EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 12/27/2011

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Men News

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  ADRIATIC LEAGUE   


Cibona lands PG Khalid El-Amin - by Eurobasket News
Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, college: Connecticut) is a new member of Cibona. The American point guard penned a one-month deal with the Zagreb team. El-Amin spent last season with Lietuvos Rytas. He appeared 15 times in Euroleague with them averaging 12.1 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds. He had slightly lower numbers in LKL and VTB United league. El-Amin got injured in March and spent rest of the season. In 2009/10, he played for Ukrainian Budivelnyk Kyiv and led them to Superlegaue Finals. Khalid El-Amin was named Eurobasket.com All-Ukrainian Superleague Player of the Year -07, 10. He won two titles with Azovmash (2006 and 2007). Khalid El-Amin also has experience from Turk Telekom Ankara and Besiktas.

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  AUSTRALIA   


Stats Leaders - NBL
Points Per Game
 Cameron TRAGARDH
  Tigers
  (209-C/F-83)
  Avg: 18.9
 1. Tragardh, Tigers18.9 
 2. Mills, Tigers18.6 
 3. Khazzouh, Kings18.5 
 4. Crawford, Croco.17.6 
 5. Lisch, Wildcats17.2 
 6. Wilson, Taipans16.9 
 7. Deleon, Blaze16.6 
 8. Warren, 36ers16.4 
 9. Wilkinson, Breakers16.4 
 10. Johnson, 36ers16.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Julian KHAZZOUH
  Kings
  (209-C-86)
  Avg: 11.1
 1. Khazzouh, Kings11.1 
 2. Holmes, Crocodiles9.6 
 3. Simpsons, 36ers8.7 
 4. Crosswhite, Taipa.8.6 
 5. Grant, Kings8.2 
 6. Johnson, 36ers7.6 
 7. Rychart, Taipans7.5 
 8. Worthington, Blaze6.8 
 9. Vukona, Breakers6.5 
 10. Saville, Hawks6.4 
Assists Per Game
 Cedric JACKSON
  Breakers
  (191-G-86)
  Avg: 5.9
 1. Jackson, Breakers5.9 
 2. Bruce, Kings5.0 
 3. Mills, Tigers5.0 
 4. Gibson, Blaze4.8 
 5. Gill, Crocodiles4.8 
 6. Crosswell, 36ers4.7 
 7. Martin, Hawks3.9 
 8. Martin, Wildcats3.5 
 9. Warren, 36ers3.4 
 10. Ubaka, Tigers3.3 
Steals Per Game
 Cedric JACKSON
  Breakers
  (191-G-86)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Jackson, Breakers2.4 
 2. Martin, Wildcats2.0 
 3. Robbins, Wildcats1.9 
 4. Mims, Crocodiles1.8 
 5. Gibson, Blaze1.5 
 6. Crawford, Croco.1.3 
 7. Tovey, Wildcats1.3 
 8. Gill, Crocodiles1.1 
 9. Worthington, Blaze1.1 
 10. Deleon, Blaze1.1 
Blocks Per Game
 Julian KHAZZOUH
  Kings
  (209-C-86)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Khazzouh, Kings2.2 
 2. Simpsons, 36ers1.5 
 3. Grant, Kings1.5 
 4. Johnson, 36ers1.4 
 5. Worthington, Blaze1.3 
 6. Knight, Wildcats1.1 
 7. Nevill, Wildcats1.0 
 8. Martin, Wildcats1.0 
 9. Crosswhite, Taipa.0.9 
 10. Abercrombie, Brea.0.9 


Standings - NBL
NBL Standings
 1. Breakers 10-4 
 2. Wildcats 9-5 
 3. Tigers 8-6 
 4. Blaze 6-5 
 5. Crocodiles 6-5 
 6. Taipans 6-7 
 7. Kings 6-8 
 8. 36ers 4-9 
 9. Hawks 3-9 


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  AUSTRIA   


It's Gameday! - by Anthony Shavies

Christmas is done an over, now it's time to look forward to a new year and new beginnings. For The Panthers the new beginning starts today. We will be playing a very good Gssing Knights team. The Knights are the first professional team I played for. So a lot of their players are good friends of mine. And one of my absolute best friends (Manuel Jandrasits) plays for them, and we'll probably be matched up against each other for parts of the game.
The friendships only intensifies this rivalry. This game is going to be a very intense battle. Should be a lot of fun!
I hope the league took note of my suggestions in blogs 3 & 4. It would be nice to see some changes for the better in the Austrian Basketball League.
The NFL playoffs are right around the corner. My favorite team the San Francisco 49ers have already clinched their spot. So I'm pretty excited about watching them on their journey to being Super Bowl Champions.
Speaking of football, did anyone else see Jerome Simpson's front flip touchdown on Sunday? Here's the link for it on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7KPZrv7JWE&feature=youtube_gdata_player). This video already has 1.2 million views in less than three days. One of the most amazing plays I've ever seen, in any sport.
Another video you should check out is my boy Barry's YouTube show (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aZudJUYDa0&feature=youtube_gdata_player). Barry is hilarious, and so is his show. However I do not endorse any of the thoughts, ideas or language used in this video, but I do laugh at them, good stuff. He's on twitter (@bdonbs_a41d) follow him, you'll never stop laughing or you'll be offended, either way you'll be entertained.
Special shout out to Elisabeth Lippe, or 'My Lizzie' as I call her. She's the most amazing person ever. She is the beautiful lady that prepares our pre-game meals, and dinner every night for me. On top of being a great cook, she's a great person. And we really appreciate her.
Shout out to my boy Kyan Brown, and the rest of the Oral Roberts University coaching staff, they got a huge win over a highly ranked Xavier University team. Look out for ORU come March, they're going to bust a lot of brackets (That's what she said). And shout out to my man Kev Payton cause he reads my blog and gives me feedback about it. And he's cooler than a ice cube in a snow storm.
I love hearing feedback, so if you have something to say holla at me. I'm on twitter (@AIShavies) so follow me...Now! Right Now!
Y'all know what time it is... (Dave Chapelle voice) 'I got jokes and jokes and jokes, spaghetti, spaghetti, spaghetti!'
Joke Time:
What do lawyers wear to court?
Lawsuits
Bonus joke...Courtesy of my man Brandon Helsel (@TheHesTweets follow him on twitter)
Knock Knock?
Who's there?
Daisy?
Daisy who?
Daisy me rollin, they hatin'
BOOM!

Roster changes in Kapfenberg - by Stefan Prager
The Kapfenberg Bulls announced a few roster changes just today. First and foremost the Bulls did not extend the contract of big man Mikhail Linskens (213-C-87, agency: R.H.Consultancy, college: Wyoming). The Belgian center appeared in 11 games for the Bulls this season. He averaged 3.9ppg along with 1.5rpg while shooting 60.7% from the field. Meanwhile wingman Chad Gray (200-F-85, agency: ARN Sports and Entertainment, college: Co.Carolina) earned an extension of his try- out contract until the end of January. Gray had 10 points and 3 rebounds in about 14 minutes in his debut for the Bulls in a win over the reigning champions from Oberwart. At last the Bulls loaned U20 National Team player Filip Kramer (200-F-92) to the UBC St. Poelten for 6 months which means the rest if the season. Krmer will return to the Bulls at the end of June and is expected to get some more minutes in Lower Austria. The cleared roster spot was given to 18 year old youngster player Daniel Gaberle (193-F-93).

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  BOSNIA   


Standings - BIH League
D1 Standings
 1. Igokea 11-1 
 2. Bosna 10-2 
 3. Capljina 9-3 
 4. Leotar 8-4 
 5. Mladost 8-4 
 6. Varda HE 7-5 
 7. Hercegovac 5-7 
 8. Borac Nektar 5-7 
 9. Zrinjski HT 4-8 
 10. Celik 3-9 
 11. Servitium 3-9 
 12. Brotnjo 3-9 
 13. Vogosca 2-10 
Play in international cups:
 1. Siroki WWin 0-0 


Stats Leaders - D1
1. LIGA BiH Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
1 Rahimic, Bosna 23.0
2 Hadzifejzovic S., 21.7
3 Vranjes N., Bor 19.4
4 Jagodic-Kuridza, 18.0
5 Gajovic G. 17.9
Rebounds Per Game
1 Jagodic-Kuridza, 13.0
2 Hadzifejzovic S., 8.9
3 Rahimic Dz., 8.3
4 Jones Marcel, 8.2
5 Pelkic B., 7.8
Assists Per Game
1 Richardson Keith, 5.6
2 Lalic Nikola, 5.6
3 Hodzic Dino 4.7
4 Doric Nenad 4.2
5 Jelcic Goran 3.9
Steals Per Game
1 Stanic 3.5
2 Radovanovic, Herce. 2.4
3 Gajovic, Hercegovac 2.3
6 Vranjes, Borac N. 1.9
7 Bijelica, Capljina 1.8
8 Lalovic, Hercegovac 1.7
9 Komatina, Mladost 1.7
10 Joksimovic, Igokea 1.6
Blocks Per Game
1 Kuzmic, Celik 1.8
2 Zimic, Bosna 1.6
3 Harvey, Igokea 0.8
4 Jocovic, Borac N. 0.8
5 Pelkic, SL IAT L. 0.7
6 Duranovic, Mladost 0.7
7 Brkic, Capljina 0.7
8 Pejovic, Hercegovac 0.7
9 Durasovic, SL IAT L. 0.7
10 Albijanic, Sloboda . 0.7


Round 13: Igokea stays on top alone, Capljina downs Bosna - by Eurobasket News
In Round 13 of the Bosnian D1, Igokea cruised past Hercegovac in Bileca 55-75 jumping to 11-1 record. Thanks to this victory and Bosna ASA BHTs loss to Capljina, Igokea stays alone on top of the standings. Marko Brkic (206-FC-82, agency: Beo Basket) led Igokea to victory against Hercegovac collecting 19 points and 6 rebounds. Marko Miletic (198-SG-92) was their second scorer with 12 pts.
As mentioned above, Capljina grabbed valuable 81-82 road victory against Bosna ASA BHT handing the Sarajevo team its second loss of the season. Bosna is No.2 now with 10-2 record, while Capljina improved its score to 9-3 (third place). Marko Jagodic Kuridza (204-C-87, agency: Sport Connect) shined for the guests with double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jozo Brkic (211-F/C-86) netted 15 points.
Also in Round 13, Vogosca smashed Celik 93-75 and Leotar was too strong for Servitium 95-77. Mladost handed 102-84 loss to Varda and Borac won in Mostar against Zrinjski 72-75.
Round 14 is scheduled for January 4.

*****************************************************
  BRAZIL   


Rashad Bishop sign with Joinville - by Paulo Freire
Joinville basketball team is back after the holidays, the new face on the roster is the new american player Rashad Bishop (198-F-88, college: Cincinnati), with 23 years old, a product of the University of Cincinnati.

The new player was playing on Elizur Ramla (Israel). Bishop said in the press conference that he comes to play in Brazil in relation to the competitiveness of the NBB and also by the opportunity to work with a coach of the qualities of Jos Alves Neto.
For center and team captain, Shilton the presence of two americans reinforcements will assist to the sequence of work, 'but without changing the focus of activities '.


XV de Piracicaba replace three players for Brazil Cup - by Paulo Freire
The director Board of the XV/Cosan/BOM Peixe Piracicaba Basketball team is working to put together their new roster for the Brazil Cup, Southeast Region. The managers announced, the new center Turcao Borges (208-C-78) of 33 years old. The athlete has 16 years in his basketball career and is knowing as a block shot power.
Coming along Turcao from the Americana Team, is the shotter Alfredo Perandini (197-F-75) The player is knowing as a 3-point shooter.
The team also sign point guard Richard De Souza (185-G-86), who played last Brazil Cup for the Paraiso Baketball team.

Basketball Directors of the XV de Piracicaba renewed the contract with the majority of the athletes who competed in the 2011 season with the team. The only players that do not follow with the team for the 2012 challenges are the swingman Feliz Baeta (195-G/F-84), the guard Mauro Savani (190-G-85) and the center Marcao Vinicius (205-C-84).


Otavio Troyano is back in the NBB, at Minas team - by Paulo Freire
The point guard Otavio Troyano (188-G-80) who played the last two years for the Paraiso Basketball team was hired by the Minas and is already training and playing with the team from the capital of Minas Gerais.

Otavio is back playing the National League, the New Basketball Brazil (NBB). Otavio has 31 years old and is a native of Pocos de Caldas city and will be one of the most experiece players at the Minas Basketball, he is excelling by donation in court and participation within the group, which has always been example of conduct.



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  BULGARIA   


Aleksandar Gruev signs in Slovenia - by Eurobasket News
Aleksandar Gruev (187-G-83, agency: Global Sports Plaza) will continue his career in Slovenia. The Bulgarian guard penned a one-month deal with Zlatorog, including the option for rest of the season. Gruev started this one with Levski Sofia. He appeared 3 times in NBL averaging 9 points and 3 assists. In November he moved to Iranian team Melli Haffari Ahvaz, but they parted ways recently. Aleksandar Gruev spent couple of years with Rilski Sportist in the past. Actually, last summer he left the club for the first time in his career. Gruev won the Balkan league title with Rilski in 2009. Last season they reached Finals. Gruev participated three times at the Bulgarian NBL All-Star game.

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  CHINA   


Gani Lawal will play in China - by Eurobasket News
Xinjiang Flying Tigers have bolstered their frontcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Gani Lawal (206-F-88, college: Georgia Tech). The Nigerian forward is meant to replace Martin Kenyon (206-F-77, college: Cincinnati). Gani Lawal played for Zastal Zielona Gora this season. He averaged 16.5 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per appearance. Last season the forward started in the Phoenix Suns. Gani Lawal then moved to the Iowa Energy. His stats read 11.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in D-League. Martin Kenyon left the team in December. He posted 13.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per appearance in CBA.


Chinese CBA round 16 best performance: Peter John Ramos - by Eurobasket News
American-Puerto Rican center Peter John Ramos (222-C-85) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Guangsha L., receiving a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 16.
The 26-year old player had a double-double of 27 points and 22 rebounds, while his team beat Jiangsu D. (#17, 3-12) 106-99. Guangsha L. maintains the 3rd position in Chinese CBA. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Guangsha L. will need more victories to improve their 11-4 record. Ramos turned to be Guangsha L.'s top player in his first season with the team. Peter John Ramos has solid league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (3rd best: 14.6rpg) and averages impressive 1.3bpg and 61.1% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 27-year old American Cartier Martin (201-G/F-84) of Jilin NE T.. Martin had a very good evening with 47 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. Bad luck as Jilin NE T. lost that game 90-100 to the higher-ranked Zhejiang C. (#4, 9-5). Jilin NE T. managed to keep the same 12th spot in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-9 record. Martin is a newcomer at Jilin NE T., but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 26.2ppg (#8). He also registered 4.4 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward Charles Gaines (201-F-81) of Shanxi Zh. (#8). Gaines got into 30-points club by scoring 35 points in the last round. He went also for sixteen rebounds . Despite Gaines' great performance Shanxi Zh. lost 106-111 to the higher-ranked Guandong ST (#2, 12-3). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing Shanxi Zh. 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 7 lost games. Gaines has a great season in China. After 14 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 28.4ppg (4th best) and rebounds with 12.9rpg (7th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Wilson Chandler (203-F-87) of Guangsha L. - 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Lester Hudson (191-G-84) of Qingdao DS - 30 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists
6. Josh Boone (208-F/C-84) of Zhejiang C. - 25 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Marcus Williams (201-F/G-86) of Shanxi Zh. - 35 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists
8. James Singleton (203-F-81) of Guandong ST - 20 points, 17 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Olumide Oyedeji (208-C/F-81) of Qingdao DS - 16 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Dejun Han (215-C-89) of Liaoning H. - 21 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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  CROATIA   


Cedevita wins in Vrsac - by Eurobasket News
Cedevita grabbed 74-78 road victory against Hemofarm on Friday night. The game was a part of Adriatic league, Round 13. Cedevita trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 47-38 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Forward Vedran Vukusic (206-F-82, college: Northwestern) nailed 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and American-Croatian guard Dontaye Draper (180-G-84, college: Charleston) accounted for 11 points and 7 assists. Guard Mladen Jeremic (196-G-88, agency: Interperformances) up with 13 points and 5 rebounds and Montenegrin power forward Ivan Maras (208-C/F-86, agency: Beo Basket) added 14 points respectively for Hemofarm in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Cedevita have a solid series of four victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Hemofarm lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the tenth place with eight games lost. Cedevita will meet Buducnost (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Hemofarm will play against Zvezda (#13) in Beograd and hope to secure a win.
Cibona played very exciting game against Helios in Domzale, but lost it at the end 78-76. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 22-18. But Cibona won second period 21-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Helios forced 19 Cibona turnovers. American guard D.J. Gay (183-G-89, college: San Diego St.) nailed 26 points and 6 steals for the winning side and guard Klemen Prepelic (191-G-92) accounted for 18 points. Helios' coach Zmagoslav Sagadin used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Guard Davor Kus (191-G-78, agency: Interperformances) up with 19 points and 5 assists and center Andrija Zizic (207-C-80, agency: Beo Basket) added 18 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Cibona in the defeat. Four Cibona players scored in double figures. Helios moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Crvena Zvezda. Loser Cibona keeps the seventh position with six games lost. Helios will meet higher ranked HKK Siroki WWin (#9) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Cibona will play against Radnicki K. in Kragujevac and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Zagreb will meet Siroki on January 3.

Cibona lands PG Khalid El-Amin - by Eurobasket News
Khalid El-Amin (178-G-79, college: Connecticut) is a new member of Cibona. The American point guard penned a one-month deal with the Zagreb team. El-Amin spent last season with Lietuvos Rytas. He appeared 15 times in Euroleague with them averaging 12.1 points, 3.3 assists and 1.9 rebounds. He had slightly lower numbers in LKL and VTB United league. El-Amin got injured in March and spent rest of the season. In 2009/10, he played for Ukrainian Budivelnyk Kyiv and led them to Superlegaue Finals. Khalid El-Amin was named Eurobasket.com All-Ukrainian Superleague Player of the Year -07, 10. He won two titles with Azovmash (2006 and 2007). Khalid El-Amin also has experience from Turk Telekom Ankara and Besiktas.

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  CYPRUS   


Etha adds Djikanovic - by Chris Mammides
Santa Claus brought a center for the Engomis team! Savo Djikanovic (211-C-75) who join forces only 3 weeks ago with Marousi and was free to go as Coach Linardos decided that he can't be of a vital assistance to the winless team of Maroussi, is now officially Etha's player.

The Montenegrin center is an experienced center who spent most of his career in the Greek courts while last season he spent some months in the Cyprus courts with the jersey of Achilleas Kaimakli being among the stand outs not only of the Kaimakli team but of the league itself as he ended the season in the top seat of the rebounders while his 15 points helped Achilleas to reached the 4th place in the regular season.

Savo played for the first time in the Greek courts in the season 2002-2003 where he was wearing for a short time the jersey of Olympiakos in the Euroleague competition. From then and on he played in Olympia Larissas, Kolossos Rodou, two seasons in Trikalla, in Achilleas Kaimakli and then for the remaining of the season he played in Ikaros Kallitheas while this season for less than a month he offered his services in Maroussi.

Intercollege Etha Engomis will now have a pair of twin towers as Djikanovic will play together with Watkins in the paint of their opponents.
Etha is facing big troubles in the paint and since the departure of Anthony King the team cant find its balance, that is the basic reason why this season the teams performance is not the same as last seasons amazing double era.



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  D-LEAGUE   


Red Claws get their make-amends victory - by Eurobasket News
The beauty of a quick turnaround game is the opportunity for redemption and a chance to quickly restore some much-needed confidence.

The Maine Red Claws capitalized on that opportunity Saturday.

Just over 12 hours after an epic collapse against the Iowa Energy, the Red Claws rebounded with a 101-86 victory over the Energy in front of 2,835 at the Portland Expo.

'It would have been terrible if we played (Friday) and then our next game was next week,' said Red Claws forward Paul Harris (6'5''-F-86, college: Syracuse). 'That would have been hurtful. It was good that we got to come back the next day.

'But we have to remember, you don't always get a second chance.'

The Red Claws didn't show any signs of a hangover from coughing up a 21-point third-quarter lead in a 111-102 loss Friday night.

They got off to a good start, building a 7-2 lead in the opening three minutes. That lead held until the late stages of the period, when Maine went on a 9-0 run, which included five points by Dominic Calegari to up the advantage to 26-14.

Harris paced the Red Claws in the quarter with 12 of his 17 points.

Meanwhile, instead of picking up where they left off, the Energy couldn't find their range in the opening quarter, shooting just 23.8 percent.

Mike Tisdale sparked an 8-0 Red Claws run early in the second quarter with six straight points that upped the lead to 34-20 midway through the period. The 14-point bulge was the biggest of the half.

The teams hit the break with Maine leading, 46-35.

'I've learned that when you play back-to-back games, you have to have a very short memory,' said Red Claws Coach Dave Leitao.

'When we came in this morning we had to review some of the stuff from yesterday, not to point out mistakes but to quickly understand that we had to clean up some stuff. We presented it as a challenge moving forward.'

The Red Claws ensured that a second straight second-half collapse was not going to happen with a solid third quarter.

After sinking only one 3-pointer on six tries in the opening half, Maine drained all seven attempts in the third quarter. Justin Brownlee was successful on all four of his long-distance attempts in the period, accounting for 12 of his game-high 21 points.

Maine led 79-61 heading into the final quarter.

'We definitely knew that third quarter was going to be important for us,' said Brownlee, who also collected a game-high 14 rebounds. 'We wanted to keep that lead, keep attacking and keep being aggressive.'

Andrew Drevo (6'8''-F/C-81, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Nebraska) and Darion Anderson paced the Energy with 15 points each.

Courtesy of www.pressherald.com

Armor rally to force OT before succumbing to Skyforce 103-99 - by Eurobasket News
Springfield came unbelievably close to spoiling a Christmas Day tradition in Sioux Falls despite doing next to nothing on the offensive end for two quarters.

The Armor blew a 14-point edge in the first half and then rallied from a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime. They even had a shot to win in the final seconds of the extra session before dropping a 103-99 decision to the Skyforce in NBA D-League play before a crowd of 3,622 at Sioux Falls Arena.

'I thought we came out and played well early', Springfield coach Bob MacKinnon said. 'And then I thought our second and third quarters we didn't play with the same intensity and we kind of played like a tired team.'

The Armor (7-5) were playing their third road game in four days, but if theyre tired now, what will their condition be toward the tail end of this 16-day swing?

They were anything but weary early and late.

Springfield shot 58 percent and scored 35 points in the first quarter to take a 14-point lead. The squad put up 30 in the fourth, overcoming a 15-point deficit. The key to the rally: Going small and young.

The Armor both pushed the tempo and got going from deep, hitting five 3-pointers after totaling just three through three quarters. The last was the largest Jerry Smith (6'2''-PG-84, college: Samford) banking in a trey from the left elbow with less than 4 seconds to go. In the final 16 seconds of overtime, Smith had another good look for the lead and Springfield had a shot at the rim, but both missed the mark.

Of course, it wasnt late execution that cost the Armor their two-game win streak so much as the muddling middle.

They went 3 of 21 from the field and committed five turnovers in totaling 11 points in the second quarter, equaling the fewest allowed by the Skyforce in any quarter this season. Springfield wasnt much more successful in the third, going 6 of 21 from the floor with six turnovers and managing just 13 points to fall into a 13-point hole.

What helped us out the most this game was defensive (preparedness), said Sioux Falls forward Anthony Mason (6'7''-F-87, college: St.John's), son of the NBA veteran. We knew they were going to shoot a lot of 3s, and we were going to try to run them off (the 3-point line), and our defensive rotation helped us out a lot.

The Skyforce also rebounded relatively well considering it lost the overall board battle 51-46, marking the 12th time this season the Armor have had an edge in that stat. Mason finished with 12 boards to go along with 22 points, Charles Garcia (6'9''-F-88, college: Seattle) also had a dozen boards and 22 points, and guard Dominique Coleman (6'3''-G-84, college: Colorado) grabbed 11 rebounds to go with 18 points with eight assists.

For the Armor, Jameson Curry (6'4''-G-86, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Oklahoma St.) led the way with 21 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, while Smith scored 17 off the bench. Jamar Brown (6'9''-F/C-80, college: Colorado St.-Pueblo) had a team-high 12 rebounds.

Both teams looked better than they did less than two weeks ago, each returning three players (while losing one apiece) from NBA training camps. But the Skyforce prevailed, running their Christmas Day record to 12-10 dating back to their CBA days.. The Armor were supposed to take part in that tradition a big deal in Sioux Falls in 2009, except the contest was postponed due to blizzard conditions. MacKinnon is not a fan of the tradition, and he wasnt pleased with the result.

I think its wrong, he said. The NBA players get paid a lot of money, and our players dont. I think our league should take a week off for Christmas. I think its wrong to play this game on Christmas, and not have our people with their families.

Courtesy of www.masslive.com

Pruitt is back at Sioux Falls Skyforce - by Eurobasket Center
Sioux Falls Skyforce signed 25-year old guard Gabe Pruitt (193-G-84kg-86, college: USC). Its actually Pruitts comeback to Sioux Falls S. as he played here before. In his first game he scored 2 points and added 3 assists helping his new team beat Springfield A. 103-99. Pruitt played most recently at Orlando Magic (NBA). He graduated University of Southern California in 2007 and actually missed last season. It will be his fifth season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Courtney PIGRAM
  Maine RC
  (185-G-85)
  Avg: 27
 1. Pigram, Maine RC27.0 
 2. Costner, Los A.25.1 
 3. Sloan, Erie Bay H.24.8 
 4. Ahearn, Reno B.24.6 
 5. Millsap, Los A.23.2 
 6. Dentmon, Austin T.22.4 
 7. Biggs, Canton C.21.6 
 8. Famous, Iowa E.21.0 
 9. Russell, Ft.Wayne.20.8 
 10. Jones, Ft.Wayne20.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Marcus LEWIS
  Tulsa 66ers
  (203-F/C-86)
  Avg: 13
 1. Lewis, Tulsa 66ers13.0 
 2. Butch, Bakersfi.12.5 
 3. Famous, Iowa E.12.2 
 4. Daniels, Erie B.11.4 
 5. Milligan, Canton C.11.0 
 6. Brown, Springfield9.9 
 7. Thomas, Reno B.9.7 
 8. Ojougboh, Tulsa9.2 
 9. Palmer, Bakersfi.9.0 
 10. Withers, Dakota W.8.9 
Assists Per Game
 Walker RUSSELL
  Ft.Wayne.
  (183-G-82)
  Avg: 10.8
 1. Russell, Ft.Wayne.10.8 
 2. Sloan, Erie Bay H.8.4 
 3. Cooksey, Texas L.8.0 
 4. Ahearn, Reno B.7.6 
 5. Tinsley, Los A.7.6 
 6. Coleman, Sioux F.7.2 
 7. Ewing, Iowa E.7.0 
 8. Bozeman, Reno B.6.3 
 9. Curry, Springfield6.0 
 10. Hayes, Maine RC5.8 
Steals Per Game
 Elijah MILLSAP
  Los A.
  (198-G-87)
  Avg: 3.5
 1. Millsap, Los A.3.5 
 2. Curry, Springfield2.8 
 3. Tinsley, Los A.2.4 
 4. Russell, Ft.Wayne.2.4 
 5. Fortson, Los A.2.1 
 6. Harris, Rio G.2.1 
 7. Coleman, Sioux F.2.1 
 8. Smith, Springfield2.0 
 9. Hamilton, Los A.2.0 
 10. Braimoh, Rio G.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.3.8 
 3. Daniels, Erie B.2.2 
 4. Thompson, Erie B.2.0 
 5. Gladness, Dakota1.8 
 6. Ojougboh, Tulsa1.8 
 7. Dove, Dakota W.1.7 
 8. Kent, Maine RC1.7 
 9. Major, Bakersfi.1.7 
 10. Anderson, Dakota1.6 


*****************************************************
  EUROLEAGUE   


Zalgiris signs F Reeves Nelson - by Eurobasket News
Zalgiris Kaunas announced signing of Reeves Nelson (203-F) for rest of the season. The deal also includes option for the 2012/13. Nelson will help the team at forward position. Reeves Nelson is a product of the UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles), where he had 13.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg in 34 games last season. He spent just two years with the school. Nelson was named All-Pac-10 1st Team -11 and also NABC Division I All-District 20 2nd Team -11.

'He is one of the most promising college basketball players. Not only he can help us a lot on defense but also on offense. He can also play at the small forward position and hit mid-range jumper,' Zalgiris sports director Vitoldas Massalski said. 'He was a lot of character and the fact that we signed him does not mean that he will take someone else's spot.'

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


KORISLIIGA: Jeremy Williams leaves France for Finland - by Rauno Hurmalainen
KTP Basket (Kotka) Team management cannot relax even during Christmas time. American Center Amal McCaskill left Finland just before Christmas and will continue his
basketball career in South Korea. KTP has found a replacement from France, where American SF Jeremy Williams (200-SF-87, college: UTEP) was starting his international career in ProB (Quimper UJAP) League. Williams was not happy with his minutes (18,5 mpg: 6,6 ppg - 2,9 rpg) in Quimper and is now on the way to Kotka, Finland. McCaskill played only five games on KTP roster averaging 14,4 ppg - 8,8 rpg in 28:12 mpg. Williams is not a center, but new Head Coach Sami Toiviainen has decided to give Williams a chance.
The newcomer on Vilpas (Salo) roster is American Forward Allen Durham (198-F-88). After four years (2007-11) at Grace Bible College (NCCAA2) Durham started this season in Romania (CS Dinamo, Bucharest), where he was top league third leading scorer (23,3 ppg) and the leading rebounder (13,7 rpg) after 15 rounds.



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


Standings - 1. Bundesliga
1.Bundesliga Standings
 1. Brose Baskets 10-2 
 2. Ratiopharm 10-2 
 3. ALBA 9-2 
 4. Art.Dragons 9-4 
 5. NY Phantoms 8-6 
 6. B.Muenchen 8-6 
 7. s.Oliver Baskets 8-6 
 8. Bremerhaven 7-6 
 9. Telekom Baskets 7-6 
 10. EWE Baskets 6-6 
 11. Bayreuth 6-7 
 12. Walter Tigers 5-8 
 13. Fraport SKY 5-9 
 14. LTi 46ers 5-9 
 15. Phoenix Hagen 5-9 
 16. EnBW L'burg 4-9 
 17. TBB Trier 4-9 
 18. Goettingen 2-12 


Stats Leaders - 1.Bundesliga
Points Per Game
 Bobby BROWN
  EWE Baskets
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 18.9
 1. Brown, EWE Baskets18.9 
 2. Holston, Art.Drag.18.2 
 3. Carter, Phoenix17.4 
 4. Gray, Fraport SKY16.0 
 5. Wood, ALBA15.6 
 6. Foster, B.Muenchen15.5 
 7. Ensminger, Teleko.15.2 
 8. Swann, Ratiopharm15.1 
 9. Jonusas, Phoenix15.0 
 10. Brooks, Phoenix14.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 John BRYANT
  Ratiopharm
  (208-C-87)
  Avg: 9.8
 1. Bryant, Ratiopharm9.8 
 2. Ensminger, Teleko.8.2 
 3. Evans, Goettingen8.0 
 4. Chubb, EWE Baskets8.0 
 5. Leuer, Fraport SKY7.8 
 6. Davidson, Fraport7.7 
 7. Troutman, B.Mue.6.9 
 8. Sykes, Goettingen6.9 
 9. Watts, Ratiopharm6.7 
 10. Zirbes, TBB Trier6.4 
Assists Per Game
 Jared JORDAN
  Telekom .
  (188-PG-84)
  Avg: 7.6
 1. Jordan, Telekom7.6 
 2. Holston, Art.Drag.5.8 
 3. Wood, ALBA5.5 
 4. Joyce, TBB Trier5.4 
 5. Brewer, Bremerha.5.1 
 6. Brown, EWE Baskets5.0 
 7. Campbell, Walter T.4.5 
 8. Hamann, B.Muenchen4.5 
 9. Gibson, Bayreuth4.4 
 10. Gavel, Brose B.3.7 
Steals Per Game
 Nate LINHART
  TBB Trier
  (201-F-86)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Linhart, TBB Trier1.8 
 2. Dorris, EnBW L.1.8 
 3. Holston, Art.Drag.1.5 
 4. Wood, ALBA1.5 
 5. Carter, Phoenix1.5 
 6. Crowe, Phoenix1.4 
 7. Tucker, Brose B.1.3 
 8. Redding, Walter T.1.3 
 9. Gavel, Brose B.1.2 
 10. Burrell, EWE B.1.2 
Blocks Per Game
 Tony GAFFNEY
  Teleko.
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Gaffney, Teleko.2.2 
 2. Ibekwe, Bayreuth2.2 
 3. Slaughter, Brose B.1.9 
 4. Looby, EnBW L.1.8 
 5. Davidson, Fraport1.7 
 6. Pleiss, Brose B.1.5 
 7. Constantine, Phoen.1.3 
 8. Bryant, Ratiopharm1.2 
 9. King, Art.Dragons1.2 
 10. Redding, Walter T.1.2 


Statistical leaders of the 1. Regionalliga South-West - by Moritz Korff
While the players are enjoying the christmas break and a couple of days of rest, let's take a look at the statistical leaders of the 1. Regionalliga South-West. Only players who appeared in at least six games so far this season have been listed.

