EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 3/11/2011

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Men News

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


Standings
ABA Standings
 1. Colorado Kings 17-0 
 2. Arlington B. 2-3 
 3. Michiana M. 1-4 
 4. NY Prime Time 1-4 
 5. Dallas E.T. 0-0 
 6. Missouri R. 0-0 
 7. Santa Barbara 0-0 
 8. Texas RR 0-1 
 9. Shizuoka Gym. 0-4 
Gulf Coast
 1. SE Texas M. 28-1 
 2. Gulf Coast F. 8-5 
 3. Mobile Bay H. 4-2 
 4. Louisiana U. 1-5 
 5. Cypress 0-0 
 6. Houston R.S. 0-9 
Mid-Atlantic
 1. Seven Cities 16-2 
 2. Atlanta V. 0-0 
 3. Charlotte 0-0 
 4. College Park 0-0 
 5. Fayetteville F. 0-0 
 6. Georgia G. 0-0 
 7. Georgia K. 0-0 
NoCal
 1. E.Bay Pitbulls 14-5 
 2. Bay Area M. 13-7 
 3. Modesto H. 9-9 
 4. Sacramento H. 8-6 
 5. California SK 8-7 
 6. S.Francisco R. 5-3 
 7. Clayton 0-0 
North Central
 1. Chicago Steam 13-3 
 2. Lake Michigan 11-5 
 3. NWI M.Stars 4-6 
 4. Detroit Hoops 4-7 
 5. Elkhart E. 0-0 
 6. Indianapolis 0-0 
 7. Kansas City S. 0-0 
 8. Pittsburgh P. 0-0 
Northeast
 1. Jersey Expr. 8-6 
 2. NY Red Riders 0-0 
 3. NY Thunder 0-0 
 4. S.Jersey 0-0 
Northwest
 1. Seattle M. 14-1 
SoCal
 1. San Diego Sol 15-3 
 2. Las Vegas A. 9-1 
 3. LA Slam 8-6 
 4. San Diego S. 7-6 
 5. Compton C. 0-0 
 6. S.Valley Fever 0-0 
 7. Mid-Valley 0-1 
 8. Riverside R. 0-1 
 9. SoCal Swish 0-4 
South Central
 1. E.Kentucky En. 16-1 
 2. St. Louis 8-3 
 3. Indiana Diesel 8-4 
 4. W.Virginia B. 8-8 
 5. Kentucky B. 0-0 
 6. Kentucky C. 0-0 
Southeast
 1. Jacksonville 19-0 
 2. Columbus Life 11-3 
 3. Savannah Storm 11-6 
 4. Heartland P. 8-3 
 5. Bahama PS 0-0 
 6. Florida M. 0-0 
 7. Florida Th. 0-0 
 8. Orlando Kings 0-0 
 9. Team Haiti 0-0 
Southwest
 1. Texas Fuel 15-4 
 2. North Dallas 12-6 
 3. Oklahoma 8-6 
 4. West Texas W. 8-6 
 5. N.Texas F. 1-5 
 6. Dallas Impact 0-0 


*****************************************************
  ACPBL   


Standings
ACPBL Standings
 1. Garden St. R. 10-2 
 2. New York L. 8-4 
 3. Norfolk TB 7-2 
 4. Beltway B. 7-5 
 5. Buffalo S. 6-6 
 6. Tri-City Suns 2-6 
 7. Hudson Valley 2-8 
 8. Wildkatz 2-11 


ACPBL week 13 recap: Jackson and Darpino named Player of the Week - by Gianni Pascucci
The Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League has successfully completed its thirteenth week in the leagues inaugural season. The league announced that Brian Jackson (6'1''-G-84, college: Mountain St.) and Vinnie Darpino (5'9''-G, college: Kean) of the Westchester Wildkatz have been named co-players of the week. The two high scoring point guards for the Westchester Wildkatz shared the court on Saturday afternoon in northern Virginia against the Beltway Bombers in a rare minor league basketball double header that featured only a 10-minute break in between games. Brian Jackson finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in game 1. Vinnie Darpino finished with 26 points, 11 assists, 2 rebounds and 3 steals in game 1. In Game 2 of the double header Brian Jackson finished with 56 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks and 11 three-point shots made. In game 2 of the double header Vinnie Darpino finished with 56 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals.
Jackson and Darpino now hold the all-time ACPBL single game scoring record at 56 points scored, the scoring record was previously held by Hugh 'Baby Shaq' Jones at 52 points scored. Jacksons 11 three-point shots made is also a new ACPBL single game record.
Below is the full recap of week #13 complete with scores and top performers, fans may visit www.acpbl.com and click on stats to view the box scores for each game.

WESTCHESTER WILDKATZ (2-11) 113 - BELTWAY BOMBERS (7-5) 151
Top performers: Westchester WildKatz: Vinnie Darpino - 26 points, 11 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals. Beltway Bombers: Rogers Barnes (6'2''-G-86, college: Morgan St.) 19 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3steals.

WESTCHESTER WILDKATZ (2-11) 175 - BELTWAY BOMBERS (7-5) 184
Top performers: Westchester WildKatz: Brian Jackson 56 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 2 blocks, 11 three pointers made. Beltway Bombers: Joseph Flegler (6'0''-G-85, college: Savannah St.) 22 points, 3 rebounds, 19 assists (ACPBL single game assists record), 2 steals.

NEW YORK LIONS (8-4) 105 - BUFFALO STAMPEDE (6-6) 91
Top performers: New York Lions: David Acree (6'0''-G, college: St.Joseph's (NY)) 30 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal. Buffalo Stampede: Marcus Hall (6'5''-G-87, college: Robert Morris) 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 block.

HUDSON VALLEY KINGZ (2-8) 86 - GARDEN STATE REBELS (10-2) 93
Top performers: Hudson Valley Kingz: Ricky Bailey (6'8''-C-85, college: Dutchess CC) 13 points, 9 rebounds. Garden State Rebels: Justin Carter (6'3''-G, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Rutgers-Newark) 22 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals.


*****************************************************
  ADRIATIC LEAGUE   


Mario Kasun claims Adriatic League weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
Experienced Mario Kasun (213-C-80) had an amazing evening in the last round for KK Zagreb Croatia Osiguranje and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 24.
The 30-year old center had the game-high 28 points adding seven rebounds for KK Zagreb CO in his team's victory, helping them to edge out Buducnost (#5, 13-11) 80-77. KK Zagreb CO is placed at 4th position in Adriatic League . They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. KK Zagreb CO will need more victories to improve their 14-10 record. Kasun turned to be KK Zagreb CO's top player in his first season with the team. Kasun has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in rebounds (6th best: 6.2rpg) and averages solid 61.3% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was young Croatian guard Fran Pilepic (192-G-89) of Siroki TT. Pilepic impressed basketball fans with 25 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Of course Siroki TT cruised to a 103-94 relatively comfortable win over the higher-ranked Radnicki (#7, 12-12). Siroki TT's 12th position in the standings has not changed. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 10-14 record. Pilepic is a newcomer at Siroki TT 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 Marino Bazdaric (197-G/F-78) of Cedevita Zagreb (#6). Bazdaric scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds. He was a key player of Cedevita, leading his team to a 98-95 win against the lower-ranked Crvena Zvezda (#13, 7-17). Cedevita needs these victories very badly if they think about getting closer to top teams. Their record at this point is 12 victories and 12 lost games. Bazdaric has a very solid season. In 10 games in Adriatic League he scored 13.1ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Sinisa Stemberger (195-G-79) of Siroki TT - 8 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists
5. Steven Markovic (190-G-85) of Radnicki - 21 points, 2 rebounds and 7 assists
6. Tomislav Zubcic (214-C/F-90) of Cibona - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Jan Vesely (211-F-90) of Partizan - 15 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89) of Union Olimpija - 15 points and 8 rebounds
9. Darko Planinic (211-C-90) of Siroki TT - 15 points and 6 rebounds
10. Andrija Zizic (207-C-80) of Cedevita - 25 points and 3 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)

*****************************************************
  ARGENTINA   


All ready for Liga A All star weekend - by Facundo Iatzky
This year All star will be different to the last year editions. First of all, it will be played in march, later than usually. And this edition will be played in Cordoba. Last years Mar del plata was the host city. These are the rosters for the all star game on sunday:
Domestic team:
starters:
Bruno Labaque
Juan Espil
Federico Kammerichs
Leo Gutierrez
Juan Gutierrez
Bench: Facundo Campazzo (replaces Pepe Sanchez), Matias Lescano, Marcos Mata, Gabriel Mikulas, Ruben Wolkowyski, Diego Lo Grippo, Roman Gonzalez
coach: Sergio Hernandez

foreigner team:
starters:
Andre Laws
David Jackson
Josh Pittman
Greg Lewis
Robert Battle
bench: Martin Osimani, Kyle Lamonte, Ramzee Stanton, Joseph Bunn, Gerald Brown, Byron Johnson, James Williams (injured)
coach: Julio Lamas

Shooting challenge:
white team: Juan Gutierrez, Luis Gonzalez, Samanta Melogneo
Black team: Julio Mazzaro, hector Campana, samanta paganini
blue team: Federico Kammerichs, Mario Milanesio, Rocio Rojas

dunk contest:
Alan Omar
Erbel De Pietro
Dionisio Gomez
Kevin Hernandez
Decorey Young

3 point contest:
Juan Espil
Juan Manuel Rivero
Emiliano Martina
Leo Gutierrez
Diego Cavaco
Alex Galindo
Eduardo Villares

Skill Challenge:
Nicolas de los Santos
Felipe Pais (replaces Diego Gerbaudo)
Facundo Campazzo
Nicolas Lorenzo

There will be played also a game between Old stars of Cordoba and old stars from rest of country.

Stats Leaders - LigaA

Points Per Game
 David JACKSON
  La Union
  (196-G-82)
  Avg: 20.5
 1. Jackson, La Union20.5 
 2. Bunn, Argentino19.1 
 3. Lo Grippo, Quimsa17.6 
 4. Johnson, Monte H.17.1 
 5. Meyinsse, Club 916.8 
 6. Gutierrez, Obras16.5 
 7. Galindo, Libertad S.15.9 
 8. Taylor, Lanus14.6 
 9. White, Monte H.14.4 
 10. Gutierrez, Penarol14.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Juan GUTIERREZ
  Obras
  (205-F/C-83)
  Avg: 10.2
 1. Gutierrez, Obras10.2 
 2. Kammerichs, Regat.9.9 
 3. Battle, Libertad S.9.1 
 4. Rollins, Gimnasia.9.0 
 5. Kante, Olimpico LB8.6 
 6. Williams, Atenas8.3 
 7. Johnson, Monte H.8.0 
 8. Alston, Boca Jrs7.9 
 9. Leiva, Penarol7.4 
 10. Mikulas, La Union7.1 
Assists Per Game
 Pepe SANCHEZ
  Estudiantes
  (193-G-77)
  Avg: 6.4
 1. Sanchez, Estudian.6.4 
 2. Martinez, Regat.5.8 
 3. Labaque, Atenas5.1 
 4. Salles, Monte H.5.1 
 5. Ginobili, Libertad S.4.5 
 6. Cequeira, Obras4.2 
 7. Franco, Sionista3.6 
 8. Treise, Quimsa3.5 
 9. Sartorelli, Argentino3.2 
 10. Laws, Olimpico LB3.0 
Steals Per Game
 Pepe SANCHEZ
  Estudiantes
  (193-G-77)
  Avg: 3.4
 1. Sanchez, Estudian.3.4 
 2. Sciutto, Monte H.2.6 
 3. Salles, Monte H.2.4 
 4. Cequeira, Obras2.4 
 5. Martinez, Regat.2.4 
 6. Lamonte, Penarol2.3 
 7. Williams, Atenas2.3 
 8. Moodie, Boca Jrs2.2 
 9. Ibarra, Libertad S.2.2 
 10. Okosa, Gimnasia CR2.2 
Blocks Per Game
 Robert BATTLE
  Libertad S.
  (204-C-81)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Battle, Libertad S.1.9 
 2. Johnson, Monte H.1.4 
 3. Meyinsse, Club 91.3 
 4. Kammerichs, Regat.1.2 
 5. Gutierrez, Obras1.1 
 6. Alston, Boca Jrs0.9 
 7. Williams, Atenas0.9 
 8. Aguerre, Estudian.0.8 
 9. Levy, Lanus0.8 
 10. Wolkowyski, Libertad.0.7 


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


Central Districts' new import - Josh Kallasch - by Eurobasket News
January saw the arrival of American Import Josh Kollasch (191-G) to the Central Districts mens program. Josh is a 23 year old 6'3 combo guard from Tucson Arizona. Josh joins Scott Whitmore's team after graduating from Lewis & Clark University in Portland Oregon.

'We are very pleased to get Josh here this early, 3 solid months of pre season will have Josh right up to speed when the season starts in April' Whitmore stated.

We decided to go with a guard as our import this year after recruiting 2 centres over the last 2 seasons. After a solid 4 weeks of practice Josh has settled in really well. We definitely like what we see so far - every day we learn a little bit more of what Josh can offer our group. He definitely has the goods to play and do well in our league, more importantly make our team and players better in the process'.

The Lions have also added Luke Frost from South Adelaide and will see Matt Atkins and Dave Humphries return from injury.

Not returning for the Lions in 2011 Wade Pidock (203-F-85, college: W.Virginia St.), Gary Birmingham (185-G-85), Zane Reeves (195-F-86), Ben Todd (117-G-77), Tom Cioffi (197-F-87) and Jacob Templeton (190-G/F-89).
Courtesy of Central Districts Basketball Club



Lions Challenge SEABL Clubs in Millicent Showdown - by Eurobasket News
The Central ABL Lions men returned from the Millicent Challenge without a victory after losses to Mount Gambier, Geelong and Forestville.

'We won every second and third quarter all weekend, just couldn't get a start or a finish' coach Whitmore stated.

'We took 13 players and had fantastic contributions from them all. With Daniel Carlin away with the state team we though height may be a factor but surprisingly enough we coped quite well'.

The Lions took on the 2 powerhouse clubs from the SEABL with Geelong and Mount Gambier both previous national champs. It proved that with only one import and with a budget a tenth of the size it can mix it with the big boys.

'Last year we went to Millicent and won all 3 games and then went on to win one game for the next 8 months so we are not reading too much into the results. The character, desire and work ethic of this year's group is first rate. It's good to have that side of it locked away at this stage of pre season. We have a few tweaks to make to the strategy over the next few weeks that will keep us improving.'

Forestville beat the Lions again for the third time this pre season. 2 weeks ago the margin with 6 minutes to go was well beyond doubt, Saturday night it was just 6 points.

'We are a completely different team to the one that played the Eagles a few weeks ago. The group has realised what will happen if mentally we are not ready to go'.

'At this stage of pre season we are really happy with where we are at. We had a solid win in a trial game against North last week and that commitment was carried over into the Millicent games'.

The Lions will now take on Norwood this Saturday night at Wayville, before a rematch with the North Adelaide Rockets on Monday at Mawson Lakes. The Forestville Eagles will also join these 3 teams to make it a mini carnival.

The Lions then travel to Mildura for their traditional double header with the Heat over the March long weekend.
Courtesy of Central Districts Basketball Club





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


Bulls lose Jordan - sign Jeremy Fears for the remainder of the season - by Stefan Prager
The Kapfenberg Bulls lost guard/forward LeVonn Jordan (198-G/F-85, college: Elon) to a knee injury in the game against the Oberwart Gunners. Jordan suffered a cruciate ligament rupture and will not return this season. Due to Austrian key player rule the Bulls were allowed to get a replacement player and they did so in signing Jeremy Fears (196-G-85, college: Bradley). The Bulls hope that Fears will be the long awaited natural scorer the team urgently needs. The 25 year old Fears played for the Bulls in the 08/09 season but left the team to play in Hungary in Slovakia the last two seasons. He led the Slovakian league in scoring averaging 21.8ppg. Fears ranked 4th in assists as well as 2nd in steals. His strong performance earned him the Slovakian MVP title. As his club BC Prievidza couldn't fullfill his contract Fears was on the market. He is expected to have his debut for the Bulls in the upcoming derby game against the Furstenfeld Panthers.

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  BELGIUM   


Oostende Transfer News - by Peter Buyse
Telenet Oostende has signed Belgian NT center Tomas Van Den Spiegel (214-C-78) to a 4 year contract. This will be his 3rd time around with Oostende after having already played there from 1997 to 2001 and again at the end of the 2001-2002 season. Tomas is scheduled to play his first game vs Antwerp this saturday.
Van den Spiegel played in many top level teams in Europe over his extensive career, teams such as CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid, Skipper Bologna, Lottomatica Roma and most recently Armani Milano. He also played for Trefl Sopot, and Mariupol.

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  BOSNIA   


Stats Leaders - D1
Points Per Game
 Boris LALOVIC
  Hercegovac
  (206-C-81)
  Avg: 19.9
 1. Lalovic, Hercegovac19.9 
 2. Rahimic, Bosna17.6 
 3. Albijanic, Sloboda .17.4 
 4. Zdravkovic, Capljina17.2 
 5. Opacak, Celik17.0 
 6. Opacak, Celik17.0 
 7. Kahrimanovic, Kak.16.9 
 8. Sakic, Zrinjski HT16.7 
 9. Kahrimanovic, Zrinjs.16.6 
 10. Gajovic, Hercegovac16.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Andrija PEJOVIC
  Hercegovac
  (205-C-83)
  Avg: 8
 1. Pejovic, Hercegovac8.0 
 2. Sakic, Zrinjski HT7.6 
 3. Kuzmic, Celik7.3 
 4. Kuzmic, Celik7.3 
 5. Hajric, Zrinjski HT7.2 
 6. Jagodic Kuri., Borac N.6.8 
 7. Markovic, Varda HE6.4 
 8. Albijanic, Sloboda .6.4 
 9. Vukovic, Slavija6.2 
 10. Lalovic, Hercegovac6.2 
Assists Per Game
 Vladimir RADOVANOVIC
  Radnik B.
  (194-G-81)
  Avg: 6.1
 1. Radovanovic, Herce.6.1 
 2. Lalic, Hercegovac6.0 
 3. Pasalic, Bosna4.8 
 4. Jovanovic, Borac N.4.4 
 5. Zdravkovic, Capljina3.7 
 6. Boljkovac, Slavija3.6 
 7. Markovic, Varda HE3.5 
 8. Stanic, Slavija3.4 
 9. Jovanovic, SL IAT L.3.3 
 10. Bijelica, Capljina3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Srdjan STANIC
  Slavija
  (186-G-84)
  Avg: 3.5
 1. Stanic, Slavija3.5 
 2. Lalic, Hercegovac2.8 
 3. Adamovic, Borac N.2.6 
 4. Radovanovic, Herce.2.4 
 5. Gajovic, Hercegovac2.3 
 6. Savovic, Slavija2.1 
 7. Vranjes, Borac N.2.0 
 8. Bijelica, Capljina1.8 
 9. Lalovic, Hercegovac1.7 
 10. Komatina, Mladost1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 Ognjen KUZMIC
  Celik
  (215-C-90)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Kuzmic, Celik1.8 
 2. Kuzmic, Celik1.8 
 3. Zimic, Bosna1.6 
 4. Brkic, Capljina0.8 
 5. Duranovic, Mladost0.8 
 6. Jocovic, Borac N.0.8 
 7. Pelkic, SL IAT L.0.7 
 8. Pejovic, Hercegovac0.7 
 9. Albijanic, Sloboda .0.7 
 10. Durasovic, SL IAT L.0.7 


Standings - BIH League
D1 Standings
 1. Bosna 17-5 
 2. Mladost 15-7 
 3. Borac Nektar 15-7 
 4. Capljina 15-7 
 5. Sloboda Dita 13-9 
 6. Zrinjski HT 13-9 
 7. Hercegovac 12-10 
 8. SL IAT Leotar 12-11 
 9. Celik 9-14 
 10. Varda HE 8-14 
 11. Kakanj 7-15 
 12. Brotnjo 6-16 
 13. Slavija 2-20 
Play in international cups:
 1. Igokea - 
 2. Siroki TT - 


D1 round 24: Mladost - Borac 87:72 - by Miljan Veskovic
In the remaining two games of the 24th round KK Mladost Mrkonjic Grad won against Borac Nektar Banja Luka 87-72, while KK Sloboda Dita Tuzla made a small surprise winning on the road against SL IAT Leotar Trebinje by 66-73 and kept their hopes alive to clinch the fourth place and ticket for the League 6. KK Mladost Mrkonjic Grad had no problems with Borac Nektar Banja Luka dominating through the game (29:18, 15:18, 21:18, 22:18) led by Milos Komatina (204-C-84, agency: SportConnect) 17 points + 6 ass + 6 reb, Armin Avdibegovic 18 and Ranko Velimirovic (203-F/C-72, agency: Beo Basket) 15 points, on the other side Nemanja Vranjes (188-G-88) had 20 and Slobodan Tosic (195-G-80, agency: BeoExcell) 16 points.
SL IAT Leotar Trebinje lost all chances to qualify for the second stage of the championship losing their home game against KK Sloboda Dita Tuzla 66-73 (22:15, 13:13, 18:25, 13:20) and giving the hope to a young team from Tuzla to reach the spot number 4 in the remaining 2 rounds. For the losing side better then the others were Nikola Durasovic (199-F-83, agency: SportConnect) with 19 and Igor Josipovic (203-F/C-88) 16 points, for the winners Mirza Hrncic (203-F/C-86) 16, Zlatan Halilbegovic (187-G-87) 14 and Miodrag Tanasilovic (197-G/F-84) 13 points.

Capljina Lasta signs Stefan Fekete - by Eurobasket News
Stefan Fekete (188-G-86, agency: Beo Basket) signed a deal in Bosnia. The Serbian guard joined Capljina Lasta for rest of the season. Fekete already made his debut collecting 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists against Kakanj. Capljina Lasta celebrated easy 109-68 win.
Stefan Fekete started this season with Sloboda Uzice. He appeared 25 times in Serbian league averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Last season, Fekete was a member of Igokea Partizan Aleksandrovac. Before that, he also played in Bosnia as a member of Borac Nektar. He joined them in April of 2009 for rest of the season. Fekete started 2008/09 with Radnicki Novi Sad. For 22 games with them he had 14.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3 apg. In the past, he also played for Swisslions Takovo, Spartak Subotica and Vojvodina Srbijagas.
Capljina Lasta currently has 15-7 record in D1.

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  BRAZIL   


Granada gets Rafael Freire on loan - by Eurobasket News
Rafael Freire (188-PG-92) will spend rest of the season with Granada. His team Unicaja gave a green light for this transfer and Freire joined Granada on loan. The Brazilian point guard appeared 15 times for Unicaja in ACB this season averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 assists. In Euroleague he had 2 ppg and 1.7 apg for 13 games. Freire also played for CB Ins Oftamologico Clinicas Ricon in LEB Gold this season. He registered 5.5 ppg and 2 apg for 8 games.
Rafael Freire is a product of Unicaja, where he arrived in 2007. After three seasons with Unicaja II, Freire joined Clinicas Rincon in 2009. He averaged 6.6 points and 2.3 assists for them in 18 LEB Gold games. He also got a chance in 13 games with Unicaja that season. Last year at the Nike Euroleague Junior Tournament Freire had 13.3 ppg, 7 rpg and 4.3 apg for 3 games. He was named All-Tournament 2nd Team.

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  CHINA   


Stats Leaders - CBA
Points Per Game
 Charles GAINES
  Qingdao DS
  (201-F-81)
  Avg: 33.4
 1. Gaines, Qingdao DS33.4 
 2. Morris, Beijing30.8 
 3. Williams, Zhejiang C.30.5 
 4. Douby, Xinjiang30.1 
 5. Akognon, DongGuan28.2 
 6. Emmett, Fujian28.0 
 7. Rodgers, Shanxi Zh.27.2 
 8. Hamilton, TianJ.26.8 
 9. Pickett, Jilin25.8 
 10. Marbury, Foshan25.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Dwayne JONES
  Fujian
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 16.1
 1. Jones, Fujian16.1 
 2. Harris, Shanghai14.7 
 3. Benson, TianJin R.14.6 
 4. Ramos, Zhejiang.14.1 
 5. Gaines, Qingdao DS13.6 
 6. Watkins, Jilin13.5 
 7. Oyedeji, Foshan13.0 
 8. Morris, Beijing12.2 
 9. Moiso, Jiangsu11.8 
 10. Abbaas, Beijing11.3 
Assists Per Game
 Osama DAGHLAS
  Shanxi Zh.
  (199-G-79)
  Avg: 9.2
 1. Daghlas, Shanxi Zh.9.2 
 2. Marbury, Foshan5.7 
 3. Lu, Fujian5.6 
 4. Williams, Zhejiang C.5.4 
 5. LiuWei, Shanghai5.3 
 6. Hu, Jiangsu5.3 
 7. Brown, Qingdao DS5.0 
 8. Vroman, DongGuan4.9 
 9. Green, Shanghai4.8 
 10. Allen, Shandong4.8 
Steals Per Game
 XueFeng HU
  Jiangsu
  (185-G-80)
  Avg: 4.1
 1. Hu, Jiangsu4.1 
 2. Hamilton, TianJ.3.5 
 3. Douby, Xinjiang3.2 
 4. Hudson, Guandong2.8 
 5. Vroman, DongGuan2.8 
 6. Gaines, Qingdao DS2.5 
 7. Williams, Zhejiang C.2.5 
 8. Pickett, Jilin2.4 
 9. Emmett, Fujian2.3 
 10. Zhong, Jilin2.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Herve LAMIZANA
  TianJin R.
  (207-F/C-81)
  Avg: 3.6
 1. Lamizana, TianJ.3.6 
 2. Haislip, Guandong1.9 
 3. Watkins, Jilin1.9 
 4. Boone, Zhejiang C.1.8 
 5. Zhang, Shanghai1.8 
 6. Moiso, Jiangsu1.8 
 7. Jones, Fujian1.7 
 8. Vroman, DongGuan1.6 
 9. Benson, TianJin R.1.5 
 10. Wang, Bayi1.5 


Chinese CBA round 33 best performance: Tim Pickett - by Eurobasket News
American swingman Tim Pickett (193-G/F-81) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for Jilin, receiving a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 33.
The 29-year old player had a double-double of 37 points and 10 rebounds, while his team edged out Beijing (#7, 16-15) in overtime 122-121. Jilin maintains the 13th position in Chinese CBA. Jilin is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 12-19 record. In the team's last game Pickett had a remarkable 66.7% from 2-point range and got four three-pointers out of 6 attempts. He just recently signed at Jilin, being already a very valuable addition to the team. Former Florida State University star has very solid stats this year. Pickett is in league's top in points (9th best: 25.8ppg) and averages impressive 2.4spg,54.1% FGP and 41.4% from behind 3-point line.

The second best player in last round's games was 33-year old American Stephon Marbury (187-G-77) of Foshan. Marbury had a very good evening with 55 points and 2 assists. Bad luck as Foshan lost that game 116-123 to the higher-ranked Guandong (#3, 24-7). Foshan is still in a red zone at 14th spot in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 10-21 record. Marbury is a newcomer at Foshan, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward Randolph Morris (211-F/C-86) of Beijing (#7). Morris got into 30-points club by scoring 40 points in the last round. He went also for nineteen rebounds and seven assists. Despite Morris' great performance Beijing lost 121-122in overtime to the lower-ranked Jilin (#13, 12-19). But his team cannot count on just a single shooter as he also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing Beijing needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 16 victories and 15 lost games. Morris has a great season in China. After 31 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 30.8ppg (2nd best) and rebounds with 12.2rpg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Marcus Williams (201-F-86) of Zhejiang C. - 36 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists
5. Charles Gaines (201-F-81) of Qingdao DS - 31 points, 16 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Andre Emmett (196-G/F-82) of Fujian - 23 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Quincy Douby (191-G-84) of Xinjiang - 36 points, 2 rebounds and 8 assists
8. Vernon Hamilton (183-G-84) of TianJin R. - 33 points and 10 rebounds
9. Leon Rodgers (199-F-80) of Shanxi Zh. - 16 points, 3 rebounds and 11 assists
10. Peter John Ramos (222-C-85) of Zhejiang G.L. - 14 points, 18 rebounds and 3 assists

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

*****************************************************
  DENMARK   


Canal Digital Ligaen Playoffs Underway, as First Games Produce Little Drama - by Armen Rhodes
The CDL playoffs are officially underway, and the first round of games produced little drama, as the favorites in each matchup coasted easily.

Svendborg handled Vaerlose at home by a score of 78 65, behind a 19 point, 10 rebound performance by star player Nicolai Iversen.

Meanwhile, in Aarhus, Bakken dominated Aabyhoj 88 41, to take a 1 games to 0 lead in the series. The Bears were paced by Jamar Thorpes 21 points and 8 rebounds.

In other games, third-seeded Naestved knocked off sixth-ranked SISU easily by a margin of 15 points, 92 77, and Horsholm knocked off Horsens 87 75.

Action picks back up on Sunday, when the 2nd game of the first round playoff series resume, and Aalborg and Amager tip off in game one of the relegation series.


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  D-LEAGUE   


Wednesday: Legends drop heartbreaker in overtime - by Eurobasket News
Texas L. - Sioux Falls S. 96-99 OT
Despite a strong performance from Sean Williams (6'10''-F-86, college: Boston Coll.), the Texas Legends fell 99-96 to the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Wednesday night at HP Court inside Dr Pepper Arena. After the Legends jumped out to a 7-2 lead, the Skyforce responded with a 13-1 run to take a seven-point lead. Texas was able to crawl back and went into the second quarter trailing by one, 23-22. Despite trailing by as many as nine points in the second, the Legends went into the break down 50-46. Sean Williams had a dominant first half with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, while Joe Alexander (6'8''-F-86, college: W.Virginia) had a 12-point opening half for Texas. Raymond Sykes (6'9''-F/C-86, college: Clemson) led the Skyforce in the first half with 13 points. The Legends came out strong in the second half and turned the game around in the third quarter outscoring Sioux Falls 32-16 in the period. Texas went on a 16-4 run to start the third and regain an eight-point lead. The Legends then ended the period on a 9-2 sprint to stretch their lead to 12, going into the final quarter on top 78-66. However, the Skyforce came roaring back at the end of the fourth quarter. With Texas leading 90-81, Sioux Falls went on a 12-3 run over the final three minutes led by newcomer Stephen McDowell. After knocking down a three-pointer to tie the game at 91, his rainbow floater in the lane with 5.3 seconds left gave the Skyforce a 93-91 lead. On the ensuing possession though, following a Sean Williams missed hook shot, Chris Roberts, in his first game with the Legends, gathered the rebound and nailed a fade away jumper at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Trailing by two in the extra session, Joe Alexander dropped in a driving lay up while drawing a foul. He hit the free throw to put Texas up by one. Then Sioux Falls' Chris McCray (6'5''-G-84, college: Maryland) dropped in a put-back lay up to give the Skyforce the lead back. An Alexander turnover on the offensive end gave Sioux Falls the ball back. McCray hit two clutch free throws to extend the Skyforce lead to three with 3.4 seconds left. With a chance to send the game to double overtime, Alexander's three-point attempt fell short sealing just the Skyforce's eighth win all season. Williams finished with a game-high 27 points and 11 boards, while Alexander delivered his 20th double-double of the year with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Sykes and Keaton Grant (6'4''-G-86, college: Purdue) led Sioux Falls with 19 points each. The Legends fell to 18-22 on the season, while the Skyforce improved to 8-31. Texas will be back in action on Friday night for the first of back-to-back games with the Austin Toros. The tip-off at HP Court inside Dr Pepper Arena is set for 7:00 PM. The Legends will also host the Toros on Saturday night at 7:00 PM. *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com



Standings
D-League Standings
Central Division
 1. Iowa E. 31-11 
 2. Erie Bay H. 26-13 
 3. Ft.Wayne MA 17-22 
 4. Dakota W. 15-26 
 5. Sioux Falls S. 8-30 
Southwest Division
 1. Tulsa 66ers 28-11 
 2. Rio Grande 28-12 
 3. Texas L. 18-23 
 4. Austin T. 17-22 
 5. New Mexico 15-25 
 6. Maine RC 14-26 
West Division
 1. Reno Bighorns 25-15 
 2. Bakersfield J. 24-15 
 3. Utah F. 23-15 
 4. Idaho S. 17-22 
 5. Springfield A. 11-29 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Trey JOHNSON
  Bakersfield J.
  (196-G-84)
  Avg: 26.1
 1. Johnson, Bakersfi.26.1 
 2. Johnson, Erie B.21.2 
 3. Jeffers, Iowa E.21.2 
 4. Alexander, Texas L.19.9 
 5. Adrien, Rio Grande19.9 
 6. McNeal, Rio Grande19.5 
 7. Dentmon, Texas L.19.3 
 8. Sims, Maine RC19.0 
 9. Byars, Bakersfi.18.6 
 10. Stinson, Iowa E.17.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jeff ADRIEN
  Golde State W.
  (201-F-86)
  Avg: 12.2
 1. Adrien, Rio Grande12.2 
 2. Ewing, Sioux F.10.5 
 3. Davidson, Idaho S.10.0 
 4. Sims, Iowa E.9.6 
 5. Williams, Texas L.9.5 
 6. Alexander, Texas L.9.3 
 7. Phillips, Ft.Wayne.9.3 
 8. Johnson, Dakota W.9.2 
 9. Jeffers, Iowa E.9.0 
 10. Cousin, Austin T.8.6 
Assists Per Game
 Curtis STINSON
  Iowa E.
  (187-G-83)
  Avg: 9.2
 1. Stinson, Iowa E.9.2 
 2. Miles, Reno Bighorns8.7 
 3. Daniels, Texas L.8.7 
 4. Russell, Ft.Wayne.7.9 
 5. Jackson, Idaho S.7.5 
 6. Jackson, Erie B.6.6 
 7. Johnson, Austin T.6.5 
 8. Ahearn, Erie Bay H.6.1 
 9. Reynolds, Spring.6.1 
 10. Bailey, Sioux F.5.5 
Steals Per Game
 Aaron MILES
  Reno Bighorns
  (186-G-83)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Miles, Reno Bighorns2.5 
 2. Dowdell, Tulsa 66ers2.5 
 3. Lin, Reno Bighorns2.3 
 4. Greene, Utah F.2.1 
 5. Jackson, Erie B.2.1 
 6. Lofton, Iowa E.2.1 
 7. Lafayette, Ft.Wayne.2.0 
 8. Reynolds, Spring.1.9 
 9. Shakur, Rio Grande1.9 
 10. Jeffers, Iowa E.1.9 
Blocks Per Game
 Sean WILLIAMS
  Texas L.
  (208-F-86)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Williams, Texas L.2.8 
 2. Johnson, Dakota W.2.8 
 3. Aldrich, Tulsa 66ers2.4 
 4. Whiteside, Reno B.2.2 
 5. Naymick, Bakersfi.2.1 
 6. Atchley, Rio Grande2.1 
 7. Gladness, Dakota W.1.9 
 8. Sykes, Sioux F.1.8 
 9. Gaffney, Utah F.1.7 
 10. O''Bryant, Reno B.1.7 


