EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 9/20/2011

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Men News

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  ABA   


Seattle Mountaineers scrimmage NBA Stars - by Eurobasket
On Sunday, September 18, 2011, The Seattle Mountaineers ABA (American basketball Association) team played an exhibition scrimmage against some of the NBAs top players in Seattle. NBA players, Jamal Crawford (6'5''-G-80, college: Michigan) (Atlanta Hawks) and Golden State Warriors, William Conroy (6'2''-G-82, agency: Z.A.G. - Law Offices, college: Washington) help organize the game. The thing I like about our basketball community in Seattle is that our area players amateur or professional come together and support each other, stated Coach Sims of the Mountaineers.
The scrimmage game was very competitive and went into overtime before a winner was determined. I was really pleased with our effort and poise against these seasoned NBA players, this type of competition really helps our players to improve on the court and understand what it takes to play at the next level (NBA).
Jamal Crawford, Atlanta Hawks, led the local NBA All Star team with 44 points followed by William Conroy, Golden State Warriors, 32 points. The Mountaineers had balance scoring 6-10, Billy McNutt (6'8''-F-85), 25 points, Rashaad Powell (6'6''-G-81, college: Idaho) 22 and Marcus Bradford (6'4''-G-85, college: Columbia, MO) 20. I was really pleased with the play of our rookies, guards Kennie Eberhart (6'5''-G/F, college: Benedict), 12 points, 8 rebounds and Marcus Jacobs (6'0''-G-80, college: Tarleton St.), 10 points, 7 assists, commented Coach Sims.
The Mountaineers open their exhibition schedule next Saturday, September 24 in Kelowna, Canada.

Submitted by: Coach Don Sims

Scorpions held succesful Signing Party - by Gianni Pascucci
On Saturday, September 17, 2011 at the Arizona Scorpions contract signing party/media day at Phoenix College, Cedric Ceballos (6'7''-F-69, agency: Edge Sports, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) announced that he was coming out of retirement and signing with the Arizona Scorpions of the American Basketball Association for their 2011-12 inaugural season. Ceballos is a 14 year veteran of the NBA and former NBA All-Star and Slam Dunk Contest winner. He played for the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat. He is also co-owner of the Scorpions.
The Arizona Scorpions also announced the signings of Robert Turner (6'9''-F-82, agency: Court Side, college: Pepperdine), Jamal 'Stretch' Jamal Livingston (6'7''-F-76, college: CSU Bakersfield), Derek Wabbington (6'9''-F-83, college: Wyoming), James Singleton (6'5''-G/F-76, college: St.Bonaventure), as well as a half dozen other players with professional basketball experience.


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  ACPBL   


Dodd joins New York City 524 - by Gianni Pascucci
Brian Graham , owner of ACBPL team New York City 524, told to Usbasket.com his team has just agreed to terms with ACPBL past season All-Star Gamer Michael Dodd (6'4''-G/F-86, agency: Gamble Sports Management, college: Hunter). Thanks to his shooting skills, Dodd, who is a Queens, NY native, is a great addition to the 524 attack.

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  ALL-AFRICA GAMES   


Mozambique and Nigeria to meet in the Finals - by Eurobasket News
The Mozambican men's basketball team won its semi final in the 10th All Africa Games in Maputo on Friday night, defeating Algeria by the considerable margin of 68-45.

The Mozambican team was dominant right from the start, offering no chances to the Algerians. The Mozambicans were winning 30-21 at the end of the first half, and the gap just widened during the rest of the match, until Mozambique ended 23 points ahead of Algeria.

In the second semi-final, the hitherto undefeated Angolan team lost to Nigeria by 62-56. The Nigerians took an early lead and finished the first half ten points ahead of the Angolans. The Angolan team clawed something back on the second half, but not enough to avoid defeat.

Mozambique now meets Nigeria for the final on Saturday night, while Angola meets Algeria to decide the bronze medal.

Courtesy of www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Nigeria wins the Gold in Maputo - by Eurobasket News
Nigeria's D'Tigers on Saturday won the gold medal in the mens Basketball event as the national team defeated their host, Mozambique, 62-57 in the final before a huge home crowd.

D Tigers had defeated Angola, the former African Champions, at the semi-finals to set up the epic encounter with Mozambique while the host defeated Algeria, another tough nut, to qualify for the finals.

The Nigeria Basketball team played a defensive game contesting every ball with their opponent to lead 18-14, 28-24, 46-43 and eventually at 62-57 in the four quarters of the game.

The Mozambican fans started trooping into the Desportivo Sports Centre, Maputo, as early as noon for a match scheduled to start at 8 p.m. but did not begin until 8:30 p.m.

However, the Nigeria team, who were not intimidated by the packed crowd at the indoor sports hall, played their hearts out and eventually won the deserved gold medal.

After the epic encounter, the green-white-green Nigerian flag took centre court as the players and few Nigerians who watched the match celebrated.

President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, who witnessed the defeat of his team, presented the medals to the Nigerian players.

However, Sani Ahmed, Coach of Nigerias DTigers, says the gold medal won is a mission accomplished through hard work, determination and discipline exhibited by the players.

''We set out to accomplish this mission and I am very happy that we were able to pick the gold medal and also defeat the Angolans in the semi-finals.

Coach Sani said the team would return home and immediately commence preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Also reacting to the victory, Muktar Khaleh, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Technical Director, said winning the gold medal at stake at the games was an indication that basketball was developing in the country.

Khaleh, a one-time National Team Captain, said the Federations next objective would be to win the African Womens Championship beginning next week in Mali.

The technical director expressed the hope that with the performance of the mens team at the Games, the women would be motivated to perform well in their tournament in Mali.

Courtesy of http://nigerianpilot.com

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  ARGENTINA   


Ciclista Olimpico bring in Aaron Pettway - by Eurobasket News
Ciclista Olimpico de La Banda strengthened their frontcourt. They agreed on terms of contract with Aaron Pettway (211-C-80, agency: Hart Sports Mngm, college: Oklahoma St.). The 31-year-old centre started the previous season in Croatia. He tallied 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per Adriatic League with Cedevita. In EuroCup his stats read 6.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. In October Aaron Pettway moved to Ukraine. He joined Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk. The centre notched 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game in VTB League. In Superleague his stats read 4.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per appearance. Previously Aaron Pettway had spells in USBL, Poland, Turkey and Latvia.



TNA 2011/12 rosters: Estudiantes Concordia - by Facundo Iatzky
Joseph Bunn (198-F/C-75, college: Phillips, OK)
Lucas Picarelli (184-G-81)
Sergio Ravina (194-F-86)
Ignacio Alessio (203-C-87)

Jose Alessio (203-C-87)
Juan Carlos Bergel (188-G-89)
Andres Boni (183-G-88)
Pablo Moya (206-C-83)
Federico Senitzky (195-G/F-80)
Ezequiel Fornes (190-F-92)
Facundo Ortiz (180-G-92)
Joaquin Gaztambide (186-F-93)
Kevin Gorfinkel (185-G-92)
Franco Arroniz (
Alexis Lacuadra (182-G-94)




TNA 2011/12 rosters: Firmat FC - by Facundo Iatzky
Alejandro Burgos (206-C/F-78)
Oscar Raymundo Legaria (178-G-80)
Leandro Portillo (185-G-85)
Diego Bernardi (197-F-76)
Fernando Crespi (178-G-86)
Andres Rodriguez (202-C-77)
Mateo Bolivar (187-G-92)
Juan De la Vega
Sylbrin Robinson (201-F-80, college: Northeastern)
Noel Colaneri (195-C-93)
Santiago Orellano (190-F-93)
Facundo Speranza (194-F-92)
Martin Zuliani (178-G-92)

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TNA 2011/12 rosters: huracan Trelew - by Facundo Iatzky
Hernan Etchepare (178-G-86)
Alejandro Pappalardi (198-C-80)
Gustavo Maranguello (189-G-83)
Juan Manuel Torres (208-C-84)
Pablo Fernandez (198-G/F-82)
Pablo Bruna (185-G-87)
Emiliano Agostino (191-G-84)
Franco Giulietti (202-C-90)
Serge Angounou (202-F-83, college: Arizona St.)
Alejandro Madera (194-F)
Martin Percaz (180-G-93)

Gonzalo Moreyra (192-F-93)

Pablo Humphreys (193-F-92)

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TNA 2011/12 rosters: Monte Hermoso basket - by Facundo Iatzky
Sebastian Cabello (202-F/C-82)
Fernando Titarelli (183-G-82)
Pablo Gil (188-G-78)
Bruno Ingratta (200-F/C-95)
Michael Robinson (198-F-76, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Purdue)
Juan Levrino (188-G-90)
Lucas Arn (197-F-89)
Fabian Sahdi (189-G-89)
Byron Johnson (201-F/C-80, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Belm.Abbey)
Carlos Paredes (196-F-92)
Mauro Mieres (185-G-92)
Julian Stach (182-F-94)
Alejandro Martinez (190-F-92)
Francisco Marchan (190-F-96)
Sebastian Contreras (191-F-91)



TNA 2011/12 rosters: Obera TC - by Facundo Iatzky
Martin Muller (191-G-85)
Martin Maximiliano (189-G-90)
Andres Landoni (205-C/F-90)
Pablo Rizzo (201-F/C-84)
Matias Fioretti (199-G/F-84)
Mariano Ceruti (194-F-79)
Lucas Gornatti (188-G-82)
Ije Nwankwo (201-F-85, agency: Dream Team Management, college: Cleveland St.)
Maximiliano Iturrioz (189-G/F-92)
Facundo Mendoza (200-C-84)
Joaquin Tuero (183-G-93)
Juan Pablo Rojas (177-G-91)
Ezequiel Stadler (G-95)
Anthony Da Silva (F/C-91)



TNA 2011/12 rosters: Rosario Central - by Facundo Iatzky
Damian Palacios (177-G-85)
Luciano Rivero (186-G-80)
Agustin Carnovale (195-G-86)
Bruno Martire (203-C-87)
Lucas Martina (201-C-80)
Roberto Lopez (199-F/C-76)
Gustavo Bronzino (194-G-90)
Marcus Morgan (196-F-86, college: Cal.St. Fullerton)
Nicolas Copello (194-G-92)
Leonel Gonzalez
Gonzalo Caviasso
Matias Stival (184-G-94)

Martin Torres


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  ASIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS   


China Crushes Syria -- Iran, Korea, Japan Also Undefeated - by Arthur Volbert
Spreading around playing time among its 12-man team, China defeated an overmatched Syria 90-71. China led 24-10 after one quarter, 47-28 at the half and 70-49 after three quarters.

Yi Jianlian had 19 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes. Su Wei (212-C-89) had 14 points and 1 rebound in 19 minutes, giving one of his rare fine performances on offense. Wang Zhizhi had 9 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes and Zhang Bo and Sun Yue each scored 8. Yu Shulong had 4 points and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes and seems to have won the backup point guard position over Xirelijiang.

Ionnas Deeb led Syria with 16 points while Samir Daks Waheed scored 12.

But there seem to be only three other strong teams in this tourney -- Iran, Korea and Japan. Each of these teams is undefeated like China. We will not know how strong China really is until it faces Japan on Wednesday. Tomorrow's opponent, Jordan, lost to the Philippines today 72-64.

Today's other scores:
Iran 121 Malaysia 36
Chinese Taipei 60 Lebanon 58
Korea 106 Uzbekistan 57
Japan 101 Uzbekistan 61
Indonesia 85 Bahrain 62

Standings:
GROUP E
Team W L Pts GA
I.R.Iran 3 0 6 2.72
Korea 3 0 6 1.60
Ch. Taipei 2 1 5 1.00
Lebanon 1 2 4 1.04
Uzbekistan 0 3 3 0.52
Malaysia 0 3 3 0.50

GROUP F
Team W L Pts GA
Japan 3 0 6 1.35
China 3 0 6 1.26
Philippines 2 1 5 1.17
Jordan 1 2 4 0.99
Syria 0 3 3 0.77
United Arab Emirates 0 3 3 0.65


Second Stage starts in Wuhan - by Eurobasket News
Group E
South Korea - Uzbekistan 106-57
South Korea posted the fourth straight win at the Asian Championship. They coasted past Uzbekistan to improve at 3-0 record in Group E. Moon Tae-Jong (199-F-75, agency: Alti Sport, college: Richmond) delivered 21 points to lead the charge. Uzbekistan fell at 0-3 record after the loss. Korea marked their ambitions early. They poured in 30 points in the starting period to take a 19-point lead. The margin just kept on growing in the second term. South Korea secured a comfortable 52:24 halftime advantage. They kept Uzbekistan at bay throughout the third term. South Korea established a 74:37 advantage with one quarter remaining. Uzbekistan dropped 20 points in the fourth term but it did not help as South Korea easily matched the effort scoring 32 and celebrating victory. Cho Sung-Min (189-F-83) provided 20 points, while Yang Hee-Jong (194-F-84) added 16 points for the winners. Evgeniy Shatrov (192-G-86) answered with 11 points for Uzbekistan. Gennadiy Zinovyev (198-F-84) and Aleksandr Yahin finished with 10 points each in the loss.

Malaysia - Iran 36-121
Iran demolished Malaysia at the start of the second round of action at Asian Championship. Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85) and Hamed Afagh (190-G-83, agency: SportsList Inc.) accounted for 20 points each to pace Iran to 3-0 record in Group E. Malaysia on the other hand slipped at 0-3 record. Iran erupted for 34 points in the opening frame to take a 20-point lead. Iran limited their opponents to just 9 points in the second stanza to establish a massive 56:23 halftime lead. Iran opened the second half on a stunning 19:3 rally to clear off. They never slowed down afterwards marching to a comprehensive win at the end. Arsalan Kazemi (199-F-90) delivered 18 points, while Mahdi Kamrani added 13 points and 8 assists in the victory. Batumalai Guganeswaran (182-G-82) responded with 13 points for Malaysia. Chee Li Wei had 8 points in the losing effort.

Lebanon - Taiwan 58-60
Taiwan opened the Second Round of Asian Championship with a narrow victory one ambitious Lebanon. Chen Hsin-An (198-F/G-80) scored 15 points to lead the charge. Lebanon ensured the better start. They were up 11:5 midway through the opening quarter. But Taiwan erased the deficit and posted a 16:13 lead ten minutes into the encounter. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout close second term before Chien Chia-Hung (197-F-87) made it 30:30 at the interval. The teams stayed neck and neck in the third quarter as well. Jean Abed El Nour (198-F/G-83) capped the term with a three-pointer and drew thing level at 50. Taiwan finally cleared off to a 60:55 distance however Akl and Samuel Hoskin (206-F/C-79, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: De Paul) dragged Lebanon within two points 58:60 with just over a minute to go. The teams went scoreless in the reminder of the battle as Taiwan ran away with a narrow win at the end. Wu Tai-Hao (202-C-85, college: BYU-Hawaii) produced 12 points and 9 rebounds for Taiwan. Lu Cheng-Ju (194-F-86) netted 10 points in the loss. Samuel Hoskin responded with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Lebanon. Jean Abed El Nour posted 12 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

Group F
Jordan - Philippines 64-72
Jordan and Philippines struggled for the second win in Group F of the Asian Championship in Wuhan. Philippines showed their character and trailing in the majority of the game, grabbed 72:64 win. Jordan started the game with 9-2 run and had 20:11 lead after the first 10 minutes. They kept the opponents scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter and had 24:11 lead. The teams went to the lockers at 31:26, while the second half belonged to Philippines. They needed 21-16 in the third quarter to tie the game at 47:47 after three quarters and then grabbed the victory due to 25-17 in the last stanza. Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) erupted with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Marcio Lassiter (188-G-87, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) scored 14, while Jimmy Alapag (177-G-77, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.) netted 11. Daghles Osama (198-G-79, college: Midwestern St.) delivered 18 points in the losing effort, while Rasheim Wright (192-G-81, college: District of Col.) posted 16. Abbas Zaid (203-F-83) collected 10 points and 12 boards, while Abdallah AbuQoura (203-C-84) had 7.

Japan - United Arab Emirates 101-61
Japan registered another victory at the Asian Championship in Wuhan. They rolled past UAE to improve at 3-0 record in Group F. Tomoo Amino (196-F-80) stepped up with 17 points to lead the effort. Japan started the game with a stifling defence. They limited UAE to just 9 points in the opening quarter taking a 6-point lead. Japan exploded with 41 points in the second term boost the margin to as many as 30 points 56:26. Things went smoothly for the Japanese team afterwards. They controlled the tempo and eased to an 80:43 advantage with ten minutes remaining. Japan never slowed down in the fourth period and rallied to the victory at the end. Kosuke Takeuchi (206-C/F-85) posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Takumi Ishizaki contributed 13 points in the winning effort. Khalil Salem (178-G-91) answered with 14 points for UAE. Rashed Al Zaabi (189-G-88) had 13 points as UAE fell at 0-3 record in the ladder.

Syria - China 71-90
China improved to 3-0 record in Group F at the Asian Championship in Wuhan. The favorites outscored Syria 90:71 to keep them winless with 0-3 record. The host opened the game with 10-2 lead and improved to 24:10 after the first 10 minutes. China led 31:18 after 15 minute and enjoyed 47:28 at the halftime. Syria actually started to play better in the second half and matched well the Chinese squad. The latter managed to add 23-21 in the third quarter, while Syria won the last period 22-20. China scored 16 Fast Break Points, while their opponents only 2. Jianlian Yi (212-C/F-87) top-scored for the winners with 19 points and Su Wei scored 14. Wang ZhiZhi (214-C-77) delivered 9 and Yue Sun (206-G/F-85) as well as Zhang Bo added 8 apiece. Deep Giannis replied with 16 points in the losing effort.



13-16 places
Indonesia - Bahrain 85-62
Poedjakesuma and Sitepu combined for 50 points to edge Bahrain at the Asian Championships. Indonesia overcame Bahrain 85:62 in the Classification Round for 13-16 places. Bahrain shocked the opponents with 10-0 run and kept them scoreless for the first five minutes. Moreover the underdogs enjoyed 17:12 after the first 10 minutes of the game. It looked that Indonesia started to wake up and only 1-point lead remained on the board with 5 minutes left in the half. After 24-17 in the second period Indonesia grabbed 36:34 halftime advantage. In the rest of the game they managed to dominate the court. Indonesia won the third quarter 17-11 and added 32-17 in the last period. Poedjakesuma Andi paced all the winners with 32 points and Christian Ronaldo Sitepu (200-C/F-86) scored 18. Bader Abdulla Malabes (87) delivered 17 points in the losing effort. Al Tawash Husain scored 11 and Abdulrahman Ghali (197-C-88) added 10.



Standings
Standings
Group E
1. Iran3-0
2. S.Korea3-0
3. Taiwan2-1
4. Lebanon1-2
5. Malaysia0-3
6. Uzbekistan.0-3
Group F
1. China3-0
2. Japan3-0
3. Philippine.2-1
4. Jordan1-2
5. Syria0-3
6. United Ara.0-3
Group Places 13-16
1. Indonesia1-0
2. India0-0
3. Qatar0-0
4. Bahrain0-1


Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Rasheim WRIGHT
  USA
  (192-G-81)
  Avg: 21
 1. Wright, JOR21.0 
 2. Al Zaabi, UAE18.5 
 3. Douthit, PHI16.8 
 4. Moon, KOR16.0 
 5. Yi, CHN15.3 
 6. Chang, TAI14.8 
 7. Rida, LEB14.7 
 8. Malabes, BHR14.5 
 9. Takeuchi, JPN14.0 
 10. Poedjakesuma, IDN13.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Joji TAKEUCHI
  (206-F/C-85)
  Avg: 10
 1. Takeuchi, JPN10.0 
 2. Takeuchi, JPN10.0 
 3. Douthit, PHI9.8 
 4. Haddadi, IRI9.3 
 5. Yi, CHN8.8 
 6. Abbas, JOR8.5 
 7. Ha, KOR8.0 
 8. Kazemi, IRI8.0 
 9. Hoskin, LEB7.8 
 10. Abbaas, JOR7.8 
Assists Per Game
 Mario WUYSANG
  (176-PG-79)
  Avg: 6.3
 1. Wuysang, IDN6.3 
 2. Lee, TAI5.3 
 3. Yang, KOR5.0 
 4. Yang, KOR4.8 
 5. Park, KOR4.7 
 6. Malabes, BHR4.0 
 7. Alapag, PHI4.0 
 8. Guganeswaran, MAS4.0 
 9. Deep, SYR4.0 
 10. Daghles, JOR4.0 
Steals Per Game
 Tsung-Hsien CHANG
  TAI
  (192-G-88)
  Avg: 2.5
 1. Chang, TAI2.5 
 2. Lee, TAI2.3 
 3. Hirose, JPN2.3 
 4. Sun, CHN2.0 
 5. Yang, KOR2.0 
 6. Lin, TAI1.8 
 7. Afagh, IRI1.8 
 8. Kamrani, IRI1.8 
 9. Ibrahim, LEB1.8 
 10. Yang, KOR1.8 
Blocks Per Game
 Abd Al Wahab HAMOWI
  (217-C-90)
  Avg: 4
 1. Hamowi, SYR4.0 
 2. Haddadi, IRI2.0 
 3. Douthit, PHI1.8 
 4. Singh, IND1.8 
 5. Zaghab, JOR1.5 
 6. Kanaan, LEB1.3 
 7. Kim, KOR1.3 
 8. Sitepu, IDN1.3 
 9. Akbar, BHR1.0 
 10. Bitar, LEB1.0 


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  AUSTRIA   


Wels changed Coach - by Stefan Heinrich
The WBC Raiffeisen Wels just announced that Coach Gerald Wasshuber will not be their Coach in the 2011-2012 season. Instead of Wasshuber the American Pete Miller becomes the new Head Coach in Wels and he will have his first practice with his new team tonight. Miller was coaching the past 3 season in the Netherlands with DeFriesland Aris Leeuwarden.

General Manager Heinz Peter Fiszter announced that the differences between the management and the Head Coach have been too big over the past couple of weeks and months so that the club was in the position to make a change in order to be successful during that season.

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  BAHRAIN   


2011 Asian Championship: Poedjakesuma and Sitepu combined for 50 points to edge Bahrain - by Eurobasket News
Indonesia-Bahrain 85:62

Poedjakesuma and Sitepu combined for 50 points to edge Bahrain at the Asian Championships. Indonesia overcame Bahrain 85:62 in the Classification Round for 13-16 places.
Bahrain shocked the opponents with 10-0 run and kept them scoreless for the first five minutes. Moreover the underdogs enjoyed 17:12 after the first 10 minutes of the game. It looked that Indonesia started to wake up and only 1-point lead remained on the board with 5 minutes left in the half. After 24-17 in the second period Indonesia grabbed 36:34 halftime advantage. In the rest of the game they managed to dominate the court. Indonesia won the third quarter 17-11 and added 32-17 in the last period.
Andi Poedjakesuma (187-F-80) paced all the winners with 32 points and Christian Ronaldo Sitepu (200-C/F-86) scored 18. Bader Abdulla Malabes (87) delivered 17 points in the losing effort. Al Tawash Husain scored 11 and Abdulrahman Ghali (197-C-88) added 10.

Indonesia: Andi Poedjakesuma 32, Christian Ronaldo Sitepu 18
Bahrain: Bader Abdulla Malabes 17, Al Tawash Husain 11, Abdulrahman Ghali 10

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  BELGIUM   


Spirou Charleroi Attempted To Sign Shaq - by Greg
TEC Spirou Charleroi tried to sign Shaquille O'Neal. The Belgian team was looking for a big man for the Euroleague campaign and contacted Shaquille O'Neal (217-C-72, college: LSU) via his cousin, Demond Mallet (185-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: McNeese St.) who is playing for the team. TEC Spirou Charleroi gave up on negotiations due to the physical problems of Shaq who spent a large part of the last seasons out due to injuries.

Courtesy of Sportando

Standings - Division II
D2 Standings
 1. Essor Charleroi 2-0 
 2. Fleurus 2-0 
 3. Gembo 2-0 
 4. Liege II 2-0 
 5. St-Niklase 2-0 
 6. Waregem 1-1 
 7. Kangar.-Boom 1-1 
 8. Excelsior 1-1 
 9. Sint-Jan Ant. 1-1 
 10. De Westhoek 0-2 
 11. Gistel 0-2 
 12. M.Hainaut II 0-2 
 13. Melsele 0-2 
 14. Sprimont 0-2 


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  BELIZE   


Referee Clinic to be conducted in Belize City!!! - by David Magana
The Belize Association of Basketball Officials in collaboration with the Belize Basketball Federation will be conducting a referees clinic in Belize City on September 24-25,2011 at St. Johns College from 9 am to 4 pm. Interested participants in the Belize, Corozal and Orange Walk districts are invited free of cost.

New referees should attend the sessions on Saturday and Sunday and current referees should attend the Sunday sessions only.

Referees who are currently teaching in High Schools and Primary Schools will receive professional development credit for this training. Participants need to bring comfortable running gears to do the physical test on Sunday. The clinics will include power point presentations, complemented by analysis of numerous video clips and whole group discussions.

Please contact National Instructor for Referees Mr. Karim Juan at 607-5619 for more information.

Press release: BBF

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  BRAZIL   


Paulista Round 15: Leader Winner/Limeira gets another victory - by Eurobasket
The round 15 was rather boring as all games ended with very predictable results.

