EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 6/26/2011

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Men News

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  ALGERIA   


Angevin announced Ahmed Fellah - by Eurobasket News
Angevin announced Ahmed Fellah (180-G-81) for the next season. The Algerian-French player comes from JSA Bordeaux Basket (France-NM1) where he played last season.
In 1997-1998 Ahmed Fellah appeared for Cholet junior team and then played for Angers (B). In 2001-2002 joined JSF Nanterre (N1, starting five) and became the fifth in stats for Assists-5 (5.9). In 2002-2003 moved to Saint-Etienne (ProB) and in 30 games averaged 6.6ppg, 2.3rpg, 4.5apg. In 2003-2004 for Saint-Etienne (ProB, starting five) his stats read 10.8ppg, 3.7rpg, 5.3apg. In 2004-2005 he improved to 10.5ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-3 (5.9apg), 2.1spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3FGP: 32.9%. In
2005-2006 Ahmed Fellah moved to Entente Orleans 45 (France-ProB, starting five) and after 33 games showed 7.7ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.4apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 81.8%. After another two seasons with the team, in 2008-2009 he moved to Besancon Basket Comte Doubs (France-ProA) and in 17 games had 2.9ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.8apg. In April 2010 signed at JSA Bordeaux Basket (France-ProB, starting five) and averaged 6.0ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.3apg, 2.3spg. The last season played for JSA Bordeaux Basket (France-NM1) as his stats read 3.0ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.6apg.



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  ARGENTINA   


Lithuania open Global Games 2011 tournament with victory - by Eurobasket News
Lithuania U19 - Argentina U19 69:43

Lithuania celebrated the first win at the international friendly tournament Global Games 2011 in Panevezys. They overcame their Argentinean counterparts in the opener. Vytenis Cizauskas (190-G-92) stepped up with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the effort.
Lithuania stepped on the gas right from the start. They outscored Argentina 23:7 in the first quarter. The Latin American youngsters came back to life in the second period. Argentina held the hosts to 9 points to narrow the deficit at 12 points. But Lithuania regained control after the big break. The home side ensured a 16-point lead with one quarter remaining and rallied to the victory at the end. Dovydas Redikas (193-G-92) and Egidijus Mockevicius (204-C-92) provided 11 points each for Lithuania. Luciano Massarelli (178-G-93) responded with 16 points for Argentina. Tayavek Gallizzi (202-F-93) and Michael Gullotta had 4 points apiece in the loss.

Lithuania U19: Vytenis Cizauskas 15, Dovydas Redikas 11, Egidijus Mockevicius 11
Argentina U19: Luciano Massarelli 16, Tayavek Gallizzi 4, Michael Gullotta 4


Deck and Reinaudi lead U16 Argentina to Finals in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
PUERTO RICO - ARGENTINA 90-96

Argentina advanced to the Big Final of U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. Argentina eliminated Puerto Rico in the very exciting Semifinals 96-90. They will fight for the Gold against powerful USA. On the other side, Puerto Rico will meet Canada in the battle for Bronze. Gabriel Deck (195-F-95) exploded with 33 points and 6 rebounds in this victory. Lucio Reinaudi (95) followed him with 23 pts and he was the last one with double-digits in Argentina. Their third scorer was Rodrigo Haag (95) with 8 pts. In the loosing squad, Miguel Cartagena (186-G-95) shined with 30 points. Eliel Gonzalez (189-G-95) had 20 and Ariel Watson (95) added 2 pts less.
Argentina made impressive 16-27 in the first ten minutes and continued with 12-21 after that. Third period also belonged to Argentina (17-21), who had comfortable lead with 10:00 to go. However, Puerto Rico didnt give up and they managed to treat in the finish, but the difference was too big and Argentina saved plus six until the end.
Saturday is the last day of the championship.

Puerto Rico: Miguel Cartagena 30, Eliel Gonzalez 20, Ariel Watson 18
Argentina: Gabriel Deck 33+6 boards, Lucio Reinaudi 23, Rodrigo Haag 8

Quimsa add James Williams - by Eurobasket News
Quimsa have ensured the services of James Williams (204-F/C-79, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Brown Mackie) for the next season. The forward has recently parted ways with Atenas. James Williams joined Atenas at the start of the previous season. The centre tallied 12.7 points, 8.2 boards and 2.2 steals per game in Liga A. He earned Latinbasket.com All-Argentinean LigaA Honourable Mention. Previously James Williams had stints in Mexico, Sweden, Estonia, USBL, Israel, Kuwait and Jordan.


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  AUSTRALIA   


Australia nip China in overtime at YouYi Games - by Eurobasket News
Australia - China 67:65 (OT)

Australia eked out an overtime victory against China at YouYi Games friendly series in Perth tonight. Luke Nevill (218-C-86, college: Utah) scored 20 points to pace the Boomers. The teams are scheduled to meet again on June 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
China opened the game on a 7:2 run but the Boomers quickly recovered. The hosts erased the deficit and surged ahead for a 19:14 lead at the first break. Jesse Wagstaff gave the Boomers an 8-point lead midway through the second period. Soon Aron Baynes made it 28:19 for Australia but China reacted with a 9:2 run to narrow the gap. LiuWei Wei (190-G-80) put the visitors ahead 33:32 late in the half. Damian Martin (188-G-84, college: Loyola Marymount) and Luke Nevill regained the advantage for the Boomers midway through the third term but not for too long. Xirelijiang and Yi Li (203-F/G-85) ensured Chinese lead 49:45 before the fourth quarter. Australia opened the fourth term with 9 points in a row to surge ahead. The Boomers were up by seven points with just over two minutes remaining 62:55. However LiuWei Wei, Wang ShiPeng (197-G/F-83), Jinhui Ding and Wang ZhiZhi (214-C-79) erased the deficit and forced overtime. Luke Nevill and David Barlow (205-F-83, college: Metro St.) put the hosts in charge early in the extra period and Australia hung on to escape with a narrow victory at the end.
Damian Martin accounted for 11 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the Boomers. David Barlow produced 8 points in the victory. Wang ShiPeng answered with 22 points for China. LiuWei Wei, Yi Li and Wang ZhiZhi delivered 8 points each in the losing effort.

Australia: Luke Nevill 20, Damian Martin 11, David Barlow 8
China: Wang ShiPeng 22, LiuWei Wei 8, Yi Li 8, Wang ZhiZhi 8


Australia roll past Brazil at 2011 Global Games in Lithuania - by Eurobasket News
Australia U19 - Brazil U19 88:64

Australian U19 National Team opened their 2011 Global Games tournament campaign with victory. The Emus prevailed against Brazilian counterparts in Panevezys. Anthony Drmic (196-F/G-92) and Hugh Greenwood (190-PG-92) led well-balanced effort with 12 points each.
Australia started the game strong as they piled up a 25:18 lead after ten minutes. The Emus maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. Moreover Australia stretched the distance to 16 points at the interval 48:32. Australia stayed aggressive in the third term. Brazil accounted for only 14 points to face a 19-point deficit heading into the fourth period. Australia did not slow down and marched to a confident win at the end. Mitchell Creek (198-F/G-92), Lewis Thomas (203-F-92) and Daniel Trist (204-F/C-92) provided 11 points apiece in the victory. Lucas Riva (211-C-92) answered with 14 points for Brazil. Cristiano Felicio (206-C-92) delivered 10 points in the loss.

Australia U19: Anthony Drmic 12, Hugh Greenwood 12, Mitchell Creek 11, Lewis Thomas 11, Daniel Trist 11
Brazil U19: Lucas Riva 14, Cristiano Felicio 10


Valencia wants Matt Nielsen and Andrew James Ogilvy - by Eurobasket News
Australian players Matt Nielsen (208-F/C-78, agency: Beo Basket) and Andrew James Ogilvy (211-C-88, college: Vanderbilt) could continue their careers in Spain. Power Electronics Valencia wants to sign two Australians for the next season. Nielsen already was a member of Valencia on season 2009/10. In 17 EuroCup games he averaged 9.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 2.5 apg. Nielsen helped Valencia win the title in this competition. In Spain he added 8.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 2.9 apg. Last season, Nielsen spent with Greek Olympiakos. He had 4.4 ppg and 2.9 rpg for them in Euroleague, plus 9 ppg and 3.8 rpg in Greek league. They won the Greek National Cup.
Andrew James Ogilvy spent last season with Besiktas. He had 10.9 ppg and 5.8 rpg in EuroCup. For 30 games in Turkish league Ogilvy added 12.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 1.1 bpg. He is a product of the Vanderbilt University.

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  AUSTRIA   


Slovenia U20 upset the hosts in Oberwart - by Eurobasket News
Austria U20-Slovenia U20 60:76

Slovenia U20 upset the hosts in Oberwart at the start of the International Tournament with 4 teams. Slovenian side needed the strong second half for 76:60 win.
Austria, being the hosts of the four-nation campaign started the game with 18-17 after the first ten minutes. They continued to be a tough opponent, but he guests grabbed 35:33 halftime advantage. In the third period Slovenia added another three points to the lead to enjoy 58:52 deficit. At the end Austria tried hard to recover but lost the opener.
Mitja Smrdelj paced all the winners with 19 points for the first win. Klemen Prepelic (190-G-92) netted 14, whilst Alen Omic (213-C-92) added 12. Anton Maresch (192-G-91) ended up with 15 points in the losing effort and Thomas Klepeisz (187-G-91) posted 10. Erik Fruhwirth (204-C/F-91), Jozo Rados (203-C-93) and Romed Vieider (196-F-91) scored 7 points each in defeat.

Austria U20: Anton Maresch 15, Thomas Klepeisz 10, Erik Fruhwirth 7, Jozo Rados 7, Romed Vieider 7
Slovenia U20: Mitja Smrdelj (201-F-91) 19, Klemen Prepelic 14, Alen Omic 12



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  BELGIUM   


Charleroi Transfer News - by Peter Buyse
Spirou Charleroi has announced the contract extension of American guard Demond Mallet (185-G-78, college: McNeese St.). He will be a member of the Charleroi roster for another 2 seasons.
The former McNeese guard earned all kind of Eurobasket Awards this past season after leading Charleroi to yet another championship.
He earned the Belgian league Player of the Year and Eurobasket Player of the year as well as Playoff MVP after a season in which he averaged 15.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg and 2.2 apg.
Demond also was Player of the Year in college (Southland Conf) and in Germany he was voted PoY on 2 occasions while playing for Braunschweig.
Over his career he won championship and cups in both Germany and Spain, as well as the Uleb Cup in 2005 with Badalona.

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  BRAZIL   


Australia roll past Brazil at 2011 Global Games in Lithuania - by Eurobasket News
Australia U19 - Brazil U19 88:64

Australian U19 National Team opened their 2011 Global Games tournament campaign with victory. The Emus prevailed against Brazilian counterparts in Panevezys. Anthony Drmic (196-F/G-92) and Hugh Greenwood (190-PG-92) led well-balanced effort with 12 points each.
Australia started the game strong as they piled up a 25:18 lead after ten minutes. The Emus maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. Moreover Australia stretched the distance to 16 points at the interval 48:32. Australia stayed aggressive in the third term. Brazil accounted for only 14 points to face a 19-point deficit heading into the fourth period. Australia did not slow down and marched to a confident win at the end. Mitchell Creek (198-F/G-92), Lewis Thomas (203-F-92) and Daniel Trist (204-F/C-92) provided 11 points apiece in the victory. Lucas Riva (211-C-92) answered with 14 points for Brazil. Cristiano Felicio (206-C-92) delivered 10 points in the loss.

Australia U19: Anthony Drmic 12, Hugh Greenwood 12, Mitchell Creek 11, Lewis Thomas 11, Daniel Trist 11
Brazil U19: Lucas Riva 14, Cristiano Felicio 10


U16 Brazil beats U16 Mexico thanks to great second half - by Eurobasket News
BRAZIL - MEXICO 71-57

Brazil was too strong for Mexico 71-57 on Friday. It was the first game of the Classification Round from 5th to 8th place at the U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. Brazil made the first step and they will meet Chile today in the battle for fifth place. Mexico will try to beat Costa Rica and to avoid the last place at this event. Mexico was better than Brazil in the first half (23-28), but they somehow stopped after that. Brazil shined after the breather and with two great periods (20-11, 28-18) won the game with comfortable 71-57.
Fernando Stafleu (95) came up with 24 points and 10 rebounds in victory. Lucas Dias (96) secured a great help adding 16 pts and 8 boards. Higor Simas (95) was third scorer in victory with 7 points (6 rebs). For the hosts, Omar De Haro (95) delivered 21 points. Jose Hermosillo (95) stopped to 7 pts and 9 rebounds.

Brazil: Fernando Stafleu 24+10 boards, Lucas Dias 16+8 boards, Higor Simas 7+6 boards
Mexico: Omar De Haro 21, Jose Hermosillo 7+9 boards

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  BULGARIA   


Croatia outlast Bulgaria for first win in Douai - by Eurobasket News
Croatia U18 - Bulgaria U18 73:59

Croatia opened win count at Douai International tournament. They prevailed against Bulgarian counterparts to improve at 1-3 record. Bulgaria on the other hand fell at 1-3 record after the loss. Josip Mikulic (210-F-93) delivered 17 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge.
Croatia outgunned Bulgaria to take a 20:10 lead after ten minutes. The Croats maintained the lead throughout the second term. They established a 44:27 halftime advantage. Bulgaria could not pick up the tempo in the third term. Croatia arrived at the final break leading by as many as 19 points. Bulgaria cut the deficit at 13 points early in the fourth quarter but Croatia hung on to seal the victory at the end. Stipe Cubric (182-G-93) nailed 14 points, while Matej Buovac (198-F/G-93) contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. Tencho Tenchev (203-F-93) responded with 17 points for Bulgaria. Denislav Vutev (206-C-94) delivered 15 points in the losing effort.

Croatia U18: Josip Mikulic 17, Stipe Cubric 14, Matej Buovac 13+10 boards
Bulgaria U18: Tencho Tenchev 17, Denislav Vutev 15


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  CAMEROON   


The national selection soon in a training period - by Eurobasket News
Cameroon has already held its preparation programme for the 2011 Afrobasket Madagascar. The Indomitable Lions will therefore be running in from June 20th in Yaound before going to Serbia and then to China for various training camps. 'The training camp will start on June 20th. We will train for a week in Yaound. The national team will continue for three weeks, its preparation in Serbia, where she will play a number of friendly matches. The last stage of the training camp will take place in China for ten days. Then we will head for Madagascar ', the national coach, Stephen Obah said.

After the draw for the Afro basket made on Saturday in Antananarivo, Cameroon will play in pool C with Cte d'Ivoire, South Africa and Egypt. 'Cte d'Ivoire is a very difficult opponent to play, who defeated us two years ago, in Libya. Egypt is also a team that has experienced players. It is South Africa that seems easier, however the team has made much progress in recent years, 'said the coach. In conclusion, 'this pool is not easy one to play. All teams have proven themselves. Even an unconscious cannot say otherwise. However, Cameroon has chances to reach the second round, provided the mistakes of the past are not repeated, ' said Etienne Obah .

Cte d'Ivoire, in 19 participation, won the gold medal twice at the Basketball African Nations Championship of in 1981 and 1985, and the silver medal on three occasions: 1978, 1980 and 2009. She also participated in the World Championships in 1982, 1986 and 2010. On its part, Egypt has five championship titles in Africa (1962, 1964, 1970, 1975, 1983). In seven participations in the Summer Olympic Games, it realised its best performance (12th) in Helsinki in 1952. In 1995, at the World Championships, the Egyptian selection was sixth. In 2001 she became the first non-European team to reach the semi-finals of this competition. South Africa just contents itself for the time being with a ninth place in the Africa championship in 1997 and 2003. Last February, David Stern, the head of the NBA, the North America league, announced he has reached an agreement with the Royal Bafokeng Nation, South African community, to create an educational programme for the development of basketball in schools. The Cameroon basketball selection on its part, has participated 18 times in the African Nations Championship of men's basketball. Its best performances are the silver medal won in 2007 in Angola and the 4th place in 1974. Twelve other African countries are divided into three groups, including Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria and Mali in Group A, Angola, Chad, Morocco and Senegal in Group B, and finally Tunisia, Togo , Central African Republic (CAR) and Rwanda in Group D.
Courtesy of: www.starafrica.com

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  CANADA   


U16 USA blasts U16 Canada 113-70, goes to Finals in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
USA - CANADA 113-70

USA had no troubles to beat Canada 113-70 and to reach the Big Final of U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. USA will meet Argentina in the battle for Gold. On the other side, Canada will play against Puerto Rico for third place. Today is the last day of the championship.
USA took control on Canada from the very beginning. They made 31-7 lead in the first ten minutes and jumped to plus 35 until the halftime. Question about the winner was already resolved and second half was just the formality (29-16, 21-26).
Aaron Gordon (96) stepped up with 22 points and 8 rebounds for USA. Jahlil Okafor-Benton (96) followed him with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Theophilus Pinson Jr. (96) added 15 pts and 5 rebs. In Canada, Anthony Pate (95) and Malcom Duvivier (95) delivered 10 points each. Miroslav Jaksic (95) collected 9 points and 8 rebounds.

USA: Aaron Gordon 22+8 boards, Jahlil Okafor-Benton 16+7 boards, Theophilus Pinson Jr. 15+5 boards
Canada: Anthony Pate 10, Malcom Duvivier 10, Miroslav Jaksic 9+8 boards

Raptors exercise team options on forwards DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson, Ed Davis - by Eurobasket News
The Toronto Raptors have picked up team options on guard-forward Demar DeRozan (6'7''-F-89, college: USC) and forwards James Johnson (6'9''-F-87, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wake Forest) and Ed Davis (6'10''-F-89, college: N.Carolina).

The club announced the moves involving all three players on Friday.

DeRozan had his fourth-year option picked up after averaging 13 points, 3.4 rebounds and 28.4 minutes in his first three seasons. He was their only player to start all 82 games last season.

Johnson also had his fourth year picked up after joining the Raptors on Feb. 22 in a trade with Chicago. He averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25 games with Toronto.

Davis has his third year option exercised after averaging 7.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 65 appearances last season. He was first among NBA records at 57.6 percent field-goal shooting.

Courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

Volcanoes' quick start yields win - by Eurobasket News
You won't read this sentence often. The Vancouver Volcanoes lost the second quarter, lost the third quarter, tied the fourth quarter and still earned the blowout win Friday.

It wasn't quite over before it started, but it was over before the second period started, as the Volcanoes rolled to a 121-96 International Basketball League win over the Kankakee County Soldiers at O'Connell Sports Center.

Vancouver (11-6) led 39-12 after the first quarter and went up 49-12 less than three minutes into the second. Kankakee (12-6), from Illinois, slowly chipped away at the deficit, but never got closer than 18 points.

Granted, the latter 30 minutes or so of the game featured more lethargy than it did energy, but the Volcanoes are going to be thinking more about how started than how they finished.

We have the playoffs coming up, and we wanted to treat this game like it was a playoff game, Volcanoes coach Bryan Hunter said. Its hard to stay motivated when youre up by that much that quickly.

Vancouvers Andre Murray (188-G-87, college: Portland St.) led all scorers Friday with 21 points, the former Portland State guard hitting 10 of his 22 shots. Devin Uskoski (198-C-85, college: Rocky Mountain) and Brad Lechtenberg (188-G-81, college: San Diego) added 18 points apiece for the Volcanoes - Lechtenberg going 6 for 10 from 3-point distance.

But the principal player in the early route was Vancouvers defense, which pressured bewildered Soldiers guards to the point that simply crossing half court became a mini victory. Murray thinks the two consecutive losses Vancouver experienced last week may have been the impetus for his teams intensity.

We didn't want to feel like that again, Murray said. We play well at home. Getting to host the playoffs at home might be our good luck charm.

Those playoffs begin next Friday, but not before two more regular-season games taking place Sunday and Tuesday.

The lopsided scoring Friday allowed fan favorite Kenta Nakashima of Japan to enter the game late for Vancouver. He didnt disappoint, scoring six points in one minute and 47 seconds.

Kenta always goes hard, teammate Lawrence Blackledge said. Its never surprising when he makes some shots.


VANCOUVER VOLCANOES 121, KANKAKEE SOLDIERS 96

KANKAKEE (12-6) Alexander 3-8 2-4 10, TJ Jackson 4-15 6-6 14, Booyer 7-14 5-6 20, Tyler 6-15 2-2 18, Lambert 1-5 0-0 2, J Jackson 7-14 0-2 14, Gweth 5-10 1-2 12, Sickmeyer 2-6 0-0 4, Sickmeyer 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 36-90 16-22 96.

VANCOUVER (11-6) Lechtenberg 6-12 0-0 18, Bloodsaw 1-5 1-2 3, Williams 3-6 8-8 15, Tarver 6-9 2-4 17, Blackledge 5-15 0-3 10, Murray 10-22 1-1 21, Nakaskima 2-2 1-2 6, Uskoski 7-12 4-5 18, Carlisle 1-3 0-3 2, Nevels 4-6 1-1 9, Moritz 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 46-96 18-29 121.

Kankakee 12 30 26 28 96

Vancouver 39 26 28 28121

Courtesy of www.columbian.com



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  CBL   


Cary runs away with CBL title - by Eurobasket News
At a packed and lively Young Center on Friday night, the Cary Invasion (12-1) beat the CBL South Division representative the Florida Flight (Orlando) by a score of 131-101 to win the Continental Basketball League Championship. The Invasion jumped out to an early lead of over 20 points in the first half and led by 15 points at halftime. The Flight cut the lead to 11 points in the 3rd quarter, but the Invasion never trailed in the game, and the game was never really in doubt. Points came from all 10 Invasion players, and 7 Cary players scored in double figures. Cary out-rebounded Florida 50 to 29.

Invasion guard Freddy Little (6'1''-G-86, college: Montevallo) led all scorers with 26 points in the win. Charles Ward (6'7''-F/G-80, agency: ARN Sports and Entertainment, college: St.Augustine) added 22 points for Cary, and former NCCU star Jonathan Moore (6'8''-F/G-82, college: N.C.Central) had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Invasion. Cordell Jeanty (6'5''-F-79, college: John A.Logan CC) had 25 points in the losing effort for the Flight. Freddy Little was named Player of the Game and league MVP. Invasion Coach MarQus Johnson was named CBL Coach of the Year.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

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  CHILE   


U16 Chile hands 105-48 loss to U16 Costa Rica in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
CHILE - COSTA RICA 105-48

Chile cruised past Costa Rica to 105-48 victory in Cancun. It was the first game of the Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. It means that Chile will meet Brazil today and the winner will end as No.5. Costa Rica will play against Mexico and will try to avoid the last place in Cancun. Chile dominated in all basketball elements against their rivals. Quarters: 30-10, 20-13, 26-11, 29-14.
Eugenio Luzcando (95) top-scored for the winners with 26 points. He also had 9 rebounds and 5 assists beside that. Hernan Soto (95) had 15 points and 5 boards, while Martin Pino (95) added 14 pts, plus 5 assists. In CRC, Milton Jimenez (95) shined with 27 points. Their second scorer was Henry Sanchez (95) with 9 points (5 rebs).

Chile: Eugenio Luzcando 26+9 boards+5 as, Hernan Soto 15+5 boards, Martin Pino 14+5 as
Costa Rica: Milton Jimenez 27, Henry Sanchez 9+5 boards

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  CHINA   


Changan Group defeats Whampoa in the closest game of the week - by Eurobasket News
The most exciting derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of second-best Whampoa (4-2) to seventh ranked Changan Group (3-3) 91-88 on Saturday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Whampoa. Whampoa was trailing by 2 points at halftime but managed to get 4-point lead after three quarters before a 22-15 charge of Changan Group, which allowed them to win the game. They also forced 22 Whampoa turnovers. 25 personal fouls committed by Whampoa helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Americans were the main players on the court. Guard Nick Stallings (190-83, college: Centenary) scored 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals to lead the charge for the winners and forward Jahmar Thorpe (198-84, college: Houston) chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. The best for the losing side was forward Alan Wiggins (206-85, college: USF) with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 12 rebounds. Changan Group moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams. Whampoa at the other side keeps the second position with two games lost. Changan Group is looking forward to face league's leader ShenYang in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Whampoa will play against Hebei and is hoping to win this game.
Very important is a road loss of third ranked Hebei (3-3) against eighth ranked Guangzhou FM (3-3) on Saturday night. Visiting Hebei was defeated by Guangzhou FM in a tough game on the road 88-95. American forward Raymond Canady Jr. (201-84, college: Valdosta St.) notched 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the effort and Sani Sakakini supported him with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Even a double-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals by American forward Christopher Lawson (193-83, college: Houston) did not help to save the game for Hebei. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guangzhou FM moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams including defeated Hebei. Guangzhou FM will play against bottom-ranked Hangzhou (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hebei will play against the league's second-placed Whampoa (#2) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Fourth ranked host Ningxia Hanas (3-3) lost to first ranked ShenYang (5-1) 106-96. The best player for the winners was DeAngelo Collins who had a double-double by scoring 24 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. At the other side the best for losing team was Kenneth Simms who recorded a double-double by scoring 29 points and 12 rebounds. ShenYang maintains first position with 5-1 record. Loser Ningxia Hanas dropped to the third place with three games lost. They share the position with 5 other teams. ShenYang will meet Changan Group (#7) in the next round where they are favorite. Ningxia Hanas will play against Heilongjiang (#9) and hope to secure a win.
Heilongjiang (#5) was upset in by eighth ranked Sichuan 99-90. It was a good game for T.J. Bannister who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Sichuan (3-3) moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams. Heilongjiang at the other side dropped to the ninth position with four games lost. Sichuan's next round opponent will be Jiangsu (#3), which may be the game of the day. Heilongjiang will play against Ningxia Hanas (#5).

In the last game of round 6 Jiangsu won against Hangzhou on the opponent's court 102-95.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 20 points, 20 rebounds and 6 blocks by Benson Egemonye of Heilongjiang.

Changan Group - Whampoa 91-88

The most exciting derby game ended with only three-point defeat on the road of second-best Whampoa (4-2) to seventh ranked Changan Group (3-3) 91-88 on Saturday evening. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Whampoa. Whampoa was trailing by 2 points at halftime but managed to get 4-point lead after three quarters before a 22-15 charge of Changan Group, which allowed them to win the game. They also forced 22 Whampoa turnovers. 25 personal fouls committed by Whampoa helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Americans were the main players on the court. Guard Nick Stallings (190-83, college: Centenary) scored 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 steals to lead the charge for the winners and forward Jahmar Thorpe (198-84, college: Houston) chipped in 18 points and 5 rebounds during the contest. Stallings is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Four Changan Group players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was forward Alan Wiggins (206-85, college: USF) with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 12 rebounds and swingman Michael Joiner (200-81, college: Florida St.) scored 19 points and 8 rebounds. Changan Group moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams. Whampoa at the other side keeps the second position with two games lost. Changan Group is looking forward to face league's leader ShenYang in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. Whampoa will play against Hebei and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Changan Group: S.Nick 21+7reb+5ast, S.Jian 18+1reb, T.Jahmar 18+5reb+2ast, S.Lei 15+1reb+2ast, R.XiaTi 8+2reb, J.JunQi 6+2reb+2ast
Whampoa: W.Alan 27+12reb+1ast, J.Michael 19+8reb, J.Lei 13+5reb, Y.Ning 7+5reb+3ast, W.Jing 7+2reb+2ast, W.SongWei 6+5ast
gschID: 129327


Hangzhou - Jiangsu 95-102

Very expected game when 10th ranked Hangzhou (1-5) was defeated at home by sixth ranked Jiangsu (3-3) 102-95. The guests took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Hangzhou won third quarter 31-23. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Americans were the main players on the court also this time. It was a good game for center Kenny Lawson (205-88, college: Creighton) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 34 points (!!!) and 12 rebounds. Guard Justin Johnson (198-86, college: Iowa) contributed with 21 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Four Jiangsu players scored in double figures. Jiangsu's coach WanJun Cui used entire bench and allowed the starting five to rest. Forward Dante Milligan (206-84, college: Massachusetts) replied with a double-double by scoring 27 points and 21 rebounds and forward Austen Powers (203-87, college: Seattle, agency: Tank Sports) added 26 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists in the effort for Hangzhou. Jiangsu have a solid three-game winning streak. They moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams. Hangzhou lost third consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with five games lost. Jiangsu's next round opponent will be Sichuan (#4). Hangzhou will play against Guangzhou FM (#6).
Top scorers:
Jiangsu: L.Kenny 34+12reb+1ast, J.Justin 21+6reb+1ast, S.XianLing 14+4reb+5ast, F.Xin 11+4reb+4ast, Z.YanXi 7+3reb, G.Yang 4+6reb+1ast
Hangzhou: M.Dante 27+21reb+1ast, P.Austen 26+14reb+5ast, Y.Wang 15+4reb+1ast, Z.Tian-bao 9+2reb+5ast, L.Wei 8+2reb, Z.Honglin 5+1reb+3ast
gschID: 129324


Ningxia Hanas - ShenYang 96-106

Fourth ranked host Ningxia Hanas (3-3) lost to first ranked ShenYang (5-1) 106-96. The game was mostly controlled by ShenYang. Ningxia Hanas managed to win second period 31-30. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They made 23-of-28 free shots (82.1 percent) during the game. ShenYang had a 33-21 advantage in offensive rebounds. The best player for the winners was American forward DeAngelo Collins (206-82, college: High School) who had a double-double by scoring 24 points, 16 rebounds and 6 assists. The other American import guard Corey Allmond (188-88, college: Howard Col. (TX)) chipped in 30 points and 5 rebounds. At the other side the best for losing team was American center Kenneth Simms (203-86, college: Cumberland, agency: TSS Management) who recorded a double-double by scoring 29 points and 12 rebounds and guard Kaifu Yao (196-83) added 21 points respectively. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. ShenYang maintains first position with 5-1 record. Loser Ningxia Hanas dropped to the third place with three games lost. They share the position with 5 other teams. ShenYang will meet Changan Group (#7) in the next round where they are favorite. Ningxia Hanas will play against Heilongjiang (#9) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
ShenYang: A.Corey 30+5reb+3ast, C.DeAngelo 24+16reb+6ast, C.XiaoDong 17+7reb+1ast, Z.Kun 13+6reb+2ast, L.Xu 8+4reb+1ast, X.Lu 7+3reb+4ast
Ningxia Hanas: S.Kenneth 29+12reb, Y.Kaifu 21+2reb+2ast, H.Ramon 16+6reb+2ast, M.Yansong 11+2reb+1ast, X.Zhongjie 9+6reb, D.Junjiang 7+2reb
gschID: 129325


Guangzhou FM - Hebei 95-88

Very important is a road loss of third ranked Hebei (3-3) against eighth ranked Guangzhou FM (3-3) on Saturday night. Visiting Hebei was defeated by Guangzhou FM in a tough game on the road 88-95. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Hebei won third quarter 23-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Guangzhou FM dominated down low during the game scoring 62 of its points in the paint compared to Hebei's 42. Guangzhou FM forced 22 Hebei turnovers. American forward Raymond Canady Jr. (201-84, college: Valdosta St.) notched 18 points and 9 rebounds to lead the effort and Palestinian center Sani Sakakini (204-88) supported him with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Canady Jr. is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Even a double-double of 19 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals by American forward Christopher Lawson (193-83, college: Houston) did not help to save the game for Hebei. His fellow American import power forward Terence Dials (206-83, college: Ohio St.) added 12 points and 13 rebounds. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Guangzhou FM moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams including defeated Hebei. Guangzhou FM will play against bottom-ranked Hangzhou (#10) in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Hebei will play against the league's second-placed Whampoa (#2) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Guangzhou FM: C.Jr. Raymond 18+9reb+2ast, S.TianGang 15+1reb+2ast, S.Sani 12+15reb+1ast, H.Jartavious 12+10reb, L.Xuesong 12+2reb+5ast, L.Dapeng 11+2reb+1ast
Hebei: L.Christopher 19+12reb+5ast, Y.Tingyu 16+2reb+1ast, D.Terence 12+13reb+1ast, Z.GuoDong 11+4reb, Z.ZhenHu 10+3reb, W.Jian 8
gschID: 129326


Sichuan - Heilongjiang 99-90

Heilongjiang (#5) was upset in by eighth ranked Sichuan 99-90. The hosts were already 13 points ahead after 3 quarters before a 17-13 Heilongjiang's run in the last quarter cut the lead to 99-90 at the end of the game. Sichuan dominated down low during the game scoring 60 of its points in the paint compared to Heilongjiang's 40 and made 24-of-29 charity shots (82.8 percent) during the game. Sichuan forced 20 Heilongjiang turnovers. It was a good game for American guard T.J. Bannister (180-84, college: Liberty, agency: Warren Sports International) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 22 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists. Forward Ma Chao (196-86) contributed with 27 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Nigerian center Benson Egemonye (207-83, college: Niagara) replied with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 20 rebounds and 6 blocks and American guard Courtney Pigram (185-85, college: E.Tenn.St.) added 29 points in the effort for Heilongjiang. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Sichuan (3-3) moved-up to third place, which they share with 5 other teams. Heilongjiang at the other side dropped to the ninth position with four games lost. Sichuan's next round opponent will be Jiangsu (#3), which may be the game of the day. Heilongjiang will play against Ningxia Hanas (#5).
Top scorers:
Sichuan: C.Ma 27+5reb+1ast, B.T.J. 22+7reb+11ast, W.Ryan 18+8reb+1ast, M.Long 8+1reb, H.XiaoBin 7+1ast, L.Peng 7+3reb+1ast
Heilongjiang: P.Courtney 29+2reb+2ast, E.Benson 20+20reb+2ast, Z.Yong-lin 9, H.Mengxin 8+7reb, W.Nan 7+1reb+1ast, L.Naiyuan 6+4reb+1ast
gschID: 129323




China Loses 67-65 in OT to Australia - by Arthur Volbert
China lost to a strong, but not complete, version of the Australian National Team in overtime 67-65 in an exhibition in Perth.

