Eurobasket Daily News Report: 2/10/2012 1:00:00 AM

EUROBASKET NEWS REPORT - 2/10/2012 1:00:00 AM

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Men News

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ABA

Lina Explosion meets the Steam on sunday afternoon - by Gianni Pascucci
This weekend the Lima Explosion host former NBA player Sam Mack (6'7''-G/F-70, college: Houston) & the #5 Chicago Steam at the Elida Fieldhouse on Sunday, February 12th at 3:00pm. The team staff is encouraging all the fans to wear ALL WHITE to the game! The Explosion special charity, Heir Force Community School (www.heirforcecs.com ), will receiving half of the 50/50 proceeds. They will also be honoring all of their honor roll students along with their Employee of the Month at halftime.
To learn how be a sponsor of the Lima Explosion, contact Lewis Shine at LewisShine@LimaExplosion.com or 419-549-6426
See here down some interesing Explosion season notes:
Jamar Butler (6'1''-PG-85, agency: Pro One Sports, college: Ohio St.) is anticipating playing this Sunday vs Chicago
This past weekend Bryant Austin had a double-double (28 pts, 11 rbs), Kyle Gillette (6'8'', college: NW Ohio) and Deangelo Jordan (6'7''-G, college: Tiffin) both had double-double
Explosion go into this weekends game with a record of 10-3 and ranked #19 in the ABA Power Rankings
Playoffs begin the weekend of March 16-18. Teams in Top 24 have an automatic birth, with 8 more at large teams to be selected after that
For further informations, check www.limaexpolsion.com

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ADRIATIC LEAGUE

Anton Gaddefors in Belgium - by Zoran Popovic
Anton Gaddefors (200-F-89), former player of Radnicki Kragujevac signs new contract in Belgium. Gaddefors will play for the Generali Okapi Aalstar until the end of season. Gaddefors started this season in Serbian team and on 16 games in Adriatic league average scored 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds per game. Gaddefors came in Kragujevac in season 2010-2011 and before Radnicki he played for Sallen basket and Uppsala. Anton Gaddefors is member of Sweedesh National team.

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BALTIC LEAGUE

Baltic League round 14 best performance: Laurynas Mikalauskas - by Eurobasket News
Forward Laurynas Mikalauskas (205-F-85) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for second-ranked Neptunas, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 14.
The 26-year old player had a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds, while his team edged out Sakalai (#2, 8-3) 79-75. Neptunas maintains the 2nd position in Baltic League Quarterfinal. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Neptunas will need more victories to improve their 6-3 record. Mikalauskas turned to be Neptunas' top player in his first season with the team. Laurynas Mikalauskas averages this season 17.8ppg and 9.3rpg.

The second best player in last round's games was 25-year old American David McClure (200-F-86) of Nevezis Kedain.. McClure had a very good evening with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Bad luck as Kedainiai lost that game 62-86 to the higher-ranked Triumph (#3, 10-3). Kedainiai managed to keep the same 8th spot in . His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 6-9 record. McClure is a newcomer at Kedainiai, but is already one of team's top players.

Third on the list of top players last round was swingman Marek Doronin (200-F/G-83) of Tartu Ulikool (#9). Doronin scored 22 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). Despite Doronin's great performance Tartu Ulikool lost 61-72 to the higher-ranked Kalev/Cramo (#2, 11-5). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. The chances of Tartu Ulikool not to end season at such low position in , however are less than slim as they have already lost 11 games, recording just five victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Doronin could try to bring Tartu Ulikool's a little bit higher in the standings. Doronin has a very solid season. In 12 games in Baltic League he scored 12.3ppg. He also has 5.2rpg and FGP: 64.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Valdas Vasylius (203-F-83) of Siauliai - 19 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists
5. Andrew Arnold (208-C-86) of TTU/Kalev - 24 points and 8 rebounds
6. Rashaun Broadus (183-PG-84) of Siauliai - 11 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists
7. Janis Porzingis (201-F-82) of Valmiera - 17 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Cam Long (193-G-88) of Siauliai - 21 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists
9. Reinar Hallik (208-C-84) of Tarvas - 23 points and 9 rebounds
10. Kyle Landry (207-C/F-86) of Triumph - 21 points and 7 rebounds

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

Valmo Kriisa joins Tartu Ulikool - by Eurobasket News
Valmo Kriisa (190-G-74) changed the team. The experienced guard will continue his career in Tartu Ulikool. He will replace Rain Veideman on the roster. Valmo Kriisa started the season with Rakvere Tarvas. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in KML. In Baltic League the guard produced 10.9 points, 5.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per appearance. Previously Valmo Kriisa had stints with Kalev/Cramo, TTU/Kalev, Groningen, Sodertalje and Nybit. He was the member of Estonian National Team in 1995-2010. Eurobasket.com named Valmo Kriisa All-Estonian League Domestic Player of the Year in 2007 and 2010. He was also trumped League Guard of the Year in 2003, 2007 and 2010.

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BOSNIA

Bosnians in Spain recap! - by Chris Mathieu
Bosnians in Spain recap!
Mirza Begic finally got the chance to start with Ante Tomic out and put up nice numbers 6pts 10rbs 1blks in a loss. Mirza has been splitting center duties with Ante Tomic lately and it has cost Chicago Bulls draft pick Nikola Mirotic minutes. Real Madrid has been slumping lately losing back to back against Gescrap BB in the last week.
Mirza Teletovic had a very good game in a win against GC 2014. Mirza went 8-14 from the field scored 20 points with 9 rebounds.
Nedzad Sinanovic fell further out of the rotation for Unicaja, not logging a minute in their last game.
Ogjnen Kuzmic had another solid game for Clinicas Rincon, even though the team suffered another crushing defeat losing by 24 points. Ogjnen went 6-8 from the field with 12 points 8 rebounds 3 steals and 2 blocks.
Dejan Todorovic continues to struggle for Clinicas Rincon going 2-6 from the field. He appears to be putting too much pressure on himself as the team lacks decent point guards. He is a pretty good shooter so his struggles seem out of character for him.

Gordan Firic takes over U16 NT! - by Nedzad Kladusak
Harun Mahmutovic general secretary of KSBIH has initiated several crucial changes in KSBIH
transforming it into a European basketball association.
Alongside to the improved media coverage of all games of the domestic championship Mahmutovic
managed to bring in renowned basketball coaches.
After the inauguration of Aleksandar Petrovic and Nenad Markovic, Mahmutovic revealed that
the U16NT will be coached by former NT legend Gordan Firic (197-G/F-70)! The latter has to be approved by the management board but
this should be only a formality.

Regardless the names that will rejoin the NT the most significant reinforcement seems to be the aquisition of a renowned coaching staff.

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CHILE

Dimayor: Barrett signed with Sokol Antofagasta - by Daniel Valencia
Sokol de Antofagasta agreed to terms with the american Rasheem Barrett (196-G-87, college: Auburn). Barrett is a 25 year old guard with playing experience in the NCAA (Auburn), minor leagues in the United States (NBDL, UBA), Germany, Canada and Mexico. He is replacing the guard/forward Deshawn Danzey (198-F-84, college: Victory), who played four games with the team, averaging 7.8 points per game. Barrett has already played 4 games with the team, scoring 19, 23, 24 and 22 points.

Dimayor: Catolica agreed to terms with Spicer - by Daniel Valencia
CD Universidad Catolica de Santiago agreed to terms with the american Sylvester Spicer (198-F-86, college: Rogers St.). Spicer is a 25 year old forward with playing experience in the NCAA (ORU), NAIA (Rogers St.), Israel, Portugal, New Zealand, Uruguay and a short stint with Deportes Ancud in Chile.

He is replacing Tarrie Monroe (202-F-77, college: Lewis), who played 18 games with Catolica, averaging 16.6 points per game.

Last night, Spicer played his first game with Catolica in the victory against San Luis. He scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

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DENMARK

Standings - Basketligaen

Ligaen Standings

1. Bakken		21-1
2. Svendborg		21-2
3. Naestved		14-9
4. SISU		10-13
5. Horsholm		9-14
6. Vaerlose		9-14
7. Aalborg		8-14
8. Horsens IC		8-15
9. Aabyhoj		8-15
10. Falcon		6-17

Stats Leaders - Basketligaen

Points Per Game

Ryan WHITE
  Aalborg
  (177-PG-88)
  Avg: 26.3

1. White, Aalborg	26.3
2. Harris, Horsens IC	24.4
3. Henry, Naestved	21.3
4. Rutherford, SISU	20.4
5. Curry, Aabyhoj	20.0
6. Rasmussen, Vaerl.	19.7
7. Bishop, Aalborg	19.2
8. Fields, Falcon	18.4
9. Alexander, Bakken	18.0
10. Kingsley, Svendbo.	17.9

Rebounds Per Game

Tony BISHOP
  Aalborg
  (201-F-89)
  Avg: 11.4

1. Bishop, Aalborg	11.4
2. Glynn, Naestved	10.8
3. Curry, Aabyhoj	10.5
4. St.John, Horsens	10.1
5. Colas, Horsholm	9.1
6. Benjamin, Horsholm	8.6
7. Phillips, Aabyhoj	8.5
8. Osgood-R., Vaerlose	8.4
9. Rutherford, SISU	8.3
10. Harris, Horsens IC	8.0

Assists Per Game

Reginald DELK
  Vaerlose
  (193-G-86)
  Avg: 5.1

1. Delk, Vaerlose	5.1
2. Henry, Naestved	5.1
3. Sattler, Horsens IC	4.7
4. White, Aalborg	4.6
5. Colman, Svendborg	4.5
6. Fields, Falcon	4.1
7. Elgmork, Aalborg	4.0
8. McFarlane, Falcon	3.7
9. Curry, Aabyhoj	3.5
10. Dennis, SISU	3.2

Steals Per Game

Corin HENRY
  Naestved
  (180-PG-88)
  Avg: 4.4

1. Henry, Naestved	4.4
2. White, Aalborg	3.0
3. Wire, Vaerlose	2.9
4. Dennis, SISU	2.4
5. Bishop, Aalborg	2.3
6. Fields, Falcon	2.3
7. Sattler, Horsens IC	2.1
8. Plannthin, Svend.	2.0
9. Nielsen, SISU	1.9
10. Alexander, Bakken	1.9

Blocks Per Game

Jenard HARRISON
  SISU
  (203-F-84)
  Avg: 2.3

1. Harrison, SISU	2.3
2. Colas, Horsholm	2.0
3. Curry, Aabyhoj	1.7
4. Phillips, Aabyhoj	1.7
5. Christoffers., Bak.	1.7
6. Bishop, Aalborg	1.7
7. Marinkovic, Horsho.	1.2
8. Eleraky, Aalborg	1.1
9. Vinson, Svendborg	1.1
10. Delk, Vaerlose	0.9

Ligaen Round 23: Bakken keeps a leadership position - by Eurobasket News
The games at this stage are more interesting as they can be crucial for the final standings in Regular Season. Despite we already know who is stronger and who is weaker, there may be still last minute susprises and upsets. The round was exceptionally exciting as three games anded in overtime. The fans could enjoy quite many interesting games in the last round. The round ended with favorites losing the games and games ending by tiny margin.

The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Bakken as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Bakken defeated 10th ranked Falcon in Aarhus 82-72. The game was mostly controlled by Bakken. Falcon managed to win second period 18-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Falcon 51-24 including a 23-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. American guard Joshua Alexander (193-87, college: SF Austin) orchestrated the victory by scoring 19 points and 5 rebounds. The former international center Chris Christoffersen (218-79, college: Oregon) contributed with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Bakken's coach Philip Dejworek used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international guard Julian McFarlane (184-86) answered with 25 points for Falcon. Bakken (21-1) have an impressive series of seventeen victories in a row. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Newly promoted Falcon stay at the bottom place with 17 games lost. Falcon will play next round against strong Svendborg trying to get back on the winning streak. Bakken will try to continue on its current victory against sixth ranked Vaerlose at home.

In the last game of round 23 Naestved was beaten by Vaerlose on the road 97-89. Aabyhoj won against Horsens IC on its own court 92-89.
The most impressive performance of 23th round was 34 points (!!!), 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 blocks by D'Mario Curry of Aabyhoj.

Vaerlose - Naestved 97-89
There was a surprise result when seventh ranked Vaerlose (9-14) beat at home 3rd placed Naestved (14-9) 97-89 on Sunday. The hosts trailed by 6 points after three quarters before their 38-24 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Vaerlose made 18-of-20 free shots (90.0 percent) during the game. American guard Reginald Delk (193-86, college: Louisville) orchestrated the victory by scoring 21 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Forward Mads Rasmussen (191-86) contributed with 32 points for the winners. The former international power forward Peter Johansen (205-80) answered with 23 points and 7 rebounds and American forward Jordan Glynn (200-89, college: SF Austin, agency: I.D.S. Law) added 18 points and 11 rebounds in the effort for Naestved. Four Vaerlose and five Naestved players scored in double figures. Naestved's coach Geoff Kotila rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Vaerlose moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Horsholm. Naestved at the other side keeps the third position with nine games lost. Vaerlose will face league's leader Bakken in Aarhus in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Naestved will play on the road against Aalborg.
Top scorers:
Vaerlose: M.Rasmussen 32+1reb+1ast, R.Delk 21+8reb+7ast, A.Karason 18+9reb+2ast, P.Simonsen 14+2ast, P.Moller 8+2reb+3ast, J. Jensen 2+7reb
Naestved: P.Johansen 23+7reb+2ast, J.Glynn 18+11reb+2ast, C.Henry 16+3reb+6ast, M.Creppy 11+3reb+1ast, N.Brasas 10+6reb+1ast, L.Hoirup 7

Aalborg - Aabyhoj 96-93 OT
Top scorers:
Aalborg: T.Bishop 33+18reb+1ast, R.White 24+3reb+9ast, A.Nielsen 12+2reb+3ast, S.Sorensen 10+9reb+2ast, S.Eleraky 6+6reb, R.Lauridsen 5+2ast
Aabyhoj: D.Curry 34+14reb+8ast, R.Soby Dalboge 20+1reb+1ast, D.Jukic 13+4reb+1ast, A.Elsner 10+2reb+5ast, D.Phillips 9+12reb+1ast, G.Valentinusson 4+1reb

Bakken - Falcon 82-72
The game had a very big importance for second-ranked Bakken as it allowed them to take a leadership position. Bakken defeated 10th ranked Falcon in Aarhus 82-72. The game was mostly controlled by Bakken. Falcon managed to win second period 18-16. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Falcon 51-24 including a 23-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. American guard Joshua Alexander (193-87, college: SF Austin) orchestrated the victory by scoring 19 points and 5 rebounds. The former international center Chris Christoffersen (218-79, college: Oregon) contributed with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Bakken's coach Philip Dejworek used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. The former international guard Julian McFarlane (184-86) answered with 25 points and Senegalese power forward Pape Ba (207-80, college: Beth.-Cookman) added 16 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Falcon. Bakken (21-1) have an impressive series of seventeen victories in a row. As mentioned above they are alone now at the top position. Newly promoted Falcon stay at the bottom place with 17 games lost. Falcon will play next round against strong Svendborg trying to get back on the winning streak. Bakken will try to continue on its current victory against sixth ranked Vaerlose at home.
Top scorers:
Bakken: J.Alexander 19+5reb+2ast, A.Jakobsen 14+2reb+3ast, C.Christoffersen 10+12reb+2ast, N.Iversen 8+7reb+3ast, H.Falsvig 8+2reb+1ast, J.Jensen 7+3reb
Falcon: J.McFarlane 25+3reb+2ast, P.Ba 16+6reb, R.Fields 8+4reb+4ast, H.Thomsen 8+4reb, P.Christiansen 5+1reb+2ast, P.Jorgensen 4+5reb

Aabyhoj - Horsens IC 92-89
We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams when 6th ranked Horsens IC (8-15) was edged on the road by seventh ranked Aabyhoj (8-15) 92-89 on Saturday. The hosts trailed by 2 points after three quarters before their 28-23 charge, which allowed them to win the game. Aabyhoj made 32-of-40 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game, while Horsens IC only scored nine points from the stripe. They outrebounded Horsens IC 35-17 including a 27-12 advantage in defensive rebounds. Horsens IC was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. American forward D'Mario Curry (201-85, college: Lincoln Memorial) orchestrated the victory by scoring 25 points and 9 rebounds (was perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line !!!). International guard Darko Jukic (199-90) contributed with 21 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Four Aabyhoj players scored in double figures. American forward Will Harris (198-86, college: Albany) answered with 30 points and Slovenian guard Davor Sattler (185-86, agency: Global Sports Plaza) added 23 points and 8 assists in the effort for Horsens IC. Despite that victory Aabyhoj went down to eighth position due to points difference, which they share with defeated Horsens IC. Aabyhoj will face higher ranked SISU (#4) in Copenhagen in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.
Top scorers:
Aabyhoj: D.Curry 25+9reb+2ast, D.Jukic 21+5reb+2ast, D.Phillips 18+9reb, R.Soby Dalboge 14+2reb+3ast, O.Sigurdsson 8+6reb+1ast, G.Valentinusson 4+2reb
Horsens IC: W.Harris 30+4reb+2ast, D.Sattler 23+8ast, H.Schur 19+5reb, M.St.John 6+4reb+4ast, C.Lindberg 5+1reb, M.Sakne 3+1reb+2ast

Svendborg - Horsholm 88-82 OT
Top scorers:
Svendborg: C.Colman 26+6reb+10ast, A.Darboe 25+6reb+6ast, D.Vinson 18+7reb+1ast, M.Kingsley 8+6reb+1ast, C.Magaard 7+2reb, M.Mariegaard 4+2ast
Horsholm: A.Bak 27+2reb+2ast, B.Colas 20+16reb+1ast, P.Hertz 13+2reb+1ast, V.Aleksic 11+3reb+3ast, J.Benjamin 5+3reb+2ast, J.Bro 3+3reb+6ast

Falcon - SISU 82-83 OT
Top scorers:
SISU: D.Rutherford 23+15reb, M.Dennis 22+6reb+3ast, D.Harder 18+11reb+1ast, M.Nielsen 15+5reb+3ast, U.Promolds 3+1reb+1ast, M.Flowers 2+5reb+1ast
Falcon: P.Ba 22+14reb+1ast, J.McFarlane 17+4reb+2ast, R.Fields 17+2reb+6ast, H.Thomsen 11+3reb, J.Rottgardt 9+1reb+2ast, C.Nielsen 4+4reb

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D-LEAGUE

Sixth Annual NBA Development League All-Star Game Rosters - by Eurobasket
Twenty of the NBA Development League's top prospects, including eight who have NBA experience, have been chosen to play in the sixth annual NBA D-League All-Star Game Presented by 26 Seconds on Saturday, Feb. 25, on Center Court at NBA All-Star Jam Session. The game will air live on NBA TV at 2 p.m. ET. Click here for the rosters

Austin Toros head coach Brad Jones and assistant coaches Taylor Jenkins and Alex Lloyd will coach the West, while Iowa Energy head coach Kevin Young and assistant Gene Cross will helm the east. Young and Cross are each making their first NBA D-League All-Star appearance, while they represent an Energy team who has sent coaches to the NBA D-League All-Star Game for the last three seasons. Jones is also making his first trip to the NBA D-League All-Star bench. Both coaching staffs were selected based on their teams having the highest winning percentages in their respective conferences through Feb. 7. Prior to the game, Jones and Young will choose starting lineups for each of their teams.

The shot clock during the game will be extended to 26 seconds in order to drive awareness to the fact that a student drops out of high school every 26 seconds in America. The goal of 26 Seconds, a State Farm Public Awareness Campaign, is to increase the high school graduation rate.

East All-Stars Roster

Blakely

Biggs

Curry

Foote

Garcia

Marqus Blakely (6'5''-F-89) of Iowa Energy
Tyrell Biggs (6'8''-F-86) of Canton Charge
Jameson Curry (6'4''-G-86) of Springfield Armor
Jeff Foote (7'0''-C-88) of Springfield Armor
Charles Garcia (6'9''-F-88) of Sioux Falls Skyforce
Darnell Lazare (6'8''-F-85) of Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Keith McLeod (6'3''-PG-79) of Erie Bay Hawks
Walker Russell (6'0''-G-82) of Detroit Pistons
Jerry Smith (6'2''-G-87) of Springfield Armor
Edwin Ubiles (6'6''-G/F-86) of Dakota Wizards

Head Coach: Kevin Young (Iowa)
Assistant Coach: Gene Cross (Iowa)

West All-Stars Roster

Ahearn

Costner

Dentmon

Dyson

Emmett

Blake Ahearn (6'2''-PG-84) of Reno Bighorns
Brandon Costner (6'9''-F-87) of Los Angeles D-Fenders
Justin Dentmon (6'0''-G-85) of Austin Toros
Jerome Dyson (6'3''-G-87) of Tulsa 66ers
Andre Emmett (6'5''-G/F-82) of Reno Bighorns
Gerald Green (6'8''-G/F-86) of Los Angeles D-Fenders
Marcus Lewis (6'8''-F/C-86) of Tulsa 66ers
Elijah Millsap (6'6''-G-87) of Los Angeles D-Fenders
Greg Smith (6'10''-C-91) of Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Lance Thomas (6'8''-F-88) of New Orleans Hornets

Head Coach: Brad Jones (Austin)
Assistant Coach: Taylor Jenkins (Austin), Alex Lloyd (Austin)

Mychel Thompson to rejoin Erie BayHawks - by Eurobasket News
Former Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Mychel Thompson (6'7''-F-88, college: Pepperdine) today confirmed to the Erie Times-News that he will rejoin the Erie BayHawks.

Thompson will arrive in Erie on Thursday.

Thompson, 23, was waived by the Cavaliers on Monday. The 6-foot, 7-inch, 211-pound Thompson averaged 3.6 points in five games with the NBA team.

Thompson played five games for Erie before the Cavaliers invited him to training camp. He made their final 15-man roster, but was on a non-guaranteed contract. Erie retained Thompson's NBA Development League rights.

In the five games he was with Erie, Thompson averaged 19.8 points.

The BayHawks drafted the former Pepperdine University standout in the third round of the 2011 draft. Thompson is the son of former NBA player Mychal Thompson and the brother of Golden State Warriors rookie Klay Thompson.

Erie (13-15) plays Maine Friday night at Tullio Arena.

Courtesy of www.goerie.com

66ers fall at Los Angeles - by Eurobasket News
Marcus Lewis (6'8''-F/C-86, college: ORU) recorded his 21st double-double of the season and Jerome Dyson (6'3''-G-87, college: Connecticut) added 19 points, but the Tulsa 66ers fell to the Los Angeles D-Fenders 110-98 in NBA D-League action Wednesday night at Los Angeles.

Lewis scored 17 points and had a team-high 11 rebounds in the losing effort. Also scoring in double figures for Tulsa was Robert Vaden (6'5''-G/F-85, college: UAB) with 17 and Curtis Sumpter with 16.

Keys: The D-Fenders, second place in the Western Conference, were led by Gerald Green (6'8''-G/F-86) with a game-high 31 points. Otis George (6'9''-C-82, agency: Beo Basket, college: Louisville) paced the team in rebounds with 13 boards.

Up next: At Bakersfield, 9 p.m. Friday.

Next home game: Vs. Idaho, 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Radio: KAKC am1300.

Notes: Tulsa fell to 15-15. Los Angeles improved to 21-10. ... Dyson and Lewis have been chosen to represent the team at the 2012 NBA D-League All-Star Game. The game will take place at NBA Jam Session Center Court inside the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando on Feb. 25, and will be broadcast on NBATV cable 256 at 1 p.m.

In his second season playing for the 66ers, Dyson has started in all 24 games he has played and has averaged 19.3 points

Lewis, an ex-ORU standout who is in his third season in Tulsa, has started in all 25 games he's played and averaged 14.3 points and a league-best 13.2 rebounds.

Courtesy of www.tulsaworld.com

D-League All-Star Smith signs deal, takes roster spot with Rockets - by Eurobasket News
A day after forward Jeff Adrien (6'7''-F-86, agency: Priority Sports, college: Connecticut) was waived to make space on the roster to sign center Greg Smith (6'10''-C-91, college: Fresno St.), coach Kevin McHale said he hoped to end up with both.

Well miss Jeff a great deal, McHale said. Hopefully we can find a way to get Jeff back. He was a real big part of the chemistry.

The Rockets officially signed Smith to a three-year contract on Wednesday, and the deal is guaranteed for the remainder of the season and worth the pro-rated portion of the rookie minimum, $480,000. It is partially guaranteed next season and at the teams option in the third season.

Gregs been playing really well down in the D-League, McHale said. We liked him in training camp. I think hes got a bright future.

Named to play in the NBA Development League All-Star Game on Wednesday, Smith will be assigned to the Rockets D-League affiliate.

Courtesy of http://blog.chron.com

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EBA

E.B.A. Player of the week - by Calvin Brown
Calvin Brown, Jr.
Team: Metropolitan All-Stars
EBA All-Star Center Calvin Brown, Jr. turned in a monster game to lead his Metropolitan All-Stars to a 116 to 106 overtime win over the Winchester Storm. Calvin had 30 points and 14 rebounds. His Metro All-Stars have stretched their division-leading record to a perfect 5-0.

EBA Hardwood Heroes
Aubin Scott - NY Wizards - 29 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds

Terrence Carter - Metropolitan All-Stars - 25 points, 5 rebounds

Tyrone Roach - Winchester Storm - 27 points, 5 assists

E.B.A. Hudson Valley add two! - by Calvin Brown
The Hudson Valley Hype head into the remainder of the season this weekend playing every Saturday until the end of March and inevitably into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. I have tirelessly spent the last 6 months putting together Hype Business Enterprises, professional staff and the players so that at the end of the regular season, we can look back and hopefully stand as champions of the Northern Division, explained Owner Allen Pickett. We have come a long way since I took over operations last season, and we still have a long way to go.

The consulting and coaching staff of Mr. Ricketts and Mr. Ryans is as much a part of NYC basketball as is Pee-Wee Kirkland and Rutger park; having them part of the Hype family is key to our success. The other part is defense scoring a hundred points a game in this league is the average. Holding teams below that can equal a victory.

With that being said, the Hype have acquired two formidable players in the paint Marcel Esonwune at the forward and Sam Wallace in the center. Marcel ended his college career at York as one of the best basketball players in its history. His 1,818 points are the second-highest in school history and his 360 blocks are a school record. His 1,325 rebounds are also believed to be a school record. Sam Wallace comes in from an equally impressive college career at Elizabeth City State and will protect the basket from opponents at an impressive 6-10 260 lbs.

When asked if Mr. Pickett had anymore tricks up his sleeve for the remainder of the season, he smugly smiled and said, A certain Syracuse alumni from the inaugural Hype season would be on his way back from overseas and make a big impact. Who could that be?

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ESTONIA

Kalev/Cramo defeats Tartu Ulikool in BBL - by Eurobasket News
Kalev/Cramo defeats Tartu Ulikool in BBL in the clash between two Estonian teams. One of the most interesting games of round 14 was a derby match between two teams from Estonia. The game took place in Tallinn where second ranked Kalev/Cramo won against visiting Tartu Ulikool 72:61. The game was mostly controlled by Kalev/Cramo. Tartu Ulikool was better in fourth quarter 21-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Pavel Ulyanko (204-F/C-79) notched 15 points and 8 rebounds to lead the effort and Armands Skele (192-G-83) supported him with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Even a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds by Marek Doronin (200-F/G-83) did not help to save the game for Tartu Ulikool. Bill Amis added 12 points and 8 rebounds for the guests. Kalev/Cramo have a solid three-game winning streak.
Later Siauliai beat Kalev/Cramo 93:84. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Kalev/Cramo. The hosts trailed by 2 points after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 10-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 93-84. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 23 assists. Rashaun Broadus (183-PG-84, college: BYU) had a double-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Valdas Vasylius (203-F-83, college: ODU) chipped in 19 points and 6 assists (on 7-of-9 shooting from the field) during the contest. Gregor Arbet (194-F/G-83) responded with 20 points and Pavel Ulyanko scored 19 points.

Valmo Kriisa joins Tartu Ulikool - by Eurobasket News
Valmo Kriisa (190-G-74) changed the team. The experienced guard will continue his career in Tartu Ulikool. He will replace Rain Veideman on the roster. Valmo Kriisa started the season with Rakvere Tarvas. He averaged 10.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game in KML. In Baltic League the guard produced 10.9 points, 5.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per appearance. Previously Valmo Kriisa had stints with Kalev/Cramo, TTU/Kalev, Groningen, Sodertalje and Nybit. He was the member of Estonian National Team in 1995-2010. Eurobasket.com named Valmo Kriisa All-Estonian League Domestic Player of the Year in 2007 and 2010. He was also trumped League Guard of the Year in 2003, 2007 and 2010.

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EUROCUP

EUROLEAGUE

Standings

Euroleague Standings

Group E
1. CSKA			3-1
2. Galatasaray			2-2
3. Olympiakos			2-2
4. Anadolu Efes			1-3
Group F
1. Montepaschi			4-0
2. Gescrap BB			2-2
3. Real Madrid			2-2
4. Unicaja			0-4
Group G
1. Unics			3-1
2. Panathinaikos			3-1
3. Fener.Ulker			1-3
4. Armani MI			1-3
Group H
1. FCB Regal			4-0
2. Maccabi T-A			2-2
3. Bennet Cantu			2-2
4. Zalgiris			0-4

Top 16, Round 4: Wednesday's games review - by Eurobasket News
GROUP E

Anadolu Efes - Olympiakos 65-67
Olympiakos was better than Anadolu Efes once again. The Reds grabbed 65-67 victory in Istanbul for 2-2 record in Group E of the Euroleague Top 16. After this victory, Olympiakos is very close to reach the Quarterfinals. At the other side, Anadolu Efes dropped to 1-3 and their chances drastically decreased. Kostas Papanikolaou (204-F-90) and Georgios Printezis (206-F-85, agency: FCM) scored 16 points each for the winners. They grabbed 6 and 5 rebounds respectively. Joey Dorsey (206-C/F-83, college: Memphis) (8 rebs) and Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82, agency: Beo Basket) helped Olympiakos with 8 points apiece. The home squad got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Oliver Lafayette (188-G-84, college: Houston). Stanko Barac (217-C-86) had 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Sasha Vujacic (200-G-84) stopped to 8 pts. Olympiakos made 9-16 lead in the first quarter and Efes cut the margin to 32-37 at the HT. Visitor jumped to plus 9 after the breather, but later finished Q3 with 42-48. Efes opened the last ten minutes with 5-0 run, but than Kostas Papanikolaou and his teammates answered with 5-14 run for 52-62 lead. However, Efes didnt give up and Sasha Vujacic completed their impressive 13-3 run with a killer triple for 65-65 tie with 16 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Vujacic fouled Sloukas with 10 seconds left. The 22-year-old sank both free throws, and with time running out, Lafayette tried a game-winning triple that missed, letting Olympiacos go home to Greece with a good-as-gold victory. In the next round, Olympiakos will meet CSKA in Moscow. Anadolu Efes will play against Galatasaray.

Anadolu Efes: Oliver Lafayette 22+5 boards, Stanko Barac 16+7 boards, Sasha Vujacic 8
Olympiakos: Kostas Papanikolaou 16+6 boards, Georgios Printezis 16+5 boards, Joey Dorsey 8+8 boards, Vassilis Spanoulis 8

GROUP F

Montepaschi - Unicaja 84-69
Montepaschi jumped to 4-0 record in Group F of the Euroleague Top 16. The Italian powerhouse handed 84-69 loss to Unicaja on Wednesday night. A victory in either of its remaining games or a loss for either Real Madrid or Gescrap BB will send Siena through to the next stage. Unicaja dropped to 0-4 and lost all chances to reach the Quarterfinals. Bo McCalebb (183-PG-85, college: New Orleans) led Montepaschi with 18 points. Ksistof Lavrinovic (210-C-79) had 13, while David Moss (196-F-83, agency: SportsTalent, college: Indiana St.) and Igor Rakocevic (193-G-78) netted 11 points each. For the guests, Gerald Fitch (191-G-82, agency: SportsTalent, college: Kentucky) delivered 15 points. Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) had 14 and Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances) stopped to 9. Montepaschi held 67-60 lead after three quarters and they made 12-3 run at the beginning of the last one for 79-63 with less than four minutes to play. Quarters: 23-19, 29-27, 15-14, 17-9. In the next round, Montepaschi will meet Bilbao in Spain. Unicaja goes to Madrid.

Montepaschi: Bo McCalebb 18, Ksistof Lavrinovic 13, David Moss 11, Igor Rakocevic 11
Unicaja: Gerald Fitch 15, Luka Zoric 14, Jorge Garbajosa 9

Gescrap BB - Real Madrid 93-69
Huge win for Bilbao against Real Madrid on Wednesday night. The home squad celebrated 93-69 victory and joined Real with 2-2 record in Group F of the Euroleague Top 16. Bilbao, however, got the tie-break advantage if both teams remain tied at the end of this stage. Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) top-scored for the winners with 19 points. Alex Mumbru (202-F-79) had 16 points, while Aaron Jackson (193-G-86, college: Duquesne) helped with double-double of 15 points and 10 assists. Jackson was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 28. In the loosing squad, Nikola Mirotic (207-F/C-91) answered with 18 points and Novica Velickovic (205-F-86) had one less. Kyle Singler (203-F-88, college: Duke) registered 8 points and 11 rebounds. Bilbao had amazing first quarter, which they opened with 10-0 run and later finished with 34-14. The hosts had no troubles to keep their lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 34-14, 18-12, 20-25, 21-18. In the next round, Bilbao will host Montepaschi. Real will meet Unicaja in Madrid.

Bilbao: Kostas Vasiliadis 19, Alex Mumbru 16, Aaron Jackson 15+10 boards
Real Madrid: Nikola Mirotic 18, Novica Velickovic 17, Kyle Singler 8+11 boards

GROUP G

Emporio Armani - Unics 63-58
Emporio Armani Milan registered its first victory in Euroleague Top 16. The team from the fashion capital was better than Unics 63-58. The result improved Armani to 1-3 in Group G, but it will still need to win both its remaining games and to get some help to have a chance of reaching the Playoffs. At the other side, Unics faced with the first loss at this stage (3-1) and needs one win in either of its remaining games to secure a playoff berth. Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) led the home squad with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Ernest Bremer (194-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) scored 13 points and Leon Radosevic (206-C-90) added 11 pts, plus 5 boards. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) answered with 11 points and 6 rebounds for Unics. Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) and Nathan Jawai (208-F/C-86, college: Midland CC) also scored 11 points each. Armani was in charge during the entire game. Thanks for 3 free throws by Henry Domercant, Unics came to 60-57 with 2:23 remaining. But after that Domercant missed from downtown and Omar Cook split the free throws. Unics was not able to score in its next possession and Cook had no mercy from the line twice, resolving question about the winner. Quarters: 20-13, 12-15, 17-15, 14-15. Emporio Armani will meet Panathinaikos in Athens in the next round. Unics goes to Istanbul for the game against Fenerbahce Ulker.

Emporio Armani: Antonis Fotsis 16+6 boards, Ernest Bremer 13, Leon Radosevic 11+5 boards
Unics: Vladimir Veremeenko 11+6 boards, Henry Domercant 11, Nathan Jawai 11

Olympiacos' Acie Law Staying In Greece Next Season? - by David Pick
After a rough transition from the luxurious NBA life to a trying period in Serbia, Acie Law's finally finding his rhythm in Athens and isnt thinking about basketball across the Atlantic.

Prior to signing with Partizan Belgrade in Serbia, Law was promised there would be another American on board. Not only did Law discover that promises are made to be broken, he also struggled with basic communication with his Serbian mates. As a result, Law relied on his earphones not only on road trips but also in the locker room.

'It's definitely been an adjustment from playing in the NBA, but it's a decision I'm glad I've made,' Law told Eurobasket.

Despite the difficulties, Law recalled that 'They (Serbians) treated my daughter like she's a Kardashian, so that eased things up a bit.'

