Eurobasket Daily News Report:

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 3/24/2011

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Men News

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ARGENTINA

Quilmes add Mac Hopson - by Facundo Iatzky
Quilmes mar del plata made their last movement for the playoffs of TNA trying to return to Liga A. They agreed terms with Mac Hopson (188-G-87, college: Idaho). Mac was born in argentina, because his father played in Marcos Juarez many years ago, so he will play as domestic player. Mac had a success career at Idaho university and he was playing lately in Japan averaging 21.3 points and 5.6 assists for the Sendai 89ers. He is expected to make his debut next weekend.

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AUSTRIA

A Bundesliga Round 7: Leader Gmunden Swans lose to Xion Dukes - by Eurobasket News
The round was rather attractive and full of interesting results. It ended with defeat of the leader and favorites losing the games.

Top ranked Gmunden Swans (22-7) recorded its seventh loss at the home court on Sunday night. Hosts were defeated by sixth ranked Xion Dukes (15-14) 72-66. Gmunden Swans trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 22-16 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 66-72 at the end of the game. Xion Dukes made 31-of-34 free shots (91.2 percent) during the game. 28 personal fouls committed by Gmunden Swans helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The former international guard Christoph Nagler (194-84) fired 23 points for the winners. American swingman Curtis Bobb (198-78, college: Utah St., agency: Rasmussen Services) chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds (made all of his ten free throws !!!). The former international guard Deteri Mayes (189-74, college: Murray St., agency: Court Side) produced 20 points for lost side. Xion Dukes moved-up to fifth place. Defending champion Gmunden Swans still keep top position with seven games lost. Xion Dukes are looking forward to face higher ranked Furstenfeld Panthers (#4) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Gmunden Swans will play against Kapfenberg Bulls and are hoping to win this game.
Very important is a home loss of third ranked Furstenfeld Panthers (18-11) against fourth ranked Oberwart Gunners (18-11) on Saturday night. Host Furstenfeld Panthers were crushed by Oberwart Gunners in Furstenfeld 96-73. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Furstenfeld Panthers. It was a great evening for Bernd Volcic who led his team to a victory scoring 17 points and 4 assists. At the losing side Stjepan Stazic responded with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Oberwart Gunners have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Furstenfeld. Oberwart Gunners will meet at home league's second-placed Arkadia Lions in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Furstenfeld Panthers will play against Xion Dukes in Klosterneuburg and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

All game reports are below.

Group A

Furstenfeld - Oberwart 73-96

Very important is a home loss of third ranked Furstenfeld Panthers (18-11) against fourth ranked Oberwart Gunners (18-11) on Saturday night. Host Furstenfeld Panthers were crushed by Oberwart Gunners in Furstenfeld 96-73. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Furstenfeld Panthers. The game without a history. Oberwart Gunners led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 20-of-22 free shots (90.9 percent) during the game. It was a great evening for the former international center Bernd Volcic (205-76, college: New Orleans, agency: Interperformances) who led his team to a victory scoring 17 points and 4 assists (made all of his seven free throws). American guard David Gonzalvez (193-87, college: Richmond) helped adding 16 points. At the losing side the former international guard Stjepan Stazic (199-78, agency: World Sport Agency) responded with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and American guard Anthony Shavies (191-83, college: Missouri St., agency: Court Side) scored 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Five Oberwart Gunners and four Furstenfeld Panthers players scored in double figures. Oberwart Gunners have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to third place, which they share with Furstenfeld. Oberwart Gunners will meet at home league's second-placed Arkadia Lions in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Furstenfeld Panthers will play against Xion Dukes in Klosterneuburg and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Oberwart: B.Volcic 17+4reb+4ast, D.Gonzalvez 16+4reb+3ast, K.Parker 14+1reb+2ast, J.Johnson 14+5reb, H.Ochsenhofer 11+2ast, T.Sally 11+7reb+4ast
Furstenfeld: S.Stazic 20+9reb+4ast, A.Shavies 18+5reb+6ast, D.Carr 12+7reb, S.Ray 12+5reb+2ast, R.Hampton 6+2reb, L.O'Neal 3+3reb+2ast

Arkadia - Kapfenberg 89-81

There was no surprise in Traiskirchen where 6th ranked Kapfenberg Bulls (14-15) were defeated by second ranked Arkadia Lions (19-10) 89-81 on Monday. Kapfenberg Bulls were tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Kapfenberg Bulls were plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. Argentinian-Italian forward Fabricio Vay (206-86, agency: Interperformances) fired 18 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. International guard Benedikt Danek (174-86) chipped in 16 points and 7 assists. American forward Daniel Horace (200-83, college: Miami, OH) produced 22 points and 8 rebounds and the other American import forward Larry Gordon (196-87, college: Cal Poly Pomona, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement) added 15 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Arkadia Lions maintains second place with 19-10 record having just -2 point less than leader Gmunden. Kapfenberg Bulls lost their third game in a row. They keep the sixth position with 15 games lost. Arkadia Lions will face Oberwart Gunners (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Kapfenberg Bulls will play against the league's leader Gmunden Swans in Gmunden.
Top scorers:
Arkadia: F.Vay 18+7reb+4ast, B.Danek 16+3reb+7ast, K.Houston 16+5reb+1ast, P.Skurdauskas 15+6reb+2ast, D.Drenovac 8+2reb, R.Spasojevic 7+2reb+1ast
Kapfenberg: D.Horace 22+8reb, J.Fears 16+2reb+4ast, L.Gordon 15+10reb+4ast, A.Woschank 12+1reb+3ast, D.Nelson 9+5reb+2ast, M.Lanegger 6+5reb+3ast

Gmunden - Klosterneub. 66-72

Top ranked Gmunden Swans (22-7) recorded its seventh loss at the home court on Sunday night. Hosts were defeated by sixth ranked Xion Dukes (15-14) 72-66. Gmunden Swans trailed by 12 points after 3 quarters before a 22-16 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 66-72 at the end of the game. Xion Dukes made 31-of-34 free shots (91.2 percent) during the game. 28 personal fouls committed by Gmunden Swans helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The former international guard Christoph Nagler (194-84) fired 23 points for the winners. American swingman Curtis Bobb (198-78, college: Utah St., agency: Rasmussen Services) chipped in 14 points and 7 rebounds (made all of his ten free throws !!!). Four Xion Dukes players scored in double figures. The former international guard Deteri Mayes (189-74, college: Murray St., agency: Court Side) produced 20 points and American power forward Anthony Slack (202-84, college: Illinois St.) added 13 points respectively for lost side. Xion Dukes moved-up to fifth place. Defending champion Gmunden Swans still keep top position with seven games lost. Xion Dukes are looking forward to face higher ranked Furstenfeld Panthers (#4) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Gmunden Swans will play against Kapfenberg Bulls and are hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Klosterneub.: C.Nagler 23+4reb+1ast, C.Bobb 14+7reb+3ast, R.Suljanovic 11+4reb+1ast, A.Maresch 11+3reb+1ast, M.Rachar 6+3reb, J.Chappell 4+7reb
Gmunden: D.Mayes 20+4reb+1ast, A.Slack 13+4reb+2ast, D.Oppland 9+2reb+1ast, M.Mayer 9+3reb, T.Stelzer 5+1reb, E.Murati 5+4reb+3ast

Group B

BC Vienna - Gussing 65-64

Important game to mention about took place in Wien. Fourth ranked BC Vienna (12-17) saved a 1-point victory at home edging 3rd placed Gussing Knights (12-17) 65-64 in the game for the third place. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Gussing Knights. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Gussing Knights won third quarter 21-12. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when BC Vienna won last quarter 16-16. They also forced 23 Gussing Knights turnovers and outrebounded them 42-26 including a 19-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Worth to mention a great performance of Bosnian-Croatian center Alen Trepalovac (214-85, agency: World Sport Agency) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 22 points and 11 rebounds. Serbian center Nemanja Miljkovic (205-90) contributed with 8 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Naturalized Serbian power forward Aleksandar Djuric (210-82) answered with 19 points and 5 rebounds and American forward Marcus Heard (201-84, college: De Paul) added 14 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Gussing Knights. Gussing Knights' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. BC Vienna moved-up to third place, which they share with Gussing. BC Vienna will play against Worthersee Piraten (#6) in Klagenfurt in the next round. Gussing Knights will play at home against the league's leader Raiffeisen Wels and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
BC Vienna: A.Trepalovac 22+11reb, S.Rhynes 10+5reb+3ast, N.Miljkovic 8+7reb+4ast, S.Pekovic 8+6reb, S.N'Diaye 6+5reb, M.Graf 6+4reb+1ast
Gussing: A.Djuric 19+5reb, M.Heard 14+7reb, M.Jandrasits 8+2reb+2ast, A.Nunner 7+2reb+1ast, M.Klepeisz 7+8reb+2ast, S.Koch 5+1reb

UBSC Graz - Worthersee 82-63

No shocking result in a game when second ranked UBSC Graz (15-15) smashed at home 6th ranked Worthersee Piraten (2-27) 82-63 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 3-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 82-63. UBSC Graz had a 35-22 advantage in offensive rebounds. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists comparing to just 10 passes made by Worthersee Piraten's players. Slovenian guard Dragan Miletic (195-82) fired 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners. American power forward Louis Graham (205-84, agency: ZAG Advocates) chipped in a double-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. American forward Erik Rhinehart (206-82, college: Olivet Nazarene) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds and the other American import guard Bilal Abdullah (196-84, college: Lafayette) added 9 points and 9 rebounds respectively for lost side. Five UBSC Graz and four Worthersee Piraten players scored in double figures. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. UBSC Graz maintains second place with 15-15 record having just one points less than leader Gmunden. Worthersee Piraten lost their sixth game in a row. They keep the sixth position with 27 games lost. UBSC Graz will have a break next round. Worthersee Piraten will play on the road against BC Vienna (#3) in Wien.
Top scorers:
UBSC Graz: D.Miletic 20+6reb+7ast, S.Grum 16+3reb+5ast, M.Stegnjaic 12+7reb+1ast, L.Graham 11+10reb+5ast, S.Schaal 10+4reb+5ast, R.Lanegger 9+1reb+1ast
Worthersee: E.Rhinehart 13+10reb, G.Zajic 12, M.Breithuber 11+2reb+3ast, B.Weber 10+3reb, B.Abdullah 9+9reb+2ast, M.Breithuber 4+1reb+5ast

Wels - St.Polten 86-68

Leader Raiffeisen Wels delivered the seventeenth victory on Saturday night. This time they beat 5th ranked St.Polten (11-19) 86-68. It ended at the same time the five-game winning streak of St.Polten. The game was mostly controlled by Raiffeisen Wels. St.Polten was better in second period 21-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Raiffeisen Wels made 16-of-17 free shots (94.1 percent) during the game. Raiffeisen Wels outrebounded St.Polten 35-24 including 23 on the defensive glass. American guard Rasheed Brokenborough (191-76, college: Temple, agency: Impact Basketball) fired 22 points for the winners. The former international forward Davor Lamesic (205-83, agency: Interperformances) chipped in 15 points and 6 rebounds. Four Raiffeisen Wels players scored in double figures. The former international forward Martin Speiser (202-83) produced 14 points and 5 rebounds and international forward Richard Poiger (201-87) added 15 points respectively for lost side. Raiffeisen Wels maintains first place with 17-12 record. Loser St.Polten keeps the fifth position with 19 games lost. Raiffeisen Wels will face Gussing Knights (#4) on the road in the next round.
Top scorers:
Wels: R.Brokenborough 22+4reb+3ast, D.Lamesic 15+6reb+1ast, J.Thomas 13+3reb+5ast, J.Smith 10+5reb+1ast, B.Fields 10+6reb+2ast, T.Klette 9+7reb+2ast
St.Polten: R.Poiger 15+4reb+1ast, M.Speiser 14+5reb+2ast, T.Gaspar 13+3reb+1ast, T.Schreiner 8+3reb+2ast, N.Kapic 7+3reb, A.Worenz 6+2reb

Round 8

St.Polten - UBSC Graz 91-72

Very important is a road loss of second ranked UBSC Graz (15-15) against fifth ranked St.Polten (11-19) on Thursday night. Visiting UBSC Graz was crushed by St.Polten in St.Polten 91-72. The game was mostly controlled by St.Polten. UBSC Graz was better in third quarter 14-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great shooting night for St.Polten especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 57.9 percentage. It was an exceptional evening for international forward Richard Poiger (201-87) who led the winners and scored 28 points and 8 rebounds. The former international guard Thomas Schreiner (195-87, agency: R.H.Consultancy) accounted for 20 points and 4 assists for the winning side. Croatian power forward Milan Stegnjaic (203-82) came up with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 10 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws) and American power forward Louis Graham (205-84, agency: ZAG Advocates) added 12 points and 6 rebounds respectively for UBSC Graz in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. St.Polten have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain fifth place with 11-19 record. UBSC Graz at the other side keeps the second position with 15 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
St.Polten: R.Poiger 28+8reb+1ast, T.Schreiner 20+4reb+4ast, T.Gaspar 18+5reb+1ast, M.Speiser 9+8reb+3ast, D.Jandl 6+1reb+4ast, T.Blazan 4
UBSC Graz: M.Stegnjaic 18+10reb+1ast, S.Grum 13+1reb+2ast, L.Graham 12+6reb, C.Knor 9+2reb, S.Schaal 7+1reb+5ast, R.Lanegger 7+5reb+1ast

Richard Poiger claims Austrian A Bundesliga weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
International forward Richard Poiger (201-F-87) had an amazing evening in the last round for UBC St. Polten (they play in Group B) and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 7 (Second Stage).
The 23-year old forward had the game-high 28 points adding eight rebounds for St.Polten in his team's victory, helping them to crush UBSC Graz (15-15) with 19-point margin 91-72. Poiger had a remarkable 55.6% from 2-point range. It's his second year at St.Polten and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Richard Poiger averages this season 14.7ppg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 26-year old American power forward Louis Graham (205-F/C-84, agency: ZAG Advocates) of UBSC Raiffeisen Graz. His team outplayed Worthersee 82-63. Graham impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. Graham is a newcomer at UBSC Graz and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was another UBSC Raiffeisen Graz's star - Croatian Milan Stegnjaic (203-F/C-82). Stegnjaic scored 18 points and grabbed ten rebounds. Stegnjaic has a great season in Austria. After 30 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 7.4rpg (8th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Thomas Schreiner (195-G-87) of St.Polten - 20 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Dragan Miletic (195-G-82) of UBSC Graz - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists
6. Erik Rhinehart (206-F-82) of Worthersee - 13 points and 10 rebounds
7. Stjepan Stazic (199-G-78) of Furstenfeld - 20 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists
8. Christoph Nagler (194-G-84) of Klosterneub. - 23 points and 4 rebounds
9. Aleksandar Djuric (210-F/C-82) of Gussing - 19 points and 5 rebounds
10. Curtis Bobb (198-G/F-78) of Klosterneub. - 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists

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

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Stjepan STAZIC
  Furstenfeld
  (199-G-78)
  Avg: 26.4

1. Stazic, BC Vienna	26.4
2. Vay, Arkadia	20.0
3. Kennedy, Worth.	19.4
4. Brokenboroug., Wel.	19.0
5. Houston, Arkadia	18.2
6. Shavies, Furstenf.	17.8
7. Mayes, Gmunden	17.5
8. Heard, Gussing	17.1
9. Nagler, Klostern.	16.6
10. Miletic, UBSC G.	16.1

Rebounds Per Game

Russell HICKS
  Furstenfeld
  (213-C-85)
  Avg: 9.7

1. Hicks, BC Vienna	9.7
2. Heard, Gussing	9.2
3. Johnson, Oberwart	8.5
4. Stazic, BC Vienna	7.9
5. Volcic, Oberwart	7.7
6. Vay, Arkadia	7.7
7. Graham, UBSC G.	7.5
8. Stegnjaic, UBSC G.	7.4
9. Mayer, Gmunden	7.3
10. Djuric, Gussing	7.3

Assists Per Game

Anthony SHAVIES
  Furstenfeld
  (191-G-83)
  Avg: 7.8

1. Shavies, Furstenf.	7.8
2. Carr, BC Vienna	7.3
3. Holcomb-Faye, Wels	6.6
4. Danek, Arkadia	6.0
5. Schreiner, St.Po.	5.5
6. Miletic, UBSC G.	4.7
7. Stazic, BC Vienna	4.4
8. Parker, Oberwart	4.4
9. Boylan, Gmunden	4.3
10. Lanegger, Kapfe.	4.1

Steals Per Game

Thomas SCHREINER
  St.Polten
  (195-G-87)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Schreiner, St.Po.	2.4
2. Shavies, Furstenf.	2.3
3. Boylan, Gmunden	2.3
4. Jandl, St.Polten	2.1
5. Ray, Furstenfeld	2.1
6. Parker, Oberwart	2.0
7. Artner, Oberwart	1.7
8. Vay, Arkadia	1.7
9. Stazic, BC Vienna	1.7
10. Fields, Wels	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Russell HICKS
  Furstenfeld
  (213-C-85)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Hicks, BC Vienna	2.3
2. Graham, UBSC G.	1.5
3. Hampton, Furstenf.	1.4
4. Hicks, Furstenfeld	1.2
5. Pekovic, BC Vienna	1.2
6. Slack, Gmunden	1.0
7. Sally, Oberwart	1.0
8. Vay, Arkadia	1.0
9. Heard, Gussing	0.8
10. Miljkovic, BC Vi.	0.8

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BRAZIL

Standings - BNL

NBB Standings

1. Pinheiros/Sky		18-6
2. Flamengo		18-6
3. BRB/Brasilia		18-7
4. Itabom/Bauru		16-8
5. Vivo/Franca		16-8
6. Unitri/Universo		16-9
7. Araldite/Univille		15-9
8. S.Jose/Vinac		14-10
9. Pitagoras/Minas		12-12
10. Winner/Limeira		10-14
11. Araraquara		7-17
12. Paulistano		6-18
13. Vitoria		6-19
14. Assis Basket		5-19
15. Vila Velha CETAF		5-20

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CHILE

Report about Basketball for March 21, - by Rodrigo Hunrichse
Report about Basketball for March 21

The Under 19 Womens World Cup to be played July 21-31st in Puerto Montt celebrated the groups lottery for the 16 national teams this March 18.

Chile was selected in Group C with Australia, France and Nigeria.

The Copa Chile deadline for applications ended March 18, the different groups will be sorted by geography. Kickoff is April 26.

The proposal of NO FOREIGN PLAYERS for Copa Chile should not be revised, but Liceo Mixto Los Andes contested the idea.

LIBSUR (Southern League) will start this weekend of March 26, in 2 groups. The 'North' has teams North to... he Araucania Region. I said SOUTH, did not?

Saturday, March 26

1 C. D. Imperial v / s Dep. Victoria
2 C. D. Las Animas v / s C. D. Carahue
3 A. B. Temuco Nielol v / s C. D. Lautaro
Free: C. D. Valdivia

4 C. D. S. Osorno v / s C. D. Col. Aleman
5 ABA Ancud v / s C. D. Espaol
6 C. D. Pto. Varas v / s C. D. Ula, P. Montt
7 C. E. B. Pto. Montt v / s Dep. Castro

A call a reunion and applications for Women's U-17 and Adult Tournament was made Wednesday, March 16, hopefully will have an interesting championship this first semester, for training the ladies and have a good U-19 World Cup team since Chile will host and will be televised to the world.

Libsur 2011 will start this weekend - by Daniel Valencia
LIBSUR 2011 will start this weekend with 15 teams looking for the title. The teams will be divided in two zones.

The north zone will have Club Deportivo Imperial, Asociacion de Basquetbol Temuco, Club Deportivo Valdivia, Club Deportes Carahue, Club de Deportes Victoria, Club Deportes Lautaro and Club Deportes Las Animas.

In the south zone the teams are Club Deportivo Espanol de Osorno, Club Deportes Puerto Varas, Asociacion Basquetbol Ancud, Club Osorno Basquetbol, Deportivo Aleman Puerto Varas, CD Universidad de Los Lagos, Club Deportes Castro and CD Puerto Montt.

These are the games for the first weekend of the season.

North Zone - March 26

Club Deportivo Imperial vs Club de Deportes Victoria

Club Deportes Las Animas vs Club Deportes Carahue

Asociacion de Basquetbol Temuco vs Club Deportes Lautaro

South Zone - March 26

Asociacion Basquetbol Ancud vs Club Deportivo Espanol de Osorno

Club Deportes Puerto Varas vs CD Universidad de Los Lagos

CD Puerto Montt vs Club Deportes Castro

Club Osorno Basquetbol vs Deportivo Aleman Puerto Varas

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CHINA

Xinjiang, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang Lions Win Playoff Openers - by Arthur Volbert
Top-seeded Xinjiang handily defeated Beijing 112-78 as the first round of the CBA playoffs commenced. Douby Quincy (191-G-84, college: Rutgers) led the way with 38 points, 5 assists and 6 steals. James Singleton had 26 points and 6 rebounds. Zhang Qingpeng had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists. Mengke Bateer had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Xu Guozhong scored 9. Bu Yang had 8 points and 7 rebounds. Randolph Morris had 20 points and 12 rebounds for Beijing. Orien Green, rumored to have signed with Beijing, did not play. Zaid Abbaas had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Chen Lei scored 17 and Wang Xiaohui scored 11.

Using a balanced scoring attack Guangdong edged Bayi 95-89. Lester Hudson had 15 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Marcus Haislip also scored 15. Wang Shipeng scored 14 and Chen Jianghua had 11. Su Wei had 9 points and 10 rebounds. Dong Hanlin had 7 points and 9 rebounds, 7 of them offensive rebounds. Wang Zhizhi had 30 points and 5 rebounds for Bayi. Guangdong outrebounded Bayi 51-31. Zhang Chengyu and Wang Lei each scored 12. Xu Zhonghao had 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Zhang Bo had 10 points, 7 assists and 3 steals. Mo Ke had 9 points and 5 rebounds.

Jiangsu nipped Zhejiang in overtime 100-95. Antoine Wright had 26 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Yi Li had 26 points and 6 rebounds. Jerome Moiso had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Yang Li had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Wang Junjie had 6 points and 7 rebounds. Marcus Williams had 33 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals for Zhejiang. Ding Jinhui had 20 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Josh Boone had 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks. Cao Fei had 14 points and 9 rebounds.

Xinjiang, Guangdong and Jiangsu all were higher-ranked teams that won opening games on the road. This portends the possibility that all three of these series will end in sweeps by the favored teams.

The Zhejiang Lions were the only lower-ranked team to win at home, defeating Dongguan 120-103. Peter John Ramos had 32 points and 15 rebounds for Zhejiang. Lin Chih-Chieh had 31 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. Zhang Wei and Walker Russell each scored 17. Wang Bo had 11 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals. Josh Akognon had 46 points and 6 rebounds for Dongguan. Courtney Simms showed up to replace injured star import Jackson Vroman, but only had 11 points and 7 rebounds in his first game for Dongguan. Zhang Kai had 15 points and 7 rebounds. Sun Tonglin had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. We will see how Dongguan does when it plays at home and Simms becomes more integrated into the team.

CBA Round 1 of Quarter-Finals - by Eurobasket News
Zhejiang G.L. - DongGuan 120-103

The hosts trailed by 4 points after three quarters before their 36-25 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Zhejiang Guangsha Lions made 27-of-32 free shots (84.4 percent) during the game. DongGuan Leopards were plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of American-Puerto Rican center Peter John Ramos (222-85) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 32 points and 15 rebounds (made all of his twelve free throws !!!). Taiwanese swingman Chih-Chieh Lin (192-82) contributed with 31 points, 5 assists and 4 steals for the winners. Nigerian guard Josh-Emmanuel Akognon (180-86, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) answered with 46 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds and the former international center Kai Zhang (211-82) added 15 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for DongGuan Leopards. Five Zhejiang Guangsha Lions and four DongGuan Leopards players scored in double figures. DongGuan Leopards' coach rotated eleven players seeing no chance for a win.
Top scorers:
DongGuan: A.Josh-Emmanuel 46+6reb+1ast, Z.Kai 15+7reb+1ast, s.courtney 11+7reb, S.TongLin 10+6reb+3ast, C.HsinAn 6+4reb+3ast, H.ZhongMian 6+1reb+1ast
Zhejiang G.L.: R.Peter John 32+15reb+1ast, L.Chih-Chieh 31+3reb+5ast, Z.Wei 17+2reb+1ast, R.Walker 17+4reb+3ast, W.Bo 11+6reb+5ast, D.Li 6+1reb+4ast

Beijing - Xinjiang 78-112

The game without a history. Xinjiang Flying Tige led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 70 of its points in the paint compared to Beijing Ducks' 34. Worth to mention a great performance of American guard Quincy Douby (191-84, college: Rutgers) who helped to win the game recording 38 points (!!!), 5 assists and 6 steals. His fellow American import forward James Singleton (203-81, college: Murray St.) contributed with 26 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field) for the winners. Xinjiang Flying Tige's coach XingQuan Jiang felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American power forward Randolph Morris (211-86, college: Kentucky) answered with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds and Jordanian forward Zaid Abbaas (203-83) added 20 points and 10 rebounds in the effort for Beijing Ducks. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Beijing: M.Randolph 20+12reb+2ast, A.Zaid 20+10reb+2ast, C.Lei 17+3reb+2ast, W.Xiaohui 11+1reb, H.Chongkai 6+1ast, J.Zhe 2+1reb
Xinjiang: D.Quincy 38+3reb+5ast, S.James 26+6reb+2ast, Z.QingPeng 14+4reb+5ast, M.Bateer 11+10reb, X.GuoChong 9+2reb+1ast, B.Yang 8+7reb

Zhejiang C. - Jiangsu 95-100 OT

The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Zhejiang Cyclones won third quarter 28-21. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening, at least not yet. The game turned upside-down in the last quarter, where Zhejiang Cyclones used huge pressure winning it 22-19 getting a tie at the end of regular time. They lost eventually overtime period 10-15. Jiangsu Dragons had a 44-28 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Jiangsu Dragons made 7 blocks. Worth to mention a great performance of American swingman Antoine Wright (201-84, college: Texas A&M) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 26 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. International swingman Li Yi (203-85) contributed with 26 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Jiangsu Dragons' coach Qiang Xu used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. American forward Marcus Williams (201-86, college: Arizona, agency: Interperformances) answered with 33 points (!!!), 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and the other American import power forward Josh Boone (208-84, college: Connecticut) added 19 points, 14 rebounds and 4 blocks in the effort for Zhejiang Cyclones. Four Zhejiang Cyclones players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Zhejiang C.: W.Marcus 33+6reb+5ast, D.Jinhui 20+5reb+3ast, B.Josh 19+14reb, C.Fei 14+9reb+2ast, Z.Dayu 4+7reb, J.Lipeng 3+4reb+2ast
Jiangsu: W.Antoine 26+14reb+4ast, Y.Li 26+6reb+2ast, M.Jerome 19+14reb, Y.Li 8+6reb+5ast, W.Junjie 6+7reb+1ast, L.Yahui 5+4reb

Bayi - Guandong 89-95

The guests started the game with a very strong first quarter 28-18. But Bayi Fubang won second period 25-20. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Guandong Tigers forced 24 Bayi Fubang turnovers and outrebounded them 49-31 including a 23-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a very good performance for American guard Lester Hudson (191-84, college: Tennessee-Martin) who helped to win the game recording 15 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals. International center Wei Su (212-89) contributed with 9 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Guandong Tigers' coach ChunJiang Li allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. The former international center ZhiZhi Wang (214-79) answered with 30 points and 5 rebounds (made all of his nine free throws !!!) and international center ZhongHao Xu (212-90) added 11 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks in the effort for Bayi Fubang. Five Bayi Fubang players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Bayi: W.ZhiZhi 30+5reb+1ast, W.Lei 12+4reb, Z.Chengyu 12+1reb+2ast, X.ZhongHao 11+8reb, Z.Bo 10+1reb+7ast, M.Ke 9+5reb
Guandong: H.Lester 15+9reb+6ast, H.Marcus 15+2reb, W.ShiPeng 14+4reb+1ast, C.Jianghua 11+4reb+1ast, S.Wei 9+10reb+1ast, H.Dong 7+9reb+1ast

Playoff 1st Game - by Robert Wang
The first playoff game of this season just finished tonight and here are the game results: Bei Jing 78:112 Xin Jiang, Ba Yi 89:95 Guang Dong Tiger, Zhe Jiang Chou Zhou 95:100 Jiang Su, Guang Sha 120:103 Dong guan. Bei jing team paid buyout fee (45000 USD) for their new import Orien Greene and they wished to play further for their playoff games, but Orien did not showed up because of his clearance letter problem. So, Bei Jing only has two imports till their season over. While Xin Jiang team's guard Qincy douby had 38 points, 6 steals and 5 assists. Peter ramos had 32 points and 15 rebounds for Guang sha team. The new center of Dong guan team Courtney Sims had 11 points and 7 rebounds.

Stats Leaders - CBA

Points Per Game

Charles GAINES
  Qingdao DS
  (201-F-81)
  Avg: 33.7

1. Gaines, Qingdao DS	33.7
2. Douby, Xinjiang	31.0
3. Morris, Beijing	30.4
4. Williams, Zhejiang C.	29.9
5. Akognon, DongGuan	28.8
6. Emmett, Fujian	28.0
7. Rodgers, Shanxi Zh.	27.4
8. Pickett, Jilin	27.1
9. Hamilton, TianJ.	26.8
10. Marbury, Foshan	25.2

Rebounds Per Game

Dwayne JONES
  Fujian
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 15.8

1. Jones, Fujian	15.8
2. Harris, Shanghai	14.7
3. Benson, TianJin R.	14.6
4. Ramos, Zhejiang.	14.3
5. Gaines, Qingdao DS	13.5
6. Watkins, Jilin	13.3
7. Oyedeji, Foshan	13.2
8. Morris, Beijing	12.2
9. Moiso, Jiangsu	11.6
10. Abbaas, Beijing	11.3

Assists Per Game

Osama DAGHLAS
  Shanxi Zh.
  (199-G-79)
  Avg: 9.1

1. Daghlas, Shanxi Zh.	9.1
2. Marbury, Foshan	5.7
3. Williams, Zhejiang C.	5.6
4. Lu, Fujian	5.6
5. Hu, Jiangsu	5.3
6. LiuWei, Shanghai	5.3
7. Vroman, DongGuan	4.9
8. Allen, Shandong	4.9
9. Hamilton, TianJ.	4.9
10. Douby, Xinjiang	4.8

Steals Per Game

XueFeng HU
  Jiangsu
  (185-G-80)
  Avg: 4.1

1. Hu, Jiangsu	4.1
2. Hamilton, TianJ.	3.8
3. Douby, Xinjiang	3.3
4. Hudson, Guandong	3.0
5. Vroman, DongGuan	2.8
6. Williams, Zhejiang C.	2.5
7. Gaines, Qingdao DS	2.5
8. Pickett, Jilin	2.3
9. Zhong, Jilin	2.3
10. Emmett, Fujian	2.3

Blocks Per Game

Herve LAMIZANA
  TianJin R.
  (207-F/C-81)
  Avg: 3.6

1. Lamizana, TianJ.	3.6
2. Watkins, Jilin	1.9
3. Zhang, Shanghai	1.8
4. Haislip, Guandong	1.8
5. Boone, Zhejiang C.	1.8
6. Moiso, Jiangsu	1.8
7. Vroman, DongGuan	1.6
8. Jones, Fujian	1.6
9. Morris, Beijing	1.5
10. Wang, Bayi	1.5

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

CROATIA

Sobin's double-double lands him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
21-year old swingman Josip Sobin (203-G/F-89) put on an amazing game in the last round for KK Split and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 1 (Second Stage).
He had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, while his team beat Zabok (#5, 0-0), Second Stage botton-ranked team 82-68. Thanks to this victory KK Split moved-up to the 4th position in the Croatian league. But it's just the very beginning of the Second Stage and KK Split won just one (their first) game. It's too early to say anything as the standings can be changed completely after next round. It's Sobin's second year at KK Split and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Sobin has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (7th best: 16.6ppg), rebounds (5th best: 8.2rpg) and averages solid 1.1bpg and 70.5% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Dario Saric (205-F/C-94) of KK Dubrava Zagreb. He is a forward in his first season at Dubrava. In the last game Saric recorded impressive double-double of 28 points and 13 rebounds. Bad luck as Dubrava lost that game 87-93 to Kvarner 2010 (1-0). The Second Stage is still at the very beginning and this lost game may not be such crucial, of course if they start win the games. Let's wait for the next round. Saric is a newcomer at Dubrava and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 17.1ppg (#6). His other stats are also decent: 8.9rpg and 3.1apg.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Filip Vukicevic (203-F-88) of Svjetlost Slavonski Brod (#-6). Vukicevic scored 26 points and grabbed ten rebounds. He was a key player of Svjetlost, leading his team to a 90-66 easy win against #-4 ranked Darda in a game of the week. Svjetlost has a very good start of the Second Stage. But there was just one game played, so it's too early to judge them at this stage. Vukicevic also has a very good start of the Second Stage with very strong stats. Vukicevic has a very solid season. In 17 games in Croatia he scored 7.4ppg. He also has 5.4rpg and FGP: 54.5%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Ivan Krolo (217-C-83) of Darda - 23 points and 10 rebounds
5. Brandon Brown (202-F-81) of Zadar - 26 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Marijan Cakarun (90) of Borik - 16 points and 15 rebounds
7. Matej Karlovic (200-F-89) of Svjetlost - 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists
8. Hrvoje Puljko (193-G-83) of Kvarner 2010 - 28 points and 9 rebounds
9. Franko Kastropil (212-C-84) of Cedevita - 12 points and 11 rebounds
10. Ivan Mimica (193-G-80) of KK Split - 26 points and 2 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)

Cedevita open EuroCup quarterfinals with victory - by Eurobasket News
Cedevita - Estudiantes 90:81

Cedevita earned the first win in EuroCup quarterfinal against Estudiantes. The Croatian celebrated a nine-point victory in home game. The teams will meet again on March 30 in Spain.
Estudiantes stormed into this one. The visitors exploded with 33 points in the opening term to take a comfortable 33:21 lead. Cedevita came back to life in the second frame. They adjusted their defense limiting Estudiantes to only 16 points in the second period. Cedevita managed to get within two points at halftime 47:49. But the third term turned things around. Cedevita surged ahead and rallied to a massive 15-point advantage with one quarter remaining. Estudiantes fought hard in the final term as the margin meant a lot. Estudiantes cut the difference to just seven points but Cedevita were able to finalize a 9-point win at the end. Damjan Ruzed provided 21 points for Cedevita. Dontaye Draper (180-G-84, college: Charleston) contributed 20 points in the victory. Nik Caner-Medley (203-F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) responded with 19 points and 11 boards for Estudiantes. Sergio Sanchez (190-G-81) delivered 13 points in defeat.

