends. My best friend Virgil Matthews (188-G-83, college: Montana) will be coming to Greece for the break as well, he's playing in Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule Germany this season. Congrats to his teams big win tonight, Virg played well almost dropping a double double 10pt/ 8ast. Virgil and I been playing ball together since the 4th grade! Big Shot out to Al Davis and East Side Boys and girls culb in Tacoma, WA! I think Virgil been overseas for just about as many years as I. I am really excited for him to get the opportunity to see what Greece is like, I know he's going to love it. I spent four years playing in Greece, and still is one my best experiences overseas. I know my good friend Kostie Kesidi will be eager to play us in some cut throat one-one over the break. It's going be a great Christmas!

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

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

GERMANY

Standings - ProA

ProA Standings

1. MBC		11-2
2. Kirchheim		10-3
3. Duesseldorf		8-4
4. Crailsheim		8-5
5. Chemnitz		8-6
6. Heidelberg		7-6
7. NBC		7-6
8. Jena		7-6
9. Webmoebel		7-6
10. Cuxhaven		6-7
11. Ehingen		6-8
12. ETB Wohnbau		5-8
13. Braves		4-9
14. Karlsruhe		3-10
15. Leitershofen		1-12

Stats Leaders - 2.Bundesliga

Points Per Game

Martin SAMARCO
  Karlsruhe
  (191-G-85)
  Avg: 20.8

1. Samarco, Karlsruhe	20.8
2. McKiver, Braves	20.4
3. Reese, Duesseldorf	19.9
4. Stommes, Webmoebel	19.0
5. Roessler, Karlsruhe	18.8
6. Alexander, ETB W.	17.8
7. Webb, Crailsheim	17.2
8. Hassan, Leitersh.	16.7
9. Mason, Webmoebel	16.6
10. Capel, Cuxhaven	16.5

Rebounds Per Game

Justin HOWARD
  Karlsruhe
  (208-C-81)
  Avg: 10.3

1. Howard, Karlsruhe	10.3
2. Black, Jena	8.5
3. Uskoski, Kirchheim	8.4
4. Webb, Crailsheim	8.2
5. Richardson, Leiter.	8.0
6. Lawson, Chemnitz	7.9
7. Harris, Cuxhaven	7.9
8. Mason, Webmoebel	7.1
9. De Michael, NBC	7.0
10. Watts, Heidelberg	6.8

Assists Per Game

Ahmad SMITH
  Kirchheim
  (194-G-84)
  Avg: 6.2

1. Smith, Kirchheim	6.2
2. Johnson, Chemnitz	5.6
3. Jeka, Braves	5.3
4. Diggs, Webmoebel	4.7
5. Holcomb Faye, MBC	4.6
6. Reese, Duesseldorf	4.6
7. Chavis, NBC	4.5
8. Burgess, Heidelberg	4.5
9. Rice, Cuxhaven	4.4
10. Hill, Crailsheim	4.2

Steals Per Game

Cedric BROOKS
  Kirchheim
  (185-G-80)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Brooks, Kirchheim	2.2
2. Bowlin, Leitershof.	1.9
3. Rice, Cuxhaven	1.8
4. Johnson, Chemnitz	1.7
5. Ishizaki, Chemnitz	1.5
6. Harris, NBC	1.4
7. Stommes, Webmoebel	1.4
8. Matthews, Ehingen	1.4
9. Capel, Cuxhaven	1.3
10. Brown, Cuxhaven	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Dmitriy CHEREMNYKH
  Braves
  (213-C-78)
  Avg: 1.8

1. Cheremnykh, Braves	1.8
2. De Michael, NBC	1.4
3. Zipser, Heidelberg	1.3
4. Harris, Cuxhaven	1.1
5. Flomo, Duesseldorf	1.1
6. Howard, Karlsruhe	0.9
7. Williamson, Ehingen	0.9
8. Thomas, Kirchheim	0.8
9. Schoo, Heidelberg	0.8
10. Okoye, NBC	0.7

2012 Beko BBL Allstar Starters Are Named - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
14 years ago was the last time in the BBL that the German national stars played an Allstar game against the international stars and the league has returned to that format for the 2012 game as the rosters for both sides were announced today. The starting five for the German side consist of Mr I can hit from all over the planet Heiko Schaffartzik, German wunderkind Robin Benzing, 2010 NBA Draft pick Tibor Pleiss, Alba Berlin center Yassin Idbihi and TBB Trier forward Phillip Zwiener. The starting five for the international team will be mr road runner DaShaun Wood (185-G-85, college: Wright St.), 2004 NBA Draft pick Rickey Paulding, crunch time ace Je Kel Foster, mr ballerina Derrick Allen and ex NBA player Bobby Brown. 1993 NCAA champion Henrik Roedl will coach the German side and 5 time title winner in Germany Chris Fleming will coach the International side. Both coaches now will select the rest of the roster.

Team National: 1. Heiko Schaffartzik (ALBA BERLIN, PG, 10,6 %), 2. Robin Benzing (FC Bayern Mnchen, SF, 8,5 %), 3. Tibor Pleiss (Brose Baskets, C, 8,1 %), 4. Yassin Idbihi (ALBA BERLIN C, 7,3 %), 5. Philip Zwiener (TBB Trier, SF, 4,1 %); 6. Jan-Hendrik Jagla (FC Bayern Munchen, PF, 4,0 %), 7. Johannes Lischka (EnBW Ludwigsburg, PF, 3,9 %), 8. Demond Greene (FC Bayern Munchen, SG, 3,4 %), 9. Karsten Tadda (Brose Baskets, SG, 3,4 %), 10. Maik Zirbes (TBB Trier, C, 3,3 %).

Team International: 1. DaShaun Wood (ALBA BERLIN, PG, 5,1 %), 2. Rickey Paulding (EWE Baskets Oldenburg, SF, 4,3 %), 3. JeKel Foster (FC Bayern Mnchen, SG, 4,2 %), 4. Derrick Allen (ALBA BERLIN, PF, 3,8 %), 5. Bobby Brown (EWE Baskets Oldenburg, PG, 3,4 %); 6. John Bryant (ratiopharm ulm, C, 3,4 %), 7. Chevon Troutman (FC Bayern Mnchen, C, 3,3 %), 8. Marcus Slaughter (Brose Baskets, PF, 3,3 %), 9. Chris Ensminger (Telekom Baskets Bonn, C, 3,1 %), 10. Casey Jacobsen (Brose Baskets, SG, 3,0 %).

Source: beko-bbl.de

Red Kangaroos sign Lipke and let go Stutz - by Moritz Korff
The Leitershofen/Stadtbergen Kangaroos go to great length to stay in the 2. Bundesliga Pro A. But even reinforcing the roster a couple of time has led to only one win yet, while falling short in 12 encounters. But the Kangaroos refuse to give up and now announced another roster move, which might help to climb the ladder: Long-time BBL player Jan Lipke (193-G-83, agency: Court Side) is the latest addition to the Leitershofen/Stadtbergen squad. He had suffered an ankle injury earlier this year and did not sign with any team after his contract with Eisbaeren Bremerhaven had expired at the end of the 2010-11 season.
Meanwhile, second leading scorer Logan Stutz (205-F-88, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Washburn) will not return to the team. The 23-year-old is currently recovering from an injury in the US, his contract has been terminated by mutual consent. The Kangaroos' coaches decided to continue the season with DeWayne Richardson (202-C-77, college: Fairmont St.) as their starting big man. As a consequence playing time would have been severely limited for Stutz.

Danilo Barthel (Fraport Skyliners) People Underestimate My Ability To Pass The Ball - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Danilo Barthel (206-F-91, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement) is a 20 year old 206cm forward from Heidelberg Germany that is playing his first season for the Fraport Skyliners. He also has a license to play for the team PRO B team. He started his basketball career with USC Heidelberg in 2008 and played there until 2011. Last season, he played 14 games: 4.8ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.0apg. Awards/Achievements in his basketball career have been German U18 National Team -09, European Championships U18 in Metz (France) -09: 8 games: 10.4ppg, 3.8rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 41.5%, 3PT: 43.8%, FT: 71.8%, German NBBL All-Star Game -10, German U20 National Team -10-11, European Championships U20 in Croatia -10: 7 games: 0.3ppg, and European Championships U20 in Bilbao (Spain) -11: 9 games: 4.9ppg, 4.1rpg, 1.0spg. He spoke to Eurobasket about basketball.

A tough 79-71 loss against BBC Bayreuth. The team has lost 12 of the last 13 games. How tough is it losing for you?

It has been a tough time. Every athlete hates losing. We cant hang our heads and have to stay positive.

Muli Katzurin said the team is good enough to come back, but not win. Why cant the team close the door on opponents?

Often we do a good job hitting our shots at the starts, but at the end are unable to make our shots or draw fouls.

In the fourth quarter, The Fraport Skyliners continued to fight, but continued to allow mini 5-0 runs. Why couldnt the team get stops?

I think that due to our Eurocup games that we might have simply been tired. We are missing guys and have a rotation at times of 7-8 guys. Not having everyone on board effects are energy

Do you guys want to win so much that it has become a mental problem?

That could be. We all have a lot of pressure. We train hard every day, but continue to lose.

Were the nine turnovers and good start the only positives from the game?

They were positive as well as well as our rebounding. We kept it close and considering we didnt have Jon Leuer and they are known as a good rebounding team we did a good job.

What was it like playing against Ekene Ibekwe. Many say he has NBA athleticism.

He definitely has NBA athleticism. He had three dunks and since he has began to shoot the ball from outside, he has become even more dangerous. You have to respect his shot now and he has the ability to go around you with his athleticism also.

You are playing your first season with the Fraport Skyliners. What was your reaction last summer when you found out that they wanted you?

I was very happy that I could start my Beko BBL career in Frankfurt.

You scored 8 points in your first two games against Oldenburg and Tuebingen. Were you surrpsied how well it started for you?

I was very surprised. I played little minutes in the preseason and then to come in and score so well was like a dream for me.

There were some games where you didnt play at all. Did you have a talk with Muli Katzruin concerning why you didnt?

I have had no talk with him and dont know why I didnt play those games.

What exactly is your role in the team?

I come in and bring energy to the team. On defense, my job is too box out my man and on offense to get rebounds and set good blocks.

What is a strength in your game that isnt noticed right away?

My passing. People underestimate my ability to pass the ball and get assists.

On what things do you still need to improve your game on?

I need work in the low post and being more stable and finding the open man.

How did Jon Leuer help you the best in practice?

Playing against such a strong offensive player that is so versatile really helped my game. My 1-1 defense was helped with his play. I also remembered some of his spin moves to incorprorate into my game.

Do you take the PRO B games as a time to work on things?

Yes and I can take my shots and working on gaining responsibility

Who has been your toughest opponent in the Beko BBL?

Brandon Hunter made life difficult for me and Jason Boone is one of the strongest players in the league.

You were born in Heidelberg, Germany. What was your childhood like?

My parents were separated and I lived with my dad. I got into basketball through m yolder brother. I was always playing with the older kids. I played U-16 with eight years, but only because there werent any other age groups.

Who were your basketball idols as a kid?

My favorite player was Dwight Howard because of his athleticism. I like to mold my game around Carmelo Anthony. He can do so many things

You started your basketball career with USC Heidelberg. How did coach Thorsten Daume help you with your game?

He gave me a chance to play and really helped my self confidence. He always told me to take the open shot. But the most important thing that he always preached was to give all in every minute.

How sad is it that Oliver Komarek isnt playing in the Beko BBL?

He decided that his studies were most important so he opted to continue with USC Heidelberg since he studies in Ludwigshafen. There are few 210cm guys that can shoot like him.

You played in the 2011 U-20 European championships. Germany lost 73-58 to Spain. What was it like playing against 2011 NBA draft pick of the Houston Rockets Nikola Mirotic?

I was really pumped up to play against him since he was the top scorer of the tournament. He also scored the least points against me.

How would you beat Jermareo Davidson at one on one?

I would stay on him as best possible and not let him do his moves. I also wouldnt let him shoot his mid distance jumper. On offense, I would beat him with my quick steps and moves.

Do you enjoy living in Frankfurt?

Yes I do. It is a wonderful city and I am often in the center of town.

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

30.

What was your most crazy shot?

In a practice, I was on the baseline, fell out of bounds and hit a shot over the back board.

What are your hobbies?

I love to snow board. I started with three, but as soon as I started to grow, I decided it was better to play basketball.

What is your impression of new Skyliner Jacob Burtschi?

I remember him winning the three point shooting contest at the 2011 Beko BBL Allstar game. He is a good shooter, penetrates well and can defend the 3-4 position.

What was the last DVD movie that you watched?

The final part of Harry Potter together with teammate Falko Thelig.

Thanks Danilo for the chat.

MBC lands local product Johannes Lange - by Moritz Korff
Mitteldeutscher BC (2. Bundesliga Pro A) has handed a contract to center Johannes Lange (208-C-85) until the end of the season. Lange was born in Weissenfels and got his early basketball eduacation at SSV Einheit Weissenfels. In 2002 Lange transfered to Rhoendorf and played for the Dragons until 2010. He then joined the Osnabrueck Ballers for the 2010-11 season and headed to BG Karlsruhe earlier this year. He saw action in six games of the Pro A in this current campaign, averaging 3.2 points per contest, before parting company with BG in November.
'I am excited that it worked out and I am looking forward to playing in my hometown', the 26-year-old stated. 'Johannes did a good job while trying out this week and will surely help our team as the third center. He will deepen our rotation', MBC head coach Silvano Poropat (agency: FCM) said.

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

GREECE

Mid December's list of Greek Free agents - by Chris Mammides
Nine weeks after the opening of the Greek A1 league, the list of the free agents is still quite long, eurobasket continue the exploitation in regards to the free agents which can offer their valuable assistance immediately at any team in the A1 or the A2 leagues, which might need them. Some of which are still quite hot names in the market. After these nine six weeks and the weakness that some teams face in particular positions, this list could assist them in deciding whether they want to add some assessment and familiarity in their rosters:

Here is the 'fresh' outcome of our little research

In the Guard position:
Georgios Diamantopoulos (195-F-80)
Nikos Hatzivrettas (195-G-77)
Fotis Lioutas (193-G-80, college: S.New Hampshire)
Dimitrios Kalaitzidis (198-F/G-85)
Nikos Pappas (194-G-90) (he has a frozen contract with Bizkaia Bilbao)
Lazaros Seferidis (192-G-82)*

In the forward position:
Nikos Theodorakos (202-F-89)
Antonis Kesisoglou (206-F-91)
Luke Hristou (195-F-88)
Vasilis Angelakopoulos (203-F-79)
Giorgos Pavlidis (206-F-78)
Milos Sakota (203-F-84)

In the center position:
Jacob Blankenship (207-C-90)
Georgos Tsiakos (205-F/C-82)
Miroslav Raicevic (208-C-81)
Gaios Skordilis (206-C-87)
Giorgos Loupos (208-C-78)*

* For these three players there is some doubts whether are still active players as there are no news for possible retirement

CSKA Moscow too strong for Panathinaikos again - by Eurobasket News
CSKA - Panathinaikos 91-75

CSKA Moscow handed another loss to Panathinaikos in the Euroleague regular season. The Russian powerhouse celebrated 91-75 win for 9-0 record in Group B. CSKA already secured the first place in this pool. The reigning Euroleague champion slipped to 6-3 and will finish as No.2. Nenad Krstic (213-C-83, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) dominated in the paint collecting 17 points and 12 rebounds (valuation 31). Viktor Khryapa (204-F/G-82) (7 rebs) and Alexey Shved (5 as) helped the home squad with 16 points each. In PAO, Ian Vougioukas (212-C/F-85, college: St.Louis) shined with 17 points. Steven Smith (203-F-83, college: La Salle) had 11 and Nick Calathes (198-G-89, college: Florida) stopped to 9 pts in this meeting. CSKA made crucial 14-0 run at the beginning of the second half and later touched plus 17 during the last period. Quarters: 26-24, 21-25, 28-14, 16-12. Next week, CSKA will go to Malaga. PAO waits Brose Baskets.

CSKA: Nenad Krstic 17+12 boards, Viktor Khryapa 16+7 boards, Alexey Shved 16+5 as
PAO: Ian Vougioukas 17, Steven Smith 11, Nick Calathes 9

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

HUNGARY

Standings - A Division

A Division Standings

1. Albacomp		9-1
2. Kormend		9-1
3. Falco-Szova		9-2
4. Szolnok		8-2
5. Kecskemeti		6-4
6. Atomeromu		6-4
7. Kaposvari		5-5
8. PVSK Pannon		4-6
9. Soproni		4-6
10. FS Debrecen		3-7
11. Szedeak		3-7
12. Marso NYKK		3-8
13. Jaszberenyi		2-8
14. ZTE KK		0-10

A Division Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Justin INGRAM
  FS Debre.
  (185-PG-85)
  Avg: 26

1. Ingram, FS Debre.	26.0
2. Ivosev, Szedeak	24.2
3. Timberlake, Falco-.	23.1
4. Raivio, Kaposvari	22.8
5. Ciric, PVSK P.	20.5
6. Doyne, PVSK P.	20.4
7. Jones, Jaszberenyi	20.2
8. Miskovic, Marso N.	19.6
9. Bell, Kormend	18.8
10. Townes, Kormend	18.5

Rebounds Per Game

Jonathan JONES
  Jaszberenyi
  (211-C-79)
  Avg: 12.6

1. Jones, Jaszberenyi	12.6
2. Miskovic, Marso N.	10.5
3. Szabo, FS Debrecen	10.1
4. Ivosev, Szedeak	9.0
5. Pantelic, Falco-Sz.	9.0
6. Townes, Kormend	8.8
7. Raivio, Kaposvari	8.7
8. Fey, Kaposvari	8.0
9. Chism, Albacomp	7.8
10. Bader, Szolnok	7.6

Assists Per Game

Laszlo KALMAN
  Falco-Sz.
  (186-G-72)
  Avg: 7.3

1. Kalman, Falco-Sz.	7.3
2. Wilson, Kaposvari	6.2
3. Simon, Albacomp	5.6
4. Williams, Atomeromu	5.5
5. Fekete, Marso N.	5.5
6. Ingram, FS Debre.	4.9
7. Trotter, Szolnok	4.8
8. Drahos, Szedeak	4.7
9. Doyne, PVSK P.	4.6
10. Wittmann, Kecsk.	4.4

Steals Per Game

Stefan FEKETE
  Marso N.
  (188-G-86)
  Avg: 3.4

1. Fekete, Marso N.	3.4
2. Drahos, Szedeak	3.0
3. Ivosev, Szedeak	2.9
4. Doyne, PVSK P.	2.6
5. Raivio, Kaposvari	2.5
6. Trotter, Szolnok	2.2
7. Wittmann, Kecsk.	2.2
8. Kelley, Kecskemeti	2.2
9. Wilson, Kaposvari	2.2
10. Ingram, FS Debre.	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Darian TOWNES
  Kormend
  (208-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Townes, Kormend	2.3
2. Pantelic, Falco-Sz.	2.1
3. Jones, Jaszberenyi	1.4
4. Levy, Szedeak	1.2
5. Fey, Kaposvari	1.2
6. Ivosev, Szedeak	1.1
7. Morgen, Atomeromu	1.1
8. Chism, Albacomp	1.1
9. Cole, Atomeromu	1.0
10. Egemonye, Soproni	1.0

Josh Wilson's Blog Intro - by Josh Wilson

The world of European professional basketball is not at all what is seems. From the outside it is only the glamour of seeing the world, making tax free money and playing the sport that we all love for a living. While every bit of that is true, the constant grind and sheer turmoil that takes place over here can be hard to deal with. Throw in a wife and two kids and youve made a very volatile situation. I have a daily fight to become better as a player and a person and I hope with this blog you can follow my journey.

A little about myself, I am Josh Wilson (188-PG-87, agency: Hightower Law Firm, college: N.Arizona) a Northern Arizona University graduate, where I am the schools all-time assist leader. My dreams to play European basketball almost ended with an injury plagued senior season that was cut short by a broken foot. I rehabbed hard for three months to prepare for NBA workouts that my agent had lined up for me and I hoped would get my goals back on track. Fate had other plans though as weeks before my workouts I stepped on a foot and broke the same bone for the second time. Needless to say I was a little stressed about my chances to make it across the pond. I had surgery in July and wasnt cleared until mid-August. I toyed with playing in Qatar and few other places but failed to have any solid interest. Then in early September I got a call from Erdgas Ehingen/Urspringschule in Germany. I was only a few weeks out of a cast but they were willing to take a chance on me and I couldnt have been more grateful. In my second game, with plastic cast like ankle braces, I managed to score 29 points after not playing a game for 7 months. I finished the year averaging 14.5 ppg and a third best in league 6 assists.

The next summer I had some big changes in my life. I married my beautiful wife in July and became a father to her amazing 2 year old daughter. Lucky for us we found a team in mid-July which made for a much needed stress free summer (basketball-wise). I suited up in the fall for my current team Kaposvari KK here in Hungary. We fought some tough battles as a team both in games and internally as a team. I personally put together one of the best season of my life. I finally had the green light that every hooper is looking for and put together 19.5 PPG to go along with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. In early October a posted a career high 43 points (http://youtu.be/KpUxKrFawTk) and a much needed win for our team. We fought hard to post what seems like an insignificant 10-16 record. Not making the playoffs was a first for me in my career and left a very sour taste in my mouth. Luckily the year was sweetened by the birth of my son on February 21, 2011 in Budapest, Hungary.

This summer was jam packed as I finish my Masters in Business Administration and opened the doors to my basketball academy Roots Basketball, LLC. I did my best to juggle providing for my family and preparing myself for the upcoming season. As almost all professional basketball players know the market this summer was ROUGH. The NBA lockout and current conditions of the financial markets around the world really did damage. With offers from Israel, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Macedonia I was one of the lucky ones. After a long drawn out process I decided to return to my club here in Hungary. No one matched their offer and we figured wed enjoy the benefits of knowing the situation. So far this seems to be the right decision. After a rough start we managed to get on track and win 5 of our last 6 games. I am currently averaging 17 PPG to go a long with 6.2 assists (2nd in league). Hopefully my team can keep up and improve on our current pace. We have all the tools to be a great team and with hard work I know well make some noise here in Hungary.

I have been fortunate enough in my time in Europe to see places like Venice, Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Berlin and Bratislava. I have had the unique experience of having my son born in a foreign country. I am also deeply rooted in a battle to keep playing the sport I love for a living while maintaining whats best for my family. Hopefully these unique experiences and the daily happiness/struggles of my life as a professional basketball will make for some quality reading for the good folks here at Eurobasket. All of us hoopers have fought hard to get to where we are and have our hoop dreams come true. I am proud to be able to share these experiences and thank Eurobasket for this opportunity. If you want to know more about me check out my website www.joshwilsonbasketball.com or follow me on twitter @jdubball21. Much more to come.

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IBL

IBL signs Florida team for full season - by Kip Leonetti
This week, the International Basketball League signed the branding team formerly known as the Florida Winning Ways on for the 2012 season as a team in full standing. The team will be re-named the Orlando Venom. The Orange County team participated in the 2011 IBL season as a branding team, which participate in a limited number of games during the league's season. Team owner Barry Mestel proudly announced the team's inclusion in the full season saying, '2012 is going to be a phenomenal year for this new IBL team,' adding, 'the Orlando Venom brings to the Orlando market an exciting, compelling, family friendly experience that basketball fans wont want to miss! We are proud to be associated with the International Basketball League.

'Coach Mestel is widely regarded as a top shooting instructor, with a storied history of work at all levels of basketball. His work includes scouting for the NBA, WNBA, and coaching in the European leagues. Throughout his career, Mestel amassed a stellar winning history at the high school and collegiate ranks (335-17). His substantial body of work has positively impacted young men and women across the globe and at all levels of basketball.

The IBL is in the process of signing high quality teams to surround the Venom with international competition and is also open to including new East coast teams. Commissioner Sharleen Graf weighed in noting, 'We're incredibly excited to have the Venom on board as a full season team. Our intention with the Branding Team program is for them to transition into a full season team which has been achieved with Winning Ways International Pro, adding strength and additional opportunities to the IBL.'

To learn more about the Orlando Venom please visit www.orlandovenom.com.

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ITALY

Borra's double-double lands him Nazionale A Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
21-year old center Jacopo Borra (212-C-90) put on an amazing game in the last round for second-ranked Treviglio and receives a Eurobasket.com Nazionale A Player of the Week award for round 14.
He had a double-double of 22 points and 16 rebounds, while his team was edged out by Omegna (#1, 13-1) 73-69. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. Treviglio maintains the 2nd position in Nazionale A. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Treviglio will need to avoid more loses keep or improve their 9-5 record. It's Borra's second year at Treviglio and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Borra has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (6th best: 8.7rpg) and averages solid 1.5bpg and 55.1% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Alessandro Amici (200-G/F-91) of Firenze. He is former international swingman in his first season at Firenze. In the last game Amici recorded impressive 19 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Of course Firenze cruised to a 71-64 relatively comfortable win over slightly higher-ranked Perugia (#3, 8-6). This victory allowed Firenze to move up to 5th position in the standings. 10 lost games are too many comparing to just four victories Firenze managed to get this year. Amici is a newcomer at Firenze and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Stefano Simeoli (200-F-86) of Comsum.it SI (#4). Simeoli scored 17 points and grabbed fourteen rebounds (!!!). Despite Simeoli's great performance Comsum.it SI lost 66-80 to Pavia (5-9). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Comsum.it SI not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 9 games, recording just five victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Simeoli could try to bring Comsum.it SI's a little bit higher in the standings. Simeoli has individually a great season in Italy. After 14 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 8.8rpg (4th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Emanuele Rossi (208-C-82) of Chieti - 10 points and 17 rebounds
5. Manuel Carrizo (198-G/F-80) of Ferentino - 31 points and 6 rebounds
6. Giovanni Fattori (202-F-85) of San Severo - 24 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Tommaso Milani (190-G-88) of Latina Basket - 21 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Riccardo Santolamazza (195-G-83) of Anagni - 19 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Amedeo Tessitori (203-C-94) of Comsum.it SI - 15 points and 13 rebounds
10. Andrea Piazza (187-G-89) of Castelletto - 15 points, 5 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)

Emporio Armani has no mercy for Charleroi, 88-53 - by Eurobasket News
Emporio Armani - Charleroi 88-53

Emporio Armani demonstrated its power on Wednesday evening. The Milano team blasted Charleroi with huge 88-53 improving to 3-6 record in Group C. It means that Milano still has a chance to reach Top 16 and they will have to beat Partizan next week. The Italians need at least five point win in Belgrade. At the other side, Charleroi closes the standings in this pool with 2-7. Leon Radosevic (208-C-90) netted 17 points for the winners, Malik Hairston (198-G-87, college: Oregon) had 15 and Ioannis Bourousis (212-C-83, agency: FCM) helped with 12 points, plus 13 rebounds. Drew Nicholas (191-G-81, college: Maryland) (6 as) also scored 12 pts in this meeting. In Charleroi, Andre Riddick (208-C-73, college: Kentucky) (5 rebs) and Jiri Welsch (201-F-80) delivered 12 points each. Amaury Jadin (189-G-86) stopped to one less. Quarters: 23-18, 25-12, 17-16, 23-7. As mentioned above, Milano will play in Belgrade next week, while Charleroi will host Maccabi Electra.

Emporio Armani: Leon Radosevic 17, Malik Hairston 15, Ioannis Bourousis 12+13 boards, Drew Nicholas 12+6 as
Charleroi: Andre Riddick 12+5 boards, Jiri Welsch 12, Amaury Jadin 11

Milano and Treviso close to a deal for Gentile - by Giovanni Bargna
After months of rumors it seems that EA7 Emporio Armani Milano and Benetton Treviso are close to an agreement : Alessandro Gentile (197-G/F-92) will join Milano soon.
The most interesting italian prospect is going to leave Benetton after next league game and going to Milano next week, just in time to play the crucial eurolegue game against Partizan Belgrade at the Pionir Arena.
According to rumors it will be a three-year deal and the agreement between the two teams is on a 500.000 euros buyout paid to Treviso and Jeffrey Viggiano (198-F-84, college: Massachusetts) joining the greens.

As his father Nando Alessandro Gentile seems on his way to a shining pro career and Milano could be a great chance for the italian youngster.

The deal could be officially announced soon. Stay tuned.