Law, who played four NBA seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Bobcats and the Memphis Grizzlies, was used to ballin' at a high level, so when Partizan dropped out of the Euroleague competition, the former Texas A&M guard needed a change.

'I was looking to join a European team that qualified for the Euroleague Top 16, rather than taking any job in the league,' Law said. Luckily, at the time, Greek empire Olympiacos was looking to make some backcourt changes and Law was the perfect fit. Though Law is still in transition, his team is only one win away from securing a spot in Europe's Elite 8, as they head to Moscow to face Euroleague giant CSKA on February 22nd.

Surprisingly, when asked about a possible return to the NBA next season, Law weighed giving his Greek club first dibs. 'I would always want to play in the league if it's the right situation and I know I'm going to get minutes every night. Nothing can beat the NBA. On the other hand, if Olympiacos wants to bring me back next year and the contract terms are right, I would strongly consider.'

When asked why Law added, 'Because aside from basketball, I like Athens a lot.'

Follow David Pick on Twitter: @IAmDPick

Ivkovic: I think we deserved the win - by Kostas Papadopoulos
After the great win of Olympiakos against Anadolu Efes last night at Turkey, coach Dusan Ivkovic (agency: Beo Basket ) and the players of the Piraeus team couldn't hide their happiness about the result which gave their team even more possibilities to qualify at the Euroleague's quarterfinals:
Dusan Ivkovic (agency: Beo Basket ): 'It was a very important game for both teams. I think we deserved the win, since we were concentrated at the most time of the game, we controlled it better, although in basketball you should never say that the game is over before its end. There was too much pressure in both teams; there were many mistakes in the game. Anadolu Efes made mistakes first, especially in the first half. But we made all ours throughout the end of the game. Luckily, we didn't pay for those mistakes. Our team is very young, the players play together not a long time now, especially since the two new Americans joined our team just last month. Georgios Printezis (206-F-85, agency: FCM) and Kostas Papanikolaou (204-F-90) did great jobs tonight, but I don't want to talk about the individual efforts; the whole team did a great job tonight. We want to dedicate this victory to the 21 dead children and their families who 31 years ago, at this day, died in the football game Olympiakos - AEK'
Georgios Printezis: 'It's an important day for our fans (31 years of the tragedy of Gate 7 were completed yesterday), to whom we want to dedicate our win. It's an important week for us. We were focused, we did what we had to do. At the end of the game we felt more stress and we came up with wrong choices. However, what counts is that we won. Even now, though, we have not achieved anything; we should keep on like that'
Kostas Papanikolaou: 'It's a very important day for Olympiakos today and we all know why. I want to dedicate the victory to the families of the victims of the 'Gate 7' and wish them the best life then, although I know the loss will always hurt. I hope nothing similar will happen ever again. We were almost to lose the game due to our mistakes, but at the end we succeeded. The coach trusts me, I feel 100% ready and I did not grow as a man just in a single day as many say. I want to work every day and give what I been asked by the coach'.

Aaron Jackson claims Euroleague weekly honour - by Eurobasket News
American Aaron Jackson (193-G-86) had an amazing evening in the last round for Gescrap Bilbao and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 4 (Top 16).
The 25-year old guard got a double-double of 15 points and ten assists, while his team crushed Real Madrid (2-2) with 24-point margin 93-69. Bilbao shares the second place in Group F with defeated Real Madrid (2-2 record). It's Jackson's second year at Bilbao and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Aaron Jackson averages this season 8.6ppg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 22-year old Georgian center Giorgi Shermadini (216-C-89) of Bennet Cantu. Shermadini impressed basketball fans with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Bad luck as Bennet Cantu lost that game 60-75 to Maccabi T-A (2-2). Cantu and Maccabi have 2-2 record in Group H. Shermadini is a newcomer at Cantu and it seems he did not have too much trouble to become one of team's leaders.

The third best performed player last round was American Oliver Lafayette (188-G-84) of Anadolu Efes. Lafayette scored 22 points and grabbed five rebounds. Despite Lafayette's great performance Anadolu Efes lost 65-67 toOlympiakos. But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates especially in such crucial game. Anadolu Efes dropped to 1-3 record in Group E. Lafayette has a very solid season. In 4 games in Euroleague he scored 10.3ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Juan Carlos Navarro (192-G-80) of FCB Regal - 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Joshua Shipp (196-G/F-86) of Galatasaray - 22 points and 2 rebounds
6. Gerald Fitch (191-G-82) of Unicaja - 15 points and 3 rebounds
7. Bo McCalebb (183-PG-85) of Montepaschi - 18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Alex Mumbru (202-F-79) of Gescrap BB - 16 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists
9. Stanko Barac (217-C-86) of Anadolu Efes - 16 points and 7 rebounds
10. Leon Radosevic (206-C-90) of Armani MI - 11 points and 5 rebounds

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

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FINLAND

KORISLIIGA: Justin Hawkins next to Finland - by Rauno Hurmalainen
American F Justin Hawkins (201-F-85, college: N.Mexico St.) will join Torpan Pojat (Helsinki) roster this Friday and play in Finland for the rest of this season. Hawkins started this 2011-12 season in Belarus Premier League (BK Minsk-2006), where he played nine games in this League (13,7 ppg - 3,6 rpg in 18,1 mpg) and 11 games in VTB United League (13,4 ppg - 4,6 rpg in 27,8 mpg). Earlier Hawkins has played in the D-League in USA and two seasons in FRA-ProA (Besancon B Comte Doubs and Strasbourg) 2008-09 and 2010-11.
In Divisiion 1. Ura Basket (Kaarina) lost Shawn Vanzant after one contest to D-League in USA and replaced him by American G Chaz Franklin (180-G-81, college: Roberts Wesleyan). Franklin has played earlier in Kuwait, Venezuela and in Germany (MBC II).

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GERMANY

Jacob Burtschi (Fraport Skyliners) My Teammates Have Confidence In My Shot, But I Need To Find That Confidence Again - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Jacob Burtschi (198-F-84, college: Air Force) is a 27 year old 198cm forward from Chickasha, Oklahoma who is playing his first season with the Fraport Skyliners. He completed his rookie season for Phoenix Hagen averaging 14.2ppg, 6.9rpg, 2.5apg, Steals-3 (1.5spg), FGP: 56.0%, 3PT: 44.2%, FT: 82.2%. He played at the Air Force from 2003-2007. In his senior year, he played 35 games averaging 13.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 2.3apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 49.7%, 3Pts: 39.0%, FT: 77.3%. He had offers to play in the NBA, but served in the Air Force the last three years and could only play club ball. Some achievements that he got in the NCAA were All-MWC Honorable Mention -05, MWC Regular Season Runner-Up -06, All-MWC 2nd Team -06, 07, NABC All-NCAA District 13 2nd Team -07, and NIT Final Four -07. He spoke to eurobasket after the 81-57 loss in Ludwigsburg.

A tough 81-57 loss in Ludwigsburg. Why was this game so tough after a long break and good week of practice?

We watched video today and you could see that our defense wasnt there. We had no effort or communication. They simply outplayed us.

Frankfurt has given up an average of 80 points in the last two games. Does one have to worry about the Frankfurt defense?

No I dont think so. There will always be bad phases on defense and mental lapses. Important is that they get corrected and we improve.

Was it more frustration or did you think that Lionel Riche was in your face as Jerry Green emerged?

I am an emotional player that takes pride in his play. We had a shoving match and I didnt like how he fouled me. I always stand up for myself. He does have some resemblance to Lionel Riche.

Did 2010 Beko BBL three point king Donatas Zavackas give you some advice how to find your shot again?

We didnt talk much before the game. I just told him congrats on winning the competition. The next time I see him I will take some pen and paper, because at the moment, I cant see any rim to save my life.

You are playing your first season in Frankfurt. How comfortable do you feel?

I feel very good and comfortable. Frankurt is a good organization.

You started the season in the ACB with Zaragoza. Why did that journey end early?

I think that I didnt fit in the style of their coach. I think that he was expecting another rtype of player. I was happy for having the chance to play in the ACB.

What was the most important thing that you learned in your few months in Spain?

I think getting experience. The talent level is great there with so many great players.

You were very impressed with the defensive play of NBA player Serge Ibaka. What makes him so good?

I wish I could have his athletic ability. He is a great defender the type that you always want on your team. He helps when a player drives by his teammate. He is good at altering shots and can rebound. He has everything that you want in a defender.

If Frankfurt is as nice as new York City, is Hagen as nice as Gary, Indiana?

I dont know, but I like the small town feeling. I come from a 15,000 town in Oklahoma.Frankfurt is a nice city and I like it there.

Would you ever consider returning to Hagen?

There is always a possibility and I would never rule it out. Hagen has a great fan base.

What exactly is your role with the Fraport Skyliners besides bringing energy?

Helping with scoring. We already have scorers with Mckinney, Davidson and Ohlbrecht, but I just have to start knocking down shots more.

What is a strength in your game that doesnt get noticed right away?

My ability to pass the ball. I can find the open guy even when I am driving to the basket.

Are you doing anything different trying to find your shot?

It starts in practice. I put up a number of shots each day. But I just need more confidence. I am always playing mental games with myself. My teammates have confidence in me, but it is up to me to get the confidence again back with my shot.

The Fraport Skyliners have tough games the next weeks against Braunschweig, Bremerhaven, Munich, BBC Bayreuth and Bamberg. What does the team have to do better?

It starts on defense. They will all be physical games, but we have to take it one game at a time.

What has been the most interesting conversation that you have had with Johannes Herber?

We talked about his beard. I know that other teammates like Fabian Franke and Tim Ohlbrecht were growing them this season. I wish I could grow a beard, but I just cant. I dont know why he has had one, maybe a superstition.

He seems like he could be Grizzly Adams son?

Yes he could. He went to West Virginia and is a mountaineer. He could live in the woods.

If you and Jermareo Davidson made a rap video, how would you be dressed?

I am an out going kind of guy. He would be doing the rapping an dI would be the hype guy. I might pull out the chains and shades and just hype.

You are from Oklahoma. What was your childhood like?

I was the baby of five kids. We had a close knit family raised in a small town living on 15 acres of land. I lived and breathed basketball as a kid.

Who were your NBA idols as a kid?

Michael Jordan. I was too young for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, but always enjoyed watching their videos.

Do you remember the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995?

Yes I do. My mom was working at the time near to where it happened. Siblings of two classmates of mine were affected by it. It was a tough time. At that time the down town was small, but it has grown in the last 16 years. There is a big skyscraper now as well as the NBA team Thunder. Even in the last 5-6 years the down town area has grown a lot.

Why did you decide to go to the Air Force (NCAA)?

I had a few division one offers, but they were from the east coast. The Air Force was the closest to home and at that point, I was thinking about the pro level, but wanted a good education that would help me later in life get the best possible job.

In 2007, you played an exhibition game against Chris Oliver. You played against him last season. How much has he improved since 2007?

He has always been a tough player. I already played against him in the NCAA when he was with Radford. He is a solid player that has really blossomed in Europe. It is really no surprise how he has turned out.

How would a1-1 against Jon Leuer turn out?

I would have my hands full with him. He would back me down. My best chance would be using my speed.

After watching the movie Phoenix in the asche, it seems like Phoenix Hagen assistant coach Steven Wriedt could go to Hollywood in the summer break and look for an agent?

He should look for an agent and show the video. He has great talent. He is just a phone call away.

What were the most free throws that you have made in a row in practice?

30-35

What was your most crazy shot that you have made in your career?

In high school, I made a 75 foot shot.

Do you see tornados more as an adrenaline rush or a serious matter?

You have to take tornados very serious in Oklahoma, but when you do see one, you get an adrenaline rush. I have seen a couple within a mile. When that does happen, you have to go down to the basement. It is unbelievable what mother nature can do.

I remember when you played for Phoenix Hagen that you were a monopoly ace. Are you also an ace with the Fraport Skyliners?

I havent played as much in Frankfurt, but I will pick up on it. I know guys like Tez and Justin Gray like to play.

Is there a curse on Tom Brady from the Manning brothers?

Tom Brady owns Peyton Manning and Eli Manning owns Tom Brady. It was really unfortunate how the Patriots lost. They had a few defensive lapses, dropped passes that cost them the game. The Giants were just more clutch when they needed to be.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Last three days.

Thanks Jacob for the chat.

Michael Umeh (New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig) Jermareo Davidson Is A Big Part Of What Frankfurt Does - by Miles Schmidt-Scheuber
Michael Umeh (188-PG-84, agency: Pro One Sports, college: UNLV) is a 27 year old 188cm guard from Houston, Texas. He started jis basketball career in 2003 with UNLV (NCAA) where he played until 2007 reaching the NCAA Sweet 16 in his senior year. He turned professional in 2007 and played for the Giessen 46ers until 2009. In his second season with Giessen,he played 33 games: 13.8ppg, 3.2rpg, 1.8apg, FGP: 50.9%, 3PT: 42.8%, FT: 81.8%. In 2009, he made the jump to Spain and played for Vive Menorca (Spain-LEB Gold) playing 48 games: 10.9ppg, 2.7rpg, 1.1apg, FGP: 58.9%, 3PT: 36.4%, FT: 79.7%. Last season, he made the jump to the best league in Europe playing in the ACB for C.B. Murcia playing 32 games: 11.2ppg, 2.1rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 45.2%, 3PT: 44.7%, FT: 88.0%. He started the current season for Blancos de Rueda Valladolid (Spain-ACB) before moving back to Germany to play for the New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig. He spoke to Eurobasket before the game against the Fraport Skyliners February 11th.

A tough 92-87 loss in Bremerhaven last weekend. How quickly has the team been able to digest this loss?

I think it was a tough game for us where we did not have the outcome we would like but It's important for us to stay focused and keep improving and we have an opportunity with the next game.

Braunschweig has been holding their own and playing tough and are still in the playoff places despite numerous injuries. What has been the most important component during the injury woes that have kept the team strong?

I think guys have made an effort to be ready to do more and give the team more since we are missing some key pieces.

Have you ever been on a team that has had so many injuries and so many key players absence? Has your role as a scorer changed much?

I have been on teams with many injuries. I don't think my role has changed much. No matter the circumstances I believe it is important to do what you do best in helping the team win.

18 year old Dennis Schroeder has been forced to get more minutes and had 14 points against Bremerhaven. How well has he handled the pressure?

He has handled it well. I respect the amount of confidence that he has being so young. He has a chance to be a very good player with his potential.

The next game is against the Fraport Skyliners. What is your memory of the loss against Frankfurt in your debut in a Phantoms jersey?

It was my first game with the team. Frankfurt played a very good game against us that day.

Jermareo Davidson is out and the Phantoms will have to worry about 26 points less. What will be key in getting the win?

He is a big part of what they do. I believe the key will be defense and also executing our stuff offensively.

Do the manning brothers have a curse on Tom Brady?

I don't think it is a curse just, He just hasn't been able to beat them.

What was the last DVD movie that you saw?

Shooter.

Thnaks Mike for the chat.

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GREECE

Olympiakos celebrates valuable win in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Anadolu Efes - Olympiakos 65-67

Olympiakos was better than Anadolu Efes once again. The Reds grabbed 65-67 victory in Istanbul for 2-2 record in Group E of the Euroleague Top 16. After this victory, Olympiakos is very close to reach the Quarterfinals. At the other side, Anadolu Efes dropped to 1-3 and their chances drastically decreased. Kostas Papanikolaou (204-F-90) and Georgios Printezis (206-F-85, agency: FCM) scored 16 points each for the winners. They grabbed 6 and 5 rebounds respectively. Joey Dorsey (206-C/F-83, college: Memphis) (8 rebs) and Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82, agency: Beo Basket) helped Olympiakos with 8 points apiece. The home squad got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Oliver Lafayette (188-G-84, college: Houston). Stanko Barac (217-C-86) had 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Sasha Vujacic (200-G-84) stopped to 8 pts. Olympiakos made 9-16 lead in the first quarter and Efes cut the margin to 32-37 at the HT. Visitor jumped to plus 9 after the breather, but later finished Q3 with 42-48. Efes opened the last ten minutes with 5-0 run, but than Kostas Papanikolaou and his teammates answered with 5-14 run for 52-62 lead. However, Efes didnt give up and Sasha Vujacic completed their impressive 13-3 run with a killer triple for 65-65 tie with 16 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Vujacic fouled Sloukas with 10 seconds left. The 22-year-old sank both free throws, and with time running out, Lafayette tried a game-winning triple that missed, letting Olympiacos go home to Greece with a good-as-gold victory. In the next round, Olympiakos will meet CSKA in Moscow. Anadolu Efes will play against Galatasaray.

Anadolu Efes: Oliver Lafayette 22+5 boards, Stanko Barac 16+7 boards, Sasha Vujacic 8
Olympiakos: Kostas Papanikolaou 16+6 boards, Georgios Printezis 16+5 boards, Joey Dorsey 8+8 boards, Vassilis Spanoulis 8

Ivkovic: I think we deserved the win - by Kostas Papadopoulos
After the great win of Olympiakos against Anadolu Efes last night at Turkey, coach Dusan Ivkovic (agency: Beo Basket ) and the players of the Piraeus team couldn't hide their happiness about the result which gave their team even more possibilities to qualify at the Euroleague's quarterfinals:
Dusan Ivkovic (agency: Beo Basket ): 'It was a very important game for both teams. I think we deserved the win, since we were concentrated at the most time of the game, we controlled it better, although in basketball you should never say that the game is over before its end. There was too much pressure in both teams; there were many mistakes in the game. Anadolu Efes made mistakes first, especially in the first half. But we made all ours throughout the end of the game. Luckily, we didn't pay for those mistakes. Our team is very young, the players play together not a long time now, especially since the two new Americans joined our team just last month. Georgios Printezis (206-F-85, agency: FCM) and Kostas Papanikolaou (204-F-90) did great jobs tonight, but I don't want to talk about the individual efforts; the whole team did a great job tonight. We want to dedicate this victory to the 21 dead children and their families who 31 years ago, at this day, died in the football game Olympiakos - AEK'
Georgios Printezis: 'It's an important day for our fans (31 years of the tragedy of Gate 7 were completed yesterday), to whom we want to dedicate our win. It's an important week for us. We were focused, we did what we had to do. At the end of the game we felt more stress and we came up with wrong choices. However, what counts is that we won. Even now, though, we have not achieved anything; we should keep on like that'
Kostas Papanikolaou: 'It's a very important day for Olympiakos today and we all know why. I want to dedicate the victory to the families of the victims of the 'Gate 7' and wish them the best life then, although I know the loss will always hurt. I hope nothing similar will happen ever again. We were almost to lose the game due to our mistakes, but at the end we succeeded. The coach trusts me, I feel 100% ready and I did not grow as a man just in a single day as many say. I want to work every day and give what I been asked by the coach'.

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HOLLAND

Jim Meil, "Small things can make a big difference in a game" - by Fred Roggen
With one half of the regular season over, it's a good time to get to know some of the new faces on the Dutch Basketball league benches: Head coach Jim Meil of Stepco BSW.
Meil, a 1982 graduate of Lehigh, began his coaching career on college level at Towson University. He also coached at the University of Miami in Florida, Wagner College in New York, and again at Towson University.
This summer he signed a one-year deal with Stepco BSW and after more than half a season, it looks as if he is the right man to lead Stepco BSW out of their long funk.
After some struggles this season, the team reached the FinalFour of the Dutch Cup Tuesday night, beating the high favourite GasTerra Flames.
In this EuroBasket.com interview, Meil said his team now has the confidence it needs to continue.

Jim, what were some of the reasons you felt that Stepco BSW was a good fit for your coaching skills?
I had been to Weert to see a former player of mine Mark Porter who was on the team during the 2009-2010 season. I got a chance to see the city, meet some of the people in the organization, and watch 2 of their league games. As I went through the interview process last summer it felt like the qualities they were looking for in a Head Coach were some of the characteristics that I possessed. Also I thought they were looking for someone who would implement a system of play that would help the team develop.

You guys started practice end of August. Whats the biggest difference you see from then to now?
I think our players are getting better adjusting to the style of play that I would like them to play. Their attention to detail is much better along with their level of intensity. As you know we had some recent injuries to Demario Anderson and Kenneth van Kempen that impacted our team. Also the arrival of Rahmon Fletcher has changed our style a bit. So you could say in some respects we are still making some adjustments.

You have talked about wanting to take the team to a level of competitiveness when you first got here.
Now that you have established a certain level, how do you take it to a playoff level?
I think as the season gets to this point there is quite a high level of familiarity teams have with each other and players have with each other. So I think it comes down to keeping the right mental approach along with paying attention to details. Small things can make a big difference in a game.

Stepco BSW has struggled in recent years in DBL play. What does your team need to do to improve on its showing in the league?
We must not allow ourselves to fall into the trap of having 'average expectations' during the season. Everyone must strive to compete at the highest level each day. Certainly we must also continue to improve technically on the floor. That goes without saying. Staying relatively injury free also makes a big difference. Lastly we must continue to improve the infra-structure of the organization.

Wins and losses are always used to measure success in sports, but what do you look for, besides wins, to gauge your teams growth?
I think you look at the individual development of each player. Are they playing to their maximum potential given their talent level. Additionally, what type of mistakes are you making in games and are you eliminating them more and more each game. Good teams put together extended minutes of quality play in each game. This should then carry over from game to game.

As a coach what goes through your head after a loss?
First I always look at the game and analyze what I did as a coach. Such things as game preparation, substitutions, offense and defense play calls are just a few examples. I also try and analyze the mid set of our team and players. How was it before, during, and after the game. Lastly I take a look at what the opponent did and see how that impacted us.

I described you as 'compassionate and passionate' which I think is an amazing combination. Very powerful. Could you possibly describe your style of leadership?
I would say my leadership style is direct and to the point. I don't think players have a hard time figuring out what I mean or where I am coming from. I tend to be more positive than negative. Additionally I try and remain on an even emotional level regardless of the outcome. Over the course of a season there are many highs and lows so I think its important to provide stability to the players.

Who are your role models in coaching and why?
I have been fortunate to have many role models in my coaching career. Many I have worked with and some I have just gotten to know from being in the business since 1982. All of these people have MANY great characteristics besides what I mention below. To name a few:
A) Pat Kennedy - Former coach of Towson University and Florida State - I worked with him at Towson - for his ability to see how a total program should run
B) Mike Deane - I worked with him at Wagner College - for his technical knowledge
C) Dereck Whittenburg - I worked with him at Wagner College; he was part of the NC State National Championship Team - for his passion and his attention to how to build a team out of a group of individuals.
D) Leonard Hamiliton - Current Head Coach at Florida State - I worked with him at the University of Miami - for his ability to develop players both on and off the court to the maximum. Also for his unbelievable work ethic.
E) Brian Hill - Current Assistant Coach with the Detroit Pistons - He was my college coach at Lehigh University - He game me a chance to begin my coaching career while I was in college. He was always in control no matter how stressful things became. That made a great impression on me.
F) Terry Truax - Former Head Coach of Towson University - He was the first college coach I worked for. He taught me to keep pushing as a coach no matter what takes place.

And who outside of sports do you draw inspiration from?
Without question my Mom and Dad. Both have always been there for me no matter what they were dealing with on a personal level. They are both very caring people who also have great determination in their own lives. Additionally I have great respect for people in general who are able to stay in their chosen profession for a long period of time and have success.

How has coaching affected your life?
In a large part I would say coaching has been my life. As most coaches will tell you it is a 24 hour a day job all the time. You don't 'leave it at the office.' Also I have had a chance to work with a tremendous number of young people who have impacted me greatly.

Why is basketball different than other sport?
Basketball combines a certain degree of individuality along with a great sense of team play. I think it is very interesting to allow some of the individuality to come through without taking away from the team concept.

Do you think players spend less time learning the fundamentals than they should these days because they are all trying to do the flashy stuff they see the superstars doing?
I think that is the case. But perhaps that is due in some part because there seems to be a higher level of reward or recognition by the general public for the flashy things.

What are the main characterises you see in all good players?
Obviously they all have a certain level of talent. But with that comes the work ethic and attention to detail that makes them great. Additionally most great players have a high level of mental concentration and focus that helps raise their game. Also I see more and more great players having the ability to take constructive criticism to improve their game. This helps them when they self-analyze.

Speaking of the next few years, what do you have for goals for the coming year and for the five years after that?
I would obviously like to continue my career as a Head Coach and develop players and win games. This season coaching in Holland and specifically Weert has been very enjoyable. The coaching profession is very unpredictable and who knows what the future will hold. So I plan to take things season by season.

Jim, Thanks for your time doing this interview and wish you and the team a lot of success at the FinalFour.

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HUNGARY

Peter Hajmasy on tryout at Komarno - by Levente Szabo
Slovakian team MBK Rieker Komarno decided to bring in Hungarian sharp-shooter forward Peter Hajmasy (193-F-88, agency: Laszlo Vinko Group) for a tryout.

Peter played last year for Hungarian powerhouse Falco-KC as a rotation player. In his limeted playing time he recorded 3.9ppg shooting 49% (24/49) from outside the three point line. His top performance came in a close win against Sopron when he scored 18 points which all came from downtown (6/8).
After he couldnt agree with the club in the offseason he decided to play in the Hungarian Second Division just to stay in shape. Peter played only one game with his former club Budapesti Honved SE (25 points 8 assists) before he accepted the offer of MTK Torokbalint, a top team in the lower league. In the Second Division he was one of the best players of the entire league. In his 5 games stint with MTK Torokbalint his team won 4 games while Peter avereaged 23.8ppg (2FGP: 59.5%, 3PT: 44%, FT: 75%) including an amazing 39 point performance shooting 11/19 from outside the arc.

Peter already left the country to spend a 1 week long tryout period (until 15th of February) with Slovakian 3rd ranked MBK Rieker Komarno.

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IRELAND

Superleagues Preview - by Patrick Maher

Superleagues Preview

UCC Demons will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they host Northern Conference leaders DCU Saints in the Nivea for Mens SuperLeague clash at the Mardyke Arena on Sunday.

11890 Killester will travel to play Belfast Star and Mens SuperLeague National Cup champions UL Eagles will host Moycullen.

Bord Gais Neptune will be hoping to keep their up their challenge for the Southern Conference title when they entertain UCD Marian.

In the Nivea Womens SuperLeague leaders UL should have too much firepower for Singletons SuperValu Brunell.

Team Montenotte Cork will not be taking anything for granted at home to an inform 11890 Killester and Liffey Celtics will be hoping to end their drought when they host Ulster Rockets.

Waterford Wildcats face a tricky Oblate Dynamos challenge at Inchicore, while DCU Mercy will be hoping that fresh legs will be enough to see off Team Montenotte who will be playing their second game in less than 24 hours at the DCU complex on Sunday.

All eyes will be on UCC Demons at the Mardyke Arena on Sunday when DCU Saints clash with the Cork side.

High flying Saints, leaders of the Northern Conference, will be the acid test for Demons but Paul Kelleher believes its the perfect test for his team.

'We have great characters in our dressing room and I'm excited by the way we have the potential to bounce back, said Demons Head Coach Kelleher. We have guys on our team who have won and lost National Cup Finals before so they have been in this position before and we will draw on that experience to help us recover.

DCU Saints have been the best team in the league this year with the best record and have been very impressive about how they have went about their business. We will have to match their intensity and physicality if we are to have a chance of competing and we will then have to recognize their strengths and work hard to nullify them.'

The Saints are certainly marching on but Coach David Donnelly was not overly happy in what he witnessed in their win over Belfast Star last weekend.
I felt we were sloppy for long periods and in the end although we won by 19 points I did not think it was as clear cut as the final scoreline suggests, David said.

We have played Demons on three occasions this season and they are edging us 2/1 so this will be an opportunity to level proceedings.

When you are playing a team that have just lost a cup final they can be difficult to handle and no doubt Demons will be out to prove a point to their fans, added David.

11890 Killester fresh from their win over UCD Marian last week travel to Belfast Star in what should be an entertaining contest.

The Northerners have been tricky opponents for Killester over the years but on present form its difficult to see them ending their nine game run of defeats.

Star has a good side that got a bad start to the season and we will be giving them the respect they deserve, said Killesters Coach Darren ONeill.

Newly crowned National Cup champions UL Eagles host Moycullen who have played their last two games without American Luke Enos due to injury.

Last weeks cup win will long live in the mind of Coach Mark Keenan but now he has some unfinished business to do in the league.

Our two games with Moycullen already this season have been really tight affairs and I expect no different this coming Saturday night, said Eagles Head Coach Keenan. Moycullen are pushing us for that final league playoff spot in the Southern Conference and Im sure will be very fired up for this game. We cannot afford to take this game for granted as they have been improving with every game this season.

Bord Gais Neptune Head Coach, Mark Scannell, is hoping for a vast improvement as they prepare to face UCD Marian on Sunday.

I wasnt particularly happy with our last performance against Moycullen, said Neptune Head Coach Mark Scannell. If we want to win the conference, we certainly need to be winning our home games.

We didnt have an easy time against UCD in our games to date so we certainly wont be taking them for granted.

In the Nivea Womens SuperLeague, the game of the weekend will see Team Montenotte and DCU Mercy clash at the DCU complex on Sunday.

Montenotte will also be in action on Saturday when they host Killester at the Neptune Stadium with Coach Cormac ODonoghue confident his side can rise to the challenge.

Its a tough weekend for us and I am sure my players are aware the importance of getting two wins, Cormac said.

DCU Mercy boss Mark Ingle was disappointed after the national cup final defeat to UL but they bounced back on Sunday last to defeat Singletons Supervalu Brunell in Cork.

It was the equivalent to falling off a bike and getting back on and we will have to be ready to play Team Montenotte as a defeat would give them the upper hand in the race for the runner up spot in the regular season, Ingle said.

National cup champions UL host Singletons SuperValu Brunell at the UL Arena and will be looking for their 29th consecutive win.

The national cup chapter is now closed and now we must concentrate on securing the league, said Coach James Weldon.

Liffey Celtics, who are still searching for their first win in this campaign, entertain Ulster Rockets at Leixlip and the basement side will complete their double header weekend on Sunday when they travel to play Meteors.

Oblate Dynamos will hope to get back to winning ways for their home clash with Waterford Wildcats.

Basketball Ireland Upcoming Fixtures

Friday, February 10th 2012
Basketball Ireland Womens Division One

Scruffy St.Pauls Killarney v Foireann an Gaillimhe, AURA Killarney, 19:30

Saturday February 11th 2012

Nivea for Mens SuperLeague

Belfast Star V 11890 Killester, DLS Anderstown, 19:15; UL Eagles V Moycullen, UL Arena, 19:30

Nivea Womens SuperLeague

UL V Singletons SuperValu Brunell, UL Arena, 17:00; Oblate Dynamos V Waterford Wildcats, Oblate Hall, 19:00; Team Montenotte Cork V 11890 Killester, Neptune Stadium, 19:00; Liffey Celtics V Ulster Rockets, Leixlip Amenities Centre, 19:30

Basketball Ireland Mens Division One

Matt OFlaherty Chemist Titans V Portlaoise, Renmore Community Centre, 19:00; Team Meadowlands St. Brendans V Team Left Bank Kilkenny, Mercy Mounthawk, 19:30

Basketball Ireland Womens Division One

UL Tralee Imperials, UL Arena, 14:30; Britton Insurance Donegal Town V Foireann Na Gaillimhe, Abbey Vocational School, 18:00

Sunday February 12th 2012

Nivea for Mens SuperLeague

Bord Gis Neptune V UCD Marian, Neptune Stadium, 15:00; UCC Demons V DCU Saints, Mardyke Arena, 15:15

Nivea Womens SuperLeague

Meteors V Liffey Celtics, Colaiste osgain, 15:00; DCU Mercy V Team Montenotte Cork, DCU Sports Complex, 17:45

Basketball Ireland Mens Division One

Blue Demons V Team Loftus Recycling Ballina, Mardyke Arena, 13:00; Neptune V Team Garveys St. Marys, Neptune Stadium, 13:00

Basketball Ireland Womens Division One

Meteors V Team Tom McCarthys St. Marys, Coliste osgain, 13:00

Courtesy ....

Shane Whelan
Communications Manager
www.basketballireland.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1 4590211
Fax: +353 (0)1 4590212
Mobile: +353 (0)87 9892733
National Basketball Arena Gerard Noonan (180-G-82)

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ITALY

Montepaschi hands 84-69 defeat to Unicaja - by Eurobasket News
Montepaschi - Unicaja 84-69

Montepaschi jumped to 4-0 record in Group F of the Euroleague Top 16. The Italian powerhouse handed 84-69 loss to Unicaja on Wednesday night. A victory in either of its remaining games or a loss for either Real Madrid or Gescrap BB will send Siena through to the next stage. Unicaja dropped to 0-4 and lost all chances to reach the Quarterfinals. Bo McCalebb (183-PG-85, college: New Orleans) led Montepaschi with 18 points. Ksistof Lavrinovic (210-C-79) had 13, while David Moss (196-F-83, agency: SportsTalent, college: Indiana St.) and Igor Rakocevic (193-G-78) netted 11 points each. For the guests, Gerald Fitch (191-G-82, agency: SportsTalent, college: Kentucky) delivered 15 points. Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) had 14 and Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances) stopped to 9. Montepaschi held 67-60 lead after three quarters and they made 12-3 run at the beginning of the last one for 79-63 with less than four minutes to play. Quarters: 23-19, 29-27, 15-14, 17-9. In the next round, Montepaschi will meet Bilbao in Spain. Unicaja goes to Madrid.

Montepaschi: Bo McCalebb 18, Ksistof Lavrinovic 13, David Moss 11, Igor Rakocevic 11
Unicaja: Gerald Fitch 15, Luka Zoric 14, Jorge Garbajosa 9

First win for Emporio Armani in Top 16, first loss for Unics - by Eurobasket News
Emporio Armani - Unics 63-58

Emporio Armani Milan registered its first victory in Euroleague Top 16. The team from the fashion capital was better than Unics 63-58. The result improved Armani to 1-3 in Group G, but it will still need to win both its remaining games and to get some help to have a chance of reaching the Playoffs. At the other side, Unics faced with the first loss at this stage (3-1) and needs one win in either of its remaining games to secure a playoff berth. Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) led the home squad with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Ernest Bremer (194-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) scored 13 points and Leon Radosevic (206-C-90) added 11 pts, plus 5 boards. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) answered with 11 points and 6 rebounds for Unics. Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) and Nathan Jawai (208-F/C-86, college: Midland CC) also scored 11 points each. Armani was in charge during the entire game. Thanks for 3 free throws by Henry Domercant, Unics came to 60-57 with 2:23 remaining. But after that Domercant missed from downtown and Omar Cook split the free throws. Unics was not able to score in its next possession and Cook had no mercy from the line twice, resolving question about the winner. Quarters: 20-13, 12-15, 17-15, 14-15. Emporio Armani will meet Panathinaikos in Athens in the next round. Unics goes to Istanbul for the game against Fenerbahce Ulker.

Emporio Armani: Antonis Fotsis 16+6 boards, Ernest Bremer 13, Leon Radosevic 11+5 boards
Unics: Vladimir Veremeenko 11+6 boards, Henry Domercant 11, Nathan Jawai 11

Best players of Italian SerieA round 20 - by Eurobasket News
American-Bulgarian Kiki Clark (173-PG-84) had an amazing evening in the last round for Umana Venezia and that's him to receive a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 20.
The 27-year old playmaker had the game-high 33 points adding two rebounds for Umana Venezia in his team's victory, helping them to beat Bennet Cantu (#6, 11-8) 78-73. Umana Venezia is placed at 4th position in Italian SerieA. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Umana Venezia will need more victories to improve their 11-7 record. In the team's last game Clark had a remarkable 71.4% from 2-point range and got six three-pointers out of 9 attempts. It's his second year at Umana Venezia and it's hard to imagine this team without him. Kiki Clark averages this season 13.9ppg.