Efficiency per game:
1. Ricky Easterling (188-G-83, college: Bridgewater) - Saarlouis: 31.9
2. Willie Whitfield (198-F, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Barry) - Mainz: 25.9
3. Robinson Louisme (201-F/C-84, college: Tulane) - Konstanz: 24.6
4. Mensah Taylor (198-F-80, college: Gardner-Webb) - Goeppingen: 24.0
5. Vildan Mitku (200-F-83) - Tuebingen: 19.8
6. Sebastian Riedel - Freiburg: 18.9
7. Peter Klemm (197-F-85) - Tuebingen: 18.5
7. Darrell Bullock (185-G, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Wells) - Voelklingen-Warndt: 18.5
9. Joseph Roberson (193-F-83, college: Concordia Irvine) - Treis-Karden: 17.6
10. Dominique Tholey (201-F-89) - Treis-Karden: 17.3

Scoring:
1. Ricky Easterling (188-G-83, college: Bridgewater) - Saarlouis: 32.6ppg
2. Elnis Prasovic (202-F-84) - Schwenningen: 22.8ppg
3. Darrell Bullock - Voelklingen-Warndt: 22.4ppg
4. Vildan Mitku - Tuebingen: 21.1ppg
5. Mensah Taylor (198-F-80, college: Gardner-Webb) - Goeppingen: 20.9ppg
6. Willie Whitfield (198-F, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Barry) - Mainz: 20.3ppg
7. Robinson Louisme (201-F/C-84, college: Tulane) - Konstanz: 18.6ppg
8. Rodney Scruggs (190-G-82) - Goeppingen: 18.2ppg
9. Joseph Roberson (193-F-83, college: Concordia Irvine) - Treis-Karden: 17.7ppg
10. Alexander Goolsby (191-G-87) - Trier: 15.8ppg

Rebounding:
1. Willie Whitfield (198-F, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Barry) - Mainz: 11.4rpg
2. Mensah Taylor (198-F-80, college: Gardner-Webb) - Goeppingen: 10.3rpg
3. Robinson Louisme (201-F/C-84, college: Tulane) - Konstanz: 10.0rpg
4. Sebastian Riedel - Freiburg: 9.8rpg
5. Jay Thomas (193-F-79, college: Cent.Washington) - Speyer: 9.5rpg
6. Tomislav Topic (204-C/F-78) - Schwenningen: 9.3rpg
7. Pascal Zimmer (198-C) - Voelklingen-Warndt: 9.1rpg
8. Peter Klemm (197-F-85) - Tuebingen: 8.8rpg
9. Vildan Mitku - Tuebingen: 8.4rpg
10. Elnis Prasovic - Schwenningen: 7.7rpg

Assists:
1. Tobias Stoll (186-F-83, college: Cent.Washington) - Heidelberg: 5.6apg
2. Ricky Easterling (188-G-83, college: Bridgewater) - Saarlouis: 5.0apg
3. Darrell Bullock - Voelklingen-Warndt: 4.6apg
3. Jay Thomas (193-F-79, college: Cent.Washington) - Speyer: 4.6apg
5. Oumar Sylla (201-F-84, college: Richmond) - Konstanz: 4.0apg

Steals:
1. Tobias Stoll (186-F-83, college: Cent.Washington) - Heidelberg: 3.1spg
2. Joseph Roberson (193-F-83, college: Concordia Irvine) - Treis-Karden: 2.6spg
3. Mensah Taylor (198-F-80, college: Gardner-Webb) - Goeppingen: 2.5spg
4. Jonas Leidel (193-F-87) - Stuttgart: 2.4spg
5. Philipp Schoen (196-G/F-87) - Mainz: 2.1spg

Blocked Shots:
1. Willie Whitfield (198-F, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Barry) - Mainz: 1.8bpg
2. Robinson Louisme (201-F/C-84, college: Tulane) - Konstanz: 1.7bpg
3. Markus Bretz (201-F-87) - Goeppingen: 1.4bpg
4. Dominique Tholey (201-F-89) - Treis-Karden: 1.2bpg
5. Kilian Dietz (202-C-90) - Trier: 1.0bpg

Source: www.basketball-bund.net

German ProA round 16 best performance: Justin Howard - by Eurobasket News
American center Justin Howard (208-C-81) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Karlsruhe, receiving a Eurobasket.com ProA Player of the Week award for round 16.
The 30-year old player had a double-double of 30 points and 14 rebounds, while his team beat Webmoebel (#8, 8-7) 87-79. Karlsruhe maintains the 14th position in German ProA. Karlsruhe is currently ranked second from the bottom. They need more victories to improve their 5-10 record. Howard turned to be Karlsruhe's top player in his first season with the team. Former Mercer University star has very solid stats this year. Howard. Howard is in league's top in points (8th best: 17.5ppg) and averages impressive 62.0% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was -year old American Mark Hill (180-G) of Crailsheim. Hill had a very good evening with 21 points, 2 rebounds and 9 assists. Of course Crailsheim cruised to a 101-93 relatively comfortable win over the lower-ranked Leitershofen (#15, 2-13). Crailsheim's 3rd position in the standings has not changed. His team's 10-5 record is not bad at all. Hill is a newcomer at Crailsheim, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American guard Jaivon Harris (197-G-82) of NBC (#6). Harris scored 26 points and passed four assists. He was a key player of NBC, leading his team to a 91-76 easy win against the lower-ranked Cuxhaven (#12, 6-9). NBC needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 8 victories and 7 lost games. Harris has a great season in Germany. After 15 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 4.7rpg (6th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Takumi Ishizaki (188-PG-84) of Chemnitz - 29 points and 2 rebounds
5. Kosta Karamatskos (197-G-86) of Braves - 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Darryl Webb (198-F-88) of Crailsheim - 28 points and 7 rebounds
7. Cedric Brooks (185-G-80) of Kirchheim - 22 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Jefferson Mason (198-G-88) of Webmoebel - 18 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Lee Jeka (187-G-83) of Braves - 25 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists
10. DeWayne Richardson (202-C-77) of Leitershofen - 20 points and 4 rebounds

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

Dane Watts (ratiopharm Ulm) Pregame Thoughts To Telekom Baskets Bonn Game December 28th - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Dane Watts (203-F-86, agency: Pro One Sports) is a 25 year old 203cm forward from Warrensburg, Missouri. He is playing his first season for ratiopharm Ulm. He played at Creighton (NCAA) from 2004-2008 with NBA player Anthony Tolliver. In his senior year, he played 33 games: 11.3ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 53.4%, 3Pts: 42.5%, FT: 71.8%. In 2008, he came to Germany and started his professional basketball career with EnBW Ludwigsburg (Germany-1.Bundesliga, starting five): 32 games: 8.9ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP-1 (68.4%), 3PT: 30.8%, FT: 68.7%. In 2009-2010, he came to The Walter Tigers Tuebingen playing 34 games: 10.2ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.5apg, FGP: 57.1%, 3PT: 37.6%, FT: 71.0%. Last season for Tuebingen, he played 33 games: 13.7ppg, Reb-4 (7.6rpg), 1.1apg, 1.2spg, FGP: 57.9%, 3PT: 36.7%, FT: 54.5%; in May'11 moved to Hyeres-Toulon Var Basket (France-ProA): 3 games: 7.0ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg. At Creighton, he won awards such as MVC Tournament Winner -05, 07, MVC All-Freshman Team -05, MVC Regular Season Runner-Up -07, and MVC Tournament Semifinals -08. He spoke to eurobasket before the game against the Telekom Baskets Bonn December 27th.

A tough 89-58 loss against Alba Berlin. ratiopharm Ulm had problems scoring in the second and fourth quarters. What were the main reasons for the loss?

We did not get the defensive rebounds after we had stops, they got to the loose balls more consistently. Then they simply made shots.

You cant use the fact that John Bryant didnt play as an excuse for losing, but how much had Bryant changed the dimension of the game had he played?

We will not make excuses for this game, they out played us on that day. John is a big presence on both ends of the floor for us, we will see when we match up again.

You saw Bamberg earlier in the season and now Alba Berlin. If the playoffs started tomorrow, would Alba Berlin be the team to beat?

With a 9 game winning streak you could say they are the hottest team right now.

The next game is against The Telekom Baskets Bonn. What has been your impression of the club this season?

They got off to a hot start, have some new faces and also brought back a good passer with Jordan.

They have a very strong starting five, but thin bench. What will be key in getting the win?

Playing our game defensively and continuing to share the ball as a team, when we use our depth we are at our best.

How challenging will it be facing Tony Gaffney who was on the Celtics and Lakers rosters? What will you have to keep an eye most on his game?

He runs the floor extremely hard and Jordan finds him a lot for dunks an easy finishes, we have to stay with him and limit easy transition buckets.


The Hornets won their first exhibition game against the Memphis Grizzlies 96-90 with a strong Jarrett Jack at PG. The team played without the three ex Clippers that were acquired in the Chris Paul trade. What can we expect from the Hornets this season?

I think they will be a respectable team, shouldn't be in a lottery spot but I don't think they are a playoff team yet.


What do you remember most getting in your Christmas stocking?

Usually some of the best stuff was in the stockings, gift cards, video games, etc.

Thanks Dane for the chat.



The Fraport Skyliners Play Point Guard By Committee Perplexing BG Goettingen 78-65 - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
For some teams performing well and wining in the past in the Lok Halle was equal to basketball cruelty as for some it was as difficult to to deny that actress Lindsay Lohan doesnt have the arsenal be called a Playboy success ,for basketball superstar Kobe Bryant to deny his women exploits to the basketball wives of America,or Tim Tebow supporters recovering after Tom Brady and the New England Patriots brought him and the Denver Broncos back to reality after the crushing 41-23 loss last weekend. For the Skyliners in the past, winning in the Lok Halle wasnt always tough as they finished there with a 2-2 record the last four years. Who could forget the 74-67 victory in 2008, where half the team was sick and Maksym Shtein was the hero for 24 hours mowing down the opposition in Ukrainian train style with 24 points or last season their 70-58 win as Dashaun Wood and Roger Powell took control with 18 points a piece. The Lokhalle era came to an end last season as this season, the team moved into the Sparkassen arena and The Fraport Skyliners wanted to send a positive new trend as they left the new home of BG Goettingen with a big 78-65 win. For injured BG Goettingen guard Louis Dale leaving the Lok halle wasnt easy, but the Sparkassen halle is already stirring up a lot of noise. We have many new players, so there really wasnt any adjustment for them as they never played in the Lok Halle. This arena is brighter, but the atmosphere is still good. When the game is on the line, it can get very loud in here, stressed BG Goettingen American Louis Dale. After the big win, new Skyliner Jacob Burtschi was all smiles and didnt boast about his hot three point shooting, but was drilled about the new arena. This is a good arena and can get loud. This arena can be very intimidating, because the ceiling is low and you seem to be packed in. It is more intimidating playing in a smaller packed arena than in Berlin where it is more of an open arena, warned ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi.

On the second German Christmas holiday, the Beko BBL only had one game on the schedule with a real cellar duel as 18th placed BG Goettingen had to play a very injury plagued Fraport Skyliners team who were without Justin Gray, Tim Ohlbrecht and Danilo Barthel. The team also got a rude surprise as only point guard Michael Thompson hurt his shoulder recently in practice and had to sit out the game. The Fraport Skyliners had to play a six man rotation as Johannes Herber, Jimmy McKinney (192-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Missouri) and Quantez Robertson played the full 40 minutes and the team had no classic point guard. JimmyMckinney had to play the point and did a fine job as the team continues to do an excellent job taking care of the ball as it only had eight team turnovers. Skyliner team captain was ecstatic after the win in Hagen, was a bit more calm after the win in Braunschweig and even more composed after the third road win in a row in the Beko BBL in Goettingen. This was a great win. We had no point guard as Thompson had hurt his shoulder. We fought for 40 minutes and every one stepped up. I have a lot of respect for our team. Johannes Herber wasnt even supposed to play, but he wanted to play so bad and not let the team down. Mckinney had a great game, Tez as always gave so much energy and Burtschi hit big three pointers when we needed them most in the fourth quarters and just made great decisions. We showed so much moral today, stressed Marius Nolte. For BG Goettingen, they continue to be on a steep roller coast ride deeper and deeper into the beko BBL cellar as they showed a strong first quarter, but couldnt match the overall intensity of the Fraport Skyliners in the last 30 minutes as they fought and fought, but couldnt get over the hump and recover the lead. We had too many lapses. We have to play well for 40 minutes. We played well in Bayreuth and against Ulm, but couldnt play well the whole 40 minutes. When we suffer a drought, it costs us the game. We werent as aggressive in the last 30 minutes. We didnt get to the free throw line enough and should of sped up the tempo more, because they had injuries. It was the little things that cost us the game, stressed 2009 top scorer in Holland Matt Bauscher. We played point guard by committee. We all had to step up to be better and showed what we were capable of doing, warned Jacob Burtschi.

It is always fascinating to see what interesting things can be observed before the jump ball is served and the game finally starts. The first thing that really stood out in the Sparkassen arena was the traces of purple around the floor as the color of BG Goettingen was still very much alive even if the Lokhalle was dark an din basketball retirement. Jermareo Davidson was already pumped before the game smiling and singing along to the rap music that was blaring out of the speakers, Skyliner PRO B player Tim Oldenburg was on the roster and was as focused in warm ups as if he was ready to play for 40 minutes, Paris Horne was displaying acrobatic dunks and ex teammates Jimmy McKinney and Max Weber had a friendly get together at center court. When the game finally started, German national player Johannes Herber quickly hit his first two shots as the Fraport Skyliners led 5-2. Herber had also had aquick start in Braunschweig a week earlier and had something in his eyes that seemed to forecast something good happening on this day for his team. However the quick momentum quickly changed hands BG Goettingen sped out on a 11-1 run to lead 13-6 as Raymond Sykes was hurting Frankfurt inside and American Jerel Allen was hitting seemingly from every where outside except from the Goettingen train station.Sykes was getting inside often getting put backs and taking advantage of the soft Frankfurt defense inside. Frankfurt needed a quick spark and found it with St Louis native Jimmy McKinney who nailed two pull up jumper to cut the BG Goettingen lead to 13-10. However BG Goettingen continued to score finishing the first quarter with a 9-6 run to lead 24-16. BG Goettingen was sparked by two three pointers by Allen and got production from St Johns star Paris Horne who hit a bomb. It took ex NBA player Jermareo Davidson to get going as he slowly started to find his rhythm in the last two minutes registering four points. We had a good first quarter. We found our shooters who were open and we hit our shots which gave Frankfurt problems, stressed BG Goettingen CEO Marc Franz. We werent rebounding well and they hit many three pointers. We may have been playing good defense, but they hit all their shots, commented Skyliner center Marius Nolte. BG Goettingen was shooting 59% from the field and 67% from outside while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 40% from the field and 25% from outside. BG Goettingen was totally dominating the boards 11-4, but had three turnovers while Frankfurt only had one turnover.

For anyone to say that basketball is not a game of runs is a liar, because runs happen on a regular basis and after BG Goettingen had their turn in the first quarter, it was time for the Fraport Skyliners in the second quarter as they jumped on their opponent going on a 14-3 run to retake the lead 30-27. Even though Jermareo Davidson started to slowly heat up, it was the Davidson show, but the Fraport Skyliners show as the team got support from five players. Herber got the run going with another three pointer which was followed by two Davidson buckets as Frankfurt still trailed 24-23. Horne then nailed a three pointer, but Frankfurt remained consistent on offense. Jacob Burtschi got on the score board with a lay up with his left hand, Mckinney dropped a bomb from downtown and Quantez Robertson came speeding from the wing getting an extra pass from Davidson and lay the ball in the hole. Frankfurt had increased their defensive intensity as Davidson was going on a block festival as he finished with six in total and Frankfurt was defending well as a team for example a Johannes Herber coming to help out forcing a turnover. Davidson is very athletic and long and we get beat on the drive, he steps up and blocks shots, stressed Jacob Burtschi. Sykes then hit a step up jumper, which was followed by a nifty play by Robertson who drove and did a fake pass movement to Nolte and finished himself. Both teams traded hoops again as Sykes and Nolte scored. The Fraport Skyliners had the slim 34-31 lead at halftime. We had problems finding our game and Frankfurt did a good job finding guys as Herber hit shots and Davidson was scoring in the paint, added BG Goettingen CEO Marc Franz. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 44% from the field and 38% from the three point line while BG Goettingen was shooting 43% from the field and 42% from the three point line. BG Goettingen still dominated the glass 19-13, but had 10 turnovers while Frankfurt only had four turnovers.

In the third quarter, the Fraport Skyliners quickly jumped out on a 7-2 run to lead as they led 41-33. Jermareo Davidson scored five of the seven points as he scored on a mid distance jumper and lay in all the while also continuing to be a force block Max Weber and Raymond Sykes shots. Sykes who was the go to man for BG Goettingen continued to pose big problems for Frankfurt inside as he created havoc inside making a tip in off a Bauscher miss and scoring inside as Davidson was a step to late as BG Goettingen trailed only 45-40. Mckinney then hit two consecutive shots making a nice cross over against Weber who stayed with the American as he hit the fade away and the St Louis native them made a catch and pop from the wing. Sykes then hit two free throws as Frankfurt led only 47-44. However whenever BG Goettingen threatened to retake the lead, they always came up with an answer as Frankfurt continued to find different ways tos core as Nolte played match maker finding Herber speeding into the lane and finding him with a perfect pass and easy layup. Sykes split the defense again with a massive dunk as BG Goettingen trailed 49-46, but Mckinney took advantage of the lax BG Goettingen defesne penetrating and scoring and Burtschi nailing a big three pointer. Sykes finished the scoring in the third quarter with an easy lay up as the Frankfurt defense was sleeping. After three quarters, the Fraport Skyliners were leading 54-48. Bg Goettingen stayed resilient and fought back. We gave up easy layups, but always had an answer to keep the lead, stressed Jacob Burtschi. Frankfurt hit many contested shots and when we made apush, they answered with big shots, expressed Matt Baucsher. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 48% from the field and 40% from the parking lot while BG Goettingen was shooting 41% from the field and 38% from the parking lot. BG Goettingen still had the 25-21 rebound edge, but had suffered 12 turnovers while Frankfurt had only six turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners seemed to improve as the game wore on and in the fourth quarter, everything seemed to totally fall in place on offense and defense as they were able to shut the door on BG Goettingen. Davidson got the Fraport Skyliners on the board first with a lay in, but BG Goettingen continued to pressure Frankfurt as they continued to battle with the heart of a lion German PhilipNoch made a free throw and Sykes scored as BG Goettingen trailed only 56-51. However, the Fraport Skyliners got timely shots the whole fourth quarter which was started by a Burtschi three pointer and one Davidson free throw as BG Goettingen trailed 60-51. Scoring guard Matt Bauscher that was playing the point had declined many shots, but then he chose a difficult penetrationand reverse lay up that he hit as BG Goettingen trailed only 60-53, but then it was time again for the cool and calm Mr Top Gun Jacob Burtschi who connected with another three pointer giving Frankfurt the 63-53 lead. I finally showed that I am capable of making shots, but everybody stepped up with Herber and Mckinney making shots and Davidson blocking shots, stressed Jacob Burtschi. Frankfurt then displayed blocking power as Davidson and Burtschi had back to back blocks. Mckinney and Bauscher then traded three pointers as the Fraport Skyliners still led 66-56. Herber then made a jumper and Sykes scored inside as BG Goettingen was behind 68-58 with three minutes to play. The Fraport Skyliners then sealed the win with a 5-0 run to lead 73-58 as Herber dropped a three pointer and Burtschi scored inside. The last minute displayed free throws as the Fraport Skyliners won their fourth road game of the season. This was a great team performance. It was tough playing without Juice, but guys stepped up in his place. We showed a lot of determination. We played great at times when we needed to. We held our composure, commented Jimmy McKinney. Frankfurt was very composed. We lost the game with our defense. We let them drive too much. We should of pressured them more, but we let them get too comfortable as we got lazy on defense. They also made big plays when they needed to and we didnt, warned BG Goettingen guard Jerel Allen.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Jimmy McKinney with 21 points. Jermareo Davidson had 18 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and six blocks. Jacob Burtschi chipped in with 17 points, five rebounds and three assists. Johannes Herber contributed 16 points. BG Goettingen was led by Raymond Sykes with 24 points. Jerel Allen produced 11 points and Paris Horne had 10 points. The Fraport Skyliner have had problems this season finding their shooting accuracy, but had a field day shooting 49% from the field and 53% from outside. Frankfurt did lose the rebounding battle, but considering Frankfurt played with a six man rotation and were without big men Tim Ohlbrecht and Danilo Barthel, any type of criticism about the play of the Fraport Skyliners should be held back. The Fraport Skyliners have been defending very well in recent weeks and as soon as the offense starts to roll, then this is a totally different team with potential success. In the last seven games, the Fraport Skyliners may only be 3-4, but have let up only 66 points per game. We are starting to find out our identity on defense. We give a lot of effort and are playing well. We are rotating well and with Davidson we have a guy who is always redirecting shots and Nolte gives us so much under the boards, stressed Jimmy McKinney. However something that is always difficult to form is team chemistry and that seems to be growing. Our team chemistry is developing well. Nobody on this team likes to lose. We talk so much on the court. The atmosphere was always great. It took longer for the chemistry to grow, but we are on a good way, warned Marius Nolte. The Fraport Skyliners host the Artland Dragons on December 30th at 19:30.

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  GREECE   


Ilysiakos adds Tsiakos - by Chris Mammides
One of the 'hot names' of the free agent's list in the big guys, Georgios Tsiakos (205-F/C-82) agreed financial terms with the team of Coach Kostas Flevarakis, Ilysiakos Athens. Georgios Tsiakos was in discussions with at least three teams before Ilysiakos Athens, as Kolossos Rodou, and Marousi in A1 and AEK Athens with Pagrati in A2 were in discussions with the experienced power forward / center. Finally Ilysiakos Athens was able to 'beat' the bits of the otehr teams and add the player in its roster.
Georgios Tsiakos was announced earlier today from the official site of the team

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  HOLLAND   


Chris Sparks: a world without frontiers - by Fred Roggen
For a short period it looked like it was done with the seeming calm for the four hundred students at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. At the Smith Hall campus of this prepschool in Wilbraham, a quiet suburb of Springfield (Ma), where the offspring of the happy few warms up for a promising study at a top college, its normally rest that reigns. But in the summer the bottom looked like to fall out of the market when the name of Andre Drummond appeared on WMAs roster for this running season. A lot of journalists, tv-stations, coaches and scouts would visit Sparks academy in order to miss none of the steps this most promising center of the country should take there.

This 18 years old bruiser, citizen of the nearby Middleton (Co), appeared as the overall number two and best center on the recent recruiting lists of sports channel ESPN. One of the elite big men of the last decade, ESPN typified this young tall man. But after some thrilling weeks Drummond brought this promising story for WMA to an end by choosing as yet for UConn, one of the best in the Big East. So in the country.

Yes, that hurted, Sparks admit. Of course we still have a very strong, talented team, but Drummond is a player who would attract attention. The number one recruiting center in the country would have produced a lot of publicity for our programme. And held in great esteem, as an education institute too.

But Chris Sparks makes a virtue of this necessity. The others will see the chance to catch the national attention. Dont forget that ten of my players will play next season college basketball. For the remaining players its a chance of a life-time. I still have a strong, very talented team. Well show it in Den Bosch. For sure. And: In the mean time our basketball programme has a good name. Here at WMA the players can have fun before they make the next step in their career. That will be a tough one, very heavy. And they know this.

Chris Sparks, only 35 years old, is coach and recruiter for a remarkable institute of education. Some four hundred students are crammed for a next step in a promising career, at a in general well established college. Not so strange that exactly New England, the prosperous North-East of the United States, houses a lot of these prep-schools. The parents pay a fortune to let their kids be finished for the serious job, in the college rooms. Or, thanks to their talent as an athlete, with a scholarship in the gym.

Sparks academy eagerly flirts with the entire world as its hinterland. We have students from 26 different countries at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. Youll meet the world in all the aspects of our educational and athletic programmes. Its one of the reasons our academy has a good name. In academics we have a strong tie with the University of Boston. Its an explanation for the reputation we have.

For Chris Sparks the world isnt limited by the frontiers of his country. Graduated from WMA in 1996, earned his degree in history at the University of Southern Maine and playing three years in the shirt of this college, he visited a lot of countries as coach and recruiter in the following years. The world citizen visited amongst others Serbia, Benin, Haiti, Bulgaria, Greece, France, Belgium and Germany and, earlier this year, Montenegro to scout Europes best talents at the European U16 Championschips. To scout the talents and to note another time the other systems of training in Europe. Like your club system. Quite different from ours, but often very effective.

The differences? The European club system offers players more space to develop the individual skills. Here in the States the teams play in a very limited period a lot of games. So we have less opportunities to fine tune the individual skills of the players. At Wilbraham & Monson I try to bring in some of the elements in our programme I gained during my visits to Europe. So I take a lot of care over improving the individual development of my players. What I consider as my task too to better prepare them for the next step in their career.

But Sparks is aware of another difference between the so called American and European school. In Europe you spend more time in training the tactics of the game. I consider it a big reason of the rise of European basketball. I really feel the tactics and technics have been the biggest differences in closing the gap between the US and European players in the past years.

Last year a young kid from Germany played here. When he entered at WMA he proved to be much better in his technical development than the average American guy of his age. So skilled! Great! Thanks to a great education at home. Enosch Wolf is in the mean time a respected freshman at the renowned University of Connecticut. Now we have another player who got his education in Germany, Maodo Lo. Another great talent. Georgia Tech, Texas, UConn and Stanford show interest in this player. All colleges with quite a reputation.

Sparks embraces the international character of his academy. And is viewed in this light delighted with the trip his team makes to Den Bosch to participate in the Rinus de Jong Invitational. A really great experience for our kids. They make acquaintance with another part of the world, other habits, another culture. And mind you: not only as a basketball player. This is really a great experience for them. At our academy we spent a lot of attention to the personal development of our students. We try to prepare them in various ways for the next step they make, to college. As a world citizen in the proper sense of this word. This trip will really fit them as a glove.



Pressrelease of the Rinus de Jong invitational





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  HUNGARY   


Jaszbereny brings in Rastko Dramicanin - by Levente Szabo
After loosing their big man few weeks ago Jaszbereny started to look for a replacement immediately. The management of the team declared that they wont rush any decision because they would like to sign a good fit for the team. Now it seems that they found the right replacement as they reached an agreement with Serbian big man Rastko Dramicanin (207-C-86, agency: BeoExcell).

The 207cm tall big man ran a solid season until last weekend in the Serbian top division where he played 32 minutes a game and recorded 14.5ppg, 5.9rpg and 1.4spg (FGP: 56.7%, 3PT: 31.7%, FT: 73.5%). Rastko had an open contract with KK Borac Cacak so after successful negotiations with Jaszbereny he will be free to leave and will join the team next week.

Rastko played almost his entire career in Serbia for his hometown club KK Borac Cacak and he left the country only once, last year when he signed in December to BC Weissenfels (Germany-1.Bundesliga). Now, a year later he takes a similar step by leaving once again KK Borac Cacak - where he returned after he left Germany - to play for the Hungarian newcomer club.

Adam Hanga is the best male player in 2011 - by Tamas Deri
Adam Hanga (201-G-89, agency: TSS Management) got selected to the best male player of the year! The 201 cm tall all-around guard left his former team Albacomp during the last summer to start his abroad carreer with Assignia Manrese in the strongest competition of Europe. Adam also got drafted - as the first hungarian player - in June as a 59th pick in the 2nd round by the San Antonio Spurs. He was the best domestic player of our league last season averaging 17.6ppg, 4.4rpg, 3.4apg and got also voted into the All-Defensive Team. He played 12 games in the ACB so far and could help his team 7.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 rebound in 20.5 minutes on the court, he scored already twice in double figures!

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  IBA   


Standings
IBA Standings
Winter League
 1. Kankakee S. 10-3 
 2. Rockford RD 10-5 
 3. Gary Splash 7-7 
 4. Battle Creek K. 5-6 
 5. Chicago R. 4-3 
 6. Lake County S. 0-12 
Spring League
 1. Holland Blast 0-0 
 2. Lansing C. 0-0 
 3. Springfield S. 0-0 


Knights win OT thriller over Kankakee, 128-124 - by Eurobasket News
The Battle Creek Knights won in thrilling fashion in an International Basketball League matchup against the Kankakee County Soldiers Friday night at Kellogg Arena.

Tim Williams (6'3''-G-89, college: S.Alabama) had 31 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead the Knights past the Soldiers, 128-124, in overtime.

'It's time for Tim,' Knights head coach Terry Sare said about what he told Williams entering the fourth quarter. 'He took the game over and the rest of the guys stepped up big as well.'

After outscoring the Soldiers 27-26 in the opening period, the Knights failed to find their offense early in the second. But the Knights found

their stroke after a pair of 3-point jumpers by Jeremy File and Joe Young to keep B.C. within one, 37-36, with 5:26 remaining in the second. The Knights then went on a 14-2 run, thanks in large part to Young, who's jump shot off the glass gave B.C. a 50-41 lead with 1:40 left.

'Cecil Brown led this team tonight and Joe continued to do what he does,' Sare said. 'It was a team win for us.'

After heading into the second half with a 52-43 lead, the Knights surrendered two 3-pointers to Fred Gardner that allowed the Soldiers to retake the lead, 66-58, with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Despite a pair of 3-point jumpers by Carl Fine for the Soldiers, the Knights answered with a three of their own by File to keep the Knights in the game, 76-72, with 3:20 to play in the third. File continued his hot shooting in the fourth with another trey, cutting the Soldiers' lead down to 84-82 with 10:40 to play in the fourth.

Williams came up big in the fourth, scoring six straight points to put the Knights in front 104-98 with 3:00 remaining in regulation.

After connecting on both free throws, Corey Massey put the Knights up 114-111 with just 15-seconds to play. The Knights, however, fouled Ryan Edwards on a 3-point attempt with 10 seconds to play. Edwards hit all three free throws to send the game into OT.

B.C. came out firing in the extra period, scoring the first four points on a Cecil Brown layup through traffic and a pair of free throws by Massey. Kankakee regained the lead, but the Knights rallied once again after Courtney Smith (F/C) split a pair of free throws to tie the game at 124. Young then found Williams on a 3-on-1 fast break to put the Knights up, 126-124, with 20 seconds to play. Massey then created a turnover which Young finished at the other end, securing the victory.

Young led all scorers with 32 points. Courtney Smith grabbed 15 rebounds and scored 22 points, and BJ Walker had 11 points and 11 rebounds. Ryan Edwards led the Soldiers with 27 points and 15 rebounds.

Couresy of www.battlecreekenquirer.com

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  ISRAEL   


Standings - BSL
Premier League Standings
 1. Maccabi T-A 9-1 
 2. Galil Gilboa 7-3 
 3. Hapoel Holon 6-4 
 4. Hapoel J-M 6-4 
 5. Maccabi Rishon 5-5 
 6. B.C. Habikaa 5-5 
 7. Ironi Ashkelon 5-5 
 8. Elitzur Netanya 4-6 
 9. Maccabi Haifa 3-7 
 10. Maccabi Ashdod 3-7 
 11. Bnei Hasharon 2-8 


Premier League Round 11: Hapoel J-M is upset by B.C. Habikaa - by Eurobasket News
Premier League is at the halfway of the Regular Season and there are still another 11 rounds left.