Cedevita: Damjan Rudez (206-F-86) 21, Dontaye Draper 20, Marino Bazdaric (197-G/F-78) 14
Estudiantes: Nik Caner-Medley 19+11 boards, Sergio Sanchez 13

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

DENMARK

Stats Leaders - Basketligaen

Points Per Game

Thomas SOLTAU
  SISU
  (210-F-82)
  Avg: 22.8

1. Soltau, SISU	22.8
2. Morris, Aabyhoj	22.6
3. Hall, Aalborg	21.7
4. Brasas, Amager BK	21.1
5. Colas, Vaerlose	19.8
6. Iversen, Svendborg	18.8
7. Dennis, SISU	18.8
8. Roberts, Naestved	18.4
9. Voskuil, Horsens IC	18.2
10. Falkner, Aalborg	16.9

Rebounds Per Game

Lee ROBERTS
  Naestved
  (201-F/C-87)
  Avg: 13.3

1. Roberts, Naestved	13.3
2. Colas, Vaerlose	10.5
3. Morris, Aabyhoj	9.9
4. St.John, Horsens IC	9.6
5. Falkner, Aalborg	9.6
6. Johansen, Naestved	9.4
7. Soltau, SISU	8.8
8. Williams, Svendborg	7.6
9. Iversen, Svendborg	7.1
10. Rutherford, SISU	7.1

Assists Per Game

D.J. SMEDLEY
  Naestved
  (180-G-84)
  Avg: 6.4

1. Smedley, Naestved	6.4
2. Claitt, Horsens IC	5.6
3. Hall, Aalborg	5.2
4. Dennis, SISU	4.6
5. Burgess, Bakken	4.2
6. Nielsen, Horsholm	4.1
7. Martin, Aabyhoj	4.1
8. Darboe, Svendborg	3.9
9. Jensen, Vaerlose	3.7
10. Nielsen, SISU	3.4

Steals Per Game

Marquis HALL
  Aalborg
  (183-G-87)
  Avg: 3.8

1. Hall, Aalborg	3.8
2. Kristiansen, Aalborg	2.1
3. Dennis, SISU	1.9
4. Burgess, Bakken	1.9
5. Jakobsen, Bakken	1.8
6. Jukic, Aabyhoj	1.8
7. Smedley, Naestved	1.8
8. Nielsen, Horsholm	1.8
9. Colman, Svendborg	1.8
10. Roberts, Naestved	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Edward MORRIS
  Aabyhoj
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Morris, Aabyhoj	2.1
2. Blackmon, Horsholm	1.7
3. Christoffers., Bak.	1.5
4. Colas, Vaerlose	1.4
5. Roberts, Naestved	1.2
6. Brown, SISU	0.8
7. St.John, Horsens IC	0.8
8. McGinn, Aalborg	0.7
9. Johansen, Naestved	0.7
10. Logan, Amager BK	0.6

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

D-LEAGUE

Standings

D-League Standings

Central Division
1. Iowa E.		34-11
2. Erie Bay H.		29-16
3. Ft.Wayne MA		21-25
4. Dakota W.		17-28
5. Sioux Falls S.		10-35
Southwest Division
1. Tulsa 66ers		31-15
2. Rio Grande		30-15
3. Texas L.		20-25
4. Austin T.		19-25
5. New Mexico		18-27
6. Maine RC		16-29
West Division
1. Reno Bighorns		29-16
2. Bakersfield J.		27-17
3. Utah F.		26-18
4. Idaho S.		20-25
5. Springfield A.		13-33

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Trey JOHNSON
  Bakersfield J.
  (196-G-84)
  Avg: 25.9

1. Johnson, Bakersfi.	25.9
2. Johnson, Erie B.	22.0
3. Jeffers, Iowa E.	21.1
4. Adrien, Rio Grande	19.9
5. Ewing, Sioux F.	19.9
6. Dentmon, Texas L.	19.6
7. Alexander, Texas L.	19.5
8. McNeal, Rio Grande	19.4
9. Sims, Maine RC	19.3
10. Stinson, Iowa E.	18.5

Rebounds Per Game

Jeff ADRIEN
  Golde State W.
  (201-F-86)
  Avg: 12.2

1. Adrien, Rio Grande	12.2
2. Ewing, Sioux F.	10.6
3. Davidson, Idaho S.	10.1
4. Sims, Iowa E.	9.6
5. Williams, Texas L.	9.4
6. Phillips, Ft.Wayne.	9.3
7. Johnson, Dakota W.	9.2
8. Jeffers, Iowa E.	9.1
9. Alexander, Texas L.	8.9
10. Williams, Tulsa 66ers	8.5

Assists Per Game

Curtis STINSON
  Iowa E.
  (187-G-83)
  Avg: 9.5

1. Stinson, Iowa E.	9.5
2. Miles, Reno Bighorns	8.7
3. Daniels, Texas L.	8.5
4. Russell, Ft.Wayne.	7.9
5. Crittenton, Dakota W.	7.6
6. Jackson, Idaho S.	7.4
7. Jackson, Erie B.	6.6
8. Johnson, Austin T.	6.2
9. Reynolds, Spring.	5.7
10. Ahearn, Erie Bay H.	5.6

Steals Per Game

Javaris CRITTENTON
  Dakota W.
  (196-G-87)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Crittenton, Dakota W.	2.6
2. Dowdell, Tulsa 66ers	2.5
3. Miles, Reno Bighorns	2.5
4. Jackson, Idaho S.	2.1
5. Lofton, Iowa E.	2.1
6. Lin, Reno Bighorns	2.1
7. Lafayette, Ft.Wayne.	2.0
8. Greene, Utah F.	2.0
9. Shakur, Rio Grande	1.9
10. Reynolds, Spring.	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 66ers	2.4
4. Whiteside, Reno B.	2.2
5. Gaffney, Utah F.	2.2
6. Naymick, Bakersfi.	2.1
7. Atchley, Rio Grande	2.0
8. Gladness, Dakota W.	2.0
9. Alabi, Erie Bay H.	1.9
10. Fall, Maine RC	1.9

Tuesday's games review - by Eurobasket News
Utah F. - Maine RC 112-77
Brandon Costner (6'9''-F-87, college: N.Carolina St.) scored 27 points and the Utah Flash clinched an NBA Development League playoff berth Tuesday night with a 112-77 victory over the Maine Red Claws. The Flash won for the 12th time in 15 games, but the victory over Maine was their first in three tries since leading scorer Greene Orien (6'4''-G-82, college: La-Lafayette) left the team March 15 to play in China. Utah owned a 58-51 lead early in the third quarter when Costner hit back-to-back 3-pointers off passes by Kevin Kruger (6'1''-G-83, college: UNLV), triggering a 12-0 run that broke the game open. *Courtesy of www.sltrib.com

New Mexico - Bakersfield J. 104-100 OT
The New Mexico Thunderbirds (18-27) trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half, but came from behind to beat the Bakersfield Jam (28-16) 104-100 in overtime. In the first quarter the T-Birds raced out to a 6-0 lead behind a couple of 3-pointers from Marcus Hubbard (6'9''-C-83, agency: ZAG Advocates, college: Angelo St.) and Dar Tucker. The T-Birds would finish the quarter with a 20-19 lead. With the Thunderbirds still leading by one in the second quarter, Bakersfield went on a 7-2 run to open up their largest lead of the game at six points. Led by Derrick Byars (6'8''-G/F-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Vanderbilt) who had 13 points at the half, the Jam would hold a 48-43 lead at the break. Jamine Peterson led all scorers with 14 points at the half. The Jam started the second half on a 10-5 run to give them their largest lead of the game at 58-48. The T-Birds answered with an 11-4 run to cut the lead to four points. Bakersfield would lead by that four point margin heading into the fourth quarter, 74-70. The T-Birds began the fourth quarter on a 12-4 run to take an 82-78 lead. After the Jam closed the lead to one point, the Thunderbirds scored eight of the next 10 points to give them their largest lead of the game at seven points. The Jam would answer with a 10-1 run of their own to take the lead back, 93-91. J.R. Giddens then tied up the game at 93-93 by hitting two free throws with 40 seconds. Abdulai Jalloh then gave the Thunderbirds the lead back with a jumper from in the lane with 6.2 seconds remaining. Trey Johnson then answered with a jumper of his own with just one second left on the clock to send the game into overtime. In overtime, the T-Birds started overtime on an 8-3 run capped by a Peterson dunk to give them a 103-98 lead. They would go on to win by four points. Tucker finished the game with a double-double for the T-Birds scoring 26 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Ft.Wayne MA - Erie Bay H. 104-113
Ivan Johnson (6'8''-F/C-84, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.) scored 30 points while grabbing 10 rebounds to propel the Erie BayHawks to a 113-104 win over Fort Wayne on Tuesday night. Erie fell behind 10-4 early, but recovered to string together a 14-0 run and regain a lead it would never relinquish. Johnson scored 14 of his points in the second quarter as the BayHawks opened a 19-point lead. Erie took a 62-53 lead into the half and expanded the advantage to 13 on a driving layup by Nate Linhart with 7 minutes, 42 seconds to play in the third quarter. The Mad Ants trimmed the lead to two when Ryan Wittman nailed a 3-pointer with 27 seconds to play in the third quarter, but the BayHawks extended the lead to five points before the buzzer and then outscored Fort Wayne 27-23 in the final frame to hold on for the win. Five BayHawks scored in double- figures, including Tasmin Mitchell (6'7''-F-86, college: LSU) with 19 points. Erik Daniels scored 16, Solomon Alabi had 15, and Jermaine Beal added 11 for Erie, which shot 55.6 percent from the field. Six Mad Ants (21-25) players reached double figures, led by 22 from Darnell Lazare and 16 points from Wayne Chism. Erie (29-16) outrebounded the Mad Ants 43-34. *Courtesy of www.goerie.com

Tulsa 66ers - Austin T. 97-94
Guard Elijah Millsap (6'6''-G-87, college: UAB) of the Tulsa 66ers (31-15) poured in a team-high 21 points and Ryan Reid (6'8''-F-86, college: Florida St.) added 10 points and 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season to lead the 66ers past the Austin Toros (19-25) by a 97-94 final inside the Tulsa Convention Center Tuesday night. Collectively, Tulsa recorded 28 assists led by seven each from guards Robert Vaden and Garrett Williamson. Also scoring in double-figures for Tulsa was Jerome Dyson with 16, Latavious Williams with 14 and Larry Owens and Marcus Lewis each with 11. It marked the 17th time this season six Tulsa players have scored in double figures. Additionally, center Byron Mullens added four points, three rebounds and a blocked shot. With the win, Tulsa re-claimed first place in the Western Conference. 'Austin is a really good team right now because that was the best we've played in probably two or three weeks,' 66ers head coach Nate Tibbetts said. 'I am really proud of our guys. One thing we've been really talking about is taking care of the basketball. We only had 12 turnovers. Also, we had 28 assists which is huge for us.' Defensively, Tulsa held the Toros to 30-75 (.400) shooting from the floor and forced 17 turnovers, including 11 steals. Leading Austin was Marcus Cousin with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. Leo Lyons also added a double-double for the Toros with 16 points and 11 boards. *Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Sioux Falls S. - Springfield A. 106-113
The Springfield Armor defeated the Sioux Falls Skyforce 113-106 at the Sioux Falls Arena on Tuesday night. Ben Uzoh had his strongest performance since being assigned to the Armor by the New Jersey Nets on March 15 as he posted 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists and four steals to help his team record back-to-back road wins for the first time in franchise history. Sioux Falls (10-35) got off to a better start in tonight's matchup with Springfield as they only trailed by three points (27-24) after the first quarter. Springfield pushed the lead to 56-47 at halftime as Gavin Edwards (6'9''-F/C-88, college: Connecticut), Lance Hurdle (6'2''-G-87, college: Miami, FL), Jerry Smith and Ben Uzoh each scored 10 points in the first half. Springfield (13-33) pushed the lead to as many as 19 points (87-68) in the third quarter and appeared to be on their way to another easy win. Sioux Falls trailed 97-86 with just over eight minutes left in the contest but went on an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to two points (99-97) with 4:39 to go. Springfield scored the next six points to take control and send Sioux Falls to their fourth straight loss. Lance Hurdle scored 23 points behind 4-of-7 3-pointers. Gavin Edwards (19), Chas McFarland (12) Scottie Reynolds (11) and Jerry Smith (10) also posted double figures for the Armor. Patrick Ewing, Jr. had a monster double-double with 27 points and 15 rebounds to go along with six assists. Sean Marshall and Dominique Coleman contributed 20 and 17 points, respectively, off the bench. *Courtesy of D-League

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

EBA

Madness's Dunston signs in Mexico - by Justin Moore
Washington Madness Guard Wade Dunston (6'4''-G, college: St.Bonaventure) got a deal to play in Mexico in 6 games so far he's had 21,20,23,25,30,29 averaging 25.3 points a game, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals a game for Faraones de Nuevo Casas Grandes in Casas Grandes. The team was on a 5 game loosing streak and out of the playoff race until he got there, now there are 6th place in the playoffs out of 8 teams and also on a 4 game winning streak. The league is called the Chihuahua league. Faraones de Nuevo Casas Grandes won the Limeba championship in 09 and Dunston received MVP of the league.

Destroyers Playoff Roster! - by Justin Moore
The defending EBA Champs have released there 2011 Playoff Roster as they look to 3-peat Coach Dallas Comegys has a powerful lineup.

THE DESTROYERS ROSTER

#1 Brian Smith (6'1''-G) 6'1 GUARD BUTTE COLLEGE
#3 Sami Wylie (5'11''-G-84, college: Lincoln, PA)
#4 Mike Lewis (6'5''-F/G-74, college: Riverside JC)
#11 Jesse Fells (6'0''-G-84, college: Fayetteville St.)
#15 Andre Woodlin (6'3''-G, college: Kutztown)
#22 GREG GAYLOR 6'4 GUARD MARSHALL UNIVERSITY
#24 Fahreed Cheatham (6'5''-F-79, college: Lincoln, PA)
#30 Anthony Frazier (6'8''-F-82, college: Cheyney)
#32 Sherman Brittingham (6'5''-F-83, college: California, PA) .
#33 Mike Keyes (6'5''-F) FORWARD WILMINGTON UNIVERSITY
#34 Akil Moody (6'5''-F-80, college: Bridgeport)
#42 Mel Eason (6'6''-G-80)

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EUROBASKET SUMMER LEAGUE

Former ESL Standout Pierce Caldwell shines in Latvia - by Darryl Reshaw
Pierce Caldwell (6'3''-G-88, college: Incarnate World) the Co-MVP of the ESL 2010 Las Vegas event is having a great year in the Latvian and Baltic League.
Our ESL scouts were very impressed with Pierce Caldwell at the ESL this past summer in Las Vegas and thought he would excel in the European market.
His game reminded us of Trajan Langdon (6'4''-G-76, agency: Alti Sport, college: Duke) game and shooting ability with the skills to play the PG position.
The former NCAA Division II All American from the University of Incarnate World simply shot the lights out in Las Vegas and displayed a high basketball IQ.
He hit three point daggers from all over especially in crucial parts of the game but played team basketball.
In college he was a three (3) time Heartland Conference Player of the Year and averaged 18ppg and shot over 42% from the 3pt line his entire career.
Pierce Caldwell was recommended to the ESL by Dale Demps who is currently the GM for the New Orleans Hornets but at the time was working for the San Antonio Spurs.
The University of Incarnate World is located in San Antonio and Demps a former NBA player had worked out with Pierce Caldwell and seen him play on many occasions.
Our head ESL scout Robert Conley (6'6''-G/F-77, college: Clayton St.) a former top-level player in Europe was very impressed with Pierce Caldwell's game and thought he had the ability to play in the top leagues in Europe.
After the ESL event was over Pierce played on a tour team in China and also caught the eye of Donnie Nelson Jr the owner of the Texas Legends and GM of the Dallas Mavericks.
Pierce ended up making the NBDL team and played a few games but realized he would get a lot more playing time in the European market.
His current team Liepajas Lauvas had a mutual connection with the Dallas Mavericks international scout who was impressed by Pierce in his NBDL workouts.
As a result Pierce landed in Latvia and was a sensation in the Baltic League and was named Eurobasket.com Player of the Week in the Latvian League after scorching a team for 32 points going 8-16 from the 3pt line.
He averaged 19ppg while shooting 43% from the 3pt line and 90% from the FT in the Baltic League.
His team Liepajas Lauvas is in currently second place in the Latvian League and hopefully will challenge BK Ventspils for the Latvian League Championship.
The ESL expects Pierce in the future to land in some top leagues in Europe and be one of the best combo guards in the market.

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EUROCUP

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Primoz BREZEC
  Krasnie Krilya
  (216-F/C-79)
  Avg: 20.8

1. Brezec, Krasnie .	20.8
2. Janicenoks, VEF R.	20.3
3. Carroll, Gran Canaria	18.8
4. Solomon, Hapoel J.	18.0
5. Walsh, AS.	17.7
6. Wright, Cedevita	17.1
7. Chatman, Besiktas	16.8
8. Simmons, CEZ N.	15.9
9. Tucker, Aris	15.9
10. Rich, Hapoel J-M	15.6

Rebounds Per Game

Lazaros PAPADOPOULOS
  Khimky
  (210-C-80)
  Avg: 12.2

1. Papadopoulos, PAOK	12.2
2. Brezec, Krasnie .	9.7
3. Walsh, AS.	8.3
4. Francis, Panellinios	8.2
5. Tucker, Aris	8.0
6. Ellis, GasTerra	7.7
7. Jones, Pepsi C.	7.5
8. Nsonwu-Amadi, Roa.	7.5
9. Owens, Azovmash	7.5
10. Jefferson, AS.	7.3

Assists Per Game

Dontaye DRAPER
  Cedevita
  (180-G-84)
  Avg: 6.8

1. Draper, Cedevita	6.8
2. Mekel, Galil Gilboa	6.3
3. Walsh, AS.	6.0
4. Popovic, Unics	5.4
5. Thomas, Anwil	5.3
6. Meacham, Goett.	4.9
7. Markovic, Benetton.	4.9
8. Lukauskis, EWE B.	4.7
9. Bauscher, GasTerra	4.5
10. Granger, Estudian.	4.4

Steals Per Game

Kristaps JANICENOKS
  VEF Riga
  (196-F-83)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Janicenoks, VEF R.	2.5
2. Lukauskis, EWE B.	2.5
3. House, Azovmash	2.5
4. Kirksay, Cajasol	2.4
5. Diabate, Roanne	2.3
6. Dourisseau, GasTe.	2.3
7. Pumprla, CEZ N.	2.2
8. Draper, Cedevita	2.2
9. Curry, Azovmash	2.1
10. Chatman, Besiktas	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Brian RANDLE
  Hapoel J-M
  (203-F-85)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Randle, Hapoel J-M	2.1
2. Berzins, VEF Riga	1.8
3. Dunston, Aris	1.6
4. Skinner, Benetton.	1.4
5. Francis, Panellinios	1.2
6. Boone, Goettingen	1.1
7. Chan, CEZ Nymburk	1.1
8. Carter, Galil Gilboa	1.0
9. Stevic, EWE B.	1.0
10. Green, Krasnie Krilya	1.0

Eurocup Round: 1 (Quarter-Finals) - by Eurobasket News
Cedevita - Estudiantes 90-81
Cedevita earned the first win in EuroCup quarterfinal against Estudiantes. The Croatian celebrated a nine-point victory in home game. The teams will meet again on March 30 in Spain. Estudiantes stormed into this one. The visitors exploded with 33 points in the opening term to take a comfortable 33:21 lead. Cedevita came back to life in the second frame. They adjusted their defense limiting Estudiantes to only 16 points in the second period. Cedevita managed to get within two points at halftime 47:49. But the third term turned things around. Cedevita surged ahead and rallied to a massive 15-point advantage with one quarter remaining. Estudiantes fought hard in the final term as the margin meant a lot. Estudiantes cut the difference to just seven points but Cedevita were able to finalize a 9-point win at the end. Damjan Rudez (206-F-86) provided 21 points for Cedevita. Dontaye Draper (180-G-84, college: Charleston) contributed 20 points in the victory. Nik Caner-Medley (203-F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) responded with 19 points and 11 boards for Estudiantes. Sergio Sanchez (190-G-81) delivered 13 points in defeat.

Goettingen - Benetton TV 66-66
Benetton and Goettingen havent decided on the winner in todays EuroCup quarterfinal series opener. The first game ended in a draw. The teams will now move to Treviso to decide on the winner in Treviso on March 30. Goettingen looked better side in the opening term. They limited Benetton to just 15 points in the starting period and piled up a 6-point lead at the first break. Goettingen maintained the advantage in the second stanza. The German side dominated on the boards and kept the visitors at bay. Goettingen notched a 41:32 halftime lead. But Benetton changed complexion of the encounter early in the third term. With the help of Alessandro Gentile (198-G/F-92) the Italian side went on a massive rally at the beginning of the second half. Benetton erased the deficit and eventually surged in front. They pulled ahead 51:50 with ten minutes remaining. Neither side gained a decisive advantage in the fourth quarter. So it a draw that leaves the questions unanswered before the return leg. Mike Scott (203-F-86, college: Kent St.) finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds for Goettingen. Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova) tallied 13 points, while Trenton Meacham (188-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Illinois) had 11 points. Alessandro Gentile provided 22 points and 7 boards for Benetton. Greg Brunner (201-F-83, college: Iowa) accounted for 10 points and 10 boards.

Cajasol - Budivelnyk 67-49
Cajasol celebrated victory in the first game of the EuroCup quarterfinals. Fourth term surge helped Cajasol edge Budivelnyk as they built a comfortable cushion before the second game in Ukraine. The teams stayed close throughout three periods before suffocating defense from Cajasol paid off and they cleared off to a double-digit lead. Txemi Urtasun (193-G-84, agency: Interperformances) paced the Seville outfit with 15 points. Budivelnyk led by two points after a very close first term 16:14. Cajasol slowed down the visitors in the second quarter. The Ukrainian vice-champions tallied just 8 points in the second term allowing Cajasol to spur in front 30:24 at halftime. The teams traded baskets throughout the third term. The visitors got as close as three points but Cajasol restored a 6-point cushion at the final intermission. The home side stunned Budivelnyk early in the fourth term as Cajasol quickly opened a double digit advantage. Plagued by turnover the visitors could not recover. Cajasol kept a firm grip on the lead and raced to the victory at the end. Mindaugas Katelynas (205-F-83, college: Chattanooga) provided 14 points, while Tariq Kirksay (199-F-79, college: Iona) added 11 points and 8 boards in the win. Lamayne Wilson (204-F-80, college: Troy) and William Keys (188-G-77, college: N.Mexico St.) answered with 11 points each for Budivelnyk.

Pepsi Caserta - Unics 84-90
Unics made a huge step towards EuroCup semifinals after edging Pepsi Caserta in Italy. Unics will now have to shield off a 6-point lead at home court in a week. It was a tough battle where Unics used all of their experience to snatch a narrow victory at the end. The Russian team set the tone early. Unics accounted for 22 points in the first term to gain a 4-point lead. But Pepsi Caserta were ready for the challenge. They increased the tempo in the second period scoring 26 points and cutting the deficit to just two points 44:46 at halftime. The teams went neck and neck in the third term. Unics got luckier eking out a 61:60 lead with ten minutes to go. Pepsi Caserta tried hard to pull in front but the visitors poured in 29 points in the final stanza to escape with an important road win at the end. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) stepped up with impressive 30 points, 12 boards and 3 assists for Unics. Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) added 16 points in the victory. Eric Williams (206-C-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wake Forest) had 22 points for Pepsi Caserta. Jumaine Jones (202-F-79, college: Georgia) finished with 18 points and 9 boards in the loss.

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EUROLEAGUE

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Bojan BOGDANOVIC
  Cibona
  (202-G/F-89)
  Avg: 18

1. Bogdanovic, Cibona	18.0
2. Langford, Khimky	17.8
3. Rakocevic, Efes P.	17.2
4. Teletovic, Caja L.	15.4
5. Mejia, Cholet	15.1
6. Spanoulis, Olympiakos	14.7
7. Navarro, Regal B.	14.7
8. San Emeterio, Caja L.	14.4
9. McCalebb, Montepas.	14.2
10. Gregory, Union O.	14.0

Rebounds Per Game

Mirsad TURKCAN
  Fener.Ulker
  (206-F-76)
  Avg: 7.3

1. Turkcan, Fener.Ul.	7.3
2. Bourousis, Olympiakos	6.9
3. Jankunas, Zalgiris	6.9
4. Gist, Partizan	6.9
5. Fischer, Real Madrid	6.5
6. Pleiss, Brose B.	6.3
7. Radosevic, Cibona	6.3
8. Freeland, Unicaja	6.3
9. Gregory, Union O.	6.1
10. Wright, Charleroi	5.9

Assists Per Game

Dimitris DIAMANTIDIS
  Panathinaikos
  (196-G-80)
  Avg: 5.6

1. Diamantidis, Panath.	5.6
2. Cook, Valencia	5.5
3. Huertas, Caja L.	5.5
4. Spanoulis, Olympiakos	4.3
5. Jasikevicius, Lietuv.	4.3
6. Pellin, Le Mans	4.2
7. Ilievski, Union O.	4.1
8. Stipcevic, Cibona	4.1
9. McElroy, AL.	4.0
10. Eidson, Maccabi .	3.9

Steals Per Game

Chuck EIDSON
  Maccabi T-A
  (202-F/G-80)
  Avg: 2.8

1. Eidson, Maccabi .	2.8
2. McCalebb, Montepas.	2.3
3. Diot, Le Mans	2.2
4. Goldsberry, Brose B.	1.9
5. Stonerook, Montepas.	1.8
6. Perkins, Maccabi .	1.8
7. Smith, Lottomatica	1.8
8. Dedovic, Lottomat.	1.7
9. Ilievski, Union O.	1.7
10. Rubio, Regal Barca	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Mirza BEGIC
  Real Madrid
  (216-C-85)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Begic, Zalgiris	2.3
2. Riddick, Charleroi	1.7
3. Fischer, Real Madrid	1.6
4. Pleiss, Brose B.	1.5
5. Bourousis, Olympiakos	1.4
6. Eze, Khimky	1.3
7. Falker, Cholet	1.3
8. Sinanovic, Unicaja	1.2
9. Shermadini, Union O.	1.1
10. Hines, Brose B.	1.1

Barcelona - Panathinaikos 83-82 - by Chris Mammides
Euroleague Semi-Final Games - 1st game:
A heroic 3D (Dimitris Dimitris Diamantidis (196-G-80)) tried to beat not only the home team of Barcelona but also the men in grey as it was more than obvious (everyone that knows a bit about the sport and is not bias will prove it) that the three referees were not exactly 'correct' with their calls. Especially the fourth and most crucial quarter it was obvious that the fouls were one sited - and this site was not Obradovic's team. Lot's of Green fouls and technical calls from the referees for nothing really while there were also some grey inventions like the foul of Fotsis over Morris at the final seconds and the foul which have never been called of Vasquez over the stout 3D.
In any case the game is over Barca took the first game of the series and the road now is more clear than ever for the Catalonians as in this series the game of the premiere is the guide of the team to qualified in the finals.
About the game now, it was a unadulterated derby between two of the best teams in Europe the last decade. Obradovic did a check mat to his colleague in Barca, Pasqualle, on the defence of Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) and the Catalonian super star couldnt score at all in the first half at the same time, the Serbian Head Coach succeeded in the tactic of a slow basketball game as the first quarter was finished Panathinaikos was a solid team and played a lot in the paint where Vougioukas seemed to be quite effective at the beginning and 3D was the same old 3D which we are admiring the last 7-8 years in the Euroleague courts and not only. With Sato, Fotsi, Diamantidi, Vougiouka and Kalathi as a sterting five, Obradovic kept his aces at the beginning and played the game in the paint with Fotsis being the man of the quarter even though he didnt score. The first half ended with 14-14! A really low score for the Barcelonas standards and general statistics, the second half though it was much better with Panathinaikos mainly with Dimitris Diamantidis to lead the way and with Jaka Lakovic (186-G-78) on the other hand to score and being unstoppable Barca took the lead which kept only for a couple of minutes as 3D was on fire and with 5 consecutive points together with Drew Nicholas (191-G-81, college: Maryland) who start scoring the score became 37-35 for Barca with another 20 minutes to go.
The third quarter 3D and Maric in his first game after the operation gave to Panathianikos a 3 point lead but Juan Carlos Navarro start scoring for Barca, so even though the quarter ended with 57-60 for Panathinaikos, Obradovic realised that Juan Carlos Navarro will start his scoring crescent. Panathinaikos took a lead of five but lost at least three consecutive offences which could have lock the game and the victory for the Greens, on the other hand Barca balance the game with what is a trade mark for the Catalonians the parameter, Morris, Lorbek, Juan Carlos Navarro and Jaka Lakovic scored threes and regain the lead for the home team until the very end with all the grey calls that described at the beginning. These games which end on a point have bigger psychological factor for the winners than the losers so the series will move on a different slope
The quarters were: 14-14, 37-35, 57-60, 83-82
And the points for the two teams with 3D being the MVP of the game were as follows:
Barca: Santa 2, Rubio 4, Jaka Lakovic 12, Juan Carlos Navarro 13, Perovic 6, Vasquez 4, N Dong 8, Moris 5, Lorbek 12, Anderson 10, Grimau 7
Panathinaikos: Maric 5, Perperoglou 6, Batiste 15, Fotsis 2, Drew Nicholas 16, Tsartsaris 2, Dimitris Diamantidis 26, Vougioukas 4, Kalathis 5, Kaimakoglou 1.

Reds erupt for records in Playoffs win - by Eurobasket News
The Game 1 Quarterfinal Playoffs matchup between Olympiacos and Montepaschi Siena ended in an impressive 89-41 blowout win for the Reds and left quite a few records shattered along the way. The hosts started the game with 19 unanswered points and set records for fewest point allowed in a half (9) and fewest through three quarters (22). Head coach Dusan Ivkovic's (agency: Beo Basket ) men also set a Playoffs record with 55 rebounds and the largest Playoffs margin of victory at 48. The tight defense by the hosts resulted in 11 steals and 7 blocks but, more importantly, limited Siena to 9-of-46 two-point shooting, a paltry 19.5% for the game that actually was just 4% at the half, which was reached at 47-9.

The point total by the visitors in the first two quarters was the lowest in Euroleague history, breaking Asvel Basketss mark of 14 at the half, going all the way back to 2003 in a game against Benetton Treviso. Also, with no two-point shots made in the opening quarter, which closed at 24-4, Olympiacos held Montepaschi to the second-fewest points in Playoffs history for a in the opening period. Olympiacoss dominance at the Peace and Friendship Stadium produced the lowest-scoring game in the competition since CSKA trounced KRKA Novo Mesto 89-35 in 2003. But, most importantly, it gave the Reds their fifth consecutive opening playoff win at home, also a record.

Still, one milestone was left unattained: in Theodoros Papaloukas's record 212th Euroleague game, the Olympiacos playmaker recorded just 3 assists, which still leaves him 4 shy of the 900 mark, a number never before reached before by any player in the competition.

Courtesy of Euroleague

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FINLAND

Standings - Korisliiga

Korisliiga Standings

1. Pyrinto		36-7
2. Kataja		30-13
3. KTP		30-13
4. Korihait		27-16
5. Honka		24-17
6. Kouvot		23-20
7. Karhu		22-20
8. ToPo		21-22
9. Namika Lahti		16-26
10. Salon Vilpas		13-30
11. LrNMKY		9-34
12. Tarmo		5-38

Stats Leaders - Korisliiga

Points Per Game

Jamar WILSON
  Honka
  (185-G-84)
  Avg: 22.2

1. Wilson, Honka	22.2
2. Heard, Tarmo	21.3
3. Wood, Karhu	20.6
4. Lewis, LrNM.	20.0
5. Blanchard, ToPo	19.7
6. Walker, Kouvot	19.7
7. Bailey, LrNM.	19.6
8. Williamson, Honka	19.3
9. Barrett, KTP	19.3
10. Williams, Pyrinto	18.7

Rebounds Per Game

Jeremiah WOOD
  Karhu
  (200-F-85)
  Avg: 12.9

1. Wood, Karhu	12.9
2. Kaunisto, Kouvot	10.7
3. Doaks, Salon Vilpas	10.1
4. Mathis, Namika Lahti	9.9
5. Young, Tarmo	9.6
6. Williams, Pyrinto	9.5
7. Blanchard, ToPo	9.1
8. Vinson, Kouvot	9.0
9. Coleman, LrNM.	8.7
10. Belser, Honka	8.4

Assists Per Game

Malik MOORE
  LrNMKY
  (192-G-77)
  Avg: 4.8

1. Moore, LrNM.	4.8
2. Johnson, Karhu	4.8
3. Suonio, Namika Lahti	4.4
4. Williams, Pyrinto	4.4
5. Virtanen, Kataja	4.2
6. Wood, Karhu	4.0
7. Ivey, KTP	3.6
8. Fields, KTP	3.5
9. Sarcevic, Korihait	3.5
10. Okorie, Salon Vilpas	3.3

Steals Per Game

Jeremiah WOOD
  Karhu
  (200-F-85)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Wood, Karhu	2.2
2. Fields, KTP	2.1
3. Moore, Korihait	1.9
4. Conerly, Tarmo	1.8
5. Sarcevic, Korihait	1.8
6. Williams, Pyrinto	1.7
7. Heard, Tarmo	1.7
8. Newson, Kataja	1.7
9. Fells, Kataja	1.7
10. Ayers, Namika L.	1.6

Blocks Per Game

James REAVES
  Korihait
  (203-F-82)
  Avg: 0.9

1. Reaves, Korihait	0.9
2. Bailey, LrNM.	0.7
3. Hendley, Namika Lahti	0.7
4. Wilson, Honka	0.7
5. Wood, Karhu	0.6
6. Belser, Honka	0.6
7. Suonio, Namika Lahti	0.6
8. Moore, LrNM.	0.6
9. Blanchard, ToPo	0.6
10. Young, Tarmo	0.6

Korisliiga Round 43: KTP-Basket is defeated by Kouvot - by Eurobasket News
There will be only one (last) round of the Regular Season in Korisliiga.

The game between second ranked KTP-Basket (30-13) and sixth ranked Kouvot (23-20) was the most important one in the last round on Wednesday night. KTP-Basket was defeated by Kouvot in a tough game in Kotka 72-78. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of KTP-Basket. KTP-Basket was trailing by 2 points at halftime but managed to get 3-point lead after three quarters before a 26-17 charge of Kouvot, which allowed them to win the game. 24 personal fouls committed by KTP-Basket helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a great evening for the former international forward Ville Kaunisto (204-82) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. American guard B.A. Walker (188-84, college: VCU, agency: Pro One Sports) helped adding 20 points and 5 rebounds. At the losing side Canadian forward Sefton Barrett (196-83, college: Cent.Michigan, agency: Limelight Hoops) responded with 34 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds. Kouvot have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain sixth place with 23-20 record. KTP-Basket at the other side keeps the second position with 13 games lost. They share it with Kataja. Kouvot are looking forward to face Torpan Pojat (#8) in Helsinki in the next round. KTP-Basket will have a break next round.
UU-Korihait (#4) was upset in Kauhajoki by seventh ranked Kauhajoen Karhu 88-78. Americans were the main players on the court. It was an exceptional evening for forward Jeremiah Wood (200-85, agency: Court Side) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 19 rebounds. Walt Baxley accounted for 30 points (made all of his ten free throws !!!). Forward James Reaves (203-82, college: Niagara) came up with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 14 rebounds for UU-Korihait in the defeat. Kauhajoen Karhu (22-20) have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain seventh place. UU-Korihait lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with 16 games lost. Kauhajoen Karhu will play against bottom-ranked Porvoon Tarmo (#12) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. UU-Korihait will play against the league's second-placed Joensuun Kataja (#2) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Korisliiga top team - Tampereen Pyrinto (36-7) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed twelfth ranked Porvoon Tarmo (5-38) 124-51. Damon Williams fired a triple-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the winners. Tampereen Pyrinto's coach Pieti Poikola felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Jonathan Heard produced 22 points and 8 rebounds for lost side. The victory was the tenth consecutive win for Tampereen Pyrinto. Defending champion maintains first place with 36-7 record. Porvoon Tarmo lost their eighth game in a row. Newly promoted Porvoon Tarmo stay dead last with 38 lost games. Tampereen Pyrinto will meet Namika Lahti (#9) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Porvoon Tarmo will play against Kauhajoen Karhu in Kauhajoki and hope to secure a win.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 43: Namika Lahti lost to ToPo on the opponent's court 96-106. Kataja outscored LrNMKY in a home game 93-72. Honka managed to beat Salon Vilpas on the road 81-69.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 30 points and 12 rebounds by LaVell Blanchard of ToPo.

ToPo - Namika Lahti 106-96

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 9th ranked Namika Lahti's (16-26) road loss to eighth ranked Torpan Pojat (21-22) 96-106 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Torpan Pojat led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 22-of-28 free shots (78.6 percent) during the game. Americans were the main players on the court also this time. Forward LaVell Blanchard (201-81, college: Michigan, agency: Beo Basket) fired a double-double by scoring 30 points and 12 rebounds for the winners (made all of his seven free throws). Forward Tyray Pearson (201-80, college: Iowa St.) chipped in a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds. Guard Ryan Ayers (201-86, college: Notre Dame) produced 23 points and 8 rebounds and forward Anthony Vereen (201-86, college: Texas Arlington) added 16 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Torpan Pojat. They maintain eighth place with 21-22 record. Loser Namika Lahti keeps the ninth position with 26 games lost. Torpan Pojat will meet higher ranked Kouvot (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Namika Lahti will play against the league's leader Tampereen Pyrinto having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
Namika Lahti: R.Ayers 23+8reb+3ast, V.Heinonen 19+5reb, A.Vereen 16+5reb+4ast, R.Suonio 13+3reb+8ast, J.Rekola 12+5reb, O.Aalto 7+2reb
ToPo: L.Blanchard 30+12reb+3ast, F.Richards 19+3reb+2ast, E.Kajander 17+4reb+3ast, T.Pearson 14+13reb, M.Koivisto 13+2reb+2ast, T.Heinonen 10+6reb

Pyrinto - Tarmo 124-51

Korisliiga top team - Tampereen Pyrinto (36-7) had no problems winning another game on Wednesday. This time they crushed twelfth ranked Porvoon Tarmo (5-38) 124-51. The game without a history. Tampereen Pyrinto led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Porvoon Tarmo to just 5 points in first quarter. Tampereen Pyrinto dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to Porvoon Tarmo's 30 and made 25-of-31 free shots (80.6 percent) during the game, while Porvoon Tarmo only scored three points from the stripe. Tampereen Pyrinto forced 20 Porvoon Tarmo turnovers and outrebounded Porvoon Tarmo 39-28 including a 31-16 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a great shooting night for Tampereen Pyrinto especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 57.9 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists comparing to just 4 passes made by Porvoon Tarmo's players. American forward Damon Williams (201-73, college: Colorado St.-Pueblo) fired a triple-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the winners. Guard Antero Lehto (184-84) chipped in 21 points and 6 rebounds (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Five Tampereen Pyrinto players scored in double figures. Tampereen Pyrinto's coach Pieti Poikola felt very confident that he used 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American swingman Jonathan Heard (198-86) produced 22 points and 8 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws) and forward Eemil Oikari (196-92) added 9 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. The victory was the tenth consecutive win for Tampereen Pyrinto. Defending champion maintains first place with 36-7 record. Porvoon Tarmo lost their eighth game in a row. Newly promoted Porvoon Tarmo stay dead last with 38 lost games. Tampereen Pyrinto will meet Namika Lahti (#9) on the road in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Porvoon Tarmo will play against Kauhajoen Karhu in Kauhajoki and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Tarmo: J.Heard 22+8reb+1ast, E.Oikari 9+5reb, L.Trice Little 6+3reb+1ast, J.Kyllonen 6+1reb+1ast, S.Marouf 5, A.Nieminen 2
Pyrinto: A.Lehto 21+6reb+3ast, A.Nikkila 20+4reb+1ast, A.Williams 17+3reb+2ast, K.Lowe 16+5reb, J.Niemi 14+1reb+1ast, D.Williams 11+10reb+10ast

Karhu - Korihait 88-78

UU-Korihait (#4) was upset in Kauhajoki by seventh ranked Kauhajoen Karhu 88-78. It looked good early as UU-Korihait took an 14-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Kauhajoen Karhu took control and eventually winning the game that evening by 10 points. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists comparing to just 8 passes made by UU-Korihait's players. Americans were the main players on the court. It was an exceptional evening for forward Jeremiah Wood (200-85, agency: Court Side) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 19 rebounds. Guard Walt Baxley (191-84, college: Mars Hill) accounted for 30 points (made all of his ten free throws !!!) for the winning side. Forward James Reaves (203-82, college: Niagara) came up with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 14 rebounds and forward Lawrence Wright (195-84, college: Bradley) added 18 points and 7 rebounds respectively for UU-Korihait in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Kauhajoen Karhu (22-20) have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They maintain seventh place. UU-Korihait lost third consecutive game. They keep the fourth position with 16 games lost. Kauhajoen Karhu will play against bottom-ranked Porvoon Tarmo (#12) on the road in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. UU-Korihait will play against the league's second-placed Joensuun Kataja (#2) having rather not much hope for a victory.
Top scorers:
Korihait: J.Reaves 22+14reb+1ast, B.Sarcevic 19+4reb+2ast, L.Wright 18+7reb+1ast, N.Moore 12+8reb+2ast, M.Jalonen 7+1reb+1ast, A.Peltonen 0
Karhu: W.Baxley 30+4reb+1ast, J.Wood 21+19reb+3ast, V.Makalainen 12+5reb+2ast, E.Skamo 10+8reb+2ast, S.Johnson 8+2reb+10ast, S.Niskanen 4

Kataja - LrNMKY 93-72

Very predictable result when third ranked Joensuun Kataja (30-13) smashed at home 11th ranked LrNMKY (9-34) 93-72 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Joensuun Kataja led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Joensuun Kataja dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to LrNMKY's 34. They outrebounded LrNMKY 41-26 including a 30-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. American power forward Darren Fells (201-86, agency: Court Side) fired a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds for the winners. The former international power forward Sami Lehtoranta (205-79) chipped in 20 points and 7 rebounds. Five Joensuun Kataja players scored in double figures. Coach Jukka Toijala's team controlled all game and the coach could let to play 10 players and allowed the starting five to rest. American guard Malik Moore (192-77, college: Amer.Internat., agency: Prossin Sports Management) produced a triple-double by scoring 14 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists and the other American import forward HL Coleman (202-74, college: Wyoming) added 15 points and 7 rebounds respectively for lost side. Joensuun Kataja moved-up to second place, which they share with KTP. LrNMKY lost their fifth game in a row. They keep the eleventh position with 34 games lost. Joensuun Kataja will meet UU-Korihait (#4) in the next round. LrNMKY will play against Salon Vilpas (#10) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
LrNMKY: V.Pekkola 17+2reb+1ast, H.Coleman 15+7reb+1ast, M.Moore 14+10reb+12ast, J.Lewis 9+4reb, T.Turunen 6, T.Kulha 6+2reb
Kataja: S.Lehtoranta 20+7reb+1ast, D.Fells 17+14reb, P.Virtanen 15+1reb+6ast, J.Newson 15+5reb+2ast, A.Kanervo 13+4reb+5ast, I.Pehkonen 5+2reb+2ast

Salon Vilpas - Honka 69-81

Not a big story in a game when 10th ranked Salon Vilpas (13-30) was defeated at home by fifth ranked Espoo Honka (24-17) 81-69 on Wednesday. The guests trailed by 8 points after first quarter, but they stormed back and won the game by 12 points. Guard Anselmi Vanjoki (193-88) fired 19 points for the winners. Power forward Samuli Vanttaja (210-91) chipped in 21 points. The former international forward Jukka Kataja (197-82) produced a double-double by scoring 14 points and 10 rebounds and forward Matti Nuutinen (200-90) added 15 points respectively for lost side. Five Espoo Honka and four Salon Vilpas players scored in double figures. Salon Vilpas' coach Kimmo Vyyrylainen rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Espoo Honka maintains fifth place with 24-17 record. Salon Vilpas lost their seventh game in a row. They keep the tenth position with 30 games lost. Espoo Honka will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Salon Vilpas will play against LrNMKY (#11) in Lappeenranta and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Salon Vilpas: M.Nuutinen 15+4reb+2ast, J.Kataja 14+10reb+1ast, R.Ahonen 14+2reb+4ast, N.Okorie 13+4reb+3ast, S.Himberg 5+2reb+1ast, S.Kaaresvirta 3+4reb+4ast
Honka: S.Vanttaja 21+3reb, A.Vanjoki 19+2reb+3ast, J.Suotamo 15+5reb+2ast, V.Kopio 12+4reb+5ast, V.Makalainen 10+9reb+1ast, D.Dolenc 2+3reb