The second most remarkable performance in last round's games was 25-year old Georgian guard Manuchar Markoishvili (196-G-86) of Bennet Cantu. Markoishvili impressed basketball fans with 22 points and 5 rebounds. Bad luck as Bennet Cantu lost that game 73-78 to slightly higher-ranked Umana Venezia (#4, 11-7). This loss caused Bennet Cantu to drop to 6th position in the standings. His team lost some distance to top teams. But 11-8 record is not bad and everything may still change. Markoishvili is one of the most experienced players at Bennet Cantu and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

The third best performed player last round was Serbian Igor Rakocevic (193-G-78) of top-ranked Montepaschi. Rakocevic showcased his all-around game by recording 20 points, five rebounds and four assists in the last round. He was a key player of Montepaschi, leading his team to a 80-78 win against the lower-ranked Otto Caserta (#11, 8-10). Montepaschi confirms their top position in the standings. Their record at this point is 14 victories and 5 lost games. Rakocevic has a very solid season. In 13 games in Italy he scored 11.1ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) of Armani MI - 15 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
5. Andre Collins (183-PG-82) of Otto Caserta - 24 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists
6. Marcus Goree (201-F-77) of Benetton TV - 15 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Chris Douglas-Roberts (201-G-87) of CS Bologna - 18 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists
8. Marques Green (167-PG-82) of Sidigas AV - 17 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists
9. Ioannis Bourousis (212-C-83) of Armani MI - 15 points and 9 rebounds
10. Luigi Datome (202-G/F-87) of Acea Roma - 21 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists

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

Trenkwalder land Michele Antonutti - by Eurobasket News
Trenkwalder bolstered their frontcourt. They signed a deal wtih Michele Antonutti (202-G/F-86). The forward started the season with Montegranaro. Michele Antonutti posted 3.9 points, 1.5 rebounds per game in Seria A. The forward joined Montegranaro back in 2009. Previously he played for Snaidero Udine. Michele Antonutti participated at Seria A All-Star Game in 2011. The forward was the member of Italian U18 and U20 National Teams. Eurobasket.com named Antonutti All-Italian Seria A Newcomer of the Year in 2006. He attended Italian National Team Camp in 2007 and 2009.

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JAPAN

Interview with Chris Garnett - by Eurobasket News
EUROBASKET HAS THE PLEASURE OF SITTING DOWN WITH FIBA ASIAN VETERAN CHRIS GARNETT, RECENT ADDITION TO TOCHIGI BREX IN THE JAPANESE JBL. THE EXPERIENCED BIG MAN WAS SIGNED TO HELP SOLIDIFY THE POST AND PROVIDE LEADERSHIP TO THE CLUB BY VIRTUE OF HIS SUCCESS IN THE REGION. WE SAT DOWN BRIEFLY WITH LAST YEAR'S ALL ASEAN LEAGUE BIG MAN.

EU: Chris, it is such a pleasure seeing you now in Japan's Top League. How have you found it here so far?
CG: Thank you. First, I must say that Japan is an incredibly beautiful country, and then I must say that Japans Top League has a lot of talent. Basketball is certainly up and rising here and Japan should be recognized around the world for having very competitive basketball in this country. Talented players like Yuta Tabuse, the first and only Japanese player to play in the NBA, J.R. Sakuragai, Chris Moss, Ivan McFarlin, and many others right here in Japan who can easily compete and prevail in top-notch American, European, and Asian leagues.

EU: We see that the Club opted to go with a savvy vet to start the second half of the season. How smoothly or not has the addition to the team been?
CG: Transitioning to a new Club can prove to be a bit rough at times due to the number of plays that I had to learn in a short timeframe, as well as learning team members style of play, basketball habits, and personalities. Its about meshing and bonding with your team members to create a winning chemistry on and off the court. I hope to be an asset to my Club by bringing the experience, work ethics, and skills needed as the backbone of any winning team.

EU: We can see from the stats that you are seemingly not getting much the on the floor, although each time you play 10 minutes you are only 1 rebound or 1 point away from a double double. Have you any thoughts on this?
CG: Coach Palmer, who is an outstanding coach, has certain plays that he likes to run and those plays do not necessarily call for a lot of interaction on my part right now. The JBL limits foreign players to only one in the game at any given time, and Ivan (the other foreign player) does a great job when I am not in the game. So, for every minute that I am in the game, I try to produce like we are up 1 with 30 seconds left in the game. Head Coach knows best, and I am hopeful that my playing time will increase.

EU: From a mathematical standpoint, you are averaging 1 point and 1 rebound for every minute and a half played. That should equate into All Star numbers given there is adequate time on the floor. Is the club still familiarizing themselves to you?
CG: I agree. That should equal to some big numbers, and I am optimistic that I will be given adequate time on the floor. In the meanwhile, the familiarity between me and the Club has been solidified.

EU: I have heard and read quite a bit of things coming from the ASEAN League questioning your return there. Have any of the media, press or fans from last season reached out to you? Seeing that you are now in the Top League in the Region, what are your thoughts on returning to familiar haunts?
CG: While the media or press or fans have not reached out to me, I thoroughly enjoyed playing in the ASEAN League. If the opportunity presented itself with the right circumstances, there is a possibility that I might consider it. The ASEAN fans and coaches were some of the greatest. I can only hope that playing in the Top League in the Region will have its rewards.

EU: Seven rounds and fourteen games remaining in this second half of the season, do you feel that the Club can make the needed adjustments to reach the playoffs? Currently Tochigi is sitting only 2 games behind Panasonic for the 4th place in the League. Having seen the Clubs here, what are your thoughts on reaching 4th?
CG: There is a tremendous amount of talent in this League, and everybody is playing tough, hard ball to make the playoffs. For every best foot put forward by the other Club, Tochigi has got to bring one better. I am ready, willing, and able to make any adjustments needed to help take Tochigi to the playoffs and to the championship. As a Team and Club with a smart Head Coach, I know we can do it.

EU: There has also been talk of a spring/summer signing in Latin America for you. How much interest do you have in another 10-11 month stint of professional play? Last year, we saw you depart the ASEAN League and finish the regular season in Turkey only then to depart for Qatar for Cup competition.
CG: Im laughing hysterically because the rumor mill is going 150 mph. Under the right circumstances, another 10-11 months of play would be very much welcomed. I can easily adapt to most situations. Right now, I have several irons in the fire as far as the spring and summer and I cant pinpoint exactly where I will be or what I will be doing. After the JBL season ends, I will focus more on which direction I will be headed.

EU: Would you like to leave anything with us as you head into the stretch run?
CG: I cant leave without giving a shout-out to my fan base and to my friends in distant lands where I have traveled. I want to say thank you to all of my wonderful fans and friends who have given of their time and energy to come together and support me and my teammates now and over the years. You put the F in Fans when it comes to loyalty, support, and commitment and I love you all. And Sports Fans, I read in the Health Prevention magazine that there are actual health benefits of being a sports fan. Being a sports fan inspires you to get active; watching Live Sports is a workout in itself; you will live longer; its good for your relationships; and it will make you smarter. So, until we see each other again, Good Health To You!

EUROBASKET WOULD LIKE TO WISH CHRIS THE BEST AS HE MAKES THE PUSH FOR STRONG PLAYOFF POSITION IN THE JAPANESE JBL. WE KNOW THAT ONLY GREAT THINGS WILL COME WHERE HE IS CONCERNED. WE ARE ANXIOUS TO SEE THE TOCHIGI CLUB AND THE 2ND HALF OF THE JBL. BEST WISHES CHRIS!

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KOSOVO

Drita looking to change the coach! - by Dren Shporta
The newcomer on BKT Superliga, Drita, has played some promising basketball. But, they have a young team and need some experience. During the first half of the season they have registered three victories on 14 matches played. Actually they stand on the second from the bottom position in classification table.

Board members of the club have decided to change the young coach, Gyltekin Selimi, and to add some experience in the bench by trying to bring the former coach Agron Kurtalani. With players like Ukshin Demi, Driton Sylejmani and their prospect Arian Memeti (197-C-95), who is also Kosovo U 18 national player, they have a chance of avoiding the relegation.

Their first clash of the second part of the season is against Kosova Vushtrri. Drita has 1 one victory and 1 defeat in a matches between them and Kosova, played in a first part of the season. After American Bryant Williams left the Kosova team, Dritas chance of winning the game has grown.

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KUWAIT

Feb. 8th, 2012 Al Sahel vs Kazma - by Mohammed Al Shimeri
After losing the tip, Anthony (Nathan Green (203-F-75, college: Idaho St.)) for Al Sahel made a steal and went in for an easy lay up. Sahel took the first quarter after that and started the second quarter off with a BIG dunk by Anthony for Sahel perfectly assisted by Shayeeb. Kazma's several turn overs and unsportsmanlike behaviour by the America players allowed Sahel to gain a few more baskets. After that Kazma made some big shots but still couldn't close the small gap that Sahel had made. Then the Kazma coach made a bold move that paid off and slowed Sahel down. He pulled out Tyrone Curnell to put in the big buy, Mario Austin. Unfortunately for Kazma ,Saleh's smart defence and athletic ability proved strong and although they tied for points scored in that quarter, the first half ended 38 to 36 for Sahel. The start of the third quater saw Kazma come out fighting as they stole the ball for a big lay up by Mario that showed they were not ready to give the game away. Then back to back Kazma made lay ups and Sahel could not keep a hold of the ball. Abdulla (10) for Kazma was strong with the defence and Fahad (9) made some beautiful 3s from the same sweet spot four times. However, Saleh (10) for Sahel stepped it up with a bunch of 3s of his own and kept the pressure on Kazma. Another dunk in the 3rd quarter from Anthony Green impressed fans (his third). Abdullah (7) made some powerful rebounds that started to help Sahel keep that lead that they had in the first quarter. Saleh, not to be underplayed went in for a big dunk of his own in the 4th quarter. Thankfully for Sahel, Ahmed (9) stayed strong and kept his head alert and stopped Kazma's Fahad from making anymore easy 3s. Kazma fought a good fight but even Fahad's 3 pointers were not enough. The game finished 73 to 64 for Sahel which put them in the top four. This season is full of surprises! Top shooters for Kazma were Fahad and Mario. Top shooters for Sahel were Anthony and Saleh.

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LATVIA

LBL2 Round 25: Leader VEF Riga junior gets another victory - by Eurobasket News
Leader VEF Riga junior delivered the nineteenth win on Tuesday night. This time they crushed 10th ranked Livani (6-14) 99-50. The game without a history. VEF Riga junior led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. VEF Riga junior maintains first place with 19-2 record. Livani at the other side dropped to the eleventh position with 14 games lost. They share it with Cesis and Jelgava/LLU. VEF Riga junior will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Livani will play at home against Ventspils Augstskola (#8) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Another exciting game was a derby match between two teams from Riga: RSU (#7) and Ridzene (#16). Ridzene was crushed at home by 18 points 70-88. Newly promoted RSU maintains seventh place with 12-9 record. Ridzene lost eighth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

In the last two games of round 25 Ogres defeated Jelgava/LLU in a road game 61-53. DSN smashed Gulbene at home 89-70.

Ridzene - RSU 70-88

Another exciting game was a derby match between two teams from Riga: RSU (#7) and Ridzene (#16). Ridzene was crushed at home by 18 points 70-88. The game was mostly controlled by RSU. Ridzene was better in third quarter 23-20. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Newly promoted RSU maintains seventh place with 12-9 record. Ridzene lost eighth consecutive game. They stay at the bottom position with 18 games lost. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

Jelgava/LLU - Ogres 53-61

There was a minor upset in Jelgava where 11th ranked Zemgale/Juniors (6-14) were defeated by thirteenth ranked BS Ogre (6-13) 61-53. BS Ogre moved-up to tenth place. Zemgale/Juniors at the other side keep the eleventh position with 14 games lost. They share it with Cesis and Livani. Both teams do not play next round, which will be an opportunity for some rest.

DSN - Gulbene 89-70

No shocking result in a game in Riga where ninth ranked DSN (10-10) smashed 15th ranked Gulbene (4-18) 89-70. The game was mostly controlled by DSN. Gulbene was better in second period 24-23. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Newly promoted DSN maintains ninth place with 10-10 record. Gulbene at the other side, also newcomer in the league, keeps the fifteenth position with 18 games lost. DSN will play against higher ranked Saldus (#4) on the road in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Gulbene will play against Ventspils Augstskola (#8) and hopes to get back on the winning track.

BK VEF - Livani 99-50

Leader VEF Riga junior delivered the nineteenth win on Tuesday night. This time they crushed 10th ranked Livani (6-14) 99-50. The game without a history. VEF Riga junior led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. VEF Riga junior maintains first place with 19-2 record. Livani at the other side dropped to the eleventh position with 14 games lost. They share it with Cesis and Jelgava/LLU. VEF Riga junior will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Livani will play at home against Ventspils Augstskola (#8) and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.

Ventspils picks up two latest wins - by Eurobasket News
Ventspils picks up two latest wins in Baltic League for 10-5 record in Elite Division.
At first the Latvian team overcame League-leader Siauliai 96:87. The hosts trailed by 10 points after first quarter, but they rallied back and won the game by 9 points. Ventspils outrebounded Siauliai 34-19 including 23 on the defensive glass. Steven Gray scored 26 points and 7 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Sam Willard (205-F, college: Pacific) chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds during the contest. Cam Long (193-G-88, agency: KMG Sports Management, college: George Mason) responded with 21 points and 6 rebounds and Rashaun Broadus (183-PG-84, college: BYU) scored 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Last night Ventspils edged Rudupis 79:69. Ventspils dominated down low during the game scoring 50 of its points in the paint compared to Rudupis' 26. They outrebounded Rudupis 34-23 including 25 on the defensive glass. Jahmar Young (196-G-86, college: N.Mexico St.) scored 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Steven Gray chipped in 15 points during the contest. Arnas Labuckas responded with 22 points and forward Simas Buterlevicius (200-F-89) scored 9 points and 9 rebounds.
Liepaja meanwhile lost two latest game to Triumph and Pieno Zvaigz respectively.

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LEBANON

FIBA ASIA Clubs Championship back in Lebanon after 12 years - by Asia-Basket Lebanon
After 12 years of absence the FIBA ASIA Champions Cup is back to Lebanon, FIBA ASIA revealed its calendar for 2012, in which Lebanon will host the premier Asian Clubs Championship from 2 till 10 June 2012.
The championship will be a big occasion for Lebanese Basketball to retain the Championship for the 2nd consecutive year after the big triumph of Riyadi last year in Manila in the Final against Mahram.
The Championship will be held in the Sports City Complex and will join 10 teams from Asia , from the 5 sub zones , West Asia will have the big share of 4 teams .
If succeeded to win the Championship Lebanese Basketball will repeat the achievement by winning it 2 consecutive times like I 1999 and 2000 when Sagesse managed to win it.

In other championships the Stankovic Cup which will be called FIBA ASIA Cup will be held in Tokyo from 14 till 22 September 2012, Lebanon will have to play the West Asia Championship to qualify in order to play in the FIBA Asia Cup and to try to defend the Title because Lebanon was the 2010 Stankovic Cup Champion.
Lebanon if winning the FIBA ASIA Cup again will qualify directly to the FIBA ASIA Championship for National Teams in case the FLB failed in its bid to bring it to Beirut.

One Last Championship in which Lebanon should be present is the Under 18 Championship which will be held in Mongolia from 17 till 26 August 2012, Lebanon finished 2nd in the First phase of the WABA U18 championship which was held in Iran and should not face any problem qualifying to the FIBA ASIA U18 Championship.
The Last Championship of FIBA ASIA will be the Women U 18 Championship in Malaysia from September 29 till October 6, 2012.

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LIGA SUDAMERICANA

Standings

Liga Sudamericana Stage Two Standings

Group A
1. Pinheiros/Sky			1-1
2. Atenas			1-1
3. Flamengo			1-1
Group B
1. Obras			2-0
2. Uniceub/BRB			1-1
3. Malvin			0-2

Stage One Standings

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LITHUANIA

Neptunas celebrated the first Challenge Cup quarterfinal win - by Eurobasket News
Neptunas celebrated the first quarterfinal win in the series against Sakalai 79-75 in Challenge Cup of Baltic League. The best player for the winners was forward Laurynas Mikalauskas (205-F-85, college: Virginia) (205-85, college: Virginia) who had a double-double by scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds. Simas Galdikas (203-F-87) chipped in 11 points and 9 rebounds.

Siauliai lost to Latvian Ventspils on Saturday night. Visitors were defeated by Ventspils 96:87. Steven Gray (195-G-89, college: Gonzaga) scored 26 points and 7 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Sam Willard chipped in 14 points and 9 rebounds during the contest. Cam Long responded with 21 points and 6 rebounds.
Later Siauliai defeated Kalev/Cramo 93:84. Rashaun Broadus (183-PG-84, college: BYU) had a double-double by scoring 11 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists to lead the charge for the winners.

Pieno Zvaigzdes overcame Liepaja 63:51. The hosts trailed by 7 points at the halftime before their 38-19 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Pieno Zvaigzdes dominated on the defensive end, holding Liepaja to just 6 points in third quarter. Gytis Sirutavicius (195-SF-83) scored 16 points and 4 assists to lead the charge for the winners and TreVon Hughes (183-PG-87, agency: Edge Sports, college: Wisconsin) chipped in 8 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists during the contest.

Rudupis also lost to Ventspils 79:69. Jahmar Young scored 21 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists to lead the charge for the winners and Steven Gray chipped in 15 points during the contest. Arnas Labuckas responded with 22 points and Simas Buterlevicius (200-F-89) scored 9 points and 9 rebounds.

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MEXICO

LNBP Finals: Toros grab OT win in Game Two, ties the score to 1-1 - by Eurobasket News
LNBP Finals, Game 2: Halcones Rojos - Toros 93-96 OT (1-1)

It was a very exciting Game Two of the LNBP Finals. Toros managed to grab 93-96 OT victory against Halcones Rojos tying the score to 1-1 in the series. It was a road win for Toros, who will be the host in the next three meetings. Game Three is scheduled for Saturday. The guests trailed by 9 points after three quarters before their 19-10 charge, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time and get a 3-point victory in overtime. Toros forced 20 Halcones Rojos turnovers. 27 personal fouls committed by Halcones Rojos helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. Venezuelan-Puerto Rican swingman Rafael Perez (193-82, agency: Paris Global Sports) orchestrated the victory by scoring 24 points. Dominican power forward Elys Manuel Guzman (206-82, college: Bemidji St.) contributed with 19 points (on 8-of-9 shooting from the field) for the winners. Five Toros players scored in double figures. The former international forward Noe Alonzo (200-83, college: Grand Canyon) replied with 28 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Venezuelan point guard Gregory Vargas (182-86) added 18 points and 4 assists in the effort for Halcones Rojos. Halcones Rojos' coach tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Game Three, Four and Five will be played on February 11, 12 and 13.

Halcones Rojos: N.Alonzo 28+9reb+4ast, G.Vargas 18+2reb+4ast, P.Stoll 11+3ast, L.Bethelmy 9+5reb+4ast, J.Aubry 9+7reb, C.Rivera 5+6reb+2ast
Toros: R.Perez 24+3reb+2ast, E.Manuel Guzman 19+4reb, E.Nuncio 16+2reb+2ast, I.Ofoegbu 12+7reb+4ast, B.Angley 11+2reb+2ast, R.Rougeau 10+4reb+1ast

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NBA

Hornets sign G Sloan to 10-day contract - by Eurobasket News
Hornet's coach Monty Williams says the club has signed guard Donald Sloan (6'3''-G-88, college: Texas A&M) to a 10-day contract.

The 6-foot-3 Sloan appeared in five games with Atlanta earlier this season but was released by the Hawks in late January. The 24-year-old former Texas A&M standout played earlier this season with the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA Development League, averaging 24.8 points and 8.4 assists.

The addition of Sloan on Wednesday comes a day after New Orleans released guard Carldell Johnson and forward DaJuan Summers.

Johnson and Summers had non-guaranteed contracts, which the Hornets would have been required to extend through the rest of the season had they remained on the roster. Both could be re-signed to up to two more 10-day deals if they clear waivers.

Courtesy of www.chron.com

Jazz sign free-agent forward DeMarre Carroll - by Eurobasket News
Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor announced today that the team has agreed to terms with free-agent forward DeMarre Carroll (6'8''-F-86, agency: Priority Sports, college: Missouri). Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. Carroll originally began the 2011-12 NBA season with the Denver Nuggets. He is expected to join the Jazz prior to practice Thursday morning.

A 6-8, 212-pound forward out of Missouri, Carroll appeared in four games earlier this season with Denver, averaging 3.0 points in 5.3 minutes before being waived on February 4. Carroll split the 2010-11 campaign between the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets. He also appeared in six games (all starts) last season with the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League, averaging 18.3 points and 6.8 rebounds. Originally selected by Memphis in the first round (27th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft, Carroll spent portions of two seasons with the Grizzlies before being traded to the Rockets on February 24, 2011.

The 25-year-old Birmingham, Ala., native finished his collegiate career at Missouri after spending two years at Vanderbilt. As a senior in 2008-09, he led Missouri to its first Big 12 Tournament title in 16 seasons and a trip to the 2009 NCAA Elite Eight, earning Big 12 Tournament MVP and NCAA All-West Region honors. The forward averaged 16.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his final season with the Tigers. Carroll is the nephew of Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson.

Courtesy of www.abc4.com

Houston to host 2013 NBA All-Star Game - by Eurobasket News
Houston will host the 2013 All-Star game, the third time the Texas city has staged the NBA's mid-season showcase.

The league said Wednesday that its 62nd All-Star exhibition will be played on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at the Houston Rockets' Toyota Center arena.

The arena will also play host to the attendant NBA Rising Stars Challengewhich features first- and second-year playersand NBA All-Star Saturday night festivities.

'Houston is a spectacular sports city, and for one week it will be the basketball capital of the world,' NBA Commissioner David Stern said.

'NBA All-Star is a magnificent celebration of our game, and I want to thank the city and the Rockets for welcoming us once again.'

Houston also hosted the All-Star game in 1989 and 2006.

This year's All-Star game will be played in Orlando, Florida, on February 26.

Courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Lakers open to attending Arenas workout - by Eurobasket News
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is awaiting word on details of a workout Gilbert Arenas (6'3''-PG-82, college: Arizona) is planning in Los Angeles later this week and is open-minded about attending, two people with knowledge of the situation told CBSSports.com Wednesday.

Although the Lakers have publicly been noncommittal about whether to pursue the three-time All-Star, Kupchak has nothing to lose by evaluating Arenas as a potential solution to the team's point guard woes. The workout date has not yet been set, but Kupchak is said to be willing to attend depending on timing and logistics.

'The Lakers are going to take a look at him,' one of the people familiar with the matter said.

Arenas, 30, was waived by the Magic via the amnesty clause after averaging 8.0 points in 49 games for Orlando last season, including two starts. In a total of 70 games for Orlando and Washington in 2010-11, Arenas averaged 10.8 points -- his first full season since serving a 50-game suspension for bringing guns into the Wizards' locker room in December 2009.

Arenas played only 47 games in the previous three seasons due to an assortment of knee injuries, and there are doubts among NBA executives about whether he has anything left. But the Lakers, with no ball-handling guard who can break down opposing defenses, are seeking a spark anywhere they can find it. The team also has been linked with Cleveland's Ramon Sessions and Houston's Jonny Flynn, though neither situation has progressed.

While the Lakers are on the East Coast, losing in Philadelphia Monday night and playing at Boston Thursday and at New York Friday, Kupchak has stayed in L.A. and would be in position to attend Arenas' workout personally.

Courtesy of http://ken-berger.blogs.cbssports.com

Wednesday's games review (11): Magic hit 17 3-pointers in 102-89 win over Heat - by Eurobasket News
N.Orleans H. - Chicago B. 67-90
The Bulls are perfecting the underrated art of burying the NBA's worst teams. With Derrick Rose (6'3''-G-88, college: Memphis) starting but hardly necessary, the Bulls barely broke a sweat in cruising to a 90-67 victory over the short-handed, overwhelmed and 4-22 New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night at New Orleans Arena. Rose, recovering from lower back spasms, scored six points on 3-for-5 shooting with six assists in 22 minutes, but it hardly mattered. C.J. Watson (6'2''-G-84, college: Tennessee) shot 1-for-6 from the field in place of Rose and that didn't matter, either. With Carlos Boozer (6'10''-F/C-80, college: Duke) (18 points, six rebounds, three assists), Joakim Noah (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Luol Deng (nine points, seven rebounds, five assists) leading the way, the Bulls (22-6) took leads of 21-8, 44-31 at halftime and 70-46 after three quarters. We're playing really well,'' Deng said. We're coming out early, defending, running the floor, getting a lead and playing well with it. There are times when teams go on a run, but we're better at it than we were last year.'' The Bulls had 29 assists on 39 field goals. They had 29 assists against the Nets and 31 against the Bucks. I was pleased with the overall performance,'' Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. The readiness to play. Well balanced. Solid defense. And offensively the way the ball is moving - it's not sticking anywhere. And we're getting good shots.'' It was the Bulls' fourth consecutive road victory since a 16-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last week and their third blowout in a row. They beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-90 and the 8-19 New Jersey Nets 108-87 in similarly dominant performances. The Bulls have trailed for 23 seconds in their last three games, with halftime leads of 67-43, 62-37 and 44-31. They led by 10 points or more for nearly 40 of 48 minutes against the Hornets and Bucks and 43:31 against the Nets. Up next, the 3-22 Bobcats on Friday in Charlotte. [We're] staying focused knowing that we're on a mission. We can't take any steps back,'' Rose said.We're learning. That's something I told you we had to work on. The last couple of games we've been jumping on people and that's the right way to be.'' Rose, a game-time decision because of the lingering effects of back spasms, scored two points with three assists in the first quarter before being replaced by Watson with the Bulls leading 21-8. He played sparingly after that as the Bulls were never in trouble. The back is kind of tight,'' Rose said. I could have played [in a closer game]. Thibs did a great job of managing my minutes when he saw we had the game put away.'' The Bulls weren't quite as sharp as they were at the start of the Nets game, when they hit 12 of their first 13 shots, but they didn't have to be. The Hornets missed their first five shots and eight of their first 10 as the Bulls took a 15-4 lead after Boozer fed Ronnie Brewer for a dunk. Chris Kaman came off the Hornets' bench to score 10 points in the final 5:00 of the first quarter, but his shot at the buzzer that would have made it 23-16 was ruled too late upon review. After the opening tip, that's as close to a turning point as there would be in this one. Watson hit a jumper, Omer Asik scored twice inside and Taj Gibson dunked off a pass from Watson to open the second quarter and the rout was back on. *Courtesy of www.suntimes.com

Denver N. - Dallas M. 95-105
Dirk Nowitzki (7'0''-F-78) helped the Dallas Mavericks put an end to two slumps at once. Nowitzki scored 25 points and the Mavericks snapped a three-game skid by beating the undermanned Denver Nuggets 105-95 on Wednesday night. It was also Dallas' first victory in five tries against the Nuggets. ''A win. A much needed win,'' Nowitzki said. ''We worked hard the last three games in our preparation, trying to keep them out of the lane, trying not to let them get into transition. I liked some of the stuff that we did. We rebounded the ball well. We outrebounded them (46-38) on the road, and that is definitely a plus when we do that.'' Vince Carter (6'6''-G/F-77, college: N.Carolina) added 17 points, and Shawn Marion and Rodrigue Beaubois added 13 points each for the Mavericks, who beat Denver for the first time since coming out on top 102-101 on Nov. 3, 2010. ''If you make a defensive mistake, they have a way of punishing you,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said. ''I'm not saying we had a bad defensive game, but three or four times we're scrambling and we leave Dirk Nowitzki wide open. I don't understand that, but when you're frustrated and playing in a bad stretch those things happen. I just think it's the process of the season. We're banged up.'' Rudy Fernandez and Al Harrington each had 17 points off the bench to lead the Nuggets, who lost their fourth straight. Nene had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Ty Lawson had 16 points along with 10 assists for Denver. Arron Afflalo (left ankle) and Nene (left heel) returned to the Nuggets' lineup after sitting out Monday night's loss to Houston, but Denver was still without leading scorer Danilo Gallinari (left ankle), along with Timofey Mozgov (left ankle). Corey Brewer took a leave of absence to be with his family this week following the death of his father. Dallas was without Jason Kidd, who missed his sixth game because of a strained right calf. He remains day to day. ''We play better when we push the ball, when we run, but we didn't see a lot of fastbreaks today and in our last four games,'' Fernandez said. ''In the second half, we're down by eight, and on our faces, it was like we were down by 20. We have to fight for 48 minutes.'' Fernandez conceded it's difficult to maintain the Nuggets' up-tempo style while missing key players. ''But it's no excuse,'' he said. ''We have a lot of young talent and a lot of players with experience. We have a long bench and at this moment with the injuries, we have to find a way to play better and more aggressively.'' Dallas took that very approach to finally beat Denver. Carter hit successive 3-pointers, putting Dallas up 81-64 with 6:08 left in the third quarter. Denver, though, outscored the Mavericks 12-4 heading into the fourth quarter, pulling to within 87-78. Afflalo made a basket for the Nuggets to start the final period, but the Mavericks responded with a layup by Brandan Wright and a jumper by Nowitzki and maintained a double-digit lead the rest of the way. ''This game was about our approach and attitude,'' Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. ''One of the big challenges tonight was to sustain our first half effort and we did that. The second half was terrific and a lot of guys contributed.'' The Mavericks led by as many as 17 in the second quarter, but settled for a 64-53 advantage at halftime. The Nuggets closed the gap by scoring nine of the last 13 points in the second quarter, including a pair of baskets by Fernandez. Dallas was in front 33-25 after the first period and pulled out to a 58-41 lead after Carter hit a baseline jumper with 3:57 left in the second quarter. The surge was fueled in part by a 10-2 burst by Dallas earlier in the second quarter that included a breakaway dunk by Wright. *Courtesy of http://msn.foxsports.com

Toronto R. - Milwaukee B. 99-105
The Toronto Raptors' decision to focus on perimeter play backfired against the hot-shooting Milwaukee Bucks. Head coach Dwane Casey had Jose Calderon and Jerryd Bayless start at guard in Toronto's 105-99 loss to the Bucks, moving Demar DeRozan (6'7''-F/G-89, college: USC) to small forward. That allowed the guards and small forwards on both teams to set the pace, with Milwaukee's offence putting the game away in the fourth quarter Wednesday. 'We have got to run the three-pointers off the line and trust our help,' said DeRozan of Toronto's lax defence in the final five minutes of play. 'That's one thing that we didn't do. We kept letting them line up threes and they kept knocking them down. 'It's definitely frustrating because we had the game.' Former Raptor Carlos Delfino (6'6''-G-82) scored 25 points for Milwaukee (11-14), including 11 points in the fourth quarter. Dwight Gooden started at centre and scored 20, Stephen Jackson added 17 and Mike Dunleavy came off the bench to score 18 points. Calderon had nine points and 15 assists for Toronto (8-19), while DeRozan scored 25 points and pulled down four rebounds. The Raptors have now lost three in a row. Casey's plan to put the ball in Bayless' hands was derailed when the veteran guard exited the game at the end of the third quarter with a sore left ankle. He had six points and seven assists in 25:49 of play. 'He's been manning up with it,' said Casey of Bayless' nagging ankle problems. 'I mean, it's been hurting him. It hurt him in the Washington game (a 111-108 loss to the Wizards on Feb. 6), he came through and played on it. He stubbed it a little bit in the Washington game. 'We'll see how it is. Someone else has to step up and take up the slack.' Bayless missed 13 games in January after spraining the same ankle. He did not speak to media after the game. No diagnosis on the injury was given. Bucks head coach Scott Skiles recognized that Delfino, Jackson and Dunleavy out-performed their opponents. 'We made shots tonight,' said Skiles. 'Our execution wasn't great. You know when the ball was passed around the perimeter we were able to knock down shots. We still turned the ball over too much. We were way too careless. 'We didn't have a lot of wisdom with the way we played but we won so we'll take it.' The Raptors fouled Milwaukee throughout the fourth, hoping that Delfino's hand would cool off. Unfortunately for Toronto, the gambit failed as the Bucks proved to be clutch and the Raptors came up short on several of their own field-goal attempts. 'Yes, I am lucky. It is like playing roulette,' said Delfino. 'I have just been working on my game and tonight I was making shots. 'We went small and we continued to make shots.' Raptors power forward James Johnson had an emphatic one-handed slam with just over four minutes left in the third to bring the crowd to its feet and tie the game 69-69. But Dunleavy responded with a three-pointer that cooled off the Toronto fans. The Raptors struggled with turnovers in the third, giving up the ball four times. That offensive futility allowed Milwaukee to take a 76-73 lead after three quarters. Although Bayless played seven minutes in the third, nagging ankle pain kept him out of the fourth. The Bucks put Dunleavy on the floor in the second quarter. He responded by racking up 16 points, including three three-pointers, in the quarter. Dunleavy also pulled down three rebounds in the period. Jackson came in with Dunleavy and added eight points in the second as Milwaukee took a 58-51 lead. 'They've got the No. 1 bench in the NBA right now and they showed it,' said Johnson, who scored 15 and had seven boards. 'They came out hard, they played hard and they brought their energy so kudos to Milwaukee.' The Raptors' offence revolved around the perimeter with Calderon, Bayless and DeRozan getting most of Toronto's touches in the first quarter. Calderon had five points, Bayless four and DeRozan eight on a combined 15 field-goal attempts in the first 12 minutes of play. The up-tempo play from the trio gave Toronto a season high in first quarter points and a 29-28 lead. The Raptors hadn't led at the end of the first quarter since their 95-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 13. *Courtesy of www.sportsnet.ca

Washington W. - New York K. 93-107
Red-hot Jeremy Lin (6'3''-PG-89, college: Harvard) posted a 'double-double' of 23 points and 10 assists to help the New York Knicks to a 107-93 NBA victory over the Washington Wizards. Lin, the first American of Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, had captivated tough New York fans with two stellar performances at Madison Square Garden on Saturday and Monday. On Wednesday he conquered a new city as a pro-Knicks crowd in the Wizards' home arena cheered him -- some waving Taiwanese flags -- from the moment he was introduced before the game. 'I try to stay away from it,' Lin said before the game. 'The most important thing is we have two straight wins and we're trying to get the third.' Then he went out and helped the Knicks do just that, despite the absence of injured Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire, who is with family after the death of his brother. Lin's 10 assists were a career high and his ability to find his open teammates contributed to the Knicks' having five players score in double figures. Veteran Tyson Chandler (7'1''-C-82) led the Knicks with 25 points. Steve Novak scored 19 points, including 15 in the first half. Lin got off to a slow start. He was scoreless when he left the court late in the first quarter with his chin cut from a collision with Wizards star John Wall. He finished by playing 35 minutes, shooting 9-of-14 from the floor. He made 5-of-6 free throws and grabbed four rebounds. The Lin phenomenon has grown quickly since his 25-point performance off the bench against New Jersey on Saturday, followed by a career-best 28 points in a Knicks win over Utah on Monday -- his first NBA start. Such was the interest in Lin from Asian media outlets that the Wizards' public relations staff opened the arena's ice hockey press box for extra press seating. Lin's timing could not be better, not only for the Knicks but for his own job security with Friday the deadline for contracts to become guaranteed for the season. If not for his recent exploits, Lin might have been waived and brought back on a 10-day contract. 'I guess I need to find a place then,' quipped Lin, who has been living with his brother in New York. 'I'm obviously very thankful.' *Courtesy of www.france24.com