Leader Winner/Limeira delivered the ninth win on Saturday night. This time they beat 9th ranked Rio Claro (4-6) 98-80. The game was mostly controlled by Winner/Limeira. Rio Claro managed to win third quarter 23-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Winner/Limeira shot 60.3 percent from the field. They shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 61.9 percentage. Winner/Limeira looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Rogerio Klafke (201-71) who scored 15 points and 6 rebounds. Forward Biro Alves (200-87) chipped in 18 points and 4 assists. Winner/Limeira's coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Ulisses Lima (192-85) who recorded 18 points and 7 rebounds. Winner/Limeira have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 9-1 record, which they share with Itabom/Bauru. Rio Claro at the other side keeps the ninth position with six games lost. They share it with L.S.B.. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Bauru. Local Itabom/Bauru (9-1) outscored 14th ranked America (2-9) 117-72. It was a good game for guard Fernando Fischer (190-81) who led his team to a victory with 26 points. Douglas Nunes contributed with 19 points for the winners. Itabom/Bauru's coach felt very confident that he used 11 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Alex Matheus (-85) answered with 28 points and 5 steals for America. Itabom/Bauru have a solid series of four victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Winner/Limeira. America at the other side keeps the fourteenth place with nine games lost. Itabom/Bauru will play against Araraquara (#7) at home in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. America will play against Vivo/Franca (#4) in Sao Paulo and hopes to get back on the winning track.

Other games of round 15 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Americana was defeated by Pinheiros/Sky in Sao Paolo 92-76. Araraquara beat Sao Caetano at home 71-60. Gremio Mogi won against Jacarei on the opponent's court 74-70.


Pinheiros/Sky - Americana 92-76

There was no surprise in Sao Paolo where 12th ranked Americana (3-7) was defeated by sixth ranked Pinheiros/Sky (7-3) 92-76. The game was mostly controlled by Pinheiros/Sky. Americana was better in third quarter 26-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Pinheiros/Sky shot 61.4 percent from the field. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 23 assists. Pinheiros/Sky brought some defensive toughness making 7 blocks. It was a good game for naturalized American forward Shamell Stallworth (196-80, college: USF, agency: Interperformances) who led his team to a victory with 21 points. The former international forward Marquinhos Vieira (207-84) contributed with 22 points for the winners. Pinheiros/Sky's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Forward Everton Moraes (196-87) answered with 18 points and 4 assists and forward Alfredo Perandini (197-75) added 18 points in the effort for Americana. Four Americana players scored in double figures. Pinheiros/Sky have an impressive series of five victories in a row. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Paulistano. Americana lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the eleventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Jacarei. Pinheiros/Sky will play against Gremio Mogi (#8) in Mogi das Cruzes in the next round. Americana will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Pinheiros/Sky: M.Vieira 22+2reb+1ast, S.Stallworth 21+4reb+3ast, O.Rodriguez 16+5reb+3ast, L.Morro 9+5reb+3ast, B.Fiorotto 8+6reb, J.Pablo Figueroa 7+2reb+4ast
Americana: E.Moraes 18+3reb+4ast, A.Perandini 18+4reb+2ast, R.Gaspar 11+5reb+1ast, E.Limper 10+7reb+1ast, W.de Jesus 9+1reb+1ast, T.Borges 8+3reb+2ast
gschID: 136919


Araraquara - Sao Caetano 71-60

No shocking result in a game when seventh ranked Araraquara (6-3) defeated at home bottom-ranked Sao Caetano (1-10) 71-60. It looked good early as Sao Caetano took an 3-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Araraquara had a 16-8 second period charge getting the lead and Sao Caetano was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 60-71. It was a good game for center Deivisson Costa (211-80) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 14 points and 13 rebounds (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field). Guard Luisinho da Silva (181-78) contributed with 23 points for the winners. Araraquara's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Gustavo de Oliveira (-91) answered with 20 points and 7 rebounds and center Fabiao Pires (199-77) added 2 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists in the effort for Sao Caetano. Araraquara have a solid series of four victories in a row. They maintain seventh place with 6-3 record, which they share with Gremio Mogi. Sao Caetano lost fourth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with ten games lost. Araraquara will play against league's second-placed Itabom/Bauru on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Sao Caetano will play against Inter Santos (#13) to get more than just one victory in their record.
Top scorers:
Araraquara: L.da Silva 23+2reb+1ast, D.Costa 14+13reb+3ast, R.de Azevedo 9+8reb, T.Pereira 7+4ast, D.Costa 7+6reb, C.Gonzaga 5
Sao Caetano: G.de Oliveira 20+7reb+3ast, L.Dias 13+3reb+2ast, W.da Silva 12+6reb, G.Aleo 6+1reb+1ast, R.Malfi 5+3reb+3ast, F.Pires 2+11reb+7ast
gschID: 136920


Jacarei - Gremio Mogi 70-74

Rather expected game when 11th ranked Jacarei (3-7) was defeated at home by eighth ranked Gremio Mogi (6-3) 74-70. The guests were tied after three quarters but managed to speed up in last quarter eventually winning the game. It was a good game for power forward Thomas Gehrke (203-82, college: UTEP) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Fernando Alvim (200-80) contributed with 22 points for the winners. Forward Joao Bernardi (-90) answered with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 blocks and guard Jefferson Campos (190-91) added 13 points, 5 assists and 4 steals in the effort for Jacarei. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Gremio Mogi moved-up to seventh place, which they share with Araraquara. Jacarei lost third consecutive game. They keep the eleventh position with seven games lost. They share it with Americana. Gremio Mogi will play against higher ranked Pinheiros/Sky (#6) in Sao Paolo in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Jacarei will play on the road against Paulistano (#5) in Sao Paolo and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Gremio Mogi: F.Alvim 22+4reb+1ast, T.Gehrke 18+13reb, G.Lima 9+4reb+7ast, E.Soares 7+3reb+1ast, G.Filipin 7+2reb+4ast, E.Caviglia 6+5reb+2ast
Jacarei: J.Bernardi 17+10reb, J.Campos 13+2reb+5ast, I.Goncalves 10+4reb+3ast, K.Pinheiro 9+2reb+1ast, M.Santos 7+1reb, D.Kurtz 6+5reb+1ast
gschID: 136921


Itabom/Bauru - America 117-72

The game with biggest result difference took place in Bauru. Local Itabom/Bauru (9-1) outscored 14th ranked America (2-9) 117-72. The game without a history. Itabom/Bauru led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to America's 32. Itabom/Bauru forced 21 America turnovers and outrebounded them 33-12 including a 23-10 advantage in defensive rebounds. They shot the lights out from three nailing 14 long-distance shots on high 63.6 percentage. Itabom/Bauru players were unselfish on offense dishing 28 assists. It was a good game for guard Fernando Fischer (190-81) who led his team to a victory with 26 points. Center Douglas Nunes (201-87) contributed with 19 points for the winners. Four Itabom/Bauru players scored in double figures. Itabom/Bauru's coach felt very confident that he used 11 players and allowed the starting five to rest. Alex Matheus (-85) answered with 28 points and 5 steals and Negreti da Silva (-81) added 18 points in the effort for America. Itabom/Bauru have a solid series of four victories in a row. They keep a position of league leader, which they share with Winner/Limeira. America at the other side keeps the fourteenth place with nine games lost. Itabom/Bauru will play against Araraquara (#7) at home in the next round which should be theoretically another easy game. America will play against Vivo/Franca (#4) in Sao Paulo and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Itabom/Bauru: F.Fischer 26+1reb+2ast, J.Agba 20+5reb, D.Nunes 19+4reb+2ast, P.Alves 12+5reb+4ast, A.Passilongo 11+2reb, G.Zilmer 11+1reb+2ast
America: A.Matheus 28+3reb+1ast, N.da Silva 18+1reb+2ast, Y.Viana 12+4reb+3ast, C.Leal 7, E.Garcia 3+2ast, M.Zacarias 2+6ast
gschID: 136922


Winner/Limeira - Rio Claro 98-80

Leader Winner/Limeira delivered the ninth win on Saturday night. This time they beat 9th ranked Rio Claro (4-6) 98-80. The game was mostly controlled by Winner/Limeira. Rio Claro managed to win third quarter 23-22. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Winner/Limeira shot 60.3 percent from the field. They shot the lights out from three sinking 13 long-distance shots on high 61.9 percentage. Winner/Limeira looked well-organized offensively handing out 24 assists. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Rogerio Klafke (201-71) who scored 15 points and 6 rebounds. Forward Biro Alves (200-87) chipped in 18 points and 4 assists. Winner/Limeira's coach used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was forward Ulisses Lima (192-85) who recorded 18 points and 7 rebounds and Rafael Castellon (-85) added 16 points and 7 rebounds respectively. Five Winner/Limeira and four Rio Claro players scored in double figures. Winner/Limeira have a solid series of three victories in a row. They maintain first place with 9-1 record, which they share with Itabom/Bauru. Rio Claro at the other side keeps the ninth position with six games lost. They share it with L.S.B.. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.
Top scorers:
Winner/Limeira: B.Alves 18+1reb+4ast, J.Luz dos Santos 16+3reb+2ast, R.Klafke 15+6reb+3ast, A.Bambu 14+4reb, Benite 12+1reb+7ast, D.Alemao 11+9reb+1ast
Rio Claro: U.Lima 18+7reb+1ast, R.Castellon 16+7reb+3ast, R.Da Silva 16+3reb+2ast, W.Evangelista 12+2reb+2ast, A.de Mello 12+6reb+1ast, A.Pinheiro 6+5reb+6ast
gschID: 136918




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  CANADA   


Halifax Rainmen add Rodney Buford and Eddie Robinson - by Eurobasket News
Halifax Rainmen strengthened their roster with addition of two players. They tabbed Rodney Buford (196-G-77, college: Creighton) and Eddie Robinson (206-F-76, college: Cent.Oklahoma).
Rodney Buford spent the last season in Cyprus. The guard played for AEL. Rodney Buford averaged 11.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per appearance. Previously Rodney Buford had stints in Germany, Lebanon, Ukraine, Israel, CBA, NBA and Greece. He made it onto Eurobasket.com Ukrainian Superleague All-Imports Team in 2008.
Eddie Robinson is also the former NBA player. He was last seen playing for the Idaho Stampede in D-League in 2006/07 season. The forward posted 15.6 points, 3.6 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He spent the last pre-season with the Oklahoma Stallions of ABA but never signed contract.



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  CHINA   


China Defeats Syria in Asian Championship - by Arthur Volbert
Spreading around playing time among its 12-man team, China defeated an overmatched Syria 90-71. China led 24-10 after one quarter, 47-28 at the half and 70-49 after three quarters.

Yi Jianlian had 19 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes. Su Wei (212-C-89) had 14 points and 1 rebound in 19 minutes, giving one of his rare fine performances on offense. Wang Zhizhi had 9 points and 5 rebounds in 17 minutes and Zhang Bo and Sun Yue each scored 8. Yu Shulong had 4 points and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes and seems to have won the backup point guard position over Xirelijiang.

Ionnas Deeb led Syria with 16 points while Samir Daks Waheed scored 12.

But there seem to be only three other strong teams in this tourney -- Iran, Korea and Japan. Each of these teams is undefeated like China. We will not know how strong China really is until it faces Japan on Wednesday. Tomorrow's opponent, Jordan, lost to the Philippines today 72-64.

Today's other scores:
Iran 121 Malaysia 36
Chinese Taipei 60 Lebanon 58
Korea 106 Uzbekistan 57
Japan 101 Uzbekistan 61
Indonesia 85 Bahrain 62

Standings:
GROUP E
Team W L Pts GA
I.R.Iran 3 0 6 2.72
Korea 3 0 6 1.60
Ch. Taipei 2 1 5 1.00
Lebanon 1 2 4 1.04
Uzbekistan 0 3 3 0.52
Malaysia 0 3 3 0.50

GROUP F
Team W L Pts GA
Japan 3 0 6 1.35
China 3 0 6 1.26
Philippines 2 1 5 1.17
Jordan 1 2 4 0.99
Syria 0 3 3 0.77
United Arab Emirates 0 3 3 0.65


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  COLOMBIA   


Standings
Copa Federacion Standings
 1. Orgullo Paisa 2-0 
 2. Guerreros 1-1 
 3. Bucaros 1-1 
 4. Caribbean Heat 1-1 
 5. InderValle 1-1 
 6. Patriotas 0-0 
 7. Cucuta Norte 0-2 


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  CZECH REPUBLIC   


Standings - D2
1Liga Standings
 1. Benesov 1-0 
 2. J.Hradec 1-0 
 3. Mlada Boleslav 1-0 
 4. Opava B 1-0 
 5. Proton Zlin 1-0 
 6. Sokol H.Kralove 1-0 
 7. Sparta Praha 1-0 
 8. Kladno 0-1 
 9. Liberec 0-1 
 10. Litomerice 0-1 
 11. Prostejov B 0-1 
 12. Sokol Prazsky 0-1 
 13. Trutnov 0-1 
 14. Vysehrad 0-1 


BK JIP Pardubice Win Pre-Season Tournament in Hungary - by Surujh Roopnarine
Last seasons Mattoni NBL third-place finishers, BK JIP Pardubice won a the Zoltan Horvath Memorial Tournament in Hungary with a 66-54 victory on Friday night against Atomeromu SE Paks. Pardubice rode the hot hand of Maurice Hampton (188-G-84, college: Austin Peay St.) who scored nine-consecutive points beginning at the 27th minute (38-35), to increase Pardubices lead to 47-35. Pardubice dominated and exploited their aggressiveness at getting to the basket, as evidence by the 27 to 6 free-throw attempts in the contest. (Pardubice: 24-27, Paks: 5-6). Corey Muirhead (198-F-83, college: W.Carolina)was the leading scorer for the game with 18 points for Pardubice.
PAKS: David Vojvoda (191-G/F-90, ) (15pts+9reb), Lorenzo Williams (191-G-84, college: Rice) (8pts), Devonne Giles (203-F-83, college: Texas Tech) (7pts), Ferdinand Morgen (206-F/C-90) (6pts)
PARDUBICE: Corey Muirhead (18pts+9reb), Maurice Hampton (15pts), Zbynek Pospisil (205-C-81) (13pts+8reb), Marcus Arnold (207-C/F-84, college: Illinois) (8pts)


SLUNETA Usti Nad Labem Lost to Science City Jenna in Pre-Season Action - by Surujh Roopnarine
Science City Jena continued their pre-season tour of the Czech Republic, this time coming away with a 99-83 road victory at SLUNETA Usti nad Labem. The host team from Bohemia could not maintain their level of play from the first half (48-45 lead) and succumbed to the visitors from Germanys second division. Jenna turned on the pressure in the third quarter forcing many turnovers and difficult shots for Usti nad Labem as they turned the tides and took a six point lead into the fourth quarter (66-72). Thad Thaddeus McFadden (188-G-87, college: Fairmont St.) led the way for the hosts with 17 points while Jeremy Black (203-F-85, college: Tampa) led all scorers with 19 points for Jena.

USTI NAD LABEM: Thaddeus McFadden (17pts), Jaroslav Tyrna (208-C-86, college: New Orleans) (16pts), Lekendric Longmire (196-G-87, college: Oregon) (11pts), Jiri Holanda (183-PG-86) (11pts)
JENA: Jeremy Black (19pts), Eric Vierneisel (201-F-85, college: California) (18pts), Kenny Barker (191-G-86, college: Alaska-Anch.) (14pts), Christoph Roquette (203-F/C-82) (14pts)

** 6-6 swingman Spencer Johnson (198-F-87, college: UMKC) who had been in Usti nad Labem for a try-out last week, is no longer with the club after having left to Portugal for a better offer.



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  ESTONIA   


Update on TTU and University of Tartu - by Eurobasket News
TTU finished last at the Tournament in Kouvola with 4 teams participated. In Day 1 Crailsheim Merlins overcame TTU from Estonia 98:78. Crailsheim Merlins started the game with 22-19 and added 28-20 in the second period. Moreover the second half also belonged to the winners that produced a 26-20 in the third stanza and 22-19 in the last. Darryl Webb (198-F-88, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Indiana, PA) top-scored for the winners with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Jared Stohl (185-G-89, agency: I.D.S. Law, college: Portland) posted 18. Mark Hill netted 15 and Joseph Buck (201-F-81, college: USC) delivered 14. Mooses Kaja responded with 18 points in the losing effort and Kiur Akenbarg poured in 12.
In the game for the third place Kouvot edged TTU 88:77. It was an easy start for the Finnish side that erupted with 30-12 in the opening quarter. TTU started to play better in the rest of the game and managed to win the second and the third quarters. Josh Gonner (188-G-82, college: S.Carolina) erupted with 29 points for the winners and Anthony Brown (203-F-86, agency: KMG Sports Management, college: Oklahoma St.) added 19. Kiur Akenbarg scored 17 points in the losing effort.
University of Tartu finished third in Latvia. In the game for the 3rd place University of Tartu beat BK Severstal 83:79. Rain Veideman (192-G-91) became the top-scorer for the team in the tournament.


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  EUROLEAGUE   


Pero Antic agreed terms with Olympiakos - by Eurobasket News
Pero Antic (210-F-82, agency: Beo Basket) agreed terms with Olympiakos for 2011/2012 season. The FYR Macedonian star made his name sound louder after Eurobasket 2011.
Last season Pero spent in Russia for Spartak Sp.The well-known Pero Antic appeared in Russia in 2008-2009 as he played for Lokomotiv Rostov na Donu (Russia-A Superleague, starting five). In EuroChallenge that season he averaged 8.7ppg, 5.0rpg, while in Russian League after 9 games he had 9.8ppg, 4.4rpg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 69.6%. In 2009-2010 started for Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia-A Superleague), but in January 2010 moved to PBC Lukoil Akademik Sophia (Bulgaria-NBL, starting five). In 27 games his stats read 16.8ppg, Reb-1 (10.0rpg), 2.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 63.2%, 3PT: 35.4%, FT: 82.5%.
In 2010-2011 for Spartak St.Petersburg (Russia-PBL) in EuroCup Qualifying Round after 2 games his stats read 8.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.0apg. In EuroChallenge after 16 games he averaged 9.8ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 21.7%, FT: 66.7% and in Russian League he showed 10.3ppg, 5.2rpg, FGP: 57.0%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 83.7%.
In his top game at Eurobasket 2011 FYR Macedonia earned the third win when they held off pesky Finland to improve at 3-1 record in Group C. Bo McCalebb topscored with 18 points, Vojdan Stojanovski posted 16 points, while Pero Antic added 14 points, 19 rebounds and 3 assists in the victory.


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  EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS   


Eurobasket.com All-European Championships Awards 2011 - by Eurobasket
Eurobasket.com All-Tournament 1st Team 2011
#s#
Juan Carlos Navarro
Navarro
Tony Parker
Parker
Bo McCalebb
McCalebb
Andrei Kirilenko
Kirilenko
Pau Gasol
Gasol
#e#5

Best Player: Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) of Regal Barca Spain
Best Guard: Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) of Regal Barca Spain
Best Forward: Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) of Utah Jazz USA
Best Center: Pau Gasol (214-F/C-80) of LA Lakers USA
Best Coach: Sergio Scariolo of Armani MI Italy

1st Team
PG: Tony Parker (183-80) of San Antonio S. USA
PG: Bo McCalebb (183-85) of Montepaschi Italy
G: Juan Carlos Navarro (192-80) of Regal Barca Spain
F: Andrei Kirilenko (205-81) of Utah Jazz USA
F/C: Pau Gasol (214-80) of LA Lakers USA

2nd Team
G: Mantas Kalnietis (196-86) of Zalgiris Lithuania
G: Milos Teodosic (195-87) of CSKA Russia
F: Nicolas Batum (201-88) of Nancy France
F: Pero Antic (210-82) of Spartak SP Russia
C: Nenad Krstic (214-83) of CSKA Russia

3rd Team
G: Earl Rowland (188-83) of Unicaja Spain
G: Dontaye Draper (180-84) of Cedevita Croatia
F: Luol Deng (201-85) of Chicago B. USA
F: Dirk Nowitzki (211-78) of Dallas M. USA
C: Chris Kaman (213-82) of LA Clippers USA

Honorable Mention
Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) of Armani MI Italy
Ante Tomic (217-C-87) of Real Madrid Spain
Viktor Sanikidze (203-F-86) of CS Bologna Italy
Thomas Kelati (195-G/F-82) of Khimky Russia
Andrea Bargnani (209-F/C-85) of Toronto R. USA
Lior Eliyahu (206-F/C-85) of Maccabi T-A Israel
Goran Dragic (194-PG-86) of Houston R. USA
Marc Gasol (212-C-85) of Memphis G. USA
Mirza Teletovic (206-F-85) of Caja Laboral Spain
Rihards Kuksiks (198-G/F-88) of Valencia Spain



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  FINLAND   


Kataja and Kouvot played in Kouvola - by Eurobasket News
Kataja and Kouvot played in Kouvola at the International Tournament. Crailsheim Merlins won the Tournament in Kouvola with 4 teams participated.
In Day 1 the German team overcame TTU from Estonia 98:78. Crailsheim Merlins started the game with 22-19 and added 28-20 in the second period. Moreover the second half also belonged to the winners that produced a 26-20 in the third stanza and 22-19 in the last. Darryl Webb top-scored for the winners with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Jared Stohl posted 18. Mark Hill (180-G, college: Cal.St. Northridge) netted 15 and Joseph Buck delivered 14. Mooses Kaja (195-F-88) responded with 18 points in the losing effort and Kiur Akenbarg poured in 12.
Kataja overcame Kouvot 83:66 in another Semifinal. The latter opened the game with 17-13, but lost the rest of the quarters. Jared Newson (195-G/F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Tennessee-Martin) stepped up with 22 points and B.A Walker scored 19. Anthony Brown (203-F-86, agency: KMG Sports Management, college: Oklahoma St.) replied with 18 points in the losing effort.

In the Final Crailsheim Merlins edged Kataja 89:76. The Finnish side started with 17-15, but could not stay in front of the game. The Merlins responded with 26-19 in the second period and added 23-12 in the third quarter. The last stanza brought 28-25 for the Finnish team that could only reduce to 13 points. Jeremy Dunbar (195-G/F-88, college: Arkansas Tech) paced all the winners with 22 points and Billy Baptist scored 19. Mark Hill netted 17, while Darryl Webb scored 14. Jared Newson responded with 31 points in the losing effort.
In the game for the third place Kouvot edged TTU 88:77. It was an easy start for the Finnish side that erupted with 30-12 in the opening quarter. TTU started to play better in the rest of the game and managed to win the second and the third quarters. Josh Gonner (188-G-82, college: S.Carolina) erupted with 29 points for the winners and Anthony Brown added 19. Kiur Akenbarg scored 17 points in the losing effort.


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  GEORGIA   


Dnipro triumphs at LIEPAJAS OC International Basketball CUP 2011 - by Eurobasket News
Dnipro triumphs at LIEPAJAS OC International Basketball CUP 2011 winning all the games. After the victories over Pieno Zvaigzdes 79:68 and University Of Tartu 101:79, the Ukrainian side overcame Sokhumi Tbilisi in the Final. Dnipro started well and reached 99:88 victory.
The Ukrainian team opened the game with 27-23, while Suhumi replied with 17-16 in the second frame. In the second half Dnipro won both quarters. They had 29-23 in the third quarter and added 27-25 in the last frame.
Charles Thomas (203-F-86, college: Arkansas) stepped up with 31 points and was awarded MVP of the tournament. Fred House (195-F-78, college: S.Utah) followed him with 16 points, 6 rebounds and the same number of assists, while Steve Bertt (185-G-84, college: Iona) added 13. Brandon Gay (203-F-82, agency: Edge Sports, college: San Diego) and Pierre Pierce (193-G-83, agency: Lanshire Group, college: Iowa) delivered 21 points each in the losing effort for Sokhumi Tbilisi.
Earlier Sokhumi Tbilisi beat BK Liepajas Lauvas 80:68.


Sokhumi Tbilisi showed the outstanding work for 2011/2012 roster - by Eurobasket News
Sokhumi Tbilisi showed the outstanding work for 2011/2012 roster and announced the loud names for the upcoming season.
Marc Salyers (205-F-79, college: Samford) became the last edition to so called All-Star team. The American Forward played in Italy last year for Angelico Biella. Marc Salyers arrived to Biella from France, where he played for Le Mans Sarhe Basket. They reached the ProA Finals, but failed against Cholet. Salyers helped Le Mans last season with 11.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.8 apg for 36 games. He also appeared 12 times in EuroCup adding 12.7 ppg, .5 rpg and 2.3 apg. Season 2008/09 Salyers spent with Azovmash Mariupole. He parted ways with the team in December of 2009. In the past, Marc Salyers was a member of Roanne, Gravelines, Fenerbahce, Oyak Renault and Novara.
Gregory Stiemsma (211-C-85, agency: N.E.T., college: Wisconsin), the 26 year-old American basketball player signed a one-year contract with the BC Sokhumi and arrived in Tbilisi August 30th.
Pierre Pierce (193-G-83, agency: Lanshire Group, college: Iowa) is an American Guard who finished last season in Ukraine for Azovmash. Pierre Pierce started the 2011/2011 season in Aris Thessaloniki. He tallied 10.0 points, 4.3 boards and 3.7 assists per game in EuroCup. In A1 League the guard notched 7.0 points, 1.8 boards and 1.8 assists per appearance. In November Pierre Pierce broke his foot and missed a couple of month. Last season Pierre Pierce spent in France. He averaged 13.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 boards per game for Heyres-Toulon. It was his second straight season in French ProA.
Brandon Gay (203-F-82, agency: Edge Sports, college: San Diego) and Frank Robinson (193-G-84, agency: Lanshire Group, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) were announced by the team earlier.