KTP - Kouvot 72-78

The game between second ranked KTP-Basket (30-13) and sixth ranked Kouvot (23-20) was the most important one in the last round on Wednesday night. KTP-Basket was defeated by Kouvot in a tough game in Kotka 72-78. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of KTP-Basket. KTP-Basket was trailing by 2 points at halftime but managed to get 3-point lead after three quarters before a 26-17 charge of Kouvot, which allowed them to win the game. 24 personal fouls committed by KTP-Basket helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. It was a great evening for the former international forward Ville Kaunisto (204-82) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 12 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. American guard B.A. Walker (188-84, college: VCU, agency: Pro One Sports) helped adding 20 points and 5 rebounds. Four Kouvot players scored in double figures. At the losing side Canadian forward Sefton Barrett (196-83, college: Cent.Michigan, agency: Limelight Hoops) responded with 34 points (!!!) and 6 rebounds and American forward Jerald Fields (201-82, college: E.Tenn.St., agency: Lanshire Group) produced a double-double by scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Kouvot have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain sixth place with 23-20 record. KTP-Basket at the other side keeps the second position with 13 games lost. They share it with Kataja. Kouvot are looking forward to face Torpan Pojat (#8) in Helsinki in the next round. KTP-Basket will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
KTP: S.Barrett 34+6reb, J.Fields 15+14reb+3ast, J.Ivey 15+3reb+3ast, M.Dobras 3+1reb, J.Eskola 3+1reb, C.Jones 2+5reb+1ast
Kouvot: J.Gonner 22+4reb, B.Walker 20+5reb+1ast, D.Vinson 12+8reb+3ast, V.Kaunisto 12+12reb+5ast, A.Nikkarinen 9+4reb+4ast, I.Seppala 3+1reb

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FRANCE

Standings - ProB

ProB Standings

1. Rouen		18-8
2. Nanterre		18-8
3. Evreux		17-10
4. Maurienne		16-10
5. Le Portel		15-11
6. Dijon		15-11
7. Fos Ouest		15-11
8. Chalons-Reims		14-12
9. Bourg		14-12
10. Boulogne		14-12
11. Boulazac		14-13
12. Antibes		11-15
13. St Vallier		11-15
14. Nantes		11-15
15. Lille		10-16
16. Quimper		10-16
17. Clermont		7-19
18. Charleville		5-21

Stats Leaders - ProB

Points Per Game

Moses SONKO
  Maurienne
  (196-F-83)
  Avg: 19

1. Sonko, Maurienne	19.0
2. Siggers, Rouen	18.3
3. Harris, Lille	18.3
4. Carter, Nanterre	18.2
5. Gay, Fos Ouest	16.7
6. Milbourne, Boulogne	16.3
7. Rouse, Charleville	15.9
8. Watson, Evreux	15.7
9. Barnette, Lille	15.6
10. Labeyrie, Le Portel	15.3

Rebounds Per Game

Korvotney BARBER
  Nantes
  (201-F-87)
  Avg: 10.5

1. Barber, Nantes	10.5
2. Daniels, Chalons-.	9.9
3. Mathis, Maurienne	9.7
4. Bing, Dijon	8.7
5. Monds, Bourg	8.4
6. Rouse, Charleville	8.4
7. Giles, Rouen	8.1
8. Monroe, Boulogne	8.1
9. Badiane, Boulazac	7.9
10. McClark, Charleville	7.7

Assists Per Game

Philippe DA SILVA
  Evreux
  (192-G-79)
  Avg: 8.1

1. Da Silva, Evreux	8.1
2. Rowland, Le Portel	6.4
3. Downey, Nantes	5.8
4. Patiejunas, Boulo.	5.5
5. Williams, Le Portel	5.0
6. Taylor, Rouen	5.0
7. Craven, Dijon	4.8
8. Denave, St Vallier	4.7
9. Oliver, Bourg	4.7
10. Mullins, Chalons-.	4.6

Steals Per Game

Jara DOYNE
  Szedeak
  (193-G/F-84)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Doyne, Charleville	2.6
2. Shiloh, St Vallier	2.6
3. Daniels, Chalons-.	2.6
4. Sonko, Maurienne	2.4
5. Patiejunas, Boulo.	2.3
6. Riley, Nanterre	2.3
7. Craven, Dijon	2.2
8. Melody, Dijon	2.1
9. Mullins, Chalons-.	2.0
10. Hachad, Fos Ouest	2.0

Blocks Per Game

Sherman GAY
  Fos Ouest
  (201-F-82)
  Avg: 2

1. Gay, Fos Ouest	2.0
2. Jefferson, Quimper	1.4
3. Monds, Bourg	1.0
4. Barber, Nantes	1.0
5. Adjiwanou, Boula.	0.9
6. N''Diaye, Clermont	0.9
7. Daniels, Nanterre	0.8
8. Taccoen, Lille	0.8
9. Diakite, Chalons-.	0.8
10. Davis, Evreux	0.8

JA Vichy and TJ Thompson part ways - by Eurobasket News
TJ Thompson (177-G-82, college: George Washington) is no longer a member of JA Vichy. Two sides agreed to part ways and Thompson became a free agent. He arrived to Vichy in January from Ilysiakos Athens. Thompson appeared 6 times in ProA averaging 7 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. With Ilysiakos he played seven games in Greek top division registering 6.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg and 5 apg.
TJ Thompson spent last season in Poland and Germany. He joined Turow in December of 2009, but after four games he moved to EnBW Ludwigsburg. For 12 games in German league Thompson had 12 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 2.8 apg. From 2007 to 2009 he played for Le Havre and was one of the best league players. In their second season together Thompson shined with 18.1 ppg and 5.9 apg for 30 games in ProA. In the past, he also played in CBA, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

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

GERMANY

Quentin Pryor (Phoenix Hagen) Dwayne Anderson Is In The Top 5 Of Forwards In The BEKO BBL And Just A Nightmare On The Offensive End - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Quentin Pryor (193-G/F-83, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Morehead St.) is a 27 year old 193cm shooting guard/small forward from Eupora, Mississippi and is playing his second season with Phoenix Hagen. He started his college basketball career at Jackson State, before finishing at Morehead State from 2005-2007. In his senior year, he played 30 games averaging11.4ppg, 4.6rpg, 2.1apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3Pts: 36.8%, FT: 71.7%. In 2007, he started his professional basketball career in Germany with FC Schalke 04 playing 29 games and averaging 15.1ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.2apg, Steals-1 (2.5spg), FGP: 55.8%, 3PT: 37.4%, FT: 75.2%. In 2008-2009 for Phoenix Hagen, he played 30 games averaging 14.7ppg, 3.8rpg, 3.0apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 60.5%, 3PT: 30.3%, FT: 75.2. Last season, he played 33 games: 8.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 1.4apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 40.9%, 3PT: 39.3%, FT: 72.9%. He spoke to Eurobasket after the 99-90 loss in Goettingen.

BG Goettingen had the slim 51-48 lead at halftime. What was key in the first half for BG Goettingen having the lead?

I would say they had the last run of the half to take the lead. It was back and fourth in the first half.

Which team was running more in the first 20 minutes?

I would say it was even. We had turnovers that led to runouts for them. We got long rebounds of theirs to get fastbreaks.

BG Goettingen went on two runs in the third, but Phoenix Hagen battled back twice. What was key for hanging in the game?

We just made big shots everytime they got ready to pull off by hitting the open man off of our penetration.

You gave Phoenix Hagen their last lead at 85-84, but BG Goettingen finshed the game with a 15-5 run to win the game by 9 points. What was key in this run for not getting that road win?

Dale hit some big shots for them down the stretch and I think we also ran out of gas. We had a shortened bench that game and it hurt us in the end.

Dwayne Anderson had a strong game with 23 points and eight rebounds. Where do you rate him in the league of forwards?
He has to be top five. He is a nightmare on the offensive end because he can shoot, put it on the floor, and post up.

How crazy was the Butler win over Pittsburgh? Is there any lesson that can be learned from a game like that?

I was very shocked at how it ended. That was 2 very dumb plays to close out a game. The only lesson learned is the game is not over until the clock hits 0.00. Some refs probably wouldn't have called that play but he did foul him.

Can Butler get another upset against Wisconsin?

I don't put anything past Butler now. They are a different animal when March comes around.

Where will the run of BYU end?

I don't really know. Florida is a good team that I think will give them problems but they have beaten teams all year that were supposed to pose issues for them

The Boston Celtics seem to be struggling since the trades loosing to teams they should beat. How much at risk is their season? Rondo isnt his self at the moment either.

I think they will be fine. They are a team built for the playoffs and they are trying to get their keys players rested before the playoffs start.

Thanks Quentin foir the chat.

Jacob Burtschi (Phoenix Hagen) I liked The Old Fashion-Ness Of The Lokhalle - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Jacob Burtschi (198-F-84, college: Air Force) is a 26 year old 198cm forward from Chickasha, Oklahoma who is a rookie this season for Phoenix Hagen. He played at the Air Force from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 35 games averaging 13.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3Pts: 39.0%, FT: 77.3%. He had offers to play in the NBA, but served in the Air Force the last three years and could only play club ball. Some achievements that he got in the NCAA were All-MWC Honorable Mention -05, MWC Regular Season Runner-Up -06, All-MWC 2nd Team -06, 07, NABC All-NCAA District 13 2nd Team -07, and NIT Final Four -07. Jacob spoke with Eurobasket after the 99-90 loss in Goettingen.

A tough 99-90 loss in Goettingen. How did you like playing in the dark mysterious Lokhalle? What kind of experience was it and what did you like the most about that place?

Its definitely different from other gyms. I liked the old fashion-ness of the building

BG Goettingen had the slim 51-48 lead at halftime. What was key in the first half for BG Goettingen having the lead?

Crashng the boards and hitting open shots

Which team was running more in the first 20 minutes?

We both wanted to run, but they did a good job of pushing the tempo a bit more

BG Goettingen went on two runs in the third, but Phoenix Hagen battled back twice. What was key for hanging in the game?

Not giving up. kept grinding away

Quentin Pryor gave Phoenix Hagen their last lead at 85-84, but BG Goettingen finshed the game with a 15-5 run to win the game by 9 points. What was key in this run for not getting that road win?

They hit shots, we went cold.

Dwayne Anderson had a strong game with 23 points and eight rebounds. Where do you rate him in the league of forwards?

He is definitely one of the best. He is an all star selection for a reason

How crazy was the Butler win over Pittsburgh? Is there any lesson that can be learned from a game like that?

Crazy ending, but not crazy Butler won. Pitt chokes every year. And there is a lesson to be learned. Dont be an idiot and foul the guy 96 feet away with one second to play.

Can Butler get another upset against Wisconsin?

Butler has a good chance against Wisconsin.

Where will the run of BYU end?

It wont. Everyone should be on the Jimmer train. Best player in the country.

The Boston Celtics seem to be struggling since the trades loosing to teams they should beat. How much at risk is their season? Rondo isnt his self at the moment either.

It wont risk their season. Home court advantage would be nice, but they are too talented and a lot of veterans to be concerned. They are in the playoffs and eventually got to go through everybody to win.

Thanks Jacob for the chat.

Goettingen and Benetton with draw in Game 1 - by Eurobasket News
Goettingen - Benetton 66:66

Benetton and Goettingen havent decided on the winner in todays EuroCup quarterfinal series opener. The first game ended in a draw. The teams will now move to Treviso to decide on the winner in Treviso on March 30.
Goettingen looked better side in the opening term. They limited Benetton to just 15 points in the starting period and piled up a 6-point lead at the first break. Goettingen maintained the advantage in the second stanza. The German side dominated on the boards and kept the visitors at bay. Goettingen notched a 41:32 halftime lead. But Benetton changed complexion of the encounter early in the third term. With the help of Alessandro Gentile (198-G/F-92) the Italian side went on a massive rally at the beginning of the second half. Benetton erased the deficit and eventually surged in front. They pulled ahead 51:50 with ten minutes remaining. Neither side gained a decisive advantage in the fourth quarter. So it a draw that leaves the questions unanswered before the return leg.
Mike Scott (203-F-86, college: Kent St.) finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds for Goettingen. Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova) tallied 13 points, while Trenton Meacham (188-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Illinois) had 11 points. Alessandro Gentile provided 22 points and 7 boards for Benetton. Greg Brunner (201-F-83, college: Iowa) accounted for 10 points and 10 boards.

Goettingen: Mike Scott 15, Dwayne Anderson 13, Trenton Meacham 11
Benetton: Alessandro Gentile 22, Greg Brunner 10+10 boards

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

GREECE

HUNGARY

A Division Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Jara DOYNE
  Szedeak
  (193-G/F-84)
  Avg: 23.5

1. Doyne, Falco-Szova	23.5
2. El-Amin, PVSK P.	21.7
3. Bell, Kormend	21.1
4. Marshall, Marso-Va.	20.8
5. Townes, Soproni	19.9
6. Wilson, Kaposvari	19.6
7. Sales, Atomeromu	19.0
8. Cunningham, Kapos.	19.0
9. Rubin, Szedeak	19.0
10. Mekongo, FS Debre.	19.0

Rebounds Per Game

Darian TOWNES
  Soproni
  (208-F/C-84)
  Avg: 11.7

1. Townes, Soproni	11.7
2. Sales, Atomeromu	11.3
3. Jones, Albacomp	9.5
4. Bader, Szolnok	9.1
5. Egemonye, PVSK P.	9.0
6. Werner, Kaposvari	9.0
7. Gosa, Falco-Szova	8.8
8. Bell, Kormend	8.7
9. Cunningham, Kapos.	8.6
10. McKenzie, Szedeak	8.4

Assists Per Game

Lorenzo WILLIAMS
  Khimik
  (191-G-84)
  Avg: 7.3

1. Williams, ZTE K.	7.3
2. Savic, Marso-Vagep	6.3
3. Trotter, Szolnok	6.2
4. Kelley, Soproni	6.2
5. Kalman, Falco-Sz.	6.0
6. Simon, Albacomp	5.7
7. Moore, Kormend	5.4
8. Glavinic, PVSK P.	5.0
9. Rodgers, Salgotar.	4.9
10. Singletary, FS Debre.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Brane SAVIC
  Marso-Vagep
  (181-G-79)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Savic, Marso-Vagep	3.5
2. Hanga, Albacomp	3.0
3. Marshall, Marso-Va.	2.9
4. Czigler, Marso-Va.	2.7
5. Trotter, Szolnok	2.6
6. Williams, ZTE K.	2.5
7. Werner, Kaposvari	2.4
8. Townes, Soproni	2.3
9. Kaman, ZTE K.	2.3
10. Clark, Szolnok	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Ivory CLARK
  Szolnok
  (198-F-85)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Clark, Szolnok	2.4
2. Townes, Soproni	2.0
3. McKenzie, Szedeak	1.4
4. Czigler, Marso-Va.	1.3
5. Egemonye, PVSK P.	1.1
6. Aliakseyeu, Falco-Sz.	1.0
7. Langford, FS Debre.	0.9
8. Keller, Albacomp	0.9
9. Davis, Kormend	0.8
10. Orsulic, Kecskemeti	0.8

Standings - A Division

A Division Standings

1. Albacomp		20-3
2. Szolnok		19-4
3. Atomeromu		17-6
4. Kormend		15-8
5. Kecskemeti		14-9
6. Falco-Szova		13-10
7. ZTE KK		13-10
8. PVSK Pannon		12-12
9. Soproni		11-12
10. Marso-Vagep		10-14
11. Szedeak		9-14
12. Kaposvari		7-16
13. FS Debrecen		1-22
14. Salgotarjani		1-22

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IBL

Standings

IBL Standings

Continental Division
1. Bellingham S.		0-0
2. L.Angeles L.		0-0
3. Olympia R.		0-0
4. USA All-Stars		0-0
5. Vancouver V.		0-0
6. W.C. Hotshots		0-0
International Division
1. Albany L.		0-0
2. Edmonton E.		0-0
3. Gary Splash		0-0
4. Kankakee S.		0-0
5. Oregon W.		0-0
Branding Team
1. Lake Co.		0-0
2. Lansing C.		0-0
3. Las Vegas P.		0-0
4. Ohio H.G.		0-0
5. Phoenix R.		0-0

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ICELAND

Stats Leaders (Men)

Points Per Game

Marcus WALKER
  KR
  (186-G-86)
  Avg: 23.6

1. Walker, KR	23.6
2. Trifunovic, Keflavik	23.0
3. Sanders, Keflavik	22.4
4. Inge, Haukar	21.8
5. Biedler, IR	21.7
6. Bartolotta, IR	21.6
7. Dabney, Hamar	21.1
8. Robinson, Haukar	21.0
9. Sovic, IR	21.0
10. Smith, Njardvik	20.9

Rebounds Per Game

Gerald ROBINSON
  Haukar
  (204-F-84)
  Avg: 13.7

1. Robinson, Haukar	13.7
2. Biedler, IR	12.4
3. Pettinella, Grindavik	11.3
4. Ermolinskij, KR	10.6
5. Trifunovic, Keflavik	10.3
6. Fain, Tindastoll	10.1
7. Stywall, Fjolnir	9.8
8. Amoroso, Snaefell	9.7
9. Jonsson, Snaefell	9.1
10. Nathanaelsso., Ham.	8.3

Assists Per Game

Aegir STEINARSSON
  Fjolnir
  (182-G-91)
  Avg: 8.7

1. Steinarsson, Fjolnir	8.7
2. Ermolinskij, KR	7.8
3. Vilhjalmsson, Kefla.	7.4
4. Burton, Snaefell	6.4
5. Shouse, Stjarnan	6.0
6. Haraldsson, Haukar	5.6
7. Arnarson, Hamar	5.3
8. Schoen, KFI	5.2
9. Inge, Haukar	5.2
10. Cunningham, Tinda.	4.9

Steals Per Game

Semaj INGE
  Haukar
  (193-G-87)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Inge, Haukar	3.2
2. Schoen, KFI	3.0
3. Dabney, Hamar	2.9
4. Fain, Tindastoll	2.9
5. Biedler, IR	2.5
6. Vilhjalmsson, Kefla.	2.5
7. Kitanovic, Tindastoll	2.5
8. Steinarsson, Fjolnir	2.3
9. Moore, Njardvik	2.2
10. Walker, KR	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Christopher SMITH
  Svit
  (198-F-82)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Smith, Njardvik	3.2
2. Nathanaelsso., Ham.	2.5
3. Biedler, IR	2.0
4. Fain, Tindastoll	1.6
5. Savarsson, Grind.	1.4
6. Lindmets, Stjarnan	1.4
7. Inge, Haukar	1.4
8. Thorsteinsso., Kefla.	1.4
9. Pettinella, Grindavik	1.3
10. Magnusson, KR	1.2

Express L. Round 3 of Quarter-Finals - by Eurobasket News
Keflavik - IR 95-90 OT

Keflavik needen overtime to overcome IR and advance into the next round. The hosts trailed by 9 points after three quarters before their 22-13 charge, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time and get a 5-point victory in overtime. Keflavik forced 28 IR turnovers and had a 21-5 advantage in offensive rebounds. IR was plagued by 28 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a great evening for the former international center Gunnar Thorsteinsson (204-C-88) who led his team to a victory scoring 26 points and 5 rebounds. Serbian guard Andrija Ciric (199-80, agency: BeoExcell) helped adding 21 points and 6 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American forward Kelly Biedler (196-88, college: Mt.St.Mary's) with a double-double by scoring 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists and Serbian-Canadian forward Nemanja Sovic (198-77, college: Pfeiffer) scored 18 points and 7 rebounds. Four Keflavik and five IR players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Keflavik: G.Thorsteinsson 26+5reb+3ast, A.Ciric 21+6reb+3ast, T.Sanders 15+9reb+2ast, A.Vilhjalmsson 11+5reb+5ast, M.Gunnarsson 9+6reb+5ast, L.Johannsson 8+1reb
IR: S.Claesson 19+2reb+3ast, N.Sovic 18+7reb+2ast, K.Biedler 15+13reb+4ast, J.Bartolotta 14+4reb+1ast, E.Onundarson 11+4reb+3ast, N.Dungal 11+2reb+2ast

Grindavik - Stjarnan 66-69

Stjarnan shocked Grindavik on the road to reach Express League semis. The guests trailed by 5 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 5-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 69-66. It was a great evening for American guard Justin Shouse (180-81, college: Mercyhurst) who led his team to a victory scoring 21 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists (went 8 for 8 at the free throw line). American-Estonian forward Renato Lindmets (198-84, college: Westfield St., agency: Tank Sports) helped adding 18 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. The best for the losing side was American-Italian power forward Ryan Pettinella (206-84, college: Cincinnati) with 9 points and 14 rebounds and Serbian forward Mladen Soskic (202-84, agency: Beo Basket) scored 16 points.
Top scorers:
Stjarnan: J.Shouse 21+5reb+8ast, R.Lindmets 18+8reb+4ast, K.Kjartansson 11+4reb, F.Helgason 8+3reb+2ast, J.Zdravevski 8+8reb+3ast, D.Guamundsson 3+6reb+1ast
Grindavik: M.Soskic 16+4reb+2ast, P.Axel Vilbergsson 13+4reb+2ast, O.Olafsson 10+7reb+4ast, R.Pettinella 9+14reb+1ast, T.Olafsson 9+1reb, O.Savarsson 4+9reb+1ast

Snaefell - Haukar 87-73

Snaefell held off ambitious Haukas to seal their semifinal birth. The hosts trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 87-73. Snaefell made 20-of-24 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. It was a great evening for American-Italian forward Ryan Amoroso (203-85, college: San Diego St.) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 15 rebounds. American point guard Sean Burton (175-86, college: Ithaca) helped adding 14 points and 5 rebounds. Four Snaefell players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Dutch-American forward Gerald Robinson (204-84, college: Tennessee-Martin, agency: Court Side) with a double-double by scoring 22 points and 14 rebounds and American guard Semaj Inge (193-87, college: Temple, agency: Basket Law/NM Services) scored 18 points and 8 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Snaefell: R.Amoroso 27+15reb+2ast, S.Burton 14+5reb+3ast, P.Sigurgeirsson 13+2reb+6ast, J.Olafur Jonsson 13+6reb+2ast, Z.Bojovic 9+8reb, S.Daviasson 6+2reb
Haukar: G.Robinson 22+14reb+1ast, S.Inge 18+8reb+3ast, O.Siguraarson 16+6reb+1ast, H.Askarsson 8+1reb+2ast, S.Haraldsson 6+2reb+2ast, I.Magnusson 2+2reb+2ast

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

ISRAEL

Maccabi Rishon LeZion adds Taj McCullough - by Eurobasket News
Taj McCullough (201-F-86, college: Winthrop) is a new member of Maccabi Rishon LeZion. The American forward signed a deal for rest of the season. McCullough started it in Australia with the Sydney Kings. He appeared 6 times in NBL averaging 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Two sides parted ways in December. Taj McCullough is not a new face in Israel as he started last season with Ironi Kfar Hamaccabia Ramat Gan. For 13 games in Premier League he had 13.4 ppg, 4 rpg and 2.1 spg. In February last year he moved to VEF Riga collecting 14.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg and 1.5 apg. McCullough was named Eurobasket.com All-Baltic League Honorable Mention -10.
Maccabi Rishon LeZion currently has 11-11 record in the league.

Best players of Israeli Premier League round 22 - by Eurobasket News
American Romeo Travis (201-F-84) had an amazing evening in the last round for Elitzur Netanya and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 22.
The 26-year old forward had a double-double of 27 points and fifteen rebounds, while his team edged out Maccabi Haifa (#9, 5-16) 84-80. Elitzur Netanya maintains the 8th position in Israeli Premier League. Elitzur Netanya is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 8-14 record. In the team's last game Travis had a remarkable 69.2% from 2-point range. He turned to be Elitzur Netanya's top player in his first season with the team. Romeo Travis averages this season 14.6ppg and 7.0rpg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 22-year old American power forward Raymar Morgan (202-F/C-88) of Maccabi Rishon Le-Zion. Morgan impressed basketball fans with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Bad luck as Maccabi Rishon lost that game 72-80 to the higher-ranked Maccabi T-A (#1, 21-1). Maccabi Rishon managed to keep the same 5th spot in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 11-11 record is not bad and everything may still change. Morgan is a newcomer at Maccabi Rishon and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was American Sam Clancy (202-C/F-80) of second-ranked Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem. Clancy scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. He was a key player of Hapoel J-M, leading his team to a 99-90 win against #3 ranked Bnei Hasharon in a game of the week. Hapoel J-M needs these victories very badly if they think about taking over top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 14 victories and 8 lost games. Clancy has a very solid season. In 21 games in Israel he scored 9.0ppg. He also has 6.2rpg and FGP: 56.1%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Boris Rothbart (217-C-86) of Maccabi Haifa - 15 points and 8 rebounds
5. Oliver Lafayette (188-G-84) of Maccabi Ashdod - 26 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Shawn James (208-C/F-83) of Bnei Hasharon - 10 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Dan Grunfeld (198-F/G-84) of Bnei Hasharon - 27 points and 4 rebounds
8. Doron Perkins (188-PG-83) of Maccabi T-A - 14 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists
9. Willie Solomon (187-G-78) of Hapoel J-M - 25 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Germaine Jackson (195-PG-76) of Maccabi Haifa - 17 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists

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

Standings - National League

National League Standings

1. Hapoel T-A		22-2
2. Maccabi HBK		17-7
3. Elitzur Yavne		16-8
4. Megido/Yokneam		13-10
5. Beer Yaakov		13-11
6. Elitzur Ramla		12-12
7. Hapoel Tivon		11-13
8. Hapoel Afula		11-13
9. Lev Hasharon		11-13
10. Ironi Ramat Gan		11-13
11. Kohav Yair		10-14
12. Hod Hasharon		8-16
13. Hapoel Beeri		7-17
14. Ironi Nahariya		5-18

Stats Leaders - National League

Points Per Game

Brian ASBURY
  Hapoel T-A
  (200-F-86)
  Avg: 27.6

1. Asbury, Hapoel T-A	27.6
2. Hall, Beer Yaakov	23.4
3. Moragne, Hapoel B.	23.4
4. Clemente, Megido.	22.9
5. Miller, Megido/Y.	22.9
6. Gomez, Beer Yaakov	21.3
7. Young, Hod Hasharon	20.9
8. Delaney, Maccabi .	20.8
9. Timberlake, Elitzu.	20.8
10. Fisher, Ironi R.	20.3

Rebounds Per Game

Jason JOHNSON
  Ironi Nahariya
  (203-F-86)
  Avg: 12.6

1. Johnson, Ironi N.	12.6
2. Rosefelt, Ironi R.	11.4
3. Brandy, Hod H.	10.5
4. Clemente, Megido.	10.5
5. Ibrahim, Kohav Y.	9.8
6. Wade, Lev Hasharon	9.5
7. Strong, Hapoel T.	9.0
8. McFarlin, Lev H.	9.0
9. Hardin, Elitzur Yavne	8.9
10. Utter, Hapoel T-A	8.9

Assists Per Game

Ofir FARHI
  Beer Yaakov
  (187-G-86)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Farhi, Beer Yaakov	6.6
2. Lahat, Hapoel T-A	6.4
3. Dobie, Lev Hasharon	6.2
4. Shaashoua, Hapoel T.	5.9
5. Eliyahu, Hapoel Afula	5.9
6. Bet-Yosef, Beer Y.	5.8
7. Fisher, Ironi R.	5.1
8. Timor, Hapoel Tivon	4.6
9. Davidi, Elitzur Ramla	4.5
10. Berkowitz, Elitzu.	4.4

Steals Per Game

Nate MILLER
  Megido/Yokneam
  (193-F-87)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Miller, Megido/Y.	3.1
2. Eliyahu, Hapoel Afula	2.8
3. Bochman, Beer Y.	2.6
4. Delaney, Maccabi .	2.5
5. Markson, Hapoel A.	2.3
6. Fisher, Ironi R.	2.1
7. Shaashoua, Hapoel T.	2.1
8. Young, Hod Hasharon	2.0
9. Hofman, Elitzur .	2.0
10. Stevens, Hapoel T.	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Ben STRONG
  Hapoel Tivon
  (211-C-86)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Strong, Hapoel T.	2.2
2. Colwell, Ironi R.	2.1
3. Utter, Hapoel T-A	2.0
4. Rosefelt, Ironi R.	2.0
5. Aidan, Hapoel Beeri	1.7
6. Hugee, Hapoel Afula	1.5
7. Johnson, Ironi N.	1.5
8. Hardin, Elitzur Yavne	1.4
9. Wade, Lev Hasharon	1.4
10. Brandy, Hod H.	1.3

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ITALY

Goettingen and Benetton with draw in Game 1 - by Eurobasket News
Goettingen - Benetton 66:66

Benetton and Goettingen havent decided on the winner in todays EuroCup quarterfinal series opener. The first game ended in a draw. The teams will now move to Treviso to decide on the winner in Treviso on March 30.
Goettingen looked better side in the opening term. They limited Benetton to just 15 points in the starting period and piled up a 6-point lead at the first break. Goettingen maintained the advantage in the second stanza. The German side dominated on the boards and kept the visitors at bay. Goettingen notched a 41:32 halftime lead. But Benetton changed complexion of the encounter early in the third term. With the help of Alessandro Gentile (198-G/F-92) the Italian side went on a massive rally at the beginning of the second half. Benetton erased the deficit and eventually surged in front. They pulled ahead 51:50 with ten minutes remaining. Neither side gained a decisive advantage in the fourth quarter. So it a draw that leaves the questions unanswered before the return leg.
Mike Scott (203-F-86, college: Kent St.) finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds for Goettingen. Dwayne Anderson (198-F-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Villanova) tallied 13 points, while Trenton Meacham (188-G-85, agency: Warren Sports International, college: Illinois) had 11 points. Alessandro Gentile provided 22 points and 7 boards for Benetton. Greg Brunner (201-F-83, college: Iowa) accounted for 10 points and 10 boards.

Goettingen: Mike Scott 15, Dwayne Anderson 13, Trenton Meacham 11
Benetton: Alessandro Gentile 22, Greg Brunner 10+10 boards

Unics upset Pepsi Caserta in Italy - by Eurobasket News
Pepsi Caserta - Unics 84:90

Unics made a huge step towards EuroCup semifinals after edging Pepsi Caserta in Italy. Unics will now have to shield off a 6-point lead at home court in a week. It was a tough battle where Unics used all of their experience to snatch a narrow victory at the end. The Russian team set the tone early. Unics accounted for 22 points in the first term to gain a 4-point lead. But Pepsi Caserta were ready for the challenge. They increased the tempo in the second period scoring 26 points and cutting the deficit to just two points 44:46 at halftime. The teams went neck and neck in the third term. Unics got luckier eking out a 61:60 lead with ten minutes to go. Pepsi Caserta tried hard to pull in front but the visitors poured in 29 points in the final stanza to escape with an important road win at the end. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) stepped up with impressive 30 points, 12 boards and 3 assists for Unics. Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) added 16 points in the victory. Eric Williams (206-C-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wake Forest) had 22 points for Pepsi Caserta. Jumaine Jones (202-F-79, college: Georgia) finished with 18 points and 9 boards in the loss.

Pepsi Caserta: Eric Williams 22, Jumaine Jones 18
Unics: Vladimir Veremeenko 30+12 boards, Terrell Lyday 16, Marko Popovic (185-G-82, college: S.Idaho JC) 11

Former Forl Lorenzo Gordon joins Maccabi Ashdod - by Antonello Varallo
Former Forl forward Lorenzo Gordon (201-F-83, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college:Oklahoma City) has agreed terms with Maccabi Ashdod (Israel-Premier League). Gordon was cut by Forl at the beginning of this month due to discipline reasons, notwithstanding he was the best player of his team. In fact, the player from St. Louis, Mo, averaged 19.5 ppg in 21 games, with 7.8 rpg and a season high of 30 points scored during the first game of the season, proving himself as one of the most interesting players of Legadue.

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

KOSOVO

SuperLeague Round 21: Bambi beats KB Mitrovice in a derby game - by Eurobasket News
The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Mitrovice: Bambi (#2) and KB Mitrovice (#8). Bambi (17-3) crushed visiting KB Mitrovice (0-20) by 21 points 94-73. Bambi maintains second place with 17-3 record having just three points less than leader Sigal Prishtina. Newly promoted KB Mitrovice still closes the standings. Bambi is looking forward to face league's leader Sigal Prishtina in Prishtine in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. KB Mitrovice's supporters also look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Mitrovice Trepca.
Leader Sigal Prishtina delivered the nineteenth win. This time they crushed 7th ranked Bashkimi (5-14) 105-65 in Prishtine. Defending champion maintains first place with 19-2 record. Bashkimi lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with 14 games lost. Sigal Prishtina will play against league's second-placed Bambi in Mitrovice in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bashkimi will play on the road against Kosova (#6) in Vushtrri and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Vushtrri supposed to be also quite interesting. Third ranked Peja (16-5) played at the court of 6th ranked Kosova (6-15). Peja did not have too big problems and got a relatively easy victory 20-0 on Monday. Peja maintains third place with 16-5 record having just three points less than leader Sigal Prishtina. Kosova at the other side keeps the sixth position with 15 games lost. Peja will meet College EuroSporti (#5) in the next round. Kosova will play against Bashkimi in Prizren and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Prishtine was also worth to mention about. 4th placed Trepca (11-10) played at the court of fifth ranked College EuroSporti (8-13). College EuroSporti defeated Trepca 87-77. College EuroSporti maintains fifth place with 8-13 record. Trepca at the other side keeps the fourth position with ten games lost. College EuroSporti's next round opponent will be higher ranked Peja (#3) in Peje and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Trepca's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Mitrovice to the arena KB Mitrovice.

Sigal Prishtina - Bashkimi 105-65

Leader Sigal Prishtina delivered the nineteenth win. This time they crushed 7th ranked Bashkimi (5-14) 105-65 in Prishtine. Defending champion maintains first place with 19-2 record. Bashkimi lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with 14 games lost. Sigal Prishtina will play against league's second-placed Bambi in Mitrovice in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Bashkimi will play on the road against Kosova (#6) in Vushtrri and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
K.EuroSporti - Trepca 87-77

The game in Prishtine was also worth to mention about. 4th placed Trepca (11-10) played at the court of fifth ranked College EuroSporti (8-13). College EuroSporti defeated Trepca 87-77. College EuroSporti maintains fifth place with 8-13 record. Trepca at the other side keeps the fourth position with ten games lost. College EuroSporti's next round opponent will be higher ranked Peja (#3) in Peje and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Trepca's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Mitrovice to the arena KB Mitrovice.

Bambi - Mitrovica 94-73

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Mitrovice: Bambi (#2) and KB Mitrovice (#8). Bambi (17-3) crushed visiting KB Mitrovice (0-20) by 21 points 94-73. Bambi maintains second place with 17-3 record having just three points less than leader Sigal Prishtina. Newly promoted KB Mitrovice still closes the standings. Bambi are looking forward to face league's leader Sigal Prishtina in Prishtine in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. KB Mitrovice's supporters also look forward to another derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Mitrovice Trepca.

Standings - Superleague

SuperLeague Standings

1. Sigal Prishtina		19-2
2. Bambi		17-3
3. Peja		16-5
4. Trepca		11-10
5. K.EuroSporti		8-13
6. Kosova		6-15
7. Bashkimi		5-14
8. Mitrovica		0-20

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

LATVIA

Standings - LBAL

LBL D2 Standings

1. Jurmala		17-5
2. Ogre		16-5
3. Ventspils Aug.		15-5
4. Saldus		15-7
5. BAA Riga		12-9
6. Gulbene		11-10
7. Liepaja-2		11-11
8. Zemgale/Jun.		10-11
9. Daugava		10-11
10. Livani		4-16
11. Ridzene		4-18
12. VEF Kadeti		1-18

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LEBANON

Riyadi lose second straight in Aleppo - by Eurobasket News
Jalaa - Riyadi 79:67

Jalaa recorded the second straight win in WABA League Finals. They held off Riyadi in Aleppo yesterday to grab a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. The teams move to Lebanon for the third and if necessary the fourth games of the championship series. Game 3 is scheduled for March 28.
Riyadi earned a 17:13 lead after ten minutes of action. The visitors went on an 8:0 run to open the second term as they cleared off. Jalaa bounced back late in the half to narrow the deficit to a single point 32:33. Riyadi did not slow down in the third quarter. They stayed in charge until a 13:4 surge from the home team early in the fourth frame that propelled those into drivers seat. Samaki Walker (206-F/C-76, college: Louisville) paced Jalaa as they did not surrender the advantage and rolled to the victory. He finished with 33 points and 12 boards. Michel Maadanli (195-G-81) added 15 points, while Jamaal Miller (187-G-82, agency: Court Side, college: Green River CC) provided 13 points in the victory. Nathanel Johnson (199-F-77, college: Louisville) answered with 20 points for Riyadi. William Pharis (206-F/C-81, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Arkansas) had 14 points, while Joseph Vogel (211-C-73, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Colorado St.) accounted for 13 points and 10 boards in the loss.

Jalaa: Samaki Walker 33+12 boards, Michel Maadanli 15, Jamaal Miller 13
Riyadi: Nathanel Johnson 20, William Pharis 14, Joseph Vogel 13+10 boards

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LITHUANIA

Standings - NKL

NKL Stage Two Standings

Group A
1. Pieno Zvaigzdes		41-1
2. Radviliskis		27-15
3. Mazeikiai		26-16
4. Meresta		26-16
5. LKKA-Atletas		23-19
6. Zalgiris-Sabonio		22-20
7. Nafta Universitetas		21-21
8. Perlas-MRU		18-24
Group B
1. Triobet Malsta		17-23
2. Akademija		16-24
3. Silute		16-24
4. Erelita		16-24
5. Delikatesas		14-26
6. ABRO-Univ.		14-26
7. Puntukas		11-29

Stage One Standings

Stats Leaders - LKL

Points Per Game

Aurimas KIEZA
  Juventus
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 16.5

1. Kieza, Juventus	16.5
2. Dilys, Naglis-Adakris	16.4
3. Dimsa, Nevezis	16.3
4. Alijevas, Nevezis	15.9
5. Vasylius, Neptunas	15.4
6. Mikalauskas, Naglis.	14.7
7. Juskevicius, Rudupis	14.3
8. Mazeika, Neptunas	14.3
9. Sirvydis, Sakalai	14.1
10. Ruikis, Neptunas	14.1

Rebounds Per Game

Aurimas KIEZA
  Juventus
  (202-F-82)
  Avg: 11.2

1. Kieza, Juventus	11.2
2. Janisius, Alytus A.	9.9
3. Sarakauskas, Siauliai	9.2
4. Valanciunas, Lietuv.	8.4
5. Dimsa, Nevezis	7.3
6. Matulis, Sakalai	7.0
7. Vasylius, Neptunas	7.0
8. Jankunas, Zalgiris	6.8
9. Mikalauskas, Naglis.	6.7
10. Valukonis, Techasas	6.6

Assists Per Game

Rolandas ALIJEVAS
  Nevezis
  (192-G-85)
  Avg: 6.2

1. Alijevas, Nevezis	6.2
2. Rinkevicius, Techasas	5.6
3. Juskevicius, Rudupis	5.3
4. Broadus, Siauliai	5.0
5. Collins, Zalgiris	4.5
6. El-Amin, Lietuvos.	4.4
7. Janavicius, Siauliai	4.2
8. Kalnietis, Zalgiris	4.1
9. Viskontas, Perlas	4.1
10. Lowe, Naglis-Adakris	4.1

Steals Per Game

Tomas RINKEVICIUS
  Techasas
  (178-G-78)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Rinkevicius, Techasas	2.1
2. Vasylius, Neptunas	2.0
3. Razutis, Naglis-A.	1.9
4. Juskevicius, Rudupis	1.9
5. Valukonis, Techasas	1.8
6. Alijevas, Nevezis	1.7
7. Ruikis, Neptunas	1.7
8. Jasikevicius, Aiscai K.	1.7
9. Lowe, Naglis-Adakris	1.7
10. Lipkevicius, Rudupis	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Mirza BEGIC
  Real Madrid
  (216-C-85)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Begic, Zalgiris	2.4
2. Valanciunas, Lietuv.	2.1
3. Silinskis, Techasas	1.9
4. Cresnar, Nevezis	1.5
5. Volkus, Techasas	1.1
6. Klimavicius, Zalgiris	1.0
7. Zelionis, Rudupis	0.9
8. Cepukaitis, Juven.	0.9
9. Jankauskas, Rudupis	0.9
10. Kieza, Juventus	0.8

Stats Leaders - NKL

Points Per Game

Vidmantas SRAGAUSKIS
  LKKA-Atletas
  (200-F-86)
  Avg: 21.9

1. Sragauskis, LKKA-.	21.9
2. Petraitis, Delikate.	21.6
3. Vingelis, LKKA-.	20.3
4. Tarvydas, Puntukas	18.3
5. Jurkus, Silute	17.9
6. Cizauskas, Zalgir.	16.4
7. Mineikis, Radviliskis	16.3
8. Jacevicius, Perla.	16.2
9. Sebeziovas, Triobe.	16.1
10. Girdziunas, Nafta U.	16.0

Rebounds Per Game

Egidijus MOCKEVICIUS
  Akademija
  (204-C-92)
  Avg: 10.6

1. Mockevicius, Akade.	10.6
2. Mockevicius, Akade.	10.6
3. Pikalavicius, Delika.	10.2
4. Oladimeji, Radvilis.	9.5
5. Warren, Mazeikiai	8.6
6. Nedzinskas, Silute	8.5
7. Brusokas, Perla.	8.5
8. Mineikis, Radviliskis	7.7
9. Kaupaitis, Silute	7.3
10. Kupsas, Zalgir.	7.3

Assists Per Game

Bryan HARRISON
  Mazeikiai
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 7.2

1. Harrison, Mazeikiai	7.2
2. Vingelis, LKKA-.	5.1
3. Sapiega, Erelita	5.0
4. Kuklierius, Radvilis.	4.9
5. Cizauskas, Zalgir.	4.6
6. Leonard, Pieno Z.	4.5
7. Kutra, Delikatesas	4.2
8. Virsilas, Silute	4.1
9. Vasiliauskas, Triobe.	4.0
10. Zymantas, Nafta U.	4.0

Steals Per Game

Bryan HARRISON
  Mazeikiai
  (188-G-84)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Harrison, Mazeikiai	2.7
2. Metelica, Erelita	2.6
3. Zymantas, Nafta U.	2.5
4. Zymantas, Nafta U.	2.5
5. Petraitis, Delikate.	2.5
6. Vasiliauskas, Triobe.	2.4
7. Vileita, Pieno Z.	2.4
8. Kutra, Delikatesas	2.2
9. Sapiega, Erelita	2.1
10. Pauliukenas, Akade.	2.1

Blocks Per Game

Egidijus MOCKEVICIUS
  Akademija
  (204-C-92)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Mockevicius, Akade.	2.5
2. Mockevicius, Akade.	2.5
3. Urbonas, LK.	2.3
4. Kupsas, Zalgir.	1.8
5. Jucikas, Delikatesas	1.8
6. Oladimeji, Radvilis.	1.5
7. Pupinis, Erelita	1.2
8. Ramanauskas, Sil.	1.1
9. Ramasauskas, ABRO-.	1.0
10. Milinskas, Triobe.	0.9

Dilys' 27 points and 8 rebounds give him Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
23-year old forward Vilmantas Dilys (208-F-87) put on an amazing game in the last round for Perlas and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 25.
He had the game-high 27 points adding eight rebounds and three assists for Perlas in his team's victory, helping them to crush Sakalai (#10, 6-13) with 18-point margin 86-68. Perlas maintains the 7th position in Lithuanian league. Perlas is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 8-12 record. In the team's last game Dilys had a remarkable 71.4% from 2-point range. He just recently signed at Perlas, being already a very valuable addition to the team. Dilys has impressive league stats. He is in league's top in points (2nd best: 15.4ppg) and averages solid 61.7% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Lukas Brazdauskis (203-F-88) of Nevezis Kedainiai. He is a forward in his first season at Nevezis. In the last game Brazdauskis recorded impressive double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds. Bad luck as Nevezis lost that overtime game 88-94 to the higher-ranked Siauliai (#5, 11-7). Nevezis 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 6-12 record. Brazdauskis is a newcomer at Nevezis and despite he is not a team leader yet, every game he becomes more reliable player. Hopefully performances like the last one will happen more often.