*****************************************************
  ESTONIA   


Standings - KML
EMKL Standings
 1. Kalev/Cramo 27-3 
 2. TU/Rock 25-3 
 3. TTU/Kalev 20-6 
 4. Rakvere 14-14 
 5. Rapla 11-16 
 6. Valga/CKE 11-17 
 7. TTU/Kalev II 10-18 
 8. Parnu 8-21 
 9. Voru KK 1-29 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Andrais THORNTON
  Penafiel
  (203-C-85)
  Avg: 18.7
 1. Thornton, Voru KK18.7 
 2. Saage, Rakvere18.1 
 3. Erm, Rapla17.7 
 4. Brown, Va.16.6 
 5. Raap, Parnu16.6 
 6. Raadik, Parnu16.2 
 7. Arnold, TT.15.6 
 8. Pilk, TT.14.5 
 9. Osby, TT.14.4 
 10. Kuuba, Voru KK14.2 
Rebounds Per Game
 Andrais THORNTON
  Penafiel
  (203-C-85)
  Avg: 12.2
 1. Thornton, Voru KK12.2 
 2. Brown, Va.11.2 
 3. Arnold, TT.11.0 
 4. Ringmets, Rapla10.0 
 5. Kuuba, Voru KK9.2 
 6. Osby, TT.8.7 
 7. Eziukwu, TU/Rock8.1 
 8. Pokla, Rakvere7.4 
 9. Dunigan, Kalev/Cr.7.4 
 10. Raadik, Parnu6.7 
Assists Per Game
 Valmo KRIISA
  TTU/Kalev
  (190-G-74)
  Avg: 3.8
 1. Kriisa, TT.3.8 
 2. Sokk, Kalev/Cramo3.5 
 3. Sokk, TU/Rock3.4 
 4. Tamm, Kalev/Cramo3.0 
 5. Tsintsadze, TU/Rock2.8 
 6. Oja, Va.2.8 
 7. Pokla, Rakvere2.7 
 8. Ringmets, Rapla2.6 
 9. Archibald, TT.2.5 
 10. Laane, Rapla2.4 
Steals Per Game
 Armands SKELE
  Kalev/Cramo
  (192-G-83)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Skele, Kalev/Cramo2.6 
 2. Karner, Parnu2.2 
 3. Raap, Parnu2.2 
 4. Laane, Rapla2.2 
 5. Saage, Rakvere2.2 
 6. Leppik, TU/Rock2.2 
 7. Doronin, TU/Rock2.0 
 8. Dorbek, Rakvere1.9 
 9. Pilk, TT.1.8 
 10. Oja, Va.1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Callistus EZIUKWU
  TU/Rock
  (208-F/C-85)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Eziukwu, TU/Rock1.8 
 2. Dunigan, Kalev/Cr.1.3 
 3. Osby, TT.1.3 
 4. Raadik, Parnu1.2 
 5. Arnold, TT.0.9 
 6. Toome, Kalev/Cramo0.9 
 7. Brown, Va.0.8 
 8. Kuuba, Voru KK0.7 
 9. Saarmets, TTU/K.0.7 
 10. Ringmets, Rapla0.7 


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


Finnish Korisliiga round 40 best performance: LaVell Blanchard - by Eurobasket News
American forward LaVell Blanchard (201-F-81, agency: Beo Basket) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for ToPo, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 40.
The 29-year old player had a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds, while his team beat LrNMKY (#11, 9-31) 87-75. ToPo maintains the 8th position in Finnish Korisliiga. ToPo 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 18-22 record. In the team's last game Blanchard had a remarkable 66.7% from 2-point range. He turned to be ToPo's top player in his first season with the team. Former University of Michigan star has very solid stats this year. Blanchard is in league's top in points (5th best: 19.8ppg), rebounds (8th best: 9.2rpg) and averages impressive 51.9% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 24-year old American Ryan Ayers (201-G-86) of Namika Lahti. Ayers had a very good evening with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Bad luck as Namika Lahti lost that game 81-90 to the higher-ranked Korihait (#4, 27-13). Namika Lahti is still in a red zone at 9th spot in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 15-24 record. Ayers is a newcomer at Namika Lahti, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was American forward Jerald Fields (201-F-82, agency: Lanshire Group) of KTP Basket Kotka (#3). Fields showcased his all-around game by recording 22 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the last round. Despite Fields' great performance KTP lost 90-94 to the lower-ranked Karhu (#7, 19-20). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The last thing KTP needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 28 victories and 12 lost games. Fields has a great season in Finland. After 39 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in assists with 3.5apg (8th best). He also has 2.1spg and FGP: 56.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Lawrence Wright (195-F-84) of Korihait - 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Anthony Vereen (201-F-86) of Namika Lahti - 23 points and 5 rebounds
6. Vesa Makalainen (200-F-86) of Karhu - 23 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists
7. B.A. Walker (188-G-84) of Kouvot - 29 points
8. Ville Kaunisto (204-F-82) of Kouvot - 18 points and 8 rebounds
9. Jeremiah Wood (200-F-85) of Karhu - 16 points and 14 rebounds
10. Bojan Sarcevic (190-G-88) of Korihait - 13 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists

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

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


Frederic Weis retires - by Eurobasket News
Frederic Weis (217-C-77) decided to retire from professional basketball after 16 seasons. He played last game for his Limoges against Roanne on Saturday. Bad knees were the main reason for his decision.
Frederic Weis started basketball career with INSEP. He joined Limoges in 1995 and stayed there five years. In 2000, Weis moved to PAOK and later that season he joined Unicaja. With the Malaga team Weis stayed until 2004, when he signed with Bilbao. He played for them until February of 2009, when Menorca secured his signature. Last season with Limoges Weis had 3.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg and 1.1 apg. This season he was getting something more than 10 minutes per game averaging 1.6 points and 2.7 rebounds.
Frederic Weis was a member of the French National team from 1996 until 2007. He helped them reach the Semifinals at the EuroBasket 1999. He also helped Team France to win the Bronze at the EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade.

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


Jevohn Shepherd (Deutsche Bank Skyliners) Has A License To Fly To the Hoop And No Cinderella Reality Hanging On His Shoulder - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
In the last 10 months, the basketball career of 24 year old Canadian Jevohn Shepherd (196-F-86, college: Michigan) has been sort of a whirlwind like that of Bayern goalie Thomas Kraft who was always in the shadow of Hans Jorg Butt and then got the call, 19 year old soccer player Andreas Merkel who came to Germany from Kazakhstan and lived in a village in the Westerwald and now is getting press in Germany after being discovered by AC Milian and recently playing Champions League or actress Gabourey Sidibe going from Americas got talent to being nominated for a Golden Globe for Precious. Last summer Shepherd who had graduated from Michigan played in Canada in Halifax, the gateway to the Atlantic for the Rainmen possibly enjoying the breathtaking city street scapes often used for motion pictures to stand in for other cities that are too expensive to work in and then a few months later mixing it up for the Canadian national team at the World championships in Turkey with top basketball players like Marc Gasol, Boris Diaw or Linas Kleiza. He then started off the 2010-2011 basketball season in Germany in the PRO A for the Giroballers Live Osnabrueck and a few weeks ago played against Chemnitz against Americans like Gary Johnson and Ty Shaw and a few days ago against the Giessen 46ers against Michael Jordan and with ex NBA player Roger Powell. Despite all this excitement, it seems like the friendly Canadian is taking it all in stride despite looking at me a bit lost in the expression in his eyes as I was flooding him with German in the post game radio interview, but he then showing some relief as the English came in the translation. 'I am extremely excited this is a great club to be apart of and to be able to be apart of it is a great opportunity I cant really express much more how excited I am .I felt comfortable in my first game. Frankfurt has a good group of guys that talked to me a lot. Coach prepared us well and there was adjusting to do since this league is a lot more physical and the players are smarter', stressed Jevohn Shepherd (196-F-86, college: Michigan).

Before coming to Germany, Shepherd took part at the 2010 World Championships in Turkey for Canada. Despite going 0-5 with canada, Shepherd gained valuable experience playing against countries like Spain, France and Lithuania. He also got basketball experts to raise their eyebrows as he played 5 games averaging 9.4ppg, 1.6rpg, FGP: 30.8%, 3PT: 26.3%, FT: 69.6%. He also was amazed how certain NBA players didnt come out and have Lebron James type of numbers and he was unable to list one player as being the best that he played against in the tournament. 'Its hard to say who the best player was I played against the World Championships because at that level everybody plays a role and does it well so there are no standouts at the end of the game when you reflect 9 times out of 10 you end up talking about how well that opposing 'team' played together. It was quite interesting to me because even NBA guys played simple roles at that level where as you would expect them to be standouts', said Shepherd.

Shepherd started the season with the Giroballers Live Osnabrueck and showed quickly that possibly he was a tad too good for the PRO A as he averaged 20,2ppg, 6,1rpg and 2,5apg. Gordon Herbert and the Deutsche Bank Skyliners already had had Shepherd on their radar last summer, but were unable to acquire him because he had signed in the PRO A previous to his strong showing in Turkey at the World Championships. So coming to the BEKO BBL and The Deutsche Bank Skyliners was not a miscalculated step. 'Yes I am definitely ready for this step playing in the BBL, not taking anything away from my time in the PRO A because that was a great experience and I learned a lot that has prepared me for the decision to continue my season with the Skyliners in the BBL', added Shepherd. Frankfurt is very grateful to Osnabrueck coach Thorsten Leibenath for letting Shepherd come to the Main. 'It was a decision I struggled with over the year because different opportunities had come up throughout the year but at that point our team in Osnabruck was in suit of finishing top two, Wurzburg and Munich eventually created a bigger gap and then the opportunity to play with the Skyliners came about which many may not get to play for a club of this caliber so I had to really evaluate and make a decision that is best for me as this is my career. Osnabruck was great about the situation, they understood the opportunity I had and here I am today', commented Shepherd. Shepherd didnt even play a full season in the PRO A, but left his mark on the league scoring in double figures in 18 of 20 games, scoring more than 20 points 10 times, 30 points or more points twice and netting 40 points against Science City Jena. It wont be so much his individual stat memories that will be engraved in his memory bank, but more the relationships he formed. 'The sweetest memory of playing PRO A this year was not even on the court but thinking back I barely remember the games but I can give you numerous fun times with my teammates. We had a great unit and thats whats most memorable to me', expressed Shepherd.

Jevohn Shepherd (196-F-86, college: Michigan) has little time to reflect on his great season in the PRO A, but now has to fcous on his current job of playing in the BEKO BBL with The Deutsche Bank Skyliners. Despite playing in the PRO A the last months, he had had some idea of what stuck behind The Deutsche Bank Skyliners. But after the first few days, he already had positive things to describe his new club. 'Well to be honest I am learning more now about the club, I mean while I was playing in Pro A I read little things when AJ had the stroke when they had some big wins when Roger joined the club following his preseason in the NBA etc.. Its funny how things work one day your reading about all thats going on over here and thinking wow and the next your right in the mix. I can say one thing is for sure the club is very professional and the support staff here are excellent second to none that I can tell you', added Shepherd. Shepherd is a shooting guard/small forward and will come from the bench and give guys like Jimmy Mckinney or Quantez Robertson a breather at times. Skyliner coach Gordon Herbert also has enshrined the winning attitude in the Canadian in a very brief time. 'I see my role being a contributor in anyway possible to continue piling up the wins if that means having a bottle of water ready for guys coming off the floor so that they can go back in the game refreshed and we win so be it', stressed Shepherd. The Canadian also seems to have an easy adjustment period as the players have welcomed him with open arms, but Air Canada has already given the 'Who can fly longer in the air to Quantez Robertson without a real fight. 'As ive gotten to know the players a bit more a lot of us have mutual friends so your able to make connections quick for example Dashaun Wood is from Detroit so a lot of the players ive played with or against while at Michigan are friends of his as well AJ and Roger both played at big ten schools so there is that connection, I also found out today that Chris Moss and I also played for the same college coach as well Carl Lindbom played with one of my national teammates last year in Finland, so making a family here quick but the guys are making it easy I feel like ive been here since the start as for Tez hes going to hold that title im sure of it', joked Shepherd. The Toronto native already got some important chilling down time with Roger Powell. 'Roger he's been great to me so far. On my first night, we sat in the gym for about an hour after everyone had left practice just talking about different experiences and so forth. Great guy and i'm definitely going to pick his brain for the remainder of the season and learn all that I can while we are both here', added Shepherd. One guy that the Canadian missed was Jermaine Bucknor who had played with Frankfurt twice earlier in the season. Shepherd had played together with Bucknor with the Canadian National team last summer. 'The thing that impresses me most about Jermaine is his professionalism and how well he takes care of his body in order to get the most longevity out of it. On the court he can really shoot it. He's a great dude in addition to that', said Shepherd.

In his first game in the BEKO BBL, Skyliner coach Gordon Herbert didnt hesitate inserting Shepherd early as he came on to the floor in the Osthalle. Shepherd missed his first shot, but after that found his rhythm better as he quickly showed his presence on the offensive boards being aggressive and letting his presence be shown. His first hoop was a beautiful penetration from the right side and he capped of a solid debut with a stunning Air Canada style ally op dunk getting fed nicely by teammate Dashaun Wood. 'Wood has good eyes. I pointed up and I didnt think that he saw me, but then all of a sudden there was his pass', added Shepherd. Shepherd finished with five points, three rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes. When it comes to his biggest strength, unnoticed strength and things he still needs to improve on, the 24 year old doesnt need to think long what they are. 'My biggest strength is my team play. A strength in my game that may go unnoticed I believe is my passing but hey thats ok because it will make it easier for me to find open players. I always want to improve on everything of make some adjustment I guess this may be why Im well rounded and dont necessarily specialize in one thing', warned Shepherd. Shepherd also expects more from his game the longer he is with Frankfurt. 'I still have to get adjusted to this league. But my goal is to help the team win and I expect to get better', stressed Shepherd.

Shepherd played at Michigan from 2005-2009 playing 116 games. He didnt get a lot of playing time as he never averaged more than 3,5ppg in a season. In his senior year, he played 30 games: 2.6ppg, 1.1rpg, FGP: 45.6%, 3PT: 19.0%, FT: 60.0%. He did get a lot of experience playing with guys like Ekpe Udoh (Golden State Warriors), Brent Petway (Vichy), Courtney Sims who has played with the Pacers and Knicks, Manny Harris (Cavaliers) and current Michigan stand out Zack Novak. He also had a fine basketball instructor with John Beilein who taught him things that he will continue to transform into his game at the next level. 'The most important thing I learned from John is getting rotation on the ball whether it be shooting or passing in addition to his 1-3-1 zone', commented Shepherd. Shepherd also takes extreme pride in maintaining relationships with former teammates and has great memories of ex teammate Manny Harris. the difference in salaries of Shepherd and Harris is like night and day, but the Canadian is sure that Harris is living differently in Cleveland now and enjoying the new life. 'The best memories with Manny at Michigan again its always off the court I mean we shared great times on the court but the relationships you build with teammates always grow far beyond basketball. I remember we always used to lift in the morning but we would always stop at a little breakfast club and get something small before the lift one day he showed up to my apartment and told me to come out he was so proud of his new car but it was probably already 20 years old within a week he had rims on it, tinted windows a sound system the whole works then a week later it broke down, and that continued the whole year lol every second week something was wrong. He is now playing with the Cavaliers and having a great first year so he wont have to ride in those old schools anymore', laughed Shepherd. Air Canada was a NIT finalist in 2006 and remembers one player in particular that he played against in the NCAA. 'I was really impressed by Eric Gordon I mean I was fortunate to play with or against many players that are now in the NBA but the thing that impressed me most about him was how efficient he was and at such a young age', added Shepherd. Right away in his first BEKO BBL game, Shepherd got a taste of what a real live German Hessen derby can be like between The Deutsche Bank Skyliners and the Giessen 46ers. He was amazed by the atmosphere. 'I have never seen an atmosphere like this before in Germany. There were some tough places to play in the PRO A, but our fans gave us so much support in Giessen. It was amazing', stressed Shepherd. However Hessen Derby or not, there is only one top rivalry that sticks in the head of Shepherd and it isnt The Boston Red Sox -New York Yankees. 'I am yet to see a rivalry as big as Michigan vs Michigan State. I am sure you can ask Travis Walton about them I remember my freshman year the week leading up to the game there was so much buzz on campus and it was all new to me it felt like I was in a movie but they were definitely great battles although Travis and Drew Neitzel have my number on this one', laughed Shepherd. The Canadian hasnt had much time recently to keep tabs on whats going on in the NCAA, but he has ideas who will be doing damage and noise at the end of March Madness. 'I have to be bias and go with teams that have fellow Canadians so Texas and Syracuse, my last two are sleepers are Gonzaga since they have a German and Canadian mix on the team but we need them to make the tourney first and then lastly I am going to go out on a limb and say my Michigan Wolverines are going to win the conference tourney then make a final 4 run in the NCAA tourney', warned Shepherd. Shepherd has come to The Deutsche Bank Skyliners in a very exciting time in the stretch run and one thing is for certain. He has more time with the team than having his sneakers disappear at midnight, since his Cinderella story will continue until the end of the season with The Deutsche Bank Skyliners, because his contract time will end hopefully first when the club celebrates their second BEKO BBL championship league title in June

Standings - ProA
ProA Standings
 1. B.Muenchen 22-1 
 2. Wuerzburg 17-6 
 3. Chemnitz 16-7 
 4. Osnabrueck 14-8 
 5. Crailsheim 14-9 
 6. Braves 13-9 
 7. Kirchheim 13-10 
 8. Webmoebel 12-11 
 9. Karlsruhe 11-12 
 10. Hannover 9-14 
 11. Heidelberg 9-14 
 12. Freiburg 7-16 
 13. Cuxhaven 7-16 
 14. Jena 7-16 
 15. Dragons 6-17 
 16. ETB Wohnbau 6-17 


Stats Leaders - 2.Bundesliga
Points Per Game
 Kejuan JOHNSON
  Webmoebel
  (193-G-85)
  Avg: 21.9
 1. Johnson, Webmoebel21.9 
 2. Shepherd, Osnab.20.2 
 3. Roessler, Karlsruhe18.5 
 4. Brooks, Kirchheim18.3 
 5. Lewis, ETB Wohnbau18.1 
 6. Watts, Dragons18.0 
 7. Gause, Freiburg17.7 
 8. Samarco, Webmoebel17.7 
 9. Gray, Crailsheim17.0 
 10. Wallace, B.Mue.16.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Marcus SMALLWOOD
  Kirchheim
  (198-F-82)
  Avg: 10.9
 1. Smallwood, Cuxha.10.9 
 2. Yearby, Cuxhaven9.5 
 3. Smallwood, Kirchheim9.5 
 4. Black, Karlsruhe8.8 
 5. Watts, Dragons8.7 
 6. Lewis, ETB Wohnbau8.6 
 7. Schoo, Heidelberg8.3 
 8. De Michael, Kirchheim8.1 
 9. Wohlfarth-B., Drago.7.8 
 10. Shaw, Chemnitz7.7 
Assists Per Game
 Kameron GRAY
  Crailsheim
  (186-G-82)
  Avg: 6
 1. Gray, Crailsheim6.0 
 2. Brooks, Kirchheim5.7 
 3. Zazai, Chemnitz5.7 
 4. Cook, Cuxhaven5.4 
 5. Jeka, Wuerzburg4.8 
 6. Johnson, Webmoebel4.7 
 7. Hamann, B.Muenchen4.5 
 8. Burnette, Osnab.4.5 
 9. Lowery, Braves4.4 
 10. Larsen, Dragons4.4 
Steals Per Game
 Kejuan JOHNSON
  Webmoebel
  (193-G-85)
  Avg: 3
 1. Johnson, Webmoebel3.0 
 2. Gause, Freiburg3.0 
 3. Lewis, ETB Wohnbau2.3 
 4. Johnson, Chemnitz2.1 
 5. Brooks, Kirchheim2.0 
 6. Zazai, Chemnitz2.0 
 7. Gray, Crailsheim1.8 
 8. Burns, Webmoebel1.8 
 9. Shaw, Chemnitz1.8 
 10. Turnbull, Hannover1.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Marcus SMALLWOOD
  Kirchheim
  (198-F-82)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. Smallwood, Kirchheim2.1 
 2. Wohlfarth-B., Drago.1.9 
 3. Schoo, Heidelberg1.9 
 4. Williams, Karlsruhe1.8 
 5. Yearby, Cuxhaven1.4 
 6. Shaw, Cuxhaven1.3 
 7. Fleetwood, Osnab.1.3 
 8. Hill, Jena1.2 
 9. Henry, Hannover1.2 
 10. De Michael, Kirchheim1.1 


Can The Deutsche Bank Skyliners Withstand BG Goettingen And New John Patrick Surprises Out Of His Lokcave March 12th? - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

In the last weeks, it seems like intriguing point guard duels Wood-Rice and Wood-Jordan have jumped into the foreground of the pre game chat of The Deutsche Bank Skyliners, but this weekend when BG Goettingen glide into the Ballsporthalle, chatter might evolve around a non player challenge , but more of a fierce coach joust between Gordon Herbert and John Patrick . The Canadian Skyliner skipper Herbert is a coach that is able to get the best out of each individual player no matter the circumstances while Patrick has the talent to keep forming strong teams despite a little budget and the constant coming and going of players each season. BG Goettingen won the Eurochallenge last season and this season is a silent favorite to win the Eurocup. Somehow one has the feeling that Patrick who coached one season in Japan for Toyota Alvark winning the league title, that he has his own type of Patrick cave (Bat cave) under the mysterious Lokhalle where he secretly is able to form college players into BEKO BBL top players as he has demonstrated in the last years with guys like Chris Oliver (198-F-85, agency: Court Side, college: Radford), Taylor Rochestie (185-G-85, college: Washington St.), Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova) and Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.). Coaches in the BEKO BBL might be wondering what dazzling potions the American is brewing up and helping his players develop so rapidly? 'I'd call the potion Patrick's Cola, named after the ever-so-popular Coca-Cola. Because he is able to take ingredients (players), put them in a bottle (a team), and make it successful without anybody knowing the recipe', joked MBC American Wayne Bernard (190-G-81, college: Davidson). The magic of the BG Goettingen coach isnt only present in his halo Patrick cave, but in the off season. 'I think he does a great job doing research on his players that he is bringing in and they all buy into his system. All of his players seem to play hard for him and that style of basketball is attractive to most players', added TBB Trier guard John Bynum (191-G-78, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Metro St.) Patrick also has been able to have his club reach realistic goals in international play the last two years. 'I think it has to do with the players buying into the system and they are a tough team to prepare for. They have a lot of versatile players at the 3/4 spot and cause match up problems for a lot of teams that have traditional players down low and they come at you with pressure with there guards and dont let up', stressed John Bynum

Choosing who has been the best player that has come out of the stable of Patrick is difficult. 'I like Anderson's game so I would say Anderson but the other guys are great talents as well', said Phoenix Hagen Mr fantastic Mark Dorris. 'I would say Boone. I think he gave Boone a chance when nobody else would, and developed him into the player he is today', expressed Wayne Bernard (190-G-81, college: Davidson). 'That is hard to answer, because of all the players you have named have did a good job there and there is a long list of players that he has had', added John Bynum When The Deutsche Bank Skyliners host BG Goettingen on March 12th, fans might want to observe the sidelines as the coaching intensity between Herbert and Patrick could be as intense as the way Wall Street actor Charlie Sheen is trying to show the world that he is always right, the first time Deron Williams faces his old club The Utah Jazz and the forth coming battle between the Ilian Evtimov (201-F-83, agency: Interperformances, college: N.Carolina St.) (Chalon) and Vassil Evtimov (207-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances, college: N.Carolina) (Paris) when they face off against each other despite brotherly love. 'Both coaches are great and it will be interesting to see both styles of how they change things during the game and how both teams come up. I am sure both coaches will have their teams prepared', warned John Bynum

After the sensational 2010 Eurochallenge win that brought some new fresh wind into German Basketball, BG Goettingen faithful fans were hoping for a majority of the team to remain, but the opposite happened. It may have been summer, but the atmosphere seemed as a big spring cleaning that didnt take place in just one family house, but a neighborhood. The club let go off nine players including such key players like Chris Oliver (198-F-85, agency: Court Side, college: Radford), Taylor Rochestie (185-G-85, college: Washington St.), Chris Mcnaughton, Ben Jacobson and Chester Frazier. This BG Goettingen facelift was about as extreme as if the Los Angeles Lakers had parted with the one and only Kobe Bryant this summer. The only players to remain were Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova), John Little (180-G-84, college: N.Iowa), Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.) and Robert Kulawick. In the last years, BG Goettingen have always been in the playoff hunt and just performed very well. BG Goettingen coach John Patrick never has a lot of money for players, but he has the incredible talent of finding players out of college like a Taylor Rochestie (185-G-85, college: Washington St.) or Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova) or guys from lower leagues like a Chris Oliver (198-F-85, agency: Court Side, college: Radford) and make them develop quickly into very solid role players moving to team star players. The only problem is that many players have such good seasons that they then become nmon affordable and leave as Taylor Rochestie (185-G-85, college: Washington St.) showed going to Turkey to continue playing the game he loves so much,but return back to the BEKO BBL to Alba Berlin recently.

At the moment, BG Goettingen rest at position 10 in the BEKO BBL standings with a record of 13-12. Before the first meeting between both teams this season, BG Goettingen had a 3-4 record. When comparing this years team to last years tam after seven games, there was little difference as BG Goettingen had a record of 4-3. Last season after seven games BG Goettingen, then won 15 of their next 18 games and also were playing Eurochallenge. Defense seemed to be an issue in the early part of the season concerning the 3-4 start. 'We were missing 24 seconds of defense. Looking back on our loses, we did not do a good job playing defense until the possession was over. This is something that we have been working on this week', stressed BG Goettingen center Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.). BG Goettingen has been up and down since the start of the season and have had a record of 10-8 and have quietly moved on to the Top 16 of the Eurocup. The club had a 5 game winning streak around the holiday season having big wins against The Artland Dragons and The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven. But then also had two 4 game losing streaks. Currently the club is riding a three game winning streak coming off a huge win at home against The Brose Baskets Bamberg. Despite being up and down, the team is capable of beating anyone in the BEKO BBL. 'Goettingen is a great team and have had an up and down season but they can beat anyone on any giving night because of there style of play', stressed John Bynum The playoff race is tight, but BG Goettingen should be able to make it into the final 8 at the end of the season. 'I think they are a playoff team. They are capable of beating anyone on any giving night and if they get it going they are tough to beat on there home court as well', warned John Bynum

Losing key players like Taylor Rochestie (185-G-85, college: Washington St.), Chris Oliver (198-F-85, agency: Court Side, college: Radford), Ben Jacobson and Chester Frazier seems to have made a difference in the quality of play as well as in their style this season. 'Rochestie and Oliver are two great players that meant a lot to their team. They seem to be dearly missed. I think that they had a much better roster the last few years, but some players had success and moved on. Playing against them this season was much easier than the last few years, but they still have a lot of pressure. They still play their kind of style, but not as extreme as in the past', warned ex Walter Tigers Tuebingen guard Steven Wright (191-G-83, agency: Court Side, college: N.Kentucky). Despite a little change in the new style of BG Goettingen, the team has also gained a few new positives in their game. 'Our game plan changes from game to game, but we still try to control the tempo in each game. I think that our team is more athletic than in the past, but also better at slowing down the pace when its needed', stressed New York native Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.). 'BG Goettingen play a fast paced speed up style and have a lot of the same type of players. They are small and have to play like this. I like their style', stressed ex Michigan State guard Travis Walton (188-G-87, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Michigan St.). Patrick also seems to have understood how to form the style with the players that he has gotten this season. 'I think the coach of Goettingen is great at adjusting. And with this team this year he adjusted to the players he has they still put up pressure but are more controlled. Its not as 'wild' as the past couple seasons. Before it seemed like 'organized chaos'. Now, it is more controlled pressure. Nothing 'hell-like', laughed Wayne Bernard (190-G-81, college: Davidson). BG Goettingen may have to step up their pressure against DaShaun Wood (185-G-85, college: Wright St.). 'I think they Mix it up and still use some press but not like they used to. I would say like 75% press but for DaShaun Wood I would say more Pressure', joked Mark Dorris.

This will be the eighth meeting between The Deutsche Bank Skyliners and BG Goettingen Goettingen, and the clan of Gordon Herbert havent fared so well losing four of the six games the two teams have played since BG Goettingen arrived in the BEKO BBL in 2007. Who could forget the stellar 74-67 Frankfurt win in the Lokhalle in 2008 as half of the team was sick and Maksym Shtein showed a totally other side of him as he exploded on the court making just about every touch he had land in the basket as he led the club in scoring with 24 points. In 2008-2009, the luck of last years Frankfurt team seemed to be with BG Goettingen as they won two nail bitters. In Frankfurt, they prevailed 64-61 despite 16 points from Ilian Evtimov (201-F-83, agency: Interperformances, college: N.Carolina St.). In the return date in late February and 48 hours before the Top 4 in Hamburg, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners lost 70-65 as they had all chances to win in the crunch time, but missed some key shots. Pascal Roller had a huge game with 20 points. Last season, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners lost 90-78 and were outplayed for 40 minutes. In the return game in Frankfurt, BG Goettingen lost in overtime 90-88 as Aubrey Reese tied the game at 88 with a three pointer and then won the game with two free throws with nine seconds to play and Seth Doliboa (203-F-80, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Wright St.) blocked the last BG Goettingen shot with two seconds to play. In the first meeting this season between the two clubs, The Deutsche Bank Skyliners were able to escape the Lokhalle with a 70-58 win as the club displayed a consistent defensive effort for 40 minutes and keep BG Goettingen at 33% from the field and 21% from the parking lot.. Frankfurt were led by DaShaun Wood and Roger Powell with 18 points a piece.

Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova) is playing his second season in Goettingen. The 24 year old 198cm forward from Silver Spring, Maryland was one of the big surprises last season being of the top rookies in the BEKO BBL and being a very important part of the John Patrick winning formula playing 27 games: 11.6ppg, 5.0rpg, 1.4spg, FGP: 64.4%, 3PT: 33.7%, FT: 74.3%; EuroChallenge: 10 games: 10.9ppg, Reb-5 (7.0rpg), 1.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 63.0%, 3PT: 19.2%, FT: 81.3%. He played at Villanova (NCAA) from 2005-2009 and in his senior year played 31 games: 9.0ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.4apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 44.4%, 3PT: 30.7%, FT: 84.5%. He reached the NCAA Lat 8 in 2006 and Sweet 16 in 2008. This season, he is averaging 12,1ppg, 6,0rpg and 1,1apg. He is shooting solid at 47,5% from the field.

The team added Louis Dale (180-G-88, college: Cornell) who is a 22 year old 180cm point guard from Birmingham, Alabama. He played at Cornell (NCAA) from 2006-2010 an din his senior year played 31 games: 12.8ppg, 2.9rpg, 4.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT. He reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2010 and was All Ivy- League Player of the Year -08, All-Ivy League 1st Team -08, 09, 10 and was Ivy League Champion -08, 09, 10. He is currently averaging 7,5ppg, 2,3rpg and 2,2apg. He has scored in double figures 8 times and had two big games against Aris in the Eurocup. The team also added Mike Scott (203-F-86, college: Kent St.) who is a 24 year old 203cm forward from Indianapolis, Indiana. He played at Kent St. (NCAA) from 2004-2008 and in his senior year, he played 35 games: 13.2ppg, 6.3rpg, 1.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.5%, 3Pts: 39.6%, FT: 85.0%. As a rookie, he played in Turkey for Trabzonspor (Turkey-TB2L). Last season, he played in Hungary for Polaroid Lami-Ved Kormend playing 33 games: 15.4ppg, Reb-2 (8.8rpg), 1.5apg, 1.5spg, 1.0bpg, FGP: 59.5%, 3PT: 34.6%, FT: 69.7%. This season, he is averaging 9,4ppg, 5,1rpg and 1,2apg and 1,0bs. So far, the American has shown no problems adjusting to the BEKO BBL. He has shown as a very versatile forward who can find the open man and also help out under the basket on defense as he displayed against EnBW Ludwigsburg blocking five shots this season.

The club also added American Trenton Meacham (188-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Illinois) who is a 25 year old 188cm guard from Champaigne, Illinois. He played at Dayton (NCAA) from 2004-2005 and then transferred to Illinois where he played from 2005-2009. In his senior year, he played 34 games: 10.2ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.7apg, FGP: 42.2%, 3Pts: 42.1%, FT: 84.5%. He has quite a college career at Illinois especially in his senior year as he was named an Academic All-Big Ten selection in all 3 years at Illinois. Also, he was team captain in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. He is an outstanding guard who is very capable of playing the point full time as well as the 2 spot. He started all 34 games on the season in 09, ranking third on the team in scoring with an average of 10.2 points. He is an outstanding shooter and he led the Illini and ranked second in the Big Ten in 3-point field goal shooting at 42.1 percent (69-164). Ranks fifth on the Illinois career 3-point field goal percentage list at 40.8 percent (178-436) and ninth on the school career 3-point field goals list with 178 treys. Scored in double figures 16 times and was the Illini's leading scorer in six games on the year. In final game of his career, scored a season-high 24 points vs. Western Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He was named Big Ten Co-Player of the Week on Dec. 29 after averaging 19.5 points, 4.0 assists and 2.5 rebounds in wins over No. 25 Missouri and Eastern Michigan. He scored 23 points vs. Mizzou and had 16 points vs. EMU. Scored 21 points vs. Indiana on Jan. 10 and made seven 3-pointers vs. the Hoosiers, one shy of his school record...Trent was third on the team in assists with an average of 2.7 apg. Tied career-high of six assists on three occasions, vs. Georgia (Dec. 6), at Purdue (Dec. 30) and at Ohio State (Feb. 22). Trent was third on the team with 31 steals. Last season, he played for Kraftwerk Wels (Austria-A Bundesliga, starting five): EuroChallenge: 6 games: 13.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 2.0apg, 1.3spg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 45.2%, FT: 91.7%; Austrian League: 37 games: 15.4ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.6apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 55.8%, 3PT-2 (45.0%), FT: 82.4%. This season, he is averaging 11,2ppg, 2,0rpg and 2,9apg.