Atlanta H. - Indiana P. 97-87
Josh Smith (6'9''-F-85) scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, leading the Hawks to a 97-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night that snapped Atlanta's three-game home losing streak. The Hawks, who had fallen behind by big margins in each game on the homestand, finally got off to a good start. Atlanta built a 21-point lead in the first half and withstood repeated runs by Indiana over the final two quarters. Joe Johnson (6'7''-G-81, college: Arkansas) added 20 points for the Hawks, while Kirk Hinrich (17) and Tracy McGrady (13) contributed valuable minutes off the bench. Danny Granger scored 21 points to lead the Pacers, who couldn't overcome the big deficit after winning the night before at home. Indiana has lost nine straight in Atlanta, a streak dating to 2006. The Hawks hit enough shots to hold off Indiana. With the Pacers closing, Hinrich swished a 3-pointer, then Smith slammed in a rebound with his left hand after Marvin Williams missed a jumper, leaving the rim shaking and the crowd roaring. David West and Tyler Hansbrough added 15 points apiece for Indiana, while Roy Hibbert had 10 points and 10 rebounds. But the Hawks, with only one true healthy center on the roster, outrebounded the Pacers 45-33. Atlanta also won the running game, finishing with a 28-11 edge in fast-break points. Right from the tip, the Hawks raced to an 8-1 lead and stretched the margin to double figures before the game was 7 minutes old, moving the ball and hustling on defense like they did before their recent slide. The biggest cheers went up when lumbering center Zaza Pachulia came up with an offensive rebound, then flipped a no-look, behind-the-back pass to Williams for a dunk. The reaction was much different when Jeff Teague drove toward the basket, only to get sent tumbling to the floor when he ran into Hansbrough. The officials called an offensive foul on Ivan Johnson, ruling that he caused Hansbrough to stumble into Teague. Johnson was whistled for a technical when he disputed the call, while Teague got up slowly after a nasty fall, hurting but not seriously injured. Atlanta had its biggest lead in the final minute of the first half before West buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer, leaving the Pacers with a 59-41 deficit. It was too much of a margin to overcome for a team that played the previous night, winning at home against Utah. After his nifty play early on, Pachulia had some ugly moments toward the end. First, he missed a dunk after Smith dived to the court to retrieve a loose ball and flipped a pass forward to his center, lumbering all alone in front of everyone else. Then, apparently losing track of where he was on a fast break, Pachulia took a pass and seemed ready to go in for another dunk attempt, only to realize he was too far from the hoop. He was called for walking instead. *Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Memphis G. - Minnesota T. 85-80
Quincy Pondexter (6'6''-F-88, college: Washington) had nothing to show in his first opportunity to start for the injured Tony Allen. His second chance resulted in the best scoring night of his career. Pondexter recorded a career-best 17 points and provided an early burst as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a three-game losing streak with an 85-80 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. 'It's seizing the opportunity,' said Pondexter, in his second season out of Washington. 'I've been blessed enough to be given this position with Tony being out.' Pondexter went scoreless when Lionel Hollins gave him his first start against San Antonio on Monday night -- a performance he described as 'a nothing game for me.' He was happy to rebound two nights later. 'Coach believed in me enough to do it,' Pondexter said. 'He could have given it to a lot of other players. For some reason, he believed in me, and I can't let him down.' Rudy Gay (6'9''-F/G-86, college: Connecticut) had 19 points and nine rebounds to lead Memphis. Marc Gasol and Dante Cunningham scored 12 apiece, and O.J. Mayo finished with 10 for Memphis despite connecting on only three of 11 shots as the Grizzlies shot just 37 percent overall. J.J. Barea led the Timberwolves with 17 points and six assists, while Derrick Williams and Michael Beasley had 13 points each. Williams also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds. Nikola Pekovic had 10 points and nine rebounds. Minnesota's starting backcourt of Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour were a combined 2 of 14 from the field as the Timberwolves shot 39 percent. They played their second game without leading scorer Kevin Love, who completed his league-ordered two-game suspension for stepping on Houston's Luis Scola. 'We shot very poorly,' Minnesota coach Rick Adelman said. 'I didn't think we played the way we needed to play offensively against them at all.' A lack of energy was a common theme out of the Timberwolves' locker room. Minnesota was on the second night of a back-to-back after an 86-84 home victory against Sacramento on Tuesday. 'We didn't come out with energy,' Barea said. 'That put us in a deep hole. With teams like this, you can't fall behind.' Memphis extended its lead in the final minutes of the first half to carry a 44-34 advantage into the break. Gay and Pondexter had 11 points apiece to lead Memphis. The Timberwolves had no players in double figures -- Williams led Minnesota with nine -- and were stymied by shooting 29 percent. The shooting percentage kept Memphis from paying the price for 10 turnovers. Ridnour missed all seven of his shots in the half, while Rubio was 1 for 5 with no assists. Rubio, who entered averaging 9.1 assists, ended the night with only one. 'I couldn't find a rhythm,' he said. 'I did a lot of things badly.' Meanwhile, Memphis was getting to the basket as 30 of its 44 first-half points came in the paint despite Gasol playing only nine minutes after collecting three fouls. 'We got a lot of defensive stops that allowed us to get out in transition a little bit,' said Memphis point guard Mike Conley, who recorded seven assists, but was 1 of 8 from the field. 'Our guys did a good job of moving the ball,' he added. 'When Marc goes out, and we don't have an inside presence, moving the ball around the perimeter and attacking the basket really helps us.' Memphis was able to build its halftime lead by closing the second quarter on an 8-2 spurt as the Timberwolves didn't record a field goal over the final 4:40 of the half. Memphis extended the lead by scoring the first six points of the second half, but Pekovic started scoring inside and the Grizzlies began misfiring. Back-to-back baskets by Wesley Johnson pulled Minnesota within 56-50 with four minutes left in the third. The Grizzlies would later answer with eight unanswered points, and carry a 66-54 lead into the fourth. They got their largest lead of the game by scoring the first two baskets of the fourth for a 71-54 lead. 'We just made it stand up,' Hollins said. 'We had a 10-point lead [in the fourth quarter] and at the end, we gave up some 3s and some fouls.' *Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

Portland TB - Houston R. 96-103
The Rockets lost their poise, their lead and their point guard. They could not bear to lose the game too. With Kyle Lowry (6'0''-PG-86, college: Villanova) in the locker room with a third-quarter elbow injury, the Rockets recovered from a thorough second-half collapse, turning to their bench to take them past the Trail Blazers to a 103-96 win at the Rose Garden. Lowry left the game in the third quarter with a strained right elbow, immediately going to the floor and then to the locker room. 'I tried to throw a pass to Jordan (Hill) on a cut,' Lowry said. 'I kind of hyper-extended it, strained it a bit. I just have to do treatment. You know me. I don't want to sit out too many games. I don't want to sit out games at all. I'll see how I feel tomorrow and get treatment in the morning and see how it feels.' Minutes after he left the floor, the Rockets' sick feeling was spreading. They had led by 19 early in the second half, running their offense as well as they had at any point this season, getting open shots so reliably they seemed to be choosing which open shot to take. They were so sharp in the second quarter, they had assists on 11 of 12 field goals, with 20 in their top-scoring half of the season. They led 60-46 at halftime, but they had yet to see the real Portland defense. Blazers coach Nate McMillan, tired of seeing the Rockets carve up his defense, went with a small lineup, moving Gerald Wallace to the four and trapping screens hard. 'They put a lot of pressure on us,' Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. We turned it over 10 times in the third. That changed the whole game. They were so spread out. They were trying to take away everything and were doing a good job of it. When you go east-west against pressure - or worse, south against pressure - you're in trouble. You got to attack that pressure.' The Rockets' turnovers invited the Blazers back into the game. Portland outscored the Rockets 20-8 in the final 7 minutes of the third quarter, reducing the lead to seven. Things got even worse when the fourth quarter began as the Rockets started with two turnovers, two fouls, two missed free throws and a missed dunk while the Blazers waltzed in for three layups, making two. When LaMarcus Aldridge cut to the rim for a dunk, the Blazers had erased the remaining points of the Rockets lead. Goran Dragic, however, quickly answered with a three-point play and the Rockets seemed to realize they could still score. The bench that had rolled in the second quarter took over the game. 'Today, the bench scored 66 points,' Dragic said. 'Everybody played well. It's tough to watch from the bench. The lead is going down, down, down. Suddenly, you have to go in the game. You just try to play hard, especially on the defensive end. You know they're going to pressure us. We just kept attacking the paint, penetrating and kicking the ball out. We did a great job about that.' Scoreless for three quarters, Dragic scored 10 fourth-quarter points, while Chase Budinger scored nine of his 22 points and Courtney Lee added five of his 16 to turn things back around. The Blazers looked very much like a team that had spent its energy reserves making the comeback. With the Rockets up six with three minutes left after another Dragic three-point play, Portland missed its next five shots as the Rockets pulled away again. 'Our bench was fantastic,' McHale said. 'Those guys have been playing really well. They've had great practices. They've taken it right to the first team. They're competitors. 'When we're attack mode, we got good shots. Even when we missed they were good shots.' When they stopped missing, they did not match the first-half blitz of the Blazers, they did more than enough. Less certain is how long they will have to get by without Lowry, but they did look able. 'He's the type of coach he runs the players that are playing well,' Budinger said. 'We got rolling in the first half. He left us in there. He didn't panic . when they tied it up. We fought back.' *Courtesy of www.chron.com

Philadelph.76 - San Antonio S. 90-100
Tony Parker (6'0''-PG-82) scored 37 points, Gary Neal (6'4''-G-84, college: Towson) added 18 off the bench and the San Antonio Spurs beat the Philadelphia 76ers 100-90 in a matchup of division leaders Wednesday night. Tim Duncan had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Tiago Splitter scored 15 for the Southwest Division-leading Spurs. Lou Williams led Philadelphia with 22 points. Andre Iguodala had 17 and Thaddeus Young scored 16. The Atlantic Division-leading Sixers fell to 4-2 during a seven-game stretch that coach Doug Collins termed 'Death Row' because of the quality of their opponents. After building a strong record early in the season against lesser competition, they beat Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta (on the road) and the Los Angeles Lakers. Their other loss was at home to Miami. *Courtesy of www.newser.com

New Jersey N. - Detroit P. 92-99
The Detroit Pistons aren't seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. They're just feeling better about themselves while riding their longest winning streak of the season and getting some key players back on the floor. Greg Monroe (6'11''-C-90, college: Georgetown) had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Pistons won their season-high third straight game with a 99-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday. 'We have to keep this hunger,' said Monroe, who iced the game with a monster drive and jam with 2:27 to play. 'We have to continue to play and give these efforts so the wins will come more often. But we have to continue to play like this.' In winning for the seventh time in 27 games, the Pistons played good team basketball. They had 29 assists on 39 baskets, outrebounded New Jersey 41-36 and shot a season-high 53.4 percent from the field. 'We're gaining more confidence in each other,' Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said after his team won for only the second time on the road this season and snapped a seven-game slide away from the Motor City. The Pistons are also getting some depth. Jonas Jerebko, who is rounding into form after missing last season with an Achilles tendon injury, added 16 points. Tayshaun Prince had 15 and Ben Gordon, playing for the first time in 11 games, added 14 points for Detroit, which almost blew an 18-point second-half lead. Prince said it was great to see Gordon back on the floor and Will Bynum dressed, even though he didn't play. 'It put a smile on everybody's face,' Prince said. 'When we saw those guys in their warmups, even if they didn't play, guys were more ready to play.' Deron Williams scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Nets, who have lost four in a row and nine times in 12 home games. Jordan Farmar added 22 off the bench and Kris Humphries had a game-high 16 rebounds. 'We lost,' said Williams, who was 10 of 21 from the field. 'That's about it. It's another loss at home. We've been struggling here all season, trying to find our shots and rhythm. It's hard to win when you are shooting in the 30-percent range.' A four-point play by Williams got New Jersey within 78-77, but Jerebko, Rodney Stuckey and Monroe scored to push the lead to eight. The Nets made one more run as Williams sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a fadeaway jumper by Stuckey to narrow the Pistons' lead to 86-83 with 5:18 to play. After Monroe missed a jumper and Farmar turned the ball over, Brandon Knight hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 89-83. The Nets could get no closer as Williams missed his next two shots and Farmar misfired on a 3-pointer. Two free throws by Prince and a monster drive and dunk from the foul line by Monroe ended the contest. Gordon, who was out with a sore left shoulder, came back and was in form, scoring eight points in a 22-7 spurt that gave the Pistons a 44-31 lead late in the second quarter. The lead was 12 at the half and it grew to 18 points early in the third quarter when Stuckey hit a jumper to cap a 6-0 run to start the second half. The Pistons lead was still 15 points with 5:35 to go in the third quarter when Williams scored seven straight points in a 14-6 burst to close the gap to seven points. New Jersey kept coming at the start of the fourth quarter with Williams hitting six of 10 shots, including four of his six -- and career high-tying -- 3-pointers. 'This was a team that had more energy than us and played with a lot more enthusiasm,' Nets coach Avery Johnson said. 'Again, we have to generate more energy in this building. We have to generate more energy at home and we just didn't have it tonight.' *Courtesy of www.cbssports.com

Orlando M. - Miami Heat 102-89
It's been an open secret for several seasons how much the 3-point shot has become an indispensable part of the Orlando Magic's offense. They reminded the Miami Heat just how punishing they can be when they get it going from long range. Dwight Howard (6'11''-C-85) had 25 points and 24 rebounds, Ryan Anderson (6'10''-F-88, college: California) scored 27 and the Magic hit 17 3-pointers in a 102-89 victory Wednesday night. Anderson had five 3s - all in the first half - and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Magic. Howard posted his 20th double-double of the season. Orlando fell two shy of its season high for 3s and set a team record with 42 attempts. Anderson said as much as it might have looked as though the Magic were just jacking up 3s, there is a definite method to their attack when they get hot from the outside. 'If somebody starts rolling, then all the attention's going to be on them. Then we'll swing it around and we've got another shooter,' Anderson said. 'I think when the crowd gets into it, when we have great energy as a team and we're being really unselfish and moving the ball, it is contagious.' The Magic have won four of five since their season-high four-game losing streak. They have also beaten Miami in nine of their last 11 meetings in Orlando. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 33 points, but had only 11 after halftime. LeBron James added 17 as the Heat had their three-game winning streak snapped. Miami continues its six-game road trip Friday at Washington. 'They set the tone this game, right from the get-go,' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. 'We were able to get into a little bit more of an aggressiveness and attack. A little bit more of a disposition in the second quarter, but they were able to sustain it longer and more consistently than we were able to.' In the middle of a stretch of 20 games in 32 days before the All-Star break, the Magic got a rare day off from game action Tuesday. They seemed energized from the opening tip against the Heat, racing out to a 17-point lead in the first half. That cushion was 16 at the start of the fourth quarter thanks to all those 3s. The Heat got within 89-80 on a basket by Chris Bosh before Jameer Nelson's 3 from the corner pushed the Magic's advantage back to 12 with 3:53 to play. The Heat never got any closer. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said it was a solid first effort against a Southeast Division rival they will face three more times this season. 'I thought we did a good job of gathering ourselves,' Van Gundy said. 'We held our composure and nobody seemed the least bit worried. We just kept making plays.' Orlando was shooting better from the 3-point line than from the field at one point in the fourth quarter. The Magic finished the night at 42 percent from the floor (35 for 83) and 40 percent (17 for 42) from 3-point range. Miami shot 47 percent from the field (36 for 76) but had only five 3-pointers. The Heat also held a 40-30 advantage on points in the paint, but Orlando led 23-9 in second-chance points. Anderson's 3-pointer gave the Magic their biggest lead of the first half at 44-27. The Heat responded by closing the half with a 24-9 spurt - including the final 12 points by Wade - to go into halftime trailing by only three. Wade finished the half with 22 points, while Anderson's five 3s and 24 points paced the Magic. Howard had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the opening 24 minutes. 'They shot the 3 extremely well and the big fella in the middle took care of his 20 and 20 once again,' James said. 'Sometimes you have to pick your poison, but we gave up both tonight. They are an extremely tough team to beat when they are making the 3s and the big fella is doing what he wants.' Magic forward Glen Davis, who played his second game since a two-game team suspension for a verbal spat with Van Gundy, said he thought the biggest takeaway for the team was how it was able to stay together down the stretch and withstand the Heat's late run. In the preseason, it was Davis who preached to his new teammates following his trade from Boston about how important a true family atmosphere would be to prolonged success this season. He thought Wednesday was a big step toward that. 'That's what it's about, taking the punch and keep fighting,' Davis said. 'That's what we did. We knew (Miami) was going to make their run because they're great team. But we just made sure we didn't buckle or get out of control. We stayed in control and we executed to the end.' *Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Cleveland C. - LA Clippers 99-92
Ramon Sessions (6'3''-PG-86, college: Nevada) scored a season-high 24 points as a last-minute replacement for injured rookie Kyrie Irving (6'3''-G-92, college: Duke) and Antawn Jamison scored 27, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Sessions didn't know he was starting until moments before the game when the Cavs diagnosed Irving with a concussion. Sessions added 13 assists in his first start this season. Daniel Gibson scored 17 points in his return for Cleveland after missing five games with a neck infection. Blake Griffin scored 25 before fouling out with 6.6 seconds left for the Clippers, who tied it at 87 with 2:10 left after trailing by 15 in the third quarter. But Gibson made a 3-pointer and Anderson Varejao dropped a key jumper with 29 seconds left as Cleveland hung on. Chris Paul had 16 points and 12 assists for Los Angeles, playing its first game without injured guard Chauncey Billups. *Courtesy of www.ktvn.com

D-League All-Star Smith signs deal, takes roster spot with Rockets - by Eurobasket News
A day after forward Jeff Adrien (6'7''-F-86, agency: Priority Sports, college: Connecticut) was waived to make space on the roster to sign center Greg Smith (6'10''-C-91, college: Fresno St.), coach Kevin McHale said he hoped to end up with both.

Well miss Jeff a great deal, McHale said. Hopefully we can find a way to get Jeff back. He was a real big part of the chemistry.

The Rockets officially signed Smith to a three-year contract on Wednesday, and the deal is guaranteed for the remainder of the season and worth the pro-rated portion of the rookie minimum, $480,000. It is partially guaranteed next season and at the teams option in the third season.

Gregs been playing really well down in the D-League, McHale said. We liked him in training camp. I think hes got a bright future.

Named to play in the NBA Development League All-Star Game on Wednesday, Smith will be assigned to the Rockets D-League affiliate.

Courtesy of http://blog.chron.com

Player list for NBA All-Star Rising Stars (Rookie Challenge) - by Eurobasket News
NBA All-Star 2012 will play host to the NBA Rising Stars Challenge game, which will introduce an exciting new format to a game that has historically featured NBA rookies facing off against sophomores. For the first time, rookies and sophomores will be mixed together on teams. The event used to be called the Rookie Challenge game.

Reigning Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin (6'10''-F-89, college: Oklahoma) of the Los Angeles Clippers, the Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving (6'3''-G-92, college: Duke), the No. 1 overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, and Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Ricky Rubio (6'4''-G-90), who ranks third overall in assists, lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge game to be held on Friday, Feb. 24, in Orlando during NBA All-Star 2012.

Joining Griffin from the Sophomore class are: DeMarcus Cousins (6'11''-C/F-90, agency: SportsTalent, college: Kentucky) (Sacramento Kings), Landry Fields (6'7''-G/F-88, college: Stanford) (New York Knicks), Paul George (6'9''-G/F-90, agency: Priority Sports, college: Fresno St.) (Indiana Pacers), Gordon Hayward (6'9''-G/F-90, agency: Priority Sports, college: Butler) (Utah Jazz), Greg Monroe (6'11''-C-90, college: Georgetown) (Detroit Pistons), Tiago Splitter (6'11''-C/F-85, agency: Interperformances) (San Antonio Spurs), Evan Turner (6'7''-G/F-88, college: Ohio St.) (Philadelphia 76ers), and John Wall (6'4''-PG-90, college: Kentucky) (Washington Wizards).

Irving and Rubio are joined by fellow first-year players Marshon Brooks (6'5''-G/F-89, college: Providence) (New Jersey Nets), Brandon Knight (6'3''-G-91, college: Kentucky) (Detroit Pistons), Kawhi Leonard (6'7''-F-91, college: San Diego St.) (San Antonio Spurs), Markieff Morris (6'9''-F-89, college: Kansas) (Phoenix Suns), Tristan Thompson (6'8''-F-91, college: Texas) (Cleveland Cavaliers), Kemba Walker (6'1''-PG-90, college: Connecticut) (Charlotte Bobcats), and Derrick Williams (6'8''-F-91, college: Arizona) (Minnesota Timberwolves).

The participants in the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge were selected by the NBAs assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot.

This year, a new format is being implemented to a game that has historically featured NBA rookies facing off against sophomores. For the first time, rookies and sophomores will be mixed together on teams. TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille ONeal will serve as the general managers of the two opposing teams - TEAM CHUCK and TEAM SHAQ - each with nine man rosters, drafted from the aforementioned pool. TNTs Kenny Smith will serve as the honorary Commissioner and Ernie Johnson will host the live Rising Stars Challenge event Draft on Thursday, Feb. 16, on NBA TV at 7 p.m. ET.

Last year in Los Angeles, the Rookies won for the second consecutive year, 148-140. Wall earned MVP honors after recording a record 22 assists, five more than Chris Paul managed in 2007.

TNT Analysts Mike Fratello and Steve Kerr will be part of the coaching staffs for the teams, with Fratello joining TEAM CHUCK and Kerr joining TEAM SHAQ. The Head Coaches for both teams will be the lead assistant coaches from the 2012 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The East and West coaching staffs will be determined by the best record in each conference through games played Feb. 15.

The NBA Rising Stars Challenge game will be televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages. NBA games are broadcast to 215 countries and territories in more than 40 languages.

Tickets to the Rising Stars Challenge are available for $35 for the upper bowl and $50 for the lower bowl, and fans can visit NBA.com/allstar2012 to purchase them.

NBA All-Star brings together the top NBA players and performers for a week of competition, community service and world-class entertainment. Among the many other exciting All-Star events are Sprite Slam Dunk, Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Haier Shooting Stars and NBA All-Star Jam Session.

Below is the roster for the 2012 NBA Rising Stars Challenge:

2012 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Player Pool

Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. Home Country Exp
Marshon Brooks New Jersey G-F 6-5 200 Providence/USA R
DeMarcus Cousins Sacramento C 6-11 270 Kentucky/USA 1
Landry Fields New York G 6-7 210 Stanford/USA 1
Paul George Indiana G-F 6-8 215 Fresno State/USA 1
Blake Griffin L.A. Clippers F 6-10 251 Oklahoma/USA 1
Gordon Hayward Utah F 6-8 210 Butler/USA 1
Kyrie Irving Cleveland G 6-3 191 Duke/USA R
Brandon Knight Detroit G 6-3 189 Kentucky/USA R
Kawhi Leonard San Antonio G-F 6-7 225 San Diego State/USA R
Greg Monroe Detroit C 6-11 250 Georgetown/USA 1
Markieff Morris Phoenix F 6-10 245 Kansas/USA R
Ricky Rubio Minnesota G 6-4 180 FC Barcelona/Spain R
Tiago Splitter San Antonio F-C 6-11 240 Saski Baskonia/Brazil 1
Tristan Thompson Cleveland F 6-9 227 Texas/USA R
Evan Turner Philadelphia G-F 6-7 205 Ohio State/USA 1
John Wall Washington G 6-4 195 Kentucky/USA 1
Kemba Walker Charlotte G 6-1 172 Connecticut/USA R
Derrick Williams Minnesota F 6-8 241 Arizona State/USA R

PREVIOUS NBA RISING STARS CHALLENGE (ROOKIE CHALLENGE) RESULTS
1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96
2007 - Sophomores 155, Rookies 114
2008 - Sophomores 136, Rookies 109
2009 - Sophomores 122, Rookies 116
2010 - Rookies 140, Sophomores 128
2011 - Rookies 148, Sophomores 140

Courtesy of www.insidehoops.com

Cavaliers rookie G Kyrie Irving has concussion - by Eurobasket News
Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving (6'3''-G-92, college: Duke) has his first NBA injury - a concussion.

The star guard, who has lived up to being the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, was kept out of Wednesday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers with a head injury. The team did not disclose Irving's concussion until moments before tip-off. There is no immediate timetable for his return.

The Cavaliers said in a release that Irving was kneed in the head during the fourth quarter of Tuesday's game at Miami. He complained of a headache after the game and that it worsened overnight and while he warmed up on the floor Wednesday.

Irving was evaluated by Cleveland's medical staff, and team physician A.J. Cianflocco diagnosed the 19-year-old with a concussion shortly before the game.

Coach Byron Scott did not mention Irving's injury or the fact that he was struck in the head during his pregame media briefing.

Ramon Sessions started at point guard in place of Irving, who had started each of Cleveland's first 23 games.

Irving is averaging 18 points and 5.1 assists and has made several clutch fourth-quarter plays for the Cavs. He was selected to participate in the 'Rising Stars' game during All-Star weekend next month in Orlando.

Scott said that while Irving has had a strong start to his pro career, there are too many quality point guards in the Eastern Conference to warrant him making the All-Star team. Reserves for the squad will be announced on Thursday.

'He's definitely raising some eyebrows,' Scott said.

Irving's injury prevented him from matching up with Clippers guard Chris Paul, who believes the Cavs have a budding star.

'He's really good with the ball and his decision-making and stuff like that. He can really play,' Paul said.

Paul played for Scott in New Orleans and said Irving is fortunate that he's being groomed by the coach.

'There couldn't be a better situation for him than starting off his NBA career playing for Coach Scott,' Paul said following the Clippers' morning shootaround. 'He is really going to let him go and give him an opportunity to learn on the go. Coach Scott led me to Rookie of the Year and it looks like he's about to do it again.'

Courtesy of http://abcnews.go.com

Clippers' Billups vows to return from injury - by Eurobasket News
Clippers guard Chauncey Billups (6'3''-PG-76, college: Colorado) says he won't let his season-ending injury also finish his NBA career.

Billups tore his left Achilles tendon on Monday night, ending his first season with Los Angeles. He said the injury has left him 'deflated' but he's confident the Clippers will be able to survive without him and can still have 'a special season.'

After surgery, which has not yet been scheduled, Billups said he plans to stay around the Clippers to help them any way he can.

The 35-year-old Billups will need eight months to recover from the injury, which will also cost him a chance to play on the U.S. Olympic team this summer.

Billups said his career is not over and he 'will go out on my own. I will be back.'

Courtesy of www.desertnews.com

Lakers cut reserve power forward Derrick Caracter - by Eurobasket News
Derrick Caracter (6'9''-F-88, college: UTEP) was waived by the Lakers on Tuesday, three days before all non-guaranteed contracts became guaranteed the rest of the season.

Caracter, 23, did not play with the Lakers this season. The reserve power forward sustained torn cartilage in his left knee in training camp and missed more than a month after undergoing surgery.

He recently played four games with the Lakers' Development League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, and averaged 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds.

The Lakers have three other players on non-guaranteed contracts but all are expected to be retained past Friday's deadline: Rookie guards Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris, and second-year forward Devin Ebanks.

Caracter averaged two points and one rebound in 41 games last season. He was taken 58th overall out of Texas El Paso in the 2010 draft. He would have been on the books for $788,782 this season if he had been retained.

The Lakers now have 14 players on their roster, one below the league maximum.

Courtesy of http://lakersblog.latimes.com

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NCAA1

Duke defeats UNC 85-84 on Rivers' buzzer-beater - by Eurobasket News
There have been some wild, crazy endings to North Carolina-Duke games over the 233-game history of the rivalry, and Duke's 85-84 victory Wednesday night at the Smith Center will take its place as one of the craziest and most memorable of all - if not the most.

Tar Heels sophomore Harrison Barnes gave his team an 82-72 lead with 2 minutes, 38 seconds to play, and the game appeared over. Writers on press row went back to the media room to write their stories, the fans in attendance waited for the seconds to melt away, and even the Tar Heels themselves appeared content to go through the motions, too.

But it wasn't over.

Minutes later, after a furious rally that placed the result in doubt, Duke's Austin Rivers (6'4''-G-92) made a long 3-pointer from the right side as the final buzzer sounded. The shot gave the No. 10 Blue Devils an improbable victory, and they spilled from their bench and onto the court as people - fans, Tar Heels players, mostly everybody - sat in a stunned stupor.

'I can't explain it, man,' Rivers said. 'To play in this game, they have a great crowd, great tradition here. They had us down. I think, obviously, this is my favorite win I've ever had in my life.'

Rivers, a freshman, finished with 29 points in his Duke-UNC debut, and his final 3 was the sixth one he made Wednesday night. As expected, Duke (20-4, 7-2 ACC) relied on the 3 early and often, and relied on it most of all in the final minutes.

The rally, one they'll be talking about for as long as they play these games, happened like this: Trailing by 10 with about two minutes to play, Duke went on a 10-2 run that cut No. 5 North Carolina's lead to 84-82 with 14 seconds to play.

Tyler Thornton (6'1''-G-92) and Seth Curry (6'2''-G-90) made 3s during that stretch, and North Carolina turned it over twice and missed two free throws. Ryan Kelly, meanwhile, made two shots, one of them a tipped-in air ball on a 3 that deflected off of Tyler Zeller (7'0''-F-90) 's hand, off the backboard and through the basket.

All the while, the sense of jubilation that had permeated the building most of the night left, replaced by a feeling of dread.

North Carolina coach Roy Williams said he'd never seen such a play as that one - one of his own players tipping in the shot of another team in the final moments of tight, tense game. But then again, Williams said, this was UNC-Duke.

'We had been closing games pretty well,' Williams said. 'But we didn't tonight.'

After that strange deflected tip-in, Duke fouled Zeller again and, again, he made just one of two free throws. That set up Rivers' shot at the buzzer. He made it from a few feet behind the 3-point line, over Zeller.

North Carolina led by as many as 13 with 15:06 to play in the second half. At the same point in the first half Duke held its largest lead, by eight, but the Tar Heels controlled the end of the half and led 43-40 at halftime.

'We fought like crazy to stay close,' Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. 'And then in the last couple of minutes, we got hot.'

Krzyzewski described it as a 'storybook' ending and said, 'for me, that's one of the best ones' in the history of the rivalry. Moments earlier, Williams had sat in the same chair, with tears welling in his eyes, trying to explain something he couldn't.

'This one hurts,' he said.

Barnes, playing with an injured left ankle that had him limited throughout practice this week, finished with a team-high 25. He scored 19 in the second half. Zeller finished with 23 - 19 in the first half - and Kelly and Curry added 15 apiece for the Blue Devils.

North Carolina (20-4, 7-2) controlled the interior and Duke worked the perimeter. The Blue Devils attempted 36 3-pointers and made 14. The last one glided through the rim, passing through the net and into the lore and legend of this long rivalry.

Courtesy of www.newsobserver.com

No. 11 Michigan State beats Penn State 77-57 - by Eurobasket News
Penn State refused to be routed the first time No. 11 Michigan State had a chance to pull away for an easy victory.

The Nittany Lions, though, couldn't stay consistent enough to keep its comeback hopes.

Draymond Green (6'7''-F-90) had 23 points and 12 rebounds and made some timely shots to help No. 11 Michigan State beat Penn State in a 77-57 on Wednesday night.

Nittany Lions coach Patrick Chambers was not encouraged that his team didn't go away easily when it looked like the Spartans were going to be able to coast for the last 10 minutes of the game.

'It's a 40-minute game the last time I checked,' he said.

The last-place Nittany Lions (10-15, 2-10 Big Ten) have lost five straight and eight of nine.

'We compete for stretches, but we need to compete for 40 minutes,' Chambers said. 'We need to do that soon and time is running out.'

Tim Frazier (6'1''-G-90) scored 19 on 6-of-18 shooting for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State posed a brief threat by pulling within five points midway through the second half, but Green made a layup on the next possession.

Frazier later made a jumper to make it 55-49, but the Nittany Lions couldn't stop Green from making a three-point play on the next trip down the court with 7:03 left in the game.

'Coach Izzo did a great job, he got the ball to Draymond Green,' Chambers said. 'We couldn't defend him.'

The Spartans closed the game with a 22-8 run, restoring the rout and improving to 15-0 at home this season.

Reserve Jermaine Marshall (6'4''-G-90) scored 12 and Nick Colella (6'3''-G-89) added nine points for the Nittany Lions.

Michigan State (19-5, 8-3) is a game behind Big Ten-leading and third-ranked Ohio State, setting up a big game Saturday on the road against the Buckeyes.

Adreian Payne matched a career high with 12 points and freshman Branden Dawson also had 12, scoring in double figures for the fifth straight game, for the Spartans.

Penn State, which has lost all seven of its road conference games, got off to an awful start and finished poorly.

The Nittany Lions missed their first eight shots and needed nearly 8 minutes to score, but didn't trail by too much because the Spartans also started 0-for-8 before beginning to make shots to build a 9-0 lead.

Michigan State led 33-19 at halftime despite making just 27 percent of its shots and turning the ball over 10 times because Penn State shot 21 percent and had nine turnovers.

The Spartans were effective early in the second half on offense but later let the Nittany Lions score 10 straight points.

Green played a big role in dashing Penn State's hopes with shots, assists, rebounds and defense.

Michigan State's Keith Appling had 10 points and seven assists.

Courtesy of www.palmbeachpost.com

No. 6 Baylor loses again to No. 7 Kansas, 68-54 - by Eurobasket News
One of the first things Baylor coach Scott Drew talked about after another loss to Kansas was wanting his team to now imitate the Jayhawks.

'Kansas did a tremendous job bouncing back after their tough game with Missouri,' Drew said. 'We need to do the exact same thing this Saturday.'

Or the sixth-ranked Bears will have consecutive losses again.

Baylor lost 68-54 on Wednesday night, its second lopsided loss in just more than three weeks against the seventh-ranked Jayhawks, who were coming off a loss at fourth ranked Missouri. That is where the Bears play Saturday.

Jeff Withey (7'0''-C-90) scored a career-high 25 points for the Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2 Big 12), who never led until a 14-3 spurt over the final 4 1/2 minutes of the first half with Thomas Robinson (6'9''-F-91) sitting on the bench with two fouls. Kansas then scored 14 points in a row early in the second half, with half of those coming on one possession.

'We're all embarrassed and disappointed by our play,' Drew said.

The Jayhawks lost 74-71 at Missouri on Saturday, when the 7-foot Withey missed his only shot and was scoreless. They now have a share of the Big 12 lead with the Tigers and haven't lost consecutive games in more than six years - a span of 228 games since January 2006.

'Of all the things that these teams have accomplished, that may be one of the more impressive ones,' Kansas coach Bill Self said.

Baylor (21-3, 8-3) was 17-0 with the longest winning streak in school history before a 92-74 loss at Kansas on Jan. 16. The Bears followed that with a one-point home loss to Missouri.

In the Jan. 16 game against Baylor at home, Tyshawn Taylor (6'3''-G-90) and Thomas Robinson had combined for 55 points and both matched career highs for field goals made. Taylor had a career-best 28 points in that game and Robinson had 27.

Taylor finished with 19 points this time, his ninth consecutive game with at least 15. Robinson, the only Big 12 player averaging a double-double, had 15 points with 11 rebounds.

Pierre Jackson (5'10''-PG-91) led Baylor with 16 points, while Quincy Acy and Cory Jefferson (6'9''-F-90) had 11 each.

Baylor worked the already raucous sellout crowd of 10,344 into a frenzy by scoring the first seven points. Self called timeout less than 2 minutes into the game.

The opening play was an alley-oop pass from Jackson to Perry Jones III for a slam dunk. Jackson then penetrated for a short floater, and the Bears were up 7-0 when Jackson had another assist, a bounce pass to Quincy Miller for a 3-pointer from the right wing.

Neither Jones, the preseason Big 12 player of the year, or Miller had another field goal. Miller came out for good after a flagrant foul with 16:38 left.

After making its first three shots, Baylor missed the next five and Kansas got even at 7-all when Withey made two free throws. But the Bears pushed back ahead 19-9 after Jackson's alley-oop pass to Acy for another rim-rattling dunk that reignited the fans, before Jackson stole the ball from Withey and scored on a baseline floater.

'Up 10 with 9:41 to go, and really the end of the first half was the beginning of the turning point,' Drew said. 'We should have finished with momentum going into the locker room. We didn't. ... And then the beginning of the second half, we get a steal to start the second half. And then from there, nothing went right.'

Withey had a turnover to start the second half before Jackson came away from a scrum on the floor with the ball for a Baylor layup.

Kansas then scored 14 points in a row, a stretch started by Withey's layup before he added a three-point play.