Third place about best performers goes to another Nevezis Kedainiai's star - center Egidijus Dimsa (205-C-85). Dimsa scored 27 points. Despite Dimsa's great performance Nevezis lost 88-94in overtime to the higher-ranked Siauliai (#5, 11-7). But his team cannot count on just these two top stars as they also need help of the other teammates. The chances of Nevezis not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 12 games, recording just six victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Dimsa could try to bring Nevezis' a little bit higher in the standings. Dimsa has individually a great season in Lithuania. After 18 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 16.3ppg (3rd best) and rebounds with 7.3rpg (5th best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Mario Delas (207-F/C-90) of Siauliai - 29 points and 2 rebounds
5. Marius Valukonis (198-F-88) of Techasas - 12 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists
6. Aurimas Kieza (202-F-82) of Juventus - 10 points, 18 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Deng Gai (206-F-82) of Naglis-Adakris - 15 points and 4 rebounds
8. Paulius Jankunas (205-F-84) of Zalgiris - 16 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Mindaugas Kuzminskas (205-F-89) of Zalgiris - 16 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists
10. Vytenis Jasikevicius (187-G-85) of Aiscai Kaunas - 18 points, 6 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)

NKL Round 1 of 1/8 Finals - by Eurobasket News
Zalgiris-Sabonio - Silute 91-65

Zalgiris-Sabonio had little problems against Silute in Game 1. The game without a history. Zalgiris-Sabonio led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Zalgiris-Sabonio made 7 blocks. Forward Edgaras Ulanovas (198-92) stepped up and scored 18 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners and forward Zygimantas Skucas (200-92) chipped in 12 points and 12 rebounds. Four Zalgiris-Sabonio players scored in double figures. At the losing side power forward Erikas Kaupaitis (202-84, college: USC Upstate) responded with a double-double by scoring 14 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists and guard Evaldas Jurkus (190-84) scored 12 points and 7 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Silute: J.Cesnavicius 17+3reb, E.Kaupaitis 14+13reb+6ast, E.Jurkus 12+7reb+1ast, R.Dimiciukas 7+3reb, A.Vaitiekus 6+3reb, V.Nedzinskas 5+6reb+4ast
Zalgiris-Sabonio: E.Ulanovas 18+6reb+7ast, G.Zyle 15+4reb+4ast, T.Jogela 15+3reb+1ast, K.Vecvagars 14+1reb, Z.Skucas 12+12reb, M.Kupsas 8+6reb+2ast

Nafta Universitetas - Akademija 81-80

Nafta Universitetas narrowly defeated Akademija at home court in the eighth-final opener. Deivydas Anuzis converted two free throws late in regulatin to seal the winning outcome. Akademija was ahead by 6 points after three quarters before a 21-14 charge of Nafta Universitetas, which allowed them to win the game. They made 17-of-22 charity shots (77.3 percent) during the game. Akademija was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Mindaugas Girdziunas (188-89) who helped to win the game recording 26 points. Swingman Tadas Klimas (197-88) contributed with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Four Nafta Universitetas players scored in double figures. Forward Janas Jurgo (200-83) answered with 24 points and 7 rebounds and center Egidijus Mockevicius (204-92) added 13 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Akademija. Akademija's coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Akademija: J.Jurgo 24+7reb, E.Mockevicius 13+9reb+3ast, T.Lekunas 13+3reb+6ast, K.Alekna 9+3reb+2ast, S.Lekys 8+2reb+2ast, O.Olisevicius 8+5reb+3ast
Nafta Universitetas: M.Girdziunas 26+4reb+3ast, H.Venskus 12+1reb+3ast, T.Klimas 12+11reb+1ast, V.Chodosovskis 12+2reb, J.Kazakauskas 6+10reb+2ast, M.Sumskis 6+2reb+1ast

Perlas-MRU - Triobet Malsta 69-79

Triobet Malsta shocked Perlas-MRU on the road in the series opener. The game was mostly controlled by Triobet Malsta. Perlas-MRU was better in fourth quarter 25-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. 29 personal fouls committed by Perlas-MRU helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Guard Audrius Vasiliauskas (189-82) nailed 18 points and 4 steals for the winning side and forward Henrikas Vorotnikovas (202-90) accounted for 13 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Evaldas Lengvinas (190-89) came up with 25 points and forward Tadas Padegimas (201-90) added 17 points and 9 rebounds respectively for Perlas-MRU in the defeat. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games.
Top scorers:
Perlas-MRU: E.Lengvinas 25+2reb+2ast, T.Padegimas 17+9reb+2ast, A.Udras 13+6reb, M.Kazonas 5+3reb+1ast, G.Ramonas 3+1reb, D.Nazarovas 2+1ast
Triobet Malsta: A.Vasiliauskas 18+4reb+2ast, H.Vorotnikovas 13+6reb+1ast, G.Maciulevicius 12+4reb+2ast, R.Juknevicius 11+4reb, T.Sebeziovas 9+3reb+5ast, Z.Danielius 9+9reb

LKKA-Atletas - Erelita 82-83

Erelita eked out a tough road win over LKKA-Atletas. The hosts were trailing by 3 points at halftime but managed to get 2-point lead after three quarters before a 21-18 charge of Erelita-KTU, which allowed them to win the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Guard Matas Sapiega (180-90) fired 26 points and 9 assists for the winners. Power forward Rokas Cepanonis (207-89) chipped in 23 points and 6 rebounds. Forward Vidmantas Sragauskis (200-86) produced a double-double by scoring 28 points and 13 rebounds and guard Sarunas Vingelis (192-89) added 21 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side.
Top scorers:
LKKA-Atletas: V.Sragauskis 28+13reb+1ast, S.Vingelis 21+2reb+4ast, T.Urbonas 9+6reb+2ast, D.Gricius 9+3reb, P.Malasauskas 7+4reb+7ast, A.Sakalauskas 5+6reb+3ast
Erelita: M.Sapiega 26+3reb+9ast, R.Cepanonis 23+6reb+3ast, K.Pupinis 16+8reb, A.Pelss 9+4reb+3ast, V.Metelica 7+3reb+7ast, N.Barauskas 2

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

MEXICO

Barnes leaves Frayles - by Emiliano
A frustrated Jermaine Barnes (194-G/F-82, agency: SportsList Inc., college: Atlanta Christian) has left the Frayles de Guasave club and is expected to return, or maybe not at all, said head coach Marcelo Elusich to told latinbasket on Monday.
Frayles officials said Barnes was allowed to leave the team so he could attend to a personal matter. The decision came after he met with Frayles owner Arturo Gaxiola Monday morning in Guasave.
Im not going to get into the personal reason but it has nothing to do with basketball, Elusich told Latinbasket, which first reported Barnes' departure on Tuesday. Barnes is a great player and a great person. Its a real family issue that I dont think should be reported. We feel he needs to return home and get his self together.
In just 4 games Barnes is averaging 12.1ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.0steals and 2.0blocks. But he shooting an unlikely .344 percent from the field. 'His mind is not here', said Elusich. We all know what Jermaine can do but he first has to fix his family. Maybe after some weeks he will return.
He had an amazing senior season averaging 26.2ppg, 11.3rpg, 4.7 assists in 28 games for Atlanta Christian (NCAA3). He played his first professional season with the Proline Kings in Japan. The season after he played shortly in the NBA D-League and decided to return to Japan. In 2009, he played in Al Ahli Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) the for Universitario (Uruguay). This season he spent with the GIE Morrow Disciples in the UBA averaging a league high 26.6ppg, 6.8rpg, 5.1apg while shooting 52.3 percent in 30 games. He signed in Feb. 2011 with Frayles (Mexico).

CIBACOPA Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Michael GALE
  Mexicali
  (193-G-82)
  Avg: 31

1. Gale, Mexicali	31.0
2. White, Cananea	28.7
3. Moss, Nogales	26.7
4. Sowell, Culiacan	26.3
5. Webb, Culiacan	26.0
6. Thomas, Cananea	24.1
7. Moore, Tijuana	23.5
8. Barrett, Guasave	23.3
9. White, Los Mochis	22.6
10. Lawal, Tepic	22.0

Rebounds Per Game

Ryan MOSS
  Nogales
  (200-F/C-74)
  Avg: 10.4

1. Moss, Nogales	10.4
2. Malloy, Los Mochis	10.0
3. Moore, Tijuana	10.0
4. Shipley, Tijuana	8.4
5. Lawal, Tepic	8.0
6. Brown, Nogales	8.0
7. Brown, Tepic	7.8
8. Angulo, Los Mochis	7.5
9. White, Los Mochis	7.4
10. Morgan, Culiacan	7.3

Assists Per Game

David MEZA ROGEL
  Culiacan
  (187-G-85)
  Avg: 6.3

1. Meza, Culiacan	6.3
2. Watson, Tijuana	5.6
3. White, Cananea	4.4
4. Funn, Guasave	4.4
5. White, Los Mochis	4.1
6. Monreal, Hermosillo	4.1
7. Brown, Tepic	3.8
8. Brown, Nogales	3.8
9. Nungaray, Guaymas	3.6
10. Ibanez, Tepic	3.3

Steals Per Game

Derek THOMAS
  Cananea
  (193-F-84)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Thomas, Cananea	2.4
2. Gale, Mexicali	2.0
3. Matthews, Nogales	2.0
4. Monreal, Hermosillo	1.9
5. Brown, Tepic	1.8
6. Webb, Culiacan	1.7
7. Gonner, Guaymas	1.5
8. Brown, Nogales	1.4
9. Bucio, Guaymas	1.3
10. Lawal, Tepic	1.3

Blocks Per Game

LaShawn MALLOY
  Los Mochis
  (209-C/F-84)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Malloy, Los Mochis	4.5
2. Gonner, Guaymas	3.5
3. Shipley, Tijuana	3.3
4. Webb, Culiacan	2.7
5. Nungaray, Guaymas	2.6
6. Watson, Tijuana	2.6
7. Brown, Tepic	2.4
8. Jones, Tepic	2.4
9. Funn, Guasave	2.4
10. Matthews, Nogales	2.3

Standings - CIBACOPA

CIBACOPA Standings

1. Culiacan		6-1
2. Hermosillo		5-2
3. Cananea		5-2
4. Guasave		5-2
5. Guaymas		4-3
6. Nogales		4-3
7. Tijuana		3-4
8. Mexicali		3-4
9. Los Mochis		0-7
10. Tepic		0-7

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

NAIA

Unseeded Pikeville (Ky.) Completes Run, Defeats No. 3 Mountain State (W.Va.) in Overtime for First NAIA Championship, 83-76 - by Eurobasket
Kansas City, Mo. Unseeded Pikeville College (Ky.) claimed its first NAIA national championship with an 83-76 overtime victory Tuesday against No. 3 seed Mountain State University (W.Va.) in the title game of the 2011 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Mens Basketball National Championship at Municipal Auditorium.
Sophomore forward Trevor Setty (6'8''-G/F), who earned the Chuck Taylor Most Valuable Player award following Tuesdays contest, registered game-high totals of 32 points and 17 rebounds in leading the Bears to an unprecedented run through the national tournament. Pikeville becomes the first unseeded team since the tournament began the seeding process in 1957 to win five games against five top-10 seeds in the event. The Bears close out the season with an overall record of 30-7. It marks the first 30-win season in program history.
Our motto all season has been All In, said Pikeville head coach Kelly Wells , who was named the Rawlings-NAIA Coach of the Year following the Bears victory. This isnt just about us, about this team and this staff. This is bigger than us. This is for all of us. Everyone who ever played at Pikeville or coached there or came to a game to offer support. Its for all of Eastern Kentucky, for all the mountains and the entire Commonwealth.
Senior forward Quincy Hankins-Cole (6'8''-F) also posted a double-double for Pikeville with 21 points and 16 rebounds, while senior guard Justin Hicks (5'11''-PG) had 21 points in the winning effort. Senior guard Vance Cooksey (6'0''-G-87) dished out a game-high eight assists for the Bears. Pikeville becomes the first team from the Mid-South Conference to win the NAIA Division I championship since Georgetown College (Ky.) in 1998. The Bears also become the seventh school to earn their first national tournament title since the event returned to Municipal Auditorium in 2002.
Pikeville, which trailed 41-36 at the half, trailed for much of the second half before Hankins-Cole sank two free throws with 28.1 seconds on the clock to even the contest at 68-68. Senior guard Tay Spann (6'7''-F) missed a shot in the lane with four seconds left on the clock and senior forward Ryan Washington (6'7''-F) grabbed the rebound. Washingtons putback attempt was blocked by Hankins-Cole with just over a second remaining, and Hicks grabbed the rebound for Pikeville to send the game into overtime.
Junior guard Doug Wiggins (6'1''-G-88) hit two free throws on the first of overtime for Mountain State before Pikeville reeled off seven consecutive points to grab the lead for good. Hankins-Cole hit a shot in the lane to tie the game at 70-70 before a basket by Hicks at the 2:55 mark pushed the Bears in front to stay, 72-70. Another basket by Hankins-Cole and a free throw from junior guard Quintel Maxwell (6'0''-G) capped the run to give the Bears a 75-70 advantage.
Mountain State pulled within 75-73 on a free throw from Wiggins and a bucket from senior guard Winston Robinson (6'4''-G), but Pikeville answered as Hicks drove the lane, hit a lay-up and was fouled with 38 seconds remaining. His free throw pushed the Bears lead back to 79-73. Spann scored on a lay-up on the Cougars next possession to trim the deficit to 79-73 with 23 seconds on the clock, but that was as close as Mountain State would come the rest of the way. Pikeville hit 5-of-6 attempts from the foul line in the last 15.3 seconds to seal the victory and the national championship.
We fought for five days, said Mountain State head coach Bob Bolen (agency: KMG Sports Management ). We didnt quit. We won four of them together and we lost one together. I give Pikeville credit. I thought they played a good game. Im proud of my guys. We fought the whole 45 minutes. They (Pikeville) did a good job.
In the first half, Mountain State used a 9-2 run to grab a 25-18 lead midway through the period. Junior guard Mark Williams (5'11''-G) and freshman center David Nyarsuk (7'1''-C) combined to score all nine points during the burst for the Cougars. Pikeville battled back to cut the deficit to 29-28 before Mountain State stretched the advantage back to 41-36 at the intermission.
Four players scored in double figures for Mountain State, which ended its season with a 33-4 record. Spann led the attack with 16 points and added nine rebounds. Wiggins chipped in with 13 points and a team-leading three steals, while Williams and Nyarsuk each posted 10 points. Nyarsuk also pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds for the Cougars, who were playing in their fourth NAIA championship contest. Mountain State won its only title back in 2004.
Pikevilles Setty was joined on the All-Tournament team by Hankins-Cole and Cooksey, while Mountain State was represented by Spann, Wiggins and Nyarsuk. Rounding out the All-Tournament Team from this years championship were Ree McCrory and James Justice of Martin Methodist College (Tenn.), Justin Johnson from Concordia University (Calif.) and Vic Moses of Georgetown (Ky.). Nyarsuk earned the Charles Stevenson Hustle Award for his play throughout the tournament.

Game Notes:
Mountain State - It is the second year in a row that Mountain State ended its season in an overtime gameIn 2010, the Cougars lost to Southern Poly State (Ga.) 93-90 in overtime in its second-round matchup Mountain State shot just 4-of-19 (.211) from three-point land for the nightThe Charles Stevenson Hustle Award winner, David Nyarsuk, recorded his second double-double of the tournament with 10 points and 11 reboundsOut of teams that played a minimum of two games, the Cougars ranked second right behind Pikeville (46.6 RPG) with 46.2 boards per gameIt is the third runner-up finish for Mountain State in four title appearances (winning it in 2004).
Pikeville Pikeville became the seventh school to win their first NAIA Division I championship since the event returned to Municipal Auditorium in 2002 (Science and Arts (Okla.)) in 2002, Concordia (Calif.) in 2003, Mountain State (W. Va.) in 2004, John Brown (Ark.) in 2005, Texas Wesleyan in 2006 and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) in 2009The Bears are the first unseeded school in championship history to defeat five seeded teams in the tournamentThey were the first school to beat four seeded teams since 1957 (Tennessee A&I)Trevor Setty tied his career-high of 32 points, shooting 10-of-19 from the floor and 7-of-12 from beyond the arcThe seven three-pointers was a season-high for trifectas in a single game by SettyIn addition, Setty also exceeded his previous season-high in rebounding (12) with 17 total reboundsOn the year, guard Vance Cooksey was shooting 49.7 percent from the field, but was held to 1-of-12 (.083) from the floor before fouling out in the second halfPikeville only led twice at halftime in its five National Championship gamesThe Bears are the first Mid-South Conference team to win the national title since Georgetown (Ky.) in 1998.
Miscellaneous - It was the first overtime game of the 2011 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Mens Basketball National ChampionshipThis years title game marked the first overtime in a championship game since 2003, when Concordia (Calif.) defeated Mountain State 88-84There have been seven total overtimes in championship final historySince 2003, the title game has had a winning margin of six points.

Courtesy of NAIA

All-NAIA D1 Awards 2011 - by Eurobasket

All-NAIA 1st Team 2010-11

Brown

Bunch

Johnson

Justice

King

1st Team
PG: Brandon Brown (5'10''-89) of Montana-Western
F: Reggie Bunch (6'5'') of Robert Morris
PG: Justin Johnson (6'2''-88) of Concordia Irvine
PG: James Justice (5'10'') of Martin Methodist
F: Taylor King (6'6''-88) of Concordia Irvine
G/F: Marquise Mems (6'5'') of Tougaloo
F: Kevin Swinton (6'8'') of Oklahoma Baptist
G: Brian Wanamaker (6'3''-89) of Texas Wesleyan
PG: Diante Watkins (5'9'') of Robert Morris
G: Eric Young (6'3'') of LSU-Shreveport

2nd Team
G/F: Jerel Blocker (6'4'') of Lee
G: Ryan Brock (6'3'') of Loyola, LA
G/F: Kashiff Carr (6'6'') of St.Catharine
G: Vance Cooksey (6'0''-87) of Pikeville
F: Andy Garland (6'5'') of Carroll, MT
F: Kenny Hewitt () of Lubbock Christian
F: Eric Hobbie (6'6'') of McKendree
F/C: Nick Larson (6'6''-89) of William Jewell
F: Vic Moses (6'6'') of Georgetown, KY
F/C: Reggie Owens (6'7''-87) of Azusa Pacific

3rd Team
F: John Boyd (6'5'') of Rogers St.
G: Michael France () of Trevecca Naz.
PG: Dwight Gordon (6'2'') of Biola, CA
G: Kerry Harvis () of Talladega
G: Tedrick Hudson (6'3'') of Emmanuel, GA
PG: Kramer Soderberg (5'11'') of Lindenwood
G: Michael Stockton (6'1''-89) of Westminster
F: Kyle Teichmann (6'6'') of Freed-Hardeman
F: Orren Tims (6'5''-89) of NW Oklahoma St.
G: Doug Wiggins (6'1''-88) of Mountain St.

Honorable Mention
Kyle Harvey () of Williams Baptist
Greg Stegeman (6'6''-F) of Columbia, MO
Kyle Rausch (6'10''-C) of Park
Sean Rakers (6'7''-F) of McKendree
Demetrice Terrell () of Allen
James Hooper () of Life
Andrew Fair () of St.Francis, IL
Antonio Marshall () of Olivet Nazarene
Brad Karp () of St.Xavier
Jerante Morgan (6'7''-F) of Fresno Pacific
Preston Branson () of Westmont
Marshall Johnson (6'3''-G-88) of Azusa Pacific
Brent Leduff () of SUNO
Devin Andrew (6'4''-G) of Xavier, LA
Mario Luckett (6'6''-F) of Tougaloo
Quinton Branch (6'1''-G) of Avila
Chad Gillaspy (6'6''-F) of Evangel
Rustin Dowd () of MidAmerica Nazarene
Derrick Parker (6'6''-F) of LSU-Shreveport
Xavier Alexander (6'6''-G-88) of S.Nazarene
Nathaniel Roche (6'8''-F-88) of Belhaven
Walter Hill (6'5''-G/F) of Shorter
CJ Davis (6'1''-G) of Union, TN
Mark Celaya () of Great Falls
Jake Orchard (6'4''-G) of Westminster
Austin Simon (6'2''-G) of Concordia Irvine
Blake Bender () of Westmont
Josh Proctor () of W.Virginia Tech
Ervin Williams (6'8''-F-88) of St.Catharine
Matt Daniel (6'4''-G) of Cumberlands
Eddie Gray (5'7''-G) of Georgetown, KY
Mitchell Thompson () of Paul Quinn
Jonathan Blake (6'7''-F-87) of Texas Wesleyan
Robert Martinez () of Our Lady Lake
Will Reinke (6'10''-C) of Oklahoma Christian
Sam Bartlett (6'6''-F/C) of John Brown
Maurice Foster (6'3''-G-87) of Oklahoma Baptist
Rob Wallace (6'0''-G) of Belhaven
Nick Lagroone () of S.Wesleyan
Donte Walker () of Mobile, AL
Marquise Wright (6'6''-F/C) of Shorter
Chris Ferguson () of Mid-Continent
Ree McCrory (5'10''-G) of Martin Methodist
Brandon Williams () of MidAmerica Ch.
Fayzon Richey () of St.Gregory

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

NBA

Green is open to an extended stay with Celtics - by Eurobasket News
The Celtics acquired Jeff Green (6'9''-F-86, college: Georgetown) because of his youth, versatility, and the ability to re-sign him this summer. Green will give the Celtics every chance to bring him back, according to his agent, David Falk.

Green is a restricted free agent next season, meaning, under the current collective bargaining agreement, the Celtics can match any offer made to the fourth-year swingman. They didnt have such rights with Kendrick Perkins, who was an unrestricted free agent.

After a month in Boston, Green is getting accustomed to the atmosphere and appears comfortable enough to make a long-term commitment.

First of all, I have a very longstanding friendship with Doc [Rivers] and Danny [Ainge], Falk said after the Celtics beat the Knicks, 96-86, last night at Madison Square Garden. You got a championship-caliber team, three Hall of Famers and [Rajon] Rondo really coming into his own.

The CBA expires June 30 and its unclear what rules will be in place when the Celtics and Green are allowed to negotiate.

Theres a lot of uncertainty because no one knows what the rules are going to be, so I told [Green] I dont want him to spend one nanosecond thinking about next year, Falk said. I want him thinking about how he can help the team be a factor in the playoffs. And I think he needs to take the next 30 games to get acclimated, learn the plays, get to know how the guys play and I think he can help them in the playoffs.

Falk said Green, who is averaging 11.2 points in 13 games, is a good fit in Boston.

Jeff is a thinking-mans player and Doc is a thinking-mans coach, he said. He wasnt looking for a new situation. He wasnt asking to be traded. I think both players [Green and Perkins] were traded because of economics. He was drafted by Boston, a Big East guy, lives in Washington and hes very excited, learning a lot and cant ask for a better environment and win a title in his fourth year.

Of course [hed be interested in staying in Boston]. Hes in a great situation . . . Hes a Celtic kind of a guy. He just wants to win.

Courtesy of www.boston.com

Dalembert a key for Kings, but what about next season? - by Eurobasket News
It took Samuel Dalembert (6'11''-C-81, college: Seton Hall) time to adjust to his role with the Kings, and the muscle strain in his left leg didn't make the transition any easier.

It also took some time for Dalembert, after years as a starting center, to work his way off the Kings' bench.

Now a regular starter for the Kings, Dalembert is the defensive anchor that the team was looking for when he was acquired last June.

Plus, he's providing some unexpected offense.

The Kings made it clear how they feel about Dalembert when they elected not to deal the nine-year veteran before February's deadline. There was interest from teams looking for a veteran big man or looking for financial relief after the season since Dalembert is in the last year of his contract.

It was quite a change for Dalembert, who wasn't sure where he fit in earlier this season. He now speaks about the Kings needing to improve and play good basketball as the season winds down, despite their 17-52 record, but he's understandably noncommittal about next season.

'I just want to let everything play out,' Dalembert said. 'See what's happening and see what's going on. You never know what's going to happen.'

A possible NBA lockout is one issue, and there's also the uncertainty of where the Kings will play next season since ownership is negotiating to move to Anaheim.

'I try to do my part and let the business side happen,' Dalembert said. 'We'll see.'

Doing his part has meant helping on both ends of the court. In his last six games, Dalembert is averaging 16.7 points and 11.8 rebounds. For the season, he averages 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds.

Scoring is a bonus

Dalembert points out that he's not an offensive player, and his teammates certainly aren't looking to turn him into Hakeem Olajuwon.

Any points Dalembert gets are considered a bonus.

'That's what we need Sam to do block shots and rebound those are his strengths,' guard Marcus Thornton said. 'The points will come, but every game here on out, we need him to block shots and rebound.'

Coach Paul Westphal said pairing Dalembert with rookie DeMarcus Cousins in the starting lineup makes the Kings a better rebounding team. And, while playing them together doesn't instantly make the pick-and-roll or transition defense better, Westphal said those areas are improving as they learn to play together.

Praise from Westphal

And, Westphal said, Dalembert has done a good job of studying the offense and figuring out where he needs to be to contribute.

'I knew he could score and he's always had good percentages,' Westphal said. 'He's not a one-on-one kind of player you run your offense through, but that doesn't mean he doesn't score.

'He scores as a counterpuncher, and he can get his opportunities with the ball when the defense adjusts when he's not the focus offensively, and he's very good at that.'

Dalembert said he studied the offense more because he wanted to help the struggling offense. And his ability to put back offensive rebounds helps him score when no play is called for him.

Westphal said Dalembert is good enough to make a 12- to 15-foot jump shot so that he and Cousins aren't in each other's way on offense.

'I work on my game, and coach sees I can do some things,' Dalembert said. 'It does give you confidence and opportunities to show what you can do on offense.'

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

Tim Duncan injury knocks Spurs' All-Star out up to 2 weeks - by Eurobasket News
Tim Duncan (6'10''-F-76, college: Wake Forest) is expected to miss two weeks of action for the San Antonio Spurs due to an injury suffered in the first half of the Spurs' win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday, reports the San Antonio Express-News. The prognosis is a severe sprain, as X-rays on Duncan's ankle came back negative.

The Spurs have three weeks left in the regular season before commencing the team's run to a fifth NBA championship of the Duncan era. San Antonio won championships in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007, and have the league's best record at 57-13. San Antonio needs five combined win or Los Angeles Lakers losses to clinch the No. 1 seed.

The Spurs have been remarkably healthy this season. San Antonio's five opening starters -- Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair -- have missed a combined five games. Antonio McDyess recently supplanted Blair in the starting lineup; McDyess has sat just six times this season.

Parker was supposed to miss four weeks of action with a calf injury, but returned after just two games on the shelf, and the Spurs didn't miss a beat. It seems unlikely Duncan will bounce back quite as quickly, or that with the No. 1 seed seemingly sewn up the Spurs will be so eager to rush the nearly 35-year-old back.

Courtesy of www.sbnation.com

Azubuike to undergo another knee surgery - by Eurobasket News
Ex-Knick Kelenna Azubuike (6'5''-G/F-83, college: Kentucky), who was released after the trade deadline, will undergo a second knee surgery 16 months after his initial patella tendon operation.

A Knicks source recently said the initial surgery, which was done when he was with the Warriors, went badly. 'They put his knee back together wrong,' the source said.

On Monday, Azubuike confirmed on Twitter, 'The 1st surgery in 09 wasn't done right. Gettin it done right this time!'

Courtesy of http://basketball.realgm.com

Rudy Gay needs shoulder surgery, season over - by Eurobasket News
Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay (6'9''-F/G-86, college: Connecticut) will need season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder, the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Tuesday.

According to the report, Gay was told the bad news in a visit to renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala. Gay was seeking a second opinion on his partially dislocated left shoulder, which he injured Feb. 15 against Philadelphia.

'I've never really been hurt. I've never had anything shut me down,' Gay told the paper. 'There's really no brace or anything I can wear to make it better. I have to have the surgery.'

The 24-year-old former UConn star was hoping to come back in time for the Grizzlies' first playoff appearance since 2006, but he said that team owner Michael Heisley, his agent Jeff Austin, and coach Lionel Hollins recommended that he follow Andrews' medical opinion.

'Not being able to celebrate the success of the team on the court is hard,' said Gay, who signed a five-year, $84 million deal with Memphis last summer. 'I was even thinking about going without the surgery and risk further injury to play. But I've been getting advised not to do [that].'

The Grizzlies are currently in line for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, with a two-game lead over Houston with 11 games to play.

Gay ranked as the team's second-leading scorer with 19.8 points per game, and was averaging career highs in assists, steals, blocks, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. The team is 8-6 in Gay's absence.

Courtesy of http://msn.foxsports.com

Kings are in final weeks in Sacramento - by Eurobasket News
Sacramentos Mayor is already preparing for life without the Kings.

In a strongly worded blog posted on his website Tuesday night, Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson wrote the franchises possible relocation to Anaheim feels like a slow death and this will likely be the Kings final weeks in Sacramento after 26 years.

Johnson met with Kings owners Joe Maloof and Gavin Maloof last month and has believed since that the Kings will leave after this season.

After years of not receiving public dollars to build a new arena in Sacramento, the Maloofs began discussions with Anaheim officials about relocating the franchise to Orange County. An attorney representing the Kings also filed for at least four federal trademarks registrations: Anaheim Royals, Anaheim Royals of Southern California, Orange County Royals and Los Angeles Royals.

The well-traveled franchise was previously named the Rochester Royals and Cincinnati Royals.

Coincidentally, the Kings have played several home games this season in the throwback uniforms of those 1951 NBA champion Rochester Royals. Johnson also seemed bothered that the Kings have been wearing Royals uniforms.

Johnson has maintained that Sacramento needs to focus on building a new arena with or without the Kings, even poking fun at their formerand perhaps futuremoniker.

The strange part is, our true destiny as a professional sports town continues to rest with usnot the Kings or Royals or whatever they want to call themselves, Johnson said.

The NBA already granted the Kings an extension until April 18 to decide if it will file a request to move the franchise for next season. The Kings will have the opportunity to discuss their plans at the NBAs Board of Governors meetings April 14-15 in New York.

Sacramentos season finale is April 13 at home against the rival Los Angeles Lakers, a game that could be the last at the newly renamed Power Balance Pavilion, formerly called Arco Arena. Johnson also said a financial feasibility study on a new arena will continue as planned and thanked fans who take the high road during the seasons final weeks.

The slow death is almost over. Its painful, he said. But a new beginning is right around the corner.

Courtesy of Yahoo

Michael Redd targets weekend return - by Eurobasket News
Bucks guard Michael Redd (6'6''-G-79, college: Ohio St.) went through his first 5-on-5 practice Tuesday and expects to return to the court Friday at New York or Saturday when Milwaukee hosts the Chicago Bulls.

'Today was my first practice in 14 months,' Redd said. 'I pretty much played the whole practice. It was fun being out here today.'

Redd said he will not play Wednesday night when the Bucks meet the Sacramento Kings at the Bradley Center.

He was encouraged about the way he played in the 2-hour practice session at the Cousins Center.

'The shot is there; it's just short or long,' Redd said. 'One of my coaches teased me today and said, 'You made the hard ones today and you missed the easy ones.'

'When you miss time, 14 months of playing, you've got to find that rhythm again. It's one thing doing individual workouts, but you need to play 5-on-5 to get that rhythm.

'This was a huge step. We'll see how the knee responds. I won't play tomorrow. I think we're targeting maybe Friday.'

Redd is returning from consecutiver anterior cruciate ligament surgeries on his left knee, after he injured the knee the first time in January 2009 and again nearly a year later.

Bucks coach Scott Skiles said both Redd and forward Drew Gooden were able to go through the entire practice. Gooden has missed the last 28 games due to plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

'Both guys, rusty is a fair comment, and rightfully so,' Skiles said. 'Michael is in very good shape. You can't tell that he's missed any time at all with regard to his conditioning.

'During the whole rehab process, he's done a lot of working out. It's just a matter of getting his timing back, things like that, kind of re-learning the things we're trying to do.

'And Drew had a bottom of the foot injury. He's got some conditioning things he's got to get through.'

The Bucks will enter Wednesday's game against the Kings trailing eighth-place Indiana by two games (one in the loss column). The Pacers will play at Charlotte on Wednesday, and the Bucks and Bobcats could move within one game of Indiana with victories.

'On one hand, it's very simple,' Skiles said of working Redd back into the rotation when he is cleared to play. 'We have to try to win the game that night.

'It's not easy to make decisions, necessarily. We're not in a position right now where the priority is working a guy back in. The priority is winning the game. If we feel a player or two players can help us be productive and win the game, those will be the guys that play.

'We'll see what we do tomorrow night. We'll see who's healthy and who can go, and go from there.'

Courtesy of The Journal Sentinel

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Kevin DURANT
  Oklah.City T.
  (206-G/F-88)
  Avg: 27.9

1. Durant, Oklah.Ci.	27.9
2. James, Miami Heat	26.4
3. Stoudemire, New Y.	25.9
4. Wade, Miami Heat	25.4
5. Anthony, Denver N.	25.2
6. Bryant, LA Lakers	24.9
7. Rose, Chicago B.	24.9
8. Ellis, Golde S.	24.2
9. Gordon, LA Clippers	23.5
10. Nowitzki, Dallas M.	23.3

Rebounds Per Game

Kevin LOVE
  Minnesota T.
  (208-C-88)
  Avg: 15.4

1. Love, Minnesota T.	15.4
2. Howard, Orlando M.	14.3
3. Randolph, Memph.	12.6
4. Griffin, LA Clipp.	12.0
5. Bogut, Milwauke.	11.3
6. Noah, Chicago B.	11.2
7. Camby, Portland TB	10.6
8. Humphries, New J.	10.2
9. Gasol, LA Lakers	10.2
10. Okafor, N.Orlean.	9.7

Assists Per Game

Rajon RONDO
  Boston C.
  (186-G-86)
  Avg: 11.5

1. Rondo, Boston C.	11.5
2. Nash, Phoenix Suns	11.5
3. Paul, N.Orleans H.	9.8
4. Williams, Utah Jazz	9.7
5. Calderon, Toron.	9.0
6. Felton, New Y.	9.0
7. Wall, Washington W.	8.6
8. Kidd, Dallas M.	8.4
9. Westbrook, Oklah..	8.4
10. Rose, Chicago B.	7.8

Steals Per Game

Chris PAUL
  N.Orleans H.
  (183-G-85)
  Avg: 2.4

1. Paul, N.Orleans H.	2.4
2. Rondo, Boston C.	2.2
3. Ellis, Golde S.	2.2
4. Westbrook, Oklah..	1.8
5. Conley, Memphis G.	1.8
6. Felton, New Y.	1.8
7. Allen, Memphis G.	1.8
8. Evans, Sacramen.	1.7
9. Gay, Memphis G.	1.7
10. Wall, Washington W.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Andrew BOGUT
  Milwaukee B.
  (212-F/C-84)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Bogut, Milwauke.	2.7
2. Howard, Orlando M.	2.4
3. McGee, Washingt.	2.4
4. Ibaka, Oklah.Ci.	2.3
5. Milicic, Minnesota T.	2.2
6. Jefferson, Utah J.	2.0
7. Duncan, San A.	1.9
8. Bynum, LA Lakers	1.9
9. Stoudemire, New Y.	1.9
10. Okafor, N.Orlean.	1.9

Standings

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference
Atlantic Div.
1. Boston C.		50-19
2. Philadelph.76		36-34
3. New York K.		35-35
4. New Jersey N.		22-47
5. Toronto R.		20-50
Central Div.
1. Chicago B.		51-19
2. Indiana P.		31-40
3. Milwaukee B.		28-41
4. Detroit P.		25-45
5. Cleveland C.		13-56
Southeast Div.
1. Miami Heat		48-22
2. Orlando M.		45-26
3. Atlanta H.		40-31
4. Charlotte B.		28-41
5. Washington W.		17-52
Western Conference
Northwest Div.
1. Oklah.City T.		45-24
2. Denver N.		42-29
3. Portland TB		41-30
4. Utah Jazz		36-35
5. Minnesota T.		17-54
Pacific Div.
1. LA Lakers		51-20
2. Phoenix Suns		35-34
3. Golde State W.		30-41
4. LA Clippers		27-44
5. Sacramento K.		17-52
Southwest Div.
1. San Antonio S.		57-13
2. Dallas M.		49-21
3. N.Orleans H.		40-31
4. Memphis G.		39-32
5. Houston R.		37-34

Tuesday: Lakers outlast Suns in triple OT, 139-137 - by Eurobasket News
LA Lakers - Phoenix Suns 139-137 OT3
When the Los Angeles Lakers led Phoenix by 21 points in the third quarter, Kobe Bryant (6'6''-G-78) and Lamar Odom (6'10''-F-79, college: Rhode Island) were pretty sure their night would end briskly and tidily. After three overtimes, 276 combined points and a season's worth of heart-stopping moments, Bryant and Odom were merely grateful to stagger out of Staples Center with a victory in a once-in-a-decade thriller. Bryant scored a season-high 42 points, Ron Artest (6'7''-G-79, college: St.John's) got five of his 18 points in the final 2 minutes of the third overtime, and the Lakers outlasted the Suns for a 139-137 win Tuesday night in an enormously entertaining rematch of last season's Western Conference finals. *Courtesy of www.kansascity.com

Atlanta H. - Chicago B. 81-114
Bulls broadcaster Stacey King often asks if teams didn't get the memo about Derrick Rose (6'4''-G-88, college: Memphis) 's rise to superstardom. Instead of a memo, the Bulls sent out a sonic boom of a message during Tuesday night's nationally televised game in Atlanta. While Rose dropped in 6 of 8 shots from 3-point range and scored 30 points, the Bulls plucked the Hawks to the tune of a 72-43 halftime lead and later a resounding 114-81 victory at Philips Arena. The Bulls (51-19) stayed in control of the race for first place in the Eastern Conference, moving a half-game ahead of Boston with 12 remaining. Anyone who is not taking the Bulls seriously as a championship contender was given plenty of food for thought on this night. Rose added 10 assists and probably has all but clinched the most valuable player award. Luol Deng (6'7''-F-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Duke) hit 10 of 15 shots to add 27 points. The rest was all balance. Kyle Korver scored 9 points, while Taj Gibson contributed 9 points and 8 rebounds. *Courtesy of www.dailyherald.com

Portland TB - Washington W. 111-76
Gerald Wallace (6'7''-F-82, college: Alabama) had 28 points, his most with the Trail Blazers, and Portland routed the Washington Wizards 111-76 on Tuesday night. LaMarcus Aldridge (6'11''-C-85, college: Texas) had 22 points before sitting for the fourth quarter, and Nicolas Batum added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who are jockeying for playoff position in the Western Conference as the season winds to a close. Portland moved within a game of Denver for the sixth spot, and a game up on seventh-place New Orleans. Jordan Crawford had 12 points for the Wizards, who dropped their seventh straight on the road to fall to just 1-32 away from home. Portland led by as many as 38 points, and the starting lineup scored all but 20 of the team's points. *Courtesy of www.sfgate.com

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

NCAA1

Tennessee begins searching for Pearl's replacement - by Eurobasket News
Tennessee's program appears to be in shambles after the firing of popular coach Bruce Pearl . Volunteers athletics officials still insist it's an attractive place to be despite ongoing NCAA compliance problems.

Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton said in a statement Monday that the search would begin immediately for a new coach.

'This is a great job and will attract a significant number of interested coaches,' Hamilton said. 'Much of that interest is a tribute to what coach Pearl has helped to build, but more importantly, what our fans have built. We will take an appropriate amount of time, but will move as swiftly as is effective to bring this to conclusion.'

Tennessee's next coach will inherit a program that could be facing scholarship losses or a postseason ban as a result of an NCAA investigation that uncovered 10 alleged major violations during Pearl's six-year tenure. He also will be forced to follow an extremely popular coach who led the Vols to six straight NCAA tournaments and their first regional finals appearance.

Hamilton has bore the brunt of Vols fans' frustration about the investigation and Pearl's firing, and now his job security seems unstable. Fans already were frustrated with Hamilton's hiring of football coach Lane Kiffin, whose one-year tenure drew two charges of recruiting violations from the NCAA as well.

He upset the fan base further last week when he first indicated Pearl's future at Tennessee was uncertain just days before the Vols faced Michigan in the second round of the NCAA tournament, a game they eventually lost 75-45. Hamilton apologized in his Monday statement for his untimely comments created.

'While my comments were never intended for harm, they became an unneeded distraction to what has already been a year of distractions,' he said.

The new coach could also be facing a depleted roster by the time he arrives on campus.

Tennessee's star freshman forward, Tobias Harris, planned to test the waters of the NBA draft for a few weeks before deciding whether to return for his sophomore season. Junior guard Scotty Hopson may do the same.

Kevin Ware, a guard from Conyers, Ga., and Tennessee's two incoming freshmen, have asked Tennessee for a release from their commitments. Chris Jones, a point guard from Memphis, had not publicly announced whether he would seek a release.

'Was loyal to my commitment but its been stressful on me going threw all this so I decided to open my recruitment back up,' Ware wrote on Twitter on Monday. 'At the same time depending on what coach comes in I can definately (sic) consider UT again. Its a great atmosphere.'

Hamilton, UT-Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek and other officials who lead the search for Tennessee's next coach will promote the campus' sports atmosphere to candidates.

Part of Pearl's legacy will be his promotion of Tennessee basketball by connecting with the fans, who began buying season tickets, filling the cavernous Thompson-Boling Arena for games soon after he arrived on campus. Tennessee's basketball program became more financially viable, and the athletics department renovated the arena and built a new basketball practice facility as a result.

It was not immediately clear who Tennessee would pursue to fill the coaching job, though experts expect the school to pursue hot candidates like Virginia Commonwealth coach and former Florida assistant Shaka Smart, Richmond coach Chris Mooney and Marquette coach Buzz Williams, who will all coach in NCAA regional semifinal games this weekend.

Cheek pledged his confidence that Hamilton would make a smart hire.

'Going forward, I am confident that Mike Hamilton will find the right coach who can build on the foundation created over the past several years,' he said. 'Mike Hamilton has my support. I join him in looking forward to continued success.'

Courtesy of www.mysanantonio.com

Burks helps Colorado advance to NIT semifinals - by Eurobasket News
The Colorado Buffaloes turned a snub into a spark, riding the sting of disappointment all the way to Madison Square Garden.

They're in the Final Four, a big deal - even if it's in the NIT instead of the NCAA tournament.

Alec Burks (6'6''-G-91) led the way to the Big Apple, scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds as Colorado held off Kent State 81-74 on Tuesday night to advance to the semifinals.

Ignored by the NCAA selection committee, Colorado has used the oversight as motivation, routing Texas Southern and California by a combined 31 points. The Buffs had to hang on against pesky Kent State, converting 4 of 5 free throws in the final 1:13 to advance.

The Buffs (24-13) will play the winner of Alabama and Miami next Tuesday as they try to capture their first NIT crown since 1940.

'We're showing everyone we should've been in the (NCAA) tournament,' said Burks, who had an IV at halftime as he battled a bug that zapped his strength. 'I feel like we're a tough team, so we just bounced back from the disappointment.'

Justin Greene (6'8''-F) finished with 20 points for the Golden Flashes (25-12), who were playing their third straight NIT game on the road.

'We knew we were going to be on the road in every round and we just wanted to come out and play hard and be a scrappy bunch like we are,' Greene said. 'Give ourselves a chance to win down the stretch.

'Unfortunately, we didn't get it done tonight.'

Colorado took control late in the second half when Marcus Relphorde converted a three-point play to make it 69-67 Buffs and Burks hit a reverse layup to extend the lead to four with 4:29 remaining.

Try as they might, the Golden Flashes couldn't tie the game back up as the Buffaloes punched their ticket to New York. Burks dribbled out the final seconds near midcourt, setting off a celebration as Frank Sinatra's 'New York, New York' blared over the loudspeakers.

'We're trying to change the culture around Colorado basketball,' Burks said. 'This shows it's a bright future for everybody.

'Everyone wants to go to New York and play basketball.'

Especially when Houston site of this year's Final Four was never an option, despite the fact that many analysts thought the Buffaloes deserved a spot in the 68-team field.

'The goal is to win the (NIT) tournament, so if we do that, I don't think we will have any regrets whatsoever,' senior Cory Higgins said.

Freshman Andre Roberson had 13 points and 12 rebounds, and Higgins inched closer to the school's scoring record with 13 points. He needs 13 more to tie Richard Roby's mark of 2,001 points. Higgins played alongside Roby as a freshman.

Higgins already owns Colorado marks for games played (131), started (130), minutes (4,446) and made free throws (567).

His records might be one day be challenged by Burks provided, of course, the sensational sophomore decides to stick around instead of bolt for the NBA.

Burks recently broke CU's 40-year-old single-season scoring mark, amassing 759 points by utilizing a smooth jumper and a quick first step that gets him around defenders.

The 6-foot-6 Burks was the first Buffs player in the 15-year history of the Big 12 championship to make the all-tournament team, helping the squad beat Iowa State and Kansas State for a third time this season before being eliminated by Kansas.

Colorado thought for sure its body of work was enough for inclusion into the NCAA tournament. So much so that coach Tad Boyle held a gathering at his house, a watch party to celebrate the Buffs making the field.

But elation turned to dejection as the Buffs were left out of the brackets.

Instead out pouting, the Buffs have been performing on the court.

'I've tried to put that behind me since this tournament has started,' Levi Knutson said. 'Our team has done a great job of that. We're just focused on this tournament and going to New York.'

The Golden Flashes, who have only one senior on the roster, have looked impressive in the NIT, knocking off Saint Mary's and Fairfield on the road. They've logged more than 8,000 miles and played in three different time zones in an effort to make their first NIT trip to Madison Square Garden.

It's been a solid season for the Golden Flashes as they became the first Mid-American Conference team in more than two decades to capture back-to-back outright regular-season titles. They captured plenty of awards as well, including MAC player of the year (Greene), coach of the year (Geno Ford), defensive player of the Year (Michael Porrini) and sixth man of the year (Carlton Guyton).

'Colorado is just a little bit deeper and a little bit better,' Ford said. 'If it was a neutral court game, maybe we could have pulled it out. On the road, we just weren't quite good enough to get it done.'

Courtesy of www.newstimes.com

Coach Anderson, Missouri Tigers seek extension, agent says - by Eurobasket News
Missouri coach Mike Anderson's agent says he is negotiating a new contract with the school amid continued reports that Arkansas is also interested in hiring the architect of the Fastest 40 Minutes in Basketball.

Anderson's agent, Jimmy Sexton, told Memphis radio station WHBQ-AM Tuesday morning that weve been in discussion with them for several weeks now.

Sexton added that while nothing is imminent he expects some resolution in the next few days.

Sources confirmed to ESPN.coms Andy Katz that the school was on the verge of finalizing a new deal with Anderson that will add two years to his current contract. Also, Anderson will receive a bump in salary to nearly $ 2 million, up from his current pay grade of roughly $ 1.5 million, the sources confirmed.

Sextons comments came as University of Missouri curators who must approve any changes to Andersons existing seven-year, $ 10.85 million deal met for a second day at Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla.

After their public session ended Tuesday morning, the group of political appointees remained behind closed doors for more than five hours discussing unspecified personnel matters.

Interim university president Steve Owens declined to discuss Andersons contract other than to offer a general statement of support. The Columbia Daily Tribune reported that Missouri athletic director Mike Alden also attended the meeting in Rolla, which is nearly 100 miles from the flagship campus.

Alden rarely attends curator meetings outside Columbia. He too declined to discuss the status of his mens basketball coach.

Anderson, who was hired by Missouri in 2006 after four years at Alabama-Birmingham, led Missouri to a 23-11 record and its third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance though it ended with a first-round defeat and five losses in the teams final six games.

In 2009, he parlayed a school-record 31 wins, a Big 12 Conference tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA regional final into a contract extension and $ 500,000 annual raise. That revised contract pays Anderson a base annual salary of $ 1.35 million plus another $ 200,000 a year should he remain in Columbia another two years. Additional deferred compensation is available if he stays at Missouri for the duration of his seven-year deal.

He turned down an offer to coach at Georgia in 2009 for more than $ 2 million annually and was also mentioned as a possible candidate at Memphis.

One year later, Anderson rejected a similarly hefty raise and a job offer to coach Oregon but not before unsettling the Tigers faithful with less-than-specific denials about his interest in other jobs.

The latest potential suitor is Arkansas, where Anderson spent 17 years as an assistant under Nolan Richardson and helped his mentor win the 1994 national championship.

Arkansas fired coach John Pelphrey on March 13. Pelphrey was 69-59 in four seasons with the Razorbacks. Several media outlets in Arkansas and Oklahoma have linked Anderson to the job. As is his custom by now, Anderson has only said that he is happy at Missouri but hasnt struck down what he repeatedly refers to as rumors.

Andersons looming contract extension could put the fundraising prowess of Alden and Missouris athletics department to the test.

Missouris athletic director has previously said that the school is also putting the finishing touches on a new deal for football coach Gary Pinkel, who earns roughly $ 2.5 million annually in a contract that was last revised in 2008.

Courtesy ofhttp://healthsuplement.com

Providence hires Cooley to replace Davis - by Eurobasket News
Providence has hired former Fairfield coach Ed Cooley to replace the fired Keno Davis .

Cooley, who led the Stags to a school-record 25 wins and a MAAC regular-season championship this year, coached his final game at Fairfield on Sunday, a 72-68 loss to Kent State in the second round of the NIT.

'We are very excited to have Ed Cooley coming to Providence College,' Father Brian Shanley, Providence's president, said. 'I have had the opportunity to spend some time with Ed, and I believe he is the right person to lead our men's basketball team. We conducted a thorough search, and during that process, Ed Cooley was the coach that consistently met our selection criteria.'

Cooley was named the coach of the year in the MAAC this season, and the Stags (25-8) were on their way to the NCAA tournament automatic bid, when they were upset by St. Peter's 62-48 in the league tournament semifinals.

A Providence native, Cooley left an assistant job at Boston College to take the Fairfield position in April of 2006. He struggled in Year 1, going just 13-19. But his final three seasons were all above-.500, and he finished with a 92-69 record. He won 60 conference games and landed in postseason play his final two seasons with the Stags.

'Ed Cooley did a great job rebuilding Fairfield into a consistently strong program,' athletic director Bob Driscoll said. 'Each season, his team showed improvement, and the win totals increased. Throughout this process, he used hard work and dedication, and that is part of what makes him a good fit for Providence College. I saw knowledge, passion and commitment that is necessary to lead our men's basketball program.'

Davis was fired two weeks ago, after just three seasons on the job. He had coached just one season previous to that post, at Drake. Providence went 15-17 this season, and just 4-14 in the Big East. His Friars, who finished 14th in the league, seemed disinterested in the first round of the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, when they were beaten soundly by Marquette 87-66.

Providence hasn't been to the NCAA tournament since 2004, and hasn't won the conference tournament since 1994.

Cooley, 41, will be introduced at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday on campus

Courtesy of http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

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

NCAA2

Bellarmine too much for MSU - by Eurobasket News
BUSPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- Justin Benedetti (6'7''-G) has been waiting a long time to play in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.

He finally got his chance Wednesday afternoon at the MassMutual Center and the Bellarmine senior guard made the most of his moment in the spotlight.

Benedetti, one of the driving forces behind the success of the No. 2 Knights (31-2) this season, torched Midwestern State for 21 points and propelled his team into the national semifinals with a 70-64 victory.

Nothing came easy against the quicker and more athletic Mustangs (25-9), who took a 10-2 lead early but went back and forth with the Knights the rest of the way in a showdown where both teams exhausted every ounce of effort they had.

Bellarmine trailed 37-35 at halftime and was down most of the second half until stealing the momentum late to seal the deal.

Benedetti was never concerned. His team has been tested in the past, especially coming out of the rugged Midwest Region, and it even had an exhibition win against Xavier under its belt.

'We are always in games,' Benedetti said. 'We always keep fighting and give it our all. It came down to execution. We were happy we made plays at the end and found a way to get a tremendous win.

Benedetti helped his team late by hitting clutch free throws. He hit 3-of-4 during one stretch late in the game, cutting Midwesterns lead to 58-57, and it was hardly a surprise that Benedetti was at the line in crunch time.

Getting to the line has become an added strength to Benedettis game, and that fact is not lost on head coach Scott Davenport .

Benedetti was 5-of-6 from the line in the win over the Mustangs, who were the only team here not playing in the Elite Eight for the first time. Benedetti came in as an 83.3 percent free-throw shooter.

He is not just a perimeter shooter, Davenport said. He has learned how to drive to the ball and get to the line. He is a tough matchup for any team and has done a great job of becoming a complete player.

Benedetti played his high school basketball in the Hoosier State, shining at Providence High School where he captured the attention of Division I coaches.

But he missed most of his senior season because of a torn meniscus in his left knee and ended up at Bellarmine.

Benedetti came into this game averaging 13 points per outing and had hit 54 treys on the season.

He was his usual self on this day, drilling an early trey that sliced the Midwestern lead to 14-9. His two free throws with under five minutes to go cut the Mustangs advantage to 28-27 and he came up with two big shots before halftime that kept the Knights within striking distance.

Benedetti made a layup and scored on a putback as Bellarmine went into halftime trailing only 37-35, not bad considering the Mustangs capitalized on several second chances and often played above the rim.

They came up with four dunks in the opening half, including one by David Terrell in which he went up over Braydon Hobbs and drew a foul as he dunked the ball. That basket and free throw put the Mustangs in front 35-29 but did little to rattle the confidence of the Knights.

The second half was just as tight, but what Bellarmine was able to do to gain an edge was crash the boards and clamp down on defense.

Benedetti helped the cause, grabbing five boards, while defending his heart out to help cool off the Mustangs, who torched the nets for 61.5 percent shooting in the opening half but shot just 41.4 percent in the final 20 minutes.

We did not let them finish shots and we were able to do a better job of getting rebounds, Davenport said. They are a very athletic team and they played their hearts out. We were fortunate enough to win.

This loss cut like a knife for the Mustangs.

They lost in the quarterfinal last year as well, falling 92-88 to St. Cloud State, but seemed to have magic on their side after beating three nationally ranked teams in their South Central regional tournament, including fourth-ranked Central Oklahoma (73-66).

We put a lot into this season, so much time and so much effort senior guard Chris Hagan said, fighting back tears as he spoke into the mircrophone during the press conference. You hate to see it end. But I love my teammates and I am thankful I had an opportunity to play here.

Midwestern head coach Grant McCasland said his team simply was unable to step up when it mattered most.

We didnt capitalize on turnovers and we missed some big shots, McCasland said. We had a few possessions where we could have come up with a big play and didnt do it. It got us on our heels.

The Mustangs shot 50.9 percent from the field and Hagan paved the way with 24 points. Charlie Logan (6'7''-F-88) and Darrick Thomas scored 10 points apiece.

Bellarmine shot 53.1 percent from the floor, and while Benedetti was tough enough to guard, he wasnt the only one giving Midwestern a headache.

All-American guard Jeremy Kendle (6'1''-G) clicked for 20 points, and Chris Dowe (6'2''-G), who made two free throws after being fouled on a layup attempt to put the Knights ahead 62-58 with less than two minutes to play, finished with 11 points.

But back to Benedetti for a moment. He has been one of the teams leaders all season and he has been dreaming for a long time about having a shot to win a national championship.

The Knights are now one step closer to making that dream a reality.

Ive always wanted to be a pat of something like this, Benedetti said. Ive worked hard to get to this point and I credit my coaches for helping me to become a good basketball player.
Courtesy of: Brian Lester, NCAA.com

Unbeaten W. Liberty has point to prove - by Eurobasket News
After missing Elite Eight in '10, Hilltoppers on verge of perfection
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. -- West Liberty coach Jim Crutchfield isnt sure what to call his offensive system. What he does know is that the Hilltoppers dont play a run-and-gun style of basketball, even if the numbers say otherwise.

After all, West Liberty is averaging out 111.6 points per outing and six players are scoring in double figures.

Weve put our names in the record books with teams like Loyola Marymount, but Id like to think we are more fundamental than some of those other teams that score a lot of points, Crutchfield said. We dont take bad shots and we dont give up easy buckets on defense. Im not sure what to call our system, but I know its not run-and-gun.

Whatever it is, the system works.

The Hilltoppers (35-0), ranked No. 1 in the nation and on the verge of becoming only the fifth team in history to win an NCAA Division II championship unbeaten, enter the Elite Eight with a chance to put an exclamation point on a remarkable year.

The Hilltoppers open against Anderson (21-11) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the MassMutual Center.

In the summer, we talked about how nice it would be to win a championship, sophomore guard Alex Falk (6'3''-G) said. Coming here makes it seem more like a reality. We know if we play how we have all year, well have a chance to win.

This West Liberty team has punished opponents with a relentless three-point attack. The Hilltoppers have jacked up 1,131 treys on the season have knocked down 473. Seven players on the team have made at least 30, including senior guards Jordan Fortney (6'5''-G) and Barry Shetzer (6'5''-G). The duo has combined to nail 227 from downtown.

Fortney is pumping in 14.6 ppg while Shetzer is torching opponents for 16.4 points per outing. Senior guard Corey Pelle is the teams leading scorer, dropping in 16.7 ppg.

Because the Hilltoppers are so dangerous from beyond the arc, though, its easy to overlook their play on the defensive end of the floor.

West Liberty is giving up 80.3 points per game and actually had to survive a couple of close calls in the regional tournament, defeating Shaw 98-93 in the semifinals and edging 2010 national runner-up Indiana (Pa.) 89-86 in the championship game.

We play a lot of full-court pressure, but when we need to, we can really lock down in our half-court defense, Crutchfield said. We obviously shoot the ball very well, but we are also a very good defensive team. If we get into a close game here, we are not going to hit the panic button.

The fact that West Liberty has played hard on defense isnt a surprise. Not when the Hilltoppers work their tails off to play at a breathtaking pace.

Not everyone can do what we do, Falk said. We put so many hours in to play the way we do, and the time we stop working hard, is the time we get beat.

West Liberty nearly made it here a year ago before falling to Indiana (Pa.). Now, West Liberty is taking aim at winning it all.

It feels good to be here,' Crutchfield said. 'We are excited about being in the Elite Eight and we want to make sure we are ready to put forth our best effort.

Courtesy of: Brian Lester, NCAA.com

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

PBL

Razorsharks clinch Playoff berth - by Eurobasket News
Rochester RazorSharks coach Rod Baker uses his entire roster. Demetrius Howard is the last man he goes to.

With his team playing sluggishly through the first quarter and clinging to a 24-23 lead at Dayton, Baker turned to Howard. He responded by scoring all 11 of his points in the second quarter, leading the Sharks to a 49-41 halftime lead. Keith Friel (6'4''-G-77, college: Virginia) scored 15 of his 17 points in the third quarter to up the lead to 18. Rochester held on for a 113-103 victory.

The team's eighth win in its last nine clinches one of four Premier Basketball League playoff berths. The RazorSharks currently sit third.

Eric Walton (6'9''-F/C-79, college: San Jose St.) had the team high 22 for Rochester. Friel and Sammy Monroe (6'6''-F-85, agency: Prossin Sports Management, college: Newberry) scored 17 points each.

Dayton's Mickey Perry connected on 8 of 12 three point attempts and wound up with a game high 31 points.

The Air Strikers in losing their fifth straight PBL game, really hurt themselves from the free throw line, making just 14 of 23. They missed five in the fourth quarter alone. Rochester made 38 of 49. That was the most pronounced difference in the game.

The victory was the RazorSharks' seventh in their last eight. Their final regular season game of the year is Saturday afternoon against the Kentucky Bluegrass Stallions. It has a 1:05 tip off at the Blue Cross Arena.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Standings

PBL Standings

1. Lawton Ft.SC		16-2
2. Quebec K.		11-7
3. Rochester R.		11-8
4. Halifax R.		9-8
5. Saint John M.R.		8-8
6. Kentucky S.		6-13
7. Dayton A.		3-15
8. Vermont FH		2-5

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Mike WILLIAMS
  Rochester R.
  (201-F-85)
  Avg: 20.9

1. Williams, Vermo.	20.9
2. Anderson, Saint J.	20.5
3. Brown, Quebec K.	20.2
4. Jones, Kentucky S.	19.5
5. Egerson, Saint J.	19.2
6. Dollard, Halifax R.	17.8
7. Parran, Quebec K.	17.6
8. Miles, Dayton A.	17.5
9. Allen, Vermont FH	16.7
10. Rice, Vermont FH	15.9

Rebounds Per Game

Eric CROOKSHANK
  Halifax R.
  (201-F-80)
  Avg: 11.2

1. Crookshank, Halif.	11.2
2. Williams, Vermo.	10.3
3. Mims, Lawton Ft.SC	8.6
4. Dollard, Halifax R.	8.3
5. Jones, Kentucky S.	8.2
6. Williams, Rocheste.	8.2
7. Walton, Rocheste.	8.1
8. Harris, Kentucky S.	7.6
9. Ocitti, Saint J.	7.3
10. Jones, Halifax R.	7.2

Assists Per Game

Dwuan RICE
  Saint John M.R.
  (180-G-)
  Avg: 7.6

1. Rice, Vermont FH	7.6
2. Parran, Quebec K.	6.8
3. Rice, Saint J.	6.4
4. Brown, Halifax R.	5.2
5. Anderson, Saint J.	5.0
6. Bowden, Lawton F.	4.1
7. Egerson, Saint J.	3.8
8. Crouch, Rocheste.	3.8
9. Acker, Quebec K.	3.7
10. Fountain, Lawton F.	2.9

Steals Per Game

Dwuan RICE
  Saint John M.R.
  (180-G-)
  Avg: 3

1. Rice, Vermont FH	3.0
2. Parran, Quebec K.	2.6
3. Mims, Lawton Ft.SC	2.1
4. Austin, Vermont FH	2.0
5. Brown, Quebec K.	1.9
6. Miles, Dayton A.	1.8
7. Anderson, Saint J.	1.8
8. Bowden, Lawton F.	1.5
9. Martin, Saint J.	1.4
10. Dean, Lawton Ft.SC	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Jared CARTER
  Rochester R.
  (216-C-87)
  Avg: 1.7

1. Carter, Rocheste.	1.7
2. Mims, Lawton Ft.SC	1.6
3. Ocitti, Saint J.	1.1
4. George, Dayton A.	1.1
5. Crookshank, Halif.	1.1
6. Pierre, Quebec K.	1.1
7. Williams, Vermo.	0.9
8. Daniels, Lawton F.	0.9
9. DeMasi, Saint J.	0.9
10. Harris, Kentucky S.	0.8

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

POLAND

Standings - DBE

PLK Standings

1. Asseco Prokom		16-5
2. PGE Turow		15-6
3. Trefl Sopot		13-8
4. Energa Czarni		13-8
5. Anwil		11-10
6. Polpharma		10-11
7. AZS Koszalin		10-11
8. PBG Basket		9-12
9. Zastal		9-12
10. Polonia Azbud		9-12
11. SKK Kotwica		8-13
12. Siarka		3-18

DBE Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Ted SCOTT
  SKK Kotwica
  (188-G-85)
  Avg: 25.4

1. Scott, SKK Kotwica	25.4
2. Reese, AZS Koszalin	17.3
3. Frazier, AZS K.	16.9
4. Hodge, Zastal	16.2
5. Hinson, Polonia Azbud	16.2
6. Miller, PBG Basket	14.7
7. NaNa, Polonia Azbud	14.7
8. Bennerman, Energa C.	14.5
9. Dylewicz, Trefl Sopot	14.3
10. Goffney, Siarka	14.1

Rebounds Per Game

Darrell HARRIS
  SKK Kotwica
  (208-C-84)
  Avg: 11.5

1. Harris, SKK K.	11.5
2. Burgess, Zastal	9.8
3. Truscott, Siarka	9.7
4. NaNa, Polonia Azbud	8.3
5. Easley, Polonia Azbud	7.2
6. Wysocki, PGE Turow	7.0
7. Reynolds, AZS K.	7.0
8. Archibeque, Polph.	6.5
9. Ceranic, Trefl S.	6.4
10. Miller, Anwil	6.3

Assists Per Game

Igor MILICIC
  AZS Koszalin
  (194-G-76)
  Avg: 7

1. Milicic, AZS K.	7.0
2. Blassingame, Energa C.	6.7
3. Thomas, PGE Turow	5.9
4. Hodge, Zastal	5.1
5. Szubarga, Asseco P.	5.1
6. Skibniewski, Polph.	4.9
7. Hawkins, PBG B.	4.3
8. Vaughn, Polpharma	3.4
9. Nowakowski, Poloni.	3.1
10. Reese, AZS Koszalin	3.1

Steals Per Game

James MAYE
  Zastal
  (201-G/F-81)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Maye, Zastal	3.1
2. Hinson, Polonia Azbud	2.8
3. Sapp, SKK Kotwica	2.7
4. Hodge, Zastal	2.6
5. Szubarga, Asseco P.	2.5
6. Blassingame, Energa C.	2.5
7. Skibniewski, Polph.	2.4
8. Milicic, AZS K.	2.4
9. Pringle, Siarka	2.4
10. Ewing, Asseco P.	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Darrell HARRIS
  SKK Kotwica
  (208-C-84)
  Avg: 2

1. Harris, SKK K.	2.0
2. Lapeta, Asseco P.	1.4
3. Easley, Polonia Azbud	1.4
4. Burgess, Zastal	1.4
5. Hicks, Anwil	1.3
6. Reynolds, AZS K.	1.0
7. Mirkovic, Polpharma	0.9
8. Davis, Energa C.	0.9
9. Miller, Anwil	0.8
10. Kesicki, Zastal	0.8

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

PORTUGAL

Stats Leaders - UZO Liga

Points Per Game

Tyrone CURNELL
  Barreirense
  (201-F-88)
  Avg: 20.9

1. Curnell, Barreirense	20.9
2. Luettgerodt, Sampa.	20.8
3. Oruche, Ginasio	20.6
4. Jackson, Sampaense	19.8
5. Shaw, Academica	19.3
6. Austin, Vitoria SC	19.0
7. Goode, Penafiel	18.2
8. Stempin, Porto F.	18.1
9. Eddie, Academica	17.6
10. Johnson, Barreire.	17.4

Rebounds Per Game

Kevin MARTIN
  Vitoria SC
  (208-C-83)
  Avg: 10.3

1. Martin, Vitoria SC	10.3
2. Cortez, Ovarense	10.2
3. Shaw, Academica	9.8
4. Robert, Lusitania	9.6
5. Terrell, Porto F.	9.2
6. Nolen, Penafiel	8.9
7. Jackson, Sampaense	8.8
8. Eddie, Academica	8.8
9. Momplasir, Lusitania	8.8
10. Curnell, Barreirense	8.6

Assists Per Game

Nuno MANARTE
  Ovarense
  (184-G-75)
  Avg: 6.6

1. Manarte, Ovarense	6.6
2. Reveles, Ginasio	5.9
3. Sing, Sampaense	5.9
4. Minhava, Benfica	5.3
5. Monteiro, Lusitania	5.1
6. Simoes, Academica	4.9
7. Fernandes, CAB	4.5
8. Silva, CAB	4.0
9. Barroso, Ginasio	4.0
10. Andrade, Porto F.	3.8

Steals Per Game

Tyrone CURNELL
  Barreirense
  (201-F-88)
  Avg: 3.4

1. Curnell, Barreirense	3.4
2. Cortez, Ovarense	2.9
3. Goode, Penafiel	2.8
4. Holland, Academica	2.5
5. Jackson, CAB	2.4
6. Tavares, Vitoria SC	2.2
7. Felix, Illiabum	2.1
8. Thornton, Penafiel	2.0
9. Silva, CAB	2.0
10. Eddie, Academica	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Marcel MOMPLASIR
  Lusitania
  (205-C-81)
  Avg: 3.8

1. Momplasir, Lusitania	3.8
2. Nolen, Penafiel	1.4
3. Gentry, CAB	1.2
4. Gray, Sampaense	1.2
5. Jackson, Sampaense	1.2
6. Stempin, Porto F.	1.1
7. Harris, Illiabum	1.1
8. Willis, Illiabum	1.1
9. Coelho, CAB	1.1
10. Cardoso, Lusitania	1.0

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

QATAR

Rayyan defend their QBF title - by Eurobasket News
Rayyan - Sadd 86:76

Rayyan clinched the QBF crown for the third time in a row. They held off Sadd in the additional game of the championship to prove their strength. Chauncey Leslie (183-G-81, college: Iowa) came up with 28 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds to lead the winners.
Rayyan surged ahead right from the start. The reigning champions posted a 27:20 lead after a high-flying first term. They continued to mount the pressure in the second stanza. Rayyan accumulated a comfortable 16-point cushion at the interval. Sadd went on a 15:7 rally early in the third term to cut the deficit but eventually they faced a 13-point deficit heading into the final period. Rayyan were well in control of their fate in the fourth stanza and cruised to the victory at the end. Targuy Ngombo (196-F-89, agency: Court Side) provided 21 points, 15 boards and 5 assists for Rayyan. Yasseen Musa (204-F-80) added 20 points in the victory. Khalid Suliman Abdi (198-F/G-87) answered with 19 points for Sadd. Yousif Mohamed added 17 points, while Daoud Musa (193-G-82) finished with 14 points in the loss.

Rayyan: Chauncey Leslie 28, Targuy Ngombo 21+15 boards, Yasseen Musa 20
Sadd: Khalid Suliman Abdi 19, Yousif Mohamed 17, Daoud Musa 14

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

RUSSIA

Unics upset Pepsi Caserta in Italy - by Eurobasket News
Pepsi Caserta - Unics 84:90

Unics made a huge step towards EuroCup semifinals after edging Pepsi Caserta in Italy. Unics will now have to shield off a 6-point lead at home court in a week. It was a tough battle where Unics used all of their experience to snatch a narrow victory at the end. The Russian team set the tone early. Unics accounted for 22 points in the first term to gain a 4-point lead. But Pepsi Caserta were ready for the challenge. They increased the tempo in the second period scoring 26 points and cutting the deficit to just two points 44:46 at halftime. The teams went neck and neck in the third term. Unics got luckier eking out a 61:60 lead with ten minutes to go. Pepsi Caserta tried hard to pull in front but the visitors poured in 29 points in the final stanza to escape with an important road win at the end. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) stepped up with impressive 30 points, 12 boards and 3 assists for Unics. Terrell Lyday (190-G-79, college: BYU) added 16 points in the victory. Eric Williams (206-C-84, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wake Forest) had 22 points for Pepsi Caserta. Jumaine Jones (202-F-79, college: Georgia) finished with 18 points and 9 boards in the loss.

Pepsi Caserta: Eric Williams 22, Jumaine Jones 18
Unics: Vladimir Veremeenko 30+12 boards, Terrell Lyday 16, Marko Popovic (185-G-82, college: S.Idaho JC) 11

Ural Ekaterinburg land Marque Perry - by Eurobasket News
Ural Ekaterinburg are aiming at winning Superleague this season. They seriously bolstered their roster with addition of Marque Perry (185-G-81, agency: N.E.T., college: St.Louis). The 30-year-old guard has already passed medical tests and signed a deal with the team. Marque Perry started the season in Union Olimpija. He averaged 1.3 points and 1.1 assists per game in Euroleague. In Adriatic League his stats read 4.8 points, 1.3 boards and 1.9 assists per appearance. Last season Marque Perry tipped off in Ukraine with BC Donetsk. His stats read 15.7 points, 4.0 boards and 3.9 assists per Superleague game. In EuroChallenge the guard posted 18.2 points, 2.5 boards and 2.3 assists. It is not the first contract in Russia for Marque Perry. The guard played for CSK VVS Samara and Triumph Lyubertsy in 2007-09 seasons. He also had stints in Greece, Italy and Turkey.

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

SAUDI ARABIA

D1 Standings

D1 Standings

1. Al Ittihad		16-0
2. Al Ansar		13-4
3. Al Fateh		13-4
4. Al Hilal		13-4
5. Ohud		9-6
6. Al Ahli		8-8
7. Al Nahda		7-8
8. Al Wahda		7-9
9. Al Jubail		4-12
10. Al Maseerah		2-13
11. Al Shrooq		2-14
12. Al Safwa		1-15

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

SERBIA

Standings - A Liga

A Standings

SuperLeague
1. Beograd		1-0
2. Hemofarm		1-0
3. Crvena Zvezda		0-0
4. Metalac		0-0
5. Partizan		0-0
6. Radnicki		0-0
7. FMP		0-1
8. Mega Vizura		0-1
Places 9-16
1. Tamis		15-11
2. Napredak		12-14
3. Sloga		12-14
4. Novi Sad		12-14
5. Sloboda Uzice		12-14
6. Vojvodina		12-14
7. Borac		11-15
8. Proleter Naftagas		10-16
9. Crnokosa		9-17
10. Superfund		1-25

Stats Leaders - 1A

Points Per Game

Branko MILISAVLJEVIC
  Mega Vizura
  (193-G-76)
  Avg: 20.9

1. Milisavljevi., Mega V.	20.9
2. Koprivica, Super.	20.7
3. Zekovic, Beograd	18.8
4. Janjusevic, Crnok.	18.8
5. Sinovec, Metalac	18.0
6. Micevic, Sloboda .	17.6
7. Bozovic, Sloga	17.4
8. Bunic, Novi Sad	16.6
9. Kovacevic, Super.	16.3
10. Majkic, Prolet.	16.2

Rebounds Per Game

Nikola MARKOVIC
  FMP
  (208-F/C-89)
  Avg: 7.8

1. Markovic, FMP	7.8
2. Ljubicic, Metalac	7.6
3. Jelovac, Mega V.	7.2
4. Cantekin, Mega V.	7.1
5. Misanovic, Beograd	6.9
6. Majkic, Prolet.	6.6
7. Djurovic, Crnokosa	6.4
8. Bozovic, Sloga	6.4
9. Cubrilo, Sloga	6.4
10. Sulovic, Napredak	6.3

Assists Per Game

Vid ZARKOVIC
  Proleter Naftagas
  (189-G-75)
  Avg: 6

1. Zarkovic, Prolet.	6.0
2. Ljubicic, Metalac	5.7
3. Radivojevic, FMP	5.2
4. Vlahovic, Sloga	5.1
5. Milisavljevi., Mega V.	4.7
6. Covic, FMP	4.5
7. Kocergin, Superfund	4.3
8. Atanackovic, Prolet.	4.3
9. Mitrovic, Beograd	4.3
10. Dundjerski, Beograd	3.7

Steals Per Game

Slobodan DUNDJERSKI
  Beograd
  (190-G-88)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Dundjerski, Beograd	2.9
2. Kuzeta, Novi Sad	2.7
3. Gagovic, Prolet.	2.3
4. Ljubicic, Metalac	2.1
5. Marjanovic, Vojvo.	2.0
6. Mukanovic, Crnok.	2.0
7. Kovacevic, Novi Sad	1.9
8. Jovic, Sloga	1.9
9. Vulin, Prolet.	1.8
10. Fekete, Sloboda .	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Nenad MISANOVIC
  T.E.Kashan
  (217-C-84)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Misanovic, Beograd	1.9
2. Ilic, FMP	1.3
3. Bircevic, Metalac	1.2
4. Majkic, Prolet.	1.1
5. Cantekin, Mega V.	1.0
6. Marjanovic, Vojvo.	0.9
7. Buric, Tamis	0.8
8. Ljubojevic, Slobod.	0.8
9. Kalinic, Novi Sad	0.7
10. Dramicanin, Mega V.	0.7

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

SPAIN

Cedevita open EuroCup quarterfinals with victory - by Eurobasket News
Cedevita - Estudiantes 90:81

Cedevita earned the first win in EuroCup quarterfinal against Estudiantes. The Croatian celebrated a nine-point victory in home game. The teams will meet again on March 30 in Spain.
Estudiantes stormed into this one. The visitors exploded with 33 points in the opening term to take a comfortable 33:21 lead. Cedevita came back to life in the second frame. They adjusted their defense limiting Estudiantes to only 16 points in the second period. Cedevita managed to get within two points at halftime 47:49. But the third term turned things around. Cedevita surged ahead and rallied to a massive 15-point advantage with one quarter remaining. Estudiantes fought hard in the final term as the margin meant a lot. Estudiantes cut the difference to just seven points but Cedevita were able to finalize a 9-point win at the end. Damjan Ruzed provided 21 points for Cedevita. Dontaye Draper (180-G-84, college: Charleston) contributed 20 points in the victory. Nik Caner-Medley (203-F-83, agency: Priority Sports, college: Maryland) responded with 19 points and 11 boards for Estudiantes. Sergio Sanchez (190-G-81) delivered 13 points in defeat.