The biggest signing of summer was bringing back fan favorite Kyle Bailey (188-G-82, college: Santa Clara) who is one of the few Americans who will offer to do an interview in the German language. He is a 28 year old 188cm guard from Fairbanks Alaska that is playing his third season for BG Goettingen. He played at Santa Clara from 2000-2005 playing together with Macabbi Tel Aviv guard Dorin Perkins. He is a very smart player that handles the ball well and is strong in pressure situations. In his rookie season, he split time between the Florida Flame (NBDL) and BK Riga. Since 2006, he has played in Germany. He helped BG Goettingen reach the BBL in 2007 from the second division. In 2007-2008, he played for Ratiopharm Ulm and in 2008-2009 helped BG Goettingen reach the playoffs averaging 14,4ppg, 4,3rpg and 3,3apg. Last season, he played EnBW Ludwigsburg, but it was a season to forget. He played 21 games: 8.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 2.5apg, FGP: 47.8%, 3PT: 18.3%, FT: 82.0%. He was released in February 2010. He somehow didnt seem to fit into the game style of coach Tolga Ongoren. This season, Bailey is averaging 7,5ppg, 3,2rpg and 2,3apg. He is still looking for his three point shooting touch as he is only shooting 21%from outside. The American missed 15 BEKO BBL games this season, but is back in the lineup. 24 year old 191cm guard Robert Kulawick is playing his third season in Goettingen. He started his basketball career at TUS Lichterfelde in 2003 and also played for Alba Berlin from 2004-2006 playing 14 BBL games, three ULEB Cup games and winning the BBL cup in 2006. After playing with The Eisbaeren Bremerhaven in 2006-2007, he crossed the boarder into Holland and played for Den Helder Seals playing 34 games averaging 7.9ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.3apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 42.2%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 84.6%. Already in 2008-2009, one could see the confidence of John Patrick in the German letting him average 10 minutes per game, and last season he increased his minutes to 17 minutes This season, he is averaging 6,1ppg, and 1,6rpg He has been a member of the German U-18 and U-20 teams the last years and if he keeps developing the way he does, then German National coach Dirk Bauermann will have to invite him to the German National team some day.

Another important signing over the summer was bringing John Little (180-G-84, college: N.Iowa) back. John Little (180-G-84, college: N.Iowa) is a 26 year old 180cm guard from Peoria, Illinois. He is playing his third season with BG Goettingen. He played at Northern Iowa from 2002-2006. In 2007-2008, he wanted to play for the Peoria Kings of the ABA league, but the team folded, so he returned to Northern Iowa and finished the season as assistant coach. Last season, he played EuroChallenge: 16 games: 5.1ppg, 1.9rpg, 1.1spg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 55.6%; German League: 37 games: 7.2ppg, 2.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 51.9%, 3PT: 26.7%, FT: 81.1%. Little is their energy guy. He brings a lot of energy and athletic ability from the bench. He doesnt have much of a shot and likes to drive to the hoop and finish at the rim. He is a good rebounder for his size. He is possibly the best defender on the team. He has long arms and plays the passing lanes well and is their best on ball defender, stressed Omari Westley. He is probably one of the scrappiest players in the league and always plays hard and gives 100% every minute on the court, added Ricky Hickman. This season, Little is averaging 5,6ppg and 2,7rpg. The team also brought back Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.) who is a 25 year old 198cm power forward/center from Sugar Loaf, New York who is playing his fourth season with Goettingen. Three years ago, he made the jump form the Regionalliga to the BBL, which is similar as if a professional baseball player jumped from A ball to MLB. Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.) is a strong athlete who likes to finish around the rim and is not a shooter at all. One should give him the jump shot and dont let him penetrate. He is a strong offensive rebounder and goes to the boards each time. He isnt a good free throw shooter and dont give him any easy layups. One should attack him on defense and despite his athletic body, doesnt move his feet so well and he is foul prone, stressed Omari Westley. Frankfurt will have to keep an eye on him in the paint. Boone is probably one of the strongest low post players in the BBL. He can move anybody with his strength down low, added Ricky Hickman. Last season, he played 16 games: 10.7ppg, 6.8rpg, 1.0apg, FGP: 59.6%, FT: 53.8%; German League: 35 games: 9.1ppg, 6.1rpg, FGP: 60.3%, FT: 55.9%. This season, he is averaging 7,8ppg and 5,5rpg.

The club also signed Jermaine Raffington who is a 25 year old 205cm power forward/center German. He played at TSG Ehingen from 2002-2005. He played at Southeastern CC from 2005-2007 and then returned back to Germany. He played at BV Chemnitz 99 (2.Bundesliga) in 2007-2008 playing 30 games: 12.6ppg, 5.7rpg, 2FGP: 53.4%, 3FGP: 31.8%, FT: 59.3%. He played for BBC Bayreuth from 2008-2010. Last season, he played games: 10.2ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 45.8%, 3PT: 35.5%, FT: 72.7%. This season, he is averaging 1,7ppg and 1,3rpg.The team recently picked up 38 year old 207cm power forward Michael Meeks (207-C/F-72, agency: Interperformances, college: Canisius) who was born in Jamaica, but has the Canadian/American citizenship. He was working out in Cologne and came to the team after Adam Waleskowski (203-F-82, agency: Court Side, college: Florida St.) was released. He is fast for his size and is a great jumper with good timing. Has a nice jump shot from the top of the key. When posting up low he likes to finish with a dunk. The switching of positions and his speed makes him very dangerous in offense. On the defensive side he impresses with his shot blocking. He can hit the three pointer. He played at Canisius from 1992-1996. Since then he has had a long and successful basketball career having played in Countries like Italy, France, Turkey, Croatia, Czech Republic and Germany. He played for Brandt Hagen and The Telekom Baskets Bonn. He played at the 1998 and 2002 World Championships for Canada with NBA star Steve Nash and at the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, where he was the tournaments fifth best scorer averaging 14,3ppg. Last season Meeks played Eurochallenge 15 games: 4.5ppg, 1.5rpg; German League: 25 games: 5.3ppg, 2.3rpg, FGP: 57.1%, 3PT: 34.9%, FT: 70.4%. Currently he is averaging 4,3ppg and 2,1rpg. The team also brought back Antoine Jordan recently who is a 28 year old 196cm forward from Baltimore, Maryland. he played at Siena from 2002-2006. In his senior year at Siena he averaged 8.1rpg, 3.0apg, 1.5spg, FG: 46.9%, 3PT: 45.3%, FT: 81.8%. From 2007-2009, he played in Holland for Magix Nijmegen (Holland-Eredivisie). Last season for BG Goettingen he played 8 games: 3.8ppg, 2.1rpg, 1.1apg; German League: 18 games: 4.8ppg, 1.9rpg. Currently he is averaging7,0ppg and 2,8rpg.

The Deutsche Bank Skyliners are looking for their sixth straight win while BG Goettingen is going for their fourth win in a row. At first glance, one might think that getting the ball inside against BG Goettingen should be the first priority, but this is something that BG Goettingen is prepared for. 'They might be undersized, but they have a good inside game. When you go inside, BG Goettingen shrink the court so you have to make the open shots, because they will force you to make them. They know that teams will always try to go inside against them', warned Ratiopharm Ulm guard Travis Walton (188-G-87, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Michigan St.). In their first meeting, Frankfurt was averaging 41 rebounds a game and now some months later both teams are averaging 35 rebounds a game. Adam Waleskowski (203-F-82, agency: Court Side, college: Florida St.) is gone, but the team has Michael Meeks (207-C/F-72, agency: Interperformances, college: Canisius) for stability, but Frankfurt still has the upper hand under the boards. It is no secret, that BG Goettingen will have to work extra hard under the boards. 'We have to go inside and dictate the speed of which the game is played and rebound well. It would be nice to knock down shots', warned Jason Boone (198-F/C-85, college: New York U.). BG Goettingen might not play their furious 40 minutes of hell like in the past, but teams always have to be aware of their fast break game. 'Frankfurt has to defend them and control them in transition. They can not let them get hot from outside. BG Goettingen is small and Frankfurt should attack them inside. If Wood can control the tempo and lead them, then they will be ok. Powell is so big and will really help them', warned Steven Wright (191-G-83, agency: Court Side, college: N.Kentucky). As always Frankfurt have their road runner to get them on track. 'The Wood show. Let him do his magic and get players involved. Defensively I just think they have to make Gottingen play there sets all the way through and not get on too many runs. Gottingen just has to get easy baskets and also make Frankfurt play defense, attack when they can. At the defensive end they have to cause some turnovers and get some easy baskets', commented John Bynum Frankfurt has DaShaun Wood and BG Goettingen has their own x-factor. 'For me it is Mike Scott (203-F-86, college: Kent St.), he can do so much and brings so much to the table. He is very versatile and causes a lot of match up problems. He can guard a lot of people on the defensive end as well', expressed John Bynum The Deutsche Bank Skyliners host BG Goettingen March 12th at 20:00.

ProB Quarterfinal openers - by Eurobasket News
Ehingen - Bayer Giants 79-67

It looked good early as Bayer Giants took an 5-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Ehingen/Urspringschule had a 23-16 second period charge getting the lead and Bayer Giants were not able to take back game control losing it eventually 67-79. They outrebounded Bayer Giants 35-21 including 23 on the defensive glass. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Virgil Matthews (188-83, college: Montana) who helped to win the game recording a triple-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Center Kristian Kuhn (208-87, college: N.Arizona) contributed with 14 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Five Ehingen/Urspringschule players scored in double figures. Ehingen/Urspringschule's coach Ralph Junge allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American guard Josh Young (185-88, college: Drake) answered with 15 points and 5 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!) and the other American import center Justin Eller (203-87, college: Sacramento St.) added 13 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Bayer Giants.
Top scorers:
Ehingen: K.Bright 17+4reb+1ast, K.Kuhn 14+7reb+2ast, M.Blessing 12+2reb+1ast, V.Matthews 11+10reb+11ast, T.Lang 11+5reb+2ast, A.Vargas 5+1reb
Bayer Giants: J.Young 15+5reb+3ast, J.Eller 13+9reb, S.Monse 10+2ast, F.Engel 9+1reb+2ast, F.Sadek 8+4reb+2ast, M.Thimm 7
gschID: 123287


Leitershofen - SU Medien 79-70

The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Spot Up Medien Baskets won fourth quarter 18-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Worth to mention a great performance of American center Devin Uskoski (198-85, college: Rocky Mountain) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 13 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Guard Jonathan Genck (185-86) contributed with 16 points for the winners. Leitershofen's coach Stefan Goschenhofer allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Center Daniel Theis (205-92) answered with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field) and guard Dennis Schroeder (184-93) added 14 points in the effort for Spot Up Medien Baskets.
Top scorers:
Leitershofen: D.Uskoski 22+13reb, J.Genck 16+4reb+2ast, M.Mathey 12+3reb+6ast, D.Veney 9+3ast, S.Montag 6+3reb+1ast, L.Vrkas 5+1reb+2ast
SU Medien: D.Theis 21+15reb+3ast, D.Schroeder 14+1ast, N.Nnadili 9+2reb, P.Noch 8+7reb, F.Theis 6+2reb, D.Stawowski 6+3reb
gschID: 123284


Vechta - BG Illertal 60-66

SC Rasta Vechta was ahead by 1 point at the halftime before a 35-28 second half run of BG Illertal/Weissenhorn. They made 16-of-21 charity shots (76.2 percent) during the game. Forward Marcel Heberlein (195-90) nailed 24 points for the winning side and forward Florian Moebius (202-79) accounted for 14 points. American guard Eric Reid (185-84, college: Cameron) came up with 15 points, 6 assists and 4 steals and center Andreas Kronhardt (204-89) added 8 points and 9 rebounds respectively for SC Rasta Vechta in the defeat.
Top scorers:
BG Illertal: M.Heberlein 24+4reb, F.Moebius 14+4reb+3ast, E.Williams 7+9reb+2ast, P.Vojkovic 7+1reb, M.Simic 4+4reb, N.Stevanovic 3+1ast
Vechta: E.Reid 15+1reb+6ast, D.Krause 13+2reb, A.Kronhardt 8+9reb+2ast, C.Thompson 8+5reb, P.Heitzhausen 7+5reb, M.King-Stockton 7+9reb+2ast
gschID: 123285


Stahnsdorf - Langen 86-72

The hosts were ahead by 2 points but lost the second period ending it with a 1-point deficit before their 27-12 run, which allowed them to win the game. RSV Eintracht brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of center Michael Haucke (210-85) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 6 blocks. American forward Kellen Williams (193-84, college: E.Washington) contributed with 13 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Forward Marco Voeller (201-89) answered with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 12 rebounds and swingman Joscha Domdey (194-89) added 20 points in the effort for TV 1862 Langen. Five RSV Eintracht and four TV 1862 Langen players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Stahnsdorf: M.Haucke 18+11reb, A.Moosmann 17+1reb+2ast, M.Green 13+6reb+2ast, K.Williams 13+9reb+1ast, Y.Evans 10+4reb+1ast, M.Marin 6+2reb+3ast
Langen: J.Domdey 20+4reb+1ast, P.Heckmann 15+2reb+3ast, M.Voeller 14+12reb, N.Anders 10, A.MacMillan 8+1reb, N.Drury 5+2reb+7ast
gschID: 123286


Licher Baeren - Wulfen 75-56

The game without a history. Licher Baeren led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Worth to mention a great performance of power forward Peer Wente (203-77) who helped to win the game recording 11 points and 9 rebounds. American guard Willis Gardner (185-86, college: Colorado St., agency: Stanley International) contributed with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Five Licher Baeren players scored in double figures. American forward Joseph Henley (196-85, college: Sacred Heart) answered with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds and the other American import guard Steve Briggs (178-85, college: Okla.Wesleyan) added 13 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for BSV Wulfen. Both coaches tested many bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Licher Baeren: A.Willemsen 14+5reb+1ast, V.Klassen 13+2reb+2ast, P.Wente 11+9reb+2ast, W.Gardner 11+6reb+4ast, T.Fairley 10+5reb+1ast, J.Schlafer 8+2reb
Wulfen: S.Briggs 13+5reb, T.White 11+3reb+2ast, J.Henley 10+10reb+2ast, T.Reuter 7+3reb, P.Lensing 4+4reb, P.Mazur 4+5reb
gschID: 123281


Leipzig - NBC 68-77

The guests trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 18-6 charge in the third quarter, which allowed them to win the game. NBC dominated on the defensive end, holding USC Leipzig to just 6 points in third quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 52 of its points in the paint compared to USC Leipzig's 32. NBC had a 29-18 advantage in offensive rebounds. Forward Dominik Schneider (203-85) fired a double-double by scoring 17 points and 13 rebounds for the winners. American guard Ahmad Smith (194-84, college: St.Bonaventure) chipped in 14 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists. American forward Monyea Pratt (196-85, college: Stillman) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals and power forward Ralph Schirmer (203-86) added 14 points and 6 rebounds respectively for lost side. Four USC Leipzig players scored in double figures. USC Leipzig's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
NBC: D.Schneider 17+13reb+2ast, A.Smith 14+5reb+8ast, C.Adler 12+6reb+1ast, J.Reile 9+2reb, S.Schroeder 8+2reb, M.Ides 7+5reb
Leipzig: M.Pratt 18+11reb+7ast, R.Schirmer 14+6reb, F.Brathwaite 11+5reb, L.Morinia 11+2reb+6ast, K.Kranz 8+1reb, M.Scholz 3+3reb+1ast
gschID: 123282


Schwelm - Giessen 81-83

The guests were tied at the half but managed to speed up in last two quarters eventually winning the game. Jamaican-American forward Kimmani Barrett (198-87, college: La Salle) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 10 rebounds for the winners and American guard Marcus Johnson (191-87, college: Dayton) chipped in 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Barrett is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Four Giessen Pointers players scored in double figures. At the losing side American guard Jason Holmes (191-86, college: Le Moyne) responded with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and naturalized American forward Kristofer Speier (206-81, college: Lewis-Clark) produced a double-double by scoring 25 points and 10 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game.
Top scorers:
Giessen: K.Barrett 25+10reb, Z.Pavlovic 12+2reb+1ast, M.Johnson 11+5reb+4ast, P.Unger 10+1reb+3ast, V.Zabel 8+1reb, D.Czepczynski 7+1reb+3ast
Schwelm: K.Speier 25+10reb+2ast, J.Holmes 22+10reb+5ast, D.Bunts 14+3reb+2ast, M.Kramer 9+1reb+2ast, J.Ducker 6+2reb+3ast, M.Dohmen 4+2reb
gschID: 123283


Herten - TSV Troester 91-56

The game was mostly controlled by Hertener Loewen. TSV Troester was better in fourth quarter 21-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Hertener Loewen forced 23 TSV Troester turnovers and outrebounded them 38-24 including 29 on the defensive glass. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by TSV Troester's players. 29 personal fouls committed by TSV Troester helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Worth to mention a great performance of American swingman Marcus Monk (198-86, college: Arkansas) who helped to win the game recording 26 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Forward Vincent Kittmann (199-88) contributed with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Forward Felix Hoffmann (195-89) answered with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 12 rebounds and guard Daniel Schmidt (186-90) added 17 points in the effort for TSV Troester. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games.
Top scorers:
Herten: M.Monk 26+9reb+5ast, B.Schultz 21+3reb+2ast, V.Kittmann 15+11reb+2ast, M.Berger 8+3reb+6ast, J.Hartmann 7+3reb+4ast, C.Hackenesch 5+3reb+2ast
TSV Troester: D.Schmidt 17+2reb+3ast, F.Hoffmann 13+12reb, E.Land 10+2reb, J.Dippold 9, M.Stuckey 3+2reb+2ast, I.Pavic 2+1reb+1ast
gschID: 123280




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


Borovnjak and Aris agree contract termination - by George Fragkos
One more player after P.J. Tucker (198-F-85, college: Texas) is out of Aris Thessaloniki. Dejan Borovnjak (208-F-86, agency: Beo Basket) had indicated his willingness to leave the club and after discussions with the board, the two sides decided to part ways. This is something worrying for the Greek club, which is obliged to look for a replacement immediately, as Aris already lacked much power in their front line.

The other important thing is that before the last games, which will be decisive for the final position of the team and the qualification at the playoffs, Aris are totally changed. First it was Tucker, maybe the most important player of the team who has already been replaced by Brendan Winters (195-G/F-83, college: Davidson) and now Borovnjak, one of the players who helped a lot so far.

Borovnjak has received some proposals from European teams and it is believed that he will find another club in a very short time.

Angelos Tsamis claims Greek A1 weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
Angelos Tsamis (192-G-81) had an amazing evening in the last round for VAP Kolossos Rodou and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 20.
The 29-year old guard had the game-high 18 points adding seven rebounds and four assists for VAP Kolossos in his team's victory, helping them to beat AEK (#13, 5-15) 64-57. The game was not the highest importance and did not have significant influence on the top of the standings. VAP Kolossos maintains the 9th position in Greek A1. VAP Kolossos 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 9-11 record. In the team's last game Tsamis had a remarkable 85.7% from 2-point range. He has many years of experience at VAP Kolossos, through which he has constantly improved. Angelos Tsamis averages this season 10.6ppg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 34-year old guard Kosta Charalampidis (189-G-76) of Aris Thessaloniki. Charalampidis impressed basketball fans with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Bad luck as Aris lost that game 85-90 to slightly higher-ranked Kavala (10-10). This loss caused Aris to drop to 8th position in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 10-10 record is not bad and everything may still change. Charalampidis is a newcomer at Aris and despite he is not a team leader yet, every game he becomes more reliable player. Hopefully performances like the last one will happen more often.

The third best performed player last round was American Deon Thompson (203-F-88) of Ikaros Kallitheas (#11). Thompson scored 17 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). Despite Thompson's great performance Ikaros lost 67-74 to slightly lower-ranked Ilysiakos (#12, 6-14). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Ikaros not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 13 games, recording just seven victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Thompson could try to bring Ikaros' a little bit higher in the standings. Thompson has individually a great season in Greece. After 19 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 14.5ppg (6th best), rebounds with 8.8rpg (2nd best) and assists with 0.6apg (3rd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Steven Smith (203-F-83) of Panellinios - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Lans Harris (195-G-83) of Ikaros - 26 points and 5 rebounds
6. Smush Parker (193-G-81) of Iraklis - 17 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists
7. Cedric Simmons (206-F/C-86) of Kavala - 11 points and 15 rebounds
8. Dalibor Bagaric (217-C-80) of Marousi - 17 points and 11 rebounds
9. Matt Nielsen (208-F/C-78) of Olympiakos - 12 points and 11 rebounds
10. Christoforos Stefanidis (185-G-80) of Kavala - 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)

Stats Leaders - A1
Points Per Game
 Steven SMITH
  Panellinios
  (203-F-83)
  Avg: 17.4
 1. Smith, Panellinios17.4 
 2. Marshall, PAOK17.1 
 3. Palacio, Kavala16.7 
 4. Baxter, Ilysiakos16.2 
 5. Kalathis, VAP K.15.1 
 6. Grundy, AEK14.5 
 7. Thompson, Ikaros14.5 
 8. Kiritsis, Ilysiakos14.4 
 9. Francis, Panellinios14.4 
 10. Harris, Ikaros13.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Cedric SIMMONS
  Kavala
  (206-F/C-86)
  Avg: 10.3
 1. Simmons, Kavala10.3 
 2. Thompson, Ikaros8.8 
 3. Kalathis, VAP K.8.6 
 4. Smith, Panellinios8.1 
 5. Papadopoulos, PAOK7.5 
 6. Tucker, Aris7.4 
 7. Bagaric, Marousi7.4 
 8. Looby, Peristeri GS7.2 
 9. Dawson, Ilysiakos6.8 
 10. Elonu, Panionios6.6 
Assists Per Game
 Jared JORDAN
  VAP Kolossos
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 6
 1. Jordan, VAP K.6.0 
 2. Spanoulis, Olympiakos5.6 
 3. Thompson, Ilysi.5.0 
 4. Teodosic, Olympiakos4.7 
 5. Diamantidis, Panath.4.5 
 6. Everett, Iraklis4.4 
 7. Karydas, Ilysiakos4.2 
 8. Xanthopoulos, Panell.4.0 
 9. Papaloukas, Olymp.3.8 
 10. Palacio, Kavala3.8 
Steals Per Game
 Terrell EVERETT
  Bremerhaven
  (193-G-84)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Everett, Iraklis2.4 
 2. Grundy, AEK1.9 
 3. Marshall, PAOK1.8 
 4. Baxter, Ilysiakos1.8 
 5. Xanthopoulos, Panell.1.8 
 6. Karydas, Ilysiakos1.7 
 7. Papaloukas, Olymp.1.7 
 8. Jamon Lukas, Olymp.1.6 
 9. Kojadinovic, Marousi1.6 
 10. Papamakarios, Panell.1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Cedric SIMMONS
  Kavala
  (206-F/C-86)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Simmons, Kavala1.9 
 2. Bagaric, Marousi1.9 
 3. Elonu, Panionios1.7 
 4. Thompson, Ikaros1.3 
 5. Dunston, Aris0.9 
 6. Looby, Peristeri GS0.9 
 7. Nesterovic, Olymp.0.8 
 8. Cohadarevic, AEK0.7 
 9. Harissis, VAP K.0.7 
 10. Vougioukas, Panath.0.7 


*****************************************************
  IBL   


IBL legend- Randy Redwine to coach the West Coast Hotshots - by Trask Frost
IBL News: Legendary Seattle area Coach Randy Redwine, who has coached in the IBL for years- will head coach for the West Coast Hotshots in the 2011 IBL season. Redwine is recognized as an outstanding coach who has tremendous recruiting ties. The Hotshots will head into a 7th season of basketball and have been renamed the West Coast Hotshots (former name was Central Oregon Hotshots) as the team will no longer play in Central Oregon and in fact, all twenty of the Hotshot's games will be on the road.

Players that are planning on playing with the Hotshots in 2011 include:

Vershan Cottrell (6' 2')- Cal State Fullerton

Robert Schmeider (6' 5')- University of Minnesota

Antonio Chaveous (6' 3')- Washington State

Tony Andershek (6' 1')- Eastern Washington

Richard Thomas (6' 1')- University of New Orleans

Also joining the team is 6'7' small forward Kenan Oliver.

It is expected that 2010 IBL All Star forward Jadae Bonds will be recruited to play with the Hotshots as well.

The team will tip off the 2011 season on Friday April 15th against the Bellingham Slam. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. at Whatcom Pavilion in Bellingham, Washington.

For more information, contact Hotshots head coach Randy Redwine at (phone) 425-221-5670.

For more information on the IBL, visit the IBL web site www.iblhoopsonline.com



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


National League Round 22: #1 Hapoel T-A is defeated by Maccabi HBK - by Eurobasket News
The games are now more important than at the beginning of the Regular Season. We may still expect few shocking results in upcoming 4 rounds. There was no lack of excitement in the last round games. The round ended with defeat of the leader, extra overtimes, favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin.

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Hapoel T-A (20-2) in Habikaa on Tuesday night. Visitors were edged by second ranked Maccabi HBK (16-6) in overtime 105-103. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Hapoel T-A. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Hapoel T-A was trailing by 1 point at halftime but managed to get 6-point lead after three quarters before a 25-19 charge of Maccabi HBK, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time. They were better in overtime eventually winning that period 19-16. Maccabi HBK made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. 24 personal fouls committed by Hapoel T-A helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The former international forward Itay Lev (202-80) scored 21 points and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and guard Noam Matalon (197-87, agency: Avi Zilberman) chipped in 21 points during the contest. At the losing side American forward Brian Asbury (200-86, college: Miami (FL)) responded with 41 points (!!!) and 7 rebounds. Maccabi HBK maintains second position with 16-6 record having four points less than leader Hapoel T-A. Newly promoted Hapoel T-A still keeps top place with two games lost. Maccabi HBK are looking forward to face Hapoel Beeri (#13) in Beer-Shev in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Hapoel T-A will play at home against Hapoel Afula (#8) and is hoping to win this game.

In the last two games of round 22 Ironi Ramat Gan lost to Lev Hasharon on the opponent's court 78-91. Hod Hasharon unfortunately lost to Megido/Yokneam in a home game 73-84. Beer Yaakov recorded a loss to Elitzur Ramla on the road 83-90. Hapoel Afula defeated Hapoel Tivon on its own court 87-76. Elitzur Yavne beat Hapoel Beeri in a road game 90-79. Bottom-ranked Ironi Nahariya lost to Kohav Yair at home 96-99.


Lev Hasharon - Ironi Ramat Gan 91-78

There was an upset when higher ranked Ironi Ramat Gan (10-12) was defeated on the road by twelfth ranked Lev Hasharon (9-13) 91-78 on Tuesday. The game was mostly controlled by Lev Hasharon. Ironi Ramat Gan was better in third quarter 26-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Lev Hasharon looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Ironi Ramat Gan was plagued by 29 personal fouls down the stretch. American forward Lorrenzo Wade (198-85, college: San Diego St.) scored 14 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and swingman Inam Eiram (194-88, agency: Avi Zilberman) chipped in 25 points during the contest. At the losing side American power forward Shelton Colwell (202-80, college: Missouri St., agency: Hart Sports Mngm) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 12 rebounds and the former international forward Itzik Ohanon (205-80, college: St.Louis, agency: Avi Zilberman) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Lev Hasharon moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Kohav Yair. Ironi Ramat Gan at the other side dropped to the seventh position with 12 games lost. Lev Hasharon will face higher ranked Megido/Yokneam (#4) on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Top scorers:
Ironi Ramat Gan: S.Colwell 24+12reb+2ast, Y.Yatzkan 13+2ast, I.Ohanon 13+10reb+1ast, C.Zigdon 10+3reb+4ast, V.Yeremishin 6+4reb, J.Thomas 5+5reb+1ast
Lev Hasharon: I.Eiram 25+1reb+1ast, L.Wade 14+9reb+6ast, A.Henry Dobie 14+1reb+11ast, R.Pitshon 11+1reb, O.Hover 10+9reb+1ast, G.Lavie 6+3reb+2ast
gschID: 105657


Hod Hasharon - Megido/Yokneam 73-84

Very predictable result when fourth ranked Megido/Yokneam (13-9) defeated on the road 12th ranked Hod Hasharon (8-14) 84-73 on Thursday. Megido/Yokneam maintains fourth position with 13-9 record. Hod Hasharon at the other side keeps the twelfth place with 14 games lost. Megido/Yokneam will face Lev Hasharon (#10) at home in the next round where they are favorite. Hod Hasharon will play against Beer Yaakov.
gschID: 105658


Elitzur Ramla - Beer Yaakov 90-83

There was a minor upset when one of their biggest challengers Beer Yaakov (12-10) was defeated on the road by seventh ranked Elitzur Ramla (11-11) 90-83 on Tuesday. The hosts trailed by 13 points after first quarter, but they rallied back and won the game by 7 points. American forward David Paris (205-84, college: Bowie St.) scored 26 points and 8 rebounds (on 10-of-13 shooting from the field) to lead the charge for the winners and guard Dror Davidi (190-84) chipped in 20 points and 7 assists during the contest. Four Elitzur Ramla players scored in double figures. At the losing side American forward Jermaine Hall (196-80, college: Wagner) responded with 32 points and 9 rebounds and guard Ofir Farhi (187-86) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points, 5 rebounds and 10 assists. Elitzur Ramla have an impressive six-game winning streak. They moved-up to sixth place. Beer Yaakov at the other side dropped to the fifth position with ten games lost. Elitzur Ramla will face Hapoel Tivon (#7) in Kiryat Tivon in the next round. Beer Yaakov will play at home against Hod Hasharon.
Top scorers:
Beer Yaakov: J.Hall 32+9reb+1ast, J.Gomes 17+3reb+3ast, O.Farhi 11+5reb+10ast, Y.Bet-Yosef 8+1reb+6ast, G.Karni 5+3reb, I.Bochman 4+1reb+2ast
Elitzur Ramla: D.Paris 26+8reb+2ast, D.Davidi 20+4reb+7ast, K.Young 16+6reb+4ast, I.Berkowitz 10+9reb+1ast, L.Levi 9+2reb+2ast, A.Sukar 6+3reb+1ast
gschID: 105659


Hapoel Afula - Hapoel Tivon 87-76

There was a small surprise when ninth ranked Hapoel Afula (10-12) beat at home 6th ranked Hapoel Tivon (10-12) 87-76 on Tuesday. The game without a history. Hapoel Afula led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to Hapoel Tivon's 34. Hapoel Afula looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. American forward Bryant Markson (198-83, college: Utah) scored 29 points and 5 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and naturalized Welsh forward Tal Michael Dunne (197-87) chipped in 14 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest. At the losing side guard Bar Timor (192-92, agency: Avi Zilberman) responded with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals and power forward Kobi Izik (204-83, agency: Avi Zilberman) scored 14 points and 9 rebounds. Five Hapoel Afula and four Hapoel Tivon players scored in double figures. Hapoel Tivon's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Hapoel Afula moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Ironi Ramat Gan and Hapoel Tivon. Hapoel Tivon lost fourth consecutive game. Hapoel Afula will face league's leader Hapoel T-A in Tel-Aviv in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game.
Top scorers:
Hapoel Tivon: L.Arieli 17+1reb+1ast, B.Timor 16+5reb+8ast, K.Izik 14+9reb, O.Shaashoua 10+1reb+2ast, B.Strong 8+6reb, J.Horovitz 6+6reb
Hapoel Afula: B.Markson 29+5reb+2ast, A.Eliyahu 15+1reb+7ast, T.Michael Dunne 14+14reb+6ast, O.Shmidt 11+3reb+3ast, D.Hugee 10+4reb+2ast, E.Solomoviz 5+5reb
gschID: 105660


Maccabi HBK - Hapoel T-A 105-103 OT

The most crucial game of the last round was a loss of top-ranked Hapoel T-A (20-2) in Habikaa on Tuesday night. Visitors were edged by second ranked Maccabi HBK (16-6) in overtime 105-103. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Hapoel T-A. It may be a crucial game in the contest for the top position in the league. Hapoel T-A was trailing by 1 point at halftime but managed to get 6-point lead after three quarters before a 25-19 charge of Maccabi HBK, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time. They were better in overtime eventually winning that period 19-16. Maccabi HBK made 21-of-26 free shots (80.8 percent) during the game. 24 personal fouls committed by Hapoel T-A helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The former international forward Itay Lev (202-80) scored 21 points and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and guard Noam Matalon (197-87, agency: Avi Zilberman) chipped in 21 points during the contest. At the losing side American forward Brian Asbury (200-86, college: Miami (FL)) responded with 41 points (!!!) and 7 rebounds and guard Gal Eytan (182-87, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) scored 18 points and 5 assists (perfect from the field making all seven shots !!!). Five Maccabi HBK and four Hapoel T-A players scored in double figures. Maccabi HBK maintains second position with 16-6 record having four points less than leader Hapoel T-A. Newly promoted Hapoel T-A still keeps top place with two games lost. Maccabi HBK are looking forward to face Hapoel Beeri (#13) in Beer-Shev in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Hapoel T-A will play at home against Hapoel Afula (#8) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Hapoel T-A: B.Asbury 41+7reb, G.Eytan 18+3reb+5ast, A.Uter 17+8reb+1ast, Y.Lahat 12+5reb+6ast, Y.Shvartzman 9+10reb+1ast, T.Chaimovic 3+1ast
Maccabi HBK: I.Lev 21+4reb+4ast, N.Matalon 21+3reb+3ast, P.Delaney 20+4reb+2ast, S.Bradford 15+11reb+1ast, I.Grinboim 10+3reb+3ast, M.Moscovitz 8+7reb
gschID: 105661


Hapoel Beeri - Elitzur Yavne 79-90

There was no surprise in Beer-Shev where 13th ranked Hapoel Beeri (7-15) was defeated by third ranked Elitzur Yavne (14-8) 90-79 on Tuesday. The game was mostly controlled by Elitzur Yavne. Hapoel Beeri was better in fourth quarter 24-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. American guard Chad Timberlake (194-84, college: Fairleigh Dickinson) had a double-double by scoring 26 points and 10 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and swingman Elad Hofman (192-85) chipped in 21 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest. At the losing side American forward Stacey Moragne (195-83, college: Mass.-Lowell) responded with 27 points and 9 rebounds and forward Haiim Barbi (197-89) scored 9 points and 6 rebounds. Hapoel Beeri's coach Hanoch Mints rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Elitzur Yavne have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 14-8 record having six points less than leader Hapoel T-A. Hapoel Beeri lost third consecutive game. They keep the thirteenth place with 15 games lost. Elitzur Yavne will face Kohav Yair (#11) in Kohav Yair in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hapoel Beeri will play on the road against the league's second-placed Maccabi HBK in Habikaa.
Top scorers:
Hapoel Beeri: S.Moragne 27+9reb+1ast, T.Havkin 11+1reb+2ast, H.Barbi 9+6reb+2ast, H.Shifman 8+1reb+3ast, R.Canady Jr. 8+4reb+1ast, G.Dotan 6+4reb+3ast
Elitzur Yavne: C.Timberlake 26+10reb, E.Hofman 21+6reb+6ast, K.Wilson 13+7reb+1ast, G.Cohen 9+2reb+2ast, O.Brandwein 8+2reb+2ast, N.Golan 7+1reb+3ast
gschID: 105655


Ironi Nahariya - Kohav Yair 96-99

No shocking result in a game when tenth ranked Kohav Yair (9-13) edged on the road bottom-ranked Ironi Nahariya (5-17) 99-96 on Tuesday. Ironi Nahariya was trailing by 9 points at halftime but managed to get 2-point lead after three quarters before a 25-20 charge of Kohav Yair, which allowed them to win the game. They made 30-of-38 free shots (78.9 percent) during the game, while Ironi Nahariya only scored thirteen points from the stripe. Ironi Nahariya was plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. American forward Eric Traimel (201-88, college: N.Texas) scored 22 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and guard Aviram Zelkovits (191-89) chipped in 21 points during the contest. At the losing side the former international swingman Jeron Roberts (194-76, college: Wyoming, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) responded with 22 points and 5 assists and guard Oren Ben Hemo (190-79) scored 16 points and 4 assists. Five Kohav Yair and four Ironi Nahariya players scored in double figures. Kohav Yair maintains tenth position with 9-13 record, which they share with Lev Hasharon. Ironi Nahariya at the other side stay at the bottom place with 17 games lost. Kohav Yair will face higher ranked Elitzur Yavne (#3) on the road in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Ironi Nahariya will play against Ironi Ramat Gan (#9) and be promoted back to the Premier League just one year after relegation.
Top scorers:
Ironi Nahariya: J.Roberts 22+3reb+5ast, O.Ben Hemo 16+3reb+4ast, J.Peters 12+4reb+2ast, A.Pereg 10+1reb+4ast, R.Sabag 10+3reb+7ast, A.Ohana 9+3reb+2ast
Kohav Yair: E.Traimel 22+9reb, A.Zelkovits 21+4reb+2ast, S.Harush 19+1reb+3ast, O.Rub 18+3reb+2ast, G.Amitai 12+8reb+6ast, T.Atlas 4+2reb+1ast
gschID: 105656




Galil-Gilboa and Maccabi Haifa close out a trade - by Carmel Drori
Trades are not a common sight in Israeli basketball, but today Galil Gilboa and Maccabi Haifa agreed on a trade that doesn't involve any money switching, only players. two Forwards to be exact.
Tyler Wilkerson (203-F-88) from Galil Gilboa will wear Haifa's jersey from now on while Marco Killingsworth will wear Galil's jersey.
Marco Killingsworth (203-F-82)averaged 17.2 ppg and 7.3 rpg for Haifa in the Israeli league and 14.1 ppg and 6.8 rpg in the Eurochallenge.
In the meantime Tyler Wilkerson averaged 11.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg in the Israeli league and 10.7 ppg and 5.0 rpg in the Eurocup for Galil Gilboa.
Killingsworth will play his first game for Galil this sunday when they'll host Elitzur Netanya, while Wilkerson will play his first game for Haifa this sunday when they'll play against Maccabi Ashdod.