The game between third ranked Hapoel J-M (6-4) and seventh ranked B.C. Habikaa (5-5) was the most important one in the last round on Monday night. Hapoel J-M was crushed by B.C. Habikaa in Habikaa 81-59. The game was mostly controlled by B.C. Habikaa. Hapoel J-M managed to win fourth quarter 18-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. B.C. Habikaa made 24-of-27 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game, while Hapoel J-M only scored eight points from the stripe. B.C. Habikaa forced 19 Hapoel J-M turnovers and outrebounded them 35-22 including a 27-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. B.C. Habikaa looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Hapoel J-M helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American swingman Dion Dowell (200-85, college: Houston) who had a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds. His fellow American import power forward Rashaun Freeman (206-84, college: Massachusetts) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. International forward Elishay Kadir (202-87, agency: Avi Zilberman) produced 12 points and 5 rebounds for the guests. B.C. Habikaa moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Maccabi Rishon and Ironi Ashkelon. Hapoel J-M at the other side keeps the third position with four games lost. They share it with Hapoel Holon. B.C. Habikaa is looking forward to face Maccabi Haifa (#9) at home in the next round. Hapoel J-M will play against Bnei Hasharon (#11) in Hod Hasharon and is hoping to win this game.
Leader Maccabi T-A delivered the ninth victory. This time they crushed 11th ranked Bnei Hasharon (2-8) 113-73 in Hod Hasharon. The game was dominated by American players. Power forward Richard Hendrix (203-86, college: Alabama) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Shawn James contributed with 22 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners. Forward Delroy James (203-87, college: Rhode Island) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists for Bnei Hasharon. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Maccabi T-A (9-1) have an impressive series of five victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place. Bnei Hasharon lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Maccabi T-A will play against league's second-placed Galil Gilboa at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bnei Hasharon will play against Hapoel J-M (#4) in Jerusalem and hopes to get back on the winning track.
A very close game took place in Ashkelon between Elitzur Netanya and Ironi Ashkelon. Tenth ranked Elitzur Netanya (4-6) got a very close victory on the road over higher ranked Ironi Ashkelon (5-5). Elitzur Netanya managed to escape with a 2-point win 86-84 on Monday evening. It was a great evening for Brian Asbury who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 11 rebounds. Marco Killingsworth responded with 20 points and 8 rebounds. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Elitzur Netanya. They moved-up to eighth place. Ironi Ashkelon lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the fifth position with five games lost. They share it with Maccabi Rishon and B.C. Habikaa. Elitzur Netanya will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ironi Ashkelon will play against Maccabi Ashdod (#10) and hope to secure a win.
A very interesting game took place in Rishon Le-Zion. It ended with only two-point defeat on the road of 9th ranked Maccabi Haifa (3-7) to sixth ranked Maccabi Rishon (5-5) 76-74 on Monday evening. It was an exceptional evening for Joe Crawford who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Maccabi Rishon moved-up to fifth place, which they share with B.C. Habikaa and Ironi Ashkelon. Maccabi Haifa lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the ninth position with seven games lost. Maccabi Rishon's next round opponent will be higher ranked Hapoel Holon (#3) at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Maccabi Haifa will play against B.C. Habikaa (#6).

In the last game of round 11 Maccabi Ashdod was crushed by Galil Gilboa in a road game 97-75.


Maccabi Rishon - Maccabi Haifa 76-74

A very interesting game took place in Rishon Le-Zion. It ended with only two-point defeat on the road of 9th ranked Maccabi Haifa (3-7) to sixth ranked Maccabi Rishon (5-5) 76-74 on Monday evening. Maccabi Haifa was ahead by 4 points at the halftime before a 25-17 third quarter run of Maccabi Rishon. They made 16-of-21 charity shots (76.2 percent) during the game. It was an exceptional evening for American swingman Joe Crawford (196-86, college: Kentucky, agency: Priority Sports) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Jamaican-American power forward Adrian Uter (201-84, college: Hofstra, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) accounted for 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winning side. American forward Carlos Powell (199-83, college: S.Carolina) came up with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and naturalized American swingman Sylven Landesberg (198-90, college: Virginia) added 15 points and 5 assists respectively for Maccabi Haifa in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Maccabi Rishon moved-up to fifth place, which they share with B.C. Habikaa and Ironi Ashkelon. Maccabi Haifa lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the ninth position with seven games lost. Maccabi Rishon's next round opponent will be higher ranked Hapoel Holon (#3) at home and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Maccabi Haifa will play against B.C. Habikaa (#6).
Top scorers:
Maccabi Rishon: D.Kitchen 18+7reb+6ast, J.Crawford 18+11reb+4ast, A.Uter 16+12reb+3ast, B.Bowman 14+4reb+1ast, N.Hanochi 8+3reb+2ast, A.Ben David 2
Maccabi Haifa: C.Powell 18+6reb+5ast, T.Wilkerson 17+4reb+1ast, S.Landesberg 15+4reb+5ast, A.Ben-Chimol 12+4ast, Q.Woods 5+6reb+2ast, T.Ariely 4+1reb
gschID: 137337


Ironi Ashkelon - Elitzur Netanya 84-86

A very close game took place in Ashkelon between Elitzur Netanya and Ironi Ashkelon. Tenth ranked Elitzur Netanya (4-6) got a very close victory on the road over higher ranked Ironi Ashkelon (5-5). Elitzur Netanya managed to escape with a 2-point win 86-84 on Monday evening. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Ironi Ashkelon won third quarter 26-25. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Elitzur Netanya looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. It was a great evening for American forward Brian Asbury (200-86, college: Miami, FL) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 33 points (!!!) and 11 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Adrian Banks (191-86, college: NW Mississippi CC) helped adding 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. American power forward Marco Killingsworth (202-82, college: Indiana, agency: Interperformances) responded with 20 points and 8 rebounds and American-Nigerian guard Tony Skinn (185-83, college: George Mason) scored 16 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Five Ironi Ashkelon players scored in double figures. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Elitzur Netanya. They moved-up to eighth place. Ironi Ashkelon lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the fifth position with five games lost. They share it with Maccabi Rishon and B.C. Habikaa. Elitzur Netanya will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Ironi Ashkelon will play against Maccabi Ashdod (#10) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Elitzur Netanya: B.Asbury 33+11reb+3ast, A.Banks 20+5reb+5ast, E.Hicks 16+8reb+1ast, Y.Orland 8+2reb+5ast, E.Gueta 4+2reb, L.Hakmon 2
Ironi Ashkelon: M.Killingsworth 20+8reb, T.Skinn 16+5reb+5ast, N.Berkowitz 12+5reb+2ast, D.Mitchell 11+7reb+5ast, J.Morgan 10+6reb+3ast, R.Limonad 10+2reb+5ast
gschID: 137338


Bnei Hasharon - Maccabi T-A 73-113

Leader Maccabi T-A delivered the ninth victory. This time they crushed 11th ranked Bnei Hasharon (2-8) 113-73 in Hod Hasharon. The game without a history. Maccabi T-A led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Bnei Hasharon's 24. Maccabi T-A had a 28-17 advantage in offensive rebounds. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 31 assists comparing to just 12 passes made by Bnei Hasharon's players. The game was dominated by American players. Power forward Richard Hendrix (203-86, college: Alabama) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Center Shawn James (208-83, college: Northeastern, agency: Z.A.G. - Law Offices) contributed with 22 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners. Forward Delroy James (203-87, college: Rhode Island) answered with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists and point guard Tweety Carter (180-86, college: Baylor) added 24 points in the effort for Bnei Hasharon. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Maccabi T-A (9-1) have an impressive series of five victories in a row. Defending champion maintains first place. Bnei Hasharon lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Maccabi T-A will play against league's second-placed Galil Gilboa at home in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bnei Hasharon will play against Hapoel J-M (#4) in Jerusalem and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Maccabi T-A: S.James 22+9reb+1ast, R.Hendrix 20+12reb+2ast, D.Smith 17+3reb, K.Langford 16+3reb+4ast, D.Blu 12+4reb+3ast, G.Pnini 9+3reb+11ast
Bnei Hasharon: T.Carter 24+1reb+3ast, D.James 18+11reb+5ast, K.Lawson 15+3reb, J.Williams 10+4reb+2ast, J.Mintz 2+2reb, T.Havkin 2
gschID: 137339


Galil Gilboa - Maccabi Ashdod 97-75

There was no surprise when 9th ranked Maccabi Ashdod (3-7) was crushed on the road by second ranked Galil Gilboa (7-3) 97-75. The game without a history. Galil Gilboa led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 21-of-26 charity shots (80.8 percent) during the game. It was an exceptional evening for American power forward Joseph Jones (204-86, college: Texas A&M) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds. His fellow American import Romeo Travis (200-84, college: Akron) accounted for 25 points (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) for the winning side. Five Galil Gilboa players scored in double figures. American power forward Josh Duncan (203-86) came up with 20 points and 6 rebounds and the former international point guard Meir Tapiro (192-75, agency: Avi Zilberman) added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists respectively for Maccabi Ashdod in the defeat. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Galil Gilboa maintains second place with 7-3 record having just two points less than leader Maccabi T-A. Maccabi Ashdod at the other side keeps the ninth position with seven games lost. Galil Gilboa's next round opponent will be league's leader Maccabi T-A in Tel-Aviv and it will be for sure the game of the week. Maccabi Ashdod will play on the road against Ironi Ashkelon (#7) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Galil Gilboa: R.Travis 25+2reb+3ast, J.Jones 18+11reb+2ast, C.Allen 15+4reb+7ast, D.Yavzuri 14+1reb+3ast, C.Fells 14+2reb+2ast, J.Martin 9+3reb+1ast
Maccabi Ashdod: J.Duncan 20+6reb+1ast, M.Tapiro 14+6reb+6ast, J.Carter 13+3reb+2ast, R.Bradley 8+3reb+3ast, A.Tyus 8+4reb, D.Hagag 4+1reb+3ast
gschID: 137340


B.C. Habikaa - Hapoel J-M 81-59

The game between third ranked Hapoel J-M (6-4) and seventh ranked B.C. Habikaa (5-5) was the most important one in the last round on Monday night. Hapoel J-M was crushed by B.C. Habikaa in Habikaa 81-59. The game was mostly controlled by B.C. Habikaa. Hapoel J-M managed to win fourth quarter 18-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. B.C. Habikaa made 24-of-27 free shots (88.9 percent) during the game, while Hapoel J-M only scored eight points from the stripe. B.C. Habikaa forced 19 Hapoel J-M turnovers and outrebounded them 35-22 including a 27-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. B.C. Habikaa looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. 24 personal fouls committed by Hapoel J-M helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American swingman Dion Dowell (200-85, college: Houston) who had a double-double by scoring 19 points and 15 rebounds. His fellow American import power forward Rashaun Freeman (206-84, college: Massachusetts) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. Four B.C. Habikaa players scored in double figures. International forward Elishay Kadir (202-87, agency: Avi Zilberman) produced 12 points and 5 rebounds and American guard Demetri McCamey (190-89, college: Illinois) added 9 points and 5 assists respectively for the guests. B.C. Habikaa moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Maccabi Rishon and Ironi Ashkelon. Hapoel J-M at the other side keeps the third position with four games lost. They share it with Hapoel Holon. B.C. Habikaa is looking forward to face Maccabi Haifa (#9) at home in the next round. Hapoel J-M will play against Bnei Hasharon (#11) in Hod Hasharon and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
B.C. Habikaa: R.Freeman 20+7reb+2ast, D.Dowell 19+15reb+1ast, P.Delaney 18+2reb+3ast, N.Cohen 11+2reb, E.Skverer 5+1reb+2ast, F.Robinson 4+2reb+2ast
Hapoel J-M: G.Israeli 12+2reb+1ast, E.Kadir 12+5reb+1ast, D.McCamey 9+2reb+5ast, B.Randle 8+2reb, M.Mizrahi 4, U.Kokia 4+7reb+3ast
gschID: 137336




Loto League Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Sylven LANDESBERG
  Maccab.
  (198-F/G-90)
  Avg: 22.7
 1. Landesberg, Macca.22.7 
 2. Banks, Elitzur21.0 
 3. Carter, Bnei H.20.9 
 4. Lewis, Hapoel Holon20.1 
 5. Crawford, Maccab.20.0 
 6. Delaney, B.C. H.19.0 
 7. Dunn, Bnei Hashar.18.2 
 8. Asbury, Elitzur18.2 
 9. Duncan, Maccabi18.2 
 10. Bradley, Maccabi17.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Bryant DUNSTON
  Hapoel H.
  (202-F/C-86)
  Avg: 11
 1. Dunston, Hapoel H.11.0 
 2. Dowell, B.C. H.8.9 
 3. Williams, Maccabi7.9 
 4. Tyus, Maccabi7.9 
 5. Bowman, Maccabi7.7 
 6. Kitchen, Maccabi7.5 
 7. Duncan, Maccabi7.5 
 8. Burns, Elitzur7.4 
 9. Freeman, B.C. H.7.3 
 10. Morgan, Ironi A.7.3 
Assists Per Game
 Moran ROTH
  Hapoel Holon
  (183-PG-82)
  Avg: 8.3
 1. Roth, Hapoel Holon8.3 
 2. Tapiro, Maccabi7.7 
 3. Randle, Elitzur6.6 
 4. Thomas, Galil Gilb.6.3 
 5. Carter, Bnei H.5.7 
 6. Mitchell, Ironi A.5.1 
 7. Jackson, Maccabi5.0 
 8. Ohayon, Maccabi4.6 
 9. Delaney, B.C. H.4.6 
 10. Powell, Maccabi H.4.1 
Steals Per Game
 Danilo PINNOCK
  B.C. H.
  (196-G-83)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Pinnock, B.C. H.2.8 
 2. Limonad, Ironi A.2.5 
 3. Robinson, B.C. H.2.3 
 4. Skinn, Ironi Ashke.2.1 
 5. Kitchen, Maccabi2.1 
 6. Ohayon, Maccabi2.0 
 7. Ben-Chimol, Maccab.2.0 
 8. Delaney, B.C. H.2.0 
 9. Bowman, Maccabi2.0 
 10. Berkowitz, Ironi1.9 
Blocks Per Game
 Sean WILLIAMS
  Maccabi .
  (208-F-86)
  Avg: 4.1
 1. Williams, Maccabi4.1 
 2. Uter, Maccabi2.1 
 3. Varnado, Hapoel J.2.0 
 4. Dunston, Hapoel H.2.0 
 5. James, Maccabi T-A1.4 
 6. Tyus, Maccabi1.3 
 7. Wilkerson, Maccab.1.2 
 8. Hendrix, Maccabi1.2 
 9. Sullivan, Hapoel H.1.1 
 10. Powell, Maccabi H.1.0 


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


Virtus Roma keeps Marco Mordente for rest of the season - by Eurobasket News
Marco Mordente (192-G-79) will stay with Virtus Roma for rest of the season. The Italian squad decided not to use option for contract termination and Mordente stays in Roma. Mordente joined the club last month. He appeared 4 times in SerieA averaging 8.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds. From 2008 until the last summer Marco Mordente played for Armani Jeans Milano. He had 5.6 ppg and 1.5 rpg in Italy last season. He also added 4.7 ppg for 10 Euroleague games. Before Milano, Marco Mordente spent three years with Benetton Treviso. In the past, he also played for Reggio Emilia, Ragusa and Milano. Marco Mordente is active member of the Italian National Team since 2001. He had 3.8 ppg and 1 apg for 5 games at the EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

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


Japanese BJ League round 23 best performance: Lance Allred - by Eurobasket News
American center Lance Allred (211-C-81, agency: SportsTalent) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Kyoto Hannar., receiving a Asia-basket.com BJ League Player of the Week award for round 23.
The 30-year old player had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds, while his team edged out Akita NH (#1, 13-8) 79-78. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. Kyoto Hannar. is placed at 3rd position in Japanese BJ League. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Kyoto Hannar. will need more victories to improve their 14-5 record. Allred turned to be Kyoto Hannar.'s top player in his first season with the team. Lance Allred averages this season 14.8ppg and 10.1rpg.

The second best player in last round's games was 30-year old American T.J. Cummings (205-F-81) of Oita H.Devils. Cummings had a very good evening with a double-double of 25 points and 19 rebounds. Bad luck as Oita H.Devils was edged by the higher-ranked Okinawa GK (#1, 16-5) 83-80. Oita H.Devils managed to keep the same 8th spot in the standings. 16 lost games are too many comparing to just four victories Oita H.Devils managed to get this year. Cummings is a newcomer at Oita H.Devils, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American guard Maurice Hargrow (193-G-83) of Chiba Jets (#5). Hargrow showcased his all-around game by recording 29 points, ten rebounds and six assists in the last round. Despite Hargrow's great performance Chiba Jets lost 79-89 to slightly higher-ranked Niigata Albirex (#3, 12-8). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Chiba Jets ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 12 games, recording just ten victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Hargrow could help Chiba Jets to bring them higher in the standings. Hargrow has a great season in Japan. After 22 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 21.0ppg (3rd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Chris Holm (212-C/F-84) of Niigata Albirex - 9 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Gary Hamilton (208-C/F-84) of Fukuoka Rizing - 13 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists
6. Pape Faye (194-G-87) of Yokohama BC - 10 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Naoto Takushi (182-G-81) of Oita H.Devils - 20 points, 5 rebounds and 12 assists
8. Johnny Dukes (203-F-84) of Sendai 89ers - 18 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists
9. Justin Burrell (235-F-88) of Yokohama BC - 23 points and 10 rebounds
10. Chris Holm (212-C/F-84) of Niigata Albirex - 10 points and 19 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)

Saitama Broncos lands Beard - by Eurobasket News
Saitama Broncos strengthened their roster with addition of 28-year old American forward Nashid Beard (206-F-83, college: Lamar). The player remains in Japan, however moves from one team to another.
In his first game he scored 2 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. However his new team lost to Hamamatsu P. 70:87. Beard played most recently at Toyota Tsusho Fighting Eagles (JBL2). He is a very experienced player. Beard played also pro basketball in Hungary, Latvia, Sweden, Syria and Uruguay. He graduated Lamar University in 2006 and actually missed last season. It will be his sixth season in pro basketball.
Nashid Beard finishes strong around the rim and loves to get out in the open floor. He is solid all around versatile power forward who can post up and create in the paint or step out and hit the three consistently. He can put the ball on the floor and get by defenders to finish at the basket or pull up for jump shot.
In his top game last season he collected 18 points and 13 rebounds. His former Liepaja overcame Zemgale 93:91 in November 17, 2010.



BJ League Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Michael PARKER
  Shimane SM
  (202-F-81)
  Avg: 24
 1. Parker, Shimane SM24.0 
 2. Palmer, Fukuoka22.8 
 3. Hargrow, Chiba J.21.0 
 4. White, Oita H.20.9 
 5. Woods, Akita NH20.1 
 6. Flowers, Saitama19.9 
 7. Staten, Chiba Jets19.6 
 8. Roberts, Shins.19.5 
 9. Gardener, Akita NH19.4 
 10. Mims, Sendai 89ers19.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Chris HOLM
  Niigata Albirex
  (212-C/F-84)
  Avg: 14.3
 1. Holm, Niigata Albi.14.3 
 2. Roberts, Shins.11.1 
 3. Malloy, Iwate B.10.9 
 4. Staten, Chiba Jets10.5 
 5. Mims, Sendai 89ers10.4 
 6. Rickert, Kyoto H.10.3 
 7. Allred, Kyoto H.10.2 
 8. Hamilton, Fukuok.10.2 
 9. Blackledge, Osaka10.2 
 10. Dora, Miyazaki SS10.1 
Assists Per Game
 Kenny SATTERFIELD
  Saitam.
  (188-PG-81)
  Avg: 7.3
 1. Satterfield, Saita.7.3 
 2. Yamamoto, Shima.5.8 
 3. Gardener, Akita NH5.6 
 4. Shimura, Sendai5.0 
 5. Dixon, Hamamats.4.7 
 6. Shimizu, Miyazaki.4.6 
 7. Takushi, Oita H.4.6 
 8. Dukes, Sendai 89e.4.6 
 9. Yamamoto, Iwate B.4.3 
 10. Namizato, Okina.4.3 
Steals Per Game
 Jamel STATEN
  Chiba Jets
  (198-G-83)
  Avg: 3.1
 1. Staten, Chiba Jets3.1 
 2. Palmer, Fukuoka3.0 
 3. Parker, Shimane SM2.6 
 4. Humphrey, Saitama2.4 
 5. Arnold, Hamamats.2.2 
 6. Hamilton, Fukuok.2.1 
 7. Lyons, Miyazaki SS2.0 
 8. Nakanishi, Fukuok.1.8 
 9. Golson, Shimane SM1.8 
 10. Dixon, Fukuoka Ri.1.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Jeral DAVIS
  Shimane SM
  (216-C-84)
  Avg: 3.6
 1. Davis, Shimane SM3.6 
 2. Blackledge, Osaka3.2 
 3. Singleton, Sendai2.3 
 4. Dukes, Sendai 89e.1.6 
 5. Hughes, Shinshu BW1.6 
 6. Mims, Sendai 89ers1.6 
 7. Flowers, Saitama1.5 
 8. Ocitti, Akita NH1.4 
 9. McFarland, Yokoham.1.4 
 10. Marshall, Osaka E.1.4 


BJ League Round 24: Akita Happinets lose #1 position - by Eurobasket News
There were many interesting games last round. The round ended with change at the leadership position, extra overtimes and games ending by tiny margin.

Round 24 in BJ League means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Kyoto where host Kyoto Hannar. (15-5) beat league's leader Akita Happinets (13-9) 80-76 in overtime on Sunday evening. The hosts trailed by 5 points after three quarters before their 22-17 charge, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time and get a 4-point victory in overtime. 24 personal fouls committed by Akita Happinets helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was center Lance Allred (211-81, college: Weber St., agency: SportsTalent) who scored 8 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Jermaine Boyette (188-78, college: Weber St., agency: SportsTalent) chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Kyoto Hannar.'s coach Honoo Hamaguchi used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was swingman Devin Sweetney (198-87, college: St.Francis, PA) who recorded 16 points and 5 rebounds. Kyoto Hannar. have an impressive ten-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Osaka Evessa. Akita Happinets lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the second position with nine games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by Hamamatsu P.. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Rest of the games of round 24 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Shimane SM was defeated by Fukuoka Rizing in a road game 93-88. Oita H.Devils was smashed by Okinawa GK at home 63-87. Takamatsu FA were destroyed by Miyazaki SS on the opponent's court 103-66. Saitama Bron. lost to defending champion Hamamatsu P. in a home game 70-87. Iwate Big Bulls recorded a loss to Shiga L-Stars on the road 74-89. Osaka Evessa defeated Sendai 89ers on its own court 61-55. Yokohama BC beat Shinshu BW in a road game 78-76.
The best stats of 24th round was 32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists by Carlos Dixon of Fukuoka Rizing.


Fukuoka Rizing - Shimane SM 93-88

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 6th ranked Shimane Magic's (12-10) road loss to fifth ranked Fukuoka Rizing (15-7) 88-93 on Sunday. The hosts were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. The game was also dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was swingman Carlos Dixon (201-81, college: Virginia Tech) who scored 32 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Swingman Kevin Palmer (198-87, college: Texas A&M-CC, agency: VVG Sports) chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Michael Parker (202-81, college: Evergreen St.) who recorded a double-double by scoring 24 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks and forward Reggie Golson (201-81, college: SE Missouri St., agency: Court Side) added 20 points respectively. Four Fukuoka Rizing and five Shimane Magic players scored in double figures. Fukuoka Rizing have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Shiga L-Stars. Shimane Magic at the other side keeps the sixth position with ten games lost. Fukuoka Rizing will face league's leader Okinawa GK on the road in the next round and it may be the game of the week.
Top scorers:
Shimane SM: M.Parker 24+16reb, R.Golson 20+4reb+2ast, B.Puckett 14+1reb, J.Davis 12+9reb, T.Yokoo 10+5reb+4ast, K.Yamabuchi 8+2reb
Fukuoka Rizing: C.Dixon 32+5reb+5ast, A.Takeno 14+3reb+2ast, K.Palmer 13+5reb+2ast, J.Dearman 13+3reb+2ast, J.Nakanishi 10, G.Hamilton 8+9reb+3ast
gschID: 142044


Oita H.Devils - Okinawa GK 63-87

No shocking result in a game when first ranked Okinawa GK (17-5) smashed on the road 8th ranked Oita Heat Devils (4-17) 87-63 on Sunday. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Okinawa GK looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. The best player for the winners was American Anthony McHenry (202-83, college: Georgia Tech) who scored 19 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Guard Naoto Kosuge (187-82) chipped in 20 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American center Zack Atkinson (206-86, college: Cal-Irvine) who recorded a double-double by scoring 15 points and 20 rebounds and his fellow American import forward T.J. Cummings (205-81, college: UCLA) added 22 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Four Oita Heat Devils players scored in double figures. Okinawa GK have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 17-5 record. Oita Heat Devils lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 17 games lost. Okinawa GK will face Fukuoka Rizing (#5) at home in the next round. Oita Heat Devils will play against Miyazaki Shining Suns and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Oita H.Devils: T.Cummings 22+6reb, Z.Atkinson 15+20reb+3ast, N.Takushi 11+4reb+7ast, K.Mitomo 11+3reb+7ast, M.Lottich 4+1reb+2ast, M.Ohara 0
Okinawa GK: N.Kosuge 20+4reb, A.McHenry 19+9reb+4ast, D.Palmer 17+6reb, N.Namizato 9+6reb+8ast, Y.Takushi 6+1ast, J.Newton 6+12reb+4ast
gschID: 142045


Miyazaki SS - Takamatsu FA 103-66

Rather expected game when 9th ranked Takamatsu FA (1-21) was rolled over on the road by seventh ranked Miyazaki Shining Suns (10-12) 103-66 on Sunday. The game without a history. Miyazaki Shining Suns led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 20-of-21 free shots (95.2 percent) during the game. Miyazaki Shining Suns forced 20 Takamatsu FA turnovers. The game was also dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was swingman Dexter Lyons (198-81, college: Cent.Florida, agency: I.D.S. Law) who had a double-double by scoring 29 points and 10 rebounds (went 9 for 9 at the free throw line !!!). Power forward Lewis Witcher (207-87, college: Virginia Tech) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was power forward Paul Butorac (208-83, college: E.Washington) who recorded 19 points and 5 rebounds and forward Kevin Smith (195-89, college: Richmond) added 12 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Takamatsu FA's coach gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Miyazaki Shining Suns moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Chiba Jets. Takamatsu FA at the other side keeps the ninth position with 21 games lost. Miyazaki Shining Suns will face Oita Heat Devils (#8) at home in the next round.
Top scorers:
Takamatsu FA: P.Butorac 19+5reb, K.Smith 12+6reb+1ast, H.Kikuchi 10+1reb, N.Williams 10+6reb, S.Takada 8+2reb, K.Tsutsumi 3+2reb+3ast
Miyazaki SS: D.Lyons 29+10reb+3ast, Y.Tsubasa 18+2reb+1ast, L.Witcher 16+8reb+2ast, I.Harris 13+9reb, O.Shinnosuke 9+3reb, T.Shimizu 8+4reb+9ast
gschID: 142046


Saitama Bron. - Hamamatsu P. 70-87

Very predictable result when second ranked Hamamatsu Phoenix (13-8) beat on the road 9th ranked Saitama Broncos (6-13) 87-70 on Sunday. The game was mostly controlled by Hamamatsu Phoenix. Saitama Broncos was better in fourth quarter 21-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Hamamatsu Phoenix forced 19 Saitama Broncos turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. The best player for the winners was American guard Jermaine Dixon (191-87, college: Pittsburgh, agency: VVG Sports) who scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Ivorian-French power forward Mamadou Lamizana (207-81, college: Rutgers, agency: VVG Sports) chipped in 19 points and 9 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). At the other side the best for losing team was American point guard Kenny Satterfield (188-81, college: Cincinnati) who recorded 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and his fellow American import forward Jayme Miller (203-85) added 15 points and 10 rebounds respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Hamamatsu Phoenix have a solid four-game winning streak. Defending champion keeps a position of league leader. Saitama Broncos lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the ninth place with 13 games lost. Hamamatsu Phoenix will have a break next round. Saitama Broncos will play on the road against Iwate Big Bulls (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Saitama Bron.: K.Satterfield 18+7reb+5ast, D.Terashita 15+3reb+2ast, J.Miller 15+10reb+2ast, Y.Kitamuki 10+5reb+1ast, J.Humphrey 7+5reb+4ast, N.Beard 2+11reb
Hamamatsu P.: M.Lamizana 19+9reb, J.Dixon 18+5reb+7ast, S.Nakanishi 12+2ast, L.Pomare 10+6reb, W.Arnold 8+4reb+1ast, J.Parmer 6+6reb+3ast
gschID: 142040


Shiga L-Stars - Iwate Big Bulls 89-74

Not a big story in a game when 10th ranked Iwate Big Bulls (6-16) were defeated on the road by fourth ranked Shiga L-Stars (15-7) 89-74 on Sunday. The game was mostly controlled by Shiga L-Stars. Iwate Big Bulls was better in second period 17-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Shiga L-Stars made 22-of-26 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game. Shiga L-Stars outrebounded Iwate Big Bulls 37-26 including 29 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was American forward Josh Peppers (201-85, college: Cent.Florida, agency: Court Side) who scored 18 points and 7 rebounds. Panamanian forward Dionisio Gomez Camargo (203-80, college: Arkansas) chipped in 17 points and 6 rebounds (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!). Shiga L-Stars' coach Al Westover allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Thomas Kennedy (201-87, college: Detroit Mercy, agency: Global Sports Plaza) who recorded 19 points and guard Yoshiaki Yamamoto (-82) added 14 points respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Shiga L-Stars maintains fourth position with 15-7 record, which they share with Fukuoka Rizing. Iwate Big Bulls at the other side keep the tenth place with 16 games lost. Shiga L-Stars will have a break next round. Iwate Big Bulls will play at home against Saitama Broncos (#9) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Iwate Big Bulls: T.Kennedy 19+3reb+2ast, Y.Yamamoto 14+1reb+3ast, H.Kantake 12+2reb, L.Malloy 10+7reb, A.Nogami 7+1ast, J.Shin 7+2reb+1ast
Shiga L-Stars: R.Nixon 19+1reb+3ast, J.Peppers 18+7reb+2ast, D.Gomez Camargo 17+6reb+2ast, S.Ogawa 11+5reb+3ast, T.Fujiwara 8+2reb+3ast, J.Ashby 6+11reb+2ast
gschID: 142041


Kyoto Hannar. - Akita NH 80-76 OT

Round 24 in BJ League means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Kyoto where host Kyoto Hannar. (15-5) beat league's leader Akita Happinets (13-9) 80-76 in overtime on Sunday evening. The hosts trailed by 5 points after three quarters before their 22-17 charge, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time and get a 4-point victory in overtime. 24 personal fouls committed by Akita Happinets helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The game was dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was center Lance Allred (211-81, college: Weber St., agency: SportsTalent) who scored 8 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Jermaine Boyette (188-78, college: Weber St., agency: SportsTalent) chipped in 9 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Kyoto Hannar.'s coach Honoo Hamaguchi used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. At the other side the best for losing team was swingman Devin Sweetney (198-87, college: St.Francis, PA) who recorded 16 points and 5 rebounds and swingman Ricky Woods (194-84, college: SE Louisiana) added 16 points respectively. Kyoto Hannar. have an impressive ten-game winning streak. They moved-up to second place, which they share with Osaka Evessa. Akita Happinets lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the second position with nine games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by Hamamatsu P.. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Akita NH: D.Sweetney 16+5reb+1ast, R.Woods 16+3reb+2ast, R.Mizumachi 14+2reb, K.Shoji 11+7reb, C.Terry 9+6reb+6ast, S.Ocitti 7+9reb+1ast
Kyoto Hannar.: T.Murakami 14+1reb+3ast, L.Cummard 14+4reb+1ast, T.Kawabe 10+2reb+2ast, J.Boyette 9+6reb+4ast, L.Allred 8+11reb+1ast, R.Rickert 7+4reb+4ast
gschID: 142042


Osaka Evessa - Sendai 89ers 61-55

Everything went according to plan when second ranked Osaka Evessa (15-5) won against at home 4th ranked Sendai 89ers (11-11) 61-55 on Sunday. The best player for the winners was American forward Lynn Washington (200-78, college: Indiana) who had a double-double by scoring 15 points and 12 rebounds. Guard Satoshi Takeda (185-80) chipped in 17 points. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Johnny Dukes (203-84, college: San Bernardino CC) who recorded a double-double by scoring 23 points and 16 rebounds and guard Takehiko Shimura (160-83) added 16 points and 5 assists respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Osaka Evessa have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 15-5 record having 2 victories less than leader Hamamatsu P., which they share with Kyoto Hannar. Sendai 89ers lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the fourth place with 11 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Sendai 89ers: J.Dukes 23+16reb+3ast, T.Shimura 16+2reb+5ast, D.Fitzgerald 7+7reb, R.Singleton 5+15reb+1ast, K.Takahashi 4+1reb+1ast, T.Komoda 0+2reb
Osaka Evessa: S.Takeda 17+3reb+1ast, L.Washington 15+12reb+3ast, C.Aoki 8+5reb+4ast, W.Marshall 7+9reb+3ast, L.Blackledge 7+6reb+1ast, S.Konno 5+1reb+1ast
gschID: 142043


Shinshu BW - Yokohama BC 76-78

There was a minor upset in Nagano where 6th ranked Shinshu BW (9-13) was edged by eighth ranked Yokohama BC (8-11) 78-76 on Sunday. Shinshu BW trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 29-19 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 76-78 at the end of the game. The game was also dominated by American players. The best player for the winners was forward Justin Burrell (235-88, college: St.John's) who scored 22 points and 5 rebounds. Center Chas McFarland (213-86, college: Wake Forest) chipped in 9 points and 9 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was power forward Lee Roberts (201-87, college: Findlay, OH) who recorded a double-double by scoring 19 points and 20 rebounds and guard Derek Raivio (190-84, college: Gonzaga, agency: Priority Sports) added 24 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) respectively. Four Shinshu BW players scored in double figures. Yokohama BC maintains eighth position with 8-11 record. Shinshu BW lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 13 games lost. Yokohama BC will face higher ranked Toyama Grouses (#7) at home in the next round and it may be quite challenging game.
Top scorers:
Shinshu BW: D.Raivio 24+2reb+2ast, L.Roberts 19+20reb+2ast, T.Goya 10+1reb+2ast, E.Morris 10+5reb, T.Hughes 8+9reb+1ast, T.Saito 5+1reb+4ast
Yokohama BC: J.Burrell 22+5reb+2ast, M.Kabaya 16+2reb+1ast, P.Faye 10+9reb, O.Kimura 9+1reb+2ast, C.McFarland 9+9reb+3ast, M.Simmons 7+1reb+1ast
gschID: 142039




Standings - BJ League
BJ Standings
Eastern
 1. Hamamatsu P. 13-8 
 2. Akita NH 13-9 
 3. Niigata Albirex 12-8 
 4. Sendai 89ers 11-11 
 5. Chiba Jets 10-12 
 6. Shinshu BW 9-13 
 7. Toyama Grouses 8-10 
 8. Yokohama BC 8-11 
 9. Saitama Bron. 6-13 
 10. Iwate Big Bulls 6-16 
Western
 1. Okinawa GK 17-5 
 2. Osaka Evessa 15-5 
 3. Kyoto Hannar. 15-5 
 4. Shiga L-Stars 15-7 
 5. Fukuoka Rizing 15-7 
 6. Shimane SM 12-10 
 7. Miyazaki SS 10-12 
 8. Oita H.Devils 4-17 
 9. Takamatsu FA 1-21 


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  KOSOVO   


Edmond Azemi is Official Player of the Year in Kosovo - by Dren Shporta
Captain of Sigal Prishtina, Edmond Azemi (201-G/F-80, agency: Prossin Sports Management), was selected as a player of the year from the Basketball Federation of Kosovo (FBK) after he took 9 votes more than the runner up Drilon Hajrizi of Trepca. After the votes of six jury members were counted, Edmond Azemi collected 54 points, which were enough to secure the Player of the Year trophy.