Cedevita: Damjan Rudez (206-F-86) 21, Dontaye Draper 20, Marino Bazdaric (197-G/F-78) 14
Estudiantes: Nik Caner-Medley 19+11 boards, Sergio Sanchez 13

Cajasol makes first step towards EuroCup Final Four - by Eurobasket News
Cajasol - Budivelnyk 69:47

Cajasol celebrated victory in the first game of the EuroCup quarterfinals. Fourth term surge helped Cajasol edge Budivelnyk as they built a comfortable cushion before the second game in Ukraine. The teams stayed close throughout three periods before suffocating defense from Cajasol paid off and they cleared off to a double-digit lead. Txemi Urtasun (193-G-84, agency: Interperformances) paced the Seville outfit with 15 points.
Budivelnyk led by two points after a very close first term 16:14. Cajasol slowed down the visitors in the second quarter. The Ukrainian vice-champions tallied just 8 points in the second term allowing Cajasol to spur in front 30:24 at halftime. The teams traded baskets throughout the third term. The visitors got as close as three points but Cajasol restored a 6-point cushion at the final intermission. The home side stunned Budivelnyk early in the fourth term as Cajasol quickly opened a double digit advantage. Plagued by turnover the visitors could not recover. Cajasol kept a firm grip on the lead and raced to the victory at the end. Mindaugas Katelynas (205-F-83, college: Chattanooga) provided 14 points, while Tariq Kirksay (199-F-79, college: Iona) added 11 points and 8 boards in the win. Lamayne Wilson (204-F-80, college: Troy) and William Keys (188-G-77, college: N.Mexico St.) answered with 11 points each for Budivelnyk.

Cajasol: Txemi Urtasun 15, Mindaugas Katelynas 14, Tariq Kirksay 11
Budivelnyk: Lamayne Wilson 11, William Keys 11

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

SWEDEN

Stats Leaders - Basketligan

Points Per Game

Darius HARGROVE
  Jamtland
  (193-G-82)
  Avg: 21.9

1. Hargrove, Jamtland	21.9
2. Brown, 08	20.5
3. Smith, Sodertalje	20.5
4. Rush, Sundsvall	19.9
5. Smith, Uppsala	19.5
6. Wesby, Sundsvall	19.0
7. Palm, Boras	19.0
8. McCoy, Boras	18.4
9. Gunnarsson, Solna	18.1
10. Levett, LF Basket	16.4

Rebounds Per Game

Hlynur BAERINGSSON
  Sundsvall
  (200-F/C-82)
  Avg: 10.4

1. Baeringsson, Sunds.	10.4
2. Palm, Boras	10.3
3. McKnight, Boras	8.9
4. Kosmalski, Solna	8.6
5. Brown, 08	7.9
6. Kjellbom, Norrkoping	7.7
7. Cipriano, Eco O.	7.5
8. Constantine, Solna	7.4
9. Walker, Solna	7.3
10. Kohlmaier, Uppsala	7.1

Assists Per Game

Rudy MBEMBA
  LF Basket
  (181-G-87)
  Avg: 6.4

1. Mbemba, LF Basket	6.4
2. Pleick, Eco Orebro	5.5
3. Beck, 08	5.1
4. Smith, Uppsala	4.6
5. Chuk, Sodertalje	4.4
6. McCoy, Boras	4.3
7. Mitchell, Norrkoping	4.2
8. Smith, Sodertalje	4.1
9. Hellgren, Jamtland	4.1
10. Baeringsson, Sunds.	4.1

Steals Per Game

Johnell SMITH
  Sodertalje
  (186-G-80)
  Avg: 3.4

1. Smith, Sodertalje	3.4
2. Mbemba, LF Basket	3.1
3. Rush, Sundsvall	1.9
4. Smith, Uppsala	1.9
5. Baeringsson, Sunds.	1.8
6. Hargrove, Jamtland	1.8
7. Pleick, Eco Orebro	1.8
8. Hellgren, Jamtland	1.8
9. Brown, 08	1.7
10. McCoy, Boras	1.7

Blocks Per Game

John ROSENDAHL
  LF Basket
  (203-F/C-77)
  Avg: 1.9

1. Rosendahl, LF Ba.	1.9
2. Salaam, Jamtland	1.9
3. Kjellbom, Norrkoping	1.8
4. Palm, Boras	1.4
5. Cipriano, Eco O.	1.3
6. Kohlmaier, Uppsala	1.2
7. Constantine, Solna	1.2
8. Ayuba, Norrkoping	1.1
9. Walker, Solna	0.9
10. Galick, Sodertalje	0.8

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

SYRIA

Jalaa step away from WABA League title - by Eurobasket News
Jalaa - Riyadi 79:67

Jalaa recorded the second straight win in WABA League Finals. They held off Riyadi in Aleppo yesterday to grab a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. The teams move to Lebanon for the third and if necessary the fourth games of the championship series. Game 3 is scheduled for March 28.
Riyadi earned a 17:13 lead after ten minutes of action. The visitors went on an 8:0 run to open the second term as they cleared off. Jalaa bounced back late in the half to narrow the deficit to a single point 32:33. Riyadi did not slow down in the third quarter. They stayed in charge until a 13:4 surge from the home team early in the fourth frame that propelled those into drivers seat. Samaki Walker (206-F/C-76, college: Louisville) paced Jalaa as they did not surrender the advantage and rolled to the victory. He finished with 33 points and 12 boards. Michel Maadanli (195-G-81) added 15 points, while Jamaal Miller (187-G-82, agency: Court Side, college: Green River CC) provided 13 points in the victory. Nathanel Johnson (199-F-77, college: Louisville) answered with 20 points for Riyadi. William Pharis (206-F/C-81, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Arkansas) had 14 points, while Joseph Vogel (211-C-73, agency: Pro Management Agency, college: Colorado St.) accounted for 13 points and 10 boards in the loss.

Jalaa: Samaki Walker 33+12 boards, Michel Maadanli 15, Jamaal Miller 13
Riyadi: Nathanel Johnson 20, William Pharis 14, Joseph Vogel 13+10 boards

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

TAIWAN

Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Shawn HAWKINS
  KKL
  (198-G/F-82)
  Avg: 27

1. Hawkins, KKL	27.0
2. Foyle, Dacin Tigers	21.4
3. Chen, Bank o.	18.4
4. Chen, KKL	18.3
5. Dove, Taiwan Mobile	18.1
6. Tien, Dacin Tigers	18.0
7. Jones, Taiwan Beer	17.8
8. Vaudreuil, Bank o.	16.9
9. Jennings, Pure Y.	16.4
10. Lu, Yulon Luxgen	15.6

Rebounds Per Game

Rashad JENNINGS
  Pure Youth
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 20.9

1. Jennings, Pure Y.	20.9
2. Dailey, Yulon Luxgen	16.2
3. Hawkins, KKL	12.9
4. Jones, Taiwan Beer	11.3
5. Vaudreuil, Bank o.	11.0
6. Dove, Taiwan Mobile	11.0
7. Foyle, Dacin Tigers	11.0
8. Tseng, Yulon Luxgen	9.8
9. Tien, Dacin Tigers	7.8
10. Chen, KKL	6.4

Assists Per Game

Chih-Chung CHEN
  Yulon Luxgen
  (185-G-77)
  Avg: 4.2

1. Chen, Yulon Luxgen	4.2
2. Chang, Dacin Tigers	3.7
3. Wu, Taiwan Mobile	3.7
4. Su, Taiwan Mobile	3.5
5. Chen, Taiwan Beer	3.3
6. Tseng, Yulon Luxgen	3.3
7. Hsu, Dacin Tigers	3.3
8. Chen, KKL	2.8
9. Lin, Bank o.	2.7
10. Yang, Taiwan Beer	2.7

Steals Per Game

Marcus DOVE
  Taiwan Mobile
  (206-G/F-85)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Dove, Taiwan Mobile	2.3
2. Chang, Dacin Tigers	1.8
3. Lin, Bank o.	1.7
4. Jones, Taiwan Beer	1.7
5. Su, Taiwan Mobile	1.6
6. Chou, Yulon Luxgen	1.4
7. Foyle, Dacin Tigers	1.3
8. Chen, KKL	1.3
9. Yang, Taiwan Beer	1.3
10. Jennings, Pure Y.	1.3

Blocks Per Game

Wen-Ting TSENG
  Osaka Evessa
  (202-C/F-84)
  Avg: 3.5

1. Tseng, Yulon Luxgen	3.5
2. Dove, Taiwan Mobile	1.9
3. Jones, Taiwan Beer	1.7
4. Dailey, Yulon Luxgen	1.6
5. Tien, Dacin Tigers	1.6
6. Wu, Taiwan Beer	1.4
7. Jennings, Pure Y.	1.2
8. Cheng, Taiwan Beer	1.0
9. Lee, KKL	0.9
10. Vaudreuil, Bank o.	0.8

SBL Round 1 of Semi-Finals - by Eurobasket News
Taiwan Beer - Yulon Luxgen 94-87

Taiwan opened the win count in the semifinal series against Yulon Luxgen. They celebrated the home victory in Game 1. Taiwan Beer took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Yulon Luxgen won third quarter 24-22. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Taiwan Beer made 7 blocks. American forward Jones Emmanuel (200-F-85, college: UTPA) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 18 rebounds and 5 blocks for the winners and international swingman Ching-Min Yang (188-84) chipped in 21 points. Jones is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. At the losing side American forward Jermaine Dailey (203-86, college: Ill.-Chicago, agency: SportsList Inc.) responded with a double-double by scoring 12 points and 15 rebounds and the former international forward Cheng-Ju Lu (194-86) scored 21 points. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Yulon Luxgen: C.Lu 21+3reb, F.Wu 16+2reb, C.Yang 15+4reb, J.Dailey 12+15reb+2ast, C.Lee 11+5reb+2ast, C.Chen 8+4reb+6ast
Taiwan Beer: E.Jones 26+18reb+2ast, C.Yang 21+3reb+3ast, J.Cheng 13+2reb+3ast, Y.Yang 11+4reb+2ast, D.Creighton 8+1ast, T.Wu 5+8reb+3ast

Pure Youth - Dacin Tigers 73-80

Dacin Tigers recorded the first win in the semis upsetting Pure Youth away from home. Dacin Tigers was ahead by 7 points but lost the second period ending it with a 2-point deficit before their 27-18 run, which allowed them to win the game. International forward Yi-Hui Lin (192-86) nailed 22 points for the winning side and Vincentian-American forward Alexus Foyle (198-78, college: BYU-Hawaii, agency: Prossin Sports Management) accounted for 15 points and 9 rebounds. Four Dacin Tigers players scored in double figures. Dacin Tigers' coach Ta-Tsung Chiu allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American forward Rashad Jennings (203-84, college: UALR) came up with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 16 rebounds and international swingman Chia En Mao (196-82) added 22 points and 5 rebounds respectively for Pure Youth in the defeat.
Top scorers:
Pure Youth: C.En Mao 22+5reb+3ast, R.Jennings 19+16reb+1ast, C.Ke 11+1reb+4ast, C.Hung 7+2reb+2ast, T.Lin 6+2reb, C.Chien 6+4reb+1ast
Dacin Tigers: Y.Lin 22+4reb+2ast, L.Tien 16+5reb+2ast, A.Foyle 15+9reb+1ast, C.Chang 11+2reb+3ast, T.Chen 6+2reb+2ast, C.Wang 6+1reb

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

TURKEY

TB2L Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Tyrone ANDERSON
  Basaksehir
  (193-G-84)
  Avg: 21.9

1. Anderson, Basak.	21.9
2. Nelson, Akhisar Bld	20.3
3. Hall, Kepez Bld	20.0
4. Johnson, Vestel	19.7
5. Gardener, Final G.	18.6
6. Boddicker, Selcuk U.	18.4
7. Boswell, Basaksehir	18.3
8. Tekinalp, ITU	17.6
9. Boykin, Gaziantep	17.5
10. Wright, Orman Genc	17.3

Rebounds Per Game

Jason KEEP
  Adanaspor
  (208-C-78)
  Avg: 12.8

1. Keep, Adanaspor	12.8
2. Terell, Adanaspor	11.9
3. Gardener, Final G.	11.4
4. Nelson, Akhisar Bld	10.7
5. Isik, Pertevniyal	10.1
6. Johnson, Istanbul.	10.0
7. Miller, Gelisim	9.3
8. Johnson, Vestel	9.3
9. Boswell, Basaksehir	9.2
10. Wright, Orman Genc	9.1

Assists Per Game

Admir KAN
  TED Istanbul
  (185-G-83)
  Avg: 6.1

1. Kan, TED Istanbul	6.1
2. Hall, Kepez Bld	6.0
3. Ogut, Genc Telekom	5.8
4. Bayrak, Usak	5.1
5. Topcu, Gelisim	4.9
6. Topcu, Izmir B.B.	4.8
7. Erdogan, Adanaspor	4.8
8. Anderson, Basak.	4.8
9. Kavut, Optimum TED	4.7
10. Gucyetmez, Selcuk U.	4.6

Steals Per Game

Marcus HALL
  Kepez Bld
  (185-G-85)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Hall, Kepez Bld	2.9
2. Anderson, Basak.	2.8
3. Yonder, Genc Banvit	2.3
4. Nelson, Akhisar Bld	2.0
5. Karabulut, Orman G.	1.9
6. Harris, FMV I.	1.8
7. Yikilmaz, Pertevniyal	1.7
8. Demircioglu, Istanb.	1.7
9. Delicay, Gaziantep	1.7
10. Clarkson, TED I.	1.7

Blocks Per Game

Ater MAJOK
  Blaze
  (208-F-87)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Majok, FMV I.	3.1
2. Johnson, Vestel	2.1
3. Anderson, Basak.	1.8
4. Kulcebas, Hacett.	1.8
5. Clarkson, TED I.	1.6
6. Sanli, Darussafaka	1.5
7. Smith, Usak	1.5
8. Boswell, Basaksehir	1.5
9. Johnson, Istanbul.	1.4
10. Turkyilmaz, Genc B.	1.4

TB2L: Regular season is over - by Eurobasket News
The Regular Season in TB2L is over. Here are the 1/8 Finals pairs:

Genc Banvit - Akhisar Bld
Genc Telekom - Istanbulspor
Usak - Selcuk Univ.
Vestel - Gelisim
Gaziantep - Orman Genc
Kepez Bld - Final Genclik
Optimum TED - Darussafaka
Hacettepe Un. - Pertevniyal

First games are scheduled for March 25/26/27.

TB2L Standings

Group A
1. Genc Banvit 19-3
2. Genc Telekom 16-6
3. Vestel 15-7
4. Usak 15-7
5. Orman Genc 12-10
6. Final Genclik 11-11
7. Pertevniyal 11-11
8. Darussafaka 10-12
9. Istanbul B.B. 9-13
10. Adanaspor 7-15
11. FMV Isikspor 5-17
12. Izmir B.B. 2-20

Group B
1. Optimum TED 20-2
2. Hacettepe Univ. 16-6
3. Kepez Bld 14-8
4. Gaziantep 14-8
5. Selcuk Univ. 13-9
6. Gelisim 11-11
7. Istanbulspor 11-11
8. Akhisar Bld 10-12
9. TED Istanbul 9-13
10. Basaksehir 8-14
11. Beykoz 3-19
12. ITU 3-19

Group A

Darussafaka - Final Genclik 82-68

It was a great shooting night for Darussafaka especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 52.6 percentage. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of forward Sertac Sanli (209-91, agency: Beo Basket) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 21 points and 15 rebounds. American guard Enique Clemons (180-80, college: Missouri, agency: Strategic Sports) contributed with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 12 assists for the winners. Forward Oguzhan Sungur (201-91) replied with a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds and Costa Rican center Hernold Gardener (205-82, college: Lon Morris JC) added 14 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Final Genclik.
Top scorers:
Darussafaka: S.Sanli 21+15reb+2ast, B.Selen 17+10reb+1ast, E.Clemons 15+2reb+12ast, Z.Yarkan 7+2reb+2ast, A.Turgut 7+2reb+1ast, T.Gedikli 7+2reb+3ast
Final Genclik: O.Sungur 19+13reb, M.Esen 14+4reb+3ast, H.Gardener 14+9reb+1ast, G.Senol 7+5reb+2ast, E.Ilter 6+3reb+1ast, S.Ay 4+1reb+3ast

FMV Isikspor - Izmir B.B. 88-73

FMV Isikspor forced 19 Izmir B.B. turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists comparing to just 11 passes made by Izmir B.B.'s players. Guard Kenan Tutuncu (185-81) had a double-double by scoring 15 points and 12 assists to lead the charge for the winners and guard Serhat Ugur (192-85) chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest. Four FMV Isikspor players scored in double figures. At the losing side forward Omur Gokcepinar (196-80) responded with 33 points (!!!) and 5 rebounds and Erman Demirer (-88) scored 9 points and 7 rebounds.
Top scorers:
FMV Isikspor: K.Tutuncu 15+2reb+12ast, O.Surucu 14+3reb+2ast, K.Kurkcu 12+4reb+2ast, S.Ugur 12+6reb+4ast, D.Harris 9+4reb+2ast, L.Demirhan 8+2reb+1ast
Izmir B.B.: O.Gokcepinar 33+5reb+1ast, M.Arslantas 9+3reb, E.Demirer 9+7reb+1ast, O.Topcu 7+3reb+5ast, U.Ozciger 4+5reb+1ast, F.Deniz 4+10reb+1ast

Adanaspor - Pertevniyal 64-86

Guard Can Korkmaz (187-92, agency: Beo Basket) scored 18 points and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and forward Ali Isik (205-90) chipped in 10 points and 9 rebounds during the contest. Five Pertevniyal players scored in double figures. At the losing side American center Jason Keep (208-78, college: San Diego) responded with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds and forward Tufan Aktulgali (202-80) scored 6 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Top scorers:
Pertevniyal: C.Korkmaz 18+2reb+5ast, B.Altin 14+1reb+1ast, Y.Can 13+3reb+1ast, R.Tekin 10+6reb+1ast, A.Isik 10+9reb, S.Yikilmaz 9+1reb+4ast
Adanaspor: E.Koc 15+1reb+1ast, J.Keep 13+10reb+1ast, D.Guney 12+1reb+1ast, D.Gokay 6+9reb, T.Aktulgali 6+6reb+5ast, B.Yalman 5+2reb+3ast

Usak - Orman Genc 93-80

Usak shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 52.0 percentage. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. American forward Larry Smith (193-83, college: Post) scored 17 points and 8 rebounds (perfect from the field making all six shots) to lead the charge for the winners and guard Mahir Bayrak (180-79) chipped in 12 points and 9 assists during the contest. At the losing side Canadian forward Ryan Wright (206-87, college: Oklahoma) responded with 21 points and 6 rebounds and forward Ersan Ozseven (205-83) scored 14 points and 5 rebounds. Five Usak and four Orman Genc players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Usak: G.Sunter 18+2reb+1ast, L.Smith 17+8reb+2ast, C.Coskun 13+8reb+1ast, E.Sinanoglu 12+3reb+6ast, M.Bayrak 12+1reb+9ast, E.Algin 8+1reb+1ast
Orman Genc: R.Wright 21+6reb, E.Ozseven 14+5reb+1ast, T.Yener 12+1reb+3ast, B.Demirci 10+4ast, O.Nart 8+3reb+2ast, E.Bozkurt 8+7reb+1ast

Genc Telekom - Vestel 69-63

It was a key game for the second position in Group A. Vestel was plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. Guard Can Ugur Ogut (178-92) notched 12 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the effort and naturalized Azerbaijan power forward Orhan Haciyeva (201-89) supported him with 7 points and 13 rebounds. Even 12 points and 6 rebounds by forward Salih Ugrasan (201-83) did not help to save the game for Vestel. Swingman Hakan Erol (200-83) added 14 points for lost side. Vestel's coach Murat Polat rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Genc Telekom: M.Goktas 13+1reb+1ast, C.Ugur Ogut 12+5reb+5ast, S.Gunes 10+7reb+2ast, G.Karabiyik 10+2reb+1ast, U.Peten 8+6reb+1ast, O.Haciyeva 7+13reb+1ast
Vestel: H.Erol 14+1reb+2ast, M.Gorur 13+2reb, S.Ugrasan 12+6reb+1ast, B.Gacemer 8+1reb+4ast, E.Ocakturk 7+6reb, A.Johnson 6+6reb+1ast

Genc Banvit - Istanbul B.B. 84-61

TB2L top team - Genc Banvit (19-3) had no problems winning another game on Sunday. This time they crushed ninth ranked Istanbul B.B. (9-13) in Balikesir 84-61. They outrebounded Istanbul B.B. 47-33 including a 20-8 advantage in offensive rebounds. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Genc Banvit made 8 blocks. Serbian power forward Marko Kolaric (213-84, college: Chaminade) fired a double-double by scoring 19 points and 16 rebounds for the winners. Center Ufuk Gurgen (205-77) chipped in 16 points. Center Ibrahim Daloglu (203-84) produced 18 points and 9 rebounds and American center Dane Johnson (208-86, college: Hofstra) added 7 points and 9 rebounds respectively for lost side.
Top scorers:
Genc Banvit: M.Kolaric 19+16reb+3ast, U.Gurgen 16+3reb+3ast, C.Sekeroglu 15+4reb, E.Cinko 9+2reb+8ast, T.Altunbey 8+3reb+1ast, M.Turkyilmaz 7+10reb+2ast
Istanbul B.B.: I.Daloglu 18+9reb, S.Sahin 10+2reb+2ast, D.Johnson 7+9reb+1ast, R.Dogrusoz 7+2ast, E.Hacioglu 7+3reb, S.Tasdelen 6+4reb+1ast

Group B

Hacettepe Univ. - Selcuk Univ. 77-65

Everything went according to plan in Ankara where second ranked Hacettepe Univ. (16-6) beat 5th ranked Selcuk Universitesi (13-9) 77-65 on Sunday. Hacettepe Univ. made 18-of-23 free shots (78.3 percent) during the game. Hacettepe Univ. outrebounded Selcuk Universitesi 37-25 including 22 on the defensive glass. Selcuk Universitesi was plagued by 24 personal fouls down the stretch. Forward Adnan Onder Kulcebas (205-81, agency: 1x1 Sports) scored 26 points and 7 rebounds (made all of his seven free throws) to lead the charge for the winners and American-Nigerian center Kenny Adeleke (205-83, college: Hartford, agency: Edge Sports) chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds during the contest. At the losing side American forward Brian Boddicker (204-81, college: Texas, agency: EM-PA) responded with 16 points and the former international guard Firat Aydemir (187-80) scored 13 points and 4 assists.
Top scorers:
Hacettepe Univ.: A.Onder Kulcebas 26+7reb+2ast, K.Adeleke 16+8reb+1ast, D.Yannier 8+2reb+5ast, G.Orcun Tunca 8+5reb+1ast, C.Erdeniz 8+1reb+1ast, S.Ergin 5+3reb+1ast
Selcuk Univ.: B.Boddicker 16+4reb+1ast, F.Aydemir 13+2reb+4ast, C.Senturk 12+6reb, A.Ozdemir 11+4reb+3ast, M.Kabakci 7, M.Yolcu 2

TED Istanbul - Gaziantep 57-63

There was no surprise when 9th ranked TED Istanbul (9-13) was defeated at home by fourth ranked Gaziantep (14-8) 63-57 on Sunday. American center DeVon Hardin (211-86) had a double-double by scoring 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and forward Arif Erhan Kocamis (196-86, agency: 1x1 Sports) chipped in 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists during the contest. At the losing side naturalized Bulgarian forward Musa Gunes (200-85) responded with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 13 rebounds and American forward Kristian Clarkson (202-84, college: Widener) scored 12 points and 7 rebounds. Four TED Istanbul players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Gaziantep: D.Hardin 19+12reb, A.Erhan Kocamis 12+6reb+6ast, N.Pastal 11+11reb+1ast, O.Bugra Dag 7+10reb, S.Akyol 7+1reb+2ast, M.Dogan 4+1reb
TED Istanbul: A.Kan 12+3reb+3ast, K.Clarkson 12+7reb, C.Uzun 11+6reb, M.Gunes 10+13reb, G.Naldoven 6+3reb+2ast, S.Tulek 4+4reb

Akhisar Bld - Beykoz 20-0

ITU - Basaksehir 91-101

Rather expected game when 12th ranked ITU Istanbul (3-19) was defeated at home by tenth ranked Basaksehir (8-14) 101-91 on Sunday. Basaksehir looked well-organized offensively handing out 26 assists. American guard Tyrone Anderson (193-84, college: Concord) scored 23 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists to lead the charge for the winners and forward Adnan Sevda (206-86) chipped in 20 points and 9 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) during the contest. Basaksehir's coach Zafer Cavusoglu used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. At the losing side center Enver Enis Ekmen (207-83, agency: EM-PA) responded with a double-double by scoring 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists and Okan Bostanci (-88) produced a double-double by scoring 16 points and 17 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Basaksehir: T.Anderson 23+5reb+6ast, A.Sevda 20+9reb+2ast, O.Ozhundilli 17+2reb, S.Ekmen 17+1ast, A.Cevik 11+10reb, M.Turkusev 8+2reb
ITU: E.Enis Ekmen 24+11reb+4ast, F.Senel 19+2reb+1ast, T.Tekinalp 17+6reb+4ast, O.Bostanci 16+17reb+3ast, O.Aksoy 6+3reb+5ast, A.Ugur 4+6reb

Gelisim - Istanbulspor 92-57

The game in Izmir supposed to be also quite interesting. 6th ranked Istanbulspor (11-11) played at the court of eighth ranked Gelisim (11-11). Gelisim smashed Istanbulspor 92-57 on Sunday. Gelisim dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to Istanbulspor's 20. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists. American forward Jayme Miller (203-85) had a double-double by scoring 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and power forward Orbay Kaya (205-82) chipped in 16 points and 6 rebounds during the contest. Five Gelisim players scored in double figures. At the losing side forward Nusret Yildirim (202-89, agency: EM-PA) responded with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds and Feyzi Celebioglu (-88, agency: EM-PA) scored 8 points and 5 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Gelisim: O.Kaya 16+6reb+1ast, C.Mumcuogullari 14+7reb+2ast, C.Terzioglu 12+6reb+3ast, J.Miller 12+11reb+2ast, F.Kizilca 10+3reb+1ast, S.Topcu 10+6ast
Istanbulspor: N.Yildirim 10+11reb+2ast, F.Celebioglu 8+5reb, S.Karis 8+1reb+1ast, C.Bayrak 7+1reb, C.Bayraktar 6+1reb+3ast, O.Er 6+2reb

Kepez Bld - Optimum TED 72-73

Third-ranked Kepez Bld (14-8) gave a tough game to first ranked Optimum TED (20-2) in Antalya on Sunday. The visitors from Ankara managed to secure only one-point victory 73-72. However their fans expected easier game. Optimum TED had a 31-17 advantage in offensive rebounds. Center Hakan Yapar (203-C-84) scored 15 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and American guard Brandon McKnight (188-83, college: Purdue) chipped in 11 points and 5 assists during the contest. Optimum TED's coach Hakan Yavuz used an eleven-player rotation in such tough game. At the losing side naturalized Serbian power forward Mesut Ademoglu (207-82, college: NW Nazarene) responded with 20 points and 8 rebounds and American guard Marcus Hall (185-85, college: Colorado) scored 16 points and 4 assists.
Top scorers:
Optimum TED: H.Yapar 15+9reb+2ast, B.McKnight 11+1reb+5ast, R.Ozturk 10+2reb, O.Onver 7+3reb+1ast, S.Kavut 6+4ast, U.Turkoglu 6+3reb+2ast
Kepez Bld: M.Ademoglu 20+8reb+2ast, M.Hall 16+4reb+4ast, G.Karamahmut 11+1ast, E.Yetim 8+4reb, A.Ozurganci 8+3reb+1ast, C.Amasyali 7+2reb+2ast

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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Kemba Walker Named Sporting News All-American - by David Edole
STORRS, Conn. (March 22, 2011) - UConn junior guard Kemba Walker (185-G-90) took home another All-America honor today after being named to the Sporting News First Team. This marks the second All-America honor this season for Walker after previously being named to the First Team by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
AdvertisementWalker is one of only two players (Norris Cole - Cleveland State) in the NCAA to average 20 points, five rebounds and four assists this season. The Bronx, N.Y. native has led UConn to a 28-9 record and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Walker has filled the stat sheet averaging 23.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game.

Walker has moved up the UConn record book in several categories throughout the season. With 33 points against Cincinnati on Thursday in the NCAA Third Round, Walker moved into first on the single-season scoring list with 875 points, passing all-time great Donyell Marshall ('94).

Among other records broken during Walker's outstanding season include; Minutes (1,386 - 37.5 mpg), free throws attempted (286), free throws made (234) and field goals attempted (663). Walker also ranks third all-time with 286 field goals made, fourth all-time in single-season scoring average (23.6) and second in UConn history with 477 career free throws. He ranks seventh all-time with 1,693 career points.

Walker is also a finalist for the Naismith Award, presented to the nation's top player. AT&T wireless customers -- and sports fans on other wireless networks -- will be able to text their votes for the player of their choice by texting VOTE to 345345. Fans will be eligible to cast their vote for the winner until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Saturday, April 2, 2011. AT&T is making the voting open to other wireless carriers, allowing even more fans to participate. Other wireless carriers must opt-in for their subscribers to participate. Standard messaging rates apply. Fans are allowed one vote per 24-hour period.

UConn defeated No. 14 Bucknell in the NCAA Second Round, 81-52, before advancing past No. 6 Cincinnati in the NCAA Third Round, 69-58. Walker will now lead UConn against No. 2 San Diego State in Anaheim, Calif. on Thursday, March 24 at 7:15 p.m. Eastern time. That game will be televised on CBS.

Sporting News All-American Teams

First Team:

G Kemba Walker, Jr. - Connecticut

G Nolan Smith, Sr. - Duke

G Jimmer Fredette, Sr. - BYU - Sporting News Player of the Year

F Jared Sullinger, Fr. - Ohio State

F/C JaJuan Johnson, Sr. - Purdue

Second Team:

G Ben Hansbrough, Sr. - Notre Dame

G Jordan Taylor, Jr. - Wisconsin

F Marcus Morris, Jr. - Kansas

F Kawhi Leonard, So. - San Diego State

F Derrick Williams, So. - Arizona

Third Team:

G Jacob Pullen, Sr. - Kansas State

G Tu Holloway, Jr. - Xavier

G Charles Jenkins, Sr. - Hofstra

G/F Jordan Hamilton, So. - Texas

F/C Kenneth Faried, Sr. - Morehead State

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UBL

UBL NEWS - by Ozzie Denson

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(UBL) Season at full Sprint: As the 2011 season come to a full Sprint mid-season. We have the League two Division fighting it out for Play-Off Spots. The Southern Division in a 2-way tie for first place with Texas Wranglers & Mississippi Tornadoes along with Metroplex Lightning clearly in contention in 3rd place. Then we have the (North).
Northern Division is led by Arkansas Warriors with a 1 game advantage over 2nd place Missouri Thrill 3rd place Oklahoma Impact and 4th place Tulsa Tornadoes all in contention. This season looks to be a 'barn - burner' expect it to go down to wire for team to determine play-off spots, look for furies second half finish.

Writer: Eugene Udell
(UBL) Media
The UBL Is More Than Just A Game!

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UKRAINE

Saltovets and Lypovyy on loan in BC Donetsk - by Alexei Revenko
BC Kyiv and BC Donetsk made an agreement that two players Oleg Saltovets (202-F-77) and Oleksandr Lypovyy (200-G-91) join Donetsk for the end of the season. Oleg this season played in 31 games, scored 10.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. He is the most effective ukrainian center in the league. Oleksandr is one of the prospective guards in the league played 40 games. He scored 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 asissts per game.

Oleksandr Lypovyy and Oleg Saltovets join BC Donetsk - by Eurobasket News
BC Donetsk brought in two new players. They got Oleksandr Lypovyy (200-G-91) and Oleg Saltovets (202-F-77) on loan from BC Kyiv. The deal is meant till the end of the season.
Oleksandr Lypovyy tallied 9.5 points, 4.0 boards and 3.5 assists per game for BC Kyiv in EuroChallenge. In Superleague his stats read 13.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per appearance. The 19-year-old guard played at the U20 European Championship last year. His stats read 14.3 points, 3.6 boards, 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game in Croatia. Oleg Saltovets appeared in one EuroChallenge game this season tallying 11 points and 7 boards. In Superleague the 33-year-old power forward notched 10.9 points, 7.6 boards and 1.3 assists per game. Oleg Saltovets was named Eurobasket.com All-Ukrainian Superleague Most Improved Player of the Year back in 2009. Oleg Saltovets played for both Ukrainian National and National University Teams.

Cajasol makes first step towards EuroCup Final Four - by Eurobasket News
Cajasol - Budivelnyk 69:47

Cajasol celebrated victory in the first game of the EuroCup quarterfinals. Fourth term surge helped Cajasol edge Budivelnyk as they built a comfortable cushion before the second game in Ukraine. The teams stayed close throughout three periods before suffocating defense from Cajasol paid off and they cleared off to a double-digit lead. Txemi Urtasun (193-G-84, agency: Interperformances) paced the Seville outfit with 15 points.
Budivelnyk led by two points after a very close first term 16:14. Cajasol slowed down the visitors in the second quarter. The Ukrainian vice-champions tallied just 8 points in the second term allowing Cajasol to spur in front 30:24 at halftime. The teams traded baskets throughout the third term. The visitors got as close as three points but Cajasol restored a 6-point cushion at the final intermission. The home side stunned Budivelnyk early in the fourth term as Cajasol quickly opened a double digit advantage. Plagued by turnover the visitors could not recover. Cajasol kept a firm grip on the lead and raced to the victory at the end. Mindaugas Katelynas (205-F-83, college: Chattanooga) provided 14 points, while Tariq Kirksay (199-F-79, college: Iona) added 11 points and 8 boards in the win. Lamayne Wilson (204-F-80, college: Troy) and William Keys (188-G-77, college: N.Mexico St.) answered with 11 points each for Budivelnyk.

Cajasol: Txemi Urtasun 15, Mindaugas Katelynas 14, Tariq Kirksay 11
Budivelnyk: Lamayne Wilson 11, William Keys 11

Standings - Superleague

Superleague Standings

1. Budivelnyk		31-10
2. BC Donetsk		30-11
3. Hoverla		26-16
4. Azovmash		25-15
5. Ferro-ZNTU		22-18
6. Mykolaiv		21-19
7. Kryvbasbasket		20-21
8. Dnipro		19-20
9. DniproAzot		17-24
10. BC Odessa		17-25
11. Halychyna		14-28
12. Khimik		13-28
13. BC Kyiv		10-30

Stats Leaders - Men

Points Per Game

Steve BURTT
  Dnipro
  (185-G-84)
  Avg: 23.3

1. Burtt, Dnipro	23.3
2. Burns, Fe.	17.7
3. Flores, BC Donetsk	17.3
4. Washington, BC Od.	17.1
5. Curry, Azovmash	16.5
6. Williams, Halychyna	14.9
7. Wiggins, Halychyna	14.9
8. Millage, Khimik	14.8
9. Bakic, Kryvbasb.	14.5
10. Love, Mykolaiv	14.4

Rebounds Per Game

Michael FRASER
  DniproAzot
  (203-C/F-84)
  Avg: 10.8

1. Fraser, DniproAzot	10.8
2. Wiggins, Halychyna	9.3
3. Burns, Fe.	8.3
4. Saltovets, BC Kyiv	7.6
5. Austin, Dnipro	7.3
6. Morrison, Halyc.	7.2
7. Owens, Azovmash	6.8
8. Hunter, Fe.	6.8
9. Chappell, Hoverla	6.7
10. Greene, Mykolaiv	6.4

Assists Per Game

Sasa VASILJEVIC
  BC Donetsk
  (183-G-79)
  Avg: 5

1. Vasiljevic, BC Do.	5.0
2. Abernethy, Halyc.	5.0
3. Zimmerman, Hoverla	4.9
4. Burtt, Dnipro	4.8
5. Funn, Halychyna	4.7
6. Millage, Khimik	4.6
7. Brewer, BC Odessa	4.5
8. Sparks, BC Odessa	4.4
9. Sirsnins, DniproAzot	4.1
10. Slipenchuk, Kryvba.	4.1

Steals Per Game

Curtis MILLAGE
  Khimik
  (185-G-81)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Millage, Khimik	2.3
2. House, Azovmash	1.9
3. Sparks, BC Odessa	1.7
4. Sirutavicius, Dnipro.	1.6
5. Mazutis, Mykolaiv	1.6
6. Greene, Mykolaiv	1.5
7. Swanson, Hoverla	1.5
8. Sirsnins, DniproAzot	1.4
9. Funn, Halychyna	1.4
10. Burns, Fe.	1.4

Blocks Per Game

James HUGHES
  Mykolaiv
  (211-C-83)
  Avg: 2.2

1. Hughes, Mykolaiv	2.2
2. Kravtsov, BC Do.	2.1
3. Hunter, Fe.	1.6
4. Zaitsev, Kryvbasb.	1.5
5. Balashov, BC Odessa	1.4
6. Morrison, Halyc.	1.4
7. Pettway, Dnipro	1.3
8. Turner, BC Odessa	1.3
9. Agafonov, Budiv.	1.3
10. Owens, Azovmash	1.2

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UNITED KINGDOM

BBL Round Up Tues 22 March - by Paul Nilsen
The Mersey Tigers are in the driving seat in the BBL Championship title race after beating the Newcastle Eagles 88-84 at the Echo Arena on Tuesday night. It gives the Tigers the head-to-head between the two leading contenders for the BBL Championship title, and was their fifth straight league win while ending Newcastle's run of four straight wins in the process.

Nathan Reinking (188-G-73, college: Kent St.) led the Tigers with 19 points, while former Eagle Tafari Toney added 15; Andrew Thomson scored 14 for the Tigers, including the two crucial free-throws with 6 seconds left.

The Tigers broke open a tight game just before the half, and posted a 14-2 burst over the half time break as James Joness triple sparked an 8-0 push to open the third quarter to give them a commanding lead at 51-36.

They held that through to the last five minutes of the game, at which point the Eagles came back with runs of 7-2 and 8-0, eventually making it a one possession game at 86-83 on Trey Moores free-throws with 12 seconds to play. But the Tigers had enough to see the game out as Thomson held his nerve on the line in the dying seconds.

Elsewhere, the One Health Sharks Sheffield remain in third place in the BBL Championship table after a 98-86 defeat of the Prestige Homes MK Lions. Its Sheffields sixth consecutive win in March and was inspired by double-doubles from their inside duo of Mike Tuck (32 points and 11 rebounds) and Paul Williams (20 points and 10 rebounds).

The Sharks won the game with runs in the second and third quarters. In the second, consecutive baskets from Tuck took him to 18 in just 14 minutes and the score to 37-30, and it was from that point that the Sharks pushed on. They posted a 10-2 burst, including five for Atiba Lyons, to help the lead out to 50-37 on Ryan Patton's triple.

In the third, the Lions had it back down to 7 points, only for the Sharks to respond with another 10-2 run which was capped by Patton's three-pointer for a 62-49 lead midway through the period. The Sharks went on to hold their visitors scoreless for three minutes, rattling of a further 8-0 burst, with four for Dagostino, to lead 70-53.

Despite 10 points from Demarius Bolds around the fourth quarter break, the Sharks held on and, telling the story of the game, Tuck settled the nerves with a triple for the Sharks, while the Lions would score just once in nearly four minutes as Paul Williams scored six consecutive points to restore the margin to 83-69 and see the Sharks through the finishing stages.

Standings - BBL

BBL Standings

1. Liverpool MT		20-5
2. Newcastle		19-6
3. Sheffield Sharks		18-7
4. Cheshire Jets		17-9
5. Glasgow Rocks		16-11
6. Leicester Riders		14-12
7. Plymouth		14-13
8. Guildford Heat		14-13
9. Worcester		14-15
10. MK Lions		9-17
11. Worthing		3-25
12. Essex Pirates		1-26

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USBA

The celebration goes on at Norcross High School (Ga) after basketball sweep - by USBA Media

March 17, 2011, by Michael Carvell

One of my favorite all-time photos -- Norcross High guard Chris Bolden has tears of joy as winning the state championship sinks in. Bolden scored the deciding points on four straight foul shots (AJC Photo by Hyosub Shin)

The wild court celebration by members of Norcross High School boys team after they upset Milton for last weekends Class AAAAA state championship paled compared to the chaotic scene at the school later that night.