Wang ShiPeng (197-G/F-83) led China with 22 points. He hit only 6 of 15 two-point shots but 4 of 7 three-pointers in 32 minutes. Wang Zhizhi had 8 points and 6 rebounds in 23 minutes. Su Wei, his backup, had 2 points and 2 rebounds in 12 minutes. Ding Jinhui had 10 rebounds in 34 minutes but only hit 1 of 6 shots and scored only 2 points. He also had 2 blocks as he auditioned to be Yi Jianlian's backup when Yi rejoins the team.

Liu Wei had 8 points in 33 minutes but only hit 4 of 14 shots and had 1 assist and 2 turnovers. Xirelijiang had 3 points in 7 minutes as Liu's backup. Sun Yue had 7 points in 27 minutes along with 7 rebounds and 4 assists to 3 turnovers as well as 2 blocks. But he missed all 4 three-pointers he attempted -- a continuing problem for Sun. Yi Li had 8 points and 4 rebounds in 27 minutes and made all 6 of his free throws. Unfortunately he made only 1 of 8 shots. But Yi is new to this level of competition. Zhou Peng had 5 points and 5 fouls in 16 minutes and might have played more had he not fouled out. Mo Ke and Wang Lei appeared for about 5 minutes each.

Australia outrebounded China 46-36 and each team had 18 turnovers. Actually this performance bodes well for China's chances to win the Asian championship since no Asian team is as strong as Australia, even with stars like Andrew Bogut missing. And Yi Jianlian did not play for China.

Chinese NBL round 6 best performance: DeAngelo Collins - by Eurobasket News
American forward DeAngelo Collins (206-F-82) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for top-ranked ShenYang, receiving a Asia-basket.com NBL Player of the Week award for round 6.
The 28-year old player had a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds, while his team beat Ningxia Hanas (#5, 3-3) 106-96. It allowed ShenYang to consolidate first place in the Chinese NBL. ShenYang have a solid 5-1 record. Collins just recently signed at ShenYang, being already a very valuable addition to the team. Former High School star has very solid stats this year. Collins is in league's top in points (6th best: 22.7ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 14.5rpg), assists (2nd best: 5.8apg) and averages impressive 4.5bpg and 2.3spg.

The second best player in last round's games was 23-year old American Austen Powers (203-F-87, agency: Tank Sports) of Hangzhou. Powers had a very good evening with a double-double of 26 points and 14 rebounds. Bad luck as Hangzhou lost that game 95-102 to the higher-ranked Jiangsu (#3, 3-3). Hangzhou are still at the very bottom. 5 lost games are too many comparing to just one victory Hangzhou managed to get this year. Powers is one of the most experienced players at Hangzhou and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 22.0ppg (#8). He also registered 11.2 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was Nigerian center Benson Egemonye (207-C-83) of Heilongjiang (#9). Egemonye scored 20 points and grabbed twenty rebounds (!!!). Despite Egemonye's great performance Heilongjiang lost 90-99 to the higher-ranked Sichuan (#4, 3-3). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Heilongjiang not to end season at such low position in the league, however are less than slim as they have already lost 4 games, recording just two victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Egemonye could try to bring Heilongjiang's a little bit higher in the standings. Egemonye has individually a great season in China. After only 6 games, he made it on the list of the league's leaders in points with 22.2ppg (7th best) and rebounds with 17.3rpg (#1 in league). He also has 3.5bpg and FGP: 59.7%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Dante Milligan (206-F-84) of Hangzhou - 27 points and 21 rebounds
5. Kenny Lawson (205-C-88) of Jiangsu - 34 points and 12 rebounds
6. Corey Allmond (188-G-88) of ShenYang - 30 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Alan Wiggins (206-F-85) of Whampoa - 27 points and 12 rebounds
8. Nick Stallings (190-G-83) of Changan Group - 21 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists
9. T.J. Bannister (180-G-84) of Sichuan - 22 points, 7 rebounds and 11 assists
10. Christopher Lawson (193-F-83) of Hebei - 19 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists

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

Standings - NBL
NBL Standings
 1. ShenYang 5-1 
 2. Whampoa 4-2 
 3. Jiangsu 3-3 
 4. Sichuan 3-3 
 5. Ningxia Hanas 3-3 
 6. Guangzhou FM 3-3 
 7. Changan Group 3-3 
 8. Hebei 3-3 
 9. Heilongjiang 2-4 
 10. Hangzhou 1-5 


Australia nip China in overtime at YouYi Games - by Eurobasket News
Australia - China 67:65 (OT)

Australia eked out an overtime victory against China at YouYi Games friendly series in Perth tonight. Luke Nevill (218-C-86, college: Utah) scored 20 points to pace the Boomers. The teams are scheduled to meet again on June 26 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
China opened the game on a 7:2 run but the Boomers quickly recovered. The hosts erased the deficit and surged ahead for a 19:14 lead at the first break. Jesse Wagstaff gave the Boomers an 8-point lead midway through the second period. Soon Aron Baynes made it 28:19 for Australia but China reacted with a 9:2 run to narrow the gap. LiuWei Wei (190-G-80) put the visitors ahead 33:32 late in the half. Damian Martin (188-G-84, college: Loyola Marymount) and Luke Nevill regained the advantage for the Boomers midway through the third term but not for too long. Xirelijiang and Yi Li (203-F/G-85) ensured Chinese lead 49:45 before the fourth quarter. Australia opened the fourth term with 9 points in a row to surge ahead. The Boomers were up by seven points with just over two minutes remaining 62:55. However LiuWei Wei, Wang ShiPeng (197-G/F-83), Jinhui Ding and Wang ZhiZhi (214-C-79) erased the deficit and forced overtime. Luke Nevill and David Barlow (205-F-83, college: Metro St.) put the hosts in charge early in the extra period and Australia hung on to escape with a narrow victory at the end.
Damian Martin accounted for 11 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for the Boomers. David Barlow produced 8 points in the victory. Wang ShiPeng answered with 22 points for China. LiuWei Wei, Yi Li and Wang ZhiZhi delivered 8 points each in the losing effort.

Australia: Luke Nevill 20, Damian Martin 11, David Barlow 8
China: Wang ShiPeng 22, LiuWei Wei 8, Yi Li 8, Wang ZhiZhi 8


*****************************************************
  COSTA RICA   


U16 Chile hands 105-48 loss to U16 Costa Rica in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
CHILE - COSTA RICA 105-48

Chile cruised past Costa Rica to 105-48 victory in Cancun. It was the first game of the Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. It means that Chile will meet Brazil today and the winner will end as No.5. Costa Rica will play against Mexico and will try to avoid the last place in Cancun. Chile dominated in all basketball elements against their rivals. Quarters: 30-10, 20-13, 26-11, 29-14.
Eugenio Luzcando (95) top-scored for the winners with 26 points. He also had 9 rebounds and 5 assists beside that. Hernan Soto (95) had 15 points and 5 boards, while Martin Pino (95) added 14 pts, plus 5 assists. In CRC, Milton Jimenez (95) shined with 27 points. Their second scorer was Henry Sanchez (95) with 9 points (5 rebs).

Chile: Eugenio Luzcando 26+9 boards+5 as, Hernan Soto 15+5 boards, Martin Pino 14+5 as
Costa Rica: Milton Jimenez 27, Henry Sanchez 9+5 boards

*****************************************************
  CROATIA   


Timberwolves trade Bojan Bogdanovic to Nets - by Eurobasket News
The New Jersey Nets have acquired the draft rights to the 31st overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Bojan Bogdanovic (6'8''-G/F-89), from the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for the Nets 2013 second round pick and cash considerations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Minnesota acquired the pick in a previous transaction with the Miami Heat.

Bogdanovic averaged 18.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals during the 2010-11 season with Cibona VIP in the Adriatic League. He shot .452 (146-323) from the field and .745 (117-157) from the line.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com

Croatia outlast Bulgaria for first win in Douai - by Eurobasket News
Croatia U18 - Bulgaria U18 73:59

Croatia opened win count at Douai International tournament. They prevailed against Bulgarian counterparts to improve at 1-3 record. Bulgaria on the other hand fell at 1-3 record after the loss. Josip Mikulic (210-F-93) delivered 17 points and 9 rebounds to lead the charge.
Croatia outgunned Bulgaria to take a 20:10 lead after ten minutes. The Croats maintained the lead throughout the second term. They established a 44:27 halftime advantage. Bulgaria could not pick up the tempo in the third term. Croatia arrived at the final break leading by as many as 19 points. Bulgaria cut the deficit at 13 points early in the fourth quarter but Croatia hung on to seal the victory at the end. Stipe Cubric (182-G-93) nailed 14 points, while Matej Buovac (198-F/G-93) contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds in the victory. Tencho Tenchev (203-F-93) responded with 17 points for Bulgaria. Denislav Vutev (206-C-94) delivered 15 points in the losing effort.

Croatia U18: Josip Mikulic 17, Stipe Cubric 14, Matej Buovac 13+10 boards
Bulgaria U18: Tencho Tenchev 17, Denislav Vutev 15


*****************************************************
  CZECH REPUBLIC   


Czech Republic U20 remained winless in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Czech Republic U20 remained winless in Istanbul losing all five games.
In Day 4 France U20 rolled over Czech Republic U20 team 83:57. The favorites started the game with 29-19 and added 17-12 in the second frame. France also won the third and the last quarters respectively. Valentin Bigote (197-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 12 points and Evan Fournier (200-G/F-92) posted 11. Michal Mares (194-G-92) delivered 11 points in the losing effort.
In the last day of the competition Russia U20 overcame Czech Republic 83:79. The winners produced a good start taking 26-17 after the first period. Both teams nailed 22 points in the second frame, while the Czechs managed to come closer after 22-15 in the third. Only due to 20-18 in the last stanza Russia managed to grab the win and the third place. Denis Paskuthov stepped up with 18 points and Nikita Barinov (200-F-91) netted 15. Ondrej Balvin (215-C-92) erupted with 25 points in the losing effort, while Tomas Vyoral (188-PG-92) followed him with 23.



*****************************************************
  D-LEAGUE   


Despite report, Finch to Rockets not a done deal, Vipers GM says - by Eurobasket News
Despite a Houston-area report that Rio Grande Valley Vipers coach Chris Finch is headed to the Houston Rockets as an assistant, Vipers general manager Gersson Rosas told The Monitor thats not the case.

Not officially, anyway.

The Houston Chronicle reported on Friday that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said that Finch has filled one of the assistants spots for recently-named head coach Kevin McHale. Rosas said that report is not accurate.

Chris has been here in Houston over the past few weeks assisting us with our pre-draft workouts as he typically would during this time of year, said Rosas, who is also the Rockets vice president for player personnel. He has been working closely with Coach McHale, but we have not yet made any final official decisions relating to our assistant coaching staff. We hope to have our staff announced in the coming weeks.

Finch could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Finch has coached the Vipers for the past two seasons, leading them to the NBA Development League Finals each season. The Vipers won the 2009-10 league title in his first season. The Rockets have long considered Finch an NBA coaching candidate since his arrival to the Valley. Houston plucked Finch, who also coaches the British national team, from Europe where he had a successful coaching career to bring him to the Valley shortly after the Rockets obtained the operating rights for the Vipers two summers ago.

McHale has not hired any assistants, Rosas said, but the Rockets hope to name them within two to four weeks.

Courtesy of www.themonitor.com

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


Charleroi keeps Demond Mallet until 2013 - by Eurobasket News
Spirou Basket Charleroi announced signing of two-year contract extension with Demond Mallet (185-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: McNeese St.). It means that the American scoring machine will stay with the club until the end of the 2012/13 season. Mallet joined Charleroi last summer from Turk Telekom. He appeared 16 times in Euroleague averaging 12.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals. He also added 15.7 ppg, 2.5 epg, 2.2 apg and 2.1 spg for 35 games in Belgian league. Mallet helped Charleroi to defend the title. He was named Eurobasket.com All-Belgian League Player of the Year -11.
Before Charleroi, Demond Mallet had 12.3 ppg and 3.2 apg for Turk Telekom in 12 EuroCup games. In TBL, Mallet registered 10.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg and 3.4 apg. In the past, he was a member of DKV Joventut, Rhein Energie Koeln, Bamberg and Braunschweig.

*****************************************************
  FIBA AMERICAS U16   


USA and Argentina to fight for the Gold in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
SEMIFINALS

Puerto Rico - Argentina 90-96
Argentina advanced to the Big Final of U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. Argentina eliminated Puerto Rico in the very exciting Semifinals 96-90. They will fight for the Gold against powerful USA. On the other side, Puerto Rico will meet Canada in the battle for Bronze. Gabriel Deck (195-F-95) exploded with 33 points and 6 rebounds in this victory. Lucio Reinaudi (95) followed him with 23 pts and he was the last one with double-digits in Argentina. Their third scorer was Rodrigo Haag (95) with 8 pts. In the loosing squad, Miguel Cartagena (186-G-95) shined with 30 points. Eliel Gonzalez (189-G-95) had 20 and Ariel Watson (95) added 2 pts less.
Argentina made impressive 16-27 in the first ten minutes and continued with 12-21 after that. Third period also belonged to Argentina (17-21), who had comfortable lead with 10:00 to go. However, Puerto Rico didnt give up and they managed to treat in the finish, but the difference was too big and Argentina saved plus six until the end.
Saturday is the last day of the championship.

USA - Canada 113-70
USA had no troubles to beat Canada 113-70 and to reach the Big Final of U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. USA will meet Argentina in the battle for Gold. On the other side, Canada will play against Puerto Rico for third place. Today is the last day of the championship.
USA took control on Canada from the very beginning. They made 31-7 lead in the first ten minutes and jumped to plus 35 until the halftime. Question about the winner was already resolved and second half was just the formality (29-16, 21-26).
Aaron Gordon (96) stepped up with 22 points and 8 rebounds for USA. Jahlil Okafor-Benton (96) followed him with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Theophilus Pinson Jr. (96) added 15 pts and 5 rebs. In Canada, Anthony Pate (95) and Malcom Duvivier (95) delivered 10 points each. Miroslav Jaksic (95) collected 9 points and 8 rebounds.

Places 5-8
Chile - Costa Rica 105-48
Chile cruised past Costa Rica to 105-48 victory in Cancun. It was the first game of the Classification Round from 5th to 8th place. It means that Chile will meet Brazil today and the winner will end as No.5. Costa Rica will play against Mexico and will try to avoid the last place in Cancun. Chile dominated in all basketball elements against their rivals. Quarters: 30-10, 20-13, 26-11, 29-14.
Eugenio Luzcando (95) top-scored for the winners with 26 points. He also had 9 rebounds and 5 assists beside that. Hernan Soto (95) had 15 points and 5 boards, while Martin Pino (95) added 14 pts, plus 5 assists. In CRC, Milton Jimenez (95) shined with 27 points. Their second scorer was Henry Sanchez (95) with 9 points (5 rebs).

Brazil - Mexico 71-57
Brazil was too strong for Mexico 71-57 on Friday. It was the first game of the Classification Round from 5th to 8th place at the U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. Brazil made the first step and they will meet Chile today in the battle for fifth place. Mexico will try to beat Costa Rica and to avoid the last place at this event. Mexico was better than Brazil in the first half (23-28), but they somehow stopped after that. Brazil shined after the breather and with two great periods (20-11, 28-18) won the game with comfortable 71-57.
Fernando Stafleu (95) came up with 24 points and 10 rebounds in victory. Lucas Dias (96) secured a great help adding 16 pts and 8 boards. Higor Simas (95) was third scorer in victory with 7 points (6 rebs). For the hosts, Omar De Haro (95) delivered 21 points. Jose Hermosillo (95) stopped to 7 pts and 9 rebounds.

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


Yannick Bokolo to skip EuroBasket 2011, Abdoulaye M'Baye in - by Eurobasket News
Yannick Bokolo (191-G-85) made a decision to skip the EuroBasket in Lithuania this summer due to personal reasons. Abdoulaye M'Baye (186-G-88) will replace Bokolo in French NT.
Yannick Bokolo played 6 games for France at the World Championship in Turkey averaging 4.5 points and 2.3 assists. He also appeared times at the EuroBasket 2009 in Poland. Bokolo had 3.7 ppg and 1.6 rpg at this event. In Japan five years ago, he registered 4.3 ppg for 8 games.
Yannick Bokolo spent last three years with Gravelines. Last season he had 12.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 3.9 rpg for 31 games in ProA. In EuroChallenge, Bokolo added 9.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 3.5 apg for 11 apps. He joined Gravelines in 200f8 from Le Mans.

France better Germany in Douai - by Eurobasket News
France U18 - Germany U18 66:58

French U18 National Team secured the third win at the Douai tournament. They shot down their German counterparts to improve at 3-1 record. Germany slipped at 2-2 record after the second loss in a row.
France surged ahead early in the encounter. They held Germany to 9 points in the opening frame earning a 7-point lead. France stepped on the gas in the second period. The hosts erupted for 23 points enlarging the advantage up to 14 points 39:25. Germany went off the dressing room putting up a fight. They stiffened defence limiting the hosts to 11 points in the third term. France led by 11 points before the fourth quarter but the visitors got within 9 midway through the fourth term. Bruno Cingala Mata (201-F-93) came up with timely three-pointer to tame Germany. France stayed calm in the dying moments and sealed a well-deserved win at the end. Bruno Cingala Mata accounted for 18 points and 9 rebounds. Mouhammadou Jaiteh (206-C-94) contributed 12 points in the victory. Mauricio Marin (188-PG-94) answered with 18 points for Germany. Johannes Richter (203-F/C-93) provided 11 points in defeat.

France U18: Bruno Cingala Mata 18, Mouhammadou Jaiteh 12, William Howard (201-F-93) 9
Germany U18: Mauricio Marin 18, Johannes Richter 11



France U20 triumph at the Turgut Atakol International Tournament 2011 - by Eurobasket News
France U20 triumph at the Turgut Atakol International Tournament 2011 as the team won all five games. After the first three victories in first three days, the winners added the important wins over Czech Republic and Turkey.
In Day 4 France U20 rolled over Czech Republic U20 team 83:57. The favorites started the game with 29-19 and added 17-12 in the second frame. France also won the third and the last quarters respectively. Valentin Bigote (197-F-92) top-scored for the winners with 12 points and Evan Fournier (200-G/F-92) posted 11. Michal Mares (194-G-92) delivered 11 points in the losing effort.
In the decisive game France U20 overcame Turkey U20 58:54. France opened the game with 20-15, but the hosts replied with 13-9 in the second frame. The third quarter was decisive in the game and both teams nailed 10 points each in it, while France won the game and the tournament due to 19-16 in the last frame. Wilfried Yeguette paced all the winners with 16 points and Mael Lebrun (198-F-91) posted 10. Sertac Sanli (212-F-91, agency: Beo Basket) answered with 15 points in defeat and Furkan Aldemir scored 11.



Angevin announced Ahmed Fellah - by Eurobasket News
Angevin announced Ahmed Fellah (180-G-81) for the next season. The Algerian-French player comes from JSA Bordeaux Basket (France-NM1) where he played last season.
In 1997-1998 Ahmed Fellah appeared for Cholet junior team and then played for Angers (B). In 2001-2002 joined JSF Nanterre (N1, starting five) and became the fifth in stats for Assists-5 (5.9). In 2002-2003 moved to Saint-Etienne (ProB) and in 30 games averaged 6.6ppg, 2.3rpg, 4.5apg. In 2003-2004 for Saint-Etienne (ProB, starting five) his stats read 10.8ppg, 3.7rpg, 5.3apg. In 2004-2005 he improved to 10.5ppg, 2.8rpg, Assists-3 (5.9apg), 2.1spg, FGP: 49.2%, 3FGP: 32.9%. In
2005-2006 Ahmed Fellah moved to Entente Orleans 45 (France-ProB, starting five) and after 33 games showed 7.7ppg, 2.8rpg, 4.4apg, 1.8spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 81.8%. After another two seasons with the team, in 2008-2009 he moved to Besancon Basket Comte Doubs (France-ProA) and in 17 games had 2.9ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.8apg. In April 2010 signed at JSA Bordeaux Basket (France-ProB, starting five) and averaged 6.0ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.3apg, 2.3spg. The last season played for JSA Bordeaux Basket (France-NM1) as his stats read 3.0ppg, 1.7rpg, 2.6apg.



Xavier Gaillou signs with Denain, while Vincent Mendy heads to Lievin - by Eurobasket News
Xavier Gaillou (190-G-89) signs with Denain, while Vincent Mendy (204-F/C-83) heads to Lievin
Xavier Gaillou signs with Denain for the next season. In 2005-2006 the French Guard started for STB Le Havre U21 team and in 2008 debuted in Eurocup. In 2009-2010 moved to Saint-Etienne B.C. (NM1) and averaged 3.3ppg. In 2010-2011 played for CA Saint-Etienne B.C. (NM1, starting five) and improved to 6.3ppg, 2.4rpg, 2.8apg, FGP: 48.8%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 70.2%.
Vincent Mendy meanwhile heads to Lievin. The Senegalese-French player started his career for ASVEL Villeurbanne (France) U21 team and in 2002-2003 played for Sluc Nancy (France-ProA). After another few season with the French team Mendy moved to FC Mulhouse Basket (France-ProB) and after 30 games averaged 5.7ppg, 3.9rpg, 1.2spg, FGP: 53.5%. In 2006-2007 appeared in Stade Clermontois Basket Auvergne (France-ProA) and in 2008-2009 started for JSF Nanterre (France-ProB). In 2009-2010 played for Etoile Charleville-Mezieres (France-ProB) and in 29 games had 1.7ppg, 2.2rpg. Lasts eason Mendy played for Angers BC 49 (France-NM1) and showed 6.4ppg, 4.8rpg, FGP: 57.4%, FT: 55.1%.



Jason Bach lands in Souffel - by Eurobasket News
Jason Bach lands in Souffel for the next season. The French Forward will continue his career for the new squad.
In 2002-2003 Jason joined INSEP Centre Federal (N1) and in the last season there averaged 12.3ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.4apg, 1.7spg, 2FGP: 52.7%, 3FGP: 35.7%, FT: 76.2%. In 2005-2006 moved to Strasbourg IG (ProA) and showed 0.9ppg, played also for U20 team. In 2006-2007 for Strasbourg IG (ProA) debuted in ULEB Cup and in French League had1.4ppg. In 2007-2008 moved to Get Vosges (N1) and in 2008-2009 for Get Vosges (NM1, starting five) after 27 games his stats read 12.0ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.0apg, 1.4spg, 2FGP: 53.0%, 3PT: 38.0%, FT: 85.0%. In 2009-2010 plsyed for Denain ASC Voltaire (NM1, starting five) showing 10.1ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.1bpg, 2FGP: 63.5%, 3PT: 39.7%, FT: 70.7%. Last season Jason Bach was with Saint-Quentin Basket-Ball (NM1) and averaged 5.9ppg, 3.0rpg, FGP: 58.0%, 3PT: 33.0%, FT: 82.2%.
He recorded 22 points at the Regular Season Round 17 when St Etienne beat St Quentin 93-89. Saint-Quentin was ahead by 7 points after three quarters before a 32-21 charge of Saint-Etienne, which allowed them to win the game. They made 23-of-30 charity shots (76.7 percent) during the game. Forward Jason Bach came up with 22 points and 6 rebounds.


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  GERMANY   


Germany U20 won the opener of the four-nation campaign - by Eurobasket News
Poland U20-Germany U20 53:82

Germany U20 won the opener of the Oberwart International Tournament with 4 teams. The German squad needed the strong second period for 82:53 win.
Both teams started well and only 4 points separated them after the first 10 minutes. Germany took 19-15 advantage and added massive surge in the second frame. Poland managed to score only 4 points and trailed 23:40 at the halftime. Moreover Germany added another points to the massive lead at 61:35 after 30 minutes. In the last frame Germany produced 21-18 to win the game.
Johannes Voigtmann (200-F-92) paced all the winners with 14 points and Daniel Theis (207-C-92) netted 13. Niels Giffey (200-G/F-91) posted 11, whilst Dennis Ogbe and Malte Ziegenhagen nailed 8 apiece. Szymanski replied with 9 points for the Polish team, while Jakub Parzenski (209-F/C-91) and Michal Sokolowski (195-G-92) notched 6 apiece.

Poland U20: Szymanski 9, Jakub Parzenski 6, Michal Sokolowski 6
Germany U20: Johannes Voigtmann 14, Daniel Theis 13, Niels Giffey 11



Jimmy Mckinney Will Play A 6th Season For The Fraport Skyliners - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Will he stay, will he go, will he stay, will he go, were the phrases on the minds of Skyliner fans the last weeks, but the speculation has finally ended as the Deutsche Bank Skyliners announced today that likeable Jimmy Mckinney will play for the team in the 2011-2012 season. Mckinney is a 27 year old 192 cm combo guard from St Louis, Missouri who has played in Frankfurt his whole professional career. After many injury problems the last years, Mckinney found back to his old strong self having an outstanding season playing EuroCup Qualifying Round: 2 games: 12.0ppg, 1.5rpg, 1.0apg; EuroChallenge: 6 games: 8.7ppg, 2.3rpg, 1.3apg, FGP: 36.0%, 3PT: 43.5%; German League: 37 games: 9.9ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 45.9%, 3PT: 35.4%, FT: 79.4%. There was never any real doubt that the club wanted to keep the sharp shooter, but the finanical part of the equation had to be perfect. 'Jimmy has played very consistent last season and has become an identity figure for the fans. I am very happy that he will play for us next season', said Skyliner Sport direct Kamil Novak . In his 5 seasons in Frankfurt, Mckinney has played a total of 139 beko BBL games, 9 Eurochallenge games and 4 ULEB Cup games and it is fair to say that he can call Frankfurt a second home. 'I have played my whole career in Frankfurt and it is like a second home to me. The goal is clear that we will do everything to win a title. We were so close the last two years and I am looking forward to see the fans again', stressed Jimmy McKinney (192-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Missouri) (192-G-83, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Missouri)

Source: Deutsche Bank Skyliners


Kai Barth Stays With USC Heidelberg - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

USC Heidelberg have announced that Kai Barth (188-G-89) has recieved a contract extension for the upcoming season. Barth is a 22 year old 188cm point guard from Langen Germany. He was able to fullfill expectations in his first season at Heidelberg playing 27 games: 6.7ppg, 1.4rpg, 3.6apg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 45.8%, FT: 79.6%. 'We can be happy to have acurrent A-2 German National player on our roster. He gives us the needed German quality on the court', stated new USC Heidelberg headcoach Uwe Sauer . At the moment Barth is with the A-2 National team and is hoping to take part at the Universal games in August. 'With USC Heidelberg, I am able to combine my basketball and studies perfectly', stated Kai Barth. Awards/Achievements in his career have been German U16 National Team -05, German Bundesliga U-19 All-Star Game -07, German U18 National Team -07, European Championships U18 in Madrid (Spain) -07: 8 games: 3.5ppg, 1.4rpg, 1.3apg, German Bundesliga U-20 All-Star Game -08, German U20 National Team -09, and European Championships U20 in Rhodos (Greece) -09: 6 games: 3.7ppg, 1.2apg.

Source: USC Heidelberg





France better Germany in Douai - by Eurobasket News
France U18 - Germany U18 66:58

French U18 National Team secured the third win at the Douai tournament. They shot down their German counterparts to improve at 3-1 record. Germany slipped at 2-2 record after the second loss in a row.
France surged ahead early in the encounter. They held Germany to 9 points in the opening frame earning a 7-point lead. France stepped on the gas in the second period. The hosts erupted for 23 points enlarging the advantage up to 14 points 39:25. Germany went off the dressing room putting up a fight. They stiffened defence limiting the hosts to 11 points in the third term. France led by 11 points before the fourth quarter but the visitors got within 9 midway through the fourth term. Bruno Cingala Mata (201-F-93) came up with timely three-pointer to tame Germany. France stayed calm in the dying moments and sealed a well-deserved win at the end. Bruno Cingala Mata accounted for 18 points and 9 rebounds. Mouhammadou Jaiteh (206-C-94) contributed 12 points in the victory. Mauricio Marin (188-PG-94) answered with 18 points for Germany. Johannes Richter (203-F/C-93) provided 11 points in defeat.

France U18: Bruno Cingala Mata 18, Mouhammadou Jaiteh 12, William Howard (201-F-93) 9
Germany U18: Mauricio Marin 18, Johannes Richter 11



Dashaun Wood (Deutsche Bank Skyliners) Needs A Suitcase For His 2011 Eurobasket Awards - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
In October 2011 as training camp was almost over and the season was about to start, the beko BBL was ready for names like Derrick Allen, Julius Jenkins or a Casey Jacobsen to steal headlines and dominate the league like they have for years, but no one really had the name DaShaun Wood (185-G-85, college: Wright St.) in their heads as some one to carry his team the way he did all season long except for maybe Gordon Herbert or Kamil Novak. Wood dominated the 2011 Eurobasket awards winning Player of the year, guard of the year, import player of the year and first team. It didnt really matter who he played against, he dominated most of the time playing EuroCup Qualifying Round: 2 games: 13.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 5.0apg; EuroChallenge: 6 games: 16.3ppg, 3.8rpg, 5.2apg, 1.7spg, FGP: 46.9%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 73.7%; German League: 42 games: Score-1 (19.0ppg), 4.6rpg, Assists-2 (5.9apg), 1.2spg, FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 33.2%, FT: 80.3%.

Wood who is a 25 year old 185cm guard and hails from Detriot, Michigan came to Frankfurt as a big question mark having missed the entire 2009-2010 season as he had to sit out the season due to injury. Wood was given a short term contract as security for Frankfurt to see if he would be fully recovered. He didnt impress in training camp, but as time went on, he found his rhythm more and more. He had a tough outing against the Gloria Giants Duesseldorf scoring only 4 points in thes econd game of the season and a few weeks later only 8 points against the Artland Dragons, but even on nights where he wasnt scorng, he helped the team with his playmaking. After the 8 point outing against Quackenbruck, he went nearly 6 months scoring in double figurers in 23 consecutive games. In 42 beko BBL games, he went only 4 games without scoring in double figurers. He tore up Alba Berlin for 32 and 30 points and destroyed The Walter TIgers Tuebingen for 34 points. He scored 20 or more points 18 times. You could call Wood t the beko BBL highlight film, becuase in every game, he scored in ways that will be plastered in minds for a long time. He scored some beautiful bombs, but what stood out most with Wood was his lightening speed to the hoop. He was almost always unstoppable and even against three defendrs, he found ways to score falling to his right or left. Calling him a ball hog is unjust, because even if he might not be a pass first point guard, he showed his playmaking qualities time in and time out again as he was second in assists behind Bane Ratkovica. He dished out 12 assists against Ratiopharm Ulm and BG Goettingen. His penetration and quick feeds to Quantez Robertson flying to the hoop will remain unforgetable or his ally-op passes to Roger Powell. One cant debate that guys like Pascal Roller,Chris Williams and Tyrone Ellis were big factors in getting the Skyliners the 2004 beko BBL title, but one also shouldnt debate that DaShaun Wood is the most dominant player that Frankfurt has ever seen. Wood has a contract for next season in Frankfurt with certain clauses. The chances of Wood lacing up his seakers in training camp in the BCM in August have risen with new sponser Fraport, but the head coach question with Gordon Herbert is still unresolved. If Herbert stays, then Wood should be a sho in to continue to do damage next season in the beko BBL. However Wood will play NBA Summer league for the Miami Heat soon. It is no secret that his dream is the NBA. He saw first hand how 181cm guard Jose Barea not only won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks, but also made NBA defenses look silly with his breathtaking speed. Wood is fast and totally focused on getting to the NBA stage and will have his two wins with Wright State over Jose Barea with Northeastern on his mind as he makes like a road runner getting to the rim and showing that there is room for smaller guards in the NBA.