Standings - National League
National League Standings
 1. Hapoel T-A 20-2 
 2. Maccabi HBK 16-6 
 3. Elitzur Yavne 14-8 
 4. Megido/Yokneam 13-9 
 5. Beer Yaakov 12-10 
 6. Elitzur Ramla 11-11 
 7. Hapoel Tivon 10-12 
 8. Hapoel Afula 10-12 
 9. Ironi Ramat Gan 10-12 
 10. Lev Hasharon 9-13 
 11. Kohav Yair 9-13 
 12. Hod Hasharon 8-14 
 13. Hapoel Beeri 7-15 
 14. Ironi Nahariya 5-17 


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


Standings - BJ League
BJ Standings
Eastern
 1. Hamamatsu P. 33-4 
 2. Sendai 89ers 24-12 
 3. Tokyo Apache 19-15 
 4. Niigata Albirex 19-17 
 5. Saitama Bron. 14-24 
 6. Toyama Grouses 12-24 
 7. Akita 12-28 
Western
 1. Osaka Evessa 24-14 
 2. Okinawa GK 24-14 
 3. Shiga Lakestars 22-16 
 4. Fukuoka Rizing 21-17 
 5. Kyoto Hannaryz 20-18 
 6. Shimane 17-21 
 7. Oita H.Devils 16-22 
 8. Miyazaki 12-26 
 9. Takamatsu FA 10-28 


*****************************************************
  JUCO   


NJCAA Region 12C Final Championship - by Vance Marbury
#5 Seed Lakeland Community College (Mentor, Ohio) defeats #2 seed Cincinnati State 89 to 77. Lakeland CC will advance to the NJCAA National Championships in Danville, Illinois for the first time in school history.

Lakeland CC tournament run included beating the #4 seed Sinclair CC in round 1, the #1 seed Cuyahoga CC in the Semifinal, and the #2 seed Cincinnati State in the Championship Game.

Lakeland CC William Powell (Cleveland, Oh) was named Tournament MVP. Ray Chambers (Chillicothe, Oh), Darryl Rushton (Euclid, Oh), and former Akron University product Alex Sullivan (Painesville, Oh) made the All Tournament Team.

Lakeland will play the #3 seed Lincoln College, Illinois in the first round of the National Tournament on Tuesday March 15, 2011 at 8:30PM CST. During the regular season Lakeland CC was ranked as high as 18th nationally. After the completion of the regional tournament Lakeland CC record is 23 -10.

During the regular season Lakeland CC roster featured several high level prospects.
Ray Chambers was named to the OCCAC first team. Chambers averaged 19.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks a game during the season. He shot 56.6 percent from the floor and 72 percent from the free throw line. Chambers finished the regular season 6th nationally in rebounds, 7th in blocks, 24th in scoring, and 50th in field goal percentage.
William Powell and was named to the OCCAC second team. Powell averaged 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game. Powell shot 45 percent from the floor and 66 percent from the free throw line. Powell was ranked 25th nationally in scoring and 39th in steals.
Alex Sullivan was named to the OCCAC second team Sullivan averaged 18.3 points, 3 steals per game. Sullivan shot 44.7% from the field; Sullivan finished 4th nationally in 3 point field goal percentage, 12th in steals and 40th in points per game average.
Darryl Rushton was an honorable mention honoree averaging 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks a game during the season. Rushton shot 54.8 percent from the floor and 65.8 percent from the line. He finished the season ranked 20th in the nation in rebounding.


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


BK Almaty record two victories in a row - by Eurobasket News
BK Almaty earned the second and third wins in the season. They overcame BK Atyrau in back-to-back clashes in Round 15. The first game ended with BK Almaty posting an 83:62 victory at the end. Atyrau were up by five after ten minutes but BK Almaty went on a 30:13 run in the third term to clear off for good. Yuriy Kozhanov (194-G-90) produced 19 points to lead the charge. Maksim Smirnov (200-F-86) and Vladimir Rybakov (203-F-89) added 15 points each in the win. Evgeniy Nichutin (210-C-75) answered with 12 points for Atyrau. Next game turned into a thriller. BK Almaty led by 3 points at the interval but BK Atyrau narrowed the gap to a single point with one quarter remaining. BK Almaty stayed in charge in the fourth period and escaped with an 80:78 win at the end. Aleksandr Ovcharenko (197-F-79) top-scored with 20 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Viktor Lashev provided 17 points for BK Almaty. Evgeniy Nichutin exploded with game-high 31 points for Atyrau
Astana Tigers posted two more victories to improve at 13-3 record. They prevailed against Kaspiy Aktau twice. Maxim Voyeikov (197-F-88) knocked down 16 points to lead the Tigers to a 77:72 victory in the first game. Paulius Morkeliunas (201-F-85, college: LIU Brooklyn) contributed 12 points in the win. Dzhanysh Adiev replied with 17 points for Kaspiy.
The Tigers posted a 66:54 win on the next day. Kaspiy led by one point at halftime 30:29 but could not capitalize. Paulius Morkeliunas fired 20 points to pace Astana to the victory. Vsevolod Fadeykin (205-C-85) added 13 points for Astana. Konstantin Dvirniy (192-G-88) replied with 17 points for Aktau.


Standings -D1
D1 Standings
 1. Barsy Atyrau 16-0 
 2. Astana Tigers 13-3 
 3. Tobol 8-8 
 4. Kaspiy Aktau 6-11 
 5. BK Atyrau 3-12 
 6. BK Almaty 3-15 


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


Standings - LBAL
LBL D2 Standings
 1. Jurmala 16-3 
 2. Ogre 15-4 
 3. Ventspils Aug. 14-4 
 4. Saldus 14-6 
 5. Gulbene 11-8 
 6. BAA Riga 9-9 
 7. Liepaja-2 9-10 
 8. Zemgale/Jun. 9-10 
 9. Daugava 8-11 
 10. Ridzene 3-15 
 11. Livani 2-15 
 12. VEF Kadeti 1-16 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Mareks JUREVICUS
  Tezenis Verona
  (198-G/F-85)
  Avg: 22.1
 1. Jurevicus, Liepaja22.1 
 2. Wilson, Zemgale16.1 
 3. Bergmanis, Zemgale15.1 
 4. Stimac, Ventspils15.0 
 5. Willjam, Barons14.9 
 6. Mednis, Turiba14.6 
 7. Mitchell, Liepaja14.5 
 8. Peiners, LU14.5 
 9. Veselovs, Valmiera14.2 
 10. Laksa, VEF Riga jrs14.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Arturas VALEIKA
  Caceres
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 8.7
 1. Valeika, Valmiera8.7 
 2. Mednis, Turiba8.2 
 3. Berzins, VEF R.7.7 
 4. Stimac, Ventspils7.7 
 5. Wilson, Zemgale7.2 
 6. Rozitis, Zemgale7.2 
 7. Aleksejevs, Liepaja6.9 
 8. Selakovs, VEF R.6.3 
 9. Piternieks, LU5.9 
 10. Strelnieks, Ventspils5.7 
Assists Per Game
 Derek WILLJAM
  Barons
  (185-G-85)
  Avg: 4.9
 1. Willjam, Barons4.9 
 2. Jurevicus, Liepaja4.9 
 3. Gabrans, Valmiera4.6 
 4. Bertans, VEF R.4.6 
 5. Strelnieks, Ventspils3.8 
 6. Mitchell, Liepaja3.8 
 7. Bergmanis, Zemgale3.7 
 8. Gailitis, VEF R.3.5 
 9. Piternieks, LU3.2 
 10. Feldmanis, Barons3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Mareks JUREVICUS
  Tezenis Verona
  (198-G/F-85)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Jurevicus, Liepaja2.6 
 2. Jahovics, VEF R.2.1 
 3. Cavars, Barons2.0 
 4. Mitchell, Liepaja2.0 
 5. Gailitis, VEF R.1.9 
 6. Gabrans, Valmiera1.8 
 7. Slisans, LU1.7 
 8. Motivans, Turiba1.6 
 9. Bertans, VEF R.1.6 
 10. Berzins, VEF R.1.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Kaspars BERZINS
  VEF Riga
  (213-F/C-85)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Berzins, VEF R.2.2 
 2. Rozitis, Zemgale1.8 
 3. Beard, Liepaja1.2 
 4. Mejeris, Liepaja1.2 
 5. Skirmants, Barons1.1 
 6. Meiers, Liepaja1.0 
 7. Aleksejevs, Liepaja0.9 
 8. Piternieks, LU0.8 
 9. Blaus, Ventspils0.8 
 10. Pishchalniko., Barons0.8 


LBL Standing
LBL Standings
 1. Ventspils 15-3 
 2. Liepaja 15-7 
 3. Barons 14-8 
 4. Valmiera 12-8 
 5. VEF Riga jrs 12-8 
 6. Zemgale 7-12 
 7. Turiba 5-18 
 8. LU 3-19 
Play in international cups:
 1. VEF Riga - 


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


Final 8 - Round 8 : Moutahed on the rise , Champville back to the winning track, Sagesse more secured in the Final 4 - by Asia-Basket Lebanon
In round 8 of the Final 8 Zahle welcomed Sagesse , Zahle who signed Rasheim Wright (194-G-81, college: District of Col.) for this game had big hopes to try to remain in the battle for the Final 4. Sagesse had a good first quarter which gave them the lead at the end of the quarter 11-18. The 2nd quarter saw the comeback of the home team which brought them back at the half 29-28.
In the 2nd half Sagesse regrouped and imposed its game especially on the 3rd quarter through Ghaleb Reda who finished the me with 21 points, In his first game with Anbal Rasheim Right scored 23 points;Sagesse managed to secure a very important win on the score of 60-70.


In the second game of the round Moutahed welcomed Hoops in Tripoli , Moutahed once again played the great basketball that is being played for the past rounds especially in the 3rd quarter. The first half saw a close game , the two teams tried to took over , Hoops took a small lead a the half on the score of 38-41.
The 3rd quarter saw a different story Moutahed took over through their star Austin Johnson who finished the game with 25points , he received help from Micah Brand and Bassel Bawji who finished with 15 points. The 35 points of Calvin CAGE didnt help Hoops in the end of the game, Moutahed won the game at the score of 87-69.


In the 3rd game of the round Champville who lost the leadership of the league the last round had to restart its campaign to come back in the league; Champville welcomed Byblos in Dik E Mehdi, the guest team had a good first half which finished at the score of 38-48.
The 3rd quarter saw a complete turnover in the game , Champville outscored Byblos 33 to 8 , this big run secured the game for Champville in the end at the score of 95-76.
Fadi Khatib finished the game with 29 points ,on the other side Calvin Warner had 27 points in the game.



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


LKL Round 24 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
We should mention about the upset which took place in Vilnius, where higher ranked Juventus (11-8) lost to twelfth ranked Sakalai (6-12) in a road game 78-87 on Tuesday. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Juventus won fourth quarter 20-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Sakalai looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists comparing to just 6 passes made by Juventus' players. The best player for the winners was swingman Virginijus Sirvydis (196-G/F-73) who scored 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The former international forward Aivaras Kiausas (199-80) chipped in 15 points and 7 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was center Vaidas Cepukaitis (207-89, agency: Interperformances) who recorded 13 points and 7 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Sakalai moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Naglis-Adakris. Juventus at the other side keeps the fourth position with eight games lost. Sakalai will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Juventus will play at home against Naglis-Adakris (#11) in Palanga and is hoping to win this game.
An interesting game took place in Panevezys, where higher ranked Techasas (10-9) lost at home to eleventh ranked Nevezis (6-11) 61-74. It was a good game for center Egidijus Dimsa (205-85) who led his team to a victory with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Rolandas Alijevas contributed with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Guard Gintaras Leonavicius (194-83, agency: Players Group) replied with 12 points and 6 rebounds for Techasas. Nevezis moved-up to ninth place. Techasas at the other side dropped to the sixth position with nine games lost. Nevezis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Techasas will play at home against Alytus Alita (#13) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Palanga. Local Naglis-Adakris (6-12) was outscored by third ranked Rudupis (13-5) 107-60 on Wednesday night. Worth to mention a quality performance of Vytenis Lipkevicius who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Mantas Mockevicius with 13 points and 5 rebounds. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Rudupis maintains third position with 13-5 record having five points less than leader Zalgiris. Naglis-Adakris lost third consecutive game. They keep the tenth place with 12 games lost. They share the position with Sakalai. Rudupis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Naglis-Adakris will play against Juventus (#4) in Utena and hope to secure a win.

Rest of the games of round 24 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Perlas crushed Alytus Alita in Vilnius 76-56. Neptunas smashed Alytus Alita at home 100-75. Aiscai Kaunas was destroyed by Siauliai on the opponent's court 89-64.
The best stats of 24th round was 20 points and 13 rebounds by Valdas Vasylius of Neptunas.

Alytus Alita - Perlas 56-76

There was no surprise when 13th ranked Alytus Alita (2-17) was crushed at home by eighth ranked Perlas (7-11) 76-56 on Thursday. Perlas dominated on the defensive end, holding Alytus Alita to just 5 points in second quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Alytus Alita's 30. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Perlas made 7 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of center Tautvydas Slezas (207-90, agency: Interperformances) who helped to win the game recording 10 points and 9 rebounds and forward Saulius Kulvietis (203-91) who added 9 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. Four Perlas players scored in double figures. Perlas' coach Roberts Stelmahers used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. The best for the losing side was forward Paulius Kleiza (195-88) with 13 points and 8 rebounds and center Saulius Dumbliauskas (203-81, college: St.Bonaventure, agency: Court Side) scored 10 points. Perlas moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Neptunas. Alytus Alita lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 17 games lost. Perlas will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Alytus Alita will play against Techasas (#6) in Panevezys and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Perlas: V.Dilys 13+3reb+1ast, Z.Kelys 10+2reb+4ast, T.Slezas 10+9reb+2ast, A.Siksnius 10+1reb+2ast, S.Kulvietis 9+8reb+2ast, E.Bendzius 7+4reb
Alytus Alita: P.Kleiza 13+8reb+1ast, A.Birgelis 12+1reb+1ast, S.Dumbliauskas 10+4reb+1ast, M.Janisius 8+5reb+1ast, S.Kazevicius 4+2reb, W.Walker 4+4reb
gschID: 120427


Sakalai - Juventus 87-78

We should mention about the upset which took place in Vilnius, where higher ranked Juventus (11-8) lost to twelfth ranked Sakalai (6-12) in a road game 78-87 on Tuesday. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Juventus won fourth quarter 20-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Sakalai looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists comparing to just 6 passes made by Juventus' players. The best player for the winners was swingman Virginijus Sirvydis (196-73) who scored 16 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists. The former international forward Aivaras Kiausas (199-80) chipped in 15 points and 7 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was center Vaidas Cepukaitis (207-89, agency: Interperformances) who recorded 13 points and 7 rebounds and the former international guard Gediminas Maceina (188-84) added 10 points and 6 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. Sakalai moved-up to tenth place, which they share with Naglis-Adakris. Juventus at the other side keeps the fourth position with eight games lost. Sakalai will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Juventus will play at home against Naglis-Adakris (#11) in Palanga and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Sakalai: V.Sirvydis 16+6reb+6ast, A.Kiausas 15+7reb+1ast, E.Baniulis 14+1reb+1ast, A.Gydra 11+2reb+3ast, P.Augustas 9+4reb+2ast, R.Matulis 9+5reb+1ast
Juventus: V.Cepukaitis 13+7reb, M.Prekevicius 12+1reb+1ast, A.Kieza 11+6reb+2ast, G.Maceina 10+6reb+3ast, J.Elvikis 9+5reb, A.Adomaitis 7+5reb
gschID: 120424


Naglis-Adakris - Rudupis 60-107

The game with biggest result difference took place in Palanga. Local Naglis-Adakris (6-12) was outscored by third ranked Rudupis (13-5) 107-60 on Wednesday night. The game was mostly controlled by Rudupis. Naglis-Adakris managed to win fourth quarter 19-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Rudupis forced 24 Naglis-Adakris turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Worth to mention a quality performance of forward Vytenis Lipkevicius (198-89) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 6 rebounds and swingman Gediminas Orelikas (197-90) who added 17 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was guard Mantas Mockevicius (188-93) with 13 points and 5 rebounds and Sudanese forward Deng Gai (206-82, college: Fairfield) scored 12 points and 6 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Five Rudupis and four Naglis-Adakris players 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. Rudupis maintains third position with 13-5 record having five points less than leader Zalgiris. Naglis-Adakris lost third consecutive game. They keep the tenth place with 12 games lost. They share the position with Sakalai. Rudupis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Naglis-Adakris will play against Juventus (#4) in Utena and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Rudupis: J.Sinica 19+2reb+4ast, V.Lipkevicius 19+6reb+1ast, G.Orelikas 17+8reb+1ast, P.Butkevicius 16+5reb+1ast, R.Bitinas 11+3reb+3ast, E.Dainys 8+2reb+3ast
Naglis-Adakris: M.Mockevicius 13+5reb+1ast, D.Gai 12+6reb, D.Potter 12+2reb+3ast, M.Reminas 10+1reb, V.Buzas 6+3reb, I.Razutis 4+2reb+2ast
gschID: 120425


Techasas - Nevezis 61-74

An interesting game took place in Panevezys, where higher ranked Techasas (10-9) lost at home to eleventh ranked Nevezis (6-11) 61-74. The game was mostly controlled by Nevezis. Techasas was better in second period 21-13. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Techasas 38-25 including 27 on the defensive glass. It was a good game for center Egidijus Dimsa (205-85) who led his team to a victory with 21 points and 9 rebounds. Naturalized Swiss guard Rolandas Alijevas (192-85) contributed with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Four Nevezis players scored in double figures. Guard Gintaras Leonavicius (194-83, agency: Players Group) replied with 12 points and 6 rebounds and guard Sarunas Kulevicius (190-89) added 8 points in the effort for Techasas. Nevezis moved-up to ninth place. Techasas at the other side dropped to the sixth position with nine games lost. Nevezis will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Techasas will play at home against Alytus Alita (#13) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Nevezis: E.Dimsa 21+9reb, R.Alijevas 16+10reb+2ast, L.Brazdauskis 12+7reb+1ast, P.Belevicius 11+4reb+4ast, V.Cizauskas 6+3reb+2ast, M.Simonavicius 6+3reb+5ast
Techasas: G.Leonavicius 12+6reb+3ast, V.Volkus 10+3reb, T.Cerneckis 10+1reb+1ast, S.Kulevicius 8+4reb+1ast, K.Babkauskas 6, M.Valukonis 6+3reb
gschID: 120426


Neptunas - Alytus Alita 100-75

No shocking result in a game in Klaipeda where eighth ranked Neptunas (7-11) smashed bottom-ranked Alytus Alita (2-17) 100-75 on Tuesday. The hosts trailed by 3 points at the halftime before their 57-29 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Neptunas made 18-of-20 free shots (90.0 percent) during the game. They also forced 19 Alytus Alita turnovers. Worth to mention a great performance of the former international forward Valdas Vasylius (203-83, college: ODU) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 20 points and 13 rebounds and guard Julius Zurna (188-86) who added 15 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists during the contest. Four Neptunas players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was center Marius Janisius (203-77) with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 11 rebounds and guard Aurimas Birgelis (190-88) scored 24 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Neptunas moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Perlas. Alytus Alita lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 17 games lost. Neptunas will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Alytus Alita will play against Techasas (#6) in Panevezys and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Neptunas: V.Vasylius 20+13reb, M.Mazeika 16+2reb+5ast, J.Zurna 15+5reb+7ast, A.Brunins 11+2reb, M.Stasys 11+2reb+3ast, L.Bonner 9+4reb
Alytus Alita: A.Birgelis 24+1reb+2ast, M.Janisius 16+11reb+1ast, P.Kleiza 14+5reb+4ast, W.Walker 9+3reb+4ast, V.Norenko 6+3reb, S.Dumbliauskas 4+7reb
gschID: 120422


Siauliai - Aiscai Kaunas 89-64

Very expected game when 12th ranked Aiscai Kaunas (6-13) was rolled over on the road by sixth ranked Siauliai (10-7) 89-64 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Siauliai. Aiscai Kaunas managed to win second period 26-23. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Siauliai dominated down low during the game scoring 52 of its points in the paint compared to Aiscai Kaunas' 32. They outrebounded Aiscai Kaunas 40-23 including a 30-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. Siauliai looked well-organized offensively handing out 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of American center David Weaver (209-87, college: Wake Forest) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 7 rebounds and the former international forward Mindaugas Zukauskas (201-75, agency: World Sport Agency) who added 8 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists during the contest. Four Siauliai players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was the former international center Povilas Cukinas (210-83) with 19 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) and the former international guard Vytenis Jasikevicius (187-85) scored 13 points. Since the result was very predictable, it gave the chance for the coaches to test many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Siauliai moved-up to fifth place. Aiscai Kaunas lost third consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 13 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Siauliai: D.Weaver 19+7reb+1ast, R.Edvinas 16+3reb, Z.Janavicius 12+1reb+7ast, V.Sarakauskas 10+8reb+2ast, D.Gvezdauskas 9+1reb+1ast, M.Zukauskas 8+8reb+5ast
Aiscai Kaunas: P.Cukinas 19+3reb+1ast, V.Jasikevicius 13+3reb+2ast, S.Vasiliauskas 9+2reb+5ast, R.Simanavicius 9+1ast, R.Narkevicius 6, R.Jakstas 6+3reb
gschID: 120423




Standings - NKL
NKL Stage Two Standings
Group A
 1. Pieno Zvaigzdes 37-1 
 2. Radviliskis 26-12 
 3. Meresta 24-14 
 4. Mazeikiai 23-15 
 5. Nafta Universitetas 21-17 
 6. Zalgiris-Sabonio 21-17 
 7. LKKA-Atletas 20-18 
 8. Perlas-MRU 16-22 
Group B
 1. Silute 16-21 
 2. Triobet Malsta 16-21 
 3. Erelita 14-24 
 4. Akademija 13-24 
 5. Delikatesas 13-24 
 6. ABRO-Univ. 12-25 
 7. Puntukas 10-27 
Stage One Standings


Stats Leaders - LKL
Points Per Game
 Aurimas KIEZA
  Juventus
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 16.8
 1. Kieza, Juventus16.8 
 2. Dilys, Naglis-Adakris16.4 
 3. Alijevas, Nevezis15.8 
 4. Dimsa, Nevezis15.7 
 5. Vasylius, Neptunas15.4 
 6. Mikalauskas, Naglis.14.7 
 7. Juskevicius, Rudupis14.3 
 8. Mazeika, Neptunas14.3 
 9. Ruikis, Neptunas14.1 
 10. Sirvydis, Sakalai14.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Aurimas KIEZA
  Juventus
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 10.8
 1. Kieza, Juventus10.8 
 2. Janisius, Alytus A.10.4 
 3. Sarakauskas, Siauliai9.4 
 4. Valanciunas, Lietuv.8.5 
 5. Dimsa, Nevezis7.5 
 6. Jankunas, Zalgiris7.1 
 7. Vasylius, Neptunas7.0 
 8. Matulis, Sakalai6.9 
 9. Mikalauskas, Naglis.6.7 
 10. Klimavicius, Zalgiris6.6 
Assists Per Game
 Rolandas ALIJEVAS
  Nevezis
  (192-G-85)
  Avg: 6.1
 1. Alijevas, Nevezis6.1 
 2. Rinkevicius, Techasas5.5 
 3. Juskevicius, Rudupis5.3 
 4. Broadus, Siauliai5.2 
 5. Collins, Zalgiris4.5 
 6. El-Amin, Lietuvos.4.4 
 7. Janavicius, Siauliai4.3 
 8. Kalnietis, Zalgiris4.1 
 9. Lowe, Naglis-Adakris4.1 
 10. Viskontas, Perlas4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Tomas RINKEVICIUS
  Techasas
  (178-G-78)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Rinkevicius, Techasas2.2 
 2. Vasylius, Neptunas2.0 
 3. Razutis, Naglis-A.2.0 
 4. Juskevicius, Rudupis1.9 
 5. Alijevas, Nevezis1.8 
 6. Lowe, Naglis-Adakris1.8 
 7. Valukonis, Techasas1.7 
 8. Jasikevicius, Aiscai K.1.7 
 9. Ruikis, Neptunas1.7 
 10. Vene, Aiscai Kaunas1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 Mirza BEGIC
  Real Madrid
  (216-C-85)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Begic, Zalgiris2.4 
 2. Valanciunas, Lietuv.2.2 
 3. Silinskis, Techasas2.0 
 4. Cresnar, Nevezis1.5 
 5. Volkus, Techasas1.1 
 6. Klimavicius, Zalgiris1.1 
 7. Zelionis, Rudupis0.9 
 8. Jankauskas, Rudupis0.9 
 9. Cepukaitis, Juven.0.9 
 10. Sarakauskas, Siauliai0.8 


Stats Leaders - NKL
Points Per Game
 Vidmantas SRAGAUSKIS
  LKKA-Atletas
  (200-F-86)
  Avg: 22.3
 1. Sragauskis, LKKA-.22.3 
 2. Petraitis, Delikate.21.7 
 3. Vingelis, LKKA-.20.4 
 4. Jurkus, Silute18.3 
 5. Tarvydas, Puntukas18.1 
 6. Sebeziovas, Triobe.16.7 
 7. Cizauskas, Zalgir.16.4 
 8. Mineikis, Radviliskis16.3 
 9. Jacevicius, Perla.16.2 
 10. Girdziunas, Nafta U.15.6 
Rebounds Per Game
 Egidijus MOCKEVICIUS
  Akademija
  (204-C-92)
  Avg: 10.6
 1. Mockevicius, Akade.10.6 
 2. Pikalavicius, Delika.10.1 
 3. Oladimeji, Radvilis.9.4 
 4. Warren, Mazeikiai8.7 
 5. Nedzinskas, Silute8.6 
 6. Brusokas, Perla.8.4 
 7. Mineikis, Radviliskis7.7 
 8. Jucikas, Delikatesas7.3 
 9. Kupsas, Zalgir.7.2 
 10. Kaupaitis, Silute7.2 
Assists Per Game
 Bryan HARRISON
  Mazeikiai
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 6.9
 1. Harrison, Mazeikiai6.9 
 2. Vingelis, LKKA-.5.1 
 3. Sapiega, Erelita4.9 
 4. Kuklierius, Radvilis.4.9 
 5. Cizauskas, Zalgir.4.6 
 6. Kutra, Delikatesas4.4 
 7. Leonard, Pieno Z.4.3 
 8. Vasiliauskas, Triobe.4.2 
 9. Virsilas, Silute4.1 
 10. Zymantas, Nafta U.4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Bryan HARRISON
  Mazeikiai
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Harrison, Mazeikiai2.8 
 2. Zymantas, Nafta U.2.5 
 3. Petraitis, Delikate.2.5 
 4. Vasiliauskas, Triobe.2.4 
 5. Metelica, Erelita2.4 
 6. Vileita, Pieno Z.2.3 
 7. Leonard, Pieno Z.2.2 
 8. Radavicius, Meres.2.2 
 9. Sapiega, Erelita2.2 
 10. Jurkus, Silute2.1 
Blocks Per Game
 Egidijus MOCKEVICIUS
  Akademija
  (204-C-92)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Mockevicius, Akade.2.6 
 2. Urbonas, LK.2.2 
 3. Kupsas, Zalgir.1.9 
 4. Jucikas, Delikatesas1.7 
 5. Oladimeji, Radvilis.1.3 
 6. Pupinis, Erelita1.3 
 7. Ramanauskas, Sil.1.2 
 8. Ramasauskas, ABRO-.1.0 
 9. Bernataviciu., Triobe.0.9 
 10. Milinskas, Triobe.0.9 


Standings - LKL
LKL Standings
 1. Zalgiris 18-0 
 2. Lietuvos Rytas 16-2 
 3. Rudupis 13-5 
 4. Juventus 11-8 
 5. Siauliai 10-7 
 6. Techasas 10-9 
 7. Perlas 7-11 
 8. Neptunas 7-11 
 9. Nevezis 6-11 
 10. Sakalai 6-12 
 11. Naglis-Adakris 6-12 
 12. Aiscai Kaunas 6-13 
 13. Alytus Alita 2-17 


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


Lalovic inks for APOEL - by Dragan Scepanovic
Basketball Club APOEL and DELFI SMG Basketball announced that MVP of Bosnian Premier Basketball League and ex basketball player of Basketball Club Hercegovac from Bileca Boris Lalovic (206-C-81) singed contract to the end of 2010-2011 whit Basketball Club APOEL from Cyprus.In first part of 2010-2011 Boris Lalovic play 22 games for BC Hercegovac in Bosnian Premier League : 19.9 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.4 apg.Before Hercegovac Boris Lalovic play for Montenegrin Basketball Clubs Primorje,Mogren, Ulcinj, Jedinstvo and Niksic.

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


NBA Tourney Time - by Jeremy McNish
It is nearing Tourney Time in the NBA also known as the playoffs, we have the East Division, with Boston looking good as the number one seed
heading into the NBA Tourney time, but the Bulls , and Miami look to be prime time contenders, and Orlando looking to sure up some team puzzle
peices also look to be gearing up for a long run in the playoffs, Boston, though veternized also is aging quite quickly , and you tend to wonder if they
Have what it takes to take it to the Finals, , then there is the Chicago, they very well could be a Cinderella story of the league this year. There is also
Miami Miaaaaaaaamii right , with the blockbuster trade and the Big super three who are all Olympic Champs , who by now according to most
preseason thoughts would be taking league by storm by now, have lived up to even keel projections, as of lately with the league coming to the
regular season end soon, would need to finish strong to help there faith for the title, they are my projected favorites to make it to the Conference
Finals , and possibly NBA Finals given the take care of bussines , as projected given the capacity of players they have. those are the contending front
runners for the NBA East Conference Finals.
As for the West, there are the San Antonio Spurs , who have the best record in the league and have held that position for a substantional amount of
time, and with that are a sure lock to make the playoffs this year,right on there heals are the Dallas Mavericks, who have had great runs in the
playoffs in the recent years , but continue to fall shy of their ultimate goal, then there are the LA Lakers, who are defending champs, but as of now
looks as if they need a extra push to get them to the Finals, wether it bee a sixth man or something of that nature, right behind the Lakers are the OK
City Thunder, who are looking to make some noise this year after nearly upsetting the Lakers just a short time ago, they are a very solid team, with
one of the best soring entities in the league. With these Stats being stated we have solid evidence to belive that the in the coming months as we
prepare for the Olypmic Games , and major trades, signing and deals throughout the NBA we can be sure that in the Assoication of the National
Basketball that the Miami Heat, and the San Antonio Spurs look to be the favorites but look out for the Lakers , and Boston right there in the mix of NBA's Greatest team.