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  GERMANY   


Artland Dragons triumphed at Niedersachsen-Cup - by Eurobasket News
Artland Dragons triumphed at Niedersachsen-Cup with 4 German participants in it. In the Final Game the Dragons smashed BG Gottingen 95:66.
The guests opened the game with 24:18 and had 50:42 at the halftime. A 16-0 run allowed them to take the bigger lead and finished the game with a triumph. Adam Hess (201-G/F-81, college: William & Mary) top-scored for the winners with 17 points and David Holston (170-G-86, college: Chicago St.) scored 16. Kwadzo Ahelegbe (187-G-88, college: N.Iowa) and Paris Horne (191-G-87, college: St.John's) replied with 14 points each in the losing effort.
Earlier Artland Dragons outscored EWE Baskets Oldenburg 88:68. David Holston paced all the winners with 21 points, while Anthony King (206-F/C-85, agency: Interperformances, college: Miami, FL) added 20. Hilliard notched 18 and Nathan Peavy (203-F-85, college: Miami, OH) added 12. Brown ended up with 17 points in the losing effort.
BG Gottingen reached the Final beating New Yorker Phantoms. In the game for the third place EWE Baskets Oldenburg produced a 73:67 over New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig.


ALBA finished second at the International Tournament - by Eurobasket News
ALBA finished second at the International Tournament in Turkey.
In Day 1 Galatasaray overcame ALBA 82:70 in the start of the Pinar Cup. The teams were tied at 24:24 and then the Turkish side had 64:53 lead later in the game. Furkan Aldemir top-scored for the winners with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Bryce Taylor (196-G-86, agency: Priority Sports) scored 16 points for the German team.
ALBA beat Buducnost Podgorica 59:56 in Day 2 of Pinar Cup. The German team had 19-point advantage at the halftime and led 47:39 at the end of the third period. Dashuan Wood top-scored for the winners with 16 points and Bryce Taylor scored 10. Nikola Vucevic (208-F-90, college: USC) ended up with 15 points in defeat, while Nikola Ivanovic added 9.
In the last Day ALBA won over Pinar Karsyaka to finish second. The German side needed 87:78 over the hosts to finish with 2-1 record. Goran Ikonic closed the first period at 22:18 for the Turkish team, while Joey Ney (197-G-92) nailed three for 31:29 for ALBA. Alper Saruhan tied the game at 36:36, while Mire Chatman (187-G-78, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: UTPA) closed the half at 45:41. ALBA led in the whole third period and took 70:59 after thirty minutes of the game. Derrick Allen and Raymar Morgan (202-F/C-88, college: Michigan St.) exchanged the late baskets for their teams for the final result. Kyle Weaver (198-G-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Washington St.) poured in 22 points for the winners and Torin Francis scored 15. Raymar Morgan delivered 26 points for the home side.


A Conversation With Sean Brooks - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

Sean Brooks (196-F/C-82, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Drexel) is a 28 year old 196cm power forward from Bladensburg, Maryland. He played at Drexel from 2001 to 2005. He was CAA Regular Season Runner-Up in 2004 and All-CAA 2nd Team in 2004. In his senior year, he played 20 games averaging 12.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 49.1%. He turned professional in 2005 and came to Europe to play to play in Holland for Polynom Giants Bergen Op Zoom (Holland-Eredivisie), left in Nov.'05: 1game, in Dec.'05 signed at Woon!Aris Leeuwarden (Holland-Eredivisie): 17 games: 9.2ppg, 6.1rpg, 1.3apg, 1.5spg. In 2006-2007, he came to Germany and played for ASC Theresianum Mainz (Germany-2.Bundesliga, starting five, starting five): 29 games: 16.6ppg, 8.5rpg, 1.9apg, 2FGP: 62.7%, 3FGP: 16.7%, FT: 60.0%. In 2007-2008, he played in Holland again for Omniworld Almere (Holland-Eredivisie, starting five); left in Oct.'07, in Nov.'07 moved to TV Werne (Germany-2.Regionalliga, starting five), in Dec.'07 signed at Proveo Merlins Crailsheim (Germany-ProB, starting five): 18 games: 15.6ppg, 8.5rpg, 2.4apg, 1.1spg, 2FGP: 65.2%, FT: 61.2%. He has played for The Proveo Merlins Crailsheim the last four seasons and in 2008-2009 played 29 games averaging 15.6ppg, 8.6rpg, 2.1apg, FGP: 65.0%, FT: 64.2%. In 2009-2010, he played 28 games averaging 9.6ppg, 6.6rpg, 2.0apg, FGP: 53.8%, FT: 60.6%. Last season, he fought injuries and was limited to 18 games: 5.8ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 51.6%, FT: 51.9%. The American is currently in Germany and spoke to Eurobasket and can be reached at scbrooks13@gmail.com

Sean, you are currently in Germany looking for a team. How is that going for you?

I have had interest from a couple teams but nothing has worked out yet.

It seems that in the last 2-3 years the market has been very difficult in Europe, but you always had a team. Has the NBA lockout been a huge reason for so many guys being without jobs?

I dont think the lockout has played a big part in a lot of guys not getting jobs so far. I think every year there are more and more quality players and the number of jobs are limited.

You played for German PRO A team Crailsheim Merlins the last 4 years. You were offered a contract extension for this season, but why did you decline?

During the season, it was discussed about me coming back to Crailsheim but I personally felt at the time I needed a change of scenery since I had been there almost 4 years.

You dominated the first two seasons in the PRO B, but your stats dipped a bit in the last two seasons in the PRO A. Are you better than just an average PRO A player.


Im definitely better than an average pro A player. The difference between my experiences in the Pro B and my experiences in the Pro A is that my Pro A teams always had 6 Americans. Even when playing at a high level, shots and playing time is cut almost in half when having a team full of quality Americans.

You were limited to 18 games last season and was injured averaging 5.8ppg, 3.4rpg, 1.4apg, FGP: 51.6%, FT: 51.9%. Are you back to 100%

Yes im definitely back to 100 percent. I spent the first month of the off season getting rehab at my university. I have been 100 percent and training and playing since the middle of May.

What was the most difficult thing for you in your comeback during the injury?

The most difficult thing during the season was watching my team play without me. I knew even if I wasnt 100 percent, I could help the team and I ended up coming back too early from my injury twice. This made an injury that was supposed to be 6 to 8 weeks last more than 4 months and I never recovered fully during the season.

You are 28 now. What is your biggest strength on the court now that no team should resist?

I feel that Im in still in my prime and I continue to get better. Im in great shape and right now my biggest strength is my presence in the low post and my athletic ability.

You are currently in Heidelberg and will be in Germany a few more weeks. How does a typical Sean Brooks (196-F/C-82, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Drexel) work out day look like?

Right now while Im in Heidelberg, I go running in the mornings and do shooting and weight lifting in the afternoons.

If you could describe yourself in a few sentences about why a PRO A or PRO B club would need your services now, how would you describe them?

I think right now I can provide a physical low post presence that not too many teams have. Im in great shape, a team player, and Im willing to do whatever to help my team win. I feel Im a better player now than 2 years ago, I just havent had the opportunity to fully show it at the Pro A level.

If you dont get a job now, will you continue to look, work out and keep pursuing Sean Brooks (196-F/C-82, agency: Scorers 1st Sportmanagement, college: Drexel) basketball dream?

I definitely will continue to look. I dont want to end my career injured and one leg like how I was last year. Im about to start classes for my master's online and I will continue to work hard until I find the right team.

Why is it worth it to keep coming back to play in Germany?

I came back to Germany because its the place I have played the past 4 years and after having the season I had last year, I feel its the place that maybe a team will take chance because they know I can play at a high level when Im healthy.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

X-Men: First Class
Thanks Sean for the chat.

Crailsheim Merlins won the Tournament in Kouvola - by Eurobasket News
Crailsheim Merlins won the Tournament in Kouvola with 4 teams participated.
In Day 1 the German team overcame TTU from Estonia 98:78. Crailsheim Merlins started the game with 22-19 and added 28-20 in the second period. Moreover the second half also belonged to the winners that produced a 26-20 in the third stanza and 22-19 in the last. Darryl Webb (198-F-88, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Indiana, PA) top-scored for the winners with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Jared Stohl (185-G-89, agency: I.D.S. Law, college: Portland) posted 18. Mark Hill netted 15 and Joseph Buck delivered 14. Mooses Kaja (195-F-88) responded with 18 points in the losing effort and Kiur Akenbarg poured in 12.
In the Final Crailsheim Merlins edged Kataja 89:76. The Finnish side started with 17-15, but could not stay in front of the game. The Merlins responded with 26-19 in the second period and added 23-12 in the third quarter. The last stanza brought 28-25 for the Finnish team that could only reduce to 13 points. Jeremy Dunbar (195-G/F-88, college: Arkansas Tech) paced all the winners with 22 points and Billy Baptist scored 19. Mark Hill netted 17, while Darryl Webb scored 14. Jared Newson (195-G/F-84, agency: Court Side, college: Tennessee-Martin) responded with 31 points in the losing effort.


David Arigbabu Hangs Up His Sneakers - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber

The German league PRO B and the UBC Tigers Hannover have lost a known German basketball player as David Arigbabu (203-C-75, college: Rhode Island) announced his retirement over the weekend. Arigbabu was a 36 year old 203cm center from Hannover that started his basketball career in 1993 and was known as a physically strong, hard working power forward/center that was quick up and down the court, and defended and rebounded well. The reason for retiring was simply that there comes a time when a basketball player should hang up his sneakers. 'That time has come now for me to go. I thank all the fans for their support the last 4 years in Hannover', stressed David Arigbabu (203-C-75, college: Rhode Island).

Arigbabu started his basketball career with Braunschweig in 1993. He then played in the NCAA for Rhode Island from 1995-1999. He then came back to Europe and had a successful carre outside Germany from 1999-2004 before returning back to Germany. From 1999-2004, he played in countries like Italy, Greece and Belgium. He then came back to Germany and played the next 3 years in Kaiserslautern and the last four years in Hannover. Last season for UBC Hannover Tigers (ProA), he played 29 games: 8.0ppg, 4.6rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 47.2%, 3PT: 29.4%, FT: 73.4%. 'Replacing an experienced player like David is difficult, especially a week before the start of the regular season. We have to accept his decision and make the best of the situation. The younger players have more responsobility and we have to see how well they can cope with it. We still have the option to get an adequate center', stressed UBC Tigers Hannover head coach Michael Mai . Arigbabu now will take over the position of general manager for the team.


Source: UBC Tigers Hannover

Giessen 46ers and Angel Garcia part ways - by Eurobasket News
Angel Garcia (209-C/F-88, college: Memphis) will not play for Giessen 46ers next season. The team announced they agreed with Garcia to terminate his one-year loan from Unicaja. The Puerto Rican PF/C joined Giessen recently. He spent last season also on loan, but with Spanish team Clinicas Rincon. He had 14.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg for them in 19 LEB Gold games. Angel Garcia spent two years with the University of Memphis in the past. However, he appeared just 12 times for them in total. He had 6.8 ppg and 1.2 rpg. In the past, Garcia played for the Puerto Rican team Jayuya. Angel Garcia was a member of Puerto Rico NT in 2010. He played for their U21, U19 and U18 National Teams earlier.

Dirk Nowitzki taking a break after Euros - by Eurobasket News
Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) says he's decided that the ongoing NBA lockout would have to bleed into November before he considers signing with a team in a foreign league.

After an exhausting summer stint with the German national team at the European Championships that eliminated his country from 2012 Olympic contention earlier than expected, Nowitzki told ESPN.com that he won't resume basketball workouts until late October at the earliest unless the lockout is lifted sooner.

'I'm going to get away for a little bit and get some well-deserved rest that I didn't get before,' Nowitzki said, referring to the whirlwind existence during and immediately after the Mavericks' long playoff run to their first-ever championship.

'That's my plan.'

Nowitzki also said that he intends to take no less than a two-year break from playing for his country after Germany's failure to secure the top-six finish required to remain eligible for Olympic qualification. But he left open the possibility of rejoining the squad in the summer of 2015, at the age of 37, to try to help the Germans qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

'I'm not going to retire (from the national team) and I'm not going to say that I will definitely play (for Germany) again,' Nowitzki said Sunday night after watching Spain beat France in the EuroBasket final on TV at his Wurzburg home.

'I'm going to take a couple years off, then we'll see.'

Nowitzki, though, expressed no regret about playing in the EuroBasket tournament, despite the fact that he clearly lacked the required freshness to co-lead Germany to sixth or better alongside Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman and played below his usual standards.

Following a week's worth of watching high-caliber EuroBasket play from afar, Nowitzki said he has eased up on the self-criticism he unleashed after the loss to host Lithuania one week earlier that eliminated the Germans, noting that Spain and France combined to put nearly a dozen NBA players on the floor in the championship game. It's a total that doesn't even include EuroBasket MVP Juan Carlos Navarro.

'If I'm in decent shape, we would have won another game or two,' said Nowitzki, who initially described Germany's early exit as 'my fault.'

'But I'm not sure we were going to medal.'

Reflecting on the three weeks of private tune-up work he did with longtime shooting coach Holger Geschwindner starting in late July before a handful of exhibition games, Nowitzki said he expected to play his way into reasonably decent form by the start of the second round. Yet he ultimately couldn't even manage to earn a spot alongside Navarro on the EuroBasket all-tournament team, which also includes forwards Pau Gasol (Spain) and Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and guards Tony Parker (France) and Bo McCalebb (Macedonia).

'I thought that, by the second round, I'll be all right,' Nowitzki said. 'But for some reason it got worse. I never got into the shape that I needed to be in. Maybe my battery was empty.'

Germany coach Dirk Bauermann said after the Lithuania defeat that everyone back home understood Nowitzki was putting his country ahead of recharging his batteries and thanked him profusely, saying: 'There is no better person in the game of basketball. He was just the most wonderful person to be around and obviously one of the greatest players, maybe the greatest player that Europe has ever produced and probably one of the top three in the world. I give him so much credit for having played here.

'He had a super short break after winning the NBA championship. Obviously he wasn't rested and 99 percent of NBA players wouldn't have played under these circumstances. He dragged himself out here and he gave us everything he had.'

Nowitzki has long believed that the lockout would end sooner than most doomsday projections and says he's still clinging to the hope that he can go straight from his forthcoming break to Mavericks training camp. His immediate plans call for reverting to one of his other favorite sports -- tennis -- and maintaining his usual offseason cardio routine for the next month in case the lockout does get lifted in the next few weeks.

And if not?

Nowitzki has said for months that he will find somewhere else to play in 2011-12 if the lockout extends into the winter and jeopardizes the NBA season, because, in Nowitzki's words, he's 'too old to sit around for a whole year.' Big-spending Bayern Munich and other top German clubs have been trying for months to convince Nowitzki to sign a deal with an out clause to return to the United States as soon as the lockout ends, but the 33-year-old has likewise indicated that he's unlikely to join a German club because he doesn't want to slight any club in the country.

'Let's see where the lockout is in a few weeks and then we'll have something to talk about,' Nowitzki said of finding temporary employment abroads.

If Nowitzki elects not to play for Germany again, he'll leave European competition with a career total of 967 points, just 27 short of the all-time record held by Greece's Nikos Galis. But with Kaman's help in the summer of 2008, Nowitzki achieved all he ever wanted with his country when Germany qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Nowitzki had maintained for years that he regarded an Olympic berth as one of his two career dreams alongside winning an NBA championship and was rewarded for the achievement by his selection as Germany's flag-bearer in the 2008 Opening Ceremonies.

Courtesy of ESPN

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  GREECE   


Pero Antic agreed terms with Olympiakos - by Eurobasket News
Pero Antic (210-F-82, agency: Beo Basket) agreed terms with Olympiakos for 2011/2012 season. The FYR Macedonian star made his name sound louder after Eurobasket 2011.
Last season Pero spent in Russia for Spartak Sp.The well-known Pero Antic appeared in Russia in 2008-2009 as he played for Lokomotiv Rostov na Donu (Russia-A Superleague, starting five). In EuroChallenge that season he averaged 8.7ppg, 5.0rpg, while in Russian League after 9 games he had 9.8ppg, 4.4rpg, FGP: 51.4%, 3PT: 40.0%, FT: 69.6%. In 2009-2010 started for Lokomotiv Kuban (Russia-A Superleague), but in January 2010 moved to PBC Lukoil Akademik Sophia (Bulgaria-NBL, starting five). In 27 games his stats read 16.8ppg, Reb-1 (10.0rpg), 2.4apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 63.2%, 3PT: 35.4%, FT: 82.5%.
In 2010-2011 for Spartak St.Petersburg (Russia-PBL) in EuroCup Qualifying Round after 2 games his stats read 8.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 1.0apg. In EuroChallenge after 16 games he averaged 9.8ppg, 6.4rpg, 1.2apg, FGP: 55.3%, 3PT: 21.7%, FT: 66.7% and in Russian League he showed 10.3ppg, 5.2rpg, FGP: 57.0%, 3PT: 36.9%, FT: 83.7%.
In his top game at Eurobasket 2011 FYR Macedonia earned the third win when they held off pesky Finland to improve at 3-1 record in Group C. Bo McCalebb topscored with 18 points, Vojdan Stojanovski posted 16 points, while Pero Antic added 14 points, 19 rebounds and 3 assists in the victory.


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  HOLLAND   


Standings - Promotie Divisie
Prom.Divisie Standings
 1. Amsterdam 2-0 
 2. Binnenland 2-0 
 3. De Hoppers 2-0 
 4. Hoofddorp 2-0 
 5. Leiden 2 2-0 
 6. Red Giants 2-0 
 7. Rotterdam 2 2-0 
 8. Akrides 0-2 
 9. Almonte 0-2 
 10. Cangeroes 0-2 
 11. De Groene 0-2 
 12. Goba 0-2 
 13. Jugglers 0-2 
 14. Punch 0-2 


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  HUNGARY   


Janou Rubin signed with Sopron - by Tamas Deri
American guard Janou Rubin (193-G-82, college: UCLA) signed his contract with Sopron for the coming season and will arrive on wednesday to the city. The 193 cm tall Rubin played high level NCAA basketball on UCLA, where he graduated in 2006. After his NCAA carreer - played also in the Final 2006 - he played shortly in China and the ABA. In September 2010 he moved to Hungary and spent two weeks with the team of Albacomp, but was not kept for the season. He agreed with Szedeak and run a great season averaging 19.3ppg, 5.2rpg, 2.9apg, 1.9spg, FGP: 52.3%, 3PT: 32.7%, FT: 77.5% in 26 games in Szeged.

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  INDONESIA   


2011 Asian Championship: Poedjakesuma and Sitepu combined for 50 points to edge Bahrain - by Eurobasket News
Indonesia-Bahrain 85:62

Poedjakesuma and Sitepu combined for 50 points to edge Bahrain at the Asian Championships. Indonesia overcame Bahrain 85:62 in the Classification Round for 13-16 places.
Bahrain shocked the opponents with 10-0 run and kept them scoreless for the first five minutes. Moreover the underdogs enjoyed 17:12 after the first 10 minutes of the game. It looked that Indonesia started to wake up and only 1-point lead remained on the board with 5 minutes left in the half. After 24-17 in the second period Indonesia grabbed 36:34 halftime advantage. In the rest of the game they managed to dominate the court. Indonesia won the third quarter 17-11 and added 32-17 in the last period.
Andi Poedjakesuma (187-F-80) paced all the winners with 32 points and Christian Ronaldo Sitepu (200-C/F-86) scored 18. Bader Abdulla Malabes (87) delivered 17 points in the losing effort. Al Tawash Husain scored 11 and Abdulrahman Ghali (197-C-88) added 10.

Indonesia: Andi Poedjakesuma 32, Christian Ronaldo Sitepu 18
Bahrain: Bader Abdulla Malabes 17, Al Tawash Husain 11, Abdulrahman Ghali 10

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  IRAN   


Towzin Electric Kashan keeps Head Coach Vlado Djurovic - by Eurobasket News
Towzin Electric Kashan signed a one-year contract extension with their Head Coach Vlado Djurovic (agency: Interperformances ). The Serbian specialist took over the team in November and led them to Superleague Semifinals. It was considered as nice success and the team decided to offer Djurovic and extension. Towzin ended regular season as No.5 with 15-7 record. They eliminated Tarabari in the Quarterfinals with perfect 2-0. Towzin failed in the Semis against Mahram (0-3), who later won the title. Before Towzin, Vlado Djurovic worked with FMP Zeleznik, Vojvodina and Metalac Valjevo. He also coached Lietuvos Rytas, Buducnost Podgorica, Aalst, Oostende, AEK, Aris, Panionios and few other teams. In 2000, Djurovic won the Cypriot Cup with Achilleas Kaimakliou. Back in 1993, he coached Yugoslavian National Team. In 1997, Djurovic worked with Belgian NT.

2011 Asian Championship: Iran leave no chance for Malaysia - by Eurobasket News
Iran - Malaysia 121:36

Iran demolished Malaysia at the start of the second round of action at Asian Championship. Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85) and Hamed Afagh (190-G-83, agency: SportsList Inc.) accounted for 20 points each to pace Iran to 3-0 record in Group E. Malaysia on the other hand slipped at 0-3 record.
Iran erupted for 34 points in the opening frame to take a 20-point lead. Iran limited their opponents to just 9 points in the second stanza to establish a massive 56:23 halftime lead. Iran opened the second half on a stunning 19:3 rally to clear off. They never slowed down afterwards marching to a comprehensive win at the end. Arsalan Kazemi (199-F-90) delivered 18 points, while Mahdi Kamrani (186-PG-82) added 13 points and 8 assists in the victory. Batumalai Guganeswaran (182-G-82) responded with 13 points for Malaysia. Chee Li Wei (198-F/C-83) had 8 points in the losing effort.

Iran: Hamed Haddadi 20, Hamed Afagh 20, Arsalan Kazemi 18
Malaysia: Batumalai Guganeswaran 13, Chee Li Wei 8


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  ISRAEL   


Elitzur Netanya winless at tournament in Yuzny - by Eurobasket News
Israeli team Elitzur Netanya participated at the international tournament in Yuzny, Ukraine. They were not able to win any game and finished as the last ranked team.
In Day One, Elitzur Netanya failed against Serbian team Hemofarm 75-85. In Day Two, MBC Mykolaiv was better than Netanya 94-86. Green led the winners with 22 points and 7 assists. Brian Asbury (200-F-86, college: Miami, FL) and Jerome Randle (178-G-87, college: California) shined in loss with 22 points each. Randle had 9 assists, while Asbury grabbed 7 rebounds in this meeting. Adrian Banks (191-G-86, college: NW Mississippi CC) and Lior Hakmon (202-F-85, agency: Gross Zeev ISA) netted 17 and 14 points respectively. Quarters - 19:27, 19:19, 34:20, 22:20. In the last day of the tournament, the home team Khimik handed 96-88 loss to Elitzur Netanya. McGhee had 18 points and 8 rebs for the hosts. Yehu Orland (193-G-81) replied with 21 points in loss. Jerome Randle (5 as) and Brian Asbury (11 rebs) delivered 15 points each. Adrian Banks stopped to 14 points in this game. Quarters - 27:19, 17:26, 29:21, 23:22.
Brian Asbury was named Best Center of the tournament.

Hapoel Tel Aviv signs Demontez Stitt - by Netanel Dahan
Hapoel Tel Aviv continues to strangh its roster by adding Demontez Stitt (187-G-89).

Stit graduated from Clemson led his team last season to the ACC semi-finals and was choosento the All-Tournament Team.

Last season he averaged in Clemson 14.5 ppg and 3,3 apg.



Meanwhile Hapoel decided to part ways with Tracy Smith another ACC starting line-up player.

Hapoel is the only team from the Israeli National League to play in another European competetion as they will play in the Balkan league.



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  ITALY   


Canadian Solar Bologna wants Kobe Bryant - by Edoardo Tamalio
Bologna's President Claudio Sabatini said clearly in saturday's press conference: 'We want Kobe Bryant (198-G-78)!'. Canadian Solar Bologna is in talks with the Lakers superstar, proposing a two-months contract. Although it seems hard for Bologna to land Bryant, Mr. Sabatini said he will do anything for make this dream true. An answer from the Los Angeles guard is expected to come in the next 36 hours. One of the obstacles of the deal is the insurance that should accompany Kobe in this adventure, but Sabatini said that it's something Bologna can manage. Kobe Bryant grew up in Italy, his father Joe was a pro with Reggio Emilia and Pistoia in the 80's.