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  GREECE   


Turkey pip Greece to stay perfect in Douai - by Eurobasket News
Turkey U18 - Greece U18 58:54

Turkey recorded the fourth consecutive victory at the Douai international tournament in France. They held off Greece to improve at 4-0 record. Kenan Sipahi (192-G-95) notched 14 points to lead the effort. Greece fell at 1-3 record after the defeat.
The lead changed hands throughout the opening term. Turkey managed to eke out an 18:17 lead after ten minutes. Mertcan Ozen (194-F/G-93) and Tekin stretched the lead to 6 points midway through the second quarter. Soon Turkey grabbed a 10-point advantage 33:23. They arrived at halftime up by 7 points 36:29. But Greece quickly erased the deficit in the third term. Larentzakis pulled the Hellenes in front 44:43. Turkey reacted with a 10:0 rally to regain the lead. Greece narrowed the deficit to a single point 54:55 late in regulation but Berkay Candan (205-F-93) and Talat Altunbey (202-F-94) sealed the winning outcome for Turkey in the dying seconds. Berkay Candan accounted for 11 points in the victory. Petros Melissaratos (202-C/F-93) replied with game-high 24 points and 7 rebounds for Greece. Lefteris Bohoridis (191-G-94) netted 12 points in the loss.

Turkey U18: Kenan Sipahi 14, Berkay Candan 11, Mertcan Ozen 7, Talat Altunbey 7
Greece U18: Petros Melissaratos 24, Lefteris Bohoridis 12


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  HUNGARY   


Albacomp: Keller, Bodi and Supola signed - by Tamas Deri
Our NT forward Akos Keller (206-F/C-89, agency: Laszlo Vinko Services) decided to stay with the team for one more season and signed his contract already for the coming one. The 206 cm tall, 22 years old athletic power forward had a solid season averaging 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in only 20.7 minutes on the court. He will play with our NT this summer at the EC qualificiation and hopefully also in the EC.

Veteran forward Ferenc Bodi (198-F-77) signed also his one year contract with the club and will spend his third season in a row in Szekesfehervar. The 34 years old Bodi is a very good shooter, last season he shot with amazing 51.4% from the 3pt's line.

Zoltan Supola (190-G-88, agency: FCM) is also coming back to the team after spending several seasons in the UK. The 23 years old guard left our country in 2007 and studied in the UK, where he played in the 2nd league with Leeds. In the last season he helped his team with 16.8ppg, 4.1rpg, 2.3apg in 14 games and got voted to the Bosman Player of the Year.


Coach Branislav Dzunic will also stay at least one more season with Albacomp, the head coach of our NT signed his contract already for the coming one.



Market news - by Tamas Deri
American power forward, Kyle Wilson (206-F-83, college: Wichita St.) signed his one year contract with Szolnok yesterday and will arrive to the town on the 15th of August. The 206 cm tall forward is a well known player in our country as he played already during the seasons. In 2009-10 he was a key player of the all-in-one team winning the Hungarian Cup and Hungarian Championship averaging 11.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He started even the last season with the team and put up great numbers: 14.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 steals, but left the team in February because of the club's financial problems. He just moved to Israel where he finished the season with Elitzur Yavne in the National League averaging 19.5ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.0apg in 12 games.

Hungarian power forward, Daniel Koma (202-F-79, agency: TSS Management) signed for one season with Kaposvari KK. The 202 cm tall inside player after spending several season in the 2nd division had a solid season with 11.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game with Salgotarjan in the Top League.

As we published some days ago, former Euroleague player Istvan Nemeth (190-G-79, agency: Interperformances) and MJUS-Fortress Kormend had a mutual agreement for the coming season. The owner of the club just published last night, that the domestic guard is officially the player of his club as the contract got signed by both parties.

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  IBL   


Albany Legends storm back from 13 down with 100-seconds to go to win at Edmonton Energy - by Trask Frost
Albany Legends Lloyd Johnson hits from 45 feet away- for the game winner 120 to 118. Listening to the game on radio, IBL Commissioner Mikal Duilio feels that this might be one of the best basketball finishes of all time- as the Albany Legends storm back from down 13 points with 1 minute and 40 seconds to go- and win at the Edmonton Energy. Eerily similar to how Albany Legends beat the Battle Creek Knights in the 2010 playoffs, down 7 points with 60 seconds left in the game, coach Derrick Rowland puts in a press and wins the playoff miracle game; tonight, head coach Ben Smith of the Albany Legends similarly waited till just under 2 minutes in the game to put his press in and it worked well as the Albany Legends outscored Edmonton by 15 points in those final two minutes. 'Best finish I have even seen to a basketball game' says the radio broadcast crew that flew out from Albany, also saying- 'one of the most amazing finishes I have ever seen, down 13 points with 2 minutes to go'. The final play after two missed free throws by Rashaun Broadas was Albany's Evan Lane with the rebound to Joe Harris to Lloyd Johnson for the game winner (Lloyd Johnson had hit another deep three pointer six seconds prior to this game winner). Lloyd Johnson told his team prior to the game winner as Edmonton lines up for the free throws with 5 seconds to go, 'if he (Broadus) misses one of two free throws, we will win this, get me the ball'. The Albany Legends reclaim the top record in the IBL with the win. These two teams match up tomorrow at the University of Alberta at 2pm.

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  INDONESIA   


Indonesia join Philippines in SEABA Championship Final - by Eurobasket News
Indonesia - Malaysia 77:47

Indonesia claimed the second win at the SEABA Championship in Jakarta. The hosts overcame Malaysia to set up the clash against Philippines in Grand Final. Malaysia in the meantime booked the ticket to Fiba Asia Championship despite the loss. They earned the third place at the tournament having won one game in three games played.
The teams got to a slow start. They combined for 14 points in the opening term as Indonesia secured a 10:4 lead. Andi Poedjakesuma (187-F-80) drained two triples early in the second period to give Indonesia a 12-point lead. However Shee Fai Loh (189-G-89) answered with a pair of triples late in the half as Malaysia got within six points 27:33 at halftime. Christian Ronaldo Setepu (198-F/C-86) and Andi Poedjakesuma restored a double-digit lead for Indonesia early in the third quarter. The hosts maintained the advantage as they entered the fourth frame up by ten points 53:43. Indonesia opened the fourth frame with a 22:2 rally to pull away for good. Christian Ronaldo Setepu notched 15 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge. Amin Prihantono (188-F-82) and Andi Poedjakesuma added 14 points each in the victory. Li Wei Chee (186-F-85) answered with 13 points and 7 rebounds for Malaysia. Shee Fai Loh contributed 11 points in the loss.

Indonesia: Christian Ronaldo Setepu 15, Amin Prihantono 14, Andi Poedjakesuma 14
Malaysia: Li Wei Chee 13, Shee Fai Loh 11


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  IRAN   


Iran won first two games in Dahuk - by Eurobasket News
Iran won first two games in Dahuk at the West Asia Basketball Championship. In Day 1 Iran overcame Jordan 72:70. They started with 21-11 and then added only the victory in the last period. In Day 2 Iran overcame Syria 83:62. Trailing 13-16 after the first period, Iran needed 23-11 in the second to take control in the game. Tonight Iran will face Iraq in the tournament.



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  IRAQ   


Day 1 and 2 in Dahuk - by Eurobasket News
Four teams compete for top three teams will join Lebanon as WABA representatives in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship to be held in Wuhan (China) from Sept 15-25.
Iran won first two games in Dahuk at the West Asia Basketball Championship. In Day 1 Iran overcame Jordan 72:70. They started with 21-11 and then added only the victory in the last period.
Syria won over the hosts, Iraq 92:85 in the opener. Iraq opened the game with 26-21, but was stormed by the opponents in the second frame 16-27. Moreover Syria won the third quarter 29-27 and sealed the first victory.
In Day 2 Iran overcame Syria 83:62. Trailing 13-16 after the first period, Iran needed 23-11 in the second to take control in the game.
Jordan outscored Iraq 79:77 in a real thriller. The hosts started well and took 21-13 after the first 10 minutes. Moreover they added 21-14 in the second frame to enjoy 42:27 halftime advantage. Jordan however looked great int he second half and after the victories in the third and the last periods won the game.



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  JORDAN   


Jordan outscored Iraq in a real thriller - by Eurobasket News
Jordan outscored Iraq in a real thriller at the West Asia Basketball Championship. In Day 1 however Iran overcame Jordan 72:70. They started with 21-11 and then added only the victory in the last period.
In Day 2 Jordan outscored Iraq 79:77 in a real thriller. The hosts started well and took 21-13 after the first 10 minutes. Moreover they added 21-14 in the second frame to enjoy 42:27 halftime advantage. Jordan however looked great int he second half and after the victories in the third and the last periods won the game.



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  KENYA   


KQ Continue With Their Winning Ways in NBA Provincial Show - by Eurobasket News
Kenya Airways continued their clean run in the Nairobi Basketball Association (NBA) Provincial League with a 83-73 win over Old Pirates at Railways Club. This strong display saw Eric Odhiambo lead the charge with 29 points that included run away slams. Vincent Onsongo also caught fire as 'KQ' flew to another 88-46 win over Friends of Basketball (FoB).

Strathmore University beat Little Prince 65-60, behind 14 points from Ezra Akenga. Strath also hit Dolphins 84-38. Peter Kimani shot 19 as Baraka Xtreme hammered Dolphins 74-44. Upper Hill crushed Neosasa Morans 90-41, behind Dennis Mwanzia's 18 points and also hit Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUATS) 59-48. Jesse Umala recorded 17 as Legacy nipped Don Bosco 60-52.

Heroes blanked Aquinas High School 56-37.Multi Media University crushed 22-44 to Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUATS). Victor Okoth recorded 31 to guide Little Prince to a 77-24 victory over Aquinas. KU Pirates pelted Multi Media University 88-36. And in the only ladies show, Safe Spaces blanked JKUAT 51-33.
Courtesy of: Nairobi Star (Nairobi)



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  LATVIA   


Latvia U20 finishes the six-nation campaign on the fourth place - by Eurobasket News
Latvia U20 finishes the six-nation campaign on the fourth place with 2-3 record.
Russia U20 edged Latvia U20 69:62 in Day 4. The Russian team opened the game with 20-17 and added 15-13 in the second period. Moreover the Russian team won the third quarter 21-14, but the Baltic side replied with 18-13 in the last stanza. Artem Gorlanov (196-G-91) posted 14 points to lead the charge, while Nikita Balashov (206-F-91) netted 13. Mareks Mejeris (207-F-91, agency: Players Group) finished the game with 20 points and 13 boards in defeat.
Latvia U20 grabbed 78:76 win over Ukraine U20 in the last day of the tournament. The Baltic state started with 22-16 and took 42:32 after the first half. Ukraine answered with 21-17 in the third quarter and did their best to win the game after 23-19 in the last period. It was not however to close the gap. Davis Lejasmeiers (190-G-91) and Martins Meiers stepped up with 16 points each for the winners, while Mareks Mejeris netted 12. Oleksandr Mishula (187-G-92) ended up with 19 points for the Ukrainian squad, while Gennadiy Dzyuba posted 11.




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  LEBANON   


24 Players invited to the Lebanese National Team From head Coach Ghassan Sarkis - by John Khoury
Friday the 24th and around 10 pm, Coach Ghassan Sarkis sent the list of 24 players to be invited to the NT .
The list contained a merge of Veteranes and youngsters , combining skills , experience and attitude.
For the Point Guard position : Ali mahmoud, Miguel Martinez, Rodrigue Akl and mohammad ibrahim.
for the Shooting guard and Small forward : Fadi el khatib, Jean abdelnoor, Elie Restum, Elie stephan, Ghaleb Reda, Mazen mneimneh, Sabah khoury, Karam Meshref, Bilal Tabbara, Omar ayoubi, Aboudi el farkh.
For the Power Forward and Center postions : charles Tabet, Ali kanaan , Ali fakherldin, Daniel Fares, Mohammad hamdar, Roy semaha, Nadim hawi, William Fares and Bassel Bawji.

These players are expected to start practicing Mid next week.

Best of luck for our National Team .

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  LITHUANIA   


Lithuania open Global Games 2011 tournament with victory - by Eurobasket News
Lithuania U19 - Argentina U19 69:43

Lithuania celebrated the first win at the international friendly tournament Global Games 2011 in Panevezys. They overcame their Argentinean counterparts in the opener. Vytenis Cizauskas (190-G-92) stepped up with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists to lead the effort.
Lithuania stepped on the gas right from the start. They outscored Argentina 23:7 in the first quarter. The Latin American youngsters came back to life in the second period. Argentina held the hosts to 9 points to narrow the deficit at 12 points. But Lithuania regained control after the big break. The home side ensured a 16-point lead with one quarter remaining and rallied to the victory at the end. Dovydas Redikas (193-G-92) and Egidijus Mockevicius (204-C-92) provided 11 points each for Lithuania. Luciano Massarelli (178-G-93) responded with 16 points for Argentina. Tayavek Gallizzi (202-F-93) and Michael Gullotta had 4 points apiece in the loss.

Lithuania U19: Vytenis Cizauskas 15, Dovydas Redikas 11, Egidijus Mockevicius 11
Argentina U19: Luciano Massarelli 16, Tayavek Gallizzi 4, Michael Gullotta 4


Report: Jonas Valanciunas will play for Toronto Raptors in 2012-13 - by Eurobasket News
Jonas Valanciunas (6'11''-C-92), the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, will not join the Toronto Raptors for the upcoming season, but the Raptors have reached a deal with Valanciunas' Lithuanian team that will allow him to play for Toronto in 2012-13, GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed on Friday, according to the Toronto Sun.

And Colangelo is OK with that.

Youre looking at a pretty underdeveloped 19-year-old that is looking at going up against some pretty big players in the NBA, Colangelo said. Getting him physically ready and acclimated to the culture is obviously going to take time.

The 7-footer was regarded by many as the top center in the draft, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were reportedly interested in taking him at No. 4, but questions regarding a potential buyout mounted as the draft approached.

An NBA team is allowed, under league rules, to pay $500,000 toward a buyout and any money beyond that must be paid by the player himself. The National Post reports Valanciunas buyout is set at $2.4 million, which would mean hed have to pay $1.9 million himself.

Asked by Sporting News' Sean Deveney before the draft whether his relationship with Lietuvos Rytas, his Lithunian team, was damaged by their buyout demands, Valanciunas said, I think, yeah, but I am not mad at them. They are doing their job. I think I am just waiting for them. I think that maybe they will change their mind.'

Courtesy of http://aol.sportingnews.com

*****************************************************
  MALAYSIA   


Indonesia join Philippines in SEABA Championship Final - by Eurobasket News
Indonesia - Malaysia 77:47

Indonesia claimed the second win at the SEABA Championship in Jakarta. The hosts overcame Malaysia to set up the clash against Philippines in Grand Final. Malaysia in the meantime booked the ticket to Fiba Asia Championship despite the loss. They earned the third place at the tournament having won one game in three games played.
The teams got to a slow start. They combined for 14 points in the opening term as Indonesia secured a 10:4 lead. Andi Poedjakesuma (187-F-80) drained two triples early in the second period to give Indonesia a 12-point lead. However Shee Fai Loh (189-G-89) answered with a pair of triples late in the half as Malaysia got within six points 27:33 at halftime. Christian Ronaldo Setepu (198-F/C-86) and Andi Poedjakesuma restored a double-digit lead for Indonesia early in the third quarter. The hosts maintained the advantage as they entered the fourth frame up by ten points 53:43. Indonesia opened the fourth frame with a 22:2 rally to pull away for good. Christian Ronaldo Setepu notched 15 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge. Amin Prihantono (188-F-82) and Andi Poedjakesuma added 14 points each in the victory. Li Wei Chee (186-F-85) answered with 13 points and 7 rebounds for Malaysia. Shee Fai Loh contributed 11 points in the loss.

Indonesia: Christian Ronaldo Setepu 15, Amin Prihantono 14, Andi Poedjakesuma 14
Malaysia: Li Wei Chee 13, Shee Fai Loh 11


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


CIBACOPA: Cananea sweeps Hermosillo in the Finals (4-0) to win the title - by Eurobasket News
CIBACOPA Finals, Game 4: Hermosillo - Cananea 73-87 (0-4)

Cananea handed 73-87 home loss to Hermosillo winning the title with perfect 4-0 in the Finals. Cananea celebrated in CIBACOPA also two years ago, while last year they reached Finals.
The game was mostly controlled by Mineros de Cananea. Rayos de Hermosillo managed to win second period 23-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was dominated by American players. Forward Brandon Brown (201-85, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.) fired 37 points (!!!) for the winners. Guard Davin White (186-81, college: Cal.St. Northridge) chipped in 20 points and 4 steals. Brown is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Center Marquise Gray (206-86, college: Michigan St.) produced 26 points and forward Lorrenzo Wade (198-85, college: San Diego St.) added 12 points and 6 assists respectively for lost side.
Cananea was the regular season champion with and later eliminated Tijuana and Guaymas.

Top scorers:
Hermosillo: M.Gray 26+3reb, L.Wade 12+4reb+6ast, J.Lopez 10+8reb, S.Monreal 9+4reb+1ast, J.Camacho 6+4reb+2ast, C.Holmes 5+3reb+1ast
Cananea: B.Brown 37+3reb+2ast, D.White 20+1reb+3ast, D.Thomas 12+7reb+1ast, J.Casillas 7+3reb+1ast, I.Gutierrez 4+4reb, D.Onofre 3+1reb+1ast
gschID: 129971




CIBACOPA Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Kevin SOWELL
  Guasave
  (190-G-81)
  Avg: 30.7
 1. Sowell, Guasave30.7 
 2. White, Cananea28.0 
 3. Sowell, Culiacan27.3 
 4. Gale, Mexicali26.8 
 5. Brown, Tepic24.8 
 6. White, Los Mochis24.2 
 7. Brown, Cananea24.1 
 8. Moore, Culiacan23.8 
 9. Brown, Tepic23.3 
 10. Gabbidon, Tijuana23.3 
Rebounds Per Game
 Brandon BROWN
  Cananea
  (201-F-85)
  Avg: 10.9
 1. Brown, Cananea10.9 
 2. Moss, Nogales9.9 
 3. Angounou, Guasave9.8 
 4. Brown, Tepic9.6 
 5. VanderMeer, Mexica.9.6 
 6. Malloy, Los Mochis8.7 
 7. Broxsie, Nogales8.7 
 8. Shipley, Tijuana8.6 
 9. Gray, Hermosillo8.2 
 10. Thomas, Hermosillo8.1 
Assists Per Game
 William FUNN
  Guasave
  (188-G-82)
  Avg: 8.2
 1. Funn, Guasave8.2 
 2. Watson, Tijuana5.7 
 3. White, Los Mochis5.7 
 4. White, Cananea5.4 
 5. Winder, Guaymas5.2 
 6. Thomas, Hermosillo4.8 
 7. Brown, Tepic4.4 
 8. Nungaray, Guaymas4.2 
 9. Marentes, Guaymas4.0 
 10. Monreal, Hermosil.3.9 
Steals Per Game
 Davin WHITE
  Cananea
  (186-G-81)
  Avg: 2.3
 1. White, Cananea2.3 
 2. Moore, Culiacan1.9 
 3. Roby, Guaymas1.8 
 4. Funn, Guasave1.7 
 5. Gale, Mexicali1.7 
 6. Rougeau, Culiacan1.6 
 7. White, Los Mochis1.6 
 8. Brown, Cananea1.6 
 9. Sowell, Guasave1.6 
 10. Brown, Nogales1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 Kevin SOWELL
  Culiacan
  (190-G-81)
  Avg: 3.2
 1. Sowell, Culiacan3.2 
 2. Gale, Mexicali2.6 
 3. Sowell, Guasave2.3 
 4. White, Los Mochis2.2 
 5. Shipley, Tijuana2.2 
 6. Funn, Guasave2.1 
 7. Brown, Tepic2.1 
 8. Thomas, Hermosillo2.0 
 9. Brown, Tepic2.0 
 10. Malloy, Los Mochis1.9 


U16 Brazil beats U16 Mexico thanks to great second half - by Eurobasket News
BRAZIL - MEXICO 71-57

Brazil was too strong for Mexico 71-57 on Friday. It was the first game of the Classification Round from 5th to 8th place at the U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. Brazil made the first step and they will meet Chile today in the battle for fifth place. Mexico will try to beat Costa Rica and to avoid the last place at this event. Mexico was better than Brazil in the first half (23-28), but they somehow stopped after that. Brazil shined after the breather and with two great periods (20-11, 28-18) won the game with comfortable 71-57.
Fernando Stafleu (95) came up with 24 points and 10 rebounds in victory. Lucas Dias (96) secured a great help adding 16 pts and 8 boards. Higor Simas (95) was third scorer in victory with 7 points (6 rebs). For the hosts, Omar De Haro (95) delivered 21 points. Jose Hermosillo (95) stopped to 7 pts and 9 rebounds.

Brazil: Fernando Stafleu 24+10 boards, Lucas Dias 16+8 boards, Higor Simas 7+6 boards
Mexico: Omar De Haro 21, Jose Hermosillo 7+9 boards

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


Bulls plan to keep Mirotic with Real Madrid - by Eurobasket News
The Bulls officially announced the acquisition of Nikola Mirotic's (6'10''-F/C-91) draft rights from the Timberwolves once paperwork cleared the NBA league office Friday evening.

League sources said Mirotic's buyout from Real Madrid stands at about 2 million Euros. That number obviously is negotiable, but the plan for now is to keep Mirotic overseas for at least two or three seasons of his five-year deal. Bulls international scout Ivica Dukan has watched Mirotic, 20, for years, and management projected him as a lottery pick talent whose long-term contract and buyout situation dropped him in the draft.

The Bulls were fearful the Thunder, who took Reggie Jackson with the 24th pick, would draft Mirotic after the Thunder had scouted him extensively. That's why management traded up.

A trade target from virtually all of last summer, Rudy Fernandez, moved from the Trail Blazers to the Mavericks. Team sources said the Bulls had discussions with the Trail Blazers this week but opted against bidding for Fernandez because of his erratic season - including comments about returning overseas - and indifferent defense.

Familiar faces: Marquette coach Buzz Williams has known Bulls general manager Gar Forman since Williams was a teenager running around Texas, dreaming of a coaching job. Williams attended several Bulls' playoff games as Forman's guest and knew as he watched that first-round pick Jimmy Butler could play at the NBA level.

'A lot of what Jimmy does translates,' Williams said of his former player by phone Friday. 'His defensive versatility. His knowledge of ball-screen coverage. His length. Couple all that with his intellect and that's going to allow him to find some sort of niche.

'He was about as efficient as you could be his senior season. He never took a bad shot. He always guarded the best player. Even though he wasn't our leading scorer, he had the largest responsibility from an offensive perspective because I was going to let other players who were volume shooters take bad shots. He scored from the free throw line and on offensive rebounds. And then the players' efficiency levels that he guarded went down.'

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

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


ASS Champion 2010/2011 - by Marek Krala
ASS Sal won tonight the championship.This is a great season for the slaoui this season.They finished 3th in African Championship and second of the Arab championship in Dubai and they won the Cup of Throne and the league of Morocco.We can almost said that Abdelhakim Zouita is the MVP of the league.In almost 4 years ASS as already the supremacy in the moroccan league.The NTplayer of ASS must be ready now for the CAN in Madagascar this summer where Morocco has a chance to pass the first round.

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


Report: Patrick Ewing interviews for Pistons job - by Eurobasket News
Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing (7'0''-C-62, college: Georgetown) has been waiting for years for an opportunity to become a head coach at the NBA level, and it appears he's closer than ever to accomplishing that goal.

According to NBA.com's David Aldridge, the Detroit Pistons have spoken with Ewing about their vacant head coaching position. The Pistons fired former head coach John Kuester earlier this month after just two seasons on the Detroit bench.

In the weeks since, Pistons general manager Joe Dumars has interviewed at least five candidates, including Ewing.

Other potential replacements for Kuester include former Hawks coach Mike Woodson, former Nets coach and current Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank, former Indiana University coach and current Bucks assistant Kelvin Sampson and former Detroit Shock coach and current Timberwolves assistant Bill Laimbeer.

Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy has repeatedly endorsed Ewing since the 11-time All-Star center joined his staff in 2007.

'To me, he's certainly got the resume and the profile that people should be talking to him,' Van Gundy said in 2010. 'He's spent his time as an assistant. He's done everything you need to do to prepare yourself. I think he definitely deserves a chance.'

Van Gundy famously criticized the New York Knicks for not interviewing Ewing, perhaps the most recognizable face in franchise history, before they hired Mike D'Antoni in 2008.

Ewing, who worked with Yao Ming in Houston and has helped develop Dwight Howard into the NBA's top center, thinks he has been pigeonholed as a 'big man's' coach an assessment he believes is unfair.

'It's disappointing that I haven't moved to the next step to getting a head coaching job, but all I can do is keep working hard and keep on preparing myself for whenever that opportunity arises,' Ewing told the New York Daily News earlier this month. 'I'm not just a big man's coach. I'm a coach.'

Ewing, who will turn 49 in August, might not land the Pistons job, but now that the Hall of Famer has finally gotten an interview for a head coaching position, it should only be a matter of time before he finally gets his chance.

Courtesy of www.foxsportsflorida.com

Raptors exercise team options on forwards DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson, Ed Davis - by Eurobasket News
The Toronto Raptors have picked up team options on guard-forward Demar DeRozan (6'7''-F-89, college: USC) and forwards James Johnson (6'9''-F-87, agency: Priority Sports, college: Wake Forest) and Ed Davis (6'10''-F-89, college: N.Carolina).

The club announced the moves involving all three players on Friday.

DeRozan had his fourth-year option picked up after averaging 13 points, 3.4 rebounds and 28.4 minutes in his first three seasons. He was their only player to start all 82 games last season.

Johnson also had his fourth year picked up after joining the Raptors on Feb. 22 in a trade with Chicago. He averaged 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 25 games with Toronto.

Davis has his third year option exercised after averaging 7.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 65 appearances last season. He was first among NBA records at 57.6 percent field-goal shooting.

Courtesy of www.washingtonpost.com

Top pick Kyrie Irving introduced by Cavs - by Eurobasket News
Kyrie Irving's (6'2''-G-92) entourage consisted of one - his father. Irving didn't show up with a multimillion-dollar shoe contract, proclamations of greatness, nicknames or tattoos, either.

Cleveland's newest No. 1 draft pick is far different than the last one. He's hardly like LeBron James.

And that might be exactly why the Cavaliers love him.

'He's something special,' said coach Byron Scott.

Irving, who left Duke for the NBA after just one injury-shortened freshman season, was introduced Friday by the Cavaliers along with Texas forward Tristan Thompson, the club's No. 4 overall pick. During a 20-minute question-and-answer session, Irving displayed some of the cool and confidence that convinced Cleveland the point guard was the perfect choice to lead them back into contention.

Dressed sharply in a tailored gray suit accented with a pale blue tie, the fresh-faced Irving handled queries about expectations, the league's labor issues and other topics with the ease of a seasoned veteran. As he does on the court with the ball in his hands, the 19-year-old ran the show.

'He takes his time and makes it look easy,' said Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant, who shared the stage with Irving, Thompson and Scott. 'I was saying to myself, he's a lot better than I am.'

As first impressions go, Irving was flawless well, almost.

The Cavaliers were in the process of presenting Irving and Thompson with their respective wine-and-gold home jerseys Irving will wear No. 15, Thompson No. 13 when Drederick Irving noticed his son's pants were unzipped. Without causing a scene, he simply nodded and lowered his eyes at Kyrie, who got the sign and quickly fixed things to avoid an embarrassing moment.

No one seemed to notice. Kyrie smiled at his dad for another loving assist.

On Thursday night, when his name was called by commissioner David Stern as the Cavaliers' choice, Irving had to summon all his strength not to become too emotional and break down. After all, Drederick Irving was the one who taught him how to play, the one who had raised him to be his own man, the one who had to take over after his beloved wife, Kyrie's mother, Elizabeth, died suddenly 15 years ago.

This was their dream, and the path to it wasn't always easy.

'After my name was called,' Irving said. 'I wanted to hug my father for 10 minutes, knowing that all the hard work had led to this moment.'

Even a day later, Drederick Irving's head was still spinning.

'It's still surreal,' he said as his son posed for photos with school kids the Cavaliers invited to the news conference. 'It's a surreal moment for Kyrie. It couldn't be better for any other person than Kyrie. He's a hard worker, a good kid. He gets it. He got the blueprint with what I tried to instill in him as a kid.

'You guys are getting a gem and I'm not just saying that because I'm his father. He has another gear that people haven't seen. He's a special kid.'

The Cavaliers, one season removed from James' departure, have known that for a long time.

Although there was speculation they considered taking Arizona forward Derrick Williams with the first pick, the choice was really Irving all along. He was on top of their draft board all season, and after winning the lottery in May, it was inevitable he would be the selection.

Irving's arrival gives Scott a dilemma at point guard. Does he start Baron Davis, the seasoned veteran? Or Irving, the gifted rookie and franchise face?

'We'll let them fight it out,' Scott said, smiling. 'There are no expectations on Kyrie as a starter or anything like that. We expect Kyrie to come in, work hard and get better each and every day, learn from some of the veterans we have. There is opportunity because of the way I coach, he'll probably be playing with Baron as well.

'When you have those two guys in the backcourt who both handle the ball and make great decisions and make other people better, it makes us a better basketball team.'

Without coming off as arrogant, Irving knows he can make the Cavaliers better right away. He's not expecting to be given the starting job because of where he was drafted. And although there may be external pressure to live up to others' ambitions, Irving first needs to satisfy his own.

'I hold myself at such a high standard that the expectations people put on me, I try to exceed those,' he said. 'And more importantly, I try to exceed mine. Right now, I'm really just focused on this opportunity and being part of the Cleveland organization and just contributing as much as I can. This season coming up, I'm really focused on being one of the leaders on the team along with others. This is a young team and I'm really happy to be a part of it.'

Thompson's selection was viewed as somewhat of a surrpise by draft experts, who think the Cavaliers may have 'reached' by taking the 20-year-old. Thompson played just one season with the Longhorns and was thought to be a late first-round pick. Grant, though, said the club has been scouting the 6-foot-8 power forward since high school and had him rated among this draft's best.

'We actually had him ranked much higher than fourth,' Grant said.

Scott can't wait to get his two new players on the floor. After enduring a 63-loss season, the Cavaliers want to move forward and Scott believes Irving and Thompson can quicken the team's rebuilding project.

'We said going into the draft, if we can get these two guys at No. 1 and No. 4, it would be a home run,' he said. 'Well, we hit a home run.'

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Pat Riley wants Heat younger, faster - by Eurobasket News
Miami Heat president Pat Riley wants his team to get younger.

During a Friday conference call with the media, Riley said that the Heat's draft selection of speedy point guard Norris Cole is part of the organization's offseason strategy to get younger and faster heading into next season.

'There's going to be two roster spots left, maybe three, that we want to save to make sure that when free agency comes, that we have an opportunity to fill them with young, energetic, veteran players,' Riley said.

With Cole, the Heat have nine players under contract for next season including LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller, Joel Anthony, Dexter Pittman, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who officially opted in for 2011-12 on Wednesday.

As part of his two-year deal with the Heat, signed in the summer of 2010, Ilguaskas, 36, held a player's option for 2011-12.

As part of the effort to restock with younger players, Riley indicated that he is holding a three-day workout 'this week' involving 15 players, including free agents.

'We're trying to get something in early,' Riley said. 'We're just trying to get in under the gun here and take a look at some players.'

Riley also said that he expects Eddie House, 33, and James Jones, 30, to opt in for the 2011-12 season with the Heat.

Mario Chalmers can leave as a restricted free agent, but Riley included Chalmers in his outlook for next season, although the Heat still need to re-sign the third-year veteran once he hits the open market. The Heat have already extended a qualifying offer to Chalmers, which enables the club the right to match any offer from other teams in free agency.

If House, Jones, and Chalmers return to the Heat as Riley expects, Miami will have 12 spots filled on the 15-man roster.

The Heat fielded a notoriously aging roster last season, electing to fill the open spots with veterans on the league minimum instead of taking fliers with younger players. That gave the Heat more experience, but all the miles slowed them down and made them more susceptible to injury.

Despite boasting two of the most potent open court players in the league in James and Wade, the Heat ranked 21st in pace factor last season, which is a measure of possessions per 48 minutes. When asked about whether the Heat are looking to play more uptempo next season, Riley said he expects head coach Erik Spoelstra to step on the gas.

'That's going to be up to Erik and I think he will try to generate more of a running game next year than we had this year,' Riley said. 'But we haven't really sat down and discussed it since the end of the season. But we do want to get some quick players.'

In his conference call, Riley never mentioned the names of Erick Dampier, 35, Juwan Howard, 38, Jamaal Magloire, 33, or Mike Bibby, 33.

All four players were on veteran minimum contracts last season and will hit free agency this summer. Riley gave no indication that any of those veterans will return to the Heat next season, but did emphasize that the Heat want to turn back the clock.

'That's how we've been built thus far,' Riley said about the Heat's experienced roster. 'We're going to add more young players to the mix through free agency if we can.'

Although Ilgauskas opted in for next season, Riley said he wouldn't rule out the center's retirement.

'I personally think he has a lot left in the tank,' Riley said. 'We plan on having him on the roster next year, but he still could retire. I encouraged him not to retire because I still think he can help somebody and I want that somebody to be us.'

The NBA's collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on June 30 and if the players and owners can't come to an agreement before then, there will be a lockout beginning July 1.