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Kevin DURANT
  Oklah.City T.
  (206-G/F-88)
  Avg: 28.2
 1. Durant, Oklah.Ci.28.2 
 2. Stoudemire, New Y.26.3 
 3. James, Miami Heat26.3 
 4. Wade, Miami Heat25.6 
 5. Anthony, Denver N.25.2 
 6. Bryant, LA Lakers25.1 
 7. Ellis, Golde S.24.8 
 8. Rose, Chicago B.24.5 
 9. Gordon, LA Clippers23.7 
 10. Nowitzki, Dallas M.23.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Kevin LOVE
  Minnesota T.
  (208-C-88)
  Avg: 15.8
 1. Love, Minnesota T.15.8 
 2. Howard, Orlando M.13.9 
 3. Randolph, Memph.12.8 
 4. Griffin, LA Clipp.12.4 
 5. Noah, Chicago B.11.7 
 6. Bogut, Milwauke.11.5 
 7. Camby, Portland TB11.0 
 8. Gasol, LA Lakers10.4 
 9. Horford, Atlanta H.9.9 
 10. Okafor, N.Orlean.9.8 
Assists Per Game
 Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (186-G-86)
  Avg: 12.1
 1. Rondo, Boston C.12.1 
 2. Nash, Phoenix Suns11.4 
 3. Williams, Utah Jazz9.7 
 4. Paul, N.Orleans H.9.6 
 5. Calderon, Toron.9.2 
 6. Felton, New Y.9.0 
 7. Wall, Washington W.8.8 
 8. Westbrook, Oklah..8.5 
 9. Kidd, Dallas M.8.3 
 10. Rose, Chicago B.8.1 
Steals Per Game
 Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (186-G-86)
  Avg: 2.4
 1. Rondo, Boston C.2.4 
 2. Paul, N.Orleans H.2.4 
 3. Ellis, Golde S.2.3 
 4. Conley, Memphis G.1.8 
 5. Felton, New Y.1.8 
 6. Evans, Sacramen.1.7 
 7. Gay, Memphis G.1.7 
 8. Allen, Memphis G.1.7 
 9. Westbrook, Oklah..1.7 
 10. Kidd, Dallas M.1.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Andrew BOGUT
  Milwaukee B.
  (212-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.8
 1. Bogut, Milwauke.2.8 
 2. Howard, Orlando M.2.3 
 3. McGee, Washingt.2.2 
 4. Milicic, Minnesota T.2.2 
 5. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.2.1 
 6. Stoudemire, New Y.2.0 
 7. Bynum, LA Lakers2.0 
 8. Duncan, San A.2.0 
 9. Jefferson, Utah J.2.0 
 10. Okafor, N.Orlean.1.9 


Standings
NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
 1. Boston C. 46-16 
 2. New York K. 34-29 
 3. Philadelph.76 33-31 
 4. New Jersey N. 20-43 
 5. Toronto R. 17-47 
Central Div.
 1. Chicago B. 45-18 
 2. Indiana P. 27-37 
 3. Milwaukee B. 25-38 
 4. Detroit P. 23-42 
 5. Cleveland C. 12-52 
Southeast Div.
 1. Miami Heat 43-21 
 2. Orlando M. 41-24 
 3. Atlanta H. 37-27 
 4. Charlotte B. 26-38 
 5. Washington W. 16-47 
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
 1. Oklah.City T. 40-23 
 2. Denver N. 37-27 
 3. Portland TB 37-27 
 4. Utah Jazz 34-31 
 5. Minnesota T. 16-50 
Pacific Div.
 1. LA Lakers 46-19 
 2. Phoenix Suns 33-29 
 3. Golde State W. 28-36 
 4. LA Clippers 25-40 
 5. Sacramento K. 15-47 
Southwest Div.
 1. San Antonio S. 52-12 
 2. Dallas M. 46-18 
 3. N.Orleans H. 38-29 
 4. Memphis G. 36-30 
 5. Houston R. 33-33 


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


Long Island Outlasts Two-time Defending Champ Robert Morris to Claim 2011 NEC Men's Basketball Title - by Greg
Brooklyn, NY - (AP) Tournament MVP Jamal Olasewere scored seven of his 31 points in overtime and Long Island University earned its first NCAA tournament bid in 14 years with an 85-82 overtime victory over two-time defending champion Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference title game Wednesday night.
Jason Brickman made two free throws with 7 seconds left to give top-seeded LIU (27-5) an 85-82 lead. Russell Johnson, who made a 3-pointer with 16.8 left for the Colonials (18-14) to send the game to OT, missed a potential tying 3 with the clock winding down.
But the rebound bounced out of bounds with 0.6 left and third-seeded Robert Morris had one more chance. Johnson's catch-and-shoot 3 at the buzzer from the wing hit the front of the rim and within seconds Blackbirds fans sprinted on to the court to celebrate the school's first NEC championship since 1997.
'What a phenomenal basketball game,' said LIU head coach Jim Ferry. 'Talk about representing the Northeast Conference well. Both teams went out and just played with a lot of emotion. There were great plays by both teams. Our kids, like they have done all year, played together, played unselfishly and grinded it out. The entire season all the kids sacrificed for the big picture, and that's what college athletics is all about. It was a great college basketball game.'
'It's all so surreal right now,' said Olasewere. 'For a team like this to take a conference championship? It's just all so surreal right now.'
In front of a standing room-only crowd of about 1,300 at the Wellness, Recreation and Athletic Center, a short walk from the construction site which will eventually become the Nets home arena and around the corner from Brooklyn's famed Flatbush Avenue, LIU secured the fourth NCAA bid in school history.
Johnson led RMU with 22 points, and Velton Jones had 15 of his 20 in the second half.
After Johnson's clutch 3 capped a 10-2 run to tie it at 74 for Robert Morris, LIU's C.J. Garner missed a high-arching runner at the buzzer and the game went to overtime.
Brickman and Garner, the 5-foot-10 guards who fuel the fast-paced Blackbirds attack, each scored 15 points. Brickman also had eight assists.
'It's exciting,' saoid Brickman.. 'I didn't expect this in my freshman year. I thought I'd come here and learn a lot, get some experience. But to do this? This is great.'
Long Island came in ranked sixth in the country in scoring, intent on pushing the pace against a Robert Morris team which uses a far more deliberate style.
The Blackbirds had the tempo they were looking for in the first half, but shot only 34 percent.
Johnson's three 3s and 11 points helped Robert Morris take a 33-32 lead at halftime.
Olasewere had 17 points in the half, as the rest of the Blackbirds went 7 of 25 from the floor.
Behind Brickman and Garner, LIU raced out of the gate to start the second half. Brickman hit a 3 to put the Blackbirds up 50-41.
Robert Morris steadied itself behind the inside game of Lijah Thompson, but LIU kept pushing the pace behind its speedy guards and the top defensive team in the league in terms of scoring had a difficult time keeping up.
Thompson finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
Julian Boyd's slam off an alley-oop from Garner made it 72-64 with 2:28 remaining, and the Blackbirds could hardly contain their smiles, sensing a trip to the NCAA was only a few stops away.
But Robert Morris showed championship poise and closed regulation with a 10-2 run, capped by Johnson's 3 from the wing that momentarily deflated the home crowd.
'I credit my guys with never stop continuing to play, continuing to fight,' said Robert Morris head coach Andrew Toole. 'LIU just played the game a little bit better. LIU earned the championship tonight, and we gotta take our hats off to them.'
In addition to securing the NEC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Long Island halted Robert Morris' quest to become the first-ever NEC program to win three consecutive conference crowns.
Brickman joined Olasewere on the five-member NEC All-Tournament Team, along with RMU's Johnson and Jones. Quinnipiac senior Justin Rutty claimed the fifth spot.

Courtesy of NEC

All-NEC Summary 2010-2011

NEC Regular Season Standings
1. LIU Brooklyn 16-2
2. Quinnipiac 13-5
3. Robert Morris 12-6
4. Cent.Conn.St. 11-7
5. St.Francis, NY 10-8
6. Wagner 9-9
6. Mt.St.Mary's 9-9
8. Bryant 7-11
8. St.Francis, PA 7-11
10. Sacred Heart 6-12
11. Monmouth 5-13
12. Fairleigh Dickinson 3-15

NEC Tournament Final: Long Island - RMU 85-82
NEC Tournament Semifinals:
Long Island - Central Conn. St. 69-67
RMU - Quinnipiac 64-62
All-NEC 1st Team 2010-2011
#s#
Ken Horton
Horton
Julian Boyd
Boyd
James Johnson
Johnson
Tyler Murray
Murray
Justin Rutty
Rutty
#e#5

Player of the Year: Ken Horton (6'6''-F) of Cent.Conn.St.
All-Tournament MVP: Jamal Olasewere (6'7''-F-91) of LIU Brooklyn
Defensive Player of the Year: Akeem Bennett (6'3''-G/F) of St.Francis, NY
Rookie of the Year: Alex Fr. Francis (6'6''-F) of Bryant
Most Improved Player of the Year: Lamar Trice (5'11''-G) of Mt.St.Mary's
Coach of the Year: Jim Ferry of LIU Brooklyn

1st Team
F: Julian Boyd (6'7''-90) of LIU Brooklyn
F: Ken Horton (6'6'') of Cent.Conn.St.
G: James Johnson (6'0'') of Quinnipiac
G: Tyler Murray (6'5''-90) of Wagner
F: Justin Rutty (6'7'') of Quinnipiac

2nd Team
G/F: Akeem Bennett (6'3'') of St.Francis, NY
G: Ricky Cadell (6'2'') of St.Francis, NY
G: Shane Gibson (6'2'') of Sacred Heart
G/F: Cecil R-Sr. Gresham (6'5''-87) of Bryant
G: Umar Shannon (5'11''-90) of St.Francis, PA

All-Tournament Team
Jamal Olasewere (6'7''-F-91) of LIU Brooklyn
Jason Brickman (5'10''-G) of LIU Brooklyn
Justin Rutty (6'7''-F) of Quinnipiac
Velton Jones (6'0''-G-89) of Robert Morris
Russell Johnson (6'6''-F-88) of Robert Morris

All-Rookie Team
Jason Brickman (5'10''-G) of LIU Brooklyn
Chris Evans (6'2''-G) of Sacred Heart
Alex Fr. Francis (6'6''-F) of Bryant
Latif Rivers (6'1''-G-91) of Wagner
Marcus Ware (6'7''-F) of Monmouth


Bears Headed To First Dance - by Greg
In just its fourth season as a full Division I member, and its fifth in the Big Sky Conference, Northern Colorado is going to the NCAA men's basketball tournament.
The Bears clinched their automatic bid with a 65-60 win over defending champion Montana in front of 3,182 fans at the Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion in Greeley in the 2011 Banner Health Big Sky Conference Championship.
Northern Colorado (21-10) will learn its NCAA opponent on Sunday when the 68-team field is announced on CBS at 4 p.m. Mountain.
Senior league MVP Devon Beitzel scored a game-high 27 points, hitting 14-of-17 from the free-throw line and 3-of-8 from 3-point range to lead the Bears. Beitzel was named the tournament's MVP.
The game was tied at the half 31-31. Northern Colorado shot 55.6 percent from 3-point range in the second half and 50 percent from the field. Montana struggled with foul trouble, as Derek Selvig, Will Cherry and Jordan Wood all fouled out.
Art Steward let Montana with 16 points. Will Cherry and Kareem Jamar each had 13. Montana is now 21-10.

Courtesy of Big Sky

All-Big Sky Conf. Summary 2010-2011

Big Sky Conf. Regular Season Standings
1 N.Colorado 13-3
2 Montana 12-4
3 Weber St. 11-5
4 N.Arizona 9-7
5 Montana St. 7-9
5 E.Washington 7-9
7 Portland St. 5-11
8 Idaho St. 4-12
8 Sacramento St. 4-12

Big Sky Conf. Tournament Final: Northern Colorado - Montana 65-60
Big Sky Conf. Tournament Semifinals:
Northern Colorado - Northern Arizona 73-70
Montana - Weber State 57-40

All-Big Sky Conf. 1st Team 2010-2011
#s#
Devon Beitzel
Beitzel
Kyle Bullinger
Bullinger
Will Cherry
Cherry
Cameron Jones
Jones
Brian Qvale
Qvale
#e#5

Player of the Year: Devon Beitzel (6'1''-G-88) of N.Colorado
All-Tournament MVP: Devon Beitzel (6'1''-G-88) of N.Colorado
Defensive Player of the Year: Brian Qvale (6'11''-C-88) of Montana
Freshman of the Year: Byron Fulton (6'7''-F) of Weber St.
Newcomer of the Year: Scott Bamforth (6'2''-G/F) of Weber St.
Coach of the Year: Wayne Tinkle of Montana

1st Team
G/F: Scott Bamforth (6'2'') of Weber St.
G: Devon Beitzel (6'1''-88) of N.Colorado
F: Kyle Bullinger (6'6''-88) of Weber St.
G: Will Cherry (6'1'') of Montana
G: Cameron Jones (6'4''-89) of N.Arizona
C: Brian Qvale (6'11''-88) of Montana

2nd Team
G: Glen Dean (5'10''-89) of E.Washington
F: Bobby Howard (6'7''-88) of Montana St.
F: Neal Kingman (6'7'') of N.Colorado
G: Charles Odum (6'0'') of Portland St.
G: Gabe Rogers (6'2''-90) of N.Arizona

Honorable Mention
Deividas Busma (7'0''-C-87) of Idaho St.
Derek Selvig (7'0''-F) of Montana
Erik Rush (6'5''-G) of Montana St.
Shane Johannsen (6'7''-F-88) of N.Arizona
Chris Kaba (6'8''-F) of N.Colorado
John Dickson (6'6''-G/F-90) of Sacramento St.
Lindsey Hughey (6'3''-G-89) of Weber St.

All-Tournament Team
Cameron Jones (6'4''-G-89) of N.Arizona
Will Cherry (6'1''-G) of Montana
Brian Qvale (6'11''-C-88) of Montana
Mike Proctor (6'8''-F/C) of N.Colorado
Chris Kaba (6'8''-F) of N.Colorado
Devon Beitzel (6'1''-G-88) of N.Colorado

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


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


*****************************************************
  NIGERIA   


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


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


Standings
D1 Standings
 1. Al Rayyan 10-1 
 2. As Sadd 9-2 
 3. Al Jaysh 8-3 
 4. Al Gharrafah 7-4 
 5. Al Ahli 6-5 
 6. Qatar 3-8 
 7. Al Arabi 1-10 
 8. Al Wakrah 0-11 


Rayyan earn 10th win in QBF - by Eurobasket News
Defending champions Rayyan recorded the tenth win in QBF season. The league leaders held off Ahli 71:65. Rayyan used a 15:6 run in the second term to clear off for good in this one. Targuy Ngombo (196-F-89, agency: Court Side) provided 18 points and 17 rebounds to lead the hosts. Malek Saleem Abdullah (195-F-85) contributed 18 points for the winners. Maurice Hargrow (195-G-83, college: Minnesota) responded with 24 points for Ahli. Hashem Zaidan (211-C-80) delivered 17 points in the loss.
Sadd cruised past Wakrah 81:61 to improve at 9-2 record in the second place. Khalid Suliman Abdi (198-F/G-87) notched 24 points to pace the winners. Saad Abdulrahman Ali (193-F-85) accounted for 20 points for Sadd. Jayson Obazuaye (188-G-84, college: Colorado) responded with 19 points as Wakrah fell at 0-11 record.
Jaysh escaped with a narrow 69:67 victory against Arabi. Jaysh dominated throughout the bigger part of the encounter before conceding a 9:25 rally from Arabi. Jaysh stood firm in the dying seconds and avoided an embarrassment. Alioni Se nailed 17 points for Jaysh. Ali Turki (201-F-82) added 12 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Elhagi Doudou answered with game-high 21 points.
Gharrafah prevailed against Qatar Club 87:76. Ousseynou N'Diaye (195-G/F-85, agency: Court Side) fired 28 points and collected 10 rebounds for the winners. Omar Abd contributed 25 points and 15 rebounds for Gharrafah. Mike Cook (193-G/F-84, college: Pittsburgh) top-scored with 25 points for Qatar Club.


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


Nizhny Novgorod land Nemanja Protic - by Eurobasket News
Nemanja Protic (182-G-86) will continue his career in Russia. The 24-year-old guard has agreed on terms of contract with Nizhny Novgorod. The Serbian player started the season in Germany. Nemanja Protic tallied 6.0 points and 1.9 assists per 1Bundesliga game for EWE Baskets. In EuroCup he posted 6.5 points. In December the guard moved to Ukraine. Nemanja Protic joined Khimik Yuzny. His stats read 4.0 points and 2.0 assists per game in EuroChallenge. In Superleague Nemanja Protic averaged 8.5 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 rebounds. Nemanja Protic played for Setbian University Team in 2009. He notched 7.9 points, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steal helping the team to the World Univeriade triumph in Belgrade.


Superleague Round 34: Top-ranked Universitet-Yugra wins another game - by Eurobasket News
Superlaegue top team - Universitet-Yugra (24-8) had no problems winning another game on Thursday. This time they crushed fifth ranked Ural Ekaterinburg (19-10) in Surgut 80-51. Universitet-Yugra have a solid four-game winning streak. Universitet-Yugra maintains first position with 24-8 record. Ural Ekaterinburg at the other side keeps the fifth place with ten games lost. Universitet-Yugra are looking forward to face Lokomotiv (#10) in Novosybirsk in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ural Ekaterinburg will play at home against Metallurg-University (#7) in Magnitogorsk and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Rjazan was also worth to mention about. Second ranked Ruskon-Mordovia (23-7) played at the court of 8th ranked Rjazan (12-18). Ruskon-Mordovia managed to secure a 6-point victory 91-85. Ruskon-Mordovia have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 23-7 record having just -19 point less than leader Univ.Surgut. Rjazan at the other side keeps the eighth place with 18 games lost. Ruskon-Mordovia will play against bottom-ranked Sojuz Zaretchny (#11) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Rjazan will have a break next round.
Worth to mention about the upset in a game between Metallurg-University (13-19) and Lokomotiv (6-23), which took place in Novosybirsk. 7th ranked Metallurg-University lost to tenth ranked Lokomotiv in a road game 90-102 on Thursday. Lokomotiv maintains tenth position with 6-23 record. Loser Metallurg-University keeps the seventh place with 19 games lost. Lokomotiv will meet at home league's leader Universitet-Yugra in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Metallurg-University will play against Ural Ekaterinburg (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.


Lokomotiv - Metallurg-Univ. 102-90

Worth to mention about the upset in a game between Metallurg-University (13-19) and Lokomotiv (6-23), which took place in Novosybirsk. 7th ranked Metallurg-University lost to tenth ranked Lokomotiv in a road game 90-102 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Lokomotiv. Metallurg-University managed to win third quarter 24-15. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Lokomotiv maintains tenth position with 6-23 record. Loser Metallurg-University keeps the seventh place with 19 games lost. Lokomotiv will meet at home league's leader Universitet-Yugra in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Metallurg-University will play against Ural Ekaterinburg (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
gschID: 104248


Univ.Surgut - Ural Ekaterinb. 80-51

Superlaegue top team - Universitet-Yugra (24-8) had no problems winning another game on Thursday. This time they crushed fifth ranked Ural Ekaterinburg (19-10) in Surgut 80-51. Universitet-Yugra have a solid four-game winning streak. Universitet-Yugra maintains first position with 24-8 record. Ural Ekaterinburg at the other side keeps the fifth place with ten games lost. Universitet-Yugra are looking forward to face Lokomotiv (#10) in Novosybirsk in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Ural Ekaterinburg will play at home against Metallurg-University (#7) in Magnitogorsk and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
gschID: 104249


Rjazan - Saransk 85-91

The game in Rjazan was also worth to mention about. Second ranked Ruskon-Mordovia (23-7) played at the court of 8th ranked Rjazan (12-18). Ruskon-Mordovia managed to secure a 6-point victory 91-85. The guests were already 12 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 31-25 Rjazan's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 91-85 at the end of the game. Ruskon-Mordovia have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 23-7 record having just -19 point less than leader Univ.Surgut. Rjazan at the other side keeps the eighth place with 18 games lost. Ruskon-Mordovia will play against bottom-ranked Sojuz Zaretchny (#11) at home in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Rjazan will have a break next round.
gschID: 104250




Standings - Superleague B
Superleague Standings
 1. Univ.Surgut 24-8 
 2. Saransk 23-7 
 3. Spartak-Primorie 21-9 
 4. Severstal 21-9 
 5. Ural Ekaterinb. 19-10 
 6. Revda 14-14 
 7. Metallurg-Univ. 13-19 
 8. Rjazan 12-18 
 9. Irkutsk 8-22 
 10. Lokomotiv 6-23 
 11. Zaretchny 4-26 


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


Capljina Lasta signs Stefan Fekete - by Eurobasket News
Stefan Fekete (188-G-86, agency: Beo Basket) signed a deal in Bosnia. The Serbian guard joined Capljina Lasta for rest of the season. Fekete already made his debut collecting 9 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists against Kakanj. Capljina Lasta celebrated easy 109-68 win.
Stefan Fekete started this season with Sloboda Uzice. He appeared 25 times in Serbian league averaging 12.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Last season, Fekete was a member of Igokea Partizan Aleksandrovac. Before that, he also played in Bosnia as a member of Borac Nektar. He joined them in April of 2009 for rest of the season. Fekete started 2008/09 with Radnicki Novi Sad. For 22 games with them he had 14.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 3 apg. In the past, he also played for Swisslions Takovo, Spartak Subotica and Vojvodina Srbijagas.
Capljina Lasta currently has 15-7 record in D1.

Gran Canaria lands Dejan Borovnjak - by Zoran Popovic
Serbian power forward Dejan Borovnjak (208-F-86, agency: Beo Basket) agreed terms with management of Aris and terminate contract and moves to Gran Canaria. During the season Borovnjak on 14 games in Eurocup average scored 9.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, on 19 games in Greek championship average scored 7.7 points and 4.3 rebounds. Borovnjak started career in Partizan and played for them 5 seasons. After Partizan, Borovnjak moved to Vojvodina Srbija Gas where he spent one season. International career Borovnjak started to build in Lietuvos Rytas, Panionios Athens and Aris Thessaloniki. Dejan Borovnjak was member of Serbian University National team.

Nemanja Protic continue career in Russia - by Zoran Popovic
After Oldenburg and Khimik Ukraine, Nemanja Protic (182-G-86) fined new team. Protic sings contract with Russian team BC Nizhny Novgorod. Protic with join Ivan Paunic, who already play for Russian team. Protic started this season in Oldenburg and on 12 games in German championship average scored 6.0 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists and on 2 games in Eurocup average scored 6.5 points, 0.5 assists. On 15 games played for Khimik Ukraine Protic average scored 8.5 points, 1.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. During the career Protic played for Borac Cacak and FMP Zeleznik. Nemanja Protic was member of Serbian University National team in Belgrade 2009.

*****************************************************
  SOUTH AMERICAN CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS  


Hector Pepito Romero is an Indian in Puerto Rico - by Wolfgang Lucena
Outstanding Venezuelan power forward Hector 'pepito' Romero became an Indian thanks to his deal with the Puerto Rican professional basketball team Indians of Mayaguez. Hector Romero (202-F/C-80, college: New Orleans) whom is one of the main icons of the professional basketball league of Venezuela as well as of Marinos de Anzoategui Basketball BBC said that Marinos always was his first option to play this 2011 season but it seems like the plan of team was not the same. 'We were calling them before take this decision, Hector Romero, but they didn't answer the phone... I was hoping to play in Venezuela...it is not fair...I have not another option...They ignored me completely'


Source: http://www.liderendeportes.com/Noticias/MasDeportes/-Pepito%E2%80%9D-Romero-jugara-con-Indios-de-Mayaguez.aspx



Guayana is not small is Giant - by Wolfgang Lucena
Against all expectations, Gigantes de Guayana defeated Bucaneros de la Guaira 98-95 in Gonzalez Sisters Arena of Puerto Ordaz. Assistant Coach Luis Gimenez led this Gigantes de Guayana's victory because its head coach Carl Herrera flew out to Texas due familiar matters. Andrew Feeley (206-F/C-83,college: UMBC) played a terrific game for Gigantes de Guayana with 22 points followed by Blake Walker (196-G/F-82, college: Portland St.) with 19 points, Jose Bravo 14 and Randy Vasquez (190-G-78) 14. Despite the lost, Bucaneros had its best man on Richard Lugo (209-C-73, college: St.Francis, NY) with 23 points helped by Rafael Guevara (194-F-79) with 23 points as well.


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


Standings
KBL Standings
 1. Sonic Boom KT 37-12 
 2. Elephants 35-14 
 3. KCC Egis 33-18 
 4. Dongbu Promy 30-20 
 5. Samsung Th. 25-24 
 6. LG Sakers 24-26 
 7. SK Knights 19-31 
 8. Mobis Phoebus 17-33 
 9. Anyang KGC 16-34 
 10. Daegu Orions 13-37 


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


Stats Leaders - ACB
Points Per Game
 Jaycee CARROLL
  Gran Canaria
  (188-G-83)
  Avg: 17.8
 1. Carroll, Gran Canaria17.8 
 2. Navarro, Regal B.16.5 
 3. McDonald, DKV J.15.2 
 4. Baron, Lagun A.15.2 
 5. English, DKV J.15.1 
 6. Martinez, Valencia15.0 
 7. Caner-Medley, Estudi.14.4 
 8. Teletovic, Caja L.14.0 
 9. Kurz, Granada13.9 
 10. Bullock, Cajasol13.1 
Rebounds Per Game
 Robert KURZ
  Art.Dragons
  (206-F-85)
  Avg: 9.1
 1. Kurz, Granada9.1 
 2. Batista, Fuenlabr.8.4 
 3. Caner-Medley, Estudi.7.3 
 4. Barac, Caja Laboral7.1 
 5. Donaldson, Menorca6.8 
 6. Doellman, Meridiano6.4 
 7. Miralles, Lagun A.6.4 
 8. Wallace, Gran Canaria6.4 
 9. Trias, DKV Joventut6.3 
 10. Freeland, Unicaja6.2 
Assists Per Game
 Marcelinho HUERTAS
  Caja Laboral
  (191-G-83)
  Avg: 5.9
 1. Huertas, Caja L.5.9 
 2. Cook, Valencia5.1 
 3. Valters, Fuenlabr.4.7 
 4. Rubio, Regal Barca4.7 
 5. Ciorciari, Menorca4.5 
 6. Uriz, Lagun A.3.9 
 7. Colom, Fuenlabrada3.9 
 8. Prigioni, Real Madrid3.8 
 9. San Miguel, Manre.3.8 
 10. Dumas, Valladolid3.7 
Steals Per Game
 Tariq KIRKSAY
  Cajasol
  (199-F-79)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. Kirksay, Cajasol2.1 
 2. Batista, Fuenlabr.1.8 
 3. Robinson, DKV J.1.8 
 4. Calloway, Cajasol1.7 
 5. Cook, Valencia1.7 
 6. Davis, Cajasol1.7 
 7. Victor, Menorca1.7 
 8. San Miguel, Manre.1.7 
 9. Van Lacke, Valladolid1.7 
 10. Ayon, Fuenlabrada1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 Bismack BIYOMBO
  Fuenlabrada
  (204-C-92)
  Avg: 2.1
 1. Biyombo, Fuenlabr.2.1 
 2. Fischer, Real Madrid1.7 
 3. Vazquez, Regal B.1.5 
 4. Barnes, Valladolid1.3 
 5. Kurz, Granada1.3 
 6. Majstorovic, Manre.1.2 
 7. Ayon, Fuenlabrada1.2 
 8. Andriuskevic., Meridi.1.1 
 9. Batista, Fuenlabr.1.1 
 10. Savane, Gran C.1.1 


Standings - ACB
ACB Standings
 1. Regal Barca 20-4 
 2. Real Madrid 19-5 
 3. Caja Laboral 15-9 
 4. Bizkaia Bilbao 15-9 
 5. Valencia 15-9 
 6. Valladolid 14-10 
 7. Fuenlabrada 13-10 
 8. Cajasol 13-11 
 9. Gran Canaria 12-12 
 10. Estudiantes 12-12 
 11. DKV Joventut 12-12 
 12. Unicaja 12-12 
 13. CAI Zaragoza 9-14 
 14. Lagun Aro GBC 9-15 
 15. Manresa 8-16 
 16. Meridiano 7-17 
 17. Granada 5-19 
 18. Menorca 5-19 


Granada gets Rafael Freire on loan - by Eurobasket News
Rafael Freire (188-PG-92) will spend rest of the season with Granada. His team Unicaja gave a green light for this transfer and Freire joined Granada on loan. The Brazilian point guard appeared 15 times for Unicaja in ACB this season averaging 4.4 points and 2.2 assists. In Euroleague he had 2 ppg and 1.7 apg for 13 games. Freire also played for CB Ins Oftamologico Clinicas Ricon in LEB Gold this season. He registered 5.5 ppg and 2 apg for 8 games.
Rafael Freire is a product of Unicaja, where he arrived in 2007. After three seasons with Unicaja II, Freire joined Clinicas Rincon in 2009. He averaged 6.6 points and 2.3 assists for them in 18 LEB Gold games. He also got a chance in 13 games with Unicaja that season. Last year at the Nike Euroleague Junior Tournament Freire had 13.3 ppg, 7 rpg and 4.3 apg for 3 games. He was named All-Tournament 2nd Team.

*****************************************************
  U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS   


Broncos Maynard coaches more than just basketball - by David Edole
BY ALEX PODLOGAR
FSU SPORTS INFORMATION

Squeeze everything you can out of every experience, and work to make a positive impact in others lives. By Jay Maynard (186-G-81), FSU assistant mens basketball coach, at his blog, http://junecaniel.wordpress.com, Nov. 24, 2010

Ten-year-old Jay Maynard couldve beaten any of them. It wouldnt have been close.

In soccer. And in baseball.

But not basketball.

I was originally a soccer player, and I was very good at that, Maynard, 29, assistant mens basketball coach at Fayetteville State, recalls now. But I discovered basketball one day, and kids would tease me, Oh you cant play basketball. I guess because I was black, I was supposed to know how to play basketball. But I couldnt play basketball at all.

So Maynard ditched soccer. He ditched baseball. Right then and there.

And he took up basketball, just because it was something he couldnt do.

Soccer was easy, but I decided to quit soccer, to quit baseball, which I was very good at, and play basketball this game I could never play, he says. Thats how I discovered basketball it was a challenge.

Choosing basketball changed nothing, but it meant everything.

*

Its so easy to succumb to a woe is me attitude and eventually conform to the miserable normalcy of being mediocre and satisfied with the status quo. What a chore it is, sometimes, to overcome the oppression of contentment and comfort to rebel against the norm! junecaniel.wordpress.com, Nov. 24, 2010

Jay Maynard was born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. He was the fifth child of his mother. His father had two more children after him. By his count, Maynard believes he has about 10 siblings.

What life could the young Jay Maynard look forward to? He had heard all the stories, seen the worst things any child could possibly see. Was that going to be his route? Was that going to be his life?

Somehow, Maynard knew it didnt have to be that way. I can just remember being a kid and saying I want to be great, he says. Theres nothing wrong with that, but it sounds strange coming out of a childs mouth.

But how could greatness spring from this place? Island streets are hard, and Maynards may have been even harder. Greatness needs care. It needs cultivation. Where could Maynard find the fertile, lush soil that would enable his vision to grow and soar beyond the dark street corners and into the sky and beyond?

At home.

I saw a lot of strength in my parents. I saw a lot of struggle my dad being thrown into a dumpster when he was 4, having a sixth-grade education, my mom overcoming a lot of difficult things but they never made excuses in life, Maynard says. It showed me I could forge my way in life and do whatever I wanted to do just through their strength. The ironic part is that people meet me and think I came from this great family. Well, I feel like I did, but its not their definition of what great would be.

Maynards sister, Florence, saw the opportunity in her youngest brother. She got off the island, joined the U.S. Navy, and eventually was stationed in San Francisco. Then she really got to work, taking the steps to adopt Maynard and bring him to the United States.

Theres not a lot to do in the Islands where Im from. Its really rough. A lot of deaths, says Maynard. (My sister) wanted to give me the opportunity to do something with my life. She felt like if I stayed there, Id probably end being a drug dealer or doing something really bad. I cant blame them. I was exposed to crack cocaine when I was 4.

And exposed to basketball in San Francisco.

*

As I look into the eyes of our youth, I see hope. I see people who want to be great. I have discovered that no one really wants to be mediocre. I have observed adults that go through the motions and kids act as if they do not care. I realize everyone cares if they are given a reason. junecaniel.wordpress.com, Nov. 21, 2010

Jay Maynard is in constant motion. He always has something to do, to work on, to build. Even in the most mundane situations, Maynard is a seeker. He enjoys random conversations with people he doesnt know. He says he might learn something new. In fact, he believes he will always learn something new. Every time. So why slow down? Why would you ever want to stop when there is so much more you can do, or learn, or experience?

And so like soccer and baseball before, basketball came to Maynard. Of course it did. He wouldnt allow anything otherwise. He excelled on the hardwood after moving with his sisters family to Jacksonville, NC, when he was a sophomore in high school. It came as no surprise to Maynard, who befriended a custodian at his high school who would open the gym at 4 a.m. so Maynard could work on his game.

I was always geared to prove people wrong, he says. People would always make comments, even family members, Oh, you cant do that. You cant do this. And those kinds of things drive me. I always say, I didnt need any extra fuel, but since you supplied it, thank you.

He took a scholarship to play for former Fayetteville State coach Rick Duckett at Winston-Salem State. Five years, two CIAA Championships, 192 3-pointers (second all-time at WSSU), a spot on the U.S. Virgin Islands Olympic team at the Tournament of Americas, and a few degrees later, Maynard was on his way.

Coach Duckett was really an instrumental leader at the time he was a great coach who had won back-to-back CIAA Championships but he taught a lot about being a man and giving back, says Maynard.

Maynard always gives back hes started nonprofit organizations, mentors people of all ages and spends time at shelters not only helping to feed the homeless, but designing workshops to boost self-awareness and self-worth. Hes been writing since storing away journals when he was in the sixth grade. He and his wife Tiya blog often at http://junecaniel.wordpress.com

But Maynard looked to education as his vehicle to help others.

Education and basketball.

*

As I look around in the world I see adults who have turned their backs on you. Probably the reason they build more jails, and allow the worst professionals to work around you. Why do they give you the worst coaches, teachers, administrators, social workers, etc? I ask myself, why? They surround you with trash and expect you to pull yourself up. junecaniel.wordpress.com, Oct. 8, 2010

Maynard has seen the worst in societies, but sees the good in people. He understands the hardships many face, issues and problems that can prompt the most devastating of downward spirals. And yet he sees a way out even for those caught in the harrowing center of that vortex. Especially for them.

This isnt about some view of the world through rose-colored glasses. Its a belief Maynard has always had, since those early days when he felt something inside of him that needed to get out. Through five years of teaching, including a stint as a vice principal at Selma Middle School all before he turned 27 Maynard believes he could see that special something in every person in every walk of life.

It is that belief that fuels Maynards most recent project Jun E Caniel, a business begun by his wife, Tiya. In form, Jun E Caniel is a line of limited edition apparel and accessories made from eco-friendly and/or recycled materials and designed by Maynard and Tiya.

Thats what one can touch and feel and wear. Jun E Caniel, though, is much more. Maynard writes that it was created to encourage artistic expression and social activism, under the belief that global change can be brought about by altering others thoughts through key words and phrases. Uplifting and positive phrases and graphics are featured as a means of inspiration to others.

Our logo is a lion, Maynard explains. Were about challenging people to realize their lion within by realizing their own greatness and power. Jun E means great. We want them to become social activists and to freely express themselves. We encourage artistic and intellectual freedom as well as social responsibility.

We feel like everyone has this lion inside of them, and you can find it if you just take enough time to tap into it. Thats really where the gold is. The gold never lies within another entity. Its within ourselves. The other entities help us shape that, and we can use that, but when we realize what we do and what we do well, theres nothing that can stop us.

Im a firm believer in that everybody has something he or she can do so well that no one else can touch. And thats what were trying to tap into to unleash that lion within themselves.

And Maynard has, among others, at least one thing he does exceptionally well.

Basketball.

*

Lets build teams! Lets build teams that will allow us to accomplish things and give life to others. Lets be brave enough to pick up clay and mold it. junecaniel.wordpress.com, Nov. 21, 2010

Maynard was a high school head basketball coach at Clay High School in Green Cove Springs, FL. But he was on the fast track in education administration. And he was about to move to Philadelphia to accept a director of education job. Big raise. Big money.

Big impact? Maybe, but maybe not.

Fayetteville State head coach Alphonza Kee, who coached Maynard as an assistant at WSSU, called and asked Maynard to join his staff with the Broncos. The salary, though, couldnt compare to Maynards other option.

But the opportunity couldnt compare, either.

I had worked with middle school and high school kids, Maynard says. But I had never worked with young people in college. This was the most important step.

Maynard came to Fayetteville.

The opportunities to learn prompts each stop, Maynard says about the moves in his life. You take jobs to learn, not necessarily for what you will earn. Taking those different jobs helped shape what I needed to better, whether it was leadership, whether it was handling finances, whether it was people, whether it was a different area. Those were all different learning opportunities.