Second place Drilon Hajrizi couldnt believe that somebody else could take Player of the Year award and he was frustrated by the jury members of voting for Edmond Azemi as a best. Third place went to Bashkimis (last season: Peja) playmaker Samir Shaptahovic with 44 points, only one vote less than Trepcas captain, Drilon Hajrizi.

The complete list of top ten players of the Kosovo in the year that is passing away is:

1.Edmond Azemi, Sigal Prishtina, 54 points.
2.Drilon Hajrizi, Trepca, 45 pts.
3.Samir Shaptahovic, Bashkimi, 44 pts.
4.Blerim Mazreku, Peja, 39 pts.
5.Mustafe Merovci, Kosova V. & abroad, 35 pts.
6.Alban Veseli, Sigal Prishtina, 27 pts.
7.Fisnik Juniku, Bashkimi, 23 pts.
8.Granit Rugova, Sigal Prishtina, 18 pts.
9.Rron Grapci, Peja, 15 pts.
10.Besnik Azemi, Kosova V., 11 pts.



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


VEF Riga successfully finishes year 2011 - by Eurobasket News
VEF Riga successfully finishes year 2011 in VTB League. The Latvian side grabbed a road win over Krasnie Krilya in the last game of the year.
Latvian VEF Riga played at the court of Krasnie Krilya and managed to secure a 8-point victory 80:72. Krasnie Krilya trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 15-12 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 72-80 at the end of the game. VEF Riga made 19-of-25 free shots during the game. Kristaps Janicenoks (196-F-83) stepped up and scored 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and guard Sandis Valters (193-G-78) chipped in 16 points. At the losing side American guard Brion Rush (186-G-84, agency: Court Side, college: Grambling St.) responded with 20 points and 6 rebounds and the other American import forward Joe Alexander (203-F-86, college: W.Virginia) scored 14 points.

The victory was the third consecutive win for VEF Riga. Defending Latvian champion maintains third place with 5-3 record having just one points less than leader Spartak SP.




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


Maksvytis named coach of the year - by Adomas Kraunevicius
Sakalai Vilnius head coach Kazys Maksvytis was named the Lithuanian coach of the year by the Lithuanian Sports Journalist Federation (LSZF). Maksvytis received 42.5% of the total votes.

The team of the year award was given to the Lithuanian U19 team that triumphed in this year's world U19 championships. This title was awarded unanimously for the first time in history. Sakalai and U19 players Deividas Pukis (194-G/F-92) and Arnas Butkevicius (199-F-92) received the prize on behalf of the golden team from the legendary Lithuanian player and current president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF), Arvydas Sabonis (222-C-64), who celebrated his 47th birthday on the 19th of December.

Zalgiris officially signs Reeves Nelson - by Adomas Kraunevicius
B.C. Zalgiris Kaunas has officially signed a 20 year old former UCLA power forward Reeves Nelson (203-F). Both parties have agreed upon a contract till the end of the season with a possibility to extend it. Nelson has played in the UCLA Bruins for the past three seasons but has been cut from the roster after just six games this season.

Last year the american averaged 13.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 31 minutes per game. Zalgiris' manager, Vitoldas Masalskis stated that the team decided to sign Nelson
because of his athleticism and potential. He described Nelson as a universal player that can play well both offensively and defensively, also make longer distance shots. He can also be useful in a center position which is a weak link in the current Zalgiris roster. This is an improvement for Zalgiris squad before the Euroleague Top16 starts and also an investment in Zalgiris' future,- said Masalskis.

Nelson should arrive in Lithuania next week. Zalgiris is scheduled to gather for training on the 28th of December.

Zalgiris signs F Reeves Nelson - by Eurobasket News
Zalgiris Kaunas announced signing of Reeves Nelson (203-F) for rest of the season. The deal also includes option for the 2012/13. Nelson will help the team at forward position. Reeves Nelson is a product of the UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles), where he had 13.9 ppg and 9.1 rpg in 34 games last season. He spent just two years with the school. Nelson was named All-Pac-10 1st Team -11 and also NABC Division I All-District 20 2nd Team -11.

'He is one of the most promising college basketball players. Not only he can help us a lot on defense but also on offense. He can also play at the small forward position and hit mid-range jumper,' Zalgiris sports director Vitoldas Massalski said. 'He was a lot of character and the fact that we signed him does not mean that he will take someone else's spot.'

Salenga officially leaves Rudupis - by Adomas Kraunevicius
Rudupis Prienu swingman Dainius Salenga (197-F-77) has officially left the team. Rudupis manager Aurtimas Bartuska has confirmed the news and said that Salenga's contract had a clause whereby the contract could be terminated before the end of the season.

Salenga will be joining VEF Riga which is consolidating their roster before the EuroCup Top16 stage. He is expected to join VEF on the 27th of December.

The swingman averaged 12.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in this year's EuroCup regular season.

Rudupis coach, Virginijus Seskus revealed that there might be more changed to Rudupis' roster but did not go into details. Prienai will gather on the 27th of December and start preparing for their next LKF match versus Pieno Zvaigzdes Pasvalys.

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


LNBP Round 40 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
Toros (#3) forced the game against Halcones Rojos (#2) into an overtime, but lost by two points 82-84 on Thursday night. The game took place in Nuevo Laredo. But the guests from Veracruz were better at the end. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Toros. Worth to mention a great performance of Luis Bethelmy who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds. Halcones Rojos' coach Eddie Casiano used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. Halcones Rojos maintains second position with 28-6 record having 3 victories less than leader Fuerza Regia. Toros at the other side keep the third place with 11 games lost. Halcones Rojos will face Lechugueros (#11) in Leon in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Toros will play at home against Aguilas Rojas (#13) in San Juan.

In the last game of round 40 Pioneros destroyed Aguilas Rojas on the opponent's court 125-104. Corr.Victoria unfortunately lost to Huracanes in a home game 90-96. Halc.Xalapa recorded a loss to Fuerza Regia on the road 98-107. Abejas defeated Barreteros on its own court 82-74. Panteras were beaten by Lechugueros in Leon 100-92.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 46 points (!!!), 18 assists and 6 steals by Daryl Dorsey of Aguilas Rojas.


Aguilas Rojas - Pioneros 104-125

Very expected game in San Juan where 13th ranked Aguilas Rojas (6-33) were crushed by fifth ranked Pioneros (25-13) 125-104 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Pioneros. Aguilas Rojas was better in fourth quarter 38-26. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They made 18-of-22 free shots (81.8 percent) during the game. Pioneros had a 33-22 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 38 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward John Millsap (198-82, college: UTSA) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 50 points (!!!), 13 rebounds and 4 assists and the other American import guard LeRoy Hickerson (196-82, college: Cumberlands) who added 42 points (!!!), 10 rebounds and 10 assists (on 20-of-25 shooting from the field) during the contest. Millsap is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. At the losing side American point guard Daryl Dorsey (185-81, college: S.Indiana) responded with a double-double by scoring 46 points (!!!), 18 assists and 6 steals and the former international swingman Erick Hare (196-79, college: Idaho Coll.) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Aguilas Rojas players scored in double figures. Pioneros have a solid four-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Soles. Aguilas Rojas lost twelfth consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth position with 33 games lost. Pioneros will face Barreteros (#9) in Zacatecas in the next round where they are favorite. Aguilas Rojas will play on the road against Toros (#3) in Nuevo Laredo.
Top scorers:
Aguilas Rojas: D.Dorsey 46+3reb+18ast, T.Gamble 18+10reb+1ast, E.Hare 16+12reb+4ast, U.Santos 13+1reb+2ast, L.Enrique Rangel 9+2reb+10ast, L.Mondragon Chagoya 2+7reb+4ast
Pioneros: J.Millsap 50+13reb+4ast, L.Hickerson 42+10reb+10ast, S.Soriano 9+2reb+2ast, C.M. Toussaint 8, J.Sanchez 6+1reb+3ast, H.Llamas 6+8reb+5ast
gschID: 137914


Corr.Victoria - Huracanes 90-96

Rather predictable result in Ciudad Victoria where sixth ranked Huracanes (24-14) defeated 8th ranked Correcaminos (16-21) 96-90 on Thursday. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 28-21. But Correcaminos won second period 21-20. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Americans were the main players on the court. Worth to mention a great performance of power forward Robert Hornsby (196-82, college: Troy) who helped to win the game recording 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists and center Albert Fuqua (211-83, college: UTSA) who added 17 points and 8 rebounds (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) during the contest. Huracanes' coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side point guard Myron Allen (180-79, college: Lee JC) responded with 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists and forward Robert Brown (195-80, college: Buffalo, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) scored 24 points and 6 rebounds. Five Huracanes and four Correcaminos players scored in double figures. Huracanes maintains sixth position with 24-14 record. Correcaminos at the other side keep the eighth place with 21 games lost. Huracanes will face higher ranked Toros (#3) in Nuevo Laredo in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Correcaminos will play at home against the league's leader Fuerza Regia (#1) in Monterrey.
Top scorers:
Corr.Victoria: R.Brown 24+6reb+2ast, M.Allen 17+7reb+8ast, M.English 16+2reb+1ast, D.Lamont 14+4reb, A.Ferguson 9+7reb+1ast, S.Monreal 4+3reb
Huracanes: R.Hornsby 27+6reb+5ast, J.Edwin 20+4reb+1ast, A.Fuqua 17+8reb+3ast, N.Colmenares 16+8reb+1ast, J.Cordova 14+2reb, O.Quintero 2+1reb+5ast
gschID: 137915


Fuerza Regia - Halc.Xalapa 107-98

Not a big story in a game in Monterrey where 7th ranked Halcones UV Xalapa (22-13) was defeated by first ranked Fuerza Regia (31-6) 107-98 on Thursday. The hosts trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 6-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 107-98. Fuerza Regia made 27-of-34 free shots (79.4 percent) during the game. Halcones UV Xalapa was plagued by 29 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Jeremis Smith (203-86, college: Georgia Tech) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds and the other American import point guard Mike Mitchell (181-83, college: N.Mexico St.) who added 18 points and 7 assists during the contest. At the losing side Venezuelan forward Juan Herrera (197-81) responded with 22 points and 5 rebounds and American guard Davin White (186-81, college: CS Northridge) scored 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Fuerza Regia have an impressive eight-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 31-6 record. Halcones UV Xalapa lost third consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 13 games lost. Fuerza Regia will face Correcaminos (#8) in Ciudad Victoria in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Halcones UV Xalapa will play at home against Abejas in Guanajuato.
Top scorers:
Halc.Xalapa: J.Herrera 22+5reb, T.Thomas 18+1reb, O.Mendez-Valdez 14+2reb+1ast, R.Mata 11+7reb+1ast, D.White 11+6reb+5ast, H.Hernandez 9+3reb
Fuerza Regia: J.Smith 24+11reb+1ast, M.Mitchell 18+1reb+7ast, A.Cruz 17+2reb, D.Smith 14+7reb+4ast, A.Izaguirre 13+7reb+2ast, C.Moore 10+5reb
gschID: 137910


Abejas - Barreteros 82-74

We could consider it a predictable result in the game between close teams in Guanajuato where tenth ranked Abejas (16-22) beat 9th ranked Barreteros (16-22) 82-74 on Thursday. Barreteros were tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Abejas dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Barreteros' 42. Barreteros were plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of American-Jamaican forward Mattis McHugh (198-84, college: S.Florida) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 17 rebounds and American forward Lorrenzo Wade (198-85, college: San Diego St.) who added 20 points during the contest. At the losing side U.S. Virgin Isl. Center JaJa Richards (207-75, college: Loyola, IL) responded with 12 points and 9 rebounds and American guard Louis White (192-76, college: Voorhees) scored 15 points and 4 steals. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Barreteros' coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Abejas have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to ninth place, which they share with defeated Barreteros. Barreteros lost eighth consecutive game. Abejas will face higher ranked Halcones UV Xalapa (#7) on the road in the next round and it may be quite challenging game.
Top scorers:
Barreteros: J.Habel 17+5reb, L.White 15+4reb+3ast, J.Richards 12+9reb+1ast, F.Fisher 11+5reb+3ast, G.Stokes 8+2reb+2ast, S.Cuevas 4+1reb
Abejas: M.McHugh 22+17reb+1ast, L.Wade 20+2reb+2ast, V.Buelna 17+3reb+3ast, M.Jackson 11+11reb+2ast, K.Gray 8+2reb+3ast, C.Castillo 2+2ast
gschID: 137911


Lechugueros - Panteras 100-92

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 12th ranked Panteras' (9-29) road loss to eleventh ranked Lechugueros (13-23) 92-100 on Thursday. The hosts trailed by 2 points at the halftime before their 50-40 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Lechugueros made 21-of-25 free shots (84.0 percent) during the game. They also forced 23 Panteras turnovers and outrebounded them 44-31 including a 26-10 advantage in offensive rebounds. Lechugueros looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of Bahamas power forward Ryan Moss (200-74, college: UALR) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 30 points and 16 rebounds and American forward Jamaal Thomas (202-80, college: Angelo St.) who added 26 points and 5 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!) during the contest. At the losing side Bahamas forward Mitchell Johnson (196-85, college: Jarvis Christian) responded with 23 points and American swingman Samuel Bowie (198-75, college: SE Louisiana) scored 17 points and 5 assists. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Lechugueros maintains eleventh position with 13-23 record. Panteras lost sixth consecutive game. They keep the twelfth place with 29 games lost. Lechugueros will face league's second-placed Halcones Rojos in Veracruz in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Panteras will play on the road against Volcanes (#14) in Toluca and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Panteras: M.Johnson 23+4reb+3ast, S.Bowie 17+2reb+5ast, J.Smith 13+7reb+1ast, M.Bryant 13+8reb+2ast, G.Giron 11+2reb+4ast, J.Moron 8+1reb
Lechugueros: R.Moss 30+16reb+1ast, J.Thomas 26+5reb+3ast, D.Ford 12+5reb+3ast, E.'Guayito' Santiago 12+2reb+6ast, E.Zuniga 12+4reb+7ast, E.Cuen 6+3reb+1ast
gschID: 137912


Toros - Halc.Rojos 82-84 OT

Toros (#3) forced the game against Halcones Rojos (#2) into an overtime, but lost by two points 82-84 on Thursday night. The game took place in Nuevo Laredo. But the guests from Veracruz were better at the end. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Toros. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 19-16 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time. They were better in overtime eventually winning that period 14-12. Halcones Rojos made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of Venezuelan power forward Luis Bethelmy (200-86) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds and Puerto Rican point guard Carlos Rivera (187-83, college: Hofstra, agency: Paris Global Sports) who added 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. Five Halcones Rojos players scored in double figures. Halcones Rojos' coach Eddie Casiano used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. At the losing side American-Nigerian forward Ike Ofoegbu (205-85, college: SMU, agency: Paris Global Sports) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds and American swingman Rene Rougeau (198-86, college: UNLV) scored 7 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists. Halcones Rojos maintains second position with 28-6 record having 3 victories less than leader Fuerza Regia. Toros at the other side keep the third place with 11 games lost. Halcones Rojos will face Lechugueros (#11) in Leon in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Toros will play at home against Aguilas Rojas (#13) in San Juan.
Top scorers:
Toros: I.Ofoegbu 24+12reb+1ast, T.Gardner 19+2reb+1ast, B.Angley 11+4reb+7ast, E.Manuel Guzman 9+10reb, R.Rougeau 7+15reb+7ast, L.Ellis Vasquez 6+2reb
Halc.Rojos: C.Rivera 15+5reb+4ast, L.Bethelmy 15+14reb+2ast, G.Vargas 14+5reb+4ast, P.Stoll 12+2reb+2ast, N.Alonzo 10+1reb+1ast, A.Solares 8+2reb
gschID: 137909




LeRoy Hickerson's triple-double lands him LNBP Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
American guard LeRoy Hickerson (196-G-82) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Pioneros, receiving a Latinbasket.com LNBP Player of the Week award for round 40.
The 29-year old player recorded a triple-double of 42 points addeding also 10 rebounds and 10 assists, while his team crushed Aguilas Rojas (#13, 6-33) with 21-point margin 125-104. Pioneros maintains the 5th position in Mexican LNBP. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Pioneros will need more victories to improve their 25-13 record. Hickerson turned to be Pioneros' top player in his first season with the team. Former University of the Cumberlands star has very solid stats this year. Hickerson is in league's top in points (2nd best: 24.1ppg) and averages impressive 66.7% FGP and 46.8% from behind 3-point line.

The second best player in last round's games was 30-year old American Daryl Dorsey (185-PG-81) of Aguilas Rojas. Dorsey had a very good evening with a double-double of 46 points and 18 assists. Bad luck as Aguilas Rojas lost that game 104-125 to the higher-ranked Pioneros (#5, 25-13). Aguilas Rojas is still in a red zone at 13th spot in the standings. 33 lost games are too many comparing to just six victories Aguilas Rojas managed to get this year. Dorsey is a newcomer at Aguilas Rojas, but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 29.9ppg (#1). He also recorded 8.4 assists per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was another Pioneros' star - American forward John Millsap (198-F-82). Millsap got into 30-points club by scoring 50 points in the last round. He went also for thirteen rebounds and four assists. He was another key player of Pioneros, helping his team with a 125-104 easy win against the lower-ranked Aguilas Rojas (#13, 6-33). Pioneros needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 25 victories and 13 lost games. Millsap has a great season in Mexico. After 29 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 20.7ppg (5th best). He also has FGP: 53.4% and 3PT: 42.1%. Millsap attended one of camps at Eurobasket Summer League on his way to pro basketball.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Ryan Moss (200-F/C-74) of Lechugueros - 30 points and 16 rebounds
5. Mattis McHugh (198-F-84) of Abejas - 22 points and 17 rebounds
6. Ike Ofoegbu (205-F-85) of Toros - 24 points and 12 rebounds
7. Jeremis Smith (203-F-86) of Fuerza Regia - 24 points and 11 rebounds
8. Jamaal Thomas (202-F-80) of Lechugueros - 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Rene Rougeau (198-G/F-86) of Toros - 7 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists
10. Myron Allen (180-PG-79) of Corr.Victoria - 17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 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)

MaJic Dorsey wins sponsor Caliente Player of The Year Award - by Carlos Chapa
This year's 2011 FIBA LNBP Sponsor Caliente Player Of The Year award went to American and Latin America Fan Favorite Daryl 'MaJic' Dorsey. The 6'1 Point Guard put on an amazing show this season for the people of San Juan del Ro and Latin America. This award was well deserved with the stats and numbers Dorsey finished the season with, ranking #1 in points per game with 31.4, #1 in assists with 9.2, #1 in total assists for the season with 242, #1 in freethrows made, #1 in freethrow percentage with 86.8, #1 in credits with an average of 29.4, #1 in minutes averaged, and Top 5 in three-pointers made, Top 5 in two-point field goals made, Top 3 in fouls received, Top 5 in steals, #1 in 30+ point games with 14, #1 in 40+ point games with 6, #1)in most assists in 1 game with 23, and also broke league record (#1) in freethrows made in a game 14/16. Also winning LatinBasket Player of the week three times in one season.

Standings - LNBP
LNBP Standings
 1. Fuerza Regia 31-6 
 2. Halc.Rojos 28-6 
 3. Toros 27-11 
 4. Soles 25-13 
 5. Pioneros 25-13 
 6. Huracanes 24-14 
 7. Halc.Xalapa 22-13 
 8. Corr.Victoria 16-21 
 9. Barreteros 16-22 
 10. Abejas 16-22 
 11. Lechugueros 13-23 
 12. Panteras 9-29 
 13. Aguilas Rojas 6-33 
 14. Volcanes 0-32 


*****************************************************
  MOLDOVA   


Donbasket improved to 5-0 record - by Eurobasket News
Donbasket improved to 5-0 record to finish year 2011 undefeated. In the last round the favorites overcame Politech 102:70. PGU-SDUSHOR grabbed 3-2 record after 77:70 over UASM as the latter suffered their second loss in five games. Gamma edged Soroka 80:59 and Fireball won over ASEM 69:65.


Standings
D1 Standings
 1. Donbasket 5-0 
 2. PGU-SDUSHOR 3-2 
 3. Gamma 3-2 
 4. UASM 3-2 
 5. Fireball 3-2 
 6. ASEM 2-3 
 7. Soroka 1-4 
 8. Politech 0-5 


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


Standings - 1A
1A Erste Basketball League Standings
 1. Mornar Bar 8-1
 2. Sutjeska 7-3
 3. Lovcen 6-4
 4. Mogren 6-4
 5. Teodo Tivat 5-5
 6. KK Podgorica 5-5
 7. Ulcinj 4-5
 8. Jedinstvo 3-7
 9. Danilovgrad 3-7
 10. ABS Primorje 2-8
Play in international cups:
 1. Buducnost -


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


SA Spurs release Hassell and Zeller - by Eurobasket News
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have waived forward Frank Hassell (6'8''-F-88, college: ODU) and center Luke Zeller (6'11''-F/C-87, college: Notre Dame). Hassell appeared in two preseason games, averaging 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 10.0 minutes. Zeller saw four minutes of action vs. Houston on Dec. 21 handing out two assists. The roster now stands at 13. The Spurs tip off the preseason on Monday, Dec. 26 when they host the Memphis Grizzlies at the AT&T Center at 7:30 p.m.

Courtesy of http://basketball.realgm.com

Hornets trade Pondexter to Grizzlies for Vasquez - by Eurobasket News
The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have acquired guard Greivis Vasquez (6'6''-PG-87, agency: Interperformances, college: Maryland) from the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for forward Quincy Pondexter (6'6''-F-88, college: Washington).

'We feel this is a trade that benefits both teams. We will miss Quincy and we thank him for his efforts, professionalism and work ethic,' said Hornets GM Dell Demps. 'We are excited to add Greivis Vasquez to our team, organization and community. Greivis is an exciting, big guard that plays with a passion that we hope will thrill our fans at the Hive.'

Vasquez (6-6, 211), who was drafted 28th overall by the Grizzlies in the 2010 NBA Draft, averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 assists in 12.3 minutes of action over 70 games (one start) for Memphis last season. In two preseason games this season, he averaged 4.5 points and 4.5 assists in 14.5 minutes of play. He is the first Venezuelan-born player ever selected in the NBA Draft and only the third Venezuelan to play in the NBA, joining Carl Herrera (1991-99) and Oscar Torres (2001-03). Vasquez was named the ACC Player of the Year and won the Bob Cousy Award as the best point guard in the nation in 2009-10 while at Maryland University. He is the only player in ACC history to record at least 2,000 points (2,171), 750 assists (772) and 600 rebounds (647) in a career.

Pondexter (6-6, 225) was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 26th overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft then traded to the Hornets on draft night. The University of Wahington product appeared in 66 games (6 starts) for the Hornets last season, averaging 2.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 11.1 minutes of play. In two preseason games this season, he averaged 13.0 points and 8.5 rebounds in 33.0 minutes of play. Pondexter was a four-year player at Washington University, where he became the all-time career leader in games played (136) and finished third in scoring (1,786 points).

Courtesy of www.sportsnola.com

Knicks sustain injuries to Iman Shumpert, Jared Jeffries in opener - by Eurobasket News
Just a quick scan of the roster, and one thing was obvious about the New York Knicks coming into the NBA season - they do not have the bench necessary to withstand injuries. And in Sunday's Christmas Day opener against the Boston Celtics, the Knicks saw two injuries that could have long-term impact.

First, big man Jared Jeffries (6'10''-C-81, college: Indiana) went to the locker room with a calf injury and didn't a return. Then, and more significantly, rookie Iman Shumpert (6'5''-G-90, college: Georgia Tech) injured a knee when he landed awkwardly on Boston's Chris Wilcox.

Shumpert's injury looked bad - he could not put pressure on it and was carried to the locker room by Steve Novak and Josh Harrellson. He has a strained MCL and will miss about three weeks.

Shumpert was expected to be the Knicks' backup point guard, with veteran signees Mike Bibby and Baron Davis both out with back problems.

Even with Bibby and Davis healthy, Shumpert was expected to be a contributor, providing size and athleticism in the backcourt. He played 22 minutes in the opener, with 11 points and four rebounds, but shot 3-for-13 and struggled against Boston's Rajon Rondo.

Before the game, coach Mike D'Antoni said of Shumpert, 'The biggest thing is I think he has very good instincts and he is not going to hurt us on defense. For a rookie, that is important, he will not hurt us - matter of fact, he will be a plus for us on the defensive end. He has a pretty simple game, he can be a little rookie-ish and get a little carried away, but we'll get him where he is making simple plays. He shoots the ball well, he is a very physical offensive talent, gives us speed, size and a good amount of stuff. But we think he could be a very good player for us.'

Courtesy of http://aol.sportingnews.com

Warriors lose to Clippers 105-86 in season opener - by Eurobasket News
Asked what he'll remember about his coaching debut, Warriors head man Mark Jackson searched his brain for eight seconds before finally opting for, 'We lost.'

After Sunday's 105-86 season-opening loss to the Clippers, Jackson easily could have talked about the positives: the physical play, the rebounding or reserve Brandon Rush (6'6''-G-85, agency: Priority Sports, college: Kansas). He could have talked about the national TV audience or the sellout crowd of 19,596 at Oracle Arena, which witnessed David Lee (6'9''-F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Florida) record 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Instead, Jackson lived in the reality of being 0-1. 'I don't think you take anything from what happened,' Jackson said. 'We are better than we played. We worked harder than what we showed. We're not pleased with any facet of it.'

The Warriors were outscored 30-18 in the fourth quarter, a period that included five careless turnovers, 35.3 percent shooting and matador defense against Clippers point guard Chris Paul (6'0''-PG-85, college: Wake Forest). He had eight points and four assists in the final quarter to extend the Clippers' seven-point lead to 19.

For all of the talk of taking the Bay Area by storm and changing the culture of the losing franchise, the Warriors looked much like the teams that failed to make the playoffs in 16 of the past 17 seasons. They play well enough to stay in games and poorly enough to allow opponents to take control in crunch time.

'We are a team right now that plays in spurts,' Jackson said. 'The great teams don't do that. It gets you in trouble. There were times when it looked like we didn't really understand what we're trying to accomplish and what we worked on. There were times when we looked like a lost basketball team.'

The Warriors shot 39 percent from the floor and 23.8 percent from three-point range in what Jackson termed a 'random' offense. On defense, they allowed 64 second-half points on 59 percent shooting.

Point guard Stephen Curry (6'3''-PG-88, college: Davidson), playing on a balky right ankle, was limited to four points, five rebounds and four assists. He committed five turnovers. Shooting guard Monta Ellis, trying to rebound from a week that included being sued for alleged sexual harassment and the death of his 89-year-old grandmother, had 15 points on 6-for-19 shooting and four turnovers.

The Clippers' backcourt, Paul and Chauncey Billups (6'3''-PG-76, college: Colorado), combined for 41 points, 13 assists and three turnovers.

'They outplayed our backcourt,' Jackson said. 'That's going to happen, but I still believe in my guys. There's no question about it.'

Rush, playing for the first time since the Warriors acquired him from Indiana last week, was in the middle of most of the physical plays. The 6-foot-6 swingman didn't back down to anyone, including breaking up a lob to 6-11, spring-shoed DeAndre Jordan and swatting a shot from Slam Dunk Contest champion Blake Griffin.

Andris Biedrins (7'0''-C-86), who has given the Warriors little to nothing during the past two injury-plagued seasons, was one of the most active players on the court. He had 10 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

The Warriors played their best in the second quarter, when they were getting stops and pushing the pace on offense. Jackson said it's a cop out to say the team's emphasis on defense is costing it fastbreak opportunities.

'Great things happened when we ran, but, in order to run, you have to get stops,' Jackson said. 'There's no trade-off, because you can't run when you give up 64 points in the second half. There's no running game when the team continues to take it out of the net.'

Courtesy of www.sfgate.com

Durant, Harden lead Thunder past Magic - by Eurobasket News
The Oklahoma City Thunder come into the new season with lofty goals. They looked very much like a contender in their opener.

Kevin Durant (6'9''-G/F-88, college: Texas) scored 30 points to help the Thunder win their opener with a 97-89 victory Sunday night over Orlando, a team that has been dealing with Dwight Howard's (6'11''-C-85) trade demands since training camp opened.

While Durant shined, Howard struggled, held to just 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting.

'We know that are outside expectations,' Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. 'But there aren't absolutes or guarantees. Our guys just work. I know it gets boring at times, but we like that. We're not going to change. We're all in the same boat on that. You can never become complacent. It has to be about the team.'

Durant led the league in scoring the past two seasons, including averaging 27.7 last season. On Sunday, he was 11-of-19 from the field and added five rebounds and six assists.

James Harden (6'5''-G-89, college: Arizona St.) added 19 points and the Thunder duo of Kendrick Perkins (6'10''-C-84) and Nazr Mohammed (6'10''-C-77, college: Kentucky) limited Howard.

The Thunder lost to Dallas last year in the Western Conference finals but are expected to one of the top teams this season. They led throughout, including by 18 at the end of the third quarter and really were never in danger of losing.

'It's something we can't control,' Durant said of expectations. 'We have to keep getting better every day and see what happens.'

The Magic looked like a team that was still dealing with the distraction of Howard and his trade demands, which dominated headlines in Orlando since the lockout ended. The All-Star center has softened his stance lately.

'I didn't like the pace of our offense,' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. 'I thought we were moving slowly. I thought the ball didn't move.'

NBA commissioner David Stern weighed in on the Howard situation Sunday, saying before the game, 'That's the beauty of the soap opera. How it plays out, we'll wait and see.'

Howard, the Magic's star center averaged more than 22 points per game last year, shooting 59 percent for the season.

He did have 15 rebounds.

A 13-2 run in the second quarter, after Durant and Russell Westbrook checked back in, helped the Thunder get out to a 17-point lead. They led 55-41 at the break. Durant had 14 points in the first half.

Ryan Anderson scored 25 points and Jameer Nelson added 18 for the Magic, who shot just 37 percent from the field and had 18 turnovers.

'It was a good game for us,' Brooks said. 'Everybody chipped in. We had a lot of good plays tonight.'

Courtesy of www.koco.com

Bulls rally to stun Lakers 88-87 on Derrick Rose's game-winner - by Eurobasket News
Derrick Rose (6'4''-G-88, college: Memphis) drove the lane and lofted home a smooth floating shot for the winning points in the Chicago Bulls opener, just in case anybody doubted the youngest MVP in NBA history can shoulder the expectations that come bundled with that shiny new trophy and a huge contract extension.