There is a possibility that the Heat won't have the luxury of using a mid-level exception under the next CBA, which would severely hinder the Miami's flexibility to sign free agents. There is no word on whether there will be a hard or soft cap going forward.

Riley said he will have to wait and see how the labor talks affect his plans. 'Once we know what we're dealing with and what the rules are, then we're going to try to be as aggressive as we've ever been in the free agent market to add to this team,' Riley said.

'That's the only way we're going to be able to do it.'

Courtesy of ESPN

Heat's Mike Miller undergoes surgery on left thumb - by Eurobasket News
Miami Heat forward Mike Miller (6'8''-F/G-80, college: Florida) is recovering from surgery for a ruptured tendon in his left thumb.

Miller was injured during the latter stages of the regular season, finishing the postseason in protective bracing on his non-shooting hand.

Miller sustained a similar injury to his right thumb during the preseason, with the ensuing surgery sidelining him for two months and limiting his effectiveness for the balance of the season.

Limited in his ability to handle the ball, Miller is coming off an uneven postseason. The 3-point specialist is one of eight players under contract to the Heat for next season.

Courtesy of http://articles.sun-sentinel.com

Report: Jonas Valanciunas will play for Toronto Raptors in 2012-13 - by Eurobasket News
Jonas Valanciunas (6'11''-C-92), the No. 5 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, will not join the Toronto Raptors for the upcoming season, but the Raptors have reached a deal with Valanciunas' Lithuanian team that will allow him to play for Toronto in 2012-13, GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed on Friday, according to the Toronto Sun.

And Colangelo is OK with that.

Youre looking at a pretty underdeveloped 19-year-old that is looking at going up against some pretty big players in the NBA, Colangelo said. Getting him physically ready and acclimated to the culture is obviously going to take time.

The 7-footer was regarded by many as the top center in the draft, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were reportedly interested in taking him at No. 4, but questions regarding a potential buyout mounted as the draft approached.

An NBA team is allowed, under league rules, to pay $500,000 toward a buyout and any money beyond that must be paid by the player himself. The National Post reports Valanciunas buyout is set at $2.4 million, which would mean hed have to pay $1.9 million himself.

Asked by Sporting News' Sean Deveney before the draft whether his relationship with Lietuvos Rytas, his Lithunian team, was damaged by their buyout demands, Valanciunas said, I think, yeah, but I am not mad at them. They are doing their job. I think I am just waiting for them. I think that maybe they will change their mind.'

Courtesy of http://aol.sportingnews.com

Bulls plan to keep Mirotic with Real Madrid - by Eurobasket News
The Bulls officially announced the acquisition of Nikola Mirotic's (6'10''-F/C-91) draft rights from the Timberwolves once paperwork cleared the NBA league office Friday evening.

League sources said Mirotic's buyout from Real Madrid stands at about 2 million Euros. That number obviously is negotiable, but the plan for now is to keep Mirotic overseas for at least two or three seasons of his five-year deal. Bulls international scout Ivica Dukan has watched Mirotic, 20, for years, and management projected him as a lottery pick talent whose long-term contract and buyout situation dropped him in the draft.

The Bulls were fearful the Thunder, who took Reggie Jackson with the 24th pick, would draft Mirotic after the Thunder had scouted him extensively. That's why management traded up.

A trade target from virtually all of last summer, Rudy Fernandez, moved from the Trail Blazers to the Mavericks. Team sources said the Bulls had discussions with the Trail Blazers this week but opted against bidding for Fernandez because of his erratic season - including comments about returning overseas - and indifferent defense.

Familiar faces: Marquette coach Buzz Williams has known Bulls general manager Gar Forman since Williams was a teenager running around Texas, dreaming of a coaching job. Williams attended several Bulls' playoff games as Forman's guest and knew as he watched that first-round pick Jimmy Butler could play at the NBA level.

'A lot of what Jimmy does translates,' Williams said of his former player by phone Friday. 'His defensive versatility. His knowledge of ball-screen coverage. His length. Couple all that with his intellect and that's going to allow him to find some sort of niche.

'He was about as efficient as you could be his senior season. He never took a bad shot. He always guarded the best player. Even though he wasn't our leading scorer, he had the largest responsibility from an offensive perspective because I was going to let other players who were volume shooters take bad shots. He scored from the free throw line and on offensive rebounds. And then the players' efficiency levels that he guarded went down.'

Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

Pippen says Jordans the greatest - by Eurobasket News
Scottie Pippen (6'8''-G/F-65, college: Cent.Arkansas) made it clear he thinks Michael Jordan (6'7''-F-63, college: N.Carolina) is the best player ever - not LeBron James (6'8''-F-84).

Speaking to reporters at a youth camp in suburban Lisle on Friday, Pippen says he was simply giving LeBron some props as a player when he suggested to ESPN radio last month that James could be better than Jordan.

Pippen says all know that (Jordans) the greatest player that ever played the game and that his comments were taken a little bit out of context.

Jordans running mate as the Bulls won six championships in the 1990s, Pippen caused quite a stir last month after the Heat beat Chicago in the Eastern Conference finals.

A team ambassador, he told ESPN radio, that while Jordan is probably the greatest scorer, James may be the greatest player to ever play the game.

Pippen says hes spoken with Jordan several times since then and there is no animosity between them.

Courtesy of Yahoo

Timberwolves trade Bojan Bogdanovic to Nets - by Eurobasket News
The New Jersey Nets have acquired the draft rights to the 31st overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, Bojan Bogdanovic (6'8''-G/F-89), from the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for the Nets 2013 second round pick and cash considerations, Nets General Manager Billy King announced today. Minnesota acquired the pick in a previous transaction with the Miami Heat.

Bogdanovic averaged 18.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.3 steals during the 2010-11 season with Cibona VIP in the Adriatic League. He shot .452 (146-323) from the field and .745 (117-157) from the line.

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com

Source: Ryan Hollins picks up $2.5 million player option - by Eurobasket News
The Cleveland Cavaliers may have not addressed their current hole at the center position via the recently held NBA Draft, but Ryan Hollins (6'11''-C-84, college: UCLA) has picked up his player option for the 2011-12 season, a source tells WFNY.

At 26-years of age, the athletic Hollins continues to be extremely raw on both ends of the floor, but showed flashes of brilliance during latter periods of the 2010-11 season. A recent nominee for WFNY Performance of the Year, Hollins averaged a mere 5.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game over the course of the season but put up averages of 10.3 points and 1.4 blocks per game over his final eight contests.

Per the source, Hollins decided to pick up his option approximately two weeks ago, choosing to delay free agency and play for the Cavaliers regardless of the team potentially adding peer-based competition via Thursdays draft. With the current NBA collective bargaining agreement in limbo, the seven-footer did not want to risk getting offered substantially less than the $2.5 million he is due in the final year of his contract.

Baring cataclysmic changes to the Cavaliers roster, Hollins will come off of the bench behind veteran big man Anderson Varejao for the second consecutive season.

Courtesy of www.waitingfornextyear.com

Pacers pick up team options on Collison, Hansbrough, George - by Eurobasket News
The Indiana Pacers have picked up the 2012-13 team options on Darren Collison (6'0''-G-87, college: UCLA), Tyler Hansbrough (6'9''-F-85, college: N.Carolina) and Paul George (6'8''-G/F-90, agency: Priority Sports, college: Fresno St.).

All three were starters by the end of last season.

The Pacers acquired Collison in a trade last off-season, and he quickly established himself. The second-year point guard started 79 games and averaged 13.2 points and 5.1 assists per game.

Hansbrough missed most of his rookie year, but he played a bigger role last season and moved into the starting lineup when Frank Vogel became interim coach. He averaged 11 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and was a key contributor during Indiana's playoff push.

George, a rookie last season, also moved into the starting lineup under Vogel and started all five of Indiana's playoff games.

Courtesy of www.tsn.ca

Wolves second-round pick lied about age, should have been ineligible - by Eurobasket News
The second round of Thursday night's NBA draft was full of obscure players from foreign leagues, but no one selected has as unknown a profile as Targuy Ngombo (6'6''-F-89). A 6-6 forward from the Qatar League, Ngombo was virtually unknown by even the most committed draftniks. The only realiable web site which had the most complete profile of the player was Eurobasket.com. However the info they gather in their database comes very often from the local international tournaments, where checking the exact date of birth is not the highest priority. So even such complete source of basketball info had it wrong. There was no suspicion until Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweeted about his potential selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.

Sure enough, Givony was right -- Minnesota took Ngombo on Thursday night with the 58th overall pick. ESPN appeared to have ripped his highlight video straight from YouTube and his profile photo from Google Images, while analyst Fran Fraschilla compared him to Sidd Finch, a baseball phenom George Plimpton made up for a now-notorious April Fool's Day hoax in a 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated.

It turns out that Fraschilla was at least partially right: Ngombo exists, but his story doesn't check out. When the Wolves selected him Thursday night, they thought they were getting a 21-year-old golden nugget hidden from all other times. Instead, they found pyrite, because Ngombo is really 26 years old. Givony tweeted the truth on Friday afternoon:

Uh-oh, looks like our guy T'Wolves draft pick Targuy Ngombo has been busted for lying about his age: http://bit.ly/kfxzqp (hat-tip @sJacas )

Here is a direct link to the FIBA website archive with Targuy Ngombo 's profile and date of birth: http://bit.ly/lxStcJ

It looks like even Qatar is lising Targuy Ngombo as being born in 1984: http://bit.ly/m5NXPI - I don't think there's any way around this now

NBA rules dictate that European players become automatically eligible for the league at 22 years old, at which point they become free agents unless a team already holds their rights through the draft. Since Ngombo had never been selected and his real age of 26 appears to have been a matter of public record, the selection should have never been allowed to happen and may be voided after the fact.

If the Wolves have a case to keep Ngombo's rights, it's that his NBA.com draft profile lists his year of birth as 1989. (The profile also gets his name wrong, but, in fairness, 'Targuy' has been a common spelling since he entered the draftosphere on Monday.) The FIBA and Qatar links above look to be more official listings, so it looks as if the Wolves (and the NBA, to be sure) appear not to have done their due diligence. If they want Ngombo, they may have to sign him to a contract. Of course, it's also not entirely clear why any franchise would want a 26-year-old forward who plays in a low-level league in the Middle East. The only reason Minnesota should want to hold on to the pick is to avoid embarrassment. There's no reason that general manager David Kahn couldn't have done a rudimentary web search about Ngombo, and he deserves mockery for failing to carry out some basic research.

It's unclear if a case like this one has ever occurred in the NBA, but there is something of a precedent in the WNBA, as Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus told me on Friday afternoon. In 2007, the Sacramento Monarchs took Charel Allen with the 36th pick even though she was set to return to Notre Dame for a fifth year and had not declared for the draft. Under league rules, she was declared ineligible, although the Monarchs did make her the Miss Irrelevant in 2008 when they chose her with the 43rd and final pick of the draft.

If that example serves as precedent, then the Wolves probably aren't going to end up with Ngombo. Given his advanced age and lack of reputation, they may be just fine with that. However, this mess will remain as a black mark on the resume of Kahn. Up until now, his most ridiculous accomplishment as an NBA GM was taking two point guards with back-to-back lottery picks in 2008. Failing to look into the full history of Targuy Ngombo may be impossible to top.

Courtesy of Yahoo

Grizzlies extend qualifying offer to Marc Gasol - by Eurobasket News
The Memphis Grizzlies have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Marc Gasol (7'0''-C-85, agency: Interperformances), giving them the chance to match any offer he might get this offseason.

General manager Chris Wallace announced the move Friday.

The 7-foot-1 Gasol averaged 15 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in helping the Grizzlies upset top-seeded San Antonio to open the playoffs before pushing Oklahoma City to seven games in the semifinals. He finished second in rebounds per game and third with 2.15 blocks per game in the playoffs.

He averaged 11.7 points and 7.0 rebounds while starting 81 games in the regular season.

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

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


U16 USA blasts U16 Canada 113-70, goes to Finals in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
USA - CANADA 113-70

USA had no troubles to beat Canada 113-70 and to reach the Big Final of U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. USA will meet Argentina in the battle for Gold. On the other side, Canada will play against Puerto Rico for third place. Today is the last day of the championship.
USA took control on Canada from the very beginning. They made 31-7 lead in the first ten minutes and jumped to plus 35 until the halftime. Question about the winner was already resolved and second half was just the formality (29-16, 21-26).
Aaron Gordon (96) stepped up with 22 points and 8 rebounds for USA. Jahlil Okafor-Benton (96) followed him with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Theophilus Pinson Jr. (96) added 15 pts and 5 rebs. In Canada, Anthony Pate (95) and Malcom Duvivier (95) delivered 10 points each. Miroslav Jaksic (95) collected 9 points and 8 rebounds.

USA: Aaron Gordon 22+8 boards, Jahlil Okafor-Benton 16+7 boards, Theophilus Pinson Jr. 15+5 boards
Canada: Anthony Pate 10, Malcom Duvivier 10, Miroslav Jaksic 9+8 boards

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


NBL Round 11: Wellington Saints keep leadership position - by Eurobasket News
There are only two more rounds left in the Regular Season in NBL.

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Wellington S. as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Wellington S. defeated 6th ranked Manawatu J. at home 114-102. The game was mostly controlled by Wellington S.. Manawatu J. managed to win second period 27-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Wellington S. made 23-of-27 free shots (85.2 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Wellington S. made 9 blocks. The best player for the winners was international guard Lindsay Tait (194-82, agency: Impact Basketball) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). The former international guard Corey Webster (185-88, college: Lambuth) chipped in 21 points (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). American guard Darryl Hudson (196-85, college: Howard, agency: TSS Management) produced 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for the guests. Wellington S. have a solid series of three victories in a row. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Manawatu J. lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with eight games lost. Just two games before the end of Regular Season and it may be the most important game of the season next round when Manawatu J. faces Taranaki MA trying to get back on the winning streak. Wellington S. will try to continue on its current victory against eighth ranked Taranaki MA in New Plymouth.
Fourth-ranked Nelson G. (7-7) made lots of trouble for third ranked Bay Hawks (11-4) in Tamatea. Bay Hawks managed to secure only three-point victory 86-83. However their fans expected easier game. The former international guard Paora Winitana (195-76) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 24 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Jarrod Kenny contributed with 14 points for the winners. International forward Mika Vukona (197-82) answered with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds for Nelson G.Bay Hawks maintains third place with 11-4 record behind leader Wellington S. Nelson G. at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Bay Hawks will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Nelson G. will play at home against Southland S. (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Palmerston North supposed to be also quite interesting. 4th placed Nelson G. (7-7) played at the court of sixth ranked Manawatu J. (6-8). Manawatu J. smashed Nelson G. 99-78 on Saturday. It was a great evening for Chris Hagan who led his team to a victory scoring 32 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. Mika Vukona responded with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists. Manawatu J. maintains sixth place with 6-8 record. Loser Nelson G. keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Manawatu J. will meet Taranaki MA (#8) in the next round. Nelson G. will play against Southland S. (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.

Other games of round 11 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Auckland P. defeated OceanaGold N. in a road game 88-80. Southland S. beat Auckland P. at home 90-77. Manawatu J. lost to Waikato P. on the opponent's court 77-84.

OceanaGold N. - Auckland P. 80-88

There was no surprise in Dunedin where 9th ranked OceanaGold N. (2-12) was defeated by seventh ranked Auckland P. (4-9) 88-80 on Saturday. It was a great evening for American forward Kevin Smith (196-79, college: Lee) who led his team to a victory scoring 26 points and 6 rebounds. His fellow American import power forward Kevin Mickens (207-83, college: George Mason) helped adding 20 points and 6 rebounds. American guard Scott O'Gallagher (188-84, college: Warner Pacific) responded with a double-double by scoring 27 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists and international power forward Craig Bradshaw (207-83, college: Winthrop) produced a double-double by scoring 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Five Auckland P. and four OceanaGold N. players scored in double figures. Auckland P. maintains seventh place with 4-9 record. OceanaGold N. lost fifth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 12 games lost. Auckland P. will meet at home Taranaki MA (#8) in the next round. OceanaGold N. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Auckland P.: K.Smith 26+6reb+2ast, K.Mickens 20+6reb+3ast, E.Bartlett 13+3reb+2ast, D.Boucher 11+10reb+4ast, H.O'Riley 10+5reb+1ast, L.Martin 4+3reb+1ast
OceanaGold N.: S.O'Gallagher 27+10reb+4ast, C.Bradshaw 18+10reb+4ast, T.Rowe 11+4reb+2ast, M.Morrison 10+4reb, S.To'omata 6+3reb, J.Ross 4+1reb+3ast
gschID: 122714


Bay Hawks - Nelson G. 86-83

Fourth-ranked Nelson G. (7-7) made lots of trouble for third ranked Bay Hawks (11-4) in Tamatea. Bay Hawks managed to secure only three-point victory 86-83. However their fans expected easier game. Nelson G. was ahead by 6 points at the halftime before a 31-21 third quarter run of Bay Hawks. They outrebounded Nelson G. 43-25 including a 23-6 advantage in offensive rebounds. The former international guard Paora Winitana (195-76) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 24 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists. Guard Jarrod Kenny (187-85) contributed with 14 points for the winners. International forward Mika Vukona (197-82) answered with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and the former international guard Phill Jones (196-74) added 23 points in the effort for Nelson G.Five Bay Hawks and four Nelson G. players scored in double figures. Bay Hawks maintains third place with 11-4 record behind leader Wellington S. Nelson G. at the other side keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Bay Hawks will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Nelson G. will play at home against Southland S. (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Bay Hawks: P.Winitana 24+13reb+4ast, J.Kenny 14+4reb+3ast, A.Trousdell 13+7reb+1ast, C.Daniel 11+4reb+1ast, G.Young 10+4reb+2ast, B.Hill 9+2reb+1ast
Nelson G.: P.Jones 23+4reb+1ast, M.Vukona 20+10reb+3ast, D.Dora 19+3reb+1ast, R.Grizzard 14+7reb+1ast, M.Fitchett 4+3ast, J.Bloxham 3+1ast
gschID: 122711


Southland S. - Auckland P. 90-77

No shocking result in a game when fifth ranked Southland S. (6-7) defeated at home 7th ranked Auckland P. (4-9) 90-77 on Friday. The game was mostly controlled by Southland S.. Auckland P. managed to win third quarter 20-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Southland S. forced 21 Auckland P. turnovers. It was a great evening for the former international guard Mark Dickel (187-76, college: UNLV) who led his team to a victory scoring 23 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. The former international swingman Brendon Polyblank (200-78, college: Texas St.) helped adding 16 points. Four Southland S. players scored in double figures. Guard Everard Bartlett (198-86) responded with 29 points and American power forward Kevin Mickens (207-83, college: George Mason) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 11 rebounds. Auckland P.'s coach Kenneth Stone rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Southland S. maintains fifth place with 6-7 record. Loser Auckland P. keeps the seventh position with nine games lost. Southland S. will meet higher ranked Nelson G. (#4) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Auckland P. will play against Taranaki MA in New Plymouth and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Southland S.: M.Dickel 23+6reb+7ast, K.Dickens 17+3reb+1ast, B.Polyblank 16+3reb+3ast, M.Rose 14+5reb+2ast, D.Peck 8+1reb+1ast, J.Paringatai 6+1reb
Auckland P.: E.Bartlett 29+4reb+2ast, K.Mickens 13+11reb+1ast, K.Smith 11+6reb+1ast, L.Martin 8+3reb+2ast, D.Boucher 7+11reb+2ast, B.Abdullah 5+3reb+2ast
gschID: 122712


Manawatu J. - Nelson G. 99-78

The game in Palmerston North supposed to be also quite interesting. 4th placed Nelson G. (7-7) played at the court of sixth ranked Manawatu J. (6-8). Manawatu J. smashed Nelson G. 99-78 on Saturday. The game was mostly controlled by Manawatu J.. Nelson G. managed to win fourth quarter 27-24. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Manawatu J. dominated down low during the game scoring 64 of its points in the paint compared to Nelson G.'s 42. It was a great evening for American guard Chris Hagan (175-89, college: Midwestern St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 32 points, 9 assists and 4 steals. The former international power forward Nick Horvath (208-81, college: Duke) helped adding 19 points and 9 rebounds. International forward Mika Vukona (197-82) responded with a double-double by scoring 13 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international guard Phill Jones (196-74) scored 23 points and 7 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Manawatu J. maintains sixth place with 6-8 record. Loser Nelson G. keeps the fourth position with seven games lost. Manawatu J. will meet Taranaki MA (#8) in the next round. Nelson G. will play against Southland S. (#5) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Manawatu J.: C.Hagan 32+3reb+9ast, N.Horvath 19+9reb+1ast, J.Trueman 17+9reb+1ast, D.Hudson 14+3reb+1ast, M.Te Huna 7+7reb+4ast, K.Hokianga 6+2ast
Nelson G.: P.Jones 23+7reb+3ast, R.Grizzard 16+10reb, M.Vukona 13+18reb+4ast, M.Fitchett 10+2reb, D.Dora 6+3reb, D.Jones 5+1reb
gschID: 122713


Waikato P. - Manawatu J. 84-77

Very expected game in Hamilton where 6th ranked Manawatu J. (6-8) was defeated by second ranked Waikato P. (12-3) 84-77 on Wednesday. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Manawatu J. won third quarter 20-19. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Waikato P. made 20-of-23 free shots (87.0 percent) during the game. It was a great evening for international center Alex Pledger (216-87, college: Belm.Abbey) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 18 rebounds. The former international swingman Thomas Abercrombie (198-87, college: Washington St., agency: Priority Sports) helped adding 21 points and 7 rebounds. Waikato P.'s coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Chris Hagan (175-89, college: Midwestern St.) responded with 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and the former international power forward Nick Horvath (208-81, college: Duke) scored 17 points and 6 rebounds. Both teams had five players each who scored in double figures. Waikato P. have an impressive series of ten victories in a row. They maintain second place with 12-3 record having just -1 point less than leader Wellington S. Manawatu J. lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth position with eight games lost. Waikato P. will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Manawatu J. will play against Taranaki MA (#8) in New Plymouth and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Waikato P.: T.Abercrombie 21+7reb, A.Pledger 16+18reb+1ast, J.Crowe 14+7reb+6ast, H.Allen 12+2reb+6ast, B.Anthony 10+9reb+1ast, J.Smith 9+2reb+2ast
Manawatu J.: N.Horvath 17+6reb+2ast, D.Hudson 17+7reb+1ast, J.Trueman 14+8reb+1ast, M.Te Huna 13+2ast, C.Hagan 11+8reb+6ast, K.Hokianga 3+3reb+1ast
gschID: 122708


Wellington S. - Manawatu J. 114-102

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Wellington S. as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Wellington S. defeated 6th ranked Manawatu J. at home 114-102. The game was mostly controlled by Wellington S.. Manawatu J. managed to win second period 27-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Wellington S. made 23-of-27 free shots (85.2 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Wellington S. made 9 blocks. The best player for the winners was international guard Lindsay Tait (194-82, agency: Impact Basketball) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 11 assists (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). The former international guard Corey Webster (185-88, college: Lambuth) chipped in 21 points (was perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line). American guard Darryl Hudson (196-85, college: Howard, agency: TSS Management) produced 27 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international power forward Nick Horvath (208-81, college: Duke) added 22 points and 10 rebounds respectively for the guests. Five Wellington S. and four Manawatu J. players scored in double figures. Wellington S. have a solid series of three victories in a row. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Manawatu J. lost third consecutive game. They keep the sixth place with eight games lost. Just two games before the end of Regular Season and it may be the most important game of the season next round when Manawatu J. faces Taranaki MA trying to get back on the winning streak. Wellington S. will try to continue on its current victory against eighth ranked Taranaki MA in New Plymouth.
Top scorers:
Wellington S.: C.Webster 21+1reb+3ast, L.Tait 21+3reb+11ast, T.McLean 15+4reb+2ast, C.Frank 14+1reb+2ast, E.Maxey 13+4reb, L.Henry 12+9reb+1ast
Manawatu J.: D.Hudson 27+5reb+4ast, N.Horvath 22+10reb+2ast, C.Hagan 19+2reb+4ast, J.Trueman 19+7reb, M.Te Huna 7+3reb+6ast, P.Miles 4+6reb+1ast
gschID: 122710




Standings Men
NBL Standings
 1. Wellington S. 12-2 
 2. Waikato P. 12-3 
 3. Bay Hawks 11-4 
 4. Nelson G. 7-7 
 5. Southland S. 6-7 
 6. Manawatu J. 6-8 
 7. Auckland P. 4-9 
 8. Taranaki MA 2-10 
 9. OceanaGold N. 2-12 


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Jack LEASURE
  Taranaki.
  (191-G-86)
  Avg: 21.9
 1. Leasure, Taranaki.21.9 
 2. Hudson, Manawatu.20.1 
 3. Pace, Bay Hawks19.8 
 4. Webster, Wellingt.19.7 
 5. Campbell, Taranaki.19.4 
 6. Abercrombie, Waika.19.2 
 7. Smith, Waikato P.18.6 
 8. Bradshaw, OceanaG.18.6 
 9. Polyblank, Southla.18.5 
 10. Dora, Nelson G.18.4 
Rebounds Per Game
 Alex PLEDGER
  Waika.
  (216-C-87)
  Avg: 12
 1. Pledger, Waika.12.0 
 2. Vukona, Nelson G.11.4 
 3. Horvath, Manawatu.10.9 
 4. Allred, OceanaGo.10.1 
 5. Campbell, Taranaki.9.9 
 6. Seay, Waikato P.9.3 
 7. Grizzard, Nelson G.8.8 
 8. Johnson, Wellingt.8.7 
 9. Bradshaw, OceanaG.8.5 
 10. Boucher, Auckland.8.2 
Assists Per Game
 Jason CROWE
  Waikato P.
  (193-G-76)
  Avg: 6.7
 1. Crowe, Waikato P.6.7 
 2. Dickel, Southland6.5 
 3. Tait, Wellington S.6.0 
 4. Braswell, Southlan.5.2 
 5. Kench, Manawatu J.4.4 
 6. Hagan, Manawatu J.4.2 
 7. Martin, Auckland.4.0 
 8. Boucher, Auckland.3.8 
 9. Smith, Waikato P.3.6 
 10. Meehl, Taranaki MA3.3 
Steals Per Game
 Jason CROWE
  Waikato P.
  (193-G-76)
  Avg: 3.2
 1. Crowe, Waikato P.3.2 
 2. Boucher, Auckland.3.0 
 3. Hagan, Manawatu J.2.6 
 4. Smith, Waikato P.2.6 
 5. Seay, Waikato P.2.3 
 6. Kench, Manawatu J.2.0 
 7. Dickel, Southland2.0 
 8. Rose, Southland S.1.8 
 9. Braswell, Southlan.1.6 
 10. Leasure, Taranaki.1.6 
Blocks Per Game
 Alex PLEDGER
  Waika.
  (216-C-87)
  Avg: 2.7
 1. Pledger, Waika.2.7 
 2. Seay, Waikato P.1.5 
 3. Iti, Southland S.1.5 
 4. Allred, OceanaGo.1.4 
 5. Spicer, Southlan.1.2 
 6. Vukona, Nelson G.1.0 
 7. Anthony, Waika.1.0 
 8. Johnson, Wellingt.1.0 
 9. Adams, Wellington1.0 
 10. Brown, Auckland P.1.0 


*****************************************************
  PERU   


Standings - Superior
Superior Standings
 1. Real Club 19-0 
 2. Regatas 15-3 
 3. Escuela Fap 12-5 
 4. Inmaculada 9-8 
 5. El Bosque 9-9 
 6. Ejercito 8-9 
 7. Centro Naval 8-9 
 8. San Augustin 6-12 
 9. San Marcos 3-14 
 10. Universitario 0-16 


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


Singapore no match for Philippines in Jakarta - by Eurobasket News
Philippines - Singapore 106:51

Philippines recorded the third straight win at the 9th SEABA Championship in Indonesia. They drubbed Singapore to stay undefeated. Japeth Paul Aguilar (207-C-85, college: W.Kentucky) and Andy Mark Barroca (198-F/C-88) stepped up with 18 points each to pace the winners.
Philippines stunned their opponents early in the game. They outscored Singapore 30:9 in the starting ten minutes. Philippines dominated every facet of the game as the lead grew at 37 points 60:23 at halftime. Singapore showed some signs of life in the third term. They outscored Philippines to narrow the deficit. But the fourth frame sealed Singapore fate as they conceded 29 points and suffered a heavy loss at the end. Marnel Baracael (193-F/G-85) provided 17 points, while Dylan Simon Ababou (193-G/F-86) added 14 in the win. Wong Wei Long (172-G-88) responded with 20 points for Singapore. Lim ShengYu (190-F-90) accounted for 10 points in the loss.

Philippines: Japeth Paul Aguilar 18+15 boards, Andy Mark Barroca 18, Marnel Baracael 17
Singapore: Wong Wei Long 20, Lim ShengYu 10


Thoughts on Day 3 of SEABA 2011 - by Enzo Flojo
Philippines 106 - Barroca 18, Aguilar 18, Baracael 17, Ababou 14, Tiu 11, Lutz 11, Douthit 8, Casio 5, Ballesteros 4
Singapore 51 - Wong 20, Lim 10, Goh 6, Oh 4, Koh M. 4, Ng 3, Fok 2, Khoo 2, Folkoff 0, Wu 0, Koh K. 0, Matialakin 0
QS: 30-9, 60-23, 77-43, 106-51
- The Pinoys displayed superior form against the hapless Singaporeans. From the start, it was clear that both teams weren't in the same class.
- Mark Barroca showcased his offensive capability, finishing with 18 points and 5 assists. Japeth Aguilar continued to impress with a double-double -- 18 points and 15 rebounds.
- Mark Douthit was rested today, playing just 10 minutes and scoring 8 points. Seldom-used Jason Ballesteros did a good job manning the slot in lieu of Douthit. Ballesteros ended up with just 4 points, but led all players with 16 boards.
- As expected, Wei Long Wong was the lone bright spot for Singapore, hitting 5 triples en route to 20 points.

Indonesia 77 - Sitepu 15, Poedjakesuma 14, Prihantono 14, Prawiro 10, Gunawan 7, Indrawan 6, Wuysang 4, Situmorang 4, Faisal 2, Dewanto 1, Chandra 0, Thoyib 0
Malaysia 47 - Chee 13, Loh 11, Batumalai 7, Ng 7, Ong 2, Choo 2, Chin 2, Kuek 2, Wee 1, Ho 0, Lau 0, Kuppusamy 0
QS: 10-4, 33-27, 53-43, 77-47
- The Indonesians used a strong start and an even stronger finish to arrange a championship game with the Filipinos.
- The Malaysians managed to score a combined 8 points in the 1st & 4th periods, which explains why the final spread is unexpectedly large.
- The home team was led by Christian Sitepu's spirited display of 15 points and 8 rebounds. He was ably supported by Andi Poedjakesuma, Amin Prihantono, and Xaverius Prawiro, all of whom combined for 8 three-pointers.
- The only Malaysians who seemed to put up a fight were Li Wei Chee and Shee Fai Loh, finishing with 13 and 11 markers respectively.

Source: HoopNut.blogspot.com


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


Germany U20 won the opener of the four-nation campaign - by Eurobasket News
Poland U20-Germany U20 53:82

Germany U20 won the opener of the Oberwart International Tournament with 4 teams. The German squad needed the strong second period for 82:53 win.
Both teams started well and only 4 points separated them after the first 10 minutes. Germany took 19-15 advantage and added massive surge in the second frame. Poland managed to score only 4 points and trailed 23:40 at the halftime. Moreover Germany added another points to the massive lead at 61:35 after 30 minutes. In the last frame Germany produced 21-18 to win the game.
Johannes Voigtmann (200-F-92) paced all the winners with 14 points and Daniel Theis (207-C-92) netted 13. Niels Giffey (200-G/F-91) posted 11, whilst Dennis Ogbe and Malte Ziegenhagen nailed 8 apiece. Szymanski replied with 9 points for the Polish team, while Jakub Parzenski (209-F/C-91) and Michal Sokolowski (195-G-92) notched 6 apiece.

Poland U20: Szymanski 9, Jakub Parzenski 6, Michal Sokolowski 6
Germany U20: Johannes Voigtmann 14, Daniel Theis 13, Niels Giffey 11



*****************************************************
  PUERTO RICO   


BSN Round 28: Bayamon is the regular season champion - by Eurobasket News
The Regular Season in BSN just ended. Bayamon is No.1 with 21-9 record.