The Norcross boys and girls teams which swept the respective championships in the states largest classification rode together on the same team bus leaving Gwinnett Arena. They were followed by a caravan of nearly 300 cars to the Norcross gym.

There were so many people that the police had to direct traffic in front of the school, said Angie Hembree, coach of the Norcross girls. Hembree was stuck in the traffic, but was waved through when she held the state championship trophy out of her car window for the police to see.

We got at gym just before the team bus, and the car was almost instantly surrounded by kids jumping up and down, Hembree said with a laugh. Some of the kids were coming through the window to give me hugs.

The veteran coach estimated that nearly 1,000 Norcross supporters appeared for an informal pep rally that lasted about an hour. Said Hembree, Its just so special, seeing the pure joy from the kids over what they accomplished. It was a moment that they will never forget for the rest of their lives. I know I wont.

The championship was expected for the Norcross girls, but not for the boys, who trailed Milton by 10 points with less than four minutes left before rallying for an improbable 59-55 win. Milton entered the finals as the defending state champion, and ranked No. 1 in Class AAAAA and No. 4 in the nation by USA Today.

I dont know if there are really upsets in state championship games because the teams that make it that far deserve to be there, Norcross boys coach Jessie McMillan said. Theres an old saying, Anything can happen in one game. Maybe it was an upset, but not a big upset. Then again, Im sure there are people that feel that it was a big upset.

Who is the favorite for next years Class AAAAA championship? Wheeler, Milton and Norcross always seem to be in the hunt. Who else and why?

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VENEZUELA

Standings - LPB

LPB Standings

1. Cocodrilos		12-2
2. Marinos		10-1
3. Guaiqueries		7-5
4. Toros		6-6
5. Trotamundos		6-6
6. Panteras		6-8
7. Guaros		5-8
8. Gigantes		5-8
9. Gaiteros		3-9
10. Bucaneros		3-10

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WABA

WCBL

Standings

WCBL Standings

1. Newport BS		9-1
2. Los Angeles B.		8-3
3. Santa Barbara		5-5
4. Ventura CJ		5-6
5. Long Beach LO		2-8
6. Marina Del Rey		2-8

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Women News

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BELGIUM - Women

D1 Stats Leaders

Points Per Game

Sara LEEMANS
  Sint Kateline
  (178-G/F-88)
  Avg: 20.5

1. Leemans, Sint K.	20.5
2. Tatham, Point C.	18.5
3. Meesseman, Ieper	18.3
4. Gaither, Dexia N.	16.2
5. VanMalderen, Dexia N.	16.1
6. Dennett, Sint K.	16.0
7. Decroos, BBC Boom	15.1
8. Wilkins, Point Chaud	15.1
9. Mayombo, Point C.	14.9
10. Blommaers, Houth.	14.0

Rebounds Per Game

Rhona MCKENZIE
  Houthalen
  (183-F-76)
  Avg: 13.4

1. McKenzie, Houth.	13.4
2. Meesseman, Ieper	11.1
3. Dennett, Sint K.	9.5
4. Wilkins, Point Chaud	9.0
5. Gaither, Dexia N.	8.9
6. Kurtozi, R.Spirou.	8.8
7. Van Respaill., Wareg.	8.5
8. Hoehne, R.Spirou.	8.4
9. Ibekwe, Point C.	8.3
10. Tatham, Point C.	7.9

Assists Per Game

Sara LEEMANS
  Sint Kateline
  (178-G/F-88)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Leemans, Sint K.	3.1
2. Ballau, R.Spirou.	2.3
3. Mayombo, Point C.	2.1
4. Van Dessel, Sint K.	2.1
5. Devliegher, Ieper	1.9
6. Deyaert, Waregem	1.9
7. Dubuc, Dexia Namur	1.8
8. Vanloo, Waregem	1.8
9. Van Driel, BBC B.	1.8
10. Blommaers, Houth.	1.8

Steals Per Game

Emma MEESSEMAN
  Ieper
  (188-C-93)
  Avg: 2.6

1. Meesseman, Ieper	2.6
2. Gaither, Dexia N.	2.3
3. Van De Bruae., Deerl.	2.1
4. Van Driel, BBC B.	2.0
5. Van den Vond., BBC B.	2.0
6. Deyaert, Waregem	2.0
7. Medvedeva, Waregem	1.9
8. Deneil, Dexia Namur	1.9
9. Ballau, R.Spirou.	1.9
10. Mayombo, Point C.	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Emma MEESSEMAN
  Ieper
  (188-C-93)
  Avg: 3.1

1. Meesseman, Ieper	3.1
2. Dennett, Sint K.	1.7
3. Boonen, BBC Boom	1.6
4. Kurtozi, R.Spirou.	1.2
5. Theunissen, Point C.	1.2
6. Gaither, Dexia N.	1.0
7. Lentacker, Jeugd G.	0.9
8. VanMalderen, Dexia N.	0.8
9. Malfait, Jeugd G.	0.8
10. Dochez, Dexia N.	0.7

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BULGARIA - Women

Standings - Women

NBL Standings

1. Dunav		14-6
2. Lukoil		13-7
3. Levski		13-7
4. Montana 2003		13-7
5. Beroe 07		7-13
6. Slavia		0-20

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DENMARK - Women

Today Lemvig Falcon to access to the semifinal - by Kasper Lays
Today at 18.00 at the Vestjysk Bank Arena the Lemvig basket and Falcon will play for the access to the semifinal. This is the only match finished 11, waiting for the winner there is already Horsholm who won 2-0 against Abyhoj. While the other semi-final is SISU against Horsens. SISU won 2-0 Varlose in two matches very easy for Sisu. Horsens won 2-0 instead against BK Amager in two matches more balanced between two good teams that both deserved to go to the semifinal.
The first race of the semifinals will be played by SISU against Horsens on March 23 in the house of SISU.

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FINLAND - Women

PeKa and Catz victorious in Semi-final's first round - by Elina Koskinen
PeKa fought 76-65 victory over ToPo in Kotka on Tuesday night. PeKa led almost the whole match and won the first quarter 22-19 and the second quarter 21-16. In third period ToPo narrowed the lead by points 10-16. The visitors also popped in the lead for a moment when numbers were 57-58 in the fourth quarter. However PeKa took the lead back immediately and by winning the last quarter 23-14 they sealed the victory. Stars of the night were Shanika Freeman (183-F/C-83, college: Jacksonville St.) and Krystal Vaughn (185-G-86, agency: LBM Management, college: VCU) from PeKa, who scored 24/18 and 23/9 respectively. Also Amanda Lassiter (186-F-79, college: Missouri) netted 17 points for PeKa. Most efficient from ToPo were Dandra Moss (183-F-88, college: VCU) and Taru Tuukkanen (190-C-77, college: Xavier). Moss finished 22/8 and Tuukkanen 14/12. In addition Anette Juvonen (170-G-93) netted 13 points.

Catz took an easy 76-55 victory over Espoo Team in Lappeenranta. Home team started to run instantly when the game was started. Catz scored the numbers 27-9 in the first quarter and kept the lead during the whole match. In second period Catz added the lead 23-17, but in the third quarter Espoo Team could narrow it a little winning the quarter 13-22. Anyway Catz sealed the victory by scoring the numbers 13-7 in the last period. The visitors made it also easy for home team as they lost the ball even 33 times. Elena Reshetko (184-C/F-86) from Catz scored the highest 16 points in the game. She was assisted by Reetta Piipari (170-G-80, college: Xavier) and Lisa Lee (183-F-84, college: Charleston) who both scored 15 points. Niina Laaksonen (185-F/C-85) was the most efficient from Espoo Team finishing 12 points and 12 rebounds. In addition Mirka Dettmann (173-F-72), Laura Wilson (185-G-84, agency: LBM Management, college: Binghamton) and Evita Iiskola (181-F-93) all netted 8 points for Espoo Team.
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ICELAND - Women

Express League Semifinals: KR takes Game Two against Keflavik (1-1) - by Eurobasket News
Semifinals, Game 2: KR - Keflavik 75-64 (1-1)

Both Semifinals series in Express League are tied. KR outplayed Keflavik last night 75-64 tying the score to 1-1. Keflavik was ahead by 1 point at the halftime before a 38-26 second half run of KR. They dominated down low during the game scoring 56 of its points in the paint compared to Keflavik's 30. They outrebounded Keflavik 42-31 including 28 on the defensive glass. Melissa Jeltema (175-G-88, college: Oakland) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 25 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. The former international center Signy Hermannsdottir (190-C-79, college: Cameron) contributed with 8 points and 8 rebounds for the winners. Four KR players scored in double figures. The former international forward Bryndis Guamundsdottir (180-F-88) replied with 21 points and 5 rebounds and the former international guard Palina Gunnlaugsdottir (170-G-87) added 16 points and 7 rebounds in the effort for Keflavik.
Third game is scheduled for Friday and Keflavik will be the host. As a reminder, the format is best-of-five.

KR: Melissa Jeltema 25+12reb+6ast, H.Siguraardottir 12+5reb+2ast, G.Aorsteinsdottir 11+6reb+2ast, H.Einarsdottir 10+3reb, Signy Hermannsdottir 8+8reb+3ast, S.Helga Gunnlaugsdottir 5+2reb+1ast
Keflavik: Bryndis Guamundsdottir 21+5reb+1ast, Palina Gunnlaugsdottir 16+7reb+3ast, J.Adamshick 12+12reb, I.Jakobsdottir 8+2reb, M.Caran 7+3reb+1ast, I.Kristinardottir 0

KR signs Melissa Jeltema for rest of the season - by Eurobasket News
KR came up with important signing. The Icelandic outfit brought in scoring machine Melissa Jeltema (175-G-88, college: Oakland) for rest of the season. The American guard already made her debut in Express League pacing KR to 75-64 home win against Keflavik. It was a second game of the Playoff Semifinals and the series is tied to 1-1 now. Jeltema exploded with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. She reached valuation 37!
Melissa Jeltema arrived to KR from ChemCats Chemnitz, where she started this season. She appeared 21 times in German league averaging 13.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Jeltema is a product of Oakland University, where she graduated last year. She had 15.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 2.3 apg as a senior. This is her first professional season.

stats leader

Points Per Game

Monique MARTIN
  Snaefell
  (180-G-83)
  Avg: 26.7

1. Martin, Snaefell	26.7
2. Harris, Fjolnir	25.9
3. Adamshick, Keflavik	24.7
4. Fields, Njardvik	24.3
5. Butler, Hamar	23.6
6. Snodgrass, Haukar	21.3
7. Boyd, Grindavik	21.0
8. Sturludottir, KR	19.2
9. Morris, KR	18.5
10. Audere, Snaefell	18.0

Rebounds Per Game

Jacquline ADAMSHICK
  Keflavik
  (183-F-84)
  Avg: 15.8

1. Adamshick, Keflavik	15.8
2. Butler, Hamar	14.7
3. Martin, Snaefell	14.2
4. Buzoka, Fjolnir	13.0
5. Demirer, Njardvik	11.3
6. Liepkalne, Njardvik	11.3
7. Hallgrimsdot., Grinda.	10.8
8. Muciniece, Snaefell	10.3
9. Brynjarsdott., Hau.	10.0
10. Boyd, Grindavik	9.1

Assists Per Game

Natasha HARRIS
  Fjolnir
  (177-G-86)
  Avg: 7.3

1. Harris, Fjolnir	7.3
2. Dimovska, Hamar	6.0
3. Reke, Grindavik	5.6
4. Siguraardott., KR	4.0
5. Fields, Njardvik	3.9
6. Gunnlaugsdot., Kefla.	3.9
7. Liepkalne, Njardvik	3.7
8. Butler, Hamar	3.5
9. Valgarasdott., Kefla.	3.4
10. Sturludottir, KR	3.3

Steals Per Game

Natasha HARRIS
  Fjolnir
  (177-G-86)
  Avg: 5.6

1. Harris, Fjolnir	5.6
2. Martin, Snaefell	4.1
3. Reke, Grindavik	3.9
4. Dimovska, Hamar	3.6
5. Logan, Snaefell	3.0
6. Boyd, Grindavik	2.9
7. Butler, Hamar	2.9
8. Adamshick, Keflavik	2.6
9. Liepkalne, Njardvik	2.5
10. Valgarasdott., Kefla.	2.5

Blocks Per Game

Inga BUZOKA
  Fjolnir
  (191-C-81)
  Avg: 3.2

1. Buzoka, Fjolnir	3.2
2. Butler, Hamar	3.0
3. Martin, Snaefell	2.3
4. Muciniece, Snaefell	2.1
5. Hermannsdott., KR	2.0
6. Logan, Snaefell	1.7
7. Adamshick, Keflavik	1.1
8. Valgarasdott., Kefla.	1.1
9. Ragnarsdotti., KR	1.0
10. Sturludottir, KR	0.8

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LATVIA - Women

LSBL Round 22 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
Much higher ranked RTU-Merks (19-8) fell to fifth ranked TTT Kadetes (11-16) in overtime by five points 78-83 on Tuesday night. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of RTU-Merks. Worth to mention a great performance of Ance Aizsila (176-G-94) who helped to win the game recording 21 points. TTT Kadetes' coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Newly promoted TTT Kadetes maintains fifth position with 11-16 record. RTU-Merks at the other side dropped to the third place with eight games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

The most impressive performance of 22th round was 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals by Dita Krumberga of TTT Riga.

LU - TTT Riga 41-87

The game between closely ranked teams ended with top-ranked TTT Riga's (27-0) road victory over their biggest opponent Latvijas Universitate (19-7) 87-41 on Monday. 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 Latvijas Universitate to just 6 points in third quarter. TTT Riga dominated down low during the game scoring 44 of its points in the paint compared to Latvijas Universitate's 18. TTT Riga forced 25 Latvijas Universitate turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 25 assists comparing to just 7 passes made by Latvijas Universitate's players. Worth to mention a great performance of international forward Dita Krumberga (183-84, college: Mt.St.Marys) who helped to win the game recording 22 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals. Forward Zane Jakobsone (180-85, college: Houston, agency: Josep and Nicolas) contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Guard Zane Lapsina (174-83) replied with 12 points and 5 rebounds and guard Linda Pagrode (168-92) added 8 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Latvijas Universitate. TTT Riga have an impressive 27-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position with 27-0 record. Latvijas Universitate at the other side keeps the second place with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
TTT Riga: D.Krumberga 22+6reb+5ast, Z.Jakobsone 17+6reb, E.Pavlovska 10+7reb+2ast, K.Nimane 9+10reb+3ast, I.Veinberga 9+3reb+3ast, S.Dukate 9
LU: Z.Lapsina 12+5reb+1ast, L.Purina 9+4reb, L.Pagrode 8+8reb+1ast, K.Pumpure 5+5reb+2ast, A.Vorma 3+4reb+2ast, A.Strupovica 2+2reb+1ast

TTT Kadetes - RTU-Merks 83-78 OT

Much higher ranked RTU-Merks (19-8) fell to fifth ranked TTT Kadetes (11-16) in overtime by five points 78-83 on Tuesday night. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of RTU-Merks. The hosts trailed by 10 points after three quarters before their 28-18 charge, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time and get a 5-point victory in overtime. TTT Kadetes forced 21 RTU-Merks turnovers. It was a great shooting night for TTT Kadetes especially from behind the arc, where they had solid 64.3 percentage. Worth to mention a great performance of guard Ance Aizsila (176-94) who helped to win the game recording 21 points. Forward Paula Langina (179-94) contributed with a double-double by scoring 11 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Five TTT Kadetes players scored in double figures. TTT Kadetes' coach used a ten-player rotation in such tough game. Forward Anete Kirsteine (178-92) replied with 29 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and forward Dita Rozenberga (181-92) added 8 points, 13 rebounds and 6 assists in the effort for RTU-Merks. Newly promoted TTT Kadetes maintains fifth position with 11-16 record. RTU-Merks at the other side dropped to the third place with eight games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
TTT Kadetes: A.Aizsila 21+4reb+1ast, K.Aizsila 15+4reb+2ast, R.Reine 14+6reb, A.Fomina 12+1reb+4ast, P.Langina 11+11reb, L.Ekharde 4+3reb
RTU-Merks: A.Kirsteine 29+7reb+5ast, S.Langenfelde 16+6reb, D.Lazdeniece 12+7reb+1ast, I.Vitola 9+5reb, D.Rozenberga 8+13reb+6ast, I.Malkevica 4+3reb+4ast

RTU-Merks - TTT Juniores 60-57

Rather expected game when one of their biggest challengers TTT Juniores (14-11) were edged by second ranked RTU-Merks (19-8) in Riga 60-57 on Thursday. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But TTT Juniores won fourth quarter 21-15. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a very good performance for forward Anete Kirsteine (178-92) who helped to win the game recording 19 points and 7 rebounds. Guard Signe Langenfelde (177-88) contributed with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Center Guna Lagzdina (182-93) replied with 7 points, 15 rebounds and 5 assists and guard Agate Geka (169-93) added 15 points in the effort for TTT Juniores. RTU-Merks have a solid three-game winning streak. Despite that victory RTU-Merks went down to third position due to points difference. Loser TTT Juniores keep the fourth place with 11 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
RTU-Merks: A.Kirsteine 19+7reb+2ast, D.Rozenberga 11+5reb+2ast, I.Malkevica 8+3reb, I.Vitola 8+9reb, S.Langenfelde 6+7reb+6ast, I.Korfa 6+5reb
TTT Juniores: A.Geka 15+2reb+1ast, L.Sarja 11+3reb+1ast, L.Vilde 8+1reb+1ast, G.Lagzdina 7+15reb+5ast, L.Neimane 7+3reb+2ast, I.Eida 5+1reb

LU - RTU-Merks 44-58

There was a small surprise when second ranked RTU-Merks (19-8) won against much higher ranked Latvijas Universitate (19-7) in Riga 58-44 on Saturday. It was a very close game until the last quarter, when RTU-Merks's pressure prevailed and they won that period 15-7 extending their advantage to 14 points. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Latvijas Universitate to just 7 points in fourth quarter. RTU-Merks held Latvijas Universitate to an opponent 22.4 percent shooting from the field compared to 31.0 percent accuracy of the winners. They outrebounded Latvijas Universitate 52-31 including a 38-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a very good performance for forward Dita Rozenberga (181-92) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 10 points and 15 rebounds. Forward Ieva Malkevica (175-87) contributed with 16 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Guard Anete Vorma (165-89) replied with 10 points and swingman Ieva Krastina (176-90, agency: LBM Management) added 10 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Latvijas Universitate. Latvijas Universitate's coach rotated ten players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. RTU-Merks have a solid three-game winning streak. Despite that victory RTU-Merks went down to third position due to points difference. Loser Latvijas Universitate keeps the second place with seven games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
RTU-Merks: I.Malkevica 16+5reb, A.Kirsteine 12+6reb, D.Rozenberga 10+15reb+3ast, S.Langenfelde 7+9reb+1ast, I.Vitola 7+8reb+1ast, D.Poksane 4+8reb+1ast
LU: A.Vorma 10+3reb+3ast, I.Krastina 10+5reb+1ast, Z.Neilande 9+3reb, Z.Lapsina 7+4reb+1ast, M.Knekse 4, L.Pagrode 3+4reb

Cesis - Liepajas 74-66

The game between closely ranked teams ended with 8th ranked Liepajas' (2-24) road loss to seventh ranked Cesis (5-21) 66-74 on Sunday. Liepajas trailed by 11 points after 3 quarters before a 17-14 run in the last quarter cut the deficit to 66-74 at the end of the game. Cesis forced 19 Liepajas turnovers. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Cesis made 7 blocks. Liepajas were plagued by 25 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a very good performance for power forward Lina Lisnere (192-86, college: Syracuse) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Guard Zane Zeltina (178-87) contributed with 23 points for the winners. Center Liga Zdanovska (186-87) replied with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 19 rebounds and guard Maija Line (170-89) added 15 points and 4 assists in the effort for Liepajas. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Cesis maintains seventh position with 5-21 record. Liepajas lost twentieth second consecutive game. They stay dead last with 24 lost games. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Cesis: Z.Zeltina 23+3reb+1ast, L.Lisnere 17+10reb+6ast, K.Maca 10+2reb+2ast, I.Geistarde-Zaporozeca 10+9reb+1ast, I.Dukate 8+6reb, I.Ievina 6+4reb+3ast
Liepajas: L.Zdanovska 15+19reb+1ast, M.Line 15+2reb+4ast, R.Misus 14+2reb, A.Pinstere 13+3reb+1ast, K.Simanovica 5+2reb, D.Line 2+3reb+3ast

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NAIA - Women

Azusa Pacific Wins 2011 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship - by Eurobasket News
JACKSON, Tenn. - (Box Score) Azusa Pacific (Calif.) won its first-ever NAIA Division I Womens Basketball National Championship by defeating two-time defending national champion Union (Tenn.), 65-59, Tuesday in Oman Arena. The Cougars, who close out their season with a record of 33-5, rallied from a five-point halftime deficit and took the lead in the final minutes of the game. Unions campaign ends at 35-2.

We knew it was going to be a rough game, Azusa Pacific head womens basketball coach T.J. Hardeman said. Union is very physical and so are we. We talked about being ready for that and instead of waiting for it, we wanted to bring it. We knew it was going to be a fight, so we got after it.

Union quickly raced out to a 14-4 lead behind a pair of 3-pointers from Kayla Hudson (5'8''-G) and Kayla Bryant (5'8''-G) and a Hope Adams bucket. Bryants trey at 14:07 gave the Lady Bulldogs their only double-figure advantage in the game. Union held its lead throughout the half, but saw it dwindle as halftime approached. With 2:21 remaining, Alex Moore-Porter (5'10''-G/F-89) sunk a 3-pointer to bring the Cougars within two at 29-27. Bryant sent the Lady Bulldogs into the locker room with a five-point lead, 32-27, after draining a shot from long range.

The difference in the first half came at the free-throw line. Union converted on all five of its attempts, but Azusa Pacific didnt even make one trip to the charity stripe. The Cougars held an edge from both the field and from behind the 3-point line, shooting 46 and 60 percent, respectively. Union was 39 percent from the floor and 38 percent from 3-point land. Bryant led all scorers with nine points on a trio of 3s.

When we played as bad as we did in the first half and we were still in it, I thought that if they cant put us away while were playing like this, if we just start playing a little bit better, theyre going to be in trouble, Hardeman said. Thats what we talked about at halftime; were only five down, lets put it together. Everyone in the locker room believed and I told them that we are going to win this game, you wait and see. We talked about not wanting to, but actually doing it. That was our goal, to do it as a team.

Coming out of the break, Zeinab Chan pushed the Lady Bulldogs lead to seven points, 40-33, after sinking a pair of freebies at 15:20. It was at that point that Azusa Pacific put the pressure on with a full-court press, forcing Union into consecutive turnovers. The Cougars capitalized and tied the game at 40-40 at the 12:37 mark.

A see-saw battle waged on over the next 10:13, with Union maintaining the lead and Azusa Pacific tying the contest on five occasions. Briana Halls steal off of Chan led to a fast-break bucket to give the Cougars a 57-55 lead with 1:14 left on the clock. After not making it the free-throw line in the first half, Azusa Pacific made every trip count when it mattered most. The Cougars went to the line eight times in the closing minute and sunk all eight attempts to deny the Lady Bulldogs a third-straight title. Eboni Sadler (5'9''-G-88) hit six free throws in the crunch to ice the victory.

Azusa Pacific was once again paced by a balanced scoring attack as Sadler and Moore-Porter each had 17-point outings on 5-of-11 and 6-of-14 shooting efforts, respectively. Bench contributions were in favor of the Cougars with C.J. Hill scoring seven points and Amber Williams registering six. Azusa Pacific outscored the Lady Bulldogs 40-26 in the paint and they only had six points from subs.

I dont think one person could have put the team on their back and beat Union, Hardeman said. When there are so many people, they [Union] didnt know who to try and stop.

The Cougars finished the game shooting 46 percent from the floor, including 42 percent from behind the arc. In the second half they went to the free-throw line 20 times, hitting 14 attempts.

Chan finished with a double-double of 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs. She was joined in double-figures by fellow senior Kayla Hudson with 17 points, 15 of which came from downtown. Lavanda Ross conducted the offense with seven assists. Union shot 38 percent in the loss, including 33 percent from the 3-point line.

The national championship rematch between the Lady Bulldogs and Azusa Pacific marked the fourth time in the events history that teams have collided in the final contest in back-to-back years. The Lady Bulldogs dealt the Cougars a 73-65 setback in last years national championship game. Union had previously taken on the same opponent while defending its title, playing Southern Nazarene (Okla.) in 1997 and 1998.

Azusa Pacific advanced to its second championship game in as many years after bowing out in the first or second round in its 10 previous trips. The Cougars are now 15-13 in 13 total appearances. The loss for Union snapped a 14-game winning streak in National Championship play dating back to its first-round game in 2009. The Lady Bulldogs are now 5-3 in title games and 63-17 all-time. Their 63 National Championship wins are the most among any NAIA Division I program.

The Cougars landed a trio of players on the All-Tournament Team, with Sadler earning First-Team honors and Hall and Moore-Porter named to the Second Team. Chan and Hudson were both named to the First Team for Union.

Maria Bagwell (5'7''-G/F) of Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) received the Hustle Award and teammate Maribeth Boehler was named the National Championships Most Valuable Player. The senior post averaged 26 points and 13.5 rebounds per game while leading the Lady Lions to their third appearance in the semifinals. Boehler is the first Freed-Hardman player to earn the distinction.

Boehler and Campbellsvilles (Ky.) Whitney Ballinger (6'3''-G/F-89) were named 2011 NAIA Division I Co-National Player of the Year. Boehler led the nation in scoring during her senior campaign, averaging 23.6 per game. Ballinger was right behind her at 22.7 a game. Ballinger was also named Co-National Player of the year in 2010. Boehler is the first Lady Lion to earn the honor.

After leading his team to its first-ever National Championship, Hardeman was name the Phyllis Holmes Coach of the Year.

To work hard towards a goal and achieve it is the meaning of satisfaction, Hardeman said.

All-Tournament First Team
Meribeth Boehler (6'2''-C), Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
Sarah Chan, Union (Tenn.)
Kayla Hudson, Union (Tenn.)
Eboni Sadler, Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Whitney Ballinger, Campbellsville (Ky.)

All-Tournament Second Team
Ashley Rainey (6'2''-F/C-90), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)
Natalie Shumpert (5'4''-G), Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)
Abby Ballman (5'9''-G/F), Shawnee State (Ohio)
Brianna Hall, Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Alex Moore-Porter, Azusa Pacific (Calif.)

Hustle Award
Maria Bagwell, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)

Most Valuable Player
Meribeth Boehler, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)

2011 NAIA Division I Womens Basketball Co-National Player of the Year
Whitney Ballinger, Campbellsville (Ky.)
Maribeth Boehler, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.)

Phyllis Holmes Coach of the Year
T.J. Hardeman, Azusa Pacific (Calif.)
Courtesy of: naia.cstv.com

Union Defeats Shawnee State to Play for Third-Straight NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship - by Eurobasket News
JACKSON, Tenn. - (Box Score) Union (Tenn.) defeated Shawnee State (Ohio) 58-40 in the semifinals of the 2011 NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship Monday in Oman Arena. The two-time defending national champs push their record to 35-1 and will take on Azusa Pacific (Calif.) Tuesday at 7 p.m. CDT in a rematch of last year's title game. The game will be televised live nationally on CBS College Sports Television.

The national championship rematch between the Lady Bulldogs and Azusa Pacific will be the fourth time in the event's history that teams have collided in the final contest in back-to-back years. Union has previously taken on the same opponent while defending its title, playing Southern Nazarene (Okla.) in 1997 and 1998.

The win is the 14th-consecutive in National Championship play for the Lady Bulldogs dating back to their first-round game in 2009. They will be vying to become the third team to three-peat in the event's 31-year history, potentially joining elite company in Southern Nazarene (Okla.) and Oklahoma City. Union has advanced to the title game seven times with a mark of 5-2 and is tied with Oklahoma City with five national titles.

Shawnee State's season comes to a close with a record of 27-10. The Bears follow up on last year's runner-up finish at the State Farm-NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Championship with a semifinal appearance in their inaugural season as a Division I program.

Union jumped out to a 6-0 lead on three-straight buckets by Zienab Chan to start the game. The Lady Bulldogs pushed the score with six unanswered for its largest lead of the half at 27-14 with 3:52 remaining. Alannah Sheets cut the lead to seven with 53 seconds remaining, 27-20, after sinking a pair of free throws for Shawnee State. Hudson's dish to Mildred Olumasi for the basket gave Union a nine-point advantage heading into the break, 29-20.

Chan led all scorers at halftime with 12 points in 10 minutes of action. The Lady Bulldogs connected on 37 percent of their looks from the floor, while Shawnee State was held to just 17 percent, hitting just 4-of-23 shot attempts. Union dominated the play down low, scoring 16 points in the paint and had 10 second-chance buckets. Jill Cropper had seven points for the Bears.

In the second half, it was the Chan show. The senior was nearly unstoppable, hitting 9-of-10 field goal attempts, for 20 points. Shawnee State was only able to get within nine points, 35-26, as Sheets capitalized on a turnover by Hudson with 3:10 off the clock. The largest margin came at 2:47 with Lavanda Ross connecting on the back end of a trip to the free-throw line. Tabatha McKinney responded by scoring on a second-chance shot, but Union pushed it to 16 again with a bucked from Chan on the ensuing possession.

Chan finished with a career-high 32 points. It was the third game of her senior campaign in which she scored 30-or more points. She also pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to log her 16th double-double of the season and 43rd of her career. Of the 16 combined players in the game, she was one of only two players with a double-figure scoring effort. Hudson and Lavanda Ross each chipped in nine points. The Lady Bulldogs shot 42 percent from the field and 60 percent from the charity stripe. They were limited to just 15 percent from the 3-point line, hitting just two of their 13 tries.

Cropper's career in a Bear jersey came to a close with a 12-point outing to lead Shawnee State's scoring efforts. She hit 4-of-13 field goal attempts, including a pair of 3s. Junior Abby Ballman registered eight points and Sheets contributed seven points. McKinney was the leading rebounder for Shawnee State with seven boards. The Bears shot 25 percent in the loss after averaging 46 percent heading into the contest.
Courtesy of: naia.cstv.com

Azusa Pacific Returns to NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship Game - by Eurobasket News
JACKSON, Tenn. - (Box Score) Azusa Pacific (Calif.) will return to the NAIA Division I Women's Basketball National Championship following a 58-46 win over Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) Monday in Oman Arena. The Cougars improve their record to 32-5 and will play Union (Tenn.) in a rematch of last year's title game Tuesday at 7 p.m. CDT. The game will be televised live nationally on CBS College Sports Television.

Azusa Pacific advances to its second championship game appearance in as many years after bowing out in the first or second round in its 10 previous trips to the event. The rematch marks the fourth time in the event's history that teams have collided in the final contest in back-to-back years.

The Lady Lions' season comes to a close with a 27-9 record. It was their third trip to the semifinals and first since 2008. Freed-Hardeman is forced out by the Cougars for the second-consecutive season. In 15 National Championship appearances, the Lady Lions own a mark of 21-15.

The two teams swapped baskets for the first eight points of the game, starting a trend that lasted for the entire first half. The first 20 minutes boasted eight ties and eight lead changes. Azusa Pacific held its largest lead of three points three different times in the first half, with the latest coming 17-14 at the 8:30 mark. Freed-Hardeman held its largest lead of four points at halftime, 34-30.

The second half was a different story as Azusa Pacific came out of the locker room with an 11-0 run over the first 4:36 to push out in front, 41-34. That score remained for the next three minutes when Freed-Hardeman finally tallied its first bucket of the half at the 12:47 mark. The Lady Lions cut the deficit down to four points, 45-42, at the 9:29 mark following a 3-pointer from Natalie Shumpert (5'4''-G). That was as close as Freed-Hardeman came down the stretch.

Azusa Pacific's CJ Hill and Briana Hall converted on back-to-back possessions to push the Cougar lead up to eight points. In the final two minutes of play, Azusa Pacific scored field goals on four of its final five possessions to extend its lead to the largest of the game with the 58-46 final.

The second half shooting numbers tell the story as Azusa Pacific sank 62 percent of its shots from the field in the final 20 minutes, while Freed-Hardeman shot just 15 percent. The Lady Lions were outscored 28-12 in the second half.

The Cougars were led with a balanced attack as Hall, Eboni Sadler and Hill each scored 11 points in the game. Kristie Hala'ufia added 10 points. All seven players that played for Azusa Pacific scored in the game.

Meribeth Boehler (6'2''-C) finished with a double-double to lead the Lady Lions, posting 18 points and 16 rebounds. The tournament leader with 104 points, Boehler was held to just six points in the final 20 minutes of play. Shumpert added 12 points, but was just 5-of-22 from the field.
Courtesy of: naia.cstv.com

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NCAA1 - Women

Tennessee narrowly edges Marquette - by Eurobasket News
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee coach Pat Summitt doesn't like to overwork her players during postseason practices. She hopes Marquette has convinced the Lady Volunteers to try a little bit harder though.

The top-seeded Lady Vols survived a scrappy match with eighth-seeded Marquette to advanced to the NCAA regional semifinals with a 79-70 victory Monday night. They will face No. 4 Ohio State next in Dayton, Ohio.

'I think that we've had some good practices but not great practices, and the last couple have not been at the level of intensity (necessary),' Summitt said. 'This is probably a good wake-up call.'

Tennessee will be making its 29th appearance in the round of 16 and is aiming for a Final Four berth after back-to-back disappointing ends to the postseason. The Lady Vols suffered their first and only first-round loss in 2009 to Ball State and lost in the 2010 regional semifinals to Baylor, despite having a No. 1 seed and playing in Memphis.

Marquette never led, but every time UT (33-2) built a lead, the Golden Eagles fought back. It was Tennessee's narrowest margin in a NCAA win on its home court since a 69-65 victory against Auburn in 1991 and second narrowest second-round win.

The Lady Vols, who are now 50-0 in NCAA games played in Knoxville, led by as many as 11 points in the second half and had a 62-55 lead when Marquette's Tatiyiana McMorris sank a 3-pointer and Angel Robinson hit two long jumpers to cut it to 63-62 with 6:15 left.

'That stretch was about making stops,' Marquette coach Terri Mitchell said. 'We threw in some random traps. We started switching, doing a little more doubling inside, we got some stops and we pushed it. We were better when we were pushing it and attacking.'

Tennessee answered by scoring the next six points to make it 69-62 with 4:53 left and kept Marquette at bay by clamping down on defense and hitting six of their next eight foul shots.

Meighan Simmons (5'9''-G) led Tennessee with 18 points. Glory Johnson (6'3''-F-90) scored 16 points, Alicia Manning sank 11 and Shekinna Stricklen scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

Tennessee, which shot 51.7 percent, also built an eight-point lead midway through the first half, but the Golden Eagles used a 7-0 run to cut it to 28-27 with 5:18 before halftime.

The Golden Eagles, led by six seniors, had spent extra time in the offseason working out in hopes of reaching their first NCAA tournament in four seasons. Marquette has reached the second round four times now but never won.

Angel Robinson led Marquette (24-9) with 19 points. McMorris added 15 points, Jasmine Collins 14 and Fiedorowicz 12.

The Golden Eagles were smaller than the Lady Vols but managed to frustrate them in the paint at both ends of the court. Marquette matched Tennessee's 32 points in the paint and kept the Lady Vols from hitting as many layups as they would have liked.

'When they have physical guards and their whole team is physical, we have to be physical back,' Johnson said. 'We can't let them throw us around in the paint, and that's something that we struggled with for the majority of the game.'

Both teams turned the ball over 11 times, but the Lady Vols scored nine more points off of giveaways.

Marquette shot 40.3 percent and hit eight 3s but seemed to lose what little advantage it had inside when starting forward Paige Fiedorowicz (6'0''-F-89) fouled out with 5:25 left to play.

'There were two good teams out there on the floor, and good teams make runs,' Robinson said. 'We were back and forth with making our runs. We stopped them, and they stopped us. The outcome is who scores the most points. Everybody up here said we left everything out there. We played until the buzzer buzzed.'

Courtesy of: The Associated Press

Wolff named Virginia Tech coach - by Eurobasket News
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Dennis Wolff has been named the sixth head womens basketball coach at Virginia Tech.

Wolff replaces Beth Dunkenberger, who resigned as head coach of the Tech womens program on March 14.

Wolff recently completed his first season as the Director of Mens Basketball Operations & Assistant to the Head Coach for the Virginia Tech mens basketball program. He assisted head coach Seth Greenberg in the day-to-day operations of the basketball program and also took on additional duties to better reflect a change in NCAA rules governing the operations position.

Before coming to Virginia Tech, Wolff served as the head mens basketball coach at Boston University from 1994-2009. Under Wolffs guidance, the Terriers won three conference titles in a row (2002-2004) and made four consecutive postseason appearances (2002-05) for the first time in school history. He was a three-time America East Coach of the Year and a two-time NABC District 1 Coach of the Year selection.

I am very excited that Dennis Wolff has accepted our offer to become the head womens basketball coach at Virginia Tech, said Tech Director of Athletics Jim Weaver. Coach Wolff has a great history of successful head coaching experience, and I have had the opportunity to get to know and observe him during this academic year. I believe he fits very nicely into the Virginia Tech athletics family and that he will return our womens program to the winning ways of recent years.

Wolff was 247-197 (.556) in 15 years at BU, and is the schools all-time leader in victories. Including two years at Connecticut College in the early 1980s, Wolff is 277-215 (.563) in 17 years as a head coach.

Wolff arrived at BU following a four-year (1990-94) stint as an assistant coach under head coach Jeff Jones at the University of Virginia. Prior to his tenure at Virginia, Wolff spent four years (1985-89) as an assistant coach at Wake Forest and one year (1989-90) at Southern Methodist University.

Wolff began his coaching career at Trinity College, a Division III school in Hartford, Conn., where he served as an assistant from 1978-80. At the age of 25, he was named the head coach at Connecticut College and guided the Camels to a two-year mark of 30-18, including a successful 16-8 record in 1980-81, his first year as a head coach. In 1982, he began his first of three years as an assistant coach at St. Bonaventure. In the last year, Wolff has been involved in the USO Operation Hardwood in Iraq and the USO Operation Hoop Talk in Afghanistan.

A 1978 graduate of the University of Connecticut, Wolff was a two-year letterman under head coaches Dee Rowe and Dom Perno after transferring from Louisiana State University in 1975. A native of New York City, Wolff was a standout guard for Holy Cross High School. In recognition of his scholastic efforts, Wolff has since been inducted into the Holy Cross Athletic Hall of Fame.

Wolff and his wife JoAnn have three children: Nicole, Matt, and Michael. Nicole, the 2002 McDonalds National Player of the Year, played basketball at the University of Connecticut. Matt played basketball at Boston University and Michael plays ice hockey for Brown.

Courtesy opf: Virginia Tech Athletics

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NCAA2 - Women

No. 2-ranked Clayton State women square off against No. 15 Bentley - by Eurobasket News
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. March 21, 2011 The Clayton State Laker womens basketball team is three games away from the ultimate prize the NCAA Division II National Championship. It all comes down this week in the NCAA Division II 'Elite Eight' in St. Joseph, Mo.

The No. 2-ranked Lakers (32-1) take that first step on Tuesday with a 12 p.m. (CDT) quarterfinal showdown against No. 15 Bentley (28-4) at the St. Joseph Civic Arena. This is the third NCAA Division II 'Elite Eight' appearance in the last five seasons for Clayton State. The Lakers advanced to the NCAA Division II 'Final Four' in 2007 and the 'Elite Eight' in 2009.

Clayton State earned a berth to the Division II 'Elite Eight' by virtue of a 76-60 victory over Lander in the Southeast Region championship. Bentley, meanwhile, advanced with a thrilling 64-61 victory over Pace in the East Regional championship.

In Bentley, the Lakers will face one of the best traditions in Division II womens basketball. This is the 28th appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament for the Falcons - the most ever in NCAA Division II womens basketball - and advancing to the NCAA Division II 'Elite Eight' for the 11th time in program history. The last time Bentley was in the NCAA Division II 'Elite Eight' was in 2003, ironically also in St. Joseph, Mo.