Virtus Roma bring in Mihalis Kakiouzis - by Eurobasket News
Virtus Roma have strengthened their frontcourt. They signed a deal with Mihalis Kakiouzis (206-C-76, agency: Interperformances). The contract is meant for the reminder of the season with the option of terminating after a month. The Greek forward started the season in Vanoli Cremona. He tallied 8.5 points, 5.3 rebounds per game in SeriaA. Last season Mihalis Kakiouzis spent in France. He played for Le Mans. The forward notched 7.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in EuroCup. In French League his stats read 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists per appearance. Previously the played had stints in Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey. Mihalis Kakiouzis was the member of Greek National Team from 1995 to 2007.

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JORDAN

Jordanian National Team for Arab Games in Doha - by Omar Shafaamri

2011 ROSTER
Starting Five in BOLD letters
Jordanian National Team for Arab Games in Doha

Starting five

Wright

Zaghab

Soobzokov

Alawadi

Idais
4Mohammad Hussein207-C-90Zain
5Rasheim Wright192-G-81Anibal
6Ali Zaghab205-F/C-88Al Riyadi Am.
7Mohammad Hadrab201-F-84ASU
12Fadel AlNajjar192-G-85ASU
9Enver Soobzokov201-G/F-78ASU
10Abdallah AbuQoura203-C-84ASU
11Wesam Al-Sous189-G-83ASU
8Ahmad Alhamarsheh195-F-90
13Mousa Alawadi180-G/F-85ASU
14Islam Abbaas200-C-80ASU
15Ayman Idais205-C-78Zain

Thomas BaldwinHead Coach
Murad BarakatAssistantZain

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KOSOVO

Leaders easily registered victories - by Dren Shporta
League leaders Trepca registered their twelve win, just a game before the end of a winter season. Greens have beaten Drita in Gjilan, 74:111. With this victory Trepca has now a 12-1 record and they will play Futura in their last match.

Champions, Sigal Prishtina have also arrived to an easy victory against Kosova, 108:71. Coach Arben Krasniqi, gave the chance to all available players while every one of them registered the name in the score sheet. Fahri Breca scored 23 points, while Ulug Kacaniku added 19 to be followed from captain Edmond Azemi with 18 scored. In the other hand Besnik Azemi of Kosova, was the matchs highest scorer with 26 points.

Peja revenged the college boys with 93:83. Rron Grapci (198-SG-90) and co did the job well for yellows, so they now have a positive record of 7-6. Peja actually waits for Bashkimis slip to catch them until the end of a seasons first half to retake the third position in the classification table. In their last game of the season Peja visits Kosova. This is the second victory for Peja's new coach, Ivica Maric.

Futura challenges Bashkimi tonight - by Dren Shporta
Newcomers in BKT Superliga registered their first victory of a season last weekend when they thrashed Drita. Since they signed two American players Brandon Ward and Darrin Williams, Jeton Nixhas boys appetite is growing.

Tonight they are looking to register their second win in a row in a game against oranges from Prizren, Bashkimi. Futuras on loan player Kreshnik Juniku is in great form and in combination with Darrin Williams everything can be done.

In the other hand Bashkimi is going to Futura without Rodrick Stewart and C.J. Webster, after they left the club this week. They will rely on in form veteran Artan Kurti (194-F/G-78), who was the savior of their last game against Kosova. Bashkimi in the last game of the winter season has a difficult job against champions, Sigal Prishtina.

The match between Futura and Bashkimi will start at 18:00 hrs. with refereeing trio of Hajredin Zeka, Alban Vula and Daut Mehmeti.

Standings - Superleague

SuperLeague Standings

1. Sigal Prishtina		12-1
2. Trepca		12-1
3. Bashkimi		8-4
4. Peja		7-6
5. Kolegji Univer.		5-8
6. Kosova		3-9
7. Drita		2-11
8. Futura		1-10

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LATVIA

Best players of LBL round 12 - by Eurobasket News
Edgars Krumins (194-G/F-86) had an amazing evening in the last round for Jelgava and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 12.
The 25-year old swingman had the game-high 37 points adding five rebounds and two assists for Jelgava in his team's victory, helping them to beat LU (#6, 4-7) 100-90. Jelgava maintains the 4th position in LBL. Jelgava 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 5-5 record. In the team's last game Krumins had a remarkable 70.0% from 2-point range and got four three-pointers out of 9 attempts. He has many years of experience at Jelgava, through which he has constantly improved. Krumins has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (2nd best: 20.0ppg) and averages solid 61.2% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 25-year old former international power forward Jekabs Rozitis (206-F/C-86) of league's best team Valmiera. Rozitis impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds. It was enough for Valmiera to edge the lower-ranked Liepaja (#5, 4-6) by 2 points 81-79. Of course Valmiera still keep the league's top spot. His team has currently 10-3 record. Rozitis is a newcomer at Valmiera and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was another Valmiera's star - American guard Jai Lucas (177-G). Lucas scored 23 points and passed four assists. He was another key player of Valmiera, helping his team with a 81-79 win against the lower-ranked Liepaja (#5, 4-6). Valmiera confirms their top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 10 victories and 3 lost games. Lucas has a great season in Latvia. After 13 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 17.6ppg (7th best) and assists with 4.5apg (2nd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Armands Osins (185-PG-91) of LU - 15 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists
5. Janis Berzins (200-F/G-93) of VEF Riga - 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Kaspars Berzins (213-F/C-85) of VEF Riga - 12 points and 17 rebounds
7. Kalvis Krumins (183-G-90) of Jelgava - 24 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Josh Mayo (182-G-87) of Liepaja - 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Kyle Nelson (203-F-89) of Jelgava - 13 points and 9 rebounds
10. Courtney Sims (211-C-83) of VEF Riga - 12 points and 5 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)

Standings - LBAL

LBL2 Standings

1. BK VEF		13-0
2. Liepaja-2		12-1
3. Barons/Keizar.		11-1
4. Saldus		11-3
5. RSU		9-4
6. Riga		7-5
7. VEF Kadeti		6-5
8. VA		6-6
9. DSN		5-7
10. Livani		4-8
11. Cesis		3-8
12. Valmiera U21		3-9
13. Ogres		2-9
14. Jelgava/LLU		2-10
15. Ridzene		2-10
16. Gulbene		1-11

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LITHUANIA

BBL Challenge Cup: Neptunas claims a tough victory over Barsy - by Adomas Kraunevicius
Neptunas Klaipeda has reached its fourth victory in the Baltic Basketball League Challenge Cup. They have defeated Barsy Atyrau 91:87 (23:13, 24:25, 15:28, 29:21).

Neptunas Klaipeda started off strong and quickly built a 10 point lead which they maintained over the first half. However, Atyrau struck back in the third quarter (29:15) and gained a four point lead. They managed to increase the advantage to 7 points at the beginning of the fourth period but Neptunas responded strong and tied the score at 73:73. With 3 minutes left, Barsy had a 1 point lead but Klaipeda made a 7:0 run and reached a tough victory.

Marius Runkauskas netted 23 points, Laurynas Mikalauskas (205-F-85, college: Virginia) (205-F-85, college: Virginia) added 19 (13 rebounds), Martynas Mazeika (193-G-85, agency: Limelight Hoops) 16 and Simas Galdikas (203-F-87) (9 rebounds) for the winning team.

Mikhail Evstigneev (202-F/C-84) responded with 21 points for Atyrau.

BBL: Juventus defeats Ventspils - by Adomas Kraunevicius
Darius Pakamanis (192-G-81) scored 19 points, grabbed 5 boards, dished 6 assists and led Juventus-LKSK Utenos to an important victory over the latvian BK Ventspils 76:64 (19:19, 19:21, 22:9, 16:15) in the Baltic Basketball League. The first two quarters of the match were very close without anyone having the initiative and at the halftime Juventus-LKSK Utenos trailed by 2 at 38:40. However, a perfectly played third quarter which Utena won 22:9 allowed them to build an 11 point differential which they managed to maintain for the remainder of the match winning it by 12 points - 76:64.

Vaidotas Volkus (203-F-85, college: Redlands CC) contributed 17 points, Zydrunas Urbonas (198-F-76) added 10, Karolis Petrukonis (212-C-87, college: Clemson) and Tomas Gaidamavicius (192-G-82) 8 points for the winning team.

Steven Gray (195-G-89, college: Gonzaga) responded with 19 points (1/8 three point shots), Jahmar Young (196-G-86, college: N.Mexico St.) added 11, Martins Meiers (206-C-91) 10 (8 rebounds).

LKL: Neptunas and Triobet Kedainiai to replay their match - by Adomas Kraunevicius
A match will be replayed for the first time in the history of the Lithuanian Basketball League. Neptunas Klaipeda and Kedainiai Triobet will have to repeat their match because of the incident that took place in Friday's match between these two teams. The referees have made a mistake at the last second of the match when the score was tied at 76:76 by allowing two points that were scored after the final buzzer by Simas Galdikas (203-F-87). As a result, a 78:76 victory has been recorded for Neptunas. Kedainiai team has immediately protested the result and the league granted their protest. The referees Saulius Paskevicius, Virgilijus Urbsys and commissioner of the match, Juozas Storpirstis have been suspended till the end of the month while the third referee, Andrius Maleckas will not be able to referee for one week.

LKF Cup: Pieno Zvaigzdes advanced to the third round of the LKF Cup - by Adomas Kraunevicius
Pieno Zvaigzdes Pasvalys advanced to the third round of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) DNB Cup. They have defeated the second division (NKL) team Mazeikiai 86:65 (21:13, 27:13, 19:19, 19:20) in the second leg of round II in Mazeikiai. Pasvalys won the first match 61:52.

Darius Griskenas (194-F-84) scored 22 points for the winning team. Meanwhile, Eimantas Bendzius (203-F-90) (9 rebounds) and Paulius Morkeliunas (201-F-85, college: LIU Brooklyn) added 12 and Leroy Nobles (195-G/F-87, college: IUPUI) netted 10. Remigijus Trakimas (205-C-87) led Mazeikiai with 18 points while Parrish Brown (185-G-84, agency: Hightower Law Firm, college: Maryland) contributed 11 points.

Pasvalys will face Rudupis Prienu in the III round of the Cup and will fight for a ticket to the final four.

LKF Cup: Kedainiai Triobet defeat Juventus, advance to the III round of LKF Cup - by Adomas Kraunevicius
Zydrunas Urbonas' (198-F-76' 26 points were not enough for Juventus-LKSK Utenos to achieve a home victory over Kedainiai Triobet. They have lost the second leg match of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF) Cup tournament 61:65 (12:10, 8:25, 22:13, 19:17). This victory has allowed Kedainiai to advance to the III round of the tournament.

The match started off slow and both teams stayed close during the first quarter, Juventus-LKSK Utenos having the lead 12:10 after 10 minutes. However, Kedainiai started off the second quarter strong and quickly managed to build a solid lead, the score being 20:35 when both teams headed to the locker room. After Vidas Ginevicius' three pointer in the beginning of the third quarter the difference reached 20 points (40:20) but soon Juventus struck back and managed to wipe out almost the entire Kedainiai lead. After a 2 pointer by Darius Pakamanis (192-G-81) in the fourth quarter, Kedainiai only led 48:46 but Juventus-LKSK Utenos came up just short of the victory and lost the match 61:65.

Kedainiai won the first leg match 78:61.

Kedainiai Triobet: Aurimas Adomaitis (206-PF-87, college: LIU Brooklyn) 13 (12 rebounds), Marius Valukonis (198-F-88) 12, Vaidotas Peciukas (199-G-82, college: Hawaii) 10.

Juventus-LKSK Utenos: Zydrunas Urbonas 26 (8/10 FG, 10/11 FT), Darius Pakamanis 11, Arunas Vasiliauskas (201-F-85) 8.

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MEXICO

Cheyenne Moore returns to the LNBP, will play for Fuerza Regia - by Carlos Chapa
Former Volcanes de Toluca shooting guard Cheyenne Moore will return to the LNBP, this time he will play for Fuerza Regia Monterrey. Moore played some games in the Uruguayan league with team Montevideo Basket Ball Club, recording 18.8 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 2.6 asists per game, the American guard will suit up for the first time with the regios when they visit Barreteros de Zacatecas next Friday. The signing of Cheyenne Moore will cover the spot left by Chris Roberts who will return to the Frisco Texas Legends in the NBA D-League, hoping to get called up by the Dallas Mavericks who happen to be the Legends' NBA affiliates.

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MOROCCO

26th ACCM: CRA dash Royal Hoopers hope - by Olusegun Ikuesan
The hope Nigerian late arrival to the final round of the 26th FIBA Africa Champions Club for Men of springing some surprises was finally dashed Thursday evening by Chabab Rif Al-Hoceima basketball club of Morocco who defeated the Nigerian side by 66-60 points in a high tempo group-B game.

The winner had trailed their opponent in the first two quarters by 15-16 and 13-16 for a half-time deficit of 28-32 points came had the better of the Hoopers in the second stanza with 20-16 and 18-12 points for a cumulative score-line of 66-60 points to brighten their chances of progressing to the quarter-finals.

Chabab Muhammed Hjira led his team quest for a place in the last eight with 18 points and 6 rebounds, Mustapha Khalfi poured in 13 points, 6 assist, 3 rebound and 3 steal while the duo of Yassine Makhoukh and Omar Laanani contributed 11 and 10 points each enough to see their side through the hard fought battle.

AFRICAN CHAMPIONS CUP - by Marek Krala
AS Sal beat Angolan Libolo (78-75) Tuesday in the gym Fathallah Bouazaoui of Sale, as part of the second day (group A) of the 26th edition of the African Championship of Champions Clubs basketball men (12-21 December).
The ASS team sign his second straight victory in the championship after beating Burundian Urunani (110-43) on Monday.
Libolo just conceded their first defeat in these games, having taken over the Union Bank of Nigeria (85-80).
On behalf of the same group, Libya's Al Ahly beat Urunani by 70 to 51, while Union Bank has become the face of Congolese Mazembe (68-49).
On behalf of the second day of the group 'B', the Tunisian club Etoile Sahel took off on the team Petro Atletico of Angola by 86 to 76.
This is the second straight loss to Petro Atletico, after setbacks, Monday, facing another Angolan club Primeiro Agusto (69-90), while the Tunisians did their opening match.
On behalf of the same group, Primeiro Agusto club won against Equatorial Guinea in Malabo kings (101-51), thus achieving its second straight win. For its part, Malabo Kings conceded its second straight loss at these games after his performance against face-Shabab Al Hoceima (46-116).

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

NBA

Hornets send Chris Paul to Clippers for package including Gordon - by Eurobasket News
Chris Paul (6'0''-PG-85, college: Wake Forest) is headed to Los Angeles for real this time -- to the Clippers, not the Lakers.

The Hornets traded Paul to the Clippers for guard Eric Gordon (6'4''-G-88, college: Indiana), forward Al-Farouq Aminu (6'9''-F-90, college: Wake Forest), centre Chris Kaman (7'0''-C-82, college: Cent.Michigan) and a first-round draft choice.

The deal required the approval of NBA commissioner David Stern because the Hornets are owned by the league.

For Paul, Wednesday night's trade means no more lame-duck practices -- or ducking questions -- in New Orleans.

It also ended a tortured week in which the Hornets' season sat in limbo while the NBA took a public relations beating over everything from potential conflicts of interest, to retarding the Hornets' pursuit of free agents, to disrespecting the New Orleans fan base.

'I knew we were doing the best thing for New Orleans and that was my job,' Stern said. 'You have to stick with what you think was right. I must confess it wasn't a lot of fun, but I don't get paid to have fun.'

Stern said he never allowed other owners' opinions or considerations of large and small markets to determine where Paul, one of the NBA's biggest stars, would end up. He said his only focus was on getting the best deal for the Hornets.

That may take time to determine. But for now, the Hornets at last have a measure of certainty about the roster they'll have when the regular season begins in less than two weeks.

Paul, already a star with international appeal, gets to play in one of the NBA's biggest markets, even if his new team plays in the shadow of the Lakers. That's the club Paul was almost traded to last week, only to have Stern nix the deal and unleash a torrent of bad publicity on his league just as it was trying to generate good will following a nearly five-month labour dispute that has already caused a shortening of the season.

Then again, maybe there is no such thing as bad publicity, or as Stern called it, 'a frenzy.' Even with the NFL's Saints on a five-game winning streak and wrapping up a playoff spot, the Hornets and Paul ordeal were the talk of New Orleans for a change.

'Our sole focus was and will remain, until we sell this team, hopefully which will be in first half of 2012, how best to maintain the Hornets, make them as attractive and a competitive as we can and ensure we have a buyer who can keep them in New Orleans,' Stern said.

Stern said the team is in negotiations with several potential ownership groups, who, if all goes to plan, will have to accept a new long-term lease in the state-owned New Orleans Arena in order to buy the team.

'The future of the Hornets in New Orleans is brighter than it's ever been,' Stern said.

Meanwhile, the Clippers have plenty of reason for optimism themselves.

The 26-year-old Paul is a four-time All-Star who averaged 18.7 points and 9.8 assists last season, his sixth in the NBA. He will earn US$16.4 million this year and has a player option for the 2012-13 season -- in which he is due $17.8 million.

Paul's move to the Clippers means he'll now be able to make alley-oop lobs to a young star famous for dunking over a car. That would be forward Blake Griffin, who averaged 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds last season, his first as a pro.

The Hornets get a prolific young shooting guard in Gordon, who turns 23 on Christmas Day and averaged 22.3 points last season. Gordon would be a restricted free agent after this season unless he signs an extension with New Orleans. Hornets general manager Dell Demps those talks haven't started yet.

The six-foot-nine Aminu is a second-year pro who averaged 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds as a rookie.

The seven-foot Kaman, 29, is an eight-year veteran who averaged 12.4 points and seven rebounds last season, but played in only 32 games because of a left ankle injury. He's in the last year of his contract, which will pay him $12.2 million this season.

'With this trade, we now have three additional players who were among the top eight draft picks in their respective drafts as well as our own first-round pick and (another) first-round pick,' Demps said. 'Aminu is a young talent with a bright future, Gordon is a big-time scorer and one of the best (shooting) guards in the league and Kaman is a proven centre and former All-Star.'

ESPN, citing anonymous sources, first reported the trade, which also involves New Orleans sending two 2015 second-round draft picks to the Clippers.

'We wanted to make sure that we got the best possible deal for a player of Chris' calibre, and we feel great about the outcome,' said Jac Sperling, who Stern appointed as the Hornets' governor after the league bought the team in December 2010.

The Hornets can only hope the deal will sit well with fans and area businesspeople, who bought more than 10,000 season tickets despite the lockout in an effort to show the NBA their community could make the franchise viable for whatever ownership group eventually buys the club.

Paul, whom the Hornets drafted fourth overall in 2005, told New Orleans earlier this month that he was not going to sign an extension, and Demps had been trying to trade him since to avoid losing him in free agency with no compensation after this season.

Demps came close to making a three-team deal last Thursday that would have sent Paul to the Lakers. The Lakers would have sent Lamar Odom to the Hornets and Pau Gasol to Houston, while the Rockets would have sent Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic, and a first-round draft choice to New Orleans.

Stern, however, told Demps to take that deal off the table because he thought the Hornets could do better, both in terms of personnel and salary obligations.

While the move caused speculation that Stern was acting against Demps' better judgment, Demps said he and Stern were acting 'hand in hand,' while Stern said people who anonymously leaked details of the proposed Lakers trade did so because they 'were trying to force him to make that deal.'

Paul showed up for Hornets training camp last Friday but has not spoken to reporters since. He was excused from a normally mandatory media event on Wednesday, hours before the trade went through, in which players pose for photos in uniform and talk about the upcoming season.

For the Hornets, the urgency to make a deal appeared to be growing, even though Demps insisted earlier Wednesday that the Hornets had no timeline and would not be rushed into a 'rash decision.'

Still, Demps acknowledged that it was hard for the Hornets to pursue free agents and further build their roster while Paul's status was in limbo. If trade talks had dragged on much longer, the Hornets could have gone into Friday night's pre-season opener at Memphis with little idea of what their roster would look like in their first regular season game at Phoenix on Dec. 26.

Other than Paul, the Hornets had only five returning veterans under contract: centre Emeka Okafor, forward Trevor Ariza, point guard Jarrett Jack, second-year swingman Quincy Pondexter and shooting guard Marco Belinelli.

The addition of Gordon, Aminu and Kaman give New Orleans desperately needed depth while opening the way for the franchise to further strengthen its roster through free agency.

Meanwhile, the Hornets also could look forward to an additional first-round draft choice next summer. The pick originally belonged to Minnesota, meaning it will be tied to where the Timberwolves finish in the standings this season.

'For the long-term future of the New Orleans Hornets, this is the best deal,' Demps said.

Courtesy of www.tsn.ca

Grizzlies confirm Gasol signing - by Eurobasket News
The Memphis Grizzlies have re-signed Spanish centre Marc Gasol (7'0''-C-85, agency: Interperformances), the team said on Wednesday, after he helped them to their most successful season by reaching last seasons conference semi-finals.

Gasol, who had used his Twitter page to say a tentative agreement had been reached on Monday, agreed to a four-year contract for $57.7 million, according to local media reports.

We are very happy to re-sign Marc Gasol, who has been one of the pillars of the Grizzlies franchise since his arrival, team general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement.

We are excited to keep him as part of our core group of players and to build on what this organization has already achieved for many years to come.

Memphis beat the Western Conference top seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs last season before pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the conference semi-finals.

The 26-year-old 7-foot-1 (2.16m) Gasol averages 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game after three seasons in the NBA, all with the Grizzlies.

Courtesy of www.torontosun.com

Bulls sign Rip Hamilton - by Eurobasket News
The Chicago Bulls announced this evening the team has signed free agent guard Richard Hamilton (6'7''-G-78, college: Connecticut). In accordance with team policy, terms of the contract were not announced.

We are excited to welcome a player, and person, with the credentials of Richard Hamilton to our organization, said Chicago Bulls General Manager Gar Forman. Rip has been a winner at every level. His resume speaks for itself, and we are confident that he will be an excellent fit with our team, both on and off the floor.

Hamilton (6-7, 193) is a 12-year veteran of the NBA who comes to Chicago after spending the previous nine seasons with the Detroit Pistons. For his career, he has appeared in 843 regular season contests (710 starts), and has posted averages of 17.7 ppg, 3.5 apg and 3.2 rpg in 33.0 mpg. He also owns career shooting averages of .450 from the field, .347 from behind the arc and .852 from the line. Last season with the Pistons, he played in 55 games (39 starts) and averaged 14.1 ppg, 3.1 apg and 2.3 rpg in 27.2 mpg. He also shot .429 from the field, .382 from downtown and .849 from the free throw line.

A three-time All-Star selection (2006-08) while in Detroit, Hamilton helped lead the Pistons to the Eastern Conference Finals six straight times (2003-08), including two trips to the NBA Finals (2004, 2005), which culminated with Detroit winning its third NBA Championship in 2004. During his nine years with the Pistons (2002-11), he led the team in scoring eight times.

Hamiltons teams have advanced to the playoffs seven times, where he has appeared in 120 playoff games (all starts). He owns career playoff averages of 20.6 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.00 spg, 40.0 mpg, .441 shooting from the floor, .337 three-point shooting and .862 shooting from the stripe.

The 33-year old native of Coatesville, Pa., was originally selected by the Washington Wizards in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1999 NBA Draft. Prior to his time in the NBA, he was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 1999 NCAA Final Four, when he led UConn to the 1999 NCAA Championship.

Courtesy of www.myfoxchicago.com

Knicks not among Crawford's choices - by Eurobasket News
While Carmelo Anthony returned to practice Wednesday after missing a day because of a sore knee, some of the Knicks focus remained on Crawford Jamal (6'5''-G-80, college: Michigan), a player who is not even on their roster. By days end, it was clear Crawford would not be showing up for practice on Thursday - or on any other day, either.

In fact, the next time the Knicks see Crawford, he is likely to be wearing the uniform of the Portland Trail Blazers or the Sacramento Kings.

Andy Miller, Crawfords agent, confirmed Wednesday evening that Crawford, a former Knick and consistent offensive force, had not been persuaded by protracted lobbying from the Knicks front office to join the team for a cap-constrained $2.5 million salary.

Crawford can make twice that, or even more, with other teams, and, not surprisingly, that is what he has decided to do. Portland or Sacramento will probably be his next destination.

Coach Mike DAntoni was among the Knicks officials who had tried to recruit Crawford. DAntoni told reporters Wednesday that he had spoken with Crawford by telephone several times recently.

You do a lot of groveling and try to paint the best picture possible, DAntoni said at a point in the day when Crawford had not yet said no the Knicks. You have a relationship with players and you know its a business decision, and thats what they have to do, but make him feel comfortable that if they choose us that theres a role and what his role will be and how much we like him and think of his game.

On Tuesday, Crawford turned down a two-year, $10 million offer from the Indiana Pacers. Portland, meanwhile, may be appealing because of its proximity to his native Seattle. But Sacramento could potentially offer more money than Portland.

In any case, Crawford will not be setting up shop in Madison Square Garden, displaying his long-range touch and giving DAntoni the offense he needs to bolster a roster that is thin after the starting frontcourt of Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire.

In 2008, Crawford played in 11 games with the Knicks under DAntoni, then was traded to Golden State as part of the teams effort to clear salary-cap space for the free-agent class of 2010.

With Crawford no longer a Knicks option, the team is likely to offer the $2.5 million cap exception to either Shawne Williams, who played for the Knicks last season, or Maurice Evans, a 6-foot-5 swingman who finished the 2010-11 season with the Washington Wizards.

The Knicks also have some interest in guard Baron Davis, who was waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night, but they want to ascertain the extent of his back injury first. Davis, 32, was let go under the leagues new amnesty clause, which allowed Cleveland to knock the $28 million he is owed over the next two seasons off the salary cap.

Meanwhile, Anthonys return to practice was a positive step for the Knicks as they prepared for their first exhibition game, against the Nets on Saturday. But Bill Walker sat out for a second straight practice because of a strained left groin muscle.

Anthony hyperextended his left knee in a collision in practice on Monday and was held out of practice on Tuesday. Anthony said that he intended to play Saturday and that his off-season preparation had aided in his relatively speedy recovery.

I feel much better, he said. I think yesterday the treatment I did, the workout I did and just resting it a little bit really helped out. It was scary when it first happened, the way I fell down and that feeling. Any time you have a knee injury, it gets scary. But Im good.

Courtesy of www.nytimes.com

Grizzlies waive guard Ish Smith - by Eurobasket News
The Memphis Grizzlies waived guard Ishmael Smith (6'0''-PG-88, college: Wake Forest), Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.

Smith (6-0, 175) averaged 2.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists on .374 shooting in 10.3 minutes in 43 total games (three starts). He was a rookie last season with the Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.

The 23-year-old Wake Forest product posted 1.8 points and 1.0 assists in 7.5 minutes in 15 games with Memphis. He was acquired on Feb. 24, 2011 from Houston.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com

Bobcats sign F Melvin Ely for depth in the post - by Eurobasket News
The Charlotte Bobcats signed power forward/center Melvin Ely (6'10''-C-78, college: Fresno St.) to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract Wednesday giving them a veteran presence in the middle.

The move comes one day after they lost free agent center Kwame Brown to the Warriors.

An eight-year NBA veteran, Ely has played in 373 games for the Clippers, Bobcats, Spurs, Hornets and Nuggets. He holds career averages of 5.3 points and 3.3 rebounds, while shooting .460 from the field. Last season, Ely averaged 2.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.2 minutes in 30 games played for the Nuggets.

Ely's contract is contingent upon him making the roster.

However, coach Paul Silas said with Brown headed West and center Gana Diop coming off a torn right Achilles tendon, he expects Ely will have a good chance to see some playing time.

'He gives us another big man that can help us,' Silas said. 'Right now we're struggling for size and I'm hoping when he comes he can do the job. He's going to have his opportunity.'

Ely said he plans to do everything he can to make the roster.

'With Gana coming off the injury and Kwame not coming back, they're kind of short-handed,' Ely said. 'So when I get on the court I'll be taking charges, rebounding and doing everything I can because the minutes are here for me. I did it last year (in Denver). I had the same talk with my agent if I did it last year I can do it this year... When teams have spots to fill, it's up to the player.'

Ely, 33, joined the Bobcats for practice Wednesday night.

Ely previously played for the Bobcats from 2004-07, joining the team in a trade with the Clippers.

He averaged 7.5 points and 4 rebounds in 160 games played for the Bobcats before being traded to the Spurs in February 2007. Ely had his best statistical season in 2005-06, when he averaged career highs of 9.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 23.6 minutes in 57 games played for the Bobcats.