Withey then had consecutive steals that led to jumpers by Robinson, who fouled making the second basket. He converted the three-point play and it became a seven-point possession when Quincy Miller's foul during the free throw was called flagrant after officials looked at replay.

After Withey made the technical free throw, Tyshawn Taylor's 3-pointer with 16 1/2 minutes left pushed Kansas to a 47-32 lead.

'That seven-point possession took a lot out of us,' Jackson said. 'We just didn't answer back after that.'

Withey had already matched his previous career high of 15 points on a free throw with 2 1/2 minutes left in the first half to get Kansas within 30-25. He then blocked a shot, which led to a 3-pointer by Conner Teahan. Withey then made a tying layup with 1:34 left.

The Jayhawks finally led on Teahan's 3-pointer in the final minute for a 33-30 halftime lead.

'I'm very disappointed we lost at home,' Acy said. 'We made a couple of mental mistakes at the end of the first half, and the second half, we started out with a good stop then let one mistake lead to two. They got some easy transition buckets and we couldn't answer back.'

Courtesy of www.miamiherald.com

Boston College beats No. 15 Florida State, 64-60 - by Eurobasket News
Jeff Hathaway, the former University of Connecticut athletic director and current chairman of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, was a spectator at Conte Forum last night for the Atlantic Coast Conference meeting between conference co-leader Florida State and Boston College.

Hathaway was there to study the sizzling Seminoles, but it was coach Steve Donahues Eagles who provided the drama with a stunning 64-60 upset of the 15th-ranked Seminoles, who came into the game with a school-record seven-game winning streak in the ACC.

The message Hathaway should have taken from Florida State seemed clear: On Selection Sunday, please keep us away from the East Regional that will be held in Boston next month.

FSU (17-6, 8-1) is top 20-caliber, but when facing teams from the Boston area, strange things happen. One of FSUs most perplexing early-season losses was to Harvard, 46-41, in a game that was tied at halftime, 14-14.

Last night was equally puzzling as FSU lost to a team that was on a six-game losing streak. BC (8-16, 3-7) hardly looked like a last-place team in taking a 34-33 halftime lead - only the second time in 12 games it led at the half. The other time was Jan. 14 against Virginia Tech, which was also the last time it won.

But instead of a second-half collapse, the Eagles showed staying power as they expanded their lead to 8 points midway through the half, then fought off a final surge FSU put together.

FSU had closed within 3 (60-57) with 53 seconds left and had the ball, but when Luke Loucks (6'5''-G-90) missed a 3-point shot, the Seminoles were forced to foul.

BCs Lonnie Jackson (6'3''-G-93) made a pair of foul shots to expand the lead to 6 at 63-57, but FSUs Michael Snaer (6'5''-G-89) hit a 3-point shot with 3.9 seconds left to make it a one-possession game again.

BCs Jordan Daniels (5'8''-PG-93), who had a career-high 21 points, was fouled with 3.1 seconds left and put the second shot through the net.

These are the moments you live for, said Daniels, who scored 13 of his points in the first half. A good one like that measures growth for us, to be able to pull it out in the stretch.

Daniels led BCs 3-point blitz by hitting 4 of 7 from long range (the Eagles made 10 of 22 for the night).

That got our whole team going, and it allowed us to make plays, said Daniels, who also had five assists and only one turnover.

Daniels was well aware of past efforts in which BC put together 35 minutes of solid basketball in 40-minute games and came away disappointed.

We helped each other focus our way through it, he said. We had been in that position many times before and we hadnt been able to pull it out in the stretch, but this time we really came together and we were able to do it.

Donahue was relieved that the losing streak was over and satisfied that the lessons learned had finally resulted in a positive ending.

I just thought we took a huge step in taking ownership of the team, said Donahue, who switched to a zone defense in the second half that limited the Seminoles to 9-of-30 shooting. We did a great job in not just trying to not make mistakes, but trying to make plays.

The players experience - even with the losses - was a factor, according to the coach.

Theyre not freshmen anymore, said Donahue, who has nine freshmen on the roster. Think of the minutes they have played; usually when you play that many minutes, youre a sophomore or a junior already.

I told them, Use that, thats why you were able to win tonight.

I thought the last four games we did a very good job in competing. They learned how to compete.

I told them, Learn how to make plays. Take control. Youre not freshmen anymore. You have got to learn from what you went through the last month and a half.

Last night showed that they did.

Courtesy of www.boston.com

No. 2 Syracuse 64-61 in OT over No. 12 Georgetown - by Eurobasket News
Who says Syracuse doesn't have a go-to guy?

Kris Joseph (6'7''-F-88) scored a career-high 29 points, including the decisive 3-pointer in overtime, and Syracuse beat No. 12 Georgetown 64-61 on Wednesday night to give coach Jim Boeheim his 880th career win.

Joseph finished with a career-high six 3-pointers on 11 attempts after going 0 for 8 in the previous three games.

'I was getting open shots. I was just taking them,' Joseph said. 'I wasn't trying to force the issue or do anything out of character. I was just playing ball.'

Boeheim, a master of the 2-3 zone defense, took sole possession of third place all-time in wins in Division I, one more than North Carolina's Dean Smith, but it wasn't easy against the Orange's rival. Syracuse shot 34.9 percent, a tick better than it did in its only loss of the season at Notre Dame.

'Kris bailed us out,' said Boeheim. 'Nobody else looked really comfortable shooting the ball. We really struggled offensively. We just didn't attack their zone. We couldn't really make much. We haven't seen a lot of zone, but that's not a good excuse. We play it every day in practice.'

The game was tied at 55 after regulation, and freshman Otto Porter (6'9''-F-93) scored the first four points of overtime for the Hoyas, swishing two free throws and hitting a baseline jumper to give Georgetown 61-59 lead with 2:19 left.

Dion Waiters (6'4''-G-91) tied it with a pair of free throws for the Orange, and after Porter lost the ball out of bounds at the other end, Scoop Jardine fed Joseph in the left corner, and he buried his final 3 of the game with 29 seconds left.

'Obviously, he was having a terrific night,' Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. 'We had some type of breakdown in communication. He ended up wide-open and banged the shot.'

Jardine, who finished with eight assists, sealed it by forcing a turnover by Jason Clark with 4.9 seconds to go, allowing Syracuse (24-1, 11-1 Big East) to remain unbeaten at home at 16-0. Georgetown (18-5, 8-4) had won five of six entering the game.

'They played well,' said Clark, who finished with 12 points. 'Knocked the ball out of my hands.'

Fabricio Melo (7'0''-C-90) had 11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks for Syracuse in his second game back after missing three because of an academic issue. The 7-foot Melo logged a career-high 39 minutes and a force down low as usual. Whether intimidated or not, 6-10 Henry Sims had an awful game, going 1 for 12 from the floor and finishing with six points and eight rebounds.

'The ball just wouldn't go in,' Thompson said. 'He was getting the ball in pretty good position right under the basket. At the end of the day, he got it right there and the ball didn't go in. It happens sometimes. Fab played a role in it, but a lot of them I don't think Fab was anywhere around.'

Syracuse won again despite being dominated on the glass 52-35. The Orange have been beaten on the boards 12 times on the season, seven in conference, a concern as the season winds down.

'We know that's a problem,' Joseph said. 'At the end of the day, we have to go get it. Rebounding and defense are going to win us a championship we have to do a better job.'

Porter led Georgetown with 14 points and Hollis Thompson 10.

The 87th meeting between the staunch rivals Syracuse leads 48-39 had added significance. With Syracuse's impending move to the Atlantic Coast Conference, it might have been the last time the teams meet as Big East foes in the Carrier Dome.

It turned into one to remember for the crowd of 27,820.

Syracuse held Georgetown, second in the Big East from long range at over 36.4 percent, to 5 of 21 (23.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

'They have a terrific defense. Their defense keeps you at bay,' John Thompson III said. 'I thought with a few exceptions we executed our game plan of getting the ball into the middle of the zone and then having that guy find who's open. We got decent looks. The ball didn't go in.'

Syracuse, which trailed 31-27 at halftime, scored the first eight points of the second to gain the lead. After that, neither team led by more than three points until Waiters energized the Orange. He fed Melo under the basket for an underhand layup, and after Melo blocked a shot by Mikael Hopkins, Waiters drove the lane and passed back out to Joseph, who drained a 3 for a 54-48 lead with 4:36 left.

Clark came right back for the Hoyas, hitting his first 3-pointer of the game 14 seconds later to make it a three-point game. After turnovers by both teams, C.J. Fair blocked Sims under the basket and Sims missed the follow.

Jardine missed at the shot clock buzzer with just under 2 minutes left and Clark struck again, hitting a long 3 from the top of the key to move the Hoyas within 55-54 with 1:36 left.

Greg Whittington's free throw tied it with 1 minute left and Melo's block on Sims gave the Orange the chance for the win in regulation, but Waiters missed from the top of the key.

In their only loss, the Orange were beaten 38-25 on the glass in that 68-57 setback at Notre Dame last month. Georgetown outrebounded Syracuse 26-17 in a tight first half that was tied five times, with the Hoyas gaining the largest lead, 29-23, on Clark's runner with 1:54 left.

Syracuse regrouped quickly. Waiters fed Joseph for a dunk and two free throws by Brandon Triche had the Orange back within 31-27 at the break.

Georgetown shot 39.4 percent in the period, 3 of 13 from long range, while the Orange, the top shooting team in the conference, shot just 29 percent, going 2 for 11 on 3s.

Syracuse started the second half with that spurt as Sims and Clark each picked up their third fouls in a 26-second span. Jardine ignited the surge with a pretty layup high off the glass and over the outstretched arms of Sims. Jardine, who was fouled on the play, converted the free throw for a three-point play and Triche's 3 from the right wing gave Syracuse a 35-31 lead just over 2 minutes into the half.

Despite the fact that Syracuse leads the Big East in scoring at 78.1 points per game, a low-scoring affair was expected. Georgetown entered the game tops in the Big East in scoring defense, allowing 58.6 points per game, and tops in defending the long ball, allowing a conversion rate of just 27.6 percent. The Hoyas also had limited four Big East opponents to under 50 points, including their last two triumphs, over Connecticut and South Florida.

Courtesy of www.foxnews.com

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POLAND

Quinton Day on tryout with Asseco Prokom - by Michal Koza
According to official website of Asseco Prokom Gdynia, Quinton Day (185-G-84, agency: Strategic Sports, college: UMKC) joined the club for a three days tests. American guard can provide some very needed scoring punch for polish champions. He had stints with Aris Thessaloniki and some polish clubs: ISS Sportino Inowroclaw and Znicz Jaroslaw. He played in All Star Game in Poland in 2010. In Polish league he averaged 18 points per game through 2 seasons (08/09, 09/10). Lately he played in Kuwait and Lebanon. He graduated from UMKC.

Siden Torun - victory after L8 streak - by Maciej Paszyn

Polski Cukier SIDEn Torun broke the long strip of defeats amounting to 8 next matches. Team led by Przemyslaw Lewandowski ( 18 pts. 8 rb. ) defeated PBS Bank MOSiR Krosno 82-69 at the yesterday in spite of losing the first quarter with difference of 14 points. The victory was most pleased for coach Grzegorz Sowinski becouse his job in the team was very precarious.

In the PBS Bank MOSiR Krosno once again very good game has played Marcin Salamonik (202-F-83) (26 pts, 5 rb. And 5 as. ) however it didn't save his team from the defeat.

Caja Laboral locks Lampe until 2014 - by Eurobasket News
Caja Laboral signed a new deal with Maciej Lampe (210-C-85). The Polish big guy passed the physical tests and he will stay with the former Spanish champion until the end of the 2013/14 season. Lampe joined Caja Laboral last summer, but he got injured during the pre-season. He still didn't make official debut with the team. Lampe spent last two seasons with Unics Kazan. In the latest one he had 18.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 1.5 apg for 26 games in Russian league. He was the top scorer and rebounder of the competition. Eurobasket awarded Lampe with All-Russian PBL Player of the Year -11. Lampe also shined in EuroCup, where he had 15.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg for 16 games. He was named Eurobasket.com All-EuroCup Player of the Year -11, while in VTB United league Lampe was named Best Center. Before Unics, Maciej Lampe was a member of Khimky Moscow. He also played for the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets from 2003 to 2006.

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QATAR

D1 Stats

Points Per Game

Abdulai JALLOH
  Al Arabi
  (188-G-86)
  Avg: 31.6

1. Jalloh, Al Arabi	31.6
2. Watson, Al Gharr.	23.3
3. Ngombo, Al Rayyan	21.6
4. Crisp, Al Ahli	21.4
5. Seck, Qatar	19.4
6. Thiam, As Sadd	17.1
7. Ismail, Al Rayyan	16.3
8. Okoro, Qatar	16.3
9. Okosun, Al Ahli	16.3
10. Soyebo, Qatar	16.1

Rebounds Per Game

Oumar SECK
  Qatar
  (--)
  Avg: 15.1

1. Seck, Qatar	15.1
2. Mofunanya, Al Ar.	13.4
3. Okoro, Qatar	13.2
4. Okosun, Al Ahli	11.6
5. Southall, As Sadd	11.3
6. Byrd, Al Arabi	11.0
7. Jabbi, Al Ahli	10.9
8. Souleye, Al Wakrah	10.7
9. Abussar, Al Gharr.	10.0
10. Abdelkader, Al Gh.	9.3

Assists Per Game

Boney WATSON
  Al Gharr.
  (183-G-)
  Avg: 5.3

1. Watson, Al Gharr.	5.3
2. Jalloh, Al Arabi	4.6
3. Soyebo, Qatar	4.6
4. Abdu, Al Wakrah	4.0
5. Atif, Al Arabi	4.0
6. Mousa, As Sadd	3.7
7. Saad, As Sadd	3.6
8. Crisp, Al Ahli	3.6
9. N''Diaye, Al Gharr.	3.4
10. Suliman, As Sadd	3.4

Steals Per Game

Ousseynou N''DIAYE
  Al Gharr.
  (196-G/F-85)
  Avg: 3

1. N''Diaye, Al Gharr.	3.0
2. Hani, Al Jaysh	2.9
3. Ismail, Al Rayyan	2.7
4. Jalloh, Al Arabi	2.6
5. Soyebo, Qatar	2.1
6. Ngombo, Al Rayyan	2.0
7. Saad, As Sadd	2.0
8. Thiam, As Sadd	2.0
9. Abdelkader, Al Gha.	1.9
10. Byrd, Al Arabi	1.6

Blocks Per Game

Michael SOUTHALL
  As Sadd
  (210-C-82)
  Avg: 2.7

1. Southall, As Sadd	2.7
2. Souleye, Al Wakrah	1.9
3. Mofunanya, Al Ar.	1.9
4. Okosun, Al Ahli	1.3
5. Byrd, Al Arabi	1.3
6. Abdu, Al Wakrah	1.0
7. Abdelkader, Al Gha.	0.9
8. Jabbi, Al Ahli	0.9
9. Okoro, Qatar	0.7
10. Thiam, As Sadd	0.7

Standings

D1 Standings

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

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RUSSIA

Galatasaray hands first loss to CSKA Moscow in front of 11,300 fans in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Galatasaray - CSKA 68-64

Amazing night for the Euroleague newcomer Galatasaray. The Turkish squad was better than CSKA Moscow 68-64 handing them the first Euroleague loss this season. CSKA had a 13-game winning streak before this meeting. Joshua Shipp (196-G/F-86, college: UCLA) was a key player for the hosts with 22 points. Luksa Andric (210-C-85, agency: Beo Basket) also was great adding 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Cevher Ozer (206-F/C-83, agency: 1x1 Sports) helped with 9 pts. In CSKA, Alexey Shved (196-G-88, agency: Alti Sport) (5 rebs) and Sasha Kaun (211-C-85) delivered 11 points each. Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) was limited to 10 pts. Galatasaray was up by four with something more than 3 minutes left in the game. Krstic scored for CSKA after that and Lukas answered at the other side. CSKA was not able to make it at their next possession and Lucas netted a five-meter jumper for Galatasaray. Teodosic buried a running triple for a 65-62 CSKA deficit, after what Ender Arslan and Teodosic traded free throws and Galatasaray turnover gave CSKA the ball back, 66-63, with 10 seconds left. Teodosic tried from behind the arc, but got fouled and he scored just 1 of 3 free throws after that. Joshua Shipp drew a foul and with two free throws secured very valuable victory for his team. Quarters: 15-13, 16-23, 24-18, 13-10. Galatasaray joined Olympiakos with 2-2 record in Group E, while CSKA stays No.1 in this pool with 3-1. In the next round, Galatasaray will play against Anadolu Efes. CSKA will host Olympiakos.

Galatasaray: Joshua Shipp 22, Luksa Andric 16+7 boards, Cevher Ozer 9
CSKA: Alexey Shved 11+5 boards, Sasha Kaun 11, Andrei Kirilenko 10

Triumph add another two victories in BBL - by Eurobasket News
Triumph add another two victories in BBL for 10-3 record in Elite Division. At first Triumph edged Liepaja 105:57 as they led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Davon Jefferson (204-F-86, college: USC) scored 23 points and 6 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and Kyle Landry (207-C/F-86, college: N.Arizona) chipped in 21 points and 7 rebounds during the contest.
Last night Russian Triumph Lyubertsy outscored on the road 8th ranked Lithuanian Kedainiai 86-62. The guests trailed by 5 points at the halftime before their 55-26 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. Victor Zvarykin (198-G-86) scored 17 points and 7 rebounds to lead the charge for the winners and forward Sergey Karasev (200-F-93) chipped in 17 points and 4 assists during the contest. David McClure responded with 20 points and 8 rebounds.

First win for Emporio Armani in Top 16, first loss for Unics - by Eurobasket News
Emporio Armani - Unics 63-58

Emporio Armani Milan registered its first victory in Euroleague Top 16. The team from the fashion capital was better than Unics 63-58. The result improved Armani to 1-3 in Group G, but it will still need to win both its remaining games and to get some help to have a chance of reaching the Playoffs. At the other side, Unics faced with the first loss at this stage (3-1) and needs one win in either of its remaining games to secure a playoff berth. Antonis Fotsis (210-F-81) led the home squad with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Ernest Bremer (194-G-80, agency: Higher Vision Sports, college: St.Bonaventure) scored 13 points and Leon Radosevic (206-C-90) added 11 pts, plus 5 boards. Vladimir Veremeenko (208-F-84) answered with 11 points and 6 rebounds for Unics. Henry Domercant (192-G-80, college: E.Illinois) and Nathan Jawai (208-F/C-86, college: Midland CC) also scored 11 points each. Armani was in charge during the entire game. Thanks for 3 free throws by Henry Domercant, Unics came to 60-57 with 2:23 remaining. But after that Domercant missed from downtown and Omar Cook split the free throws. Unics was not able to score in its next possession and Cook had no mercy from the line twice, resolving question about the winner. Quarters: 20-13, 12-15, 17-15, 14-15. Emporio Armani will meet Panathinaikos in Athens in the next round. Unics goes to Istanbul for the game against Fenerbahce Ulker.

Emporio Armani: Antonis Fotsis 16+6 boards, Ernest Bremer 13, Leon Radosevic 11+5 boards
Unics: Vladimir Veremeenko 11+6 boards, Henry Domercant 11, Nathan Jawai 11

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SERBIA

SLOVENIA

Erzen's 31-point game gives him D2 Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
36-year old center Jure Erzen (203-C-75) put on an amazing game in the last round for Sencur CP and receives a Eurobasket.com D2 Player of the Week award for round 17.
He had the game-high 31 points adding five rebounds and three assists for Sencur CP in his team's victory, helping them to beat Radenska (#7, 7-9) 89-78. Sencur CP maintains the 3rd position in Slovenian D2. They would have been even better if they hadn't lost a few games earlier this season. Sencur CP will need more victories to improve their 12-4 record. Erzen turned to be Sencur CP's top player in his first season with the team. Erzen has impressive league stats. He is league's best scorer averaging so far 19.9ppg. Erzen is in league's top in rebounds (4th best: 7.8rpg) and averages solid 66.9% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Igor Spesic (204-F/C-83) of Radenska. He is a forward in his first season at Radenska. In the last game Spesic recorded impressive double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds. Bad luck as Radenska lost that game 78-89 to the higher-ranked Sencur CP (#3, 12-4). Radenska managed to keep the same 7th spot in the standings. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 7-9 record. Spesic is a newcomer at Radenska and quickly became one of team's most reliable players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 19.4ppg (#2). He also registered 9.1 boards per game.

Third place about best performers goes to guard Dario Krejic (195-G-78) of Medvode (#11). Krejic got into 30-points club by scoring 38 points in the last round. He was a key player of Medvode, leading his team to a 100-87 easy win against slightly higher-ranked Konjice (#10, 5-11). Medvode can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have rather bad season and 4-11 record places them close to the bottom of the standings. Too bad for Krejic he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Krejic has a very solid season. In 14 games in Slovenia he scored 12.7ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Dejan Mlakar (192-G-88) of Jance Prit - 24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Tilen Zalar (193-G-87) of Postojna - 25 points and 4 rebounds
6. Milan Klepo (211-C-80) of Postojna - 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists
7. Bostjan Sivka (200-F/C-76) of Konjice - 26 points and 2 rebounds
8. Ales Kunc (208-C-73) of Grosuplje - 18 points and 7 rebounds
9. Andraz Kavas (200-F-92) of Jance Prit - 23 points and 7 rebounds
10. Ziga Percel (188-G-89) of Hrastnik - 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists

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

D2 Round 17: Leader Grosuplje loses to Jance Prit - by Eurobasket News
Top ranked Grosuplje (13-3) recorded its third loss in Ljubljana on Saturday night. Visitors were rolled over by twelfth ranked Jance Prit (4-12) 95-73. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Grosuplje. The game without a history. Jance Prit led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. 27 personal fouls committed by Grosuplje helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was guard Dejan Mlakar (192-G-88) who had a double-double by scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Forward Andraz Kavas (200-92) chipped in 23 points and 7 rebounds. The former international center Ales Kunc (208-73, college: Missouri St.) produced 18 points and 7 rebounds for the guests. Grosuplje's coach Tone Krump gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Newly promoted Jance Prit maintains twelfth place with 4-12 record. Grosuplje at the other side still keeps top position with three games lost. They share it with Triglav Strazisce. Jance Prit are looking forward to face league's second-placed Triglav Strazisce in Kranj in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Grosuplje will play at home against Litija and is hoping to win this game.
The game in Murska Sobota was also worth to mention about. Third ranked Sencur CP (12-4) played at the court of 7th ranked Radenska (7-9). Sencur CP defeated Radenska 89-78. Center Jure Erzen (203-75) orchestrated the victory by scoring 31 points and 5 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). Roman Horvat contributed with 23 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Power forward Igor Spesic (204-83) answered with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds for Radenska. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Sencur CP have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain third place with 12-4 record behind leader Grosuplje. Newly promoted Radenska keeps the seventh position with nine games lost. Sencur CP will play against Hrastnik (#9) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Radenska will play against Splosna plovba in Portoroz and hopes to get back on the winning track.
The game in Maribor was also quite interesting. Second ranked Triglav Strazisce (13-3) played at the court of 5th ranked Branik (10-6). Triglav Strazisce managed to secure a 7-point victory 74-67 on Saturday. Grega Dezman stepped up and scored 27 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Triglav Strazisce's coach Franci Podlipnik used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Matej Bratina responded with 18 points. The victory was the seventh consecutive win for Triglav Strazisce. They used an opportunity after Grosuplje lost their game and moved up joining them at the top position. Loser Branik dropped to the sixth place with six games lost. Triglav Strazisce will meet at home Jance Prit (#12) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Branik will play against Medvode (#11) and hope to secure a win.

Other games of round 17 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
Postojna defeated Hrastnik in a road game 77-70. Bottom-ranked Litija was smashed by Splosna plovba at home 55-74. Medvode won against Konjice on the opponent's court 100-87.
The best stats of 17th round was 38 points (!!!) by Dario Krejic of Medvode.

Hrastnik - Postojna 70-77
There was no surprise when 9th ranked Hrastnik (5-11) was defeated at home by fourth ranked Postojna (11-5) 77-70 on Saturday. Hrastnik was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Guard Tilen Zalar (193-87) stepped up and scored 25 points and 4 steals for the winners and center Milan Klepo (211-80) chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds. Four Postojna players scored in double figures. Guard Ziga Percel (188-89) responded with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and guard Sanel Dzombic (198-78) produced a double-double by scoring 17 points and 10 rebounds. Postojna maintains fourth place with 11-5 record, which they share with Splosna plovba. Loser Hrastnik keeps the ninth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Konjice. Postojna will have a break next round, and it should allow them to practice more before next game. Hrastnik will play against Sencur CP (#3) in Kranj and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hrastnik: G.Ovnik 18+3reb+3ast, Z.Percel 18+6reb+6ast, S.Dzombic 17+10reb+1ast, A.Macek 5, M.Babic 4+2reb+2ast, T.Tusek 4+2reb+1ast
Postojna: T.Zalar 25+4reb, M.Klepo 15+10reb+3ast, S.Milovic 12+5reb+3ast, M.Dimnik 11+3reb+7ast, K.Muha 9+2reb+2ast, E.Omanovic 3+2reb

Radenska - Sencur CP 78-89
The game in Murska Sobota was also worth to mention about. Third ranked Sencur CP (12-4) played at the court of 7th ranked Radenska (7-9). Sencur CP defeated Radenska 89-78. The game without a history. Sencur CP led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 30-of-38 charity shots (78.9 percent) during the game. Radenska was plagued by 30 personal fouls down the stretch. Center Jure Erzen (203-75) orchestrated the victory by scoring 31 points and 5 rebounds (on 7-of-8 shooting from the field). The former international forward Roman Horvat (200-71) contributed with 23 points and 5 rebounds for the winners. Power forward Igor Spesic (204-83) answered with a double-double by scoring 25 points and 11 rebounds and guard Robert Suran (188-84) added 12 points and 6 assists in the effort for Radenska. Four Radenska players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Sencur CP have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They maintain third place with 12-4 record behind leader Grosuplje. Newly promoted Radenska keeps the seventh position with nine games lost. Sencur CP will play against Hrastnik (#9) at home in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Radenska will play against Splosna plovba in Portoroz and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Radenska: I.Spesic 25+11reb, M.Majc 14+5reb, A.Novak 12+2reb, R.Suran 12+3reb+6ast, J.Struc 7+3reb, B.Barbaric 4+2reb+1ast
Sencur CP: J.Erzen 31+5reb+3ast, R.Horvat 23+5reb+2ast, A.Kristo 9+2reb+2ast, A.Blazevic 8+2reb+2ast, U.Troppan 4+3reb, D.Pusic 4+2reb+1ast

Litija - Splosna plovba 55-74
No shocking result in a game when fifth ranked Splosna plovba (11-5) smashed on the road bottom-ranked Litija (3-13) 74-55 on Wednesday. The guests trailed by 8 points after first quarter, but they stormed back and won the game by 19 points. Splosna plovba dominated on the defensive end, holding Litija to just 7 points in second quarter. Guard David Moro (199-86) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 10 rebounds for the winners and power forward Adin Kavgic (193-87) chipped in 13 points and 9 rebounds. Four Splosna plovba players scored in double figures. Center Crt Lipovsek (194-88) responded with 9 points and 9 rebounds and forward Saso Ljubenovic (205-82) scored 9 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches tested many bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Splosna plovba moved-up to fourth place, which they share with Postojna. Litija lost their third game in a row. They stay at the bottom position with 13 games lost. Splosna plovba will meet at home Radenska (#7) in the next round. Litija will play against the league's leader Grosuplje (#1) in Grosuplje and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Litija: K.Panic 13+1reb+3ast, L.Hren 9+7reb+1ast, S.Ljubenovic 9+8reb, C.Lipovsek 9+9reb, M.Zupanc 5+2reb, R.Gominsek 4+2reb+2ast
Splosna plovba: D.Moro 15+10reb, A.Kavgic 13+9reb, R.Perko 12+3reb+3ast, P.Djurkovic 10+3reb+2ast, J.Drenik 9+1reb+2ast, S.Marsic 6+2reb

Branik - Triglav Strazisce 67-74
The game in Maribor was also quite interesting. Second ranked Triglav Strazisce (13-3) played at the court of 5th ranked Branik (10-6). Triglav Strazisce managed to secure a 7-point victory 74-67 on Saturday. Branik was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Guard Grega Dezman (186-89) stepped up and scored 27 points and 6 rebounds for the winners and guard Boris Jersin (183-85, agency: Kotnik Sports Agency) chipped in 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Triglav Strazisce's coach Franci Podlipnik used a ten-player rotation and allowed the starting five to rest. Guard Matej Bratina (189-89) responded with 18 points and guard Jure Brolih (198-80) scored 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Four Branik players scored in double figures. The victory was the seventh consecutive win for Triglav Strazisce. They used an opportunity after Grosuplje lost their game and moved up joining them at the top position. Loser Branik dropped to the sixth place with six games lost. Triglav Strazisce will meet at home Jance Prit (#12) in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Branik will play against Medvode (#11) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Branik: M.Bratina 18+4reb+2ast, J.Brolih 14+6reb+4ast, S.Skrbinsek 10+3reb, A.Remus 10+4reb+1ast, P.Brolih 6+3reb+7ast, M.Vranjkovic 5+2reb+1ast
Triglav Strazisce: G.Dezman 27+6reb+2ast, B.Jersin 19+5reb+4ast, A.Vojicic 12+8reb, M.Korosec 9+4reb+2ast, R.Jakobcic 4+3reb, G.Mahkovic 2+3reb

Konjice - Medvode 87-100
We cannot really consider it an upset in the game between close teams when 10th ranked Konjice (5-11) was defeated at home by eleventh ranked Medvode (4-11) 100-87 on Saturday. The guests trailed by 6 points after first quarter, but they stormed back to get the 7-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 100-87. Medvode shot 62.7 percent from the field. Guard Dario Krejic (195-78) stepped up and scored 38 points (!!!) for the winners and guard Dejan Buncic (177-77) chipped in 21 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Five Medvode players scored in double figures. Power forward Bostjan Sivka (200-76) responded with 26 points (on 11-of-13 shooting from the field) and guard Matic Ribic (186-85) scored 20 points (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Konjice's coach Slobodan Benic rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Medvode maintains eleventh place with 4-11 record. Konjice lost their fourth game in a row. They dropped to the ninth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Hrastnik. Medvode will meet at home higher ranked Branik (#6) in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Konjice will play against Terme Olimia in Podcetrtek and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Konjice: B.Sivka 26+2reb, M.Ribic 20, D.Sipura 12+1reb, T.Jereb 8+1ast, J.Teras 8, D.Skornik 7+2reb
Medvode: D.Krejic 38, D.Buncic 21+1reb+2ast, N.Gregorcic 12+1reb, R.Babic 10+1reb+1ast, E.Novak 10+1reb, G.Jeromen 7

Jance Prit - Grosuplje 95-73
Top ranked Grosuplje (13-3) recorded its third loss in Ljubljana on Saturday night. Visitors were rolled over by twelfth ranked Jance Prit (4-12) 95-73. It ended at the same time the seven-game winning streak of Grosuplje. The game without a history. Jance Prit led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They made 17-of-22 free shots (77.3 percent) during the game. 27 personal fouls committed by Grosuplje helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was guard Dejan Mlakar (192-88) who had a double-double by scoring 24 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists. Forward Andraz Kavas (200-92) chipped in 23 points and 7 rebounds. Four Jance Prit players scored in double figures. The former international center Ales Kunc (208-73, college: Missouri St.) produced 18 points and 7 rebounds and power forward Blaz Lobe (202-84) added 9 points and 5 rebounds respectively for the guests. Grosuplje's coach Tone Krump gave up on the game allowing to play ten players seeing no chance for a win. Newly promoted Jance Prit maintains twelfth place with 4-12 record. Grosuplje at the other side still keeps top position with three games lost. They share it with Triglav Strazisce. Jance Prit are looking forward to face league's second-placed Triglav Strazisce in Kranj in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Grosuplje will play at home against Litija and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Grosuplje: A.Kunc 18+7reb+1ast, Z.Erculj 9+1reb+2ast, B.Lobe 9+5reb+2ast, J.Misic 9+2ast, Z.Jerman 9+3reb, L.Hren 8+7reb
Jance Prit: D.Mlakar 24+10reb+4ast, A.Kavas 23+7reb, N.Cipot 16+3reb+1ast, N.Cukovic 10+6reb+2ast, J.Bezica 7+1reb+7ast, T.Mihalic 5+1ast

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SOUTH KOREA

South Korean KBL round 48 best performance: Amal McCaskill - by Eurobasket News
American power forward Amal McCaskill (211-F/C-73) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for SK Knights, receiving a Asia-basket.com Player of the Week award for round 48.
The 38-year old player had a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds, while his team edged out Samsung Th. (#10, 10-34) 76-74. SK Knights maintains the 8th position in South Korean KBL. SK Knights is rather a weak team placed in lower part in the standings. They need more victories to improve their 16-28 record. McCaskill turned to be SK Knights' top player in his first season with the team. Former Marquette University star has very solid stats this year. McCaskill is in league's top in rebounds (4th best: 12.3rpg) and averages impressive 58.1% FGP.

The second best player in last round's games was 30-year old American Terrence Leather (204-C-81) of Mobis Phoebus. Leather had a very good evening with 37 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. Of course he lead Mobis Phoebus to another comfortable win outscoring slightly lower-ranked LG Sakers (#7, 17-28) 93-69. Mobis Phoebus' 6th position in the standings has not changed. His team is not often considered as one of the league's best with a mere 21-24 record. Leather is a newcomer at Mobis Phoebus, but is already one of team's top players. He belongs to the best scorers in the league with 25.3ppg (#3). He also registered 13.5 boards per game.

Third on the list of top players last round was another Mobis Phoebus' star - former international Ji-Hoon Ham (198-C/F-84). Ham showcased his all-around game by recording 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists in the last round. He was another key player of Mobis Phoebus, helping his team with a 93-69 easy win against slightly lower-ranked LG Sakers (#7, 17-28). The chances of Mobis Phoebus ranking at the top of the league, however are very questionable as they have already lost 24 games, recording just twenty one victories. With bigger assistance of his teammates, Ham could help Mobis Phoebus to bring them higher in the standings. Ham has a very solid season. In 2 games in South Korea he scored 13.5ppg.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Herbert Hill (208-F-84) of ET Land - 27 points and 8 rebounds
5. Charles Rhodes (203-F/C-85) of Sonic Boom KT - 29 points, 9 rebounds and 2 assists
6. Chris Daniels (211-C-84) of Anyang KGC - 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists
7. Gregory Stevenson (198-F-78) of LG Sakers - 20 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists
8. DeShawn Sims (203-F-88) of KCC Egis - 23 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists
9. Ira Clark (203-C/F-75) of Samsung Th. - 23 points and 8 rebounds
10. Tony Akins (180-G-80) of KCC Egis - 20 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists

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

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SPAIN

Caja Laboral locks Lampe until 2014 - by Eurobasket News
Caja Laboral signed a new deal with Maciej Lampe (210-C-85). The Polish big guy passed the physical tests and he will stay with the former Spanish champion until the end of the 2013/14 season. Lampe joined Caja Laboral last summer, but he got injured during the pre-season. He still didn't make official debut with the team. Lampe spent last two seasons with Unics Kazan. In the latest one he had 18.3 ppg, 7.4 rpg and 1.5 apg for 26 games in Russian league. He was the top scorer and rebounder of the competition. Eurobasket awarded Lampe with All-Russian PBL Player of the Year -11. Lampe also shined in EuroCup, where he had 15.6 ppg and 8.1 rpg for 16 games. He was named Eurobasket.com All-EuroCup Player of the Year -11, while in VTB United league Lampe was named Best Center. Before Unics, Maciej Lampe was a member of Khimky Moscow. He also played for the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets and Houston Rockets from 2003 to 2006.