Yet Rose realized the Bulls dramatic comeback and his beautiful winner were only possible because Luol Deng (6'7''-F-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Duke) did a whole mess of dirty work against Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78).

Rose scored 22 points and hit a short go-ahead shot with 4.8 seconds to play, and the Bulls rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final 3:44 for an 88-87 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

If it werent for my teammates, making the steal and getting the ball to me at the end, theres no way I could have gotten that shot off to help us win that game, Rose said.

That credit went straight to Deng, who scored 21 points and stole Bryant's pass with 16.9 seconds left to set up Roses winner before finally blocking Bryants short shot right before the buzzer. Rose was grateful the Bulls hung on to win the clubs first Christmas meeting, but even happier about their poise in an early test.

We definitely dont want to be in a situation like that, but we fought our way back, said Rose, who went 9 for 13. We just played harder. We stepped up our intensity on the defensive end. Throughout the whole game, our defense wasnt there. I mean, we showed spots of it, but we didnt keep it consistent. Then, at the end, we played defense.

Carlos Boozer (6'10''-F/C-80, college: Duke) had 15 points for the Bulls, who have designs on a championship run after leading the NBA with 62 regular-season victories last season. But Chicago appeared headed for a mildly surprising loss in the first game of a season filled with high expectations until Rose and Deng bailed out the Bulls, who finished with a 17-5 rally.

The Bulls had to score the final seven points to earn their first road win over the Lakers in six tries.

Deng scored nine points in the fourth quarter, including a three-point play and two free throws in the final 45 seconds. One possession before he stretched to block Bryants final shot, Deng alertly intercepted Bryants pass to Pau Gasol out of a trap, setting up Roses winner.

He threw a lob pass, and I was able to get to it, Deng said. As soon as we got the ball, I knew we were going to score.

Until the final minutes, the Bulls were thoroughly disappointed with their effort, while the Lakers were pleased by their passion and execution after a tumultuous preseason. Chicago struggled mightily against coach Mike Browns new defensive schemes for the Lakers in the second half, managing just 25 percent shooting (12 for 48).

Bryant scored 28 points and committed eight turnovers while playing with a torn wrist ligament for the Lakers, but he couldnt finish strong in his NBA-record 14th Christmas Day appearance. Los Angeles still led 87-81 on Bryants jumper with 54 seconds left, but Deng and Rose took the game away from him.

I saw a lot of positive things, Bryant said. Defensively, we were terrific. We did a good job, and were just going to get better. Were going to be very good defensively.

Bryant wore a compression sleeve on his right arm while playing without a brace on his right wrist after getting hurt last week. He appeared to have trouble handling the ball, but displayed a fairly smooth jump shot and his usual superb footwork.

Gasol added 14 points for the Lakers, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter while committing four fouls. Los Angeles also played without suspended center Andrew Bynum and departed sixth man Lamar Odom in the debut of Brown, who replaced 11-time champion Phil Jackson.

We played pretty good basketball until right down the stretch, Brown said. There were a lot of things that went wrong down the stretch where we didnt quite finish the game.

Los Angeles began the second half with an 18-7 run, clicking on both ends while claiming a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. Chicago finally awoke after Los Angeles pushed its fourth-quarter lead to 82-71 with 3:45 to play, and the Bulls game-ending run was abetted by four straight missed free throws by the Lakers.

The Lakers 13th straight Christmas appearance was the second straight for the Bulls, who returned to the holiday slate last season for the first time since the last of Michael Jordans six championship campaigns in 1997.

Courtesy of www.masslive.com

Dallas Mavericks bid for C Kyrylo Fesenko - by Eurobasket News
The Mavericks still have one roster spot open and are exploring the feasibility of filling it with the best free-agent big man still available: Kyrylo Fesenko (7'0''-C-86).

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Saturday that the Mavericks, even after signing local high school product Sean Williams as a third center earlier this week, have extended a one-year offer to Fesenko.

Three other teams are known to be chasing the Ukranian: Toronto, Golden State and Miami.

Sources say that the Raptors, with a full 15 players on their roster, are exploring avenues to create an open spot for Fesenko, who turned 25 on Saturday.

Fesenko is expected to take the weekend to choose his destination. It's believed that more money and minutes would be available with either the Raptors or the Warriors, but the lure of signing with a title contender like the Heat or the Mavericks is also strong.

The 7-foot-1, 280-pounder has played sparingly in four seasons with the Jazz after being taken in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

The Mavericks are apparently intent on filling the void created by Tyson Chandler's free-agent departure with depth and variety. In addition to the prospect of signing Fesenko, they've already added a lanky shot-blocking specialist in Williams, who starred at Mansfield High and for the Mavericks' D-League affiliate in Frisco last season.

If Fesenko chooses to sign elsewhere, Dallas is expected to keep pursuing free-agent targets on short-term deals, based on the premise that having a full complement of 15 players is the best way for the league's second-oldest team (behind only Atlanta) to cope with the rigors of a 66-game schedule in the space of four months.

Courtesy of ESPN

Shawn Marion breaks finger in loss to Heat - by Eurobasket News
Shawn Marion (6'7''-F-78, college: UNLV) suffered a broken left pinky in Sunday's game against the Miami Heat, but said he doesn't expect it to keep him out Monday against Denver.

'It hurts like hell,'' he said. 'But I'm a warrior.''

Marion said he hurt the finger - which already was mangled from previous injuries suffered in his career - during the third quarter when he was trying to make a defensive play.

X-rays revealed the fracture after the game.

Marion played the entire third quarter but did not play in the fourth, at least partly because the Mavericks were hopelessly behind.

The Mavericks lost 105-94 to the Heat.

Courtesy of http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com

LeBron scores 37 points, Heat beat Mavs 105-94 - by Eurobasket News
While Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) and the Dallas Mavericks were on the court celebrating the championship they won over LeBron James (6'8''-F-84) and Dwyane Wade (6'4''-G-82, college: Marquette) last season, the Miami Heat were gathered in another part of the building.

It wasn't because they dreaded watching the ceremony, they insisted.

They were simply getting ready to show everyone why they are favored to win it all this season.

James and Wade led a series of scoring waves that put Miami ahead by 35 points midway through the third quarter, the lead peaking when James soared to the rim and tipped an alley-oop pass to Wade so he could have the dunk instead. The game was essentially over then, although the Mavs reserves fueled a late rally that made the final score look close, 105-94.

'We tried to play aggressive,' James said. 'We're a focused team. We had a great training camp. We came in with the same mindset we had at practice, use our speed and play with mental focus.'

James finished with 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Wade had 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Miami scored at least 30 points in each of the first three quarters.

'Celebration or not, we had a game plan and implemented it,' Wade said. 'We came out and played a good game.'

Maybe the pregame festivities left the Mavs emotionally drained because they were down by 15 after one quarter and 21 at halftime. They then gave up 14 straight points early in the third quarter.

The blowout had less to do with an emotional hangover and more to do with exposing the slow process of breaking in a new rotation. Dallas lost center Tyson Chandler and backup point guard J.J. Barea and added guard Vince Carter, do-it-all Lamar Odom and backup guard Delonte West.

'We're going to have to forge an identity with this team; it's a different team,' Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. 'That's work, and it's going to take honesty, and it's not going to be easy.'

Carter took Dallas' first two shots, an 18-footer and a layup. Both missed. West started the second half in his place and finished with 10 points. Carter had five points, two rebounds and three assists in 21 minutes.

Odom - the NBA's reigning Sixth Man of the Year, who was acquired from the Lakers a few weeks ago for merely a trade exception - entered to a standing ovation, and got fans roaring again when he made a 3-pointer that tied the game at 11. He missed his next five shots before getting ejected midway through the third quarter, but still left to loud cheers. He had four points and four rebounds in 13 minutes.

'We've got to get better and it will take a little time to get better,' Odom said.

Jason Terry (6'2''-PG-77, college: Arizona) sparked a Dallas rally, that started after Odom was tossed, and wound up leading Dallas with 23 points. Nowitzki scored 21 in three quarters. Shawn Marion scored 12 and broke the pinky finger on his left hand.

NBA Commissioner David Stern attended the game and took part in the banner raising ceremony. Fans greeted him with boos, perhaps showing disgust over the lockout that delayed the start of the season from Nov. 1 and shrunk the season by 16 games.

Fans had plenty more to cheer, such as Terry proclaiming, 'Thirty-one years you waited 31 years! to call your team a champion, ladies and gentlemen. A champion!'

Nowitzki, Terry, Jason Kidd and many more players, coaches and staff each got a strand to yank as part of the unveiling of the banner at court level. Nowitzki and Kidd seemed awed as they watched it rise to the rafters. They couldn't take their eyes off it or didn't want to.

Championship tie-ins were everywhere, from the Mavs' warmup jackets proclaiming them the 2011 NBA Champions to jerseys featuring a patch of the championship trophy, with the words on the front and back of their jerseys all outlined in gold. Terry even wore gold high-tops.

But Dallas was more style than substance, especially compared to a Miami team that returns the core of its rotation.

The Heat scored 18 points in the paint in the first quarter, while the Mavs scored a total of 17 that period none in the paint. Both Miami's 18 and Dallas' 0 are an indication of how badly the Mavs will miss Chandler.

Miami went on a 12-0 run late in the first quarter, a 15-1 spurt in the second quarter, then the 14-0 binge in the third period. At the end of that final surge, James made a spin move to free himself for a 17-foot jumper off the glass, then followed with his alley-oop tip to Wade.

'It was showtime,' said Heat point guard Mario Chalmers (6'1''-PG-86, college: Kansas), who had the initial pass to James. 'That comes from playing a whole season together last year and working out during the offseason with each other.'

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Indiana Pacers defeat the Detroit Pistons: Recap - by Daniel Gibson
Indianapolis,IND---Back in 2004 the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons took part in a brawl that spilled into the crowd and erupted after a cup of beer was thrown. Tonight the brawling took place on the court and within the rules but it was a definitely a heavy weight fight in the paint.

The Indiana Pacers were able to spread the ball around and have five players score in double figures with Danny Granger (6'8''-F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: N.Mexico) and Roy Hibbert (7'2''-C-86, college: Georgetown) leading the way with 16 points apiece. Three Indiana Pacers recorded double-doubles with Hibbert pulling down 14 rebounds, David West (6'8''-F-80, college: Xavier) with 11 points and 12 boards and Tyler Hansbrough (6'9''-F-85, college: N.Carolina) bringing it off the bench with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

Jonas Jerebko (6'9''-F-87) and Rodney Stuckey (6'5''-PG-86, college: E.Washington) led the Pistons with a game high 17 points apiece but this was a game that was never in doubt after the opening minutes.

West, the free agent signee from the New Orleans Hornets looked to set the tone physically by scoring his first bucket as a Pacer from the post. The Indiana Pacers offensive game plan was clear from the start, work from the inside out.

The Indiana Pacers constantly attacked the basket and held a 16-8 rebounding advantage with six offensive boards in the first period alone. Their work on the glass led to second shot opportunities which helped them jump out to a lead after one quarter, 26-17.

The second quarter was more of the same for the Indiana Pacers while the Pistons could never get clicking. The lockout, followed by the condensed training camp and two-game preseason clearly affected them as a number of players threw passes over their target and into the stands.

Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers were playing volleyball around the rim with West, Hibbert and Hansbrough having two and three put back attempts for each miss. The Pistons shot 39 percent for the half and the Indiana Pacers not much better at 40 percent. Still even with the poor shooting the work on the glass helped the Indiana Pacers go into intermission with a comfortable 52-38 lead.

Coming out of the break Danny Granger knocked down a mid-range jumper to make it 54-38 and it seemed to get the team going. That shot was followed by a Darren Collison (6'0''-PG-87, college: UCLA) jumper and three-pointer then a Hibbert lay-up plus the foul. By the end of the run it was 62-42. The Indiana Pacers rode that momentum to the end of the period with a 76-58 lead.

The packed house gave the Indiana Pacers a loud ovation to start the fourth and they got even louder after Paul George (6'9''-G/F-90, agency: Priority Sports, college: Fresno St.) blocked a Ben Gordon (6'2''-G-83, college: Connecticut) jump shot and raced down court to lay it in between two Pistons. The two teams traded buckets down the stretch but the Indiana Pacers lead was never threatened. They started off the season at the newly named Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a convincing win, 91-79.

Even with the dominating win the team understands there is a lot of room for improvement.

'I thought we did a good job of following the game plan and we were aggressive defensively,' West said. 'We attacked them defensively early and got them on their heels, we didnt shoot the ball great but because we played defense we are able to sustain the lead throughout the whole game.'

'We are still learning each other and we are adjusting on the fly but again, all I can to preach to this group is to stay together defensively. The offense is going to come but defensively is where the bread is being buttered.'

The Indiana Pacers will back be at this Friday night when the Cleveland Cavaliers and the number one draft pick Kyrie Irving come to town. Its a great opportunity for the Indiana Pacers to build on the momentum of this win.

Celtics sign Mickael Pietrus - by Eurobasket News
The Celtics added some depth to their bench on Saturday, inking guard/forward Mickael Pietrus (6'6''-F-82, agency: Court Side) after the veteran cleared waivers.

'We are very excited to be able to add Mickael to our team,' C's president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said of the move. 'His skills as a perimeter defender and an outside shooter provide great versatility to the roster.'

Pietrus cleared waivers after negotiating a $3 million buyout with the Phoenix Suns. Pietrus' agent, Bill McCandless, told The Boston Globe on Friday that the veteran swingman loves Celtics head coach Doc Rivers.

The addition of Pietrus is a big one for the C's, as they've been struck by injuries already. Jeff Green will miss the entire 2011-12 season with a heart condition, while Paul Pierce is banged up and missed the team's first game against the New York Knicks.

Pietrus, 29, has played with the Warriors, Magic and Suns over the course of his eight NBA seasons. He averaged 7.2 points in 19.4 minutes per game last season. He's averaged 8.5 points in 21.5 minutes per game for his career.

Courtesy of www.nesn.com

Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Carmelo ANTHONY
  New Y.
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 37
 1. Anthony, New Y.37.0 
 2. James, Miami Heat37.0 
 3. Rondo, Boston C.31.0 
 4. Durant, Oklah.Ci.30.0 
 5. Bryant, LA Lakers28.0 
 6. Wade, Miami Heat26.0 
 7. Anderson, Orlan.25.0 
 8. Terry, Dallas M.23.0 
 9. Rose, Chicago B.22.0 
 10. Griffin, LA Clipp.22.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Dwight HOWARD
  Orlando M.
  (211-C-85)
  Avg: 15
 1. Howard, Orlando M.15.0 
 2. Haslem, Miami Heat14.0 
 3. Lee, Golde S.12.0 
 4. Bass, Boston C.11.0 
 5. Butler, LA Clippers10.0 
 6. Anderson, Orlan.10.0 
 7. James, Miami Heat10.0 
 8. Wright, Golde S.9.0 
 9. Noah, Chicago B.9.0 
 10. Wade, Miami Heat8.0 
Assists Per Game
 Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 13
 1. Rondo, Boston C.13.0 
 2. Paul, LA Clippers9.0 
 3. Ellis, Golde S.8.0 
 4. James, Miami Heat6.0 
 5. Wade, Miami Heat6.0 
 6. Westbrook, Oklah..6.0 
 7. Bryant, LA Lakers6.0 
 8. Durant, Oklah.Ci.6.0 
 9. Nelson, Orlando M.6.0 
 10. Rose, Chicago B.5.0 
Steals Per Game
 Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (185-PG-86)
  Avg: 5
 1. Rondo, Boston C.5.0 
 2. Deng, Chicago B.4.0 
 3. Chalmers, Miami He.4.0 
 4. Noah, Chicago B.3.0 
 5. Westbrook, Oklah..3.0 
 6. Douglas, New Y.3.0 
 7. West, Dallas M.3.0 
 8. Butler, LA Clippers3.0 
 9. Fisher, LA Lakers2.0 
 10. Kidd, Dallas M.2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 DeAndre JORDAN
  LA Clippers
  (213-C-88)
  Avg: 8
 1. Jordan, LA Clippers8.0 
 2. Chandler, New Y.6.0 
 3. Gasol, LA Lakers3.0 
 4. Biedrins, Golde S.3.0 
 5. James, Miami Heat2.0 
 6. Mohammed, Oklah.Ci.2.0 
 7. O''Neal, Boston C.2.0 
 8. Howard, Orlando M.2.0 
 9. Rush, Golde S.2.0 
 10. Curry, Golde S.2.0 


Standings
NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
 1. New York K. 1-0 
 2. New Jersey N. 0-0 
 3. Philadelph.76 0-0 
 4. Toronto R. 0-0 
 5. Boston C. 0-1 
Central Div.
 1. Chicago B. 1-0 
 2. Cleveland C. 0-0 
 3. Detroit P. 0-0 
 4. Indiana P. 0-0 
 5. Milwaukee B. 0-0 
Southeast Div.
 1. Miami Heat 1-0 
 2. Atlanta H. 0-0 
 3. Charlotte B. 0-0 
 4. Washington W. 0-0 
 5. Orlando M. 0-1 
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
 1. Oklah.City T. 1-0 
 2. Denver N. 0-0 
 3. Minnesota T. 0-0 
 4. Portland TB 0-0 
 5. Utah Jazz 0-0 
Pacific Div.
 1. LA Clippers 1-0 
 2. Phoenix Suns 0-0 
 3. Sacramento K. 0-0 
 4. Golde State W. 0-1 
 5. LA Lakers 0-1 
Southwest Div.
 1. Houston R. 0-0 
 2. Memphis G. 0-0 
 3. N.Orleans H. 0-0 
 4. San Antonio S. 0-0 
 5. Dallas M. 0-1 


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


Rainmen shut down Power, set NBL Canada record - by Eurobasket News
The Halifax Rainmen washed out the Oshawa Power during a Christmas Eve match-up at the General Motors Centre tonight when they defeated the home team by a score of 125 to 99. The Rainmen broke an NBL Canada record in the win, setting the most points scored by a single team in one game at 125.

Leading the Rainmen were Lawrence Wright (6'5''-F-84, college: Bradley) and Taliek Brown (6'1''-G-82, agency: Global Sports Plaza, college: Connecticut) with 18 points each, followed by Bryan McCullough with 16 and Joey Haywood with 15.

The leading scorer for the Power was Brandon Robinson (6'6''-F-89, college: Clayton St.) with 25 points, followed by Morgan Lewis (6'4''-F-87, college: Findlay, OH) with an impressive 21 points and 11 rebounds. The box score statistics can be found at www.dakstats.com.

The Rainmen return to Halifax with an improved record of 10 wins and 4 losses, and are now ranked as the second-place team in the NBL Canada standings.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

NBLC Standings
NBL Canada Standings
 1. London L. 12-3 
 2. Quebec K. 12-6 
 3. Halifax R. 10-4 
 4. St.John M.R. 8-8 
 5. Summerside S. 6-10 
 6. Oshawa P. 6-13 
 7. Moncton M. 2-12 


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


Top 25 - Men
TOP25 Standings
 1. Syracuse 0-0 (12-0) 
 2. Ohio St. 0-0 (12-1) 
 3. Kentucky 0-0 (11-1) 
 4. Louisville 0-0 (11-2) 
 5. N.Carolina 0-0 (10-0) 
 6. Baylor 0-0 (11-0) 
 7. Duke 0-0 (9-0) 
 8. Connecticut 0-0 (10-1) 
 9. Missouri 0-0 (12-0) 
 10. Marquette 0-0 (10-1) 
 11. Florida 0-0 (9-2) 
 12. Kansas 0-0 (8-3) 
 13. Wisconsin 0-0 (11-2) 
 14. Xavier 0-0 (7-2) 
 15. Pittsburgh 0-0 (11-2) 
 16. Georgetown 0-0 (12-0) 
 17. Indiana 0-0 (12-0) 
 18. Mississippi St. 0-0 (12-1) 
 19. Michigan St. 0-0 (12-2) 
 20. Michigan 0-0 (11-2) 
 21. UNLV 0-0 (13-2) 
 22. Murray St. 1-0 (13-0) 
 23. Creighton 0-0 (10-1) 
 24. Virginia 0-0 (9-1) 
 25. Illinois 0-0 (5-5) 


Stats Leaders - NCAA1
Points Per Game
 Doug MCDERMOTT
  Creig.
  (200-F-92)
  Avg: 25.4
 1. McDermott, Creig.25.4 
 2. Ryan, Evansville18.8 
 3. Rice, Drake18.2 
 4. Simons, Drake15.2 
 5. Brown, Bradley14.9 
 6. Weems, Missouri.14.3 
 7. Patterson, Missour.13.8 
 8. James, N.Iowa13.7 
 9. Carmichael, Illino.13.3 
 10. Seck, S.Illinois13.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jordan PROSSER
  Bradley
  (205-F-)
  Avg: 8.7
 1. Prosser, Bradley8.7 
 2. Carmichael, Illino.8.2 
 3. McDermott, Creig.8.2 
 4. Seck, S.Illinois7.9 
 5. Clarke, Drake7.6 
 6. Weems, Missouri.7.3 
 7. Brown, Bradley7.2 
 8. Stutz, Wichita St.6.5 
 9. Echenique, Creig.6.1 
 10. Gulley, Missouri5.8 
Assists Per Game
 Jake ODUM
  Indiana St.
  (193-G-)
  Avg: 6.7
 1. Odum, Indiana St.6.7 
 2. Gibbs, Creighton6.2 
 3. Bizoukas, Missouri.6.2 
 4. Young, Creighton4.5 
 5. Moore, Illinois St.3.8 
 6. Ragland, Wichita S.3.6 
 7. Holmes, Evansville3.4 
 8. Cousin, Illinois S.3.4 
 9. Simms-E., Bradley3.4 
 10. Murry, Wichita St.3.3 
Steals Per Game
 Jake ODUM
  Indiana St.
  (193-G-)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Odum, Indiana St.2.2 
 2. Simms-E., Bradley1.9 
 3. Brown-Surles, S.Il.1.8 
 4. Rice, Drake1.7 
 5. Clarke, Drake1.7 
 6. Lemon, Bradley1.7 
 7. Ryan, Evansville1.7 
 8. Bocot, S.Illinois1.6 
 9. Seck, S.Illinois1.5 
 10. Gibbs, Creighton1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Dantiel DANIELS
  S.Illinois
  (198-F-)
  Avg: 2
 1. Daniels, S.Illinois2.0 
 2. Echenique, Creig.1.4 
 3. Carmichael, Illino.1.3 
 4. Thompson, Bradley1.3 
 5. Gant, Indiana St.1.3 
 6. Koch, N.Iowa1.1 
 7. Walker, Indiana1.1 
 8. Rice, Drake1.1 
 9. Woods, Drake1.0 
 10. Drinkard, S.Illin.1.0 


West Virginia gives Huggins 700th win by edging Missouri St. 70-68 - by Eurobasket News
Kevin Jones (6'8''-F) had 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead West Virginia past Missouri State 70-68 on Thursday night in the Las Vegas Classic, giving coach Bob Huggins his 700th coaching victory.

Darryl Bryant (6'2''-G) added 15 points and Gary Browne (6'1''-G-92) 13 for the Mountaineers (9-2).

Caleb Patterson (6'11''-C-89) led the Bears (7-4) with 18 points.

Trailing 63-60 late in regulation, Browne hit a fall-away 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to force overtime. It was Brownes only 3-pointer of the game.

West Virginia had rallied from a five-point deficit with 45 seconds left in regulation.

Trailing by two with 2 seconds left in overtime, Missouri States Nathan Scheer put up a shot in the lane, but it bounced around the rim and out.

Both teams have one game left in the Classic. West Virginia plays No. 6 Baylor on Friday, while Missouri State plays Saint Marys.

Courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

No. 13 Wisconsin beats MVSU 79-45 - by Eurobasket News
Just going to Madison to play No. 13 Wisconsin is tough enough. Mississippi Valley State coach Sean Woods said putting the Badgers on the free throw line 44 times pretty much made it impossible.

Jordan Taylor (6'1''-G) scored 17 points to lead Wisconsin to a 79-45 victory Friday, a win in which the Badgers took 23 more free throws than their previous season-high.

Woods said the fouls hurt what the Delta Devils were trying to do defensively and noted he was charged with a technical foul for pointing out the discrepancy at that point in the game was 25-12. It ended up 29-15.

'You're not going to beat any Wisconsin team of this magnitude and this is a pretty good Wisconsin team if the foul discrepancy is that bad,' Woods said. 'We have no chance to win or even stay close.'

Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan said it was simply a matter of the Badgers (11-2) taking advantage of what Mississippi Valley State (1-10) presented defensively.

'They were just real physical,' Ryan said. 'They were going to get you to turn it over or they were going to foul you.'

Playing for the first time in more than a week, the Badgers showed no signs of rust, taking a 20-4 lead in the game's first 8 minutes.

The Delta Devils were able to cut the lead to 11 points twice in the first half and showed signs they might make it a game. But the foul trouble and Wisconsin's free throw shooting eventually wore them down.

Reserve guard Brent Arrington fouled out for the Delta Devils in 23 minutes, and three others finished the game with four fouls.

Part of that came from the physical mismatches the Delta Devils faced. The rest was more of an effort by the Badgers to get to the line the last couple of weeks.

Over the first seven games, the Badgers were more of a perimeter team, averaging more than 24 3-point attempts a game and just nine free throw attempts. But Wisconsin had shown more balance over the previous five games coming into Friday, taking almost 17 3s and attempting more than 19 free throws.

On Friday, the Badgers took that trend to the other extreme. They were 4 of 10 on 3s and 31 of 44 on free throws.

Josh Gasser (6'3''-G), who finished with 11 points, said the Badgers aren't giving up on their perimeter game. They just took advantage of the opportunities the Delta Devils' defense presented to them.

While happy with how often they got to the line, he said the Badgers should have done a better job of converting once they got there. They hit better than 70 percent of their opportunities, just above their season average.

'The 31, we'd like to get that a little higher I think,' Gasser said. 'We knew they'd pressure defensively like they did. To offset that, you just have to drive hard and get to the free throw line.'

Jared Berggren (6'10''-F/C) had 15 points for the Badgers, who play Tuesday at Nebraska to open Big Ten play.

Paul Crosby and Terrence Joyner both scored 14 points for the Delta Devils of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

This was the Delta Devil's 11th of 12 straight games away from home to start the season. They play at Iowa State on Dec. 31 before finally playing at home on Jan. 3.

Woods said the extended road trip against the likes of North Carolina, Arkansas, Northwestern and Florida is starting to take its toll. He told his players they have off until Tuesday and won't practice again until Wednesday.

'When you put so much into something, something good has to come out of it and our goal is to win our league and get into the NCAA tournament, and we're on the right track with that,' he said.

Courtesy of www.sfgate.com

Freshman James Johnson leaving Virginia - by Eurobasket News
Virginia men's head basketball coach Tony Bennett says redshirt freshman forward James Johnson (6'9''-F) is planning to transfer and leave the Cavaliers' program.

Bennett says he met with Johnson on Saturday.

He is the fourth member of Bennett's first recruiting class to leave the program in the past year, joining Billy Baron, Will Regan and KT Harrell, who announced his intention to transfer on Friday. Of that first class, only Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell remain at Virginia.

In a statement, Bennett said he's disappointed about the news this week that both Johnson and Harrell would be leaving, but said it's better for everyone to part ways if they feel it's best for them not to be with the program.

The 6-foot-9 Johnson from Wildomar, Calif., has played in six games this season, scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds. Johnson redshirted last season, at his request, but had failed to earn much playing time so far this year.

The departures come with the Cavaliers (10-1) off to their best start since the 2000-01 season, and riding an eight-game winning streak. Virginia also has won its last four true road games, it longest road winning streak since 1994-95.

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

No. 14 Xavier ends losing streak, defeating Southern Illinois 87-77 in Diamond Head Classic - by Eurobasket News
Southern Illinois will leave Hawaii empty-handed.

The Salukis (3-8) dropped their third straight game Sunday, an 87-77 loss to No. 14 Xavier, and will depart from the Islands without a win. The Musketeers (9-3), led by 21 points from Tu Holloway (6'0''-G-89), snapped their own three-game losing streak with the win in the seventh-place game of the Diamond Head Classic.

SIU coach Chris Lowery pointed at Holloway as the difference-maker in the game.

Tu Holloway is an NBA guy, Lowery said. Thats the difference between their club and our club. Their thinker is an NBA guy. He never wavered (or) got shook up and he ran the team.

Dantiel Daniels (6'6''-F) shot 7 of 8 from the field and made all eight of his free throws to lead the Salukis with a game-high 22 points. He scored 13 of his 22 points in the second half.

Mamadou Seck (6'7''-F) had 12 points with 10 rebounds, Kendal Brown-Surles hit three 3-pointers to finish with 12 points, and T.J. Lindsay added 11 for the Salukis.

Holloway was feeling the Christmas spirit, so he sported green and white shoes with red laces before a sparse, morning crowd on Christmas Day.

The Musketeers won for the first time since Dec. 10, when they beat Cincinnati in a game cut short in the closing seconds by brawling and mayhem on the court.

That was as good a game as we played offensively all year, Xavier coach Chris Mack said. On the defense end, we need to get back to being a team that keeps teams to a low field-goal percentage.

It was the first three-game losing streak for Xavier under Mack and first since the 2007-08 season.

Mark Lyons (6'1''-G-89) had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Musketeers (9-3). Andre Walker and Travis Taylor added 13 apiece for Xavier, which made 36 of 48 free throws. Walker also had 10 rebounds.

The Salukis (3-8), losers of three in a row, were led by Dantiel Daniels with 22 points.

We really needed this one, Lyons said. We got the W. Thats what matters.

Southern Illinois drew to 68-64 at 8:45 after a 3-point play by Daniels, but an 8-1 run gave the Musketeers a comfortable cushion. Holloways two free throws with a minute to go gave the Musketeers their largest lead, 83-69.

Holloway finished 14 of 15 from the line. He took just six shots from the field, making three, including 1 of 2 3-pointers. He also had seven assists.

I try to do that every game, Holloway said. Today my teammates were finishing a lot. Im the point guard of the team, so thats where it starts for us, passing the ball and sharing the ball.

The senior point guard, third-team AP All-American last season, said he was waiting for the perfect occasion to unveil the festive shoes.

Since Ive been in college this is the first time playing on Christmas Day, Holloway said. I had a pair of Nikes that match the Christmas colors, green and white. I wanted to wear them on Christmas Day and dedicate (the game) to everybody back home for Christmas.

Xavier scored 17 points off 11 SIU turnovers. SIU shot 40 percent and made just 5 of 20 from behind the arc. The Musketeers led 42-36 at halftime.

This was the second meeting between the schools and first since SIU beat Xavier in 1972. The Musketeers lost at home to Oral Roberts a week ago before dropping their first two games in Honolulu, against Long Beach State and Hawaii. The Salukis also lost earlier in the week to Kansas State and Clemson.

Courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

Kansas St. wins Diamond Head over Long Beach 77-60 - by Eurobasket News
Kansas State isn't ranked in the AP Top 25, but the Wildcats appear destined to be there soon.

Rodney McGruder (6'4''-G-91) scored a career-best 28 points and the Wildcats (10-1) went on a big first-half run and beat Long Beach State 77-60 on Sunday to win the Diamond Head Classic.

McGruder finished 10 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He also went 6 of 7 from the line.

'I do feel like we should be ranked, but that doesn't really matter to us,' said McGruder. 'We're just going to keep working hard and keep striving for greatness.'

For now, Kansas State is among the teams also receiving votes in the poll.

'We were No. 3 in the preseason last year, and in January everyone said we stunk, so as long as at the end of the year we're where we need to be,' said Kansas State coach Frank Martin.

'I'd love to be ranked. Don't get me wrong - you're on 'SportsCenter' every time you play, and that helps you in recruiting, it helps you sell your product. I'd love to be ranked, but I don't invest a lot of time in that.'

McGruder was averaging 10.8 points entering the game, just fourth best on the team. His previous career high of 24 points came against UMKC on Dec. 23, 2010. The 6-foot-4 junior guard led Kansas State in rebounding last season at 5.9 per game.

Will Spradling added 17 points, and Jamar Samuels had 11 points and eight rebounds for the Wildcats (10-1).

Larry Anderson (6'5''-G) and Casper Ware (5'10''-G) each scored 17 points for the 49ers (7-6).

The Wildcats went on a 29-13 run for a 38-22 lead with 2:27 left in the first half. McGruder had eight points, including two 3-pointers, during the surge.

Kansas State finished 26 of 52 from the field, while Long Beach State went 21 of 57.

'I think we're playing pretty good offense,' Martin said. 'We're not a well-polished machine; we're not awesome. We spend a lot of time on defense in the preseason, and now our offense gets better ... it happens every year.

'The one thing that happened tonight was we made shots. When you make shots, all of a sudden, your offense looks a whole lot better, and we did it against a real good team.'