Ely said he still views Charlotte as home.

'I wish I never had to leave here,' Ely said.

Bobcats fans might not recognize Ely when they see him on the court for Saturday's open scrimmage. He's lost 30 pounds down to 250 and cut off his braids since leaving the Bobcats four years ago.

'I've learned that coaches want guys to go up and down the court instead of half court and back,' Ely said with a laugh.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Cavs use amnesty clause on Baron Davis - by Eurobasket News
The Baron Davis (6'3''-PG-79, college: UCLA) era is officially over in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers used the amnesty provision on Davis late Wednesday night.

They loved having him on the team, but in the end, they couldnt bypass the opportunity to slash $28 million off their salary cap in the next two years.

The much-anticipated move had become one of the worst-kept secrets in the league.

They had until midnight on Friday to waive the veteran point guard.

The Cavs will be able to take the majority of his $28 million left on his contract off their salary cap. Hell still be paid by the Cavs.

Assuming they dont use the $14.5 million traded player exception which sources say theyll likely let expire on Friday they could potentially be about $7 million under the salary cap. That could be huge asset at the trade deadline in March.

Once forward Antawn Jamisons $15.1 million contract expires this summer, they could have an enormous cap hole more than enough to sign a significant free agent.

We want to thank Baron for his professionalism while he was here, Cavs general manager Chris Grant said. The move gives us added flexibility this year and next and its one of the characteristics we have looked at as we move forward with this team.

To a man, the Cavs say Davis was very professional during his time in Cleveland and was a solid role model for the young players on the roster. The players loved hanging out with the two-time All-Star. Former teammate Samardo Samuels spent most of the offseason with Davis working out at UCLA. Continued...

Sources say at no time did Davis ask out of the rebuilding process with the Cavs.

Davis, 32, had some nice things to say about the Cavs via Twitter.

Im going to miss Cleveland fans and the organization! he said. When I was down and out you believed in me and embraced me! I will always be a Cav!

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Davis was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers last Feb. 24 along with a first-round pick in exchange for guard Mo Williams and forward Jamario Moon. That first-rounder turned out to be Duke point guard Kyrie Irving, who will now be handed the reins of the offense full-time.

There doesnt appear to be any substance to buyout talks with Davis. They wouldnt be able to take his money off their cap in such a proposal.

Davis left camp on Sunday to get a second opinion on his back. The Cavs announced on Wednesday that he has a bulging disk in his lower back.

Sources say its a significant back issue, one that could potentially sideline him for a number of months.

He suffered the back problem working out in the offseason. Because teams werent allowed any contact with players during the prolonged lockout, he wasnt able to get proper medical treatment.

If there was not a lockout, hed be a whole lot better, Cavs coach Byron Scott said earlier in the day. The lockout happened and we couldnt have our hands on our players.

Scott has coached Davis twice in his coaching career. The other time was in New Orleans. Continued...

I love Baron, Scott said. I want whats best for him and whats best for the organization.

A healthy Davis would draw interest from some of the contenders in the league, most notably New York and possibly the Los Angeles Lakers.

Some have wondered why the Cavs waited until Wednesday night to make the move. A source said the Cavs first had to digest the new 542-page collective-bargaining agreement. Once they understood the rules, they had to explore all their options and make sure there were no trade partners.

There was no need to rush into a decision of this magnitude.

Courtesy of http://morningjournal.com

Warriors sign Kwame Brown to 1-year deal - by Eurobasket News
Kwame Brown (6'11''-F/C-82, agency: Priority Sports) and the Warriors reached an agreement on a one-year, $7 million deal Tuesday, a signing that was met with mixed reactions around the league.

Compared with other No. 1 overall picks or with the Warriors' other free-agent targets, Tyson Chandler or DeAndre Jordan, the signing doesn't look very favorable. In context with the Warriors' needs for a post defender and big-man depth, however, the signing makes a lot of sense.

'They've had great, exciting teams that we've all loved to watch, but when you start talking about the playoffs, you have to play a little defense,' said Steve Smith, a 14-year NBA guard who is an analyst for NBA TV. 'Maybe Kwame Brown is not Tyson Chandler, but he's a good start in thinking about that defensive mind-set.'

With Andris Biedrins as the only center on their roster, the Warriors aggressively chased Chandler at the start of the free-agency period. When Chandler chose New York instead, the Warriors made a $43 million offer to Jordan that was matched by the Clippers.

Desperate to get a center out of a weak free-agent crop, the Warriors settled on Brown, this generation's poster boy of an underachieving top pick. The 6-foot-11, 270-pound 29-year-old has played for five teams in 10 NBA seasons, averaging 6.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 0.6 of a block per game.

After five consecutive seasons of averaging less than six points and six rebounds, he had somewhat of a comeback with Charlotte last season. Reunited with Michael Jordan, who drafted him out of high school with the Washington Wizards' No. 1 overall pick in 2001, Brown averaged 7.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 0.6 of a block in 66 games for the Bobcats, who were willing to bring him back for about $5 million.

'If you look at Kwame Brown, like Chris Webber or another No. 1 overall pick, you don't think about him being a solid player,' NBA TV analyst Greg Anthony said. 'If you just look at Kwame Brown for what he's able and capable of doing, he's a nice acquisition.

'It took him a long time. I think he tried to live up to that No. 1 overall selection, but he isn't that type of player. He's not a 20-point and 10-rebound type of player, but he's going to have impact because he knows how to play big and knows how to play in the paint.

'Kwame Brown is not the answer to the problem, but he is a piece of the puzzle.'

Biedrins looked super active in the Warriors' first scrimmage, getting back to his rebounding and shot-blocking ways and making a number of multiple-effort plays. Before the Brown signing, however, the backups were power forwards David Lee, Ekpe Udoh and Lou Amundson.

Brown was consistently rated as the 'best high school player' in his class, which also included Chandler, and finished his career at Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Ga.) as the school's all-time leading rebounder (1,235) and shot-blocker (605).

As an NBA rookie, he failed to meet the huge expectations of a top pick, averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game.

After four years in Washington, Brown rejected a five-year, $30 million offer to test the free-agent market after his fourth season. He was traded to the Lakers in 2005 for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins.

Once Andrew Bynum emerged in Los Angeles, Brown was dealt to Memphis as part of a package that landed Pau Gasol in 2008. That offseason, Brown signed a two-year, $8 million with Detroit. In 2010, he got a one-year deal from Jordan with Charlotte.

Last season, Brown had a rebirth as a physical force who doesn't require much help as a post defender. He'll probably never be a polished offensive player, but he got raves from his Bobcats teammates for what he did on defense.

'He fits us,' Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said. 'He's a mature, much-improved player with a grown man's body. ... He's a big body who's not afraid to bang and bruise.

'Every team is going to have breakdowns defensively. You have to have big guys who can cover, protect and make the opposition pay a price when they get into the seams of your defense.'

Courtesy of www.sfgate.com

Reggie Williams signs two-year, $5 million with Bobcats, according to report - by Eurobasket News
The Charlotte Bobcats have won the Reggie Williams (6'5''-G/F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: VMI) sweepstakes, landing the wing on a two-year, $5 million contract, according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski. Williams had begun the free agent period with restricted status, meaning that the Golden State Warriors could match any offer sheet signed by the scorer. But the Warriors rescinded that offer sheet on Sunday to make room for a huge offer to restricted free agent DeAndre Jordan.

The Clippers ended up matching the Jordan offer, meaning that the Warriors had given up matching rights on Williams for no good reason. That could also mean that Golden State had little intention of keeping Williams; their loss is Charlotte's gain. The scoring-starved Bobcats will be getting a lovely shooter, as Williams finished No. 9 in three-point percentage last season (42 percent) while taking three per game. He's averaged better than 16 points per 36 minutes in a year and change of play with well above-average efficiency.

Courtesy of www.sbnation.com

Timberwolves sign Barea - by Eurobasket News
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed free- agent guard Jose Juan Barea (5'11''-PG-84, college: Northeastern) on Wednesday.

Barea played in 81 games for Dallas last season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.9 assists. He also averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 assists in 21 playoff games for the World Champion Mavericks.

'We are excited to add Jose Juan Barea to our team,' said David Kahn, Timberwolves president of basketball operations. 'His experience, leadership capabilities and all-around play should help us immensely this coming season and beyond.'

Over 315 career games (45 starts) with Dallas, Barea has averaged 7.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds.

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

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

NCAA1

No. 2 Buckeyes roll in Sullinger's return - by Eurobasket News
Everyone was pleased with how All-America forward Jared Sullinger (6'9''-F) played in his first game back after missing two because of back spasms.

Everybody but Sullinger, that is.

Deshaun Thomas (6'7''-F) scored 23 points and No. 2 Ohio State welcomed back Sullinger in an 82-58 victory over South Carolina Upstate on Wednesday night.

'I was terrible tonight,' he said with a laugh after collecting a workmanlike 12 points and 10 rebounds in 33 minutes. 'I was tired. Taking two weeks off is a killer.'

The 6-foot-9 sophomore wasn't cleared to play until earlier Wednesday. He had missed the Buckeyes' win over Texas-Pan American and Saturday's 78-67 loss at No. 13 Kansas.

Coach Thad Matta said Sullinger played just about the way he expected.

'I thought he did a pretty decent job,' Matta said. 'He hadn't played since the Duke game (an 85-63 rout on Nov. 29). To get him out there and get him moving, he knew he was going to be rusty and probably a little bit winded. But now that gives him some confidence to get back (to where he was) and to go to work.'

Sullinger received polite applause when he entered the game at the 14:37 mark of the first half. He took his time getting into the pace of the game.

'Sullinger looked like all really good players,' Spartans coach Eddie Payne said. 'He had quiet production. He had 12 and 10 and didn't seem like he did a whole lot.'

It was Sullinger who suggested to Matta that he not start.

'That was actually my decision,' Sullinger said. 'Evan (Ravenel) worked so hard these past two weeks and I really didn't practice even yesterday. It's kind of unfair to Evan. He deserved to start. So I told Coach Matta, 'Start Evan tonight and have me come off the bench.''

Torrey Craig (6'6''-F) had 20 points for Upstate (6-5), playing its third game in a monthlong, seven-game road swing. The Spartans, in their fifth season of Division I competition, and are 0-20 against teams from the six major conferences.

The win was Ohio State's 31st straight at home, the second-longest streak ever at the school behind only the 50 in a row from 1959-64 while Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Gary Bradds were the stars.

William Buford added 14 points for the Buckeyes.

After the Spartans scored the first four points of the second half to cut the deficit to 37-31, the Buckeyes pulled away.

Sullinger, who played the last 14:37 of the first half and the first 7:20 of the second and a couple of minutes late, hit two free throws and Lenzelle Smith Jr. made a drive down the heart of the lane. After a basket by Upstate, Ohio State scored on its next three possessions -- a dunk by Sullinger, Thomas off a long pass from Smith and Aaron Craft on left-handed layup off a baseline drive.

That made it 47-36 and the lead never dropped below nine points again.

'I felt I played really well,' Thomas said. 'It's a learning process. I'm just trying to get better as a player.'

It was Upstate which set the pace for most of the first half, playing sticky defense at one end and patiently distributing the ball at the other.

The Spartans led 21-17, scoring 16 of 21 points after Sullinger entered the game.

But order was restored late in the half.

From a tie at 26, the Buckeyes sprinted to an 11-2 run to finish the half.

Sullinger, who finished the half with eight points and five rebounds, started it with an uncontested dunk off a quick pass from Buford before Thomas hit a half-hook off an offensive rebound. After Adrian Rodgers hit a perimeter jumper for the Spartans, Buford poured in a 3 from the right wing. Sullinger hit two free throws in the final seconds and after a turnover by Rodgers, Sam Thompson tossed a long pass to Ravenel for a dunk with 3 seconds left.

Thompson also had a stunning blocked shot during the surge, running down Ty Greene on a breakaway to swat the ball away.

Suddenly, the crowd of 13,552 was breathing a lot easier.

'We played 18 1-2 good minutes in the first half and then after that the experienced talent and coaching scheme and their team really hurt us,' Payne said.

Courtesy of www.foxsportsohio.com

No. 6 Baylor cruises to 27-pt. win, stays perfect - by Eurobasket News
The Baylor pep band played the Superman theme when Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III was honored at halftime.

Maybe the band members need to keep the tune handy for the high-flying act the sixth-ranked Bears have on the basketball court.

Quincy Acy (6'7''-F-90) had four of Baylor's 10 dunks, and Pierre Jackson (5'10''-G) had a team-high 12 points to go with consecutive assists on early slams that put the Bears ahead to stay in a 69-42 victory over Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday night.

'I just like to get my bigs going. When we get a couple of dunks, we all just get out there and defend like crazy,' Jackson said. 'Once you get the momentum, it's hard to stop it.'

Jackson had a steal then a bounce pass to Deuce Bello for a dunk, and turned another Bethune-Cookman turnover right after that into a pass to Anthony Jones for another slam. That was part of an early 10-0 run that put the Bears (8-0) in front for good.

The Bears have won their first eight games for the first time under coach Scott Drew, who is in his 10th season. They played for the first time in 10 days after final exams.

'I was pleased the effort after a layoff,' Drew said. 'You always get a little concerned will you come out and be sharp. I thought the defensive intensity was there from the beginning.'

All 10 Bears who played scored, half of them with at least eight points.

Acy was the only other Baylor player in double figures with 10 points. The 6-foot-7 senior forward became the 25th player in school history with 1,000 points, the seventh since Drew became coach, with a free throw in the closing minutes.

Garrius Holloman (6'6''-F) had 13 points and Anthony Breeze (6'5''-F) 12 for Bethune-Cookman (3-7), the defending MEAC champion.

Holloman's 3-pointer 5 minutes into the game put the Wildcats up 10-9. Bello tied the game with a free throw a minute later to start the 10-0 run, and the consecutive Jackson-assisted dunks came right after that.

That spurt came right after Jackson and four others took over for the starting five.

'Pierre, when he comes into the game, everybody just expects him to be very good from the standpoint he's showed us he can take care of the ball, he can hit the open guy, he can defend, he can knock down the 3,' Drew said. 'When he comes in the game, he really gives us a great spurt and kind of go from that first couple of minutes of the game to now all of a sudden the game speeds up a little bit just because of how fast he is and how much he pushes the ball.'

Griffin was greeted at halftime with the Superman theme and chants of 'One more year! One more year!'

Fans screamed 'RG3! RG3!' when highlights of the quarterback were shown, including Saturday night's presentation of him becoming Baylor's first Heisman winner. Griffin had a huge smile when he came out carrying the trophy before raising it over his head.

'The Heisman Trophy. How'd it go?,' Bethune-Cookman coach Gravelle Craig said. 'I was just curious.'

Much better than it went for the undersized Wildcats, who made only six field goals in the first half.

'We knew coming in that we were going to be undersized. I played here last year and I saw they were 6-11, 6-10, 6-9 across the board,' Holloman said. 'We've just got to come in and try to bang them. It's always a good experience to come in and play a high-powered team.'

Soon after the halftime ceremony, Acy had one of the most dominating stretches of the game.

Acy had a two-handed slam when he reacted with a loud scream to put the Bears up 39-18. Right after that, he had a block when he swatted away a shot at the other end.

Jackson hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 50-20 with 12 minutes left for Baylor's biggest lead.

Baylor's final points came appropriately on a dunk, by Cory Jefferson with 13 seconds left. Only a couple of minutes before that, Bello had consecutive slams in a 30-second span.

The Bears, who have won 25 consecutive non-conference home games the past five seasons, had a 42-16 scoring advantage in the paint. They shot 56 percent (28 of 50) from the field, including 14 of 22 (64 percent) after halftime.

Baylor had last played Dec. 4 at Northwestern, a 69-41 victory. The next game is the Bears' second road game of the season, Saturday at BYU.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

No charges to be filed in Cincy-Xavier brawl - by Eurobasket News
A prosecutor said Wednesday he has decided against filing criminal charges in an on-court brawl involving University of Cincinnati and Xavier basketball players.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said he made the decision following an investigation that included review of films and interviews with the two teams coaches and some players and witnesses. He also said that Xavier center Kenny Frease (7'0''-C-89) was satisfied with an apology from Bearcat forward Yancy Gates (6'9''-F-89) after the two reached out to each other privately.

Gates punched Frease in the face during the melee. The 7-foot, 275-pound center fell, bleeding from below his left eye, and was kicked by someone else while on the floor. X-rays were normal. The 6-foot-9, 260-pound Gates was suspended by UC for six games.

The two archrivals annual Crosstown Shootout Saturday ended in a melee with punches, shoves and one player getting kicked while on the floor.

Officials and players of both schools have apologized, and both schools suspended four players each. No. 8 Xavier won the game 76-53. It was stopped by referees with 9.4 seconds left.

Courtesy of www.cantonrep.com

Top 25 - Men

TOP25 Standings

1. Syracuse		0-0 (9-0)
2. Ohio St.		0-0 (9-1)
Eastern Division
1. Kentucky		0-0 (8-1)

1. Louisville		0-0 (8-2)
2. N.Carolina		0-0 (8-0)
3. Baylor		0-0 (7-0)
4. Duke		0-0 (9-0)
5. Xavier		0-0 (7-0)
6. Connecticut		0-0 (8-1)
7. Missouri		0-0 (9-0)
8. Marquette		0-0 (8-0)
Eastern Division
1. Florida		0-0 (6-2)

1. Kansas		0-0 (7-2)
2. Wisconsin		0-0 (9-2)
3. Pittsburgh		0-0 (9-1)
4. Georgetown		0-0 (10-0)
Western Division
1. Mississippi St.		0-0 (10-1)

1. Indiana		0-0 (9-0)
2. Illinois		0-0 (4-3)
3. Michigan		0-0 (9-2)
4. Michigan St.		0-0 (9-2)
5. Texas A&M		0-0 (8-1)
Western Division
1. Alabama		0-0 (7-1)

1. Murray St.		0-0 (10-0)
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt		0-0 (6-2)

Stats Leaders - NCAA1

Points Per Game

Ryne SMITH
  Purdue
  (190-G-89)
  Avg: 26

1. Smith, Purdue	26.0
2. Wattad, Chattano.	24.0
3. Smith, NC-Wilmi.	23.0
4. Stoglin, Maryland	22.0
5. Oladipo, Indiana	21.0
6. McDougald, Jackso.	21.0
7. Harris, Wake F.	20.0
8. Howell, N.Caroli.	19.5
9. Swansey, Tenn Tech	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, Clemson	14.0
4. Shannon, Florida	12.0
5. Howell, N.Caroli.	11.5
6. Plumlee, Duke	11.0
7. Zlovaric, Chattano.	10.0
8. Desrosiers, Wake F.	10.0
9. Henson, N.Carolina	9.5
10. Drummond, Loyol.	9.0

Assists Per Game

Kendall MARSHALL
  N.Carolina
  (190-G-91)
  Avg: 10

1. Marshall, N.Caroli.	10.0
2. Smith, Clemson	8.0
3. Brown, N.Caroli.	7.5
4. Bell, Chattanooga	7.0
5. Loucks, Florida St.	6.0
6. Udofia, Georgia	6.0
7. Johnson, Belmont	6.0
8. Finney-Smith, Virg.	5.0
9. Jackson, Purdue	5.0
10. Scott, Miami, FL	5.0

Steals Per Game

Cody ZELLER
  Indiana
  (210-F-)
  Avg: 6

1. Zeller, Indiana	6.0
2. Smith, Clemson	5.0
3. Brown, N.Caroli.	4.5
4. Jones III, Indiana	4.0
5. Kennings, Florida	3.0
6. Moore, Florida A&M	3.0
7. Raines, Virginia T.	3.0
8. Cooley, E.Tenn.St.	3.0
9. Swoope, Miami, FL	3.0
10. Faust, Maryland	3.0

Blocks Per Game

Carson DESROSIERS
  Wake F.
  (213-C-)
  Avg: 8

1. Desrosiers, Wake F.	8.0
2. Henson, N.Carolina	5.5
3. Finney-Smith, Virg.	4.0
4. Mosley, Maryland	3.0
5. Inameti, Tenn Tech	3.0
6. Elston, Indiana	2.0
7. Jennings, Clemson	2.0
8. Plumlee, Duke	2.0
9. Lawson, Purdue	2.0
10. Akpejiori, Miami,	2.0

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

NORWAY

Parnell Smith is a newcomer at Gimle BBK Bergen - by Eurobasket Center
Gimle BBK Bergen added to their roster 27-year old American forward Parnell Smith (200-F-102kg-84, college: Buffalo). In his first game he scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds helping his new team beat Froya Basket 62-57. Smith played most recently at BiG Oettinger Rockets Gotha (Germany). While playing 22 games for Gotha last season he averaged 15.5ppg, 8.3rpg and 1.5apg. He is a very experienced player. Smith played also pro basketball in Finland, Germany, Luxembourg and USA. He graduated The University of Buffalo in 2007 and actually missed last season. It will be his fifth season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Standings - BLNO

BLNO Standings

1. Froya Basket		10-1
2. Asker Aliens		9-3
3. Baerum Basket		9-3
4. Centrum		6-6
5. Gimle BBK		6-6
6. Tromso		5-5
7. Ammerud Bskt		2-9
8. Langhus		0-14

BLNO Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Anthony LEE-INGRAM
  Asker A.
  (198-F-)
  Avg: 23.3

1. Lee-Ingram, Asker	23.3
2. Karlsen, Centrum	22.2
3. Westerlund, Ammeru.	21.9
4. Mjos, Baerum B.	21.5
5. Land, Asker Aliens	19.7
6. Wallace, Tromso	17.4
7. Kombat, Froya B.	17.3
8. Sahlertz, Tromso	17.2
9. Stien, Gimle BBK	17.0
10. Bullock, Froya B.	16.5

Rebounds Per Game

Anthony LEE-INGRAM
  Asker A.
  (198-F-)
  Avg: 12.4

1. Lee-Ingram, Asker	12.4
2. Oatis, Baerum B.	9.5
3. Land, Asker Aliens	8.7
4. Bullock, Froya B.	8.7
5. Karlsen, Centrum	8.4
6. Byerson, Tromso	8.1
7. Kombat, Froya B.	7.8
8. Hagen, Ammerud	7.7
9. Ferranti, Baerum B.	7.7
10. Wallace, Tromso	6.9

Assists Per Game

Hani ISSALHI
  Tromso
  (187-G-84)
  Avg: 5

1. Issalhi, Tromso	5.0
2. Mjos, Baerum B.	4.9
3. Mahnin, Centrum	4.5
4. Gabrans, Froya B.	4.1
5. Randolph, Langhus	4.0
6. Stien, Gimle BBK	3.7
7. Mjos, Baerum B.	3.7
8. Stien, Asker Aliens	3.7
9. Midtvedt, Asker A.	3.5
10. Byerson, Tromso	3.4

Steals Per Game

Peter BULLOCK
  Froya B.
  (198-F/C-82)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Bullock, Froya B.	2.4
2. Pavlovic, Gimle B.	2.3
3. Mjos, Baerum B.	2.3
4. Silavs, Froya B.	2.1
5. Issalhi, Tromso	2.0
6. Sumskis, Gimle BBK	2.0
7. Westerlund, Ammeru.	1.9
8. Ferranti, Baerum B.	1.9
9. Gabrans, Froya B.	1.8
10. Elsafadi, Froya B.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Donald OATIS
  Baerum B.
  (206-F/C-79)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Oatis, Baerum B.	3.3
2. Sjostrom, Baerum B.	1.3
3. Byerson, Tromso	1.1
4. Lee-Ingram, Asker	1.0
5. Nyborg, Centrum	1.0
6. Karlsen, Centrum	0.7
7. Mjos, Baerum B.	0.7
8. Hagen, Ammerud	0.7
9. Sumskis, Gimle BBK	0.6
10. Hammer, Gimle BBK	0.6

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

PAN ARAB GAMES

Standings

Group A
1. Algeria		3-0
2. Egypt		2-1
3. Iraq		1-2
4. Sudan		0-3
Group B
1. Tunisia		3-0
2. Jordan		1-1
3. Lebanon		1-1
4. Morocco		0-3
Group C
1. Qatar		3-0
2. Kuwait		2-1
3. Saudi Arab.		1-2
4. Palestine		0-3

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

PHILIPPINES

Standings - PBA Fiesta Conference

PBA Standings

1. B-Meg Llam.		10-4
2. Talk N Text		10-4
3. Petron Blaze		9-5
4. Ginebra Kings		9-5
5. Rain or Shine		9-5
6. Meralco Bolts		8-6
7. Barako Bull		6-8
8. Powerade T.		6-8
9. Alaska Aces		3-11
10. Shopinas.com C.		0-14

PBA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Gary DAVID
  Powerade T.
  (187-G/F-78)
  Avg: 21.5

1. David, Powerade T.	21.5
2. Bangura, Air21 E.	19.6
3. Yap, B-Meg Llam.	18.7
4. Santos, Petron B.	18.2
5. Lutz, Petron Blaze	18.0
6. Seigle, Air21 Expr.	16.5
7. Cardona, Meralco	16.2
8. Lassiter, Powerade.	16.1
9. Cabagnot, Petron	15.9
10. Miller, Barako Bu.	15.8

Rebounds Per Game

Arwind SANTOS
  Petron B.
  (193-F-81)
  Avg: 12.7

1. Santos, Petron B.	12.7
2. Carey, Talk N Text	11.2
3. Kramer, Powerade.	10.7
4. Taulava, Meralco	10.2
5. Reyes, Alaska Aces	10.1
6. Peek, Talk N Text	9.8
7. Espinas, Meralco	9.7
8. Sena, Shopinas.	9.4
9. Thoss, Alaska Aces	9.4
10. Williams, Talk N.	8.9

Assists Per Game

Alex CABAGNOT
  Petron B.
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 7.1

1. Cabagnot, Petron	7.1
2. Casio, Powerade T.	5.8
3. Tenorio, Alaska A.	5.4
4. Alapag, Talk N Te.	5.3
5. Mercado, Meralco	5.1
6. Castro, Talk N Te.	5.1
7. Lee, Rain or Shine	4.7
8. Miller, Barako Bull	4.7
9. Lutz, Petron Blaze	4.0
10. Lassiter, Powerad.	3.9

Steals Per Game

Christopher LUTZ
  Petron Blaze
  (192-G/F-85)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Lutz, Petron Blaze	2.3
2. Arboleda, Barako B.	1.8
3. Miller, Barako Bull	1.7
4. Mercado, Meralco	1.5
5. Lassiter, Powerade.	1.5
6. Bangura, Air21 E.	1.4
7. Baguio, Alaska Ac.	1.4
8. Cardona, Meralco	1.3
9. Cabagnot, Petron	1.3
10. Hontiveros, Air21	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Japeth AGUILAR
  Talk N.
  (208-C-85)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Aguilar, Talk N.	2.2
2. Peek, Talk N Text	1.5
3. Santos, Petron B.	1.5
4. Seigle, Air21 Expr.	1.3
5. Thoss, Alaska Aces	1.3
6. Quinahan, Rain o.	1.3
7. Espinas, Meralco	1.1
8. Williams, Talk N.	1.1
9. Reavis, B-Meg L.	1.1
10. Reyes, Alaska Ac.	1.0

PBA Roundup: December 14, 2011 - by Enzo Flojo
POWERADE TIGERS over B-MEG LLAMADOS, 97-88
Needing to win two in a row to survive the quarterfinals, the Powerade Tigers fought with great resolve and got half the job done. Powerade stunned elimination-round topnotcher B-Meg to force a sudden death showdown in their PBA Philippine Cup quarters match-up.

Gary David scattered 32 points -- all in the first three quarters, Marcio Lassiter added 24 points, while Doug Kramer contributed 13 rebounds and 10 points as the Tigers snapped the Llamados searing eight-game win streak. David and company outworked and outfought the Tigers, taking the half at 50-39 and were hardly threatened the rest of the way.

David, Rudy Lingganay, Josh Vanlandingham and JV Casio combined for a hot 7-of-14 three-point shooting as the Tigers enjoyed the 11-point cushion at halftime.

James Yap hit his stride a bit little, topscoring for B-Meg with 21, 15 coming in the final half. PJ Simon and Kerby Raymundo tossed in 10 points each, but the rest of the Llamados struggled in the first 24 minutes of play.