Montepaschi wins Vasco Martini Tournament, Teramo third - by Eurobasket News
Montepaschi Siena is the winner of Vasco Martini Tournament, which was played this past weekend. The Italian powerhouse handed 94-62 loss to Pistoia in the Finals. Pietro Aradori (192-G-88) shined in victory with 26 points. DaJuan Summers (203-F-88, college: Georgetown) and Andrea Michelori (202-F/C-78) helped with 17 and 14 points respectively. In the loosing squad, Donte Mathis (190-G-77, college: Texas St.) delivered 12 points. Ends of periods: 18-8; 47-29; 79-42; 94-62. In the Semifinals, Montepaschi outplayed Banca Tercas Teramo 90-69. David Andersen (212-C-80) nailed 17 points in this meeting. Pietro Aradori and DaJuan Summers scored 16 points apiece. Teramo got 13 points from Achille Polonara (203-F-91). Ends of periods: 17-14; 49-31; 73-45; 90-69.
In the battle for this place, Teramo handed 86-84 win against Besiktas. Brandon Brown (202-C/F-81, college: Tulane) led Teramo with 16 points.

Montegranaro lands NBAer Ben Uzoh - by Eurobasket News
Fabi Shoes Montegranaro announced signing of point guard Ben Uzoh for the next season. The deal does not include NBA out option. Uzoh will replace Edgar Sosa, who broke his leg during the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata. Sosa will miss at least six months. Ben Uzoh played for the New Jersey Nets last season. He appeared 41 times with them averaging 3.9 points 1.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. It was his rookie NBA year. Uzoh also played 4 games with D-League team Springfield Armor. He had 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 5.8 apg and 2.3 spg. Ben Uzoh graduated at the University of Tulsa a year ago. He had 15.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 4.7 apg for his school as a senior.

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  JAPAN   


2011 Asian Championship: Japan thrash UAE - by Eurobasket News
Japan - UAE 101:61

Japan registered another victory at the Asian Championship in Wuhan. They rolled past UAE to improve at 3-0 record in Group F. Tomoo Amino (196-F-80) stepped up with 17 points to lead the effort.
Japan started the game with a stifling defence. They limited UAE to just 9 points in the opening quarter taking a 6-point lead. Japan exploded with 41 points in the second term boost the margin to as many as 30 points 56:26. Things went smoothly for the Japanese team afterwards. They controlled the tempo and eased to an 80:43 advantage with ten minutes remaining. Japan never slowed down in the fourth period and rallied to the victory at the end. Kosuke Takeuchi (206-C/F-85) posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Takumi Ishizaki contributed 13 points in the winning effort. Khalil Salem (178-G-91) answered with 14 points for UAE. Rashed Al Zaabi (189-G-88) had 13 points as UAE fell at 0-3 record in the ladder.

Japan: Tomoo Amino 17, Kosuke Takeuchi 15+10 boards, Takumi Ishizaki 13
UAE: Khalil Salem 14, Rashed Al Zaabi 13


*****************************************************
  JORDAN   


2011 Asian Championship: Philippines pushed the tempo in the second half to beat Jordan - by Eurobasket News
Jordan-Philippines 64:72

Jordan and Philippines struggled for the second win in Group F of the Asian Championship in Wuhan. Philippines showed their character and trailing in the majority of the game, grabbed 72:64 win.
Jordan started the game with 9-2 run and had 20:11 lead after the first 10 minutes. They kept the opponents scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter and had 24:11 lead. The teams went to the lockers at 31:26, while the second half belonged to Philippines. They needed 21-16 in the third quarter to tie the game at 47:47 after three quarters and then grabbed the victory due to 25-17 in the last stanza.
Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) erupted with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Marcio Lassiter (188-G-87, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) scored 14, while Jimmy Alapag (177-G-77, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.) netted 11. Daghles Osama (198-G-79, college: Midwestern St.) delivered 18 points in the losing effort, while Rasheim Wright (192-G-81, college: District of Col.) posted 16. Abbas Zaid (203-F-83) collected 10 points and 12 boards, while Abdallah AbuQoura (203-C-84) had 7.

Jordan: Daghles Osama 18, Rasheim Wright 16, Abbas Zaid 10+12 rebs, Abdallah AbuQoura 7
Philippines: Marcus Douthit 19+15 rebs, Marcio Lassiter 14, Jimmy Alapag 11

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


Liepaja farewell to the great event - by Eurobasket News
Liepaja farewell to the great event as six teams participated at the International Tournament.
In the game for the 5th place KK Pieno Zvaigzdes edged the hosts Liepajas Lauvas 77:65. The Lithuanian team opened the game with 20-14 and had 5-point advantage at the halftime. Moreover KK Pieno Zvaigzdes won the third frame 16-13 and added 20-16 in the last period. Lukas Brazdauskis (203-F-88) was named MVP of his team in the tournament. Joshua Andrew Mayo became the best player for the home side.

Last Day:
Liepajas Lauvas KK Pieno Zvaigzdes 65:77 (14:20, 22:21, 13:16, 16:20)
University of Tartu BK Severstal 83:79 (24:19, 18:18, 20:22, 21:20)
BC Dnipro BK Sokhumi 99:88 (27:23, 16:17, 29:23, 27:25)

Dnipro triumphed at LIEPAJAS OC International Basketball CUP 2011 winning all the games. After the victories over Pieno Zvaigzdes 79:68 and University Of Tartu 101:79, the Ukrainian side overcame Sokhumi Tbilisi in the Final. Dnipro started well and reached 99:88 victory.
Standings:
1.BC Dnipro (Ukraine)
2.BK Sokhumi (Georgia)
3.University of Tartu (Estonia)
4.BK Severstal (Russia)
5.KK Pieno Zvaigzdes (Lithuania)
6.Liepjas Lauvas (Latvia)

Top-scorers:
1.Charles Thomas (203-F-86, college: Arkansas) 26,0 BC Dnipro
2. Aleksandr Lunev (201-F-80) 22,0 BK Severstal
3. Lasha Parghalava (191-G-87, agency: Interperformances, college: Montana St. - Billin) 19,0 BK Sokhumi
4. Maksym Kornienko (205-F/C-87) 16,7 BC Dnipro
5. Steve Bertt (185-G-84, college: Iona) 16,0 BC Dnipro
6. Rain Veideman (192-G-91) 16,0 University of Tartu

MVP of the teams:
Joshua Andrew Mayo BK Liepajas Lauvas
Lukas Brazdauskis KK Pieno Zvaigzdes
Aleksandr Lunev BK Severstal
Rain Veideman University of Tartu
Lasha Parghalava BK Sokhumi
Fred House (195-F-78, college: S.Utah) BC Dnipro

MVP of the tournament: Charles Thomas BC Dnipro


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


2011 Asian Championship: Taiwan sneak past Lebanon in Wuhan - by Eurobasket News
Taiwan - Lebanon 60:58

Taiwan opened the Second Round of Asian Championship with a narrow victory one ambitious Lebanon. Chen Hsin-An (198-F/G-80) scored 15 points to lead the charge.
Lebanon ensured the better start. They were up 11:5 midway through the opening quarter. But Taiwan erased the deficit and posted a 16:13 lead ten minutes into the encounter. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout close second term before Chia-Hung Chien made it 30:30 at the interval. The teams stayed neck and neck in the third quarter as well. Jean Abed El Nour (198-F/G-83) capped the term with a three-pointer and drew thing level at 50. Taiwan finally cleared off to a 60:55 distance however Akl and Samuel Hoskin (206-F/C-79, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: De Paul) dragged Lebanon within two points 58:60 with just over a minute to go. The teams went scoreless in the reminder of the battle as Taiwan ran away with a narrow win at the end. Wu Tai-Hao (202-C-85, college: BYU-Hawaii) produced 12 points and 9 rebounds for Taiwan. Lu Cheng-Ju (194-F-86) netted 10 points in the loss. Samuel Hoskin responded with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Lebanon. Jean Abed El Nour posted 12 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

Taiwan: Chen Hsin-An 15, Wu Tai-Hao 12, Lu Cheng-Ju 10
Lebanon: Samuel Hoskin 19+11 boards, Jean Abed El Nour 12


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  LITHUANIA   


Four Lithuanian teams lost over the weekend - by Eurobasket News
Siauliai lost to VEF Riga 78:86. Antan Kavaliauskas stepped up with 26 points, while Dairis Bertanis added 18. Kristapas Janicenokas followed them with 17 points. Denzel Bowles (208-F-89, college: JMU) ended up with 17 points in the losing effort and Mindaugas Zukauskas (201-F-75, agency: World Sport Agency) scored 15.
Goverla outscored Juventus 70:59. The Ukrainian side started with 22-21 and added 16-11 in the second frame. Goverla also won the last period to seal the 11-point victory. Darius Pakamanis ended up with 19 points for the Baltic State and Vaidotas Volkus (203-F-85, college: Redlands CC) notched 15.
CSKA won over Lietuvos Rytas 67:63 in Vilnius. The home side started with 18-13 and had 19-18 in the second period for 6-point advantage at the halftime. The second half however belonged to the Russian Champions that won the third 19-14 and the last quarter 17-12. Lavrinovic top-scored for the winners with 20 points and Kurbanov delivered 16. Sammy Mejia (198-G-83, college: De Paul) netted 12, while Sasha Kaun (211-C-85) and Voronov followed them with 6 points each. Brad Newley (201-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) ended up with 10 points for the Baltic State.
BC Kyiv beat Neptunas 78:70. Trailing 20-23 after the first period, the Ukrainian side won the second quarter 25-10. They also needed 23-21 in the last stanza to seal the victory. Ervin Gary stepped up with 23 points and Shvets Artem posted 14. Martynas Mazeika (190-G-85, agency: Limelight Hoops) delivered 21 points in the losing case.


Pieno Zvaigzdes comes back from the International Tournament - by Eurobasket News
Pieno Zvaigzdes comes back from the International Tournament and clinched the fifth place there. In the game for the 5th place KK Pieno Zvaigzdes edged the hosts Liepajas Lauvas 77:65. The Lithuanian team opened the game with 20-14 and had 5-point advantage at the halftime. Moreover KK Pieno Zvaigzdes won the third frame 16-13 and added 20-16 in the last period. Lukas Brazdauskis (203-F-88) was named MVP of his team in the tournament. Joshua Andrew Mayo became the best player for the home side.
In Day 1 Dnipro edged Pieno Zvaigzdes 79:68. The Ukrainian team played without Kozlov and Steve Bertt (185-G-84, college: Iona) but started well and got 18:17 after the first period. Moreover they managed to win the rest of the quarters and proved their superiority over the opponent. Charles Thomas (203-F-86, college: Arkansas) stepped up with 24 points and Maksym Kornienko (205-F/C-87) scored 17.
University of Tartu outscored KK Pieno Zvaigzdes 77:70 in Day 2.


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


2011 Asian Championship: Iran leave no chance for Malaysia - by Eurobasket News
Iran - Malaysia 121:36

Iran demolished Malaysia at the start of the second round of action at Asian Championship. Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85) and Hamed Afagh (190-G-83, agency: SportsList Inc.) accounted for 20 points each to pace Iran to 3-0 record in Group E. Malaysia on the other hand slipped at 0-3 record.
Iran erupted for 34 points in the opening frame to take a 20-point lead. Iran limited their opponents to just 9 points in the second stanza to establish a massive 56:23 halftime lead. Iran opened the second half on a stunning 19:3 rally to clear off. They never slowed down afterwards marching to a comprehensive win at the end. Arsalan Kazemi (199-F-90) delivered 18 points, while Mahdi Kamrani (186-PG-82) added 13 points and 8 assists in the victory. Batumalai Guganeswaran (182-G-82) responded with 13 points for Malaysia. Chee Li Wei (198-F/C-83) had 8 points in the losing effort.

Iran: Hamed Haddadi 20, Hamed Afagh 20, Arsalan Kazemi 18
Malaysia: Batumalai Guganeswaran 13, Chee Li Wei 8


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


KK Buducnost upset the winner of Pinar Cup - by Eurobasket News
KK Buducnost participated in Turkey after the International Tournament with 4 teams.
In Day 1 Pinar Karsyaka rolled over KK Buducnost 86:76. The first period belonged to the hosts of the tournament that started with 20:17. KK Buducnost played a bit better in the second period and reduced to 37:35 at the halftime. The third quarter became decisive in the game as Pinar Karsyaka fully dominated the court. They increased to 67:51 and did not mind narrow win of the Montenegrin team in the last stanza.
ALBA beat Buducnost Podgorica 59:56 in Day 2 of Pinar Cup. The German team had 19-point advantage at the halftime and led 47:39 at the end of the third period. Dashuan Wood top-scored for the winners with 16 points and Bryce Taylor scored 10. Nikola Vucevic (208-F-90, college: USC) ended up with 15 points in defeat, while Nikola Ivanovic (187-G-94, agency: Beo Basket) added 9.
In the last game KK Buducnost surprised Galatasaray that became the winner of the tournament. Even after 67:72 loss in the last game from KK Buducnost, kept the Turkish representative on top.
KK Buducnost started the game better, but Furkan Aldemir tied the first quarter at 14:14. The latter made the same at 20:20 and Lukas scored for 33:30 at the halftime. Preston Shumpert increased to 38:32 early in the third, while Nikola Vucecic brought 43:42 lead for the team from Montenegro. The latter also gave KK Buducnost 61:60 in the middle of the fourth period and Bozovic scored for 70:65. Jermaine Anderson (188-G-83, college: Fordham) made two free throws for the final result. Nikola Vucevic top-scored for the winners with 26 points, while Furkan Aldemir scored 10 for Galatasaray.


*****************************************************
  MOZAMBIQUE   


Nigeria wins the Gold in Maputo - by Eurobasket News
Nigeria's D'Tigers on Saturday won the gold medal in the mens Basketball event as the national team defeated their host, Mozambique, 62-57 in the final before a huge home crowd.

D Tigers had defeated Angola, the former African Champions, at the semi-finals to set up the epic encounter with Mozambique while the host defeated Algeria, another tough nut, to qualify for the finals.

The Nigeria Basketball team played a defensive game contesting every ball with their opponent to lead 18-14, 28-24, 46-43 and eventually at 62-57 in the four quarters of the game.

The Mozambican fans started trooping into the Desportivo Sports Centre, Maputo, as early as noon for a match scheduled to start at 8 p.m. but did not begin until 8:30 p.m.

However, the Nigeria team, who were not intimidated by the packed crowd at the indoor sports hall, played their hearts out and eventually won the deserved gold medal.

After the epic encounter, the green-white-green Nigerian flag took centre court as the players and few Nigerians who watched the match celebrated.

President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, who witnessed the defeat of his team, presented the medals to the Nigerian players.

However, Sani Ahmed, Coach of Nigerias DTigers, says the gold medal won is a mission accomplished through hard work, determination and discipline exhibited by the players.

''We set out to accomplish this mission and I am very happy that we were able to pick the gold medal and also defeat the Angolans in the semi-finals.

Coach Sani said the team would return home and immediately commence preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Also reacting to the victory, Muktar Khaleh, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Technical Director, said winning the gold medal at stake at the games was an indication that basketball was developing in the country.

Khaleh, a one-time National Team Captain, said the Federations next objective would be to win the African Womens Championship beginning next week in Mali.

The technical director expressed the hope that with the performance of the mens team at the Games, the women would be motivated to perform well in their tournament in Mali.

Courtesy of http://nigerianpilot.com

Mozambique and Nigeria to meet in the Finals - by Eurobasket News
The Mozambican men's basketball team won its semi final in the 10th All Africa Games in Maputo on Friday night, defeating Algeria by the considerable margin of 68-45.

The Mozambican team was dominant right from the start, offering no chances to the Algerians. The Mozambicans were winning 30-21 at the end of the first half, and the gap just widened during the rest of the match, until Mozambique ended 23 points ahead of Algeria.

In the second semi-final, the hitherto undefeated Angolan team lost to Nigeria by 62-56. The Nigerians took an early lead and finished the first half ten points ahead of the Angolans. The Angolan team clawed something back on the second half, but not enough to avoid defeat.

Mozambique now meets Nigeria for the final on Saturday night, while Angola meets Algeria to decide the bronze medal.

Courtesy of www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

*****************************************************
  NAIA   


Happy Osborne Resigns From Georgetown College - by Arnault Desira
Georgetown College's (Ky.) head men's basketball coach, Robert Happy Osborne, Jr., has resigned to become an associate head coach at Tennessee Tech, announced by Georgetown President William H. Crouch, Jr.

Osborne, a six-time Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year, spent the past 15 years as the head basketball coach for the Tigers, establishing a 456-84 record over the past decade-and-a-half. Before that, he served as an assistant coach to the late alumnus Jim Reid, who was head coach for 23 years. Before coach Reid, Robert Davis served as head men's basketball coach for 20 years.


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


Montegranaro lands NBAer Ben Uzoh - by Eurobasket News
Fabi Shoes Montegranaro announced signing of point guard Ben Uzoh for the next season. The deal does not include NBA out option. Uzoh will replace Edgar Sosa, who broke his leg during the FIBA Americas Championship in Mar del Plata. Sosa will miss at least six months. Ben Uzoh played for the New Jersey Nets last season. He appeared 41 times with them averaging 3.9 points 1.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. It was his rookie NBA year. Uzoh also played 4 games with D-League team Springfield Armor. He had 16 ppg, 8 rpg, 5.8 apg and 2.3 spg. Ben Uzoh graduated at the University of Tulsa a year ago. He had 15.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg and 4.7 apg for his school as a senior.

Dirk Nowitzki taking a break after Euros - by Eurobasket News
Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki (6'11''-F-78) says he's decided that the ongoing NBA lockout would have to bleed into November before he considers signing with a team in a foreign league.

After an exhausting summer stint with the German national team at the European Championships that eliminated his country from 2012 Olympic contention earlier than expected, Nowitzki told ESPN.com that he won't resume basketball workouts until late October at the earliest unless the lockout is lifted sooner.

'I'm going to get away for a little bit and get some well-deserved rest that I didn't get before,' Nowitzki said, referring to the whirlwind existence during and immediately after the Mavericks' long playoff run to their first-ever championship.

'That's my plan.'

Nowitzki also said that he intends to take no less than a two-year break from playing for his country after Germany's failure to secure the top-six finish required to remain eligible for Olympic qualification. But he left open the possibility of rejoining the squad in the summer of 2015, at the age of 37, to try to help the Germans qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

'I'm not going to retire (from the national team) and I'm not going to say that I will definitely play (for Germany) again,' Nowitzki said Sunday night after watching Spain beat France in the EuroBasket final on TV at his Wurzburg home.

'I'm going to take a couple years off, then we'll see.'

Nowitzki, though, expressed no regret about playing in the EuroBasket tournament, despite the fact that he clearly lacked the required freshness to co-lead Germany to sixth or better alongside Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman and played below his usual standards.

Following a week's worth of watching high-caliber EuroBasket play from afar, Nowitzki said he has eased up on the self-criticism he unleashed after the loss to host Lithuania one week earlier that eliminated the Germans, noting that Spain and France combined to put nearly a dozen NBA players on the floor in the championship game. It's a total that doesn't even include EuroBasket MVP Juan Carlos Navarro.

'If I'm in decent shape, we would have won another game or two,' said Nowitzki, who initially described Germany's early exit as 'my fault.'

'But I'm not sure we were going to medal.'

Reflecting on the three weeks of private tune-up work he did with longtime shooting coach Holger Geschwindner starting in late July before a handful of exhibition games, Nowitzki said he expected to play his way into reasonably decent form by the start of the second round. Yet he ultimately couldn't even manage to earn a spot alongside Navarro on the EuroBasket all-tournament team, which also includes forwards Pau Gasol (Spain) and Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and guards Tony Parker (France) and Bo McCalebb (Macedonia).

'I thought that, by the second round, I'll be all right,' Nowitzki said. 'But for some reason it got worse. I never got into the shape that I needed to be in. Maybe my battery was empty.'

Germany coach Dirk Bauermann said after the Lithuania defeat that everyone back home understood Nowitzki was putting his country ahead of recharging his batteries and thanked him profusely, saying: 'There is no better person in the game of basketball. He was just the most wonderful person to be around and obviously one of the greatest players, maybe the greatest player that Europe has ever produced and probably one of the top three in the world. I give him so much credit for having played here.

'He had a super short break after winning the NBA championship. Obviously he wasn't rested and 99 percent of NBA players wouldn't have played under these circumstances. He dragged himself out here and he gave us everything he had.'

Nowitzki has long believed that the lockout would end sooner than most doomsday projections and says he's still clinging to the hope that he can go straight from his forthcoming break to Mavericks training camp. His immediate plans call for reverting to one of his other favorite sports -- tennis -- and maintaining his usual offseason cardio routine for the next month in case the lockout does get lifted in the next few weeks.

And if not?

Nowitzki has said for months that he will find somewhere else to play in 2011-12 if the lockout extends into the winter and jeopardizes the NBA season, because, in Nowitzki's words, he's 'too old to sit around for a whole year.' Big-spending Bayern Munich and other top German clubs have been trying for months to convince Nowitzki to sign a deal with an out clause to return to the United States as soon as the lockout ends, but the 33-year-old has likewise indicated that he's unlikely to join a German club because he doesn't want to slight any club in the country.

'Let's see where the lockout is in a few weeks and then we'll have something to talk about,' Nowitzki said of finding temporary employment abroads.

If Nowitzki elects not to play for Germany again, he'll leave European competition with a career total of 967 points, just 27 short of the all-time record held by Greece's Nikos Galis. But with Kaman's help in the summer of 2008, Nowitzki achieved all he ever wanted with his country when Germany qualified for the Beijing Olympics. Nowitzki had maintained for years that he regarded an Olympic berth as one of his two career dreams alongside winning an NBA championship and was rewarded for the achievement by his selection as Germany's flag-bearer in the 2008 Opening Ceremonies.

Courtesy of ESPN

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  NEPAL   


Nepal Basic Basketball Coaching Clinic Concluded - by Dinesh Thapa
NeBA Basic Basketball Coaching Clinic is concluded here today at the premises of Morgan International College, Kathmandu. 20 participants (basketball coaches) of the NeBA Basic Basketball Clinic were awarded with the participation certificate in the closing ceremony of the clinic. Nepal Basketball Association (NeBA) Secretary General Dinesh Thapa awarded the certificate to the participants while the instructor of the clinic was the head coach Dinesh Chandra Nakarmi. The clinic was organized from 3 to 15 September 2011. NeBA Secretary General Dinesh Thapa thanked all the participants for participating in the clinic and also congratulate the participants for successfully completing the clinic.

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


Mozambique and Nigeria to meet in the Finals - by Eurobasket News
The Mozambican men's basketball team won its semi final in the 10th All Africa Games in Maputo on Friday night, defeating Algeria by the considerable margin of 68-45.

The Mozambican team was dominant right from the start, offering no chances to the Algerians. The Mozambicans were winning 30-21 at the end of the first half, and the gap just widened during the rest of the match, until Mozambique ended 23 points ahead of Algeria.

In the second semi-final, the hitherto undefeated Angolan team lost to Nigeria by 62-56. The Nigerians took an early lead and finished the first half ten points ahead of the Angolans. The Angolan team clawed something back on the second half, but not enough to avoid defeat.

Mozambique now meets Nigeria for the final on Saturday night, while Angola meets Algeria to decide the bronze medal.

Courtesy of www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Nigeria wins the Gold in Maputo - by Eurobasket News
Nigeria's D'Tigers on Saturday won the gold medal in the mens Basketball event as the national team defeated their host, Mozambique, 62-57 in the final before a huge home crowd.

D Tigers had defeated Angola, the former African Champions, at the semi-finals to set up the epic encounter with Mozambique while the host defeated Algeria, another tough nut, to qualify for the finals.

The Nigeria Basketball team played a defensive game contesting every ball with their opponent to lead 18-14, 28-24, 46-43 and eventually at 62-57 in the four quarters of the game.

The Mozambican fans started trooping into the Desportivo Sports Centre, Maputo, as early as noon for a match scheduled to start at 8 p.m. but did not begin until 8:30 p.m.

However, the Nigeria team, who were not intimidated by the packed crowd at the indoor sports hall, played their hearts out and eventually won the deserved gold medal.

After the epic encounter, the green-white-green Nigerian flag took centre court as the players and few Nigerians who watched the match celebrated.

President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique, who witnessed the defeat of his team, presented the medals to the Nigerian players.

However, Sani Ahmed, Coach of Nigerias DTigers, says the gold medal won is a mission accomplished through hard work, determination and discipline exhibited by the players.

''We set out to accomplish this mission and I am very happy that we were able to pick the gold medal and also defeat the Angolans in the semi-finals.

Coach Sani said the team would return home and immediately commence preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Also reacting to the victory, Muktar Khaleh, the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF) Technical Director, said winning the gold medal at stake at the games was an indication that basketball was developing in the country.

Khaleh, a one-time National Team Captain, said the Federations next objective would be to win the African Womens Championship beginning next week in Mali.

The technical director expressed the hope that with the performance of the mens team at the Games, the women would be motivated to perform well in their tournament in Mali.