Spradling's 3-pointer gave Kansas State its biggest lead at 49-31 with 15:43 remaining. Long Beach State got as close as 62-52 with 6:41 to play.

The Wildcats also beat Southern Illinois and UTEP in the tournament. Their only loss this season came Dec. 8 against West Virginia.

Courtesy of www.mlive.com

No.6 Baylor squeaks by West Virginia with 83-81 overtime win - by Eurobasket News
West Virginia freshman Jabarie Hinds (5'11''-G) had two chances to be West Virginia's hero Friday night against No. 6 Baylor once at the end of regulation and the other at the end of overtime.

But neither were enough as the Bears (12-0) were able to scrape out a 83-81 win in the final game of the Continental Tires Las Vegas Classic Friday night.

Hinds was a free throw away from extending the Mountaineer (9-3) lead to four in the closing seconds of regulation, but it rimmed out and Baylor's Pierre Jackson hit a game-tying 3-point shot.

West Virginia Darryl Bryant (6'2''-G) missed a game-winning shot with 2.2 seconds left, and Baylor's Quincy Acy (6'7''-F-90) missed a shot from the foul line as time expired.

In overtime, Hinds' couldn't connect on a shot as the buzzer sounded from the foul line to try to send the game into its second overtime.

'I don't want to remember it, but it's going to be in my head that we had this game,' Hinds said. 'We really had this game. We just have to brush this off and move forward to Big East play.'

West Virginia senior Kevin Jones (6'8''-F) led the Mountaineers with his seventh double-double of the season scoring 28 points and snatching 17 rebounds.

'There are no moral victories. We had a chance to win, and we needed to win,' said West Virginia senior Kevin Jones. 'And I feel like we were the better team, but they had what it took to win. And they came with some tough defense and got straight to the basket when they wanted to.'

West Virginia led for the final 2:51 until Acy hit the game-tying shot.

'It's a terrible feeling,' Bryant said. 'We had the game right in our hands, and we let it slip away. This was our game. We had it. Everything was in our hands. We just let it slip away.'

Baylor led by more than nine points at two different points in the second half both times West Virginia was able to claw back into the game.

Hinds and Bryant, along with Jones, helped fuel both comebacks. Hinds scored 18 points with seven assists, while Bryant 16 points and four assists.

'We have to put away top competition like that because they're so talented,' Jones said. 'If we have them down, we have to keep them down.'

West Virginia junior Dominique Rutledge came off the bench in his first extended playing time of the year to score eight points and grab four rebounds.

'It's been a little difficult at times,' Rutledge said. 'I learned a lot during the process. You just have to stay ready because the opportunity is always around the corner.'

West Virginia jumped all over Baylor early until the Bears were forced to call a timeout just 2:47 into the game after the Mountaineers had built a 10-2 lead. Freshman Jabarie Hinds hit a 3-pointer to beat the shot clock on the first possession, and senior Darryl Bryant followed it up with a 3-foot 3-point shot of his own on the next.

The Mountaineers continued to pour it on capturing a 23-13 lead after six Jones' buckets and two Deniz Kilicli free throws.

But the sixth-ranked Bears wouldn't go away easy.

Baylor went on a 14-4 run to tie the game at 28 at the 4:05 mark of the first half. The Bears would take the lead at the 2:57 mark of the first half after a follow-up slam by Quincy Acy for the 32-30 lead.

The Bears closed the half on an 8-2 lead to take a 40-33 lead into halftime. The Bears were 6-of-13 from 3-point range, with sophomore Brady Heslip (6'2''-G-90) going 3-for-4.

Both teams finished the game shooting 47 percent from the field. The Mountaineers were 9-of-20 from 3-point range Hinds was 4-of-5 and Bryant was 3-of-9.

The Bears were 12-of-25 from distance. It's the first time since Duke made 13 against the Mountaineers in the 2010 Final Four.

Heslip was 5-of-7 from the arc and led the Bears with 19 points. Acy finished with 15 points.

The Mountaineers held Baylor forward Perry Jones III to just four points.

'Our big guys did a heck of a job,' Bryant said. 'Every time we need it, someone steps it up. Were going to need that every game.'

West Virginia outrebounded Baylor 36-31, despite being without starting center Deniz Kilicli for most of the game due to injury.

Courtesy of www.thedaonline.com

No. 4 Louisville rallies to beat W. Kentucky 70-60 - by Eurobasket News
Western Kentucky gave itself reason to hope in Friday night's 70-60 loss to No. 4 Louisville.

The Hilltoppers, who started four freshman in a KFC Yum! Center where the Cardinals entered on a 19-game winning streak, nearly snagged a signature win in the process.

Western Kentucky (4-9) led by as many as 13 points in the first half and eight in the second before losing to the Cardinals, who entered the game as one of six undefeated teams left in Division I.

'This is probably the only game honestly that we've really played together,' said Derrick Gordon, one of the Hilltoppers' seven freshmen who had a team-high 13 points and nine rebounds.

Russ Smith (6'0''-G) scored 23 points to lead the Cardinals (12-0), who used a 14-0 second-half run seven of those points from Smith to take the lead for good over the resilient Hilltoppers.

Kyle Kuric (6'4''-G/F-89) added 15 points, and Gorgui Dieng (6'10''-C) had 13 points and 15 rebounds to notch his fifth straight double-double, adding to Louisville's best start in 37 years.

The Cardinals hadn't trailed by more than nine points in a game this season coming into Friday.

'It's just one of those nights where you're lucky to win,' Louisville coach Rick Pitino said. 'You've got to give all the credit to Western Kentucky. They were 4-8 and they were playing like they were 8-4.'

Jamal Crook (6'3''-G) matched Gordon's 13 points for the Hilltoppers, who haven't beaten a ranked team on the road since a November 2001 upset over Kentucky. They defeated Louisville in November 2008 and watched film of that game to prepare for this one.

'We really thought we had to scrap for every rebound we could, make some extra hustle plays and get those 50-50 balls to take the crowd out of the game,' Western Kentucky coach Ken McDonald said. 'It was a pretty quiet game, and that's the way we wanted it.'

Louisville trailed by eight points with 12 minutes remaining, but the Cardinals reeled off 14 straight points, half from Smith. He finished with 23 points and his 3-pointer from the left corner off an inbounds pass gave Louisville the lead for good at 52-50 with 6:53 remaining.

'He's winning us games on just pure intensity, pure heart,' Pitino said of Smith, a 6-foot sophomore guard. 'He's the reason we're winning but we've got to get the rest of the guys playing like that.'

Smith's 23 points was just one off his career-high that came in Louisville's 95-87 win over Memphis on Dec. 17. That performance earned Big East player of the week honors for Smith, who appeared in just 17 games in his first season.

'Russ Smith saved us again,' teammate Peyton Siva said. 'He makes some mistakes coming off the bench but his energy and his hard work are paying off.'

Trailing 50-47 following a layup by Crook with 8:49 remaining, Louisville reeled off 14 straight points, half from Smith. Western Kentucky went scoreless until Crook's layup made it 61-52 with 2:21 to play. That started a 7-0 run as Nigel Snipes' 3-pointer from the right corner made it 61-57 at the 1:14 mark. Western Kentucky would draw no closer as Louisville scored its last nine points on free throws.

Smith's 3 from the corner off an inbounds pass gave Louisville a 52-50 lead with 6:53 remaining.

Louisville managed only nine points in the game's opening 10 minutes. The Cardinals faced their largest deficit of the season at 22-9 following a two-handed dunk by George Fant with 9:57 left

Louisville then sprung a 10-2 run, capped by Kuric's four-point play after being fouled by Fant. But WKU responded with 3s from Kevin Kaspar on consecutive possessions to push the Hilltoppers' lead to 30-19 with 6:43 in the first half.

The Cardinals gained their first lead of the game at 33-32 with 2:40 remaining as part of an 18-4 run to close the half, highlighted by three straight Louisville 3-pointers. Dieng's up-and-under layup finished the half for the Cardinals, giving them a 37-34 lead.

The Cardinals started the second half much as they did the first, surrendering the lead to the Hilltoppers off 10 straight points. The Cardinals failed to score until Siva's scoop shot in the lane dropped at the 14:16 mark to cut the WKU lead to 44-39.

Pitino said forward Rakeem Buckles pulled a groin in the game. Louisville hosts No. 16 Georgetown in its Big East opener on Dec. 28.

The 12-0 start for Louisville is its best in 37 years and puts it one game off the school record set by three teams, most recently in 1974-75. The victory was Louisville's 20th straight at home.

The Cardinals' performance Friday was markedly different from last year's effort. In their final game before Christmas. Louisville shot a season-high 64.6 percent from the field and throttled the Hilltoppers 114-82.

McDonald said the Hilltoppers have 'for sure' turned the corner heading into Sun Belt Conference play.

'If we keep playing like this,' Gordon said, 'we shouldn't lose to nobody in our conference.'

Friday's game was played as the 10th annual Billy Minardi Classic, honoring Pitino's brother-in-law who died in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

*****************************************************
  NCAA2   


CWU's Davis Ranked Sixth In Blocks - by Sanjey Noriega
From:gnacsports.com

Kevin Davis Central Washington sophomore Kevin Davis is ranked in the Top 10 in two categories in this week's NCAA Division II national statistical report.
Davis, who shared GNAC Men's Basketball Player-of-the-Week honors this week with Zach Henifin of Western Washington, ranks sixth in blocked shots (3.3) and eighth in double-doubles (5).

He also ranks 19th in rebounding (9.5) and 28th in field goal percentage (60.2). Davis is just the second CWU sophomore in the GNAC's 11-year history to win the Men's Basketball POW award.

Three other GNAC players earned Top 10 rankings this week. Anthony Golden of Northwest Nazarene is ranked eighth in three-point field goals (3.6).

Travis Thompson of Alaska Anchorage and Riley Stockton of Seattle Pacific are ranked third (3.46) and sixth (3.18), respectively, in assist/turnover ratio.

In team categories, Alaska Anchorage is ranked No. 1 nationally in both assists (22.1) and assist/turnover ratio (1.70). The Seawolves also rank sixth in scoring margin (19.6).

Central Washington is ranked fourth in blocked shots (6.5). Northwest Nazarene is sixth in three-point field goals (10.6) and Seattle Pacific is ninth in scoring defense (56.9).

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


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


Stats Leaders - Men
Points Per Game
 Jaytonah WISSEH
  CSU Sibiu
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 23.7
 1. Wisseh, CSU Sibiu23.7 
 2. Martinic, CSM B.23.3 
 3. Durham, Dinamo B.23.3 
 4. Krstanovic, U.Mobi.22.4 
 5. Brown, Dinamo B.21.5 
 6. Tomic, Craiova19.3 
 7. Ross, Craiova19.2 
 8. Darby, Rovinari19.1 
 9. Haymon, Dinamo B.19.0 
 10. Kearse, CSU Sibiu18.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Allen DURHAM
  Dinamo B.
  (198-F-88)
  Avg: 13.7
 1. Durham, Dinamo B.13.7 
 2. Carutasu, CSM B.9.6 
 3. Krstanovic, U.Mobi.8.9 
 4. Kinloch, Pitesti8.9 
 5. Grubisic, Giurgiu8.7 
 6. Nicoara, Gaz Metan8.7 
 7. McKenzie, CSM B.8.6 
 8. Burlacu, Ploiesti8.3 
 9. Riley, CSU Sibiu8.3 
 10. Dies, Perla Hargh.8.2 
Assists Per Game
 Jaytonah WISSEH
  CSU Sibiu
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 7.8
 1. Wisseh, CSU Sibiu7.8 
 2. Maric, Oradea6.6 
 3. Cooley, Targu M.5.9 
 4. Howell, Gaz Metan5.3 
 5. Cuic, Timisoara5.0 
 6. Vlahovic, Ploiesti5.0 
 7. Brown, Dinamo B.4.9 
 8. Stojakovic, Giurgiu4.6 
 9. Martinic, CSM B.4.5 
 10. Nikolic, Rovinari4.5 
Steals Per Game
 Jaytonah WISSEH
  CSU Sibiu
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 3.5
 1. Wisseh, CSU Sibiu3.5 
 2. Cooley, Targu M.2.8 
 3. Tucker, Perla H.2.1 
 4. Howell, Gaz Metan2.1 
 5. Dykes, U.Mobite.1.9 
 6. Maric, Oradea1.9 
 7. Martinic, CSM B.1.9 
 8. Mitchell, Gaz Metan1.9 
 9. Riley, CSU Sibiu1.9 
 10. Seals, Craiova1.9 
Blocks Per Game
 Bryson MCKENZIE
  CSM B.
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. McKenzie, CSM B.2.1 
 2. Oluic, Rovinari1.9 
 3. Tibirna, Otopeni1.7 
 4. Riley, CSU Sibiu1.7 
 5. VanderMeer, Gaz M.1.5 
 6. Kinloch, Pitesti1.5 
 7. Albijanic, Ploiesti1.1 
 8. Dies, Perla Harghi.1.1 
 9. Durham, Dinamo B.1.1 
 10. Archie, Timisoara1.1 


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


Triumph comes back from a road trip - by Eurobasket News
Triumph comes back from a road trip as the team played another three games in Baltic league. Two of them were successful or the Russian team, while Pieno Zvaigzdes upset Triumph 89:88.
At first there was no surprise when Lithuanian Baltai Kaunas were defeated at home by third ranked Triumph Lyubertsy 83-71 on Tuesday. Davon Jefferson scored 13 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Dmitry Kulagin chipped in 16 points and 7 assists during the contest. At the losing side Estonian forward Siim-Sander Vene responded with 19 points and Zygimantas Janavicius scored 9 points and 10 assists.
Later Triumph Lyubertsy won against on the road Lithuanian Kedainiai 94:82 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Triumph Lyubertsy. Davon Jefferson had a double-double by scoring 26 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Sergey Karasev chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds during the contest.
On December 22nd Lithuanian Pieno Zvaigzdes edged the Russian team 89:88. American-Puerto Rican point guard TreVon Hughes scored 25 points and 6 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Eimantas Bendzius chipped in 13 points during the contest. At the losing side Ivan Lazarev responded with 21 points.


*****************************************************
  SERBIA   


B League Round 12 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
There were many interesting games last round. The round ended with extra overtimes, favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin.

Let's start with guest Spartak's (7-5) road victory over Viva Basket (#6) 102-90 on Saturday evening. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Spartak made 19-of-25 free shots (76.0 percent) during the game. Spartak outrebounded Viva Basket 35-20 including a 13-2 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The best player for the winners was power forward Slobodan Ljubotina (207-84, agency: BeoExcell) who had a double-double by scoring 18 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Kemal Karahodzic chipped in 24 points and 8 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). At the other side the best for losing team was forward Aleksandar Vuletic (202-86, college: Indian Hills CC, agency: Prossin Sports Management) who recorded 30 points and 9 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Spartak moved-up to third place, which they share with Jagodina and Radnicki OB. Viva Basket at the other side keeps the sixth position with six games lost. They share it with Crnokosa and Mladost Cacak. Spartak is looking forward to face Jedinstvo NB (#12) in Novi Becej in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Viva Basket will play on the road against Sabac (#14) and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked KK Jagodina (7-5) against twelfth ranked Beovuk 72 (5-7) on Saturday night. Visiting KK Jagodina was defeated by Beovuk 72 in Beograd 89-79. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of KK Jagodina. It was a good game for Milan Dondur who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Marko Babic contributed with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Beovuk 72's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Guard Nenad Djoric (184-78) replied with 22 points for KK Jagodina. Beovuk 72 moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Vojvodina and Napredak A. KK Jagodina at the other side keeps the third position with five games lost. They share it with Spartak and Radnicki OB. Beovuk 72 will play against Vojvodina (#9) in Novi Sad in the next round. KK Jagodina will play at home against Napredak A. (#10) in Aleksinac and hopes to get back on the winning track.
An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in . Second ranked Mladost Zemun faced one of their biggest challengers Radnicki OB. Host Mladost Zemun (8-3) defeated guests from Obrenovac (7-5) 68-60. Worth to mention a great performance of Nenad Banjanin who helped to win the game recording 20 points and 7 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Vuk Djordjevic with 18 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line). Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Newly promoted Mladost Zemun maintains second position with 8-3 record behind leader Konstantin. Loser Radnicki OB dropped to the third place with five games lost. They share the position with Spartak and Jagodina. Mladost Zemun will meet Radnicki Stud. (#13) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Radnicki OB will play against Crnokosa (#8) in Kosjeric and hope to secure a win.
Bottom-ranked Radnicki Stud. managed to get a fourth victory, breaking the three-game losing streak. This time they edged tenth-ranked Napredak A. in Aleksinac 92-89. The winners were led by Nikola Glisovic who scored that evening 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Napredak A.'s coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Radnicki Stud. (4-8) moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Sabac and Jedinstvo NB. Newly promoted Napredak A. dropped to the ninth position with seven games lost. Radnicki Stud.'s next round opponent will be league's second-placed Mladost Zemun and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Leader Konstantin delivered the ninth victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 9th ranked Vojvodina (5-7) 79-73 in Nis. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Vojvodina. The best player for the winners was Vladimir Djordjevic who scored 26 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Konstantin (9-3) have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Loser Vojvodina keeps the ninth place with seven games lost. Konstantin will face Mladost Cacak (#7) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Vojvodina will play against Beovuk 72 in Beograd and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

In the last two games of round 12 Mladost Cacak defeated Jedinstvo NB in a road game 81-79. Crnokosa beat Sabac at home 80-75.


Viva Basket - Spartak 90-102

Let's start with guest Spartak's (7-5) road victory over Viva Basket (#6) 102-90 on Saturday evening. The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Spartak made 19-of-25 free shots (76.0 percent) during the game. Spartak outrebounded Viva Basket 35-20 including a 13-2 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. The best player for the winners was power forward Slobodan Ljubotina (207-84, agency: BeoExcell) who had a double-double by scoring 18 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists. Kemal Karahodzic chipped in 24 points and 8 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). Five Spartak players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Aleksandar Vuletic (202-86, college: Indian Hills CC, agency: Prossin Sports Management) who recorded 30 points and 9 rebounds and guard Dragan Bjelica (198-81) added 28 points and 7 assists respectively. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Spartak moved-up to third place, which they share with Jagodina and Radnicki OB. Viva Basket at the other side keeps the sixth position with six games lost. They share it with Crnokosa and Mladost Cacak. Spartak is looking forward to face Jedinstvo NB (#12) in Novi Becej in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Viva Basket will play on the road against Sabac (#14) and is hoping to prove to their fans that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Spartak: I.Djurovic 25+1reb+3ast, K.Karahodzic 24+8reb+1ast, S.Ljubotina 18+13reb+6ast, M.Dinic 14+3reb+6ast, D.Kuntic 11+1reb+7ast, S.Stojanovic 8+1reb
Viva Basket: A.Vuletic 30+9reb+3ast, D.Bjelica 28+1reb+7ast, M.Kurcubic 12+1reb+4ast, M.Markovic 7+1reb+2ast, B.Stajic 5+1reb+1ast, L.Andrejic 3+3reb
gschID: 148087


Jedinstvo NB - Mladost Cacak 79-81

There was no surprise in Novi Becej where 11th ranked Jedinstvo NB (4-8) was edged by seventh ranked Mladost Cacak (6-6) 81-79 on Saturday. The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 23-15 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Mladost Cacak had a 16-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was forward Ivan Dukanac (199-80) who scored 26 points and 9 rebounds. Swingman Vladimir Dujovic (194-82) chipped in 23 points and 5 assists. Four Mladost Cacak players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was guard Predrag Brankovic (185-83) who recorded 22 points and 5 rebounds and Srdjan Vokic added 13 points and 5 rebounds respectively. Mladost Cacak moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Viva Basket and Crnokosa. Jedinstvo NB lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team dropped to the twelfth position with eight games lost. Mladost Cacak will face league's leader Konstantin in Nis in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Jedinstvo NB will play on the road against Spartak (#4) in Subotica.
Top scorers:
Mladost Cacak: I.Dukanac 26+9reb, V.Dujovic 23+2reb+5ast, M.Jankovic 11+16reb+2ast, M.Pejanovic 10+1reb, F.Dumic 6+5reb+7ast, M.Maric 3+1ast
Jedinstvo NB: P.Brankovic 22+5reb+1ast, I.Jevdjenic 14+3reb+3ast, S.Vokic 13+5reb+2ast, M.Stojisavljevic 8+1reb, M.Radenkovic 7+8reb, V.Pekovic 6+2reb+4ast
gschID: 148088


Konstantin - Vojvodina 79-73

Leader Konstantin delivered the ninth victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 9th ranked Vojvodina (5-7) 79-73 in Nis. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Vojvodina. The hosts trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 25-17 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Konstantin forced 21 Vojvodina turnovers. The best player for the winners was Vladimir Djordjevic (-84) who scored 26 points and 5 rebounds. Guard Vladimir Velickovic (178-89) chipped in 13 points and 8 assists. Four Konstantin players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was Bosnian guard Marko Skoko (190-85) who recorded 13 points and 9 assists and guard Stefan Zivanovic (196-89) added 16 points and 6 rebounds respectively. Both coaches allowed to play bench players saving starting five for next games. Konstantin (9-3) have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain first position. Loser Vojvodina keeps the ninth place with seven games lost. Konstantin will face Mladost Cacak (#7) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Vojvodina will play against Beovuk 72 in Beograd and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Konstantin: V.Djordjevic 26+5reb+1ast, V.Velickovic 13+2reb+8ast, M.Vitkovic 10+2reb+3ast, N.Gudzic 10+5reb+1ast, M.Trailovic 9+5reb+5ast, M.Jovanovic 6+6reb
Vojvodina: S.Zivanovic 16+6reb, M.Grubor 14+8reb, M.Skoko 13+2reb+9ast, V.Bulut 9+1ast, A.Ratkov 7+3reb, S.Pastornjicki 5+1reb+3ast
gschID: 148089


Napredak A. - Radnicki Stud. 89-92 OT

Bottom-ranked Radnicki Stud. managed to get a fourth victory, breaking the three-game losing streak. This time they edged tenth-ranked Napredak A. in Aleksinac 92-89. Napredak A. was ahead by 6 points after three quarters before a 20-14 charge of Radnicki Stud., which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time. They were better in overtime eventually winning that period 13-10. 33 personal fouls committed by Napredak A. helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The winners were led by center Nikola Glisovic (209-73) who scored that evening 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) and guard Srboljub Samailovic (194-82) supported him with 20 points. Even 25 points by Nemanja Barac did not help to save the game for Napredak A.. Aleksandar Miladinovic added 16 points. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Napredak A.'s coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Radnicki Stud. (4-8) moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Sabac and Jedinstvo NB. Newly promoted Napredak A. dropped to the ninth position with seven games lost. Radnicki Stud.'s next round opponent will be league's second-placed Mladost Zemun and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Top scorers:
Radnicki Stud.: N.Glisovic 24+6reb+4ast, S.Samailovic 20+3reb+2ast, M.Blagojevic 16+4reb+3ast, N.Knezevic 15+5reb+3ast, N.Tanasijevic 9+4reb+3ast, F.Lalovic 6+3reb+1ast
Napredak A.: N.Barac 25+4reb+3ast, A.Miladinovic 16+2reb+2ast, N.Raicevic 16+1reb+2ast, N.Grujo 10+4reb, S.Djukic 9+2reb, D.Destanovic 6+4reb
gschID: 148084


Mladost Zemun - Radnicki OB 68-60

An exciting game between Top Four teams was played in . Second ranked Mladost Zemun faced one of their biggest challengers Radnicki OB. Host Mladost Zemun (8-3) defeated guests from Obrenovac (7-5) 68-60. Radnicki OB trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 22-19 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 60-68 at the end of the game. Mladost Zemun made 26-of-32 free shots (81.3 percent) during the game. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Nenad Banjanin (201-85, college: E.Michigan) who helped to win the game recording 20 points and 7 rebounds and center Slobodan Bozovic (197-80) who added 12 points and 11 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was guard Vuk Djordjevic (188-91) with 18 points (went 7 for 7 at the free throw line) and forward Dragan Boricic (201-77) scored 6 points and 10 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Newly promoted Mladost Zemun maintains second position with 8-3 record behind leader Konstantin. Loser Radnicki OB dropped to the third place with five games lost. They share the position with Spartak and Jagodina. Mladost Zemun will meet Radnicki Stud. (#13) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Radnicki OB will play against Crnokosa (#8) in Kosjeric and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Mladost Zemun: N.Banjanin 20+7reb+2ast, S.Bozovic 12+11reb+2ast, L.Rasic 12+2reb, N.Celebic 6+3reb+2ast, N.Draskovic 5+6reb+2ast, A.Andrejevic 4+4reb
Radnicki OB: V.Djordjevic 18+4reb+1ast, V.Radojcic 14, G.Huskic 7+5reb+2ast, D.Boricic 6+10reb+1ast, D.Stojkanovic 6+5reb+2ast, M.Ljubas 3+2reb
gschID: 148085


Crnokosa - Sabac 80-75

No shocking result in a game in Kosjeric where eighth ranked Crnokosa (6-6) defeated bottom-ranked Sabac (4-8) 80-75 on Saturday. However just five-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts trailed by 9 points after three quarters before their 25-11 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Sabac was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. The best player for the winners was naturalized Bosnian forward Nikola Jeftic (202-85) who scored 22 points and 7 rebounds. Center Borislav Djurovic (206-80, agency: Kotnik Sports Agency) chipped in 20 points and 5 rebounds. Four Crnokosa players scored in double figures. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Aleksandar Ivanovic (197-82) who recorded 22 points and guard Pavle Boljkovac (190-85) added 15 points respectively. Crnokosa moved-up to sixth place, which they share with Viva Basket and Mladost Cacak. Newly promoted Sabac dropped to the bottom position with eight games lost. Crnokosa will face higher ranked Radnicki OB (#5) in Obrenovac in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Sabac will play at home against Viva Basket (#6) in Beograd.
Top scorers:
Crnokosa: N.Jeftic 22+7reb+2ast, B.Djurovic 20+5reb+1ast, M.Radivojevic 13+1reb+2ast, N.Kasabasic 10+3reb+5ast, B.Sanjin 9+5reb, P.Mitic 6+4reb+2ast
Sabac: A.Ivanovic 22+1reb, B.Tomasevic 16+2reb, P.Boljkovac 15+3reb+1ast, S.Jovanovic 8+4reb+1ast, A.Todorovic 6+5reb, M.Todorovic 6+4reb+2ast
gschID: 148086


Beovuk 72 - Jagodina 89-79

Very important is a road loss of third ranked KK Jagodina (7-5) against twelfth ranked Beovuk 72 (5-7) on Saturday night. Visiting KK Jagodina was defeated by Beovuk 72 in Beograd 89-79. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of KK Jagodina. The game was mostly controlled by Beovuk 72. KK Jagodina was better in second period 24-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Beovuk 72 dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to KK Jagodina's 32. They outrebounded KK Jagodina 42-24 including a 27-15 advantage in defensive rebounds. KK Jagodina was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a good game for Milan Dondur who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Forward Marko Babic (196-93) contributed with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Beovuk 72's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Guard Nenad Djoric (184-78) replied with 22 points and guard Vladislav Stanisavljevic (185-91) added 16 points and 4 assists in the effort for KK Jagodina. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Beovuk 72 moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Vojvodina and Napredak A. KK Jagodina at the other side keeps the third position with five games lost. They share it with Spartak and Radnicki OB. Beovuk 72 will play against Vojvodina (#9) in Novi Sad in the next round. KK Jagodina will play at home against Napredak A. (#10) in Aleksinac and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Beovuk 72: M.Riboskic 22+2reb+1ast, M.Dondur 19+11reb+4ast, M.Babic 16+8reb+4ast, D.Pejic 12+3reb+1ast, I.Djukovic 5+4reb+1ast, V.Ivanovic 5+2reb
Jagodina: N.Djoric 22+1reb+2ast, V.Stanisavljevic 16+3reb+4ast, V.Gagovic 13+5reb+2ast, N.Filipovic 12+6reb+3ast, N.Vujicic 8+4reb+1ast, S.Savic 5
gschID: 148083




KK Vojvodina Novi Sad lands Bulut - by Eurobasket Center
KK Vojvodina Novi Sad (B League) strengthened their roster with addition of 24-year old forward Vladimir Bulut (200-F-87, college: S.Nazarene). In his first game he scored 9 points. However his new team lost to Konstantin 73-79. Bulut played most recently at Proleter Naftagas Zrenjanin (A League). While playing 5 games for Proleter Naftagas this season he averaged 2.0ppg. Bulut graduated Southern Nazarene University in 2010 and actually missed last season. It will be his second season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Partizan hands 85-67 loss to Crvena Zvezda - by Eurobasket News
Partizan was too strong for Crvena Zvezda on Sunday. The Serbian powerhouse celebrated 85-67 victory and the game was a part of Adriatic league, Round 13. It looked good early as Zvezda took a 6-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Partizan had a 27-14 second period charge getting the lead and Zvezda was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 67-85. Partizan made 20-of-26 charity shots (76.9 percent) during the game. It was a great shooting night for Partizan especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.9 percentage. Zvezda was plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. Guard Dragan Milosavljevic (198-G-89) stepped up and scored 23 points (perfect behind the arc making all five shots) for the winners and forward Vladimir Lucic (202-F-89, agency: Beo Basket) chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws). Four Partizan players scored in double figures. At the losing side center Petar Popovic (211-C-79) responded with 10 points and 9 rebounds and American forward Omar Thomas (197-F-82, college: UTEP) scored 12 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Defending Serbian champion maintains third place with 9-4 record having just two points less than leader Cedevita, which they share with Buducnost. Zvezda at the other side keeps the twelfth position with ten games lost. They share it with Helios. Partizan will play against KK Zagreb CO (#6) at home in the next round. Zvezda will play against Hemofarm (#10) in Vrsac and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Hemofarm failed at home to Croatian Cedevita 74-78 on Friday. The guests trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 47-38 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Forward Vedran Vukusic (206-F-82, college: Northwestern) nailed 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and American-Croatian guard Dontaye Draper (180-G-84, college: Charleston) accounted for 11 points and 7 assists. Guard Mladen Jeremic (196-G-88, agency: Interperformances) came up with 13 points and 5 rebounds and Montenegrin power forward Ivan Maras (208-C/F-86, agency: Beo Basket) added 14 points respectively for Hemofarm in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players in such tough game. Cedevita have a solid series of four victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader. Hemofarm lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the tenth place with eight games lost. Cedevita will meet Buducnost (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Hemofarm will play against Zvezda (#13) in Beograd and hope to secure a win.
Radnicki Kragujevac will play against Maccabi tomorrow.

Standings - B Liga
B League Standings
 1. Konstantin 9-3 
 2. Mladost Zemun 8-3 
 3. Jagodina 7-5 
 4. Spartak 7-5 
 5. Radnicki OB 7-5 
 6. Viva Basket 6-6 
 7. Mladost Cacak 6-6 
 8. Crnokosa 6-6 
 9. Vojvodina 5-7 
 10. Napredak A. 5-7 
 11. Beovuk 72 5-7 
 12. Jedinstvo NB 4-8 
 13. Radnicki Stud. 4-8 
 14. Sabac 4-8 


Partizan sends top prospect Nenad Miljenovic to Mega Vizura - by Eurobasket News
Nenad Miljenovic (194-G-93, agency: Beo Basket) will continue his career in Mega Vizura. Partizan Belgrade sent on loan one of the biggest Serbian prospects and he will spend rest of the season with Mega Vizura. Miljenovic joined Partizan during the pre-season, but he appeared just once for the club. He spent few years with FMP Zeleznik before that. Nenad Miljenovic led U18 Serbia to Silver medal at the European Championships U18 in Wroclaw (Poland) -11. He had 11.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg and 4 apg for 9 games at this event. Miljenovic was named Eurobasket.com All-European Championships U18 1st Team -11. At the U17 World Championship 2010 in Hamburg, Miljenovic had 15.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.1 apg for 8 games. In 2009, he won the Bronze with U16 Serbia. Miljenovic averaged 17.7 ppg, 7 rpg and 4.7 apg for 9 games at the European Championships U16 in Kaunas (Lithuania) -09. He was named Eurobasket.com All-European Championships U16 Best Guard -09.