POW 97 - David 32, Lassiter 24, Kramer 10, Anthony 9, Casio 9, Vanlandingham 5, Adducul 5, Lingganay 3, Allera 0, Cruz 0, Crisano 0, Antonio 0.
BML 88 - Yap J. 21, Simo 16, Pingris 13, Raymundo 10, Urbiztondo 8, Barroca 6, De Vance 6, Yap R. 6, Reavis 2.
QS: 27-21, 50-39, 79-71, 97-88

TALK N TEXT TROPAN TEXTERS over BARAKO BULL ENERGY , 81-79
Jayson Castro is sure to come out a winner, whether he plays starter or backup. The cat-quick guard proved this by scoring on a clutch drive and lifting defending champion Talk 'N Text past Barako Bull and into the semifinals of the PBA hilippine Cup.

Castro used his speed to get past the defense of Dylan Ababou in the final 5.3 seconds and cap a game in which he came off the bench to score a new career-high 32 points while totally atoning for what coach Chot Reyes believes was a dip in his performances of late.

It was a very bitter loss for Barako Bull, which seemed set to offset its twice-to-win handicap in the quarterfinal matchup when it took as much as a 46-30 lead and came charging back from a 72-79 deficit through Willie Miller's heroics. Miller highlighted his 15-point performance with seven straight points, spiked by a three-point play off his block on Kelly Williams, to tie it at 79, 23.4 ticks left.

In the end, however, Castro came through with 14 of his points in the final canto and gave the Tropang Texters and their injured players the needed time to rest and recuperate. They next battle the winner of the best-of-three duel between Petron Blaze and Meralco in the race-to-four semis on Jan. 4.

TNT 81 - Castro 32, Alapag 15, Williams 14, Aguilar 10, Carey 8, Fonacier 2, Dillinger 0, Reyes 0, Alvarez 0, Lao 0.
BBE 79 - Pennisi 16, Miller 15, Pena 12, Seigle 9, Allado 9, Ababou 6, Arboleda 6, Salvacion 3, Gatumbato 2, Artadi 1, Aquino 0, Najorda 0.
QS: 17-25, 30-44, 56-59, 81-79

Source: Game recaps were compressed and compiled from PBA.ph

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

POLAND

Artur Mikolajko gets MVP of the Week award for 1Liga - by Eurobasket News
Experienced Artur Mikolajko (197-F-79) had an amazing evening in the last round for Polonia and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com 1Liga Player of the Week award for round 14.
The 32-year old forward had a double-double of 11 points and thirteen rebounds, while his team crushed Sportino (#15, 1-12) with 20-point margin 85-65. The game was not the highest importance and did not have significant influence on the top of the standings. Polonia maintains the 9th position in 1Liga. Polonia 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 7-6 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Mikolajko as usually he does not deliver so high stats. Mikolajko has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (5th best: 7.8rpg) and averages solid 75.6% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 33-year old swingman Przemyslaw Lewandowski (204-F/G-78, agency: Promotex) of P.Cukier SIDEn. Lewandowski impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds. Bad luck as P.Cukier SIDEn lost that game 73-83 to slightly higher-ranked Start Gdynia (#2, 10-3). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. P.Cukier SIDEn still maintains its place in the top 3 of the standings, even despite this loss. His team's 9-4 record is not bad at all. Lewandowski is well-known by P.Cukier SIDEn fans and he already established his position as one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 14.8ppg (#7). He also registered 6.8 boards per game.

The third best performed player last round was Michal Marciniak (195-G-79) of AZS Kutno (#7). Marciniak scored 15 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Despite Marciniak's great performance AZS Kutno lost 64-68 to slightly higher-ranked Spojnia (#5, 9-4). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing AZS Kutno needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 7 victories and 6 lost games. Marciniak has a very solid season. In 10 games in Poland he scored 12.6ppg. He also has 6.4rpg, 2.2bpg and FGP: 62.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Bartosz Dubiel (195-F-84) of Sokol Lancut - 20 points and 9 rebounds
5. Arkadiusz Kobus (197-F-86) of P.Cukier SIDEn - 13 points and 11 rebounds
6. Michal Przybylski (194-F/G-84) of SKK Siedlce - 21 points and 6 rebounds
7. Tomasz Przewrocki (192-G-76) of Polonia - 5 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists
8. Wojciech Pisarczyk (201-F-88) of Sokol Lancut - 17 points and 7 rebounds
9. Radoslaw Basinski (188-PG-78) of SKK Siedlce - 7 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists
10. Tomasz Pisarczyk (205-F-85) of Rosa Radom - 8 points, 14 rebounds and 2 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)

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

PORTUGAL

Mario Leite criticizes the League calendar - by Luis Filipe Cristovao
Mario Leite joined yesterday, the voices that have criticized the Portuguese League planning. After the FC Porto coach, Moncho Lopez, and Benfica coach, Carlos Lisboa, now it was time for the coach of Ovarense Dolce Vita regret the way the calendar has been prepared from the main event organized by the Federation.

'There is very inconvenient and in the future, there must be more careful not to happen such situations. The Ovarense Dolce Vita, according to the schedule dictated, played at home on November 26 and only returned to acting in Ovar on January 27. It's very complicated in many respects, particularly with regard to the lack of games on television. With two months away from home, advertising returns are difficult to achieve and their own fans no longer have to go see hockey routine, 'said Mario Leite , 48, the site of the FPB.

Source: Record.pt

Portuguese U16 selected - by Luis Filipe Cristovao
Portugal announced the roster that will play in the U16 tournament in Arroyo de la Encomienda (Valladolid), in Spain, between December 28th and 30th.

Players like Benvindo Mendes, Francisco Amiel and Joao Oliveira are more experienced, as they already played in the European Cup last season.

Here's the roster that will be coached by Rui Alves :

Diogo Araujo - Ginasio
Luis Camara - Alges
Guilherme Pires - Fisica
Ricardo Monteiro - Carnide
Rui Nery - Estoril BC
Sergio Silva - SL Benfica
Joao Oliveira -SC Vasco da Gama
Pedro Oliveira - FC Porto
Benvindo Mendes - Seixal FC
Carlos Salamanca - FC Barreirense
Chris Santos - Seixal FC
Francisco Amiel - BAC

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

PUERTO RICO

Sanchez selected first in BSN Special Draft: - by Luis Modestti
Ricardo Sanchez (212-C/F-87) was the first pick of Indios de Mayaguez in the BSN Special Draft for players that were in Santurce and Coamo last season.

Sanchez was the Most Improved Player last year with averages of 16 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2 blocks per game for Santurce. He is playing for Weber Bahia Estudiantes in Argentina and after he finishes there he comes to play in Puerto Rico.

The proposed trade between Arecibo and Mayaguez for the first pick was stopped after center Jeff Aubry vetoed the deal.

Below are the results:

BSN Special Draft:

I Round:

1 - Mayaguez - Ricardo Sanchez
2 - Guayama - Johwen Villegas
3 - Humacao - Walter Hodge
4 - San German - Richard Chaney
5 - Guaynabo - Wilfredo Pagan
6 - Bayamon - Angelo Reyes
7 - Quebradillas - Luis Villafane
8 - Arecibo - Eddin Santiago

II Round:

1 - Mayaguez - Christopher Vega
2 - Guayama - Andres Ortiz
3 - Humacao - Gilberto Clavell
4 - San German - Eduardo Gonzalez
5 - Guaynabo - Pass
6 - Bayamon - Chris Gonzalez
7 - Quebradillas - Jonathan Rodriguez
8 - Arecibo - Pass

III Round:

1 - Mayaguez - Luis Colon

Not selected: Thomas Manzano, Nick Len, Carlos Figueroa and Roberto Nieves.

After the draft, Brujos de Guayama sent Johwen Villegas to Guaynabo for guard Wilfredo Pagan. This deal is awaiting approval by the league.

Timberwolves sign Barea - by Eurobasket News
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed free- agent guard Jose Juan Barea (5'11''-PG-84, college: Northeastern) on Wednesday.

Barea played in 81 games for Dallas last season, averaging 9.5 points and 3.9 assists. He also averaged 8.9 points and 3.4 assists in 21 playoff games for the World Champion Mavericks.

'We are excited to add Jose Juan Barea to our team,' said David Kahn, Timberwolves president of basketball operations. 'His experience, leadership capabilities and all-around play should help us immensely this coming season and beyond.'

Over 315 career games (45 starts) with Dallas, Barea has averaged 7.1 points, 2.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds.

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

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

ROMANIA

Standings

Div.A Standings

1. Timisoara		12-1
2. Gaz Metan		10-3
3. CSU Sibiu		10-3
4. U.Mobitel.CN		9-3
5. Targu Mures		9-4
6. Oradea		8-4
7. Ploiesti		8-4
8. CSM Bucuresti		8-5
9. Rovinari		7-6
10. Pitesti		5-8
11. Dinamo B.		4-9
12. Craiova		4-9
13. Otopeni		3-9
14. Giurgiu		3-9
15. Perla Harghitei		1-11
16. Politehnica		0-13

Stats Leaders - Men

Points Per Game

Jaytonah WISSEH
  CSU Sibiu
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 24.4

1. Wisseh, CSU Sibiu	24.4
2. Martinic, CSM B.	22.8
3. Durham, Dinamo B.	22.8
4. Brown, Dinamo B.	21.3
5. Krstanovic, U.Mobi.	20.4
6. Ross, Craiova	20.2
7. Tomic, Craiova	19.5
8. Darby, Rovinari	19.3
9. Forte, Targu Mures	18.5
10. Kearse, CSU Sibiu	18.3

Rebounds Per Game

Allen DURHAM
  Dinamo B.
  (198-F-88)
  Avg: 13.8

1. Durham, Dinamo B.	13.8
2. Carutasu, CSM B.	9.2
3. Vlaicu, Giurgiu	8.7
4. Burlacu, Ploiesti	8.7
5. McKenzie, CSM B.	8.7
6. Kinloch, Pitesti	8.5
7. Krstanovic, U.Mobi.	8.5
8. Ross, Craiova	8.3
9. Grubisic, Giurgiu	8.3
10. Riley, CSU Sibiu	8.0

Assists Per Game

Jaytonah WISSEH
  CSU Sibiu
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 7.9

1. Wisseh, CSU Sibiu	7.9
2. Maric, Oradea	6.7
3. Cooley, Targu M.	6.2
4. Howell, Gaz Metan	5.3
5. Vlahovic, Ploiesti	5.1
6. Cuic, Timisoara	5.0
7. Brown, Dinamo B.	4.8
8. Jovanovic, Timisoa.	4.6
9. Nikolic, Rovinari	4.4
10. Martinic, CSM B.	4.4

Steals Per Game

Jaytonah WISSEH
  CSU Sibiu
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Wisseh, CSU Sibiu	3.5
2. Cooley, Targu M.	3.0
3. Maric, Oradea	2.0
4. Riley, CSU Sibiu	2.0
5. Mitchell, Gaz Metan	1.9
6. Darby, Rovinari	1.9
7. Howell, Gaz Metan	1.9
8. Burlacu, Ploiesti	1.9
9. Khartchenkov, CSU	1.8
10. Tucker, Perla H.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Bryson MCKENZIE
  CSM B.
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 2.4

1. McKenzie, CSM B.	2.4
2. Oluic, Rovinari	1.9
3. Tibirna, Otopeni	1.7
4. Riley, CSU Sibiu	1.7
5. VanderMeer, Gaz M.	1.6
6. Durham, Dinamo B.	1.2
7. Archie, Timisoara	1.2
8. Kinloch, Pitesti	1.1
9. Mijovic, U.Mobite.	1.1
10. McCulloch, Dinamo	0.9

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

RUSSIA

CSKA Moscow too strong for Panathinaikos again - by Eurobasket News
CSKA - Panathinaikos 91-75

CSKA Moscow handed another loss to Panathinaikos in the Euroleague regular season. The Russian powerhouse celebrated 91-75 win for 9-0 record in Group B. CSKA already secured the first place in this pool. The reigning Euroleague champion slipped to 6-3 and will finish as No.2. Nenad Krstic (213-C-83, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) dominated in the paint collecting 17 points and 12 rebounds (valuation 31). Viktor Khryapa (204-F/G-82) (7 rebs) and Alexey Shved (5 as) helped the home squad with 16 points each. In PAO, Ian Vougioukas (212-C/F-85, college: St.Louis) shined with 17 points. Steven Smith (203-F-83, college: La Salle) had 11 and Nick Calathes (198-G-89, college: Florida) stopped to 9 pts in this meeting. CSKA made crucial 14-0 run at the beginning of the second half and later touched plus 17 during the last period. Quarters: 26-24, 21-25, 28-14, 16-12. Next week, CSKA will go to Malaga. PAO waits Brose Baskets.

CSKA: Nenad Krstic 17+12 boards, Viktor Khryapa 16+7 boards, Alexey Shved 16+5 as
PAO: Ian Vougioukas 17, Steven Smith 11, Nick Calathes 9

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

SERBIA

Svilar number one in A League for round 12 - by Eurobasket News
Guard Vojin Svilar (188-G-86) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Smederevo, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 12.
The 25-year old player was the main contributor (26 points, four rebounds and seven assists) to his team's victory, helping them to beat Napredak (#14, 1-11) 114-104. Smederevo is placed at 5th position in A League. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Smederevo will need more victories to improve their 8-4 record. In the team's last game Svilar had a remarkable 85.7% from 2-point range. It's his second year at Smederevo and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Vojin Svilar averages this season 13.6ppg.

The second best player in last round's games was 23-year old former international power forward Slaven Cupkovic (205-PF-88) of Napredak. Cupkovic had a very good evening with 30 points and 6 rebounds. Bad luck as Napredak lost that game 104-114 to the higher-ranked Smederevo (#5, 8-4). Napredak is still in a red zone at 14th spot in the standings. 11 lost games are too many comparing to just one victory Napredak managed to get this year. Cupkovic is well-known at Napredak and is a proven leader in his second season with the team.

Third on the list of top players last round was former international center Nenad Misanovic (217-C-84) of OKK Beograd (#8). Misanovic scored 19 points and grabbed ten rebounds. He was a key player of OKK Beograd, leading his team to a 88-65 easy win against the lower-ranked Proleter Naftagas (#13, 2-10). OKK Beograd needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 5 victories and 5 lost games. Misanovic has a great season in Serbia. After 10 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 8.0rpg (4th best). He also has 1.9bpg and FGP: 59.4%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Stefan Matovic (203-G-91) of Mega Vizura - 20 points and 5 rebounds
5. Dusan Cantekin (222-C-90) of Mega Vizura - 17 points and 17 rebounds
6. Ivan Zigeranovic (212-C-84) of Borac - 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Slobodan Dundjerski (190-G-88) of Vojvodina - 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Milos Dimic (195-G-89) of Radnicki Basket - 26 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Bosko Jovovic (205-F/C-83) of Smederevo - 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Marko Popovic (193-G-84) of Sloga - 20 points, 3 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)

Real Madrid cruises past Partizan for 7-2 in Group C - by Eurobasket News
Real Madrid - Partizan 101-83

Real Madrid jumped to 7-2 record in Group C and secured the first place in this pool with one round to go in the Euroleague regular season. Visitors faced with the second straight loss and slipped to 4-5 record. However, Partizan still has a nice chance to reach the Top 16. They need to beat Emporio Armani Milano next weekend in Belgrade, or even to loose with less than 4 points. Jaycee Carroll (188-PG-83, agency: Priority Sports) had 22 points for Real Madrid and Nikola Mirotic (209-F/C-91) added 21 points, 8 rebounds. Mirotic was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 30. Felipe Reyes (203-F/C-80) added 15 points and 7 rebs. In Partizan, Milan Macvan (206-C-89, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) top-scored with 16 points and Vladimir Lucic (202-F-89, agency: Beo Basket) had 13. Rasko Katic (208-C-80, agency: Beo Basket) added 12 points. Real Madrid made plus 15 until the halftime, having no troubles to keep their lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 27-15, 25-22, 24-19, 25-27. Real Madrid will meet Anadolu Efes in Istanbul next week. As mentioned above, Partizan waits Milano.

Real Madrid: Jaycee Carroll 22, Nikola Mirotic 21+8 boards, Felipe Reyes 15+7 boards
Partizan: Milan Macvan 16, Vladimir Lucic 13, Rasko Katic 12

Omar Thomas officially joins Crvena Zvezda - by Eurobasket News
Omar Thomas (197-F-82, college: UTEP) officially became a new member of Crvena Zvezda. The American forward penned a deal for rest of the season. He replaces Adam Morrison, who parted ways with the club recently. Omar Thomas spent last season with Air Avelino. He appeared 33 times in SerieA averaging 17.5 points, 6 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Thomas was named Serie A Regular Season MVP -11. In 2009/10, he played for Enel Brindisi collecting 18.3 ppg and 7.5 rpg for 30 games. Thomas also has experience from Rieti, Pau-Orthez and Rimini. In 2010, he was named Eurobasket.com All-Italian Lega2 Player of the Year -10. Omar Thomas is currently banned by the Italian Basketball Federation for the next 16 months because of using false Slovenian passport. It allowed him to play as a Bosman last season.

Crvena Zvezda wants to sign Marko Jaric - by Eurobasket News
According to local media, Crvena Zvezda has serious intention to sign former NBA player Marko Jaric (198-G-78, agency: World Sport Agency). Reportedly, they already started negotiations. Jaric spent last season with Montepaschi Siena. He joined them in January averaging 5.1 points and 1.4 rebounds for 12 Euroleague games. He also added 5.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg and 1.3 apg for 13 games in SerieA. Montepaschi managed to defend the title in Italy. In 2009/10, Marko Jaric played for Real Madrid. He had 7.1 ppg and 4.2 rpg for 12 Euroleague games with them. In ACB, Jaric had lower digits. In the past, he was a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers. He also played for Kinder Bologna, Peristeri and Crvena Zvezda.

In Memoriam: Haris Brkic (1974-2000) - by Nenad Ilijev
One of the most gifted guards in the country signed back at Partizan Belgrade in 2000 determined to help his favourite team to bring national titles back. Haris Brkic (200-G/F-74) came from Sarajevo in 1992 as one of the most talented players of his generation. Haris was promoted to first team already in next year and nobody expected that he will become one of the most important players in Partizan wealthy history. In years to come Haris won 3 national titles and 3 national cups achieving top of his career in 97/98 season leading Partiza as team captain at Euroleague Final Four. Meantime he won bronze medal with Yugoslavian U21 team at European Championship in 1996 and he also made some appeareances in Yugoslav National Team which was one of the best in the world at the time.
After short spell at Buducnost Podgorica where he became Yugoslav champion again, Brkic decided to sign back at Partizan in 2000. In December 12th, 2000 Haris Brkic was shoot in head outside of Hall Pionir just after he finished workout with his team. Brave heart of this young man was fighting for three days but he couldn't survive. Shocking news shaken basketball world.. Murderers were never found and captured!
Haris Brkic played just three games after his re-signing with Partizan. He played 294 official games for Partizan Belgrade (10th in team's history) and scored 3709 points (8th best scorer in team's history) while with 951 points scored in Euro cups he made 5th place in team's all-time scorers list. His former teams Bosna Sarajevo, Borac Cacak, Buducnost Podgorica and Partizan Belgrade are organizing annual Haris Brkic Memorial with youth teams competing against each other at the tournament. Haris' former teammates Predrag Drobnjak (212-F/C-75), Miroslav Beric (198-G-73) and Vlado Scepanovic (198-G-75, agency: FCM) are making massive efforts to provide awards for most talented kids that participated and to organize this memorial along with this teams.

Haris Brkic was recognized by 'eurostep' that he accomplished so good that he was considered as one of the best guards in Europe especially when it comes to driving to the basket. Loyal fans of Partizan Belgrade never forgot him and keep memory of Haris as one of the most loved guys that ever played in Partizan. They mention him in every discussion, they are singing his name..
Next home game vs. Armani Milano (December 22th) will be another chance to make standing ovation to the team's legend...

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

SLOVENIA

Galatasaray heads to Top 16 in debut Euroleague season - by Eurobasket News
Galatasaray - Union Olimpija 80-59

Galatasaray booked a spot for Top 16 in their debut Euroleague season. The Turkish squad had no troubles to beat Union Olimpija on Wednesday night 80-59 for 4-5 record in Group D. Slovenians close the standings in this pool with 1-8. Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) led the scorers in victory with 16 points. Luksa Andric (210-C-85, agency: Beo Basket) and Furkan Aldemir (207-F-91, agency: Beo Basket) added 11 points and 5 rebounds each. Lakovic and Aldemir reached valuation 21, but Aldemir did it for only 18 minutes on the court. Visitors got 21 points and 7 boards from Deon Thompson (203-F-88, college: N.Carolina). Robert Rothbart (217-C-86) had 18 points and 7 rebs, while Erjon Kastrati (197-F/G-94) scored 7 pts. Third period was the crucial one in this meeting as Galatasaray made 20-9 for those ten minutes and later increased its lead even more. Quarters: 18-16, 21-19, 20-9, 21-15. Galatasaray goes to Barcelona next week. Olimpija will host another Euroleague newcomer who already advanced to Top 16 - Unics.

Galatasaray: Deon Thompson 21+7 boards, Robert Rothbart 18+7 boards, Erjon Kastrati 7
Union Olimpija: Jaka Lakovic 16, Luksa Andric 11+5 boards, Furkan Aldemir 11+5 boards

Remus' double-double lands him D2 Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
25-year old forward Aljosa Remus (200-F-86) put on an amazing game in the last round for Branik and receives a Eurobasket.com D2 Player of the Week award for round 12.
He had a double-double of 31 points and 13 rebounds, while his team beat Jance Prit (#12, 2-9) 82-75. Branik is placed at 5th position in D2. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Branik will need more victories to improve their 7-4 record. Remus turned to be Branik's top player in his first season with the team. Remus has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (8th best: 17.2ppg).

Second best performed player last round was Nejc Cipot (194-F-87) of Jance Prit. He is a forward in his 9th season at Jance Prit. In the last game Cipot recorded impressive 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Bad luck as Jance Prit lost that game 75-82 to the higher-ranked Branik (#5, 7-4). Jance Prit is still in a red zone at 12th spot in the standings. 9 lost games are too many comparing to just two victories Jance Prit managed to get this year. Cipot is one of the most experienced players at Jance Prit and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to another Branik's star - center Davor Barovic (211-C-90). Barovic scored 14 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). He was another key player of Branik, helping his team with a 82-75 win against the lower-ranked Jance Prit (#12, 2-9). Branik needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 7 victories and 4 lost games. Barovic has a very solid season. In 11 games in Slovenia he scored 6.6ppg. He also has 6.0rpg and FGP: 56.3%. Davor Barovic has also Slovenian passport and can play in the league with a status of domestic player.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Dejan Mlakar (192-G-88) of Jance Prit - 25 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Matic Ribic (186-G-85) of Konjice - 22 points and 6 rebounds
6. Adin Kavgic (193-F/C-87) of Splosna plovba - 17 points and 8 rebounds
7. Jure Erzen (203-C-75) of Sencur CP - 17 points and 15 rebounds
8. Bostjan Sivka (200-F/C-76) of Konjice - 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Tomaz Jereb (192-G-91) of Konjice - 18 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists
10. Milan Klepo (211-C-80) of Postojna - 22 points, 6 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)

Panic out for six weeks - by Zeljko Zule
Zlatorog's captain and key player Vladimir Panic will be sidelined at least six weeks with an ankle injury. He sprained ankle and bruised bone in his right foot. Panic is second Adriatic League scorer and Telemach League top scorer. He averaging 17.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in Adriatic League and 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists in Slovenian Telemach League. Panic suffered the injury during the Teleamch League game against Elektra in November 22.

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

SOUTH KOREA

Best players of KBL round 27 - by Eurobasket News
American Aaron Haynes (201-F-81) had an amazing evening in the last round for LG Sakers and that's him to receive a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 27.
The 30-year old forward had a double-double of 28 points and thirteen rebounds, while his team beat Daegu Orions (#9, 5-20) 81-74. LG Sakers maintains the 8th position in South Korean KBL. LG Sakers is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 10-15 record. Haynes turned to be LG Sakers' top player in his first season with the team. Boise State University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Haynes is in league's top in points (3rd best: 25.3ppg), rebounds (6th best: 11.4rpg), assists (7th best: 3.3apg) and averages solid 1.4bpg and 55.3% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 30-year old American center Terrence Leather (204-C-81) of Mobis Phoebus. Leather impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 34 points and 17 rebounds. Bad luck as Mobis Phoebus lost that game 77-83 to slightly higher-ranked ET Land (#5, 13-12). Mobis Phoebus managed to keep the same 7th spot in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 11-14 record. Leather is a newcomer at Mobis Phoebus 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 26.6ppg (#2). He also registered 13.8 boards per game.

The third best performed player last round was American Herbert Hill (208-F-84) of ET Land (#5). Hill scored 22 points and grabbed ten rebounds. He was a key player of ET Land, leading his team to a 83-77 win against slightly lower-ranked Mobis Phoebus (#7, 11-14). ET Land needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 13 victories and 12 lost games. Hill has a very solid season. In 6 games in South Korea he scored 18.7ppg. He also has 9.8rpg, 2.8bpg and FGP: 55.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. DeShawn Sims (203-F-88) of KCC Egis - 26 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Sek-Eun Oh (200-C-87) of Anyang KGC - 23 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Rodrique Benson (207-F/C-84) of Dongbu Promy - 17 points and 13 rebounds
7. Yong-Jun Oh (193-F-80) of LG Sakers - 19 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Gregory Stevenson (198-F-78) of LG Sakers - 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Tae-Jong Moon (199-F-75) of ET Land - 22 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Jin-Soo Choi (202-F) of Daegu Orions - 21 points, 5 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)

Rhodes, KT hold on to beat SK - by Jeff Liebsch
It wasn't exactly the rematch Jasper Johnson (201-C-83, college: Delta St.) had hoped for.

Johnson, facing his old team, and Seoul SK Knights struggled from the field for three quarters, until Seoul SK Knights almost pulled off a miraculous 20 point comeback in the fourth. However, Charles Rhodes (203-F/C-85, college: Mississippi St.) dominated the paint for a game high 30 points as the KT Sonic Boom held on to beat Seoul SK Knights 78-74 Thursday night in Seoul.

Seoul SK Knights has lost five games in a row since the injury of Alexander Johnson (208-F-83, college: Florida St.), not having won since December 2nd against Goyang 101-100.

After a tight first quarter, KT broke the game open in the second as Charles Rhodes and Cho Dong-Hyun (188-G-76) took over offensively. Rhodes was unstoppable in the paint, leading a 17-5 run over a seven minute stretch, in which Seoul SK Knights went over four minutes without scoring. KT took a 37-26 halftime lead.

Seoul SK Knights fought back to close the lead to 48-38 midway through the third, but KT closed the quarter on a 12-4 run to take a 20 point lead after three.

But Seoul SK Knights came out firing in the fourth, led by Han Jung-Won (198-C-84) who scored 12 points. His three pointer with 3:33 left brought them within three, but Rhodes two monster dunks in the last 18 seconds of the game sealed the victory for KT.

Rhodes also chipped in 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks. Cho Dong-hyun added 13 and 5 assists.

Seoul SK Knights were led by Byun Ki Hoon (187-G/F-89) with 16 points, while Kim Sung-Hyun (190-G/F-80) added 15 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists.

Game Notes: Seoul SK Knights shot 31% in the second quarter, compared to KTs 67%. Johnson and Kim Min-Soo (200-C-82) accounted for 17 of Seoul SK Knights first half points. Seoul SK Knights outscored KT 32-16 in the fourth. KT is now 5-1 on the season when Charles Rhodes scores more than 30 points. They are 9-2 when he gets 15 or more rebounds. Jasper Johnson scored 11 points, adding 5 rebounds and 5 assists.

Standings

KBL Standings

1. Dongbu Promy		21-5
2. Anyang KGC		18-7
3. Sonic Boom KT		17-9
4. KCC Egis		17-9
5. ET Land		13-12
6. Mobis Phoebus		11-14
7. SK Knights		11-15
8. LG Sakers		11-15
9. Daegu Orions		5-20
10. Samsung Th.		4-22

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

SPAIN

Grizzlies confirm Gasol signing - by Eurobasket News
The Memphis Grizzlies have re-signed Spanish centre Marc Gasol (7'0''-C-85, agency: Interperformances), the team said on Wednesday, after he helped them to their most successful season by reaching last seasons conference semi-finals.

Gasol, who had used his Twitter page to say a tentative agreement had been reached on Monday, agreed to a four-year contract for $57.7 million, according to local media reports.