Courtesy of http://nigerianpilot.com

*****************************************************
  NORWAY   


BLNO Round 3: The are no undefeated teams left - by Eurobasket News
The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Froya Basket (2-1) in Bekkestua on Sunday night. Visitors were edged by Baerum Basket (2-1) 80-77. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Froya Basket. It was a key game for the top position in the league as both teams had the same 1-1 record before this meeting. The hosts trailed by 7 points after three quarters before their 23-13 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Baerum Basket made 7 blocks. It was a great evening for American forward Ryan Ferranti (196, college: Rollins) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 28 points and 15 rebounds. Guard Stian Mjos (182-89) helped adding 19 points and 7 assists. The best for the losing side was the former international forward Miilah Kombat (200-88, college: N.Idaho JC) with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 13 rebounds. Baerum Basket keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 4 other teams including defeated Froya Basket. Baerum Basket will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Froya Basket will play at home against Gimle BBK in Bergen and is hoping to win this game.
Very significant was Tromso's (#8) 38-point road victory against bottom-ranked Langhus IL 78-40. It was an exceptional evening for Danish forward Morten Sahlertz (198-89) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds. Brad Byerson accounted for 13 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists. Center Gisle Klubnes (202-84) came up with 8 points and 6 rebounds for Langhus IL in the defeat. Tromso (1-2) left bottom position moving up to sixth place, which they share with Ammerud Bskt. It was Langhus IL's third loss in a row. Newly promoted Langhus IL still closes the standings with three games lost. Tromso will play against league's second-placed Asker Aliens on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Langhus IL will play against the league's second-placed Asker Aliens (#2) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Quite upsetting was Ammerud Bskt's 17-point home defeat in a game versus Centrum who smashed hosts 79-62. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The best player for the winners was Frank Nyborg who scored 16 points and 7 rebounds. Centrum's coach Marco Sanders used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was Orji Okoroafor who recorded 28 points and 6 assists. Centrum (2-1) keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 4 other teams. Ammerud Bskt at the other side dropped to the sixth place with two games lost. They share the position with Tromso. Centrum will meet at home Tromso (#7) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Ammerud Bskt will have a break next round.
A very interesting game took place in Asker. This derby game ended with only three-point home defeat of leader Asker Aliens (2-1) to sixth ranked Gimle BBK (2-1) 95-92 in the fight for the first place. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Asker Aliens. It was a key game for the top position in the league. It was a good game for Stian Enge who led his team to a victory with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Gimle BBK's coach Brent Hackman allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. Gimle BBK keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 4 other teams including defeated Asker Aliens. Gimle BBK's next round opponent will be league's leader Froya Basket in Laksevag and it will be for sure the game of the week. Asker Aliens will play at home against Tromso.


Langhus - Tromso 40-78

Very significant was Tromso's (#8) 38-point road victory against bottom-ranked Langhus IL 78-40. The game without a history. Tromso led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding Langhus IL to just 6 points in first and fourth quarters. Tromso forced 22 Langhus IL turnovers and outrebounded Langhus IL 45-24 including a 34-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. It was an exceptional evening for Danish forward Morten Sahlertz (198-89) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds. American forward Brad Byerson (201-85, college: Virginia Union) accounted for 13 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists for the winning side. Byerson is a former Eurobasket Summer League player, which is considered top international summer league in the market. Four Tromso players scored in double figures. Center Gisle Klubnes (202-84) came up with 8 points and 6 rebounds and guard Emari O'Garrow (190-78) added 7 points and 6 rebounds respectively for Langhus IL in the defeat. Tromso (1-2) left bottom position moving up to sixth place, which they share with Ammerud Bskt. It was Langhus IL's third loss in a row. Newly promoted Langhus IL still closes the standings with three games lost. Tromso will play against league's second-placed Asker Aliens on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Langhus IL will play against the league's second-placed Asker Aliens (#2) and hopes to get finally their first victory.
Top scorers:
Langhus: O.Egeland 9+4reb, G.Klubnes 8+6reb+3ast, E.O'Garrow 7+6reb+1ast, F.Mamen 6+2reb+3ast, B.Andersen 4+1reb+2ast, A.Hagen Kristiansen 4+1reb
Tromso: M.Sahlertz 20+12reb, A.Solem 17+9reb, H.Issalhi 14+3reb+8ast, B.Byerson 13+12reb+6ast, G.Mihaylov 7+2reb+3ast, D.Johansen 4+2reb+1ast
gschID: 144922


Baerum Basket - Froya Basket 80-77

The most crucial game of the last round was the first loss of undefeated Froya Basket (2-1) in Bekkestua on Sunday night. Visitors were edged by Baerum Basket (2-1) 80-77. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Froya Basket. It was a key game for the top position in the league as both teams had the same 1-1 record before this meeting. The hosts trailed by 7 points after three quarters before their 23-13 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Baerum Basket made 7 blocks. It was a great evening for American forward Ryan Ferranti (196, college: Rollins) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 28 points and 15 rebounds. Guard Stian Mjos (182-89) helped adding 19 points and 7 assists. The best for the losing side was the former international forward Miilah Kombat (200-88, college: N.Idaho JC) with a double-double by scoring 24 points and 13 rebounds and American power forward Peter Bullock (198-82, college: Alaska-Anch.) scored 17 points and 8 rebounds. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Baerum Basket keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 4 other teams including defeated Froya Basket. Baerum Basket will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Froya Basket will play at home against Gimle BBK in Bergen and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Froya Basket: M.Kombat 24+13reb+1ast, P.Bullock 17+8reb+3ast, E.Gabrans 14+4reb+4ast, N.Phillip 11+1reb+2ast, A.Ouakkaha 6+5reb+1ast, K.Otabor 3
Baerum Basket: R.Ferranti 28+15reb+1ast, S.Mjos 19+3reb+7ast, D.Oatis 12+7reb+1ast, T.Mjos 10+1reb+3ast, O.Fritzen 8+3reb+2ast, L.Harto 2+1reb
gschID: 144919


Asker Aliens - Gimle BBK 92-95

A very interesting game took place in Asker. This derby game ended with only three-point home defeat of leader Asker Aliens (2-1) to sixth ranked Gimle BBK (2-1) 95-92 in the fight for the first place. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Asker Aliens. It was a key game for the top position in the league. Asker Aliens were ahead by 12 points at the halftime before a 56-41 second half run of Gimle BBK. They made 20-of-23 charity shots (87.0 percent) during the game. It was a good game for guard Stian Enge (190-90) who led his team to a victory with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Guard Anders Stien (195-90) contributed with 27 points for the winners. Gimle BBK's coach Brent Hackman allowed to play the deep bench players in such tough game. The former international guard Espen Stien (188-86) answered with 28 points and American forward Cooper Land (203-88, college: Wright St.) added 23 points in the effort for Asker Aliens. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Gimle BBK keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 4 other teams including defeated Asker Aliens. Gimle BBK's next round opponent will be league's leader Froya Basket in Laksevag and it will be for sure the game of the week. Asker Aliens will play at home against Tromso.
Top scorers:
Asker Aliens: E.Stien 28+1reb+3ast, C.Land 23+2reb+1ast, T.Lee 14+4reb+2ast, F.Bohn 11+2reb+3ast, M.Midtvedt 7+4reb+3ast, J.Bohn 5+2reb+3ast
Gimle BBK: A.Stien 27+2reb+1ast, D.Berg 22+5reb+1ast, S.Enge 20+5reb+5ast, S.de Lange 10+2reb, E.Fjaerestad 8+1reb, M.Sumskis 4+3reb
gschID: 144920


Ammerud Bskt - Centrum 62-79

Quite upsetting was Ammerud Bskt's 17-point home defeat in a game versus Centrum who smashed hosts 79-62. It was a key game for the top position in the league. The game without a history. Centrum led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Centrum forced 21 Ammerud Bskt turnovers. The best player for the winners was the former international forward Frank Nyborg (197-83) who scored 16 points and 7 rebounds. The former international point guard Mustafa Mahnin (182-80) chipped in 16 points and 4 assists. Centrum's coach Marco Sanders used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. At the other side the best for losing team was the former international guard Orji Okoroafor (187-80) who recorded 28 points and 6 assists and the former international forward Thor Hagen (196-80) added 16 points and 13 rebounds respectively. Centrum (2-1) keeps a position of league leader, which they share with 4 other teams. Ammerud Bskt at the other side dropped to the sixth place with two games lost. They share the position with Tromso. Centrum will meet at home Tromso (#7) in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Ammerud Bskt will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Ammerud Bskt: O.Okoroafor 28+3reb+6ast, T.Hagen 16+13reb+1ast, F.Sikander 9+6reb, M.Bryn 6+5reb, A.Haddad 2, S.Wroldsen 1
Centrum: M.Mahnin 16+3reb+4ast, F.Nyborg 16+7reb+3ast, M.Bradascio 12+4reb+4ast, T.Vangen 9+3reb+1ast, C.Hinsch 8+4reb+1ast, B.Aunan 6+2reb
gschID: 144921




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


BLNO Stats Leaders
Points Per Game
 Stian MJOS
  Baerum B.
  (182-G-89)
  Avg: 24
 1. Mjos, Baerum B.24.0 
 2. Sahlertz, Tromso22.3 
 3. Land, Asker Aliens21.7 
 4. Stien, Asker Aliens21.0 
 5. Kombat, Froya B.20.7 
 6. Stien, Gimle BBK20.5 
 7. Hagen, Ammerud18.7 
 8. Okoroafor, Ammerud18.3 
 9. Wallace, Tromso18.0 
 10. Berg, Gimle BBK17.0 
Rebounds Per Game
 Tony LEE
  Asker Aliens
  (185-G-86)
  Avg: 13.7
 1. Lee, Asker Aliens13.7 
 2. Byerson, Tromso9.0 
 3. Bullock, Froya B.8.7 
 4. Hagen, Ammerud8.0 
 5. Oatis, Baerum B.7.7 
 6. Ferranti, Baerum B.7.3 
 7. Kombat, Froya B.7.3 
 8. Nwachukwu, Ammerud7.0 
 9. Wallace, Tromso7.0 
 10. Ouakkaha, Froya6.3 
Assists Per Game
 Hani ISSALHI
  Tromso
  (187-G-84)
  Avg: 7
 1. Issalhi, Tromso7.0 
 2. Mjos, Baerum B.5.0 
 3. Midtvedt, Asker A.5.0 
 4. Gabrans, Froya B.4.7 
 5. Stien, Gimle BBK4.5 
 6. Byerson, Tromso4.0 
 7. Lee, Asker Aliens4.0 
 8. Mjos, Baerum B.3.7 
 9. Silavs, Froya B.3.7 
 10. Stien, Asker Alie.3.7 
Steals Per Game
 Hani ISSALHI
  Tromso
  (187-G-84)
  Avg: 3
 1. Issalhi, Tromso3.0 
 2. Sahlertz, Tromso2.0 
 3. Mjos, Baerum B.2.0 
 4. Westerlund, Ammeru.2.0 
 5. Mjos, Baerum B.2.0 
 6. Hagen, Ammerud1.7 
 7. Gabrans, Froya B.1.7 
 8. Hinsch, Centrum1.5 
 9. Elgmork, Baerum B.1.3 
 10. Andersen, Langhus1.3 
Blocks Per Game
 Donald OATIS
  Baerum B.
  (206-F/C-79)
  Avg: 3.7
 1. Oatis, Baerum B.3.7 
 2. Byerson, Tromso1.3 
 3. Nwachukwu, Ammerud1.0 
 4. Nyborg, Centrum1.0 
 5. Lee, Asker Aliens1.0 
 6. Bullock, Froya B.0.7 
 7. Andreassen, Baerum0.7 
 8. Hinsch, Centrum0.5 
 9. Kombat, Froya B.0.3 
 10. O''Garrow, Langhus0.3 


*****************************************************
  PBL   


NW Indiana Stars Leave the ABA to Join the PBL for 2012 Season - by Allen White
CHICAGO, Sept. 15, 2011 /via Reuters.com/ The Northwest Indiana Stars are the latest addition to the growing list of teams joining the Premier Basketball League (PBL) for the upcoming 2012 season. Owners Kenny Miller (6'9''-F/C-67, college: Loyola, IL) and Derrick Smith are excited about the switch from the American Basketball Association (ABA) to the PBL and look forward to competing against higher caliber basketball teams in a professional league. The Stars arrival marks the seventh team to be a part of the PBL for their fifth consecutive season.

We are excited about joining the Premier Basketball League. The Stars are a competitive program and we want to give our players the opportunity to be challenged by top rate basketball teams. The PBLs dedication to athleticism, fan base support, standards, and community involvement were some of the reasons why we made the transition. We are excited about the 2012 season, commented team co-owner Derrick Smith.

Miller and Smith began their extensive basketball experience together at Morgan Park High School in Chicago, IL. Miller was named to honorable mention status for the McDonalds All-American Team during his time at Morgan Park. Following their successful high school careers, Miller and Smith split, Miller going on to play for Loyola University where he led the nation in rebounding and was named First Team All-Conference, and Smith going on to play collegiate ball at South Suburban College where an injury ended his basketball career. Miller made his way over to Europe to play in Spain, France, Italy, Turkey and Greece, where he holds numerous rebounding, shot blocking, and dunk records. After his European play time, Miller came back to the US where he had brief stints in the NBA with the Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, and Denver Nuggets.

Not only are the team owners well versed in team leadership from the basketball side, additionally their involvement in business and the community led the team to a sound operational position. Miller is an active real estate investor and is heavily involved in the community through his Solidrock Mentor Program. Smith currently works in the insurance industry as an auditor, and his experience as a financial analyst for a commercial bank gives the team a sound business and financial basis.

We welcome the Northwest Indiana Stars and are glad they can now take the step up to quality and professional basketball in the PBL, mentioned PBL President & CEO Brij Desai.

Earlier this year, The PBL announced a regional play model. This allows fans to travel to away games and support their hometown teams. In addition, this regional play model will keep team travel costs at a minimum so that team owners have the ability to use budgets for the betterment of the program. The Northwest Indiana Stars will be playing their home games at On the Square Sports Academy in Crown Point, IN. All games for the upcoming 2012 PBL season will be broadcasted live online and through television distribution with the PBLs interactive online partner @SportsTV Network. For more information on the Northwest Indiana Stars, visit http://www.nwistars.com

For more information on the Premier Basketball League (www.thePBL.com) please contact Chris Foltz, Vice President of League Development at chris@thepbl.com or 312-772-4865.

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


Standings - Superior
Superior Standings
 1. Regatas 28-2 
 2. Real Club 26-4 
 3. Escuela Fap 23-6 
 4. El Bosque 19-11 
 5. Inmaculada 18-13 
 6. Centro Naval 12-18 
 7. Ejercito 11-20 
 8. San Augustin 9-22 
 9. San Marcos 3-26 
 10. Universitario 1-28 


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


2011 Asian Championship: Philippines pushed the tempo in the second half to beat Jordan - by Eurobasket News
Jordan-Philippines 64:72

Jordan and Philippines struggled for the second win in Group F of the Asian Championship in Wuhan. Philippines showed their character and trailing in the majority of the game, grabbed 72:64 win.
Jordan started the game with 9-2 run and had 20:11 lead after the first 10 minutes. They kept the opponents scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter and had 24:11 lead. The teams went to the lockers at 31:26, while the second half belonged to Philippines. They needed 21-16 in the third quarter to tie the game at 47:47 after three quarters and then grabbed the victory due to 25-17 in the last stanza.
Marcus Douthit (210-C/F-80, agency: Edge Sports, college: Providence) erupted with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Marcio Lassiter (188-G-87, college: Cal.St. Fullerton) scored 14, while Jimmy Alapag (177-G-77, college: Cal.St.-San Bernar.) netted 11. Daghles Osama (198-G-79, college: Midwestern St.) delivered 18 points in the losing effort, while Rasheim Wright (192-G-81, college: District of Col.) posted 16. Abbas Zaid (203-F-83) collected 10 points and 12 boards, while Abdallah AbuQoura (203-C-84) had 7.

Jordan: Daghles Osama 18, Rasheim Wright 16, Abbas Zaid 10+12 rebs, Abdallah AbuQoura 7
Philippines: Marcus Douthit 19+15 rebs, Marcio Lassiter 14, Jimmy Alapag 11

DAY 4 OF THE 2011 FIBA-ASIA MEN'S TOURNEY - by Enzo Flojo
IRAN over MALAYSIA, 121-36
IRI 121 - Afagh 20, Haddadi 20, Kazemi 18, Kamrani 13, Sahakian 12, Bahrami 11, Kardoust 8, Sohrabnejad 6, Davarpanah 4, Davari 4, Atashi 3, Davoudi 2
MAS 36 - Batumalai 13, Chee 8, Ooi 6, Soo 4, Loh 3, Kwaan 2, Lau 0, Wee 0, Chin 0, Kuppusamy 0, Kuek 0
QS: 34-14, 56-23, 91-28, 121-36
- Iran started the game 16-5 five minutes in and never looked back. Malaysia was grossly outshot, outrebounded, and just outplayed in every sense possible. No chance.
- Hamed Afagh and Hamed Haddadi led Iran with 20 points apiece. Oshin Sahakian had a double-double with 12 points and 15 boards. Afagh was an all-around star in this one, hitting 4 triples and getting 5 steals. Iran hikes its 2nd round record to 3-0 (2 wins from round 1 and 1 from round 2) and now prepares for some tough days ahead against Lebanon and South Korea.
- Malaysia's Guga Batumalai had another good showing in the tragic loss. He hit 2 threes on the way to 13 points. Malaysia drops its 3rd game and now is in danger of missing the quarterfinals. They try to bounce back against the Uzbeks next.

TAIWAN over LEBANON, 60-58
TPE 60 - Chen HA 15, Wu 12, Lu 10, Chang 9, Chien 7, Tseng 5, Lee 2, Su 0, Lin 0
LIB 58 - Hoskin 19, Abdel Nour 12, Reda 9, Kanaan 6, Bawji 5, Stephan 3, Akl 2, Ibrahim 2, Martinez 0, Tabet 0
QS: 16-13, 30-30, 50-50, 60-58
- Tseng Wen-Ting hit a lay-up to bookend a 16-1 run late in the game and put Taiwan ahead for good. Lebanon's last-ditch rally fell short as they missed opportunities in alarming succession. It was a se-saw game all throughout, but the Taiwanese were just steadier down the stretch.
- Taiwan was led by Chen Hsin-An's 15 points, while Wu Tai-Hao effectively manned the middle with a dozen markers and 9 boards. Lu Cheng-Ju made up for the big fat egg laid by Lin Chih-Chieh by scoring 12 points and hitting 2 threes. Taiwan's round 2 record is now 2-1 and they battle South Korea next.
- Lebanon falters anew and now it has a 1-2 slate. A bright note, however, is that naturalized center Sam Hoskin produced his own double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. They take on the mighty Iranians next.

SOUTH KOREA over UZBEKISTAN, 106-57
KOR 106 - Stevenson 21, Cho 20, Yang HJ 16, Park 15, Kang 8, Oh 8, Lee 5, Kim JS 5, Kim JK 5, Yang DG 2, Kim YH 2
UZB 57 - Shatrov 11, Zinonev 10, Yahin 10, Juginisov 9, Denisov 4, Belokurov 4, Timofev 4, Kozlov 3, Nuraliev 2, Khabibullin 0, Pereverzev 0
QS: 30-11, 52-24, 74-37, 106-57
- The Koreans wasted no time destroying Uzbekistan in their first game of round 2. They more than doubled Uzbekistan's output in the 1st period and never relinquished the pressure, continuing to double up on the Uzbeks by the end of 3 quarters. As expected, Korea was much better in every category, especially in 3-pointers as they hit 19-of-37 (51%). Coach Hur Jae's boys also enjoyed a significant gap in free throw attempts, as they were awarded 27 compared to just 14 for Uzbekistan.
- Kor-Am Jarod Stevenson continued shooting the lights out in Wuhan. He shot 7-of-11 from the floor, including 5 treys. Cho Sung-Min continued to impress, as well, hitting 6 triples on his way to 20 points. Giant center Ha Seung-Jin was rested again, as coach Hur wishes to preserve him for the titanic tussle against Iran in two days. Korea ups their round 2 standing to 3-0. Taiwan should provide a good challenge for them next.
- The Uzbeks couldn't really get anything going here. They committed 22 turnovers and shot a measly 32% from the field. They were clearly outmatched and they have failed to gain momentum on their way against the Malaysians in their next game. The winner of that match still has some hope of entering the quarters.

PHILIPPINES over JORDAN, 72-64
PHL 72 - Douthit 19, Lassiter 14, Alapag 11, Tiu 9, Williams 6, Lutz 4, De Ocampo 4, Casio 3, Taulava 2, Barroca 0, Aguilar 0, Baracael 0
JOR 64 - Dahglas 18, Wright 16, Abbas 10, Abu Quora 7, Abbaas 6, Al-Sous 5, Zaghab 2, Soobzokov 0
QS: 11-20, 26-31, 47-47, 72-64
- Jordan played a tight 8-man rotation against the Pinoys to try and ensure a high level of play all throughout. It worked early on as they built a big 18-point lead, but the Pinoys, buoyed by the clearance of Fil-Ams Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz, clawed back in the 2nd canto to restore order. The Filipinos eventually took the lead in the 3rd stanza and it was a close match from then on. A fast start in the fourth gave the Philippines an 8-point bubble, but Jordan quickly closed the gap after a timeout. They fell short, however, as the Pinoys proved steadier on defense and on the line.
- Marcus Douthit bucked a mild sprain he got in the third period to finish strong and lead Team Pilipinas with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Lassiter backed him up well, hitting 4 treys to rack up 14 markers. PBA MVP Jimmy Alapag also played well, hitting 2 triples on the way to 11 points. The Pinoys have another big one next as they tackle the vastly improved Japanese.
- Sam Dahglas came back from a suspected knee injury to score 18 points and grab 6 boards. He orchestrated well, especially in the early goings. Rasheim Wright finished with 16, but had to take 24 shots to get there. He made only 6 field goals in all. A big casualty seems to be AJ Zaghab, who went down in the 4th clutching his knee. He never came back, and was not able to walk it off, so it looks pretty serious. Jordan's chances took a big hit here, and they have to upset China for any hopes of finishing better than fourth in round 2.
- Jordan signed the game under protest, but it will probably be for naught since it was the head office of FIBA that gave Lassiter and Lutz an 'all clear.' If anyone was at fault, it was FIBA-Asia organizers, who seemed to delay everything and make communicating these developments more difficult than it should've been.

JAPAN over UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, 101-61
JPN 101 - Amino 17, Takeuchi K 15, Ishizaki 13, Shonaka 11, Takeuchi J 11, Hirose 10, Matsui 6, Sakurai 5, Takeda 4, Kashiwagi 4, Kawamura 3, Ota 2
UAE 61 - Salem 14, Al-Zaabi 13, Al-Braiki 11, Abdalla 9, Al-Hattawi 7, Ahmed 3, Al-Sari 2, Banihammad 2
QS: 15-9, 56-26, 80-43, 101-61
- UAE seemed like it would give a great challenge after the first quarter, but then Japan stepped on the gas in the second period and sustained the pressure. All in all, the Emirates were outscored 41-17 in that quarter and it proved to be the big difference in the game. Japan had more rebounds and assists, but the amazing stat was they had 17 steals! They also continued their great sniping, hitting 11 triples in the game.
- Tomoo Amino came through for the Japanese with 17 points and 3 triples. The Takeuchi twins stood tall once again, combining for 26 points and 17 rebounds. Coach Tom Wisman's wards are still undefeated, but they stand to face a major test in the Filipinos next.
- UAE's quarterfinal chances took a big dive with this loss, and every game is now a must-win for them if they wish to move on. Khalifa Salem had 14 points to lead them while Rashed Al-Zaabi made 3 triples to finish with 13 markers.

CHINA over SYRIA, 90-71
CHN 90 - Yi J 19, Su 14, Wang 9, Zhang B 8, Sun 8, Zhu 7, Liu 6, Yi L 6, Xirelijiang 5, Ding 4, Yu 4, Zhang Z 0
SYR 71 -Deeb 16, Daks 12, Gorges 9, Al-Hamowi 9, Lubus 8, Al-Saman 8, Al-Khatib 7, Osfira 2, Jlilati 0, Nalbandian 0, Abboud 0
QS: 24-10, 47-28, 70-49, 90-71
- China's 24-10 start gave them enough cushion to just cruise all the way to the win. Coach Bob Donewald's wards exploited their size advantage to outscore Syria in the paint, 44-18, and they scored at will in transition, getting 16 fast break points to just 2 for Syria. Syria actually seemed poised to challenge China mid-1st quarter at 10-12, but the Chinese unloaded a 16-10 bomb briding the first two periods to silence all doubts.
- Yi Jianlian topscored again with 19 points on 7-of-10 FG shooting while also grabbing 6 rebounds. SU Wei backed him up down low with 14 markers on 5-of-7 shooting. Overall, the Chinese shot 57% from the field and 54% from beyond the arc. They remain unscathed in 4 games and are set to face the reeling Jordanians next.
- Syria's erstwhile big guns, Wael Jlilati, Vache Nalbandian and Eder Gorges all put up subpar performances here. Jlilati and Nalbandian both failed to score in about 12 minutes each. Gorges, meanwhile, shot just 3-of-13 and ended up with 9 markers and just 1 board. Ioannis Deeb and Samir Daks led Syria's losing effort with 16 and 12 respectively. They tumble to 0-3 in round 2, but have a chance against the Emirates next.