Stats Leaders - 1B
Points Per Game
 Dragan BJELICA
  Viva Basket
  (198-G-81)
  Avg: 23.2
 1. Bjelica, Viva Bask.23.2 
 2. Riboskic, Beovuk20.5 
 3. Djurovic, Crnokosa19.6 
 4. Dukanac, Mladost19.4 
 5. Marinkovic, Mlados.17.8 
 6. Rasic, Mladost17.8 
 7. Dasic, Jagodina17.0 
 8. Gagovic, Jagodina16.8 
 9. Dondur, Beovuk 7216.7 
 10. Glisovic, Radnic.16.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Aleksandar VULETIC
  Viva Basket
  (202-F-86)
  Avg: 12.2
 1. Vuletic, Viva Bask.12.2 
 2. Tmusic, Jagodina9.4 
 3. Ljubotina, Spartak8.4 
 4. Jankovic, Mladost8.2 
 5. Vukovic, Mladost8.2 
 6. Sikman, Napredak.8.1 
 7. Dondur, Beovuk 727.8 
 8. Grubor, Vojvodina7.8 
 9. Djurovic, Crnokosa7.8 
 10. Karahodzic, Spart.7.7 
Assists Per Game
 Dragan BJELICA
  Viva Basket
  (198-G-81)
  Avg: 6.7
 1. Bjelica, Viva Bask.6.7 
 2. Velickovic, Konst.5.8 
 3. Simic, Radnicki OB4.8 
 4. Boricic, Radnicki.4.5 
 5. Mukanovic, Crnok.4.3 
 6. Skoko, Vojvodina4.0 
 7. Pastornjicki, Vojv.3.9 
 8. Marinkovic, Mlados.3.8 
 9. Tanasijevic, Radni.3.7 
 10. Dumic, Mladost3.6 
Steals Per Game
 Aleksandar VULETIC
  Viva Basket
  (202-F-86)
  Avg: 3.3
 1. Vuletic, Viva Bask.3.3 
 2. Marinkovic, Mlados.2.8 
 3. Kuntic, Spartak2.5 
 4. Rasic, Mladost2.5 
 5. Dugosija, Mladost2.4 
 6. Djoric, Jagodina2.2 
 7. Tanasijevic, Radni.2.2 
 8. Boljkovac, Sabac2.2 
 9. Mitic, Crnokosa1.9 
 10. Trailovic, Konsta.1.9 
Blocks Per Game
 Goran HUSKIC
  Radnicki OB
  (--)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Huskic, Radnicki OB2.3 
 2. Karahodzic, Spartak1.8 
 3. Ljubotina, Spartak1.4 
 4. Jankovic, Mladost1.3 
 5. Grujo, Napredak A.0.9 
 6. Dukanac, Mladost0.9 
 7. Tmusic, Jagodina0.9 
 8. Barac, Napredak A.0.8 
 9. Vukovic, Mladost0.8 
 10. Bogdanovic, Beov.0.8 


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


Krka beats Zlatorog in derby, 72-67 - by Eurobasket News
There was a Slovenian derby in Round 13 of Adriatic league. The game took place in Novo Mesto where eleventh ranked Krka won against visiting Zlatorog (2-11) 72-67. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Zlatorog won third quarter 21-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Worth to mention a great performance of swingman Zoran Dragic (196-F/G-89) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 6 rebounds. Forward Jure Balazic (204-F-80) contributed with 16 points for the winners. Four Krka players scored in double figures. Forward Jaka Brodnik (203-F-92) answered with 19 points and guard Danijel Vujasinovic (180-G-89) added 7 points and 9 assists in the effort for Zlatorog. Zlatorog's coach Ivan Sunara rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Defending Slovenian champion maintains eleventh place with 4-9 record. Zlatorog lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 11 games lost. Krka are looking forward to face league's second-placed Maccabi T-A in Tel-Aviv in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Zlatorog will play on the road against the league's second-placed Maccabi T-A (#2) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Union Olimpija failed on the road to Buducnost 63-56. Visitors trailed by 16 points at halftime and as many as 18 after three quarters before a 21-10 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 56-63 at the end of the game. Buducnost dominated on the defensive end, holding Union Olimpija to just 7 points in second quarter. Center Bojan Dubljevic nailed 20 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and Serbian forward Cedomir Vitkovac accounted for 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Buducnost's coach Dejan Radonjic used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Bosnian-Israeli center Robert Rothbart (217-C-86) came up with 21 points and 7 rebounds and Latvian center Davis Bertans (205-C-92) added 5 points and 4 assists respectively for Union Olimpija in the defeat. Buducnost have a solid series of four victories in a row. Defending Montenegrin champion (9-4) moved-up to third place, which they share with Partizan. Loser Union Olimpija keeps the fifth position with five games lost. Buducnost will meet at home league's leader Cedevita in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Union Olimpija will play against Zlatorog (#14) in Lasko and hope to secure a win.
A very close game took place in Domzale between Slovenian Helios and Croatian Cibona. Thirteenth ranked Helios (3-10) got a very close home victory over higher ranked Cibona (7-6). Helios managed to escape with a 2-point win 78-76 on Friday evening. It was quite big embarassment for the guest team. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 22-18. But Cibona won second period 21-18. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Helios forced 19 Cibona turnovers. American guard D.J. Gay (183-G-89, college: San Diego St.) nailed 26 points and 6 steals for the winning side and guard Klemen Prepelic (191-G-92) accounted for 18 points. Helios' coach Zmagoslav Sagadin used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Guard Davor Kus came up with 19 points and 5 assists and center Andrija Zizic added 18 points and 7 rebounds respectively for Cibona in the defeat. Four Cibona players scored in double figures. Helios moved-up to twelfth place, which they share with Crvena Zvezda. Loser Cibona keeps the seventh position with six games lost. Helios will meet higher ranked HKK Siroki WWin (#9) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Cibona will play against Radnicki K. in Kragujevac and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Round 14 is scheduled for January 7.

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


Best players of South Korean KBL round 32 - by Eurobasket News
American Terrence Leather (204-C-81) had an amazing evening in the last round for Mobis Phoebus and that's him to receive a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 32.
The 30-year old center had a double-double of 32 points and 31 rebounds, while his team beat LG Sakers (13-17) 76-64. Mobis Phoebus is placed at 6th position in South Korean KBL. Mobis Phoebus 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 13-17 record. Leather turned to be Mobis Phoebus' top player in his first season with the team. University of South Florida graduate has very impressive stats this year. Leather is in league's top in points (3rd best: 24.6ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 14.2rpg) and averages solid 1.4bpg and 52.6% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 31-year old American swingman Chris Williams (199-F/G-80) of Daegu Orions. Williams impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 27 points and 18 rebounds. Bad luck as Daegu Orions lost that game 66-72 to the higher-ranked Dongbu Promy (#1, 25-6). Daegu Orions managed to keep the same 9th spot in the standings. 24 lost games are too many comparing to just six victories Daegu Orions managed to get this year. Williams is a newcomer at Daegu Orions 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 23.9ppg (#5). His other stats are also decent: 10.1rpg and 5.6apg.

The third best performed player last round was American Rodrique Benson (207-F/C-84) of top-ranked Dongbu Promy. Benson scored 25 points and grabbed nineteen rebounds (!!!). He was a key player of Dongbu Promy, leading his team to a 72-66 win against the lower-ranked Daegu Orions (#9, 6-24). Dongbu Promy confirms their top position in the standings Benson has a great season in South Korea. After 31 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 11.9rpg (4th best). He also has 1.3bpg and FGP: 58.6%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Amal McCaskill (211-F/C-73) of SK Knights - 30 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Aaron Haynes (201-F-81) of LG Sakers - 26 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Rodrique Benson (207-F/C-84) of Dongbu Promy - 24 points and 14 rebounds
7. Tae-Jong Moon (199-F-75) of ET Land - 24 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Herbert Hill (208-F-84) of ET Land - 14 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Tae-Hong Kim (193-F-88) of KCC Egis - 20 points and 5 rebounds
10. Ira Clark (203-C/F-75) of Samsung Th. - 29 points, 4 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)

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


TBL Round 11: Fenerbahce Ulker loses to Banvit 70-66 and drops to third place - by Pervin Elgin
Banvit BK ended Fenerbahce Ulker's five game winning streak by defeating Ulker in Balikesir 70-66. Top scorer for Fenerbahce was Roko-Leni Ukic with 15 points, Bojan Bogdanovic scored 12. The loss dropped Fener to third place, together with Banvit and Besiktas.

The first period started with a mid-range shot by Banvit's Charles Davis, answered by a three point score of Hakan Demirel. In the first 5 minutes neither team established superiority, resulting in a 9-9 equation. After that the hosts took a small lead, but Ulker didnt allow them to create a gap and finished the period trailing a mere 3 points: 19-16.

The second quarter started with mutual baskets. Three point scores by James Gist and Hakan Demirel's put Fenerbahce in the lead after 15 minutes of playing time: 25-26. After a series of mutual baskets Banvit BK made the final score of the first half and went to the dressing room with an advantage of 39-38.

Kaya Peker started the second half fast by finding scores in the painted field, and Roko Ukic's exterior shots brought Ulker back in the lead: 47-51 with 27 minutes on the clock. In the remainder of the period Fenerbahce held their ground, and closed the third quarter ahead with 51-56.

In the final quarter Ulker started with a basket by Oguz Savas. After that Banvit's defence, which made 11 blocks in the game, stepped up, and Fenerbahce ended up in foul trouble. Baris Ermis and Kenan Bajramovic lead the hosts back to 63-60 superiority. Ulker's scores by Roko Ukic were matched by Bajramovic and Davis, leading the hosts to a 70-66 victory.

Next week Fenerbahce will play another tough game at home against second-placed rival Galatasaray.

Nenad Delic gets MVP of the Week award for Turkish TB2L - by Eurobasket News
Croatian Nenad Delic (210-F/C-84, agency: TSS Management) had an amazing evening in the last round for league's leader Genc Telekom and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com TB2L Player of the Week award for round 17.
The 27-year old power forward had the game-high 28 points adding five rebounds for Genc Telekom in his team's victory, helping them to crush Pamukkale (#10, 8-8) with 18-point margin 93-75. It allowed Genc Telekom to consolidate first place in the Turkish TB2L. Genc Telekom have a solid 13-3 record. In the team's last game Delic had a remarkable 100.0% from 2-point range. He turned to be Genc Telekom's top player in his first season with the team. Delic has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (7th best: 19.0ppg) and averages solid 1.2bpg,61.0% FGP and 40.7% from behind 3-point line.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was young American forward De Vaughn Washington (202-F-89, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management) of Gelisim. Washington impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 30 points and 13 rebounds. Bad luck as Gelisim lost that game 68-76 to slightly lower-ranked Istanbulspor (#16, 5-11). The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Gelisim keeps 14th position. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-10 record. Washington is a newcomer at Gelisim 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 Marquise Gray (206-F/C-86) of Baskent Genclik (#17). Gray scored 28 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Despite Gray's great performance Baskent Genclik lost 86-90in overtime to the higher-ranked Gaziantep (#2, 12-4). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Baskent Genclik 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 five victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Gray could try to bring Baskent Genclik's a little bit higher in the standings. Gray has individually a great season in Turkey. After 16 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 21.4ppg (2nd best) and rebounds with 11.2rpg (2nd best). He also has 1.2bpg and FGP: 62.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Esat Sinanoglu (188-PG-82) of Final Genclik - 19 points, 2 rebounds and 10 assists
5. Troy Barnies (200-F-89) of Istanbulspor - 24 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Omer Sancakli (195-G-92) of Pertevniyal - 28 points and 4 rebounds
7. Tyrus Boswell (202-F/C-78) of Tire Gucu - 26 points and 3 rebounds
8. Tyrone Nelson (206-F-85) of Akhisar Bld - 34 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Hadi Ozdemir (203-F-83) of Vestel - 13 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Can Terzioglu (196-F-86) of Akhisar Bld - 25 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)

Chatman's 26 points and 7 assists give him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
33-year old guard Mire Chatman (187-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports) put on an amazing game in the last round for Karsiyaka and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 11.
He had the game-high 26 points adding six rebounds and seven assists for Karsiyaka in his team's victory, helping them to crush Trabzonspor (#15, 1-10) with 19-point margin 88-69. Karsiyaka maintains the 8th position in Turkish league. Karsiyaka 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 Chatman had a remarkable 53.3% from 2-point range. He turned to be Karsiyaka's top player in his first season with the team. University of Texas-Pan American graduate has very impressive stats this year. Chatman is in league's top in points (6th best: 18.1ppg), assists (4th best: 6.3apg) and averages solid 57.5% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Bradley Buckman (203-F-84) of Tofas. He is American forward in his first season at Tofas. In the last game Buckman recorded impressive 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Of course he lead Tofas to another comfortable win 90-73 over the lower-ranked Antalya (#14, 1-10) being unquestionably team leader. The game was between two teams which are definitely not main contenders for the title. Tofas keeps 9th position. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 6-5 record is not bad and everything may still change. Buckman is a newcomer at Tofas and quickly became one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Dusko Savanovic (204-F/C-83, agency: Beo Basket) of league's leader Anadolu Efes. Savanovic scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds. He was a key player of Anadolu Efes, leading his team to a 80-56 easy win against Bandirma Kir. (#16, 0-11). Many experts and fans count Anadolu Efes as a contender for championship title. Another victory and another confirmation that they may be right. Just look at their record: 10 victories and only one lost games. They are currently at the very top of the standings. Savanovic has a very solid season. In 11 games in Turkey he scored 10.8ppg. He also has 5.9rpg and FGP: 51.3%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Vincent Grier (195-G/F-83) of Mersin - 21 points and 8 rebounds
5. Jovo Stanojevic (208-C-77) of Karsiyaka - 12 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Polat Kocaoglu (205-C/F-79) of Olin Edirne - 19 points and 4 rebounds
7. Elton Brown (206-C-83) of Trabzonspor - 14 points, 16 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Jamon Lukas Gordon (191-G-84) of Galatasaray - 13 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists
9. KZell Wesson (201-F/C-77) of Erdemir - 17 points and 11 rebounds
10. Austin Nichols (198-G/F-82) of Tofas - 15 points, 4 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)

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


Hasan Rizvic parts ways with Azovmash - by Eurobasket News
Hasan Rizvic (212-C-84) and Azovmash split ways. The sides have reached an agreement on terms of contract termination. Hasan Rizvic joined the team at the start of the season. He tallied 8.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in Superleague. In EuroCup the centre delivered 7.8 points, 6.4 boards and 1.3 blocks. In VTB League Hasan Rizvic accounted for 10.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Previously the Slovenian player had stints in Slovenia, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Eurobasket.com named Hasan Rizvic All-VTB League Centre of the Year in 2010. He played for Slovenia at 2010 World Championship. His stats read 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in Turkey.


Dallas Mavericks bid for C Kyrylo Fesenko - by Eurobasket News
The Mavericks still have one roster spot open and are exploring the feasibility of filling it with the best free-agent big man still available: Kyrylo Fesenko (7'0''-C-86).

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Saturday that the Mavericks, even after signing local high school product Sean Williams as a third center earlier this week, have extended a one-year offer to Fesenko.

Three other teams are known to be chasing the Ukranian: Toronto, Golden State and Miami.

Sources say that the Raptors, with a full 15 players on their roster, are exploring avenues to create an open spot for Fesenko, who turned 25 on Saturday.

Fesenko is expected to take the weekend to choose his destination. It's believed that more money and minutes would be available with either the Raptors or the Warriors, but the lure of signing with a title contender like the Heat or the Mavericks is also strong.

The 7-foot-1, 280-pounder has played sparingly in four seasons with the Jazz after being taken in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft.

The Mavericks are apparently intent on filling the void created by Tyson Chandler's free-agent departure with depth and variety. In addition to the prospect of signing Fesenko, they've already added a lanky shot-blocking specialist in Williams, who starred at Mansfield High and for the Mavericks' D-League affiliate in Frisco last season.

If Fesenko chooses to sign elsewhere, Dallas is expected to keep pursuing free-agent targets on short-term deals, based on the premise that having a full complement of 15 players is the best way for the league's second-oldest team (behind only Atlanta) to cope with the rigors of a 66-game schedule in the space of four months.

Courtesy of ESPN

Stats Leaders - Men
Points Per Game
 Willie SOLOMON
  Cherkasy
  (187-G-78)
  Avg: 20.4
 1. Solomon, Cherkasy20.4 
 2. Culpepper, Fe.20.1 
 3. Burtt, Dnipro19.1 
 4. King, BC Odessa18.6 
 5. Guinn, Fe.18.5 
 6. Deane, BC Odessa18.1 
 7. Minard, Azovmash17.4 
 8. McClinton, Budivel.17.0 
 9. Pecherov, Azovmash16.8 
 10. Green, Mykolaiv16.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Vladan VUKOSAVLJEVIC
  Halych.
  (206-F/C-84)
  Avg: 10.7
 1. Vukosavljevi., Hal.10.7 
 2. King, BC Odessa10.6 
 3. Davis, Fe.9.0 
 4. Fraser, DniproAzot8.9 
 5. Davis, Kryvbasb.8.8 
 6. Korniyenko, Dnipro8.7 
 7. Pecherov, Azovmash8.2 
 8. Odufuwa, Halychyna8.1 
 9. Goodridge, BC Kyiv8.1 
 10. Dunigan, DniproAz.8.0 
Assists Per Game
 Derrick ZIMMERMAN
  BC Kyiv
  (191-G-81)
  Avg: 6.3
 1. Zimmerman, BC Kyiv6.3 
 2. Deane, BC Odessa5.8 
 3. Mitchell, Khimik5.6 
 4. Burtt, Dnipro5.3 
 5. Ewing, Azovmash5.1 
 6. Butskyy, Fe.5.0 
 7. Florence, Kryvbasb.5.0 
 8. Vaughn, Mykolaiv4.5 
 9. Ervin, BC Kyiv4.4 
 10. Morovic, Halychyna4.4 
Steals Per Game
 James FLORENCE
  Kryvbasb.
  (185-G-88)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Florence, Kryvbasb.2.2 
 2. Chappell, Fe.2.0 
 3. House, Dnipro1.9 
 4. Ewing, Azovmash1.8 
 5. Curry, BC Donetsk1.7 
 6. Minard, Azovmash1.7 
 7. Tiggs, Hoverla1.6 
 8. Sirsnins, DniproAz.1.6 
 9. Nelson, BC Donetsk1.6 
 10. Deane, BC Odessa1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Vernon GOODRIDGE
  BC Kyiv
  (206-F-84)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Goodridge, BC Kyiv2.5 
 2. King, BC Odessa2.5 
 3. McClintock, Mykola.2.2 
 4. Davis, Kryvbasb.2.1 
 5. Korniyenko, Dnipro1.7 
 6. Gorbenko, Dnipr.1.6 
 7. Rizvic, Azovmash1.5 
 8. Wallace, Halychyna1.4 
 9. Hunter, Mykolaiv1.4 
 10. Kravtsov, BC Do.1.3 


Standings - Superleague
Superleague Standings
 1. BC Donetsk 13-4 
 2. Budivelnyk 13-5 
 3. Azovmash 12-5 
 4. Hoverla 12-7 
 5. Khimik 12-7 
 6. BC Odessa 11-6 
 7. Dnipro 11-7 
 8. Ferro-ZNTU 11-9 
 9. BC Kyiv 9-9 
 10. Mykolaiv 7-12 
 11. Cherkasy 6-13 
 12. Kryvbasbasket 5-14 
 13. DniproAzot 5-14 
 14. Halychyna 2-17 


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  VTB UNITED LEAGUE   


Hasan Rizvic parts ways with Azovmash - by Eurobasket News
Hasan Rizvic (212-C-84) and Azovmash split ways. The sides have reached an agreement on terms of contract termination. Hasan Rizvic joined the team at the start of the season. He tallied 8.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game in Superleague. In EuroCup the centre delivered 7.8 points, 6.4 boards and 1.3 blocks. In VTB League Hasan Rizvic accounted for 10.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks. Previously the Slovenian player had stints in Slovenia, Poland, Ukraine and Russia. Eurobasket.com named Hasan Rizvic All-VTB League Centre of the Year in 2010. He played for Slovenia at 2010 World Championship. His stats read 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in Turkey.


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  WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS U17   


Kaunas to host 2012 World Championship - by Eurobasket News
The 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Men will take place in Kaunas, Lithuania, from June 29 to July 8.
In 2010 USA became the winner of the U17 World Championship in Hamburg, Germany. The favorites overcame European best team Poland U17 111:80. Pre-tournament favorites USA has looked unstoppable all tournament long and rightfully reached the trophy. James Michael McAdoo (205-F-93) led all the winners with 20 points for the trophy. Beal Bradley nailed 19, while Gilchrist Michael netted 16. Gielo Tomasz delivered 21 points in the losing case. Ponitka Mateusz and Filip Matczak (184-PG-93) produced 14 points for the 'Silver' team.
Representing Europe will be FIBA Europe U16 champions Spain, runners-up Belgium, bronze winners Italy, as well as Turkey and U17 Worlds hosts Netherlands.
The draws will take later.




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Women News

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  BALTIC LEAGUE - Women  


Baltic League round 8 best performance: Egle Taraseviciute - by Eurobasket News
Forward Egle Taraseviciute (182-F-90) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Sirenos, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 8.
The 21-year old player had a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, while her team crushed, the league's bottom-ranked team TTT Juniores (#6, 0-7) with 18-point margin 82-64. Sirenos maintains the 3rd position in Baltic League . They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Sirenos will need more victories to improve their 5-3 record. It was one of impressive evenings for Taraseviciute as usually she does not deliver so high stats. Egle Taraseviciute averages this season 11.8ppg and 9.4rpg.

The second best player in last round's games was young Gintare Petronyte (196-C-89) of Kibirkstis-Tiche. Petronyte had a very good evening with 24 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists. Bad luck as Kibirkstis-Tiche was edged by the higher-ranked TTT Riga (#1, 6-1) 79-75. It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. Kibirkstis-Tiche still maintains its place in the top 4 of the standings, even despite this loss. Her team's 4-4 record is not bad at all. Petronyte is a newcomer at Kibirkstis-Tiche, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was another Kibirkstis-Tiche's star - center Vita Zilinskaite (190-C-93). Zilinskaite scored 12 points and grabbed ten rebounds. She was another key player of Kibirkstis-Tiche, helping her team with a 76-51 easy win against TTT Juniores (#6, 0-7). Kibirkstis-Tiche needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 4 victories and 4 lost games. Zilinskaite has a very solid season. In 8 games in Baltic League she scored 4.4ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Kristina Alminaite (204-C-90) of Sirenos - 20 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Natallia Kozun (189-F-88) of Olimpia - 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Sabine Niedola (184-F-91) of TTT Riga - 21 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Ieva Krastina (175-G/F-90) of TTT Riga - 22 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists
8. Ieva Preskienyte (193-C-93) of Kibirkstis-Tiche - 11 points and 11 rebounds
9. Rasa Zemantauskaite (177-G-81) of Sirenos - 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Lyubov Alyoshkina (203-C-81) of Olimpia - 8 points and 10 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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  BULGARIA - Women  


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Adrienne JOHNSON
  Dunav 8806
  (182-F-89)
  Avg: 26.5
 1. Johnson, Dunav 88.26.5 
 2. Stankova, Slavia24.4 
 3. Perostiyska, Beroe22.9 
 4. Ward, Levski21.3 
 5. Dorogobuzova, Nef.21.1 
 6. Topalova-S., Monta.20.6 
 7. Pasheva, Slavia19.0 
 8. Farrell, Rilski S.17.1 
 9. Zhelyazkova, Neft.16.6 
 10. Allen, Dunav 880616.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Vera PEROSTIYSKA
  Beroe
  (196-C-82)
  Avg: 12.9
 1. Perostiyska, Beroe12.9 
 2. Farrell, Rilski S.11.8 
 3. Johnson, Dunav 88.9.5 
 4. Dorogobuzova, Nef.9.5 
 5. Topalova-S., Monta.8.8 
 6. Ward, Levski8.8 
 7. Makarieva, Montana8.5 
 8. Doychinova, Levski8.3 
 9. Delcheva, Slavia7.4 
 10. Voynova, Dunav 8.7.2 
Assists Per Game
 Diana NAYDENOVA
  Levski
  (171-G-73)
  Avg: 5
 1. Naydenova, Levski5.0 
 2. Peeva, Neftochimic5.0 
 3. Dubrovina, Neftoch.4.8 
 4. Vrancheva, Montana4.4 
 5. Djikova, Rilski S.4.3 
 6. Pasheva, Slavia4.3 
 7. Stankova, Slavia4.2 
 8. Kostova, Dunav 88.3.4 
 9. Nesheva, Montana3.3 
 10. Stanoeva, Beroe3.0 
Steals Per Game
 Olga DUBROVINA
  Neftochi.
  (170-G-87)
  Avg: 3.2
 1. Dubrovina, Neftoch.3.2 
 2. Johnson, Dunav 88.2.0 
 3. Allen, Dunav 88061.9 
 4. Rudeva, Rilski S.1.9 
 5. Bachvarova, Levski1.9 
 6. Naydenova, Slavia1.8 
 7. Stanoeva, Beroe 071.6 
 8. Peeva, Neftochimic1.6 
 9. Kostova, Dunav 88.1.5 
 10. Ward, Levski1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Kaitlin SOWINSKI
  Beroe 07
  (196-C-86)
  Avg: 1.6
 1. Sowinski, Beroe 071.6 
 2. Perostiyska, Beroe1.3 
 3. Dorogobuzova, Nef.0.8 
 4. Voynova, Dunav 88.0.7 
 5. Makarieva, Montana0.7 
 6. Ward, Levski0.6 
 7. Topalova-S., Monta.0.6 
 8. Djambazka, Levski0.5 
 9. Kaloferova, Beroe0.5 
 10. Mihalkova, Monta.0.5 


Standings - Women
NBL Standings
 1. Dunav 8806 10-1 
 2. Neftochimic 9-2 
 3. Beroe 07 7-4 
 4. Montana 2003 6-5 
 5. Levski 5-6 
 6. Rilski Sportist 2-10 
 7. Slavia 0-11 


NBL Round 14: Neftochimic hands first loss to undefeated Dunav 8806 - by Eurobasket News
NBL is at the halfway of the Regular Season and there are still another 14 rounds left.

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Dunav 8806 (10-1) in Burgas on Thursday night. Visitors were edged by second ranked Neftochimic (9-2) 67-66. It ended at the same time the ten-game winning streak of Dunav 8806. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. The hosts trailed by 11 points at the halftime before their 25-11 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Strangely Dunav 8806 outrebounded Neftochimic 38-25 including 28 on the defensive glass. Ukrainian forward Katerina Dorogobuzova (187-90, agency: LBM Management) saved the victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ukrainian guard Olga Dubrovina (170-87, agency: LBM Management) contributed with 19 points and 4 assists for the winners. American guard Charel Allen (181-86, college: Notre Dame, agency: LBM Management) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds for Dunav 8806. Neftochimic have an impressive five-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 9-2 record behind leader Dunav 8806. Dunav 8806 at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. Neftochimic are looking forward to face Beroe 07 (#3) in Stara Zagora in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Dunav 8806 will play on the road against Levski in Sofia and is hoping to win this game.
Bottom-ranked Slavia is still unable to win any game. This time they lost on the road their 11th consecutive match to fourth ranked Montana 2003 (6-5) 88-75. The former international forward Natalia Topalova-Shopova (186-80) had a double-double by scoring 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Dimana Makarieva chipped in 17 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Montana 2003's coach Slavko Dimitrov allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. International forward Neli Pasheva (175-81) responded with 29 points. Montana 2003 maintains fourth position with 6-5 record. Slavia at the other side still closes the standings with 11 games lost. Montana 2003 will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Slavia will play on the road against Rilski Sportist (#6) in Samokov and hopes to get finally their first victory.
The game in Samokov supposed to be also quite interesting. Third ranked Beroe 07 (7-4) played at the court of 6th ranked Rilski Sportist (2-10). Beroe 07 smashed Rilski Sportist 71-44 on Thursday. Zoya Stanoeva notched 27 points and 8 rebounds to lead the effort. Beroe 07's coach Darin Velikov felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Even 17 points and 8 rebounds by Tsvetelina Nikolova did not help to save the game for Rilski Sportist. Beroe 07 maintains third position with 7-4 record having just three points less than leader Dunav 8806. Rilski Sportist lost fifth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the sixth place with ten games lost. Beroe 07 will meet league's second-placed Neftochimic in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Rilski Sportist will play against Slavia (#7) in Sofia and it may be a tough game between close rivals.



Neftochimic - Dunav 8806 67-66

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Dunav 8806 (10-1) in Burgas on Thursday night. Visitors were edged by second ranked Neftochimic (9-2) 67-66. It ended at the same time the ten-game winning streak of Dunav 8806. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. The hosts trailed by 11 points at the halftime before their 25-11 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. Strangely Dunav 8806 outrebounded Neftochimic 38-25 including 28 on the defensive glass. Ukrainian forward Katerina Dorogobuzova (187-90, agency: LBM Management) saved the victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ukrainian guard Olga Dubrovina (170-87, agency: LBM Management) contributed with 19 points and 4 assists for the winners. American guard Charel Allen (181-86, college: Notre Dame, agency: LBM Management) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and her fellow American import forward Adrienne Johnson (182-89, college: Louisiana Tech, agency: LBM Management) added 21 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Dunav 8806. Neftochimic have an impressive five-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains second position with 9-2 record behind leader Dunav 8806. Dunav 8806 at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. Neftochimic are looking forward to face Beroe 07 (#3) in Stara Zagora in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Dunav 8806 will play on the road against Levski in Sofia and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Dunav 8806: A.Johnson 21+8reb+2ast, C.Allen 20+10reb+3ast, H.Minkova 10+9reb, Z.Kostova 5+3reb+3ast, D.Voynova 4+2reb, V.Kocheva 2+3reb
Neftochimic: K.Dorogobuzova 20+11reb, O.Dubrovina 19+2reb+4ast, M.Zhelyazkova 15+5reb+2ast, S.Peeva 5+2reb+5ast, A.Sokolan 5+3reb+4ast, A.Miteva 3+2reb
gschID: 143907


Rilski Sportist - Beroe 07 44-71

The game in Samokov supposed to be also quite interesting. Third ranked Beroe 07 (7-4) played at the court of 6th ranked Rilski Sportist (2-10). Beroe 07 smashed Rilski Sportist 71-44 on Thursday. The game without a history. Beroe 07 led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They held Rilski Sportist to an opponent 24.6 percent shooting from the field compared to 50.9 percent accuracy of the winners. The former international forward Zoya Stanoeva (182-76, agency: Global Sports Plaza) notched 27 points and 8 rebounds to lead the effort and center Margarita Ilieva (189-88, agency: Promotex) supported her with 12 points and 9 rebounds. Beroe 07's coach Darin Velikov felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Even 17 points and 8 rebounds by center Tsvetelina Nikolova (191-88) did not help to save the game for Rilski Sportist. Guard Veronika Djikova (180-90) added 9 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the hosts. Beroe 07 maintains third position with 7-4 record having just three points less than leader Dunav 8806. Rilski Sportist lost fifth consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the sixth place with ten games lost. Beroe 07 will meet league's second-placed Neftochimic in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Rilski Sportist will play against Slavia (#7) in Sofia and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Rilski Sportist: T.Nikolova 17+8reb, V.Djikova 9+8reb+5ast, K.Peychinova 6+5reb, E.Ushaguelova 5+2reb, K.Rudeva 5+3reb+2ast, M.Ranguelova 2+3reb+1ast
Beroe 07: Z.Stanoeva 27+8reb+3ast, S.Nikolova 12+4reb+4ast, M.Ilieva 12+9reb, R.Naneva 8+4reb+3ast, M.Karchovska 6+3reb+1ast, Z.Kaloferova 4+2reb
gschID: 143908


Montana 2003 - Slavia 88-75

Bottom-ranked Slavia is still unable to win any game. This time they lost on the road their 11th consecutive match to fourth ranked Montana 2003 (6-5) 88-75. The game was mostly controlled by Montana 2003. Slavia was better in fourth quarter 21-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Slavia 53-31 including a 40-27 advantage in defensive rebounds. The former international forward Natalia Topalova-Shopova (186-80) had a double-double by scoring 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the former international center Dimana Makarieva (188-88) chipped in 17 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Five Montana 2003 players scored in double figures. Montana 2003's coach Slavko Dimitrov allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. International forward Neli Pasheva (175-81) responded with 29 points and power forward Antonia Zagorova (190-90) scored 12 points and 5 rebounds. Montana 2003 maintains fourth position with 6-5 record. Slavia at the other side still closes the standings with 11 games lost. Montana 2003 will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Slavia will play on the road against Rilski Sportist (#6) in Samokov and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Slavia: N.Pasheva 29+4reb, A.Delcheva 13+5reb, A.Zagorova 12+5reb+1ast, E.Micheva 8+3reb+3ast, I.Shikileva 5+2reb, Z.Naydenova 4+6reb+2ast
Montana 2003: N.Topalova-Shopova 24+13reb+2ast, D.Makarieva 17+8reb+2ast, C.Mihalkova 13+4reb+4ast, J.Zhelyova 10+8reb+1ast, I.Vrancheva 10+4reb+3ast, N.Simeonova 5+8reb+3ast
gschID: 143906




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  CHINA - Women  


Chante Black claims Chinese WCBA weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
American Chante Black (196-C-85) had an amazing evening in the last round for Shandong and that's her to receive a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 15.
The 26-year old center had a double-double of 29 points and fourteen rebounds, while her team lost the game against Shenyang (#1, 13-2) 76-92. Shandong maintains the 11th position in Chinese WCBA. The season is in a full swing, so it's only a dream for the team to make it into top half of the standings. For contrary they may face relegation if the situation turns from bad to worse. Shandong have already lost 13 games and recorded just two victories. Black turned to be Shandong's top player in her first season with the team. Duke University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Black is in league's top in rebounds (2nd best: 13.0rpg) and averages solid 1.5bpg and 57.6% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 26-year old American swingman Camille Little (188-F/G-85) of Shanghai. Little impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 31 points and 16 rebounds. Bad luck as Shanghai lost that game 68-81 to slightly lower-ranked Guangdong (#6, 9-6). This loss caused Shanghai to drop to 4th position in the standings. Her team's 10-5 record is not bad at all. Little is a newcomer at Shanghai and it seems she did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 28.1ppg (#1). She also registered 12.3 boards per game.