*

I often think about my final hours. I imagine myself lying in that cold hospital room with a crowd of people looking at me. Its funny, at no time do money, cars, houses, women, hobbies, or enemies come to mind. I think about giving all to humanity. Did I leave anything in my frail body? Did I greatly improve the global community? Did I tell everyone I loved them enough? Did I teach my kids to look inside, and not society because all the power they ever want is within them? Did I encourage all to strive for greatness in all aspect of life? Did I leave an example for the people I lead? What are you willing to die for? Think about it. junecaniel.wordpress.com, Nov. 8, 2010

Maynard is coaching basketball, but he is teaching life. He lectures in and around Fayetteville State from time to time, but he teaches and advises and mentors and counsels every day on the court at Felton J. Capel Arena.

Maynards life has been filled with differing opportunities, but its hardly been about luck. Thats what hes trying to pass on. But even Maynard knows he can only go so far, that he can only do so much.

And thats precisely the point.

Fayetteville State offers opportunity, he says. But then it goes back to being on (the players). Its on them what they do with the opportunity. Where I fit in is the ability to teach them how to recognize opportunities and maximize opportunities. Its not enough that they just have opportunities, they have to be taught.

I think a lot of kids just go to college. But thats what coaching is all about. Coaching is about getting a player and helping him or her get to another level that they wouldnt be able to get to on their own versus just getting them here and saying, We gave you an opportunity. No, we have to teach. We have to train their eyes on what is opportunity, to teach them how to learn about themselves, which is the key to life.

Maynard believes he was always going to be able to get his message across. He just needed a means to get it out.

Basketball is simply the metaphor, he says. It couldve been anything else. It couldve been cars. It didnt matter what I did; it would just be the front to really get to the real core of the problem.

But it was basketball that did it. The game young Jay Maynard couldnt play as a child in San Francisco has been the vehicle that drives his philosophy two decades later. And as long as theres a kid, a hoop and a ball, Maynard will always have fuel.

Basketball has an end, he says. So hopefully youve given them some real food for thought, some real food to eat.

*The road to success is always under construction. junecaniel.wordpress.com, Oct. 6, 2010


I CHOSE DIVISION II; BLOOMFIELD'S CONROY HOSIER - by David Edole
Name: Conroy Hosier (198-F, college: Dixie St.)
School: Bloomfield College
Major: Sociology
Sport: Mens Basketball
Hometown: St. Croix, Virgin Islands,

Why did you choose to attend Bloomfield College and play athletics at the Division II level?
I felt part of the Bloomfield College Community immediately when I made my visit here. I was given a very unique opportunity to play basketball at a high level, and the coaching staff and Ms. (Sheila) Wooten (Director of Athletics) immediately took me in as one of their own. I dont feel like just a number here at Bloomfield. I know there are a lot of people in my corner who want me to do succeed, and I like that.

What is your favorite aspect of life at your school? My favorite aspect is meeting new people, and seeing all the people that come out of different communities. Bloomfield is a very diverse place, so I get to meet people from all different types of communities.

What are your plans after you graduate? After I graduate, I would love to become a basketball coach. I would also like to pursue something with helping children, such as a school guidance counselor. Anything that involves kids.

Hobbies: Cooking, listening to music, play golf, watching sports, playing video games, playing cards.

If you could invite three people to dinner, who would they be? Shaquille ONeal, Scottie Pippen, and Jay-Z

If you could be someone for a day, famous or not, who would you be? I would want to be Lebron James, because hes a very interesting person. Hes a kid at heart, but hes also a very smart businessman. Hes motivated by success, not just money.

If you had free tickets to any sporting event in the world, where would you go? Courtside seats to a Los Angeles Lakers NBA Finals game.

If you could be the President for a day, what would you do? Id visit every state, even if its just for ten minutes, so I can see the whole country.

Most visited website: ESPN.com

Describe yourself in one word: Understanding.

Favorite Class: Math

Favorite Sports Team: LA Lakers

Favorite Athlete: Scottie Pippen

Who is your Role Model? My mom.

Most Exciting Sports Memory: When I recorded my first triple-double, without scoring 10 points. I had 13 rebounds, 11 assists, and 13 blocks in a high school game.



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


Stats Leaders - Men
Points Per Game
 Steve BURTT
  Dnipro
  (185-G-84)
  Avg: 23.1
 1. Burtt, Dnipro23.1 
 2. Burns, Fe.17.7 
 3. Flores, BC Donetsk16.8 
 4. Washington, BC Od.16.8 
 5. Curry, Azovmash16.7 
 6. Williams, Halychyna15.0 
 7. Millage, Khimik14.8 
 8. Wiggins, Halychyna14.8 
 9. Bakic, Kryvbasb.14.5 
 10. Love, Mykolaiv13.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Michael FRASER
  DniproAzot
  (203-C/F-84)
  Avg: 10.4
 1. Fraser, DniproAzot10.4 
 2. Wiggins, Halychyna9.5 
 3. Burns, Fe.8.3 
 4. Saltovets, BC Kyiv7.7 
 5. Austin, Dnipro7.4 
 6. Morrison, Halyc.7.2 
 7. Hunter, Fe.6.9 
 8. Owens, Azovmash6.8 
 9. Greene, Mykolaiv6.3 
 10. Chappell, Hoverla6.2 
Assists Per Game
 Todd ABERNETHY
  Halychyna
  (185-G-84)
  Avg: 5.2
 1. Abernethy, Halyc.5.2 
 2. Zimmerman, Hoverla5.0 
 3. Vasiljevic, BC Do.5.0 
 4. Burtt, Dnipro4.9 
 5. Funn, Halychyna4.7 
 6. Millage, Khimik4.7 
 7. Brewer, BC Odessa4.5 
 8. Curry, Azovmash4.0 
 9. Sirsnins, DniproAzot4.0 
 10. Hinnant, Kryvbasb.3.7 
Steals Per Game
 Curtis MILLAGE
  Khimik
  (185-G-81)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Millage, Khimik2.5 
 2. House, Azovmash1.9 
 3. Mazutis, Mykolaiv1.6 
 4. Sirutavicius, Dnipro.1.6 
 5. Love, Mykolaiv1.5 
 6. Zimmerman, Hoverla1.5 
 7. Burns, Fe.1.5 
 8. Swanson, Hoverla1.5 
 9. Chappell, Hoverla1.4 
 10. Gliebov, BC Donetsk1.4 
Blocks Per Game
 James HUGHES
  Mykolaiv
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Hughes, Mykolaiv2.2 
 2. Kravtsov, BC Do.2.2 
 3. Hunter, Fe.1.7 
 4. Agafonov, Budiv.1.4 
 5. Morrison, Halyc.1.4 
 6. Zaitsev, Kryvbasb.1.4 
 7. Balashov, BC Odessa1.4 
 8. Turner, BC Odessa1.3 
 9. Pettway, Dnipro1.3 
 10. Owens, Azovmash1.2 


Superleague Round 39: Budivelnyk loses #1 position - by Eurobasket News
Round 39 in Superleague means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Lviv where host Halychyna (13-26) beat league's leader Budivelnyk (27-10) 90-81 on Thursday evening. Budivelnyk trailed by 17 points after 3 quarters before a 27-19 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 81-90 at the end of the game. Halychyna made 22-of-24 free shots (91.7 percent) during the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Halychyna made 7 blocks. 25 personal fouls committed by Budivelnyk helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American guard Nick Williams (192-83, college: Cincinnati, agency: Beo Basket) who scored 23 points and 5 assists. His fellow American import forward Alan Wiggins (206-84, college: USF) chipped in 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). At the other side the best for losing team was American guard William Keys (188-77, college: N.Mexico St.) who recorded 20 points and 7 rebounds. Budivelnyk's coach Josep Berrocal rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Halychyna maintains eleventh place with 13-26 record. Budivelnyk lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the second position with ten games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by BC Donetsk. Budivelnyk will play next round against strong Hoverla trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Halychyna will try to continue on its current victory against thirteenth ranked BC Kyiv at home.
The game had a very big importance for second-ranked BC Donetsk as it allowed them to take a leadership position. BC Donetsk defeated 10th ranked DniproAzot at home 90-75. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of DniproAzot. It was a good game for Bosnian swingman Jasmin Hukic (204-79, agency: Beo Basket) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. Viacheslav Kravtsov contributed with 19 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. The former international guard Maxim Balashov (189-80) answered with 24 points for DniproAzot. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. As mentioned above they took over a top position. DniproAzot at the other side keeps the tenth place with 23 games lost. DniproAzot will play next round against Ferro-ZNTU trying to get back on the winning streak. BC Donetsk will try to continue on its current victory against ninth ranked BC Odessa on the road.
Twelfth-ranked Khimik (11-26) made lots of trouble for fourth ranked Azovmash (24-14) in Yuzhny on Monday. The visitors from Mariupol managed to secure only three-point victory 84-81. However their fans expected much easier game. It was a great evening for Drago Pasalic who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. The best for the losing side was Curtis Millage with 29 points. Khimik's coach Zoran Martic tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Defending champion maintains fourth place with 24-14 record. Khimik lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 26 games lost. Azovmash will meet Kryvbasbasket (#8) in the next round. Khimik will play against Mykolaiv (#7) in Mykolaiv and hope to secure a win.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Frankivsk. Local Hoverla (24-13) outscored 13th ranked BC Kyiv (9-28) 67-47. It was a quality performance for Eric Coleman who led the winners and scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Hoverla have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to third place. BC Kyiv at the other side stay dead last with 28 lost games. Hoverla's next round opponent will be league's second-placed Budivelnyk in Kyiv and it will be for sure the game of the week. BC Kyiv will play on the road against Halychyna (#11) in Lviv and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

In the last game of round 39 BC Odessa was defeated by Mykolaiv in Mykolaiv 81-67.

Halychyna - Budivelnyk 90-81

Round 39 in Superleague means a new league leader. The biggest surprise took place in Lviv where host Halychyna (13-26) beat league's leader Budivelnyk (27-10) 90-81 on Thursday evening. Budivelnyk trailed by 17 points after 3 quarters before a 27-19 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 81-90 at the end of the game. Halychyna made 22-of-24 free shots (91.7 percent) during the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Halychyna made 7 blocks. 25 personal fouls committed by Budivelnyk helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American guard Nick Williams (192-83, college: Cincinnati, agency: Beo Basket) who scored 23 points and 5 assists. His fellow American import forward Alan Wiggins (206-84, college: USF) chipped in a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). At the other side the best for losing team was American guard William Keys (188-77, college: N.Mexico St.) who recorded 20 points and 7 rebounds and naturalized Lithuanian center Michailis Anisimovas (214-84) added 16 points and 5 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) respectively. Five Halychyna and four Budivelnyk players scored in double figures. Budivelnyk's coach Josep Berrocal rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Halychyna maintains eleventh place with 13-26 record. Budivelnyk lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the second position with ten games lost. They were replaced at the leadership position by BC Donetsk. Budivelnyk will play next round against strong Hoverla trying to make it back to the top of the standings. Halychyna will try to continue on its current victory against thirteenth ranked BC Kyiv at home.
Top scorers:
Halychyna: N.Williams 23+4reb+5ast, A.Wiggins 18+11reb+1ast, P.Revzin 14+3reb+2ast, H.Jamison 11+2reb, T.Abernethy 10+8reb+5ast, I.Shemosyuk 6+2reb+2ast
Budivelnyk: W.Keys 20+7reb+2ast, M.Anisimovas 16+5reb+2ast, Z.Morley 12+2reb+3ast, A.Betts 10+3reb+1ast, L.Wilson 6+4reb+2ast, A.Agafonov 6+2reb
gschID: 123226


Hoverla - BC Kyiv 67-47

The game with biggest result difference took place in Frankivsk. Local Hoverla (24-13) outscored 13th ranked BC Kyiv (9-28) 67-47. The game was mostly controlled by Hoverla. BC Kyiv was better in fourth quarter 14-13. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a quality performance for American center Eric Coleman (200-85, college: N.Iowa, agency: Hart Sports Mngm) who led the winners and scored 15 points and 7 rebounds. His fellow American import guard Jeremy Chappell (191-87, college: Robert Morris, agency: Hart Sports Mngm) accounted for 9 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side. Center Maksym Sandul (207-91) came up with 9 points and 8 rebounds and guard Pavlo Burenko (188-90) added 9 points respectively for BC Kyiv in the defeat. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Hoverla have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to third place. BC Kyiv at the other side stay dead last with 28 lost games. Hoverla's next round opponent will be league's second-placed Budivelnyk in Kyiv and it will be for sure the game of the week. BC Kyiv will play on the road against Halychyna (#11) in Lviv and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Hoverla: E.Coleman 15+7reb+2ast, D.Zimmerman 10+4reb+2ast, J.Chappell 9+7reb+5ast, P.Ulyanko 8+8reb+1ast, I.Kryvych 6, V.Gerasimchuk 5+3reb+2ast
BC Kyiv: R.Otverchenko 11+2reb, P.Burenko 9+4reb+3ast, M.Sandul 9+8reb, V.Kovalenko 7+7reb, O.Lypovyy 5+7reb+2ast, O.Tischenko 2+4reb
gschID: 123227


BC Donetsk - DniproAzot 90-75

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked BC Donetsk as it allowed them to take a leadership position. BC Donetsk defeated 10th ranked DniproAzot at home 90-75. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of DniproAzot. After very bad start, DniproAzot stormed back in the second period cutting the deficit to 2 points 41-39. But it was not enough and BC Donetsk took back the control in second half. They dominated down low during the game scoring 54 of its points in the paint compared to DniproAzot's 26. They outrebounded DniproAzot 42-21 including a 18-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. BC Donetsk players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by DniproAzot's players. It was a good game for Bosnian swingman Jasmin Hukic (204-79, agency: Beo Basket) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists. International center Viacheslav Kravtsov (212-87, agency: Beo Basket) contributed with 19 points and 7 rebounds for the winners. Four BC Donetsk players scored in double figures. The former international guard Maxim Balashov (189-80) answered with 24 points and American forward Bingo Merriex (204-80, college: TCU) added 11 points in the effort for DniproAzot. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. As mentioned above they took over a top position. DniproAzot at the other side keeps the tenth place with 23 games lost. DniproAzot will play next round against Ferro-ZNTU trying to get back on the winning streak. BC Donetsk will try to continue on its current victory against ninth ranked BC Odessa on the road.
Top scorers:
BC Donetsk: J.Hukic 27+11reb+4ast, V.Kravtsov 19+7reb, B.Cvetkovic 16+3reb+2ast, D.Gliebov 11+6reb+1ast, S.Vasiljevic 7+2reb+6ast, I.Shkurupiy 4+5reb+5ast
DniproAzot: M.Balashov 24+1reb+2ast, B.Merriex 11+3reb+1ast, R.Sirsnins 9+1reb+3ast, M.Fraser 9+5reb, J.Dukes 8+3reb, S.Gorbenko 5+4reb
gschID: 123228


Khimik - Azovmash 81-84

Twelfth-ranked Khimik (11-26) made lots of trouble for fourth ranked Azovmash (24-14) in Yuzhny on Monday. The visitors from Mariupol managed to secure only three-point victory 84-81. However their fans expected much easier game. Khimik trailed by 14 points after 3 quarters before a 26-15 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 81-84 at the end of the game. Azovmash made 22-of-26 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game. Azovmash outrebounded Khimik 38-24 including 23 on the defensive glass. It was a great evening for Croatian power forward Drago Pasalic (208-84) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. American forward Fred House (195-78, college: S.Utah, agency: Lanshire Group) helped adding 14 points and 7 rebounds. Five Azovmash players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was American guard Curtis Millage (185-81, college: Arizona St.) with 29 points and the former international swingman Alexander Kolchenko (198-88) scored 17 points. Khimik's coach Zoran Martic tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game. Defending champion maintains fourth place with 24-14 record. Khimik lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 26 games lost. Azovmash will meet Kryvbasbasket (#8) in the next round. Khimik will play against Mykolaiv (#7) in Mykolaiv and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Azovmash: D.Pasalic 17+10reb+2ast, F.House 14+7reb+3ast, M.Pustozvonov 14+2reb+1ast, C.Owens 13+8reb+2ast, R.Curry 11+6reb+4ast, P.Pierce 11+2reb+2ast
Khimik: C.Millage 29+2reb+3ast, A.Kolchenko 17+3reb+2ast, L.Williams 13+1reb+1ast, S.Zavadsky 6+3reb+3ast, T.Garrison 6+4reb+2ast, S.Popov 4+3reb
gschID: 123224


Mykolaiv - BC Odessa 81-67

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 9th ranked BC Odessa's (16-22) road loss to eighth ranked Mykolaiv (18-18) 67-81. The game was mostly controlled by Mykolaiv. BC Odessa was better in third quarter 22-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded BC Odessa 44-31 including 16 on the offensive glass. Mykolaiv brought some defensive toughness making 10 blocks. 24 personal fouls committed by BC Odessa helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The game was dominated by American players. It was an exceptional evening for swingman Brian Greene (196-83, college: Florida A&M) who led the winners and scored 18 points. Guard Justin Love (188-78, college: St.Louis) accounted for 9 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winning side. Guard Andrew Washington (191-84, college: Delaware) came up with 13 points and 7 rebounds and forward John DeGroat (198-85, college: Pittsburgh) added 10 points and 7 rebounds respectively for BC Odessa in the defeat. Five BC Odessa players scored in double figures. BC Odessa's coach Oleg Yushkin let to play ten players saving starting five for next games. Mykolaiv moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Kryvbasbasket. BC Odessa at the other side keeps the ninth position with 22 games lost. Mykolaiv's next round opponent will be Khimik (#12) in Yuzhny which should be theoretically an easy game. BC Odessa will play at home against the league's leader BC Donetsk where they are definitely not considered as a favorite in this game either.
Top scorers:
Mykolaiv: B.Greene 18+4reb+2ast, I.Gilyevych 14+5reb+1ast, O.Onufriyev 10+3reb+1ast, J.Love 9+9reb+5ast, A.Mazutis 8+7reb+3ast, J.Hughes 8+2reb+1ast
BC Odessa: A.Washington 13+7reb+3ast, G.Navickas 11+2reb+2ast, S.Balashov 10+7reb, P.Sparks 10+3reb+2ast, J.DeGroat 10+7reb+2ast, E.Ugboaja 4+2reb
gschID: 123225




Standings - Superleague
Superleague Standings
 1. BC Donetsk 28-9 
 2. Budivelnyk 27-10 
 3. Hoverla 24-13 
 4. Azovmash 24-14 
 5. Ferro-ZNTU 19-17 
 6. Dnipro 19-17 
 7. Mykolaiv 18-18 
 8. Kryvbasbasket 18-18 
 9. BC Odessa 16-22 
 10. DniproAzot 15-23 
 11. Halychyna 13-26 
 12. Khimik 11-26 
 13. BC Kyiv 9-28 


*****************************************************
  URUGUAY   


Malvin worried about Fernando Martinez's injury - by Sergio Palay
In the last minutes of the second final against Atletico Bigua, Fernando Martinez (170-G-79) suffered a left hand injury.
It did not seem serious, but after the game close, the doctor confirmed the fracture in the fifth finger of his left hand.
The player wants to play the third game and the doctors will apply him a special bandage.
Martinez is the star of Malvin and their presence is essential for the team to get the championship.

*****************************************************
  VENEZUELA   


Guayana is not small is Giant - by Wolfgang Lucena
Against all expectations, Gigantes de Guayana defeated Bucaneros de la Guaira 98-95 in Gonzalez Sisters Arena of Puerto Ordaz. Assistant Coach Luis Gimenez led this Gigantes de Guayana's victory because its head coach Carl Herrera flew out to Texas due familiar matters. Andrew Feeley (206-F/C-83,college: UMBC) played a terrific game for Gigantes de Guayana with 22 points followed by Blake Walker (196-G/F-82, college: Portland St.) with 19 points, Jose Bravo 14 and Randy Vasquez (190-G-78) 14. Despite the lost, Bucaneros had its best man on Richard Lugo (209-C-73, college: St.Francis, NY) with 23 points helped by Rafael Guevara (194-F-79) with 23 points as well.


Stats Leaders - LPB
Points Per Game
 Robert GLENN
  Trotamundos
  (201-F/C-89)
  Avg: 22.3
 1. Glenn, Trotamundos22.3 
 2. Nembhard, Gaiteros20.3 
 3. Lugo, Bucaneros20.0 
 4. Feeley, Gigantes18.8 
 5. Centeno, Gaiteros18.7 
 6. Millsap, Guaros18.3 
 7. Thomas, Gaiteros17.7 
 8. Cubillan, Trotamundos17.7 
 9. Walker, Gigantes17.5 
 10. Thomas, Cocodrilos17.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Jack Michael MARTINEZ
  Cocodrilos
  (203-F/C-81)
  Avg: 13
 1. Martinez, Cocodrilos13.0 
 2. Lugo, Bucaneros9.5 
 3. Coleman, Panteras9.2 
 4. Glenn, Trotamundos8.7 
 5. Sucre, Marinos8.5 
 6. Millsap, Guaros8.3 
 7. Bayona, Guaros7.8 
 8. Flores, Toros7.3 
 9. Bethelmy, Cocodrilos6.5 
 10. Bravo, Gigantes6.3 
Assists Per Game
 Gregory VARGAS
  Marinos
  (182-PG-86)
  Avg: 8.3
 1. Vargas, Marinos8.3 
 2. Mensah, Panteras4.8 
 3. Nembhard, Gaiteros4.3 
 4. Centeno, Cocodrilos3.5 
 5. Cedeno, Guaiqueries3.5 
 6. Jennings, Gigantes3.3 
 7. Martinez, Cocodrilos2.5 
 8. Vargas, Trotamun.2.3 
 9. Millsap, Guaros2.3 
 10. Smith, Marinos2.3 
Steals Per Game
 Kojo MENSAH
  Panteras
  (185-PG-85)
  Avg: 4.6
 1. Mensah, Panteras4.6 
 2. Vargas, Marinos3.8 
 3. Mejias, Gaiteros3.7 
 4. Colmenares, Cocod.3.5 
 5. Walker, Gigantes3.5 
 6. Nembhard, Gaiteros3.3 
 7. McGowan, Guaros3.0 
 8. Vargas, Trotamun.3.0 
 9. Millsap, Guaros2.8 
 10. Moore, Toros2.7 
Blocks Per Game
 Evan BROCK
  Guaiqueries
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 2
 1. Brock, Guaiqueries2.0 
 2. Feeley, Gigantes1.8 
 3. Glenn, Trotamundos1.7 
 4. Bethelmy, Cocodrilos1.5 
 5. Coleman, Panteras1.4 
 6. Malloy, Gaiteros1.0 
 7. Jackson, Panteras1.0 
 8. Lopez, Gaiteros1.0 
 9. Rodriguez, Guaiquer.1.0 
 10. Miglionico, Gaiteros1.0 


Hector Pepito Romero is an Indian in Puerto Rico - by Wolfgang Lucena
Outstanding Venezuelan power forward Hector 'pepito' Romero became an Indian thanks to his deal with the Puerto Rican professional basketball team Indians of Mayaguez. Hector Romero (202-F/C-80, college: New Orleans) whom is one of the main icons of the professional basketball league of Venezuela as well as of Marinos de Anzoategui Basketball BBC said that Marinos always was his first option to play this 2011 season but it seems like the plan of team was not the same. 'We were calling them before take this decision, Hector Romero, but they didn't answer the phone... I was hoping to play in Venezuela...it is not fair...I have not another option...They ignored me completely'


Source: http://www.liderendeportes.com/Noticias/MasDeportes/-Pepito%E2%80%9D-Romero-jugara-con-Indios-de-Mayaguez.aspx



*****************************************************
  VTB UNITED LEAGUE   


Standings
VTB United League Standings
Group A
 1. CSKA 8-1 
 2. Unics 8-1 
 3. Lietuvos Rytas 5-4 
 4. Minsk-2006 4-5 
 5. Dnipro 2-7 
 6. Honka 0-9 
Group B
 1. Khimky 8-1 
 2. Zalgiris 7-2 
 3. Azovmash 6-3 
 4. Asseco Prokom 3-7 
 5. VEF Riga 3-7 
 6. Kalev/Cramo 1-8 


Day 9 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
The most interesting game of round 9 was a home defeat of 4th placed Belarusian Minsk-2006 (4-5) to third ranked Lithuanian Lietuvos Rytas (5-4) 86-78 in the game for the third place. The guests trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 86-78. It was a great shooting night for Lietuvos Rytas especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 53.3 percentage. Guard Martynas Gecevicius (193-88) stepped up and scored 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and swingman Steponas Babrauskas (197-84) chipped in 19 points. Lietuvos Rytas' coach Aleksandar Trifunovic used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The best for the losing side was American guard Tywain McKee (188-86, college: Coppin St.) with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Defending Lithuanian champion maintains third place in Group A with 5-4 record having just three points less than leader CSKA. Defending Belarusian champion Minsk-2006 keeps the fourth position with five games lost. Lietuvos Rytas are looking forward to face Dnipro (#5) in Dnepropetrovsk in the next round. Minsk-2006 will play on the road against the league's leader CSKA Moscow and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Very significant was Lithuanian Zalgiris' (#2, 7-2) victory against 4th placed Polish Asseco Prokom (3-7) 84-79. Forward Paulius Jankunas (205-84, agency: Interperformances) nailed 15 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and Martynas Pocius accounted for 19 points. Guard Krzysztof Szubarga (182-84) came up with 12 points and 7 assists for Asseco Prokom in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Zalgiris maintains second place in Group B with 7-2 record behind leader CSKA. Defending Polish champion Asseco Prokom keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Zalgiris will play against Azovmash (#3) in Mariupol in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Asseco Prokom will have a break next round.
VTB United League top team - Russian CSKA Moscow (8-1) added another victory to their record on Wednesday. This time they beat sixth ranked Finnish Espoo Honka (0-9) 66-59. The best player for the winners was Dmitry Sokolov who scored 12 points and 8 rebounds. CSKA Moscow's coach Jonas Kazlauskas allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. At the other side the best for losing team was John Williamson who recorded a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds. Defending Russian champion maintains first place in Group A with 8-1 record. Espoo Honka at the other side still closes the standings with nine games lost. CSKA Moscow will meet at home Minsk-2006 (#4) in the next round. Espoo Honka will play against the league's second-placed Unics Kazan and hopes to get finally their first victory.
VTB United League top team - Russian Khimky (8-1) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed fifth ranked Latvian VEF Riga (3-7) in Khimki 81-61. It was a good game for Lazaros Papadopoulos who led his team to a victory with 20 points and 6 rebounds (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field). Khimky's coach Sergio Scariolo allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Khimky maintains first place in Group B with 8-1 record. VEF Riga at the other side keeps the fifth position with seven games lost. Khimky's next round opponent will be bottom-ranked Kalev/Cramo (#6) in Tallinn which should be theoretically another easy game.

In the last two games of round 9
In Group A Dnipro was destroyed by Unics on the opponent's court 87-55.
In Group B Azovmash outscored Kalev/Cramo in a home game 76-55.


Group A
Unics - Dnipro 87-55

Rather expected game when 5th ranked Ukrainian Dnipro (2-7) was crushed on the road by second ranked Russian Unics Kazan (8-1) 87-55. The game without a history. Unics Kazan led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Dnipro's 40. They outrebounded Dnipro 41-30 including a 33-21 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a good game for American-Russian forward Kelly McCarty (201-75, college: S.Mississippi, agency: Avi Zilberman) who led his team to a victory with 18 points and 6 rebounds. Polish-Swedish center Maciej Lampe (210-85) contributed with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Five Unics Kazan players scored in double figures. American guard Steve Burtt (185-84, college: Iona) answered with 16 points and power forward Maksym Kornienko (205-87) added 14 points in the effort for Dnipro. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Unics Kazan maintains second place in Group A with 8-1 record having just 0 victories less than leader CSKA. Dnipro at the other side keeps the fifth position with seven games lost. Unics Kazan's next round opponent will be bottom-ranked Espoo Honka (#6) at home. Dnipro will play against Lietuvos Rytas in Vilnius and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Unics: K.McCarty 18+6reb+1ast, V.Veremeenko 15+4reb+2ast, M.Popovic 14+4reb+4ast, M.Lampe 12+11reb+1ast, H.Rizvic 12+9reb+1ast, Z.Pashutin 8+2reb+1ast
Dnipro: S.Burtt 16+3reb+3ast, M.Kornienko 14+4reb+1ast, A.Pettway 7+5reb, D.Brown 6+3reb, I.Bilytske 6+1reb+2ast, M.Vilkhovetskyi 4+1reb+1ast
gschID: 101954


Honka - CSKA 59-66

VTB United League top team - Russian CSKA Moscow (8-1) added another victory to their record on Wednesday. This time they beat sixth ranked Finnish Espoo Honka (0-9) 66-59. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Espoo Honka won third quarter 15-11. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The best player for the winners was center Dmitry Sokolov (212-85, agency: Agency No 10) who scored 12 points and 8 rebounds. Slovenian forward Matjaz Smodis (205-79) chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds. Four CSKA Moscow players scored in double figures. CSKA Moscow's coach Jonas Kazlauskas allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. At the other side the best for losing team was American center John Williamson (198-86, college: Cincinnati) who recorded a double-double by scoring 17 points and 11 rebounds and the other American import guard Jamar Wilson (185-84, college: Albany) added 16 points and 9 rebounds respectively. Defending Russian champion maintains first place in Group A with 8-1 record. Espoo Honka at the other side still closes the standings with nine games lost. CSKA Moscow will meet at home Minsk-2006 (#4) in the next round. Espoo Honka will play against the league's second-placed Unics Kazan and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
CSKA: D.Sokolov 12+8reb, A.Shved 10+2reb+2ast, M.Smodis 10+8reb+1ast, N.Kurbanov 10+9reb, S.Bykov 8+1ast, S.Kaun 6+5reb+1ast
Honka: J.Williamson 17+11reb, J.Wilson 16+9reb+2ast, C.Belser 10+8reb, J.Matinen 8+5reb, S.Vanttaja 5+1reb+1ast, T.Iisalo 3+5reb+5ast
gschID: 101955


Minsk-2006 - Lietuvos Rytas 78-86

The most interesting game of round 9 was a home defeat of 4th placed Belarusian Minsk-2006 (4-5) to third ranked Lithuanian Lietuvos Rytas (5-4) 86-78 in the game for the third place. The guests trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 86-78. It was a great shooting night for Lietuvos Rytas especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 53.3 percentage. Guard Martynas Gecevicius (193-88) stepped up and scored 20 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and swingman Steponas Babrauskas (197-84) chipped in 19 points. Lietuvos Rytas' coach Aleksandar Trifunovic used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The best for the losing side was American guard Tywain McKee (188-86, college: Coppin St.) with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals and Vincentian center Shawn King (208-82, college: ORU) produced a double-double by scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds. Defending Lithuanian champion maintains third place in Group A with 5-4 record having just three points less than leader CSKA. Defending Belarusian champion Minsk-2006 keeps the fourth position with five games lost. Lietuvos Rytas are looking forward to face Dnipro (#5) in Dnepropetrovsk in the next round. Minsk-2006 will play on the road against the league's leader CSKA Moscow and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Lietuvos Rytas: M.Gecevicius 20+5reb+3ast, S.Babrauskas 19+2reb+1ast, J.Valanciunas 14+6reb+1ast, K.Bajramovic 8+5reb+1ast, S.Jasaitis 7+5reb, M.Bjelica 6+7reb+2ast
Minsk-2006: T.McKee 18+7reb+4ast, A.Kudrautsau 16+4reb+4ast, S.King 15+10reb+1ast, A.Lashkevich 9, D.Korshuk 9+7reb+2ast, A.Trastsinetski 6+3reb
gschID: 101956


Group B
Zalgiris - Asseco Prokom 84-79

Very significant was Lithuanian Zalgiris' (#2, 7-2) victory against 4th placed Polish Asseco Prokom (3-7) 84-79. The hosts started the game with a very strong first quarter 19-10. But Asseco Prokom won second period 24-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Zalgiris made 29-of-36 charity shots (80.6 percent) during the game. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. Asseco Prokom was plagued by 31 personal fouls down the stretch. Forward Paulius Jankunas (205-84, agency: Interperformances) nailed 15 points and 8 rebounds for the winning side and guard Martynas Pocius (196-86, college: Duke, agency: Interperformances) accounted for 19 points. Guard Krzysztof Szubarga (182-84) came up with 12 points and 7 assists and American guard Thomas Adams (191-80, college: Hampton, agency: Pro Partner Sports Management) added 17 points respectively for Asseco Prokom in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Zalgiris maintains second place in Group B with 7-2 record behind leader CSKA. Defending Polish champion Asseco Prokom keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Zalgiris will play against Azovmash (#3) in Mariupol in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Asseco Prokom will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Zalgiris: M.Pocius 19+3ast, P.Jankunas 15+8reb, T.Klimavicius 9+7reb+1ast, M.Kalnietis 8+1reb+7ast, T.Delininkaitis 7+2ast, A.Milaknis 6+2reb
Asseco Prokom: T.Adams 17+1reb+1ast, L.Seweryn 13+1ast, K.Szubarga 12+3reb+7ast, A.Lapeta 9+7reb, R.Burrell 7+6reb+1ast, R.Witka 6+2reb
gschID: 101957


Khimky - VEF Riga 81-61

VTB United League top team - Russian Khimky (8-1) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed fifth ranked Latvian VEF Riga (3-7) in Khimki 81-61. The game without a history. Khimky led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Khimky had a 31-20 advantage in offensive rebounds. They shot the lights out from three nailing 12 long-distance shots on high 54.5 percentage. It was a good game for Greek-Russian center Lazaros Papadopoulos (210-80, agency: INVICTUS Sports Group) who led his team to a victory with 20 points and 6 rebounds (on 9-of-10 shooting from the field). Eritrean-Polish swingman Thomas Kelati (195-82, college: Washington St., agency: Beo Basket) contributed with 15 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Four Khimky players scored in double figures. Khimky's coach Sergio Scariolo allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Swingman Dairis Bertans (192-89) answered with 14 points and 6 rebounds and swingman Sandis Valters (193-78) added 15 points and 4 assists in the effort for VEF Riga. Khimky maintains first place in Group B with 8-1 record. VEF Riga at the other side keeps the fifth position with seven games lost. Khimky's next round opponent will be bottom-ranked Kalev/Cramo (#6) in Tallinn which should be theoretically another easy game.
Top scorers:
Khimky: L.Papadopoulos 20+6reb+2ast, T.Hansen 16+3reb+2ast, T.Kelati 15+6reb+2ast, K.Loncar 12+6reb, R.Lopez 10+3reb+2ast, S.Monya 7+6reb+6ast
VEF Riga: S.Valters 15+1reb+4ast, D.Bertans 14+6reb, A.Parakhouski 9+7reb+1ast, T.Cain 7+7reb+3ast, K.Berzins 6+5reb+3ast, G.Jahovics 5+4reb+1ast
gschID: 101958