We are very happy to re-sign Marc Gasol, who has been one of the pillars of the Grizzlies franchise since his arrival, team general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement.

We are excited to keep him as part of our core group of players and to build on what this organization has already achieved for many years to come.

Memphis beat the Western Conference top seed San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs last season before pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the conference semi-finals.

The 26-year-old 7-foot-1 (2.16m) Gasol averages 12.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game after three seasons in the NBA, all with the Grizzlies.

Courtesy of www.torontosun.com

Unicaja celebrates in Zagreb, books ticket for Top 16 - by Eurobasket News
KK Zagreb CO - Unicaja 67-82

Unicaja booked a spot for the Euroleague Top 16. The Spanish squad handed 67-82 home loss to Zagreb in crucial game, which was played on Wednesday night. Zagreb dropped to 2-7 in this pool. Unicaja took control on their host in the second and third period, what was enough for them to secure a victory. Unicaja even reached 18-point lead with 3 minutes remaining in the game. Joel Freeland (208-F-87) and Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) stepped up for the guests with 17 and 16 points respectively. Each of them grabbed 8 rebounds in this meeting. Berni Rodriguez (197-F/G-80, agency: Court Side) helped with 11 points. In Zagreb, Krunoslav Simon (197-F-85) shined with 16 points and 7 rebs. Joshua Heytvelt (211-F-86, college: Gonzaga) (5 rebs) and Damir Rancic (199-G-83) scored 12 and 9 pts. Quarters: 22-20, 17-25, 13-20, 15-17. Unicaja waits CSKA in the next round, while Zagreb goes to Kaunas.

Zagreb: Krunoslav Simon 16+7 boards, Joshua Heytvelt 12+5 boards, Damir Rancic 9
Unicaja: Joel Freeland 17+8 boards, Luka Zoric 16+8 boards, Berni Rodriguez 11

UCAM Murcia land Marko Popovic - by Eurobasket News
UCAM Murcia bolstered their backcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Marko Popovic (193-G-84). The guard started the season in Serbia. He played for KK Sloga. Marko Popovic posted 21.1 points, 6.0 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game in A League. Last season Marko Popovic played for Vojvodina Novi Sad. His stats read 12.6 points, 4.9 assists, 3.3 boards and 1.4 steals per appearance. Marko Popovic was the member of Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team in 2009.

Caja Laboral destroys Nancy in Vitoria - by Eurobasket News
Caja Laboral - Nancy 90-55

Caja Laboral made a huge step forward to Top 16 phase. The Vitoria team smashed Nancy 90-55 on Wednesday night for 5-4 record in Group A of the Euroleague regular season. At the other side, the French champion dropped to 3-6 with no chance to reach the next stage. Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) top-scored for the winners with 22 points. Brad Oleson (191-G-83, agency: Duran International, college: Alaska-Fairb.) and Fernando San Emeterio (198-F/G-84) (5 rebs) followed him with 14 and 13 points respectively. In Nancy, Kenny Gregory (197-G/F-78, college: Kansas) was better than the others with 15 points and 5 rebs. Abdel Kader Sylla (205-C-90) scored 10 points and was the last one with double-digits in this loss. Caja Laboral took control on Nancy from the very beginning and never looked back. Quarters: 22-11, 20-10, 29-9, 19-25. In the last round of the regular season, Caja Laboral goes to Bilbao. Nancy will host Olympiakos.

Caja Laboral: Mirza Teletovic 22, Brad Oleson 14, Fernando San Emeterio 13+5 boards
Nancy: Kenny Gregory 15+5 boards, Abdel Kader Sylla 10

Real Madrid cruises past Partizan for 7-2 in Group C - by Eurobasket News
Real Madrid - Partizan 101-83

Real Madrid jumped to 7-2 record in Group C and secured the first place in this pool with one round to go in the Euroleague regular season. Visitors faced with the second straight loss and slipped to 4-5 record. However, Partizan still has a nice chance to reach the Top 16. They need to beat Emporio Armani Milano next weekend in Belgrade, or even to loose with less than 4 points. Jaycee Carroll (188-PG-83, agency: Priority Sports) had 22 points for Real Madrid and Nikola Mirotic (209-F/C-91) added 21 points, 8 rebounds. Mirotic was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 30. Felipe Reyes (203-F/C-80) added 15 points and 7 rebs. In Partizan, Milan Macvan (206-C-89, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) top-scored with 16 points and Vladimir Lucic (202-F-89, agency: Beo Basket) had 13. Rasko Katic (208-C-80, agency: Beo Basket) added 12 points. Real Madrid made plus 15 until the halftime, having no troubles to keep their lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 27-15, 25-22, 24-19, 25-27. Real Madrid will meet Anadolu Efes in Istanbul next week. As mentioned above, Partizan waits Milano.

Real Madrid: Jaycee Carroll 22, Nikola Mirotic 21+8 boards, Felipe Reyes 15+7 boards
Partizan: Milan Macvan 16, Vladimir Lucic 13, Rasko Katic 12

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TAIWAN

SBL import situations, Dec. 15 - by Chris Wang
Defending champion Taiwan Beer has run into problems in recent weeks with finding the import it needed, releasing two players before testing 6-7 forward Dennis Carr (201-F-81, agency: TSS Management, college: Embry Riddle).

TB released DeAngelo Collins and Antoine Broxsie (209-F-79, college: Oklahoma St.). Broxsie went on to be tested by KKL, which released Rashad Jones-Jennings.

Jones-Jennings played last season with Pure Youth and captured the SBL rebounding title.

Current SBL imports are:
Yulon: Kevin Johnson, Humboldt St.
Dacin: Noel Felix, Fresno St.
TB: Dennis Carr, Embry Riddle (NAIA)
KKL: Antoine Broxsie, Oklahoma St.
BOT: John Vaudreuil, Minnesota-Duluth
PY: Terence Dials, Ohio St.
TM: Marcus Fizer, Iowa St.

Antoine Broxsie (KKL)
DOB: 1979/11/7
Age: 32
Height: 209cm
Weight: 116kg
Nationality: USA
College: Oklahoma State

Dennis Carr (TB)
DOB: 1981/1/27
Age: 30
Height: 201cm
Weight: 111kg
Nationality: USA
College: Enbry Riddle

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TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

UTT detains Police! - by Albert-Lee Young
Kern George had game high 26 points as the University of Trinidad & Tobago (UTT) scored a 69-59 victory over Police on Tuesday 13th December in the Mackerson Super 10 Basketball League at the Jean Pierre Complex, Port of Spain.

Forward Jeffery Harris supported with 17pts while Kevon Noreiga chipped in with 13pts for UTT.

Randy Greenidge top scored with 17pts and Phillip Alexander added 10 for Police who held a 21-19 lead at the end of the first quarter.

With the win UTT improved to 2-2 while Police dropped to 0-2.

In other games played Defence Force scored a hard fought 61-51 win against UTT on Friday 9th in their opening game of the season.

Kensely Sandy led the army team with 16pts and centre Kevon Bacquain added 13. For UTT, Kern George had 16pts and Kevon Noreiga 13.

In the 18 & U division, East Mucurapo Secondary School registered a 67-55 win over Pistons. Josiah Best led East Mucurapo with 22pts, Carlton Richardson had 17 and Nicholas Allard added 12pts.

For Pistons, Jamaul Graham led with 15pts while Lorenzo Ferris contributed 11.

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TUNISIA

26th ACCM: Jet-lag Hoopers lose to ESS 57-73 - by Olusegun Ikuesan
After travelling for miles, Nigeria league champion Royal Hoopers basketball club stepped on court against Etoile de Sahel basketball club of Tunisia and were made to pay for late coming with a 57-73 points lose in the final round of the 26th FIBA Africa Champions Club for Men holding in Rabat, Morocco.

The Nigerian side who were walked-over by Malabo Kings basketball club of Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday lost the first, second and last quarters (11-20, 15-20 and 17-19) but manage to even scores by 14 points apiece in the third quarter.

Sahel enterprising forward Macram Ben Romdhane led the floor with 27 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assist, Mohamoud Toumi added 15 points, 2 rebound and 2 assists while ageless Redhouane Slimane contributed 13 points and 5 rebound past the jet-lag Nigerian side.

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TURKEY

Edge of Top 16 : Turkish Teams - by Ugur Turker
When 9th matches in groupday completed in Turkish Airlines Euroleague, Turkish Teams ; Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul, Anadolu Efes Istanbul, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul showed difference performances in group stage of Turkish Airlines Euroleague ;
Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul claimed to be in Top 16 in its debut season in Euroleague defeating Union Olimpija Ljubljana in Istanbul. Coach Oktay Mahmudi (agency: Beo Basket ) (agency: Beo Basket ) helped his team to reach Top 16 after participating EuroCup last year. In Top 16, even if Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul is not giong to aim to qualify for last eigth, gaining experience is much more important for next years. Besides, to win one or more important match in Top 16 is going to bring Galatasaray Medical Park Istanbul to participate Euroleague without playing in Qualifying Stage.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul had started this year to be in Final Four which will be played in Sinan Erdem Spor Salonu,Istanbul but ,up to now, Anadolu Efes Istanbul did not meet the expectations on it. It lost its against direct opponents ; Maccabi Electra Tel-Aviv and Real Madrid to finish group stage in Top 2. Playing underperformed hurted Anadolu Efes Istanbul and its fans more negatively than losing games. To reach Final Eight is directly related with its opponents in Top 16.
Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul is still most probable Turkish Team which able to play in Final Four. Its consistent, either squad or staff, is key element to maintain its hope to be in Final Four. Some bad performances such as against Caja Laboral Vitoria and Gescrap Bizkaia Bilbao Basket created pessimisitic atmhosphere among fans. Nevertheless, after returning Marko Tomas (201-G-85) and Mirsad Turkcan (206-F-76) to squad, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul is expected to find its potential performances.

Galatasaray heads to Top 16 in debut Euroleague season - by Eurobasket News
Galatasaray - Union Olimpija 80-59

Galatasaray booked a spot for Top 16 in their debut Euroleague season. The Turkish squad had no troubles to beat Union Olimpija on Wednesday night 80-59 for 4-5 record in Group D. Slovenians close the standings in this pool with 1-8. Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) led the scorers in victory with 16 points. Luksa Andric (210-C-85, agency: Beo Basket) and Furkan Aldemir (207-F-91, agency: Beo Basket) added 11 points and 5 rebounds each. Lakovic and Aldemir reached valuation 21, but Aldemir did it for only 18 minutes on the court. Visitors got 21 points and 7 boards from Deon Thompson (203-F-88, college: N.Carolina). Robert Rothbart (217-C-86) had 18 points and 7 rebs, while Erjon Kastrati (197-F/G-94) scored 7 pts. Third period was the crucial one in this meeting as Galatasaray made 20-9 for those ten minutes and later increased its lead even more. Quarters: 18-16, 21-19, 20-9, 21-15. Galatasaray goes to Barcelona next week. Olimpija will host another Euroleague newcomer who already advanced to Top 16 - Unics.

Galatasaray: Deon Thompson 21+7 boards, Robert Rothbart 18+7 boards, Erjon Kastrati 7
Union Olimpija: Jaka Lakovic 16, Luksa Andric 11+5 boards, Furkan Aldemir 11+5 boards

Matthew Pilgrim gets MVP of the Week award for TB2L - by Eurobasket News
American Matthew Pilgrim (203-F-87, agency: KMG Sports Management) had an amazing evening in the last round for Pamukkale and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com TB2L Player of the Week award for round 14.
The 24-year old forward had a double-double of 23 points and ten rebounds, while his team crushed TED Istanbul (#20, 2-11) with 19-point margin 84-65. The game was not the highest importance and did not have significant influence on the top of the standings. Pamukkale maintains the 9th position in Turkish TB2L. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Pamukkale will need more victories to improve their 8-5 record. Pilgrim turned to be Pamukkale's top player in his first season with the team. Oklahoma State University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Pilgrim. Pilgrim is in league's top in points (4th best: 20.1ppg) and averages solid 1.4bpg,2.8spg and 60.3% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 30-year old former international center Umit Turkoglu (211-C-81, agency: 1x1 Sports) of Maliye Milli. Turkoglu impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 17 points and 12 rebounds. Of course Maliye Milli cruised to a 100-89 relatively comfortable win over the lower-ranked Tire Gucu (#14, 4-9). Despite this victory Maliye Milli slide down in the standings to 6th position. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 9-4 record is not bad and everything may still change. Turkoglu is a newcomer at Maliye Milli and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was American Justin Carter (193-F-87, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management) of Tire Gucu (#14). Carter showcased his all-around game by recording 26 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the last round. Despite Carter's great performance Tire Gucu lost 89-100 to the higher-ranked Maliye Milli (#6, 9-4). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Tire Gucu not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 9 games, recording just four victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Carter could try to bring Tire Gucu's a little bit higher in the standings. Carter has a very solid season. In 2 games in Turkey he scored 29.0ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Serhan Kavut (189-G-81) of Maliye Milli - 12 points, 2 rebounds and 12 assists
5. Charles Jackson (203-F-87) of Balikesir - 21 points and 9 rebounds
6. Arthur Johnson (206-F/C-81) of Maliye Milli - 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Onur Sonsirma (190-G-85) of Istanbulspor - 23 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Marquise Gray (206-F/C-86) of Baskent Genclik - 20 points and 4 rebounds
9. Melih Sevda (200-F-78) of Baskent Genclik - 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists
10. Nezih Ozbakir (206-F/C-80) of Optimum TED - 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)

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UNITED KINGDOM

Realistic Garbelotto Sets His Sights - by Jeff King
Mersey Tigers Head Coach Tony Garbelotto was in philosophical mood after his sides latest loss in the BBL, 94 80 at the hands of table topping Newcastle Eagles.

'We fought hard but there's fighting hard and there's fighting smart. There's a difference in the level of the teams. Newcastle are back to playing at their brutal best. So physical, its impressive to watch. They play defence as a team.'

'We gave ourselves a lot of good shots tonight and we had some chances . Andy Thomson didn't play, Paul Gause went down injured and with Darius Defoe in foul trouble we gave ourselves a shot at it but couldn't quite get over the hump.'

Garbelotto has a much changed line-up from last years treble winning side and definitely a side that is a lot more inexperienced and inconsistent. However, he does see cause for optimism.

We're definitely improving but it would help if we had two impact Americans who would help the younger guys and put us in a position to compete with everyone in this league.
The problem we have at this moment is that we dont score enough easy baskets and even our best shooters are just not shooting the ball well enough. Unbelievably our problem is more offensively. The stuff we don't score then compounds the stuff the other teams do score.'

'Unless we address that and our size issue, even though we out rebounded Newcastle, then we're going to struggle. But the bottom line is that we are improving and the team was not recruited properly and was just thrown together so maybe we'll have to make some changes and see how it goes.'

An honest man Garbelotto realizes after a tough summer he was going to be in a situation that was not of his own making and would be tough.

'I honestly believed that after putting together a program for three years and doing what we did last year, I'd come back with a Championship winning team to defend a Championship and have teams like Newcastle, Plymouth and Glasgow having to chase us.'

'Not being able to do that is a personal disappointment. I'm probably not handling the situation very, very well because obviously it was a shock in the summer to find out the financial situation of the Club and then having to find out that we'd have to recruit the team in the way that we did.'

'I'm not working any less harder than what I did but its very hard and I feel that if someone else was coaching this team they might get even more out of them because for 3 years I put together a team that was right there winning or having a chance to win every game.'

'At this moment we don't have a chance to win every single game we play unless we play at the optimum level. So, its a struggle, a psychological struggle. I'm enjoying coaching the younger players but at the same time I believe I did what I did and did it right and don't really deserve to be in the position I am at the moment.'

Garbeletto still feels his side can make an impression on the BBL this season and particularly if they could raise the level of their talent.

'If we kept this team that we have right now it'll be tough to make the play-offs and we'd be looking at the last couple of spots and hoping to make it. Our talent level is considerably lower than say for arguments sake Milton Keynes who could go anywhere from 4th to 8th and a team like Worcester who I really felt we had a good shot at last week.'

'They're a good team but they're not in the same class as Newcastle. We will have an outside shot because we will get better if we kept the same group as we do right now.'

'If in whatever way we were able to recruit two impact players whether it was a big or whether we could get two Americans in, people who could score the ball then there's a chance we would elevate our level straight away and hit that mid-level.'

'But its so hard to say. At this moment I just feel we can compete with the majority of the teams in this league but in other respects we are so far away. We just don't have enough to stop other teams scorers and we don't have someone that can drop thirty for us. '

Time will indeed tell if the charismatic, committed cockney can turn Merseys fortunes round this season but with the level of success he's had previously and his tenacious and high-level of coaching ability, few would bet against him.

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VTB UNITED LEAGUE

Standings

VTB United League Standings

Group A
1. Unics			7-1
2. Khimky			6-0
3. BC Astana			4-4
4. Krasnie Krilya			3-3
5. VEF Riga			3-3
6. N.Novgorod			2-4
7. Budivelnyk			2-5
8. Zalgiris			2-5
9. Kalev/Cramo			1-5
Group B
1. Spartak SP			7-0
2. CSKA			6-1
3. Lietuvos rytas			4-3
4. Azovmash			3-3
5. Lokomotiv			3-4
6. Asseco Prokom			3-4
7. Enisey			2-4
8. CEZ Nymburk			2-5
9. Minsk-2006			0-6

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Women News

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE - Women

Gambiraza leaves Krajisnik, Abramovic out for two months - by Zeljko Zule
Mladi Krajisnik parted ways with Martina Gambiraza (176-G-82). She joined to Bosnian club this summer and averaged 8.6 points (2P 36%, 3P 54%, FT 71%), 2.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals in 9 Adriatic League games this season.
Celje's Rebeka Abramovic (170-PG-93) had been sidelined at least two months with a stress fracture of the shin-bone.
Buducnost fortified its roster with an eye on the future with the signing of prospect Bozica Mujovic (178-G-96). She averaged 4.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 7 2010 U-18 European Championship, Division B. Mujovic arrives from Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje.

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Sasa CADJO
  Hemofarm
  (178-G-89)
  Avg: 19.1

1. Cadjo, Hemofarm	19.1
2. Oblak, Athlete Cel.	18.7
3. Dabovic, Partizan	18.6
4. Deura, Mladi K.	17.4
5. Gagic, Sloboda	16.9
6. Trebec, Athlete	16.2
7. Butulija, Partizan	15.9
8. Bogoje, Mladi K.	15.1
9. Jovanovic, Radivo.	14.9
10. Stjepanovic, Radi.	14.6

Rebounds Per Game

Dragana STANKOVIC
  Sloboda
  (188-F-95)
  Avg: 9.8

1. Stankovic, Sloboda	9.8
2. Gajic, Athlete Cel.	9.2
3. Popovic, Buducnost	8.8
4. Radovic, Vojvodina	8.4
5. Tolikova, Celik	8.0
6. Stjepanovic, Radiv.	7.7
7. Mandic, Hemofarm	7.2
8. Ajdukovic, Hemof.	7.1
9. Erak, Vojvodina	6.9
10. Bogoje, Mladi K.	6.7

Assists Per Game

Zvjezdana GAGIC
  Sloboda
  (169-G-81)
  Avg: 5

1. Gagic, Sloboda	5.0
2. Stankovic, Hemof.	4.6
3. Oblak, Athlete Cel.	4.1
4. Krnjetin, Hemofarm	3.4
5. Deura, Mladi K.	3.3
6. Butulija, Partizan	3.2
7. Dabovic, Partizan	3.0
8. Zakula, Mladi K.	3.0
9. Popovic, Vojvodina	2.7
10. Abramovic, Athlet.	2.7

Steals Per Game

Milica DABOVIC
  Partizan
  (175-PG-82)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Dabovic, Partizan	3.6
2. Bigovic, Buducnost	3.1
3. Gagic, Sloboda	3.0
4. Vrancic, Vozdovac	2.7
5. Oblak, Athlete Cel.	2.7
6. Ivanovic, Vozdovac	2.3
7. Radocaj, Partizan	2.3
8. Cadjo, Hemofarm	2.1
9. Mandic, Hemofarm	2.0
10. Stankovic, Hemof.	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Natasa POPOVIC
  Buducnost
  (194-C-82)
  Avg: 3.4

1. Popovic, Buducnost	3.4
2. Stankovic, Sloboda	2.3
3. Tolikova, Celik	1.5
4. Ajdukovic, Hemof.	1.4
5. Bogoje, Mladi K.	1.2
6. Mandic, Hemofarm	0.8
7. Radovic, Vojvodina	0.8
8. Stjepanovic, Radiv.	0.7
9. Karakasevic, Vozdo.	0.5
10. Antic, Partizan	0.5

Standings

Adriatic League Standings

1. Partizan			10-0
2. Celik			7-3
3. Radivoj Korac			7-3
4. Hemofarm			7-4
5. Athlete Celje			6-4
6. Vozdovac			6-4
7. Buducnost			5-5
8. Mladi Krajisnik			2-8
9. Vojvodina			1-9
10. Sloboda			0-11

Dabovic scores 37 points to lead Partizan over Celik - by Zeljko Zule
Thanks to an incredible shooting performance by Milica Dabovic (175-PG-82) and a strong final quarter (31-13), Partizan defeated Celik 87-71. Dabovic knocking down all of her four 3-point attemps and finished with 37 points on shooting 11-of-15 from the field and handed out 5 assists. Tamara Radocaj added 14 points and Natasa Ivancevic had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Partizan, who played without injured Dajana Butulija, trailed 33-42 early in the second half. They made a 23-13 run to go ahead 56-55. Dabovic scored five straight points to give Partizan a 63-58 edge, and they never looked back from there. Martina Ristic led Celik with 19 points, Monika Veselovski and Tamara Bajic both added 12 points and Anna Tolikova had 10 points and 9 rebounds. Celik ended five game winning streak and suffered its first home loss.
Hemofarm defeated winless Sloboda 67-60. Marina Mandic had 22 points and 13 rebounds, Sas Cadjo collected 16 points and 9 rebounds, Tijana Ajdukovic scored 14 points and Biljana Stankovic added 10 points. Sloboda was led by Natasa Kajtaz with 20 points. Ljiljana Gajic posted 11 points and Kristina Surlan netted 10 points. Sloboda's leading scorer Zvjezdana Gagic, who averaging 18,6 points, missed all five shoots, bot she grabbed 9 rebounds and handed out 8 assists.

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BALTIC LEAGUE - Women

Round 7: Kibirkstis-Tiche defeats leader Olimpia GrGAU - by Eurobasket News
The fans could enjoy quite many interesting games in the last round. The round ended with defeat of the leader and derby games.

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Belarusian Olimpia GrGAU (4-1) in Vilnius on Tuesday night. Visitors were defeated by fourth ranked Lithuanian Kibirkstis-Tiche (3-2) 85-70. The game was mostly controlled by Kibirkstis-Tiche. Olimpia GrGAU managed to win third quarter 19-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Worth to mention a great performance of Australian forward Brigid Bowley (184-85) who helped to win the game recording 21 points and 9 rebounds. Center Kristina Vengryte (190-81) contributed with 17 points for the winners. point guard Katsiaryna Kashlei (171-90) answered with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists for Olimpia GrGAU. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kibirkstis-Tiche have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Sirenos. Olimpia GrGAU at the other side still keeps top position with one game lost. They share it with TTT Riga. Kibirkstis-Tiche is looking forward to face TTT Juniores (#6) in Riga in the next round. Olimpia GrGAU's supporters also look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Grodno to the arena Victoria-UOR.
Another interesting game for Belarusian Olimpia GrGAU (4-1) which played in Kaunas against Lithuanian Sirenos (3-2). Second ranked Olimpia GrGAU crushed hosts 71-50. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Sirenos. It was a key game for the top position in the league. It was a great evening for Russian-Ukrainian center Lyubov Alyoshkina (203-81) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. Ala Murauskaya helped adding 10 points and 5 rebounds. At the losing side guard Rasa Zemantauskaite (177-81) responded with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Olimpia GrGAU keeps a position of league leader, which they share with TTT Riga. Newly promoted Sirenos keep the third place with two games lost. They share the position with Kibirkstis-Tiche. Olimpia GrGAU's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Grodno to the arena Victoria-UOR.
One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Estonia. Third ranked KK Tallina U. won against host Eclex Tallinn (2-4) 72-60. It was an exceptional evening for Ashley Wallace who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 13 rebounds. Triin Teppo came up with 16 points and 6 rebounds for Eclex Tallinn in the defeat. KK Tallina U. maintains third place with 4-2 record having just -1 point less than leader Gorizont. Defending Estonian champion Eclex Tallinn keeps the fourth position with four games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Belarus. The game took place in Borisovo where second ranked Minsk-2006 outleveled host Berezina-RCOR (0-6) 60-34. Nadzeya Yakovits fired 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Minsk-2006 maintains second place with 5-1 record having just -1 victories less than leader Gorizont. Berezina-RCOR at the other side still closes the standings with six games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Ukraine. The game took place in Frankivsk where leader Tim-Scuf outleveled host Halichina (1-5) 111-61. It was a very good performance for Olga Maznichenko who helped to win the game recording 39 points (!!!), 9 rebounds and 7 assists (made all of her seven free throws). Halichina's coach gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Undefeated Tim-Scuf (6-0) have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Defending Ukrainian champion maintains first place with a perfect record of 6 victories in a row. Loser Halichina keeps the fifth position with five games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

In the last two games of round 7 Victoria was smashed by Kibirkstis-Tiche on the road 92-52. Sirenos destroyed Victoria on its own court 81-57.