INDONESIA over BAHRAIN, 85-62
INA 85 - Poedjakesuma 32, Sitepu 18, Prawiro 11, Dewanto 6, Indrawan 7, Gunawan 5, Chandra 2, Prihantono 2, Gerungan 2, Wuysang 0, Situmorang 0
BRN 62 - Malabes 17, Al-Tawashi 11, Mubarak 10, Isa 8, Akber 6, Mahri 4, Sarhan 4, Malallah 2, Ali 0, Ashoor 0
QS: 12-17, 36-34, 53-45, 85-62
- Bahrain seemed poised to nail its first win after a 10-0 start, but Indonesia regrouped and outscored the Bahrainis 36-24 the rest of the first half. The Indons continued shooting well, particularly on second-chance points, where they had the advantage 18-3. They also forced Bahrain to commit 23 turnovers and scored 24 off of those errors. A 32-17 fourth period settled the final spread for the SEABA bridesmaids.
- Andi Poedjakesuma had one of the most prolific offensive performances of the tourney with 32 points. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and converted 6 of 11 triple tries. Christian Sitepu and Ponsianus Indrawan effectively patrolled the interior, pairing up for 25 points and 21 boards. Mario Wuysang failed to put up any points, but he did well as the playmaker with 11 assists. The Indons finally got a win and can get another one in the battle for 13th place against India.
- Bader Malabes continues to be Bahrain's most consistent scorer in Wuhan. He hit 3 triples to finish with 17 points on top of 6 rebounds and 4 dimes. Rahman Mubarak was also good down low with 10 markers and 8 boards. Bahrain finishes the competition winless, but one better than Qatar, who chose to forfeit all remaining matches.

Source: HoopNut.blogspot.com

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


Slask Wroclaw win Zielona Gora tournament - by Eurobasket News
Slask Wroclaw became the winners of pre-season tournament in Zielona Gora. They claimed the first spot despite the loss to Nova Ves in the last round. Andrew Jones (208-F-87) scored 23 points to lead the Slovakian team to a 75:73 win. Slask Wroclaw led by two points at halftime 39:37. But Nova Ves went on a 24:11 run in the third term to surge ahead. They shielded the lead well throughout the fourth term and celebrated a narrow victory at the end. Stanislav Baldovsky (192-F-89) provided 13 points for Nova Ves. Slavisa Bogavac (200-G/F-80, agency: BeoExcell) answered with 22 points for Slask Wroclaw. Akselis Vairogs (195-F-85, agency: Players Group) posted 15 points in the loss.
PGE Turow clinched the second place at the tournament. They cruised past Zastal Zielona Gora 78:60 on the final day of the competition. Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) knocked down 19 points to lead the effort. Daniel Kickert (208-C-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) provided 16 points for the winners. Jeff Foote (212-C-88, college: Cornell) and Jakub Dloniak (192-F-83, agency: Promotex) answered with 9 points each in the losing effort.


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


Giessen 46ers and Angel Garcia part ways - by Eurobasket News
Angel Garcia (209-C/F-88, college: Memphis) will not play for Giessen 46ers next season. The team announced they agreed with Garcia to terminate his one-year loan from Unicaja. The Puerto Rican PF/C joined Giessen recently. He spent last season also on loan, but with Spanish team Clinicas Rincon. He had 14.2 ppg and 6.2 rpg for them in 19 LEB Gold games. Angel Garcia spent two years with the University of Memphis in the past. However, he appeared just 12 times for them in total. He had 6.8 ppg and 1.2 rpg. In the past, Garcia played for the Puerto Rican team Jayuya. Angel Garcia was a member of Puerto Rico NT in 2010. He played for their U21, U19 and U18 National Teams earlier.

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


CSKA and Nizhniy Novgorod deliver the victories - by Eurobasket News
CSKA won over Lietuvos Rytas 67:63 in Vilnius. The home side started with 18-13 and had 19-18 in the second period for 6-point advantage at the halftime. The second half however belonged to the Russian Champions that won the third 19-14 and the last quarter 17-12. Darjus Lavrinovic (212-C-79) top-scored for the winners with 20 points and Nikita Kurbanov (202-F-86) delivered 16. Sammy Mejia (198-G-83, college: De Paul) netted 12, while Sasha Kaun (211-C-85) and Voronov followed them with 6 points each. Brad Newley (201-F-85, agency: Beo Basket) ended up with 10 points for the Baltic State.
Nizhniy Novgorod overcame OKK Serbia 98:78. The Russian representative opened the game with 28-24 in the first period and had 2-point advantage at the halftime. In the third quarter Nizhniy Novgorod produced 29-26 and erupted with 24-9 in the last stanza. Nikita Stepanenkov (207-C-87) top-scored for the winners with 13 points, while Panin posted 12. Nenad Misanovic (217-C-84) delivered 17 points in defeat and Dragan Mitrovic (200-F-85) scored 16.


News from Severstal and Triumph - by Eurobasket News
Severstal just finished the International Tournament with 6 teams participating. The Russian team ended up on the fourth place and showed great basketball.
In the game for the 3rd place University of Tartu beat BK Severstal 83:79. Aleksandr Lunev (201-F-80) became the top-scorer of the team with 22.0 points per game. He also made it in the top team of the tournament.
Azovmash earned the title at the Azovmash Cup pre-season tournament. The hosts prevailed against Triumph 64:57 in the title game. Daniel Ewing (191-G-83, agency: Alti Sport, college: Duke) and Pecherov stepped up with 14 points each to lead the charge. Azovmash grabbed a 30:24 halftime lead. They maintained the advantage well enough throughout the second half and celebrated deserved victory at the end. Minard posted 12 points, while Artur Drozdov (199-G-80) contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Davon Jefferson (203-F-86, college: USC) answered with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Triumph. Tywain McKee (188-PG-86, college: Coppin St.) delivered 15 points in the losing effort.


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  SCOTLAND   


Standings
National League Standings
 1. C.Eriksson F. 2-0 
 2. Edinburgh K. 2-0 
 3. St.Mirren 1-0 
 4. Troon Tornadoes 1-0 
 5. Glasgow Storm 1-1 
 6. Glasgow Univ. 1-1 
 7. Stirling Knights 1-1 
 8. Boroughmuir 0-2 
 9. Dunfermline 0-2 
 10. Glasgow R. II 0-2 


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


Standings - B Liga
B League Standings
 1. Beovuk 72 0-0 
 2. Crnokosa 0-0 
 3. Jagodina 0-0 
 4. Jedinstvo NB 0-0 
 5. Konstantin 0-0 
 6. Mladost BJ 0-0 
 7. Mladost Cacak 0-0 
 8. Napredak A. 0-0 
 9. Radnicki OB 0-0 
 10. Radnicki Stud. 0-0 
 11. Sabac 0-0 
 12. Smederevo 0-0 
 13. Spartak 0-0 
 14. Viva Basket 0-0 
 15. Vojvodina 0-0 


Hemofarm takes second place in Yuzny - by Eurobasket News
Hemofarm participated at the international tournament in Ukrainian city Yuzny. The Serbian squad registered 2-1 record and finished as the second ranked team.
In the opening day of the tournament, Hemofarm outplayed Barak Netanya 85-75. Marko Sutalo (194-G-83, agency: BeoExcell) had 19 points in this victory. Boris Savovic (206-F-87) and Mladen Pantic (209-C-82, agency: Alti Sport) netted 13 points each.
In Day Two, Hemofarm failed against the home team Khimik 63-66. Darrel Mitchell paced Ukrainians to victory with 16 points. In Hemofarm, Marko Sutalo and Mladen Jeremic (196-G-88, agency: Interperformances) had 13 pts each. Ivan Maras (208-C/F-86, agency: Beo Basket) stopped to 8 points and 5 rebounds. Quarters - 19:17, 17:15, 13:19, 17:12.
In the last day of the tournament, Hemofarm handed 80-73 loss to MBC Mykolaiv. Boris Savovic shined with 17 points and 13 rebounds in this game. Marko Sutalo scored 12 points. Quarters - 17:22, 23:18, 20:14, 13:26.

Towzin Electric Kashan keeps Head Coach Vlado Djurovic - by Eurobasket News
Towzin Electric Kashan signed a one-year contract extension with their Head Coach Vlado Djurovic (agency: Interperformances ). The Serbian specialist took over the team in November and led them to Superleague Semifinals. It was considered as nice success and the team decided to offer Djurovic and extension. Towzin ended regular season as No.5 with 15-7 record. They eliminated Tarabari in the Quarterfinals with perfect 2-0. Towzin failed in the Semis against Mahram (0-3), who later won the title. Before Towzin, Vlado Djurovic worked with FMP Zeleznik, Vojvodina and Metalac Valjevo. He also coached Lietuvos Rytas, Buducnost Podgorica, Aalst, Oostende, AEK, Aris, Panionios and few other teams. In 2000, Djurovic won the Cypriot Cup with Achilleas Kaimakliou. Back in 1993, he coached Yugoslavian National Team. In 1997, Djurovic worked with Belgian NT.

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  SLOVAKIA   


Slask Wroclaw win Zielona Gora tournament - by Eurobasket News
Slask Wroclaw became the winners of pre-season tournament in Zielona Gora. They claimed the first spot despite the loss to Nova Ves in the last round. Andrew Jones (208-F-87) scored 23 points to lead the Slovakian team to a 75:73 win. Slask Wroclaw led by two points at halftime 39:37. But Nova Ves went on a 24:11 run in the third term to surge ahead. They shielded the lead well throughout the fourth term and celebrated a narrow victory at the end. Stanislav Baldovsky (192-F-89) provided 13 points for Nova Ves. Slavisa Bogavac (200-G/F-80, agency: BeoExcell) answered with 22 points for Slask Wroclaw. Akselis Vairogs (195-F-85, agency: Players Group) posted 15 points in the loss.
PGE Turow clinched the second place at the tournament. They cruised past Zastal Zielona Gora 78:60 on the final day of the competition. Giedrius Gustas (190-G-80, agency: Interperformances) knocked down 19 points to lead the effort. Daniel Kickert (208-C-83, college: St.Mary's, CA) provided 16 points for the winners. Jeff Foote (212-C-88, college: Cornell) and Jakub Dloniak (192-F-83, agency: Promotex) answered with 9 points each in the losing effort.


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


2011 Asian Championship: South Korea show no mercy to Uzbekistan - by Eurobasket News
South Korea - Uzbekistan 106:57

South Korea posted the fourth straight win at the Asian Championship. They coasted past Uzbekistan to improve at 3-0 record in Group E. Moon Tae-Jong (199-F-75, agency: Alti Sport, college: Richmond) delivered 21 points to lead the charge. Uzbekistan fell at 0-3 record after the loss.
Korea marked their ambitions early. They poured in 30 points in the starting period to take a 19-point lead. The margin just kept on growing in the second term. South Korea secured a comfortable 52:24 halftime advantage. They kept Uzbekistan at bay throughout the third term. South Korea established a 74:37 advantage with one quarter remaining. Uzbekistan dropped 20 points in the fourth term but it did not help as South Korea easily matched the effort scoring 32 and celebrating victory. Cho Sung-Min (189-F-83) provided 20 points, while Yang Hee-Jong (194-F-84) added 16 points for the winners. Evgeniy Shatrov (192-G-86) answered with 11 points for Uzbekistan. Gennadiy Zinovyev (198-F-84) and Aleksandr Yahin (205-C-89) finished with 10 points each in the loss.

South Korea: Moon Tae-Jong 21, Cho Sung-Min 20, Yang Hee-Jong 16
Uzbekistan: Evgeniy Shatrov 11, Gennadiy Zinovyev 10, Aleksandr Yahin 10


Hur hoping to erase bad memories in Wuhan - by Jerry Lee
Former guard Hur Jae was Koreas star player at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Fifteen years later, he has switched his baggy shorts for a blazer and tie and is gunning to secure the team an Olympic berth for London 2012 as its head coach.

Korea embarks today on its bid to qualify for the quadrennial event at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China. The competition guarantees the winner - of 16 teams - a place at the Olympics, while those that finish second and third will still have a chance as they will playoff with nations from other continents.

In the Asia Championship, the 16 teams are divided into four groups, with the top three from each progressing to the next round. The 12 teams will then be divided into two groups, with eight going on to the quarterfinals.

Hurs team got off to a flying start after it was formed in May by winning the East Asia Basketball Championship - also held in China, in the former capital Nanjing - in June. It subsequently collected a silver medal at the R. William Jones Cup in Taiwan after losing out to Iran.

Hur said both of these competitions were tune-ups for today, and he will be looking to avoid a repeat of the hammering Korea took two years ago at the last championships. As coach, he had to shoulder most of the blame for the teams seventh-place finish - its worst at the event.

But both his prospects and those of his players are looking brighter during his second stint in charge.

This is my second opportunity, Hur said last Thursday. I will prepare for every game like it is the final.

Hur, who claimed the MVP award at the 1995 Asia Championship, has been building the team around Moon Tae-jong (formerly Jarod Stevenson), who was granted Korean citizenship in July. Only one naturalized player is allowed to play for each team in the tournament.

The 35-year-old was born in Seoul but moved to the U.S. at an early age. He is renowned for his jump shots and clutch ability for Incheon ET Land in the Korean Basketball League (KBL), although a question mark hovers over his stamina. But with Moon attacking from outside the three-point line and center Ha Seung-jin, formerly of the Portland Trailblazers, taking care of the lane, Hur has faith in the teams chances.

However, the team, which has not made the final in the last three editions, will still have to find a way around defending champion Iran and other threats in Wuhan.

Its not going to be easy as China and Middle Eastern countries have improved, Hur said. But we are in good shape and weve prepared hard.



Iran is the biggest challenge for Korea - by JungHwan Seo
Iran is still huge problem for Korea.

Korea clinched Group A with 3-0 in the Preliminary round. But the real competition is beginning from now. Korea will face two time defending champion Iran in the third game of second round. This will be the biggest challenge for Korea.

Korea played against Iran two times at William Jones Cup last month. Korea won first match to 77-59. Iran revenged to 66-59 in the final game. Hamed Haddadi (218-C-85) dominated the post with 35 points, 18 boards and 7 blocks over former NBA center Ha Seung-Jin (221-C-85) who got just 4 points and 8 rebounds.

In addition, the key players of Iran including Mahdi Kamrani (186-PG-82), Samad Nikkhah (198-G/F-83, agency: SportsList Inc.) and Arsalan Kazemi (199-F-90) did not play at that time. Which means that current team Iran is much stronger than Korea.

'This week is going to be the most important days in my coaching career. This is dead or alive' Team Korea head coach Hur Jae said.

As a player, Hur was the most dominant player in the Korean basketball history. He scored 62 points against Egypt in world championship 1990. That was the most in the championship history. He also played at Olympic game in Atlanta 1996.

He continued his great success as a coach with two time KBL champions. However, his first failure came when Korea ranked 7th in the Asian championship two years ago.

'That was the first frustration in my life. I was always winner as a player and coach. Now I should overcome those experiences. I am feeling like this is a war everyday' Hur added.

Even coach's strong desire to win, Korean guys are feeling bad. Especially 'Big HA' who has not played since against Malaysia because of his left ankle pain. He is in doubt to play well against Haddadi. There is no one who can stop Haddadi in Korea.

'I got a much burden without HA. I will do my best against big guys. But, Haddadi is so skillful and so fast even his big size. He is incredible player' Oh Se-Keun said.

'I am still feeling pain. But, I am ready to play against Iran' Ha said. If He feels better, he will play against Chinese Taipei tomorrow.



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


Spain Repeats As EuroBasket Champions - by Carl Berman
Spain successfully defended their EuroBasket title with a powerful 98-85 victory over France in the Final in Kaunas, Lithuania. Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) led five Spanish players in double-figures with 27 points.

Spain won as a result of the support they were able to provide Navarro both in the final game as well as throughout the tournament. Pau and Marc Gasol successfully battled Joakim Noah inside, Juan Calderon had an excellent final game at the point and Rudy Fernandez played 36 solid all-around minutes. They were able to offset Tony Parkers 26 points which led France. Parker, the leading scorer of the event, had a solid game but it wasnt his best. He shot only 9-for-20 from the field and committed five turnovers.
Calderon, with help at point from Sergio Llull and Ricky Rubio, scored 17 points on 8-for-12 from the field with four steals and only one turnover. Pau Gasol scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while brother Marc added 11 points and six rebounds. Fernandez scored 14 points with no turnovers. One of the key statistics was Spains control of the ball as they committed only eight turnovers to 15 for France. Boris Diaw (12), Noah (11) and Nikolas Batum (10) joined Parker in double-figures for France but Spain was the deeper, better skilled team both against France in the Final and throughout the tournament. Noah and Batum battled foul trouble which limited their effectiveness especially on defense.

The final game was never in doubt as Spain went out to a 25-20 lead after the first quarter, led 50-41 at the half and 75-62 after three quarters. France did make a move in the third quarter but were stopped after Navarro canned back-to-back three-pointers. Serge Ibaka only scored four points for Spain but came up with a stunning five blocked shots in a five minute spell at the start of the second quarter. Rubio, headed to Minnesota whenever the NBA lockout ends, played as the third point guard for Spain. He didnt score in seven minutes of action in the Final, and averaged only 1.5 points and 2.1 assists in the tournament.

Russia denied F.Y.R. of Macedonia a historic first medal as they edged the surprise team of the event 72-68 to capture the bronze medal. Andrei Kirilenko had an excellent tournament as he capped his performance with a solid 18 points and seven rebounds to lead Russia. Bo McCalebb of Macedonia played as well as anyone throughout the event. The 60 point guard by way of the University of New Orleans who is the starter for Italian league champion Montepaschi Siena scored 22 points to go along with four steals and three assists.

These teams met in Round 2 with Russia winning on a last second miracle shot by Sergey Monya. However in this game F.Y.R. of Macedonia blew their chance at the end of the game. The game was tied at 68 when Russias Sergey Bykov made a nice move to score with 15 seconds left to give Russia a two-point lead. With seven seconds left Macedonias Damjan Stojanovski found himself alone underneath the basket and completely missed the basket on a wide open layup that would have tied the game. Russia closed with game out at the free throw line as Aleksey Shved made his two shots. Even with their loss Macedonia and their star Bo McCalebb were the talk of the event.

Hometown favorite Lithuania topped Grecce 73-69 in front of a packed Kauno Arena to take fifth place. Martynas Pocius made three triples on his way to 13 points, Darius Songaila added 12 points and captain Robertas Javtokas contributed a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Nick Calathes led Greece with 16 points. The key of the game was Lithuanias 47-29 rebounding edge, including a 20-8 margin on the offensive glass.

In the quarterfinal matchups, Spain easily topped Slovenia 86-64 behind Navarros 26 points, F.Y.R. of Macedonia edged Lithuania 67-65 as McCalebb scored 23 points, Parker led France over Greece 64-56 with 18 points and Kirilenko has an excellent all-around game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as Russia got past Serbia 77-67.
In the semifinals Spain topped a game F.Y.R. of Macedonia team 92-80 behind Navarros 35 points. McCalebb kept Macedonia in the game with 25 points, five assists and only one turnover. Navarro canned 5-of-9 three-pointers and was unstoppable throughout the contest. He was helped by an outstanding performance from Pau Gasol who contributed 22 points and 17 rebounds. Marc Gasol helped inside with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Ibaka made the most of his 17 minutes as he scored 11 points. 611 Pero Antic had a solid tournament (11.6, 8.5) and added 17 points and nine rebounds for Macedonia.

In the other semifinal France outlasted Russia 79-71 behind Parkers 22 points and Noahs eight rebounds. Batum added 19 for France on 6-for-8 shooting including 3-of-5 on three-pointers. France shot over 50% from the field, including 7-of-12 three-pointers and out-rebounded Russia 35-21.
Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) was named EuroBasket 2011 MVP in one of the standout performances of his career. Navarro scored 26 points in the quarterfinal against Slovenia, then exploded in the semifinal by torching F.Y.R of Macedonia with 35 points. The Spanish captain ended the event appropriately with his 27 points to lead Spain to the championship in the final.

All Tournament Team
Parker, France (22.1 ppg, 4.4 apg), McCalebb, F.Y.R. Of Macedonia (21.4, 3.7 apg), Navarro, Spain (18.7), Kirilenko, Russia (14.9, 6.1 rpg), Paul Gasol, Spain (20.1, 8.3)

Final Standings
1.Spain, 2. France, 3. Russia, 4. F.Y.R. of Macedonia, 5. Lithuania, 6. Greece, 7. Slovenia, 8. Serbia, 9. Germany and Finland, 11. Turkey and Georgia, 13. Croatia, Bulgaria, Great Britain and Israel, 17. Ukraine, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Italy, 21. Montenegro, Latvia, Belgium and Portugal.

Carl Berman is a Managing Partner of NetScouts Basketball. Information on NetScouts Basketball and their International Recruiting Service can be found at www.netscoutsbasketball.com.


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  SWEDEN   


Jamtland signs american duo - by Andreas Eriksson
Jamtland Basket have completed their signing of foreigns players for the upcoming season, as they have announced the signings of Boakai Lalugba (200-F/C-81, agency: Court Side, college: Bucknell) and Geary Claxton (196-G/F-86, college: Penn St.). Lalugba is well known to the Swedish Basketball Fans as he played twice in Sweden before, in Helsingborg and already in Jamtland Basket one year as well, so Lalugba will make his 2nd apperance for Jamtland, last time he averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds - last year he played in France. Geary Claxton comes to Jamtland after completing his college career at Penn State where he was a star, but had ACL surgery that prevented him from beeing drafted in the NBA and Jamtland iwll be his first pro club in Europe.

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  SWITZERLAND   


Standings - LNB
LNB Standings
 1. Acad.Fribourg 0-0 
 2. BC AKA 0-0 
 3. Bern 0-0 
 4. Bernex 0-0 
 5. Blonay Basket 0-0 
 6. DDV Lugano 0-0 
 7. Meyrin Geneve 0-0 
 8. Neuchatel 0-0 
 9. Nyon U23 0-0 
 10. Pully 0-0 
 11. Swiss Central 0-0 
 12. Vevey 0-0 
 13. Villars 0-0 
 14. Zurich Wildcats 0-0 


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


2011 Asian Championship: Syria fell to the home side - by Eurobasket News
Syria-China 71:90

China improved to 3-0 record in Group F at the Asian Championship in Wuhan. The favorites outscored Syria 90:71 to keep them winless with 0-3 record.
The host opened the game with 10-2 lead and improved to 24:10 after the first 10 minutes. China led 31:18 after 15 minute and enjoyed 47:28 at the halftime. Syria actually started to play better in the second half and matched well the Chinese squad. The latter managed to add 23-21 in the third quarter, while Syria won the last period 22-20. China scored 16 Fast Break Points, while their opponents only 2.
Jianlian Yi (212-C/F-87) top-scored for the winners with 19 points and Su Wei scored 14. Wang ZhiZhi (214-C-77) delivered 9 and Sun Yue as well as Zhang Bo (199-G/F-89) added 8 apiece. Giannis Deep (186-G-86) replied with 16 points in the losing effort.


*****************************************************
  TAIWAN   


2011 Asian Championship: Taiwan sneak past Lebanon in Wuhan - by Eurobasket News
Taiwan - Lebanon 60:58

Taiwan opened the Second Round of Asian Championship with a narrow victory one ambitious Lebanon. Chen Hsin-An (198-F/G-80) scored 15 points to lead the charge.
Lebanon ensured the better start. They were up 11:5 midway through the opening quarter. But Taiwan erased the deficit and posted a 16:13 lead ten minutes into the encounter. The lead changed hands for numerous times throughout close second term before Chia-Hung Chien made it 30:30 at the interval. The teams stayed neck and neck in the third quarter as well. Jean Abed El Nour (198-F/G-83) capped the term with a three-pointer and drew thing level at 50. Taiwan finally cleared off to a 60:55 distance however Akl and Samuel Hoskin (206-F/C-79, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: De Paul) dragged Lebanon within two points 58:60 with just over a minute to go. The teams went scoreless in the reminder of the battle as Taiwan ran away with a narrow win at the end. Wu Tai-Hao (202-C-85, college: BYU-Hawaii) produced 12 points and 9 rebounds for Taiwan. Lu Cheng-Ju (194-F-86) netted 10 points in the loss. Samuel Hoskin responded with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Lebanon. Jean Abed El Nour posted 12 points and 9 rebounds in the loss.

Taiwan: Chen Hsin-An 15, Wu Tai-Hao 12, Lu Cheng-Ju 10
Lebanon: Samuel Hoskin 19+11 boards, Jean Abed El Nour 12


Taiwan edges Lebanon 60-58 in second round - by Chris Wang
Two steals in the last 18 seconds saved the day for Taiwan NT, which edged Lebanon 60-58 in the second round of the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship for Men Monday in Wuhan, China.

In the chaotic last 60 seconds, Lebanon committed a 24-second violation while Taiwan returned the favor with a backcourt violation before Wu Tai-Hao (202-C-85, college: BYU-Hawaii) picked the pocket of a slashing Jean Abdel Nour to regain possession.

Jet Chang then missed four straight free-throws, giving Lebanon the final chance to go for a tie, before making up with a steal with two seconds left to seal the game.

With the win, Taiwan had one foot in the quarterfinal round and should be able to avoid top seed -- China or Japan -- in the other group once it's in the quarterfinals.

Chen Hsin-an paced Taiwan with 15 points and Wu Tai-Hao chipped in 12 points and 8 rebounds. Le Cheng-ju had 10 points, including a pair of crucial three-pointers.

Surprisingly, Taiwan played with patience in the game and attacked the paint the entire game, making only six attempts behind the three-point line. It still trailed in the rebounding department, 51-36, however.

Lebanon, which is going through a rebuilding phase, was led by Sanuel Hoskin's 19 points and 13 rebounds and Jean Abdel Nour's 12 and 9.