BSN Standings
1. Bayamon 21-9
2. Arecibo 19-11
3. Guaynabo 18-12
4. San German 17-13
5. Quebradillas 16-14
6. Santurce 15-15
7. Coamo 12-18
8. Humacao 12-18
-----------------
9. Isabela 10-20
10. Mayaguez 10-20


Quarterfinals
Jun. 27: Humacao - Bayamon
Jun. 27: Santurce - Guaynabo
Jun. 26: Coamo - Arecibo
Jun. 25: Quebradillas - San German


Humacao - Guaynabo 89-101
The game in Humacao was also worth to mention about. Second ranked Mets (18-12) played at the court of 7th ranked Caciques (12-18). Mets defeated Caciques 101-89. It looked good early as Caciques took an 10-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Mets took control and eventually winning the game that evening by 12 points. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 22 assists. Worth to mention a great performance of international swingman Angel Daniel Vassallo (198-86, college: Virginia Tech) who helped to win the game recording 34 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 4 assists and American center Shaun Pruitt (208-85, college: Illinois, agency: Edge Sports) who added 11 points and 16 rebounds during the contest. At the losing side American power forward Ivan Johnson (203-84, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.) responded with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists and the former international guard Miguel Ali Berdiel (198-83, college: Valparaiso, agency: Paris Global Sports) produced a double-double by scoring 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Top scorers:
Guaynabo: A.Daniel Vassallo 34+6reb+4ast, C.Escalera 15+1reb+4ast, R.Dalmau 13+1reb+5ast, G.Colon 12+5reb+1ast, S.Pruitt 11+16reb+1ast, A.Luis Figueroa 10+3reb+1ast
Humacao: I.Johnson 20+10reb+4ast, J.Maye 19+6reb+2ast, M.Ali Berdiel 19+10reb+3ast, D.Clemente 18+2reb+3ast, J.Life 10+1reb, K.Penn 3+9reb

gschID: 125616


Arecibo - Quebradillas 81-71
No shocking result in a game when third ranked Capitanes (19-11) beat 5th ranked Quebradillas (16-14) in Arecibo 81-71 on Thursday. The game was mostly controlled by Capitanes. Quebradillas managed to win fourth quarter 21-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The winners were led by the former international center Daniel Santiago (216-76, college: N.Mexico, agency: Priority Sports) who scored that evening 12 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and international guard Larry Ayuso (190-77, college: USC, agency: Global Sports Plaza) supported him with 21 points. Four Capitanes players scored in double figures. Even 27 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists by international center Peter John Ramos (222-85) did not help to save the game for Quebradillas. American-Australian guard CJ Bruton (188-75, college: Indian Hills CC) added 9 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for lost side. Quebradillas' coach tested ten players, but that didn't help to avoid defeat in this game.
Top scorers:
Arecibo: L.Ayuso 21+1ast, D.Pinnock 16+3reb+1ast, D.Santiago 12+8reb+6ast, A.Rodriguez 10+2reb+5ast, D.Cortes 10, G.Diaz 6+3reb+4ast
Quebradillas: P.John Ramos 27+9reb+4ast, D.Huertas 15+6reb, A.Alamo 10+6reb+3ast, C.Bruton 9+8reb+6ast, S.Rosas 6+3ast, A.Colon 4+2reb+1ast
gschID: 125617


Isabela - Mayaguez 113-119
Rather expected game when 10th ranked Gallitos (10-20) lost to eighth ranked Indios (10-20) in Isabela 113-119 on Thursday. Gallitos were tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Indios dominated down low during the game scoring 82 of its points in the paint compared to Gallitos' 52. They outrebounded Gallitos 52-26 including a 34-18 advantage in defensive rebounds. Indios looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The winners were led by international guard Kevin Hamilton (193-84, college: Holy Cross, agency: Limelight Hoops) who had that evening a triple-double by scoring 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and the former international swingman Alejandro Carmona (194-83) supported him with 26 points and 8 rebounds. Even 23 points and 5 rebounds by Argentinian forward Alexander David Galindo (198-85, college: FIU) did not help to save the game for Gallitos. Naturalized American guard Darnell Hinson (186-80, college: Northeastern St.) added 11 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists for lost side.
Top scorers:
Mayaguez: A.Carmona 26+8reb+1ast, K.Hamilton 14+12reb+10ast, P.Graham 13+1ast, R.Clemente 13+11reb, H.Valenzuela 13+5reb+2ast, A.Rosa-Clemente 13+5reb
Isabela: A.David Galindo 23+5reb+2ast, R.Cotto 15+2reb+3ast, J.Soto 12+5ast, E.Moore 12+2ast, L.Hernandez 11+4reb+1ast, D.Hinson 11+5reb+6ast
gschID: 125618


Arecibo - Mayaguez 109-88
The game between third ranked Capitanes (19-11) and 8th ranked Indios (10-20) in Arecibo on Friday ended with biggest points difference. Capitanes outscored guests from Mayaguez 109-88. The game was mostly controlled by Capitanes. Indios managed to win fourth quarter 28-26. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The winners were led by international guard Guillermo Diaz (188-85, college: Miami, FL) who scored that evening 15 points and 5 assists and the former international forward Alexander Falcon (200-74) supported him with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Four Capitanes players scored in double figures. Capitanes' coach David Rosario felt very confident that he used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Even 22 points and 7 rebounds by naturalized American guard Paul Graham (196-85, college: Florida Atlantic) did not help to save the game for Indios. Forward Williset del Valle (196-85) added 16 points and 7 rebounds for lost side.
Top scorers:
Arecibo: G.Diaz 15+2reb+5ast, A.Falcon 14+6reb+1ast, D.Pinnock 12+3reb+2ast, D.Copeland 12+2ast, L.Ayuso 10+1reb, A.Latimer 10+6reb+2ast
Mayaguez: P.Graham 22+7reb+3ast, W.del Valle 16+7reb, G.Jimenez 10+1reb+4ast, A.Rosa-Clemente 9+6reb, G.Ramirez 8+2reb+3ast, R.Clemente 8+6reb+3ast
gschID: 129972


Bayamon - Santurce 78-77
Sixth-ranked Cangrejeros (15-15) were very close to win a game against first ranked Vaqueros (21-9) in Bayamon on Wednesday. Vaqueros managed to secure only one-point victory 78-77. However their fans expected much easier game. The hosts trailed by 10 points after three quarters before their 22-11 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Worth to mention a great performance of the former international guard Javier Mojica (190-84, college: Cent.Conn.St., agency: Alti Sport) who helped to win the game recording 18 points and 5 rebounds. American forward Rick Rickert (211-83, college: Minnesota, agency: Court Side) contributed with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. International power forward Ricky Sanchez (212-87, college: High School) replied with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists and American forward Michael Sweetney (203-82, college: Georgetown) added 16 points and 15 rebounds in the effort for Cangrejeros. Four Cangrejeros players scored in double figures. Cangrejeros' coach rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help.
Top scorers:
Bayamon: J.Mojica 18+5reb+2ast, C.Dalmau 15+4reb+1ast, R.Rickert 14+11reb, R.Barbosa 8+3reb+1ast, T.Shannon 7+4reb+1ast, R.Jose Hatton 6+2reb+5ast
Santurce: W.Hodge 19+1reb+2ast, R.Sanchez 17+9reb+6ast, M.Sweetney 16+15reb, A.Reyes 14+7reb, W.Pagan 4+1reb+2ast, R.Chaney 4+6reb+1ast

Standings - BSN
BSN Standings
 1. Bayamon 21-9 
 2. Arecibo 19-11 
 3. Guaynabo 18-12 
 4. San German 17-13 
 5. Quebradillas 16-14 
 6. Santurce 15-15 
 7. Coamo 12-18 
 8. Humacao 12-18 
 9. Isabela 10-20 
 10. Mayaguez 10-20 


Stats Leaders - BSN
Points Per Game
 Peter John RAMOS
  Quebradillas
  (222-C-85)
  Avg: 23.5
 1. Ramos, Quebradillas23.5 
 2. Vassallo, Guaynabo23.4 
 3. Johnson, Humacao21.2 
 4. Dalmau, Bayamon21.2 
 5. Villegas, Coamo19.3 
 6. Ayuso, Arecibo19.0 
 7. Romero, Mayaguez18.6 
 8. Galindo, Isabela18.5 
 9. Randolph, Isabela18.0 
 10. Harris, San German17.9 
Rebounds Per Game
 Mike HARRIS
  San German
  (198-F-83)
  Avg: 12.7
 1. Harris, San German12.7 
 2. Randolph, Isabela12.3 
 3. Narvaez, Coamo12.1 
 4. Pruitt, Guaynabo11.6 
 5. Ramos, Quebradillas10.8 
 6. Lloreda, San G.10.0 
 7. Romero, Mayaguez9.7 
 8. Sweetney, Santurce9.6 
 9. Rickert, Bayamon9.1 
 10. Clemente, Mayagu.9.1 
Assists Per Game
 Kevin HAMILTON
  Mayaguez
  (193-G-84)
  Avg: 7.7
 1. Hamilton, Mayaguez7.7 
 2. Brown, Quebradillas5.9 
 3. Dalmau, Bayamon5.8 
 4. Rivera, San German5.0 
 5. Guzman, Guaynabo4.8 
 6. Clinch, Isabela4.5 
 7. Clemente, Humacao4.5 
 8. Rivera, Mayaguez4.2 
 9. Apodaca, Quebradil.4.2 
 10. Bruton, Quebradil.4.1 
Steals Per Game
 Darnell HINSON
  Isabela
  (186-G-80)
  Avg: 1.8
 1. Hinson, Isabela1.8 
 2. Rivera, Mayaguez1.6 
 3. Clinch, Isabela1.5 
 4. Santiago, Santurce1.4 
 5. Hodge, Santurce1.4 
 6. Mojica, Bayamon1.3 
 7. Chaney, Santurce1.3 
 8. Hamilton, Mayaguez1.3 
 9. Diaz, Arecibo1.3 
 10. Ayuso, Arecibo1.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Kleon PENN
  Humacao
  (211-C-86)
  Avg: 2.6
 1. Penn, Humacao2.6 
 2. Traylor, Bayamon2.0 
 3. Santiago, Arecibo2.0 
 4. Sanchez, Santurce2.0 
 5. Romero, Mayaguez1.9 
 6. Aubry, Arecibo1.8 
 7. Lee, Bayamon1.8 
 8. Harris, San German1.5 
 9. Randolph, Isabela1.4 
 10. Sweetney, Santur.1.1 


Humacao add James Mays, release Ivan Johnson - by Eurobasket News
Humacao made a change in the roster. The team released Ivan Johnson (203-F/C-84, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.). The 27-year-old centre joined Humacao in April. Ivan Johnson tallied 21.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in BSN. In the meantime Humacao brought in James Mays (206-F-86, college: Clemson). The 25-year-old forward started the season in Turkey. He averaged 17.2 points, 9.0 boards, 2.2 steals, 1.4 assists and 1.0 block per game for Oyak Renault in TBL. Eurobasket.com named James Mays into All-Turkish League All-Defensive Team. James Mays is not new to Humacao. The forward played for the team back in 2010. His stats read 17.6 points, 8.6 boards, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals per appearance.


Deck and Reinaudi lead U16 Argentina to Finals in Cancun - by Eurobasket News
PUERTO RICO - ARGENTINA 90-96

Argentina advanced to the Big Final of U16 FIBA Americas championship in Cancun. Argentina eliminated Puerto Rico in the very exciting Semifinals 96-90. They will fight for the Gold against powerful USA. On the other side, Puerto Rico will meet Canada in the battle for Bronze. Gabriel Deck (195-F-95) exploded with 33 points and 6 rebounds in this victory. Lucio Reinaudi (95) followed him with 23 pts and he was the last one with double-digits in Argentina. Their third scorer was Rodrigo Haag (95) with 8 pts. In the loosing squad, Miguel Cartagena (186-G-95) shined with 30 points. Eliel Gonzalez (189-G-95) had 20 and Ariel Watson (95) added 2 pts less.
Argentina made impressive 16-27 in the first ten minutes and continued with 12-21 after that. Third period also belonged to Argentina (17-21), who had comfortable lead with 10:00 to go. However, Puerto Rico didnt give up and they managed to treat in the finish, but the difference was too big and Argentina saved plus six until the end.
Saturday is the last day of the championship.

Puerto Rico: Miguel Cartagena 30, Eliel Gonzalez 20, Ariel Watson 18
Argentina: Gabriel Deck 33+6 boards, Lucio Reinaudi 23, Rodrigo Haag 8

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


Wolves second-round pick lied about age, should have been ineligible - by Eurobasket News
The second round of Thursday night's NBA draft was full of obscure players from foreign leagues, but no one selected has as unknown a profile as Targuy Ngombo (6'6''-F-89). A 6-6 forward from the Qatar League, Ngombo was virtually unknown by even the most committed draftniks. The only realiable web site which had the most complete profile of the player was Eurobasket.com. However the info they gather in their database comes very often from the local international tournaments, where checking the exact date of birth is not the highest priority. So even such complete source of basketball info had it wrong. There was no suspicion until Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweeted about his potential selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.

Sure enough, Givony was right -- Minnesota took Ngombo on Thursday night with the 58th overall pick. ESPN appeared to have ripped his highlight video straight from YouTube and his profile photo from Google Images, while analyst Fran Fraschilla compared him to Sidd Finch, a baseball phenom George Plimpton made up for a now-notorious April Fool's Day hoax in a 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated.

It turns out that Fraschilla was at least partially right: Ngombo exists, but his story doesn't check out. When the Wolves selected him Thursday night, they thought they were getting a 21-year-old golden nugget hidden from all other times. Instead, they found pyrite, because Ngombo is really 26 years old. Givony tweeted the truth on Friday afternoon:

Uh-oh, looks like our guy T'Wolves draft pick Targuy Ngombo has been busted for lying about his age: http://bit.ly/kfxzqp (hat-tip @sJacas )

Here is a direct link to the FIBA website archive with Targuy Ngombo 's profile and date of birth: http://bit.ly/lxStcJ

It looks like even Qatar is lising Targuy Ngombo as being born in 1984: http://bit.ly/m5NXPI - I don't think there's any way around this now

NBA rules dictate that European players become automatically eligible for the league at 22 years old, at which point they become free agents unless a team already holds their rights through the draft. Since Ngombo had never been selected and his real age of 26 appears to have been a matter of public record, the selection should have never been allowed to happen and may be voided after the fact.

If the Wolves have a case to keep Ngombo's rights, it's that his NBA.com draft profile lists his year of birth as 1989. (The profile also gets his name wrong, but, in fairness, 'Targuy' has been a common spelling since he entered the draftosphere on Monday.) The FIBA and Qatar links above look to be more official listings, so it looks as if the Wolves (and the NBA, to be sure) appear not to have done their due diligence. If they want Ngombo, they may have to sign him to a contract. Of course, it's also not entirely clear why any franchise would want a 26-year-old forward who plays in a low-level league in the Middle East. The only reason Minnesota should want to hold on to the pick is to avoid embarrassment. There's no reason that general manager David Kahn couldn't have done a rudimentary web search about Ngombo, and he deserves mockery for failing to carry out some basic research.

It's unclear if a case like this one has ever occurred in the NBA, but there is something of a precedent in the WNBA, as Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus told me on Friday afternoon. In 2007, the Sacramento Monarchs took Charel Allen with the 36th pick even though she was set to return to Notre Dame for a fifth year and had not declared for the draft. Under league rules, she was declared ineligible, although the Monarchs did make her the Miss Irrelevant in 2008 when they chose her with the 43rd and final pick of the draft.

If that example serves as precedent, then the Wolves probably aren't going to end up with Ngombo. Given his advanced age and lack of reputation, they may be just fine with that. However, this mess will remain as a black mark on the resume of Kahn. Up until now, his most ridiculous accomplishment as an NBA GM was taking two point guards with back-to-back lottery picks in 2008. Failing to look into the full history of Targuy Ngombo may be impossible to top.

Courtesy of Yahoo

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


Triumph keep Tywain McKee - by Eurobasket News
Triumph ensured the services of Tywain McKee (188-PG-86, college: Coppin St.) for the next season. The 25-year-old guard started the previous season in Belarus. Tywain McKee tallied 8.6 points, 3.1 assists, 2.3 boards per game for Minsk-2006 in Belarusian Premier League. In VTB-League his stats read 14.4 points, 5.5 boards, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per appearance. Eurobasket.com named the guard into All-Belarusian League 1st Team. In March the guard joined Triumph. He averaged 18.6 points, 4.2 boards, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game in PBL.
Meanwhile Triumph parted ways with Luke Nevill (218-C-86, college: Utah), Iliya Syrovatko (193-G-88), Andrey Mateyunas (180-G-88), Roman Levter (209-F/C-84) and Sergey Varlamov (208-C-84). Triumph have six players on the squad at the moment. These are Tywain McKee, Evgeny Valiev (205-F-90), Aleksei Kurcevich (209-C-89), Pavel Spiridonov (207-C-90), Sergey Karasev (203-F-93) and Artem Vikhrov (196-G-92).


Russian U20 selection is 3rd in Turkey - by Eurobasket News
Russian U20 selection is 3rd in Turkey at the International Tournament.
Russia U20 edged Latvia U20 69:62 in Day 4. The Russian team opened the game with 20-17 and added 15-13 in the second period. Moreover the Russian team won the third quarter 21-14, but the Baltic side replied with 18-13 in the last stanza. Artem Gorlanov posted 14 points to lead the charge, while Balashov netted 13. Mareks Mejeris finished the game with 20 points and 13 boards in defeat.
In the last day of the competition Russia U20 overcame Czech Republic 83:79. The winners produced a good start taking 26-17 after the first period. Both teams nailed 22 points in the second frame, while the Czechs managed to come closer after 22-15 in the third. Only due to 20-18 in the last stanza Russia managed to grab the win and the third place. Denis Paskuthov stepped up with 18 points and Nikita Barinov netted 15. Ondrej Balvin erupted with 25 points in the losing effort, while Tomas Vyoral followed him with 23.





*****************************************************
  RWANDA   


Kavedzija Names Provisional Squad for All-Africa Games - by Eurobasket News
Rwanda's national basketball team Coach Vaceslav Kavedzija has summoned 19 domestic players to start training ahead of the 10th edition of the All Africa Games due September 3-18 in Maputo, Mozambique.

The Serbian explained to Times Sport that, 'We have to start preparations as early as possible so that we are ready for the tournament come September.'

Rwanda opens her quest against Central African Republic.

Rwanda qualified for the quadrennial games after clinching the Zone V championship title in February. To lift the title, Rwanda beat Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda at Amahoro indoor courts.

Assisted by Prosper Mihigo and Cyrille Kalima, Kavedzija commenced training Monday evening and is expected to beef up the squad by calling up the experienced foreign-based trio of Mathieu Miller (Europe), Hamza Ruhezamihigo (Canada) and Robert Thompson (Romania).

Training sessions are held on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Meanwhile, the women side will be coached by former Croatian international Nedad Amanovic.

Among other achievements, the 51-year-old won nine Croatian and Yugoslavian league titles with different clubs between 1987 and 2011.

Provisional squad:

APR - Kami Kabangu, Rafiki Muhammed, Deo Nkurikiyinka, Theotime Murihira; CSK - Abubakar Barame, Karim Nkusi, Lionel Hakizimana, Dan Manzi; ESPOIR - Aristide Mugabe, Pascal Karekezi Rurangirwa, Ronald Karenzi, Christopher Wazayira, Jean Louis Habineza; KIE - Neston Manzi, Patrice Twagirayezu, Eric Ngenzi; KBC - Fiston Muhire, Sunny Niyomugabo and National University of Rwanda (NUR)'s Olivier Muhizi.
Courtesy of: The New Times

*****************************************************
  SEABA   


SEA Games Standings
Standings
1. Philippine.3-0
2. Indonesia2-1
3. Malaysia1-2
4. Singapore0-3


Philippines and Indonesia enter Final - by Eurobasket News
Singapore - Philippines 51-106
Philippines recorded the third straight win at the 9th SEABA Championship in Indonesia. They drubbed Singapore to stay undefeated. Japeth Paul Aguilar (207-C-85, college: W.Kentucky) and Andy Mark Barroca (198-F/C-88) stepped up with 18 points each to pace the winners. Philippines stunned their opponents early in the game. They outscored Singapore 30:9 in the starting ten minutes. Philippines dominated every facet of the game as the lead grew at 37 points 60:23 at halftime. Singapore showed some signs of life in the third term. They outscored Philippines to narrow the deficit. But the fourth frame sealed Singapore fate as they conceded 29 points and suffered a heavy loss at the end. Marnel Baracael (193-F/G-85) provided 17 points, while Dylan Simon Ababou (193-G/F-86) added 14 in the win. Wong Wei Long (172-G-88) responded with 20 points for Singapore. Lim ShengYu (190-F-90) accounted for 10 points in the loss.

Indonesia - Malaysia 77-47
Indonesia claimed the second win at the SEABA Championship in Jakarta. The hosts overcame Malaysia to set up the clash against Philippines in Grand Final. Malaysia in the meantime booked the ticket to Fiba Asia Championship despite the loss. They earned the third place at the tournament having won one game in three games played. The teams got to a slow start. They combined for 14 points in the opening term as Indonesia secured a 10:4 lead. Andi Poedjakesuma (187-F-80) drained two triples early in the second period to give Indonesia a 12-point lead. However Shee Fai Loh (189-G-89) answered with a pair of triples late in the half as Malaysia got within six points 27:33 at halftime. Christian Ronaldo Setepu (198-F/C-86) and Andi Poedjakesuma restored a double-digit lead for Indonesia early in the third quarter. The hosts maintained the advantage as they entered the fourth frame up by ten points 53:43. Indonesia opened the fourth frame with a 22:2 rally to pull away for good. Christian Ronaldo Setepu notched 15 points and 8 rebounds to lead the charge. Amin Prihantono (188-F-82) and Andi Poedjakesuma added 14 points each in the victory. Li Wei Chee (186-F-85) answered with 13 points and 7 rebounds for Malaysia. Shee Fai Loh contributed 11 points in the loss.



*****************************************************
  SENEGAL   


France said no - by Eurobasket News
Pape Badiane, Joseph Gomis (180-G-78) and Pape Sy (197-G-88) will not play for the national team of Senegal. In fact, The French Federation of Basketball turned down he request of the Lions coach, Alain Weisz.

According to the new regulations issued by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), like what is practised in football, the three players involved, who have worn the Blues jersey, could join their new team if and only if they obtain approval from the French Federation.
Courtesy of: starafrica.com

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


Partizan Beograd - transfers and rumours - by Nenad Ilijev
Reigning champion Partizan Beograd announced first signing for upcoming season. Slovak U-18 National member Michal Cekovsky (202-F-94) signed 1-year contract until he celebrates 18th birthday when he will sign his first professional contract with Serbian powerhouse. 206cm tall successor of Jan Vesely will sign 4-year contract in next June and he will spend this year playing with junior team of Partizan Beograd. Young Slovakian will arrive in Belgrade in August because he is currently preparing with U-18 National Team. Cekovsky passed try out in May and he is considered as future of black-white team. Last season he was part of Slovakian minors BK Povazska Bystrica.
Two foreign players Nathan Jawai (207-C-86, college: Midland CC) (Unics Kazan) and James Gist (203-F-86) (Fenerbahce Ulker) already left Belgrade while it's expected for another import Curtis Jerrells (185-G-87, college: Baylor) to leave the team as well. Talented guard sets his sights on NBA but if he fails he will probably get an offer from the most richest clubs overseas. Partizan officials also confirmed that there is no chance for club's icon Jan Vesely (211-F-90) (drafted 6th by Washington Wizards) to make return to Partizan in case of NBA lock-out.

Serbian team chooses to build team for season 2011/2012 based mostly on domestic players. In middle of last season they agreed terms with guard with bright future Nenad Miljenovic (194-G-93, agency: Beo Basket) while unofficial rumours are saying that former European champs made a deal with Vasilije Micic (192-G-94, agency: Beo Basket) to strengthen the roster in the future. Same sources whisper that Hemofarm top prospect Danilo Andjusic (197-G-91, agency: Beo Basket) is very close to signing with Partizan because of tough and uncertain future of Hemofarm team. Latest news are that he made appeal to Serbian Basketball Federation for contract termination due to late payments.
Management of the team that celebrated 10th consecutive national title made preliminary talks with three veterans which ended contract with Partizan. Possibility of adding top prospects mentioned above will probably depend on results of negotitations with Dusan Kecman (197-F-77, agency: Beo Basket) and captain Petar Bozic (197-G-78). It's widely expected for both to continue playing in Partizan but it's in confrontation with announced rejuvenation of the team. Important player in last year team's success Rasko Katic (208-F-80, agency: Beo Basket) got some interesting offers from abroad too.
Sad news are surrounding Vrsac as pharmaceutical giant Hemofarm is not prepared to invest in basketball teams in the future. City government of Vrsac will take care of trophy women's team while destiny of men's team is still in the clouds. Following that situation Andjusic is already linked with Partizan while Miljan Pavkovic (178-G-81, agency: Beo Basket) and Bojan Krstovic (194-G-80) are targets of ambitious Radnicki Kragujevac. Boris Savovic (206-F-87) and Milivoje Bozovic (210-F/C-85, agency: Beo Basket) are also attracting a lot of interest...



*****************************************************
  SEYCHELLES   


National selections off for France training camp - by Carlos Pereira
The countrys womens and mens pre-selections are to leave the country next week to attend a two-week training camp in Rouen, France.

The training camp forms part of the Seychelles teams preparation for the forthcoming 8th Indian Ocean Island Games which will take place here from August 5-14
The female players making the trip are Simone Malbrook, Lucia Souffe, Genevive Beaudouin, Magdeline Julienne, Dinah Louis, Lindy Mathiot, Williana Dubois, Sherifah Agathine, Jenita Toussaint, Zera Fontaine, Beguitta Fontaine, Tessa Mathiot, Katherina Morel, Veena Panagary, Bernadette Songor and Myra Solin. They will be accompanied by head coach Phillip Arissol and assistant Tony Juliette.

Under the guidance of head coach Clifford Joubert and assistant Michel Malbrook, the mens team comprise Reggie Ah-Kong, Sergio Ah-Kong, Arnaud Arissol, Bernard Bristol, Giovanni Laval, Nigel Cafrine, Amadou Sylla, Cyril Agrippine, Dominic Pillay, Nigel Sinon, Darren Lesperance, Ron Estico, Daniel Victor, Robert Lon, Neddy Fanchette and Abdel Sylla.

Technical advisors Paul Denis and Dominique Gueret are also making the trip.
http://www.nation.sc/

*****************************************************
  SINGAPORE   


Singapore no match for Philippines in Jakarta - by Eurobasket News
Philippines - Singapore 106:51

Philippines recorded the third straight win at the 9th SEABA Championship in Indonesia. They drubbed Singapore to stay undefeated. Japeth Paul Aguilar (207-C-85, college: W.Kentucky) and Andy Mark Barroca (198-F/C-88) stepped up with 18 points each to pace the winners.
Philippines stunned their opponents early in the game. They outscored Singapore 30:9 in the starting ten minutes. Philippines dominated every facet of the game as the lead grew at 37 points 60:23 at halftime. Singapore showed some signs of life in the third term. They outscored Philippines to narrow the deficit. But the fourth frame sealed Singapore fate as they conceded 29 points and suffered a heavy loss at the end. Marnel Baracael (193-F/G-85) provided 17 points, while Dylan Simon Ababou (193-G/F-86) added 14 in the win. Wong Wei Long (172-G-88) responded with 20 points for Singapore. Lim ShengYu (190-F-90) accounted for 10 points in the loss.

Philippines: Japeth Paul Aguilar 18+15 boards, Andy Mark Barroca 18, Marnel Baracael 17
Singapore: Wong Wei Long 20, Lim ShengYu 10


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


Slovenia U20 upset the hosts in Oberwart - by Eurobasket News
Austria U20-Slovenia U20 60:76

Slovenia U20 upset the hosts in Oberwart at the start of the International Tournament with 4 teams. Slovenian side needed the strong second half for 76:60 win.
Austria, being the hosts of the four-nation campaign started the game with 18-17 after the first ten minutes. They continued to be a tough opponent, but he guests grabbed 35:33 halftime advantage. In the third period Slovenia added another three points to the lead to enjoy 58:52 deficit. At the end Austria tried hard to recover but lost the opener.
Mitja Smrdelj paced all the winners with 19 points for the first win. Klemen Prepelic (190-G-92) netted 14, whilst Alen Omic (213-C-92) added 12. Anton Maresch (192-G-91) ended up with 15 points in the losing effort and Thomas Klepeisz (187-G-91) posted 10. Erik Fruhwirth (204-C/F-91), Jozo Rados (203-C-93) and Romed Vieider (196-F-91) scored 7 points each in defeat.

Austria U20: Anton Maresch 15, Thomas Klepeisz 10, Erik Fruhwirth 7, Jozo Rados 7, Romed Vieider 7
Slovenia U20: Mitja Smrdelj (201-F-91) 19, Klemen Prepelic 14, Alen Omic 12



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


2011 FIBA Americas Championship Schedules confirmed - by Wolfgang Lucena
Mar Del Plata 6-22-2011 Game times for the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship has been announced.

Teams are divided in two groups. Group A: Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Group B: Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.

First Round:

Tuesday, August 30:

11:30 - Dominican Republic vs. Cuba
14:00 - Brazil vs. Venezuela
18:00 - Paraguay vs. Argentina
20:30 - Panam vs. Puerto Rico

Day off: Canada and Uruguay

Wednesday, August 31:

11:30 - Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic
14:00 - Paraguay vs. Puerto Rico
18:00 - Argentina vs. Uruguay
20:30 - Brazil vs. Canada

Day off: Cuba and Panama

Thursday, September 1:

11:30 - Paraguay vs. Panama
14:00 - Cuba vs. Venezuela
18:00 - Dominican Republic vs. Canada
20:30 - Uruguay vs. Puerto Rico

Day off: Argentina and Brazil

Friday, September 2:

11:30 - Cuba vs. Canada
14:00 - Panama vs. Uruguay
18:00 - Puerto Rico vs. Argentina
20:30 - Brazil vs. Dominican Republic

Day off: Venezuela and Paraguay.

Saturday, September 3:

11:30 - Uruguay vs. Paraguay
14:00 - Venezuela vs. Canada
18:00 - Argentina vs. Panama
20:30 - Cuba vs. Brazil

Day off: Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Sunday, September 4: Day off

The top four teams in each group will play in the second round where everybody will play in the same group and play against the other teams who played in the opposing group during the preliminary round. The second round is scheduled for September 4-8. The top four teams reach the semifinals on September 10 and the finals are on September 11.

This tournament, to be played from August 30 until September 11, qualifies the top two teams for the 2012 Olympics in London and the teams that end from third to fifth place will play in the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Source: http://www.mardelplata2011.com/en/noticiasread4.asp?r=CF474264DB4741F2BD71BE425CF936CA



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


Salary issues in Korea - by Eurobasket
The KBL has signed a number of the top players in the world this season, and mostly from the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association), not exactly a shock as the Korean league has switched to 1 import, rather then the traditional 2 imports. Rumors/allegations are starting to surface regarding salaries of various teams, and violations.
The KBL rule clearly states that each team can spend up to 400K USD total in one foreign player, and if that player refuses to play for that amount of money, they are banned for up to a 5-year period. In recent media and publications in and around Korea, accusations have turned into concrete evidence, as teams such as ET Land, Samsung, LG and SK and KGC, have been warned regarding invalid agreements and salary payments to foreign players, and ultimately will not be able to fulfill the promises they have/ or in the process of making. Currently, the league is investigating all such claims in a serious manner , and soon the issues will come to light.
The concept is still the same, what is promised on paper, is not always what is delivered. Players must be Leary of any such promises by those teams in question by the KBL. Once these issues come to light, then the KBL will have no choice but to either ban the player, or even the team from registering imports, as official tax documents will have to be shown, to prove the player is getting at or below the maximum amount.
The players are taking huge risks, as they could be banned essentially for the foreseeable future, and risk other jobs in the mean time. Every season seems to draw more complications in Korea/China.

By Alex Yam

Mobis Phoebus tab Malcolm Thomas - by Eurobasket News
Mobis Phoebus filled in their import spot. They have agreed on terms of contract with Malcolm Thomas (206-F). It is the first pro season for the 22-year-old forward. Malcolm Thomas just graduated from San Diego State University. He tallied 11.4 points, 8.1 boards, 2.3 assists and 2.0 blocks per game in his senior season. Malcolm Thomas made it into All-MWC 2nd Team. He was also named into MWC All-Defensive Team. The forward participated at Pre-NBA Draft Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Thomas averaged 11.0 points, 7.7 boards, 3.3 assists, 3.0 blocks and 1.3 steals per game at the tournament. Malcolm Thomas was not selected during NBA Draft on Thursday.


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


Grizzlies extend qualifying offer to Marc Gasol - by Eurobasket News
The Memphis Grizzlies have extended a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Marc Gasol (7'0''-C-85, agency: Interperformances), giving them the chance to match any offer he might get this offseason.

General manager Chris Wallace announced the move Friday.

The 7-foot-1 Gasol averaged 15 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in helping the Grizzlies upset top-seeded San Antonio to open the playoffs before pushing Oklahoma City to seven games in the semifinals. He finished second in rebounds per game and third with 2.15 blocks per game in the playoffs.

He averaged 11.7 points and 7.0 rebounds while starting 81 games in the regular season.