Bilbao destroys Real Madrid in Top 16, 93-69 - by Eurobasket News
Gescrap BB - Real Madrid 93-69

Huge win for Bilbao against Real Madrid on Wednesday night. The home squad celebrated 93-69 victory and joined Real with 2-2 record in Group F of the Euroleague Top 16. Bilbao, however, got the tie-break advantage if both teams remain tied at the end of this stage. Kostas Vasiliadis (200-G/F-84, agency: FCM) top-scored for the winners with 19 points. Alex Mumbru (202-F-79) had 16 points, while Aaron Jackson (193-G-86, college: Duquesne) helped with double-double of 15 points and 10 assists. Jackson was the MVP of this meeting with valuation 28. In the loosing squad, Nikola Mirotic (207-F/C-91) answered with 18 points and Novica Velickovic (205-F-86) had one less. Kyle Singler (203-F-88, college: Duke) registered 8 points and 11 rebounds. Bilbao had amazing first quarter, which they opened with 10-0 run and later finished with 34-14. The hosts had no troubles to keep their lead for rest of the way. Quarters: 34-14, 18-12, 20-25, 21-18. In the next round, Bilbao will host Montepaschi. Real will meet Unicaja in Madrid.

Bilbao: Kostas Vasiliadis 19, Alex Mumbru 16, Aaron Jackson 15+10 boards
Real Madrid: Nikola Mirotic 18, Novica Velickovic 17, Kyle Singler 8+11 boards

Montepaschi hands 84-69 defeat to Unicaja - by Eurobasket News
Montepaschi - Unicaja 84-69

Montepaschi jumped to 4-0 record in Group F of the Euroleague Top 16. The Italian powerhouse handed 84-69 loss to Unicaja on Wednesday night. A victory in either of its remaining games or a loss for either Real Madrid or Gescrap BB will send Siena through to the next stage. Unicaja dropped to 0-4 and lost all chances to reach the Quarterfinals. Bo McCalebb (183-PG-85, college: New Orleans) led Montepaschi with 18 points. Ksistof Lavrinovic (210-C-79) had 13, while David Moss (196-F-83, agency: SportsTalent, college: Indiana St.) and Igor Rakocevic (193-G-78) netted 11 points each. For the guests, Gerald Fitch (191-G-82, agency: SportsTalent, college: Kentucky) delivered 15 points. Luka Zoric (211-C/F-84) had 14 and Jorge Garbajosa (205-C/F-77, agency: Interperformances) stopped to 9. Montepaschi held 67-60 lead after three quarters and they made 12-3 run at the beginning of the last one for 79-63 with less than four minutes to play. Quarters: 23-19, 29-27, 15-14, 17-9. In the next round, Montepaschi will meet Bilbao in Spain. Unicaja goes to Madrid.

Montepaschi: Bo McCalebb 18, Ksistof Lavrinovic 13, David Moss 11, Igor Rakocevic 11
Unicaja: Gerald Fitch 15, Luka Zoric 14, Jorge Garbajosa 9

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TURKEY

Usak Universitesi Belediyespor adds Mack to their roster - by Eurobasket Center
Usak Universitesi Belediyespor (TB2L) agreed terms with 25-year old American guard Doneal Mack (196-G-87, college: Memphis). In his first game he didn't score any points. However his new team lost to Baskent Genclik 72-86. Mack played most recently at Maghreb de Fes (Morocco). He played also pro basketball in Morocco and Romania. Mack graduated University of Memphis in 2010 and it will be his second season in pro basketball.

By Eurobasket Data Center

Olympiakos celebrates valuable win in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Anadolu Efes - Olympiakos 65-67

Olympiakos was better than Anadolu Efes once again. The Reds grabbed 65-67 victory in Istanbul for 2-2 record in Group E of the Euroleague Top 16. After this victory, Olympiakos is very close to reach the Quarterfinals. At the other side, Anadolu Efes dropped to 1-3 and their chances drastically decreased. Kostas Papanikolaou (204-F-90) and Georgios Printezis (206-F-85, agency: FCM) scored 16 points each for the winners. They grabbed 6 and 5 rebounds respectively. Joey Dorsey (206-C/F-83, college: Memphis) (8 rebs) and Vassilis Spanoulis (193-G-82, agency: Beo Basket) helped Olympiakos with 8 points apiece. The home squad got 22 points and 5 rebounds from Oliver Lafayette (188-G-84, college: Houston). Stanko Barac (217-C-86) had 16 points and 7 rebounds, while Sasha Vujacic (200-G-84) stopped to 8 pts. Olympiakos made 9-16 lead in the first quarter and Efes cut the margin to 32-37 at the HT. Visitor jumped to plus 9 after the breather, but later finished Q3 with 42-48. Efes opened the last ten minutes with 5-0 run, but than Kostas Papanikolaou and his teammates answered with 5-14 run for 52-62 lead. However, Efes didnt give up and Sasha Vujacic completed their impressive 13-3 run with a killer triple for 65-65 tie with 16 seconds left. Out of a timeout, Vujacic fouled Sloukas with 10 seconds left. The 22-year-old sank both free throws, and with time running out, Lafayette tried a game-winning triple that missed, letting Olympiacos go home to Greece with a good-as-gold victory. In the next round, Olympiakos will meet CSKA in Moscow. Anadolu Efes will play against Galatasaray.

Anadolu Efes: Oliver Lafayette 22+5 boards, Stanko Barac 16+7 boards, Sasha Vujacic 8
Olympiakos: Kostas Papanikolaou 16+6 boards, Georgios Printezis 16+5 boards, Joey Dorsey 8+8 boards, Vassilis Spanoulis 8

TB2L Round 23: Genc Telekom is defeated by Optimum TED in a derby game - by Eurobasket News
There was no lack of interesting games this round. The round ended with derby games and favorites losing the games.

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Ankara: Optimum TED (#3) and Genc Telekom (#2). Optimum TED (17-5) won against visiting Genc Telekom (16-6) 79-69. It was a key game for the second position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Optimum TED. Genc Telekom managed to win third quarter 18-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great evening for center Hakan Yapar (202-C-84) who led his team to a victory scoring 15 points. Guard Osman Orcun Gollu (190-77) helped adding 16 points. Optimum TED's coach Murat Ozyer used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Forward Hazer Avci (206-87, agency: Court Side) responded with 16 points and 8 rebounds. Optimum TED have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to second place. Genc Telekom at the other side dropped to the third position with six games lost. They share it with Gaziantep. Optimum TED are looking forward to face Gaziantep (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Genc Telekom will play against Gelisim in Izmir and is hoping to win this game.
Bottom-ranked TED Istanbul managed to get the second consecutive victory. This time they won against seventeenth-ranked Istanbulspor 81-77. It was an exceptional evening for American forward Shawn Taggart (207-85, college: Memphis) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 36 points (!!!) and 12 rebounds (on 13-of-17 shooting from the field). Ersan Ozseven accounted for 19 points and 6 rebounds. American forward Korvotney Barber (201-87, college: Auburn, agency: Pro One Sports) came up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds for Istanbulspor in the defeat. Istanbulspor's coach Ahmet Kandemir tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. TED Istanbul maintains twentiethth place with 4-18 record. Istanbulspor lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the seventeenth position with 16 games lost. They share it with Usak and Orman Genc. TED Istanbul will play against league's leader Selcuk Universitesi in Konya in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Istanbulspor will play on the road against Final Genclik (#6) in Bursa and hopes to get back on the winning track.
TB2L top team - Selcuk Universitesi (18-4) added another victory to their record on Wednesday. This time they beat eighth ranked Vestel (12-10) in Konya 77-69. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Vestel. The best player for the winners was Henry Antwan Dobie who scored 14 points and 9 assists. Hadi Ozdemir produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds for the guests. The victory was the fourteenth consecutive win for Selcuk Universitesi. They maintain first place with 18-4 record. Loser Vestel keeps the eighth position with ten games lost. Selcuk Universitesi will meet bottom-ranked TED Istanbul (#20) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Vestel will play against Istanbul B.B. (#11) and hope to secure a win.
The game in Ankara supposed to be also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Gaziantep (16-6) played at the court of 7th ranked Maliye Milli (14-8). Gaziantep did not have too big problems ending evening with a very confident victory 81-62. Murat Goektas orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds. Maliye Milli's coach let to play twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Gaziantep moved-up to third place, which they share with Genc Telekom. Maliye Milli at the other side dropped to the sixth position with eight games lost. Gaziantep's next round opponent will be league's second-placed Optimum TED in Ankara and it will be for sure the game of the week. Maliye Milli's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Ankara to the arena Baskent Genclik.
An interesting game took place in Tire where higher ranked Final Genclik (14-8) was upset on the court of sixteenth ranked Tire Gucu (9-13) 80-75 on Wednesday. It was a great evening for Tyrus Boswell who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Tire Gucu moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Final Genclik lost their third game in a row. They keep the sixth position with eight games lost. Tire Gucu will face Orman Genc (#18) in Ankara in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game.

There were no shocking results in the rest of the games of round 23: Pertevniyal lost to Akhisar Bld on the opponent's court 63-72. Balikesir managed to outperform Pamukkale in a home game 79-75. Orman Genc recorded a loss to Gelisim on the road 71-57. Usak was defeated by Baskent Genclik on its own court 72-86. Darussafaka beat Istanbul B.B. in Istanbul 72-65.

Maliye Milli - Gaziantep 62-81
The game in Ankara supposed to be also worth to mention about. Fourth ranked Gaziantep (16-6) played at the court of 7th ranked Maliye Milli (14-8). Gaziantep did not have too big problems ending evening with a very confident victory 81-62. The game without a history. Gaziantep led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Gaziantep outrebounded Maliye Milli 37-23 including a 28-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. Guard Murat Goektas (201-87) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds. American guard Antabia Waller (188-88, college: Auburn) contributed with 23 points for the winners. The former international center Umit Turkoglu (211-81, agency: 1x1 Sports) answered with 15 points and 5 rebounds and guard Onur Altinmakas (189-80) added 12 points in the effort for Maliye Milli. Maliye Milli's coach let to play twelve players seeing no chance for a win. Gaziantep moved-up to third place, which they share with Genc Telekom. Maliye Milli at the other side dropped to the sixth position with eight games lost. Gaziantep's next round opponent will be league's second-placed Optimum TED in Ankara and it will be for sure the game of the week. Maliye Milli's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will travel locally in Ankara to the arena Baskent Genclik.
Top scorers:
Gaziantep: A.Waller 23+4reb+2ast, M.Goektas 23+10reb+3ast, S.Ugur 15+2reb+3ast, E.Eryuz 8+3reb+8ast, A.Kaplan 8+12reb, H.Dogan 2+4reb+2ast
Maliye Milli: U.Turkoglu 15+5reb+1ast, O.Altinmakas 12+1ast, F.Aydemir 9, M.Kabakci 8+3reb, A.Johnson 6+1reb, T.Tekinalp 5+5reb+1ast

Akhisar Bld - Pertevniyal 72-63
Very expected game when 11th ranked Pertevniyal (9-13) was defeated on the road by fifth ranked Akhisar Bld (15-6) 72-63 on Wednesday. The hosts trailed by 2 points at the halftime before their 39-28 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. It was a great evening for American forward Tyrone Nelson (206-85, college: N.Mexico St.) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 20 points, 16 rebounds and 4 assists. Guard Levent Demirci (190-76) helped adding 15 points. Swingman Tayfun Erulku (188-94) responded with 21 points and center Ramazan Tekin (212-93) scored 13 points and 8 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Akhisar Bld. They maintain fifth place with 15-6 record. Loser Pertevniyal dropped to the thirteenth position with 13 games lost. Akhisar Bld will face Darussafaka (#10) in Istanbul in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Pertevniyal will play at home against Balikesir.
Top scorers:
Akhisar Bld: T.Nelson 20+16reb+4ast, L.Demirci 15+2reb+3ast, E.Yenice 10+4reb+1ast, C.Terzioglu 9+4reb+1ast, G.Esmer 9+3reb, M.Dogan 6+2reb
Pertevniyal: T.Erulku 21+4reb, R.Tekin 13+8reb+1ast, B.Can 10+7reb+2ast, S.Yikilmaz 8+9reb+4ast, O.Sancakli 4+1ast, I.Er 3+1reb

Balikesir - Pamukkale 79-75
There was a small surprise when twelfth ranked Balikesir (10-12) defeated at home 10th ranked Pamukkale (9-12) 79-75 on Wednesday. Pamukkale was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Pamukkale was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a great evening for power forward Orbay Kaya (205-82) who led his team to a victory scoring 24 points and 7 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). Guard Yunus Akcay (-89) helped adding 18 points and 4 steals. Guard Goekhan Senol (183-84) responded with 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists and Burak Sasmaz (-91) scored 17 points. Four Pamukkale players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. The victory was the fourth consecutive win for Balikesir. They moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Darussafaka and Istanbul B.B. Pamukkale at the other side, also newcomer in the league, dropped to the twelfth position with 12 games lost. Balikesir will face Pertevniyal (#16) in Istanbul in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Pamukkale will play at home against Usak (#19).
Top scorers:
Balikesir: O.Kaya 24+7reb+1ast, Y.Akcay 18+3reb+2ast, A.Uruk 9+6reb, O.Bostanci 9+5reb, M.Ozdogan 7+2reb, U.Tinay 4+2reb+3ast
Pamukkale: B.Sasmaz 17+1reb+3ast, G.Senol 14+5reb+4ast, I.Esmeray 11+4reb, W.Caudle 10+8reb+2ast, A.Bozdag 8+2reb, C.Turan 8+1reb+1ast

Selcuk Univ. - Vestel 77-69
TB2L top team - Selcuk Universitesi (18-4) added another victory to their record on Wednesday. This time they beat eighth ranked Vestel (12-10) in Konya 77-69. It ended at the same time the three-game winning streak of Vestel. The hosts trailed by 4 points at the halftime before their 43-31 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. The best player for the winners was American guard Henry Antwan Dobie (183-78, college: LIU Brooklyn) who scored 14 points and 9 assists. Forward Ismail Cevik (206-81) chipped in 14 points and 8 rebounds. Forward Hadi Ozdemir (203-83) produced a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds and forward Azizcan Ozdemir (201-88, agency: 1x1 Sports) added 14 points and 6 rebounds respectively for the guests. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the fourteenth consecutive win for Selcuk Universitesi. They maintain first place with 18-4 record. Loser Vestel keeps the eighth position with ten games lost. Selcuk Universitesi will meet bottom-ranked TED Istanbul (#20) on the road in the next round which should be an easy win for them. Vestel will play against Istanbul B.B. (#11) and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Selcuk Univ.: H.Antwan Dobie 14+4reb+9ast, I.Cevik 14+8reb, O.Aydin 12+4reb, E.Turetken 11+3reb+1ast, M.Okay 10+1reb, O.Unver 9+3reb
Vestel: A.Ozdemir 14+6reb+1ast, F.Bugra Bingoelbali 13+7reb, C.Allmond 12+1reb+3ast, H.Ozdemir 10+11reb+2ast, S.Topcu 9+2reb+3ast, C.Erdogan 6+2ast

Gelisim - Orman Genc 71-57
Not a big story in a game in Izmir where 18th ranked Orman Genc (6-16) was defeated by fifteenth ranked Gelisim (9-13) 71-57 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Gelisim. Orman Genc was better in second period 19-18. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They made 19-of-24 free shots (79.2 percent) during the game. Strangely Orman Genc outrebounded Gelisim 38-26 including 27 on the defensive glass. It was a great evening for guard Sertay Gursu (195-87, agency: EM-PA) who led his team to a victory scoring 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. American guard Derek Williams (185-85, college: SMU) helped adding 15 points. Forward Arif Erhan Kocamis (196-86, agency: 1x1 Sports) responded with 12 points and forward Hasan Karabulut (202-81) scored 12 points. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. The victory was the third consecutive win for Gelisim. They moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Orman Genc lost their third game in a row. They dropped to the seventeenth position with 16 games lost. Gelisim will face higher ranked Genc Telekom (#4) in Ankara in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Orman Genc will play at home against Tire Gucu (#15) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Gelisim: S.Gursu 16+9reb+4ast, D.Williams 15+3reb+2ast, E.Ocakturk 14+4reb, E.Ozpulat 6+6reb+1ast, D.Vaughn Washington 5+1reb, K.Isbilen 4
Orman Genc: A.Erhan Kocamis 12+4reb+1ast, H.Karabulut 12+4reb, Y.Poturoglu 6+6reb, D.Engin Deniz 5+1reb, S.Ozgur 5+3reb+5ast, T.Yener 4+5reb+2ast

Usak - Baskent Genclik 72-86
Everything went according to plan when fourteenth ranked Baskent Genclik (9-13) beat on the road 19th ranked Usak (6-16) 86-72 on Wednesday. The game was mostly controlled by Baskent Genclik. Usak was better in third quarter 21-14. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Baskent Genclik dominated down low during the game scoring 58 of its points in the paint compared to Usak's 38. Baskent Genclik had a 36-24 advantage in offensive rebounds. It was a great evening for American power forward Marquise Gray (206-86, college: Michigan St.) who led his team to a victory scoring 26 points and 7 rebounds (on 11-of-14 shooting from the field). Forward Recai Ozturk (198-82) helped adding 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists (on 8-of-10 shooting from the field). Baskent Genclik's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American guard Dijuan Harris (175-86, college: Charlotte, agency: ARN Sports and Entertainment) responded with 26 points and 5 rebounds and center Cem Coskun (209-87) scored 13 points and 9 rebounds. Baskent Genclik moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Loser Usak dropped to the seventeenth position with 16 games lost. Baskent Genclik's supporters look forward to an exciting derby game next round, where their team will face at home their local rival from Ankara Maliye Milli.
Top scorers:
Baskent Genclik: M.Gray 26+7reb, R.Ozturk 22+5reb+4ast, M.Sevda 13+6reb, G.Ezel Akgor 9+5reb+4ast, J.Horton 7, F.Eravci 5+7reb
Usak: D.Harris 26+5reb+1ast, C.Coskun 13+9reb, N.Pastal 10+5reb, M.Bayrak 9+1reb+4ast, M.Erol 5+5reb, E.Algin 5+3reb+2ast

Istanbul B.B. - Darussafaka 65-72
There was a minor upset when 9th ranked Istanbul B.B. (10-12) was defeated at home by twelfth ranked Darussafaka (10-12) 72-65 on Wednesday. Darussafaka moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Balikesir and Istanbul B.B. Darussafaka will face higher ranked Akhisar Bld (#5) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory.

Optimum TED - Genc Telekom 79-69
The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Ankara: Optimum TED (#3) and Genc Telekom (#2). Optimum TED (17-5) won against visiting Genc Telekom (16-6) 79-69. It was a key game for the second position in the league. The game was mostly controlled by Optimum TED. Genc Telekom managed to win third quarter 18-17. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. It was a great evening for center Hakan Yapar (202-84) who led his team to a victory scoring 15 points. Guard Osman Orcun Gollu (190-77) helped adding 16 points. Optimum TED's coach Murat Ozyer used an eleven-player rotation which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Forward Hazer Avci (206-87, agency: Court Side) responded with 16 points and 8 rebounds and Croatian power forward Nenad Delic (210-84, agency: TSS Management) scored 14 points and 7 rebounds. Optimum TED have an impressive series of six victories in a row. They moved-up to second place. Genc Telekom at the other side dropped to the third position with six games lost. They share it with Gaziantep. Optimum TED are looking forward to face Gaziantep (#3) on the road in the next round, which may be the game of the day. Genc Telekom will play against Gelisim in Izmir and is hoping to win this game.
Top scorers:
Optimum TED: O.Orcun Gollu 16+2reb, H.Yapar 15+1reb+3ast, N.Ozbakir 12+4reb+1ast, O.Famutimi 8+7reb+1ast, A.Kavaklioglu 8+5reb+5ast, G.Orcun Tunca 6+2reb+3ast
Genc Telekom: H.Avci 16+8reb+1ast, N.Delic 14+7reb+1ast, R.Rizvanoglu 11+2reb+6ast, I.Gokalp 9+1reb, K.Cipa 6+2reb, S.Ekmen 5+5reb

Istanbulspor - TED Istanbul 77-81
Bottom-ranked TED Istanbul managed to get the second consecutive victory. This time they won against seventeenth-ranked Istanbulspor 81-77. The guests were tied after three quarters but managed to speed up in last quarter eventually winning the game. Istanbulspor was plagued by 26 personal fouls down the stretch. It was an exceptional evening for American forward Shawn Taggart (207-85, college: Memphis) who led the winners with a double-double by scoring 36 points (!!!) and 12 rebounds (on 13-of-17 shooting from the field). Forward Ersan Ozseven (205-83) accounted for 19 points and 6 rebounds for the winning side. American forward Korvotney Barber (201-87, college: Auburn, agency: Pro One Sports) came up with a double-double by scoring 21 points and 13 rebounds and guard Admir Kan (185-83) added 23 points and 5 assists respectively for Istanbulspor in the defeat. Istanbulspor's coach Ahmet Kandemir tried various players' combinations and tested in total eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. TED Istanbul maintains twentiethth place with 4-18 record. Istanbulspor lost their fourth game in a row. They keep the seventeenth position with 16 games lost. They share it with Usak and Orman Genc. TED Istanbul will play against league's leader Selcuk Universitesi in Konya in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Istanbulspor will play on the road against Final Genclik (#6) in Bursa and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
TED Istanbul: S.Taggart 36+12reb, E.Ozseven 19+6reb+1ast, A.Demirhan 10+1reb+1ast, A.Ozer 5+3ast, O.Gulveren 4+2reb, G.Sonmez 3+2reb+1ast
Istanbulspor: A.Kan 23+4reb+5ast, K.Barber 21+13reb+1ast, O.Sonsirma 15+4reb+3ast, K.Ulukaya 9+2reb+2ast, C.Oner 5+1reb+1ast, O.Surucu 3+1reb+1ast

Tire Gucu - Final Genclik 80-75
An interesting game took place in Tire where higher ranked Final Genclik (14-8) was upset on the court of sixteenth ranked Tire Gucu (9-13) 80-75 on Wednesday. Final Genclik trailed by 11 points at halftime and as many as 18 after three quarters before a 27-14 last quarter charge cut the deficit to 75-80 at the end of the game. It was a great evening for power forward Tyrus Boswell (202-78, college: Ky Wesleyan, agency: EM-PA) who led his team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 17 points and 14 rebounds. Guard Cemal Bayraktar (184-82, agency: 1x1 Sports) helped adding 19 points and 5 assists. point guard Esat Sinanoglu (188-82) responded with 15 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists and forward Orcun Okkali (201-87) produced a double-double by scoring 13 points and 11 rebounds. Four Final Genclik players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players in such tough game. Tire Gucu moved-up to thirteenth place, which they share with 3 other teams. Final Genclik lost their third game in a row. They keep the sixth position with eight games lost. Tire Gucu will face Orman Genc (#18) in Ankara in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game.
Top scorers:
Tire Gucu: C.Bayraktar 19+4reb+5ast, T.Boswell 17+14reb+3ast, A.Yolcu 13+3reb+6ast, A.Cetinkaya 9+3reb+3ast, A.Yuce 8+2reb, J.Carter 8+2reb
Final Genclik: O.Sungur 16+2reb, E.Sinanoglu 15+5reb+7ast, O.Okkali 13+11reb+2ast, E.Ilter 11+3reb+2ast, O.Aksoy 7+6reb+2ast, M.Esen 5+2reb+2ast

Galatasaray hands first loss to CSKA Moscow in front of 11,300 fans in Istanbul - by Eurobasket News
Galatasaray - CSKA 68-64

Amazing night for the Euroleague newcomer Galatasaray. The Turkish squad was better than CSKA Moscow 68-64 handing them the first Euroleague loss this season. CSKA had a 13-game winning streak before this meeting. Joshua Shipp (196-G/F-86, college: UCLA) was a key player for the hosts with 22 points. Luksa Andric (210-C-85, agency: Beo Basket) also was great adding 16 points and 7 rebounds, and Cevher Ozer (206-F/C-83, agency: 1x1 Sports) helped with 9 pts. In CSKA, Alexey Shved (196-G-88, agency: Alti Sport) (5 rebs) and Sasha Kaun (211-C-85) delivered 11 points each. Andrei Kirilenko (205-F-81) was limited to 10 pts. Galatasaray was up by four with something more than 3 minutes left in the game. Krstic scored for CSKA after that and Lukas answered at the other side. CSKA was not able to make it at their next possession and Lucas netted a five-meter jumper for Galatasaray. Teodosic buried a running triple for a 65-62 CSKA deficit, after what Ender Arslan and Teodosic traded free throws and Galatasaray turnover gave CSKA the ball back, 66-63, with 10 seconds left. Teodosic tried from behind the arc, but got fouled and he scored just 1 of 3 free throws after that. Joshua Shipp drew a foul and with two free throws secured very valuable victory for his team. Quarters: 15-13, 16-23, 24-18, 13-10. Galatasaray joined Olympiakos with 2-2 record in Group E, while CSKA stays No.1 in this pool with 3-1. In the next round, Galatasaray will play against Anadolu Efes. CSKA will host Olympiakos.

Galatasaray: Joshua Shipp 22, Luksa Andric 16+7 boards, Cevher Ozer 9
CSKA: Alexey Shved 11+5 boards, Sasha Kaun 11, Andrei Kirilenko 10

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U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS

Ivan Aska to be on ESPN's GAMe DAY - by David Edole
MURRAY, KY-- Over the last few weeks, ESPN has been no stranger to the CFSB Center, and they're back again this week.

Crews have interviewed a handful of players and coach Steve Prohm, for a feature story that is set to air this Saturday on College Gameday, before the Kentucky at Vanderbilt game.

Many Racers are excited that they'll be on a program they love to watch. Senior guard Donte Poole says it's something he has always dreamed about.

Then, there's Ivan Aska (200-F-90). Aska knew the interview was with ESPN, but he didn't realize it was for College Gameday until afterwards. When we informed him what it was actually for, he got a big smile and asked when it would be on. The senior forward explained with all of the interviews the team has had lately, he doesn't ask a lot of questions, he just answers them.

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UKRAINE

Azovmash hire Luca Bechi - by Eurobasket News
Azovmash made a change on the bridge. They hired Luca Bechi as the new head coach of the team. Gintaras Krapikas stepped down as the head coach. Luca Bechi has worked in Italy throughout his coaching career. He began coaching in 2000 as an assistant coach in Livorno. Luca Bechi later had an assistant position in Biella. The specialist was promoted to head coach position in Biella in 2006. He guided the team for four seasons. Luca Bechi moved to Enel Brindisi in 2011. Eurobasket.com named Luca Bechi All-Italian Seria A Coach of the Year in 2009. He led Biella into Seria A semifinal that season.

Pankracije Barac leaves BC Kyiv - by Eurobasket News
Pankracije Barac (196-G-81, agency: Court Side) is no longer the player of BC Kyiv. The team released the guard. Pankracije Barac joined BC Kyiv back in December. He tallied 8.0 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in Superleague. Pankracije Barac spent the previous season in Cibona. He tallied 3.8 points, 1.5 boards per game in Adriatic League. The guard also posted 6.5 points, 2.1 boards and 1.7 assists per appearance in Croatian League. Previously Pankracije Barac had stints with Zagreb, Charleroi, Zadar. Eurobasket.com named the guard All-Croatian League Newcomer of the Year in 2005. Pankracije Barac was also named Croatian All-Star Game MVP in 2008.

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UNITED KINGDOM

BBL Team Of The Week - The Race Intensifies - by Paul Nilsen
Six weeks since we last checked out the race to finish the season with the most BBL Team Of The Week appearances, its now seriously heating up.

Still out in front, Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders star forward Ayron Hardy (195-F-88, college: Jacksonville) made a timely return to the line-up this week after a lengthy absence. Having absolutely dominated the first few months of the season, his recent drought ended as he made his first appearance of the new calendar year during week 18. With a bunch of players breathing down his neck in the race, his latest appearance takes him to seven for the season and that keeps him two clear of his nearest challengers, some of whom have really been gathering some momentum in a bid to overhaul Hardy.

There are a trio of players who have all now lined-up five times and consequently are ready to pounce on Hardy and surpass him between now and the end of the campaign. Leading the way is Newcastle Eagles guard Joe Chapman who has most definitely been the biggest mover since we last checked out the runners and riders in this race. He has bagged himself a stunning three consecutive appearances mirroring the kind of form he displayed last season before injury ended his campaign prematurely. Chapman will become the first player this season to make it a fantastic four in a row if he manages to produce another top notch display tomorrow night against One Health Sharks Sheffield - ironically the team he performed so well against last weekend.

The other two candidates locked on five appearances are both team-mates and consequently there is likely to be some enjoyable banter in the locker room. Worcester Wolves playmaker Sherrad Prezzie-Blue and forward Richie Gordon are both also in the hunt to finish top of the podium. The former has not really had a purple patch of form as such but has just been consistently excellent all year long, regularly dipping into the BBL Team Of The Week starting line-up or making it to the bench. Gordon meanwhile has also been terrific inwhat is his rookie season in British Basketball but it was during December when he really exploded, reflected by his Molten BBL Player Of The Month award.

Two players still within striking distance albeit an appearance further behind on number four are Demarius Bolds who has been a real leader for Prestige Homes MK Lions this year and Justin Dobbins of One Health Sharks Sheffield who was the form player in the first month of the campaign

After these two, there are five players back on three appearances who all have an outside shot of challengng Hardy for the number one slot. A stunning last couple of months could still see Jeremy Bell (UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders), Paul Williams (UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders), Paul Gause (Newcastle Eagles), Cameron Rundles (Jelson Homes DMU Leicester Riders) or Mychal Green (Glasgow Rocks) come up on the rails and hit top spot!

The race shows no sign of slowing down and an exciting finale looks to be assured.

Praise For Aliu - by Paul Nilsen
As his side prepare to face Mersey Tigers on Sunday, Guildford Heat coach Creon Raftopoulos has paid tribute to Tigers forward David Aliu (198-F-81, college: Morehead St.).

David has to be commended for his loyalty to his coach and his club as many teams fighting for silverware this season would love to have him on their team, Raftopoulos said of the 31-year-old.

Hes a solid pro and the young players around him will only get better from being around him. His the focus of most coaches scouting reports and is still averaging close to 16 points and 8 rebounds a game.
His had to change his game from being the quiet unsung hero to stepping up when his team needs a play.

One Tigers player who has clearly benefited from playing alongside Liverpool-born Aliu is young English forward Myles Hesson, and Raftopoulos recognises the progress the 21-year-old has made this year: Myles is having his first of what will be many good seasons in the BBL and will treat him with the respect he deserves defensively and limit his scoring output.

Heat go into Sundays game at Surrey Sports Park looking to bounce back after an 86-75 loss at Glasgow Rocks, and Raftopoulos admitted that watching the game on Sky TV will be a painful experience:

It will be tough to watch the 19 turnovers we made against the Rocks on simple inbound plays and passes into the post on Sky but we will rebound back from it. Tayo [Ogedegebe] had a good second half after being in foul trouble most of the first half. Frank Holmes was also big for us and showed his athletic ability with some dunks and some offensive rebounding.

Glasgow had an all round good team performance with Danny Huffor using his high energy levels to his advantage and Gareth Murray making some big threes at crucial times.

Sundays game at Surrey Sports Park tips off at 3pm and sees Heat looking to wrap up the head-to-head series between the teams as both sides aim to strengthen their BBL Championship play-off bids.

Red-Hot Joe Shoots Eagles Ahead - by Jeff King
There are not a lot of things certain in life or in British Basketball but after last weekends action one thing was certainly a nailed-on bet. Newcastle Eagles Shooting guard Joe Chapman (193-G-84, agency: I.D.S. Law, college: Marquette) would be in the BBL Team of the Week for the 3rd consecutive time.

And after netting an incredible 76 points in the Eagles two stellar road wins in the weekends games, including an amazing 14 of 20 from beyond the arc, Chapman duly took his place in the weekly awards from the BBL.

However, the level-headed Chicago native was more eager to talk about his team and the two great results that saw Newcastle put one foot in the BBL Trophy Final with a 32-point first leg victory at Sheffield Sharks and then follow that up the next night with a thrilling 102-100 BBL Championship win over the second-placed Worcester Wolves.

'We came out and played really well on the road. It was a great team victory. It started back in Holland and its just continued on from there. We've got great continuity right now, we're all playing on the same page and I think the Holland trip really helped us to gel as a team. Once we gel together as a team, which we did, I dont think there's a lot of teams that can mess with us.'

The win at Worcester was particularly sweet for Chapman as not only did it keep Newcastle at the top of the BBL standings and widen the gap a touch, it was also a pay-back win for the only league reversal that the Eagles have suffered this campaign.

'Oh yes it was definitely sweet. The way that they celebrated on our own court stuck in a lot of our heads. Give them credit they played really well to beat us in Newcastle. But we knew we had to come here and play well to get a win against the only team that we hadn't beaten in the league. It was important for us to get the win and continue on our ways.'

And Chapman believes the win and the superb weekend his team-mates and he shared has not come about by accident and shows what the Newcastle ethic is all about.

'It shows our togetherness as a team. Even though we were getting down we had to keep fighting, we had to keep building our way back up and we stayed together. That happens when you have played together for a long time. You have faith in one and other and we really proved our will on them toward the end and we kind of built it from there.'

And for the former team-mate of Dwayne Wade at Marquette University, it was a sensational personal weekend as well as a fulfilling team effort. Chapman had 37 points against Sheffield on Friday night with 6 of 10 triples. He then torched Worcester for 39 points the next day with an amazing 8 of 10 successes from beyond the arc.

He clearly feels he's virtually back to his best now after his season-ending injury in February last term. An injury that many pundits believed cost Newcastle the chance of honours last term.

'I'm just really starting to hit my stride now. Every February/March I start to hit my stride as a player, thinking back on what the coaches need me to do and looking back on my own performances. I'm about 100% now and its about being healthy at the right period of time. Obviously its coming up on my one year anniversary of doing my Achilles, that's a week away, so all of that's on my mind and I'm just trying to be better than I was last year.'

As for the Eagles? Chapman is enjoying what the team is achieving but is certainly not fully satisfied yet or resting ion his laurels. He had the following chilling words for the rest of the British Basketball League.

'We're in a good position but obviously we don't look at that. We have a veteran team and we know that we look for the next game and the next way to get better and we look for the next practise so we can push each other and try to get the wrinkles out of what we need to do to get better as a team. Obviously we won but there are still a lot of things we need to correct.'

Certainly at the moment, with the BBL Cup already in the trophy cabinet, its difficult to see beyond Chapman and the Newcastle Eagles in the hunt for the rest of the seasons silverware thats on offer.

Lions Must Roar Claims Captain Gill - by Paul Nilsen
Prestige Homes MK Lions captain Stefan Gill (173-G-83) has urged his team-mates to put their BBL Trophy disappointment behind them.

They suffered a gut-wrenching overtime loss to UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders last Sunday in the second leg of their semi-final match-up and it left the players shattered.

And particularly since they had a golden opportunity to advance but blew it as the Raiders dodged a bullet to scrape through and complete a remarkable comeback in the tie via some real heroics from Jeremy Bell.

Not surprisingly, it could prove tough for Lions to now pick themselves up off the floor when they return to BBL Championship action on Sunday night at Cheshire Jets but Gill is adamant the club can utilise a harrowing experience and turn it into a real positive moving forward.

We need to bounce back explained the guard,

Its now a case of making sure we take out our frustrations on the other teams.

He added, Were on a mission to get something out of this season since weve worked far too hard to finish with nothing.

Jets meanwhile have been buoyed by their losing streak coming to an end with a terrific north-west derby win last weekend against Mersey Tigers. Consequently they will be ready to make life difficult for Mike New and his team.

This is one of five league fixtures over the weekend with intense battles taking place both at the top and also the bottom of the standings as a bunch of clubs jostle for the title and play-off positions.