Azovmash - Kalev/Cramo 76-55

Rather predictable result in Mariupol where third ranked Ukrainian Azovmash (6-3) smashed bottom-ranked Estonian Kalev/Cramo (1-8) 76-55. The game was mostly controlled by Azovmash. Kalev/Cramo was better in fourth quarter 13-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. 24 personal fouls committed by Kalev/Cramo helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a good game for American forward Fred House (195-78, college: S.Utah, agency: Lanshire Group) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. His fellow American import guard Pierre Pierce (193-83, college: Iowa, agency: Lanshire Group) contributed with 13 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Four Azovmash players scored in double figures. Latvian guard Armands Skele (192-83) answered with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists and American center Michael Dunigan (208-89, college: Oregon, agency: N.E.T.) added 17 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Kalev/Cramo. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Defending Ukrainian champion maintains third place in Group B with 6-3 record having just two points less than leader CSKA. Kalev/Cramo at the other side stay at the bottom position with eight games lost. Azovmash's next round opponent will be league's second-placed Zalgiris in Kaunas and it will be for sure the game of the week. Kalev/Cramo will play at home against the league's leader Khimky (#1) in Khimki.
Top scorers:
Azovmash: D.Alexander 17+5reb+1ast, F.House 16+10reb+4ast, P.Pierce 13+9reb+4ast, C.Owens 10+4reb+4ast, M.Pustozvonov 7+1ast, C.Thomas 7+4reb+2ast
Kalev/Cramo: M.Dunigan 17+5reb+1ast, A.Skele 12+9reb+5ast, R.Keerles 11+5reb, R.Tamm 5+3reb+6ast, G.Arbet 3+5reb+1ast, T.Sokk 2+1reb+1ast
gschID: 101959






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Women News

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  BALTIC LEAGUE - Women  


Standings
Baltic League Standings
Semifinals
Group A
 1. Berezina 0-0 
 2. Lemminkainen 0-0 
 3. Spartak SP 0-0 
 4. TTT Riga 0-0 
Group B
 1. Gorizont 0-0 
 2. Minsk-2006 0-0 
 3. Olimpia 0-0 
 4. VICI Kaunas 0-0 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Merike ANDERSON
  Spartak SP
  (181-F-81)
  Avg: 18.3
 1. Anderson, Spart.18.3 
 2. Nikolai, TL.18.0 
 3. Belyakova, Spart.16.9 
 4. Murauskaya, Berez.16.9 
 5. Lacy, Spartak SP16.3 
 6. Kozun, Olimpia16.2 
 7. Filonchyk, Olimpia14.9 
 8. Dyeva, Serene14.9 
 9. Givens, Minsk-200614.8 
 10. Kast, TL.14.8 
Rebounds Per Game
 Sigita GALDIKAITE
  MRU
  (188-F-90)
  Avg: 10
 1. Galdikaite, MRU10.0 
 2. Iordan, Olimpia9.3 
 3. Kozun, Olimpia8.7 
 4. Dyeva, Serene8.5 
 5. Junaid, Spartak SP8.5 
 6. Murauskaya, Berez.8.5 
 7. Filonchyk, Olimpia8.1 
 8. Aleksaite, MRU8.1 
 9. Gricaeva, Spart.8.0 
 10. Kast, TL.8.0 
Assists Per Game
 Iva CIGLAR
  Spartak SP
  (170-G-85)
  Avg: 5.6
 1. Ciglar, Spartak SP5.6 
 2. Padabed, Minsk.4.2 
 3. Murauskaya, Berez.4.1 
 4. Kashlei, Olimpia4.1 
 5. Zintikaite, MRU3.6 
 6. Yuzhakova, Spart.3.4 
 7. Keyru, Spartak SP3.2 
 8. Padshyvalava, Victo.3.2 
 9. Jakovits, Berezina3.1 
 10. Givens, Minsk-20063.0 
Steals Per Game
 Marija KUHAREVA
  Spartak SP
  (185-F-89)
  Avg: 3.8
 1. Kuhareva, Spart.3.8 
 2. Keyru, Spartak SP3.6 
 3. Murauskaya, Berez.3.6 
 4. Gricaeva, Spart.3.4 
 5. Padshyvalava, Victo.3.1 
 6. Belyakova, Spart.2.9 
 7. Ciglar, Spartak SP2.5 
 8. Miil, TL.2.5 
 9. Martinkute, MRU2.3 
 10. Okuneva, TL.2.2 
Blocks Per Game
 Valeria KAST
  Mariana
  (201-C-87)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Kast, Minsk-20061.9 
 2. Kast, TL.1.8 
 3. Murauskaya, Berez.1.5 
 4. Galdikaite, MRU1.5 
 5. Paskalenko, Spart.1.5 
 6. Istseliatsov., Minsk-.1.3 
 7. Rashcenia, Victoria1.3 
 8. Filonchyk, Olimpia1.2 
 9. Junaid, Spartak SP1.0 
 10. Kalenta, Berezina0.9 


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  CROATIA - Women  


Gospicwins Derby, Pula crushed by Lupa - by Zeljko Zule
After trailing 29-42 at the break, Gospic CO outscored Sibenik Jolly JBS by 23 through the end of the game of Round 3. Gospic hit eleven 3-pointers while Sibenik hit only one. Jelena Ivezic (184-G-84) scored 21 points, Sandra Mandir and Michelle Maslowski 18 each and Sena Pavetic added 10 for Gospic. Lindsey Wilson led Sibenik with 21 points, Petra Stampalija had 19 and Andrijana Vasovic 14. Pula was the crushed by Lupa promotion in a 98-58 game.
Sibenik Jolly JBS-Gospic CO 71-81 (Cakic 9, Stampalija 19, Misura 2, Wilson 21, Vasovic 14, Ivankovic 6 - Ivezic 21, Mandir 18, Reid 8, Jurcevic 3, Aleksic 3, Pavetic 10, Maslowski 18):
Lupa promotion-Pula 94-48 (Juric 6, Cacic 8, Cuncic 12, Benic 14, Matic 15, Mada 7, Prgomet 2, Miller 33, Brkljacic 1 -Dukic 8, Premasunac 2, Flaherty 6, Cvjetkovic 13, Konjevic 2, Valentic 2, Jovanovic 8, Ramljak 7): The home team outscored Pula 31-11 in the openinig quarter, 27-4 in the second period and led by 80-24 going into the final quarter.


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  CZECH REPUBLIC - Women  


Stats Leaders - Women
Points Per Game
 Frida ELDEBRINK
  Frisco Sika
  (174-G-88)
  Avg: 20.8
 1. Eldebrink, Frisco S.20.8 
 2. Milton-Jones, USK P.19.5 
 3. Reisingerova, Strako.18.3 
 4. Vlkova, Valosun .16.9 
 5. Johnova, Strakonice16.5 
 6. Halvarsson, Frisco S.16.5 
 7. Snajdrova-Z., Trutn.15.4 
 8. Viteckova, USK P.15.2 
 9. Misurova, Trutnov15.0 
 10. Hartigova, Hradec K.14.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Cheryl FORD
  Frisco Sika
  (191-F/C-81)
  Avg: 12
 1. Ford, Frisco Sika12.0 
 2. Reisingerova, Strako.10.9 
 3. Vecerova, Valosun .9.8 
 4. Kulichova, USK P.8.0 
 5. Skerovic, Frisco Sika7.9 
 6. Snajdrova-Z., Trutn.7.7 
 7. Horakova, Hradec K.7.6 
 8. Milton-Jones, USK P.7.1 
 9. Stepanova, VS Praha7.0 
 10. Sipova, Slovanka.7.0 
Assists Per Game
 Hana NEZDARILOVA-STANKOVA
  Slovanka MB
  (170-G-84)
  Avg: 5.9
 1. Nezdarilova-S., Slovan.5.9 
 2. Skerovic, Frisco Sika5.2 
 3. Uhrova, Strakonice4.7 
 4. Johnova, Strakonice3.2 
 5. Whalen, USK Praha3.1 
 6. Kysilkova, Hradec K.3.0 
 7. Viteckova, USK P.2.9 
 8. Eldebrink, Frisco S.2.8 
 9. Brantlova, VS Praha2.7 
 10. Hrabakova, Karlovy .2.3 
Steals Per Game
 Hana NEZDARILOVA-STANKOVA
  Slovanka MB
  (170-G-84)
  Avg: 3.4
 1. Nezdarilova-S., Slovan.3.4 
 2. Brantlova, VS Praha2.7 
 3. Uhrova, Strakonice2.7 
 4. Skerovic, Frisco Sika2.6 
 5. Johnova, Strakonice2.4 
 6. Novotna, Slovanka.2.3 
 7. Milton-Jones, USK P.2.1 
 8. Quintana, Pardubice1.9 
 9. Kulichova, USK P.1.9 
 10. Whalen, USK Praha1.9 
Blocks Per Game
 Michaela HARTIGOVA
  Hradec Kralove
  (192-C-83)
  Avg: 1.9
 1. Hartigova, Hradec K.1.9 
 2. Kulichova, USK P.1.7 
 3. Horakova, Hradec K.1.0 
 4. Vecerova, Valosun .0.9 
 5. Milton-Jones, USK P.0.9 
 6. Ferancikova, USK P.0.8 
 7. Halvarsson, Frisco S.0.7 
 8. Stepanova, VS Praha0.7 
 9. Novakova, Trutnov0.7 
 10. Sipova, Slovanka.0.6 


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  ESTONIA - Women  


Standings - Women
Meistriliiga Standings
 1. Eclex Tallinn 12-1 
 2. Tartu Ulikooli 7-5 
 3. TLU/Volta 6-4 
 4. NikeWomen 5-7 
 5. Audentes 0-13 


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  FINLAND - Women  


Niina Laaksonen claims Finnish D1 weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
International power forward Niina Laaksonen (185-F/C-85) had an amazing evening in the last round for Espoo Team and that's her to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 27.
The 25-year old power forward had a double-double of 17 points and eleven rebounds, while her team outclassed HoNsU (#7, 7-20) with 32-point margin 93-61. Espoo Team is placed at 3rd position in Finnish D1. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Espoo Team will need more victories to improve their 15-10 record. It's Laaksonen's second year at Espoo Team and it's hard to imagine this team without her. Laaksonen has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in points (7th best: 17.3ppg), rebounds (7th best: 10.8rpg) and averages solid 53.0% FGP.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 22-year old American forward Judie Lomax (180-F-88) of Huima. Lomax impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 22 points and 15 rebounds. Bad luck as Huima was edged by slightly higher-ranked ToPo (#4, 15-11) 70-67. This loss caused Huima to drop to 5th position in the standings. Her team lost some distance to top teams. But 15-12 record is not bad and everything may still change. Lomax is one of the most experienced players at Huima and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was another Huima's star - American Michele Jones (186-F/C-87). Jones scored 19 points and grabbed eleven rebounds (!!!). Despite Jones' great performance Huima lost 67-70 to slightly higher-ranked ToPo (#4, 15-11). But her team cannot count on just these two top stars as they also need help of the other teammates. The last thing Huima needs is to lose another game like this one. They lose more and more distance to the top teams. Their record is 15 victories and 12 lost games. Jones has a great season in Finland. After 25 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 10.4rpg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Maija Lahde (183-F-83) of Espoo Team - 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Dandra Moss (183-F-88) of ToPo - 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Annika Holopainen (186-F/C-93) of Espoo Team - 15 points and 8 rebounds
7. Heila Rosenfeldt (173-G-83) of FoA - 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Minna Sten (188-F-87) of FoA - 12 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Ashley Pellom (170-G-86) of FoA - 13 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
10. Hanna Valkeinen (168-G-87) of ToPo - 12 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists

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

FoA won Keravan Energia Team - by Elina Koskinen
FoA took a 72-52 victory over Keravan Energia Team in Forssa on Wednesday evening. Home Team had a strong start in the match and they netted 23-8 numbers in the first period. In the second quarter Keravan Energia Team got into the game and narrowed the lead. In five minutes visitors had leveled the game to numbers 24-25. Then FoA started to run again and numbers were 37-29 in the half-time. FoA sealed the victory in second half of the game when they made 13-0 run. FoA had also many players who scored evenly. Heila Rosenfeldt (173-G-83) from FoA netted the game highest 17 points. She was assisted by Ashley Pellom (170-G-86) 13/7, Minna Sten (188-F-87) 12/9 and Juta Jahilo (186-C-84) 10/8. Best performance from Keravan Energia Team was made by Silja Paavola (183-C-83) who netted 11 points and took 11 rebounds. Paavola was helped by Minna Sten 10/9 and Maiju Kosunen (176-G-86) 10/5.

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  HOLLAND - Women  


Playoff Finals: Wereldtickets.nl takes 1-0 lead against Binnenland - by Eurobasket News
Wereldtickets.nl is 1-0 up in the Playoff Finals. They blasted Binnenland 85-60 in Game One on Tuesday. Marlous Nieuwveen (196-C-80) stepped up for the hosts with 24 points and 13 rebounds. She reached valuation 34 and was the MVP of this meeting. Francisca Donders (170-G-89) and Bridget Yoerger (180-F, college: S.Dakota) secured a great help adding 19 and 17 points respectively. In the loosing squad, Willemijn Kallenberg (176-G-93) delivered 15 pts.
Wereldtickets.nl finished regular season as No.5 with 11-7 record. They eliminated Grasshoppers and HLB Accountants in the Quarterfinals and Semis. Binnenland was No.4 in regular season and was better than Amazone and ProBuild Lions later. Game Two is scheduled for Saturday.

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  JAPAN - Women  


JX Sunflowers win the Final opener - by Eurobasket News
JX Sunflowers win the Final opener as they beat Toyota A 76:65. The winner of the Regular Season started with 20-19 and added 22-17 in the second period. Toyota did not give up and responded with 20-14 in the third period. The last frame was decisive in the game and brought 20-9 for the hosts. Due to that JX Sunflowers managed to take 1-0 record.
Oh Okami (170-G-82) erupted with 28 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Ramu Tokashiki (191-C-91) followed her with 26 points and Huromi Suwa (183-C-88) scored 8. Ryoko Yano (178-F-78) responded with 12 points in the losing effort, while Deke Ku Emi (165-G-84) posted 15. Mami Ikeda (178-C/F-81) delivered 12 and Maya Kawahara (167-G-87) notched 11.
Game 2 to be played on March 12th.

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  LATVIA - Women  


Standings - LSBL
LSBL Standings
 1. TTT Riga 25-0 
 2. LU 17-5 
 3. RTU-Merks 17-7 
 4. TTT Juniores 13-9 
 5. TTT Kadetes 10-13 
 6. Daugavpils 7-18 
 7. Cesis 3-20 
 8. Liepajas 2-22 


Stats Leaders - Women
Points Per Game
 Ieva KRASTINA
  LU
  (176-G/F-90)
  Avg: 22.3
 1. Krastina, LU22.3 
 2. Lisnere, Cesis19.7 
 3. Krumberga, TTT R.19.7 
 4. Hollingswort., TTT R.18.4 
 5. Jakobsone, Cesis17.8 
 6. Teilane, RTU-Merks15.4 
 7. Egle, Daugavpils15.4 
 8. Surkusa, TTT J.15.3 
 9. Eibele, TTT Riga15.2 
 10. Butler, TTT Riga14.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Liga SURKUSA
  TTT Riga
  (192-C-91)
  Avg: 12
 1. Surkusa, TTT J.12.0 
 2. Lisnere, Cesis11.5 
 3. Teilane, RTU-Merks11.3 
 4. Lagzdina, TTT J.10.8 
 5. Hollingswort., TTT R.10.2 
 6. Butler, TTT Riga9.5 
 7. Pavlovska, RTU-M.8.5 
 8. Nimane, TTT Riga8.3 
 9. Veidere, TTT K.8.2 
 10. Zarina, LU8.1 
Assists Per Game
 Anda EIBELE
  TTT Riga
  (170-G-84)
  Avg: 6.2
 1. Eibele, TTT Riga6.2 
 2. Jevsejeva, Dauga.4.5 
 3. Krastina, LU4.0 
 4. Karklina, TTT Riga3.8 
 5. Neimane, TTT J.3.4 
 6. Butler, TTT Riga3.0 
 7. Staugaitiene, TTT R.2.8 
 8. Kazakevica, Dauga.2.7 
 9. Sarja, TTT Juniores2.6 
 10. Bridina, TTT K.2.4 
Steals Per Game
 Ieva KRASTINA
  LU
  (176-G/F-90)
  Avg: 4.2
 1. Krastina, LU4.2 
 2. Karklina, TTT Riga3.4 
 3. Butler, TTT Riga2.9 
 4. Eibele, TTT Riga2.8 
 5. Krumberga, TTT R.2.7 
 6. Zeltina, Cesis2.5 
 7. Nimane, TTT Riga2.5 
 8. Bridina, TTT K.2.4 
 9. Kazakevica, Dauga.2.3 
 10. Staugaitiene, TTT R.2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Anita TEILANE
  Satu Mare
  (196-C-85)
  Avg: 3.4
 1. Teilane, RTU-Merks3.4 
 2. Veidere, TTT K.3.1 
 3. Surkusa, TTT J.2.2 
 4. Hollingswort., TTT R.1.7 
 5. Nimane, TTT Riga1.4 
 6. Lazdeniece, RTU-M.1.3 
 7. Lisnere, Cesis1.3 
 8. Egle, Daugavpils1.1 
 9. Egle, Daugavpils1.0 
 10. Vitola, RTU-Merks0.9 


LSBL Round 20: TTT Kadetes are defeated by TTT Juniores in a derby game - by Eurobasket News
The most interesting game was a derby match between two local teams from Riga: TTT Juniores (#4) and TTT Kadetes (#5). TTT Juniores (13-9) won against visiting TTT Kadetes (10-13) 85-72. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of TTT Kadetes. The game was mostly controlled by TTT Juniores. TTT Kadetes managed to win fourth quarter 22-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded TTT Kadetes 47-28 including a 32-14 advantage in defensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of center Guna Lagzdina (182-93) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and center Ilze Teilane (192-92) who added 13 points and 5 rebounds (perfect from the field making all six shots) during the contest. TTT Juniores' coach Ainars Cukste used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guard Kate Aizsila (172-94) responded with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. TTT Juniores maintains fourth position with 13-9 record. Newly promoted TTT Kadetes keep the fifth place with 13 games lost. TTT Juniores are looking forward to face Cesis (#7) at home in the next round. TTT Kadetes will play against Daugavpils Universitate and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Another interesting game was again a derby between two teams from Riga: TTT Riga (#1) and RTU-Merks (#3). TTT Riga (25-0) smashed visiting RTU-Merks (17-7) by 50 points 100-50. The winners were led by the former international guard Anda Eibele (170-84, agency: Josep and Nicolas) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 20 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists and Karline Nimane supported her with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Even 15 points by forward Ieva Malkevica (175-87) did not help to save the game for RTU-Merks. Undefeated TTT Riga have an impressive 25-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 25-0 record. RTU-Merks at the other side keep the third place with seven games lost. TTT Riga will play against TTT Kadetes (#5) in Riga in the next round. RTU-Merks will have a break next round.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Riga. Top-ranked host TTT Riga (25-0) defeated second-ranked Latvijas Universitate (17-5) 78-60. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Latvijas Universitate. The best player for the winners was Dita Krumberga who had a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds. Ieva Krastina produced 26 points and 6 steals (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) for the guests. Undefeated TTT Riga have an impressive 25-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 25-0 record. Loser Latvijas Universitate keeps the second place with five games lost. TTT Riga will meet TTT Kadetes (#5) in the next round. Latvijas Universitate will play against Liepajas and hope to secure a win.
LSBL top team - TTT Riga (25-0) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed eighth ranked Liepajas (2-22) 110-33. Dita Krumberga orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds. Liepajas' coach Livija Alpe-Luka gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Undefeated TTT Riga have an impressive 25-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 25-0 record. Liepajas lost twentiethth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 22 lost games. TTT Riga's next round opponent will be TTT Kadetes (#5) in Riga. Liepajas will play at home against the league's second-placed Latvijas Universitate in Riga.
The game in Daugavpils was also quite interesting. 4th ranked TTT Juniores (13-9) played at the court of sixth ranked Daugavpils Universitate (7-18). Daugavpils Universitate defeated TTT Juniores 66-54 on Wednesday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of TTT Juniores. Worth to mention a great performance of Kristina Egle who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 34 points (!!!) and 10 rebounds. Daugavpils Universitate maintains sixth position with 7-18 record. Loser TTT Juniores keep the fourth place with nine games lost. Daugavpils Universitate will face higher ranked TTT Kadetes (#5) in Riga in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. TTT Juniores will play at home against Cesis.

In the last two games of round 20 Daugavpils lost to LU on the opponent's court 61-72. RTU-Merks managed to outperform Cesis in a home game 62-51.


Daugavpils - TTT Juniores 66-54

The game in Daugavpils was also quite interesting. 4th ranked TTT Juniores (13-9) played at the court of sixth ranked Daugavpils Universitate (7-18). Daugavpils Universitate defeated TTT Juniores 66-54 on Wednesday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of TTT Juniores. The game was mostly controlled by Daugavpils Universitate. TTT Juniores was better in second period 17-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Kristina Egle (177-86) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 34 points (!!!) and 10 rebounds and power forward Santa Baltace (178-92) who added 12 points and 7 rebounds during the contest. Center Guna Lagzdina (182-93) responded with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 16 rebounds and guard Liene Neimane (172-88) scored 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Daugavpils Universitate maintains sixth position with 7-18 record. Loser TTT Juniores keep the fourth place with nine games lost. Daugavpils Universitate will face higher ranked TTT Kadetes (#5) in Riga in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. TTT Juniores will play at home against Cesis.
Top scorers:
Daugavpils: K.Egle 34+10reb+3ast, S.Baltace 12+7reb+1ast, O.Jevsejeva 9+7reb+4ast, O.Kazakevica 6+2reb+4ast, O.Lakomko 3+2reb, M.Sirokova 2+1reb
TTT Juniores: I.Teilane 12+3reb+2ast, G.Lagzdina 12+16reb+1ast, L.Neimane 8+8reb+6ast, M.Laure 8+3reb+2ast, L.Sarja 6, D.Kuzmane 4+5reb
gschID: 119707


TTT Juniores - TTT Kadetes 85-72

The most interesting game was a derby match between two local teams from Riga: TTT Juniores (#4) and TTT Kadetes (#5). TTT Juniores (13-9) won against visiting TTT Kadetes (10-13) 85-72. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of TTT Kadetes. The game was mostly controlled by TTT Juniores. TTT Kadetes managed to win fourth quarter 22-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded TTT Kadetes 47-28 including a 32-14 advantage in defensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of center Guna Lagzdina (182-93) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and center Ilze Teilane (192-92) who added 13 points and 5 rebounds (perfect from the field making all six shots) during the contest. TTT Juniores' coach Ainars Cukste used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guard Kate Aizsila (172-94) responded with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists and guard Renate Reine (176-94) scored 15 points. TTT Juniores maintains fourth position with 13-9 record. Newly promoted TTT Kadetes keep the fifth place with 13 games lost. TTT Juniores are looking forward to face Cesis (#7) at home in the next round. TTT Kadetes will play against Daugavpils Universitate and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
TTT Juniores: G.Lagzdina 20+10reb+3ast, I.Teilane 13+5reb+1ast, A.Ozolina 12+4reb+1ast, A.Priedniece 9+4reb+3ast, L.Sarja 8+7reb+3ast, L.Neimane 7+4reb+5ast
TTT Kadetes: K.Aizsila 26+5reb+6ast, R.Reine 15+4reb, I.Jundase 8+3reb+2ast, A.Aizsila 7+6reb, E.Zondaka 6+3reb+2ast, P.Pece 5+3reb
gschID: 123386


LU - Daugavpils 72-61

Very expected game in Riga where 6th ranked Daugavpils Universitate (7-18) was defeated by second ranked Latvijas Universitate (17-5) 72-61 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Latvijas Universitate. Daugavpils Universitate was better in third quarter 21-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Daugavpils Universitate 47-24 including a 15-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of swingman Ieva Krastina (176-90, agency: LBM Management) who helped to win the game recording 13 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists and guard Laura Purina (171-90, college: Northwestern (WY)) who added 20 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Latvijas Universitate's coach Rudolfs Rozitis allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Power forward Santa Baltace (178-92) responded with 19 points and forward Kristina Egle (177-86) scored 15 points and 5 rebounds. Four Daugavpils Universitate players scored in double figures. Latvijas Universitate maintains second position with 17-5 record having eleven points less than leader TTT Riga. Daugavpils Universitate lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with 18 games lost. Latvijas Universitate will face bottom-ranked Liepajas (#8) on the road in the next round where they are favorite. Daugavpils Universitate will play against TTT Kadetes in Riga and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
LU: L.Purina 20+5reb+3ast, I.Krastina 13+8reb+8ast, A.Vorma 11+6reb+2ast, K.Pumpure 9+5reb, Z.Lapsina 9+7reb+3ast, L.Jansona 2+6reb+1ast
Daugavpils: S.Baltace 19+4reb+1ast, K.Egle 15+5reb+3ast, O.Jevsejeva 10+4reb+4ast, O.Lakomko 10+3reb+3ast, O.Kazakevica 4+3reb+2ast, I.Simanska 3+3reb+2ast
gschID: 119703


TTT Riga - LU 78-60

The game between Top Four teams took place in Riga. Top-ranked host TTT Riga (25-0) defeated second-ranked Latvijas Universitate (17-5) 78-60. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Latvijas Universitate. The game was mostly controlled by TTT Riga. Latvijas Universitate managed to win second period 25-24. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Latvijas Universitate to just 7 points in fourth quarter. TTT Riga made 33-of-39 free shots (84.6 percent) during the game, while Latvijas Universitate only scored seventeen points from the stripe. They outrebounded Latvijas Universitate 38-26 including 25 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was international forward Dita Krumberga (183-84, college: Mt.St.Marys) who had a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds. Forward Karline Nimane (188-90) chipped in 19 points and 7 rebounds. Five TTT Riga players scored in double figures. Swingman Ieva Krastina (176-90, agency: LBM Management) produced 26 points and 6 steals (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) and guard Anete Vorma (165-89) added 13 points respectively for the guests. TTT Riga have an impressive 25-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 25-0 record. Loser Latvijas Universitate keeps the second place with five games lost. TTT Riga will meet TTT Kadetes (#5) in the next round. Latvijas Universitate will play against Liepajas and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
TTT Riga: D.Krumberga 22+11reb+3ast, K.Nimane 19+7reb+1ast, I.Veinberga 12+5reb+2ast, A.Eibele 11+10reb+2ast, E.Pavlovska 11+4reb+1ast, S.Dukate 3+1reb
LU: I.Krastina 26+4reb, A.Vorma 13+3reb+2ast, Z.Lapsina 7+1reb+1ast, L.Purina 5+3reb+1ast, K.Pumpure 5+4reb+1ast, L.Pagrode 3+1reb
gschID: 119704


RTU-Merks - Cesis 62-51

Rather predictable result in Riga where third ranked RTU-Merks (17-7) defeated 7th ranked Cesis (3-20) 62-51 on Tuesday. Cesis were tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. RTU-Merks dominated on the defensive end, holding Cesis to just 7 points in fourth quarter. They also forced 25 Cesis turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when RTU-Merks made 9 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Anete Kirsteine (178-92) who helped to win the game recording 12 points and forward Dita Rozenberga (181-92) who added 4 points and 10 rebounds during the contest. Power forward Lina Lisnere (192-86, college: Syracuse) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 14 rebounds and forward Inga Geistarde-Zaporozeca (178-78) scored 8 points and 13 rebounds. Cesis' coach Ainars Zvirgzdins rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. RTU-Merks maintains third position with 17-7 record having nine points less than leader TTT Riga. Cesis lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh place with 20 games lost. RTU-Merks will have a break next round. Cesis will play on the road against TTT Juniores (#4) in Riga.
Top scorers:
RTU-Merks: A.Kirsteine 12+4reb+1ast, S.Langenfelde 11+4reb, D.Lazdeniece 8+6reb+1ast, D.Ozolina 8+4reb+2ast, I.Vitola 8+3reb, I.Malkevica 5+3reb+1ast
Cesis: L.Lisnere 24+14reb+3ast, I.Geistarde-Zaporozeca 8+13reb+1ast, I.Ievina 7+4reb+3ast, L.Bebre 4+1reb, Z.Zeltina 3+3reb, K.Vapne 3+1reb+1ast
gschID: 119705


Liepajas - TTT Riga 33-110

LSBL top team - TTT Riga (25-0) had no problems winning another game. This time they crushed eighth ranked Liepajas (2-22) 110-33. The game without a history. TTT Riga led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Liepajas to just 4 points in fourth quarter and to 13 points in second half. TTT Riga held Liepajas to an opponent 18.6 percent shooting from the field compared to 55.3 percent accuracy of the winners and made 18-of-23 charity shots (78.3 percent) during the game. TTT Riga forced 28 Liepajas turnovers and outrebounded them 55-24 including a 20-9 advantage in offensive rebounds. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists comparing to just 4 passes made by Liepajas' players. International forward Dita Krumberga (183-84, college: Mt.St.Marys) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Karline Nimane (188-90) contributed with 18 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Five TTT Riga players scored in double figures. Center Liga Zdanovska (186-87) replied with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds and swingman Anete Pinstere (180-85) added 5 points in the effort for Liepajas. Liepajas' coach Livija Alpe-Luka gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. TTT Riga have an impressive 25-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 25-0 record. Liepajas lost twentiethth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 22 lost games. TTT Riga's next round opponent will be TTT Kadetes (#5) in Riga. Liepajas will play at home against the league's second-placed Latvijas Universitate in Riga.
Top scorers:
TTT Riga: D.Krumberga 21+13reb+3ast, K.Nimane 18+8reb+1ast, Z.Jakobsone 18+5reb+1ast, I.Veinberga 14+5reb+3ast, A.Eibele 14+4reb+7ast, E.Pavlovska 12+9reb+2ast
Liepajas: L.Zdanovska 14+10reb, K.Simanovica 7+3reb, D.Line 5+1reb, A.Pinstere 5+4reb+1ast, M.Line 2+1reb+1ast, A.Feldmane 0+1reb
gschID: 119706


TTT Riga - RTU-Merks 100-50

Another interesting game was again a derby between two teams from Riga: TTT Riga (#1) and RTU-Merks (#3). TTT Riga (25-0) smashed visiting RTU-Merks (17-7) by 50 points 100-50. The game without a history. TTT Riga led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 48 of its points in the paint compared to RTU-Merks' 16 and made 16-of-19 charity shots (84.2 percent) during the game. They outrebounded RTU-Merks 58-27 including a 21-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. TTT Riga players were unselfish on offense dishing 26 assists comparing to just 5 passes made by RTU-Merks' players. The winners were led by the former international guard Anda Eibele (170-84, agency: Josep and Nicolas) who had that evening a double-double by scoring 20 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists and forward Karline Nimane (188-90) supported her with 15 points and 18 rebounds. Four TTT Riga players scored in double figures. Even 15 points by forward Ieva Malkevica (175-87) did not help to save the game for RTU-Merks. Guard Signe Langenfelde (177-88) added 9 points for the guests. TTT Riga have an impressive 25-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 25-0 record. RTU-Merks at the other side keep the third place with seven games lost. TTT Riga will play against TTT Kadetes (#5) in Riga in the next round. RTU-Merks will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
TTT Riga: D.Krumberga 21+9reb, A.Eibele 20+8reb+11ast, S.Dukate 19+3reb+4ast, K.Nimane 15+18reb+1ast, I.Veinberga 9+3reb+1ast, E.Pavlovska 8+7reb+2ast
RTU-Merks: I.Malkevica 15+2ast, S.Langenfelde 9+4reb+1ast, I.Korfa 9+4reb+1ast, D.Poksane 7+4reb, D.Lazdeniece 5+5reb+1ast, K.Cirsa 5+8reb
gschID: 119702




*****************************************************
  LITHUANIA - Women  


Standings - LMKL
LMKL Standings
 1. VICI Kaunas 23-0 
 2. Lemminkainen 14-7 
 3. Laisve 14-9 
 4. LKKA-Aistes 8-13 
 5. MRU 8-13 
 6. Utena 6-16 
 7. Ruta Siauliai 4-19 


Stats Leaders - LMKL
Points Per Game
 Santa OKOCKYTE
  LKKA-Aistes
  (176-G-92)
  Avg: 17.8
 1. Okockyte, LK.17.8 
 2. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.17.1 
 3. Kinkeviciene, Laisve16.7 
 4. Aglinskaite, Laisve15.6 
 5. Milieskiene, Lemmin.15.0 
 6. Briedyte, Utena14.6 
 7. Daujadiene, Utena14.0 
 8. Aglinskaite, MRU13.8 
 9. Solopova, VICI K.13.4 
 10. Bimbaite, VICI K.13.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Sandra BALIUTAVICIUTE
  Ruta Siauliai
  (182-F-81)
  Avg: 10.6
 1. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.10.6 
 2. Palaimaite, Utena10.2 
 3. Aleksaite, MRU9.5 
 4. Balciunaite, LKKA-.9.4 
 5. Grigalauskyt., Lemmin.8.7 
 6. Galdikaite, MRU8.6 
 7. Taraseviciut., Laisve8.6 
 8. Budryte, Laisve8.3 
 9. Kirstukaite, Utena7.7 
 10. Margeviciute, Lemmin.6.9 
Assists Per Game
 Ligita KINKEVICIENE
  Laisve
  (173-G-76)
  Avg: 5.8
 1. Kinkeviciene, Laisve5.8 
 2. Sauliute, VICI K.5.6 
 3. Zygelyte, Lemminka.4.7 
 4. Daujadiene, Utena4.5 
 5. Pilypaitis, VICI K.3.9 
 6. Bimbaite, VICI K.3.7 
 7. Solopova, VICI K.3.6 
 8. Valentiene, VICI K.3.0 
 9. Ziegyte, Utena2.8 
 10. Okockyte, LK.2.8 
Steals Per Game
 Ligita KINKEVICIENE
  Laisve
  (173-G-76)
  Avg: 3.4
 1. Kinkeviciene, Laisve3.4 
 2. Balciunaite, LKKA-.3.2 
 3. Bimbaite, VICI K.2.9 
 4. Solopova, VICI K.2.6 
 5. Sauliute, VICI K.2.4 
 6. Milieskiene, Lemmin.2.4 
 7. Briedyte, Ruta S.2.3 
 8. Daujadiene, Utena2.2 
 9. Pilypaitis, VICI K.2.2 
 10. Baliutaviciu., Ruta S.2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Kristina ALMINAITE
  VICI Kaunas
  (204-C-90)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Alminaite, VICI K.1.8 
 2. Palaimaite, Utena1.4 
 3. Paugaite, VICI K.1.4 
 4. Juceviciute, Utena1.4 
 5. Kirstukaite, Utena1.2 
 6. Aleksaite, MRU1.1 
 7. Budryte, Laisve1.0 
 8. Kvederaviciu., Laisve0.9 
 9. Margeviciute, Lemmin.0.9 
 10. Pikciute, VICI K.0.8 


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


Challenge for T71 Dudelange - by Liz Schmitz
The team Musel Pikes will host this weekend the team from T71 Dudelange. The top game of the play-offs will show if the team of coach Erny Gruskovnjak can expand their lead or if the team from the South can once more prove that they are a worthy opponent in the race of the championship trophy. By winning, the team around Carine Cigrang (175-F-85) will already have a 3-point lead in the standings and their Final Four spot should be pretty much secured. Even though they missed to get to the final game of the cup by losing their second game of the season against Etzella Ettelbruck, the team often lead by their american power forward Christine Fisher (183-F-83) stays the most promising candidate in the race for the championship. T71 Dudelange has shown a lot of good performances so far in the season. With around 12 points and 5 rebounds per game, Alexandra Kugener (180-F-83) has been a garant for the team and playing a great season so far. It will be a tremendous loss for the Luxembourgish basketball and of course T71 Dudelange, when she will end her successfull career after the season. Additionally, T71 Dudelange can also currently always count on their guard Rachel Wagener (168-G-86) (12,5 points per game) and has so far only lost 4 games this season. The team of coach Jacques Sitz needs to win this weekend if they do not want to lose their second spot in the standings against Etzella Ettelbruck and eventually their home-court advantage. So, it will be an interesting game on Saturday night in Remich.