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Two Australian are targeted by Valencia - by Eurobasket News
Two Australian are targeted by Valencia for the next season. Andrew James Ogilvy (211-C-88, college: Vanderbilt) and Matt Nielsen (208-F/C-78, agency: Beo Basket) may join the team for 2011/2012 season.
In 2009-2010 Matt Nielsen moved for 450,000 to Valencia B.C. (Spain-ACB, starting five) and in EuroCup after 17 games averaged 9.6ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.5apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 52.7%, 3PT: 14.7%, FT: 72.2%. In Spanish League his stats read 8.8ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.9apg, FGP: 49.7%, 3PT: 30.9%, FT: 79.2%. In 2010-2011 moved to Olympiakos S.F.P. Pireus (Greece-A1) and averaged 4.4ppg, 2.9rpg in EuroLeague, while in Greek League after 16 games had 9.0ppg, 3.8rpg, FGP: 59.5%, 3PT: 23.5%, FT: 73.3%.
Andrew James Andrew James Ogilvy played for Vanderbilt (NCAA) since 2007 and in the first season had 17.0ppg, 6.7rpg, 1.2apg, 1.4bpg, FGP: 58.8%, FT: 76.9%, In 2008-2009 for Vanderbilt (NCAA, starting five) after 29 games he showed 15.4ppg, 7.1rpg, 1.3apg, 1.7bpg, FGP: 54.3%, 3Pts: 25.9%, FT: 69.9%. In his last season there he averaged 13.4ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.0spg, 1.5bpg, FGP: 50.9%, FT: 73.1%. In 2010-2011 headed to Besiktas ColaTurka Istanbul (Turkey-TBL) and in EuroCup had 10.9ppg, 5.8rpg, FGP: 57.9%, FT: 75.0%. In Turkish League after 30 games his stats read 12.9ppg, 6.5rpg, 1.0apg, Blocks-4 (1.1bpg), FGP: 60.6%, FT: 76.2%.



*****************************************************
  SYRIA   


Syria won the opener of WABA - by Eurobasket News
Syria won the opener of WABA in Dahuk. Syria won over the hosts, Iraq 92:85 on June 23rd. Iraq opened the game with 26-21, but was stormed by the opponents in the second frame 16-27. Moreover Syria won the third quarter 29-27 and sealed the first victory.
In Day 2 Iran overcame Syria 83:62. Trailing 13-16 after the first period, Iran needed 23-11 in the second to take control in the game.


*****************************************************
  TANZANIA   


TBF Award Star Players - by Eurobasket News
Kibaha THE Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) and the Tanzania Basketball Federation (TBF), on Friday made special recognition to players who excelled during the Inter-Secondary Schools games, UMISSETA.

TBF picked two Most Valuable Players (MVP), namely Catherine Steven (North Western) and Pascal Magabe from Lake Zone, where they were given special presents in recognition of their individual efforts and talent.

TFF, through its technical director, Sunday Kayuni, issued cash and balls for hat trick winners, best overall player, best scorer and best goalkeepers in both boys and girls sections.

The best players, who received 100,000/- each, were Daniel Reuben from North East Zone and Hatujuani Hassan from the Southern Highlands. Sherida Boniface and Daniel Reuben from Dar es Salaam emerged top scorers and hat trick winners.

The duo were awarded 80,000/- each as well as balls. Mohamed Ali (Zanzibar) and Belinda Joseph (Eastern Zone) were best shot stoppers and walked home with 70,000/-.

During the girls' final, Eastern Zone thrashed Dar es Salaam Zone 5-1. The Highlands were the boys' final winners after registering a narrow 1-0 win against Eastern Zone, which despite of comprising most talented players from Lord Baden soccer academy could not stand in their opponent's way to glory.

Eastern Zone emerged netball champions, while Highlands won bao competition. Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam starred in table tennis; Lake Zone won the athletics and Volleyball. Zanzibar also scooped handball title, while Dar es Salaam and Lake Zone emerged basketball champions in girls and boys categories respectively.
Courtesy of: Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)



Lake Zone Emerges Overall Winner - by Eurobasket News
LAKE Zone has emerged overall winners at the Inter-Secondary School Games, UMISSETA, which climaxed here on Friday after scooping 54 points.

Team Lake Zone, which held fifth position during last year's event, was one of the best sides in terms of talent and competence this time around and deservedly leaped to the top.

They finished top winners in volleyball, both, boys and girls categories; athletics (boys), basketball (boys) and finished runners-up in handball (boys and girls categories) and athletics (girls).

Lake Zone Coordinator, Joab Mushuba attributed the team's success to the athletes' team work spirit and proper training.

'We have worked an extra mile from the fifth position last year to overall winners. I should congratulate the students for the job well done and we are prepared to perform even better next year,' he said.

As the Lake Zone celebrated their remarkable success, defending champions, North Western failed to attain the same feat as they settled for fourth position behind Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

The Southern Zone, who finished bottom on the ranking table in the previous edition, earned a special accolade this year whereas, the zone coordinator, Shaaban H. Basha was decorated with a golden medal for raising the zone's standard.

Relevant Links
East Africa
Tanzania
Sport
The organising committee recognised the zone's efforts where it improved from 12nd position to ninth with good show particularly in traditional game, bao.

Closing the games, Coast Regional Commissioner, Hajjat Amina Mrisho Saidi commended the winners and urged them to train hard and remain disciplined in order to remain good athletes.

She issued an uplifting message to losing teams, challenging them to put on extra efforts so that they come out on top in the next edition.

Umisseta games included netball, handball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, athletics, bao and table tennis with more than 1300 students from 12 zones taking part.
Courtesy of: Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)



Lake Zone Emerges Overall Winner - by Eurobasket News
LAKE Zone has emerged overall winners at the Inter-Secondary School Games, UMISSETA, which climaxed here on Friday after scooping 54 points.

Team Lake Zone, which held fifth position during last year's event, was one of the best sides in terms of talent and competence this time around and deservedly leaped to the top.

They finished top winners in volleyball, both, boys and girls categories; athletics (boys), basketball (boys) and finished runners-up in handball (boys and girls categories) and athletics (girls).

Lake Zone Coordinator, Joab Mushuba attributed the team's success to the athletes' team work spirit and proper training.

'We have worked an extra mile from the fifth position last year to overall winners. I should congratulate the students for the job well done and we are prepared to perform even better next year,' he said.

As the Lake Zone celebrated their remarkable success, defending champions, North Western failed to attain the same feat as they settled for fourth position behind Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.

The Southern Zone, who finished bottom on the ranking table in the previous edition, earned a special accolade this year whereas, the zone coordinator, Shaaban H. Basha was decorated with a golden medal for raising the zone's standard.

Relevant Links
East Africa
Tanzania
Sport
The organising committee recognised the zone's efforts where it improved from 12nd position to ninth with good show particularly in traditional game, bao.

Closing the games, Coast Regional Commissioner, Hajjat Amina Mrisho Saidi commended the winners and urged them to train hard and remain disciplined in order to remain good athletes.

She issued an uplifting message to losing teams, challenging them to put on extra efforts so that they come out on top in the next edition.

Umisseta games included netball, handball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, athletics, bao and table tennis with more than 1300 students from 12 zones taking part.
Courtesy of: Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salaam)



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


Turkey pip Greece to stay perfect in Douai - by Eurobasket News
Turkey U18 - Greece U18 58:54

Turkey recorded the fourth consecutive victory at the Douai international tournament in France. They held off Greece to improve at 4-0 record. Kenan Sipahi (192-G-95) notched 14 points to lead the effort. Greece fell at 1-3 record after the defeat.
The lead changed hands throughout the opening term. Turkey managed to eke out an 18:17 lead after ten minutes. Mertcan Ozen (194-F/G-93) and Tekin stretched the lead to 6 points midway through the second quarter. Soon Turkey grabbed a 10-point advantage 33:23. They arrived at halftime up by 7 points 36:29. But Greece quickly erased the deficit in the third term. Larentzakis pulled the Hellenes in front 44:43. Turkey reacted with a 10:0 rally to regain the lead. Greece narrowed the deficit to a single point 54:55 late in regulation but Berkay Candan (205-F-93) and Talat Altunbey (202-F-94) sealed the winning outcome for Turkey in the dying seconds. Berkay Candan accounted for 11 points in the victory. Petros Melissaratos (202-C/F-93) replied with game-high 24 points and 7 rebounds for Greece. Lefteris Bohoridis (191-G-94) netted 12 points in the loss.

Turkey U18: Kenan Sipahi 14, Berkay Candan 11, Mertcan Ozen 7, Talat Altunbey 7
Greece U18: Petros Melissaratos 24, Lefteris Bohoridis 12


Istanbul awards the hosts on the second spot - by Eurobasket News
Istanbul awards the hosts on the second spot as Turkey U20 finished the Turgut Atakol International Tournament 2011. After three victories in the first three days, Turkey lost another two and enjoyed the second spot.
In Day 4 Ukraine U20 surprised Turkey U20 69:66. Surprisingly the guests started with 19-14, but Turkey won the second frame 19-10 and won the first half. Moreover Turkey added 19-16 in the second period, however Ukraine needed 24-14 to win the game. Oleksandr Prokopenko paced all the winners with 13 points and Gennadiy Dzyuba (193-G-91) scored 12. Furkan Aldemir (207-F-91) ended up with 20 points and 12 boards, whilst Mutaf scored 17.
In the decisive game France U20 overcame Turkey U20 58:54. France opened the game with 20-15, but the hosts replied with 13-9 in the second frame. The third quarter was decisive in the game and both teams nailed 10 points each in it, while France won the game and the tournament due to 19-16 in the last frame. Wilfried Yeguette paced all the winners with 16 points and Mael Lebrun (198-F-91) posted 10. Sertac Sanli (212-F-91, agency: Beo Basket) answered with 15 points in defeat and Furkan Aldemir scored 11.



Aliaga signs Tufan Ersoz - by Eurobasket News
Tufan Ersoz (195-G/F-80, agency: 1x1 Sports) is a new member of Aliaga. The Turkish SG/SF signed a deal for the next season. Ersoz arrives to Aliaga from Olin Edrine, where he spent 2010/11. He had very limited playing time with Olin Edrine averaging less than a point in 11 TBL games.
Before Olin Edrine, Tufan Ersoz spent four years with Galarasaray. He was a member of the starting five in the first two seasons. Ersoz was named Eurobasket.com Turkish League All-Domestic Players Team -07. That same year he was also awarded with Eurobasket.com Turkish League All-Defensive Team. Before Galata, Ersoz played for Tekelspor and Darussafaka. He also has experience from Besiktas, Antalya and Efes Pilsen.
Aliaga ended last season as No.14 with 9-21 record.

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


Dulah Set for Falcons Debut - by Eurobasket News
Tanzanian guard Abdullahi Ramadhan will debut for Falcons against his former side Warriors in the MTN-Fuba League tomorrow.

Dulah, as he is popularly known in basketball circles, signed a two-year contract with the league record champions yesterday.

'I am pleased that this is done so we can concentrate on winning,' Falcons club president Dennis Mbidde said. 'We are not giving any financial details but both parties are happy.'

Dulah, along with another newcomer Philip Alweny, formerly with UCU Canons, and the entire Falcons team will be unveiled today at Makerere main ground.

In Dulah's two years with Warriors, they won their first and only league title and reached the final last season but lost to DMark Power.

In an interview, Dulah revealed that he could stop playing in two years' time.

'I think in two years I should start coaching to give back to the game,' the 33-year-old player revealed.

M: Warriors v Falcons (8.30pm)

W: A1 v Sparks (6.30pm)
Courtesy of:The Monitor

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


Ukraine U20 finishes with 2 victories in Turkey - by Eurobasket News
Ukraine U20 finishes with 2 victories in Turkey at the International Tournament. In Day 4 Ukraine U20 surprised Turkey U20 69:66. Surprisingly the guests started with 19-14, but Turkey won the second frame 19-10 and won the first half. Moreover Turkey added 19-16 in the second period, however Ukraine needed 24-14 to win the game. Oleksandr Prokopenko paced all the winners with 13 points and Gennadiy Dzyuba scored 12. Furkan Aldemir (207-F-91) ended up with 20 points and 12 boards, whilst Can Mutaf (193-G-91) scored 17.
Latvia U20 grabbed 78:76 win over Ukraine U20 in the last day of the tournament. The Baltic state started with 22-16 and took 42:32 after the first half. Ukraine answered with 21-17 in the third quarter and did their best to win the game after 23-19 in the last period. It was not however to close the gap. Davis Lejasmeiers (190-G-91) and Martins Meiers stepped up with 16 points each for the winners, while Mareks Mejeris (207-F-91, agency: Players Group) netted 12. Oleksandr Mishula (187-G-92) ended up with 19 points for the Ukrainian squad, while Gennadiy Dzyuba posted 11.



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


Tabare is the Metro leader - by Hector Lopez
Tabare maintained the leadership for the Metro league after beating 92-80 Urunday Universitario, at the beginning of the second stage among the six best teams of the regular season. For Tabare, Mathias Calfani (202-C-92), member of the Uruguayan NT scored 20 points with 7 rebounds and 7 blocks and Brian Craig (206-C-79, college: Miles) added 7 points with 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. For Urunday Steven Toyloy (203-C-87, college: Cincinnati) netted 10 points with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks. Nacional, one point behind the leader, defeated Goes 89-67. Terrence Shelman (198-F-78) scored 15 points with 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 6 assists, for Nacional. Federico Haller (198-F-88) netted 24 points with 13 rebounds.

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


2011 FIBA Americas Championship Schedules confirmed - by Wolfgang Lucena
Mar Del Plata 6-22-2011 Game times for the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship has been announced.

Teams are divided in two groups. Group A: Brazil, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Venezuela. Group B: Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay.

First Round:

Tuesday, August 30:

11:30 - Dominican Republic vs. Cuba
14:00 - Brazil vs. Venezuela
18:00 - Paraguay vs. Argentina
20:30 - Panam vs. Puerto Rico

Day off: Canada and Uruguay

Wednesday, August 31:

11:30 - Venezuela vs. Dominican Republic
14:00 - Paraguay vs. Puerto Rico
18:00 - Argentina vs. Uruguay
20:30 - Brazil vs. Canada

Day off: Cuba and Panama

Thursday, September 1:

11:30 - Paraguay vs. Panama
14:00 - Cuba vs. Venezuela
18:00 - Dominican Republic vs. Canada
20:30 - Uruguay vs. Puerto Rico

Day off: Argentina and Brazil

Friday, September 2:

11:30 - Cuba vs. Canada
14:00 - Panama vs. Uruguay
18:00 - Puerto Rico vs. Argentina
20:30 - Brazil vs. Dominican Republic

Day off: Venezuela and Paraguay.

Saturday, September 3:

11:30 - Uruguay vs. Paraguay
14:00 - Venezuela vs. Canada
18:00 - Argentina vs. Panama
20:30 - Cuba vs. Brazil

Day off: Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

Sunday, September 4: Day off

The top four teams in each group will play in the second round where everybody will play in the same group and play against the other teams who played in the opposing group during the preliminary round. The second round is scheduled for September 4-8. The top four teams reach the semifinals on September 10 and the finals are on September 11.

This tournament, to be played from August 30 until September 11, qualifies the top two teams for the 2012 Olympics in London and the teams that end from third to fifth place will play in the 2012 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Source: http://www.mardelplata2011.com/en/noticiasread4.asp?r=CF474264DB4741F2BD71BE425CF936CA



*****************************************************
  WABA   


Day 1 and 2 in Dahuk - by Eurobasket News
Four teams compete for top three teams will join Lebanon as WABA representatives in the 26th FIBA Asia Championship to be held in Wuhan (China) from Sept 15-25.
Iran won first two games in Dahuk at the West Asia Basketball Championship. In Day 1 Iran overcame Jordan 72:70. They started with 21-11 and then added only the victory in the last period.
Syria won over the hosts, Iraq 92:85 in the opener. Iraq opened the game with 26-21, but was stormed by the opponents in the second frame 16-27. Moreover Syria won the third quarter 29-27 and sealed the first victory.
In Day 2 Iran overcame Syria 83:62. Trailing 13-16 after the first period, Iran needed 23-11 in the second to take control in the game.
Jordan outscored Iraq 79:77 in a real thriller. The hosts started well and took 21-13 after the first 10 minutes. Moreover they added 21-14 in the second frame to enjoy 42:27 halftime advantage. Jordan however looked great int he second half and after the victories in the third and the last periods won the game.



Standings
Standings
1. Iran3-0
2. Jordan2-1
3. Syria1-2
4. Iraq0-3


*****************************************************
  ZIMBABWE   


Kachambwa to Lead Team - by Eurobasket News
VETERAN sports administrator Custom Kachambwa has been appointed the Chef de Mission for Team Zimbabwe to the All-Africa Games in Mozambique later this year.

Kachambwa, a seasoned hockey administrator, is expected to receive his formal notification today. Former Basketball Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Bertha Faranisi has been appointed the deputy chef de mission in charge of administration while Joseph Muchechetere takes care of the technical portfolio.

Sports Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena said the appointment of the trio by the SRC board came after wide consultations. 'The Sports Commission board have appointed the top three management for the All-Africa Games.

'What has happened was that we invited applications for candidates for the position of Chef de Mission and placed adverts in the media.'
Courtesy of: The Herald

Kachambwa to Lead Team - by Eurobasket News
VETERAN sports administrator Custom Kachambwa has been appointed the Chef de Mission for Team Zimbabwe to the All-Africa Games in Mozambique later this year.

Kachambwa, a seasoned hockey administrator, is expected to receive his formal notification today. Former Basketball Union of Zimbabwe secretary-general Bertha Faranisi has been appointed the deputy chef de mission in charge of administration while Joseph Muchechetere takes care of the technical portfolio.

Sports Commission director-general Charles Nhemachena said the appointment of the trio by the SRC board came after wide consultations. 'The Sports Commission board have appointed the top three management for the All-Africa Games.

'What has happened was that we invited applications for candidates for the position of Chef de Mission and placed adverts in the media.'
Courtesy of: The Herald



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

Women News

*****************************************************
  ANGOLA - Women  


Under 16 Basketball Coach Points Out Goals for African Championship - by Eurobasket News
Luanda The coach of the Angolan under 16 senior females basketball team, Elisa Pires , on Monday in Luanda pointed out as goals for the country's participation in the African championship of this category the achievement of one of the first top five positions.

The African championship is scheduled for 22-30 July in Egypt.

Speaking to ANGOP, at the end of a training session, held in the Cidadela annexed pavilion, the coach admitted that she expects a very competitive continental competition, but her squad are working to participate in the tournament with quality and in competitive equality with the adversaries.

'We have to work hard even the basic aspects, because our athletes have no experience in this kind of competition. We are sure that with everyone's effort and dedication we can achieve one of the top five places of the final standing', she stressed.

The squad started preparing for the African championship last May.
Courtesy of: Angola Press

*****************************************************
  AUSTRALIA - Women  


China tame Australia in Yulin - by Eurobasket News
China - Australia 75:70

China wrapped up Four-Nations tournament campaign in Yulin with victory. They held off Australia to finish at 2-1 record. Chen Nan (197-C-83) scored 16 points to pace the hosts. Australia fell at 2-1 record after the loss.
Australia opened the game with 9 points in a row and stayed in charge throughout the opening quarter. They recorded a 22:16 lead after ten minutes. China tried to find the right rhythm in the second period as they narrowed the gap at 5-point mark at halftime 33:38. China got within 2 points at the final intermission. China stressed their defence in the final period limiting the Opals to just 11 points and eking out a tough win at the end. Shuang Zhao (188-F-90) produced 13 points for China. Ding Yuan (185-F-91) added 9 points for the winning side. Abby Bishop (189-C-88) responded with 19 points for the Opals. Hanna Zavecz (182-F/G-85) finished with 12 points in the loss.

China: Chen Nan 16, Shuang Zhao 13, Ding Yuan 9
Australia: Abby Bishop 19, Hanna Zavecz 12


Storm's Lauren Jackson out at least three weeks with labral tear - by Eurobasket News
Three-time MVP Lauren Jackson will be out a minimum of three weeks with a labral tear in her left hip.

The injury occurred in the opening half of a win against Tulsa on Tuesday. Jackson, 30, believed she locked legs with fellow Australian Liz Cambage and heard a pop. Jackson remained in the game, but was removed with 5:50 remaining in the second quarter.

The 6-foot-6 center underwent two days of evaluations before the diagnosis was made. Doctors told Storm president and CEO Karen Bryant that the injury is typical in athletes and rest could be the antidote. Jackson will likely miss the team's White House visit on Wednesday and upcoming three-game road trip.

After a week of rest, Jackson could gradually return to the court. If not healed, surgery could be required. That could take 12 weeks to rehabilitate.

'Injuries have just been a part of my career,' said Jackson, who missed the 2008 (ankle) and 2009 (back) postseasons due to injuries along with Achilles surgery this offseason. 'It's really disappointing. I've got to try to do everything I can to get my body healed so that I don't have to go through surgery, again. ... I feel positive like everybody else does.'

Storm physicians have been in communication with Basketball Australia, but Jackson said her health for the London Games didn't have a higher priority than the 2011 WNBA season. She will miss the beginning of the 2012 Storm season to prepare and participate in the Olympics.

'Everyone in Australia is in agreement with the doctors here,' Jackson said. 'My initial reaction is that I want to get back on court as soon as possible. I've always been like that. I want to get back here (playing for Seattle).'

Jackson had a cortisone shot in her left leg earlier this month. During this week's evaluations, doctors also found an acute tear in her thigh near the hip. That injury is unrelated to the labral injury.

Doctors told Bryant that the hip injury didn't derive from overcompensating from her offseason surgery.

The team is 18-23 all-time without Jackson in the lineup. Forward Le'coe Willingham started for Jackson on Friday, but Agler is going to evaluate his rotation each game.

The organization could also make a roster move.

'I don't like doing it just to do, to me that's a panic state,' Agler said. 'I'm sad for Lauren. She was just starting to get back into shape and then this happens. I feel bad for her, but I don't feel bad for ourselves.'

Courtesy of http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Aussie stars in action - WNBA Week 3 Wrap - by Eurobasket News
Jackson and Taylor nominated in Top 30 WNBA players of all time, and Cambage hits new scoring heights.

Here is your Week 3 update of the seven Aussie stars playing in the WNBA;

Lauren Jackson (196-F/C-81) may have injured her hip in her sides game against Elizabeth Cambage (203-C-91) and the Tulsa Shock, but there were two pieces of news this week that will surely bring a smile to her face.

The 2010 WNBA Champions will meet US President Obama at the Whitehouse, but even bigger news was that Jackson was also named among 30 nominations for the WNBAs Top 15 players of all time.

Joining Jackson is fellow Opal Penny Taylor (185-F-81) of the Phoenix Mercury. Its a huge honour for our two Aussie superstars, and a testament the enormous impact theyve had on the WNBA.

Taylor continued her terrific form this week, pouring in 30 points as her side defeated Tully Bevilaqua (164-G-72)s San Antonio Silver Stars.

Elizabeth Cambage returned from her injury layoff due to the concussion she suffered last week to help her side the Tulsa Shock record their first victory of the season. Then, coming off the bench Cambage recorded a career high with 22 points against the New York Liberty to round out the week.

It was another big week for Jenna OHea, after announcing her switch from the Bulleen Boomers to the Dandenong Rangers in the WNBL, she continued her strong play off the bench for the star-studded LA Sparks, scoring 8 points and dishing out 4 assists to help them take control of their game against New York.

Dont forget you can still vote for Lauren Jackson, Penny Taylor or Elizabeth Cambage to make the WNBA All-Star game.

Fan voting is open and it is your chance to vote for your favourite Australian players.

Remember, you can watch every game of the WNBA season for free by registering here for WNBA Live Access, and if you cant see the game LIVE, simply log on and watch it when you wish.

Here is your Week 3 Update of your favourite Australian players in action;

Lauren Jackson (Seattle Storm)WNBA Player Profile

Games this week:
Seattle Storm 68 defeated Indiana Fever 54
Stats: 9 points, 6 rebounds

Seattle Storm 50 defeated by LA Sparks 74
Stats: 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals

Seattle Storm 82 defeated Tulsa Shock 77
Stats: 4 points, 1 steal (injured in first half)

Penny Taylor (Phoenix Mercury)WNBA Player Profile

Games this week:
Phoenix Mercury 99 defeated by San Antonio Silver Stars 101
Stats: 18 points, 10 assists, 3 steals

Phoenix Mercury 93 defeated Indiana Fever 89
Stats: 18 points, 10 assists, 3 steals

Phoenix Mercury 105 defeated San Antonio Silver Stars 98
Stats: 30 points, 5 assists


Elizabeth Cambage (Tulsa Shock)WNBA Player Profile

Games this week:
Tulsa Shock 77 defeated Washington Mystics 59
Stats: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks

Seattle Storm 82 defeated Tulsa Shock 77
Stats: 13 points, 5 rebounds

New York Liberty 94 defeated Tulsa Shock 82
Stats: 22 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks

Jenna O'Hea (185-G/F-87) (LA Sparks)WNBA Player Profile

Games this week:
LA Sparks 74 defeated Seattle Storm 50
Stats: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists

LA Sparks 96 defeated New York Liberty 91
Stats: 8 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists


Tully Bevilaqua (San Antonio Silver Stars)WNBA Player Profile

Games this week:
San Antonio Silver Stars 101 defeated Phoenix Mercury 99
Stats: 3 assists, 2 rebounds

San Antonio Silver Stars 98 were defeated by Phoenix Mercury 105
Stats: 1 steal, 1 rebound



Erin Phillips (173-G-85) (Indiana Fever)WNBA Player Profile

Games this week:
Indiana Fever 54 defeated by Seattle Storm 68
Stats: 2 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound

Indiana Fever 89 defeated by Phoenix Mercury 93
Stats: 3 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 rebound

Indiana Fever 89 defeated Washington Mystics 80
Stats: 6 minutes of action

Belinda Snell (181-F-81) (Seattle Storm)WNBA Player Profile
Games this week:
Seattle Storm 68 defeated Indiana Fever 54
Stats: 3 points, 1 rebound

Seattle Storm 50 defeated by LA Sparks 74
Stats: 1 rebound

Seattle Storm 82 defeated Tulsa Shock 77
Stats: 1 minute of action

Courtesy of WNBL (www.wnbl.com.au)

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  AUSTRIA - Women  


China earn second straight win in Reze - by Eurobasket News
China U19 - Austria U20 77:40

Chinese U19 National Team recorded their second win in a row at Reze International Tournament. They rallied past Austrian U20 selection to improve at 2-0 record in Group B. Zuo Jiayi (178-G-92) and Zhang Liting (199-C-94) came up with 12 points apiece to pace the winners. Austria fell at 0-2 record after the loss.
China grabbed an early lead but Austria bounce back almost immediately. They capped the opening term on a 6:0 run to post an 11:10 lead. But China gradually took over. They held their opponents to 9 points in the next frame to ensure a 32:20 halftime advantage. China opened the second half on a 14:4 rally to clear off. The Asian team arrived at the final break leading by 24 points 53:29. They did not slow down in the fourth quarter posting a well-deserved win at the end. Yang Xi (184-F-94) knocked down 10 points in the victory. Lisa Zderadicka (166-PG-94) responded with 8 points for Austria. Milena Lazarevic (178-G/F-91) accounted for 7 points in the loss.

China U19: Zuo Jiayi 12, Zhang Liting 12, Yang Xi 10
Austria U20: Lisa Zderadicka 8, Milena Lazarevic 7


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  BELARUS - Women  


Lithuania jumps to 4-0 in Bydgoszcz - by Eurobasket News
LITHUANIA - BELARUS 68-50

Lithuania cruised past Belarus 68-50 to stay perfect in Group E in Bydgoszcz. Lithuania has 4-0 record now and will meet Czech Republic on Sunday for the first place in this group. Of course, Lithuania already secured a spot for the Quarterfinals. Belarus dropped to 2-2 after this game and still has a good chance to reach the next stage. They will have to beat Turkey also on Sunday. Sandra Linkeviciene (176-G-82) was a key player in victory with double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Vaida Sipaviciute (193-C-85, college: Syracuse) had 12 points, while Rima Valentiene (170-G-78) added one less. In Belarus, Anastasiya Veremeenko (192-C-87) collected 13 points and 7 rebounds. Katerina Snytsina (188-F-85) stopped to 12 pts. Lithuania had great second and last period, what was enough for the victory. Quarters: 13-12, 16-9, 15-17, 24-12.

Lithuania: Sandra Linkeviciene 15+11 boards, Vaida Sipaviciute 12, Rima Valentiene 11
Belarus: Anastasiya Veremeenko 13+7 boards, Katerina Snytsina 12

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  BRAZIL - Women  


Brazil beat New Zealand in Four-Nations Tournament in Yulin - by Eurobasket News
Brazil - New Zealand 75:63

Brazil earned the second win at the Four-Nations Tournament in Yulin. The Latin American side wrapped up their campaign with a 12-point victory over New Zealand. Palmira Marcal (177-G-84) stepped up with 21 points to lead the effort.
Brazil stunned the Tall Ferns early in the game. Brazil posted a 23:12 lead ten minutes into the game. The Latin American powerhouse maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. They arrived at halftime up by 13 points 41:28. The teams traded baskets in the third frame as Brazil entered the fourth quarter up by 14 points. New Zealand cut the deficit in the final period but never threatened Brazil too much. Clarissa Santos (186-C-88) accounted for 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Natalie Taylor (178-F, college: S.Illinois) replied with 14 points for Tall Ferns. Jillian Harmon (185-F-87, college: Stanford) finished with 12 points in defeat.

Brazil: Palmira Marcal 21, Clarissa Santos 18+10 boards
New Zealand: Natalie Taylor 14, Jillian Harmon 12



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  CHINA - Women  


China earn second straight win in Reze - by Eurobasket News
China U19 - Austria U20 77:40

Chinese U19 National Team recorded their second win in a row at Reze International Tournament. They rallied past Austrian U20 selection to improve at 2-0 record in Group B. Zuo Jiayi (178-G-92) and Zhang Liting (199-C-94) came up with 12 points apiece to pace the winners. Austria fell at 0-2 record after the loss.
China grabbed an early lead but Austria bounce back almost immediately. They capped the opening term on a 6:0 run to post an 11:10 lead. But China gradually took over. They held their opponents to 9 points in the next frame to ensure a 32:20 halftime advantage. China opened the second half on a 14:4 rally to clear off. The Asian team arrived at the final break leading by 24 points 53:29. They did not slow down in the fourth quarter posting a well-deserved win at the end. Yang Xi (184-F-94) knocked down 10 points in the victory. Lisa Zderadicka (166-PG-94) responded with 8 points for Austria. Milena Lazarevic (178-G/F-91) accounted for 7 points in the loss.

China U19: Zuo Jiayi 12, Zhang Liting 12, Yang Xi 10
Austria U20: Lisa Zderadicka 8, Milena Lazarevic 7


China tame Australia in Yulin - by Eurobasket News
China - Australia 75:70

China wrapped up Four-Nations tournament campaign in Yulin with victory. They held off Australia to finish at 2-1 record. Chen Nan (197-C-83) scored 16 points to pace the hosts. Australia fell at 2-1 record after the loss.
Australia opened the game with 9 points in a row and stayed in charge throughout the opening quarter. They recorded a 22:16 lead after ten minutes. China tried to find the right rhythm in the second period as they narrowed the gap at 5-point mark at halftime 33:38. China got within 2 points at the final intermission. China stressed their defence in the final period limiting the Opals to just 11 points and eking out a tough win at the end. Shuang Zhao (188-F-90) produced 13 points for China. Ding Yuan (185-F-91) added 9 points for the winning side. Abby Bishop (189-C-88) responded with 19 points for the Opals. Hanna Zavecz (182-F/G-85) finished with 12 points in the loss.

China: Chen Nan 16, Shuang Zhao 13, Ding Yuan 9
Australia: Abby Bishop 19, Hanna Zavecz 12


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  CROATIA - Women  


Croatia takes the first win in Group F - by Eurobasket News
CROATIA - POLAND 64-56

Croatia stays in the race for the Quarterfinals. They handed 64-56 loss to Poland for the first victory in Group F (1-3). On the other side, the host of EuroBasket 2011 dropped to 0-4 and lost all chances to reach the next stage. Sandra Mandir (175-G-77) and Luca Ivankovic (199-C-87) shined for the winners with 13 points each. They also had 9 and 8 rebounds respectively. Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) helped Croatia with 9 points. In the loosing squad, Ewelina Kobryn (193-C-82) delivered 17 points and Elzbieta Mowlik (180-F-83, agency: Data Plus Group) had 11.
Croatia was better team in three quarters and it was enough for the win. They started with 24-21 in the first ten minutes and continued with 20-17 in Q2. Nothing has changed after the breather as third period also belonged to Croatia (11-18). Poland won the last quarter 9-10, but of course that was not enough.
Tomorrow, Croatia will play their crucial game against Spain. Poland will meet defending champion France.

Croatia: Sandra Mandir 13+9 boards, Luca Ivankovic 13+8 boards, Iva Ciglar 9
Poland: Ewelina Kobryn 17, Elzbieta Mowlik 11

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  CZECH REPUBLIC - Women  


Group E: Russian awakening, Czech Republic helpless - by Eurobasket News
Russia lead this game from the beginning. Russian won this game 69:55, but they noticed bad last quarter. Russian players stopped Katerina Elhotova. Elena Danilochkina (185-G-86) scored 16 points for the winners, Maria Stepanova (203-C-79) poured 10 points and 9 rebounds. Svetlana Abrosimova (185-F-80, college: Connecticut) added 13. In Czechs team the most point scored Michaela Zrustova (182-F-87) 11. That game was announced as a game of the day. Czech Republic silver medalist from last year World Championships versus Russia silver medalist from Eurobasket 2009. Czech Republic played very well on this tournament they have won all their games that was theirs first lost . Russia was disappointing on this tournament, but they were able to win this game.