The Tigers and Guildford Heat meanwhile both head into their meeting in Surrey this Sunday coming off losses and one of them is going to leave with another one to their name. The hosts lost at Kelvin Hall last Sunday and will be ruing the way they fell apart in the last quarter although no doubt Tigers will still be keeping a close eye on the likes of the dangerous Drew Lasker when they lock horns in this one.

Durham Wildcats are looking to find a precious third home win of the season and boost their chances of sneaking into the play-offs when they entertain Jelson Homes DMU Leicester.

Rob Paternostro and his Riders team will be eager not to lose any more ground in the title race with this game very much a banana skin for the BBL Championship hopefuls.

Two other leading contenders chasing down Newcastle Eagles are Worcester Wolves who lost to the Eagles at home last time out and UCP Marjon Plymouth Raiders who are the closest to the title favourites in terms of having the fewest losses.

Raiders travel to Wolves tomorrow evening looking for a repeat of their spectacular BBL Cup semi-final first leg victory when they blew Paul James team out of the water. The hosts will understandably be intent on revenge and looking to deliver a major blow to their rivals in the race to finish top of the pile.

Gavin Love and his Raiders side will get the opportunity to continue catching up in terms of wins since they also have a home game to look forward to on Sunday afternoon when One Health Sharks Sheffield are the visitors to the Pavilions.

Firstly though, the Sharks must try to pull off a miracle result tonight and overturn a big deficit at Sport Central against the Eagles in the BBL Trophy semi-final second leg having been ruthlessly torn apart by Fab Flournoys team last Friday.

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URUGUAY

Passos' double-double lands him (Second Stage) Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
25-year old center Hatila Passos (211-C-86) put on an amazing game in the last round for second-ranked Hebraica and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 5 (Second Stage).
He had a double-double of 29 points and 15 rebounds, while his team beat Wanderers (#5, 1-4) 74-66. Hebraica maintains the 2nd position in Uruguayan league. They are still close to the very top. Hebraica would have been even better if they kept winning the games like in the last round. They have a solid 4-1 record. Passos turned to be Hebraica's top player in his first season with the team. New Mexico State University graduate has very impressive stats this year. Passos is in league's top in rebounds (6th best: 11.8rpg) and averages solid 62.5% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Rammel Allen (210-C-79) of Bohemios. He is American center in his first season at Bohemios. In the last game Allen recorded impressive double-double of 14 points and 14 rebounds. Bad luck as Bohemios was edged by Serie 1's leader Welcome (#1, 5-0) 70-69. It was definitely game of the week between two contenders to the top position in Serie 1. Bohemios still maintains its place in the top 3 of the standings, even despite this loss. His team's 3-2 record is not bad at all. Allen is one of the most experienced players at Bohemios and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Martin Aguilera (197-F-87) of Trouville (#6). Aguilera scored 22 points and grabbed twelve rebounds (!!!). Despite Aguilera's great performance Trouville lost 77-79 to slightly higher-ranked Lagomar (#4, 2-3). But his team cannot count on just a single player as he also needs help of the other teammates. Trouville can only dream about fighting for top spots in Serie 1. They have awful Second Stage losing so far all 5 games. Too bad for Aguilera he does not play for a better team. But maybe if he did, his season stats would not be that high. Aguilera has a very solid season. In 30 games in Uruguay he scored 14.3ppg. He also has 5.3rpg, 2.2spg and FGP: 55.9%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Anthony Myles (208-F/C-82) of Malvin - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists
5. Nicolas Borsellino (202-F-86) of Malvin - 14 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists
6. Pablo Morales (200-F-79) of Aguada - 28 points and 6 rebounds
7. Marcelo Perez (194-F-73) of Lagomar - 16 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists
8. Marcelo Correa (208-C-77) of Trouville - 19 points and 11 rebounds
9. Diego Castrillon (199-F-75) of Defensor - 28 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Brian Craig (206-C-79) of Aguada - 23 points and 4 rebounds

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

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VENEZUELA

Guaros de Lara stay active on the market - by Eurobasket News
Guaros de Lara continued to bolster their roster. After bringing in Smush Parker (193-G-81, college: Fordham) Guaros made another move. They signed a deal with Reece Gaines (198-G-81, college: Louisville). The guard was last seen in Austria. Reece Gaines inked a deal with Furstenfeld Panthers back in January. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 boards and 2.5 steals per game in A Bundesliga. Last season Reece Gaines spent in France. He notched 4.8 points, 1.3 boards and 1.1 assists per game for Vichy. The guard also had stints in Greece, Spain, D-League, Italy and NBA.
Guaros de Lara are also in talks with Allen Iverson (184-G-75, college: Georgetown). The veteran guard played fir Besiktas in Turkey last season. He averaged 14.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game in TBL. In EuroCup Allen Iverson averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 boards, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per appearance.

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Women News

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CHINA - Women

WCBA Round 3 of Semi-Finals - by Eurobasket News
Zhejiang - Shanghai 95-89 OT

Shanghai Octopus were tied after three quarters and then recorded another tie at the end of regular time. They were eventually defeated in overtime 8-14s. Zhejiang Far East made 27-of-34 free shots (79.4 percent) during the game. Shanghai Octopus were plagued by 27 personal fouls down the stretch. It was a great evening for American center Katie Mattera (202-82, college: Liberty) who led her team to a victory with a double-double by scoring 46 points (!!!) and 27 rebounds. The former international forward Lan Bian (185-86) helped adding 25 points and 6 assists. The best for the losing side was American swingman Camille Little (188-85, college: N.Carolina) with a double-double by scoring 17 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists and point guard Xiufeng Shi (178-87) scored 25 points and 4 assists. Four Shanghai Octopus players scored in double figures.
Top scorers:
Zhejiang: M.Katie 46+27reb, B.Lan 25+1reb+6ast, S.Tong 8+4reb+7ast, G.Jun 6+4reb+1ast, S.Binbin 5+6reb+3ast, S.Yi 5+1reb
Shanghai: S.Xiufeng 25+1reb+4ast, H.Jing 20+3reb+3ast, L.Camille 17+15reb+4ast, W.Jue 12+8reb+1ast, Y.Hong 6+6reb, J.Lan 6+6reb

Liaoning - Beijing 64-61

The hosts started the game with a very strong first quarter 22-13. But Beijing Great Wall won second period 20-16. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Liaoning Hengye won last quarter 14-12. Great defensive blocking was one of the keys in this match when Liaoning Hengye made 11 blocks. It was a great evening for international forward Zengyu Ma (183-84) who led her team to a victory scoring 21 points and 4 assists. The former international forward Xiaoli Chen (193-82) helped adding 17 points and 9 rebounds. The best for the losing side was American center Nicky Anosike (190-86, college: Tennessee) with 20 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks and forward Yu Zhang (184-86) scored 19 points.
Top scorers:
Liaoning: M.Zengyu 21+4reb+4ast, C.Xiaoli 17+9reb+2ast, Z.Meiling 8+1reb, Y.BanBan 8+5reb+3ast, R.Ruth 6+9reb, C.Xiaoxue 3+3reb+3ast
Beijing: A.Nicky 20+8reb, Z.Yu 19+1reb, Z.Fan 10+6reb+1ast, K.Yeong-Ok 6+3reb+2ast, Z.Hui 2+1reb, S.XiaoYu 2+1reb

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CZECH REPUBLIC - Women

Hanusova's 22 points and 9 rebounds give her Player of the Week award - by Eurobasket News
20-year old power forward Alena Hanusova (189-F/C-91) put on an amazing game in the last round for second-ranked Frisco Sika and receives a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 22.
She had the game-high 22 points adding nine rebounds and two assists for Frisco Sika in her team's victory, helping them to beat Trutnov (#3, 15-7) 90-76. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. Thanks to this victory Frisco Sika moved-up to the 2nd position in the Czech Republic ZBL. They are still close to the very top. Frisco Sika would have been even better if they kept winning the games like in the last round. They have a solid 19-3 record. Hanusova has many years of experience at Frisco Sika, through which he has constantly improved. Hanusova has impressive league stats. She is in league's top in points (7th best: 16.4ppg) and averages solid 57.6% FGP.

Second best performed player last round was Julia Demirer (187-F-81, agency: LBM Management) of DSK Karlin. She is American-Polish forward in her first season at DSK Karlin. In the last game Demirer recorded impressive double-double of 11 points and 21 rebounds. Bad luck as DSK Karlin was edged by slightly higher-ranked Pardubice (#5, 3-20) 59-56. This loss caused DSK Karlin to drop to 6th position in the standings. 23 lost games are too many considering they did not win any game. Demirer is one of the most experienced players at DSK Karlin and has a reputation of one of team's most reliable players.

Third place about best performers goes to forward Eva Viteckova (190-F-82) of league's leader USK Praha. Viteckova scored 24 points and grabbed ten rebounds. She was a key player of USK Praha, leading her team to a 78-63 easy win against #4 ranked VS Praha in a game of the week. USK Praha have amazing season winning all 23 games without a single defeat. Viteckova turns to be one of the very best players in the league while he is also a leader of the top team having his eyes on the championship title. Viteckova has a very solid season. In 21 games in Czech Republic she scored 11.5ppg. She also has 4.8rpg and FGP: 63.2%.

Other top performing players last week:
4. Lucia Krc-Turbova (185-F-87) of Karlovy Vary - 20 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists
5. Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) of Frisco Sika - 23 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists
6. Farhiya Abdi (188-F-92) of Frisco Sika - 27 points and 4 assists
7. Hana Snajdrova-Ziklova (183-F-80) of Trutnov - 18 points and 7 rebounds
8. Michaela Hartigova (192-C-83) of Hradec Kralove - 17 points and 10 rebounds
9. Lindsay Whalen (173-G-82) of USK Praha - 23 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists
10. Hana Nezdarilova (170-PG-84) of Slovanka MB - 22 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists

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

Valosun Brno land Chloe Kerr - by Eurobasket News
Valosuin Brno strengthened their roster prior to the start of Second Stage of ZBL. They signed a deal with Chloe Kerr (191-C-85, college: USC). The centre started the season in Sweden. She played for Telge. Her stats read 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per EuroCup game. Chloe Kerr also delivered 6.8 points, 5.0 boards and 1.4 assists per game in Damligan. Last season Chloe Kerr spent in Spain. The centre played for Olesa Espanyol. She averaged 10.5 points, 7.1 boards and 1.0 assist in LFB. Previously Chloe Kerr had stints in Slovakia and Greece. Eurobasket.com gave Chloe Kerr All-Slovakian Extraliga Honourable Mention in 2010.

ZBL Round 1: VS Praha is defeated by USK Praha in a derby game - by Eurobasket News
The Second Stage in ZBL just started.

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Praha: USK Praha (#1) and VS Praha (#4). USK Praha (24-0) crushed visiting VS Praha (15-9) by 19 points 76-57. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 46-26 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. USK Praha outrebounded VS Praha 41-25 including a 31-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. Spanish forward Anna Montanana (186-80, college: G.Washington, agency: Josep and Nicolas) stepped up and scored 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and Swedish guard Frida Eldebrink (174-88, agency: Josep and Nicolas) chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds. At the losing side Ukrainian center Viktoria Mircheva (190-87, agency: LBM Management) responded with 20 points and 6 rebounds. VS Praha's coach Petr Treml rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. Undefeated USK Praha have an impressive series of twenty four victories in a row. They maintain first place in Group A1 with 24-0 record. VS Praha lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the fifth position with nine games lost. They share it with Hradec Kralove. USK Praha are looking forward to face league's second-placed Frisco Sika in Brno in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. VS Praha will play at home against Sokol Hradec Kralove and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game between Top Four teams took place in Praha. 4th placed host VSE Praha (6-18) was smashed by second ranked Valosun Brno (10-14) 86-66. Swingman Veronika Vlkova (176-84) nailed 26 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and Chloe Kerr accounted for 14 points and 10 rebounds. American forward Dalila Eshe (191-84, college: Florida) came up with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists for VSE Praha in the defeat. The victory was the third consecutive win for Valosun Brno. They maintain second place in Group A2 with 10-14 record having fourteen points less than leader USK Praha, which they share with Karlovy Vary. VSE Praha lost their tenth game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the fourth position with 18 games lost. Valosun Brno will play against BK Pliska Studanka (#5) in Pardubice in the next round. VSE Praha will play on the road against DSK Karlin and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game in Hradec Kralove was also quite interesting. 5th ranked Basket Slovanka MB (14-10) played at the court of sixth ranked Sokol Hradec Kralove (15-9). Sokol Hradec Kralove managed to secure a 9-point victory 79-70 on Wednesday. Katerina Zavazalova fired 16 points and 4 steals for the winners. Sokol Hradec Kralove's coach Miroslav Volejnik used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Lenka Sipova produced 9 points and 13 rebounds for lost side. Sokol Hradec Kralove moved-up to fourth place in Group A1, which they share with VS Praha. Basket Slovanka MB at the other side dropped to the sixth position with ten games lost. Sokol Hradec Kralove will meet VS Praha (#5) on the road in the next round. Basket Slovanka MB will play against Kara Trutnov and hope to secure a win.

In the last two games of round 1
In Group A2 winless DSK Karlin was destroyed by Karlovy Vary on the opponent's court 80-46. Strakonice managed to outperform Pardubice in a home game 72-58.
The most impressive stats of the last round was 26 points and 12 rebounds by Alena Hanusova of Frisco Sika.

A1

USK Praha - VS Praha 76-57

The most exciting game was a derby match between two local teams from Praha: USK Praha (#1) and VS Praha (#4). USK Praha (24-0) crushed visiting VS Praha (15-9) by 19 points 76-57. The hosts trailed by 1 point at the halftime before their 46-26 charge in the second half, which allowed them to win the game. USK Praha outrebounded VS Praha 41-25 including a 31-17 advantage in defensive rebounds. Spanish forward Anna Montanana (186-80, college: G.Washington, agency: Josep and Nicolas) stepped up and scored 19 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and Swedish guard Frida Eldebrink (174-88, agency: Josep and Nicolas) chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds. At the losing side Ukrainian center Viktoria Mircheva (190-87, agency: LBM Management) responded with 20 points and 6 rebounds and Belarusian point guard Alexandra Tarasava (170-88) scored 10 points. VS Praha's coach Petr Treml rotated ten players seeing no chance for a win. USK Praha have an impressive series of twenty four victories in a row. They maintain first place in Group A1 with 24-0 record. VS Praha lost third consecutive game. They dropped to the fifth position with nine games lost. They share it with Hradec Kralove. USK Praha are looking forward to face league's second-placed Frisco Sika in Brno in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. VS Praha will play at home against Sokol Hradec Kralove and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
USK Praha: A.Montanana 19+9reb+5ast, L.Whalen 15+1reb+2ast, F.Eldebrink 12+10reb+2ast, K.Elhotova 9+3reb+4ast, P.Kulichova 8+5reb, E.Viteckova 8+4reb+4ast
VS Praha: V.Mircheva 20+6reb, A.Tarasava 10+3reb+3ast, T.Vyoralova 8+3reb+1ast, P.Reisingerova 7+5reb+1ast, H.Smidkova 6+2reb+1ast, T.Vorlova 4+2reb

Hradec Kralove - Slovanka MB 79-70

The game in Hradec Kralove was also quite interesting. 5th ranked Basket Slovanka MB (14-10) played at the court of sixth ranked Sokol Hradec Kralove (15-9). Sokol Hradec Kralove managed to secure a 9-point victory 79-70 on Wednesday. The hosts trailed by 1 point after first quarter, but they rallied back to get the 6-point lead at the halftime and eventually won the game 79-70. Sokol Hradec Kralove made 24-of-28 free shots (85.7 percent) during the game. They also forced 26 Basket Slovanka MB turnovers. Strangely Basket Slovanka MB outrebounded Sokol Hradec Kralove 53-35 including a 34-23 advantage in defensive rebounds. Swingman Katerina Zavazalova (172-90) fired 16 points and 4 steals for the winners. Forward Andrea Ovsikova (178-89) chipped in 13 points and 5 rebounds. Sokol Hradec Kralove's coach Miroslav Volejnik used entire bench which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Center Lenka Sipova (185-88) produced 9 points and 13 rebounds and American forward Trinity Bursey (178, college: N.Carolina) added 10 points and 12 rebounds respectively for lost side. Four Basket Slovanka MB players scored in double figures. Sokol Hradec Kralove moved-up to fourth place in Group A1, which they share with VS Praha. Basket Slovanka MB at the other side dropped to the sixth position with ten games lost. Sokol Hradec Kralove will meet VS Praha (#5) on the road in the next round. Basket Slovanka MB will play against Kara Trutnov and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Hradec Kralove: K.Zavazalova 16+4reb+2ast, A.Ovsikova 13+5reb+1ast, T.Kuthanova 9+3reb, K.Pochobradska 9+7reb+1ast, M.Hartigova 8+3reb+2ast, M.Cepelkova 8+2reb
Slovanka MB: E.Dujsikova 14+5reb+1ast, L.Tesarikova 11+6reb+2ast, P.Pospisilova 11+5reb+3ast, T.Bursey 10+12reb, M.Satoranska 10+7reb, L.Sipova 9+13reb+3ast

A2

Karlovy Vary - DSK Karlin 80-46

Rather expected game when bottom-ranked DSK Karlin (0-24) was crushed on the road by third ranked Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary (10-14) 80-46 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding DSK Karlin to just 7 points in second quarter. Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary made 23-of-30 free shots (76.7 percent) during the game, while DSK Karlin only scored seven points from the stripe. Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary had a 29-18 advantage in offensive rebounds. Forward Sarka Kucerova (181) fired 23 points and 6 rebounds (on 9-of-11 shooting from the field) for the winners. Slovakian forward Lucia Krc-Turbova (185-87) chipped in a double-double by scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds. Four Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary players scored in double figures. American forward Arnika Brown (187-87, college: W.Kentucky, agency: LBM Management) produced a double-double by scoring 11 points and 17 rebounds and forward Katerina Ciperova (180-83) added 11 points respectively for lost side. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary moved-up to second place in Group A2, which they share with Valosun Brno. DSK Karlin lost their twentieth fourth game in a row. Newly promoted team still closes the standings with 24 games lost. Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary will meet league's leader Aldast Strakonice on the road in the next round and it will be for sure the game of the week. DSK Karlin will play against VSE Praha (#4) and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Karlovy Vary: S.Kucerova 23+6reb, L.Krc-Turbova 13+10reb+1ast, B.Sedlackova 12+1reb+1ast, M.Muchova 11+7reb+5ast, S.Pospisilova 6+3reb+1ast, J.Houdkova 5+2reb+2ast
DSK Karlin: K.Ciperova 11+2reb+1ast, A.Brown 11+17reb, L.Mersch 8+2reb+2ast, J.Demirer 6+2reb+1ast, S.Simakova 2+1reb, B.Emmelova 2+3reb+1ast

VSE Praha - Valosun Brno 66-86

The game between Top Four teams took place in Praha. 4th placed host VSE Praha (6-18) was smashed by second ranked Valosun Brno (10-14) 86-66. It looked good early as VSE Praha took an 4-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Valosun Brno had a 28-11 second period charge getting the lead and VSE Praha was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 66-86. Valosun Brno dominated down low during the game scoring 66 of its points in the paint compared to VSE Praha's 38. Valosun Brno forced 20 VSE Praha turnovers. Swingman Veronika Vlkova (176-84) nailed 26 points and 5 rebounds for the winning side and American center Chloe Kerr (191-85, college: USC) accounted for 14 points and 10 rebounds. American forward Dalila Eshe (191-84, college: Florida) came up with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists and the other American import forward Marshae Dotson (180-87, college: Florida) added 15 points and 10 rebounds respectively for VSE Praha in the defeat. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. The victory was the third consecutive win for Valosun Brno. They maintain second place in Group A2 with 10-14 record having fourteen points less than leader USK Praha, which they share with Karlovy Vary. VSE Praha lost their tenth game in a row. Newly promoted team keeps the fourth position with 18 games lost. Valosun Brno will play against BK Pliska Studanka (#5) in Pardubice in the next round. VSE Praha will play on the road against DSK Karlin and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Valosun Brno: V.Vlkova 26+5reb+2ast, E.Mrhalkova 15+3reb+1ast, P.Svdrlkova 14+5reb+1ast, C.Kerr 14+10reb, E.Kmetova 7+3reb, I.Borecka 6+2reb
VSE Praha: D.Eshe 18+11reb+6ast, M.Dotson 15+10reb+2ast, S.Sinclair 13+3reb+2ast, K.Jandova 10+6reb+1ast, J.Krizova 5+1reb, D.Harapesova 5+3ast

Strakonice - Pardubice 72-58

Rather predictable result when first ranked Aldast Strakonice (11-13) defeated at home 5th ranked BK Pliska Studanka (3-21) 72-58 on Wednesday. Aldast Strakonice forced 19 BK Pliska Studanka turnovers and outrebounded them 47-26 including a 32-19 advantage in defensive rebounds. Forward Katerina Krizova (186-80) fired a double-double by scoring 21 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. International center Zora Skrabalova (195-81, college: Illinois St., agency: Josep and Nicolas) chipped in a double-double by scoring 19 points and 13 rebounds. Swingman Michaela Pavlasova (180-91) produced 11 points and 7 rebounds and point guard Sabina Petraskova (168-90) added 9 points and 5 rebounds respectively for lost side. Both coaches used bench players and allowed the starting five to rest. Aldast Strakonice maintains first place in Group A2 with 11-13 record. Loser BK Pliska Studanka keeps the fifth position with 21 games lost. Aldast Strakonice will meet at home Lokomotiva Karlovy Vary (#3) in the next round, which may be the game of the day. BK Pliska Studanka will play against the league's second-placed Valosun Brno and hope to secure a win.
Top scorers:
Strakonice: K.Krizova 21+12reb+3ast, Z.Skrabalova 19+13reb+1ast, A.Jenisova 12+6reb+1ast, D.Benuskova 9+4reb+1ast, K.Linhartova 8+2reb+1ast, Z.Paroubkova 3+2reb
Pardubice: M.Pavlasova 11+7reb+2ast, S.Petraskova 9+5reb, M.Ondrejova 8+4reb, M.Belohoubkova 6+1reb, P.Jirkova 6+1reb+1ast, N.Dvorakova 6+1reb

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ICELAND - Women

Express L. Round 21 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
Seventh-ranked Fjolnir (5-16) gave a tough game to fifth ranked Snaefell (10-10) in Reykjavk on Wednesday. The visitors from Stykkisholmur managed to secure only two-point victory 90-88. However their fans expected easier game. Kieraah Marlow stepped up with a double-double by scoring 32 points and 11 rebounds for the winners. Snaefell maintains fifth place with 10-10 record. Fjolnir lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with 16 games lost. Snaefell will face Valur (#6) in Reykjavik in the next round. Fjolnir will play at home against the league's leader Keflavik.

The most impressive stats of the last round was 21 points, 22 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks by Jaleesa Butler of Keflavik.

Haukar - Hamar 72-66

Very expected game in Hafnarfjordur where 8th ranked Hamar (5-16) was defeated by fourth ranked Haukar (12-9) 72-66 on Wednesday. However just six-point win is not that big difference and the fans of host team counted on more convincing victory. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Hamar won third quarter 24-17. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. Haukar made 20-of-25 free shots (80.0 percent) during the game. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Americans were the main players on the court. Forward Hope Elam (185-89, college: Indiana) stepped up and scored 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the winners and guard Jence Rhoads (180-88, college: Vanderbilt) chipped in 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Five Haukar players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Katherine Graham (180-89, college: LSU, agency: Merit Sports) with a triple-double by scoring 22 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 5 steals and Samantha Murphy (172-88, college: Grand Canyon) scored 17 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Haukar maintains fourth place with 12-9 record. Hamar at the other side stay at the bottom position with 16 games lost. Haukar will face league's second-placed Njardvik at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Hamar will play against KR (#3) in Reykjavik.
Top scorers:
Haukar: H.Elam 17+9reb+5ast, J.Rhoads 15+10reb+5ast, I.Sverrisdottir 13+9reb+8ast, G.Osk Amundardottir 11+4reb+2ast, M.Halfdanardottir 10+5reb+1ast, M.Sigurdardottir 6+7reb
Hamar: K.Graham 22+10reb+11ast, S.Murphy 17+7reb+5ast, M.Laufey Davidsdottir 10+11reb+2ast, F.Gudmundsdottir 8+1reb, J.Hardardottir 4+1reb, I.Asgeirsdottir 3+2reb

Keflavik - KR 70-56

Rather predictable result when first ranked Keflavik (17-4) defeated at home 3rd placed KR (12-8) 70-56 on Wednesday. The game without a history. Keflavik led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Keflavik forced 30 KR turnovers. American forward Jaleesa Butler (183-87, college: Georgetown) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 21 points, 22 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks for the winners and the former international forward Birna Valgardsdottir (181-76) chipped in 12 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Four Keflavik players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was the former international forward Margret Sturludottir (178-89, college: Elon) with a double-double by scoring 18 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks and the former international power forward Sigrun Amundadottir (183-88) scored 6 points and 14 rebounds. Defending champion maintains first place with 17-4 record. KR at the other side keeps the third position with eight games lost. Keflavik will face Fjolnir (#7) in Reykjavk in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. KR will play at home against Hamar (#8).
Top scorers:
Keflavik: J.Butler 21+22reb+4ast, P.Gunnlaugsdottir 18+2reb+3ast, B.Valgardsdottir 12+8reb+5ast, S.Run Hinriksdottir 10+1reb, S.Butler 5+1reb+6ast, H.Hallgrimsdottir 4+3reb
KR: M.Sturludottir 18+15reb+3ast, H.Halfdanardottir 12+4reb, E.Prosser 10+4reb+5ast, S.Amundadottir 6+14reb+3ast, B.Gudmundsdottir 5+8reb+4ast, A.Aevarsdottir 3+1reb

Fjolnir - Snaefell 88-90 OT

Seventh-ranked Fjolnir (5-16) gave a tough game to fifth ranked Snaefell (10-10) in Reykjavk on Wednesday. The visitors from Stykkisholmur managed to secure only two-point victory 90-88. However their fans expected easier game. Fjolnir was trailing by 1 point at halftime but managed to get 1-point lead after three quarters before a 19-18 charge of Snaefell, which allowed them to tie the game at the end of regular time. They were better in overtime eventually winning that period 9-7. Snaefell made 25-of-30 free shots (83.3 percent) during the game. They also forced 25 Fjolnir turnovers. American forward Kieraah Marlow (178-85) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 32 points and 11 rebounds for the winners and her fellow American import guard Jordan Murphree (183-87, college: Texas Tech, agency: Merit Sports) chipped in 16 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals. The best for the losing side was American guard Britney Jones (170-87, college: UAB) with 38 points (!!!), 6 rebounds and 9 assists and Australian-Greek power forward Katina Mandylaris (183-85) produced a double-double by scoring 28 points and 20 rebounds. Snaefell maintains fifth place with 10-10 record. Fjolnir lost fifth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with 16 games lost. Snaefell will face Valur (#6) in Reykjavik in the next round. Fjolnir will play at home against the league's leader Keflavik.
Top scorers:
Snaefell: K.Marlow 32+11reb+3ast, A.Jonsdottir 20+6reb+3ast, J.Murphree 16+14reb+4ast, H.Kjartansdottir 8+4reb, E.Hognadottir 6+1reb, H.Bjorgvinsdottir 5+2reb+1ast
Fjolnir: B.Jones 38+6reb+9ast, K.Mandylaris 28+20reb+2ast, E.Kristinsdottir 13+14reb+3ast, B.Ragnarsdottir 4+3reb+1ast, B.Eiriksdottir 3+1reb+1ast, H.Eva Valdimarsdottir 2+2reb

Valur - Njardvik 100-81

There was an upset in Reykjavik where second-best Njardvik (15-6) was rolled over by sixth ranked Valur (7-14) 100-81 on Wednesday. Njardvik was tied after three quarters but could not keep up in the last quarter eventually losing the game. Valur made 21-of-24 free shots (87.5 percent) during the game. They also forced 20 Njardvik turnovers. They looked well-organized offensively handing out 21 assists. Americans were the main players on the court. Forward Lacey Simpson (185-86, college: Illinois) stepped up with a double-double by scoring 19 points, 18 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals for the winners and guard Melissa Lechlitner (170-88, college: Notre Dame) chipped in 23 points and 8 assists. Five Valur players scored in double figures. The best for the losing side was Lele Hardy (178-88, college: Clemson, agency: Merit Sports) with a double-double by scoring 26 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists and guard Shanae Baker-Brice (168-87, college: Towson) scored 22 points and 5 rebounds. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Newly promoted Valur maintains sixth place with 7-14 record. Njardvik at the other side keeps the second position with six games lost. Valur will face higher ranked Snaefell (#5) in Stykkisholmur in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Njardvik will play on the road against Haukar in Hafnarfjordur and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Valur: M.Lechlitner 23+1reb+8ast, L.Simpson 19+18reb+4ast, U.Asgeirsdottir 16+7reb, G.Sverrisdottir 13+4reb+2ast, K.Sigurjonsdottir 12+2ast, M.Ben Erlingsdottir 11+4reb+2ast
Njardvik: L.Hardy 26+14reb+5ast, S.Baker-Brice 22+5reb+3ast, O.Helga Palsdottir 12+9reb+3ast, S.Saevarsdottir 8+5reb+1ast, S.Margeirsdottir 5+1ast, E.Hakonardottir 3+1ast

Icelandic Express L. round 21 best performance: Jaleesa Butler - by Eurobasket News
American forward Jaleesa Butler (183-F-87) put on an extraordinary performance in the last round for top-ranked Keflavik, receiving a Eurobasket.com Player of the Week award for round 21.
The 24-year old player had a double-double of 21 points and 22 rebounds, while her team beat KR (#3, 12-8) 70-56. The game was between two of the league's top four teams. It allowed Keflavik to consolidate first place in the Icelandic Express L.. Keflavik have a solid 17-4 record. Butler turned to be Keflavik's top player in her first season with the team. Former Georgetown University star has very solid stats this year. Butler is in league's top in points (5th best: 20.7ppg), rebounds (3rd best: 15.3rpg) and averages impressive 3.6bpg and 2.9spg.

The second best player in last round's games was 22-year old American Katherine Graham (180-SG-89, agency: Merit Sports) of Hamar. Graham had a very good evening with a triple-double of 22 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. Bad luck as Hamar lost that game 66-72 to the higher-ranked Haukar (#4, 12-9). Hamar are still at the very bottom. 16 lost games are too many comparing to just five victories Hamar managed to get this year. Graham is a newcomer at Hamar, but is already one of team's top players. She belongs to the best scorers in the league with 20.1ppg (#7). Her other stats are also decent: 7.3rpg and 6.0apg.

Third on the list of top players last round was Australian Katina Mandylaris (183-C/F-85) of Fjolnir (#7). Mandylaris scored 28 points and grabbed twenty rebounds (!!!). Despite Mandylaris' great performance Fjolnir lost 88-90in overtime to slightly higher-ranked Snaefell (#5, 10-10). But her team cannot count on just a single shooter as she also needs help of the other teammates. Fjolnir can only dream about fighting for top spots in the league. They have rather bad season and 5-16 record places them close to the bottom of the standings. Too bad for Mandylaris she does not play for a better team. But maybe if she did, her season stats would not be that high. Mandylaris has individually a great season in Iceland. After 17 games, she made it on the list of the league's leaders in rebounds with 15.5rpg (2nd best).

Other top performing players last week:
4. Lele Hardy (178-SF-88) of Njardvik - 26 points, 14 rebounds and 5 assists
5. Britney Jones (170-G-87) of Fjolnir - 38 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists
6. Lacey Simpson (185-F-86) of Valur - 19 points, 18 rebounds and 4 assists
7. Kieraah Marlow (178-F-85) of Snaefell - 32 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists
8. Iris Sverrisdottir (175-F-90) of Haukar - 13 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists
9. Jence Rhoads (180-G-88) of Haukar - 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists
10. Olof Helga Palsdottir (172-G-85) of Njardvik - 12 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists

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

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NCAA1 - Women

No. 15 Texas A&M women beat K-State 67-36 - by Eurobasket News
Texas A&M has had trouble maintaining its intensity once it gained big leads this season.

On Wednesday night they finally fixed that problem.

Kelsey Bone (6'4''-C-91) and Karla Gilbert (6'5''-C-92) scored 14 points apiece to lead No. 15 Texas A&M to its fourth straight win, 67-36, over Kansas State.

Texas A&M led 39-19 at halftime and used a 12-5 run early in the second half to extend its advantage to 51-24. Tyra White (6'0''-G-89) had five points to lead the Aggies in that span.

'We talked about not taking our foot off their throats,' Bone said. ' (associate head) Coach (Vic Schaefer) told us at halftime: 'You want to wake some people up and get some people's attention, hold them to 19 more points.''

Instead they limited the Wildcats to just 17 to leave them with their lowest point total of the season.

'We're getting mentally tough,' coach Gary Blair said.

The win leaves the Aggies (17-5, 8-3 Big 12) in second place in the Big 12 entering Saturday's game against league-leader and top-ranked Baylor. It will be the first meeting between the teams since A&M's win in the regional final last season en route to its first national championship.

Brittany Chambers (5'8''-G-91) had 11 points and was the only player with double digits for Kansas State (15-8, 6-5).

Blair rotated the 6-foot-4 Bone and 6-5 Gilbert and the duo proved to be a nearly unstoppable combination inside. The two helped the Aggies outscore Kansas State 44 to 6 in the paint.

'The play in the first half of Kelsey Bone and Karla Gilbert was really significant, just establishing how much they wanted to own the paint on both ends of the floor,' Kansas State coach Deb Patterson said. 'Those two stepped up their game and took control.'

Blair was impressed with the dominance of Bone and Gilbert.

'That's the best we've looked all year at that position,' he said. 'They both played very well and they were aggressive.'

The Aggies also took advantage of 23 turnovers which they turned into 29 points.

'They played a great defensive game,' Chambers said. 'We just didn't play tough tonight at all. We let them dictate every aspect of the game.'

White added 13 points and had 10 rebounds and Adaora Elonu had eight points for Texas A&M.

Kansas State won this year's first meeting 71-69 in overtime in the Big 12 opener for both teams. On Wednesday the Aggies were in control from the start and the Wildcats never got closer than 18 points in the second half.

Patterson raved about how much Bone had improved since that first meeting, but the player gave her team credit for the change.

'I think it just goes into the chemistry that we're building with one another,' Bone said.

The Aggies led by five points in the first half before using a 16-2 to extend their lead to 33-14 with three minutes remaining in the first half. Alexia Standish had two 3-pointers early in that run.

Courtesy of www.denverpost.com

Rodgers leads No. 14 Hoyas women past Seton Hall - by Eurobasket News
Sugar Rodgers (5'11''-G) had 23 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 14 Georgetown beat Seton Hall 56-51 on Wednesday night.

Sydney Wilson (6'6''-C) had nine points and nine rebounds for the Hoyas (19-5, 8-3 Big East), who have won six of seven and defeated the Pirates for the third consecutive time - although it wasn't easy against one of the Big East's two winless teams in conference play.

The Hoyas never trailed and led by as many as 16 points in both halves, but couldn't put the Pirates away.

Seton Hall's Jasmine Crew (5'7''-G-89) was fouled on a 3-pointer and made all three free throws with 2 minutes, 48 seconds remaining to cut Georgetown's lead to 50-44. Crew set the school's single season record for free throws made in her career with 135.

Georgetown iced the game with six free throws in the final 2 minutes.

Crew scored 20 points for the Pirates (7-18, 0-11), who lost their 13th consecutive game to match the program's worst losing streak from the 1984-85 season.

Courtesy of www.kfvs12.com

Johnson, Williams lead Miami women over Tar Heels - by Eurobasket News
Shenise Johnson (5'11''-G-90) and Riquna Williams (5'7''-G) helped Miami avenge its lone ACC loss.

Johnson scored 19 points and Williams added 17 to lead No. 6 Miami to a 61-37 win over No. 22 North Carolina. The Tar Heels beat the Hurricanes 65-63 in Chapel Hill on Jan. 2.