The game was a see-saw game throughout, with the score tied at 30 at the half and 50 in the end of the third period.

Taiwan pulled ahead 60-55 on Tseng Wen-ting's putback with 2:27 remaining. Rodrigue Akl answered with a jumper before Hoskin made one of two free-throws to cut the deficit to one basket.

Second Round standing:
Group E
Iran 3-0
Korea 3-0
Taiwan 2-1
Lebanon 1-2
Uzbekistan 0-3
Malaysia 0-3

Group F
China 3-0
Japan 3-0
Philippines 2-1
Jordan 1-2
Syria 0-3
UAE 0-3



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


Fenerbahce Ulker loses Rixos Antalya Cup final - by Pervin Elgin
In the fourth annual Rixos Antalya Cup Basketball Tournament finals, Fenerbahce Ulker was beaten by the host Antalya BSB. After being in the lead almost the entire game, Fener gave it away in the final seconds, losing 84-79.

The first period started with mutual baskets, but Fenerbahce grabbed superiority after four minutes: 6-8. After 8 minutes of playing time, Ulker had increased the gap to six points: 14-20. Antalya BSB fought back well in the final two minutes, closing the gap to 19-20, and after mutual baskets the first period ended in a narrow 21-23 superiority for Ulker.

In the second period the close match continued. Fenerbahce never took a lead bigger than three points, and at the halftime buzzer the score was almost level again: 41-42.

In the second half it wasn't Ulker, but Antalya that managed to create a gap, raising the difference to 5 points halfway the period: 55-50. After another BSB score (58-50), Fenerbahce closed the ranks and after a 10-4 run finished the third period in the lead again: 60-62.

In the final period Ulker managed to grab a five-point lead again, 66-71, but with 1:24 left on the clock Antalya once again closed the gap, levelling at 77-77. A three point score by Melih in the final seconds gave the host a lead of 81-79, and by finding another 2 points after that, Antalya BSB rewarded themselves with a 83-79 victory and the Rixos Cup, leaving Fenerbahce Ulker empty handed.



Galatasaray wins Pinar Cup - by Eurobasket News
Galatasaray wins Pinar Cup with 4 teams participating. Even after 67:72 loss in the last game from KK Buducnost, kept the Turkish representative on top.
KK Buducnost started the game better, but Furkan Aldemir (207-F-91) tied the first quarter at 14:14. The latter made the same at 20:20 and Lukas scored for 33:30 at the halftime. Preston Shumpert (198-G/F-79, college: Syracuse) increased to 38:32 early in the third, while Nikola Vucecic brought 43:42 lead for the team from Montenegro. The latter also gave KK Buducnost 61:60 in the middle of the fourth period and Bozovic scored for 70:65. Jermaine Anderson (188-G-83, college: Fordham) made two free throws for the final result. Nikola Vucecic top-scored for the winners with 26 points, while Furkan Aldemir scored 10 for Galatasaray.
In the last game ALBA won over Pinar Karsyaka to finish second. The German side needed 87:78 over the hosts to finish with 2-1 record. Goran Ikonic (196-G-80, agency: Beo Basket) closed the first period at 22:18 for the Turkish team, while Joey Ney nailed three for 31:29 for ALBA. Alper Saruhan tied the game at 36:36, while Mire Chatman closed the half at 45:41. ALBA led in the whole third period and took 70:59 after thirty minutes of the game. Derrick Allen and Raymar Morgan (202-F/C-88, college: Michigan St.) exchanged the late baskets for their teams for the final result. Kyle Weaver (198-G-86, agency: Interperformances, college: Washington St.) poured in 22 points for the winners and Torin Francis scored 15. Raymar Morgan delivered 26 points for the home side.


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


Khimik wins home tournament with perfect 3-0, Darrel Mitchell MVP - by Eurobasket News
Khimik Yuzny won the home tournament with perfect 3-0 record. In Day Three, the hosts were better than Israeli team Barak Netanya 96-88. Aaron McGhee (203-F/C-79, college: Oklahoma) led the winners with 18 points and 8 rebounds. Predrag Miletic (191-G-84) and Reyshawn Terry (203-F-84, college: N.Carolina) helped with 16 and 15 points respectively. In defeat, Yehu Orland (193-G-81) delivered 21 points. Quarters - 27:19, 17:26, 29:21, 23:22.
In Day Two, Khimik handed 66-63 loss to Serbian team Hemofarm. Darrel Mitchell (180-G-84, agency: Beo Basket, college: LSU) paced Ukrainians to victory with 16 points. Reyshawn Terry followed him with 14 and Denis Ikovlev netted 13 pts. In Hemofarm, Marko Sutalo and Mladen Jeremic (196-G-88, agency: Interperformances) had 13 pts each. Quarters - 19:17, 17:15, 13:19, 17:12.
In the opening day of the tournament, Khimik outplayed Mykolaiv 87-76. Darrel Mitchell top-scored for the home team with 19 points (7 rebounds). Reyshawn Terry and Stanislav Zavadsky (213-C-87) contributed posted 12 points apiece. Rodney Green (196-F/G-88, college: La Salle) responded with 19 points in Mykolaiv.

Best guard: Darrel Mitchell
Best forward: Mladen Jeremic
Best center: Brian Asbury (200-F-86, college: Miami, FL)
Best coach: Darko Russo (agency: Beo Basket)
MVP of the tournament: Darrel Mitchell

Update on Donetsk, BC Kyiv and Goverla - by Eurobasket News
Goverla outscored Juventus 70:59. The Ukrainian side started with 22-21 and added 16-11 in the second frame. Goverla also won the last period to seal the 11-point victory. Darius Pakamanis ended up with 19 points for the Baltic State and Vaidotas Volkus (203-F-85, college: Redlands CC) notched 15.
BC Kyiv beat Neptunas 78:70. Trailing 20-23 after the first period, the Ukrainian side won the second quarter 25-10. They also needed 23-21 in the last stanza to seal the victory. Gary Ervin (186-G-83, college: Arkansas) stepped up with 23 points and Artem Shvets (203-G/F-85) posted 14. Martynas Mazeika (190-G-85, agency: Limelight Hoops) delivered 21 points in the losing case.
Donetsk meanwhile comes back from Germany.
Telekom Baskets Bonn lost twice to the Ukrainian representative. At first Donetsk won 76:71 trailing 5 points after the first period. Ramel Curry (191-G-80, college: CSU Bakersfield) led the way with 14 points for the Ukrainian team. Tony Gaffney (204-F-84, college: Massachusetts) paced all the Germans with 17 points and Buljan added 14.
In Game 2 Donetsk produced a 85:76 win. The Ukrainian side started with 28-14 and easily controlled the rest of the game. Lee Michael top-scored for the winners with 18 points, while Ramel Curry posted 12. Simonas Serapinas (197-F-82) ended up with 21 points for the German side and Tony Gaffney brought 18.

Dnipro triumphs at LIEPAJAS OC International Basketball CUP 2011 - by Eurobasket News
Dnipro triumphs at LIEPAJAS OC International Basketball CUP 2011 winning all the games. After the victories over Pieno Zvaigzdes 79:68 and University Of Tartu 101:79, the Ukrainian side overcame Sokhumi Tbilisi in the Final. Dnipro started well and reached 99:88 victory.
The Ukrainian team opened the game with 27-23, while Suhumi replied with 17-16 in the second frame. In the second half Dnipro won both quarters. They had 29-23 in the third quarter and added 27-25 in the last frame.
Charles Thomas (203-F-86, college: Arkansas) stepped up with 31 points and was awarded MVP of the tournament. Fred House (195-F-78, college: S.Utah) followed him with 16 points, 6 rebounds and the same number of assists, while Steve Bertt (185-G-84, college: Iona) added 13. Brandon Gay (203-F-82, agency: Edge Sports, college: San Diego) and Pierre Pierce (193-G-83, agency: Lanshire Group, college: Iowa) delivered 21 points each in the losing effort for Sokhumi Tbilisi.
Earlier Sokhumi Tbilisi beat BK Liepajas Lauvas 80:68.


Azovmash win home tournament - by Eurobasket News
Azovmash earned the title at the Azovmash Cup pre-season tournament. The hosts prevailed against Triumph 64:57 in the title game. Daniel Ewing (191-G-83, agency: Alti Sport, college: Duke) and Pecherov stepped up with 14 points each to lead the charge. Azovmash grabbed a 30:24 halftime lead. They maintained the advantage well enough throughout the second half and celebrated deserved victory at the end. Minard posted 12 points, while Artur Drozdov (199-G-80) contributed 11 points and 12 rebounds in the victory. Davon Jefferson (203-F-86, college: USC) answered with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Triumph. Tywain McKee (188-PG-86, college: Coppin St.) delivered 15 points in the losing effort.
BC Odessa clinched the third position at the tourney. They prevailed against Cherkasy 63:56. Justin Love (188-G-78, college: St.Louis) tallied 16 points and 5 boards to pace the winners. Willie Deane (186-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: Purdue) and Shawn King (208-C-82, college: ORU) added 11 points apiece for BC Odessa. Miljan Pupovic (209-C/F-83) responded with 14 points for Cherkasy. Ryan Wright (206-C/F-87, college: Oklahoma) accounted for 9 points in the loss.



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  UNITED ARAB EMIRATES   


2011 Asian Championship: Japan thrash UAE - by Eurobasket News
Japan - UAE 101:61

Japan registered another victory at the Asian Championship in Wuhan. They rolled past UAE to improve at 3-0 record in Group F. Tomoo Amino (196-F-80) stepped up with 17 points to lead the effort.
Japan started the game with a stifling defence. They limited UAE to just 9 points in the opening quarter taking a 6-point lead. Japan exploded with 41 points in the second term boost the margin to as many as 30 points 56:26. Things went smoothly for the Japanese team afterwards. They controlled the tempo and eased to an 80:43 advantage with ten minutes remaining. Japan never slowed down in the fourth period and rallied to the victory at the end. Kosuke Takeuchi (206-C/F-85) posted 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Takumi Ishizaki contributed 13 points in the winning effort. Khalil Salem (178-G-91) answered with 14 points for UAE. Rashed Al Zaabi (189-G-88) had 13 points as UAE fell at 0-3 record in the ladder.

Japan: Tomoo Amino 17, Kosuke Takeuchi 15+10 boards, Takumi Ishizaki 13
UAE: Khalil Salem 14, Rashed Al Zaabi 13


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  URUGUAY   


The LUB was divided into three groups with 26 teams - by Hector Lopez
The Uruguayan League will be divided in three groups, Capital, South and Littoral, with a total of 26 teams beginning Sept. 23. The teams from Montevideo (Capital Group) will be 16 to play ytwice against them and the eigth first will advance to a Super League with two teams from South and two fro Littoral. The teams playing will be:
Capital - Aguada, Bigua, Bohemios, Cader, Cordon, Defensor Sporting, Hebraica Macabi, Larre Borges, Malvin, Montevideo, Olimpia, Sayago Trouville, Union Atletica, Waston, Welcome.
Littoral - Anastasia (Fray Bentos), Wanderers (Paysandu), Remeros (Mercedes), Universitario (Salto), Juventus (Salto)
South - Plaza (Nueva Helvecia), Maldonado (Maldonado) Flores (Trinidad) Lagomar (Canelones), Lavalleja (Minas).

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  UZBEKISTAN   


2011 Asian Championship: South Korea show no mercy to Uzbekistan - by Eurobasket News
South Korea - Uzbekistan 106:57

South Korea posted the fourth straight win at the Asian Championship. They coasted past Uzbekistan to improve at 3-0 record in Group E. Moon Tae-Jong (199-F-75, agency: Alti Sport, college: Richmond) delivered 21 points to lead the charge. Uzbekistan fell at 0-3 record after the loss.
Korea marked their ambitions early. They poured in 30 points in the starting period to take a 19-point lead. The margin just kept on growing in the second term. South Korea secured a comfortable 52:24 halftime advantage. They kept Uzbekistan at bay throughout the third term. South Korea established a 74:37 advantage with one quarter remaining. Uzbekistan dropped 20 points in the fourth term but it did not help as South Korea easily matched the effort scoring 32 and celebrating victory. Cho Sung-Min (189-F-83) provided 20 points, while Yang Hee-Jong (194-F-84) added 16 points for the winners. Evgeniy Shatrov (192-G-86) answered with 11 points for Uzbekistan. Gennadiy Zinovyev (198-F-84) and Aleksandr Yahin (205-C-89) finished with 10 points each in the loss.

South Korea: Moon Tae-Jong 21, Cho Sung-Min 20, Yang Hee-Jong 16
Uzbekistan: Evgeniy Shatrov 11, Gennadiy Zinovyev 10, Aleksandr Yahin 10




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Women News

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  BELGIUM - Women  


Standings - Women
D1 Standings
 1. Blue Cats 0-0 
 2. Castors Braine 0-0 
 3. Dexia Namur 0-0 
 4. Houthalen 0-0 
 5. Jeugd Gentson 0-0 
 6. Kangoeroes-B. 0-0 
 7. Point Chaud 0-0 
 8. Sint Kateline 0-0 
 9. Spirou Monceau 0-0 
 10. Tulikivi Deerlijk 0-0 
 11. Waregem 0-0 
 12. Willebroek 0-0 


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  CZECH REPUBLIC - Women  


KARA Trutnov edged TSV Wasserburg for the 7th place - by Eurobasket News
KARA Trutnov - TSV Wasserburg 92:77 (26:18, 18:18, 28:20, 20:21)

KARA Trutnov edged TSV Wasserburg for the 7th place at the International Tournament. The home side needed a strong start to seal 92:77 victory.
Both teams wanted to finish the tournament on a high note. The hosts won the initial game in the group round, while the German team remained winless even after the fourth game. The home side opened the game with 26-18 and never looked behind. Both squads netted 18 points each in the second quarter that left 8-point advantage at the halftime. Another 28-20 in the third quarter gave Trutnov plus 16 with 10 minutes remaining. TSV Wasserburg managed to win the last stanza 21-20 to reduce the gap to 17 points.
Darina Misurova (163-PG-81) top-scored for the winners with 16 points, while Iva Komzikova (174-G-85) and Lenka Vetrovcova (188-C-84) posted 12 each. Katerina Hindrakova (176-G/F-88) followed them with 10 points. Krystal Vaughn (185-G-86, agency: LBM Management, college: VCU) delivered 27 points in defeat and Shanika Freeman (183-F/C-83, college: Jacksonville St.) notched 24.

KARA Trutnov: Darina Misurova 16, Iva Komzikova 12, Lenka Vetrovcova 12, Katerina Hindrakova 10
TSV Wasserburg: Krystal Vaughn 27, Shanika Freeman 24

ZVVZ USK Praha beat MBK Ruzomberok for the 5th place in Trutnov - by Eurobasket News
MBK Ruzomberok - ZVVZ USK Praha 59:70 (12:28, 15:11, 24:14, 8:17)

ZVVZ USK Praha beat MBK Ruzomberok for the 5th place in Trutnov at the International Tournament with 8 teams. The squad from Czech Republic grabbed an easy lead and had 70:59 victory.
ZVVZ USK Praha erupted with 28-12 in the opening period and never looked behind after. MBK Ruzomberok reduced the gap to 12 points at the halftime. Moreover the latter grabbed 24-14 in the third quarter and trailed only 2 points with 10 minutes in the game. ZVVZ USK Praha needed 17-8 in the last stanza to seal the victory.
Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: George Washington) led the way with 20 points and Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) netted 19. Katerina Elhotova (180-G-89) followed them with 8 points in a win. Kamila Stepanova (193-C-88) delivered 23 in defeat and Ann Andersson (183-F-80, agency: Promotex, college: Minnesota) notched 14.

MBK Ruzomberok: Kamila Stepanova 23, Ann Andersson 14
ZVVZ USK Praha: Anna Montanana 20, Eva Viteckova 19, Katerina Elhotova 8

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  FRANCE - Women  


LF2, season 2011/12: Round One - by Eurobasket News
The new season of LF2 started this past weekend. Here are the results of Round One:

Le Havre-LTB 99-88
Bintou Dieme (167-G-84) led the winners with 25 points and 5 rebounds. Aude Kernevez (163-G-89) responded with 25 points and 6 boards in loss.

Reims-Toulouse 62-77
Nina Bogicevic (178-G-89) collected 16 points and 5 rebounds for Toulose. Anais Jomby (168-G-86) delivered 20 pts for Reims.

Limoges-COB Calais 71-68
Hillary Klimowicz (191-F/C-87, college: TCNJ) was a key player in Limoges with 23 points and 9 rebs. Calais got 22 points from Manon Sinico (180-G-85).

Laveyron-Armentieres 63-64
Mia Fisher (175-G-82, college: Rhode Island) paced visitors with double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds.

SIG-Roche 63-73
Christelle Morel (181-F-83) had 18 pts and 10 rebs in victory. Aline Fischbach (178-F-89) also scored 18 pts, but in loss.

Voiron-Perpignan 84-74
Magali Mendy (177-G-90) top-scored for the hosts with 20 points.

CFBB-Dunkerque 83-77

Standings - NF1 (Women) - by Eurobasket News
LF2 Standings
 1. Armentieres 1-0 
 2. CFBB 1-0 
 3. Le Havre 1-0 
 4. Limoges 1-0 
 5. Roche 1-0 
 6. Toulouse 1-0 
 7. Voiron 1-0 
 8. COB Calais 0-1 
 9. Dunkerque 0-1 
 10. Laveyron 0-1 
 11. LTB 29 0-1 
 12. Perpignan 0-1 
 13. Reims 0-1 
 14. SIG 0-1 


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  GERMANY - Women  


KARA Trutnov edged TSV Wasserburg for the 7th place - by Eurobasket News
KARA Trutnov - TSV Wasserburg 92:77 (26:18, 18:18, 28:20, 20:21)

KARA Trutnov edged TSV Wasserburg for the 7th place at the International Tournament. The home side needed a strong start to seal 92:77 victory.
Both teams wanted to finish the tournament on a high note. The hosts won the initial game in the group round, while the German team remained winless even after the fourth game. The home side opened the game with 26-18 and never looked behind. Both squads netted 18 points each in the second quarter that left 8-point advantage at the halftime. Another 28-20 in the third quarter gave Trutnov plus 16 with 10 minutes remaining. TSV Wasserburg managed to win the last stanza 21-20 to reduce the gap to 17 points.
Darina Misurova (163-PG-81) top-scored for the winners with 16 points, while Iva Komzikova (174-G-85) and Lenka Vetrovcova (188-C-84) posted 12 each. Katerina Hindrakova (176-G/F-88) followed them with 10 points. Krystal Vaughn (185-G-86, agency: LBM Management, college: VCU) delivered 27 points in defeat and Shanika Freeman (183-F/C-83, college: Jacksonville St.) notched 24.

KARA Trutnov: Darina Misurova 16, Iva Komzikova 12, Lenka Vetrovcova 12, Katerina Hindrakova 10
TSV Wasserburg: Krystal Vaughn 27, Shanika Freeman 24

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  HUNGARY - Women  


UNIQA Euroleasing Sopron wins Krasznai Ferenc Memorial - by Eurobasket News
UNIQA Euroleasing Sopron wins Krasznai Ferenc Memorial with 4 teams participated.
In the Final Day UNIQA EUROLEASING SOPRON overcame FTC 80:62. The favorites started with 26-18 and won the rest of the periods. Tijana Krivacevic (194-F-90) led the way with 18 points and Zsofia Fegyverneky (178-G-84, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) scored 14. Hajnalka Szlimak (182-F-82) delivered 12 in defeat and Borbala Kovacs netted 11.
ZTE NKK won over Vasas 85:57 to finish second. It was a hard start as the teams stayed close to each other, while the rest of the game belonged to ZTE. Zsovar paced all the winners with 20 points and Szelesy added 15. Anita Teilane (196-C-85) ended up with 18 points in the losing effort.
Dynamo Kursk meanwhile finished third at the International Tournament in Trutnov. In the game for the third place the Russian team edged Uni Seat Gyor 88:57. They started with 30-15 in the first period and won the rest of the quarters as well.

Standings:
1. UNIQA EUROLEASING SOPRON
2. ZTE NKK
3. FTC
4. Vasas

The Best Player: Anita Teilane (Vasas)
The tournament most valuable player (MVP): Zsofia Fegyverneky
Sopron Best Player: Tijana Krivacevic



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  NCAA1 - Women  


Carolina adds American G Kirstyn Wright - by Eurobasket News
Another American player signed a deal in Puerto Rico. Kirstyn Wright (180-G-89) became a new member of Carolina and it will be her first season as a pro. Actually, Wright already made debut in BSNF. She had 5 points and 6 rebounds in 76-63 victory against San Juan. In her second game Wright collected 12 points and 5 rebs. Her team won against Ponce 81-72. Kirstyn Wright graduated at Clemson University this year. She had 12.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.8 apg in 30 games last season. It was a huge improvement after 5.6 ppg and 1.9 rpg in 2009/10 season. Carolina currently has 5-2 record in BSNF.

Ponce signs rookie Treasure Johnson - by Eurobasket News
Treasure Johnson (182-G/F) is set to start her professional basketball career. The American guard/small forward signed a deal with Puerto Rican team Ponce. She already made debut for her new club. Johnson is a product of the NC-Wilmington, where she graduated few months ago. She appeared 33 times for her school last season averaging 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds. They reached CAA Tournament Semifinals. In 2009/10, Johnson registered 6.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg. She signed a deal with Ponce for rest of the BSNF season. In her debut, Johnson scored 11 points against Carolina. In the next meeting, she had had 13 pts against San German.

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  POLAND - Women  


LKS Lodz triumph at Brzeg tournament - by Eurobasket News
LKS Lodz clinched the Brzeg pre-season tournament trophy. They overcame hosting Odra Brzeg on the final day of the competition 57:50. Stephanie Raymond (170-PG-85, college: N.Illinois) and Celeste Hoewisch (170-G) stepped up with 10 points each to pace the winners. LKS Lodz led right from the start. They established an 18:11 lead after ten minutes. LKS Lodz stretched the margin to as many as 12 points at the interval 33:21. Odra Brzeg went on a comeback rally in the second half. They narrowed the deficit but came up short at the end. Katarzyna Kenig (185-F-79) provided 9 points for the winners. Ebony Ellis (190-C-88, college: N.Illinois) answered with 14 points for Odra Brzeg. Iwona Plociennik (188-F-88) netted 10 points in the losing effort.
Widzew Lodz clinched the third position at the tourney. They overcame Ostrovia Ostrow 70:52 on the final day.



Paris Johnson and Alli Smalley join to Gorzow Wlkp. - by Lukasz Lukaszewski
KSSSE AZS PWSZ Gorzow Wlkp. added two American players to the clubs roster: center Paris Johnson (193-C-89) and guard Alli Smalley (172-G-89). Both players have not played in Europe before, so polish club from Gorzow Wlkp. will be their first overseas team.

Paris Johnson is 21 years old center. She graduated San Diego State University in this year. She had been playing in NCAA for 6 seasons. In 2010/2011 season she averaged 14,1
point and 7,7 rebounds.

Alli Smalley is at the same age. She graduated Auburn University in this year. She had been playing in NCAA for 4 seasons. In 2010/2011 season she averaged 12,3 points.

Club also renewed contracts with two players who played for Gorzow in the last season: guard Chioma Nnamaka (183-G-85, college: Georgia Tech) and forward Lyndra Weaver (185-F-87, college: Virginia)


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  PUERTO RICO - Women  


Stats Leaders - Superleague 25
Points Per Game
 Renee TAYLOR
  Juncos V.
  (158-G-85)
  Avg: 26.5
 1. Taylor, Juncos V.26.5 
 2. Martin, Guaynabo.21.6 
 3. Bingham, San G.21.0 
 4. Ross, San Juan W.20.3 
 5. Williams, Morovis19.8 
 6. Raven, Morovis M.18.7 
 7. Wiley, Guaynabo M.18.0 
 8. Laur, Carolina G.17.8 
 9. McLean, Juncos V.17.5 
 10. Bland, Ponce L.17.5 
Rebounds Per Game
 Candyce BINGHAM
  San G.
  (183-F-86)
  Avg: 12.9
 1. Bingham, San G.12.9 
 2. Rosigi, Morovis M.12.3 
 3. Blake, Carolina G.12.2 
 4. Seals, Guaynabo M.11.4 
 5. Jones, Aguas B.T.11.0 
 6. Pineiro, Morovis M.10.9 
 7. Ross, San Juan W.10.0 
 8. Martin, Guaynabo.9.7 
 9. Rosche, Ponce L.9.5 
 10. Williams, Morovis9.2 
Assists Per Game
 Jasmin YOUNG
  Aguas B.T.
  (165-G-)
  Avg: 7.3
 1. Young, Aguas B.T.7.3 
 2. Cabrera, Juncos V.7.3 
 3. Flagg, San Juan W.5.1 
 4. Teasley, Ponce L.4.9 
 5. Raven, Morovis M.4.8 
 6. Bingham, San G.4.7 
 7. Montalvo, San J.4.4 
 8. Flores, Carolina G.4.2 
 9. Williams, Morovis3.7 
 10. Roman, Guaynabo3.6 
Steals Per Game
 Yahimily CABRERA
  Juncos V.
  (--82)
  Avg: 3.5
 1. Cabrera, Juncos V.3.5 
 2. Mahan, San Juan W.3.3 
 3. Teasley, Ponce L.3.1 
 4. Roman, Guaynabo M.3.0 
 5. Flores, Carolina G.3.0 
 6. Montalvo, San J.2.9 
 7. Taylor, Juncos V.2.8 
 8. Williams, Morovis2.7 
 9. Raven, Morovis M.2.7 
 10. Young, Aguas B.T.2.5 
Blocks Per Game
 Kim WILLOUGHY
  Juncos V.
  (--)
  Avg: 2
 1. Willoughy, Juncos2.0 
 2. Seals, Guaynabo M.1.6 
 3. Ramirez, Aguas B.1.5 
 4. Bingham, San G.1.3 
 5. Williams, Morovis1.3 
 6. Jones, Aguas B.T.1.2 
 7. Jones, Juncos V.1.0 
 8. Bermudez, San G.0.9 
 9. Martin, Guaynabo.0.9 
 10. Mahan, San Juan0.8 


Standings - Women
BSNF Standings
 1. Morovis M. 9-1 
 2. San German 6-3 
 3. Carolina G. 5-2 
 4. Juncos V. 5-3 
 5. Ponce L. 4-6 
 6. Guaynabo M. 3-5 
 7. San Juan W. 2-6 
 8. Aguas B.T. 1-9 


Carolina adds American G Kirstyn Wright - by Eurobasket News
Another American player signed a deal in Puerto Rico. Kirstyn Wright (180-G-89) became a new member of Carolina and it will be her first season as a pro. Actually, Wright already made debut in BSNF. She had 5 points and 6 rebounds in 76-63 victory against San Juan. In her second game Wright collected 12 points and 5 rebs. Her team won against Ponce 81-72. Kirstyn Wright graduated at Clemson University this year. She had 12.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 2.8 apg in 30 games last season. It was a huge improvement after 5.6 ppg and 1.9 rpg in 2009/10 season. Carolina currently has 5-2 record in BSNF.