Eclex Tallinn - KK Tallina U. 60-72

One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Estonia. Third ranked KK Tallina U. won against host Eclex Tallinn (2-4) 72-60. The game was mostly controlled by KK Tallina U.. Eclex Tallinn managed to win fourth quarter 20-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. KK Tallina U. made 20-of-22 free shots (90.9 percent) during the game. It was an exceptional evening for American center Ashley Wallace (183-85, college: Pace) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 13 rebounds. point guard Pirgit Puu (170-88) accounted for 20 points and 5 rebounds (made all of her eight free throws) for the winning side. Four KK Tallina U. players scored in double figures. Power forward Triin Teppo (186-90) came up with 16 points and 6 rebounds and guard Heila Rosenfeldt (173-83) added 11 points respectively for Eclex Tallinn in the defeat. KK Tallina U. maintains third place with 4-2 record having just -1 point less than leader Gorizont. Defending Estonian champion Eclex Tallinn keeps the fourth position with four games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
KK Tallina U.: A.Wallace 23+13reb+1ast, P.Puu 20+5reb+3ast, M.Nikolai 10+6reb+1ast, O.Miil 10+4reb+5ast, T.Kasemagi 5+7reb, G.Kirpson 2
Eclex Tallinn: T.Teppo 16+6reb, H.Rosenfeldt 11+2reb+3ast, M.Metsalu 8+2reb, K.Jallai 7+5reb, K.Haas 6+3reb+1ast, A.Koster 6+8reb

Berezina - Minsk-2006 34-60

One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Belarus. The game took place in Borisovo where second ranked Minsk-2006 outleveled host Berezina-RCOR (0-6) 60-34. The game was mostly controlled by Minsk-2006. Berezina-RCOR was better in third quarter 8-7. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Berezina-RCOR to just 6 points in second and fourth quarters and to 14 points in second half. Minsk-2006 held Berezina-RCOR to an opponent 24.6 percent shooting from the field compared to 32.0 percent accuracy of the winners. Minsk-2006 forced 26 Berezina-RCOR turnovers. Forward Nadzeya Yakovits (182-90) fired 10 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners. Power forward Volha Istseliatsova (189-88) chipped in 8 points and 10 rebounds. Forward Aksana Dauharukava (186-73) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds and guard Irina Chubkavets (182-91) added 9 points and 8 rebounds respectively for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Minsk-2006 maintains second place with 5-1 record having just -1 victories less than leader Gorizont. Berezina-RCOR at the other side still closes the standings with six games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Minsk-2006: N.Yakovits 10+7reb+5ast, T.Rebianchuk 9+5reb+1ast, Z.Horodetskaya 9+2reb+1ast, V.Istseliatsova 8+10reb+1ast, A.Lalovich 6+1reb+2ast, G.Ignatovich 6+7reb
Berezina: A.Dauharukava 10+10reb, I.Chubkavets 9+8reb, K.Turomsha 5+8reb, Y.Haponava 5+3reb+1ast, K.Kalvinkoskaya 2+3reb+2ast, K.Pratasevich 2+1reb

Kibirkstis-Tiche - Victoria 92-52

The game between closely ranked teams ended with fourth ranked Lithuanian Kibirkstis-Tiche's (3-2) home victory over 5th ranked Belarusian Victoria-UOR (1-4) in Vilnius 92-52 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Kibirkstis-Tiche led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Victoria-UOR to just 7 points in first quarter. Kibirkstis-Tiche made 27-of-33 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game, while Victoria-UOR only scored seven points from the stripe. Kibirkstis-Tiche forced 24 Victoria-UOR turnovers and outrebounded them 51-36 including a 23-11 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a very good performance for center Ieva Preskienyte (193-93) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 12 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Latvian guard Santa Dreimane (176-85) contributed with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Four Kibirkstis-Tiche players scored in double figures. Kibirkstis-Tiche's coach Tadas Stankevicius felt very confident using 11 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Forward Viyaleta Kiuliak (181-96) answered with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds and Marya Khmara added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in the effort for Victoria-UOR. Kibirkstis-Tiche have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Sirenos. Loser Victoria-UOR keeps the fifth position with four games lost. Kibirkstis-Tiche will face TTT Juniores (#6) in Riga in the next round. Victoria-UOR's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Grodno Olimpia GrGAU.
Top scorers:
Kibirkstis-Tiche: S.Dreimane 14+6reb+4ast, S.Povilionyte 13+7reb+1ast, S.Galdikaite 12+5reb+1ast, I.Preskienyte 12+11reb+3ast, D.Belickaite 9+3reb, E.Sniokaite 9+6reb+8ast
Victoria: K.Voishal 12+4reb+1ast, V.Kiuliak 10+10reb, M.Khmara 9+5reb+6ast, H.Tsarevich 8+4reb, A.Martynava 7+3reb, N.Haryna 5+8reb+2ast

Halichina - Tim-Scuf 61-111

One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Ukraine. The game took place in Frankivsk where leader Tim-Scuf outleveled host Halichina (1-5) 111-61. The game was mostly controlled by Tim-Scuf. Halichina was better in third quarter 20-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Halichina 53-36 including 17 on the offensive glass. Tim-Scuf looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Halichina's players. It was a very good performance for forward Olga Maznichenko (187-91, agency: LBM Management) who helped to win the game recording 39 points (!!!), 9 rebounds and 7 assists (made all of her seven free throws). Forward Krystyna Matsko (182-91) contributed with a double-double by scoring 25 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Four Tim-Scuf players scored in double figures. Forward Viktoriya Pazyuk (186-85) answered with 9 points and 9 rebounds and guard Katerina Polyanychka (178-90) added 14 points in the effort for Halichina. Halichina's coach gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Tim-Scuf (6-0) have an impressive series of six victories in a row. Defending Ukrainian champion maintains first place with a perfect record of 6 victories in a row. Loser Halichina keeps the fifth position with five games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Tim-Scuf: O.Maznichenko 39+9reb+7ast, K.Matsko 25+13reb+4ast, N.Gavryliuk 24+11reb+7ast, I.Faskhudinova 10+6reb+5ast, M.Uro-Nile 5+5reb, O.Khotentseva 4+5reb
Halichina: K.Polyanychka 14+4reb+2ast, A.Ievtushenko 11+5reb+2ast, M.Komarnyak 10+9reb+1ast, V.Pazyuk 9+9reb+2ast, I.Basalyk 7+3reb+1ast, O.Sivakova 4+1reb

Sirenos - Victoria 81-57

Rather expected game when 5th ranked Belarusian Victoria-UOR (1-4) was smashed by third ranked Lithuanian Sirenos (3-2) in Kaunas 81-57 on Tuesday. The game was mostly controlled by Sirenos. Victoria-UOR was better in fourth quarter 16-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Sirenos forced 29 Victoria-UOR turnovers and outrebounded them 56-31 including a 28-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. Victoria-UOR was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. Quite impressive performance for center Kristina Alminaite (204-90) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Erika Liutkute (173-90) contributed with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Four Sirenos players scored in double figures. Marya Khmara answered with 20 points and 9 rebounds and forward Ksenija Voishal (179-94) added 17 points in the effort for Victoria-UOR. Newly promoted Sirenos maintains third place with 3-2 record behind leader Gorizont, which they share with Kibirkstis-Tiche. Loser Victoria-UOR keeps the fifth position with four games lost. Sirenos will face league's second-placed TTT Riga at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Victoria-UOR's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Grodno Olimpia GrGAU.
Top scorers:
Sirenos: K.Alminaite 19+12reb, E.Liutkute 16+10reb+2ast, E.Taraseviciute 15+8reb+3ast, R.Zemantauskaite 12+4reb+2ast, I.Stankeviciute 9+4reb+3ast, L.Rakutyte 6+8reb+2ast
Victoria: M.Khmara 20+9reb, K.Voishal 17+3reb+3ast, V.Kiuliak 5+7reb+2ast, A.Holubeva 5+3reb+2ast, A.Martynava 4+2reb, V.Myshapud 3+1reb

Kibirkstis-Tiche - Olimpia 85-70

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Belarusian Olimpia GrGAU (4-1) in Vilnius on Tuesday night. Visitors were defeated by fourth ranked Lithuanian Kibirkstis-Tiche (3-2) 85-70. The game was mostly controlled by Kibirkstis-Tiche. Olimpia GrGAU managed to win third quarter 19-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Worth to mention a great performance of Australian forward Brigid Bowley (184-85) who helped to win the game recording 21 points and 9 rebounds. Center Kristina Vengryte (190-81) contributed with 17 points for the winners. Four Kibirkstis-Tiche players scored in double figures. point guard Katsiaryna Kashlei (171-90) answered with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists and Russian-Ukrainian center Lyubov Alyoshkina (203-81) added 14 points and 17 rebounds in the effort for Olimpia GrGAU. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Kibirkstis-Tiche have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Sirenos. Olimpia GrGAU at the other side still keeps top position with one game lost. They share it with TTT Riga. Kibirkstis-Tiche is looking forward to face TTT Juniores (#6) in Riga in the next round. Olimpia GrGAU's supporters also look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Grodno to the arena Victoria-UOR.
Top scorers:
Kibirkstis-Tiche: B.Bowley 21+9reb+3ast, K.Vengryte 17+4reb+1ast, S.Galdikaite 11+8reb+1ast, S.Dreimane 10+4reb+2ast, S.Povilionyte 9+5reb, I.Preskienyte 6+4reb
Olimpia: K.Kashlei 17+5reb+9ast, L.Alyoshkina 14+17reb, V.Shmatova 13+1reb, M.Filonchyk 7+3reb+1ast, A.Zubrytskaya 7+4reb+3ast, A.Murauskaya 5+8reb+1ast

Sirenos - Olimpia 50-71

Another interesting game for Belarusian Olimpia GrGAU (4-1) which played in Kaunas against Lithuanian Sirenos (3-2). Second ranked Olimpia GrGAU crushed hosts 71-50. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Sirenos. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Olimpia GrGAU. Sirenos was better in second period 17-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Olimpia GrGAU brought some defensive toughness making 8 blocks. It was a great evening for Russian-Ukrainian center Lyubov Alyoshkina (203-81) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. Forward Ala Murauskaya (187-85) helped adding 10 points and 5 rebounds. Four Olimpia GrGAU players scored in double figures. At the losing side guard Rasa Zemantauskaite (177-81) responded with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and forward Egle Taraseviciute (182-90) scored 10 points and 8 rebounds. Olimpia GrGAU keeps a position of league leader, which they share with TTT Riga. Newly promoted Sirenos keep the third place with two games lost. They share the position with Kibirkstis-Tiche. Olimpia GrGAU's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Grodno to the arena Victoria-UOR.
Top scorers:
Olimpia: L.Alyoshkina 15+14reb+4ast, M.Filonchyk 15+2reb+1ast, A.Zubrytskaya 10+4reb+2ast, A.Murauskaya 10+5reb+3ast, V.Shmatova 7+3reb+2ast, M.Papova 6+4reb
Sirenos: R.Zemantauskaite 17+10reb+6ast, K.Alminaite 10+8reb+1ast, E.Taraseviciute 10+8reb+2ast, I.Stankeviciute 5+1reb+1ast, E.Liutkute 4+9reb+2ast, I.Dudenaite 2+1reb+1ast

Standings

Baltic League Standings

Regular Season
Group A
1. Olimpia			4-1
2. TTT Riga			4-1
3. Sirenos			3-2
4. Kibirkstis-Tiche			3-2
5. Victoria			1-4
6. TTT Juniores			0-5
Group B
1. Tim-Scuf			6-0
2. Minsk-2006			5-1
3. KK Tallina U.			4-2
4. Eclex Tallinn			2-4
5. Halichina			1-5
6. Berezina			0-6
Semifinals
Group C
1. Lemminkainen			0-0
2. VICI-Aistes			0-0
Group D
1. Gorizont			0-0
2. Spartak SP			0-0

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Olga MAZNICHENKO
  Tim-S.
  (187-F-91)
  Avg: 26

1. Maznichenko, Tim-S.	26.0
2. Basko, TTT Riga	21.0
3. Nikolai, KK Talli.	18.5
4. Gavryliuk, Tim-Scuf	17.7
5. Ievtushenko, Halic.	17.4
6. Krastina, TTT Riga	16.4
7. Zemantauskai., Sir.	15.6
8. Matsko, Tim-Scuf	15.2
9. Khmara, Victoria	14.5
10. Puu, KK Tallina U.	14.3

Rebounds Per Game

Lyubov ALYOSHKINA
  Olimpia
  (203-C-81)
  Avg: 12

1. Alyoshkina, Olimpia	12.0
2. Wallace, KK Talli.	11.5
3. Maznichenko, Tim-S.	9.5
4. Liutkute, Sirenos	9.3
5. Taraseviciut., Sir.	9.2
6. Alminaite, Sirenos	9.0
7. Epnere, TTT J.	8.5
8. Niedola, TTT Riga	8.3
9. Ignatovich, Minsk.	8.3
10. Dauharukava, Bere.	7.7

Assists Per Game

Sahellie DANIELS
  Kibirk.
  (170-G-84)
  Avg: 6.8

1. Daniels, Kibirk.	6.8
2. Kashlei, Olimpia	4.8
3. Krastina, TTT Riga	4.2
4. Gavryliuk, Tim-Scuf	3.8
5. Zemantauskai., Sir.	3.6
6. Faskhudinova, Tim-.	3.3
7. Sniokaite, Kibirk.	3.3
8. Yakovits, Minsk.	3.2
9. Khmara, Victoria	3.0
10. Puu, KK Tallina U.	2.8

Steals Per Game

Ieva KRASTINA
  TTT Riga
  (175-G/F-90)
  Avg: 4

1. Krastina, TTT Riga	4.0
2. Belickaite, Kibirk.	4.0
3. Khmara, Victoria	3.0
4. Nialepka, Victoria	3.0
5. Nikolai, KK Talli.	3.0
6. Puu, KK Tallina U.	2.8
7. Murauskaya, Olimpia	2.6
8. Basalyk, Halichina	2.5
9. Basko, TTT Riga	2.3
10. Bridina, TTT Riga	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Kristina ALMINAITE
  Sirenos
  (204-C-90)
  Avg: 3

1. Alminaite, Sirenos	3.0
2. Alyoshkina, Olimpia	2.0
3. Kiuliak, Victoria	1.8
4. Preskienyte, Kibir.	1.4
5. Duboiyskaja, Berez.	1.3
6. Komarnyak, Halichi.	1.2
7. Jallai, Eclex Tall.	1.2
8. Kalenta, Berezina	1.0
9. Ievtushenko, Halic.	1.0
10. Pantsiukh, Minsk.	1.0

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BELARUS - Women

Belarus and Lithuanian teams exchanged victories - by Eurobasket News
Belarus and Lithuanian teams exchanged victories in Baltic league.
Kibirkstis-Tiche overcame Victoria 92:52 on Wednesday. It was a very good performance for Ieva Preskienyte (193-C-93) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 12 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Santa Dreimane (176-G-85) contributed with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Viyaleta Kiuliak (181-F-96) answered with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Sirenos outscored Victoria 81:57. Quite impressive performance for Kristina Alminaite who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds. Erika Liutkute (173-G-90) contributed with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Marya Khmara answered with 20 points and 9 rebounds and forward Ksenija Voishal added 17 points in the effort for Victoria-UOR.
The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Belarusian Olimpia GrGAU Visitors were defeated by Lithuanian Kibirkstis-Tiche 85:70. Brigid Bowley helped to win the game recording 21 points and 9 rebounds. Kristina Vengryte contributed with 17 points for the winners. Katsiaryna Kashlei (171-PG-90) answered with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists and Lyubov Alyoshkina (203-C-81) added 14 points and 17 rebounds in the effort for Olimpia GrGAU.
Sirenos was beaten by Olimpia 50:71. Lyubov Alyoshkina led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks. Ala Murauskaya helped adding 10 points and 5 rebounds.

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BOSNIA - Women

D1: Round 8 review - by Eurobasket News
Round Eight of the Bosnian top division for women was played last weekend. The top ranked Zeljeznicar registered another win keeping the first place in the standings with perfect 7-0 record. The Sarajevo team celebrated 75-70 victory against Jedinstvo. Biljana Savic (191-C-83) paced the home squad with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Emina Demirovic (186-C-85) also was great registering double-double of 10 points and 18 boards. In the loosing squad, Zdenka Kovacevic (170-PG-87) collected 21 pts, 6 rebs and 5 assists. Jedinstvo dropped to third place with 4-3 record. In the other games, Igokea faced with huge home loss against Borac 32-82. Rudar was better than Mladost at home 71-53. Round 9 is scheduled for the next weekend.

D1 Standings
1. Zeljeznicar 7-0
2. Rudar Sport 5-2
3. Jedinstvo 4-3
4. Borac ML-IEFK 4-3
5. RMU Banovici 2-4
6. Mladost 2-5
7. Igokea 0-7

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BRAZIL - Women

Standings - CNBF

LBF Standings

1. Acucar		2-0
2. Americana		1-0
3. Sao Jose		1-0
4. Ourinhos		1-1
5. Santo Andre		1-1
6. Vasto Verde		1-1
7. Maranho		0-0
8. Aracatuba		0-2
9. Sao Caetano		0-2

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CHINA - Women

Miao's double-double lands her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
30-year old guard LiJie Miao (180-G-81) put on an amazing game in the last round for league's best team Shenyang and receives a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 12.
She had a double-double of 46 points and 12 rebounds, while her team edged out Heilongjiang (#8, 6-6) in overtime 95-92. It allowed Shenyang to consolidate first place in the WCBA. Shenyang have a solid 10-2 record. In the team's last game Miao had a remarkable 56.0% from 2-point range. She has many years of experience at Shenyang, through which he has constantly improved. Miao has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in points (4th best: 25.2ppg), assists (3rd best: 4.8apg) and averages solid 58.7% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was YanYan Ji (182-G/F-85) of Heilongjiang. She is former international swingman in her 2nd season at Heilongjiang. In the last game Ji recorded impressive double-double of 45 points and 11 assists. Bad luck as Heilongjiang was edged in overtime by the higher-ranked Shenyang (#1, 10-2) 95-92. This loss caused Heilongjiang to drop to 8th position in the standings. Her team lost some distance to top teams. But 6-6 record is not bad and everything may still change. Ji is well-known at Heilongjiang and she already established her position as one of the team's leaders. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 25.2ppg (#2). Her other stats are also decent: 4.4rpg and 4.5apg.

Third place about best performers goes to center Ruth Riley (196-C-79) of Liaoning (#6). Riley scored 17 points and grabbed nineteen rebounds (!!!). She was a key player of Liaoning, leading her team to a 67-44 easy win against the lower-ranked Henan (#12, 1-11). Liaoning needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 7 victories and 5 lost games. Riley has a very solid season. In 12 games in China she scored 15.0ppg. She also has 12.6rpg, 2.3bpg and FGP: 55.3%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Swin Cash (187-F-79) of Guangdong - 25 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists
5. Camille Little (188-F/G-85) of Shanghai - 27 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists
6. Lindsay Taylor (203-C-81) of Yunnan - 26 points, 13 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Rashidat Junaid (193-C-87) of Heilongjiang - 23 points and 19 rebounds
8. Chante Black (196-C-85) of Shandong - 16 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Katie Mattera (202-C-82) of Zhejiang - 23 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Nan Chen (197-C-83) of Bayi - 19 points, 9 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)

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CYPRUS - Women

Round Eight of A1 league - by Eurobasket News
Round Eight of the top Cypriot league for women was played last weekend. AEL Limassol, who leads the standings with 6-0, was free in this round. The second ranked Keravnos had an easy job against Achilleas celebrating 78-32 home victory. Keravnos improved to 6-1 record, while Achilleas dropped to 1-5. APOP Paphou did a good job against Akademia on the road 34-72 keeping them winless with 0-7 score. APOP jumped to 3-4. In the last game of the round, the University of Cyprus was too strong for Olympos. The winner improved to 5-2 after this game. Olympis slipped to 3-4. Round Nine is scheduled for the next weekend.

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CZECH REPUBLIC - Women

Taranto edged Frisco Sika for the 4th win in Euroleague - by Eurobasket News
Taranto - Frisco Sika 82:63

Taranto edged Frisco Sika for the 4th win in Euroleague. The Italian side grabbed 82:63 to send the visiting side to 1-9 record.
The game was mostly controlled by Taranto. Frisco Sika was better in third quarter 18-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Taranto dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Frisco Sika's 36. Kia Vaughn (193-C-87, college: Rutgers) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Elodie Godin (190-C-85) chipped in a double-double by scoring 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ashley Robinson (193-C-82, college: Tennessee) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds and Romana Hejdova (183-F-88) added 17 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side.
Taranto will face higher ranked Good Angels in Kosice in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Frisco Sika will play on the road against the league's leader Wisla Can-Pak in Krakow.

Taranto: Simona Ballardini (181-F-81) 16, Michelle Greco (176-G-80) 15, Kia Vaughn 14+13rebs, Elodie Godin 12+10rebs
Frisco Sika: Romana Hejdova 17, Thomas 16, Ashley Robinson 12+11rebs

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EGYPT - Women

Pan Arab Games 2011. Egypt storm past Jordan - by Eurobasket News
Egypt - Jordan 91:51

Egypt celebrated the third win at Pan Arab Games 2011. They overcame Jordan to stay in the second place in the ladder. Hagar Hesham (F/C-93) posted 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the winners. Jordan fell at 2-2 record after the loss.
Egypt went on a 9:3 run late in the starting quarter to take a 21:11 lead. Egypt limited their opponents to just 6 points in the second frame to ensure a 26-point halftime advantage 43:17. Jordan could not recover after the big break. They faced to a massive 34-point deficit heading into the fourth period. Egypt erupted for 26 points in the final frame and sealed a confident win at the end. Engy Adal (191-C-92) nailed 15 points, while Reem Ossamh (170-PG-93) had 14 points in the win. Dina Halasah (169-G/F-86) answered with 19 points for Jordan. Lubna Nasser (178-F/C-88) netted 15 points in the loss.

Egypt: Hagar Hesham 20, Engy Adal 15, Reem Ossamh 14
Jordan: Dina Halasah 19, Lubna Nasser 15

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EUROLEAGUE - Women

Euroleague Round: 10 (Regular Season) - by Eurobasket News

Group A

UNI SEAT - Bourges 66-72
Bourges Basket closed Round 10 with the road win over Uni Seat Gyor. The French team improved to 5-5 record after 72:66 victory. Rasheed and Miyem brought the first points for their teams, while Styliani Kaltsidou (188-F-83, agency: Josep and Nicolas) scored for 10:4. The guests dominated the first period and Brown brought 20:12, while Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) reduced to 6 at the end of it. The latter helped the hosts to taste 23:22 lead early in the second period, while Ori gave them 32:25. Iva Ciglar gave the biggest lead at 37:27 and Rasheed sent the teams to the lockers at 43:34. The second half however belonged to the French team. They won the third quarter 20-11 as Dumerc closed the thirty minutes for 54:54. In the last period Bourges led in the whole quarter and Styliani Kaltsidou and Brown brought the last points from the free throw line. Brown paced all the winners with 17 points, while Styliani Kaltsidou netted 13. Miyem delivered 12 and Dumerc notched 9. Quanitra Hollingsworth (196-C-88, college: VCU) collected 19 points and 15 rebounds in the losing effort. Iva Ciglar added 17 points and dished out 13 assists, while Sujanova and Rasheed notched 9 apiece.

UMMC - Galatasaray 85-80
UMMC registered the seventh win in Euroleague season. They held off Galatasaray in Ekateriburg to improve at 7-3 record just one win away from Galatasaray in Group A ladder. Candace Parker stepped up with 17 points and 7 rebounds to pace the winners. Galatasaray and UMMC stayed neck and neck throughout the opening frame. A bunch of points from Diana Taurasi (182-F/G-82, college: Connecticut) gave the visitors a 27:24 lead after ten minutes. UMMC quickly erased the deficit and used a 6:0 run to take a 38:33 lead. The hosts secured a 48:46 halftime advantage. Cappie Pondexter (175-G-83, college: Rutgers), Candace Parker and Jekabsone gave UMMC an 11-point lead midway through the third term. The margin soon grew at 15-point mark before Torrens trimmed at 57:70 at the end of the third term. Diana Taurasi, Torrens and Tina Charles dragged the visitors within 6 points at the start of the final frame. Caglar made it 78:82 with under two minutes remaining in regulation. However Pondexter and Nolan responded with three points in a row to give some breathing space for UMMC. Galatasaray ran out of time for an answer. Cappie Pondexter nailed 15 points, while Yelena Leuchanka (196-C-83, college: W.Virginia) added 13 points in the victory. Diana Taurasi replied with game-high 28 points, 5 boards and 5 assists for Galatasaray. Tina Charles netted 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss.

Ros Casares - Lotos Gdynia 84-70
Ros Casares led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Ros Casares went in front by 19 in the third quarter but Lotos fought back and pulled to within 62:54 at the beginning of the fourth quarter when Ivana Jalcova (182-G-83) hit a shot from long range. Ros Casares forced 25 Lotos Gdynia turnovers. Strangely Lotos Gdynia outrebounded Ros Casares 32-20 including 21 on the defensive glass. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of Spanish guard Laia Palau (178-G-79) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 14 points, 13 assists and 4 steals. Belgian center Ann Wauters (194-C-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas) contributed with 21 points for the winners. Geraldine Robert (184-F-80) replied with 16 points and 8 rebounds and Aneika Henry (193-C-86, college: Florida) added 14 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Lotos Gdynia. Lotos Gdynia will play next round against Bourges trying to get back on the winning streak. Ros Casares will try to continue on its current victory against fourth ranked USK Praha on the road.

USK Praha - VICI-Aistes 98-60
USK Praha registered the sixth win in Euroleague season. They trounced VICI Kaunas in Czech Republic capital to improve at 6-4 record in Group A. Five players scored in double figures to lead the effort. Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) nailed 19 points to pace the hosts. USK Praha unloaded 31 points in the opening frame to take a 12-point lead. The hosts continued to get away in the second quarter. They registered a 53:35 halftime advantage. USK Praha stunned their opponents with a 24:7 run in the third period. USK Praha eased into the fourth quarter having a 35-point lead and never looked back en route to the victory. Katerina Elhotova (180-SG-89) notched 14 points, while Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: G.Washington) added 13 points in the win. Amanda Kemezys (192-C-87, college: St.Louis) answered with 18 points and 8 rebounds for VICI Kaunas. Tatsiana Likhtarovich had 11 points in the loss.

Group B

Perfumerias - UNIQA Eurol. 78-59
Perfumerias Avenida won after three straight losses in EuroLeague. The team from Salamanca smashed Hungarian MKB Euroleasing 78:59 on Wednesday. The hosts trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 10-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 78:59. Perfumerias Avenida dominated on the defensive end, holding MKB Euroleasing to just 5 points in second quarter. Marta Fernandez (178-F-81) fired 22 points and 4 assists (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) for the winners. DeWanna Bonner (193-G-87, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Auburn) chipped in 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. Dora Horti (195-C-87, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) produced 7 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Ukrainian forward Olexandra Kurasova (186-F-86) added 13 points respectively for lost side. Perfumerias Avenida will face Tarbes on the road in the next round where they are favorite. MKB Euroleasing will play against the league's leader Fenerbahce in Istanbul.

Nadezhda O. - Tarbes 72-54
Nadezhda remained in the strong contention for the second position in Euroleague Group B. The Orenburg team claimed the sixth win today beating Tarbes at home court. Thus Nadezhda improved at 6-3 record and overcame Perfumerias Avenida who would play their game later tonight. Rebekkah Brunson (191-F/C-81, agency: LBM Management, college: Georgetown) stepped up with 18 points and 13 rebounds to pace the winners. Tarbes fell at 0-8 record after the loss. Nadezhda silenced Tarbes in the opening frame. The Russian team went on a 26:14 run to clear off. Nadezhda maintained the lead throughout the second period. The hosts arrived at halftime up by 16 points 45:29. Things did not change after the big break. Nadezhda kept Tarbes at bay and coasted to the victory. The home team enjoyed a 20-point lead with ten minutes remaining and never looked back en route to the win. Elena Danilochkina and Oksana Zakalyuzhnaya (197-C-77) contributed 13 points each for Nadezhda. Ana-Maria Cata-Chitiga (195-C-89) responded with 15 points and 8 rebounds for Tarbes. Charlotte Preiss finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

Fenerbahce - Familia Schio 79-65
Fenerbace registered the eighth straight win in Euroleague regular season. The Turkish powerhouse held off Schio to improve at 8-0 record on top of Group B. Penny Taylor (185-F-81) and Ivana Matovic finished with 21 points each to pace the hosts. Schio slipped at 4-5 record after the loss. Fenerbahce silenced their opponents in the opening frame. The hosts went on a 26:12 run to take a comfortable lead. Fenerbahce stretched the margin to 19 points at halftime 45:26. Fenerbahce did not allow Schio to get any closer in the third period. The hosts entered the final frame up by 22 points. Scho managed to sweeten the pill in the fourth quarter outscoring Fenerbahce. Angel McCoughtry (185-F-86, college: Louisville) nailed 18 points and pulled down 8 rebounds for the winners. Cheryl Ford (191-F/C-81, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Louisiana Tech) answered with 18 points and 18 rebounds for Schio. Laura Macchi (187-F-79) netted 16 points in the loss.

Group C

Lattes Montp. - Wisla Can-Pak 64-77
Wisla Can-Pak achieved the 8th win in EuroLeague season beating away from home Lattes Montpellier. The Polish side improved to 8-2 record after 77:64 victory. Guests from Krakow trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 5-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game. Wisla Can-Pak forced 22 Lattes Montpellier turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Lattes Montpellier's players. Milka Bjelica (193-F-81) fired 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Ewelina Kobryn (193-C-82) chipped in 25 points. Edwige Lawson-Wade (166-PG-79) produced 18 points and Ana Lelas added 12 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. Wisla Can-Pak have a solid four-game winning streak. They will face bottom-ranked Frisco Sika in Brno in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Lattes Montpellier will play on the road against Rivas Ecopolis and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Taranto - Frisco Sika 82-63
Taranto edged Frisco Sika for the 4th win in Euroleague. The Italian side grabbed 82:63 to send the visiting side to 1-9 record. The game was mostly controlled by Taranto. Frisco Sika was better in third quarter 18-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Taranto dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Frisco Sika's 36. Kia Vaughn (193-C-87, college: Rutgers) fired a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. Elodie Godin chipped in a double-double by scoring 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ashley Robinson (193-C-82, college: Tennessee) produced a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds and Romana Hejdova added 17 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. Taranto will face higher ranked Good Angels in Kosice in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Frisco Sika will play on the road against the league's leader Wisla Can-Pak in Krakow.

Good Angels - Gospic 106-66
Good Angels registered the sixth win in Euroleague season. They stunned visiting Gospic to take 6-4 record in Group C. Natalia Vieru (197-C-89) nailed 20 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to pace the winners. Good Angels erupted for 29 points in the first quarter building an 11-point advantage. They increased the tempo even more in the second term. The hosts unloaded 32 points in the next period to ensure a comfortable 27-point halftime lead. Good Angels stayed in control in the third period. They poured in 27 points more to lead by as many as 37 points with ten minutes remaining. Gospic had no chance to recover as Good Angels marched to the victory in the final frame. Danielle McCray (180-G/F-87, college: Kansas) posted 19 points, while Kayla Pedersen and Lucia Kupcikova (184-F-84) added 18 points each in the victory. Sandra Mandir (177-G-77) replied with 21 points for Gospic. Jelena Ivezic netted 15 points and grabbed 8 rebounds in the loss.