*****************************************************
  NAIA - Women  


Nuggets vs. Lee, Rush vs. Evangel at NAIA nationals - by Emiliano
The Xavier University of Louisiana women's basketball team will get a rematch with Lee (Tenn.), and the XU men will play Evangel in the opening round of the NAIA Division I Basketball National Championships next week.
The Gold Nuggets (26-6), ranked 20th in the final poll announced Wednesday, will play No. 13 Lee (25-6) at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16 at Oman Arena in Jackson, Tenn. The Gold Rush (27-5), ranked 17th, will play No. 15 Evangel (25-8) at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, March 17 at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Xavier's women defeated Lee 59-48 at The Barn on Dec. 6. The Gold Nuggets reached nationals for the second straight year and the 15th time in 17 seasons. They qualified by winning the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Tournament.
Xavier's men, in their winningest season since 1983-84, received an at-large bid after finishing second in the GCAC Tournament. This is their 12th appearance at nationals, their fifth in eight seasons and first since 2008.
The second round will be March 18. The Gold Nuggets would play at 10:45 a.m. against Oklahoma City or Montana Tech, and the Gold Rush would play at 2:15 p.m. against Concordia (Calif.) or Southern Polytechnic.


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


Dawn Evans wins CAA Player of the Year Award - by George Fragkos
JMU senior guard Dawn Evans (5'7''-G) was selected as the 2011 Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball Player of the Year in voting by the league's head coaches. The announcement was made Wednesday evening at the CAA's pre-tournament banquet in National Harbor, Maryland.

Also receiving top honors were NC-Wilmington's Cynthia Cooper-Dyke as CAA Coach of the Year, ODU's Jasmine Parker (5'6''-G-88) as CAA Defensive Player of the Year and NC-Wilmington's Alisha Andrews (5'4''-G) as CAA Rookie of the Year. William & Mary's Lindsey Moller (5'10''-G-88) was chosen as the recipient of the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award.

Evans is the fifth JMU player to earn CAA Player of the Year accolades. The senior guard leads the conference and ranks second in the nation in scoring with 23.6 points per game. Evans became the CAA's all-time leading scorer on March 2 and now has 2,589 career points. She has also set a number of school records, including career field goals (828), career free throws (555) and career three-pointers. Evans has scored in double-figures in 112 career games, tying the school record.

Cooper-Dyke guided the Seahawks to a 22-7 overall record and a 14-4 conference mark in her first year at NC-Wilmington. The Seahawks were tied for second in the CAA regular-season race, representing the program's highest league finish since joining the conference in 1984-85. UNCW was picked to finish eighth in the CAA's preseason poll, but turned in one of the top turnarounds in the nation after going 12-19 overall and 6-12 in the CAA a year ago.

Parker led the CAA and ranked sixth in the nation with 3.2 steals per game this season. The senior guard grabbed the team's third-most defensive rebounds (87) en route to 109 total boards. She also topped the Lady Monarchs with 124 assists. Parker is just the third ODU player to earn Defensive Player of the year honors.

Andrews started all 29 games as UNCW's point guard and turned in a sensational rookie year. The Seahawks' guard ranked second in the CAA with 5.0 assists per game and was third in the league with 2.9 steals per contest. Andrews also contributed offensively, scoring 10.4 points per game. Much of her offense came from the perimeter as she drained a team-high 60 three-pointers and shot 42.3% from beyond the arc.

Moller was the recipient of the Dean Ehlers Leadership award, which is presented annually to the women's basketball student-athlete who 'embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, and sportsmanship in conjunction with her academic athletic achievement.' Moller, a senior guard, started 10 games this season and was third on the Tribe with 44 assists. She also scored 27 points and made 24 steals.

Joining Evans on the All-CAA first team were UNCW senior guard/forward Brittany Blackwell (6'1''-G/F-89), Delaware sophomore forward/guard Elena DelleDonne (6'5''-G/F-89), Hofstra sophomore forward Shante Evans (6'0''-F) and Va Commonwealth junior forward Courtney Hurt (6'1''-F).

Blackwell ranked sixth in the CAA in scoring (16.1 ppg), fourth in rebounding (8.7 rpg) and second in steals (3.1 spg) while shooting a league-best 56.5% from the floor. Delle Donne was limited to just 17 games due to illness, but contributed a team-high 25.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. Evans recorded 15 double-doubles this season while ranking third in the CAA in scoring (18.6 ppg), second in rebounding (11.1 rpg) and third in FG percentage (53.4%). Hurt led the nation in rebounding (12.6 rpg) and was third in Division I in scoring with 23.4 ppg while tallying a nation's-best 23 double-doubles.

Courtesy: CAA



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


Stats Leaders - PLKK
Points Per Game
 Laurie KOEHN
  Utex Row
  (173-G-82)
  Avg: 17.8
 1. Koehn, Utex Row17.8 
 2. Champion, Inea AZS16.9 
 3. Kobryn, Wisla C.15.1 
 4. Harris, Utex Row15.1 
 5. Ross, Lider P.14.8 
 6. Leuchanka, Gorzow14.4 
 7. Jankowska, LKS S.14.0 
 8. Fox-Griffin, Super.14.0 
 9. Wright, Lotos G.13.9 
 10. Swanier, Lotos G.13.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Yelena LEUCHANKA
  Wisla Can-Pak
  (196-C-83)
  Avg: 9.7
 1. Leuchanka, Gorzow9.7 
 2. Oha, LKS Siemens9.5 
 3. Carter, CCC P.8.8 
 4. Bjelica, Lotos Gdynia8.5 
 5. Cheek, Super-Pol8.3 
 6. Crisman, Artego7.9 
 7. Alexander, Odra B.7.7 
 8. Denson, Lider P.7.4 
 9. Jankowska, LKS S.7.4 
 10. Irvin, Lotos Gdynia7.3 
Assists Per Game
 Sharnee ZOLL
  CCC Polkowice
  (170-G-86)
  Avg: 5.8
 1. Zoll, CCC P.5.8 
 2. Richards, Gorzow4.3 
 3. Phillips, Wisla C.4.2 
 4. Raymond, Artego4.0 
 5. Kulaga, Super-Pol4.0 
 6. Swanier, Lotos G.4.0 
 7. Idczak, Inea AZS3.7 
 8. Bortelova, Energa T.3.5 
 9. Gawronska, Odra B.3.5 
 10. Babkina, Lotos G.3.4 
Steals Per Game
 Naketia SWANIER
  Lotos Gdynia
  (170-G-86)
  Avg: 3
 1. Swanier, Lotos G.3.0 
 2. Ross, Lider P.2.6 
 3. Phillips, Wisla C.2.4 
 4. Bednarek, Lider P.2.4 
 5. Carter, CCC P.2.3 
 6. Wright, Lotos G.2.2 
 7. Leedham, Gorzow2.2 
 8. Gajda, Energa Torun2.1 
 9. Kopczyk, Widzew2.0 
 10. Crisman, Artego2.0 
Blocks Per Game
 Brittany DENSON
  Lider Pruszkow
  (191-C-87)
  Avg: 2
 1. Denson, Lider P.2.0 
 2. Majewska, CCC P.1.9 
 3. Perostiyska, Energa T.1.5 
 4. Irvin, Lotos Gdynia1.4 
 5. Burse, Wisla C.1.3 
 6. Jankowska, LKS S.1.1 
 7. Goff, Super-Pol1.0 
 8. Kobryn, Wisla C.0.9 
 9. Oha, LKS Siemens0.9 
 10. Alexander, Odra B.0.8 


Standings - PLKK
PLKK Standings
 1. Wisla Can-Pak 21-2 
 2. CCC Polkowice 20-3 
 3. Gorzow 17-5 
 4. Lotos Gdynia 16-7 
 5. Lider Pruszkow 15-8 
 6. Energa Torun 14-9 
 7. Artego 11-12 
 8. Super-Pol 11-13 
 9. Widzew 9-13 
 10. Inea AZS 6-17 
 11. Utex Row 4-19 
 12. Odra Brzeg 3-20 
 13. LKS Siemens 2-21 


PLKK Round 25: Top-ranked Wisla Can-Pak wins another game - by Eurobasket News
PLKK top team - Wisla Can-Pak (21-2) had no problems winning another game on Thursday. This time they beat fifth ranked Lider Pruszkow (15-8) 65-47. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Lider Pruszkow. The guests trailed by 8 points after first quarter, but they stormed back and won the game by 18 points. They outrebounded Lider Pruszkow 49-27 including a 37-24 advantage in defensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of international center Magdalena Leciejewska (191-86) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists. Belarusian center Yelena Leuchanka (196-83, college: W.Virginia) contributed with 10 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. American guard Adrianne Ross (173-84, college: TCU) answered with 22 points and 4 steals for Lider Pruszkow. Lider Pruszkow's coach Arkadiusz Koniecki rotated eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Wisla Can-Pak have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 21-2 record. Lider Pruszkow at the other side keeps the fifth position with eight games lost. Wisla Can-Pak are looking forward to face Widzew (#9) in Lodz in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Lider Pruszkow will play on the road against LKS Siemens (#13) in Lodz and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
The game between second ranked CCC Polkowice (20-3) and 13th ranked LKS Siemens (2-21) in Polkowice ended with biggest points difference. CCC Polkowice outscored guests from Lodz 73-31. American guard Kalana Greene (178-87, college: Connecticut) stepped up and scored 14 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and Tangela Smith chipped in 14 points and 5 rebounds. CCC Polkowice's coach Krzysztof Koziorowicz felt very confident using 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side forward Magdalena Losi (173-80, agency: Promotex) responded with 10 points and 7 rebounds. CCC Polkowice maintains second place with 20-3 record behind leader Wisla Can-Pak. LKS Siemens lost tenth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 21 lost games. CCC Polkowice will play against Energa Torun (#6) on the road in the next round. LKS Siemens will play against Lider Pruszkow (#5) and hope to get back on the winning track.

Other games in round 25 were not that significant. Lotos Gdynia smashed Inea AZS on the road 101-80. Gorzow destroyed Energa Torun on its own court 78-52. Utex Row unfortunately lost to Super-Pol in Leszno 57-68. Widzew rolled over Odra Brzeg at home 79-49.
The most impressive performance of 25th round was 37 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds by Milka Bjelica of Lotos Gdynia.


Inea AZS - Lotos Gdynia 80-101

No shocking result in a game when fourth ranked Lotos Gdynia (16-7) crushed 10th ranked Inea AZS (6-17) in Poznan 101-80. The game without a history. Lotos Gdynia led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They shot 60.3 percent from the field and made 20-of-23 charity shots (87.0 percent) during the game. Lotos Gdynia outrebounded Inea AZS 35-21 including 25 on the defensive glass. Montenegrin forward Milka Bjelica (193-81) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 37 points (!!!) and 16 rebounds (on 13-of-17 shooting from the field) for the winners and the former international center Marta Jujka (192-88) chipped in 13 points and 6 rebounds. At the losing side forward Agnieszka Makowska (182-82) responded with 14 points and the former international forward Elzbieta Mowlik (180-83, agency: Data Plus Group) scored 10 points. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Inea AZS's coach Krzysztof Szewczyk gave up on the game allowing to play twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Lotos Gdynia have an impressive series of nine victories in a row. Defending champion maintains fourth place with 16-7 record. Inea AZS at the other side keeps the tenth position with 17 games lost. Lotos Gdynia will play against higher ranked AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski (#3) in Gorzow Wlkp. in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Inea AZS will play on the road against Utex Row (#11) in Rybnik and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Lotos Gdynia: M.Bjelica 37+16reb+3ast, O.Tomialowicz 14+1reb+1ast, M.Jujka 13+6reb, M.Wright 11+5reb+2ast, N.Swanier 9+2reb+3ast, E.Babkina 8+2reb+6ast
Inea AZS: A.Makowska 14+2reb+2ast, Z.Durak 10+1reb+2ast, A.Kotnis 10+2reb, E.Mowlik 10+2reb+3ast, B.Gilliam 9+2reb+2ast, W.Idczak 7+1reb+1ast
gschID: 100089


Lider Pruszkow - Wisla Can-Pak 47-65

PLKK top team - Wisla Can-Pak (21-2) had no problems winning another game on Thursday. This time they beat fifth ranked Lider Pruszkow (15-8) 65-47. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of Lider Pruszkow. The guests trailed by 8 points after first quarter, but they stormed back and won the game by 18 points. They outrebounded Lider Pruszkow 49-27 including a 37-24 advantage in defensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of international center Magdalena Leciejewska (191-86) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 18 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists. Belarusian center Yelena Leuchanka (196-83, college: W.Virginia) contributed with a double-double by scoring 10 points, 15 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. American guard Adrianne Ross (173-84, college: TCU) answered with 22 points and 4 steals and the other American import forward Bernice Mosby (186-84, college: Baylor) added 10 points in the effort for Lider Pruszkow. Lider Pruszkow's coach Arkadiusz Koniecki rotated eleven players seeing no chance for a win. Wisla Can-Pak have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 21-2 record. Lider Pruszkow at the other side keeps the fifth position with eight games lost. Wisla Can-Pak are looking forward to face Widzew (#9) in Lodz in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Lider Pruszkow will play on the road against LKS Siemens (#13) in Lodz and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Wisla Can-Pak: M.Leciejewska 18+15reb+4ast, E.Phillips 11+8reb+5ast, Y.Leuchanka 10+15reb+6ast, G.Basko 9+5reb, A.Jelavic 7+1reb+4ast, K.Krezel 4
Lider Pruszkow: A.Ross 22+3reb, B.Mosby 10+4reb+2ast, A.Bednarek 6+2reb+2ast, A.Chomac 4+5reb, K.Bednarczyk 2+2reb, B.Denson 2+5reb
gschID: 100086


CCC Polkowice - LKS Siemens 73-31

The game between second ranked CCC Polkowice (20-3) and 13th ranked LKS Siemens (2-21) in Polkowice ended with biggest points difference. CCC Polkowice outscored guests from Lodz 73-31. The game without a history. CCC Polkowice led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding LKS Siemens to just 2 points in third quarter and to 12 points in second half. CCC Polkowice held LKS Siemens to an opponent 23.1 percent shooting from the field compared to 48.3 percent accuracy of the winners. American guard Kalana Greene (178-87, college: Connecticut) stepped up and scored 14 points and 5 rebounds for the winners and her fellow American import power forward Tangela Smith (193-77, college: Iowa, agency: Josep and Nicolas) chipped in 14 points and 5 rebounds. CCC Polkowice's coach Krzysztof Koziorowicz felt very confident using 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the losing side forward Magdalena Losi (173-80, agency: Promotex) responded with 10 points and 7 rebounds and Russian-Belarusian guard Alena Novikava (178-88) scored 8 points. CCC Polkowice maintains second place with 20-3 record behind leader Wisla Can-Pak. LKS Siemens lost tenth consecutive game. They stay dead last with 21 lost games. CCC Polkowice will play against Energa Torun (#6) on the road in the next round. LKS Siemens will play against Lider Pruszkow (#5) and hope to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
CCC Polkowice: K.Greene 14+5reb, T.Smith 14+5reb, N.Trafimava 14+2reb+3ast, S.Zoll 8+2reb+6ast, A.Pietrzak 5+1reb+2ast, M.Babicka 4+1ast
LKS Siemens: M.Losi 10+7reb+1ast, A.Novikava 8+3reb+2ast, T.Zhurauliova 7+5reb, U.Oha 6+4reb, A.Modelska 0, M.Rzeznik 0+5reb+2ast
gschID: 100087


Gorzow - Energa Torun 78-52

Rather expected game when 6th ranked Energa Torun (14-9) was smashed by third ranked AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski (17-5) in Gorzow Wlkp. 78-52. The game was mostly controlled by AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski. Energa Torun was better in fourth quarter 15-11. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. International power forward Izabela Piekarska (196-85, college: UTEP) stepped up and scored 23 points and 7 rebounds for the winners and American forward Lyndra Weaver (185-87, college: Virginia) chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds. Four AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski players scored in double figures. At the losing side American forward Alicia Gladden (180-85, college: Florida St.) responded with 15 points and 9 rebounds and guard Magdalena Radwan (180-82) scored 7 points. Energa Torun's coach gave up on the game allowing to play eleven players seeing no chance for a win. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski maintains third place with 17-5 record having five points less than leader Wisla Can-Pak. Energa Torun at the other side keeps the sixth position with nine games lost. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski will play against Lotos Gdynia (#4) on the road in the next round. Energa Torun will play against the league's second-placed CCC Polkowice and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Gorzow: I.Piekarska 23+7reb+1ast, L.Weaver 14+7reb+1ast, J.Zurowska 12+4reb+2ast, C.Nnamaka 10+6reb+3ast, S.Richards 7+3reb+4ast, A.Skobel 4+4reb+1ast
Energa Torun: A.Gladden 15+9reb+1ast, M.Radwan 7+4reb+1ast, V.Perostiyska 7+4reb+1ast, J.Maksimovic 6+3reb, A.Gajda 6+2reb+1ast, E.Tlumak 4+3reb
gschID: 100088


Super-Pol - Utex Row 68-57

Rather predictable result when eighth ranked Super-Pol (11-13) won against 11th ranked Utex Row (4-19) in Leszno 68-57. Utex Row was ahead by 6 points at the halftime before a 36-19 second half run of Super-Pol. American players dominated the game. Forward Joy Cheek (185-88, college: Duke) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds for the winners and guard Mercedes Fox-Griffin (170-87, college: Oregon St.) chipped in 15 points. Four Super-Pol players scored in double figures. At the losing side guard Rebecca Harris (176-86, college: Illinois) responded with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds and forward Anna McLean (187-87, college: Iona) scored 13 points and 9 rebounds. Super-Pol maintains eighth place with 11-13 record. Utex Row lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the eleventh position with 19 games lost. Super-Pol will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Utex Row will play at home against Inea AZS (#10) in Poznan and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Super-Pol: J.Cheek 19+10reb, M.Fox-Griffin 15+4reb+2ast, J.Grabowska 11+1reb+5ast, J.Czarnecka 10+5reb, A.Kulaga 9+1reb+9ast, D.Urbaniak 2+1reb+1ast
Utex Row: R.Harris 19+13reb+3ast, A.McLean 13+9reb, L.Koehn 6+5reb+1ast, K.Stanek 5+1reb, P.Rozwadowska 4+3reb, K.Suknarowska 4+1reb+1ast
gschID: 100084


Widzew - Odra Brzeg 79-49

Not a big story in a game when 12th ranked Odra Brzeg (3-20) was outscored by ninth ranked Widzew (9-13) in Lodz 79-49. The game was mostly controlled by Widzew. Odra Brzeg was better in third quarter 16-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Widzew held Odra Brzeg to an opponent 22.2 percent shooting from the field compared to 46.3 percent accuracy of the winners and made 26-of-31 charity shots (83.9 percent) during the game. Odra Brzeg was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Forward Aleksandra Pawlak (189-84) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 15 rebounds for the winners and the former international forward Katarzyna Kenig (185-79) chipped in 16 points. At the losing side guard Magdalena Gawronska (168-83, agency: Promotex) responded with 10 points and 6 rebounds and American guard Aysha Jones (173-88, college: Charlotte) scored 13 points. Odra Brzeg's coach Wadim Czeczuro gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Newly promoted Widzew maintains ninth place with 9-13 record. Odra Brzeg lost seventh consecutive game. They keep the twelfth position with 20 games lost. Widzew will play against league's leader Wisla Can-Pak in Krakow in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Odra Brzeg will play at home against Artego (#7) in Bydgoszcz and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Widzew: K.Kenig 16+4reb+3ast, A.Pawlak 16+15reb, J.Gorzynska-Szymczak 12+4reb+2ast, M.Chomicka 9+2ast, O.Zytomirska 8+6reb, E.Golumbiewska 6+1reb+1ast
Odra Brzeg: A.Jones 13+3reb, E.Buszta 10+5reb, M.Gawronska 10+6reb+3ast, M.Zylczynska 8+6reb, M.Alexander 7+9reb, X.Stewart 1+5reb+1ast
gschID: 100085




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  PORTUGAL - Women  


Sonia Reis is injured seriously - by Joao Santos
The disaster struck the door of the Portuguese international Sonia Borges dos Reis (189-C-84). The player of Ros Casares Valencia suffered a serious left knee injury during a team training and will undergo surgery this Thursday or Friday. Tests performed at Hospital Salud Casa, Valencia, detected a ruptured previous crusader ligament, internal lateral ligament and meniscus procedure. The expected downtime will be at least six months.

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  ROMANIA - Women  


Stats Leaders - Women
Points Per Game
 Florina DIACONA
  Rapid
  (176-G-82)
  Avg: 22.5
 1. Diacona, Rapid22.5 
 2. Stoenescu, Timis.18.1 
 3. Saponjic, Alexandria17.2 
 4. Vass, Sf.Gheorghe16.1 
 5. Rus, Alexandria15.0 
 6. Cursaru, Olimpia14.9 
 7. Klein, Satu Mare14.8 
 8. Tarta, Craiova14.7 
 9. Sipos, Craiova14.1 
 10. Walker, Iasi13.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Fatou KANE
  Craiova
  (198-C-85)
  Avg: 14.1
 1. Kane, Craiova14.1 
 2. Walker, Sf.Gheor.12.3 
 3. Terglav-T., Sf.Gheor.11.1 
 4. Saponjic, Alexandria10.1 
 5. Rus, Alexandria9.9 
 6. Teilane, Satu Mare9.5 
 7. Vescan, Sf.Gheorghe9.3 
 8. Ducker, Satu Mare9.0 
 9. Tkachenko, Iasi8.8 
 10. Ivan, Brasov8.8 
Assists Per Game
 Annemarie PARAU
  Sf.Gheorghe
  (175-G-84)
  Avg: 5.3
 1. Parau, Sf.Gheorghe5.3 
 2. Ciocan, ICIM A.4.2 
 3. Tarta, Craiova4.0 
 4. Diacona, Rapid3.9 
 5. Mehmedic, Satu M.3.5 
 6. Boriga, ICIM A.3.1 
 7. Budean, Timisoara3.0 
 8. Vass, Sf.Gheorghe3.0 
 9. Ardeleanu, Sf.Gheor.2.9 
 10. Rus, Alexandria2.8 
Steals Per Game
 Anca SIPOS
  Craiova
  (185-F/C-85)
  Avg: 4.2
 1. Sipos, Craiova4.2 
 2. Diacona, Rapid3.6 
 3. Chivu, Alexandria3.1 
 4. Stoenescu, Timis.3.1 
 5. Ardeleanu, Sf.Gheor.2.9 
 6. Budean, Timisoara2.7 
 7. Boriga, ICIM A.2.6 
 8. Dinca, Alba Iulia2.5 
 9. Ivan, Brasov2.3 
 10. Ducker, Satu Mare2.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Anita TEILANE
  Satu Mare
  (196-C-85)
  Avg: 4
 1. Teilane, Satu Mare4.0 
 2. Walker, Sf.Gheor.3.0 
 3. Terglav-T., Sf.Gheor.1.9 
 4. Kane, Craiova1.7 
 5. Craciun, Olimpia1.3 
 6. Toma, ICIM A.1.1 
 7. Rus, Alexandria0.9 
 8. Sipos, Craiova0.8 
 9. Panzaru, Iasi0.8 
 10. Ionescu, Olimpia0.8 


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  SOUTH KOREA - Women  


Standings - WKBL
WKBL Standings
 1. S-Birds 29-6 
 2. Bichumi 23-12 
 3. Winnus 18-17 
 4. Cool Cats 18-17 
 5. KB Savers 12-23 
 6. Woori Hansae 5-30 


S-Birds win the Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
S-Birds win the Regular Season as the team finished it with 29-6 record. Even in the last game the team lost to Winnus that improved to 18-17 record and managed to take the third place. Choi Youn-Ah (170-G-85) was the only player for S-Birds in that game to score in double digits pouring in 13 points. Bichumi finished with 23-12 in the second spot winning the last game of the Regular Season. Bichumi closed it with 87:65 win over Cool Cats. The favorites started the game with 19-11 and added 22-17 in the second frame. Moreover they won the third and the last quarters to win the game. Lee Seon-Hwa (181-C-88) stepped up with 15 points and 7 rebounds for the winners.
In the Semifinals S-Birds will face Cool Cats, while Bichumi will meet Winnus. The first games will be played on March 16th and 17th.


*****************************************************
  TURKEY - Women  


SPOR TOTO Women Turkish Cup 2011 - by Baha Kurtulus
SPOR TOTO Women Turkish Cup Eight-Finals will be held in Karatas Sahinbey Sport Hall-Gaziantep on 11th-14th March 2011

Eight-Finals pairings, 11st March 2011

G1 : Beiktas Cola Turka - Samsun Basketbol
G2 : Mersin Buyuksehir Belediyesi - Tarsus Belediye

Eight-Finals pairings, 12th March 2011

G3 : Fenerbahce - Pankup Kayseri Seker
G4 : Botas - Galatasaray Medikal Park

Semi Finals, 13th March 2011

SF1 : Winner G1 - Winner G2
SF2 : Winner G3 - Winner G4

Final, 14th March 2011

Winner SF1 - Winner SF2

*****************************************************
  USBA - Women  


Schools line up for WUSBA 2011 Community Partnership programs - by USBA Media

Atlanta, Ga. (March 10, 2011) --- The Women's United States Basketball Association (WUSBA) are joining forces with each team community to begin a series of youth outreach initiatives in an effort to aid those in need in the community, These programs will be provided by the WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) not for profit sister company, and overseen by the staff of the selected elementary schools.

The first initiative is called Elizabeth's Book Bag and the 2011 WUSBA School Supply Extravaganza. The WUSBA has made arrangements to collect school supplies from the likes of Wal Mart, Target, Office Depot, Kroger, Staples, and Sams Club and others. As early as July the WUSBA will begin to unite these companies in a gigantic effort to provide students with school supplies in each of the league team cities. This August, these companies are launching the first annual collaborative school supply drive. 'We need everything from crayons to back packs, for the kids in need' said WUSBA president Duane Allen Jenkins, 'We installed this program in my daughters school, it was extremely successful, and we decided to expand our efforts to include elementary schools in all of our twenty cities.'

The Community Coordinator Department of each City and County Public Schools system will access to these programs. 'We are extremely pleased to provide these programs to the schools, particularly the school supply effort and the overcoat and mitten drive. We have undertaken a school supply drive last year in a couple of cities. This year we will expand this project to all twenty cities. With the budget deficits looming the local schools are faced with an ever growing need growing need for supplies for their children. We relish this opportunity to combine our efforts with our team communities', said Jenkins.

WUSBA players and coaches will be active on and off the court, assisting in a very wide variety of community outreach programs, charitable fund raising events, youth advocates programs, RSVP retired senior citizen programs, and family progress initiatives. These programs will aid the community and its citizens as a whole. The WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach prides itself on being an advocate within the community. From the youngest child to the oldest senior citizen, helping people is our strongest commitment. The WUSBA will build relationships by its loyalty and its faith based participation in each community. All WUSBA players, coaches, and team staff members will visit senior facilities, hospitals, Boys and Girls Clubs, and local schools, help raise money for local charities, collect food for local food banks and be a positive mentor to children who are housed in juvenile retention facilities and children who are live in foster care facilities. The WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach have partnered with the United States Marine Corps and the 'Toys for Tots' holiday program. 'The WUSBA's coaches, players, staff and the WUSBA Youth Outreach will serve as a great role model to other and will always be a positive inspiration to all, thus being an important asset to all team cities and their communities.''

'We have had a tremendous response from every school system in our teams cities', said Jenkins, 'It is our pleasure to partner with local school districts, we intend to assist our cities in any way we can.'

The WUSBA community assistance programs will team up with a league wide community service partnership that will join with the city, the county, the private sector, the local business community and major industry to instill the ideals of educational values, ethical performance, honesty, sportsmanship, fair play and integrity to the youth of the local community. 'These programs will allow youth to develop a personal positive educational commitment and practice Faith based contributions to their community,' said Jenkins

The purposes of the WUSBA Youth Outreach programs is to provide the youth in the community with a positive role model through a series of free educational programs:

*Goals for Graduation
Through the Goals for Graduation program, the league have developed programs to assist students from grade 6 through grade 12. The WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach will offer free tutoring sessions in all the core subjects with local college students. The sessions will be held in a positive and secure learning environment. This tutoring program is available to all students. The goal of all communities is to have 100% of its student graduate and attend a higher learning center, whether it is vocational or academic. A 100% graduation rate may seem impossible; however, at one time in history the majority of the people on earth believed the world was flat. With the Goals for Graduation everyone wins, particularity the students who earnestly participate in this program.

* Kids Kamp
Kids Kamp is another example of a student tutoring program specifically developed for younger students in the 4th and 5th grade levels. Student with special needs can better prepare themselves for middle school. Kids Kamp promotes volunteerism with older school age children. Any group of students, who volunteer their weekends in a community project, can join the WUSBA and others to help clean up roadways, neighborhoods, clear the local parks and lakes of litter and trash, help senior citizen with small jobs around their homes, read to young children at school or at the public library or any other organized project. The WUSBA will award such community spirit with a $25.00 Visa gift card to students who will donate a Saturday to help others and their community.

* Book-a Lious
Reading is fun. Book-a-lious is a program that will allow students and adults, who can't afford to purchase books, to select new books to keep for their family to enjoy. This will allow a household to begin to establish their own personal library. With the assistance of a host of Publishing companies and a major retail book store, people will have an opportunity, to receive, read, keep or swap free books with their family and friends.

* Mount-Read Moor
Through the Mount-Read-Moor program, local area students will discover that reading and comprehension skills can be greatly improved with the proper practice. This program will also promote literacy among youth and young adults. This free program will encourage school age students and young adults to read through the guidance and help of volunteer college student. The WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach will work in conjunction with Reading is Fundamental (RIF). This is a program where youth can develop their reading skills to greatly improve their learning capabilities so they can experience the adventure and entertainment of reading.

* Math Berry Pie
The Math Berry Pie program is designed to assist students through a free tutorial agreement with collegiate math students. The program will cover all segments of math from 'one plus one' to 'pre-calculus'. Assistance in this area will give students the skills they need to meet and exceed federal requirements. Math is a critical core subject that is essential for a child's advancement to collegiate levels.

* Father, Mother, and Child Reunion
The successful family unit is proven to be the single most important factor in a child's educational achievements. The WUSBA Youth Outreach will work in conjunction with local Family Services, Church Groups, and other family oriented organizations to assist families in the areas of housing, nutrition, family counseling, job placement assistance, medical assistance and other interdiction programs when deemed needed to assist the family.

* Star Vision
When President John F. Kennedy looked toward the moon he must have felt what all children see every night as they gaze at the stars. Science, in all its many categories has been at the heart of human curiosity. Many students love science. The WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach will organize after school and summer science introduction sessions that will be run by volunteer students and faculty from the local colleges. This will include field trips to scientific venues. The careers that can be found in the fields surrounding science seldom get explored by a large segment of the student population. With these programs students will be able to get a glimpse of a career field they may never have attempted to explore.

* Elizabeth's Book Bag
Through the Elizabeth's Book Bag program students will have access to free book bags, paper, notebooks, pencils, markers, pens and all other material that are a requirement to start the new school year. Each year the school sends a material list to the parents of what items are needed in that grade for the first day of school. The Elizabeth's Book Bag program will make all required materials available to all students, twice a year, in August and in January (students will have additional access to materials if needed during the course of the school year). This program is sponsored by the WUSBA Youth Outreach, the WUSBA and the sponsors and advertisers This is a free program to all families in need. Having all the materials needed, will help a student strive for a successful school year.

* Grandma Cora's Kitchen
The difference in a persons ability to improve their lives could hang on the balance of a hot meal. The WUSBA believes that no person should go hungry. The WUSBA will join forces with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), local churches and other faith based organizations to open a series of restaurants that will be open to the public with the sole purpose allowing anyone to fulfill their daily nutritional requirements. The WUSBA has made arrangements will major industry sponsors and governmental entities to fully fund this endeavor. The oldest senior citizen to the youngest child will be welcome to sit down at the table and break bread with other neighbors. This program will also include emergency grocery vouchers for families with children in need.

* Patricia's Closet
A warm blanket, a new pair of socks, a overcoat in winter or a umbrella during the spring rain in most times are taken for granted by most people, but to some others it may be a luxury they can't afford but they so desperately need. The WUSBA will assist The Salvation Army and others to help collect wearable goods for those in need. The WUSBA has made arraignments with clothing and other manufacturers to acquire goods for the needy. Children can compete in school more effectively, when they show confidence in their appearance. An extra blanket in winter can be a warm feeling to a child, a new pair of shoes will keep a child's feet dry, a new shirt, a pair of slacks or a new stylish dress could be the difference in a helping, bolstering a Childs self confidence. This program will be open to everyone in the community and will offer new clothing and other unused products from participating manufactures.

* The Queens English
Through the Queens English program, area community elementary through high school students will discover that speaking proper English will open doors across the educational and business communities. The WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach will partner with communication students from local colleges to tutor students in the importance of using correct enunciation and proper speech structure. The WUSBA will sponsor a competition spelling bee that will pit students of schools against each other to establish a champion. Prizes and certificates of recognition of accomplishment will be awarded to all students. The WUSBA encourages all students to participate in this program.

* The Toy Fest and Can Slam Basketball Games
This program was a great success in 2009 and 2010. We coordinated with High Schools, the USMC Toys for Tots and Feeding America to collect food and toys during the holiday season.

*The Overcoat and Mitten Collection Event
This program will collect slightly used and new winter coats and mittens to keep our children warm in the wintertime. With the help of the school system, w e will discretely approach teachers and parents to deliver the coats and mittens to the children.

The WUSBA have adopted these programs to share with the team cities. Everyone will have equal access to any program offered by the Womens United States Basketball Association