Head coach Barbara Stevens is in her 25th season at helm of the Falcons and 34th season overall with stints at both Clark and Massachusetts prior to coming to Bentley. She has the most victories of any womens head coach at the Division II level with 821, and only legendary Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt has more victories than Stevens at any level.

She joins Summitt, former Texas head coach Jody Conradt , Rutgers head coach C. Vivian Stringer and North Carolina head coach Sylvia Hatchell in the elite 800-win club.

This season, Stevens has put together one of her younger squads in recent seasons at Bentley, as evident by the fact that a freshman leads the Falcons in scoring. Freshman center Jacqui Brugliera is averaging 15 points and nine rebounds a game, while shooting 45 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line. She was selected the Northeast-10 Conference Freshman of the Year.

The catalyst is All-Northeast-10 performer Kim Brennan, a senior who is averaging 11 points and four assists a game, while shooting 82 percent from the free throw line. Another freshman post, Lauren Battista, is averaging 13 points and seven rebounds a game, while shooting 54 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line.

Clayton State counters with an athletic squad centered around senior forward Teshymia Tillman (5'9''-F/G-86) and junior guard Tanisha Woodard.

A first team All-Peach Belt Conference and first team Daktronics Division II All-Southeast Region selection, Tillman leads Clayton State in scoring, averaging 15 points a game. In the last game against Lander, Tillman became the sixth player in Clayton State womens basketball history to eclipse 1,000 career points.

In addition, with eight more points, Tillman will become the first player in Laker womens basketball history to record back-to-back 500-point seasons.

Woodard, a first team All-Peach Belt Conference selection and Peach Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year, leads the Peach Belt in steals (3.4 spg) while also averaging 12 points and five rebounds a game. She set the Clayton State career mark for steals this season, and has now reached 300 career steals.

It doesnt end with Tillman and Woodard. Coxs Lakers are balanced with eight players averaging at least seven points a game. Sophomore point guard Drameka Griggs as been a spark off the bench, averaging 11 points a game, while junior guard Brittany Hall averages 10 points and leads the Peach Belt Conference in 3-point percentage (44 percent).

Should Clayton State win, the Lakers would advance to Wednesdays 6 p.m. (CDT) semifinal game against the winner of Shaw and Metro State. The NCAA Division II Womens Basketball National Championship game is set for Friday at 7 p.m. (CDT) at the St. Joseph Civic Arena.

Courtesy of: athletics.clayton.edu

Buzzer Beater Ends Season for Women's Basketball at the Elite Eight - by Eurobasket News
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. Brittany Ransom made a layup from the right baseline as time expired to eliminate No. 10 Metro State at the NCAA Division II Elite Eight as the Roadrunners fell 46-45 to Shaw (N.C.) University on Friday in St. Joseph, Mo. Metro States season ended at 30-3, while Shaw improved to 24-11 with its 11th consecutive win.Metro State led nearly the entire game and held a three-point lead with 48 seconds left after two free throws from Brandi Valencia (5'10''-G). After forcing a miss by Shaw, Jasmine Cervantes (5'8''-G-89) made 1-of-2 at the line for a four-point lead with 19 seconds left.

But Kyria Bufords 3-pointer rattled in from the right corner with 7.4 seconds on the clock to cut Metro States lead to 45-44. Buford was 1-of-16 shooting before hitting that shot. Valencia had a chance to stretch the lead back to three, but missed both free throws with 6.9 seconds to play. Ransom then took a pass that found its way through two Metro State defenders on the right baseline, dribbled and spun towards the basket and her shot fell through with no time left after bouncing around the rim.

Free throws doomed the Roadrunners all game as they hit a season-worst 41.2 percent at the stripe, making just 7-of-17, including 6-of-16 in the second half. Metro State dominated the boards as usual, outrebounding Shaw 50-36 and held the Lady Bears to just 30.5 percent shooting.

Valencia led the Roadrunners with 10 points, scoring eight in the first half. Cervantes scored nine points and had 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists. Senior Cassondra Bratton was held to just six points, though she had 10 rebounds and five assists. She finished her career six points shy of 1,000 in her three-year career at Metro State, though she finished well over that mark including her freshman season at the University of Denver.

Alyssa Benson (5'9''-G) and Emily Wood (5'9''-G-91) each hit two 3-pointers and had eight points each.

Metro State led throughout the first half, building a nine-point lead at 24-15 with 3:54 left on a 3-pointer by Wood, and holding a 26-19 lead at the break.

The Lady Bears went on a run early in the second half and took their only lead of the second half until the final basket at 33-31 with 8:36 to play.

Metro State had plenty of chances to extend its lead in the second half at the line, missing the front end of a 1-and-1 twice and missing its first seven attempts at the stripe in the second half. But the strong defense held the team together and the Roadrunners led by four points at the under-8-minute media timeout after a layup by Candice Kohn (5'10''-G). Both teams went scoreless over the next two minutes until Ransom buried a 3-pointer with 5:41 left to cut the lead to 37-36.

Cervantes answered with a layup on Metro States next possession. Janelle Harrison tied the game at 39-39 with 4:15 left with a layup. Bratton then made 3-of-4 at the line over the next minute-and-a-half to push the lead back to three. That was the largest lead until the final minute.

Ransom led Shaw with 13 points off the bench. The Roadrunners held Shaws two leading scorers, Demaria Liles and Buford to just four and five points, respectively. Liles entered the game averaging 19.0 points and 11.7 rebounds and Buford 18.7 points and 6.3 rebounds.

Metro State blew its first halftime lead of the season after entering the game with a 27-0 mark when leading halfway through. It was the 14th time the Roadrunners have held an opponent under 50 points, but their first loss in that situation.

The Roadrunners will say goodbye to Bratton and Tawny Drexler, the lone seniors on the squad. Drexler finished the game with five rebounds in 16 minutes.

Head coach Tanya Haave put together the most impressive first season of any coach at Metro State, leading the team to numerous records. Metro State set school records for most wins in a season (30), longest winning streak (15 games), longest home winning streak (18) and total rebounds. The Roadrunners also shattered their school record for fewest points per game allowed at 51.4. The previous record was 57.2 in 1997-98. Metro State also won its first-ever NCAA Tournament game and then ran off two more to advance to the Elite Eight.

Haave was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.
Courtesy of: gometrostate.com

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POLAND - Women

PLKK Round 3 of Quarter-Finals. Gorzow reach semifinals - by Eurobasket News
Gorzow - Energa Torun 75-65

Gorzow completed PLKK semifinal picture. They overcame Energa Torun at home court to advance into the next round. The game was mostly controlled by AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski. Energa Torun managed to win third quarter 15-12. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski outrebounded Energa Torun 38-26 including 26 on the defensive glass. 26 personal fouls committed by Energa Torun helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was Swedish guard Chioma Nnamaka (183-85, college: Georgia Tech) who scored 13 points and 7 rebounds. International center Justyna Zurowska (188-85) chipped in 8 points and 12 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was American forward Alicia Gladden (180-85, college: Florida St.) who recorded 13 points and 5 rebounds and the former international guard Monika Krawiec (172-84) added 11 points respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Energa Torun's coach rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Gorzow: S.Richards 15+3ast, C.Nnamaka 13+7reb+3ast, I.Piekarska 12+4reb, A.Kaczmarczyk 11+6reb, L.Weaver 10+5reb+1ast, J.Zurowska 8+12reb+2ast
Energa Torun: A.Gladden 13+5reb, M.Krawiec 11+3reb+1ast, N.Malaszewska 11+1reb, L.Murphy 10+1reb+1ast, V.Perostiyska 6+8reb+1ast, V.Bortelova 4+2reb

Stats Leaders - PLKK

Points Per Game

Laurie KOEHN
  Utex Row
  (173-G-82)
  Avg: 17.3

1. Koehn, Utex Row	17.3
2. Champion, Inea AZS	16.9
3. Kobryn, Wisla C.	15.0
4. Harris, Utex Row	14.9
5. Ross, Lider P.	14.5
6. Szott, Artego	14.1
7. Jankowska, LKS S.	14.0
8. Wright, Lotos G.	13.7
9. Fox-Griffin, Super.	13.6
10. Phillips, Wisla C.	13.4

Rebounds Per Game

Ugochukwu OHA
  LKS Siemens
  (193-C-82)
  Avg: 9.9

1. Oha, LKS Siemens	9.9
2. Leuchanka, Gorzow	9.7
3. Bjelica, Lotos Gdynia	8.6
4. Carter, CCC P.	8.5
5. Cheek, Super-Pol	8.2
6. Leuchanka, Wisla C.	8.1
7. Alexander, Odra B.	7.9
8. Crisman, Artego	7.7
9. Leciejewska, Wisla C.	7.4
10. Jankowska, LKS S.	7.4

Assists Per Game

Sharnee ZOLL
  CCC Polkowice
  (170-G-86)
  Avg: 5.9

1. Zoll, CCC P.	5.9
2. Phillips, Wisla C.	4.4
3. Richards, Gorzow	4.3
4. Swanier, Lotos G.	3.9
5. Kulaga, Super-Pol	3.9
6. Raymond, Artego	3.8
7. Idczak, Inea AZS	3.7
8. Gawronska, Odra B.	3.5
9. Bortelova, Energa T.	3.4
10. Babkina, Lotos G.	3.3

Steals Per Game

Naketia SWANIER
  Lotos Gdynia
  (170-G-86)
  Avg: 2.9

1. Swanier, Lotos G.	2.9
2. Ross, Lider P.	2.6
3. Phillips, Wisla C.	2.5
4. Bednarek, Lider P.	2.3
5. Wright, Lotos G.	2.3
6. Carter, CCC P.	2.2
7. Leedham, Gorzow	2.2
8. Crisman, Artego	2.0
9. Gajda, Energa Torun	1.9
10. Jelavic, Wisla C.	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Brittany DENSON
  Lider Pruszkow
  (191-C-87)
  Avg: 2.1

1. Denson, Lider P.	2.1
2. Majewska, CCC P.	1.9
3. Irvin, Lotos Gdynia	1.4
4. Perostiyska, Energa T.	1.4
5. Burse, Wisla C.	1.3
6. Jankowska, LKS S.	1.1
7. Goff, Super-Pol	1.0
8. Kobryn, Wisla C.	0.9
9. Oha, LKS Siemens	0.9
10. McLean, Utex Row	0.8

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ROMANIA - Women

D1 Round 14: Undefeated Satu Mare loses their first game against Sf.Gheorghe - by Eurobasket News
The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Satu Mare (13-1) in Sfantu Gheorghe on Tuesday night. Visitors were defeated by third ranked Sf.Gheorghe (9-5) 64-59. It ended at the same time the 13-game winning streak of Satu Mare. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Satu Mare won third quarter 18-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Sf.Gheorghe won last quarter 15-11. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Sf.Gheorghe made 7 blocks. American forward Kerri Gardin (186-84, college: Virginia Tech) had a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import center Andrea Walker (196-88, college: Ohio St.) chipped in 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks during the contest. Bosnian guard Amra Mehmedic (175-81) responded with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Sf.Gheorghe maintains third position with 9-5 record having four points less than leader Alba Iulia. Satu Mare at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Alexandria (#5) was upset in Bucuresti by eighth ranked Rapid 61-57. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Alexandria. The former international guard Florina Diacona (176-82) notched 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!) to lead the effort and Cristina Perta supported her with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Even 19 points and 8 rebounds by Serbian center Nevena Saponjic (186-85) did not help to save the game for Alexandria. Rapid (2-12) moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Olimpia. Alexandria at the other side keeps the fifth position with eight games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game in Craiova supposed to be also quite interesting. Second ranked ICIM Arad (12-2) played at the court of 6th ranked Craiova (5-9). ICIM Arad smashed Craiova 95-73 on Tuesday. The best player for the winners was Anita Meszaros who scored 21 points and 6 rebounds. ICIM Arad's coach Stacey Nolan felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Anca Sipos produced 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the hosts. ICIM Arad have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 12-2 record behind leader Alba Iulia. Craiova lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with nine games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Fourth ranked Timisoara (7-7) crushed at home 7th ranked Olimpia (2-12) by 23 points 76-53, which is the biggest margin this round. Ancuta Stoenescu orchestrated the victory by scoring 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Timisoara's coach Dan Ionescu felt very confident using entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Timisoara maintains fourth position with 7-7 record. Olimpia at the other side keeps the seventh place with 12 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Group A1

Rapid - Alexandria 61-57

Alexandria (#5) was upset in Bucuresti by eighth ranked Rapid 61-57. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Alexandria. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning the initial quarter 15-10. But Alexandria won second period 18-15. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Rapid won last quarter 17-14. They also forced 22 Alexandria turnovers. The former international guard Florina Diacona (176-82) notched 25 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals (was perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line !!!) to lead the effort and center Cristina Perta (187-78) supported her with 13 points and 8 rebounds. Even 19 points and 8 rebounds by Serbian center Nevena Saponjic (186-85) did not help to save the game for Alexandria. Center Cristiana Cutas (188-84) added 16 points for the guests. Rapid (2-12) moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Olimpia. Alexandria at the other side keeps the fifth position with eight games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Rapid: F.Diacona 25+8reb+5ast, C.Perta 13+8reb+2ast, N.Burlakova 9+5reb, A.Pavel 6+4reb+1ast, A.Ionescu 6+7reb+1ast, R.Bejan 2+2reb
Alexandria: N.Saponjic 19+8reb, C.Cutas 16+3reb+2ast, A.Cutas 11+5reb+4ast, G.Rus 6+6reb+3ast, D.Bucica 3+5reb+4ast, A.Chivu 2+4reb+1ast

Timisoara - Olimpia 76-53

Fourth ranked Timisoara (7-7) crushed at home 7th ranked Olimpia (2-12) by 23 points 76-53, which is the biggest margin this round. The game was mostly controlled by Timisoara. Olimpia was better in fourth quarter 18-13. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Timisoara forced 25 Olimpia turnovers and outrebounded them 45-29 including a 19-7 advantage in offensive rebounds. The former international guard Ancuta Stoenescu (171-80, agency: Data Plus Group) orchestrated the victory by scoring 13 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Guard Raluca Alecu (170-90) contributed with 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for the winners. Four Timisoara players scored in double figures. Timisoara's coach Dan Ionescu felt very confident using entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Forward Romina Filip (174-89) replied with 19 points and 6 steals (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!) and forward Gabriela Munteanu (177-88) added 14 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Olimpia. Timisoara maintains fourth position with 7-7 record. Olimpia at the other side keeps the seventh place with 12 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Timisoara: A.Vuksic 15+5reb, A.Stoenescu 13+6reb+5ast, C.Morosan 10+5reb+1ast, R.Alecu 10+6reb+4ast, A.Haas 9+1reb+3ast, L.Budean 8+5reb+3ast
Olimpia: R.Filip 19+1reb+2ast, G.Munteanu 14+6reb, A.Grigore 12+2reb, V.Lache 2+1reb+1ast, M.Chelariu 2+9reb, S.Rotarescu 2+5reb

Sf.Gheorghe - Satu Mare 64-59

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Satu Mare (13-1) in Sfantu Gheorghe on Tuesday night. Visitors were defeated by third ranked Sf.Gheorghe (9-5) 64-59. It ended at the same time the 13-game winning streak of Satu Mare. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Satu Mare won third quarter 18-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Sf.Gheorghe won last quarter 15-11. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Sf.Gheorghe made 7 blocks. American forward Kerri Gardin (186-84, college: Virginia Tech) had a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and the other American import center Andrea Walker (196-88, college: Ohio St.) chipped in 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks during the contest. Bosnian guard Amra Mehmedic (175-81) responded with 16 points and 6 rebounds and Latvian center Anita Teilane (196-85) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds. Sf.Gheorghe maintains third position with 9-5 record having four points less than leader Alba Iulia. Satu Mare at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Sf.Gheorghe: K.Gardin 14+11reb+3ast, A.Walker 14+7reb+1ast, A.Parau 11+2reb+3ast, F.Ardeleanu 9+1reb+2ast, B.Vescan 9+1reb+1ast, I.Vass 7+8reb+5ast
Satu Mare: A.Mehmedic 16+6reb+3ast, A.Olajuwon 13+6reb, A.Teilane 10+11reb, C.Pop 8+6reb, A.Orosz 6+3reb, L.Bjork 4+2reb+2ast

Craiova - ICIM Arad 73-95

The game in Craiova supposed to be also quite interesting. Second ranked ICIM Arad (12-2) played at the court of 6th ranked Craiova (5-9). ICIM Arad smashed Craiova 95-73 on Tuesday. The guests trailed by 10 points after first quarter, but they stormed back and won the game by 22 points. ICIM Arad forced 20 Craiova turnovers and outrebounded them 43-29 including 16 on the offensive glass. The best player for the winners was international center Anita Meszaros (190-88) who scored 21 points and 6 rebounds. The former international guard Paula Cristina Ciocan (183-82, college: S.Carolina, agency: Josep and Nicolas) chipped in 9 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Four ICIM Arad players scored in double figures. ICIM Arad's coach Stacey Nolan felt very confident using 10 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. International power forward Anca Sipos (185-85) produced 24 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and international guard Ramona Tarta (173-89) added 22 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals respectively for the hosts. ICIM Arad have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 12-2 record behind leader Alba Iulia. Craiova lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with nine games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
ICIM Arad: A.Meszaros 21+6reb+1ast, C.Graham 15+7reb+1ast, G.Toma 14+7reb+1ast, I.Nagy 12+2reb+1ast, L.Dragoescu 9+1reb+1ast, P.Cristina Ciocan 9+9reb+5ast
Craiova: A.Sipos 24+7reb+4ast, R.Tarta 22+5reb+6ast, T.Matthews 12+6reb+4ast, A.Stefan 9+4reb, A.Gliga 3+1reb, J.Simionca 3+3reb+3ast

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Florina DIACONA
  Rapid
  (176-G-82)
  Avg: 22

1. Diacona, Rapid	22.0
2. Stoenescu, Timis.	17.6
3. Saponjic, Alexandria	17.3
4. Vass, Sf.Gheorghe	15.5
5. Tarta, Craiova	15.5
6. Rus, Alexandria	14.8
7. Klein, Satu Mare	14.8
8. Cursaru, Olimpia	14.7
9. Voinea, Alba Iulia	14.3
10. Sipos, Craiova	14.3

Rebounds Per Game

Fatou KANE
  Craiova
  (198-C-85)
  Avg: 13.4

1. Kane, Craiova	13.4
2. Terglav-T., Sf.Gheor.	11.1
3. Walker, Sf.Gheor.	10.6
4. Saponjic, Alexandria	10.1
5. Rus, Alexandria	9.8
6. Teilane, Satu Mare	9.4
7. Ducker, Satu Mare	9.0
8. Vescan, Sf.Gheorghe	8.9
9. Ivan, Brasov	8.8
10. Tkachenko, Iasi	8.8

Assists Per Game

Annemarie PARAU
  Sf.Gheorghe
  (175-G-84)
  Avg: 5

1. Parau, Sf.Gheorghe	5.0
2. Ciocan, ICIM A.	4.3
3. Tarta, Craiova	4.1
4. Diacona, Rapid	3.8
5. Mehmedic, Satu M.	3.5
6. Vass, Sf.Gheorghe	3.2
7. Rus, Alexandria	2.9
8. Ardeleanu, Sf.Gheor.	2.8
9. Bucica, Alexandria	2.8
10. Budean, Timisoara	2.8

Steals Per Game

Anca SIPOS
  Craiova
  (185-F/C-85)
  Avg: 4

1. Sipos, Craiova	4.0
2. Diacona, Rapid	3.7
3. Stoenescu, Timis.	3.0
4. Dinca, Alba Iulia	2.9
5. Chivu, Alexandria	2.9
6. Ardeleanu, Sf.Gheor.	2.7
7. Budean, Timisoara	2.7
8. Boriga, ICIM A.	2.6
9. Ducker, Satu Mare	2.3
10. Parau, Sf.Gheorghe	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Anita TEILANE
  Satu Mare
  (196-C-85)
  Avg: 3.9

1. Teilane, Satu Mare	3.9
2. Walker, Sf.Gheor.	2.8
3. Terglav-T., Sf.Gheor.	1.9
4. Kane, Craiova	1.7
5. Craciun, Olimpia	1.3
6. Toma, ICIM A.	1.0
7. Sipos, Craiova	0.8
8. Rus, Alexandria	0.8
9. Ionescu, Olimpia	0.8
10. Whitehead, Craiova	0.7

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SLOVENIA - Women

Standings - Women

SKL Standings

Places 1-6
1. Hit K.Gora		3-0
2. AJM Maribor		2-0
3. Merkur Celje		1-1
4. Triglav		1-2
5. Ilrija		0-2
6. Jezica		0-2
Places 7-13
1. GVT Konjice		1-0
2. Rasica		1-0
3. Grosuplje		1-0
4. Odeja KED		1-0
5. Kozmetika Afr.		0-1
6. Domzale		0-1
7. Pivka		0-2

Stats Leaders - Women

Points Per Game

Teja OBLAK
  Hit K.Gora
  (172-G-90)
  Avg: 21.2

1. Oblak, Hit K.Gora	21.2
2. Kure, AJM Maribor	19.2
3. Turcinovic, Merkur C.	18.5
4. Mikic, Grosuplje	18.3
5. Baric, Merkur C.	16.6
6. Komplet, Hit K.	16.6
7. Trebec, Hit K.Gora	15.7
8. Skof, Ilrija	14.8
9. Dover, AJM Maribor	14.6
10. Baltic, AJM M.	13.8

Rebounds Per Game

Ajda GABROVSEK
  Odeja KED
  (188-C-84)
  Avg: 14.1

1. Gabrovsek, Odeja K.	14.1
2. Turcinovic, Merkur C.	12.4
3. Skof, Ilrija	9.1
4. Baltic, AJM M.	8.5
5. Ljubenovic, Triglav	8.2
6. Macura, Jezica	8.0
7. Vene, Ilrija	7.5
8. Zdolsek, Triglav	7.3
9. Furman, AJM M.	7.0
10. Muhovic, Kozmetik.	6.7

Assists Per Game

Nika BARIC
  Merkur Celje
  (169-G-92)
  Avg: 5.5

1. Baric, Merkur C.	5.5
2. Oblak, Hit K.Gora	4.6
3. Oberc, Ilrija	4.4
4. Panic, Hit K.Gora	4.3
5. Jurse, Kozmetik.	4.1
6. Kolman, Grosuplje	3.4
7. Baltic, AJM M.	2.9
8. Abramovic, Merkur C.	2.9
9. Zdolsek, Triglav	2.8
10. Dover, AJM Maribor	2.7

Steals Per Game

Maja DROZG
  AJM Maribor
  (179-F/C-81)
  Avg: 4

1. Drozg, AJM Maribor	4.0
2. Oblak, Odeja KED	3.6
3. Oblak, Hit K.Gora	3.1
4. Abramovic, Merkur C.	2.9
5. Gabrovsek, Jezica	2.8
6. Oberc, Ilrija	2.6
7. Zalar, Ilrija	2.5
8. Bosilj, Merkur Celje	2.4
9. Zupancic, Grosuplje	2.4
10. Turcinovic, Merkur C.	2.4

Blocks Per Game

Ajda GABROVSEK
  Odeja KED
  (188-C-84)
  Avg: 1.4

1. Gabrovsek, Odeja K.	1.4
2. Pavli, Jezica	0.9
3. Srot, GVT Konjice	0.7
4. Klancnik, GVT K.	0.6
5. Baltic, AJM M.	0.5
6. Gjerkes, Grosuplje	0.5
7. Furman, AJM M.	0.5
8. Macura, Jezica	0.5
9. Vene, Ilrija	0.5
10. Zdovc, GVT Konjice	0.4

Celje erase 14-point deificit but fall to Maribor - by Zeljko Zule
Desite easing a 26-40 third quarter deficit, Celje fell short 57-59 to AJM Maribor in the Superleague game of the Round 3.
AJM Maribor-Celje 59-57: Despite erasing a 14-point third quarter deficit and even taking the 49-48 lead early in the final period, Celje couldn't hold off Maribor. Ana Turcinovic tied the with 10 seconds into the game, but Martina Dover (177-G-86) hit a game-winning jumper with two second remaining. Dover finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds, Maja Drozg scored 12 points and Kristina Baltic added 11. Celje was led by Ana Turcinovic who had a double-double with 19 points and 20 rebounds and Nika Baric netted 20 points.
Pivka-Odeja 50-64: Odeja, who never trailed, went on a 23-5 run spanning the first and second quarter to go ahead 41-21 at the break. Ajda Gabrovsek had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Tadeja Horvat scored 14 points.Pivkas lone scorer in double figures was Tina Jakovina with 13 points.

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SOUTH KOREA - Women

Winnus takes the Final spot - by Eurobasket News
Winnus takes the Final spot as they won over Bichumi 3-1 in the series. The decisive fourth game saw 68:52 win for the second team of the Regular Season. They opened the game with 16-8 and never looked back in the game. Lee Mi-Sun (175-G-79) stepped up with 20 points and Park Tae-Eun (170-G-87) followed her with 17.
The Final series between S-Birds and Winnus will start on March 28th.

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SWEDEN - Women

Damligan Semifinals: Telge is 1-0 up against Solna - by Eurobasket News
Semifinals, Game 1: Solna Vikings - Telge 60-81

Telge Basket players demonstrated wonderful performance last night. They blasted Solna Vikings on the road 60-81 for 1-0 lead in the Playoff Semifinals. The regular season champion will be the host in Game Two, which is scheduled for Saturday.
The game was mostly controlled by Telge. Solna Vikings was better in third quarter 22-19. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory last night. They made 17-of-21 charity shots (81.0 percent) during the game. Center Amanda Zahui (191-C-93) nailed a double-double by scoring 18 points and 11 rebounds for the winning side and international guard Cleopatra Forsman-Goga (180-G-91) accounted for 14 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. Telge's coach Johan Olsson felt very confident using entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. The former international center Katarina Andersson (191-C-83) came up with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks and American swingman Christy Bacon (182-G/F-80, college: Wyoming) added 10 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Solna Vikings in the defeat. Five Telge and four Solna Vikings players scored in double figures.
As mentioned above, Telge will host Solna on Saturday.

Solna Vikings: K.Andersson 12+5reb+2ast, E.Brooks 11+5reb, C.Bacon 10+6reb, K.Mindell Kidanu 10+4reb+1ast, M.Gultekin 9+1reb+5ast, R.Mason 6+2reb
Telge: A.Zahui 18+11reb+1ast, E.Eldebrink 18+2reb+1ast, C.Forsman-Goga 14+7reb+7ast, L.Metcalf 12+1reb+3ast, S.Kabengano 10+6reb+1ast, B.Drammeh 9+6reb

Stats Leaders - Damligan

Points Per Game

Brittany SMART
  Kvarnby
  (175-G-85)
  Avg: 24.5

1. Smart, Kvarnby	24.5
2. Saunders, Visby	22.3
3. Key, Marbo Basket	21.4
4. Abdi, 08	20.0
5. Zahui, Telge	18.4
6. Ferm, Eos	18.0
7. Glaser, Kvarnby	17.4
8. Atkinson, Norrk.	15.8
9. Metcalf, Telge	15.2
10. Frieson, Kvarnby	15.1

Rebounds Per Game

LaTangela ATKINSON
  Norrkoping
  (188-G/F-84)
  Avg: 11.2

1. Atkinson, Norrk.	11.2
2. Zahui, Telge	10.4
3. Tattersdill, Sallen	9.9
4. Frieson, Kvarnby	9.8
5. Scott, Lulea BBK	9.4
6. Brown, Visby	9.2
7. Forsman-Goga, Tel.	8.7
8. Smart, Kvarnby	8.4
9. Gustavsson, Brahe	8.1
10. Bacon, Solna Vikings	7.8

Assists Per Game

Leah METCALF
  Telge
  (173-G-83)
  Avg: 4.5

1. Metcalf, Telge	4.5
2. Johansen, Sallen	4.1
3. Smart, Kvarnby	4.1
4. Key, Marbo Basket	3.9
5. Kabengano, Telge	3.4
6. Rivero, Kvarnby	3.4
7. Saunders, Visby	3.4
8. Johansen, 08	3.1
9. Kucukkaya, Telge	3.0
10. Persson, Brahe	2.9

Steals Per Game

Anette JOHANSEN
  08
  (176-F-82)
  Avg: 4.3

1. Johansen, Sallen	4.3
2. Abdi, 08	3.3
3. Key, Marbo Basket	3.1
4. Brooks, Solna Vikings	3.1
5. Metcalf, Telge	3.0
6. Atkinson, Norrk.	2.9
7. Johansen, 08	2.8
8. Otamiri, Eos	2.5
9. Nekmouche, Sallen	2.4
10. Forsman-Goga, Tel.	2.2

Blocks Per Game

Katarina ANDERSSON
  Solna Vikings
  (191-C-83)
  Avg: 2

1. Andersson, Solna V.	2.0
2. Frieson, Kvarnby	1.6
3. Zahui, Telge	1.5
4. Cesnaviciute, Visby	1.3
5. Atkinson, Norrk.	1.0
6. Risto, 08	0.9
7. Stjarnstroem, Norrko.	0.9
8. Smart, Kvarnby	0.9
9. Scott, Lulea BBK	0.7
10. Forsman-Goga, Tel.	0.7

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TURKEY - Women

TBB2L Standings - by Emiliano

TKB2L Standings

Group A
1. TED Ankara		21-0
2. Cankaya		18-2
3. Izmir BSB		14-5
4. Gure Belediye		12-7
5. Bursa BSB		10-11
6. Kocaeli		9-10
7. Dortyol		7-12
8. Baglar Bld		4-16
9. Nigde T.T.		3-16
10. Konak Gures		0-19
Group B
1. Canik Bld		16-3
2. Antakya		14-5
3. Edremit		13-6
4. Nesibe		13-7
5. Nallihan		12-8
6. AGIAD		11-8
7. Antalya Koleji		11-9
8. Bandirma		3-16
9. Izmir Basket		2-17
10. Bakospor		1-17

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USBA - Women

WUSBA will conduct open tryouts for 2011 basketball season - by USBA Media

Atlanta, Ga., (March 23, 2011) ---The Women's United States Basketball Association (WUSBA), needs professional basketball players. The league will conduct tryouts in each team city on May 14 and May 21, 2011. The WUSBA has twenty teams divided into four divisions, spread over nine southern states. According to the league, the WUSBA tryouts are open to all qualified basketball players. The WUSBA own's and is the primary operator of all teams. Each team does operate independently of each other. The league has assigned an Event Manager as team representative for the local city.

Collegiate, minor league and international Player's are invited to submit resumes and biographies for consideration. We are also extending an invitation to basketball players who are based in our team cities.

The WUSBA 2011 basketball season begins on June 4, 2011 with preseason games. The regular season starts June 8, 2011 to August 27, 2011. Each team plays a twenty eight game schedule, fourteen home and fourteen away. The league has a mid season All Star Game scheduled for the 3rd week of July. The WUSBA Championship Playoff series begins August 29, 2011 and concludes with the Championship game on September 4, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia.

The WUSBA will not charge a fee to players for the tryouts. 'We have never had these fees as a part of our revenue stream; we encourage the huddled masses to come to the tryout'. The league requires each applicant submit a resume to the Women's United States Basketball Association or WUSBA. 'We do require all basketball players to have a minimum of two years collegiate playing experience'. Tryouts will be held to a 50 player limit set in place for all locations. Ten basketball players will be selected to make the roster of a WUSBA team. Player camps will begin on May 21, 2011 in each team city.

WUSBA president Duane Jenkins says, 'Announcing local tryouts gives us a prime opportunity for us to look closely at local talent and make the selection of players easy for our teams. We want our fans to be able to become familiar with the players and coaches and quite simply, the players and coaches will have ample time for players to select a team of his choice'.

The league has developed a comprehensive package for the coaches. Players are paid $300.00 per week. Players also receive housing and a daily meal at Golden Corral Buffet Restaurant. As a bonus, players will receive compensation for sponsor speaking engagements and sponsorship sales.

According to the league, each player will required to complete all applicable form during the registration period thats held the morning of the tryouts. 'We expect a huge response and each tryout is limited to 50 applicants, I suggest any candidate wishing to be considered should arrive at the try out location on time and ready to perform', said WUSBA Executive Vice President Kenneth Green. 'We're very excited about the upcoming season. None of our teams have players in place and this is a great opportunity for an aspiring individual who has the propensity to succeed'.

WUSBA announce Single Ticket Extravaganza for upcoming season - by USBA Media

Atlanta, Georgia (March 23, 2011) ---- The Women's United States Basketball Association (WUSBA), today, announced its plans for an unprecedented single ticket promotion that will include all teams. According to league officials the WUSBA will initiate the inaugural season with a special single ticket offering. The promotion will include all twenty teams in the league during the 2011 regular basketball season.

The league has set aside all single ticket sales per home game in each city. 'This promotion includes the WUSBA, the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc., and many of the leagues partners, sponsors and advertisers', said WUSBA president Duane Allen Jenkins. 'With economy the way it is at this point, we would like to offer the fans high intensity basketball and first class entertainment at a great price'. The promotion will begin on June 8, 2011 and end of the regular basketball season on August 27, 2011.

The WUSBA and The Women's United States Basketball Association Youth Outreach have join forces with Feeding America, Inc., to play great basketball and to stamp out hunger at the same time. The WUSBA, the WUSBA Youth Outreach and their advertisers and sponsors will participate in the promotion. The WUSBA will initiate its inaugural basketball season with the 2011 Single Game Ticket Extravaganza. Each team will offer a single game ticket for $8.00 and with the purchase of one ticket and the bringing of three can goods of food that will be donated to Feed America's food bank in the teams town; the fan will receive one additional ticket for free. In addition to the buy one single game ticket and get one single game ticket free, the purchasing ticket will receive a complimentary hot dog, hamburger or chicken sandwich and a large drink. Each purchaser of the single game ticket will be included in raffle drawing sponsored by the the WUSBA Youth Outreach and its sponsors. The drawing will be held during halftime of the last home game. The goal of the league and our commitment to fight hunger, the WUSBA and the WUSBA Youth Outreach will collect 1,215,000 cans of food and donate $ 5,000.00 to Feed America and their local food banks in each of the leagues twenty cities. A grand total of $100,000.00 will be donated to this fine organization and its local food banks as a result of this limited promotion.

According to the league, each single ticket purchased will be automatically included in a raffle. The raffle is sponsored by the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc. The prize give-away will take place at halftime of the last home game of each WUSBA team. All single ticket holders are eligible to participate in this drawing sponsored by the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc.

The prize list is as follows:

The 2011 WUSBA Single Game Ticket Extravaganza Raffle Drawing Prizes:

Grand Prize: One 2011 Toyota Corolla CE 4 Door Sedan
(One automobile given away in each team city, 20 total league wide)

2nd Prize: Disney World Family Vacation
(Family of four, four days and nights, airfare on Air Tran Airlines, transfers to and from the airport, accommodation at a Disney Theme Park Resort Hotel with meals, daily theme park passes for the family.
two vacations given away in each team city, 40 total league wide)

3rd Prize: Seafarer Cruise Extravaganza
(Trip for two to Miami, Florida, airfare on Air Tran Airlines, two day stay at an Intercontentintal Hotel, a roundtrip one day cruise for two to Nassau, Bahamas aboard Discovery Cruise, dinner for two at Outback Steak House, breakfast for two at International House of Pancake, and a one day car rental from Enterprise Car Rental, two trips given away in each team city, 40 total league wide)

4th prize: Outback Steakhouse Family Feast
($60.00 gift card, twenty- five gift cards given away in each team city, 500 total league wide.

5th Prize: Kroger Fuel Center Gas Card
($40.00 gas gift card, twenty-five gas gift cards given away in each team city, 500 total league wide)

6th prize: Visa Gift Card
($25.00 gift card, twenty-five gift cards given away in each team city, 500 total league wide)

7th Prize: Papa John's Pizza Explosion
(One large specialty pizza, fifty pizzas given away in each team city, 1000 total league wide).

8th Prize: AMC Movie Ticket Fiesta
(One pair of AMC movie tickets, twenty five pair of tickets given away in each team city, 500 total tickets league wide).

'All drawings for this promotion will be held at during the course of the teams final home game and, as far as we know, this appears to be the biggest and most extravagant single ticket promotion in the history of minor league sports', said Jenkins. 'We plan to go all out and begin our first season with a bang and all of our games will be geared toward top notched basketball competition, family fun and entertainment surrounded in a faith based environment, our goal is to offer each community a great experience', said Mr. Jenkins. 'We hope to see you and your friends, court side in 2011.'

About the Women's United States Basketball Association (WUSBA) --- The WUSBA is a triple AAA summer professional women's basketball league. The league was founded in January 2010. The league is headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. The WUSBA will show case players, coaches and dance team members for the WNBA and the International basketball community. The season will begin June 8, 2011. The regular season will end on September 4, 2011. Each team will play a twenty eight game schedule, which will include 14 home games and 14 away games. The league will host a mid season All Star Game and a season ending Championship play-off series. Elite players can be catapulted to enjoy further basketball career opportunities in the WNBA as well as exposure to the many professional International leagues from around the world. The WUSBA will accept eligible collegiate players from the NCAA. League advises college students to seek legal advice from an attorney and counsel from family, coaches or friends before contacting the WUSBA. The league age limit is 20 years old.

About the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc., --- The WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc., is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit company; the company was founded in January 2010. Approval for nonprofit status has been applied for and approval will be awarded. The WUSBA Youth Outreach gives aid to people in the community in need, regardless of race, gender, religion, age or any other positions of a persons life. Programs offered by the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc., can be seen by going to www.usbaball.com , click on WUSBA Youth Outreach page

Rules and Disclaimer
Purchase of a single game ticket to any 2011 WUSBA team home game necessary to be included in the raffle drawing. The WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc. is the sponsor of this promotion. This promotion is open to all residents of Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia who purchase a single game ticket during this promotion. The promotion ends August 27, 2011 at 7:25 pm.

WUSBA employees, family member of WUSBA employees, team members, Single Game Ticket Extravaganza sponsors, their employees and their families are ineligible to participate in this promotion. Participants must be at least 18 years old to participate in this promotion. One entry in raffle per single game ticket purchased. No other restrictions apply.

No substitution of prizes. Prizes are not refundable or transferable. Prize winners are responsible for all taxes and /or gratuity associated with prizes won in this promotion.

Odds of winning any prize in this promotion will be determined in direct relation of the number of single game tickets sold during this promotion. (Example: 20,000 single tickets sold per WUSBA team season, Grand Prize winning odds are 20,000 to 1, 2nd prize winning odds are 10,000 to 1, 3rd Prize winning odds are 10,000 to 1, 4th Prize winning odds are 800 to 1, each, 5th prize winning odds are 800 to 1, 6th Prize winning odds are 800 to 1, 7th Prize winning odds are 400 to 1 and 8th Prize winning odds are 400 to 1). The WUSBA has set aside 20,000 single game tickets per WUSBA team city to be sold. An odd of winning a prize in this promotion is derived on a per city basis only. If two single game tickets are purchased by the same individual during the course of the 2011 basketball season and before 7:25 pm on August 27, 2011, the odds will increase to give the ticket holder double the chance of winning a prize.

This promotion is a WUSBA Youth Outreach sponsored event. The WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) not for Profit Company. Season ticket purchases are not included in this promotion. 2nd and 3rd Prize winners must make travel reservation through the WUSBA. Travel blackout periods may affect certain travel dates. Grand Prize winners have a choice of color and transmission. Promotion is void where prohibited by law.

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WBCBL - Women

Player signed & sent overseas before 1st game - by Eurobasket News
The Columbus Hidden Gems signed Jamika Banks (6'0''-F, college: Tennessee St.) with every intention of her playing in the 2011 WBCBL season, but now will have to wait a while before she actually puts on the uniform. Jamika has signed a professional contract and is in Australia for the next few months beginning her dream. The 6'0' Forward is a powerful player who should have much success in her newly appointed place of employment. The Gems wish her well and hope to have her back by Regional & National Tournament time.
Courtesy of: http://www.wbcbl.com/