Spartak V MR - Rivas Ecopolis 79-76
Spartak MR secured the seventh win in Euroleague regular season. The Russian powerhouse held off visiting Rivas Ecopolis to climb at 7-3 record in Group C. Rivas Ecopolis in the meantime fell at 5-5 record. Spartak MR led from the start. They earned a 21:18 lead after ten minutes of action. Hammon and Candice Dupree stretched the margin to 9 points 35:26 midway through the second term. The hosts stretched the gap to as many as 14 points at the interval 44:30. Spartak led by 18 points midway through the third quarter but Rivas Ecopolis did not surrender. Carson triggered a 16:5 run as the visitors cut the deficit at 7-point mark. Carson and Asjha Jones (188-F-80, college: Connecticut) brought Rivas Ecopolis within 4 points 70:74 with just over three minutes remaining. Asjha Jones and Aguilar made it 74:76 with just over a minute to go however Seimone Augustus (185-G-84, college: LSU) and Irina Osipova nailed three points late in regulation to seal the win for Spartak MR. Seimone Augustus provided 18 points, while Irina Osipova and Candice Dupree delivered 15 points each for the winners. Asjha Jones answered with 20 points for Rivas Ecopolis. Anna Cruz (173-PG-86, agency: Josep and Nicolas) nailed 16 points in defeat.

Standings (Women)

Euroleague Standings

Group A
1. Ros Casares			8-2
2. Galatasaray			8-2
3. UMMC			7-3
4. USK Praha			6-4
5. Bourges			5-5
6. UNI SEAT			2-8
7. VICI-Aistes			2-8
8. Lotos Gdynia			2-8
Group B
1. Fenerbahce			8-0
2. Perfumerias			6-3
3. Nadezhda O.			6-3
4. Familia Schio			4-5
5. CCC Polkowice			3-5
6. UNIQA Eurol.			3-6
7. Tarbes			0-8
Group C
1. Wisla Can-Pak			8-2
2. Spartak V MR			7-3
3. Good Angels			6-4
4. Rivas Ecopolis			5-5
5. Lattes Montp.			5-5
6. Gospic			4-6
7. Taranto			4-6
8. Frisco Sika			1-9

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Diana TAURASI
  Galatasa.
  (182-F/G-82)
  Avg: 20.2

1. Taurasi, Galatasa.	20.2
2. Bonner, Perfumer.	19.9
3. McCoughtry, Fener.	18.8
4. Jones, Rivas Ecopo.	18.0
5. Taylor, Fenerbahce	17.8
6. Charles, Galatasa.	17.8
7. Wauters, Ros C.	17.1
8. Augustus, Spartak	16.6
9. McCray, Good A.	16.3
10. Lyttle, Ros Casa.	16.0

Rebounds Per Game

Cheryl FORD
  Familia Schio
  (191-F/C-81)
  Avg: 11.7

1. Ford, Familia Schio	11.7
2. Hollingswort., UNI	10.8
3. Charles, Galatasa.	9.4
4. Brunson, Nadezhda.	9.3
5. Jones, Rivas Ecopo.	9.2
6. Henry, Lotos Gdyn.	9.0
7. Vaughn, Taranto	8.8
8. De Souza, Perfumer.	8.8
9. Bjelica, Wisla C.	8.6
10. Bonner, Perfumer.	8.6

Assists Per Game

Sharnee ZOLL
  CCC P.
  (170-PG-86)
  Avg: 7

1. Zoll, CCC P.	7.0
2. Palau, Ros Casares	6.7
3. Penicheiro, USK P.	5.5
4. Ciglar, UNI S.	5.4
5. Lawson-Wade, Latt.	5.2
6. McBride, Gospic	5.2
7. Dumerc, Bourges	4.4
8. Bojovic, Good A.	4.4
9. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.	4.1
10. Dominguez, Ros C.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Sandra LINKEVICIENE
  VICI-.
  (176-G-82)
  Avg: 3.3

1. Linkeviciene, VICI.	3.3
2. Lyttle, Ros Casar.	2.9
3. Alben, Galatasaray	2.7
4. Skrela, Lattes M.	2.6
5. Bonner, Perfumer.	2.4
6. Palau, Ros Casares	2.4
7. Cruz, Rivas Ecopol.	2.3
8. Bojovic, Good A.	2.2
9. Penicheiro, USK P.	2.2
10. McCray, Good A.	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Agnieszka MAJEWSKA
  CCC P.
  (195-C-82)
  Avg: 2

1. Majewska, CCC P.	2.0
2. Veremeenko, Nadez.	1.6
3. Kulichova, USK P.	1.3
4. Kupcikova, Good A.	1.2
5. Robinson, Frisco S.	1.1
6. Lyttle, Ros Casar.	1.0
7. Osipova, Spartak	1.0
8. Parker, UMMC	1.0
9. Bonner, Perfumer.	1.0
10. Vrsaljko, Gospic	0.9

Roberto Iniguez appointed Ros Casares head coach - by Eurobasket News
Ros Casares made a change on the bridge. The Valencia outfit decided to part ways with head coach Natalia Hejkova . Roberto Iniguez will replace her at the bench. Roberto Iniguez is not a well-known name in coaching world. The specialist has previously worked with Valencia youth teams. Natalia Hejkova took over Ros Casares last season changing Jordi Fernandez. She led Ruzomberok and Spartak Moscow Region to four Euroleague titles. She also helped Ros Casares reach 8-2 record in Euroleague this season. However the team management decided to give a chance to the younger specialist and they entrusted Roberto Iniguez with the job. He will definitely be helped by the arrival of Maya Moore (182-F-89, college: Connecticut) who is supposed to join the team later this year.

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FRANCE - Women

Bourges Basket closed Round 10 with the road win - by Eurobasket News
Uni Seat Gyor-Bourges Basket 66:72

Bourges Basket closed Round 10 with the road win over Uni Seat Gyor. The French team improved to 5-5 record after 72:66 victory.
Rita Rasheed (180-F-89, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) and Nwal-Endene Miyem (188-PF-88) brought the first points for their teams, while Styliani Kaltsidou (188-F-83, agency: Josep and Nicolas) scored for 10:4. The guests dominated the first period and Kiesha Brown (179-G-79, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Georgia) brought 20:12, while Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) reduced to 6 at the end of it. The latter helped the hosts to taste 23:22 lead early in the second period, while Ori gave them 32:25. Iva Ciglar gave the biggest lead at 37:27 and Rita Rasheed sent the teams to the lockers at 43:34.
The second half however belonged to the French team. They won the third quarter 20-11 as Celine Dumerc (169-G-82) closed the thirty minutes for 54:54. In the last period Bourges led in the whole quarter and Styliani Kaltsidou and Kiesha Brown brought the last points from the free throw line.
Kiesha Brown paced all the winners with 17 points, while Styliani Kaltsidou netted 13. Nwal-Endene Miyem delivered 12 and Celine Dumerc notched 9. Quanitra Hollingsworth (196-C-88, college: VCU) collected 19 points and 15 rebounds in the losing effort. Iva Ciglar added 17 points and dished out 13 assists, while Edita Sujanova (190-C-85) and Rita Rasheed notched 9 apiece.

Uni Seat Gyor: Quanitra Hollingsworth 19+15 rebs, Iva Ciglar 17+13 ast, Edita Sujanova 9, Rita Rasheed 9
Bourges Basket: Kiesha Brown 17, Styliani Kaltsidou 13, Nwal-Endene Miyem 12, Celine Dumerc 9

LFB round 12 best performance: Mistie Mims (by BasketStore) - by Eurobasket News

American center Mistie Mims (191-C-83) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for top-ranked Challes, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 12.
The 28-year old player had a double-double of 24 points and 15 rebounds, while her team beat Tarbes (#6, 6-6) 72-63. It allowed Challes to consolidate first place in the French LFB. Challes has a very good season and are considered to have a run for the championship title. They improved their record to 11-1. It's Mims' second year at Challes and it's hard to imagine this team without her. Former Duke University star has very solid stats this year. Mims is in league's top in points (3rd best: 18.3ppg), rebounds (7th best: 8.1rpg) and averages impressive 55.0% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 29-year old American Amisha Carter (186-PF-82, agency: Josep and Nicolas) of Union Hainaut. Carter had a very good evening with a double-double of 26 points and 15 rebounds. Bad luck as Union Hainaut was edged by the lower-ranked Nice (#14, 2-10) 67-64. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Union Hainaut dropped in the standings to 9th position. Her team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 5-7 record. Carter is a newcomer at Union Hainaut, but is already one of team's top players. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 17.1ppg (#4). She also registered 8.5 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was Senegalese swingman Emilie Gomis (180-G/F-83) of Villeneuve (#10). Gomis showcased her all-around game by recording 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the last round. She was a key player of Villeneuve, leading her team to a 72-61 win against the lower-ranked Lyon (#13, 4-8). The chances of Villeneuve 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, Gomis could help Villeneuve to bring them higher in the standings. Gomis has a great season in France. After 12 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 19.8ppg (2nd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Pauline Akonga Nsimbo (188-F/C-82) of Arras - 26 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Giedre Paugaite (192-C-90) of Mondeville - 22 points and 12 rebounds
6. Lenae Williams (182-G/F-79) of Nantes - 30 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Natalie Hurst (163-G-83) of Aix-en-Provence - 31 points and 3 rebounds
8. Petra Stampalija (189-C-80) of Union Hainaut - 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Gaelle Skrela (177-G-83) of Lattes Montp. - 18 points and 4 rebounds
10. Anael Lardy (170-G-87) of Challes - 10 points, 4 rebounds and 5 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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HOLLAND - Women

Standings - Women

Eredivisie Standings

1. ProBuild Lions		9-3
2. Binnenland		8-3
3. Grasshoppers		7-4
4. Lekdetec.nl		6-4
5. CTO		5-5
6. Eurosped		2-9
7. HLB Account.		1-10
8. Wereldtickets.nl		0-0

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HUNGARY - Women

Standings - Women

A Standings

1. UNIQA Eurol.		13-0
2. UNI SEAT		11-1
3. Pecs 2010		10-2
4. ZTE		9-4
5. Nanette FTC		8-4
6. Bajai NKK		5-7
7. DKSK		5-7
8. Vasas		4-8
9. Cegledi EKK		4-8
10. Atomeromu		3-9
11. BSE-FCSM		1-12
12. ELTE-BEAC		1-12

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Maja SCEKIC
  Bajai NKK
  (170-G-87)
  Avg: 17.8

1. Scekic, Bajai NKK	17.8
2. Hadzovic, DKSK	17.5
3. Murphy, Pecs 2010	15.8
4. Quigley, Pecs 2010	15.4
5. Skoric, DKSK	14.9
6. Teilane, Vasas	14.8
7. Orban, Cegledi EKK	14.1
8. Rasheed, UNI S.	14.1
9. Cvetanovic, Atome.	13.3
10. Vida, Nanette FTC	12.8

Rebounds Per Game

Milica CVETANOVIC
  Atome.
  (195-C-86)
  Avg: 8.7

1. Cvetanovic, Atome.	8.7
2. Farkasinszki, DKSK	8.3
3. Teilane, Vasas	8.2
4. Nagy, UNI S.	8.0
5. Krnjic, UNIQA E.	7.9
6. Murphy, Pecs 2010	7.3
7. Turoczi, Nanette	7.1
8. Horvath, Pecs 2010	6.8
9. Szabo, Bajai NKK	6.6
10. Hollingswort., UN.	6.3

Assists Per Game

Iva CIGLAR
  UNI S.
  (170-G-85)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Ciglar, UNI S.	4.5
2. Cymmer, Cegledi	3.9
3. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.	3.8
4. Szlimak, Nanette	3.7
5. Englert, Nanette	3.7
6. Nagy, UNI S.	3.6
7. Torok, Pecs 2010	3.4
8. Bukovszki, ZTE	3.4
9. Medgyessy, Atome.	3.3
10. Quigley, Pecs 20.	3.1

Steals Per Game

Kata CSICSAI
  EL.
  (174-G-88)
  Avg: 4

1. Csicsai, EL.	4.0
2. Scekic, Bajai NKK	3.8
3. Szabo, Bajai NKK	3.6
4. Theodoran, Bajai N.	3.4
5. Cymmer, Cegledi	3.2
6. Horvath, Pecs 2010	3.0
7. Szalay, ZTE	2.9
8. Pal, Vasas	2.9
9. Varga, ZTE	2.8
10. Szepsi, Bajai NKK	2.7

Blocks Per Game

Anita TEILANE
  Vasas
  (196-C-85)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Teilane, Vasas	3.6
2. Bagi, BSE-.	1.1
3. Fejes, Atomeromu	0.9
4. Cvetanovic, Atome.	0.8
5. Zavecz, UNIQA E.	0.8
6. Horvath, EL.	0.6
7. Nagy, UNI S.	0.6
8. Licina, Atomeromu	0.6
9. Sujanova, UNI S.	0.6
10. Czukor, ZTE	0.6

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ICELAND - Women

stats leader

Points Per Game

Britney JONES
  Fjolnir
  (170-G-87)
  Avg: 31

1. Jones, Fjolnir	31.0
2. Murphy, Hamar	30.6
3. Hardy, Njardvik	24.6
4. Colson, KR	23.5
5. Baker-Brice, Njard.	23.4
6. Tuomi, Hamar	21.3
7. Butler, Keflavik	20.6
8. Marlow, Snaefell	19.4
9. Elam, Haukar	18.8
10. Sigurdardott., Sn.	17.7

Rebounds Per Game

Lele HARDY
  Njardvik
  (178-G/F-88)
  Avg: 16.7

1. Hardy, Njardvik	16.7
2. Butler, Keflavik	14.9
3. Mandylaris, Fjolnir	14.6
4. Tuomi, Hamar	13.8
5. Elam, Haukar	11.2
6. Marlow, Snaefell	10.5
7. Colson, KR	8.8
8. Amundadottir, KR	8.6
9. Gudmundsdott., KR	7.8
10. Kjartansdott., Sn.	7.8

Assists Per Game

Jence RHOADS
  Haukar
  (180-G-88)
  Avg: 7.9

1. Rhoads, Haukar	7.9
2. Jones, Fjolnir	5.9
3. Prosser, KR	5.6
4. Lechlitner, Valur	5.6
5. Baker-Brice, Njard.	5.3
6. Sigurdardott., Sna.	4.9
7. Gunnlaugsdot., Kef.	4.8
8. Butler, Keflavik	4.3
9. Hardy, Njardvik	3.9
10. Amundadottir, KR	3.8

Steals Per Game

Reyana COLSON
  KR
  (167-G-)
  Avg: 4.8

1. Colson, KR	4.8
2. Jones, Fjolnir	4.5
3. Hardy, Njardvik	4.3
4. Murphy, Hamar	4.0
5. Gunnlaugsdot., Kef.	3.3
6. Butler, Keflavik	3.0
7. Prosser, KR	2.9
8. Rhoads, Haukar	2.9
9. Sturludottir, KR	2.6
10. Baker-Brice, Njar.	2.6

Blocks Per Game

Jaleesa BUTLER
  Keflavik
  (183-F-87)
  Avg: 3.8

1. Butler, Keflavik	3.8
2. Hermannsdott., Val.	1.8
3. Rhoads, Haukar	1.4
4. Jones, Fjolnir	1.4
5. Elam, Haukar	1.0
6. Saevarsdotti., Nja.	0.9
7. Ragnarsdotti., Fjo.	0.9
8. Kjartansdott., Sna.	0.9
9. Valgardsdott., Kef.	0.9
10. Jonsdottir, Snaef.	0.8

Standings - Women

Express L. Standings

1. Keflavik		10-3
2. Njardvik		9-4
3. KR		8-4
4. Snaefell		7-5
5. Haukar		7-6
6. Valur		4-9
7. Fjolnir		4-9
8. Hamar		2-11

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ITALY - Women

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JORDAN - Women

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LATVIA - Women

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Gunta BASKO
  TTT Riga
  (181-F-80)
  Avg: 21.8

1. Basko, TTT Riga	21.8
2. Nimane, TTT Riga	19.2
3. Egle, DU	17.8
4. Niedola, TTT Riga	17.4
5. Laksa, Kolibri/U-16	16.3
6. Alilujeva, Liepajas	15.5
7. Krastina, TTT Riga	15.4
8. Vorma, LU	14.5
9. Aizsila, TTT J.	13.9
10. Baltace, DU	13.3

Rebounds Per Game

Liene BERNSONE
  Cesis
  (185-C-85)
  Avg: 11.7

1. Bernsone, Cesis	11.7
2. Niedola, TTT Riga	9.6
3. Horelika, Cesis	8.6
4. Krasovska, Liepajas	8.1
5. Alilujeva, Liepajas	8.0
6. Veidere, TTT J.	7.7
7. Nimane, TTT Riga	7.6
8. Egle, DU	7.3
9. Audere, RTU-Merks	6.6
10. Surkusa, TTT Riga	6.5

Assists Per Game

Olesja JEVSEJEVA
  DU
  (174-F-86)
  Avg: 5

1. Jevsejeva, DU	5.0
2. Krastina, TTT Riga	4.5
3. Neimane, TTT J.	4.4
4. Basko, TTT Riga	3.7
5. Kazakevica, DU	3.5
6. Reke, Cesis	3.2
7. Lisnere, RTU-Merks	3.0
8. Sarja, TTT Juniores	2.8
9. Lapsina, Cesis	2.7
10. Egle, DU	2.6

Steals Per Game

Sabine NIEDOLA
  TTT Riga
  (184-F-91)
  Avg: 4

1. Niedola, TTT Riga	4.0
2. Basko, TTT Riga	4.0
3. Krastina, TTT Riga	3.5
4. Reke, Cesis	3.0
5. Malkevica, RTU-M.	2.8
6. Nimane, TTT Riga	2.6
7. Aizsila, TTT J.	2.5
8. Jevsejeva, DU	2.3
9. Kazakevica, DU	2.3
10. Egle, DU	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Liga SURKUSA
  TTT Riga
  (194-C-91)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Surkusa, TTT Riga	2.2
2. Veidere, TTT J.	1.6
3. Bernsone, Cesis	1.5
4. Bundule, Cesis	1.3
5. Langina, TTT J.	1.3
6. Basko, TTT Riga	1.2
7. Tomsone, TTT J.	1.0
8. Krasovska, Liepajas	1.0
9. Lisnere, RTU-Merks	1.0
10. Vitola, RTU-Merks	0.8

Standings - LSBL

LSBL Standings

1. TTT Riga		13-0
2. Cesis		8-5
3. RTU-Merks		8-5
4. Liepajas		7-5
5. DU		6-6
6. TTT Juniores		6-7
7. LU		2-10
8. Kolibri/U-16		0-12

Malkevica's 18 points and 6 rebounds give her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
24-year old forward Ieva Malkevica (175-F-87) put on an amazing game in the last round for RTU-Merks and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 13.
She had the game-high 18 points adding six rebounds and four assists for RTU-Merks in her team's victory, helping them to beat Kolibri/U-16 (#8, 0-12), the league's bottom-ranked team 70-57. RTU-Merks maintains the 4th position in LSBL. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. RTU-Merks will need more victories to improve their 7-5 record. Malkevica has many years of experience at RTU-Merks, through which he has constantly improved. Ieva Malkevica averages this season 13.4ppg.

Second best performed player last round was Ruta Veidere (188-C-94) of TTT Juniores. She is international center in her first season at TTT Juniores. In the last game Veidere recorded impressive double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds. It was enough for TTT Juniores to edge the higher-ranked Cesis (#2, 8-4) by 5 points 65-60. TTT Juniores' 6th position in the standings has not changed. Her team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-7 record. Veidere is a newcomer at TTT Juniores and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to swingman Anete Horelika (177-G/F-87) of league's second-best Cesis. Horelika scored 13 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). Despite Horelika's great performance Cesis lost 60-65 to the lower-ranked TTT Juniores (#6, 6-7). But her team cannot count on just a single player as she also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing Cesis needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 8 victories and 4 lost games. Horelika has a great season in Latvia. After 10 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 9.2rpg (3rd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kate Aizsila (172-G-94) of TTT Juniores - 16 points and 3 rebounds
5. Liene Bernsone (185-C-85) of Cesis - 11 points and 11 rebounds
6. Kate Kreslina (178-PG-96) of Kolibri/U-16 - 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Dita Rozenberga (181-F-92) of RTU-Merks - 13 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Lina Lisnere (192-F/C-86) of RTU-Merks - 4 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Paula Langina (175-F-94) of TTT Juniores - 4 points and 6 rebounds
10. Daina Lazdeniece (187-C-89) of RTU-Merks - 17 points and 5 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)

Eibele is back at TTT Riga - by Eurobasket Center
TTT Riga signed 27-year old guard Anda Eibele (170-G-84). Its actually Eibeles comeback to TTT Riga as she played here before. In her first game she scored 12 points and added 9 assists helping her new team beat LU 155-47. Eibele played most recently at Sdent Helios VS Basket (Switzerland). While playing 1 game for Helios this season she recorded 6points, 2rebounds and 3assists. Eibele is a very experienced player. She played also pro basketball in Australia, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Russia and Switzerland.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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LEBANON - Women

Pan Arab Games 2011. Lebanon stay perfect with rout of Somalia - by Eurobasket News
Lebanon - Somalia 87:38

Lebanon registered the fourth straight win at Pan Arab Games. They knocked down Somalia to stay on top of the ladder at 4-0 record. Somalia fell at 1-2 record. Nisrin Dandan (172-G-77) knocked down 24 points to lead the effort.
Lebanon grabbed the lead early in the game and registered an 18:10 advantage at the first break. The margin grew at 14-point mark at the interval 36:22. Somalia managed just 7 points in the third term to face an insurmountable 32-point deficit with ten minutes to go. Lebanon never loosened the grasp and cruised to the win at the end. Martina Wood (188-F/C, college: N.Carolina) had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Lebanon. Rebecca Akl (169-F-92) produced 11 points in the victory. Manal Cali (F/C-86) replied with 12 points for Somalia. Khatra Mahdin (F-95) provided 11 points in the loss.

Lebanon: Nisrin Dandan 24, Martina Wood 14+12 boards, Rebecca Akl 11
Somalia: Manal Cali 12, Khatra Mahdin 11

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LITHUANIA - Women

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LUXEMBOURG - Women

Etzella, Amicale and Musel Pikes reach Cup semifinals - by Eurobasket News
Three Lalux Ladies Cup quarterfinals games were played yesterday. Etzella, Amicale and Musel Pikes made their way into the next round of the competition.
Etzella overcame Basket Esch 81:76 to reach the semis. Basket Esch enjoyed a 38:33 halftime lead but Etzella gradually improved their performance. They cut the deficit to a single point heading into the final period and sealed the victory with a 25:19 run in the fourth term. Ashley Jones (185-F, college: Michigan) posted 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the effort. Lisy Hetting (173-G-90) added 21 points for Etzella. Lamisha Augustine (186-F-82, agency: LBM Management, college: San Jose St.) accounted for 27 points and 13 rebounds for Basket Esch.
Amicale stunned Grengewald 75:46 behind 19 points from Claude Weynandt (186-C-90). Nadine Mangen (175-F-83) added 16 points for the winners. Amicale used a 41:15 second half to clear off for the victory. Nadine Biermann (178-F-83) and Laure Kauffmann posted 8 points each in the loss.
Musel Pikes silenced Heffingen 82:52 to enter the semifinal stage. Musel Pikes built a 47:32 halftime lead and never looked back en route to the victory. Christine Fisher (183-F/C-83) knocked down 22 points for Musel Pikes. Martina Bozikov (190-PF-84) added 16 points in the win. Tressa Beckel (182-F, college: Chicago St.) delivered 19 points and 16 rebounds for Heffingen.

Telstar replace import player - by Eurobasket News
Telstar are looking for the ways to improve their 0-12 start in the Diekirch League season. They recently decided to change the import player. Telstar invited Maggie McKemie (185-F). The forward is meant to replace Dale-Marie Cumberbatch (180-F-88, agency: LBM Management). Maggie McKemie signed her first pro contract. She graduated from the Boston University in 2010. The forward tallied 1.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in her senior season.
Dale-Marie Cumberbatch joined Telstar at the start of the season. She posted 22.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 steals and 1.8 assists per appearance. It was also the first pro deal for the Canadian forward.

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MALAYSIA - Women

Malaysia advanced into the Division I - by Abdallah Alomari
Malaysia advanced into the Division I of next Asian U-16 girls Game with a great 6 winning games. Malaysia won 5 games in a row to earn the Division II title and getting the chance to fight for a Division I berth.

Malaysia defeated the Philippines, who was winless in Division match-ups (0-5), 66 55 and will replace the Philippines in 2013 Asian U-16 girls Game to compete in Division I. Malaysia will be facing the top Asian teams including defending champion Japan, China, Korea, Chinese Taipei & India.

Players were inconsistent throughout this tournament. Teo Chu Yun was able to scored 18 points in 2 games, scored 8 points in another 2 games, but also had 2 bad nights with 2 points & 0 point. Lam Xue Ying had 3 double-doubles & 4 games in double digit scoring, but also had 2 off nights which find nothing from the field and nothing from the scoreboard.

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MONTENEGRO - Women

Buducnost keeps the perfect score - by Eurobasket News
Buducnost stays the only perfect team after seven rounds in the Montenegrin top division for women. The Podgorica team was better than Primorje last weekend 66-54 and jumped to 7-0 record. Primorje slipped to 2-5 after this meeting. The second ranked Roling was free in this round. No.3 Rudar cruised past Kotor on the road 55-81 and improved to 4-2 score. At the same time Kotor dropped to 2-4. The same numbers has Lovcen, who was better than Antivari Bar. The Cetinje team celebrated 74-63 home victory. Antivari stays the only winless team in the league with 0-6. Round Eight is scheduled for the next weekend. There will be a derby game between Buducnost and Roling.

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NCAA1 - Women

Donohoe set for new challenge guiding Kay Yow fund - by Eurobasket News
Sue Donohoe was looking for a new challenge after her surprise resignation from the NCAA in October. It didn't take her long to find one.

The former NCAA vice president for women's basketball was hired as the executive director of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund on Wednesday.

Donohoe, who has served on the board of directors since the fund's inception in 2007, will start in her new role on Jan. 1. She'll take over for Marsha Sharp, who stepped down in September at the nonprofit named for the former North Carolina State women's basketball coach who died in 2009 after a long battle with breast cancer.

'I look forward to providing direction and energy to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and working tirelessly to ensure that Kay's vision is carried out, her goal of funding women's cancer research continues, and the women's basketball community serves as the foundation for the Fund's expanding efforts,' Donohoe said.

Donohoe joined the NCAA in 1999 after serving as associate commissioner of the Southland Conference. During her NCAA tenure, she was a director of both the men's and women's basketball championships. But as vice president of women's basketball, she watched the sport grow in ways she could only have imagined when she was starting her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Louisiana Tech.

Her last day at the NCAA was on Nov. 30 and the organization has formed a search committee to find her replacement.

Donohoe is proud of what she accomplished during her tenure.

'We've enhanced the student-athlete experience,' she said. 'That's certainly the cornerstone asset of what we do and why we do it. To stand on the sideline on national championship night and watch those kids come off the bench when the final horn goes off and know we play a little part in providing that experience that's significant.'

Donohoe also relishes the relationships she developed with the women's basketball coaches and was overwhelmed by the support she received after announcing her decision to step down.

'I made a promise to myself to answer every email and phone call that day. Five days later I got caught up,' she said. 'I got some great notes. It was real emotional for me.'

Four years ago, Donohoe spearheaded an effort to help people better understand the selection process for the NCAA tournament. In February 2008, she invited a group of media members and former coaches to attend a weekend workshop in Indianapolis.

The group performed a mock exercise, acting as if it were the NCAA women's basketball selection committee, using the same data, procedures and rules as the real committee. That helped generate a greater appreciation for the process and the work that the committee does. The NCAA has continued to conduct the mock brackets over the last few years, inviting current coaches to attend.

'We just treat people with honesty,' she said. 'We understand folks may not agree with decisions that the committee makes or I make, but by opening up the process hopefully people got a better understanding of how things worked.'

While the game did grow during her time at the NCAA, Donohoe sees room for improvement.