'We felt like we lost it (the last time) and something we could change,' Johnson said. 'We wanted to make sure we came out and played Miami basketball, and do what we do well for 40 minutes. We didn't do that up in Carolina.'

Miami (21-3, 10-1 ACC) forced North Carolina (17-7, 7-4) into a season-high 35 turnovers and scored 39 points off turnovers.

'They've got great guards,' North Carolina coach Sylvia Hatchell said. 'They come at you, are extremely physical. That was basically the bottom-line.'

Stefanie Yderstrom chipped in 10 points and had seven steals for the Hurricanes, who won their 38th straight home game.

The 38-game home streak is the third-longest active streak in the nation. Only Connecticut (98) and Stanford (74) have longer streaks.

North Carolina did not have a player score in double figures as Laura Bloomfield led the Tar Heels with seven points and six rebounds.

Miami did not have a great shooting night at 37.3 percent (22 of 59) from the floor and had 23 turnovers of their own, but they still outshot North Carolina, which was held to 26.8 percent (15 of 56).

'It's never going to always be pretty in February, but gritty is better than pretty right now,' Miami coach Katie Meier said.

After North Carolina scored the game's first four points, the Hurricanes went on a 17-0 run sparked by three 3-pointers by Williams. Johnson and Shawnice Wilson each scored four during the run. During the pivotal run, the Tar Heels missed nine consecutive shots and had seven turnovers.

'I've got great upperclassmen,' Meier said. 'What I love about them is they have that wisdom, besides the talent and capability, that they know how we're going to get this team and when our moment is going to come.'

Waltiea Rolle (6'6''-C-90) ended the six-minute scoring drought for the Tar Heels with a basket.

However, Miami maintained a steady lead throughout the half, but it was cut to 27-20 after a jumper by Tierra Ruffin-Pratt. However, Miami countered with a pair of field goals including a 3-pointer by Yderstrom from the right wing.

'We didn't play particularly well at North Carolina,' Meier said. 'We were in control of the game and then they took the lead with a minute to go. That was something that we never do, so we weren't going to let the lead dwindle and I thought we responded at huge times.'

Miami led 32-22 at the break.

Yderstrom connected again from long range early in the second half forcing North Carolina to take a timeout down by 15 points.

The Hurricanes led by double digits the rest of the way.

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

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POLAND - Women

PLKK Round 20: Leader Wisla Can-Pak gets another victory - by Eurobasket News
The round 20 was rather boring as all games ended with very predictable results.

Leader Wisla Can-Pak delivered the nineteenth win on Wednesday night. This time they crushed 8th ranked Artego Bydg. (9-11) 72-50 in Krakow. The game without a history. Wisla Can-Pak led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Wisla Can-Pak outrebounded Artego Bydg. 42-27 including 27 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was the former international center Magdalena Leciejewska (191-86) who scored 13 points and 8 rebounds. The former international center Ewelina Kobryn (193-82) chipped in 8 points and 7 rebounds. Mali power forward Djenebou Sissoko (190-82, college: Union (TN)) produced 13 points and 6 rebounds for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Wisla Can-Pak (19-1) have an impressive seven-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position. Artego Bydg. lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 11 games lost. They share the position with Lider Pruszkow. Wisla Can-Pak are looking forward to face Odra Brzeg (#12) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Artego Bydg. will play against LKS Siemens (#7) in Lodz and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
The game with biggest result difference took place in Gdynia. Local Lotos Gdynia (16-4) outscored 11th ranked Tecza Leszno (5-15) 82-53. Gabonese-French forward Geraldine Robert (184-80) orchestrated the victory by scoring 24 points and 9 rebounds. Aneika Henry contributed with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Lotos Gdynia's coach Javier Fort felt very confident using 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American point guard Marke Freeman (165-88, college: N.Illinois) replied with 13 points for Tecza Leszno. Lotos Gdynia have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 16-4 record having just three points less than leader Wisla Can-Pak. Tecza Leszno lost third consecutive game. They keep the eleventh place with 15 games lost. They share the position with Odra Brzeg. Lotos Gdynia will play against ROW Rybnik (#5) on the road in the next round. Tecza Leszno will play against Inea AZS (#14) in Poznan and hopes to get back on the winning track.

Rest of the games of round 20 were quite predictable and ended without any surprises. Here they are:
ROW Rybnik was defeated by CCC Polkowice in a road game 68-54. Widzew was beaten by Gorzow at home 52-65. MUKS Poznan lost to Energa Torun on the opponent's court 81-90. LKS Siemens unfortunately lost to Lider Pruszkow in a home game 59-77. Odra Brzeg managed to beat Inea AZS on the road 63-53.
The best stats of 20th round was 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals by Agnieszka Skobel of Gorzow.

CCC Polkowice - ROW Rybnik 68-54

There was no surprise when 5th ranked ROW Rybnik (13-7) was defeated on the road by second ranked CCC Polkowice (16-3) 68-54. The game was mostly controlled by CCC Polkowice. ROW Rybnik was better in third quarter 16-13. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. CCC Polkowice brought some defensive toughness making 8 blocks. Russian guard Valeriya Musina (183-87, college: Lee) orchestrated the victory by scoring 11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. American point guard Sharnee Zoll (170-86, college: Virginia) contributed with 10 points and 8 assists for the winners. Four CCC Polkowice players scored in double figures. American guard Rebecca Harris (176-86, college: Illinois) replied with 10 points and 7 rebounds and guard Magdalena Skorek (177-84, agency: Data Plus Group) added 12 points in the effort for ROW Rybnik. CCC Polkowice have a solid three-game winning streak. They maintain second position with 16-3 record having four points less than leader Wisla Can-Pak. ROW Rybnik at the other side keeps the fifth place with seven games lost. CCC Polkowice will play against AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski (#6) in Gorzow Wlkp. in the next round. ROW Rybnik will play at home against Lotos Gdynia and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
CCC Polkowice: E.Maltsi 12+4reb+2ast, V.Musina 11+9reb+4ast, S.Zoll 10+4reb+8ast, A.Bibrzycka 10+4reb, A.Majewska 8+5reb, I.Perovanovic 6+7reb
ROW Rybnik: M.Skorek 12+3reb, R.Harris 10+7reb+1ast, A.Rack 8+4reb, S.Dosty 7+6reb, R.Fitz 4+8reb+1ast, A.Morawiec 4+1reb

Widzew - Gorzow 52-65

No shocking result in a game in Lodz where sixth ranked AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski (12-8) defeated 10th ranked Widzew (7-13) 65-52. The game without a history. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. International forward Agnieszka Skobel (179-89) orchestrated the victory by scoring 24 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. American guard Alli Smalley (172-89, college: Auburn) contributed with 23 points for the winners. Czech center Leona Jankowska (190-77) replied with 19 points and 5 rebounds and forward Aleksandra Pawlak (189-84) added 14 points and 6 rebounds in the effort for Widzew. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski maintains sixth position with 12-8 record. Widzew at the other side keeps the tenth place with 13 games lost. AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski will play against league's second-placed CCC Polkowice at home in the next round and it may be quite challenging game. Widzew will play against Energa Torun (#4) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Gorzow: A.Skobel 24+7reb+7ast, A.Smalley 23+4reb+1ast, L.Weaver 10+4reb+2ast, P.Johnson 6+9reb+2ast, A.Kaczmarczyk 2+4reb+1ast, K.Jaworska 0
Widzew: L.Jankowska 19+5reb+1ast, A.Pawlak 14+6reb+3ast, M.Rzeznik 6+5reb, B.Glocka 4+3reb+4ast, A.Tondel 4+6ast, L.Kopczyk 3+2reb+3ast

Energa Torun - MUKS Poznan 90-81

Very expected game when 13th ranked MUKS Poznan (4-16) was defeated on the road by fourth ranked Energa Torun (14-6) 90-81. The hosts were already 12 points ahead at halftime and as many as 13 after three quarters before a 22-18 last quarter charge of MUKS Poznan cut the lead to 90-81 at the end of the game. Energa Torun made 21-of-22 charity shots (95.5 percent) during the game. They outrebounded MUKS Poznan 39-19 including a 25-13 advantage in defensive rebounds. American-Puerto Rican guard Jazmine Sepulveda (186-85, college: S.Florida, agency: Merit Sports) orchestrated the victory by scoring 28 points and 7 rebounds (was perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line). British power forward JulieAnne Page (188-83, college: E.Washington) contributed with 17 points and 5 rebounds (on 6-of-7 shooting from the field) for the winners. Guard Dominika Owczarzak (166-94) replied with 15 points and 6 assists and forward Agnieszka Makowska (182-82) added 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals in the effort for MUKS Poznan. Four Energa Torun and five MUKS Poznan players scored in double figures. MUKS Poznan's coach Iwona Jablonska rotated eleven players in this game, but that didn't help. Energa Torun have a solid four-game winning streak. They maintain fourth position with 14-6 record. Newly promoted MUKS Poznan keeps the thirteenth place with 16 games lost. Energa Torun will play against Widzew (#10) in Lodz in the next round where they are favorite. MUKS Poznan will play on the road against Lider Pruszkow and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Energa Torun: J.Sepulveda 28+7reb+2ast, J.Page 17+5reb+3ast, L.Metcalf 12+4reb+5ast, B.Mitchell 12+3reb, J.Maksimovic 9+12reb+2ast, W.Idczak 5+3reb+2ast
MUKS Poznan: M.Idziorek 18+1ast, D.Owczarzak 15+3reb+6ast, A.Makowska 14+5reb+4ast, Z.Durak 12+2reb, N.Mrozinska 10+3reb+2ast, R.Casimiro 4+2reb

LKS Siemens - Lider Pruszkow 59-77

There was a small surprise in Lodz where ninth ranked Lider Pruszkow (9-11) beat 7th ranked LKS Siemens (9-10) 77-59. The game without a history. Lider Pruszkow led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. They dominated on the defensive end, holding LKS Siemens to just 6 points in third quarter. Strangely LKS Siemens outrebounded Lider Pruszkow 45-31 including 33 on the defensive glass. American guard Laurie Koehn (173-82, college: Kansas St.) orchestrated the victory by scoring 25 points and 8 rebounds. The other American import power forward Angelina Williams (183-83, college: Illinois) contributed with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists for the winners. Lider Pruszkow's coach Adam Prabucki allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. American swingman Lauren Prochaska (180-88, college: Bowling Green) replied with a double-double by scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds and Canadian forward Melissa Dalembert (191-87, college: S.Florida) added 11 points and 11 rebounds in the effort for LKS Siemens. Four LKS Siemens players scored in double figures. Lider Pruszkow moved-up to eighth place, which they share with Artego Bydg. LKS Siemens lost fourth consecutive game. They keep the seventh position with ten games lost. Lider Pruszkow will play against MUKS Poznan (#13) at home in the next round where they are favorite. LKS Siemens will play against Artego Bydg. (#8) in Bydgoszcz and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Lider Pruszkow: L.Koehn 25+8reb, A.Williams 16+8reb+6ast, N.Trofimowa 13+10reb+1ast, S.Colson 6+2reb+6ast, U.Oha 4+2ast, A.Chomac 4+1reb
LKS Siemens: L.Prochaska 13+10reb+1ast, M.Dalembert 11+11reb+1ast, J.Jeziorna 11+7reb+3ast, J.McIntyre 10+6reb+4ast, O.Urbanowicz 9+10reb+3ast, A.Kowalska 5+1reb+1ast

Wisla Can-Pak - Artego Bydg. 72-50

Leader Wisla Can-Pak delivered the nineteenth win on Wednesday night. This time they crushed 8th ranked Artego Bydg. (9-11) 72-50 in Krakow. The game without a history. Wisla Can-Pak led from the first minutes and controlled entire game increasing their lead in each quarter. Wisla Can-Pak outrebounded Artego Bydg. 42-27 including 27 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was the former international center Magdalena Leciejewska (191-86) who scored 13 points and 8 rebounds. The former international center Ewelina Kobryn (193-82) chipped in 8 points and 7 rebounds. Mali power forward Djenebou Sissoko (190-82, college: Union (TN)) produced 13 points and 6 rebounds and the former international forward Agnieszka Szott (185-82, agency: Data Plus Group) added 8 points and 7 rebounds respectively for the guests. The winner was already known earlier in the game, so both coaches allowed to play the bench players saving starting five for next games. Wisla Can-Pak (19-1) have an impressive seven-game winning streak. Defending champion maintains first position. Artego Bydg. lost third consecutive game. They keep the eighth place with 11 games lost. They share the position with Lider Pruszkow. Wisla Can-Pak are looking forward to face Odra Brzeg (#12) on the road in the next round which should be another easy win for them. Artego Bydg. will play against LKS Siemens (#7) in Lodz and it may be a tough game between close rivals.
Top scorers:
Wisla Can-Pak: M.Leciejewska 13+8reb+1ast, E.Phillips 11+1ast, E.Kobryn 8+7reb, N.Powell 8+3reb, M.Bjelica 8+4reb, P.Ujhelyi 6+5reb+3ast
Artego Bydg.: D.Sissoko 13+6reb, L.Jimenez 8+4reb, A.Szott 8+7reb+1ast, M.Koc 6+3reb, E.Mowlik 5+2reb, R.Taylor 4+1reb+5ast

Inea AZS - Odra Brzeg 53-63

Not a big story in a game in Poznan where 14th ranked Inea AZS (1-19) was defeated by twelfth ranked Odra Brzeg (5-15) 63-53. The game was mostly controlled by Odra Brzeg. Inea AZS was better in fourth quarter 17-9. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. American guard Jessica Starling (186, college: S.Alabama) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 11 rebounds. Ukrainian guard Inna Kochubei (174-82) contributed with 15 points for the winners. Odra Brzeg's coach Wadim Czeczuro allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Center Joanna Kedzia (193-87) replied with 11 points and 8 rebounds and forward Aneta Kotnis (186-89) added 10 points and 9 rebounds in the effort for Inea AZS. Both teams had four players each who scored in double figures. Odra Brzeg moved-up to eleventh place, which they share with Tecza Leszno. Inea AZS at the other side stay dead last with 19 lost games. Odra Brzeg will play against league's leader Wisla Can-Pak in Krakow in the next round and they do not belong to the favorites in that game. Inea AZS will play on the road against Tecza Leszno (#11) to get more than just one victory in their record.
Top scorers:
Odra Brzeg: J.Daniel 17+1ast, I.Kochubei 15+3reb+3ast, E.Ellis 11+10reb, J.Starling 10+11reb+3ast, M.Zylczynska 6+6reb+1ast, Z.Kedra 2+1reb
Inea AZS: E.Horodenska 11+1reb+2ast, J.Kedzia 11+8reb+1ast, A.Drzewinska 10+6reb, A.Kotnis 10+9reb, M.Gawronska 9+3reb+5ast, A.Petillon 2+2reb

Lotos Gdynia - Tecza Leszno 82-53

The game with biggest result difference took place in Gdynia. Local Lotos Gdynia (16-4) outscored 11th ranked Tecza Leszno (5-15) 82-53. It looked good early as Tecza Leszno took an 1-point lead at the end of first quarter. But then Lotos Gdynia had a 25-17 second period charge getting the lead and Tecza Leszno was not able to take back game control losing it eventually 53-82. Lotos Gdynia dominated on the defensive end, holding Tecza Leszno to just 4 points in fourth quarter. They dominated down low during the game scoring 68 of its points in the paint compared to Tecza Leszno's 32. They outrebounded Tecza Leszno 44-25 including a 14-2 advantage in offensive rebounds. Gabonese-French forward Geraldine Robert (184-80) orchestrated the victory by scoring 24 points and 9 rebounds. American center Aneika Henry (193-86, college: Florida) contributed with a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds for the winners. Lotos Gdynia's coach Javier Fort felt very confident using 11 players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. American point guard Marke Freeman (165-88, college: N.Illinois) replied with 13 points and forward Anna Kuncewicz (186-88) added 8 points and 8 rebounds in the effort for Tecza Leszno. Lotos Gdynia have an impressive six-game winning streak. They maintain third position with 16-4 record having just three points less than leader Wisla Can-Pak. Tecza Leszno lost third consecutive game. They keep the eleventh place with 15 games lost. They share the position with Odra Brzeg. Lotos Gdynia will play against ROW Rybnik (#5) on the road in the next round. Tecza Leszno will play against Inea AZS (#14) in Poznan and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Lotos Gdynia: G.Robert 24+9reb, A.Henry 20+10reb, C.Jinks 12+2reb+2ast, A.Knezevic 9+4reb+3ast, I.Jalcova 5+3reb, N.Plumbi 4+1reb+3ast
Tecza Leszno: M.Freeman 13+4reb+2ast, E.Gala 11+2reb, K.Bednarczyk 8+3reb+2ast, A.Kuncewicz 8+8reb+1ast, M.Chomicka 7+2reb+2ast, J.Grabowska 6+3reb

Stats Leaders - PLKK

Points Per Game

Larrissa WILLIAMS
  MUKS P.
  (191-F-88)
  Avg: 19.2

1. Williams, MUKS P.	19.2
2. Sepulveda, Energa	15.9
3. Skobel, Gorzow	15.8
4. Robert, Lotos G.	15.7
5. Raymond, LKS S.	15.5
6. Kobryn, Wisla C.	15.5
7. Jankowska, Widzew	15.1
8. Maksimovic, Energa	14.7
9. Pawlak, Widzew	14.6
10. Henry, Lotos Gdy.	14.0

Rebounds Per Game

Sybil DOSTY
  ROW Rybnik
  (191-C-86)
  Avg: 10.4

1. Dosty, ROW Rybnik	10.4
2. Dalembert, LKS S.	9.7
3. Ellis, Odra Brzeg	8.7
4. Jankowska, Widzew	8.7
5. Sissoko, Tecza L.	8.6
6. Maksimovic, Energa	8.6
7. White, MUKS P.	8.4
8. Bjelica, Wisla C.	7.7
9. Robert, Lotos G.	7.5
10. Starling, Odra B.	7.3

Assists Per Game

Sharnee ZOLL
  CCC P.
  (170-PG-86)
  Avg: 6.1

1. Zoll, CCC P.	6.1
2. Metcalf, Energa T.	5.3
3. Raymond, LKS S.	4.5
4. Rack, ROW Rybnik	4.4
5. Taylor, Artego B.	4.4
6. Colson, Lider P.	3.5
7. Jalcova, Lotos G.	3.5
8. Kopczyk, Widzew	3.4
9. Pawlak, Wisla C.	3.4
10. Dzwigalska, Gorzow	3.2

Steals Per Game

Agnieszka SKOBEL
  Gorzow
  (179-F-89)
  Avg: 3

1. Skobel, Gorzow	3.0
2. Metcalf, Energa T.	2.5
3. Freeman, Tecza L.	2.4
4. Owczarzak, MUKS P.	2.4
5. Phillips, Wisla C.	2.3
6. Makowska, MUKS P.	2.2
7. Kochubei, Odra B.	2.0
8. Robert, Lotos G.	2.0
9. Taylor, Artego B.	1.8
10. Idczak, Energa T.	1.8

Blocks Per Game

Agnieszka MAJEWSKA
  CCC P.
  (195-C-82)
  Avg: 2.5

1. Majewska, CCC P.	2.5
2. Petronyte, CCC P.	1.9
3. Jankowska, Widzew	1.3
4. Henry, Lotos Gdyn.	1.3
5. Mistygacz, Inea A.	1.1
6. Oha, Lider P.	1.1
7. Johnson, Gorzow	1.1
8. Dosty, ROW Rybnik	1.1
9. Urbaniak, Tecza L.	0.9
10. Kobryn, Wisla C.	0.9

Standings - PLKK

PLKK Standings

1. Wisla Can-Pak		19-1
2. CCC Polkowice		16-3
3. Lotos Gdynia		16-4
4. Energa Torun		14-6
5. ROW Rybnik		13-7
6. Gorzow		12-8
7. LKS Siemens		9-10
8. Artego Bydg.		9-11
9. Lider Pruszkow		9-11
10. Widzew		7-13
11. Tecza Leszno		5-15
12. Odra Brzeg		5-15
13. MUKS Poznan		4-16
14. Inea AZS		1-19

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SWEDEN - Women

Nnamaka comes back to Sallen - by Eurobasket Center
Sallen added to their roster 27-year old Swedish ex-international guard Chioma Nnamaka (183-G-85, college: Georgia Tech). It's actually Nnamakas comeback to Sallen as she played here before. In her first game she scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Despite her good performance her new team lost to Kvarnby 64-68. Nnamaka played most recently at KSSSE AZS PWSZ Gorzow Wlkp. (Poland). While playing 14 games for Gorzow this season she averaged 8.1ppg, 2.2rpg and 1.6apg. Nnamaka helped them to make it to the semifinals. She is a very experienced player. Nnamaka played also pro basketball in France, Lithuania and Poland. She graduated Georgia Tech in 2008 and it will be her fourth season in pro basketball. Nnamaka was a member of Swedish international program for some years. She played for Swedish senior national until 2010 and previously for U20 national team in 2004.

By Eurobasket Data Center

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TURKEY - Women

TKBL Round 17 of Regular Season - by Eurobasket News
The biggest surprise of round 17 took place in Istanbulguest Fenerbahce (#1) beat lower ranked Galatasaray (#2) by 16 points 81-65 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Galatasaray. It was a key game for the top position in the league. It was a very close game until the last quarter, when Fenerbahce's pressure prevailed and they won that period 21-9 extending their advantage to 16 points. They made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. Strangely Galatasaray outrebounded Fenerbahce 39-27 including 25 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was American forward Angel McCoughtry (185-86, college: Louisville) who scored 25 points and 5 rebounds (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!). International center Nevriye Yilmaz (194-80) chipped in 16 points and 7 rebounds. American center Sylvia Fowles (198-85, college: LSU) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds for the hosts. Defending champion maintains first place with 15-2 record. Galatasaray at the other side keeps the second position with three games lost. Fenerbahce are looking forward to face Ceyhan Bld (#6) in Adana in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Galatasaray will play on the road against Optimum TED (#9) in Ankara and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
We should mention about the upset which took place in Adana, where 4th placed Ceyhan Bld (9-8) lost at home to tenth ranked Tarsus Bld (6-11) 61-75. American power forward Chasity Melvin (191-76, college: N.Carolina St.) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 15 rebounds. Tangela Smith contributed with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Spanish guard Natasha Lacy (178-85, college: UTEP, agency: Merit Sports) answered with 8 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists for Ceyhan Bld. Tarsus Bld moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Optimum TED. Ceyhan Bld at the other side dropped to the fifth position with eight games lost. They share it with Mersin. Tarsus Bld will play against higher ranked Kayseri (#3) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Ceyhan Bld will play against the league's leader Fenerbahce and will have a slim chance for a victory.

In the last two games of round 17 bottom-ranked Istanbul Univ. was defeated by Antakya in Hatay 76-67. Mersin beat Optimum TED at home 76-63.

Antakya - Istanbul Univ. 76-67
There was no surprise in Hatay where 12th ranked Istanbul Universitesi (3-14) was defeated by eighth ranked Antakya (7-10) 76-67. The hosts took control from the first minutes by winning first half. But Istanbul Universitesi won third quarter 16-15. However it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. The game was decided in the last minutes when Antakya won last quarter 19-11. They made 20-of-23 charity shots (87.0 percent) during the game. The game was dominated by American players. Power forward Laura Harper (193-86, college: Maryland) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 15 points and 12 rebounds. Swingman Monique Currie (183-83, college: Duke) contributed with 17 points and 6 rebounds for the winners. Antakya's coach allowed to play the deep bench players saving starting five for next games. Guard Roneeka Hodges (180-82, college: Florida St., agency: Josep and Nicolas) answered with 22 points and 5 rebounds and center Carolyn Swords (198-89, college: Boston Coll., agency: LBM Management) added 8 points and 17 rebounds in the effort for Istanbul Universitesi. Newly promoted Antakya maintains eighth place with 7-10 record. Istanbul Universitesi at the other side stay at the bottom position with 14 games lost. Antakya will play against higher ranked Botas (#7) in Adana in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Istanbul Universitesi will play at home against Mersin (#5) and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Antakya: S.Bobbitt 18+3reb+2ast, M.Currie 17+6reb+2ast, L.Harper 15+12reb+3ast, J.Lacy 8+5reb, M.Amachree 8+6reb, P.Turan 6+1ast
Istanbul Univ.: R.Hodges 22+5reb, D.Canty 12+5reb+7ast, E.Erden 9+4reb+4ast, C.Swords 8+17reb, C.Houston 8+11reb+2ast, M.Gezer 4+3reb

Galatasaray - Fenerbahce 65-81
The biggest surprise of round 17 took place in Istanbulguest Fenerbahce (#1) beat lower ranked Galatasaray (#2) by 16 points 81-65 on Wednesday evening. It ended at the same time the four-game winning streak of Galatasaray. It was a key game for the top position in the league. It was a very close game until the last quarter, when Fenerbahce's pressure prevailed and they won that period 21-9 extending their advantage to 16 points. They made 23-of-25 free shots (92.0 percent) during the game. Strangely Galatasaray outrebounded Fenerbahce 39-27 including 25 on the defensive glass. The best player for the winners was American forward Angel McCoughtry (185-86, college: Louisville) who scored 25 points and 5 rebounds (was perfect 9-for-9 from the free throw line !!!). International center Nevriye Yilmaz (194-80) chipped in 16 points and 7 rebounds. American center Sylvia Fowles (198-85, college: LSU) produced a double-double by scoring 20 points and 10 rebounds and Italian-American swingman Diana Taurasi (182-82, college: Connecticut) added 20 points and 6 assists respectively for the hosts. Defending champion maintains first place with 15-2 record. Galatasaray at the other side keeps the second position with three games lost. Fenerbahce are looking forward to face Ceyhan Bld (#6) in Adana in the next round which should be theoretically an easy game. Galatasaray will play on the road against Optimum TED (#9) in Ankara and is hoping to prove to their supporters that the loss was just an accident.
Top scorers:
Fenerbahce: A.McCoughtry 25+5reb, I.Matovic 17+3reb, N.Yilmaz 16+7reb, P.Taylor 8+5reb+1ast, C.Pondexter 7+3reb+1ast, B.Vardarli 6+6ast
Galatasaray: S.Fowles 20+10reb, D.Taurasi 20+3reb+6ast, E.Prince 13+1reb+1ast, T.Charles 8+10reb+1ast, B.Caglar 4+5reb+1ast, I.Alben 0+8reb+2ast

Ceyhan Bld - Tarsus Bld 61-75
We should mention about the upset which took place in Adana, where 4th placed Ceyhan Bld (9-8) lost at home to tenth ranked Tarsus Bld (6-11) 61-75. It was a very close game until the last quarter, when Tarsus Bld's pressure prevailed and they won that period 17-10 extending their advantage to 14 points. American power forward Chasity Melvin (191-76, college: N.Carolina St.) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 18 points and 15 rebounds. Her fellow American import power forward Tangela Smith (193-77, college: Iowa, agency: Josep and Nicolas) contributed with a double-double by scoring 16 points and 12 rebounds for the winners. Spanish guard Natasha Lacy (178-85, college: UTEP, agency: Merit Sports) answered with 8 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists and the former international forward Hulya Ozkan (186-80) added 14 points and 5 assists in the effort for Ceyhan Bld. Tarsus Bld moved-up to ninth place, which they share with Optimum TED. Ceyhan Bld at the other side dropped to the fifth position with eight games lost. They share it with Mersin. Tarsus Bld will play against higher ranked Kayseri (#3) at home in the next round and it will be quite challenging to get another victory. Ceyhan Bld will play against the league's leader Fenerbahce and will have a slim chance for a victory.
Top scorers:
Tarsus Bld: I.Latta 18+1reb+1ast, C.Melvin 18+15reb+1ast, T.Smith 16+12reb+2ast, R.Montgomery 8+2reb+3ast, N.Uzun 6+3reb+1ast, Y.Dalgalar 5+4reb+1ast
Ceyhan Bld: H.Ozkan 14+1reb+5ast, A.Walker 11+6reb+2ast, S.Erdogan 10+1reb+2ast, A.Sevinc 8+8reb+1ast, N.Lacy 8+12reb+5ast, A.Paris 7+7reb

Mersin - Optimum TED 76-63
No shocking result in a game when sixth ranked Mersin (9-8) defeated at home 9th ranked Optimum TED (6-11) 76-63. The game was mostly controlled by Mersin. Optimum TED was better in third quarter 14-13. But it was not enough to take a lead and get a victory that evening. They outrebounded Optimum TED 45-25 including a 30-13 advantage in defensive rebounds. Mersin players were unselfish on offense dishing 21 assists. American forward Erlana Larkins (185-86, college: N.Carolina) orchestrated the victory with a double-double by scoring 10 points and 15 rebounds. Forward Ayse Dilek Unuvar (178-82) contributed with 12 points and 9 rebounds for the winners. Five Mersin players scored in double figures. LBRn guard Matee Ajavon (170-86, college: Rutgers) answered with 20 points and 5 steals and the former international forward Gulsah Akkaya (181-77) added 14 points and 5 rebounds in the effort for Optimum TED. Optimum TED's coach Deryan Ozyer rotated ten players in this game, but that didn't help. Mersin have a solid series of three victories in a row. They moved-up to fifth place, which they share with Ceyhan Bld. Optimum TED lost third consecutive game. Newly promoted team keeps the ninth position with 11 games lost. They share it with Tarsus Bld. Mersin will play against bottom-ranked Istanbul Universitesi (#12) in Istanbul in the next round and are hoping to win another game. Optimum TED will play at home against the league's second-placed Galatasaray in Istanbul and hopes to get back on the winning track.
Top scorers:
Mersin: L.Thomas 13+3reb+1ast, A.Dilek Unuvar 12+9reb+2ast, C.Thomas 12+8reb, S.Zellous 11+7reb+4ast, T.Palazoglu 10+1reb+7ast, E.Larkins 10+15reb+3ast
Optimum TED: M.Ajavon 20+2reb+1ast, G.Akkaya 14+5reb, K.Braxton 10+4reb+2ast, S.Tozlu 7+4reb+1ast, D.Walker 6+6reb+1ast, L.Bouthors 2+1reb
Kayseri - Samsun and Besitkas - Botas, February 15

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WNBA - Women

WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings to return to Fever - by Eurobasket News
The reigning MVP of the WNBA, two-time Olympic gold medalist Tamika Catchings (6'1''-F-79, college: Tennessee) has signed a free agent contract to remain with the only WNBA team for which she has ever played. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Catchings has completed 10 active seasons with the Fever and 11 years of service since being chosen with the club's top pick in the 2001 WNBA Draft. After missing her first season due to injury, she was named the league's Rookie of the Year in 2002 and has established virtually every season and career record in Fever history. Including her MVP campaign in 2011, she has been among top-five finishers in MVP balloting nine times. A four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year and a seven-time All-Star, she also owns the league record for career steals.

'It's no secret that Tamika has been the cornerstone of our franchise. Her contribution to our team and this community is significant,' said Fever Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Kelly Krauskopf. 'Re-signing her was a priority and my hope is that she plays out the remainder of her career in a Fever uniform.'

'Tamika is the most versatile player in the WNBA!,' exclaimed Fever Head Coach Lin Dunn. 'Her ability to perform at such a high level on both ends of the floor has been a key to our seven straight playoff appearances. She has been the face of our franchise for 10 years and we are fortunate to have her in Indiana.'

Considered as one of the most elite players in the world, she has helped guide the Fever to playoff appearances in seven consecutive seasons and eight overall, including a trip to the 2009 WNBA Finals. She is the only player in WNBA history to rank among the league's career top ten in points (6th), rebounds (6th), assists (9th) and steals (1st). She boasts career averages of 16.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game.

Catchings is regarded almost as highly, too, for her work off the court. An ambassador for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee and the founder of the Catch The Stars Foundation, she will appear Thursday with First Lady Michelle Obama in a 'Let's Move!' event in Des Moines, Iowa, to help solve the problem of childhood obesity.

Added Catchings, 'I'd like to thank Jim Morris, Kelly Krauskopf and Pacers Sports & Entertainment for helping me to continue my career in Indianapolis. I look forward to representing this franchise and growing my Catch The Stars Foundation in this community. We've had a great 11 seasons so far and we'll continue our pursuit of a championship for the Fever.'

Courtesy of www.fox59.com

Sparks, 4-time All-Star Alana Beard agree to contract - by Eurobasket News
The Los Angeles Sparks signed four-time WNBA All-Star Alana Beard (5'11''-G/F-82, college: Duke) to a free agent contract.

The team announced the deal Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

Beard averaged 16.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists in six seasons with Washington before missing the last two seasons with ankle and foot injuries.

Sparks general manager Penny Toler says Beard is healthy and motivated to return to the form that made her an All-Star from 2005-07 and again in 2009.

Beard, a 5-foot-11 guard-forward, is currently playing in Israel with Elitzur Ramla.

Courtesy of www.usatoday.com

Atlanta Dream signs forward Cathrine Kraayeveld - by Eurobasket News
The Atlanta Dream announced today the team has signed free agent forward Cathrine Kraayeveld (6'4''-F-81, agency: LBM Management, college: Oregon) to a multi-year contract. Per team policy, further terms of the deal were not disclosed.

One of the things we felt like we needed to add to our team was a three-point shooter, and Cathrine definitely fills that role, said Dream Head Coach and General Manager Marynell Meadors. She is also a good defender on the perimeter and she can play multiple positions. I think her versatility on offense and defense will really be an asset.

Kraayeveld, a 6-3 forward, is a seven-year veteran in the WNBA. She spent her first five seasons in the league with the New York Liberty before being acquired by the Chicago Sky in a multi-team trade prior to the 2010 season. In her WNBA career, Kraayeveld is averaging 7.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc.

Kraayeveld appeared in 33 games for the Sky in 2011, including 15 starts. She averaged 5.9 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. One of the leagues top perimeter shooters, Kraayeveld connected on 40.9% of her attempts from beyond the arc. She ranked tenth in the league in three-point field goal percentage in 2011.

The Washington native played her collegiate basketball at the University of Oregon. She was originally selected by the San Antonio Silver Stars in the third round of the 2005 WNBA Draft with the 27th overall pick.

Courtesy of www.oursportscentral.com

Silver Stars sign Shameka Christon - by Eurobasket News
The San Antonio Silver Stars have signed seven-year WNBA veteran Shameka Christon (6'1''-G/F-82, agency: Josep and Nicolas, college: Arkansas), head coach and general manager Dan Hughes announced today. As per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

A 6-2 forward originally selected by the New York Liberty in the first round (5th overall) of the 2004 WNBA Draft, Christon has averaged 11.5 points per game with 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest in 207 career games.

'We are excited to welcome Shameka to San Antonio, Hughes said. In a good WNBA free agent class, she is one of the best. Shameka brings a great deep perimeter shooting with athletic length, skill and character to the Silver Stars.

The University of Arkansas alumna had the most productive season of her career in 2009, averaging 16.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Christon was selected to the 2009 WNBA All-Star Team, where she scored 12 points while adding three steals, three rebounds and dishing out four assists in 22 minutes of play.

I am really excited and truly blessed to be joining the Silver Stars, Christon said. I have heard nothing but great things about the organization. Im extremely happy to be reconnected with Vickie Johnson and Becky Hammon, who were great leaders and mentors for me back in our New York Liberty days. It is no secret that San Antonio is a first class organization from management and support staff to the players and coaching staff. My prayers have been answered and I am so proud to be a San Antonio Silver Star.

After six seasons with the Liberty, Christon was acquired by Chicago in a three-team trade on March 29, 2010. She played in 10 games for Chicago during the 2010 season, averaging 8.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game before being sidelined by an eye injury. She missed the 2011 season with a right knee injury suffered during training camp.

Christon has been a member of the USA Basketball Womens National Team program and has also played internationally in Russia, Poland, Spain and Israel during the WNBA offseason.

The Silver Stars open the 2012 season on May 19 at Tulsa before tipping off the home schedule against the Chicago Sky 30 at 7 p.m.

Courtesy of www.sportspagemagazine.com