Russia started the game with very ambitious defense, Czechs cannot score any points in the beginning of the game. Russian started this game very well. With 6:19 to play in the first Russia was leading 5:0 and Czechs coach called a timeout. Katerina Elhotova scored first points for Czech Republic after 3 minutes and 11 seconds of play. Elena Danilochkina
responded with three pointer and Russia had 6 points advantage - 8:2. Russian played weel and Czech Republic cannot reduced disadvantage. After first quarter Russia was
leading by 7 16:9. After Zora Skrabalova lay-up Russia had only 3 points advantage 16:13. Russia did not allow Czechs to reduce the loss. Teams were playing basket for basket. With 4:40 to play Tatiana Popova made a lay-up and extend Russian lead to 8 points. Liudmila Sapova buried a three pointer and Russian elaborated the biggest lead in this game 11 points. Russian had been controlling this game they totally outrebounded Czech Republic. Czechs players made too many easy mistake. In the middle of the game they were down by 16 points 38:22.

After the brake Russian advantage had been growing. In the middle of the third quarter Czechs had 22 points disadvantage ! Russian players totally outplayed Czech Republic.
Czechs cannot do anything to change something in this game. They were totally helpless. Czech Republic were playing with terrible execution. Before the last quarter Russia had
got 20 points advantage 51:31. Russian coach even with the big lead called a timeout after four straight Czechs points.

Russia had been controlling the game, but suddenly Czech Republic started playing much better. Russian got lost. Czechs players were trying to get back, but It was too late for it.
Czech Republic scored 15 straight points in the middle of the fourth quarter ! After Katerina Elhotova shot, Czech Republic had got only 7 points disadvantage with 3:15 remaining.
Olga Arteshina made 2+1 action securing the score. With 1:54 to play in the last quarter Russia had got 8 point lead, but Czechs were not able to win this game. Finally, Russia
won this game 67:55.

Russia - Czech Republic 69:55 (16:9, 22:13, 13:9, 18:24)
Russia: Elena Danilochkina 16, Svetlana Abrosimova 13 , Maria Stepanova 10
Czech Republic: Michaela Zrustova 11, Eva Viteckova 9

*BY LUKASZ LUKASZEWSKI

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  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS - Women  


Stage Two: Second games - by Eurobasket News
Group E
United Kingdom - Turkey 57-64
The game between Great Britain and Turkey was very important for both teams. Turkey have won it 64:57 and they still have a chance to advance to final round in Lodz. Great
Britain will get back to home after last game against Russia on Monday. Nevriye Yilmaz (194-C-80) led her team to win scoring 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Saziye Ivegin (183-F-82) poured 14 points, Nevin Nevlin (195-C-85, college: Stanford) added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) scored 18 points for defeated Great Britain.
At the beginning of the game both teams were playing very ambitious. After 2 and half minutes of play Great Britain was leading 4:0. As always British players presented very good defense and Turkey had got a lot of problems with scoring points. After fourth minutes play Turkish scored their first points. Then, Great Britain lost the ball, Bahar Caglar (186-F-88) made a lay-up. Britiish players were up by 1 5:4 and their coach called a timeout. Few moments later, after lay-up by Nevriye Yilmaz Turkey had taken the lead. After first quarter Great Britain was down by 2 15:17. In the second quarter the game was very aligned, but Turkey secured small lead. British players cannot get back on the lead, Turkey had been controlling the game. With 52 seconds left to end of the second quarter, Saziye Ivegin buried the three extend the lead to 6 points 27:33. The same score was on the board after two quarters.
Turkey started the second half with four straight points by Nevriye Yilmaz. As a response Chantelle Handy made a lay-up for Great Britain. Then, Turkey extend the lead to 12 points (29:41) and British coach Tom Maher called a timeout. After that Turkey was no able to score any points, but Great Britain was not much better at this element of play. With 3:18 remaining In the third Turkey had got a 5 point advantage. Turkish coach wanted to talk with his players. Before the last quarter Turkish players were leading by 5 40:45. Turkey had been controlling the score. Although British effort in the middle of the fourth quarter Turkey was leading by 11 42:53. British coach called a timeout. Great Britain tried to get back in this game, but with 4 minutes to play they still have a 7 point loss. With 2:30 remaining Natalie Stafford reduced the disadvantage to 3 points, Turkish coach automatically called a timeout. Nevin Nevlin responded with jump shot for Turkey. Then, Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) made 2+1 action and Great Britain had got only 2 point loss with 2 minutes to play ! But Great Britain was not able to win this game. Finally, Turkey won the game against Great Britain 64:57. *BY LUKASZ LUKASZEWSKI

Lithuania - Belarus 68-50
Lithuania cruised past Belarus 68-50 to stay perfect in Group E in Bydgoszcz. Lithuania has 4-0 record now and will meet Czech Republic on Sunday for the first place in this group. Of course, Lithuania already secured a spot for the Quarterfinals. Belarus dropped to 2-2 after this game and still has a good chance to reach the next stage. They will have to beat Turkey also on Sunday. Sandra Linkeviciene (176-G-82) was a key player in victory with double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Vaida Sipaviciute (193-C-85, college: Syracuse) had 12 points, while Rima Valentiene (170-G-78) added one less. In Belarus, Anastasiya Veremeenko (192-C-87) collected 13 points and 7 rebounds. Katerina Snytsina (188-F-85) stopped to 12 pts. Lithuania had great second and last period, what was enough for the victory. Quarters: 13-12, 16-9, 15-17, 24-12.


Russia - Czech Republic 69-55
Russia lead this game from the beginning. Russian won this game 69:55, but they noticed bad last quarter. Russian players stopped Katerina Elhotova. Elena Danilochkina (185-G-86) scored 16 points for the winners, Maria Stepanova (203-C-79) poured 10 points and 9 rebounds. Svetlana Abrosimova (185-F-80, college: Connecticut) added 13. In Czechs team the most point scored Michaela Zrustova (182-F-87) 11. That game was announced as a game of the day. Czech Republic silver medalist from last year World Championships versus Russia silver medalist from Eurobasket 2009. Czech Republic played very well on this tournament they have won all their games that was theirs first lost . Russia was disappointing on this tournament, but they were able to win this game.
Russia started the game with very ambitious defense, Czechs cannot score any points in the beginning of the game. Russian started this game very well. With 6:19 to play in the first Russia was leading 5:0 and Czechs coach called a timeout. Katerina Elhotova scored first points for Czech Republic after 3 minutes and 11 seconds of play. Elena Danilochkina responded with three pointer and Russia had 6 points advantage - 8:2. Russian played weel and Czech Republic cannot reduced disadvantage. After first quarter Russia was
leading by 7 16:9. After Zora Skrabalova lay-up Russia had only 3 points advantage 16:13. Russia did not allow Czechs to reduce the loss. Teams were playing basket for basket. With 4:40 to play Tatiana Popova made a lay-up and extend Russian lead to 8 points. Liudmila Sapova buried a three pointer and Russian elaborated the biggest lead in this game 11 points. Russian had been controlling this game they totally outrebounded Czech Republic. Czechs players made too many easy mistake. In the middle of the game they were down by 16 points 38:22.
After the brake Russian advantage had been growing. In the middle of the third quarter Czechs had 22 points disadvantage ! Russian players totally outplayed Czech Republic.
Czechs cannot do anything to change something in this game. They were totally helpless. Czech Republic were playing with terrible execution. Before the last quarter Russia had got 20 points advantage 51:31. Russian coach even with the big lead called a timeout after four straight Czechs points.
Russia had been controlling the game, but suddenly Czech Republic started playing much better. Russian got lost. Czechs players were trying to get back, but It was too late for it. Czech Republic scored 15 straight points in the middle of the fourth quarter ! After Katerina Elhotova shot, Czech Republic had got only 7 points disadvantage with 3:15 remaining. Olga Arteshina made 2+1 action securing the score. With 1:54 to play in the last quarter Russia had got 8 point lead, but Czechs were not able to win this game. Finally, Russia won this game 67:55. *BY LUKASZ LUKASZEWSKI

Group F
Montenegro - France 73-68
Montenegro made another great result in Katowice. This time they crushed defending European champion (France) 73-68 for perfect 4-0 record in Group F. Tomorrow, Montenegro will meet Latvia and the winner will finish as No.1 of this group. On the other side, France slipped to 2-2, what is currently enough for third place. Iva Perovanovic (189-C/F-83) once again exploded in victory scoring 22 points. Jelena Dubljevic (191-C-87) (6 rebs) and Anna De Forge (178-G-76, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Nebraska) had 15 points each. In France, Endene Miyem (188-F-88) collected 21 points and 5 rebounds. Celine Dumerc (169-G-82) stopped to 13 pts and 6 assists.
Montenegro opened the game with 22-20 and later finished first half with 40-37. France won Q3 17-18 and everything was still open. It was exciting last period and Montenegro was strong enough to keep its lead and to stay the only undefeated team in Katowice.
As mentioned above, Montenegro will meet Latvia tomorrow. France will play against Poland.

Spain - Latvia 66-57
Spain grabbed valuable win against Latvia today, 66-57. With this victory Spain jumped to 2-2 record in Group F, what is currently enough for third place. On the other side, it was the first loss for Latvia. They have 3-1 record now. Sancho Lyttle (192-C-83, college: Houston) (9 rebs) and Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: George Washington) (6 as) were the leading players in victory with 16 points each. Alba Torrens (188-F-89) followed them with 11 points and 5 boards. In the loosing squad, Elina Babkina (173-G-89, agency: LBM Management) top-scored with 17 points. Ieva Kublina (193-C-82, college: Virginia Tech) had 12 points and 10 rebs, while Zane Tamane (200-C-83, college: W.Illinois) added 11 pts and 5 rebs.
Spain opened this game with 13-10 lead and continued with 14-13 for the next ten minutes. Third quarter also belonged to Spain (19-13), who was up by 10 before the last period. Latvia closed this game with 20-21, what of course was not enough for them to avoid the first loss in Katowice.
On Sunday, Spain will meet Croatia. Latvia will play against Montenegro.

Croatia - Poland 64-56
Croatia stays in the race for the Quarterfinals. They handed 64-56 loss to Poland for the first victory in Group F (1-3). On the other side, the host of EuroBasket 2011 dropped to 0-4 and lost all chances to reach the next stage. Sandra Mandir (175-G-77) and Luca Ivankovic (199-C-87) shined for the winners with 13 points each. They also had 9 and 8 rebounds respectively. Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) helped Croatia with 9 points. In the loosing squad, Ewelina Kobryn (193-C-82) delivered 17 points and Elzbieta Mowlik (180-F-83, agency: Data Plus Group) had 11.
Croatia was better team in three quarters and it was enough for the win. They started with 24-21 in the first ten minutes and continued with 20-17 in Q2. Nothing has changed after the breather as third period also belonged to Croatia (11-18). Poland won the last quarter 9-10, but of course that was not enough.
Tomorrow, Croatia will play their crucial game against Spain. Poland will meet defending champion France.

Group E: Lithuania beat Belarus - by Lukasz Lukaszewski
Lithuania beat Belarus 68:50. Lithuania secured the perfect record in group E they have 4 wins and no loses. Belarus have worse balance 2 wins and the same number of
loses. Sandra Linkeviciene (176-G-82) made a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Vaida Sipaviciute (193-C-85, college: Syracuse) added 12, Rima Valentiene (170-G-78) poured 11. Anastasiya Veremeenko (192-C-87) scored 12 points for Belarus, her friend Katerina Snytsina (188-F-85) grabbed 11 points. On Monday Lithuania will fight with Czech Republic for the first position in the group E. Belarus will play Turkey it could be a last game on this tournament for one of this team.

Belarus open this game with Anastasiya Veremeenko three pointer. Belarus was leading, but few moments later Lithuania had taken the lead. With 7:00 to play shot in the first
quarter , after Egle Sulciute (190-F-85) Lithuania was up by 1. In the first quarter the game was very aligned and neither team was able to leading long time. After first 10 minutes Lithuania had got a 1 point advantage. Lithuania was on the lead during whole second quarter, but Belarus two times was very close to tie the game. With 4:02 to play in the second quarter Yelena Leuchanka (196-C-83, college: W.Virginia) made a lay-up and Belarus was down 22:21. Lithuania end this quarter with 7:0 run and elaborated 8 points lead before the second half.

After the brake Lithuania secured their leading. Lithuanian players had been controlling the score. In the middle of the third quarter Belarus was down by 10. Before the last quarter
Lithuania was leading by 6. Belarus cannot reduced the lost. With 3:46 Tatyana Troina (188-F-81, college: S.Carolina) made a lay-up and Belarusian still had 6 points less than Lithuania. Then, Lithuania destroyed Belarus with incredible 15:3 run. Lithuania have won this game 68:50.

Lithuania Belarus 68:50 (13:12,16:9, 15:17, 24:12)
Lithuania: Sandra Linkeviciene 15 + 11 reb, Vaida Sipaviciute 12, Rima Valentiene 11
Belarus: Anastasiya Veremeenko 12, Katerina Snytsina 11


Group E: Turkey won the game against Great Britain - by Lukasz Lukaszewski
The game between Great Britain and Turkey was very important for both teams. Turkey have won it 64:57 and they still have a chance to advance to final round in Lodz. Great
Britain will get back to home after last game against Russia on Monday. Nevriye Yilmaz (194-C-80) led her team to win scoring 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Saziye Ivegin (183-F-82) poured 14 points, Nevin Nevlin (195-C-85, college: Stanford) added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) scored 18 points for defeated Great Britain.

At the beginning of the game both teams were playing very ambitious. After 2 and half minutes of play Great Britain was leading 4:0. As always British players presented very good
defense and Turkey had got a lot of problems with scoring points. After fourth minutes play Turkish scored their first points. Then, Great Britain lost the ball, Bahar Caglar (186-F-88) made a lay-up. Britiish players were up by 1 5:4 and their coach called a timeout. Few moments later, after lay-up by Nevriye Yilmaz Turkey had taken the lead. After first quarter Great Britain was down by 2 15:17. In the second quarter the game was very aligned, but Turkey secured small lead. British players cannot get back on the lead, Turkey had been
controlling the game. With 52 seconds left to end of the second quarter, Saziye Ivegin buried the three extend the lead to 6 points 27:33. The same score was on the board after
two quarters.

Turkey started the second half with four straight points by Nevriye Yilmaz. As a response Chantelle Handy made a lay-up for Great Britain. Then, Turkey extend the lead to 12 points
(29:41) and British coach Tom Maher called a timeout. After that Turkey was no able to score any points, but Great Britain was not much better at this element of play. With 3:18
remaining In the third Turkey had got a 5 point advantage. Turkish coach wanted to talk with his players. Before the last quarter Turkish players were leading by 5 40:45. Turkey
had been controlling the score. Although British effort in the middle of the fourth quarter Turkey was leading by 11 42:53. British coach called a timeout. Great Britain tried to get
back in this game, but with 4 minutes to play they still have a 7 point loss. With 2:30 remaining Natalie Stafford reduced the disadvantage to 3 points, Turkish coach automatically
called a timeout. Nevin Nevlin responded with jump shot for Turkey. Then, Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) made 2+1 action and Great Britain had got only 2 point loss with 2 minutes to play ! But Great Britain was not able to win this game. Finally, Turkey won the game against Great Britain 64:57.

Great Britain - Turkey 57:64 (15:17,12:16,13:12,17:19)

Great Britain: Natalie Stafford 18, JulieAnne Page (188-F/C-83, college: E.Washington) 12, Johannah Leedham 11
Turkey: Nevriye Yilmaz 18, Saziye Ivegin 14, Nevin Nevlin 13


Group E: Russian awakening, Czech Republic helpless - by Lukasz Lukaszewski
Russia lead this game from the beginning. Russian won this game 69:55, but they noticed bad last quarter. Russian players stopped Katerina Elhotova (180-G-89). Elena Danilochkina (185-G-86) scored 16 points for the winners, Maria Stepanova (203-C-79) poured 10 points and 9 rebounds. Svetlana Abrosimova (185-F-80, college: Connecticut) added 13. In Czechs team the most point scored Michaela Zrustova (182-F-87) 11. That game was announced as a game of the day. Czech Republic silver medalist from last year World Championships versus Russia silver medalist from Eurobasket 2009. Czech Republic played very well on this tournament they have won all their games that was theirs first lost . Russia was disappointing on this tournament, but they were able to win this game.

Russia started the game with very ambitious defense, Czechs cannot score any points in the beginning of the game. Russian started this game very well. With 6:19 to play in the first
Russia was leading 5:0 and Czechs coach called a timeout. Katerina Elhotova scored first points for Czech Republic after 3 minutes and 11 seconds of play. Elena Danilochkina
responded with three pointer and Russia had 6 points advantage - 8:2. Russian played well and Czech Republic cannot reduced disadvantage. After first quarter Russia was
leading by 7 16:9. After Zora Skrabalova lay-up Russia had only 3 points advantage 16:13. Russia did not allow Czechs to reduce the loss. Teams were playing basket for basket. With 4:40 to play Tatiana Popova made a lay-up and extend Russian lead to 8 points. Liudmila Sapova (185-F/C-84) buried a three pointer and Russian elaborated the biggest lead in this game 11 points. Russian had been controlling this game they totally out rebounded Czech Republic. Czechs players made too many easy mistake. In the middle of the game they were down by 16 points
38:22.

After the brake Russian advantage had been growing. In the middle of the third quarter Czechs had 22 points disadvantage ! Russian players totally outplayed Czech Republic.
Czechs cannot do anything to change something in this game. They were totally helpless. Czech Republic were playing with terrible execution. Before the last quarter Russia had
got 20 points advantage 51:31. Russian coach even with the big lead called a timeout after four straight Czechs points. Russia had been controlling the game, but suddenly Czech Republic started playing much better. Russian got lost. Czechs players were trying to get back, but It was too late for it.
Czech Republic scored 15 straight points in the middle of the fourth quarter ! After Katerina Elhotova shot, Czech Republic had got only 7 points disadvantage with 3:15 remaining.
Olga Arteshina (183-F-82) made 2+1 action securing the score. With 1:54 to play in the last quarter Russia had got 8 point lead, but Czechs were not able to win this game. Finally, Russia won this game 67:55.

Russia Czech Republic 69:55 (16:9, 22:13, 13:9, 18:24)
Russia: Elena Danilochkina 16, Svetlana Abrosimova 13 , Maria Stepanova 10
Czech Republic: Michaela Zrustova 11, Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) 9


Stats Leaders Div.A (Women)
Points Per Game
 Iva PEROVANOVIC
  MNT
  (189-C/F-83)
  Avg: 20.5
 1. Perovanovic, MNT20.5 
 2. Hodges, BUL20.3 
 3. Tuukkanen, FIN18.3 
 4. Torrens, ESP16.2 
 5. Kalentzou, GRE16.0 
 6. Yilmaz, TUR15.6 
 7. Elhotova, CZE15.6 
 8. Zherzherunov., UKR15.5 
 9. Meesseman, BEL15.0 
 10. Fegyverneky, HUN14.7 
Rebounds Per Game
 Zane TAMANE
  LAT
  (200-C-83)
  Avg: 11
 1. Tamane, LAT11.0 
 2. Meesseman, BEL9.0 
 3. Perovanovic, MNT9.0 
 4. Tuukkanen, FIN8.8 
 5. Bar, GER8.8 
 6. Leuchanka, BLR8.6 
 7. Stepanova, RUS8.4 
 8. Zherzherunov., UKR8.3 
 9. Ress, ITA8.0 
 10. Kobryn, POL7.4 
Assists Per Game
 Elina BABKINA
  LAT
  (173-G-89)
  Avg: 5
 1. Babkina, LAT5.0 
 2. Dubljevic, MNT4.8 
 3. Mandir, CRO4.4 
 4. Marchanka, BLR4.4 
 5. Dumerc, FRA3.8 
 6. De Forge, MNT3.5 
 7. Pawlak, POL3.4 
 8. Zara, ITA3.3 
 9. Bar, GER3.3 
 10. Skerovic, MNT3.2 
Steals Per Game
 Sandra LINKEVICIENE
  LTU
  (176-G-82)
  Avg: 3
 1. Linkeviciene, LTU3.0 
 2. De Forge, MNT3.0 
 3. Lyttle, ESP3.0 
 4. Bimbaite, LTU2.8 
 5. Kalentzou, GRE2.7 
 6. Mayombo, BEL2.5 
 7. Zherzherunov., UKR2.5 
 8. Stepanova, RUS2.4 
 9. Bar, GER2.3 
 10. Zlatanova, BUL2.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Sandrine GRUDA
  FRA
  (194-C-87)
  Avg: 2.2
 1. Gruda, FRA2.2 
 2. Kobryn, POL1.6 
 3. Popovic, MNT1.5 
 4. Veremeenko, BLR1.5 
 5. Marginean, ROM1.5 
 6. Khomenchuk, UKR1.3 
 7. Burgrova, CZE1.2 
 8. Halman, NED1.0 
 9. Sotiriou, GRE1.0 
 10. Jurcenkova, SVK1.0 


Standings Div.A (Women)
Standings
Group E
1. Lithuania4-0
2. Czech Rep.3-1
3. Russia2-2
4. Belarus2-2
5. Turkey1-3
6. U.Kingdom0-4
Group F
1. Montenegro.4-0
2. Latvia3-1
3. Spain2-2
4. France2-2
5. Croatia1-3
6. Poland0-4


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


Germany U20 selection overcame the hosts of the Bourg-en-Bresse tournament - by Eurobasket News
Germany U20-France U20 61:60 (17:18, 16:7, 16:17, 12:18)

Germany U20 selection overcame the hosts of the Bourg-en-Bresse tournament. The German side pip France U20 61:60 in the opener. The four-nation tournament in Bourg-en-Bresse will be played between the 24 June and 27 June 2011. All the teams play each once with the winner being the team that finishes top of the table.
France started with 18-17 in the opening quarter, but could not keep the lead. The German squad needed 16-7 in the second frame to take 35:25 deficit when the teams disappeared in the lockers. France replied with only 17-16 in the third frame to reduce to 9 points after thirty minutes. Even after 18-12 in the last quarter, France could reach 60:61.
Finja Schaake (179-G/F-92) top-scored for the winners with 15 points and Sonja Greinacher (188-F/C-92) netted 13. Christina Schnorr (187-F-92) ended up with 11, while Emina Karic (178-G/F-91) posted 9.
In another game Russia U20 overcame Romania U20 65:47.



Armentieres announced Akmouche, Carmona, Catrix and Nedovic - by Eurobasket News
Helena Akmouche (174-G-92) arrives from Dunkerque Malo Basket Club (LF2). Earlier the French Guard appeared in Centre Federal BB II (NF2) and played there for three seasons. Last year Helena Akmouche was a French U18 National Team and at the European Championships U18 for Women in Slovak Republic averaged 11.3ppg, 1.8rpg, FGP: 48.4%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 78.9%. Sge recorded 23 points at the Preliminary Round Day 3 when France needed 74:73 to finish as No.1 of Group D and advanced to Qualifying Round.
Aurelie Carmona (184-C/F-87) heads from Lyon. In 2005-2006 she started for Pays d'Aix Basket 13 Provence (LFB) and in EuroCup averaged 2.2ppg, 2.2rpg, 0.2apg, 1.3spg. In 2006-2007 moved to Temple-sur-Lot (NF1) and then in 2007-2010 played for Laveyron (NF2).
Maiwenn Catrix (173-G-89) comes back to the team. In 2005-2006 she started for Villeneuve D'Asco ESB (LFB) and then in 2008-2009 moved to Armentieres SO (NF1).
Anna Nedovic (193-F-83, college: Colorado) is a Danish Forward who comes from BK Amager. In 2009-2010 she played already for Armentieres SO (France-NF1) and in 22 games averaged 6.1ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 29.8%, 3PT: 25.5%, FT: 66.0%. In 2010-2011 moved to BK Amager (Denmark-Dameligaen, starting five) and showed 12.7ppg, 5.9rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 43.6%, 3PT: 30.6%, FT: 68.4%.



Changes in Calais - by Eurobasket News
Calais sign Emilie Duvivier (168-G-84) and Floriane Herrscher (187-F-84) for the next season and already announced keeping Aurelie Cibert, Melanie Arnaud, Manon Sinico and Malanie Devaux.
Emilie Duvivier played the last two seasons for Union Saint-Amand Porte du Hainaut (LFB, starting five). In 2010-2011 after 25 games she averaged 7.4ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.8apg, 1.0spg, FGP: 42.9%, 3PT: 25.4%, FT: 81.8%. Emilie was a member of the French National Team -08, made it to Eurobasket.com All-French NF1 2nd Team -10, French NF1 Regular Season Runner Up -10 and French NF1 Finalist -10.
Floriane Herrscher is a French Forward that started her career in 2005-2006 for Sceaux (NF1, starting five). In 2006-2007 she joined Dexia Namur (D1) and in Euroleague averaged 3.9ppg, 2.8rpg. The next two season she played for ASPTT Charleville-Mezieres (NF1) and then appeared in Saint Jacques Sport Reims (NF1). The season 2010-2011 played for Reims Basket Feminin (LF2, starting five).



France storm past Lithuania in Reze - by Eurobasket News
France U19 - Lithuania U20 81:54

France U19 earned the second straight win at the Reze International Tournament. They toppled Lithuania U20 to stay on top of Group A. Lithuania in the meantime suffered the second consecutive defeat. Adja Konteh (178-F-92) stepped up with 15 points to lead the effort.
France started the game strongly. They outscored Lithuania 22:15 in the opening ten minutes. More to come in the second period as the hosts enlarged the distance to 16 points 41:25. France continued to dominate in the third term. They held Lithuania to just 12 points in the quarter and secured an insurmountable 26-point lead heading into the fourth stanza. France did not allow the visitors any closer in the final quarter and rolled to the victory at the end. Jenny Fouasseau (179-F-92) and Helena Akmouche (174-G-92) delivered 13 points apiece in the win. Agathe Degorces (163-G-92) added 9 points for Les Bleus. Santa Okockyte (176-G-92) reacted with 19 points for Lithuania. Inesa Visgaudaite (172-PG-91) provided 14 points in the loss.

France U19: Adja Konteh 15, Jenny Fouasseau 13, Helena Akmouche 13
Lithuania U20: Santa Okockyte 19, Inesa Visgaudaite 14


Montenegro beats defending champion France 73-68 - by Eurobasket News
MONTENEGRO - FRANCE 73-68

Montenegro made another great result in Katowice. This time they crushed defending European champion (France) 73-68 for perfect 4-0 record in Group F. Tomorrow, Montenegro will meet Latvia and the winner will finish as No.1 of this group. On the other side, France slipped to 2-2, what is currently enough for third place. Iva Perovanovic (189-C/F-83) once again exploded in victory scoring 22 points. Jelena Dubljevic (191-C-87) (6 rebs) and Anna De Forge (178-G-76, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Nebraska) had 15 points each. In France, Endene Miyem (188-F-88) collected 21 points and 5 rebounds. Celine Dumerc (169-G-82) stopped to 13 pts and 6 assists.
Montenegro opened the game with 22-20 and later finished first half with 40-37. France won Q3 17-18 and everything was still open. It was exciting last period and Montenegro was strong enough to keep its lead and to stay the only undefeated team in Katowice.
As mentioned above, Montenegro will meet Latvia tomorrow. France will play against Poland.

Montenegro: Iva Perovanovic 22, Jelena Dubljevic 15+6 boards, Anna De Forge 15
France: Endene Miyem 21+5 boards, Celine Dumerc 13+6 as

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


Germany U20 selection overcame the hosts of the Bourg-en-Bresse tournament - by Eurobasket News
Germany U20-France U20 61:60 (17:18, 16:7, 16:17, 12:18)

Germany U20 selection overcame the hosts of the Bourg-en-Bresse tournament. The German side pip France U20 61:60 in the opener. The four-nation tournament in Bourg-en-Bresse will be played between the 24 June and 27 June 2011. All the teams play each once with the winner being the team that finishes top of the table.
France started with 18-17 in the opening quarter, but could not keep the lead. The German squad needed 16-7 in the second frame to take 35:25 deficit when the teams disappeared in the lockers. France replied with only 17-16 in the third frame to reduce to 9 points after thirty minutes. Even after 18-12 in the last quarter, France could reach 60:61.
Finja Schaake (179-G/F-92) top-scored for the winners with 15 points and Sonja Greinacher (188-F/C-92) netted 13. Christina Schnorr (187-F-92) ended up with 11, while Emina Karic (178-G/F-91) posted 9.
In another game Russia U20 overcame Romania U20 65:47.



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


Russia U19 too good for Netherlands U20 in Reze - by Eurobasket News
Russia U19 - Netherlands U20 85:50

Russian U19 National Team secured the second win a row at the Reze International Tournament. They overcame the Dutch U20 selection to take 2-0 lead in Group B. Netherlands slipped at 0-2 record after the defeat. Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-C/F-93, agency: RIZO) stepped up with 23 points and 8 rebounds to lead the winners.
Netherlands got to a flying start. They accounted for 21 points in the opening period and ensured a 5-point lead 21:16. Netherlands stretched the margin to 7 points in the second term before Russia took over. Led by Ksenia Tikhonenko they put their noses in front 32:31 at the interval. Russia opened the second half on a 10:2 run to surge ahead. By the time of the fourth period Russia enjoyed an 18-point lead. Netherlands conceded a 2:17 rally early in the final quarter and never recovered afterwards. Yulia Poluyanova (187-F-92) delivered 19 points and 8 boards, while Nina Gumennaya (178-G-92) accounted for 8 points in the win. Kourtney Treffers (186-F-94) responded with 12 points and 7 rebounds for Netherlands. Van Grinsven notched 8 points in the loss.

Russia U19: Ksenia Tikhonenko 23, Yulia Poluyanova 19, Nina Gumennaya 8
Netherlands U20: Kourtney Treffers 12, Van Grinsven 8


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


France storm past Lithuania in Reze - by Eurobasket News
France U19 - Lithuania U20 81:54

France U19 earned the second straight win at the Reze International Tournament. They toppled Lithuania U20 to stay on top of Group A. Lithuania in the meantime suffered the second consecutive defeat. Adja Konteh (178-F-92) stepped up with 15 points to lead the effort.
France started the game strongly. They outscored Lithuania 22:15 in the opening ten minutes. More to come in the second period as the hosts enlarged the distance to 16 points 41:25. France continued to dominate in the third term. They held Lithuania to just 12 points in the quarter and secured an insurmountable 26-point lead heading into the fourth stanza. France did not allow the visitors any closer in the final quarter and rolled to the victory at the end. Jenny Fouasseau (179-F-92) and Helena Akmouche (174-G-92) delivered 13 points apiece in the win. Agathe Degorces (163-G-92) added 9 points for Les Bleus. Santa Okockyte (176-G-92) reacted with 19 points for Lithuania. Inesa Visgaudaite (172-PG-91) provided 14 points in the loss.

France U19: Adja Konteh 15, Jenny Fouasseau 13, Helena Akmouche 13
Lithuania U20: Santa Okockyte 19, Inesa Visgaudaite 14


Lithuania jumps to 4-0 in Bydgoszcz - by Eurobasket News
LITHUANIA - BELARUS 68-50

Lithuania cruised past Belarus 68-50 to stay perfect in Group E in Bydgoszcz. Lithuania has 4-0 record now and will meet Czech Republic on Sunday for the first place in this group. Of course, Lithuania already secured a spot for the Quarterfinals. Belarus dropped to 2-2 after this game and still has a good chance to reach the next stage. They will have to beat Turkey also on Sunday. Sandra Linkeviciene (176-G-82) was a key player in victory with double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. Vaida Sipaviciute (193-C-85, college: Syracuse) had 12 points, while Rima Valentiene (170-G-78) added one less. In Belarus, Anastasiya Veremeenko (192-C-87) collected 13 points and 7 rebounds. Katerina Snytsina (188-F-85) stopped to 12 pts. Lithuania had great second and last period, what was enough for the victory. Quarters: 13-12, 16-9, 15-17, 24-12.

Lithuania: Sandra Linkeviciene 15+11 boards, Vaida Sipaviciute 12, Rima Valentiene 11
Belarus: Anastasiya Veremeenko 13+7 boards, Katerina Snytsina 12

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


Montenegro beats defending champion France 73-68 - by Eurobasket News
MONTENEGRO - FRANCE 73-68

Montenegro made another great result in Katowice. This time they crushed defending European champion (France) 73-68 for perfect 4-0 record in Group F. Tomorrow, Montenegro will meet Latvia and the winner will finish as No.1 of this group. On the other side, France slipped to 2-2, what is currently enough for third place. Iva Perovanovic (189-C/F-83) once again exploded in victory scoring 22 points. Jelena Dubljevic (191-C-87) (6 rebs) and Anna De Forge (178-G-76, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Nebraska) had 15 points each. In France, Endene Miyem (188-F-88) collected 21 points and 5 rebounds. Celine Dumerc (169-G-82) stopped to 13 pts and 6 assists.
Montenegro opened the game with 22-20 and later finished first half with 40-37. France won Q3 17-18 and everything was still open. It was exciting last period and Montenegro was strong enough to keep its lead and to stay the only undefeated team in Katowice.
As mentioned above, Montenegro will meet Latvia tomorrow. France will play against Poland.