'We all want it to grow up a lot faster than what it does,' she said. 'It needs to grow at natural pace. The attendance piece in preliminary rounds, I wish we could have moved further along than we have, but good strides have been made. Bigger strides will be made and I have a lot of confidence in that.'

Donohoe also said that the NCAA is working to improve the recruiting environment for student athletes.

She hopes to be able to spend more time with her family now something she hasn't been able to do much over the past 12 years. In her new role at the Kay Yow Fund, she'll still be able to stay close the game she loves.

'Basketball has been a part of Sue Donohoe since fourth grade,' she said. 'You don't turn the game off in your heart.'

Courtesy of www.nola.com

Schimmel, No. 14 Louisville women beat Cincinnati - by Eurobasket News
Shoni Schimmel (5'10''-G) scored 16 points to lead No. 14 Louisville past Cincinnati 64-59 Wednesday night in the Big East opener for both teams.

After trailing for much of the second half, Louisville (9-2, 1-0) tied the score at 55 with 2:37 left in the game and went ahead on Schimmel's 3-pointer.

With less than a minute left, Bjonee Reaves' (5'6''-G) jumper pulled Cincinnati (6-3, 0-1) within one, but Cardinals forward Shawnta' Dyer responded quickly to give Louisville a three-point lead with 39 seconds remaining.

Becky Burke (5'11''-G-89), who had 14 points for the Cardinals, made four free throws in the final 30 seconds to seal the win.

Louisville beat Cincinnati for the third straight time and the ninth time in the last 11 meetings.

Reaves finished with 18 points for the Bearcats, who have lost three straight.

Courtesy of www.boston.com

Fussell leads No. 24 Texas women over Arkansas-PB - by Eurobasket News
Chassidy Fussell (5'10''-G) scored 14 of her 22 points in the first half and No. 24 Texas rolled to a 79-40 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff Wednesday.

Fussell was 8 of 12 shooting and had three 3-pointers. Yvonne Anderson (5'7''-G) scored 14 and Cokie Reed (6'4''-F/C-91) and Ashleigh Fontenette each had 10 for Texas (7-2).

Chigozianyi Okwumabua led Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-8) with 10 points. The Golden Lions were playing their second ranked opponent in four days after losing at No. 8 Kentucky on Dec. 11.

Kayla Brewer (6'1''-F) debuted for Texas on Wednesday. The transfer from South Carolina scored five points in 15 minutes.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff connected on 6 of 29 shots in the first half and Texas led 41-17 at intermission.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Kristin Turk gets pro deal in Sweden - by Eurobasket News
Kristin Turk (5'8''-G-89, college: Drake) is set to start her professional basketball career. The American guard penned a deal with the Swedish team Mark Basket Marbo. She will spend rest of the season there. Turk is a product of Drake University, where she graduated this year. She shined with 20 ppg, 4.1 rpg and 3.1 apg for 30 games last season. Turk was awarded with All-MVC 1st Team -11. In 2009/10, she averaged 13.4 points and 3.2 rebounds. Kristin Turk helped Drake reach MVC Tournament Finals in 2008. She already made debut with the Swedish team scoring 22 points. They outplayed Jarfalla 80-59.

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NORWAY - Women

Standings - Women

Kvinneligaen Standings

1. Ullern		8-2
2. Ulriken		8-2
3. Ammerud		7-2
4. Gimle		4-6
5. Oslo Tigers		2-9
6. NTNUI Basket		1-9
Play in international cups:
1. Asker/BV		0-0

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Stine Hoff AUSTGULEN
  Ulriken
  (177-G-94)
  Avg: 26.1

1. Austgulen, Ulriken	26.1
2. Gronas, Ulriken	21.2
3. Land, Gimle	17.7
4. Moen, Ullern	16.3
5. Lloyde, Gimle	16.0
6. Kristiansen, Ullern	14.9
7. Ilieva, Gimle	14.8
8. Sand, Ammerud	13.8
9. Ytrehus, Ullern	12.4
10. Gjerdevik, Gimle	11.4

Rebounds Per Game

Amber LAND
  Gimle
  (188-F/C-85)
  Avg: 14.7

1. Land, Gimle	14.7
2. Sand, Ammerud	9.6
3. Lloyde, Gimle	9.0
4. Kristiansen, Ullern	8.6
5. Mannikkoe, Oslo T.	7.8
6. Moen, Ullern	7.7
7. Austgulen, Ulriken	7.7
8. Ytrehus, Ullern	7.7
9. Ilieva, Gimle	7.3
10. Gris, NTNUI B.	7.1

Assists Per Game

Kristine KRISTIANSEN
  Ullern
  (-G-75)
  Avg: 4.3

1. Kristiansen, Ullern	4.3
2. Sand, Ammerud	3.8
3. Lloyde, Gimle	3.5
4. Gronas, Ulriken	3.5
5. Austgulen, Ulriken	3.4
6. Wetter, Ammerud	2.8
7. Ytrehus, Ullern	2.7
8. Lovik, Ammerud	2.5
9. Austheim, Ullern	2.4
10. Hammer, Ammerud	2.2

Steals Per Game

Stine Hoff AUSTGULEN
  Ulriken
  (177-G-94)
  Avg: 5.8

1. Austgulen, Ulriken	5.8
2. Lloyde, Gimle	5.8
3. Kristiansen, Ullern	4.0
4. Ilieva, Gimle	3.3
5. Gran, Gimle	3.0
6. Nesse, Ammerud	2.8
7. Aas, Ammerud	2.6
8. Gronas, Ulriken	2.6
9. Wetter, Ammerud	2.3
10. Hammer, Ammerud	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Amber LAND
  Gimle
  (188-F/C-85)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Land, Gimle	1.7
2. Nesse, Ammerud	1.6
3. Grindelid, Ammerud	1.5
4. Austgulen, Ulriken	1.0
5. Kraage, Ammerud	1.0
6. Moen, Ullern	0.8
7. Gran, Gimle	0.8
8. Kongestol, Ulriken	0.7
9. Mannikkoe, Oslo T.	0.6
10. Austheim, Ullern	0.6

Sand's double-double lands her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
18-year old center Marianne Sand (183-C-93) put on an amazing game in the last round for Ammerud and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 10.
She had a double-double of 14 points and 16 rebounds, while her team outclassed Oslo Tigers (#5, 2-9) with 37-point margin 71-34. Thanks to this victory Ammerud moved-up to the 3rd position in the Kvinneligaen. They would have been even better if they did not have these two lost games earlier in Regular Season. Ammerud will need more victories to improve their 7-2 record. Sand turned to be Ammerud's top player in her first season with the team. Sand has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in points (8th best: 13.7ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 8.7rpg), assists (5th best: 3.3apg) and averages solid 50.9% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Kristine Kristiansen (G-75) of top-ranked Ullern. She is former international guard in her 8th season at Ullern. In the last game Kristiansen recorded impressive 19 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Of course she lead Ullern to another comfortable win 63-50 over the lower-ranked Gimle (#4, 4-6) being unquestionably team leader. It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Ullern consolidated its place in the very top position of the standings. Her team lost just two games this season, while they won 8 matches. Kristiansen is one of the most experienced players at Ullern and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 14.9ppg (#6). Her other stats are also decent: 8.6rpg and 4.3apg.

Third place about best performers goes to another Ullern's star - Torunn Ytrehus (81). Ytrehus scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds. She was another key player of Ullern, helping her team with a 78-76 win against #2 ranked Ulriken. Ullern confirms their top position in the standings Ytrehus has a great season in Norway. After only 7 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 12.4ppg (9th best), rebounds with 7.7rpg (6th best) and assists with 2.7apg (6th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kristina Kraage (177-G/F-87) of Ammerud - 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Ingvild Paur (77) of Ullern - 13 points and 4 rebounds
6. Stine Hoff Austgulen (177-G-94) of Ulriken - 22 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Tina Moen (183-G-86) of Ullern - 15 points and 9 rebounds
8. Sara Grindelid (183-F-82) of Ammerud - 14 points and 5 rebounds
9. Emilie Gronas (168-G-92) of Ulriken - 30 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Amber Land (188-F/C-85) of Gimle - 15 points and 14 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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PAN ARAB GAMES - Women

Lebanon keep spotless record after four games - by Eurobasket News
Egypt - Jordan 91:51
Egypt celebrated the third win at Pan Arab Games 2011. They overcame Jordan to stay in the second place in the ladder. Hagar Hesham (F/C-93) posted 20 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the winners. Jordan fell at 2-2 record after the loss.
Egypt went on a 9:3 run late in the starting quarter to take a 21:11 lead. Egypt limited their opponents to just 6 points in the second frame to ensure a 26-point halftime advantage 43:17. Jordan could not recover after the big break. They faced to a massive 34-point deficit heading into the fourth period. Egypt erupted for 26 points in the final frame and sealed a confident win at the end. Engy Adal (191-C-92) nailed 15 points, while Reem Ossamh (170-PG-93) had 14 points in the win. Dina Halasah (169-G/F-86) answered with 19 points for Jordan. Lubna Nasser (178-F/C-88) netted 15 points in the loss.

Egypt: Hagar Hesham 20, Engy Adal 15, Reem Ossamh 14
Jordan: Dina Halasah 19, Lubna Nasser 15

Lebanon - Somalia 87:38
Lebanon registered the fourth straight win at Pan Arab Games. They knocked down Somalia to stay on top of the ladder at 4-0 record. Somalia fell at 1-2 record. Nisrin Dandan (172-G-77) knocked down 24 points to lead the effort.
Lebanon grabbed the lead early in the game and registered an 18:10 advantage at the first break. The margin grew at 14-point mark at the interval 36:22. Somalia managed just 7 points in the third term to face an insurmountable 32-point deficit with ten minutes to go. Lebanon never loosened the grasp and cruised to the win at the end. Martina Wood (188-F/C, college: N.Carolina) had 14 points and 12 rebounds for Lebanon. Rebecca Akl (169-F-92) produced 11 points in the victory. Manal Cali (F/C-86) replied with 12 points for Somalia. Khatra Mahdin (F-95) provided 11 points in the loss.

Lebanon: Nisrin Dandan 24, Martina Wood 14+12 boards, Rebecca Akl 11
Somalia: Manal Cali 12, Khatra Mahdin 11

Pan Arab Games Standings

Standings

1. Lebanon		4-0
2. Egypt		3-1
3. Jordan		2-2
4. Qatar		1-2
5. Somalia		1-2
6. Kuwait		0-4

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RUSSIA - Women

Crystal Langhorne gets MVP of the Week award for PBL - by Eurobasket News
American power forward Crystal Langhorne (188-F/C-86) had an amazing evening in the last round for Dynamo M. and that's her to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 8.
The 25-year old power forward had a double-double of 22 points and fourteen rebounds, while her team crushed Spartak SP (#7, 2-5) with 24-point margin 90-66. Dynamo M. is placed at 9th position in Russian PBL. The season is still in it's early stage, so the team may have a chance to improve their current position in the standings. They lost 6 games and had just one victory. Langhorne turned to be Dynamo M.'s top player in her first season with the team.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 32-year old former international center Maria Stepanova (203-C-79) of second-ranked UMMC. Stepanova impressed basketball fans with 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists. Of course she lead UMMC to another comfortable win outscoring slightly lower-ranked Nadezhda O. (#4, 4-3) 85-58. It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. UMMC consolidated its place in top 2 of the standings. She plays for the best team in the league and UMMC managed to win all 7 games keeping perfect record. Stepanova is one of the most experienced players at UMMC and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was another Dynamo M.'s star - American Kristi Toliver (170-G-87). Toliver got into 30-points club by scoring exactly 30 points in the last round. She went also for four assists. She was another key player of Dynamo M., helping her team with a 90-66 easy win against slightly higher-ranked Spartak SP (#7, 2-5). Dynamo M. can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have rather bad season and 1-6 record places them close to the bottom of the standings. Too bad for Toliver she does not play for a better team. But maybe if she did, her season stats would not be that high. The season just started for Toliver as she played only first game. But it already looks like she can be another team's leader.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Cappie Pondexter (175-G-83) of UMMC - 8 points, 3 rebounds and 13 assists
5. Becky Hammon (168-G-77) of Spartak V MR - 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists
6. Temeka Johnson (160-PG-82) of Dynamo K. - 20 points and 2 assists
7. Candace Parker (193-F/C-86) of UMMC - 14 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Ksenia Kolosovskaia (180-G-82) of Dynamo-GUVD - 15 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Elena Mishkareva (171-G-87) of Dynamo-GUVD - 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists
10. Candice Dupree (188-F/C-84) of Spartak V MR - 15 points and 8 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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SLOVAKIA - Women

Extraliaga: Round 13 - by Eurobasket News
Round 13 of the Slovakian top division for women was played last weekend. Nothing new happened as Good Angels were too strong for Poprad on the road 63-99. The Angles stay no.1 in the league with perfect 11-0 record. The second ranked MBK Ruzomberok destroyed Dannax Sport at home 99-52. Ruza jumped to 10-1 record. Their best player in this game was Ann Andersson (185-F-80, agency: Promotex, college: Minnesota) with 24 points and Kamila Stepanova (191-C-88) added 16 pts, plus 6 rebs. In the last game of the round, Samorin grabbed 64-73 road win against Roznava. Timea Sujova (173-G-84) was a key player in victory with 21 points and 8 assists. Round 14 is scheduled for the next weekend.

Extraliga standings
1. Good Angels 11-0
2. MBK Ruzomb. 10-1
3. Poprad 7-5
4. Samorin 6-5
5. Roznava 3-8
6. Dannax Sport 2-9
7. Cassovia K. 0-11

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SLOVENIA - Women

Standings - Women

SKL Standings

1. Triglav		9-0
2. Athlete Celje		8-1
3. AJM Maribor		7-2
4. Grosuplje		6-3
5. Ilrija		5-4
6. Jezica		4-5
7. Pomurje		3-6
8. Rogaska		2-7
9. Domzale		1-8
10. Odeja KED		0-9
Play in international cups:
1. Hit K.Gora		0-0

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SOMALIA - Women

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SOUTH KOREA - Women

Best players of WKBL round 18 - by Eurobasket News
Former international center Young-Suk Kang (187-C-81) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's leader S-Birds and that's her to receive a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 18.
The 30-year old center had a double-double of 26 points and fifteen rebounds, while her team beat Woori Hansae (#6, 2-16) 78-71. It allowed S-Birds to consolidate first place in the WKBL. S-Birds have a solid 14-3 record. Kang has many years of experience at S-Birds, through which he has constantly improved. Kang has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in points (2nd best: 17.1ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 8.3rpg) and averages solid 1.2bpg and 54.2% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 31-year old international power forward Jung Ja Sin (185-F/C-80) of Winnus. Sin impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 17 points and 14 rebounds. Bad luck as Winnus was edged by slightly higher-ranked Bichumi (#2, 11-7) 66-63. It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Winnus still maintains its place in the top 3 of the standings, even despite this loss. Her team's 10-8 record is not bad at all. Sin is well-known by Winnus fans and she already established her position as one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was former international center Ji-Hee Yang (186-C-84) of Woori Hansae (#6). Yang scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Despite Yang's great performance Woori Hansae lost 71-78 to the higher-ranked S-Birds (#1, 14-3). But her team cannot count on just a single player as she also needs help of the other teammates. Woori Hansae can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have extremely bad season and 2-16 record places them at the very bottom of the standings. Too bad for Yang she does not play for a better team. But maybe if she did, her season stats would not be that high. Yang has a very solid season. In 16 games in South Korea she scored 9.4ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Mi Sun Lee (175-G-79) of Bichumi - 14 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists
5. Jung-Eun Park (180-F-77) of Bichumi - 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Jung-Eun Kim (180-F-87) of Cool Cats - 23 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists
7. Youn-Hoa Lee (178-F-83) of S-Birds - 10 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Ji-Yoon Kim (170-G-76) of Cool Cats - 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Hye-Yoon Bae (182-F-89) of Woori Hansae - 18 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Ji-Suk Gang (198-C-79) of Cool Cats - 12 points, 7 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 - WKBL

WKBL Standings

1. S-Birds		15-3
2. Bichumi		11-7
3. Winnus		10-8
4. KB Stars		9-10
5. Cool Cats		7-10
6. Woori Hansae		2-16

WKBL Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Jung-Eun KIM
  Cool Cats
  (180-F-87)
  Avg: 19.4

1. Kim, Cool Cats	19.4
2. Jung, KB Stars	16.8
3. Kang, S-Birds	16.6
4. Kim, Cool Cats	16.3
5. Cho, Winnus	15.5
6. Lee, S-Birds	15.1
7. Han, Winnus	14.6
8. Kim, S-Birds	14.6
9. Sin, Winnus	13.6
10. Lee, Bichumi	13.6

Rebounds Per Game

Jung Ja SIN
  Winnus
  (185-F/C-80)
  Avg: 13.3

1. Sin, Winnus	13.3
2. Heo, Cool Cats	9.2
3. Kang, S-Birds	8.4
4. Kim, S-Birds	6.7
5. Jung, KB Stars	6.6
6. Kim, Bichumi	6.4
7. Gang, Cool Cats	6.4
8. Bae, Woori Hansae	6.3
9. Lee, Bichumi	6.0
10. Kim, KB Stars	5.9

Assists Per Game

Mi Sun LEE
  Bichumi
  (175-G-79)
  Avg: 7.1

1. Lee, Bichumi	7.1
2. Kim, Cool Cats	6.4
3. Choi, S-Birds	5.6
4. Lee, Winnus	4.5
5. Sin, Winnus	4.1
6. Park, KB Stars	4.1
7. Kim, S-Birds	3.8
8. Heo, Cool Cats	3.8
9. Kim, Cool Cats	3.4
10. Jung, KB Stars	3.4

Steals Per Game

Mi Sun LEE
  Bichumi
  (175-G-79)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Lee, Bichumi	2.5
2. Han, Winnus	1.9
3. Choi, S-Birds	1.6
4. Jung, KB Stars	1.6
5. Lee, S-Birds	1.4
6. Roberson, Bichumi	1.4
7. Cho, Winnus	1.2
8. Beon, KB Stars	1.1
9. Bae, Woori Hansae	1.1
10. Lim, Woori Hansae	1.0

Blocks Per Game

Sun-Hwa JUNG
  KB Stars
  (184-C/F-85)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Jung, KB Stars	1.9
2. Gang, Cool Cats	1.4
3. Sin, Winnus	1.2
4. Kang, S-Birds	1.2
5. Kim, S-Birds	1.2
6. Kim, Cool Cats	0.9
7. Kim, Woori Hansae	0.7
8. Roberson, Bichumi	0.6
9. Lee, Bichumi	0.6
10. Ha, S-Birds	0.6

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SPAIN - Women

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SWEDEN - Women

Standings - Damligan

Damligan Standings

1. Northland		13-0
2. Telge		10-1
3. Solna Vikings		8-3
4. Sallen		8-3
5. Mark Basket		7-4
6. 08		6-5
7. Norrkoping		5-7
8. Visby		3-7
9. Eos		3-8
10. Umea		2-9
11. Kvarnby		2-11
12. Jarfalla		1-9

Stats Leaders - Damligan

Points Per Game

Ashley KEY
  Mark Basket
  (177-G-85)
  Avg: 22.8

1. Key, Mark Basket	22.8
2. Nilsson, Umea	19.1
3. Nordstrom, Sallen	17.5
4. Edwards, Northland	17.4
5. Andersson, Solna V.	15.9
6. Nybom, Umea	15.8
7. Kallman, Norrkoping	15.7
8. Drammeh, Telge	15.4
9. Santos Luz, North.	15.0
10. Hagg-Myntti, Vis.	13.5

Rebounds Per Game

Jessica NILSSON
  Umea
  (184-F-89)
  Avg: 11.4

1. Nilsson, Umea	11.4
2. Brown, Visby	9.6
3. Edwards, Northland	8.9
4. Drammeh, Telge	8.5
5. Tattersdill, Sallen	8.3
6. Massamba, Norrk.	8.3
7. Zahui, Telge	8.2
8. Evans, 08	8.0
9. Key, Mark Basket	7.9
10. Bacon, Solna Viki.	7.7

Assists Per Game

Silvia SANTOS LUZ
  North.
  (173-G/F-75)
  Avg: 5.8

1. Santos Luz, North.	5.8
2. Key, Mark Basket	5.4
3. Thomas, Telge	4.8
4. Valek, Sallen	4.2
5. Avery, Solna Vikin.	4.0
6. Kabengano, Telge	3.8
7. Aili, Northland	3.8
8. Soderberg, Visby	3.6
9. Sims, Solna Vikings	3.5
10. Rutberg, 08	3.2

Steals Per Game

Ashley KEY
  Mark Basket
  (177-G-85)
  Avg: 4.9

1. Key, Mark Basket	4.9
2. Valek, Sallen	4.2
3. Sims, Solna Vikings	3.0
4. Santos Luz, North.	2.9
5. Soderberg, Visby	2.6
6. Thomas, Telge	2.6
7. Rosanio, Solna V.	2.5
8. Kallman, Norrkoping	2.4
9. Avery, Solna Vikin.	2.4
10. Neffati, Norrkopi.	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Katarina ANDERSSON
  Solna V.
  (191-C-83)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Andersson, Solna V.	1.9
2. Evans, 08	1.3
3. Forsman-Goga, Tel.	1.3
4. Zahui, Telge	1.2
5. Borodavko, Umea	1.2
6. Asoro, 08	1.1
7. Angel, Eos	1.1
8. Buaka, 08	1.0
9. Edwards, Northland	0.8
10. Findley, Eos	0.8

Andersson number one in Damligan for round 11 - by Eurobasket News
Former international center Katarina Andersson (191-C-83) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Solna Vikings, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 11.
The 28-year old player had a double-double of 28 points and 12 rebounds, while her team beat Norrkoping (#7, 5-6) 71-57. Solna Vikings is placed at 3rd position in Damligan. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Solna Vikings will need more victories to improve their 8-3 record. Andersson has many years of experience at Solna Vikings, through which he has constantly improved. Katarina Andersson has solid league stats. She is in league's top in points (7th best: 15.9ppg) and averages impressive 1.9bpg and 57.1% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 24-year old American Traci Edwards (188-F/C-87, agency: LBM Management) of league's leader Northland. Edwards had a very good evening with a double-double of 21 points and 14 rebounds. Of course Northland cruised to a 65-58 relatively comfortable win over the lower-ranked Sallen (#4, 8-3). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Northland consolidated its place in the very top position of the standings. She plays for the best team in the league and Northland managed to win all 12 games keeping perfect record. Edwards is a newcomer at Northland, but is already one of team's top players. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 17.5ppg (#4). She also registered 9.1 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was former international forward Binta Drammeh (180-F-92) of league's second-best Telge. Drammeh showcased her all-around game by recording 12 points, twelve rebounds (!!!) and five assists in the last round. She was a key player of Telge, leading her team to a 72-55 easy win against the lower-ranked Visby (#8, 3-7). Many experts and fans count Telge as a contender for championship title. Another victory and another confirmation that they may be right. Just look at their record: 9 victories and only one lost games.. Drammeh has a great season in Sweden. After 10 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.7ppg (5th best) and rebounds with 8.3rpg (4th best). She also has 2.4spg and FGP: 59.0%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Jessica Nilsson (184-F-89) of Umea - 20 points and 19 rebounds
5. Ashley Key (177-G-85) of Mark Basket - 11 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists
6. Kristin Turk (172-G-89) of Mark Basket - 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Silvia Santos Luz (173-G/F-75) of Northland - 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Agnes Nordstrom (181-G-88) of Sallen - 29 points and 8 rebounds
9. Amanda Zahui (190-C-93) of Telge - 13 points and 8 rebounds
10. Brittney Thomas (179-PG-89) of Telge - 12 points, 7 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)

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UKRAINE - Women

Olga Maznichenko erupted for undefeated Tim-Scuf - by Eurobasket News
Baltic League
Halichina - Tim-Scuf 61:111

Olga Olga Maznichenko (187-F-91, agency: LBM Management) erupted for undefeated Tim-Scuf in Baltic league against Halichina. One of the most interesting games of round 7 was a derby match between two teams from Ukraine. The game took place in Frankivsk where leader Tim-Scuf outleveled host Halichina 111:61.
The game was mostly controlled by Tim-Scuf. Halichina was better in third quarter 20-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Halichina 53-36 including 17 on the offensive glass. Tim-Scuf looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists comparing to just 9 passes made by Halichina's players. It was a very good performance for forward Olga Olga Maznichenko who helped to win the game recording 39 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists (made all of her seven free throws). Krystyna Krystyna Matsko (182-F-91) contributed with a double-double by scoring 25 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Viktoriya Pazyuk answered with 9 points and 9 rebounds and guard Katerina Katerina Polyanychka (178-G-90) added 14 points in the effort for Halichina.
Tim-Scuf have an impressive series of six victories in a row.

Tim-Scuf: Olga Maznichenko 39+9reb+7ast, Krystyna Matsko 25+13rebs, Nataliya Gavryliuk (178-F-90) 24+11rebs
Halichina: Katerina Polyanychka 14, Alisa Ievtushenko (191-C-89) 11

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UNITED KINGDOM - Women

Women's Cup semi-finals: Hatters and UWIC set up final clash - by Eurobasket News
The away teams were victorious in the Women's National Cup semi-finals as Sheffield and UWIC set up a clash in the final at Ponds Forge in Sheffield on January 29.

Hatters made the short trip to Nottingham to face Karen Burton's Wildcats and made short work of their opponents as they took the opening quarter 29-8. The remainder of the game was much more competetive, but the home team were unable to threaten overturning the deficit and Hatters eventually ran out 87-50 winners.

Stephanie Gandy and Helen Naylor (180-F-87) both scored 20 points for Sheffield as they secured their twenty-first cup final spot in the last 23 years. No-one scored more than Caitlin Flood's 12 for Nottingham.

Archers were on the road at Sevenoaks in their semi-final and the first half was hard fought with UWIC leading 46-35 at the break. A dominant third quarter, which UWIC won 29-15, ended the game as a contest and saw Archers into their second ever cup final.

Great Britain international Rose Anderson (175-G-88, college: Cent.Oklahoma) led UWIC with 25 points and Kate Butters added 21. Rosalee Mason led Sevenoaks with 22 points.

UWIC coach Damian Jennings was understandably happy with his club's end to 2011: 'It is great as a club to be in a final. Going into the festive break knowing we can prepare for silverware keeps you hungry and wanting to make the sacrifices in order to achieve. We know that everyone is preparing to play their best against us and that will be no different when we face Sheffield in the Cup final.'

Sevenoaks coach Len Busch was philosophical about the loss: 'This was probably our first real poor performance of the year. We got into serious foul trouble in the first quarter and survived that to only trail by 6 early in the third quarter, then we had a series of defensive and offensive breakdowns that resulted in a 20-2 UWIC run. UWIC is a very good team and they capitalized on most of our mistakes. The experience, as painful as it was, will make us better as we now know some areas that we need to improve on.'
Courtesy of: http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk

U18 Women squad for Belgium to be selected from 16 - by Eurobasket News
England's U18 Women squad will be travelling to Belgium at the same time as the U18 Men to take part in the Altia Belgacom tournament.

Their competition at the tournament will include the U17 national sides of Belgium and Netherlands as well as club sides from both of those countries and Slovakia and Israel.

The squad for the tournament will be selected from 16 players.

Name	Club	Region
Whitney Allen (182-G-94)	Nottingham Wildcats	East Midlands
Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott (183-PG-95)	Haringey Angels	London
Mollie Campbell (183-F-95)	Manchester Mystics	North West
Melita Emanuel-Carr	Haringey Angels	London
Cheridene Green (187-C-95)	Sevenoaks Suns	South East
Claire Harper (185-F-94)	Nottingham Wildcats	East Midlands
Shequila Joseph (189-F-95)	Haringey Angels	London
Kaitlyn Lewis (94)	Sevenoaks Suns	South East
Megan Lewis	Sevenoaks Suns	South East
Lauren Milligan (178-F-95)	Hertfordshire Warriors	South
Janice Monakana (183-F-95)	Haringey Angels	London
Ashleigh Munns (174-PG-94)	Sevenoaks Suns	South East
Denni Pedley (170-G-94)	Nottingham Wildcats	East Midlands
Ashley Tensel (165-PG-95)	Manchester Mystics	North West
Michelle Turner (163-G-94)	Barking Abbey	West Midlands
Florence Ward (170-PG-94)	Solent Suns	South

Courtesy of: http://www.englandbasketball.co.uk