Ponce signs rookie Treasure Johnson - by Eurobasket News
Treasure Johnson (182-G/F) is set to start her professional basketball career. The American guard/small forward signed a deal with Puerto Rican team Ponce. She already made debut for her new club. Johnson is a product of the NC-Wilmington, where she graduated few months ago. She appeared 33 times for her school last season averaging 4.7 points and 2.5 rebounds. They reached CAA Tournament Semifinals. In 2009/10, Johnson registered 6.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg. She signed a deal with Ponce for rest of the BSNF season. In her debut, Johnson scored 11 points against Carolina. In the next meeting, she had had 13 pts against San German.

BSNF Round 10: Juncos V. hands first defeat to Morovis M. - by Eurobasket News
BSF is at the halfway of the Regular Season and there are still another 10 rounds left. There were many interesting games last round. The round ended with defeat of the leader and favorites losing the games.

Undefeated Morovis M. (9-1) recorded its first loss on the court of fourth ranked Juncos V. on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by Juncos V. 84-67. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Morovis M.. Juncos V. forced 24 Morovis M. turnovers. American guard Monique McClean (180-87, college: St.John's) fired 31 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) for the winners. The former international Yahimily Cabrera (-82) chipped in 6 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists and 7 steals. American forward Angelina Williams (183-83, college: Illinois) produced 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for lost side. Juncos V. maintains fourth position with 5-3 record. Morovis M. at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. Juncos V. are looking forward to face Guaynabo M. (#6) in the next round. Morovis M. will play against Ponce L. (#5) and is hoping to win this game.
Fifth-ranked Guaynabo M. (3-5) made lots of trouble for first ranked Morovis M. (9-1). Morovis M. managed to secure only two-point victory 72-70. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Guaynabo M.. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Gabrielle Rosigi (191, college: Texas Southern) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 19 points and 14 rebounds. Angelina Williams contributed with 18 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. American forward Dominic Seals (188-87, college: Texas Tech) replied with 14 points and 9 rebounds for Guaynabo M.Morovis M. have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 9-1 record. Guaynabo M. at the other side dropped to the sixth place with five games lost. Morovis M. will play against Ponce L. (#5) in the next round. Guaynabo M. will play against Juncos V. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Very important is a road loss of second ranked San German (6-3) against sixth ranked Ponce L. (4-6) on Sunday night. Visiting San German was defeated by Ponce L. in 88-75. Nikki Teasley had a double-double by scoring 15 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners. At the losing side Angelica Bermudez responded with a double-double by scoring 29 points and 10 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field). Ponce L. moved-up to fifth place. Loser San German keeps the second position with three games lost. Ponce L. will meet at home league's leader Morovis M. in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. San German will play against San Juan W. and hope to secure a win.
We should not miss the game where eighth ranked Aguas B.T. (1-9) against 5th ranked Guaynabo M. (3-5) where Aguas B.T. won at home by eleven points 94-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Guaynabo M.. Tegsa Jones notched a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds to lead the effort. Aguas B.T.'s coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Aguas B.T. maintains eighth position with 1-9 record. Guaynabo M. at the other side dropped to the sixth place with five games lost. Aguas B.T. will have a break next round.
The game in was also quite interesting. Third ranked Carolina G. (5-2) played at the court of 6th ranked Ponce L. (4-6). Carolina G. managed to secure a 9-point victory 81-72 on Saturday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Ponce L.. Lindsay Laur fired 27 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Carolina G.'s coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Carolina G. have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains third position with 5-2 record behind leader Morovis M. Loser Ponce L. dropped to the fifth place with six games lost. Carolina G. will face Guaynabo M. (#6) in the next round. Ponce L. will play against the league's leader Morovis M..



Aguas B.T. - Guaynabo M. 94-83

We should not miss the game where eighth ranked Aguas B.T. (1-9) against 5th ranked Guaynabo M. (3-5) where Aguas B.T. won at home by eleven points 94-83. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Guaynabo M.. Guaynabo M. was ahead by 5 points at the halftime before a 58-42 second half run of Aguas B.T.. Their players were unselfish on offense dishing 25 assists. American forward Tegsa Jones (182-89, college: Kent St.) notched a double-double by scoring 35 points (!!!) and 14 rebounds to lead the effort and the other American import guard Jasmin Young (165, college: E.Carolina) supported her with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 14 assists and 4 steals (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field). Aguas B.T.'s coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Even 19 points by American guard Chelsie Wiley (170, college: Cent.Florida) did not help to save the game for Guaynabo M.. Sonia Roman added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Aguas B.T. maintains eighth position with 1-9 record. Guaynabo M. at the other side dropped to the sixth place with five games lost. Aguas B.T. will have a break next round.
Top scorers:
Guaynabo M.: C.Wiley 19+4reb+3ast, S.Roman 17+5reb+4ast, Z.Sanchez 16+3reb+2ast, D.Seals 11+12reb, M.Figueroa 8+9reb+1ast, J.Cortijo 8+5reb+1ast
Aguas B.T.: T.Jones 35+14reb+3ast, J.Young 22+8reb+14ast, M.Ramirez 14+12reb+2ast, M.Villegas 13+4reb+2ast, R.Quinones 6+1reb+3ast, L.Blanco 2
gschID: 133161


Ponce L. - Carolina G. 72-81

The game in was also quite interesting. Third ranked Carolina G. (5-2) played at the court of 6th ranked Ponce L. (4-6). Carolina G. managed to secure a 9-point victory 81-72 on Saturday. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Ponce L.. Ponce L. trailed by 13 points at halftime and as many as 14 after three quarters before a 16-11 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 72-81 at the end of the game. Carolina G. outrebounded Ponce L. 48-30 including 20 on the offensive glass. American forward Lindsay Laur (182, college: Wisc.-Milwaukee) fired 27 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. The other American import power forward Monique Blake (187-85, college: Seton Hall, agency: Merit Sports) chipped in a double-double by scoring 15 points and 11 rebounds. Carolina G.'s coach used a ten-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American guard Amber Bland (180-86, college: N.Carolina A&T) produced 17 points and 7 rebounds and Senegalese forward Marie Rosche (188-87, college: Dayton) added 12 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Carolina G. have a solid three-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains third position with 5-2 record behind leader Morovis M. Loser Ponce L. dropped to the fifth place with six games lost. Carolina G. will face Guaynabo M. (#6) in the next round. Ponce L. will play against the league's leader Morovis M..
Top scorers:
Ponce L.: A.Bland 17+7reb+3ast, M.Rosche 12+9reb+4ast, J.Batiz 11+3reb+4ast, T.Johnson 11+1reb+1ast, N.Teasley 7+7reb+3ast, C.Vega 7+1reb+3ast
Carolina G.: L.Laur 27+9reb+2ast, M.Blake 15+11reb+3ast, A.Rockwell 13+8reb, K.Wright 12+5reb+4ast, C.de la Cruz 6+7reb, R.Rodriguez 4+2reb+3ast
gschID: 133162


Juncos V. - Morovis M. 84-67

Undefeated Morovis M. (9-1) recorded its first loss on the court of fourth ranked Juncos V. on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by Juncos V. 84-67. It ended at the same time the nine-game winning streak of Morovis M.. Juncos V. forced 24 Morovis M. turnovers. American guard Monique McClean (180-87, college: St.John's) fired 31 points and 5 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field) for the winners. The former international Yahimily Cabrera (-82) chipped in 6 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists and 7 steals. American forward Angelina Williams (183-83, college: Illinois) produced 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists and her fellow American import guard Brittainey Raven (183-88, college: Texas) added 14 points and 4 assists respectively for lost side. Four Morovis M. players scored in double figures. Juncos V. maintains fourth position with 5-3 record. Morovis M. at the other side still keeps top place with one game lost. Juncos V. are looking forward to face Guaynabo M. (#6) in the next round. Morovis M. will play against Ponce L. (#5) and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Morovis M.: A.Williams 15+7reb+4ast, B.Raven 14+4reb+4ast, N.Figueroa 10+6reb+5ast, S.Pineiro 10+7reb+3ast, G.Rosigi 8+9reb+1ast, A.Rodriguez 6+1reb+1ast
Juncos V.: M.McClean 31+5reb+1ast, R.Taylor 20+4reb+1ast, T.Lanza 8+2reb+1ast, K.Ruiz 7+3reb+1ast, K.Willoughy 6+11reb, Y.Cabrera 6+9reb+13ast
gschID: 133163


Ponce L. - San German 88-75

Very important is a road loss of second ranked San German (6-3) against sixth ranked Ponce L. (4-6) on Sunday night. Visiting San German was defeated by Ponce L. in 88-75. The hosts trailed by 4 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 4-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 88-75. Ponce L. made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. American guard Nikki Teasley (183-79, college: N.Carolina) had a double-double by scoring 15 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Senegalese forward Marie Rosche (188-87, college: Dayton) chipped in 18 points and 11 rebounds during the contest. Five Ponce L. players scored in double figures. At the losing side American center Angelica Bermudez (185, college: Kean) responded with a double-double by scoring 29 points and 10 rebounds (on 12-of-15 shooting from the field) and forward Zacha Gonzalez (175-87) scored 12 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Ponce L. moved-up to fifth place. Loser San German keeps the second position with three games lost. Ponce L. will meet at home league's leader Morovis M. in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. San German will play against San Juan W. and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
San German: A.Bermudez 29+10reb+2ast, Z.Gonzalez 12+7reb+5ast, S.Jelks 11+5reb+2ast, M.HANKINS 9+7reb, K.Colon 9+2reb+6ast, A.Santos 5+1reb+1ast
Ponce L.: J.Batiz 21+5reb+1ast, M.Rosche 18+11reb, N.Teasley 15+12reb+5ast, A.Bland 13+3reb+2ast, T.JOHNSON 13+2reb+2ast, S.Pacheco 6+1ast
gschID: 133164


Morovis M. - Guaynabo M. 72-70

Fifth-ranked Guaynabo M. (3-5) made lots of trouble for first ranked Morovis M. (9-1). Morovis M. managed to secure only two-point victory 72-70. However their fans expected much easier game. It ended at the same time the two-game winning streak of Guaynabo M.. The game without a history. Morovis M. led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Worth to mention a great performance of American forward Gabrielle Rosigi (191, college: Texas Southern) who helped to win the game recording a double-double by scoring 19 points and 14 rebounds. The other American import forward Angelina Williams (183-83, college: Illinois) contributed with 18 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. American forward Dominic Seals (188-87, college: Texas Tech) replied with 14 points and 9 rebounds and the former international guard Zuleymarie Sanchez (165-87) added 16 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Guaynabo M.Four Guaynabo M. players scored in double figures. Morovis M. have an impressive nine-game winning streak. They maintain first position with 9-1 record. Guaynabo M. at the other side dropped to the sixth place with five games lost. Morovis M. will play against Ponce L. (#5) in the next round. Guaynabo M. will play against Juncos V. and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Guaynabo M.: Z.Sanchez 16+5reb+1ast, D.Seals 14+9reb+3ast, M.Martin 12+6reb+2ast, C.Wiley 11+2reb+3ast, S.Roman 7+9reb+5ast, J.Cortijo 4+3reb+2ast
Morovis M.: B.Raven 25+1ast, G.Rosigi 19+14reb+2ast, A.Williams 18+9reb+2ast, S.Pineiro 5+9reb+1ast, N.Emmanuelli 2+1reb+5ast, L.Colon 2+4reb
gschID: 133165




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  RUSSIA - Women  


Spartak Sb post two victories - by Eurobasket News
Spartak Sb post two victories in the pre-season period. Spartak Sb smashed Tecza Leszno 76:30. Tatyana Yuzhakova (183-G-88) top-scored for the winners with 17 points and Timofeeva Ekaterina netted 11. Anna Ostrouhova (172-G-90) followed them with 10 points.
Last night Spartak Sb beat Energiya Ivanovo 73:72 in overtime. Alexandra Kostina (191-C-87, agency: RIZO) stepped up with 18 points, while Yulia Lukina (185-F-88) had 16. Anna Ostrouhova delivered 12 points in a win.
Dynamo Kursk meanwhile finished third at the International Tournament in Trutnov. In the game for the third place the Russian team edged Uni Seat Gyor 88:57. They started with 30-15 in the first period and won the rest of the quarters as well.


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  SERBIA - Women  


Partizan added Hajdana Radunovic - by Dragana Vukovic
The management of ZKK Partizan Galenika Beograd continue with announcing of signings.They added Hajdana Radunovic (192-F/C-78) as a reiforcement under the basket. She is very experienced player who will bring to ZKK Partizan Galenika Beograd all that needs under the basket.Last season she started in Israel in Elitzur Ramla where she averaged 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in EuroCup.In January she moved in Poland in Energa Torun where she averaged 4.3 points and 2.0 rebounds in Polish championship and 10 points and 4.0 rebounds in EuroCup.

Vozdovac won tournament in Belgrade - by Dragana Vukovic
Vozdovac Beograd is a winner of the 1st International Tournament ' Ja sam kosarkasica '.The tornament took part in Belgrade in gym Vizura last weekend.The best scorer of the tournament was Stanecia Graham (186-F-86, college: Washburn) from Arad ahn the MVP ot the tournament was Jelena Dangubic (177-G-82) from Vozdovac Beograd.

First Day:

Vozdovac Beograd - Pesc 2010 74:63

Vozdovac Beograd: Vrancic 10,Jelena Dangubic 8,Marinkovic,M.Ivanovic 13,Krstovic,Stankovic 4,Papic 8,Kovacevic 10,S.Ivanovic,Jef.Karakasevic 21,Jerkic,Zivanovic
Pecs 2010: Cutoras 6,Raksany 10,Torok 7,Penzes 2,Sarok 6,Veg,Lila 9,Bala,Pilav 9,Laci 2,Samosi 12




Partizan Galenika - Arad 57:75

Partizan Galenika: Radocaj 3,Beronja 5,Vuckovic,Radunovic 12,Bucevac 7,Antic,Butulija 12,Radic,Prcic 4,Roglic 8,Sesnic 4,Jankovic 2
Arad: Green 11,Kraciun,Dragoescu,Nady,Showinski 8,Toma 8,Brozovsky 2,Nibor,Stanecia Graham 31,Moraru,Milovanovic 15,Nikolic,Gradinaru



Second Day:

Partizan Galenika - Pecs 2010 53:49

Partizan Galenika: Radocaj 3,Beronja 6,Vuckovic,Radunovic 11,Bucevac,Antic 5,Butulija 10,Radic,Prcic 8,Roglic 2,Sesnic 2,Jankovic 6
Pecs 2010: Cutoras,Raksany 5,Torok 5,Penzes,Sarok 5,Veg,Lila 14,Bala,Pilav 16,Laci 2,Samosi 2


Vozdovac Beograd - Arad 75:67


Vozdovac Beograd: Vrancic 12,Jelena Dangubic 16,Marinkovic,M.Ivanovic 3,Krstovic 15,Stankovic 2,Papic 13,Kovacevic 11,S.Ivanovic,Jef.Karakasevic 3,Jerkic,Zivanovic
Arad: Green 8,Kraciun,Dragoescu 5,Nady,Showinski 9,Toma 6,Brozovsky 6,Nibor,Stanecia Graham 22,Moraru,Milovanovic 4,Nikolic 7,Gradinaru









Smiljana Ivanovic signed for Vozdovac - by Dragana Vukovic
The management of Vozdovac announced new signinis.One of them is Smiljana Ivanovic (176-G-88).After she spent two years in Radivoj Korac Beograd,Smiljana Ivanovic moved to Vozdovac Beograd.Last season she averaged 8.4 points and 2.2 rebounds in Adriatic League and 6.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in Serbian Super League.Smiljana Ivanovic is expected to be big reinforcement and to give experience to team of Vozdovac Beograd.She was playing for all Serbian youngsters National Teams.

Radivoj Korac keeps coach Dragan Vukovic - by Dragana Vukovic
The management of Radivoj Korac Beograd extended contract with coach Dragan Vukovic .For the upcoming season team will be younger than ever.He is a well known coach on work with young players.From the 2001 he was with different young Serbian National Teams.In season 2008/09 he was Eurobasket.com All-Serbian League Coach of the Year.Assistant coach of Radivoj Korac Beograd will stay Milos Pavlovic .He is one of the most perspective coaches in Serbia.Last season he took Serbian Championships with U16 and U18 Radivoj Korac's Teams.This summer he was with U16 Serbian National Team.Ruzica Karic will stay assistant coach of young categories and she will be head coach of U14 team.New face is physical preparation coach Ivan Zaric.During this summer he was working as a physical preparation coach of U20 and U16 Serbian National Teams.Ex physical preparation coach Nikola Perisic moved to Russia in Gomelski Academy.

Hemofarm get bigger with Milena Marjanovic - by Eurobasket News
Milena Marjanovic (193-C-91) will continue her career in Hemofarm. The young center heads to the former champions from Radnicki Kagujevac, where she spent last two years. Before that, Marjanovic played for ZKK Kraljevo. She signed a two-year deal with Hemfoarm.
Head Coach of Hemofarm Miroslav Popov said that Hemofarm wants slowly to rejuvenate the team. Arrival of Marjanovic is part of that plan.
Meanwhile, Hemofarm played a friendly tournament in Vrbas. They registered one win and one defeat. They also participated at the tournament in Zenica. Hemofarm defended the trophy in that one. They outplayed Miskolc 76-73 in the Semifinals. In the Finals, Hemofarm was better than the home team Celik 71-63.

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  SLOVAKIA - Women  


ZVVZ USK Praha beat MBK Ruzomberok for the 5th place in Trutnov - by Eurobasket News
MBK Ruzomberok - ZVVZ USK Praha 59:70 (12:28, 15:11, 24:14, 8:17)

ZVVZ USK Praha beat MBK Ruzomberok for the 5th place in Trutnov at the International Tournament with 8 teams. The squad from Czech Republic grabbed an easy lead and had 70:59 victory.
ZVVZ USK Praha erupted with 28-12 in the opening period and never looked behind after. MBK Ruzomberok reduced the gap to 12 points at the halftime. Moreover the latter grabbed 24-14 in the third quarter and trailed only 2 points with 10 minutes in the game. ZVVZ USK Praha needed 17-8 in the last stanza to seal the victory.
Anna Montanana (186-F-80, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: George Washington) led the way with 20 points and Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) netted 19. Katerina Elhotova (180-G-89) followed them with 8 points in a win. Kamila Stepanova (193-C-88) delivered 23 in defeat and Ann Andersson (183-F-80, agency: Promotex, college: Minnesota) notched 14.

MBK Ruzomberok: Kamila Stepanova 23, Ann Andersson 14
ZVVZ USK Praha: Anna Montanana 20, Eva Viteckova 19, Katerina Elhotova 8

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  SWITZERLAND - Women  


Standings - LNF
LNA Standings
 1. Basel 0-0 
 2. Fribourg 0-0 
 3. Helios 0-0 
 4. Highflyers 0-0 
 5. Hope-GBA 0-0 
 6. Nyon 0-0 
 7. Ovronnaz-Mart. 0-0 
 8. Pully 0-0 
 9. Riva Basket 0-0 


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  TURKEY - Women  


Galatasaray beats Istanbul Universitesi in a friendly - by Eurobasket News
Galatasaray and Istanbul Universitesi met in a friendly game yesterday. Galata was better and celebrated 58-44 victory at the end. Alba Torrens (188-F-89) stepped up for the winners with 17 points. She was their only player with double-digits in scoring. Melek Bilge (193-C-89) had 9 points and Bahar Caglar (186-F-88) added 7 pts, plus 8 rebounds. Both teams are in the middle of preparations for the next season. Galatasaray reached TBBL Finals in 2010/11. However, they failed against Fenerbahce 1-3 in the series. Galata will compete in Euroleague next season. They are placed to Group A.

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


Boys and Girls Clubs of America and WUSBA to continue partnership; league will help purchase computers - by USBA Media

Atlanta, Ga. (September 19, 2011)---Continuing their efforts to address the growing needs of young people in our communities, the Women's United States Basketball Association (WUSBA) have announced that they will continue a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of America. The league is reported to lead an effort to secure funding for a new program for the Boys & Girls Club of America. 'The 'Goals for Graduation', program will be installed in each of their team cities. Boys and Girls Clubs are a very important part of the community. They provide safe, drug-free, supervised and cost-effective after-school, weekend and summer havens for our children and families', said WUSBA president Duane Jenkins. The league will begin their inaugural basketball season in the spring of 2012. Proceeds from ticket sales from season ticket sales will be donated to purchase computers and printers from Hewlett Packard. Microsoft will supply the software.

The league issued this, 'The cure all to poverty is a college education and it's the intention of the WUSBA to assist this organization in that capacity'. In their respected communities the Boys & Girls Club have a variety of after-school recreation and education program for middle school children to reduce the risk of youth criminal activity, improve academic performance, and reduce alcohol abuse while inspiring young people to realize their full potential. Based on a national model, all Boys & Girls Clubs after-school program encourages healthy attitudes and lifestyles through sports leagues, self-esteem enhancement workshops, character and leadership development programs, homework assistance, and recreational activities. 'I am also committed to making sure that every child has an opportunity to participate in the various after-school programs of the WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc', said Jenkins. 'We are aware that parents in each of our cities have a difficult time managing their work schedules and the quality time their children need with their homework or school projects and it is incumbent for us to assist their children during the afternoon and early evening hours while they are at work'.

'These programs will be free and available to everyone and it will help many families who do not have access to affordable, quality after-school tutoring', continued Jenkins. The programs will be implemented at a secure facility, and under the supervision of the management of each club and the administration of the local school district. The WUSBA will employ upper class college students from the local universities to assist in the programs. The WUSBA contracts with colleges and universities to play their professional basketball games. 'The majority of the students at the Boys and Girls Club, come from working families and our fans are hard working, church going folks, our programs will promote education and it is our top priority', proclaimed Jenkins. 'The higher the kids can reach, the more they can accomplish. We all have to get involved, the greater an impact our programs to the children the greater the chance we can help our children succeed in life'.

As a part of this new program, the WUSBA has authorized each team to hire children from the boys and girls clubs to work as official ball children at every home basketball game. Eight children will be selected each week to participate in the capacity as game assistants. The league will conduct an educational contest at each club. Winning participants will be selected and they will receive compensation of $25.00 per game. According to the league, the Boys and Girls Club of America local clubs will receive a $100,000.00 donation to be equally divided to the clubs in each WUSBA team city. The league made 1400 season tickets available in the WUSBA 2012 Season Ticket Extravaganza to fund this venture. The clubs in each WUSBA city will receive $5,000.00. The funds will be distributed to purchase computers, software, printers and monitors. Each club is designated to receive 10 complete computer systems. 'We have spoken to the folks at Hewlett Packard, Dell and Apple to supply the commuters and Microsoft for the software Service is key, once we buy the products from one of these companies, we will require them to donate their time to make sure the computers are kept in top running condition, after all these machines will get a lot of use', said Jenkins.' We made superior customer service a priority with these companies, we believe the kids deserve it'.

Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) -- is a national organization whose mission is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as a productive, caring, responsible citizen. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by installing a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence, the organization was founded in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. The BGCA is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

Women's United States Basketball Association (WUSBA) -- is a women's professional basketball league. The season commences in early April and culminates in early July. The league will begin its inaugural basketball season with twenty teams spread out over nine southern states. The league was founded in 2010. The WUSBA is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.

WUSBA Youth Outreach, Inc., Is a not-for profit company. Its primary purpose is to establish youth programs throughout its network of teams. The programs promote service and community involvement. The company was founded in 2010. The WUSBA Youth Outreach is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.