The third best performed player last round was ShanShan Li (177-G-87) of Jiangsu (#3). Li scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds. She was a key player of Jiangsu, leading her team to a 94-74 easy win against the lower-ranked Henan (#12, 1-14). Jiangsu needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 10 victories and 5 lost games. Li has a great season in China. After 15 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 13.1ppg (best scorer) and rebounds with 2.9rpg (4th best). She also has 2.1spg, FGP: 51.1% and 3PT: 40.3%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Ruth Riley (196-C-79) of Liaoning - 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
5. YanYan Ji (182-G/F-85) of Heilongjiang - 34 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Swin Cash (187-F-79) of Guangdong - 22 points and 9 rebounds
7. Lindsay Taylor (203-C-81) of Yunnan - 22 points and 9 rebounds
8. Dan Liu (194-C-87) of Shenyang - 15 points, 15 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Katie Mattera (202-C-82) of Zhejiang - 24 points and 10 rebounds
10. Wei Wei (207-C-89) of Guangdong - 25 points and 4 rebounds

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

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  HUNGARY - Women  


Standings - Women
A Standings
 1. UNIQA Eurol. 14-0 
 2. UNI SEAT 13-1 
 3. Pecs 2010 12-2 
 4. ZTE 10-4 
 5. Nanette FTC 10-4 
 6. Bajai NKK 7-7 
 7. DKSK 5-9 
 8. Vasas 4-10 
 9. Cegledi EKK 4-10 
 10. Atomeromu 3-11 
 11. BSE-FCSM 1-13 
 12. ELTE-BEAC 1-13 


Stats Leaders - Women
Points Per Game
 Maja SCEKIC
  Bajai NKK
  (170-G-87)
  Avg: 17.1
 1. Scekic, Bajai NKK17.1 
 2. Quigley, Pecs 201016.8 
 3. Hadzovic, DKSK16.6 
 4. Murphy, Pecs 201016.3 
 5. Orban, Cegledi EKK14.9 
 6. Skoric, DKSK14.6 
 7. Teilane, Vasas14.2 
 8. Rasheed, UNI S.14.2 
 9. Cvetanovic, Atome.14.1 
 10. Vida, Nanette FTC12.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Milica CVETANOVIC
  Atome.
  (195-C-86)
  Avg: 8.5
 1. Cvetanovic, Atome.8.5 
 2. Farkasinszki, DKSK7.9 
 3. Krnjic, UNIQA E.7.9 
 4. Murphy, Pecs 20107.9 
 5. Teilane, Vasas7.9 
 6. Turoczi, Nanette7.8 
 7. Nagy, UNI S.7.8 
 8. Hollingswort., UNI6.8 
 9. Quigley, Pecs 20106.4 
 10. Horvath, Pecs 20.6.2 
Assists Per Game
 Iva CIGLAR
  UNI S.
  (170-G-85)
  Avg: 4.5
 1. Ciglar, UNI S.4.5 
 2. Cymmer, Cegledi4.0 
 3. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.3.8 
 4. Englert, Nanette3.8 
 5. Nagy, UNI S.3.6 
 6. Szlimak, Nanette3.6 
 7. Torok, Pecs 20103.4 
 8. Medgyessy, Atome.3.2 
 9. Rujak, Nanette FTC3.2 
 10. Bukovszki, ZTE3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Maja SCEKIC
  Bajai NKK
  (170-G-87)
  Avg: 4
 1. Scekic, Bajai NKK4.0 
 2. Csicsai, EL.3.8 
 3. Theodoran, Bajai N.3.6 
 4. Szabo, Bajai NKK3.5 
 5. Cymmer, Cegledi3.1 
 6. Pal, Vasas3.1 
 7. Horvath, Pecs 20102.9 
 8. Teilane, Vasas2.8 
 9. Ambrus, ZTE2.7 
 10. Bukovszki, ZTE2.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Anita TEILANE
  Vasas
  (196-C-85)
  Avg: 3.6
 1. Teilane, Vasas3.6 
 2. Bagi, BSE-.1.1 
 3. Czukor, ZTE0.9 
 4. Zavecz, UNIQA E.0.9 
 5. Cvetanovic, Atome.0.9 
 6. Fejes, Atomeromu0.8 
 7. Fegyverneky, UNIQ.0.7 
 8. Horvath, EL.0.6 
 9. Licina, Atomeromu0.6 
 10. Mansare, Vasas0.6 


A Round 14: Pecs 2010 crushes Cegledi EKK by record 29 points - by Eurobasket News
Coincidentally all hosts won their games.

The game with biggest result difference took place in Pecs. Local Pecs 2010 (12-2) outscored 9th ranked Cegledi EKK (4-10) 88-59 on Tuesday night. The game was mostly controlled by Pecs 2010. Cegledi EKK managed to win third quarter 20-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Cegledi EKK to just 7 points in second quarter. Pecs 2010 dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Cegledi EKK's 30 and made 22-of-26 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Cegledi EKK 54-32 including a 34-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. 24 personal fouls committed by Cegledi EKK helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American guard Allie Quigley (180-86, college: De Paul) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. The other American import forward Lynn Murphy (193-89, college: Boston Coll.) chipped in 19 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Katinka Orban (176-89) produced 22 points and 6 rebounds for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Pecs 2010 have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains third position with 12-2 record having just two points less than leader UNIQA Eurol. Cegledi EKK lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the eighth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Vasas. Pecs 2010 are looking forward to face BSE-FCSM (#11) in Budapest in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Cegledi EKK will play at home against the league's leader MKB Euroleasing in Sopron and is hoping to prove to their fans that they can break losing series.

Rest of the games of round 14 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
DKSK was defeated by UNI SEAT in Gyor 90-72. Nanette FTC beat Atomeromu at home 91-73. Vasas lost to Bajai NKK on the opponent's court 49-63.
The best stats of 14th round was 24 points and 12 rebounds by Nikoletta Turoczi of Nanette FTC.


UNI SEAT - DKSK 90-72

There was no surprise in Gyor where 7th ranked DKSK (5-9) was defeated by second ranked UNI SEAT (13-1) 90-72 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by UNI SEAT. DKSK managed to win fourth quarter 28-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded DKSK 29-17. UNI SEAT looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. The best player for the winners was American center Quanitra Hollingsworth (196-88, college: VCU) who had a double-double by scoring 18 points and 10 rebounds. International forward Rita Rasheed (180-89, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) chipped in 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). Five UNI SEAT players scored in double figures. Power forward Orsolya Farkasinszki (185-86) produced 16 points and Serbian forward Maja Skoric (184-89) added 15 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. UNI SEAT have an impressive five-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 13-1 record behind leader UNIQA Eurol. DKSK at the other side keeps the seventh place with nine games lost. UNI SEAT are looking forward to face bottom-ranked BEAC-Ujbuda (#12) in Budapest in the next round and are hoping to win another game. DKSK will play at home against ZTE (#4) in Zalaegerszeg and is hoping to prove to their fans that this time they can win.
Top scorers:
UNI SEAT: Q.Hollingsworth 18+10reb+1ast, B.Semsei 17+1reb+2ast, I.Ciglar 16+2reb+4ast, R.Rasheed 16+6reb+5ast, N.Nagy 14+5reb+4ast, D.Nagy 5+1ast
DKSK: O.Farkasinszki 16+3reb+2ast, M.Skoric 15+5reb, B.Hadzovic 10+6ast, D.Reiner 8+1reb+1ast, Z.Lugosi 7+1ast, B.Ocsenas 5+3reb+2ast
gschID: 147293


Nanette FTC - Atomeromu 91-73

No shocking result in a game in Budapest where fifth ranked Nanette FTC (10-4) defeated 10th ranked Atomeromu (3-11) 91-73 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Nanette FTC. Atomeromu managed to win third quarter 16-11. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They made 32-of-35 free shots (91.4 percent) during the game, while Atomeromu only scored fifteen points from the stripe. Nanette FTC had a 27-16 advantage in offensive rebounds. 30 personal fouls committed by Atomeromu helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was international power forward Nikoletta Turoczi (187-80) who had a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds. International forward Hajnalka Szlimak (182-82) chipped in 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Four Nanette FTC players scored in double figures. Nanette FTC's coach Sandor Farkas used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Krisztina Szemeredi (176-77, college: Michigan St.) produced 21 points and Montenegrin center Milica Cvetanovic (195-86) added 18 points and 10 rebounds respectively for the guests. Nanette FTC have an impressive six-game winning streak. They moved-up to fourth place, which they share with ZTE. Atomeromu lost third consecutive game. They keep the tenth position with 11 games lost. Nanette FTC's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Budapest to the arena Vasas.
Top scorers:
Nanette FTC: N.Turoczi 24+12reb+1ast, O.Englert 17+3reb+3ast, H.Szlimak 15+7reb+4ast, K.Sule 13+2reb, N.Rujak 9+3reb+7ast, P.Russai 6+2reb
Atomeromu: K.Szemeredi 21+4reb+3ast, M.Cvetanovic 18+10reb, D.Tamis 9+3reb+1ast, R.Balint 8+5reb+1ast, D.Zele 5+1reb, A.Demeter 4+4reb+1ast
gschID: 147294


Bajai NKK - Vasas 63-49

Rather expected game when 8th ranked Vasas (4-10) were defeated on the road by sixth ranked Bajai NKK (7-7) 63-49 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Bajai NKK. Vasas managed to win second period 20-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Vasas to just 6 points in first quarter. Bajai NKK made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. The best player for the winners was guard Gina Szepsi (175-85) who scored 19 points and 5 rebounds. Power forward Bettina Bozoki (190-89) chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Bajai NKK players scored in double figures. Latvian center Anita Teilane (196-85) produced 8 points, 7 rebounds and 5 blocks and power forward Anna Mansare (188-92) added 13 points respectively for the guests. Vasas' coach rotated twelve players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Bajai NKK maintains sixth position with 7-7 record. Vasas lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Cegledi EKK. Bajai NKK are looking forward to face Atomeromu (#10) in Szekszard in the next round. Vasas' supporters also look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Budapest Nanette FTC.
Top scorers:
Bajai NKK: G.Szepsi 19+5reb+2ast, B.Bozoki 12+6reb+5ast, A.Theodoran 12+5reb+5ast, M.Scekic 11+7reb+4ast, P.Szabo 5+5reb+1ast, A.Ferencz 2+2reb+2ast
Vasas: A.Mansare 13+4reb, A.Teilane 8+7reb+2ast, K.Velkey 8+3reb+4ast, L.Adamecz 6+2reb+1ast, V.Bajnoczi 4+1reb+2ast, S.Pal 3+10reb+2ast
gschID: 147295


Pecs 2010 - Cegledi EKK 88-59

The game with biggest result difference took place in Pecs. Local Pecs 2010 (12-2) outscored 9th ranked Cegledi EKK (4-10) 88-59 on Tuesday night. The game was mostly controlled by Pecs 2010. Cegledi EKK managed to win third quarter 20-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Cegledi EKK to just 7 points in second quarter. Pecs 2010 dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Cegledi EKK's 30 and made 22-of-26 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game. They outrebounded Cegledi EKK 54-32 including a 34-20 advantage in defensive rebounds. 24 personal fouls committed by Cegledi EKK helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American guard Allie Quigley (180-86, college: De Paul) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 rebounds. The other American import forward Lynn Murphy (193-89, college: Boston Coll.) chipped in a double-double by scoring 19 points and 14 rebounds. Four Pecs 2010 players scored in double figures. Guard Katinka Orban (176-89) produced 22 points and 6 rebounds and Polish guard Katarzyna Cymmer (172-89) added 13 points and 4 assists respectively for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Pecs 2010 have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains third position with 12-2 record having just two points less than leader UNIQA Eurol. Cegledi EKK lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the eighth place with ten games lost. They share the position with Vasas. Pecs 2010 are looking forward to face BSE-FCSM (#11) in Budapest in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Cegledi EKK will play at home against the league's leader MKB Euroleasing in Sopron and is hoping to prove to their fans that they can break losing series.
Top scorers:
Pecs 2010: A.Quigley 21+11reb+3ast, L.Murphy 19+14reb, S.Torok 13+3reb+1ast, A.Szamosi 10+8reb, K.Raksanyi 8+4reb+2ast, L.Horvath 8+4reb+1ast
Cegledi EKK: K.Orban 22+6reb+1ast, K.Cymmer 13+3reb+4ast, M.Dobrowolska 11+4reb+2ast, C.Sosnowska 7+5reb, C.Kobolak 6+6reb, A.Serban 0+2reb
gschID: 147292




Best players of Hungarian A round 14 - by Eurobasket News
American Allie Quigley (180-G-86) had an amazing evening in the last round for Pecs 2010 and that's her to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 14.
The 25-year old guard had a double-double of 21 points and eleven rebounds, while her team outclassed Cegledi EKK (#9, 4-10) with 29-point margin 88-59. Pecs 2010 maintains the 3rd position in Hungarian A. They are still close to the very top. Pecs 2010 would have been even better if they kept winning the games like in the last round. They have a solid 12-2 record. In the team's last game Quigley had a remarkable 66.7% from 2-point range. She turned to be Pecs 2010's top player in her first season with the team. De Paul graduate has very impressive stats this year. Quigley is in league's top in points (3rd best: 16.5ppg) and averages solid 2.2spg and 54.8% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 31-year old international power forward Nikoletta Turoczi (187-F/C-80) of Nanette FTC. Turoczi impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds. Of course she lead Nanette FTC to another comfortable win 91-73 over the lower-ranked Atomeromu (#10, 3-11) being unquestionably team leader. Nanette FTC's 5th position in the standings has not changed. Her team lost some distance to top teams. But 10-4 record is not bad and everything may still change. Turoczi is a newcomer at Nanette FTC and it seems she did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was another Pecs 2010's star - American Lynn Murphy (193-F-89). Murphy scored 19 points and grabbed fourteen rebounds (!!!). She was another key player of Pecs 2010, helping her team with a 88-59 easy win against the lower-ranked Cegledi EKK (#9, 4-10). Pecs 2010 is closer and closer to the top of the standings. They will still need more victories. But 12-2 record is not that bad... Murphy has a great season in Hungary. After 13 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.1ppg (4th best) and rebounds with 7.5rpg (7th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Katinka Orban (176-G-89) of Cegledi EKK - 22 points and 6 rebounds
5. Quanitra Hollingsworth (196-C-88) of UNI SEAT - 18 points and 10 rebounds
6. Milica Cvetanovic (195-C-86) of Atomeromu - 18 points and 10 rebounds
7. Hajnalka Szlimak (182-F-82) of Nanette FTC - 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Rita Rasheed (180-F-89) of UNI SEAT - 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists
9. Alexandra Theodoran (176-G/F-91) of Bajai NKK - 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists
10. Orsolya Farkasinszki (185-F/C-86) of DKSK - 16 points, 3 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)

*****************************************************
  MONTENEGRO - Women  


Standings - Women League
Prve A ZCKL Standings
 1. Buducnost 8-0 
 2. Roling Niksic 6-2 
 3. Rudar 5-2 
 4. Primorje 3-5 
 5. Lovcen 2-5 
 6. Kotor 2-6 
 7. Antivari Bar 0-6 


*****************************************************
  NCAA1 - Women  


No. 25 Vanderbilt women outlast Florida State - by Eurobasket News
Vanderbilt guard Christina Foggie (5'9''-G), from New Jersey, and post player Stephanie Holzer, from Philadelphia, are on the same early-morning flight home Friday but they had one thing to check off their list first.

Foggie scored 18 points and Holzer had 17 to help the No. 25-ranked Commodores (11-1) outlast a challenge from visiting Florida State (6-6) on Thursday night, 65-59. Foggie, who hit two 3-pointers, and Holzer, with 13 rebounds, each sank a pair of throws in the final 46 seconds to seal the victory.

Both teams got out to a slow start and while Vanderbilt coach Melanie Balcomb admitted her team was anxious, Foggie and Holzer both said it wasn't because of their trip home for Christmas.

'We knew we had to take care of business first,' Foggie said.

Holzer, a 6-foot-4 redshirt sophomore averaging 52 percent on field goals, hit only 6 of 15 from the field in the game. As a team Vanderbilt, which had been third in the nation in field goal percentage, shot only 38.1 percent.

After taking an opening 2-0 lead, Vanderbilt went on a five-minute scoreless drought that included a 1-for-14 stretch from the field.

'I think we were just anxious,' Balcomb said. 'We went a little too fast on offense, and we were fast on defense, thank goodness. . We've been making a lot of shots and winning a lot of games on offense. We were going to have to decide that we could win different ways and tonight we won on defense and rebounding.'

Holzer made five of her seven free throws though, hitting both her foul shots with 18.3 seconds remaining after Chasity Clayton (6'0''-F-90) 's 3-pointer pulled Florida State to within 62-59.

'I just knew I needed to make them,' Holzer said. 'I knew I wasn't making them for me, I knew I was making them for the team and I was making them to win.'

Clayton had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Seminoles, while Chelsea Davis (6'2''-F) scored 16 points and Alexa Deluzio (5'11''-G-89) added 15.

'Give the kids credit,' Florida State coach Sue Semrau said of her team's rally from a 15-point deficit. 'We were playing a little bit of small ball.'

Balcomb said Foggie was able to get the ball inside to Holzer in the second half and get her to the line to help her shake an off-night shooting. But most of it was Holzer's doing, the coach said.

'I think Stephanie played a great game. I felt like even when it mattered, even with the shot clock ticking down, she made big shots,' Semrau said.

Said Balcomb, whose team lost 72-66 at Tallahassee last year in a physical game: 'The game Steph played this year compared to last year was much more solid, mature and emotionally intelligent.'

It wasn't just Holzer missing early in the game either. At the first timeout after 4 1/2 minutes played, Vanderbilt was 1 of 9 from the field with eight turnovers and Florida State was 0 of 4 with four turnovers.

'They just weren't falling and they weren't falling for a bunch of us,' Holzer said. 'I think one possession Tiffany (Clarke) and I had two rebounds apiece. . I tried to slow down and be patient.'

Elan Brown hit a jumper at 12:18 to end FSU's 7-0 run that was capped by Clayton's 3-point play. Clair Watkins then had a turn-around jumper to pull Vanderbilt to within 7-6.

And after Clayton nailed a 3-pointer for the Seminoles, the Commodores went on their own 7-0 scoring spree to lead 13-10 on Foggie's 3-pointer and her fast-break layup after a steal. Vanderbilt never trailed again, although Florida State tied it 15-15 on Deluzio's 3-pointer.

Florida State senior post player Cierra Brevard, the second-leading scorer in the Atlantic Coast Conference, scored only four points to break a string of 32 straight games scoring in double figures.

'I give credit to Vanderbilt; they took away Cierra in the beginning,' Semrau said. 'I thought rather than them finding another way to be valuable, she took herself out of the game.'

Vanderbilt took its biggest lead of 15 points with 5:54 left, 54-39, on an in-bounds pass to Jasmine Lister, who added 10 points. The big bucket followed Foggie's second 3-pointer of the night.

But the Commodores scored only one more field goal the rest of the way, on Clark Watkins' put-back to make it 58-49. Davis had scored six straight points for Florida State to cut it to 56-49, and Deluzio had a steal and a layup to close within 58-52.

Lister hit only two of her four free throws in the final 1:12. But Foggie made both her free throws with 46.3 seconds to go for a 61-54 advantage.

In the first half, Vanderbilt pushed out to a 23-18 lead on Foggie's drive to the basket just before the shot clock expired. Foggie didn't score until 9:11 to go in the first half, and Lister only got her first bucket on a drive with 1:06 remaining as the Seminoles defended the perimeter well.

'I told our team the team that played in spurts was going to lose the game and the team that played 40 minutes was going to win the game,' Semrau said.

Vanderbilt was coming off its first loss of the season, at North Carolina State, while Florida State saw a three-game streak ended. The Seminoles are 0-3 against the Southeastern Conference this season and has lost to four top 25 teams.

Courtesy of http://sports.sportsillustrated.cnn.com

No. 18 Wis-Green Bay women beat Wisconsin 65-49 - by Eurobasket News
Senior Julie Wojta (6'0''-G/F) scored a career-high 29 points to help No.18 Wisconsin-Green Bay defeat Wisconsin 65-49 Friday night.

Green Bay (10-0) trailed 34-28 at halftime, but took control when Wojta hit back-to-back baskets to spark a 13-2 run that started with 12:36 remaining and ended with the Phoenix taking a 53-43 lead. They never trailed from there, shooting 60 percent after halftime and scoring 31 points off 15 turnovers.

Taylor Wurtz (6'0''-G) led the Badgers (4-8) with 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. Morgan Paige added 12 points for Wisconsin, which made only five second-half buckets and has lost three in a row for the second time this season.

Megan Lukan (5'7''-G-92) and Sarah Eichler each added 10 points for Green Bay, which has won 30 straight regular-season games, the second-longest streak in program's 38-year history.

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

No. 21 DePaul women top Southern Illinois, 93-67 - by Eurobasket News
Anna Martin (5'9''-G) scored 21 points to lead five players in double figures for No. 21 DePaul in 93-67 victory over Southern Illinois on Thursday night.

The win was the ninth in 10 games for DePaul (12-2) and 26th straight at McGrath-Phillips Arena.

Jasmine Penny (6'1''-F) scored 15 points, Brittany Hrynko (5'8''-G) had 14, Kelsey Reynolds had 12, and Katherine Harry added 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Demons, who lead the series 9-3.

Teri Oliver (5'9''-G-90) scored 25 points and Cartaesha Macklin added 18 for Southern Illinois (3-7), which has lost five of its last six.

DePaul never trailed, opening a 13-2 lead just 2:53 into the game and taking a 51-18 advantage at halftime. Their biggest lead was at 62-26 with 17:23 remaining in the game.

The Blue Demons held a 40-34 rebounding edge and outscored the Salukis in the paint (44-14), off turnovers (33-16) and on second chances (15-5).

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

*****************************************************
  POLAND - Women  


Robert's 27 points and 9 rebounds give her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
31-year old forward Geraldine Robert (184-F-80) put on an amazing game in the last round for Lotos Gdynia and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 14.
She had the game-high 27 points adding nine rebounds and two assists for Lotos Gdynia as her team lost the game against Wisla Can-Pak (#1, 13-1) 73-78. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. Lotos Gdynia moved-up to the 4th position in the Polish PLKK. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Lotos Gdynia will need to avoid more loses keep or improve their 10-4 record. Robert turned to be Lotos Gdynia's top player in her first season with the team. Robert has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in points (8th best: 14.4ppg) and averages solid 57.5% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Agnieszka Skobel (179-F-89) of Gorzow. She is international forward in her 2nd season at Gorzow. In the last game Skobel recorded impressive 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Bad luck as Gorzow was edged by slightly lower-ranked Lider Pruszkow (#9, 6-8) 68-64. Gorzow managed to keep the same 7th spot in the standings. Her team lost some distance to top teams. But 8-6 record is not bad and everything may still change. Skobel is well-known at Gorzow and she already established her position as one of the team's leaders. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 14.4ppg (#9). She also registered 4.7 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Rachele Fitz (183-F-87) of ROW Rybnik (#3). Fitz showcased her all-around game by recording 15 points, ten rebounds and four assists in the last round. She was a key player of ROW Rybnik, leading her team to a 73-61 win against the lower-ranked Artego Bydg. (#8, 6-8). ROW Rybnik needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 11 victories and 3 lost games. Fitz has a very solid season. In 14 games in Poland she scored 11.3ppg. She also has 7.1rpg and FGP: 55.4%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Bridgette Mitchell (183-G/F-87) of Energa Torun - 11 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Paulina Pawlak (170-PG-84) of Wisla Can-Pak - 12 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists
6. Agnieszka Makowska (182-F-82) of MUKS Poznan - 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Anke De Mondt (180-F/G-79) of Wisla Can-Pak - 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Jelena Maksimovic (192-C-82) of Energa Torun - 13 points and 4 rebounds
9. Paulina Misiek (182-F-87) of Widzew - 12 points and 10 rebounds
10. Larrissa Williams (191-F-88) of MUKS Poznan - 21 points and 4 rebounds

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

*****************************************************
  SLOVAKIA - Women  


Standings - Women
Extraliga Standings
 1. Good Angels 13-0 
 2. MBK Ruzomb. 10-2 
 3. Samorin 8-5 
 4. Poprad 7-6 
 5. Roznava 4-9 
 6. Dannax Sport 3-10 
 7. Cassovia K. 0-13 


Stats Leaders - Women
Points Per Game
 Natalia VIERU
  Good Angels
  (197-C-89)
  Avg: 17.6
 1. Vieru, Good Angels17.6 
 2. Lindsey, Poprad17.5 
 3. Sujova, Samorin16.7 
 4. Young, Poprad16.3 
 5. Stepanova, MBK R.15.0 
 6. McCray, Good A.14.2 
 7. Guzman, MBK R.14.2 
 8. Libicova, Roznava13.6 
 9. Simova, Poprad13.5 
 10. Ciappina, Poprad13.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Tonya YOUNG
  Poprad
  (187-F/C-)
  Avg: 8.5
 1. Young, Poprad8.5 
 2. Vieru, Good Angels8.3 
 3. Lindsey, Poprad8.0 
 4. Janosickova, Dann.7.9 
 5. Wickett, Samorin7.8 
 6. Libicova, Roznava7.6 
 7. Stepanova, MBK R.6.9 
 8. Simova, Poprad6.4 
 9. Tetemondova, MBK6.3 
 10. Jurcenkova, Good6.1 
Assists Per Game
 Carmen GUZMAN
  MBK R.
  (172-SG-85)
  Avg: 5.5
 1. Guzman, MBK R.5.5 
 2. Sujova, Samorin5.4 
 3. Vackova, Poprad4.8 
 4. Bojovic, Good A.3.8 
 5. Benuskova, Cassov.3.6 
 6. Giacintova, Rozna.3.5 
 7. Sverrisdotti., Goo.3.5 
 8. Timkova, Cassovia.3.0 
 9. Ellis, Poprad3.0 
 10. Nemeth, Good A.2.9 
Steals Per Game
 Carmen GUZMAN
  MBK R.
  (172-SG-85)
  Avg: 3.8
 1. Guzman, MBK R.3.8 
 2. Sujova, Samorin3.4 
 3. Benuskova, Cassov.3.4 
 4. Simova, Poprad3.3 
 5. McCray, Good A.3.0 
 6. Giacintova, Rozna.2.9 
 7. Kupcikova, Good A.2.9 
 8. Lindsey, Poprad2.8 
 9. Tetemondova, MBK2.5 
 10. Hrickova, Good A.2.4 
Blocks Per Game
 Ashley LINDSEY
  Poprad
  (193-F-87)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. Lindsey, Poprad2.3 
 2. Vieru, Good Angels1.6 
 3. Tetemondova, MBK1.2 
 4. Matejcikova, Rozna.1.1 
 5. Stepanova, MBK R.1.0 
 6. Simova, Poprad0.8 
 7. Janosickova, Dann.0.8 
 8. Hnidzikova, Rozna.0.8 
 9. Wickett, Samorin0.7 
 10. McCray, Good A.0.7 


*****************************************************
  SOUTH KOREA - Women  


WKBL Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Jung-Eun KIM
  Cool Cats
  (180-F-87)
  Avg: 19.7
 1. Kim, Cool Cats19.7 
 2. Kang, S-Birds16.2 
 3. Jung, KB Stars16.1 
 4. Cho, Winnus14.8 
 5. Kim, Cool Cats14.7 
 6. Han, Winnus14.6 
 7. Lee, S-Birds14.3 
 8. Lim, Woori Hansae14.0 
 9. Kim, S-Birds14.0 
 10. Sin, Winnus14.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jung Ja SIN
  Winnus
  (185-F/C-80)
  Avg: 12.9
 1. Sin, Winnus12.9 
 2. Heo, Cool Cats9.2 
 3. Kang, S-Birds8.3 
 4. Jung, KB Stars6.8 
 5. Gang, Cool Cats6.5 
 6. Bae, Woori Hansae6.5 
 7. Kim, S-Birds6.3 
 8. Kim, Bichumi6.3 
 9. Choi, S-Birds6.0 
 10. Kim, KB Stars5.8 
Assists Per Game
 Mi Sun LEE
  Bichumi
  (175-G-79)
  Avg: 7
 1. Lee, Bichumi7.0 
 2. Kim, Cool Cats6.5 
 3. Choi, S-Birds6.1 
 4. Lee, Winnus4.6 
 5. Sin, Winnus4.1 
 6. Heo, Cool Cats4.0 
 7. Park, KB Stars3.8 
 8. Kim, S-Birds3.7 
 9. Kim, Cool Cats3.5 
 10. Park, Bichumi3.4 
Steals Per Game
 Mi Sun LEE
  Bichumi
  (175-G-79)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Lee, Bichumi2.4 
 2. Han, Winnus1.9 
 3. Choi, S-Birds1.8 
 4. Lee, S-Birds1.7 
 5. Roberson, Bichumi1.7 
 6. Jung, KB Stars1.5 
 7. Beon, KB Stars1.2 
 8. Cho, Winnus1.1 
 9. Heo, Cool Cats1.0 
 10. Sin, Winnus1.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Sun-Hwa JUNG
  KB Stars
  (184-C/F-85)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Jung, KB Stars1.8 
 2. Gang, Cool Cats1.3 
 3. Kim, S-Birds1.2 
 4. Sin, Winnus1.2 
 5. Kang, S-Birds1.1 
 6. Kim, Cool Cats1.0 
 7. Roberson, Bichumi0.7 
 8. Kim, Woori Hansae0.6 
 9. Bae, Woori Hansae0.6 
 10. Lee, Bichumi0.6 


Best players of South Korean WKBL round 21 - by Eurobasket News
Former international guard Youn-Ah Choi (170-G-85) 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 21.
The 26-year old guard had the game-high 18 points adding four rebounds and eight assists for S-Birds in her team's victory, helping them to beat Cool Cats (#5, 7-14) 81-66. It allowed S-Birds to consolidate first place in the South Korean WKBL. S-Birds have a solid 18-3 record. Choi has many years of experience at S-Birds, through which he has constantly improved. Choi has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in rebounds (9th best: 6.0rpg) and assists (3rd best: 6.1apg).

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 31-year old international forward Yeon-Ha Beon (180-F-80) of KB Stars. Beon impressed basketball fans with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists. Bad luck as KB Stars lost that game 61-68 to slightly higher-ranked Winnus (#2, 13-8). It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the title. KB Stars still maintains its place in the top 4 of the standings, even despite this loss. Her team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 9-12 record. Beon is one of the most experienced players at KB Stars and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was another S-Birds' star - former international center Young-Suk Kang (187-C-81). Kang showcased her all-around game by recording 16 points, eleven rebounds (!!!) and four assists in the last round. She was another key player of S-Birds, helping her team with a 81-66 easy win against the lower-ranked Cool Cats (#5, 7-14). S-Birds confirms their top position in the standings Kang has a great season in South Korea. After 21 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.2ppg (2nd best) and rebounds with 8.3rpg (3rd best). She also has 1.1bpg and FGP: 53.7%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Yun-Ha Heo (183-C-79) of Cool Cats - 21 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Youn-Joo Kim (178-F-86) of S-Birds - 21 points and 2 rebounds
6. Jung Ja Sin (185-F/C-80) of Winnus - 10 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists
7. Jung-Eun Kim (180-F-87) of Cool Cats - 23 points, 2 rebounds and 7 assists
8. Kwe-Ryong Kim (192-C-79) of Bichumi - 20 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Ji-Hee Yang (186-C-84) of Woori Hansae - 9 points, 14 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Ji-Suk Gang (198-C-79) of Cool Cats - 15 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)

Standings - WKBL
WKBL Standings
 1. S-Birds 18-3 
 2. Winnus 14-8 
 3. Bichumi 12-9 
 4. KB Stars 9-12 
 5. Cool Cats 7-14 
 6. Woori Hansae 4-18