Montenegro: Iva Perovanovic 22, Jelena Dubljevic 15+6 boards, Anna De Forge 15
France: Endene Miyem 21+5 boards, Celine Dumerc 13+6 as

*****************************************************
  NEW ZEALAND - Women  


Brazil beat New Zealand in Four-Nations Tournament in Yulin - by Eurobasket News
Brazil - New Zealand 75:63

Brazil earned the second win at the Four-Nations Tournament in Yulin. The Latin American side wrapped up their campaign with a 12-point victory over New Zealand. Palmira Marcal (177-G-84) stepped up with 21 points to lead the effort.
Brazil stunned the Tall Ferns early in the game. Brazil posted a 23:12 lead ten minutes into the game. The Latin American powerhouse maintained the lead throughout the second quarter. They arrived at halftime up by 13 points 41:28. The teams traded baskets in the third frame as Brazil entered the fourth quarter up by 14 points. New Zealand cut the deficit in the final period but never threatened Brazil too much. Clarissa Santos (186-C-88) accounted for 18 points and 10 rebounds in the win. Natalie Taylor (178-F, college: S.Illinois) replied with 14 points for Tall Ferns. Jillian Harmon (185-F-87, college: Stanford) finished with 12 points in defeat.

Brazil: Palmira Marcal 21, Clarissa Santos 18+10 boards
New Zealand: Natalie Taylor 14, Jillian Harmon 12



*****************************************************
  NIGERIA - Women  


Nigeria celebrate second win in Reze - by Eurobasket News
Nigeria U19 - Sweden U20 67:33

Nigeria earned the second consecutive victory at the Reze International Tournament in France. They trounced Swedish U20 selection to stay on top of Group A. Amukamara delivered 18 points to lead the effort.
Nigeria limited their opponents to 9 points in the first frame. The African side posted a 7-point advantage. Nigeria kept on dominating in the second quarter. They ensured a 35:24 halftime lead. Nigeria stayed aggressive defensively in the second half. They held Sweden to only 4 points in the third period to boost the lead to 23 points. Nigeria did not slow down in the fourth frame and completed a comfortable win at the end. Sarah Imovbioh, Shola Adebayo and Elem Ibiam accounted for 10 points each in the victory. Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) answered with 8 points and 7 rebounds for Sweden. Cleopatra Forsman-Goga (180-G-91) added 6 points in the second straight loss for the Scandinavians.

Nigeria U19: Amukamara 18, Sarah Imovbioh 10, Shola Adebayo 10, Elem Ibiam 10
Sweden U19: Farhiya Abdi 8, Cleopatra Forsman-Goga 6


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


Croatia takes the first win in Group F - by Eurobasket News
CROATIA - POLAND 64-56

Croatia stays in the race for the Quarterfinals. They handed 64-56 loss to Poland for the first victory in Group F (1-3). On the other side, the host of EuroBasket 2011 dropped to 0-4 and lost all chances to reach the next stage. Sandra Mandir (175-G-77) and Luca Ivankovic (199-C-87) shined for the winners with 13 points each. They also had 9 and 8 rebounds respectively. Iva Ciglar (170-G-85, agency: Data Plus Group) helped Croatia with 9 points. In the loosing squad, Ewelina Kobryn (193-C-82) delivered 17 points and Elzbieta Mowlik (180-F-83, agency: Data Plus Group) had 11.
Croatia was better team in three quarters and it was enough for the win. They started with 24-21 in the first ten minutes and continued with 20-17 in Q2. Nothing has changed after the breather as third period also belonged to Croatia (11-18). Poland won the last quarter 9-10, but of course that was not enough.
Tomorrow, Croatia will play their crucial game against Spain. Poland will meet defending champion France.

Croatia: Sandra Mandir 13+9 boards, Luca Ivankovic 13+8 boards, Iva Ciglar 9
Poland: Ewelina Kobryn 17, Elzbieta Mowlik 11

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  ROMANIA - Women  


Ildiko Nagy extend with BC ICIM Arad - by Eurobasket News
Ildiko Nagy (187-F-84) extend with BC ICIM Arad for the upcoming season. The Romanian Forward will stay with the Champions for another year.
Nagy played for BC ICIM Arad in her first professional years and then moved to CSS LMK Sf. Gheorghe (D1) in 2008. In EuroCup after 7 games she averaged 2.7ppg, while in Romanian League after 32 games her stats read 5.8ppg, 3.8rpg. In 2009-2010 for CSS LMK BC Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe (D1, starting five) she averaged 6.3ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.0spg, FGP: 25.0%, FT: 69.2% in EuroCup. In 2010-2011 came back to BC ICIM Arad (D1) and after 24 games showed 6.4ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP-1 (60.2%), FT: 70.7%.
Last season Ildiko Nagy recorded 13 points and the same number of rebounds. ICIM Arad beat Olimpia 75-52 at the Second Stage Round 12. ICIM Arad led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. ICIM Arad outrebounded Olimpia 41-24 including a 28-13 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was a good game for international center Anita Meszaros who led her team to a victory with 21 points and 9 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field). The former international forward Ildiko Nagy contributed with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 13 rebounds for the winners.




Top Players leave SCM CSS Craiova - by Eurobasket News
Tina Huff (196-C), Ramona Tarta (173-G-89), Anca Sipos (185-F/C-85), Tena Matthews (173-G-85, college: Northwestern St.), Fatou Kane (198-C-85), Janina Simionca (175-F-84) leave SCM CSS Craiova. Their destinations so far unknown.
Matthews Tena was the only American in the team after Tina Huff left in February. The latter moved to SCM CSS Craiova (Romania-D1) and played only 7 games averaging poor 0.6ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.0bpg .Matthews Tena meanwhile started for SCM CSS U Craiova (Romania-D1) last season and averaged 18ppg, 7.3rpg, 1.5apg, 2.5spg, FG: 40%, 3PT: 30%, FT: 76.2%. The season 2010-2011 she started for Mahram (Iran-Superleague), in Jan.'11 moved to SCM CSS Craiova (Romania-D1, starting five) and became the fourth top-scorer of the League with 15.3ppg, 8.4rpg, 2.1apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 46.3%, 3PT: 21.7%, FT: 78.3%.
Fatou Kane is aSenegalese player who joined the team last year. In 2010-2011 for SCM CSS Craiova (Romania-D1, starting five) she averaged 4.8ppg, 8.2rpg, 1.3spg in EuroCup and in the Romanian League after 16 games became the top Rebounder in the League with 8.0ppg, Reb-1 (13.4rpg), 1.1apg, 1.8spg, Blocks-3 (1.7bpg), FGP: 49.6%, FT: 45.7%.
Other local players could not stay in the team as well. They will look for another destinations soon.



*****************************************************
  RUSSIA - Women  


Russia U19 too good for Netherlands U20 in Reze - by Eurobasket News
Russia U19 - Netherlands U20 85:50

Russian U19 National Team secured the second win a row at the Reze International Tournament. They overcame the Dutch U20 selection to take 2-0 lead in Group B. Netherlands slipped at 0-2 record after the defeat. Ksenia Tikhonenko (190-C/F-93, agency: RIZO) stepped up with 23 points and 8 rebounds to lead the winners.
Netherlands got to a flying start. They accounted for 21 points in the opening period and ensured a 5-point lead 21:16. Netherlands stretched the margin to 7 points in the second term before Russia took over. Led by Ksenia Tikhonenko they put their noses in front 32:31 at the interval. Russia opened the second half on a 10:2 run to surge ahead. By the time of the fourth period Russia enjoyed an 18-point lead. Netherlands conceded a 2:17 rally early in the final quarter and never recovered afterwards. Yulia Poluyanova (187-F-92) delivered 19 points and 8 boards, while Nina Gumennaya (178-G-92) accounted for 8 points in the win. Kourtney Treffers (186-F-94) responded with 12 points and 7 rebounds for Netherlands. Van Grinsven notched 8 points in the loss.

Russia U19: Ksenia Tikhonenko 23, Yulia Poluyanova 19, Nina Gumennaya 8
Netherlands U20: Kourtney Treffers 12, Van Grinsven 8


Group E: Russian awakening, Czech Republic helpless - by Eurobasket News
Russia lead this game from the beginning. Russian won this game 69:55, but they noticed bad last quarter. Russian players stopped Katerina Elhotova. Elena Danilochkina (185-G-86) scored 16 points for the winners, Maria Stepanova (203-C-79) poured 10 points and 9 rebounds. Svetlana Abrosimova (185-F-80, college: Connecticut) added 13. In Czechs team the most point scored Michaela Zrustova (182-F-87) 11. That game was announced as a game of the day. Czech Republic silver medalist from last year World Championships versus Russia silver medalist from Eurobasket 2009. Czech Republic played very well on this tournament they have won all their games that was theirs first lost . Russia was disappointing on this tournament, but they were able to win this game.

Russia started the game with very ambitious defense, Czechs cannot score any points in the beginning of the game. Russian started this game very well. With 6:19 to play in the first Russia was leading 5:0 and Czechs coach called a timeout. Katerina Elhotova scored first points for Czech Republic after 3 minutes and 11 seconds of play. Elena Danilochkina
responded with three pointer and Russia had 6 points advantage - 8:2. Russian played weel and Czech Republic cannot reduced disadvantage. After first quarter Russia was
leading by 7 16:9. After Zora Skrabalova lay-up Russia had only 3 points advantage 16:13. Russia did not allow Czechs to reduce the loss. Teams were playing basket for basket. With 4:40 to play Tatiana Popova made a lay-up and extend Russian lead to 8 points. Liudmila Sapova buried a three pointer and Russian elaborated the biggest lead in this game 11 points. Russian had been controlling this game they totally outrebounded Czech Republic. Czechs players made too many easy mistake. In the middle of the game they were down by 16 points 38:22.

After the brake Russian advantage had been growing. In the middle of the third quarter Czechs had 22 points disadvantage ! Russian players totally outplayed Czech Republic.
Czechs cannot do anything to change something in this game. They were totally helpless. Czech Republic were playing with terrible execution. Before the last quarter Russia had
got 20 points advantage 51:31. Russian coach even with the big lead called a timeout after four straight Czechs points.

Russia had been controlling the game, but suddenly Czech Republic started playing much better. Russian got lost. Czechs players were trying to get back, but It was too late for it.
Czech Republic scored 15 straight points in the middle of the fourth quarter ! After Katerina Elhotova shot, Czech Republic had got only 7 points disadvantage with 3:15 remaining.
Olga Arteshina made 2+1 action securing the score. With 1:54 to play in the last quarter Russia had got 8 point lead, but Czechs were not able to win this game. Finally, Russia
won this game 67:55.

Russia - Czech Republic 69:55 (16:9, 22:13, 13:9, 18:24)
Russia: Elena Danilochkina 16, Svetlana Abrosimova 13 , Maria Stepanova 10
Czech Republic: Michaela Zrustova 11, Eva Viteckova 9

*BY LUKASZ LUKASZEWSKI

*****************************************************
  SWEDEN - Women  


Nigeria celebrate second win in Reze - by Eurobasket News
Nigeria U19 - Sweden U20 67:33

Nigeria earned the second consecutive victory at the Reze International Tournament in France. They trounced Swedish U20 selection to stay on top of Group A. Amukamara delivered 18 points to lead the effort.
Nigeria limited their opponents to 9 points in the first frame. The African side posted a 7-point advantage. Nigeria kept on dominating in the second quarter. They ensured a 35:24 halftime lead. Nigeria stayed aggressive defensively in the second half. They held Sweden to only 4 points in the third period to boost the lead to 23 points. Nigeria did not slow down in the fourth frame and completed a comfortable win at the end. Sarah Imovbioh, Shola Adebayo and Elem Ibiam accounted for 10 points each in the victory. Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) answered with 8 points and 7 rebounds for Sweden. Cleopatra Forsman-Goga (180-G-91) added 6 points in the second straight loss for the Scandinavians.

Nigeria U19: Amukamara 18, Sarah Imovbioh 10, Shola Adebayo 10, Elem Ibiam 10
Sweden U19: Farhiya Abdi 8, Cleopatra Forsman-Goga 6


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  SWITZERLAND - Women  


Ovronnaz-Martigny bring in import player - by Eurobasket News
Newly promoted Ovronnaz-Martigny started to strengthen their roster. They have agreed on terms of contract with Ildiko Szakacs (187-F-81). The deal is meant for two seasons. The 29-year-old forward spent the previous season with Sdent Helios Basket. The Hungarian player averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 2.1 assists per game. Previously Ildiko Szakacs played for Szeged, Seat Foton Gyor, Cajacanarias and MiZo-Pecs. Ildiko Szakacs used to play for Hungarian National Team back in 2005. The forward earned Eurobasket.com All-Swiss LNA Honourable Mention back in 2010.


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  TURKEY - Women  


Samsun announced three signings - by Eurobasket News
Samsun announced three signings for the next season. Goekce Dogan (173-F-86), Deniz Colakoglu (185-F-87, agency: 1x1 Sports) and Melike Bakircioglu (191-F/C-87, agency: 1x1 Sports) are the newcomers for the team.
Melike Bakircioglu is a Turkish Power Forward / Center who comes from Besiktas CT Istanbul. Before heading there, she played for six years for Fenerbahce Istanbul. In 2010-2011 moved to Besiktas CT Istanbul (TKBL) and in EuroCup after 6 games averaged 1.3ppg, 1.8rpg, while in Turkish League had 1.3ppg, 1.8rpg.
Goekce Dogan comes from Botasspor Adana. In 2005-2006 she started for Cankaya Univ. (D1) and then moved to Alanya BLD (TBB2L, starting five). After 8 games she averaged 16.3ppg, 7.8rpg, 2.9apg, 3.1spg, 2FGP: 50.0%, 3PT: 25.0%, FT: 75.0%, played also at Izmir Basket (TBB2L, starting five): 12 games: 8.0ppg, 6.0rpg, 3.3apg, 4.1spg, 2FGP: 60.0%, 3PT: 33.3%, FT: 50.0%. In 2008-2010 played for Tarsus Belediyesi and in the last season there had 2.2ppg, 1.7rpg. Last season for Botasspor Adana (TKBL) after 25 games her stats read 2.4ppg, 2.2rpg, 1.1apg.
Deniz Colakoglu is a Turkish Forward that comes from Mersin. In 2004-2005 she started for IUSK (D1) and then played for four seasons with Istanbul Universitesi SK (TBBL). Last year for Mersin BSH Bld (TKBL) after 18 games she averaged 2.3ppg, 1.7rpg.



Group E: Turkey won the game against Great Britain - by Eurobasket News
The game between Great Britain and Turkey was very important for both teams. Turkey have won it 64:57 and they still have a chance to advance to final round in Lodz. Great
Britain will get back to home after last game against Russia on Monday. Nevriye Yilmaz (194-C-80) led her team to win scoring 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Saziye Ivegin (183-F-82) poured 14 points, Nevin Nevlin (195-C-85, college: Stanford) added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) scored 18 points for defeated Great Britain.

At the beginning of the game both teams were playing very ambitious. After 2 and half minutes of play Great Britain was leading 4:0. As always British players presented very good defense and Turkey had got a lot of problems with scoring points. After fourth minutes play Turkish scored their first points. Then, Great Britain lost the ball, Bahar Caglar (186-F-88) made a lay-up. Britiish players were up by 1 5:4 and their coach called a timeout. Few moments later, after lay-up by Nevriye Yilmaz Turkey had taken the lead. After first quarter Great Britain was down by 2 15:17. In the second quarter the game was very aligned, but Turkey secured small lead. British players cannot get back on the lead, Turkey had been controlling the game. With 52 seconds left to end of the second quarter, Saziye Ivegin buried the three extend the lead to 6 points 27:33. The same score was on the board after two quarters.

Turkey started the second half with four straight points by Nevriye Yilmaz. As a response Chantelle Handy made a lay-up for Great Britain. Then, Turkey extend the lead to 12 points (29:41) and British coach Tom Maher called a timeout. After that Turkey was no able to score any points, but Great Britain was not much better at this element of play. With 3:18 remaining In the third Turkey had got a 5 point advantage. Turkish coach wanted to talk with his players. Before the last quarter Turkish players were leading by 5 40:45. Turkey had been controlling the score. Although British effort in the middle of the fourth quarter Turkey was leading by 11 42:53. British coach called a timeout. Great Britain tried to get back in this game, but with 4 minutes to play they still have a 7 point loss. With 2:30 remaining Natalie Stafford reduced the disadvantage to 3 points, Turkish coach automatically called a timeout. Nevin Nevlin responded with jump shot for Turkey. Then, Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) made 2+1 action and Great Britain had got only 2 point loss with 2 minutes to play ! But Great Britain was not able to win this game. Finally, Turkey won the game against Great Britain 64:57.

Great Britain - Turkey 57:64 (15:17,12:16,13:12,17:19)
Great Britain: Natalie Stafford 18, JulieAnne Page (188-F/C-83, college: E.Washington) 12, Johannah Leedham 11
Turkey: Nevriye Yilmaz 18, Saziye Ivegin 14, Nevin Nevlin 13

*BY LUKASZ LUKASZEWSKI


*****************************************************
  UNITED KINGDOM - Women  


Group E: Turkey won the game against Great Britain - by Eurobasket News
The game between Great Britain and Turkey was very important for both teams. Turkey have won it 64:57 and they still have a chance to advance to final round in Lodz. Great
Britain will get back to home after last game against Russia on Monday. Nevriye Yilmaz (194-C-80) led her team to win scoring 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Saziye Ivegin (183-F-82) poured 14 points, Nevin Nevlin (195-C-85, college: Stanford) added 13 points and 9 rebounds. Natalie Stafford (173-G-76) scored 18 points for defeated Great Britain.

At the beginning of the game both teams were playing very ambitious. After 2 and half minutes of play Great Britain was leading 4:0. As always British players presented very good defense and Turkey had got a lot of problems with scoring points. After fourth minutes play Turkish scored their first points. Then, Great Britain lost the ball, Bahar Caglar (186-F-88) made a lay-up. Britiish players were up by 1 5:4 and their coach called a timeout. Few moments later, after lay-up by Nevriye Yilmaz Turkey had taken the lead. After first quarter Great Britain was down by 2 15:17. In the second quarter the game was very aligned, but Turkey secured small lead. British players cannot get back on the lead, Turkey had been controlling the game. With 52 seconds left to end of the second quarter, Saziye Ivegin buried the three extend the lead to 6 points 27:33. The same score was on the board after two quarters.

Turkey started the second half with four straight points by Nevriye Yilmaz. As a response Chantelle Handy made a lay-up for Great Britain. Then, Turkey extend the lead to 12 points (29:41) and British coach Tom Maher called a timeout. After that Turkey was no able to score any points, but Great Britain was not much better at this element of play. With 3:18 remaining In the third Turkey had got a 5 point advantage. Turkish coach wanted to talk with his players. Before the last quarter Turkish players were leading by 5 40:45. Turkey had been controlling the score. Although British effort in the middle of the fourth quarter Turkey was leading by 11 42:53. British coach called a timeout. Great Britain tried to get back in this game, but with 4 minutes to play they still have a 7 point loss. With 2:30 remaining Natalie Stafford reduced the disadvantage to 3 points, Turkish coach automatically called a timeout. Nevin Nevlin responded with jump shot for Turkey. Then, Johannah Leedham (180-G/F-87, college: Franklin Pierce) made 2+1 action and Great Britain had got only 2 point loss with 2 minutes to play ! But Great Britain was not able to win this game. Finally, Turkey won the game against Great Britain 64:57.

Great Britain - Turkey 57:64 (15:17,12:16,13:12,17:19)
Great Britain: Natalie Stafford 18, JulieAnne Page (188-F/C-83, college: E.Washington) 12, Johannah Leedham 11
Turkey: Nevriye Yilmaz 18, Saziye Ivegin 14, Nevin Nevlin 13

*BY LUKASZ LUKASZEWSKI


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  WBCBL - Women  


Raising Family Doesn't Stop Love for Playing Basketball - by Willie McCray
Written by ED PIERCE.... w FloridaToday.com .....

With six children and a career as a mental health therapist, it's a wonder Roselyn 'Roz' Burnett has the chance to sleep, let alone find the time to play women's semi-pro basketball.

Burnett, 34, who played college ball for Florida Tech, is in her second season as a small forward for the Brevard Flame of the Women's Blue Chip Basketball League and she's just one of a number of working mothers suiting up for the squad.

A typical day for Burnett would challenge even the most experienced multi-taskers.
'I'll wake up at 6 a.m. and drop my husband off to work, she said. 'Then I'll drop the kids off, get to my job at Circles of Care, complete a full day there, pick up the babies and drop them off at Grandma's. Then I'll go see my last client of the day, pick the babies up and go home, cook dinner, grab a banana to eat, tag my husband in as he walks in from work and drive to practice,' she said. 'I get home around 9 p.m., give kisses, read a book, say goodnight, take a shower, eat, chat with my husband and finally off go to sleep ready to do it with a smile all over again. That was a clear day because the older kids didn't have practice or a game themselves.'
She said a few things have played a big part in her playing basketballagain while married and a mother to Keondra, 14; Keon, 11; Elijah, 6; Gabrielle, 6; Elyse, 5; and Willie III, 3.
'Our balance is maintained through communication, reminders on our schedules and lots of patience and support,' Burnett said.
Brevard Flame coach Reuben Williams said Burnett is a great rolemodel, not only to her own children, but also for young women in the community.
'Roz is a great supporter and volunteers as a coach with the local middle school and AAU teams,' he said. 'The Flame did workoutswith the Cocoa Beach Hurricanes AAU team last year and she was a big hit with the young ladies.'

Burnett's oldest daughter, Keondra Smith, 14, said watching her mom play basketball is fun, but she also enjoys it when her mother is home.
'Her spaghetti is awesome,' she said. 'I look up to her in so many ways and want to someday follow in her footsteps as a basketball player. She's a great mom and I don't mind helping out watching the kids during the games. I admire her for finding ways to be able to do it all and still look after all of us.'
A strong family support system has helped Flame point guard Ruby Gonzalez Smith, a former Brevard Community College standout, to continue playing despite being a newlywed, a mother of a 6-year-old daughter and a career in banking with Kennedy Space Center Federal Credit Union.
'It is quite difficult to manage family time around games and practice schedules and work,' she said. 'For instance, my daughter Desiree is with me often as I go to practice. We practice three times a week and she is always there for the most part, which works out well because she has taken an interest in basketball now. She actually looks forward to going. Some of my teammates also have children and they all get together at the practices and play. I am fortunate that on certain occasions where Desiree may not want to go that I have sisters and other family that live nearby to watch her for me.'

Shawntel 'Peaches' Williams, a guard for the Flame, said making time for her 5-year-old daughter, Jaida, while working as a financial analyst for United Launch Alliance and playing basketball is daunting.

'It can get very difficult,' she said. 'My daughter also is active insports and when our schedule conflicts or overlaps, it's really hard and sometimes stressful because you are always rushing to get to the next practice. I go from work to picking up my daughter to taking her to cheerleading, basketball, or track whichever she has that day and then have to get to my own practice. Then there is still home that has to be taken care of with cleaning, dinner, laundry and we still have to make time for playing. But through it all with blessings from God, it all works out for us.'

Williams, who starred at Merritt Island High and Florida Tech, said her co-workers and United Launch Alliance understand her desire to play for the team.
'My employer has been very encouraging with my basketball career,' she said. 'Many were not aware that I even played basketball until an article was written about me last year. They are very supportive.'

After taking 10 years off since playing for Seminole Community College, Flame shooting guard Lauren Wimberly has returned to competition, but now with a job as a kindergarten teacher at Campus Charter School in Port St John, a husband, a 5-year-old son, Nicholas, and a 10-week-old daughter, Sophia.
'I am married to a great man who is very helpful when it comes to making sure my kids are taken care of,' Wimberly said. 'I usually meet my husband on the way to practice to give him the kids, or he rushes home to make sure I am able to make it to practice on time. My husband and children attend all of my home games and are very supportive, as are my mother and grandmother. I don't think many people are given second chances to participate at this level and I try to take full advantage of it each time I step on the court.'
Gonzalez Smith said she relishes the opportunity to play again and sees playing for the Flame as a part of her everyday life.

'You can still have your dreams and have your family,' she said. 'Overall, it does get difficult. There are days where we are dead tired from the kids, or our day at work was difficult or school was tough, but personally speaking I wouldn't trade it because it brings so much more value to the purpose of doing it all. I get to do what I love while being with people I love. The perfect sentence in my eyes to describe it in a nutshell is it's never easy, but it's always worth it.'

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  WNBA - Women  


Joy Cheek added to Washington Mystics roster - by Eurobasket News
Duke University 2010 graduate Joy Cheek (6'1''-F-88, college: Duke) has signed a contract with the Washington Mystics, which was announced by General Manager and Head Coach Trudi Lacey.

Cheek, who played for Indiana last year averaging 2.1 points per game in seven contests, will join four other Duke graduates on the Washington squad. Alana Beard, Monique Currie, Jasmine Thomas and Karima Christmas are also on the Mystics team.

The Mystics have opened with a slow start as they currently stand 1-5 with both Currie and Beard sidelined. Currie tore her ACL in the offseason and is expected to miss the entire season, while Beard hurt her foot prior to the regular season started and has missed all six games. The team has been granted a medical hardship from the WNBA due to injuries to both Beard and Currie. Beard has been sidelined with a foot sprain while Currie is out for the season with an ACL tear.

Cheek was a 2010 draft selection by the Indiana Fever. As a senior at Duke, Cheek averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.3 assists as she started all 36 contests for the Blue Devils. She was named to the Memphis Regional All-Tournament team, All-ACC Tournament First Team, All-ACC Third Team and was a finalist for the Lowe's Senior Class Award.

Duke now owns eight alums on current WNBA rosters -- Beard (Washington), Currie (Washington), Thomas (Washington), Christmas (Washington), Cheek (Washington), Lindsey Harding (Atlanta), Alison Bales (Atlanta) and Krystal Thomas (Seattle).

Courtesy of www.goduke.com

Storm's Lauren Jackson out at least three weeks with labral tear - by Eurobasket News
Three-time MVP Lauren Jackson (6'5''-F/C-81) will be out a minimum of three weeks with a labral tear in her left hip.

The injury occurred in the opening half of a win against Tulsa on Tuesday. Jackson, 30, believed she locked legs with fellow Australian Liz Cambage and heard a pop. Jackson remained in the game, but was removed with 5:50 remaining in the second quarter.

The 6-foot-6 center underwent two days of evaluations before the diagnosis was made. Doctors told Storm president and CEO Karen Bryant that the injury is typical in athletes and rest could be the antidote. Jackson will likely miss the team's White House visit on Wednesday and upcoming three-game road trip.

After a week of rest, Jackson could gradually return to the court. If not healed, surgery could be required. That could take 12 weeks to rehabilitate.

'Injuries have just been a part of my career,' said Jackson, who missed the 2008 (ankle) and 2009 (back) postseasons due to injuries along with Achilles surgery this offseason. 'It's really disappointing. I've got to try to do everything I can to get my body healed so that I don't have to go through surgery, again. ... I feel positive like everybody else does.'

Storm physicians have been in communication with Basketball Australia, but Jackson said her health for the London Games didn't have a higher priority than the 2011 WNBA season. She will miss the beginning of the 2012 Storm season to prepare and participate in the Olympics.

'Everyone in Australia is in agreement with the doctors here,' Jackson said. 'My initial reaction is that I want to get back on court as soon as possible. I've always been like that. I want to get back here (playing for Seattle).'

Jackson had a cortisone shot in her left leg earlier this month. During this week's evaluations, doctors also found an acute tear in her thigh near the hip. That injury is unrelated to the labral injury.

Doctors told Bryant that the hip injury didn't derive from overcompensating from her offseason surgery.

The team is 18-23 all-time without Jackson in the lineup. Forward Le'coe Willingham started for Jackson on Friday, but Agler is going to evaluate his rotation each game.

The organization could also make a roster move.

'I don't like doing it just to do, to me that's a panic state,' Agler said. 'I'm sad for Lauren. She was just starting to get back into shape and then this happens. I feel bad for her, but I don't feel bad for ourselves.'

Courtesy of http://seattletimes.nwsource.com

Friday's games - by Eurobasket News
Seattle S. - Minnesota L. 65-55
Camille Little (6'2''-F/G-85, college: N.Carolina) and the rest of the Seattle Storm showed that they could be ready to keep on winning even without three-time WNBA MVP Lauren Jackson. Jackson will be out of the lineup for at least three weeks with a hip injury. Little scored 16 points to lead four players in double figures and the Storm beat the Minnesota Lynx 65-55 Friday night despite playing without Jackson, who was injured in Tuesday's victory at Tulsa. 'It's something that unfortunately we've done before,' Little said of playing without Jackson, who has been injured in previous seasons. 'We just wanted to make sure we played well. She's a great player and no one can take her place so we try to make sure we play well collectively.' Swin Cash (6'2''-F-79, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Connecticut) added 13 points and Tanisha Wright and Le'coe Willingham had 11 each for Seattle (4-2). That's the type of balanced attack the Storm will need to keep on winning. 'It's going to be a team effort from now on and it always is really,' said Seattle point guard Sue Bird, who had seven points and eight assists. 'The more players that we've got going the better off our team is going to be because you can't hone in on one. A lot of people can do different things and that's a good thing.' Seimone Augustus scored 17 to lead Minnesota (5-2), which had its five-game winning streak end. *Courtesy of www.kare11.com

Atlanta D. - Phoenix M. 83-92
Diana Taurasi (6'0''-F/G-82, college: Connecticut) scored 20 points, Candice Dupree (6'2''-F/C-84, agency: LBM Management, college: Temple) added 19 and the Phoenix Mercury won their third straight game with a 92-83 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Friday night. Penny Taylor finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Mercury (3-3). Phoenix held the Dream, who have lost three of four, without a field goal for eight minutes before Courtney Paris' layup cut the lead to 74-59 with 9:16 remaining. Angel McCoughtry scored 24 points for Atlanta (2-6). *Courtesy of www.sacbee.com

S.Antonio SS - L.Angeles S. 90-80 OT
Jia Perkins (5'8''-G-82, agency: Merit Sports, college: Texas Tech) scored 31 points and Becky Hammon (5'6''-G-77, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Colorado St.) had 22 points and nine assists to help the San Antonio Silver Stars rally for a 90-80 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday night. Hammon sent the game into overtime when she hit a 3-pointer with 33.4 seconds left in regulation for the Silver Stars (5-1), who held the Sparks scoreless the final 1:46 of the fourth quarter. Candace Parker had 25 points and 13 rebounds while DeLisha Milton-Jones scored 15 to lead the Sparks (4-2). The Sparks, who had won three straight, were playing the first of seven straight road games. Sophia Young scored 12 points and Ruth Riley had 11 for the Silver Stars. The Silver Stars lost their first game of the season Tuesday night. *Courtesy of www.kxnet.com

Standings
WNBA Standings
Eastern
 1. Atlanta D. 0-0 
 2. Chicago S. 0-0 
 3. Connecticut S. 0-0 
 4. Indiana F. 0-0 
 5. New York L. 0-0 
 6. Washington M. 0-0 
Western
 1. L.Angeles S. 0-0 
 2. Minnesota L. 0-0 
 3. Phoenix M. 0-0 
 4. S.Antonio SS 0-0 
 5. Seattle S. 0-0 
 6. Tulsa S. 0-0 


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  ZAMBIA - Women  


Ladies Basketball Team Off to a Good Start - by Eurobasket News
The Zambia ladies basketball team yesterday got off to a good start when they humiliated Zimbabwe 62-28 at the ongoing three-day Tri-nations Youth tournament at the Olympic Youth Development Centre (YDC) in Lusaka.

The competition that started on Thursday and is expected to end today; has attracted teams from Malawi, Zimbabwe and host nation, Zambia is featuring netball, basketball, chess, athletics, hockey and football among the disciplines.

In the netball category, Zimbabwe defeated Zambia 66-6 in the first game and 43-37 in the other fixture of the day while the Zambia men's football team lost 1-4 to Zimbabwe in the only game played by press time.

In the tennis singles, Zambia lost to Zimbabwe while hockey that has only Zambian teams saw Striking Tigers draw with Black Leopards in a scoreless margin and Sweet Angels, the only girls' team also recorded the same results with Lions.

Black Leopards beat Sweet Angels 6-0 in the other game and Striking Tigers beat lions 3-0 with Tigers beating Sweet Angels 2-0 in another fixture and Black Leopards nailed Lions 7-0.

The tournament ends today and Zambia Universities and Colleges Sports Federation (ZUCSF) president Jani Muyunda said the games would help create partnerships among the three countries during the competition.
Courtesy of: Times of Zambia